DPM vindicates Public Safety Regulations, 2001

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KATHMANDU, June 20 - Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Ram Chandra Poudel today said that the recently enforced Public Safety Regulations defines and limits the authority of Chief District Officers and does not give them unlimited power to impose restriction on people.

Poudel told the Nepali Congress (NC) Central Working Committee (CWC) that the CDOs have been given vague authorities by the Public Safety Act which had to be defined, that prompted the government to issue the regulations.

Under the clause 14 of the Act that was amended in 1990 and 1991, it was required to draft and enforce regulations and it was urgently required to get regulations that was compatible with the present Constitution and laws of the land.

He denied allegations that the regulations was similar to the situation during autocratic Panchayati days when the authorities used the Act to control, imprison and prosecute pro-democracy activists.

"The DPM has assured us that he would personally clarify on these questions in the next few days," NC spokesman Narhari Acharya told reporters after the meet.

When asked by members on why the notice was published on the Gazette on June 4, just days after the massacre at the Royal Palace plunging the nation into a situation of uncertainty, Poudel said it was just a coincidence.

The decision had already been made on May 21 to publish the regulations, and since it could not be published on the following Monday for technical reasons, it was published on the next available one.

The government had issued Public Safety Regulations, 2001 in the Gazette notification using Clause 14 of the Public Safety Act, 2046 BS.

This Regulations empowers the CDOs or officials on their behalf to order individual or a group under solitary confinement or limit their movement to a certain areas if officials are "convinced" that the suspected people are about to harm the country’s sovereignty, integrity or infringe law and order.

Opposition parties have opposed this move saying that the government was displaying "anti-people dictatorial streak " by bringing out the Regulations.

Today’s emergency CWC meeting was called to discuss the high-level probe into the June 1 Royal Palace massacre and thank the members of the committee — Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyay and House Speaker Taranath Ranabhat — for their task.

The meet also asked the government to move policies, process and laws to ensure that the incidents like that does not occur again.

NC central member Bijaya Gachchedar said there would be more meetings to discuss the upcoming parliamentary session.

The opposition parties which stalled House proceedings during the last winter session, have indicated that they would continue to press for PM’s resignation and with the new development, the situation promises to be even uglier.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) today issued a press statement condemning the Regulations. The party has accused the government of trying to suppress the opposition voice against the norms of the Constitution.

Besides, the ML, other organizations like leftist students’ unions, human rights and other organizations too have condemned the Regulations.

PM’s hometown tense

BIRATNAGAR, June 20 (PS) – Even as the opposition parties and human rights activists protested against the Public Safety Regulations in the Capital, the police action of rampant search of the people here has made the situation in the Prime Minister’s home town tense.

Locals and eyewitnesses said the police searched students, passers-by, those going to buy newspapers, people sipping tea, among others and arrested many others on Wednesday.

Among those arrested are members of All Nepal National Free Students Union - Revolutionary (ANNFSU-R). According to the locals, the police in this eastern town have been mobilized after the underground Maoists have increased their activities here.

Under the regulations, the Chief District Officer or an official on his/her behalf can put people under arrest or limit their movements if they are satisfied that such people are a threat to law and order.

MPs, partymen arrested, released

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KATHMANDU, June 20- Several party cadre of the United People’s Front (UPF) including MPs Leela Mani Pokharel and Narayan Man Bijukchhe of Nepal Peasants and Workers’ Party (NWPP) were arrested from a mass meeting venue at Mangal Bazar, Lalitpur Wednesday.

A group numbering some eight people of United People’s Front led by Leela Mani Pokhrel, party General Secretary had hardly converged at the meeting scheduled for 3 p.m. when a large number of police got them arrested even before MP Pokhrel rose to the step for his address to a small gathering.

The party workers were clamouring against the Public Safety Regulations, 2001 and the probe report of the Royal massacre at the Narayanhity Royal Palace saying that the Regulations has violated the constitutional rights of the people. The Constitution does not bar people from assembling peacefully.

The group appeared at the venue all of a sudden amidst the tight security shouting slogans: "Murderer Girija Down with" and pushed through the large crowd of police and rose to a few steps of the historical monument of Patan Durbar Square when the police swiftly loaded them into armored van and lodged at the Jawalakhel Police Custody.

Sources, close to the party said they were arrested because they were campaigning against the recent probe report of the Royal massacre and Public Safety Regulations passed by the government.

Devendra Lal Shrestha, Dipendra Sherstha, Dil Bahadur Sherstha, Padma Rai, Laxmi Lama were among others who got arrested.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by the United People’s Front, Nepal stated that the party is solely against the atrocious act of the government and its heavy-handed tactics to arrest its cadres who were campaigning peacefully.

Meanwhile, Nhuchhe Maharjan, office secretary, United People’s Front, Nepal, informed that all the seventeen party workers who were arrested, were released after about two hours.

UML may be left alone in its bid to stall House

KATHMANDU, June 20 (PR) -The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (UML) might be left alone if it goes ahead in stalling the 20th Session of the Parliament, slated to begin Monday, once again demanding PM Girija Prasad Koirala’s resignation.

Despite rising cries from the opposition parties for PM Koirala to step down for his alleged involvement in the infamous Lauda Air lease deal, opposition leaders – except CPN-UML -- today said that they would allow normal proceedings of the House of Representatives to be conducted.

This, they said, was due to the double standards adopted by the main opposition party on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) decision over the China South West Airlines (CSWA) deal.

Though the CPN-UML strongly demanded PM Koirala’s resignation on the Lauda Air deal, it gave a clean chit to one of its own senior leaders, Bhim Rawal, who was involved in a similar case of irregularities on the CSWA jet deal. CPN-UML later even went on questioning the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) decision alleging corruption in the CSWA deal. Furthermore, the government also came under fire today for "irresponsibly handling" the Royal Palace massacre, including the arrest of journalists and enforcing an "autocratic" Public Safety Regulations, 2001.

"The CPN-UML stand on the CSWA jet deal has put parties like us in a tough spot," said Rabindra Nath Sharma, a leader from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) to reporters today. RPP had strongly supported CPN-UML in disrupting all the 57 days in the last session of the Parliament. "What would happen if the Nepali Congress (NC) Central Working Committee passed a resolution giving a clean chit as UML has done in case of Bhim Rawal to PM Koirala on the Lauda deal?" he further questioned.

Likewise, Hridyesh Tripathi of Nepal Sadbhavana Party NSP) today said his party would allow the Parliament to conduct proceedings "meaningfully" despite the government’s "ineffectiveness" but further left equal space to criticise the CPN-UML.

"We are not saying that the government has done a good job by allowing the Parliament to convene. In fact, the government is as ineffective as before and it has adopted even objectionable moves since the Royal Palace massacre on June 1" he said.

"As for the UML, it has even purified Bhim Rawal who has been accused of the charges same as PM Koirala has been," he added.

He further accused Madhav Kumar Nepal, CPN-UML main opposition leader, of "double standards" for "shying away" from the high-level probe committee to look into the Royal Palace massacre.

"The Parliament must conduct the business of the House meaningfully or else we are in a position to announce a mid-term polls But the later decision would be yet another conspiracy from the government to hamper democracy," he further said.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Pandey, a UML lawmaker today stuck the guns his party has been holding in stalling the coming session of the Parliament until PM Koirala resigns.

"Previously it was only PAC, but even the CIAA is now pointing its finger at PM Koirala for his involvement in the Lauda Air deal The situation is even worse now," he said.

"We are not demanding a mid-term poll NC can rule for a full term of five years but we just want Koirala to step down as Prime Minister," he added.

He also said that Koirala should step down on moral grounds for the Royal Palace massacre that took the lives of 10 Royal Family members including King Birendra.

"Koirala is also the Minister for Palace Affairs Why wasn’t the post-mortem of the dead Royal Family members performed? Why didn’t he properly inform the public on the matter on time?" he questioned.

HM’s property be made public: ML

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KATHMANDU, June 20 - The CPN-ML today demanded that the property of King Gyanendra and his family be made public and "excess" property be nationalized.

"Since the King as prince was involved in many industrial businesses it is necessary for the public know exactly how much property he owns," CPN-ML General Secretary Bam Dev Gautam told reporters.

Gautam also said that his party has asked King Gyanendra to nationalize the properties of late King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Crown Prince Dipendra, Princess Shruti and Prince Nirajan, to be used in social services sector. The party also asked the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, the site of the massacre, should be made into a museum and the Prithvi Sadan should be preserved for the public to view.

He further added that the high-level probe committee report is incomplete and does not answer some crucial questions like the motive for the massacre.

Nepali journalist awarded in the US for community activism

By Akhilesh Upadhyay

NEW YORK, USA, June 20 - Ravi Adhikari, a Nepali journalist working for a newspaper here, has received a prestigious journalism award for community activism. His news report forced a company to recall its shoes with images of Hindu gods from the market last year.

First Nepali to be honored by South Asian Journalist Association (SAJA), Adhikari finished second in the "Outstanding story on South Asians in North America in Print" category for the year 2001.

"Would You Put God Under Your Feet?" published in News India Times gives a blow-by-blow account of the outrage Hindus in a New York neighborhood felt, and his own reaction to the incident, last July while a shoe store sold sandals with images of Shiva, Ganesh and Gayatri.

While most reporters would be happy to report the incident, Adhikari went a notch further: he became the central character in his story.

He went up to the manager of the shoe store in Jackson Height and asked him if he realized that the images were that of Hindu gods, and the merchandise was an insult to the minority community.

"If someone prints the sacred images of Judaism [in their shoes], how would you feel?" he asked the manager, a Jew, and made him admit that he would feel "insulted" and "angry, of course."

Adhikari then shot back: "Most Hindus now feel the same way. Do you still want to sell those sandals?"

His news story gives graphic account of his conversations with an indifferent manager, a salesgirl who sided with him rather than her manager, and a Christian girl who left the store without buying the sandal, lest she offend her Hindu classmate.

But Adhikari wouldn’t leave it at that. He circulated the story to prominent Indian organizations in the US, including the US-based Indian missions. He also sent it to news organizations for follow-ups.

His efforts paid off. The high-heeled five-dollar women’s sandals, marketed by California-based Fortune Dynamic, was withdrawn after the Indian-Americans of all religious denominations reacted strongly to the religious slur.

"As many as 10,000 pairs of the sandals were recalled," he said in a telephone interview after the SAJA award was announced.

The judges complimented Adhikari’s story for covering an important cultural phenomenon—the insensitive use of eastern images in American popular fashion, said Sreenath Sreenivasan, administrator of the awards and a professor at New York’s Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

They were impressed with the fact that his stories were done ahead of the competition and, in part, resulted in the sandals being removed, Sreenivasan said.

"Mine is a small newspaper," said Adhikari. "But what is important to me is to communicate my community’s viewpoints through the paper to other communities. I take SAJA award as a token of appreciation for my community activism."

Adhikari, the News Editor for Kantipur during its first three years of publication, joined News India Times in 1997. He holds an MS from the City University of New York, Brooklyn College.

SAJA awards have 11 categories that include print, broadcast, new media, photography, commentary and student work. Each category lists first, second and third positions.

The annual awards recognize excellence in reporting about South Asia, as well as outstanding reporting by South Asian journalists and students in the US and Canada, according to SAJA.

The awards will be given out during SAJA national convention, which takes place June 22-24. More than 500 journalists and guests from the US, Canada, Europe and South Asia are expected to take part in the annual event.

According to Nina Mehta, chair of the SAJA awards committee, the awards "are important since they recognize outstanding media coverage of a vital but under-covered region—the Indian subcontinent—and also honor creative work by journalists covering South Asians in North America, as well as outstanding reporting by South Asians."

The 2001 contest received more than 200 entries from 100 media outlets. All were published in 2000.

SAJA said the entries reflect a higher visibility of South Asians in the United States, and the increased attention paid to the subcontinent.

The wide range of media outlets that sent in entries shows the strong interest in upholding standards in foreign coverage and in reporting by minority journalists, Sreenivasan said.

Dalits’ problem more severe in the Far-West

By Seema A. Adhikari

KATHMANDU, June 20- Around 4.8 million Dalits in Nepal face not only social ostracization but also absolute poverty and marginalization as the system of caste hierarchy continues to prevail in Nepal, most prominently in the far-western region.

Video documentaries film that were premiered on Wednesday depict not only the situation of caste discrimination but also one of the harsh lives led by these communities who live on the edges of the world continuously shunned by upper class.

The documentary entitled "We have the same kind of Blood" taken from Doti features several Dalits castes- Kami, Damai as well as Bhul where it tried to show some examples of practices of caste discrimination and untouchability.

Dalits are not allowed to use the water taps reserved for higher castes even if the tap is free; they can not enter the Hindu temples as they are considered to be "impure" and have a "reckless" behavior, one of the eye-catching scenes in the film revealed.

While the second documentary "Why Dalit?" portrays the situation of Dalits in Nepal that featured Sunars, Dhobis who lead dismal life in Terai even after they migrated from the austere lives in the hills. The Badis were shown struggling to get citizenship for their fatherless children. One of the Badis spoke in the film that the profession such as prostitution was forced upon their lives. "It is not our profession but compelling circumstances".

This part of the film also exposed a situation where foreigners and Dalits though both consuming beef, only the Dalits are discriminated. "When the upper class dine with the foreigners, they have no complain but we are not allowed even to touch them", a Dalit was quoted as saying.

Given the dearth of historical references and reliable anecdote, it is difficult to point out what exactly was the position of Kami, Damai, Sunwar and Bhul in the Himalayas, but they say that modern day practice of caste discrimination has been confined mainly in the rural areas.

"I have been hearing a lot about Dalits in Nepal but had never got an opportunity to be so close," said Berit Madsen, Danish Association for International Co-operation who is also a producer and Director of the Documentary. This film is important in Nepal for raising awareness about the caste discrimination, she added.

"We target mostly the outsiders with our documentary film," said Jit Bahadur Gurung, DANIDA Project Advisor who added that it was the state that created caste discrimination.

When asked to comment on the Documentary, Padam Lal Biswakarma, a prominent Dalit activist said that it was the first-ever film on the Dalits to go international. "I myself used to be a victim of this discrimination".

Even as HMG/ Nepal passed the bill in the parliament to eliminate caste untouchablity, doors are still closed for this community. The groups today say that they are only in papers Dalits will take to streets seeking their enforcement in practice.

The documentary, produced jointly by DANIDA/HUGOU and MS Nepal is being looked upon with hope by Dalits as a crusade or an instrument to bring increasing awareness and global advocacy.