PM Koirala returns, denies talks a failure Minister Joshi likely to be dropped

By Satish Jung Shahi

KATHMANDU, March 8 –  Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala who returned from his four-day official visit to France today denied reports that he had failed in his stated goal of putting Nepal in the priority list of French aid recipient nations. Koirala, instead, countered that the visit had been "highly successful."

The Prime Minister also reacted strongly to reports that Local Development Minister Govinda Raj Joshi faced disciplinary action by Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), the constitutionally empowered anti-corruption body, and indicated that he should resign. But Koirala directed his fire mostly to negative press coverage, both here and in France, of his official visit.

"I don’t know which international press you looked at…The main thing is France is positive and has committed to give attention on providing aid to Nepal as a Least Developed Country (LDC)," PM Koirala told reporters at the VVIP chamber in the Tribhuvan International Airport after his arrival. "...France has also committed to place a proposal and back Nepal (to the idea of placing Nepal as a LDC) at a meeting of the European Commission."

"France has said that they will do anything as per their policy on Nepal and will further enhance the policy at a bilateral manner...The visit was highly successful," PM Koirala said.

However, the PM is still facing trouble here on issues that had been haunting him prior to his visit that marked the second visit to the European republic by a Nepali PM.

When asked what PM Koirala’s action is going to be on the request made by the nation’s top constitutional anti-corruption body to initiate action against Minister Govinda Raj Joshi over his involvement in the irregularities in the selection of teachers, PM Koirala hinted that he is going to ask Minister Joshi to resign.

"I’ll see the CIAA’s action as I have been waiting on my case. You have to ask this to the main opposition, CPN-UML who are stalling the Parliament...We have been saying, I will resign when the Court or the CIAA charges me of corruption," PM Koirala said.

"I will not stand as the Prime Minister even for a minute if the Court or the CIAA files any case against me. This is the principle of the Nepali Congress as well as democratic norms and all my friends whether they are Ministers or not will follow it," PM Koirala said.

"...We’ll never influence the independent judiciary," PM Koirala added.

The CIAA has charged Joshi, Minister for Local Development in the present Cabinet, of exercising his rights willfully in connection with the selection of primary, lower secondary and secondary school teachers in 1996/1997 thereby creating confusion in the education sector and eroding the people’s faith in government functioning. Minister Joshi was the Education Minister at the time the charges were made.

Top Maoist leader charged in murder case

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SURKHET, March 8 - A complaint has been filed today at the Surkhet District Court against 29 Maoist activists, including top Maoist leader Dr Baburam Bhattarai, on charges of murder, according to the District Police Office in Surkhet. However, Maoist leader Bhattarai has remained underground since his party waged the ‘People’s War’ in 1996.

According to the charge-sheet lodged by Police Inspector Pramod Kumar Raya on behalf of the DPO, former member of Parliament, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who joined Maoist party later, is also among those charged in murder case, which occurred at Baddichaur Bazaar of Kunathari VDC-4 on 6 February.

Three people - one police, one Maoist and one truck driver - were killed during the exchange of fire between the police and Maoist rebels at the VDC.

On February 3, five people, including the Registrar at the Surkhet-based Appellate Court, were killed in a Maoist laid land-mine explosions at Paisatthi on the Surkhet highway, about 20km away from the district headquarters.

Chief Justice at the Supreme Court, Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya, had miraculously survived the land-mine blast and his entourage sustained serious injuries.

Five Maoist cadre, arrested by police after the cross-fire between the rebels and police at Baddichaur on 6 February, have also been included in the murder case.

Fact-finding report submitted

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KATHMANDU, March 8 – The three-member probe committee formed to investigate the Maoists’ attack on the Chief Justice and his entourage early last month submitted its fact-finding report to Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel today.

DPM Poudel thanked the committee members and said that the recommendations of the probe committee would be implemented after its study, states a release by the Home Ministry.

The Home Ministry constituted the committee comprising former Supreme Court Justice Narendra Bahadur Neupane as its chairman and former Inspector General of Police Hem Bahadur Singh and former chief of National Investigation Department Bishnu Raj Pant as members on February 4, a day after the attack at Paisatthi in Surkhet district.

Baldev Dhital, registrar at the Surkhet Appellate Court and five police personnel died in the attack by Maoist rebels.

Speaking to The Kathmandu Post, Gopendra Bahadur Pandey, Spokesperson at the Home Ministry, said that the study of the committee’s report would be completed "soon", declining to specify any time-frame.

Regional administrators’ appointment challenged

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KATHMANDU, March 8 - The decision of the government to appoint five regional administrators has been challenged in the Supreme Court Thursday citing the decision as illegal and unconstitutional.

The writ petition was filed by advocate Sambhu Nepal challenging the decision of the government in the Supreme Court on the ground that the government flagrantly violated the Civil Services’ Act in appointing Inspector General of Police and regional administrators by creating the posts of special class based on the ordinance still pending in the parliament.

British Gurkhas get 10 pc pension raise

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KATHMANDU, March 8 – The British government today announced yet another "substantial pension rise" of 10.9 per cent for the British Gurkha ex-servicemen, building on the last year’s increase of over 100 per cent. The hike will be effective from April 1, 2001.

A British Embassy press release issued here today said that this increase ensures that their pension keeps pace with Nepal’s cost of living and once again demonstrates the continuing commitment of the British government to the welfare of their ex-servicemen.

When asked to comment, Assistant Military Attaché at the Embassy, Ian Noble said that the increment has been made on every single pension facility such as widow pension or ex-corporal pension, enjoyed by the British Gurkha ex-servicemen.

"This is a normal review and this announcement followed a visit of a British official team, and their recommendations on the cost of living expenses here in Nepal," Noble added.

Beginning April 2001, a British Gurkha "service pensioner" (rifleman) will be drawing a minimum of Rs 8,000-plus, up from Rs 7,300, and a "welfare pensioner" will be drawing a minimum of Rs 2,000, up from Rs 1,400, every month, according to Noble.

The British government pays for the pension of service pensioners, and the pension amount for welfare pensioners is funded by Gurkha Welfare Trust, a U.K.-based charitable trust.

The release added, "This commitment is not only reflected in the excellent pensions that British Gurkhas enjoy but also in many other areas, including the Gurkha Welfare Scheme (GWS), and Medical and Key Hospital Scheme, which ensure that all British Gurkha ex-servicemen can receive free medical treatment. This scheme provides universal free primary care and either free or subsidized hospital treatment throughout Nepal."

According to the release, trained medical assistants at all the Area Welfare Centers throughout Nepal provide free primary medical care, which includes a weekly doctor’s clinic in rural areas and more frequent clinics in urban areas, to the ex-servicemen. Also, secondary medical care is provided at authorized hospitals.

The medical costs of ex-servicemen and their dependents are either fully paid or subsidized by the GWS, said the release, adding that an ex-servicemen in receipt of a welfare pension will have all his medical expenses reimbursed.

"Non welfare pensioners and British Gurkha ex-servicemen in receipt of a service pension do not receive full reimbursement but by pay of an initial amount based on their income and are then reimbursed 75 per cent of their expenses. GWS have arranged this system with some of the finest hospitals in Nepal, including the Manipal Teaching Hospital in Pokhara, the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu and the BP Koirala Institute of Health Services in Dharan," it added.

Meanwhile, Gurkha Army Ex-servicemen’s Organization (GAESO) General Secretary Yam Bahadur Gurung said that "the hike announcement is the British government’s move to overshadow our convention which is due to start tomorrow…We are fighting against pension disparity and we will continue to do so. This is still unfair, simply discriminatory."

Festival of colours gains notoriety in recent years

By Perina Pathak

KATHMANDU, March 8 – On Friday, the nation celebrates Fagu Purnima, more popularly known as Holi. But the festival’s arrival has been marked well in advance – by boys and young adults.

The festival of colours is generally celebrated by smearing colours at one another in a friendly spirit. While the hills of Nepal celebrate the festival on Friday, Terai will mark the main festival on Saturday.

But ask any young girl these days, and she will most probably say Holi has been in full swing for more than a week. She should know, since many young girls and women are the targets of young boys and adults in the run up to the festival. Instead of the fun and frolic for which it was popular, Holi, it seems, is making waves for all the wrong reasons.

"Boys, especially children, are the ones who throw lolas, targeting mainly young girls. We girls are the main victims of their amusement," says Sajani Shrestha, a college student, referring to the raging practice of throwing water filled balloons at young girls. "What kind of joy do they get by hurting the girls?"

This is just one example of distortion of the festival. Others include the growing trend of using paints, animal dung, and throwing dirty water at unsuspecting people, not to speak of the drunkenness that is widespread during the festival. Moreover, more dangerous pranks like putting stones inside the water-filled balloons is also gaining ground.

Mainly, it is young girls who are harassed. "I stopped going out of the house a week ago," laments 20 year old Pramila Puri. Old-timers still fondly remember how they used to have clean fun years ago. But these days, there’s no such fun.

"About 20 years ago we used to celebrate the festival very differently. All friends and relatives used to gather at one spot and put colour at one another in a mannerly way," says Kanti Dhungel, a 40-year-old woman. Nowadays the festival has taken a wild turn," she adds.

Nepalgunj customs not to have army for the time being

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BANKE, March 8 - Although the government recently decided to deploy the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) at major customs points to control across-the-border illegal trade and smuggling, the RNA personnel will not be mobilised at Nepalgunj Customs for the time being due to a lack of adequate human resources.

In a last week’s district-level defense committee meeting, RNA officials reportedly expressed their inability to immediately mobilise the army personnel at Nepalgunj Customs point.

"That is why the army mobilisation at Nepalgunj Customs is getting delayed," a source close to the district-level defense committee said.

No written notice has been dispatched to the District Administration Office by the government about the RNA mobilisation at Nepalgunj Customs, a major commercial entry point in the mid and far-western region of the country.

"I have not received any information on this matter so far," Chief District Officer, Bal Krishna Prasain, said.

The government has decided to deploy the RNA personnel at Mechi, Tatopani, Biratnagar, Birgunj and Bhairahawa Customs offices to quell the unauthorised cross-border trade under the first phase. The army will be mobilised at Nepalgunj Customs under the second phase.

Chief of the Nepalgunj Customs, Keshar Jung Khadka, said that a special arrangement is being made to control across-the-border illegal trade and smuggling.

Khadka said that once the draft of the Revenue Police Regulations, which is under consideration at the Ministry of Law and Justice, is ratified and put into practice, the RNA would be called back to its barracks from the customs offices.

He said that the government’s decision to mobilise the army at major entry points is temporary.

Yet another no-event day!

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KATHMANDU, March 8 - Once again it was a no-event day in the House of Representatives except for the laughter that broke out among the slogan-shouting opposition members who could not correctly hear what a woman lawmaker said.

At one point during the nearly two-minute sloganeering, Sushila Nepal, MP from Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) coined the initial slogan "March 8 Zindabad" ("Long Live March 8") which was taken to be "Karl Marx Zindabad", causing peal of laughter all round. March 8 is International Women’s Day.

Like in the past few occasions, the Speaker, Taranath Ranabhat, started the House proceedings by declaring the Zero Hour. The opposition demanded special discussion before that and went to the Well of the House and the House was rent with opposition’s slogans demanding the "corrupt PM’s resignation".

Then Speaker Ranabhat adjourned the House until Monday. With National Assembly too being called on that day, it gave grist to the rumour mills that said the current 19th session, of the parliament will come to an end for good without conducting any business.

Janadesh editor to be released

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KATHMANDU, March 8 - The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a habeas corpus writ releasing Janadesh Weekly editor Krishna Sen who had been in detention for nearly two years.

The order was passed by a full bench of Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya and Justices Kedar Nath Upadhyaya, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, Kedar Nath Acharya, Top Bahadur Singh, Bhairab Prasad Lamsal and Gopal Prasad Khatri.

Avindra Parajuli had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court after Sen was arrested nearly two years ago and detained under Public Security Act - 2046 (BS), on charges of assisting the Maoist movement. He was also charged for looting financial institutions, targeting senior government officials and even parliamentarians and vandalising public property.

Sen will be released on Friday, as the Jailer was not available when the Supreme Courts order reached Siraha Jail at around 5:30 p.m. this evening. Talking to The Kathmandu Post, the police guard-in-charge of the Rajbiraj Jail, Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police Tek Bahadur Gurung said, "Krishna Sen could not be released today as the jailer had already left the place when the order from the Supreme Court reached here at 5:30." Gurung said that journalists who had come to take Sen had to return empty handed.

"The jail office working hour is until 6:00 p.m. but we need instruction from the jailer to release Sen," said Gurung.

President of Nepalese Journalist Association Vaidya Nath Jha who had gone to the jail with six other journalist said, "We could not meet Sen today as the jail was already closed, and we have been told to come on Friday morning."

Int’l Women’s Day celebrated in Capital

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KATHMANDU, March 8 - The 91st International Women’s Day was observed at various places in the capital with international and local organisations engrossed in conferences, seminars, felicitation programmes and raising the issue to a newer heights.

At one such programme organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel did the honours of felicitating Nepal’s 12 ‘first’ women, the firsts to achieve the peak of career in various fields.

Minister Poudel said, "It is the tradition and conservative norms of the society that binds us in failing to give equal rights to women". However, he said that education is the only weapon to eliminate discrimination and to bring women to the fore.

Likewise, it is for this reason that this year, the UN system in Nepal has chosen the theme "Economic Rights of the Girl Child", to focus on the twin evils of discrimination and inequality", said the WFP representative, Douglas Casson Coutts.

At the programme organised by the UN System, a nine year old girl, Purna Laxmi Rana was the chief guest. Citing the importance of the girl child, UN resident co-ordinator Henning Karcher said, "Today’s girls are tomorrow’s women",.

Nepali immigrants body recovered

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KATHMANDU, March 8- The body of an illegal Nepali immigrant, aboard the boat that overturned in rough seas off northwestern Malaysia, was recovered Wednesday, Associated Press said.

Maritime police conducting an aerial search discovered the body of Ranjan Rai, 30, floating in the waters off Langkawi, a northern Malaysian resort island. Another Nepali was rescued alive after the Monday night’s accident, AP quoted local Police Chief Ali Abu Shahmah saying.

Thirteen people including those from Nepal are said to be still missing.