Doing drugs is no more an all-male thing

By Shikha Manandhar

KATHMANDU, Doing drugs is now no more an exclusively male activity in Nepal’s cities. From teenagers to divorcees in their thirties, females are increasingly abusing substance, says a study by a research group, Richmond Fellowship Nepal.

The research group now in its second year of gathering and sifting through information on women drug users in the cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara reports that around 1500 women have been found to be hooked. These women belong to various strata of society—street women, rich divorcees, wives of drug addicts themselves and students.

"There has been an immense growth in substance use by city women," says Sunita Singh Malla who is coordinating the research. The study says both hard and soft drugs—like marijuana, hashish, brown sugar, heroin, dendrite and tdjesic—are in circulation among the women addicts.

These addicts could have been driven by any number of reasons—such as family discord, lack of shelter, migration from the villages to the cities, poverty, sheer curiosity and indulgence.

Sangita Shakya (not real name) is a married woman with a daughter. For five years now she has been on some substance or the other. She says it was her family situation that made her take to drugs. "I began taking drugs to get relief from the situation I was going through. There was always trouble in the family. My husband was taking it, so I followed," she says.

A large number of school girls are also among the addicted. The research study says it’s peer pressure that’s making them do it. "It’s the identity cult that’s making these students join in the drug experience. In the process of searching for an identity, they tend to form groups and go to discotheques and other places of entertainment, high on drugs," says Ivana Lohar, a sociologist with the Richmond Fellowship Nepal.

The alleys of Teku, Thamel and Mahankal are a favourite haunt of these teenage girls desperate for a high, says the study.

Drug abuse has also thrown some of the women into prostitution. The study says pimps have been known to keep track of women indulging in drugs, and then lure them into sex work.

And as in the case of drug addiction among men, there are no foolproof ways in which the women can be stopped from seeking a ‘high’. "The problem of the victim who is into drugs is not just her own problem or her family’s, the whole society should work towards helping her out. Proper parenting, love and good care are some of the ways in which this can be done. Then there is the need for more counselling and rehabilitation centres," says Dr. Kedar Rayamajhi, a clinical psychologist in the capital.

Then there is of course the need to bust the drug peddling network. But that’s easier said than done. Finally, it is up to the addict herself to kick the habit.

Foreign investment in media slammed

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – The Editor-in-Chief of Samacharpatra Daily Pushkarlal Shrestha said, "the launch of a foreign newspaper has begun an unhealthy competition among newspapers in the country."

" The government has not been serious despite the fact that a foreign newspaper has already been in circulation indicating an unhealthy competition in the media sector,’ said Shrestha adding that all national media should unite against foreign investment in the media sector.

Shrestha, who is also the Chairman of the Media Society, was speaking at a public hearing progrmmme on Effects of Awareness Against Press and Superstition, organised by the Institute of Human Rights and Communication Nepal (IHRICON).

He also underlined the need on the part of each publishing house to formulate respective code of conduct and avoid printing of confusing news.

Kundan Aryal, editor of Budhabar Weekly, urged the media to write against superstition and false tradition existing in the society. Sambhu Sherestha, editor of Dristi Weekly wished that media flourish even outside the Kathmandu Valley.

Shobha Gautum, chairman of IHRICON appealed to the media not to publish sensational news since it would have a bad impact on women.

Meet on media and peace in January

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 - With an aim to promote peace and stability in South Asia and to spread free flow of information, the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) is to hold two-day conference. This was disclosed at the press meet organised by SAFMA.

The conference with the theme Media and Peace is being held on January 1 and 2 in Kathamndu, in which more than 150 media persons from the region are taking part.

"The paper on free flow of newspapers throughout the SAARC region has already been made," says Gopal Prasad Thapaliya, President of SAFMA Nepal Chapter. "This paper has already been submitted to Prime Minister Deuba and to the SAARC Secretariat to hand it over to the participating Heads of States or Governments of the forthcoming SAARC Summit."

Addressing the programme, Durga Nath Sharma said, "Foreign investment in the press is not accepted even in the policy level."

Thirty participants each from India and Pakistan, ten each from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and one each from Maldives and Bhutan have been invited for the conference. And sixty Nepalese journalists are participating in the programme.

SAFMA was formed in 2000 in which there will be one representative each from all the SAARC member countries.

US to continue its assistance

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 – Newly appointed American Ambassador to Nepal, Michael Malinosky has said that the US will continue its assistance toward forest and social conservation in Nepal, said a press release issued here yesterday.

Ambassador Michael made this remark during his friendly meeting with Gopal Man Shrestha, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation (MFSC).

According to the release from the MFSC, Minister Shrestha acknowledged the cooperation of US government to Community Forest Development and Geo-diversity Conservation.

The Ambassador reminded the Minister that the US has been helping the government for survey, conservation and sustainable development and will continue the help in the days to come.

The financial support Nepal will get in future from the US will be provided to the people in remote areas for herbal medicine development, soil conservation, Chure-conservation and geo-diversity, the release states.

Rebels shot dead NC cadre in Kaski

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KATHMANDU, Dec 27 - A group of armed Maoist rebels on Thursday morning shot dead Tek Bahadur Gurung, who was the Nepali Congress Regional Vice-Chairman of the Constituency No-3 and Chairman of the Machhapuchhre VDC in Kaski district, police said.

According to the police, four armed rebels arrived at his home and shot the Chairman dead. The rebels fled the scene chanting Maoist slogans soon after killing the chairman, villagers said. The site of the incident is about 25 kilometers south-west of Pokhara, the district headquarters of Kaski.

A police reinforcement was dispatched to the VDC to flush out the rebels. The District Working Committee of the Nepali Congress party has strongly condemned the brutal murder and extended condolence to the bereaved family members.

Meanwhile, Maoist rebels abducted five people - three Nepali Congress cadre and two CPN-UML cadre - from rural parts of Dang and Dailekh districts in the mid-western region on Wednesday, our reporters said from the districts.

Our Dang based reporter said that the rebels abducted NC cadre Min Kumar Devkota, Padam Khadka and Naresh Basnet, all from the remote Goltakuri VDC. Family members said they were abducted on Tuesday and Wednesday from their home. Whereabouts of the abducted people is still unknown and policemen have been mobilised to rescue them from the Maoist captivity, the local administration said. This is the first time that the rebels have abducted civilians in Dang after the Dang carnage about four weeks ago.

Similarly, the rebels in Dailekh abducted two UML cadre - Tej Bahadur Chand, CPN-UML Dailekh District Committee member, and Ratna Bahadur Chand, the Chauratha VDC Chairman, from Girkhani High School on Wednesday. The reason behind their abduction is unknown.

Meanwhile, our Palpa-based rerporter states that 72 students of Bhairabh Janta High School have collectively given up their membership of the Maoist-wing All Nepal National Independent Union (Revolutionary). All of the students, who were on the school uniform, announced before the Chief District Officer in Tansen that they were no longer associated with the Union.

Likewise, in Salyan, the Royal Nepal Army arrested Lal Bahadur B K, a peon at the Public Health Office in Salyan, on charges of his association with the "terrorist" organisation for a long time.

Our Bardiya based reporter said that a large number of armed rebels stormed three houses in Dhadhawar VDC-9 and made off with all valuables, food-stuff and clothes on Wednesday night. The rebels looted the houses of Bal Bahadur Swar, Upendra Swar and Ranjan Swar, locals told The Kathmandu Post. Security forces have been mobilised in the VDC, located south of the Bardiya National Park, in search of the rebels.

Three killed in separate road accidents

KATHMANDU, Dec 27 (PR) - At least three people have been killed in separate road accidents in Parsa and Dhankuta districts over the last 12 hours, according to the police from the respective districts.

The police from Parsa said that two persons died instantly when a loaded Indian truck and a Tata Mobile van collided head-on with each other at Parwanipur, about 7 kilometres north of Birgunj, the district headquarters on Wednesday evening.

Those killed in the accident have been identified as Yesoda Devi and Shiva Shankar Mahato. Yesoda Devi died on the spot when the loaded truck ran over her huts on the side of the road, where she was asleep with her four children.

Locals of the area blocked the busy highway for about two hours soon after the accident and smashed window panes of a night bus en route to Birgunj from Kathmandu. The police on regular patrol have taken five people into police custody on charges of smashing the bus and blocking the busy road. But driver of the Indian truck was at large.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Dhankuta district stated that driver Bishal Shrestha of a passenger bus (Ko 1 Kha 40) died instantly after the bus en route to Sanischare of Sankhuwasabha district from Dhankuta met with an accident at Kharane Khola of Mahabharat VDC-4 on Thursday morning, the police said.

Three other passengers travelling in the ill-fated bus sustained serious injuries in the accident, which took place about 20 km south of Dhankuta Bazaar. The seriously injured people are undergoing treatment at the B P Koirala Memorial Hospital in Dharan. The police said that the cause of the accident was yet to be known.