Artworks displayed at Hotel Annapurna

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KATHMANDU, Nov 19 - Hotel de l’ Annapurna in conjunction with Spiny Babler had one of its regular Monday exhibitions today featuring indigenous and modern art, live traditional and contemporary music, theatrical adaptations and performances in English.

The exhibition today displayed works of Puran Khadka, whose abstract art works have long been opened and recognised by the people of the Kathmandu Valley. The programme aims to make Nepalese art and culture better known to the world.

The exhibition featured 31 of Khadka’s works. Under the theme - "Our Indivisible Life", Puran attempted to explain the theme by connecting life with ultimate living. He said, "This ultimate living is not a place of rest after death, rather it is to be grounded in the power which constituted it, while still alive. So that life comes to individual fulfilment by coming across indivisible whole..."

Noted artist, Uttam Nepali, inaugurated the exhibition and complimented Khadka for his excellent work. "Creating such great work using only one colour as a medium is amazing. The response of his works is tremendous and his works are definitely different from the rest," he said.

Avijit Chaturvedi, Food and Beverage Manager of Annapurna, said that the hotel has been trying to build a platform for contemporary art to be displayed for all to see. "We are trying our best to convert this tea lounge into a mini art gallery," he said. "We are planning to continue to improve our process to organise events like these and make the potentials of Nepali artists known worldwide," he said.

Also present at the function were renowned artists Kiran Manandhar, Vijay Thapa, Ramesh Khanal, Sarita Dangol, among others.

70-member security task force formed for SAARC Summit

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KATHMANDU, Nov 19 – The Home Ministry has constituted a seventy-member task force for security during the upcoming SAARC summit, scheduled for January in Nepal.

The National Preparation Committee Meeting held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had given the responsibility to the Home Ministry for security arrangements during the Summit. The Home Ministry has now formed the task force under the convenorship of its joint secretary Tika Dutt Niraula.

The task force comprises of Brigadier General Pradeep Pratap Bam Malla of the Department of Military Operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sharada Prasad Parajuli, DIG of Armed Police Force Balram KC, Deputy Chief Officer Sripurush Dhakal and Colonels Keshav Raj Mahat and Netra Bahadur Thapa.

The main committee and the task force under the main committee comprise of experts from the Home Ministry, Nepal Police, Royal Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and National Department of Investigation. Each task force consists of five members led by an expert.

The meeting of the main committee and the task force was held on Monday and various officials expressed their opinion on different security aspects and the coordinator informed the members about their responsibilities.

According to the coordinator of the main committee joint secretary Niraula, the security committee will carry out all the responsibilities. He said, "We have given workplan to every member of the Committee."

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dilip Kumar Shrestha will take the responsibility of safeguarding residences of the delegates of the summit, whereas SSP Surendra Pal will look after the security at the Conventional Center. Similarly, Major Bhagawan Singh Badal will take the responsibility of managing possible bomb threats and accidents.

SSP Madan Khadka has been given the responsibility of maintaining security in traffic routes while SSP Keshav Baral will manage traffic and SSP Ramesh ChandaThakuri will manage the airport security.

ANWA to strengthen women’s awareness movement

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KATHMANDU, Nov 19 -The All Nepal Women’s Association (ANWA) has decided to strengthen ‘All Nepal Women National Movement 2001-2002’, the movement intended to create awareness among women and generate public opinion for ‘women revolution’ in the country, an ANWA press release issued here today said.

According to the release, ANWA, the women wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) has launched ‘All Nepal Women National Movement’ in western Nepal and plans to continue the programme in the eastern region of the kingdom next year. The movement will be launched at village, district as well as national level.

According to the release, the ANWA has planned to conclude the village-level movement by the end of this month and the district-level movement by next month. The ANWA is to collect fund for the movement this month.

The national meeting of the ANWA in Butwal last month decided to launch the movement with a view to creating public opinion among women for the ‘women revolution’ in the country. The meeting also formed an 11-member committee under the coordination of Durga Paudel, the release added.

Kanchenjunga festival to be organised

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KATHMANDU, Nov 19 - A three-day Kanchenjunga festival is going to be organised in Taplejung district from December 2 with an aim to promote internal and external tourism.

According to information provided in a press meet organised by Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), the festival is being organised in the District Headquarters of Taplejung at Fungling Bazar and Suketar. The festival is set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on December 2. Subash Niraula, the director at the NTB addressing the press meet said that the NTB is looking forward for the participation of private sector for the successful organisation of such festivals. "The NTB would promote such events and market it outside the country through its available resources," he added.

The festival is to be organised by the Taplejung District Development Committee (DDC-T). Bijaya Raj Thebe, the chairman of the (DDC-T) informed that the festival is being organised annually since Visit Nepal Year 1998 and further said that it is aimed at conserving the natural resources of the region and uplifting the life standards of locals residents.

The district has an immense potentiality for adventurous tourism and the festival would help to exploit its natural beauty among the outsiders, he said. He further said, "Discussions between tourism entrepreneurs, representatives of various non- governmental organisations and other government officials would be help for the identification of the possibilities and challenges of integrated tourism development in the district."

According to the information, cultural programmes including the famous Lama Dance and Devi Dance would be organised during the festival. Also, a Handicrafts and medicated herbs exhibition would be organised along with the Food festival.

More than 800 tourists visit the Kanchenjunga region for trekking and sightseeing in the Himalayan ranges every year.

The release further states that the festival is aimed at developing tourism by conserving the environment and bio-diversity and generating religious and cultural awareness in the Kanchenjunga region.

It is being promoted by World Wildlife Federation-Nepal, SNV a Dutch project and TRPAP a tourism project at the region.

Locals block highway over road accident

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MORANG, Nov 19 - Thousands of passengers were stranded today on the eastern section of the East-West highway after the locals blocked the busy road near Bhaunne Chowk of Dangihat VDC over an accident in which a woman sustained serious injuries.

The locals blocked the road when a loaded truck (Ko 1 Kha 1505) hit Sanchi Maya Magar, 55, while crossing the road with a load of firewood on her back.

Though the injured woman was rushed to the B P Koirala Memorial Hospital in Dharan for treatment, locals barricaded the road, demanding better treatment and legal action against the truck driver.

Police Inspector at Urlabari, Sharad Kumar Khatri said that the driver, Ankal Bahadur Bishwokarma, has been taken into police custody for necessary action. Condition of the woman is reported to be critical, according to the doctors at the hospital.

Rebels destroy police post in Kailali

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TIKAPUR (Kailali), Nov 19 - Maoist rebels on Sunday destroyed an abandoned police post at Satti bazaar of Narayanpur VDC-8 by setting it on fire, according to the police.

The district police office in Dhangadhi said that the rebels set the concrete building on fire and reduced it to a cinder in the presence of the locals. The post was abandoned and all the policemen stationed there had been called back to the district headquarters about five months ago after the Maoist escalated their activities in the eastern part of the district.

This is probably the first time that the rebels have destroyed any police post since the government announced cease-fire in July. Before the cease-fire, the rebels had destroyed more than half a dozen police posts in this plain district in the far-western region.

The police administration has faced a set back to its earlier plan of re-establishing the Satti based post after the latest attack by the rebels. The VDC is located close to the Nepal-India border and is a point for cross-the-border crime and smuggling.