BP's death anniversary observed

KATHMANDU, July 21- BP Koirala, the Great Man, was remembered today on the occasion of his 20th death anniversary in the capital.

Various speakers , citing the present turbulent situation for NC cadre, said that the time has come for all to recall the thoughts and ideas of Late Koirala and put them in action for the welfare of the public and the country.

Organized by the Nepali Congress Kathmandu District Constituency no. 1, the party workers from Constituency no. 3 also urged the activists to further strengthen the party in the years to come and help all those associated with the party.

Various NC workers also expressed their views at he programme chaired by Sadhuram Khadka, Kathmandu district president of the Nepali Congress Party.

Stress on cooperation to curb women trafficking

BUTWAL, July 21(RSS)- The two-day workshop on "Planning Strategy in Enhancing Cooperation against Women Trafficking in the Indo-Nepal Bordering Areas" organised under the joint auspices of Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) concluded here Friday.

Participants of the seminar were of the view that as women trafficking is a problem not only at the national but regional level, bilateral and regional dialogue should be held between the receiving and exporting sides in order to put a stop to girl-trafficking.

They also emphasized the need to formulate national laws in accordance with various relating international conventions and give proper attention to their enforcement.

According to a study carried out by UNICEF, every day 13 to 15 Nepali girls are sold in India. Majority of the girls have been found to be 7 to 14 years of age.

Girls thus sold are forced to entertain a minimum of 5 to 25 customers per day or else face torture.

Nepali girls are sold in major Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Poona and are trafficked from Nepal through various border transit points like Kakarvitta, Sunauli, Jogbani, Chapkaiya (Birgunj), Bhadrapur, Koshi barrage, Pashupatinagar, Gaur, Mahendranagar, Krishnanagar, Banbasa, Koilabas and Jayanagar.

Earlier Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Rasuwa and Makwanpur were well-known for women trafficking but nowadays none of the district in the country have been able to keep itself away from this malady.

Open border, use of illegal routes to cross the transit points, non-enforcement of visa or any identity card to pass through the transit points, difficulty in identification of to-be-sold girls and brokers and displacement of women workers and labourers in bordering towns in search for work are believed to be some of the factors contributing to women trafficking in the country.

The participants expressed the view that as most of the girls trafficked from Nepal are sold in India, the Indian side should also take responsibility of this problem and girl trafficking should feature as one of the main agenda in Indo-Nepal bilateral talks.

They also pointed out the need for the establishment of a special court at the Appellate Court following a serious thinking on how could the existing difficult aspect, irregularities and dilly-dallying be wiped out from the research and investigation carried out and decision made in cases relating to girl-trafficking.

Planning of clear policy for social reintegration of girls victim of trafficking, a provision for girl and women to cross the border from specific transit points and research for objective statistics of trafficked women were also some of the necessities pointed out by the participants to be carried out in order to check women trafficking.

The participants recommended for establishment of training and counselling centres to provide moral assistance and sympathy to girls suffering from prostitution and those physically and mentally tortured and public awakening programmes through street-play, rally, sign boards, group discussion and publication of educational materials.

CDO of Rupandehi district Tana Gautam, DDC chairman Chatrapati Singh Malla, joint secretary at the Home Ministry Ganesh Dhakal, assistant resident representative of UNDP, gender equality and social development unit Bharati Silwal Giri and other speakers also expressed their views on the occasion.

Representatives of organisations working against women trafficking in Nepal and India, Ministries of Local Development, Home and Foreign Affairs and journalists also spoke at the programme.

Programme to felicitate SLC topper organised

Post Report

BHADRAPUR, July 21 - A programme was organised here Saturday to felicitate this year’s SLC topper, Swochchhand Songmen, student of local Bidur English Boarding School in a festive manner.

Chief District Officer Sushil Jung Rana who presided over the programme gave away a gold medal, commendation letter and a cash prize of Rs 26,000 to Swochchhand Songmen on behalf of the school.

Chief guest of the programme, Jhapa DDC president Arjun Rai, gave away a commendation letter and a cash prize of Rs 25,000 to the talented student.

Similarly, District Education Officer, Sushil Pandey, gave away a commendation letter and a cash prize of Rs 15,001 on behalf of the District Education Office. Similarly, teachers, guardians and students of the school also gave him different presents on the occasion.

Distinguished people of Jhapa district, heads of the educational institutions, teachers, administrators, intellectuals, journalists, guardians and students felicitated Songmen along with gifts, advice and blessings and also expressed best wishes to his parents and family members. His illiterate grandmother, Laxmi Maya was shedding tears of joy as she intently watched the gifts and praise lavished on her grandson. The atmosphere became all the more festive with some cultural programmes presented by some students.

Speaking on the occasion, DDC president Rai advised him not to be intoxicated by success while CDO Rana urged the civic society to be vigilant to ensure that education sector was not harmed by anyone.

Litterateur Chudamani Ragmi expressing happiness over the success of Songmen, said such talents would be able to build the nation and create new history. DEO Pandey thanked the school, teachers and guardians for the success of Songmen and called for positive cooperation from all people to maintain favourable educational environment.

Headmaster of Bhadrapur Vocational Secondary School Pramod Chandra Sharma said students of his school C.P. Mainali, Udaya Mohapal and Dipak Shrestha had gained the fifth, tenth and tenth positions in the SLC board in the years 2024, 2031 and 2035 BS respectively.

Principal of the school Mani Devi Bhattarai said hard work on the part of teachers as well as the student was mainly responsible for the grand success of Songmen.

The celebrity of the programme, Swochchhand Songmen, expressed happiness for reaping the benefit of his hard work and gave the credit of his success to his school, teachers and parents.

Off the beat 

Hindus and holy Taj

The world we live in is unusually strange. Hindu nationalists recently tried to wash the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, with Ganges river water and cow urine.They say they were trying to purify it after the visit of Pakistan’s President Musharraf to the 17th century monument with India’s Prime Minister.One wonders how could the so-called nationalists think that "urine" of one or the other kind be pure ! What is more incredible still is how could a visit of a Muslim,Musharraf, be considered unholy when the builder of the Taj Shah Jahan and Mumtaaj in whose memory the marble mausoleum was built were both Muslims ? It only indicates the nationalists are implicating just the other way round ! (RAJEEN)

Wanted : PM

The government of Nepal invites application from Nepali citizen (the Banarasi breeds are also goable) for the post of the nation’s prime minister.

The basic qualification is that he or she must not have any shame, ethics or moral background. The candidate must have a strong political family background. Somebody with relations with foreigners is preferred. As our country’s biggest trasactions are with foreign companies, there must be somebody to deal with them in their mothertongue.

Education is meaningless for this post .Those having calibre to walk around the ballot boxes carrying revolvers are highly preferred.

Note : Please those idiots with ideal wish for nation building may not apply. (RAJMAN)

Palace euphoria

In a bid of off the cuff deliberation, some of the Congress leaders in the Central Working Committee( CWC) meeting lamented that the palace became strong. However, they were reluctant to disclose that a strong palace means weaker Congress. If such is the truth, does this signify the weight of the principle ‘constitutional monarchy’ of Nepali Congress ? Perhaps, Sailajaji better knows about it, for, she recently recalled that the throat of late BP was coincided with the king’s throat. Could you please elaborate it for people’s sake. (RUDRA)

Oppositions these!

CPN-ML has proved itself as a strong opposition in Nepal. Though it did not get chance to break chairs and create chaos in the parliament this time it, along with its sister organizations, has maintained the religion of opposition by breaking railing bars, setting fire on buses and creating chaos in the street. Now, the supreme leader of this "perfect" opposition, Sahana bhauju, wants to resolve the half-decade old Maoist problem following the new king’s interest. I hope the Maoist comrades will co-operate the ML in their mission and help the "perfect communist" to be greater. I also hope the Maoists will give certification of perfect communist to the ML as they give to the CPN-Unity Center.

(TeaLuck)

Gone are the days

PM Koirala resigned from his post after he saw no ways to bail out him from the crisis he was facing since he ousted his colleague KP Bhattarai some 15 months ago. Humiliating as it is, his chances of coming back to the power seems slim. He could not even dare to deliver his farewell address in Parliament, where he had mocked that the question of resignation was his individual choice. He is helpless even to pick up a man of his choice to continue the Koirala legacy. Compared to the gone days, it seems that time is powerful than man’s ability. (ARJUN)

Newton’s relevance

Do you know Newton’s third law of motion? I am damn sure you know, because even a school-going child knows that. What a shame, our opposition leaders do not know what the third law is. Prime Minister Koirala on Thursday said that Maoists are backed by international terrorists. That may be the reason he spoke of calling foreigners to quell the rebellion. The leaders shouted and made him resign over such a small issue. Poor school dropouts, they do not even know that action and reaction are always equal and opposite. To quell a rebellion backed by international terrorists what’s harm in taking international help? Aren’t I right ? (DILIP)

Army polity

The team of Human Rights activists after returning from Nuwagaun, Rolpa stated the situation there was very normal where no army was traced in the aftermath of the army deployment. Former army chiefs had publicly announced that the deployed army were not given enough mandate. They had even demanded that emergency would be declared in the region. Does this mean that Girija sent army there without giving them any mandate and just to surround the hills ? If not, then did the army ruled out the head of the government’s order ? Last time did it not obliged the then Home Minister Govinda Raj Joshi to tender a resignation ? (PP)

Expensive felicitation

Human Rights Activists have been carrying out their duty commendably over the years. The activists usually think it is the government who violates human rights first. They never miss visiting the places where there is human rights violations. The team’s recent tour to Rolpa seems to have carried out two major objectives. The first is undoubtedly to scrutinize whether government has violated people’s rights in the area and next is supposed to attend the felicitation program organized by our underground rebels . One of the Maoist cadre felicitated the member of the team. Denial of their request could be very costly for them. So, isn’t it an expensive felicitation of our human rights activist attended at such crucial hour? ( OJHA)

Maoist rebels loot survey equipment, documents

Post Report

GULARIYA, July 21 - A group of people who identified themselves as Maoist workers looted different equipment and salary from no. 3 Survey Team including telescope, documents and accounts, field books and maps Friday night.

The incident occurred at Bagnaha VDC-9, about 25 kilometres north-west of the district headquarters at about 10:30 p.m., Chief of the team Som Nath Bhattarai told The Kathmandu Post.

Bhattarai said about 8 to 10 unidentified people in army outfit, some of them masked, entered the house they were living in and asked them to hand over the money which they had earned by taking bribe. When they asked them they were ready to face any action if they furnished evidence that they had received bribe, they aimed their guns at them and looted their salary and allowance of around Rs 5,000.

Technicians say the two years’ labour of the survey team was wasted.

They shouted Maoist slogan after the looting, fired two shots in the air and left the place.

The Maoists have not yet claimed their involvement.

The VDC office was also looted a few days ago. Similarly, the house of elderly leader of Nepali Congress Hari Prasad Joshi located at Bagnaha was looted Thursday.

Father seeks help for daughter’s rescue

Post Report

SINDHULI, July 21 - Poor Nar Bahadur Sarki of Jarayotar VDC-7 has an uphill task - to bring back his daughter from a rescue home in Calcutta, India.

He found a letter from the Nepalese Consulate in Calcutta that his daughter, Chuchi, was sold to a brothel in Calcutta and she has now been rescued from the brothel. But she is still in Calcutta and he has been asked to immediately visit "S.M. Home, Lilaba" in Calcutta and escort his daughter back home. The letter says that she was the wife of Thapa Magar Kaila in Gogane VDC-6 of Udayapur district.

On receiving the letter from Local District Administration, he hastily reached there crossing the flooded rivers and risking his life for his daughter. However, there are insurmountable obstacles ahead of him.

He is ignorant and poor and earns his two square meals a day by working on daily wage. "I have not seen even Kathmandu in my life. How can a poor and ignorant man like me go to a foreign country and bring back my daughter?" he asks.

He had no anxieties for his daughter, Chuchi, because he thought she was in Kathmandu. He was unaware about her marriage and the fact that she was trafficked to India by some unscrupulous people. He was informed by the letter of the Consulate that his daughter was sold at Rs 22,000 (Indian currency) by a man called Nire Chhetri and she is now pregnant.

When he contacted the District Administration Office for assistance, officiating Chief District Officer Surendra Poudel gave him some money personally and asked him to go to Maiti Nepal to seek assistance.

Oppressed people enter temple

Post Report

DHANGADHI, July 21 - An oppressed community campaigning for equal religious rights entered and worshipped a local Hindu temple in the presence of a Brahmin priest on Saturday morning, according to the organisers.

At least 30 oppressed community people participating in a seminar organised by the Nepal National Oppressed Society Welfare Association (NNOSWA) worshipped Goddess Durga at Dhangadhi Municipality-8, said Rabindra Singh Gahatraj, Kailali district chairman of the NNOSWA.

Oppressed community people are restricted from entering any Hindu temple.

"We organised this programme as guaranteed by the Constitution and prevailing law of the land," Gahatraj said after worshipping the holy shrine. Gahatraj said the programme of entering the temple passed off peacefully.

The priest of the temple, Bhojraj Joshi, said this is the first time that the oppressed community has entered the temple in the district. Joshi, however, said that those communities are allowed to worship any Hindu goddess and god from outside the temple.

"But I cannot offer them Tika. After all I have to live in the same society," priest Joshi told The Kathmandu Post.

Earlier, an attempt of the oppressed communities to entre the Saileshwori temple in the far-flung Doti district, led by former Speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, was abandoned due to the local resistance.

The campaign for equal religious right has been one of the major issues of the oppressed communities since the restoration of democracy in the country.

Morang population increases by 2.27 pc

BIRATNAGAR, July 21(RSS) - The population of Morang district is increasing at the rate of 2.27 percent every year, according to the Morang district census office.

The latest population census carried out in the district recently put the total population of the district at 846,970 out of which the male population comprises 426,101 and the population of women stands at 420,869, census officer Badri Karki stated.

According to the 1991 population census, the total population of the district was 674,823 out of which 343,045 were men and 331,778 were women.

The population of the district has increased by 172,147 over a decade, it is learnt from the district census office.

There are 170,063 houses in the district at present with a total of 169,537 households. Urlabari VDC has the largest population of 26,217 in the district and Pati VDC has the smallest population of 2,409.

Likewise, the population of Biratnagar, the largest town in the district, is 170,854. out of the total population of Biratnagar, 90,997 are males and 79,857 are females.

In the meantime, the density of population which was 363.8 persons per square kilometre ten years back has also increased to 456.6 persons per square kilometres as per the present census report.