Tika continues till Wednesday

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KATHMANDU, Oct 29 – Even as the Vijaya Dashami is already over, people from far-flung areas are still busy visiting their relatives to receive tika.

People continue to receive tika on their foreheads from their elders till Wednesday, though the real day for the auspicious occasion was on Friday. The government holidays end tomorrow but the biggest festival of the Hindus ends in Purnima on Wednesday.

During the six days of tika, people receive Jamara (barley shoot) as prasad, which has special significance during the whole festival. The Jamara is planted in Ghatasthapana, the very first day of the festival.

"The Yabankur (Jamara in Sanskrit) embodies the irresistible power of Goddess Durga," says Ram Chandra Gautam, professor of Theology. "People believe that this power is not available in other flowers."

According to Gautam, tika can be taken from Dashami to Purnima (the full moon day) because all the fifteen days are known as Durga Pachaya.

Whereas cultural expert Hari Ram Joshi says that since one can not finish receiving tika from all the elders on a single day of Dashami, the occasion is extended till the Purnima, making it easy for the people coming back to their homes from far away places.

"People also take tika days as the time for sycophancy as people visit their senior officers on the pretext of tika," says Joshi. "Therefore, in BS 2008, leader B.P. Koirala stopped to receive and give tika to anyone as he considered it as the form of slavery."

Though the tika is still going on for some people, the government offices are opening from tomorrow, bringing life to normal. The government officials, who used to get a longer holiday during the festival, got a shorter holiday this time as the government cut short the holiday by two days.

Excess of protein damages kidney

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KATHMANDU, Oct 29 - Too much of beans in diet, unnecessary consumption of medicine, poisonous elements in edibles and seasonal diarrhea are the main causes in damaging kidneys in Nepal, say kidney experts.

Dr Rajendra Agrawal, Kidney Specialist says that diabetes and high blood pressure patients have high chances of kidney failure. "The use of beans produces protein with urea and kidney throws out these elements along with urine." But after the failure of kidneys the urea is directly mixed with blood and the person will start feeling uneasy.

The human body needs food which produce protein to grow and develop but over use of protein may cause damage to the kidney, says the doctor.

A patient of diabetes and high blood pressure always suffers from this disease, Agrawal adds. "Kidney works in balancing the water and other elements in the body and it also helps to wipe out unwanted things in blood in the form of urine", he further adds.

Surendra Shrestha, Vice Chairman of Kidney Society Nepal says that most sufferers are people from the Newar community who use excess amount of beans in their diet. " Most of the patients go to the doctors after 80 per cent of their kidneys have failed. The patients have very less chance to recover from that stage," he adds.

The doctors say that the kidney patients show symptoms such as loss of appetite, feeling nausetic, swelling of the body and respiratory problems.

HURPES slams Crown Prince declaration

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KATHMANDU, Oct 29 – Central for Human Rights and Peace Society (HURPES) today condemned the announcement of Prince Paras as Crown Prince on October 26.

In a press release issued here today from HURPES states it is a tragedy that Prince Paras who has a bad reputation and has been alleged of hit and run death of popular musician Praveen Gurung in August 2000.

HURPES along with three other Human Rights Organisation have protested against the Prince Paras activities in 1999 and 2000 has appealed for legal action on the side of Musician Gurung, states the release.

Therefore HURPES has appealed to withdraw the announcement with the responsible authority, states the release.

Nepal stresses preservation of culture

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KATHMANDU, Oct 29 – Leader of the opposition party Madhav Kumar Nepal today underlined a need to preserve positive aspects of our culture, tradition and festivals as they are the identity of Nepal and Nepali.

According to a press release received here today, Nepal made this remark speaking at a programme organised by Bisses Nagar Samanwaya committee to extend best wishes on the occasion of Dashain.

Nepal, speaking at the programme, said that the government and the Maoists should end the six-year long insurgency through dialogue. He also criticised the Maoists for taking actions against his party’s cadres.

Lawmakers Raghuji Panta and Krishna Lal Maharjan, and Keshab Badal, member of the standing committee of CPN-UML, and Krishna Gopal Shrestha, central committee member of CPN-UML also spoke on the occasion.

Dashain was a ‘curse’ for Laxmi

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KATHMANDU, Oct 29 - Dashain for the rich is a great occasion for spree and enjoyment but for the poor the festival is a big blow of economic burden and self- humiliation.

Dashain is the greatest festival for all the Hindu, in this festival every people desire to eat best food, wear best clothes and do all the possible things.

But, for Sani Kanchi,24 of Ramechaap, recently residing at squatter area, Dashain was worst part of her life and she never have any dream for Dashain. Sani who have hard time earning money for her daily dole, she was abounded by her husband six months ago with two kids, now she is in the capital working hard to earn a daily live for herself and her kids.

Sani who married four years ago said, "My husband often sent me back to my father’s house with allegations against my character and every times returned to my husband’s house with the hope that my husband will receive me with love and honor," said Sani fighting back her tears as she narrates her horrifying and traumatic marital life.

"For me Dashain does not mean anything because I don’t have money to celebrate, "she said sobbing bitterly. "Dashain is only for the well-off people", she added.

Though merriment, delicious food, new dress, kite flying and receiving tike on the forehead from elders are associated with the festival but for people like Sani, Dashain and such other merry making festivals is nothing.

Laxmi, 26 who is also residing in the same place said, "Everyday rich people pass through this area on cars along with Dashain shopping but for us we don’t even know how to get a two times meal."

This is the time for a family reunion as even those working abroad or far from the family come back for the celebration and thousands of people going around different temples in the valley, but for Laxmi, there is nowhere to go in this great festival.

‘Superstar’ yearns for room in people’s heart

By Tashi Dolma Thinley

KATHMANDU, Oct 29 – With 48 releases already in the year 2000-2001, Nepali movies are definitely creating a niche for themselves in the market. Nepali people— while quenching their entertainment thirst from Bollywood movies for many years—today, with the constant flow of Nepalese movies, are thronging to Nepali movies.

And when a movie comes at a time when people are in a festive mood, seeking entertainment, it definitely pulls a lot of crowd. One such movie is "Superstar", currently being shown in 14 movie halls of the capital, and according to cinema hall managers, is "running well". The film produced by Bhuvan KC and directed by Anish Koirala has, of all the other things, a strong and attractive cast boasting the likes of Santosh Pant, Mithila Sharma and Dilip Rayamajhi.

The film is one that charters a course of its own in the deafening mediocrity that marks the Nepalese mainstream cinema. Bhuvan KC, the main protagonist, plays Suraj KC, a popular actor (in the movie) caught between real and reel-life. Gopal (Dilip Rayamajhi) and Manjari (Sushmita KC), the other key players in the movie, are childhood friends in a village and have been always together through the thick and thin.

Gopal and Manjari flee the village and arrive Kathmandu after Manjari is forced to marry a 55 year-old man by her sister-in-law, with whom she lives in the village. In the sequence of Manjari’s plight, actor Suraj comes with a god like figure time and again to rescue her and eventually helps both Manjari and Gopal. Manjari is then given refuge in his own house.

The film develops, as Manjari becomes a heroine and Gopal a spot boy. Gopal who has been saving each penny for a life with Manjari, is heart broken when Manjari rejects his proposal. On the other side, Suraj’s separated wife becomes more adamant and unforgiving when media starts spreading rumors about the so-called affair between Manjari and Suraj.

Unlike many other movies would have it, there are no twists and turns in the storyline here as the movie is not about love triangle. Gopal and Manjari realize love for each other and Suraj and his separated wife reunite.

Anyone who has watched the very popular Hindi movie Rangeela can certainly have a sense of deja‘ vu. The plot and scenes are copy of Rangeela, just not as bright. But the film amidst all this routine and humdrum has something to watch out for!

Actor Dilip Rayamajhi’s high spiritedness and flamboyance comes as a fresh change for the movie goers who are used to seeing the same old predictable way of acting. His screen presence, dances and acting, is worth a watch. Besides, the film also scores over other run of the mill types on good cinematography and clear picturisation, not to forget the healthy comedy.

Bhuvan KC may not be at his impressive best as an actor in the movie, but he definitely impresses as the producer for making the movie refreshing enough technologically and lookwise. Surperstar may not yet be called a super hit and as Bhuvan KC says ‘it is a Dasain gift to the public’.

Koirala for change in education policy

BIRATNAGAR, Oct 29 (RSS) - President of the Nepali Congress and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has pointed out the need of self-reliant education by taking into consideration the future of the children and by changing the present educational system and policy.

Koirala was inaugurating the renovated two rooms of the Sarbahitaishi Primary School at Dangraha Village Development Committee (VDC) ward no. 6 under Morang District constituency no. 6 established by late Krishna Prasad Koirala on 1 Baisakh 1986 Bikram Era.

Stating that as the overall development of the country including that of the educational sector was not possible on the basis of the old educational system, NC president Koirala further said if the educational system and policy are changed in line with the progress and development in the world, it would be in the interest of the nation, society and the public at large.

Koirala said that politicisation has distorted the educational sector and therefore it should be got rid of it and a new educational system formulated.

At the function, Koirala also gave away prizes and certificates to the teachers working in the school for a very long time and to the students excelling in various fields.

At the function, minister for education and sports Amod Prasad Upadhyaya said that the education (seventh amendment) bill had been introduced with the objective of revealing the latent talent of the students and for their all round development.

Minister Upadhyaya also stated that the bill also aims at making some provisions to prevent the undesired activities in the present system of the examinations.

National assembly member and NC Morang District Committee president Ashok Koirala appeal to one and all for the physical and educational development of the school founded by late Krishna Prasad Koirala with the objective of imparting education to the children of the rich and poor alike.

NC central member and head of its women wing Nona Koirala said that education and society are complementary to each other and stressed the need to impart good education to the children.

Subalal Majhi, 96, a former student of the school, social activist Satya Narayan Chaudhari, Narayan Prasad Koirala of the Pitaji Krishna Prasad Koirala council and headmaster Mukunda Narayan Chaudhari also expressed their views on the occasion.

Police still searching for 13 abducted people in Terhathum

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MORANG, Oct 29 - Local administration is yet to find any clue on the whereabouts of 13 people abducted by Maoists insurgents in Terhathum on Saturday.

The local administration has mobilised a large number of security personnel in the district to locate these people but has not been effective, Chief District Officer Ram Prasad Ghimire told The Kathmandu Post via telephone on Monday.

The Maoists had abducted 13 people from Khamlalung VDC of Tehrathum district in East Nepal and took them to an unknown destination. The Maoists attacked them when they were holding a meeting to draw a strategy to protest against the growing Maoist activities in the village. All the 13 people abducted by the Maoists are the members of the anti-Maoist committee formed recently in the village, which is a day’s walk from the district headquarters.

The CDO had earlier informed that the local VDC Chairman Nar Bahadur Limbu led about 70-armed Maoists in a daring raid. The VDC chairman, along with the vice-chairman and all other office-bearers, had recently joined the Maoist movement.

Locals and anti-Maoist committee members, who include the abducted ones, had chased away 30 armed Maoists and confiscated 30 guns a day before the abduction took place. And the Maoists came back with vengeance a day later.

Meanwhile, locals in Bayerban VDC of Morang district chased away four Maoists workers on Saturday. The four persons, who claimed themselves as the Maoists, had been threatening the villagers and had even resorted to looting. This prompted the locals to take action against them.

Villagers plant trees to finance their girl’s wedding

SITAPUR, Banke, Oct 29 (PR)– With increasing demand of dowry in the marriage of daughter in this village of Sitapur, the poor local people have started planting trees as soon as daughters are born, in order to finance daughters’ marriage.

Ratna Bahadur, previously endebted while marrying off his sister, started planting trees exactly on the day his eldest daughter was born last month, which later prompted other three families in the same village to follow his steps. "It is my duty to be concerned about the future and marry off my daughter, so I planted ten trees on the day my daughter was born to earn some money for her marriage," said Ratna Bahadur Pun, a resident of Sitapur VDC, 7 kilometers west-south far from Nepalgunj.

He expects to earn more than Rs 200 thousands till the date his daughter becomes eligible to get married.

As the news of planting trees for daughter’s marriage spread throughout the village, other three people of the same village have also planted trees in order to earn money for their daughters’ marriage.

The village, has taken this move by these people as an exemplary move and has decided to encourage other people to follow Pun and other three families. "The VDC has decided to raise this issue in the forthcoming meeting of the village council," VDC Chairman Man Bahadur Bali told The Kathmandu Post. "We have started to suggest people to plant tree as soon as new baby girls are born in the VDC".

‘Social transformation impossible without awareness’

RAJBIRAJ, Oct 29 (RSS) - Member of Parliament Renu Yadav, inaugurating the general conference of Bageshwari Sewa Samiti here on Sunday, says as long as awareness cannot be fostered, social transformation is impossible.

Noting that educational standards has heightened vis-à-vis social evils such as dowry system, MP Yadav said as long as male partner does not change his outlook, the condition of women cannot be improved.

MP Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav observed that the social anomalies cannot be rooted out completely by delivering speeches or organising seminars and conferences.

Saptari DDC Chairman Dinesh Kumar Yadav opined that the society can make strides through education to replace the conservative tradition and social values. President of Bageshwari Sewa Samiti Radheshyam Raman conferred honorary memberships on Rajparishad member Khusilal Mandal, MP Renu Yadav, journalists Muktinath Mandal and Shivahari Bhattarai, social workers Gopi Lal Choudhary and Shailesh Choudhary.

Prizes were given away to the students who came out first in grade 8 as well as in SLC examination.

Similarly, six vashyas retiring from service and Bipin Dev, a resident of Boriya were also felicitated on the occasion.

A statement of income and expenditure of Rs 1,153,292 was also presented at the conference.