Spinal injury rehab centre inaugurated

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KATHMANDU, April 7:Sir Edmund Hilary, the pioneer climber of Mount Everest today inaugurated the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre, run by Spinal Injury Sangha Nepal, in collaboration with the Nepal Disabled Association.

"The idea of rehabilitation centre for spinal injury victims is enormously important in Nepal because I have seen lots of people suffering from this problem in hospitals of Solukhumbu," Hilary said.

Kanak Mani Dixit, the chairman of the Sangha and editor of Himal magazine, said that people in the Himalayan Kingdom have been falling from the mountains and trees during their daily chore but hardly any could reach the hospital.

Himself a victim of such injury who was saved by a "series of miracles", Dixit said that in the West this was mainly the injury of sports persons but here this was the destiny of most of the poor people.

"I was lucky enough to overcome the accident. I thought others might not be so. Then I discussed about establishing a rehabilitation centre. I really got good helping hands and now the dream has come true," he said, talking to The Kathamndu Post.

Dixit added that the centre needs around four million to operate but Sangha has only 800,000 in hand but Dixit hoped to get sufficient donations to run the centre.

Presently an Acute Spinal Injury Cure Centre is there in Bir Hospital that provides treatment to around 50-60 patients in a year, whereas over 200 people fall into spinal injury in the country.

Dr Upendra Devkota, the neuro-surgeon said, "Due to lack of space we can’t keep them in the hospital until they fully recover. In this condition, a rehabilitation centre has become a must."

He added that government or private nursing homes have not thought of making such centres as the service is very costly and most of the victims are from poor family.

Dr Anil Shrestha, the technical director of the centre said that the centre has now 30 beds and has already admitted four patients.

Gupta to answer party queries

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KATHMANDU, April 7:Minister of Information and Communication Jaya Prakash Gupta is expected to give forthright answers to the party’s disciplinary cell in response to the letter from the ruling party which sought explanation from him for defending the views expressed by Chief of Army Staff General Prajwalla Shumshere Rana in a interview to Nepal Television on Monday.

COAS Rana had billed the current political turmoil as the outcome of misrule, and non-cooperation from responsible people while speaking at the army function a fortnight ago.

It may, however, be said that the episode gained wider dimension in the section of the party quarters in the wake of Minister Gupta purposely underplaying the controversial remarks coming from COAS Rana since the latter had subtly directed much of the unsavory comments at the President of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) Girija Prasad Koirala.

The section of the party sympathetic to Koirala had billed Gupta’s move as guided along by the motive to undermine the position of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba for public consumption even as it sought to take departmental action against Minister Gupta to settle own scores.

This incidentally is what taking even the party’s CWC members by surprise meanwhile. " I do not understand why the minister in question has been asked to explain what he said in the capacity of the spokesman of the government," said NC CWC member, Bimalendra Nidhi.

"As far as we know Minister Gupta is a government spokesman and is authorised to speak on behalf of the government. Technically speaking, whatever he said on the issue is a collective voice of the members of the cabinet council including the prime minister," Nidhi said.

The fact that Minister Gupta may not submit or beat around the bush in his explanation becomes evident from what he told The Kathmandu Post. "This is the third explanation I have been asked to furnish inside two months... I will submit my viewpoint but it is for them to adjudge," Minister Gupta said.

Minister stands for sex workers’ forum

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KATHMANDU, April 7-For the first time the Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) who are engaged in different sectors- cabin restaurants, massage parlour and other places in the valley formally met the ministers and other government officials, today.

Sarat Singh Bhandari, Health Minister said that the forum for CSWs should be established as soon as possible to raise out their voices until the concerned parties.

According to the data provided by the Patenschaft Nepal, there are 1,922 registered commercial sex workers in the valley out of them 57 of them are infected with HIV positive.

Dr Pushpa Bhatt, team leader at Patenschaft Nepal Project talking in an interaction programme on issues and problems with CSWs in Kathmandu said that the project focuses on new approaches to deal with CSWs problems. It tries to get the CSWs organised, to give them a chance to identify and express their needs and to find new options to improve their living conditions.

The project is offering them basic medical services. Three foster families for up to 10 children each were opened, located in Koteshwore in three separate establishments. Non-formal-education is offered daily to CSWs in the Bishnumati and Bagmati area.

All the CSWs workers who participated on the programme shared their bitter experience that they are facing everyday in their life. Citizenship is the major problem that they are having. "We do not have our own citizenship until now and how will our children get it ?".

The CSWs have a problem of medical maintenance where they have to go every week for their medical check-ups to make sure that they are not infected with HIV positive. They also urged the government to find alternatives for them.

Capital city continues to survive crime

By Jitendra Shah

KATHMANDU, April 7 : The Capital city continue to witness an orgy of crime related to theft and loot even as the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) and the police tighten security arrangement following the declaration of emergency.

The Capital is specially grappling a problem posed by those unemployed youths fleeing from Maoists’ affected areas for safety to the Capital recently, security officials said today.

Chief of the District Police Kathmandu, Tapendradhwaj Hamal said the youths mostly from villages fleeing Maoists’ atrocities and threats have mushroomed in the capital but as chances for earning are grim, they have been forced to engage in criminal activities, including theft and loot to keep themselves alive.

"Most crime committed in the city after the declaration of emergency were perpetrated by economic factor than by enmity between individuals and groups," he said.

Prior to the declaration of emergency, Capital city had witnessed four cases of death resulting from the enmity between individuals while after the imposition of emergency, the number of such crime has declined to almost one and that too was fueled by an urge for filling a hungry stomach.

Most youths fleeing Maoists persecution come of Sindhupalchowk, Sindhuli, Kavre, Ramechhap, Achham, Rukum, Dhading, Bhojpur and Okhaldhunga. These districts have been hit-hard by an orgy of destruction perpetrated by Maoist terror, destruction and murder of villagers and teachers.

"I was compelled to carry out burglary here just to be alive when chances for job were bleak. If I have to stay back in my hometown, I would be compelled to carry guns under the command of Maobadi," said Gyan Bahadur Tamang, a youth from Kavre, who had robbed a Japanese national at Nagpokhari last week. Tamang is currently imprisoned on charges of theft.

"Government has not yet made any arrangements for providing employment to Maoist victims, which has further worsened off the situation," Ganesh Chiluwal, Chairman for an associations of the victims of Maoists said.

However, Spokesperson for the Home Ministry, Gopendra Bahadur Pandey said the government has been providing financial assistance to the wounded and the family of the deceased, displaced persons and scholarships to their children but said there is no provision for employment to the fleeing youths.

According to a fresh report from the Capital’s crime investigation section, the Capital witnessed some 39 cases of public crime, including three large-scale robberies four months following the imposition of emergency while it saw only 28 cases of crime prior to the emergency.

After the emergency, a total of seven theft cases and six major incidences of crime were reported in the Capital, police sources informed. The crime investigation section maintains that the statistics is exclusive of the minor cases of crime, which it said might be possibly twice as many as the major crime committed and has not been reported to the Valley police.

The Valley police has so far arrested 150 caught in the act of stealing and committing other weighty crime.

It has also been said that the crime continued uncontrolled due to loopholes in security check up, which has given rise to psychological boost for perpetrators. .

Tamang, who robbed the Japanese national a week ago says he managed to escape in a Taxi at night despite the intimidating presence of army, who were kept almost everywhere on the road.

" I was able to escape after the raid because the army did not check the Taxi I was traveling in," Tamang said.

According to the police, most robbers escape with looted items in between 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., when many ordinary people return home from their work making the traffic too busy and impossible for a thorough check up.

However, the police informed that crime related to gambling, counterfeiting of currency, black marketeering, poaching and forgery, which used to be a common problem in the Capital has declined considerably after the imposition of emergency.

‘Maoists may target buses even during no-bandh days’

It is the fact that life is not that easy during crisis situations. It is clear like anything that the country is going through very critical situations. And it is, of course, none other than the general and the low-income people who have to bear the brunt of the difficult national conditions.

General strikes have been synonymous to the term "Nepal" ever after the dawn of democracy in 1990. And, if there is no bandhs, there is no more the significance of the strikes, at least in case of Nepal. So much so, the rebelling Maoists have been using the bandh as the best instrument ever after the nearly seven-year-old bloody "People’s War". To live by the tradition of bandh, the rebels yet again called for five-day bandh last week, which was later rescheduled after much pressure from all walks of life.

Theoretically, the bandh was rescheduled but virtually the fear of strike gripped almost all the people and kept them in enigma all the days. Virtually, all the buses plying outside the capital were kept inside the garages and the sufferers were the daily wage-workers and, of course, the general people wanting to go out. Twenty-six-year-old Krishna Thapa hailing from remote hilly district of Baglung and working as khalasi (derogative term for a bus helper) in a Baglung-bound bus was not an exception to consequences of the bandh. He had to suffer a lot, as his bus was also bound to stay within the garage.

Thapa had a brief chat on Saturday, the last day of the bandh, with Tilak Pokharel of The Kathmandu Post regarding the life in five days and other details. Excerpts:

The Kathmandu Post: Did you operate your bus during the rescheduled bandh?

Thapa: No. The bus was not operated but was kept inside the garage for all five days. The day before the rescheduled bandh, we had left the bus inside the garage and had planned something else for the five days. But later, we were stunned to hear the news of violence targeted against buses and other vehicles, along with the news of the bandh being rescheduled. So we did not dare to operate the buses fearing the Maoists.

In such circumstances, how were you affected?

More than anything else, psychological fear is prevalent. It is not only the matter of five days. There is the question with regard to the profession as well because the Maoists have again called for another five-day bandh, not to mention other regular strikes, and we are the ones who always have to suffer. We are affected even when there is bandh or not. Still the fear is gripping the mindset that they (Maoist cadres) may target the buses even after tomorrow.

When will your bus be operated from?

We have thought of operating the bus from tomorrow. But, let’s see the developments.

In your assumptions, how many buses were taken out of the Valley during the "withdrawn" bandh?

Though I don’t have the exact figure, probably 30-40 buses took the passengers outside the Kathmandu Valley via Thankot Check Post. In a normal day, almost 250 buses leave the capital for most of the parts of the country.

How much do you earn from the bus?

It is not that easy to lead a prosperous life by being in this profession and even the existing situations have turned it to worse from bad. I can earn almost Rs 200 extra when there is a trip and we are left empty-handed at other times. In a week, I get 2-3 trips.

What about your family background?

I have a wife and a 2-year-old son at home. Also in the family are elderly parents, one brother and two sisters – one of them already married. The money I get is not adequate enough to run the family.

How come you are in this profession?

I left school when I was in class 8. It was all due to the bad companions, which forced me to leave the studies. Then I landed to the bustling cities and finally got the profession of khalasi. I hope I will soon be promoted as bus conductor.

Construction of security wall begins in Lumbini

By Madhav Dhungana

LUMBINI, April 7: The Lumbini Area Development Trust (LDT) has started the construction of a compound wall surrounding the religious and sacred site of Lumbini to improvise the security management here.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Bal Bahadur KC, laid the foundation stone of the wall, here yesterday. In the first phase of construction of the security wall, a 1,400 metre-long wall will be constructed from the eastern gate to the southern side.

The first phase of the nine feet tall wall will be completed within two months and the cost will incur expenses of 7.1 million rupees, according to the LDT.

The security management of Lumbini Development Area, spread over 1,150 bighas of land has never been on par with security, said LDT. People living in the surrounding villages are also using the land as pastures for grazing domestic animals.

The trees in the Lumbini Area are also being logged illegally because it lacks a security wall. "The logging of trees and use of the site as a pasture can be put aside but security for the historical and religeous temples and deities is very important," said Janak Lal Shrestha, Member Secretary of the LDT. "The wall will automatically check the theft and logging of trees."

The locals are worried about a pasture after the construction of the security wall. "The government is ready to help locals to find alternatives," said the Minister KC at the inauguration ceremony.

The LDT decided to build the security wall a month ago but the work was delayed. Minister KC informed that the wall will be built in different phases and sought help from institutions and individuals.

Minister KC also informed that the construction of the temple of Mayadevi, the mother of Lord Buddha, would be completed by next month. The ‘marker stone’, a stone believed to be of the exact place where Lord Buddha was born, will be kept in the temple. "The stone will be kept inside a bulletproof box that will be built with the assistance of Austria," said Minister KC.

Meanwhile, a 1001-member Buddha Jayanti Celebration Committee has been constituted under the convenorship of Minister KC, who is also the chairperson of the LDT to celebrate the 2546th Buddha Jayanti by organising various programmes.

The decision to this effect was taken by the meeting of the LDT chaired by Minister KC, here yesterday.

The meeting decided to celebrate the Buddha Jayanti in the form of international Buddha Ceremony by inviting international Buddhist and distinguished personalities to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

LDT Vice-chairperson Omkar Prasad Gauchan, Member-Secretary Janak Lal Shrestha and other office-bearers and members of the trust attended the meeting.

‘Policemen to be trained like army’

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MORANG, April 7:Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pradeep SJB Rana disclosed that preparations are underway to train the policemen like warriors of Royal Nepalese Army here today.

Speaking at the different inauguration programmes of newly constructed police barrack in Rani of Biratnagar and the Area Police Office building in Haraicha VDC-1, Rana said that the rebels could cause more damage to the police if they are not trained like warriors.

"Police is unable to defend as they are not trained accordingly," said Rana. "Because of that, the police continuously failed to defeat the Maoists."

Rana also said that the Maoist problem could be solved in a year if the locals help police. "It would be very difficult to defeat Maoists until the locals help the government," said Rana. According to Rana, the Maoists have already killed 691 policemen.

Simikot to be developed into systematic township

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SIMIKOT, Humla, April 7: Simikot, the district headquarters of this mountainous district of Humla, will be developed as a well-planned, neat and clean hill station in the days ahead.

A recently held all-party meet called by the Humla District Development Committee decided to design a map of the district headquarters for systematic settlement and launch a long-term sanitation campaign around Bazzar, the main area.

The meeting, chaired by DDC chairman Jeevan Bahadur Shahi, decided to provide a sweeper for keeping the bazaar neat and clean, and its overall sanitation management will be looked after by a non-governmental organisation called Women’s Welfare Service.

The meeting also decided, among others, to make it mandatory to build a latrine by each of the households, carry out sanitation campaign on every Saturday, and prohibit use of plastic bags in the bazaar area. A monitoring committee has also been constituted under the leadership of a local. Other members of the monitoring committee are the representatives of various district-level government offices.

Likewise, a technical team has also been formed to design a map of the bazaar for systematic settlement, supply of drinking water, road and drainage.

At the end of the meeting, DDC chairman Shahi said that the DDC was ever ready to extend its financial and technical co-operation provided that the locals were also prepared for this. He added that small-scale local development was possible if the people better utilise their limited resources available at their disposal.

Ghagra riverbanks cut might submerge villages

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BHAIRAHAWA, April 7:Local environmentalists have warned that the Ghagra river could change its normal course during the rainy season unless rampant cutting of its banks are stopped immediately.

Chairman of Save the Environment Movement, Siddharthanagar, Narayan Sapkota, said that the people have been cutting its banks for an immediate commercial benefit. He said that several wards of the Siddharthanagar Municipality could be submerged during the rainy season because people have been extracting soil from outside the banks.

Sapkota said that largest amount of soil has been dug out by a local brick factory nearby the riverbanks. The brick factory occupies about 28 bighas of land near the river and extracts earth for manufacturing bricks.

Locals of the Hati Bangai VDC are worried about the future of their villages that could be inundated during the monsoon because outside land of the river is getting lower and lower.

"The river can change its course during the monsoon because its banks have been rampantly cut off," said a local, Sundar Tharu of Hati Bangai VDC-5. Locals said that the Ghagra river could also be blocked by another bigger river Tinau that origins in the Mahabharat range in Palpa district.