Despite much hardship, life still goes on for Ram Prasad

Rolling his eyes to the pedestrians with a grin on his face, in an early chilly morning, to have some alms so that he could make up his day. This has become his daily routine and the motive for survival.

With no reminiscences of the past, where he descended from is also a question in his mind. Brought up in the uncle’s house with reluctance and abuse, Ram Prasad Poudel, now around sixty, made a planned flee ending up in Kathmandu in search of good life. With numerous downfalls from late childhood to adulthood, he finally ended up in streets, begging. But he is all satisfied with his very own Karma and to stay under the blessings of Lord Shiva without any complaints in life.

Though he lives in the patis, within the boundaries of the Pashupatinath temple, he recounts on the pleasure he has received. Shikha Manandhar of The Kathmandu Post talked to Ram Prasad on the way to Lord Pashupatinath temple.

Baje, where did you come from?

I myself don’t know from where I descended. It was during my early childhood that my parents passed away and my uncle looked after me. But fate did not turn favourable, so I escaped from there. I think it was around 2009 B.S. that I ended up in Kathmandu for prosperity.

Don’t you have any other relatives?

My uncle used to say my father was the only child in the family. Before he got married to my mother, both his parents were already dead. My father was a middle-aged man when he got married. It was his second marriage. So when both of them expired I was left all alone. Though I was the heir to his property, it was confiscated by the zamindaar (landlord) from whom my father had taken the loan. So I landed up in my uncle’s home.

Then, what happened after you came to Kathmandu?

I had no one here. All I had to do was to live on my own. At that time, I had no intentions of begging. So I started working as a domestic worker in one of the Bahun’s house. There I was accepted because I too am a bahun. I had to wake up early in the morning, as early as five and prepare the puja for my master. Then I had to clean up the house in the morning itself, though it’s winter or summer. And then make everything ready for the lunch. My master’s wife used to cook the meal.

I could hardly have free time to rest. I didn’t like washing dishes but see my karma, I had to do it. After going through many hurdles, I landed up here in this calm place of God.

Are you married?

Oh yes, I am married. And I have three daughters and one son. I met my wife when I worked in one of the hotels as kanchha. She used to sell peanuts on the street and then we fled.

Where are your children then?

Don’t talk about them, especially my son. With such hopes and hardship we brought him up so that he would look after us, but he turned over after he got married. Two of the daughters are being sponsored by the bideshis (foreigners) for their studies and they are still studying. My eldest daughter is already married.

Didn’t your married daughter ask you to stay with her?

No (with tears in his eyes and after a long gasp), you know it is not good to stay in a daughter’s house. I don’t like that. Even my wife says, we shouldn’t even drink water from the daughter’s home.

Do your children come to visit you?

Yes, my two daughters who are studying come here every week. And the eldest daughter comes once in a month or two. After our son left us, we haven’t seen his face again.

Where is your wife?

She might be somewhere inside the temple’s compound - begging.

How much do you earn in a day?

Not much. Around Rs.30 - 40 a day, but during the festivals and Saturdays, I get more than Rs.100. Even my wife gets the same amount. Sometimes the alms we get is not enough for a meal too. But we do not have to buy the rice. The pedestrians give us.

We still try to save some money for our two daughters, as they are yet to get married.

‘Maoists abused disabled, drug peddlers’

Post Report

KAVRE, Dec 9 - People rounded up by the army and police during their search operation have given verbal accounts of how the Maoists abuse disabled people and even drug smugglers while carrying on their violent activities.

A disabled arrested by the army and police, Gopal Ghimire, said the Maoists assigned him to deliver arms, make plans to bomb different targets and forcibly collect donations from villages.

Ghimire, who hails from Tukucha Nala Village Development Committee (VDC) , can see with only one of his eyes and has only one hand. He was also a member of the district committee of All Nepal Peasant Association, affiliated with the Maoists.

Police Inspector of Area Police Office, Banepa, Prem Lama, told The Kathmandu Post quoting Ghimire that he was assigned to deliver the arms simply because he was a disabled and no one would suspect him of being a Maoist.

Another accused arrested on Sunday, Gunaraj Timilsina, said he was involved in smuggling of drug for the last one year, and that the Maoists protected him. According to the statement delivered to the police by Timilsina he was initially engaged in potato trading, but eventually switched to drug transactions. He was supposed to pay Rs 25,000 a month to the Maoist Party.

Both of them - Ghimire and Timilsina - were used by the Maoists in their activities, which included extorting money from villagers and businessmen and smuggling of drugs.

Chhabilal Dahal, another Maoist arrested by the Police and army, was a judge at the ‘district people’s court’ of the Maoist party. It was also disclosed that a group of Maoists had looted cash and kind worth Rs 3.2 million from the house of Yadu Raj Giri some 16 months ago.

Police have recovered some looted property that was buried in a pot in the house of Shiva Prasad Dahal, of Ugrachandi VDC - 9, Nala. Golden ornaments and some old currency notes were found intact from the pot. According to the police, all the arrested Maoists were leading luxurious life.

NC cadre killed, curfew continues

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – A group of Maoists killed former army and Nepali Congress cadre Sitaram Rai Saturday evening near Bidur, Nuwakot district headquarters, said Nuwakot Chief District Officer.

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Saturday at Ganeshsthan-3, which is 13 kilometers east of Bidur, said Nuwakot CDO Modnath Dotel. Police has arrested a local resident Bishnu Raj Giri as a suspect, however, CDO is unaware regarding the arrest.

According to our Pokhara-based reporter quoting army sources said that the security forces arrested 15 Maoists recovering huge amount of arms and explosives on Saturday at Hilehil, north west of Baglung district headquarters. Until now security forces have arrested around 250 Maoists of which 87 have already been released in the Western Region.

Meanwhile in Syangja, the joint team of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and the Nepal Police Saturday arrested seven Maoists who were involved in attacks in Syangja district headquarter last month. According to information received here, the security forces arrested these Maoists from Gulmi, Tanahu and other nearby districts of Syangja.

Administrative works related to the peace and security have been affected to a large extent in Syangja due to the absence of the Chief District Officer (CDO), and that it has become difficult to take decisions on important issues.

According to Home Ministry source, Syangja CDO Janardan Nepal is most likely to be transferred to the ministry while his position is likely to be taken over by the ministry’s under secretary Ramesh Shrestha. Here, the banks that were looted earlier by the Maoists have still not carried out any transactions.

In Myagdi, the Maoists exploded bombs near Kali Prasad Battalion Barracks on Saturday around 7:00 p.m. However, there were no any casualties reported. After the incident, the district security committee met to devise security plans and that the security has been strengthened around the region.

Exactly two weeks after the government declared a State of Emergency in the country, curfew continues in some parts of the country.

Reports from Dang district, where the Maoists attacked an army post for the time, said that nightlong curfew still remained in force. The local administration continued the 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in and around market places in the district headquarters, Ghorahi, and in Tulsipur.

Similarly, our reporter from Myagdi district said that the district administration imposed curfew between 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. at Benibazar and the surrounding areas. On Saturday night, the Maoists had hurled bombs in the district headquarters. Our Syangja based reporter said that the local administration has imposed curfew in the district headquarters and the adjoining areas from Sunday 7:00 p.m to Monday 5:00 am for maintaining law and order.

Ideas, vision make Navin’s photographs

By Ranjana Pradhan

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 – Photography was initially his hobby, which grew into passion from a very young age. Navin has not only taken photography as his way of expressing the world around him but has used a profusion of ideas, vision and thoughts to express colours in the world around him.

His artistic mind has been successful in diffusing the art of photography in a digital way. He experiments initially with the camera as a medium and then uses the computer as another tool to eventually achieve what he wants.

Born in 1969, Navin Joshi completed his course from J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai, but according to Navin, his main source of inspiration and to some extent his tutor is his father who was a photographer himself. "I grew up surrounded by my father’s paintings. Colour has always filled my life, "he says. No doubt all his paintings are focussed mostly on bright colours. He plays with the development of his films and print contrasts very well.

Inaugurating the function, Crispin Conroy, Australian Ambassador in Nepal and Ronald Peter Nash, UK Ambassador in Nepal were all praises for Navin’s creations.

"I myself have been very deeply interested in Photography since the last two years and from what I see, Navin’s photos have a beautiful combination of colours. He has been successful in capturing the beauty of Nepal and that too using technology which is really amazing," said Conroy.

Ronald Nash found Navin’s pictures similar to those of earlier times. "I like the brightness that he has installed in his pictures, "said Nash. "I especially like the ordinary life that he has portrayed in his photographs, "he added.

Navin has recently set up his own post-production studio called Max-Pro and he used to be the Creative Director with Thompson Nepal. He has also worked with top ad companies in India as a visualiser. Even though Navin takes photography as a hobby and does not concentrate on them full-time, he has won many national awards and according to him, his exploration in the field of creativity has given him immense satisfaction.

His collections of 26 enchanting and attractive photographs are now in display at his first exhibition, which he has named "Colour from the world around us". The exhibition is held at The Park Art Gallery at Pulchowk and will continue till December 26, 2001.

Parties oppose Civil Act Bill

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 - Leaders of the different opposition political parties today urged the government not to give the royal seal to the Bill on Civil Act (11th amendment) which was not endorsed by the parliamentarians in the Upper House at an interaction programme held here today.

"The Bill on Civil Act (11th amendment) should not be given royal seal," said Keshav Badal, member of the standing committee of the main opposition (CPN-UML) at an interaction programme on ‘Bill on Civil Act (11th amendment) and Women’s Rights’.

He further added, "First, womenfolk of the country should enjoy the rights to parental property and then only the Bill should be given royal seal."

Similarly, speaking at the programme, Radha Gyawali, central member of CPN-ML said that the Bill needs lots of amendment before it is passed. "There are some drawbacks in the Bill which needs to be corrected," said Gyawali.

Women police have a role to play in curbing flesh trade’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 9- A one-day orientation programme was held today to introduce different aspects of the crimes related with women trafficking and child abuse to women police personnels today.

Advocate Sapana Malla Pradhan highlighted on the importance of the role of women police where women are always the victims of social injustice. "There are a lots of loopholes in our law that helps the culprits escape even after commiting crimes related with violence against women and the children in Nepal," she added.

She added that there are more than 50,000 Nepali girls in India living as commercial sex-workers, either trafficked by their own parents and relatives or they have voluntarily chosen the forbidden profession.

According to the data provided by the non-government organisations, around 5,000 to 7,000 women are trafficked to the Indian brothels every year from different villages of the Himalayan Kingdom.

"The problem will not find any solution until we improve our legal system. Blaming the parents and shouting sophisticated slogans in the capital will never bring any concrete results," she said.

According to Indira Rana Magar, General Secretary of Prisoners Association Nepal said that the women police personnels should know how to deal with the prisoners.

"Police should work harder than now as in many cases, criminals are victims of justice and the criminals are roaming around the city because of the lack of proper handling of the cases."

Gyanendra Mahat, Deputy Inspector General of Police, said incidents of women trafficking, child abuse, sexual abuse are rising day by day and we must stop this henious crimes through awareness programmes and trainings.

The orientation programme had 1,200 women police participants from Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Dhading and Kavre districts. Various police personnels and organisations urged that by educating and giving awareness programme to every individual, the problem might solve.

Different non-government organisations, working in women and children sector were present in the programme. The orientation programme on violence and crimes against women and children and the role of women police personnel was organised by Police Headquarters Crime Investigation Department, Central Police and Women Cell.

Heritage Walks for tourism promotion

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 9 - Kathmandu Metropolitan City has ear-marked 15 routes in the city that have traditionally been used for religious and other cultural processions, for the purpose of heritage walks for tourists which would help them appreciate the richness of Kathmandu Valley civilisation better, an official said today.

"The routes in the down town possess numerous temples, idols, water spouts, courtyards and houses with widows and doors that have exquisite woodcarvings. These hidden jewels will add a new dimension to the cultural tourists visiting Kathmandu," said Dr Gyanendra Ratna Tuladhar, the heritage and tourism consultant in KMC’s Kathmandu Valley Mapping Programme (KVMP).

He hoped that after the travel agents and tour operators recognise the routes and include the heritage tours in their itinerary, the tourist stay will be extended by 100 to 600 percent.

Dr. Tuladhar has identified five major walks: Kathmandu City Walks, Circuit Tours, Kumari Festival Routes, Upaku-Gaijatra-Machhendranath Festival Routes and Bahidyo and Baha Puja Routes.

Kathmandu Valley City Walks are short walks inside the core city. This takes the tourists through the historical Kathmandu Durbar Square and include glimpses into the local life with its old bazaars and sacred courtyards. Kaleidoscopic Heriwalk, Tourist Heriwalk and Freak Street Heriwalk are the three sub-routes in this tour.

Circuit Tours are two short walks, which start and end in the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square.

The Kumari Festival tour follows the Kumari’s processional route during the Indrajatra festival. Though its significance becomes visible only once in a year, the streets themselves are a bustling sight, with ancient houses and major temples along.

Upaku route is the cultural route followed by worshippers three days before the Indrajatra. The route indicates the outer boundary of the medieval city. Gaijatra routes and Macchindra Festival routes are other roads to the royal palace.

Further, a special route called Bahidyo and Baha Puja Festival Route take the visitors to amazing courtyards inside the main streets that bear the beautiful Mahayana Buddhist Monasteries. On the lunar month of Gunla, which falls on August-September, the monasteries exhibit their principal deities outside, decorated with the most priced jewels.

Dr Tuladhar said that the objective of heritage walks is to integrate the unique culture and heritage sites of Kathmandu into the tourism mainstream, and revitalising unexplored and hidden local lifestyles. All these are part of the KMC plan to develop and promote new tourism products.

But Prof Mukunda Aryal, a valley culture expert, said that the treasure of the core city of Kathmandu should be revealed to the new generation of the Nepali citizens before teaching or exhibiting to the tourists.

He said, "It is our principal duty to conserve our cultural heritage for our own and the future generation’s sake. Selling or making money through heritage tourism is secondary."

Ukesh Bhuju, Chairman of Nepal Heritage Society, said the Kathmandu Valley is unique in terms of its ancient monuments, urban planning and its festivals.

"We just need to revitalise the significance of heritage. The natural beauty and the cultural heritage are the two treasures for which thousands of tourists visit Nepal every year," he said.