Poet Ghimire launches ‘Bairagya’

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KATHMANDU, April 22 Senior poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire launched a religious play "Bairagya" authored by B. D. Tyagi and published by Simple Arts, Baneshwar, today.

Tyagi, who has been continuously involved in the field of literary writing for the past four decades, has nearly a dozen books to his credit.

At the programme, poet Ghimire rued the growing foreign influence in our art, culture and literature, calling on the litterateurs and people involved in the sector to stand up against such tendencies and contribute from their respective places for the promotion of our native art and culture.

Member-secretary of Royal Nepal Academy Dr. Tulasi Bhattarai said that Tyagi’s writings are marked by a sense of dedication and sacrifice.

Litterateur Shyam Das Baishnav, author B.D. Tyagi, litterateur Basu Pasa, poet Gyanuwakar Poudel and others also expressed their views on the occasion.

Earth Day 2002 observed

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KATHMANDU, April 22 Earth, the mother of all creation, where all the living beings are born, grown up and finally perish, bears the brunt of neglect, abuse, betrayal and disregard by her own children.

As the Earth cries in pain from the mistreatment meted out to her, it is time for some action to be taken. There is a heavy responsibility on her children, the human beings, to relieve the mother Earth.

The nation celebrated the Earth Day 2002 here today with high spirits. The theme of this year’s Earth Day ‘Protect our Home’ is quite appropriate, for the earth is our home and it is our job to protect it.

One of the sweetest gestures made by a small child of just seven years old brings hope to our mother Earth. Rishi Gautam, the child, quickly ran up to an elderly man who threw a piece of paper carelessly on the street.

The child reminded the man not to throw litter on the ground for it would pollute the environment. Embarrassed, the man hastily picked up the paper and put it inside his own pocket.

"I do not want my Earth to be dirty and like my mum who keeps my house clean, I will keep my Earth clean", said proud little Rishi.

The beautiful spirit like that of Rishi’s gives hope that the present generation of these small children will restore the deteriorating Earth. As Earth Day 2002 is marked it is necessary to follow the lesson the child has demonstrated.

IUCN-The World Conservation Union Nepal celebrated the Earth Day 2002 today with great fervour and enthusiasm. There was a participation of more than 200 school students belonging to ten schools of the Kathmandu Valley in the programme.

Speaking on the occasion, the country representative of IUCN Nepal, Dr. Mahesh Banskota, said, "The Earth will continue to regenerate its life sources only until we do our part to conserve its natural resources", adding, "It is a responsibility that each and every human shares and through voluntary action each of us can unite in building a productive land in harmony with nature".

"We are losing in our struggle to reverse ecological degradation.. The types of destruction appear continue indefinitely as the new problems arise constantly. We have to join hands and protect our home," Dr.Banskota reiterated.

Among the Earth Day activities were poem recitation, environmental songs, dance and kits. The award for best overall performance was presented to Ratna Rajya Laxmi School that was followed by Shuvatara School.

In Nepal, IUCN has taken a lead to provide a platform for the Earth Day celebration. IUCN was founded in 1948 and brings together 79 nations, 112 government agencies, 760 non-governmental organisations, 37 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts form 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership.

The union seeks to influence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any natural resource is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

Earth Day is widely celebrated around the world as a collective expression of public will to create a sustainable society. The celebrations of this day in America had fostered and helped end the Cold War.

This year, Earth Day ended with various celebrations in Nepal but one can only hope that the message of protecting our home will bring some much-needed changes in the current situation of our country.

Non-elite citizens to press Govt, Maoists for talks

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KATHMANDU, April 22 Alarmed by the growing insecurity of life and violence perpetrated by the Maoist rebels, representatives from Hami Nepali Nagarik, a group of non-elite citizens across the country Monday said it would organize various protest programmes to bring the out-lawed rebels to dialogue.

Officials of Hami Nepali Nagarik (We Nepalese Citizen), a group that claims to be an independent citizen of the country said it would play the role of a neutral body to bring the government and the Maoists to the negotiating table for establishing peace in the country.

"We are now creating an environment for talks between the government and the rebels and we may also act as a neutral body if dialogue is called for," Hari Lamichane, Coordinator of Hami Nepali Nagarik told reporters during a press meet.

Announcing the official launch of Hami Nepali Nagarik today, the officials said it would press both the government and the Maoists for resuming talks as an immediate objective but will also work towards a long-term objective to bring good governance in the country. The officials said they would garner support from all people involved in various occupations and wave peace flags across the country.

The officials also informed that a webiste has been launched to inform the masses about the upcoming programes. It calls upon the general public to access updates on the programmes using the website: www.mediaminds.com.np/haminepali. The website was launched today.

ILO hands over ‘Letter of Appeal’ to Government

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KATHMANDU, April 22 A "Letter of Appeal" reflecting the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Constituents’ position on the United Nation General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) draft outcome document was submitted here today, according to ILO press release.

The UNGASS draft document was submitted by the Director of ILO Kathmandu, Leyla Tegmo-Reddy to Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Rajendra Kharel at a meeting organised by the ILO office here today.

The "Letter of Appeal" informs about the postponement of UNGASS on Children. The Assembly will take place from 8 to 10 May 2002. The negotiation of the Draft Outcome Document titled ‘ World Fit for Children’, which was suspended is expected to resume soon.

Similarly, ILO has emphasised how the development of this important document is a positive contribution to the efforts of ILO to improve the situation of children across the globe.

At the meeting, Kharel has pledged that the comments and concerns raised will be considered by the Ministry and incorporated in the final report that the Government of Nepal will be submitting at the UNGASS Summit in New York.

Programme to conserve wild buffaloes launched

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INARUWA, April 22 The officials at Koshi Tapu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) are serious in the preservation of the wild buffaloes in the reserve. Due to the lack of co-operation from the locals, a campaign named ‘Let’s drive away the domestic animals’ launched by the reserve is less likely to become a success.

Earlier, a joint meeting of the consumer’s committees and the members of sixteen VDCs of the buffer zone region from Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur districts had agreed to take out all the domestic cattle set free inside the reserve, by 25 this month.

Already the nine days have passed since the reserve issued permit for the locals to get their cattle out of the park. However, the reserve officials are less hopeful that the people will keep their words.

"The problem with the reserve seems to have no end as no one has turned up as yet to take a permit card so as to claim one’s cattle," said Gangaram Singha, the chief at the reserve. More than 5,000 stray domestic cattle are estimated to be inside the reserve while the number of endangered wild buffalo is only 146 as revealed by official statistics of the reserve.

Due to the domestic cattle outnumbering the wild buffaloes in the park, pasture area is being depleted forcing the preserved buffalo to come out of the reserve area to the village farms, destroying the villagers’ crops. Due to the villagers’ attack in chasing the buffaloes back into the forest and they too being affected by the domestic cattle roaming in the jungle, the situation of the wild buffaloes is critical, say the officials in the reserve.

It is known that domestic cattle mingling with the wild ones in the reserve is working at high speed causing the domestic ones to loose their identity. Rampant cross breeding between these two types of cattle is posing a serious threat to the identity of the wild buffaloes, opine the officials.

Parties, people decide to thwart bandh

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SIRAHA, April 22 Leaders of the major political parties and general public in Siraha district have decided to thwart the so-called Nepal bandh nationwide general strike called by the Maoist terrorists from april 23 to april 27.

An all-party meeting convened Friday by the district administration office, Siraha, has decided that all means of public transport will operate, shopkeepers will keep their stores open and industries and businesses will open as usual throughout the so-called bandh period.

Presiding over the meeting, chief district officer Dr Tikaram Sharma said that the civil society and people from all professions should cooperate in foiling the Nepal bandh programme as the government has mobilised all the security agencies to ensure security of public life and property.

Nepali Congress Siraha district president Sitadevi Yadav said that the concern shown by the civil society regarding thwarting the Nepal bandh should be seen positively by all.

MP Krishna Charan Shrestha stressed that all the political party leaders and cadres should unite in foiling the Nepal bandh.

DDC Chairman Bishweshwar Prasad Marwaita, DDC vice-chairman Lilanath Shrestha, Lahan Municipality Mayor Muni Saha and leaders of all the political parties represented in parliament and representatives of social institutions and organisations urged all the political parties to join hands in foiling the Nepal bandh programme called by the Maoist terrorists.

Extra flesh on face becomes extra burden

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KHOTANG, April 22 For Jarman Rai-26 of Baksila VDC-5 of the district, getting rid of an inexplicable physical condition, involving a regular growth of a lump of flesh on his face, has become a sort of far lying dream, even in this advanced age of modern science.

Strange as it may sound, however that the reason behind the case is not the incapability of the medical science but the result of an impractical bureaucracy in the country.

According to Rai, the hospital authorities have been demanding a citizenship card to go through an operation while the officials at the local administration are not ready to issue the citizenship card to a Nepali.

An irritating lump of flesh started to grow from below his right eye since the age of 10. The lump of flesh developed gradually obstructing the vision of his eye, which is now functionless and by dint of this he could not continue his studies.

Rai from a downtrodden family wishes to get rid of the physical abnormality now. But, he is not being accepted by hospitals in the absence of a citizenship card. "Sushma Memorial Trust has assured to help me in the operation but it has demanded a citizenship card as a prerequisite for the operation," said Rai.

He has approached the District Administration Office (DAO) in the headquarters of the district four times to acquire his citizenship card, his legal right, but to no avail.

According to an employee in the citizenship section of the DAO, Rai was denied the citizenship card as his photo in the card and his look after going an operation did not tally, thus creating a problem.