Dharan in grip of druggists

By Manoj Rijal

DHARAN, May 20 - The beautiful, hundred years old, eastern foothill town of Dharan, which boasted of departing crisp and tardy Lahures with dreams in their eyes, is now in the grip of youngsters who drown their dreams in drug.

Rough estimate shows that there are over 5000 drug addicts in Dharan, and majority of them are children of Lahures.

Kamal Tigela, the Director at Punarjeevan Kendra (PJK) Drug Rehabilitation Center says, "The growth rate of drug abusers stands at 3 percent, but the number of individual addicts is on the rise." In the last six months, three youths aged between 19-25 have died of drug overdose.

Questioned if there were any HIV/AIDS infected patients at PJK, Tigela revealed, ‘About 70 percent druggists in Dharan resort to intravenous methods. And sadly, all of them are HIV/AIDS positive. All our patients are potential HIV/AIDS virus carriers, but the fact cannot be disclosed as it may harass them more.’

A PJK data showed 67 per cent of the addicts are school children. And, about 50 per cent of the high risks drug abusers are teenagers from the Lahure families, irrespective of social or caste hierarchy.

Police inspector Narendra Chapagain, In-charge, Area Police Station, Dharan says ‘More than 90 per cent of the addicts are teenagers and many of them are girls."

Dr Narayan Kumar, Hospital Director at B P Koirala Institute of Health Science (BPKIHS), Dharan says, ‘ There’s maximum chance of HIV/AIDS infection among drug addicts even though the hospital data is not yet alarming.’ It is difficult to estimate the exact number of drug users, as they refuse to visit hospitals or clinics for any check-ups.

The Kathmandu Post found no HIV/AIDS infected case in the local blood bank record for the past 14 months. BPKIHS record showed only 2 HIV/AIDS infected cases admitted so far.

"Most of the addicts used traditional drugs like tedegesic, nitrogipam, phensydol among others, but the availability of brown sugar is likely to cause more problems," says Tigela expressing his worry.

The anxiety is not unfounded. The finding of brown sugar on the person of a 22 years old local youth on 28th Baisakh symbolizes that drug abuse in Dharan is already at an extremely advanced stage. And, the threat to the society is in really grave, perceives police in-charge Chapagain.

Forest office gheraoed

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DHANGADHI, May 20- Thousands of people including free-Kamaiyas, landless squatters and families evicted from the forest areas gheraoed the District Forest Office, District Land Reforms Office and the District Development Committee Office at the headquarters.

The crowd of demonstrators also caused a traffic jam for several hours during the day.

The demands included plots of land to the Kamaiyas and those evicted from the forest areas. They also demanded compensations for the families whose huts erected in the forest areas were recently pulled own by the police and the release of those arrested on the occasion.

More than 500 huts were demolished at the forest area in Shripur VDC last week. The police and the forest officials had evicted a couple of families of the freed Kamaiyas as well as those made homeless by the floods in addition to those of other illegal encroachers at the forest.

The protest program was organised by Kamaiya Movement Committee, Landless Squatters Upliftment Society and the Group of the Flood Victims.

One rupee award to litterateur

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KATHMANDU, May 20 - At a award giving ceremony, a child today awarded litterateur Durga Lal Shrestha with a one rupee note. "It takes time to understand meaning, background and value of this particular prize and this one rupee note is a symbolic representation for protesting ever-increasing prize institutions established for fame in the ground of money ", said Khagendra Sangraula, a renowned progressive litterateur in a award programme, organised by Abhiyan Sahitya Pratisthan (ASP) in Royal Nepal Academy.

"Source of money for establishing prize institution, objective of distribution and selection procedure must be transparent but it is not followed in some prize institutions", said Sangraula coming down heavily to some prize institutions.

Highlighting the contribution of Durga Lal Shrestha on both Newari and Nepali literature, Ashesh Malla, a noted litterareur said," After a lots of homework and practices, jury came to a conclusion that Durga Lal Shrestha is a right candidate."

Durga Lal Shrestha, speaking on the occasion said, " I am very happy that ASP trusted me" and added," From this floor, I declare my service on literature persists as far as my survival."

On the occasion, office bearer of ASP and numbers of people including litterateur, professor and distinguished personalities were also present.

Opposition is a non-entity in Sikkim

TKP: Recently the Chief Minister said that there is no opposition in Sikkim. Could you elaborate?

DDB: Of the 32 seats in the Sikkim Assembly we (the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front) have 28. The opposition therefore remains non-functional. They raise their voice simply because they want to oppose and fight. We have been voted to govern for five years. And, during that period we are bound to make some mistakes. And, we lack constructive criticism with virtually no opposition in the House. They should become active and try to show positive ways where the government is failing.

TKP: How is Buddhism flourishing in Sikkim?

DDB: Sikkim not only has Buddhism but large percentages of Sikkimese are Hindus and nowadays many have adopted other religions also. True to the spirit of the national Constitution we in Sikkim government have no biases and maintain absolute religious tolerance. But, Budhhism has always influenced the State. And, we try to maintain this by keeping and preserving traditional Sikkimese architecture, dress, and religious practice along with other local cultures.

TKP: Then what do you consider Sikkim to be in this state of affairs?

DDB: All people are free to practice their religion, culture and traditions. In fact religion has taken a backseat in Sikkim. Take my own example, I am a Buddhist but I have no in-depth knowledge about it. The Lama Gurus recite the scriptures but they don’t interpret them for us to understand. It has just become a formality. Even within Budhhism there are four main sects and numerous offshoots. Above that, all most all people here participate in each other’s functions and festivities. So, in Sikkim all religious biases have vanished with these overlapping practices. Our state has become truly khichidi.

TKP: Can you tell something about Rumtek and the Karmapa controversy?

DDB: We are laymen. People voted us to this seat. We follow what our religious Gurus tell us. I personally met Urgen Thinley, the current Karmapa, in Delhi about two months ago. The Dalai Lama has given his recognition and so we have to agree that Urgen Thinley is the Karmapa. We see no controversies here except those created by people with vested interests.

TKP: Then why is the Karmapa not allowed to come to Rumtek, his seat in exile?

DDB: To me a layman, Urgen is in India and so he is with us. It is just that he has not reached home. That’s all we know.

TKP: As a minister for Culture, do you feel there is some lacking in cultural exchange between Nepal and Sikkim?

DDB: Our culture is not lost as yet and we try our best to keep it alive. But, Sikkim is a state and Nepal is a country. As a state we can have exchanges with other states. But, as a country Nepal should take the first step and we will do what we can to make cultural exchanges fruitful. On personal capacity, I have been involved in the making of the Nepali feature film "Saino". Everybody in Sikkim love Nepali films. Recently "Darpan Chhaya" ran successfully for nine weeks, which even a Hindi movie had not achieved here.

TKP: It looks Sikkim is ultimately going to get the much sought after airport. Do you think is really going to be useful or that it will be a white elephant for the State?

DDB: First, the airport is going to be very small for small aircraft only. Secondly, its importance is more for defense purpose. Thirdly, as a State, the airport is part of the national integration. As you know that the state of the National Highway 31A that links this State with the plains is not predictable because of the Darjeeling politics. So with the airport the communication remains open, unfettered by the local disturbances. You see we are very concerned of our people’s general welfare and problems.

TKP: What kind of other welfare activities does the Sikkimese government provides to the people?

DDB: We are people’s government. Most of the people in Sikkim live below poverty line. To ease their problem we provide rice at Rs 3 a kg, education is virtually free up to class 12 and medical benefit is given free to all and out of state treatment provided at government’s cost. All person above the age of 60 gets pension and 10 kgs of rice free of cost every month. All households get Rs 20,000 as subsidy every year and 30 CGI sheets to roof their houses. These are besides the normal welfare actives carried out every year by our government.

TKP: With so much of state support, don’t you think it would create a cycle of people’s dependence to the state?

DDB: You give sweet to your children knowing well the bad effect it has on the teeth and general health. The people of Sikkim are our children and we have to have these welfare schemes for them even if it creates some problem. As parent we cannot deny what they want and ask for.

(The former Chief Minister and the Opposition leader Nar Bahadur Bhandari could not be contacted for his comments as he doesn’t want to meet the media for some times.)

Children prepare for meetings

KATHMANDU, May 20 (PR) - The seventeen children and young people from seven South Asian countries are working hard to prepare themselves to give exposure to their views and ideas that need to be listened to and heard.

During the five-day event, started on Saturday, the participants, "change makers", are scheduled to meet corporate leaders of the religion and discuss with the ministers and high level government officials from the region, a UNICEF release states.

Nearly half the population of the nations of South Asia, who are children under 18, will be the adult citizens of the next decade. As workers, they will power the economy, as citizens, they will decide the large and small matters of their nations, and as members of the community and the family, they will influence the future of the following generation their children.

Through this event, the children will focus on the need to invest in children and will consider the cost of not investing.

The programme is jointly organized by the UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia and Save the Children Alliance South Asia. This is an integral part of the Global Movement for Children (GMC) and preparation for forthcoming special session on children scheduled to be held in September in New York.

AIC unable to sell fertiliser

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BIRGUNJ, May 20 - The chemical fertiliser imported by the government-owned Agriculture Inputs Corporation has not been sold due to its high cost.

As the corporation has so far sold only 9.30 per cent of the total target, its employees are extremely worried. They say, the corporation has not been able to sell the fertilisers because it is costlier than the chemical fertiliser of other organisations in the market.

"If this condition will continue for some time more, we may have to pack up and go home", an employee said on condition of anonymity.

"High operation cost and overstaffing of the corporation is largely responsible for the high price of the fertiliser being sold by the corporation. If the price is not reduced, the fertiliser will decay at the godown," he added.

The target of the corporation for the second four monthly period ( Mangsir to Falgun) was to sell 980 metric tons of Urea but it sold merely 207 metric tons, that is, 9.30 per cent of the total target.

The Agriculture Inputs Corporation has been selling 50 kg Chinese brand of urea at Rs 520 while both National Trading and Salt Trading are selling another brand of urea (Ifco) at Rs 480. Similarly, Manoj International, a private sector company, has been selling a different brand (Shaktiman) of urea of the same quantity at Rs 440.

Employees of the corporation say farmers will not buy their fertiliser at Rs 520 if they can buy it for Rs 480 from National Trading and Salt Trading. They are of the opinion that the corporation should sell its urea after immediately lowering the price.

The employees of the corporation argue that even Salt Trading and National Trading have been unable to compete with the private company. The same brand (Ifco) is available at Rs 400 in India as there is subsidy in fertiliser in India.

" Our fertiliser is not being sold because our farmers are not so educated. But they will come to know about our fertiliser in a few years. There is no fertiliser in the market with so good quality as ours. This is my claim. Ours is the best from the viewpoint of quality although it is a little costlier than that of others due to operation cost and overstaffing" the Zonal Manager of Agriculture Inputs Corporation said.

Samples of different brands were examined and found with good quality, according to a concerned inspector.

ASI chief charges govt

GULARIYA, May 20 (PR) - The Director of the London-based International Human Rights group, Anti-Slavery International, Mike Dutrich, has charged the government of trying to push the newly liberated Kamaiyas back into the system of bonded labour.

He made this remark at a press conference organised jointly here today by the Bardia unit of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and the Regional Media Source Center, Nepalgunj.

He said that his organisation has been fighting slavery and bonded labour for the last 150 years.

"The demand for 10 katthas of land for every Kamaiya family is entirely reasonable," he said, adding, "otherwise the Kamaiyas will be forced to grab the land for themselves."

The International human rights activist also called for the collection of proper statistics and sensitivity to the problem to address it adquately.

The government made the landmark decision outlawing the practice of bonded labour that existed in five of the mid and far-western districts of the country. The number of bonded labours was estimated at 40,000.