Maoists ban liquor in Damauli 

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DAMAULI, May 22- The Maoist insurgents have declared the transaction of liquor in the district as illegal with immediate effect.

The announcement was made in a rally held on Monday at Kalesti, some 7 kms from the headquarters.

The Maoists also destroyed the local liquor stalls and home-made alcoholic drinks after the mass meet. They made rounds of the village informing the locals of the harmful effects of drinking on health as well as its negative social impacts.

The Maoist rebels forced bus passengers travelling through the road, among others, to attend their programme.

Call to improve deteriorating condition of public schools

POKHARA, May 22 (RSS)- An interaction programme on The Problem of Private Schools and Its Solutions was organised jointly by Press Chautari, Kaski, Media Centre, Pokhara and Press Club, Pokara today.

Speaking at the programme, member of National Assembly Shukra Raj Sharma said education sector is facing problems arising out of the tendency of running academic institution on a commercial basis.

Member of Rajparisad Ganesh Bahadur Gurung noted that thousands of people will be jobless and national resource will drain out if the private schools are shut down.

Some of the demand put forth by the students are genuine, Kaski DDC chairman Punya Prasad Poudel said and underlined the need for maintaining sound monitoring system to improve the deteriorating condition of the public schools.

President of Kaski district ANNFSU (Revolutionary) Ram Prasad Parajuli alleged that the founders of the private and boarding schools were taking undue advantage from textbooks and uniforms sold to the students.

Director of Western Regional Education Directorate Krishna Prasad Khanal objected to the tendency to running schools in sheds even unfit for poultry and charging fees under different headings.

The programme was presided over by president of Media Centre, Kaski Bhupnidhi Pant.

Rebels to thwart Election commission's move

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BANKE, May 22 - Underground Maoist rebels have decided to thwart the Elections Commission’s (EC) move of collecting voters’ list and updating family records in the eastern part of the district, a report received here said.

The EC updates voters’ list in all 205 constituencies for election purpose every year.

The several incidents of Maoist non-cooperation to the EC’s employees have been recorded in remote parts, especially the other side of the Rapti river.

The rebels warned the employees not to visit the area and destroyed the record-keeping documents, said the employees assigned in the eastern constituency.

According to District Election Officer, Bishnu Prasad Bhusal, a dozen Maoist rebels set all the filled up documents on fire in front of a VDC office.

Bhusal said that collecting the voters’ list in several VDCs in the constituency has become difficult because of security reasons.

The District Election is waiting for the EC’s instructions about the future course of action regarding the problem being faced in the remote constituency of the district.

From panchai baja to cassette players

By Tilak Pokharel

Long before, our forefathers might not have imagined a marriage ceremony without the panchai baja, a set of five types of traditional band used in marriage ceremonies. The panchai baja includes damaha, sanai, narsinga, jhurma and dhalaki, all traditional bands played by damais. Damais, though were considered as ‘untouchables’, their absence could make any marriage ceremony dull and uninteresting.

Usually panchai baja are of 5-rhythm (panch taal), 7-rhythm (saat taal) or of 9-rhythm (nou taal). Then there are some more traditional bands such as temko and even guns to explode along with panchai baja to make marriage more happening and colorful.

Guns are no more found in the village homes these days. The guns, nowadays, seem to have gone to the hands of the Maoist insurgents.

In lieu of the use of the panchai baja heading towards becoming a history, we cannot, however, deny that the age-old tradition is still preserved in some corners of the Nepali villages.

The easy-to-handle cassettes have replaced the panchai baja in the villages while the wide practice of modern brass bands in the cities might have forced the panchai baja to be hung in the dark rooms of damais’ houses. Even the well-to-do families have started using cassette player(s) in the marriages of their family members in the villages.

The use of cassettes might have largely reduced the total expenditure of a marriage in a family, but most elderly and some conscious youths are worried about the changing tradition. On the other hand, there is a social issue raised by the ultra-socialists that the damais are dominated by other castes by saying that the so-called higher caste people are using them. They say that damais are considered as objects and are made to create the marriage environment rather than respecting them as dignified people.

When damais are called for a marriage to play the panchai baja, they need to be paid well individually, apart from providing them with wines and other beverages. But these days, because of the fading tradition, the young damai generation has almost stopped learning to play the panchai baja and are in search of new jobs, while their seniors might be seemed to be sitting in the courtyard recalling their past.

Though the damais are forgotten in the marriages these days, the people play the recorded songs of the panchai baja indeed being played by the damais themselves and even by some of the folk singers. We also can get original flavor in recorded songs and the people equally enjoy it. But the less powerful batteries sometimes give troubles. We can get such recorded cassettes in Sundhara, Kalanki and Gaushala in the Capital while we also can buy such cassettes in Narayangadh, Pokhara and Hetauda, outside the Kathmandu Valley.

While the tradition is turning pale in the villages of this Himalayan Kingdom, some of hi-fi people in the cities use both the panchai baja and brass bands to show their benevolence towards the age-old tradition. Even the army and police sometimes play the panchai baja during the marriages of their officers. Apart from these sympathies towards panchai baja, it is also mandatory to use this baja while worshipping some deities in the Capital and outside.

It is, however, a fact that nothing can match the charm and aura that the panche baja can create in the wedding cermonies. Be it in the capital or some remote villages of the country, a Nepali would always rejoice the panche baja that has so sadly been replaced.

Landslide takes lives and property

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TEHRATHUM (Myanglung), May 22 - A man has lost his life after he was buried under the debris of a landslide that hit this district last week.

Incessant rain hit the district before the start of monsoon and caused flooding and landslide affecting many people and causing property loss of upto tens of millions of rupees.

The man, resident of Piple VDC-9, Khadga Bahadur Limbu, was suspected to have died after he was buried under the landslide on Thursday. His death has been confirmed after the lumps of decayed flesh were found one kilometre down the area which is affected by landslide.

Thirty-eight families of Piple, Jirikhimti and Ambung VDCs have been affected by flood water. They have lost paddy land which could grow 500 muris of paddy and cardamom field. The animal shed of Shiva Prasad Timsina has also been washed away along with buffaloes and goats.

According to the information given by a team led by MP Bijay Subba that visited the affected areas, the landslide swept away both houses and land belonging to Shiva Prasad Timsina, Surya Prasad Phuyal, Bhuwani Prasad Phuyal, Tank Prasad Phuyal, Punya Prasad Phuyal and Mohan Amgain of Jirikhimti VDC causing destruction worth millions of rupees.

Similarly, the entire land belonging to Jiv Prasad Niraula, Bishnu Maya Shrestha, Hari Prasad Niraula, Buddhi Man Gurung, Kul Bahadur Limbu, Tenjing Sherpa, Shyam Bahadur Shrestha, Pasang Sherpa, Nand Lal Shrestha, Tulsi Bhattarai, Om Bahadur Shrestha, Rajendra Shrestha, Lila Karki, Lok Prasad Niroula, Chandra Bahadur Limbu, Tika Ram Apgain, Tej Bahadur Karki, Ambika Bhattarai and Chuda Mani Karki were swept away rendering them landless.

It is expected to take another week to estimate the extent of exact loss including houses, land property and water pipe in Basantpur-Myanglung road which lies in Jirikhimti VDC ward nos.8 and 9.

The District Natural Calamity and Relief Committee has visited the sites and requested short-term and long-term assistance for the affected people.

Dacoits loot in a dramatic style

MORANG, May 22 (PR) - A gang of dacoits looted three houses in Biratnagar last night in a dramatic way and decamped with cash and property worth about Rs 200,000.

The gang which consisted of about 15 people, had committed dacoity in the houses of Biru Chaudhari, Dipak Thapa and Dilli Chaudhari at midnight.

The dacoits first entered the house of Biru Chaudhari, tied him with a rope and looted Rs 1,000 from him. Then they entered the house of Dipak Thapa and looted 10 tolas of gold, 12 tolas of silver and Rs 15,000 in cash from his house. Then they entered the house of Dilli Chaudhari and looted Rs 8,000 from his house.

The dacoits have seriously injured Dilli Chaudhari by hitting him with a stone on his head as they broke into his house. He is undergoing treatment in Koshi Zonal Hospital.

The dacoits had broken the doors of all the three houses with boulders. Ward Police Office at Hatkhola has said a search operation was under way to nab the culprits involved in the incident.

The dacoits had looted them by brandishing pistol, knife and rod and had told them, as they were leaving, that they were Maoists, according to the victims of looting.

Meanwhile in Itahari Rs 400,000 worth of property was looted and two persons were injured in a incident of robbery at Narsingh VDC ward No. 7 in southern bordering area of Sunsari district.

According to the neighbours of the victims, a group of 25 masked bandits seized the village by firing in the air and made off with gold, silver and clothes from three houses.