The Post has a new editor

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15:Shyam Bahadur K.C., the Editor of The Kathmandu Post for over seven years, left the paper today, taking up a new assignment of Consulting Editor of the entire Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. He has been succeeded by Editor of Kantipur newspaper Yubaraj Ghimire, who now becomes the joint-editor of both the newspapers.

At a brief ceremony today, Publisher and Chairman of the Publications Hem Raj Gyawali made the announcements.

Speaking on the occasion, Editor K.C. thanked the Chairman, Managing Director Kailash Sirohiya and Director Binod Raj Gyawali and the entire staff of the Post for their co-operation and expressed the hope that his successor would get the same assistance.

Editor Ghimire said that he would try to do justice to the trust reposed in him and the newspaper by readers and patrons.

K.C., a former editor of The Rising Nepal, assumed the editorship of the Post on February 19, 1995.

Parties unite to foil bandh

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15:In a rare show of solidarity political parties today decided to collectively foil the five-day bandh called by the Maoists which is to begin from April 23 to 27.

The all-party meet held today at the initiation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at his office decided to do everything to foil the bandh nationwide.

The bandh was originally slated for April 2-6, but was postponed by the rebel leadership after student groups vehemently protested.

Minister for Physical Planning and Works, Chiranjivi Wagle, talking to the press after the all-party ,said, "everyone had exactly the same views on the bandh. It has to be foiled and everyone decided to do so."

He added that opposition parties however also cautioned the government about possible security problems and urged stepped up security.

"The parties also shared the same views about negative impact of the bandh on the socio-economic areas," said Wagle. " The government has sought help from the political forces to make the people aware of the negative impacts of the bandh."

Taking part in today’s meeting held at Singha Durbar were delegates from all the political parties represented in parliament.

Rajendra Pandey of the main opposition CPN (UML) said the government requested all the political parties present in the meeting to assist in the efforts to foil the bandh, and that all parties supported the views.

Narayan Man Bijukchhe of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) said that everyone should work not just short-term measures like foiling the bandh but also to find long-term solutions to the Maoist problem. "Peace through is the only long-term solution. If the government cannot do that, it should give the opposition the responsibility," he said.

Though united in foiling the bandh, opposition parties nevertheless demanded that Deuba promptly work to amend the constitution as promised while ratifying the emergency measures in February.

"The opposition parties raised the question of constitution amendment but PM Deuba remained silent on the issue," said Chitra Bahadur KC of the National People’s Front (NPF).

Other issues also cropped up during the discussions. Pashupati Shumsher Rana of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party accused the government of providing monetary relief only to Nepali Congress workers and activist hit hard by the Maoist rebellion, and not to those from other parties.

The behaviour of security forces also featured in the discussions. Bijukchhe of the NWPP urged Deuba to ensure better behaviors from the security forces. "If you only do that much, you can win all the support from the people," he said.

Bandhs are a part and parcel of Nepali politics since almost all the political parties have used the tactic against the government of the day at one time or another. However, since the Maoist-called bandh is expected to be violent, and since they are already a group branded as "terrorists" by the government, the government is taking no chances.

More rebels gunned down

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15: Seven armed Maoists were gunned down in the latest operations carried out by security forces in Bardia and Jumla districts in the mid-western region, the Defence Ministry said here today.

The Ministry said that five rebels were shot dead in Neulapur area of Bardiya and two others in Raralihi area of Jumla. These seven are in addition of the 17 Maoists killed in Mukatti area of Dang district on Sunday.

The security forces recovered a private bus which was captured by the rebels, one LMG, two SLRs, two Short-guns, one Stengun, two Magnum rifles and 11 .303 rifles and their bullets from Mukatti area.

All the firearms and ammunition were looted by the rebels from Satbariya Armed Police Force (APF) base camp and an area police office in Lamahi, both in Dang on Thursday night’s clashes with the security personnel. The slain rebels were travelling in the captured bus from Ghorahi of Dang to Pyuthan when the government’s forces clashed with them in Mukatti.

The forces also recovered other firearms, explosives and Maoist literature from Loharpani area of Dang and Seuti Khola of Sunsari district, the Ministry added.

Meanwhile, our reporter K P Ghimire in Lamahi said the Maoist rebels on Sunday night unearthed 12 bodies of their comrades from six ditches on the banks of the Rapti River and took them away towards the other side of the river, locals of Gojhena village said. Villagers suspect that the bodies taken away by the rebels are either of their high-ranking commanders or of the locals whom they used as human shields during the Thursday night raid. Locals believe that the Maoists took their bodies in order to hand them over to their families.

Locals said that the rebels carried away the bodies to hide them from the security forces. Over 100 rebels were suspected to have been killed during the skirmishes in Satbariya and Lamahi on Thursday night.

Likewise, our reporter said that 16 decayed bodies of the rebels were still lying scattered in the open field of Hattikhal area, about 500 metres from Satbariya. A local, Lal Bahadur Raidas, said that the entire area could engulf in epidemic unless the bodies were dumped properly.

On Sunday night, a group of Maoist rebels stormed into Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka’s house in Satbariya and looted foodstuff. They also destroyed his house.

Locals in Lamahi said they saw a large number of security forces marching towards the Gadhawa, which is situated on the other side of the Rapti River, and Chure hill areas in search of the rebels. Security officials suspect that more rebel bodies could have been dumped in the Chure range.

Situation in Satbariya and its adjoining areas has not returned to normalcy and locals are still hesitating to share information with the security forces about rebel bodies for fear of Maoist retaliation, a local said requesting anonymity. However, APF base camp has been shifted to Bhalubang from Satbariya following the Thursday night’s bloodiest battle.

Meanwhile, our reporter in Chitwan said that a group of rebels destroyed some parts of multinational Coca-Cola factory by exploding bombs in its premises on Sunday evening.

Chief District Officer Bishnu Raj Kusum said the explosion caused damages to bottling chamber of the factory. The rebels had taken security guards into hostages before blowing up the chamber.

Police arrest rebel leaders

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15:Security forces on Saturday morning arrested Rekha Sharma, president of the All Nepal Women’s Association (Revolutionary), sister organisation of the outlawed Maoists, along with her husband an active party member Krishna Dhoj Khadka.

Sources said that the central level rebel leaders were rounded up from their rented room in Dallu of the capital. Sharma is also a member of the Maoist’s 37-member Central People’s Government (United Revolutionary People’s Council - Nepal) formed days before the imposition of the state of emergency four-and-half months ago.

Khadka, former president of the Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), along with his wife Rekha were carrying out operations in the capital.

Royal Nepalese Army personnel arrested the couple after they received a tip-off from sources. Khadka along with Maoists’ Central Committee member Rabindra Shrestha was arrested four-and-half months ago but managed to escape.

The army has not made public the whereabouts of the duo. Last week, the army had also made public the photo of Rekha along with Maoist Chairman Prachanda, chief of the so-called People’s Government, Baburam Bhattarai and other central leaders, as one of the most wanted persons.

‘UP becoming shelter for Maoists’

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15:That the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal is fast becoming a shelter for the embattled Maoists is now becoming apparent each passing day.

A few days back, the UP police handed over eight injured Maoists who were undergoing treatment in different private clinics in the capital city of Lucknow. On Sunday, our reporter from Bardiya quoting UP Police sources said that police searched houses of about 150 Nepalis suspected of providing shelter to the Maoists who have fled Nepal to escape the intense army operation against them.

Now the web site of Indian news channel Star News ( www.ndtv.com) reports that an increasing number of injured Maoist soldiers are sneaking across the border into Uttar Pradesh for treatment. It further states that the state police has already deported several of them and is now planning a crackdown on those nursing homes which are treating them illegally.

The web site mentioned a Maoist rebel, Ramu, 18, one of the youngest and latest Maoist recruit who instead of fighting, is now in a hospital bed in Lucknow. One of his arms was blown off during a raid launched by the Maoists in Surkhet district of Nepal. Badly hurt and pursued by the Nepalese army, he decided to escape to India for treatment.

Of late, Maoists have increased their activities in villages situated along the Indo-Nepal border. Many cross over into India to escape the Nepalese security forces and police say that the long and porous border makes it difficult to patrol. And as a result, many Maoists slip through.

Jeevan, 18, was one of those trying to get across, according to the website. He was shot in the leg by the police as he was trying to cross over. "I hurt my leg there and I fainted. I don’t even remember how I hurt myself," said Jeevan.

According to the UP police, even the injured Maoists pose a threat to the city. They have now begun cracking down on nursing homes which are treating them.

"It is the responsibility of the doctor in-charge of that clinic to inform the police about it, so that the police can take appropriate action. Those who do not do this are violating the law," observed B B Bakshi, SSP, Lucknow, as reported by the website.

Ministry of Education books 507 ‘fake’ certificate holders

By Nitya Nanda Timsina

KATHMANDU, April 14:Ministry of Education and Sports will very soon handover 507 certificates of teachers working in various schools around the country to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for leagl action, a higly placed source at the Ministry disclosed Monday.

In the first phase, the Ministry has identified 507 certificates as "fake" ones. The holders of such certificates come from at least ten districts across the country. The Ministry started crackingdown on teachers submitting fake certificates for employment last year.

"We will soon handover them to the CIAA for legal action," Ram Prasad Bashyal, Under Secretray at the Ministry of Education and Sports told The Kathmandu Post Monday. He refused to reveal the exact date for the handover, but added that a board meeting would decide on the matter soon.

In a letter dispatched to the Ministry last week, the CIAA had directed the Ministry to hand over all the suspected "fake" certificates of all those earning handsome salaries and declare them as counterfeit ones. Arguments in the education circle run that these teachers have been responsible for bringing down the quality of education in the country and adding woes to the country’s already ailing education system.

The Ministry has prepared a list of more than 20 universities, many of them in Indian states of Bihar and Uttarpradesh from where most of these teachers are suspected to have obtained their certificates. Those in the list include: the Bihar University, Bihar; the Mujafarpur University, Bihar; the Sampurnanda Sanskrit University, Varanasi; the Mithila University, Bihar; the Calcutta University and the Manipur University.

In the first phase, the Ministry will forward to the CIAA the list of an estimated 450 teachers in ten districts. The districts include: Sindhupalchowk, Humla, Bhaktapur, Bajhang, Bajura, Okhaldhunga, Rasuwa, Jajarkot, Manang and Lamjung.

The officails also indicated that the number of such teachers might be "alarmingly high" once all the certificates are made available for scrutiny in the next phase.

A source at the School Administarion Section of the Ministry said there might be hundreds of teachers obtaining their degree without appearing in any kind of exams.

The Ministry officials, however, did not provide much details about the number of teachers in rest of the districts citing difficulties to go through the "cumbersome lists" in details. However, a Ministry estimate shows that Sindhupalchowk has the largest number of teachers holding fake-certificates with the number standing at a whopping 140, while Manang, a less populated district, has only four.

There are about 10,7853 teachers currently serving in about 20,400 public schools across the country, and on average around 100 teachers could be holding fake certificates in one district. Besides, there are 3,500 higher secondary schools and 2,600 lower secondary schools under the category of community schools, where many of these teachers have been teaching.

Hail to the Chief

By Akhilesh Upadhyay

Shyam Sir, as The Kathmandu Post staffers call him, has never been an e-mail person.

Call him carefree, lazy – as he likes to call himself when it comes to correspondence - or private. So when I received one from him early this week – a second e-mail from the Editor in as many years in the United States - I said to myself, well, something must be cooking in Kathmandu.

Quite so, it turned out.

The mail was titled "little rest." And that soon confirmed what I had been hearing from various quarters. He wanted to call it a day as the Editor of The Kathmandu Post. The News Editor and a good friend, Suman Pradhan, had written to me only a few days ago that Shyam Sir had decided to retire after seven years in the job.

And what a job it has been.

Governments fell like nine pins, parliament ratified the controversial Mahakali Treaty, thousands succumbed to Maoist insurgency, and most recently the earth-shattering Royal Massacre occurred, and then a new King. The Post covered these stories expert guidance from Shyam Sir.

Inside the newspaper, promising young staffers such as Jogendra Ghimire and Kavita Sherchan had come in, made their mark, and left for other vocations. While a young staff struggles with the idea of sticking to journalism as a serious career. But more on that later.

"This is just to let you know," read the mail sent to me on April 11, "that my name will be deleted from the print line of The Kathmandu Post from 16 April 2002. That is, I will cease to be the editor from 2 Baisakh 2059."

I knew that was coming.

While in Kathmandu, he used to tell me that he was getting old, and I fully empathized with him. The weight of daily journalism, and breaking stories, can be very taxing, taking a heavy toll on your personal lives and health. And given the country’s sad state of affairs, of course journalists are affected by stories they cover.

During our private conversation in July 2000, when I was preparing to leave for the United States on a Fulbright programme, he looked both happy and sad.

Happy that people from The Post were finally making it to reputed overseas programmes. Kavita, who subsequently joined Asian Development Bank in Kathmandu, followed me for a Hubert Humphrey Programme to University of Maryland in 2000. And a year later, Prateek Pradhan, who used to head Kantipur Publications’ Business Bureau, would follow me step by step to New York University as, what else, a Fulbrighter. In fact, The Post currently has three Fulbrighters in the United States – Ameet Dhakal, the former News Coordinator, is a graduate student at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia.

In 1999, Suman Pradhan had a trail-blazing six-month Fellowship at The Philadelphia Inquirer, one of America’s most respected newspapers, under the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship Programme.

But Shyam Sir was also sad that most of us – the mid-career people holding managerial roles at The Post – were out almost together, and that didn’t bode well for an organization that was getting bottom-heavy. Most crucially, The Post’s turnover rate remained high and the paper, after almost a decade of inception, continues to rely heavily on a young staff.

Jogendra, after a one-year stint as the secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, has now joined Hong Kong University as a faculty member, and Kavita is with Asian Development Bank in Kathmandu. But many others have also left the paper in the meantime. The manpower flight remains The Post’s biggest problem, and it’s time to let youngsters believe that The Post can be more than a stepping stone.

Thousands of miles away from home in New York, Prateek and I routinely discuss all this, and laugh over in-house jokes. Early this week, upon receiving Shyam Sir’s email we decided we are going to miss the old man on our return.

But we are also thankful that he deftly steered a young newspaper, and tried to make sense for us the world that would go topsy-turvy every second week. Over the years, I have come to envy him his laid-back approach to work and life in general. Though very frustrating at times, perhaps that is the only way not to allow the Editorship to consume you.

I will, however, remain, most indebted to him for the way he would trust his deputies, and never felt insecure about sharing the limelight with us. That gave us enormous opportunities to develop our skills and instincts.

He stood firmly behind us whenever we got into trouble, either with our young publishers, on a learning curve themselves, or with authorities outside the paper. As a leader, he refused to pass the buck onto others, and was quick to own up to his responsibilities.

Here’s I think why he retired. He says he hasn’t felt challenged despite the appearance on the scene of several other English newspapers. "This, of course, is a danger signal pointing to apathy," says his letter. "So it was a relief when the bosses (the publishers) agreed to my request to ease me out. I will continue, at least for sometime, with the publications."

"I am hoping that all of you are doing well," reads the letter jointly addressed to all three Post Fulbrighters currently in the United States. "And finally I would like to bring about a little variation to what the fox at the point of death told young foxes, ‘a little rest too might do me good.’"

Best of luck, Shyam Sir. The Post will miss you. And thank you for your e-mail.

Home Minister’s resignation sought

Post Report

KATHMANDU, April 15:Opposition members of the Upper House today demanded resignation of Home Minister Khum Bahadur alleging him of failing to make necessary arrangement of the police posts even after prior information about Maoist attack.

Lal Bahadur Bishwokarma of the main opposition, CPN (UML) said, while speaking at the special hour of the meeting that Home Minister Khum Bahadur must resign from his office as he has ignored the information and led the massive destruction.

Bishwakarma also alleged Khadka for establishing the Armed Police base-camp in his home area.

Lalit Bahadur Basnet of the same party also demanded resignation of the Home Minister on the morale ground as he has failed to secure the police posts and the personnel even after pre- information.

"Khadka himself has told the media that he was informed about the attack three days prior to the attack but could not adopt preventive ways," said Basnet.

Ram Jeevan Singh of the ruling Nepali Congress party said the demand for constitution amendment was an irrelevant and could not solve any problems dogging the country for years. " We have a time to change our attitude not the political system," said Singh.

Singh also suggested for formation of a government comprised of the Upper House members during the general elections if all the parties felt the need for an interim government.

Shukra Raj Samyok of the ruling Nepali Congress cautioned the government about possible use of the ex military personnel by the "terrorists".

Kashi Nath Adhikari of the main opposition CPN (UML) drew attention of the government on recent reports of the governor of the Nepal Rastra Bank and suggested the government to adopt measures to stop the economy going worse.

The meeting of the Upper House today sent the Public Debt Collection Bill, 2058, back to the Lower House without suggestions.