Democracy, Characters and Kathmandu

By Meena Kaini

KATHMANDU, One of the achievements of democracy is: we are getting two day holidays at least for a year and have started a new trend to celebrate weekends like we never did before. And add the regular bandhs to that. Bandhs, during these post-democratic years do not any more need a rational or convincing reason behind them to be successful.

And with Nepal bandh called by the underground Maoists for Friday tomorrow our weekend starts today itself. Call it achievement or failure of democracy. Who are we to complain? The fact is, we are getting extended holidays. Moreover, when did the running out time matter to us?

A VIP of the country or those from outside makes a trip to our "beautiful country of mountains" and there we are helplessly waiting for them to reach their destinations safely before we advance our steps to reach our destinations. The roads are blocked as if we, the citizens have nothing important to do or our time never mattered. But neither are we offended nor do we get angry treating at most of the offices. It is just another festival A very valid reason to get to work late and tell those who question, no matter how obvious the answer.

The size of the little allyes around the cities have been the same though the population has been steadily increasing every day. The quality of population in the streets, the increasing number of cheap Indian vehicles, hazy evenings due the ever increasing pollution and the black stinking rivers makes it easier for us to compare our once beautiful city to our southern neighbouring towns of Mujjaffarpur or Patna from India’s notorious state of Bihar rather than Kyoto.

Modernisation of the cities and our lack of civic sense does seem to quite match. Democracy has given us the right to do anything, not just the "right thing".

We do not need a spot to sit down and talk. Any road or middle of the road does that for us. Our vehicles can stop at the middle of the road to load or unload passengers. And there are drivers who pause at the middle of the road for a chat, which instantly creates a jam. We do not need or even look for a place to spit. Go anywhere and there we are trying to take out all the cough jammed in our throats and clean it at once be it in the bus or cinema hall or anywhere.

We give a hand to those speeding vehicles that screech to stop and let us cross the roads. And if those inside the vehicles honk their horns, we give them the furious stares.

Maybe, the change of democracy, urbanisation and modernisation have been too fast for us to catch up. Maybe, we have not still come out of our rural behaviour and mindset. Maybe, we never think that when we fight to get our rights fully utilised, we can be violating the rights of others.

All this maybe because, our demands for rights and democracy has materialised more out of the political movements.

This could probably be the reason why we are still self-conscious to exercise the rights that have been accomplished by the moments of days, weeks and months.

After days of protests, rallies and traffic jams, the student’s finally got some portion of their demands fulfilled. In the pre-democracy years it was a practice to give discounts to students using the public transport. And suddenly after democracy, it was gone.

However, seems like it will take some time before our students get used to this new system and take out their identification cards with some pride.

It was only today I noticed an almost embarrassed student while he took out his ID Card to show the bus conductor and get the newly attained "discount". To his utter discomfort, the people around him were amused and giving those jocular smiles.

Only one word discribes the state of the country, it people, population, democracy, democratic practices or mis-practices is - chaos.

Disorganisation in the streets, disorientation of the constructions and disenchantment amongst people - are not just the first impressions of those tourists but an experience for those who survive it all - everyday.

‘Life of women hasn’t changed even after democracy’

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KATHMANDU, April 5- At a seminar on "Role of Women Parliamentarians", held today Chairman of Upper House, Mohammed Mohsin said that even after 11 years of restoration of democracy, there has been no significant change, in the socio-economic upliftment of women in Nepal.

He also said that the current crisis in the nation is due to lack of conscientious agreement between the government and the opposition.

Speaker of the Lower House, Taranath Ranabhat who was also present at the program, expressed grief over the current chaos in the country. According to him, root cause for the current problem is the politicization of the police and civil administration.

According to a draft report prepared by lawyer Sapana Malla, violence against women and cases of rape and girl trafficking is rapidly on the increase. She also mentioned that Nepali women have a higher mortality and lower literacy rate than men.

Regarding the role of women parliamentarian, Ranabhat said, "Till date the policies, issues of national interest and the law are not much in favour of women. Therefore, more emphasis should be given to induct women in the parliament, so that they take equal part in the policy making and governing of the nation".

Meanwhile, general secretary of CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal declared that his party (CPN-UML) is committed to stand up for equal property rights for women.

According to Deputy Speaker of the Lower House, Chitra Lekha Yadav, they as women parliamentarians are ready to take any responsibility and face any challenge, if given the chance. "Unlike the male parliamentarians, women have never been embroiled on charges of corruption," she asserted.

Health post closed as peons resign

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SINDHULIMADHI, April 5- The Ilaka Health Post at Jalakanya has shut down completely since the last three weeks, right on the eve of the season of epidemics, putting hundreds of families at peril.

Ganesh Bahadur Devkota, Chairman of Jalakanya VDC, expresses sadness over the closure, saying, "It’s next to impossible for us to survive the onslaught of any epidemic during the coming summer."

Devkota led a local delegation to the District Public Health Office at the headquarters, demanding the re-opening of the post, but their pleas only got a blank response from the concerned authorities.

The health post had to be closed down because the two peons, who looked after the health post as well as provided medical services to the local patients, tendered their resignations last month.

Water, water nowhere: Nor a drop to drink !

SINDHULI, April 5- A group of media persons, including this reporter, was stunned by the abject scarcity of drinking water at Kattike in the Kapilakot VDC, two days trek from the district headquarters in Sindhuli, recently.

During a field visit there in the terrible April sun a few days ago, we entered a household to quench our thirst. The lady there made us all sit down on the mat, and holding a water pot at her waist, she said, "Well, please wait, sons. I"ll be back within an hour."

Unable to wait that long, we turned to the neighbouring house. Phew, the lady there had already left her home- she’d alredy seen us gangstering for water.

Situated on the Mahabharat ranges, the village is thus reeling under the unimaginable scarcity of water. Nor is there any other indicator of development visible in the village.The drinking water predicament is equally severe in other villages like Khalanga and Panchthare too.

The only source of water in Kattike is a tiny well that lies at a walking distance of about half an hour from the village and the women spend a considerable part of the their time merely in the carrying of water.

The well receives its meagre supply by means of the water that oozes out of a stream nearby, and women reach there early in the dusk to compete for their share even before the well is full at all.

The water supply at the well may be adequate during other seasons, but the terrible heat leaves it almost dry during April and May, rendering the local people, as a local woman says, ‘virtually kakakul ‘( a mythical bird condemned to remain thirsty throughout his life for sins committed in an earlier birth).

The Kapilakot VDC is a Maoist stronghold, and has no people’s representatives at the VDC except an abnormal Chairman and a handicapped Vice-Chairman. It is for this reason that the government’s grant of five hundred thousand doesn’t reach this village for undertaking any developmental activity, including any prospects of water supply projects in the near future.

Says Ram Bahadur Yonjan of Khalanga, "We don’t feel to have any government and nobody is concerned about our plight."

There are dozens of NGOs working in the drinking water sector in the district, but almost all of them are confined to the headquarters for fear of the Maoists. Meanwhile, whether the residents of Kattike are destined forever to live as Kakakuls remains a question.

Geographically, Kapilakot is the largest VDC in the district and is even declared as model village by the government. Ironical, is it not?

Farmers attracted by tea farming

BHADRAPUR, April 5 (RSS) - The 4th Natio  A group of media persons, including this reporter, was stunned by the abject scarcity of drinking water at Kattike in the Kapilakot VDC, two days trek from the district headquarters in Sindhuli, recently.

During a field visit there in the terrible April sun a few days ago, we entered a household to quench our thirst. The lady there made us all sit down on the mat, and holding a water pot at her waist, she said, "Well, please wait, sons. I"ll be back within an hour."

Unable to wait that long, we turned to the neighbouring house. Phew, the lady there had already left her home- she’d alredy seen us gangstering for water.

Situated on the Mahabharat ranges, the village is thus reeling under the unimaginable scarcity of water. Nor is there any other indicator of development visible in the village.The drinking water predicament is equally severe in other villages like Khalanga and Panchthare too.

The only source of water in Kattike is a tiny well that lies at a walking distance of about half an hour from the village and the women spend a considerable part of the their time merely in the carrying of water.

The well receives its meagre supply by means of the water that oozes out of a stream nearby, and women reach there early in the dusk to compete for their share even before the well is full at all.

The water supply at the well may be adequate during other seasons, but the terrible heat leaves it almost dry during April and May, rendering the local people, as a local woman says, ‘virtually kakakul ‘( a mythical bird condemned to remain thirsty throughout his life for sins committed in an earlier birth).

The Kapilakot VDC is a Maoist stronghold, and has no people’s representatives at the VDC except an abnormal Chairman and a handicapped Vice-Chairman. It is for this reason that the government’s grant of five hundred thousand doesn’t reach this village for undertaking any developmental activity, including any prospects of water supply projects in the near future.

Says Ram Bahadur Yonjan of Khalanga, "We don’t feel to have any government and nobody is concerned about our plight."

There are dozens of NGOs working in the drinking water sector in the district, but almost all of them are confined to the headquarters for fear of the Maoists. Meanwhile, whether the residents of Kattike are destined forever to live as Kakakuls remains a question.

Geographically, Kapilakot is the largest VDC in the district and is even declared as model village by the government. Ironical, is it not?nal Tea Day and tea growers training organised by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board regional office concluded here recently.

During the training programme, the tea growers were informed about the possibilities of tea farming, the soil and climatic conditions required for growing tea, management of tea nursery, planting of tea saplings and controlling scrubs, diseases affecting tea plants, use of fertilisers, picking tea leaves and processing them and cutting of tea plants. The two-day training programme was participated in by 61 tea growers.

Chief District Officer Sushil Jung Bahadur Rana said that the farmers had been attracted by tea farming as it generated more income with less investment.

Regional manager of the national tea and coffee development board regional office Madhav Prasad Ghimire informed the trainees about the national tea policy. The regional office is ready to extend necessary cooperation to the tea growers, he added.

At the function chaired by academician Dan Khaling, Rajendra Kumar Singh, Nanda Kishore Giri, Durga Prasad Parajuli, Yuvaraj Karki, Ramprasad Shivakoti and Dharmananda Niraula threw light on the popularity of tea farming.

At present 500 farmers are cultivating tea in 22,000 hectares of land while 61 farmers have developed private tea gardens in 76,000 ropanis of land in Jhapa district.

Likewise, tea cultivation has been expanded in 33 village development committees of Jhapa district.

Ambulance driver injured in accident

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MAHOTTARI, April 5 - Two people, including the driver of the ambulance of Nepal Red Cross Society, were injured on Wednesday night when a tractor coming from the opposite direction hit the ambulance.

The ambulance with plate No. Ba. A. Cha 182 was on its way to Manara VDC, about 36 miles west of the district headquarters from Jaleswor, as part of its emergency service.

The ambulance was hit by the tractor with plate No. Ja.1 Ta.

1732 near Barbadi bridge. The ambulance driver, Om Bahadur Rayo sustained serious injuries in the chest while Badri Bhardar, who was with him, has sustained serious injuries in the face and left hand, according to Jaleswor District Hospital.

The ambulance was in operation since the last two months after its repair with the assistance of different donors. Earlier, it was lying unused for about a year due to the financial constraints of Mahottari Red Cross which hindered it from repairing .

The ambulance sustained a loss of about Rs 100,000 following the accident.

People of the district have been deprived of the ambulance service after the only ambulance of Mahottari district met with an accident.

Dipak Mishra of Nepal Red Cross Society said the ambulance, which was brought in operation after a long gap, could be repaired only if financial assistance was received from some donor agencies.

Village overwhelmed with grief, sorrow

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MAJHTHANA, Pokhara, April 5- Scenes of relentless mourning and grief over the death of the 22-year old police constable, Shiva Prasad Banstola, killed by Maoists at Mainapokhari, Dolakha, on Monday morning, are a regular sight here for the last few days.

The family are all in tears and their dreams have suddenly been destroyed by the gruesome killing of an honest policeman who was simply carrying out his official duties. The entire village is overwhelmed with grief and sorrow of a young, promising boy.

His half-unconscious mother has not eaten anything since she heard the news on Monday. "How he promised during childhood to look after me at old age !" she laments.

Putting the dead body of his son to fire, Tuesday, Dayachandra had said, "Indeed, you should have given me the dagbatti, it’s just the other way round." Many of those assembled there had broken into tears at the father’s lamentations during the cremation.

Many of the bereaved assembled at the courtyard have abated their tears by now, but his mother bursts into a yell more sorrowfull than ever every now and then. The only younger brother, Hari, too is weeping alone somewhere upstairs.

Shiva Prasad was stationed at Mainapokhari in his first placement after completing a training period. He comes from a poor family : his father is a priest, his brother is still a student. There is no other source of income.

"Only because of poverty did my brother join the police," said a grief-stricken Hari.

‘ Local bodies have less power’

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LALITPUR,April 5 - Planners today stresed on the imporatace of inviting the local bodies in poverty alleviation programmes to make them sucessful.

Secretary at Ministry of Local Development said that poverty itself is a complex topic and it needs even more homework to really alleviate from Nepali societies. "The local bodies do see poverty in their respective areas but they have been unable to penetrate the complexity and thus they have been away from contributing on its alleviation."

Addressing a one-day interaction programme on the role and responsibility of the local bodies in poverty alleviation, he said that local bodies have potentiality to mobilize the resources but it needs further enhancement to implement the existing programmes.

Lawmaker from the main opposition party CPN-UML Rajendra Pande said that the representatives of the local bodies got even lesser power after the introduction of Local Self-Governance Act 1999.

Chairman of Lalitpur District Development Committee Madhav Paudel charged that the government hesitates to handover decision making power to local bodies notwithstanding of what the act says. "Though we have everything in the act, decision are being made from the central body."

Economist Dr Narayan Narasingh Khatri said that the role of local bodies has increased in the present context.

"The new attempts for poverty alleviation should be followed up at regular intervals and attempts shold be made to overcome any hurdles. Otherwise Local Self-Governance Act would merely be a showpiece," he said, while presenting a paper.

Kharel to be awarded

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KATHMANDU, April 5 - Sancharika Samuha/ Nepal (SAS/Nepal) has decided to award this year’s Sancharika Samanta Puruskar to Shankar Kharel, Sub-editor in the Kantipur Daily, states a press release issued by SAS Nepal.

Kharel will be awarded in the occasion of fifth anniversary of SAS on April 12 by Shiva Raj Joshi, Minister for Information, the release adds.

The award which was started last year during the fourth anniversary of SAS is given every year to a media person for a news/article/feature that s/he has written on sexual discrimination.

Kharel won the award for his feature titled ‘Sauta Swikar Garne ki, Logne lai Ek Mahina Karagar Thunaune?’ published in Kantipur of 30 June last year.

Locals to protest against Guthi land leasing deal

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KATHMANMDU, April 5 - Locals of Paknajol, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No 16, are going to oppose the Guthi Sansthan’s decision to lease religious land property for commercial purposes.

A 17-member Archaeological Public Land Conservation Committee was formed Monday to fight unitedly agaist leasing away religious land, which has cultural value for the local people, said Ward Chairman Ram Bir Manandhar, who chaired the commitee too. "The main purpose of this committee is to stop any institution from leasing such land property for commercial purposes, neglecting the cultural value of the land and its sentimental attachment with the locals," he said.

Guthi Sansthan recently decided on March 6 to lease three religious plots, under its possession , around Paknajol area and one in Siphal, for setting up structure for commercial purposes. Whereas one temple primes at Sorhakhutte Paknajol leased by the GS has been turned into a store house of kerosene and cooking gas.

The committee has decided to tender memorandum to the land reform ministry and the chairman of Guthi Sansthan not to lease the land to commercial parties without informing the local representatives. "We are visiting the minister soon," he said.

The ward office had written to then prime minister, minster for youth and culture some three years ago. Department of Archaeology made a report on the condition of the leased temple but no further process was taken to remove the kerosene dealer from the temple area, the locals said.

Shrestha takes part in IMF- SEI meet

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KATHMANDU, April 5 - The 22nd General Congress of International Falcon Movement - Socialist Educational International (IMF- SEI ) concluded at Malmo ,Sweden recently, states a press release received from Pre-Primary School Project , Bal Mandir Nepal (PSBMP). Some 150 delegates from member organization of 42 countries participated in the congress. Convener of PSBMP and member of Nepal Children Organization, Nirbikar Shrestha also participated in the congress.

The congress elected 11 member executive committee under the chairmanship of Osten Lovegreen of Sweden. The newly elected chairman of IMF-SEI is also member C of central Executive Committee of Unga Barner Organization of Sweden. He has working experience in various important posts of IMF- SEI. Lovegreen has contributed significantly for the establishment and operation of PSBMP. He has so far visited Nepal five times.

IMF- SEI is an international organization working for democracy, freedom ,equality, as well as international commitment and solidarity for youths and children. Shrestha is currently in a study tour of School Education System of Denmark at the Invitation of Dai- Leg Og Viske, a member organization of IMF- SEI.

An exemplary move against caste system

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LAMJUNG, April 5- The initiative taken by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to abolish a local traditional system symbolising discriminination against the low caste Hindus has widely been hailed here.

The upper castes and their low caste counterparts had traditionally been assigned separate altars for offering animal sacrifices at the famous Kalika temple in Gaunshahar of Lamjung. But thanks to the initiative taken by the VHP during Chaite Dashain this year, the two offered their sacrifices at the same spot, and thus took a modest but symbolic step in narrowing the caste divide.

The Kalika Devi is well-known for her wish fulfilling generosity and is offered a sacrifice during Bada Dashain and Chaite Dashain by a great number of devotees in the region.

According to VHP general secretary, Sthir Babu Ghimire, the campaign to bridge the psychological gap between the supposed higher caste Hindus and their ‘inferior’ fellowmen by abolishing the types of discrimination at Kalika temple will be extended to other parts of the country in the future .

NHRC team visits hospital

KATHMANDU, April 5 (PR) - The team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) today went to visit the hospitalised policemen injured during the Maoist attack in Rukum and Dolakha districts.

NHRC Chairman Nayan Bahadur Khatri and members Dr Gauri Shankar Lal Das, Kapil Shrestha, Sushil Pyakurel and Indira Rana visited the Birendra Police Hospital, Teaching Hospital and Birendra Army Hospital and inquired about the conditions of the policemen injured during the Maoist attack in Rukum and Dolakha according to a press release issued here.

The release also stated that the commission urges the government and all the state agencies to be more cautious and responsible while dealing with human rights concerning the Maoists. It also urged the Maoists to respect the human dignity and consider people's rights to life. The release also stated that NHRC requests the Maoists not to terrorise the people.