Floral tributes paid to Their Late Majesties

CHITWAN, June 5 (RSS)- Separate memorial meetings to pay tributes were organised by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Narayangadh and the Bharatpur municipality on the untimely demise of His Majesty King Birendra, Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya and other members of the Royal Family.

A special meeting of the Bharatpur municipality decided to demand that the facts about the June 1 incident at Royal Palace be brought to public knowledge.

Similarly, the Buddha Marga Samiti also organised a function to pay tribute at Devghat. Flowers were offered at the portraits of Their Majesties at various town and localities.

Various groups of processions went through the town since early morning and demanded action to the murderer. The market was totally closed down for the third day yesterday and means of transportation plied only sporadically. Meanwhile in Nepalgunj, a meeting was organised to pay tributes for the eternal peace of the members of the royal family including the late King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya who passed away untimely Friday night.

At the programme organised by the Nepali Congress Banke district working committee one minute’s silence was observed.

Paying tributes to the royal family were democratic fighter of NC Sarbagyaman Shrestha, and NC district president Krishna Man Shrestha.

Similarly, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Banke also observed two minutes silence at the memorial meeting and flowers were offered at the portraits of late Kings Birendra and Dipendra and Queen Aishwarya.

The meeting passed a resolution demanding investigation of the facts by HMG. Similarly, the Nepal Tuberculosis Organisation Banke branch also observed one minute’s silence and offered tribute for the eternal peace of the departed souls.

The meeting chaired by acting chairman of the institution Purnalal Chuke extended condolences to Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and newly declared King His Majesty Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.

Changing Tharu society: A hope for new generation

By Ganesh Raj Acharya

KATHMANDU, June 5- A farm worker clad in waistcoat and loincloth, and a woman balancing water pot on her head was the typical picture of the western Terai Chaudhary (Tharu) people. However, this has now changed to something that needs a glimpse to believe.

Raju, 29, a Tharu youth, recalls his early marriage with a woman, quite senior in age, and the three- day -ceremony that followed. He was just a school boy, ten years old, then.

In those days, once married, the new family responsibilities made it impossible for Tharu youths to continue their studies. The boys were expected to extend helping hands to the parents to sustain the family. Schooling was a secondary task.

This resulted in large-scale school dropouts. "Situation today is not like that of former days. Nowadays, school enrollment among theTharu children is on the rise. However, female students’ enrollment is still not very encouraging", says Ravi Sharma, Dang-based sociologist.

With the passage of time, the rich indigenous culture inherited from the time immemorial by the Tharu society is on the verge of extinction.

" A female in typical white dress, adorned with tribal gemstones and preparing food for the joint family of more than ten members - and at times even as many as seventy or eighty family members - nowadays prefers to maintain smaller family with lesser burden ", says Kalpana Sharma, a graduate sociologist working in Dang.

"Current Tharu generation is getting education, exploring new opportunities and has a lot of optimism. We expect that this generation will not be deceived as us by the so-called elite in the past ", says Janu Chaudhary from Dang recalling his hard time in the past.

A study done by Participatory District Development Program (PDDP) under District Development Committee (DDC) Dang says that they have been able to influence quite a lot of youths from the Tharu community into developmental work. Similarly, the DDC source revealed a working consensus among these people carrying out cooperative activities and raising economic status among the Tharu community.

Gir Bahadur Chaudhary, 26, a mason repents for not being able to pass SLC. He is now committed to provide education to his daughter. "My parents sent me to school, but bad company drove me away from the study and I couldn’t succeed", he laments and says, " I will send my children to school at any cost".

"The new generation has abandoned the use of thatch and are opting for corrugated sheets to roof their homes. Similarly, cultivation of cash crop has also become a popular activity among them", says Ramdin Tharu. He, says, "The new generation are not only receiving education and lots of other opportunities but, at the same time, they are also ignoring our tradition and culture." He further states, "We are indigenous people of Naya Muluk (traditional Tharu domain) including the Dang valley but migrants from other places have replaced us."

"Nowadays, I am noticing a considerable change among the Tharus. Especially after the restoration of democracy, Tharus have taken long strides on the path of development but the distressing part is the misuse of this community merely as vote bank ", laments a local Tharu from Dang.

"Politicians assure the Tharu community of their upliftment t during the elections, but once the vote is cast all is forgotten," he adds.

Probe into Palace incident sought nationwide

Post Report

KATHMANDU, June 5 - Although the newly-crowned monarch announced on Monday a three member probe committee, headed by Chief Justice to investigate and make public the tragic deaths of king Birendra,queen Aishworya and other Royal family members on Friday, people from across the country are taking to the streets, demanding punishment to those involved in the massacre.

Almost all the major cities across the country have remained closed for the last four consecutive days over the tragic killings of their kings, queen and other royalties.

Their Majesties king Birendra, queen Aishworya, then Crown Prince Dipendra, Prince Nirajan, Princess Shruti, former His Royal Highness Dhirendra and other members of the Royal family were gunned down in the Narayanhiti Royal Palace.

Official announcement of the investigation into the Royal massacre came four days later of His Royal Highness Regent Gyanendra’s accession to the Throne following the death of newly- declared king Dipendra in coma.

Reports from across the country said a large number of people have been shaving their heads as a mark to mourn the deaths of their dear kings and queen.

A report from Hetauda said that around 400 youths chanted anti- monarch slogan and demanded an impartial investigation into the incident. The entire city has remained closed for the fourth consecutive days over the deaths of the beloved kings and queen.

Meanwhile, about 60 male prisoners in Bhimphedi prison have tonsured their hair to mourn the tragic deaths of the kings and queen, Jailer Devraj Adhikari said.

As an unprecedented example of communal harmony, around 50 people, including the Muslims, have jointly mourned the deaths of the kings and queen in the Simara village development committee (VDC) in Bara district. Normally, the Muslims do not shave their heads to mourn the death of their relatives. They will observe the mourning for 13 days.

Our correspondent from Paurahi VDC in Rautahat said 73-year old Kanchha Thapa renounced his home and family promising to spend the rest of his life as an ascetic.

Thapa recalled how Their Majesties assured them not to worry about their lives during their visit to his VDC in 1993, when his village was swept away by the heaviest ever flood in the Bagmati river.

"Do not worry, I am along with you," Thapa quoted the then beloved king Birendra as saying. More than 20 people were killed in the flood.

Meanwhile, mother and daughter from Bishram VDC-6 went insane after knowing the brutal killings of the Royal families, locals said.

In Lamahi and Ghorahi of Dang district, hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets for the last three days demanding punishment to culprits responsible for the Royal massacre. Lamahi market located along the busy east-west highway has fallen silence for the last four consecutive days following the tragic incident.

A report from Baglung said a procession that took to the street from the office of local Industry and Commerce Association demanded actions against the "murderers."

A condolence meeting was organised by the local Industry and Commerce Association in Khandbari, the district headquarters of Sankhuwa Shabha. Local people and district leaders from various political leaders paid heart-felt tribute to their late Majesties and prayed for peace of the departed soul.

Some speakers, addressing the condolence meeting expressed scepticism about the ability of the investigation committee, formed under the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court, Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya, to investigate the circumstances that led to the killings of the Royal couple and other members.

Our reporter from Damauli, Tanahu said that a protest rally that was organised spontaneously chanted slogans against Prince Paras Shah, the only son of the newly-declared monarch. Locals claimed that the Royal Palace massacre was a "serious conspiracy" from within the Palace.

In Dharan, about four dozens angry youths moved around the city area chanting offensive slogans against the present monarch Gyanendra. "Hang the murderer of the Royal families," the aggressive rally chanted. Police, however, did not interfere in the angry protesters. The city has been deserted for the last four days following the deaths of the kings and queen.

Likewise, a silence procession moved around the frontier city of Bhairahawa praying for peace of departed soul of the Royal families. The city has been closed down and long distance vehicles have been stayed off the road since the unfortunate incident. Air service to and from this city has also been stalled due to the incident.

Free tonsure service provided

BHAKTAPUR, June 5 (RSS) - Free head-shaving services have been provided to the general public mourning the sad demise of Their Majesties the King and Queen and other members of the royal family at 27 different places of Bhaktapur yesterday.

And not only men, women too have volunteered to provide free services for the mourners.

Women such as Laxmi Napit, a resident of Itachhe Tole of Bhaktapur, are providing their services to the people mourning the demise of their beloved king and queen.

Napit provided her services at a public shed located at local Khauma Tole.

Stating that she has been deeply grieved by the sad demise of Their Majesties the king and queen, Napit said the people should shave their heads as a symbol of mourning for their beloved king and queen.

The king is the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, said 62-year-old Rajendra Khawi. he says it is a prime duty of the Hindus to tonsure their heads inorder to pay tributes to late Their Majesties.

People like Sundar Shrestha of Thimi, who has been grooming his hair for the last two years, has also tonsured his head to mourn the demise of their beloved King and Queen.