Education facilities for domestic child workers

By Pooja Shrestha

KATHMANDU, Dec 16:With the number of domestic child workers reaching 77,000 in Nepal and 21,000 in the Kathmandu Valley alone, as per latest research figures, only a few are lucky enough to be provided education facilities by their employers.

Navin Magar, a lanky youth from Chandranigahapur, Rautahat, who is not too sure of his age but figures he is 13, is one of the lucky few. He has been enrolled in a school in class four and has been working in a hotel for the past three years.

Navin says that he works from six in the morning to ten at night, washing dishes and helping with the shopping for the hotel. During the noon break, he goes to school, his education being sponsored by Sanjay Thapa, member of the District Development Committee.

Working till late at night, he finally gets time to do his homework just before going to sleep. Ask him about the child’s rights, he does know a little, like access to clothes and food, but shrugs saying, "I don’t think I have got the child’s rights."

It appears that before enrolling in the school, he did undergo some non-formal education for nine months with the help of Children Woman in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH).

Durlab Karki is positive about child workers’ education. He employs a girl-child worker but also sends her to the nearby centre at Sinamangal. He has noticed a radical change in her character after being admitted to the non-formal classes.

The teacher at the centre informs that her school consists of 15 domestic child workers who had been admitted in class 3 and that only three students could not pass the class. There are 200 domestic workers in the Kathmandu and Lalitpur area, who have been enrolled in the non-formal classes within the five areas, states CWISH.

However, not all of them are privileged to be educated. Many are bogged down by household chores while many fall into the clutches of domestic violence and harassment by employers.

Shanti Adhikari, President of CWISH said, "While working in the education sector for domestic workers, we have come across employers who have been very supportive but they are very few in number." Out of the total domestic child workers, only six percent are treated well, says she.

The common complaint that facilitators hear from employers when approached for the education of the domestic workers, and the most widely heard remarks are "We don’t have child workers" and "We don’t want interference in our personal matters".

Even when employers enrol the children in schools, some children are often taken out of the school midway through, while some miss classes, informs one of the teachers. Around 60- 80 percent children working as domestic workers study in government schools, states the research.

Ramesh Chandra Adhikari, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Transport Management said that the forthcoming National Master Plan Of Action would improve the situation of Child Labour. The time bound programme, which falls within this design would eliminate the worst form of child labour within five years and eliminate all kinds of labour within the time frame of ten years.

Journos released

KATHMANDU, Dec 16 (PR) - The editor, Govinda Acharya, and the managing director, Chandra Man Shrestha, of the pro-Maoist weekly Janadesh, arrested during the emergency last year, were released today, a month after seven other journalists associated with the periodical had been released.

The editor, who said that he did not suffer physically but underwent mental trauma during his incarceration, was arrested on November 26, the first day of the declaration of emergency. The managing director was taken in a month later.

Commenting on the release, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Taranath Dahal termed the government’s move as a " positive development".

King Mahendra’s statue unveiled

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KATHMANDU, Dec 16:Among the many programmes, organised to mark the 82nd birth anniversary of late King Mahendra, a new statue of the late king was unveiled today at Kalimati Chowk. An earlier statue of King Mahendra at the same site, had been destroyed by the Maoist insurgents, three months back.

Assistant Minister for Local Development, Dr Asarfi Shah, unveiled the statue. Others present on the occasion were Shiva Bhakta Sharma of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Bharati Sharma, secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning, Dirgha Raj Prasai, former member of parliament, Revati Raman Khanal, former chief secretary; Purna Prasad Karori, managing director of Urban Development Department and various other local people.

The reconstructed statue was a joint effort of the Special Urban Development and Building Construction and Renovation Division, and Newaa Ekta Parishad.

"The celebration and the unveiling of the statue of late King Mahendra is to strengthen the condition of the country and it is not against democracy," said Dirgha Raj Prasai, former member of parliament and founder member of Shri Paanch Mahendra Chir Smaran Samiti. The statue and the small garden around it is to be maintained under the management of Hikmat Mali, chairman of Mali Oil Store.

Focus on medicinal value of plants

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KATHMANDU, Dec 16:The second day of the "Regional Workshop on Himalayan Medicinal and Aromatic Plants" saw conservationists, scientists and experts emphasising medicinal value, trade and efforts to be taken to conserve Himalayan medicinal and aromatic plants

Alan Hamilton of International Plants Conservation Unit, UK, presenting his paper on "Medicinal Plants and Conservation: Issues and Approaches, underlined the need for a concerted and co-ordinated action for the conservation of plants, based on in-situ and ex-situ conservation.

He was of the opinion that local communities play an important role in the conservation of these plants and in providing information on the trade value of medicinal plants.

"While carrying out any conservation effort, cultures, economics and politics of local societies have to be considered," he said.

He advised the conservationists to avoid ‘exaggerated claims that medicinal plants are threatened around the globe’. "The medicinal plants known to have become globally extinct are very few," he said presenting his paper before 60 participants from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan.

Among the major threats to medicinal plants in the Himalayan region, are habitat loss, habitat degradation and over harvesting, said experts. Knowledge of herbal medicinal plants is rapidly decreasing.

In his paper, Dr. Madhav Karki, regional programme co-ordinator of IDRC, Canada, South Asia Office, said that though the region bears a potential market for medicinal plants, it is yet to be tapped.

Dr. Yildiz Aumeeruddy-Thomas of WWF-UNESCO People and Plants Programme informed the gathering that the trade of medicinal plants is expanding at a spectacular rate.

She was of the opinion that if the conservation of medicinal plants are to succeed, existing traditional medical system should be preserved.

NUTA to begin 2nd phase of protest

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KATHMANDU, Dec 16:The joint struggle committee of the Nepal University Teachers’ Association (NUTA) will begin its second-phase of protest programme from Tuesday to pressure the governemnt to reform what they say "ailing" tertiary education in the country.

In an 18-point demand handed over to Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand on Monday, the NUTA delegate appealed the PM to resolve the irregularities in tertiary education sector, failing which, they have warned of a series of protest programmes. Among other demands, the NUTA seeks the release of teachers and professors arrested during the emergency, promoting professors and teachers serving for a long time in public campuses and checking corruption and finacial irregualrities in the universty.

NUTA also blames the government for the financial crises dragging the Tribhuvan University (TU) and the Mahendra Sanskrit University.

"Our third-phase of protest programme would be of serious nature if the concerned authority continued to ignore our demands," said professor Khagendra Bhattarai, president of NUTA, speaking to The Kathmandu Post. NUTA has around 7,000 teachers and professors as members.

Dalits seek clear identification

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KATHMANDU, Dec 16:The identity of Dalits are still vague and the number of Dalits is decreasing in every census. This was revealed at an interaction programme organised by the National Dalits Commission, today. The programme was organised to discuss the definition of Dalits and to list out surnames and subdivisions of the Dalit community.

Talking about the root of untouchability, professor Purna Prasad Yatri said, "Though the Veda has identified the community, nothing is mentioned about discrimination".

Dr Harka Gurung said that the Dalits should give their proper category to the surveyor and the surveyor should not mix between the Dalits and the indigenous people as they have different identity.

The programme also announced the surnames of the Dalits that have been listed till date namely Biswokarma (Kami, Sunar, Lohar, Tamata, Chanara, Parki), Damai, Sarki, Wadi, Gaine, Hudke, Kasai, Kusula, Kuche, Chyame, Pode, Chamar, Dushad (Paswan), Dhobi, Tatma, Dum, Watar, Khatwe, Musher, Halkhor, and Patharkatta.

Emphasising on the clear identification of Dalits, Dr Krishna Bhattachan said that the bottom line to acknowledge the identity should be ‘Right to self- determination’ for everyone including Dalits.

More publicity and research required on Roka’s works

By Thira L Bhusal

KATHMANDU, Dec 16:Free Nepal, Nepali web-magazine on Nepali art, culture and literature, organised a programme to honour poet Bhimdarshan Roka and to release an album Tara Na-udayeko Aakash. The album is based on Roka’s poems with music and vocals of Lochan Bhattarai.

Though the seventy-eight years old Bhimdarshan Roka, cannot speak and is confined to a wheelchair, he manages to communicate through hand gestures. However, through his words in his poems and songs, he can still move an entire audience as was evidenced at the Russian Science and Culture Centre last Saturday.

Roka who was popular as a romantic poet during the 1950s, has composed impressive poems and songs. He is equally popular in Muktak, Nepali short poems; and was a popular reader of poetry.

"Roka made us spellbound whenever he recited poems," remarked dramatist Shyam Das Baishnav. "He remained always honest but never got proper importance in the society as he should have got," Baishnav claimed.

‘When man first stepped on the summit of Mt. Everest, Roka composed a poem lamenting the exploitation of an untrodden place where he dreamt he would meet his beloved’, said novelist Dhooswan Sayami explaining a situation attributed to Roka’s creative spirit in fiction. "He is a poet, minute to minute and step to step," he added.

"Bhim Darshan Roka is essentially an emotional poet of a very high order and writer of short Nepali poetry which both thrill and surprise the reader." This statement by Great Poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota further clarifies Roka’s poetic talent.

Singer Lochan Bhattarai, the music composer for the album, said "He has brilliantly composed poems in perfect rhythm, rhyme and metre that made his poems so musical that I did nothing but just found his rhythm and followed that." She added, "When I first read his poems, I was moved. I am proud to get an opportunity to compose the music and sing songs written by such a great person."

"Poet Roka never wanted to highlight himself. But now more publicity and research is needed on his works to make him familiar to the new generation," said poet Manjul. "He should be preserved as a national heritage," Manjul urged media workers. Roka, is a contemporary of Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Shankar Lamichhane and Bhimnidhi Tiwari.

Most geniuses create important works of art but unfortunately they often face financial obstacles to produce them. Be it an artist or litterateur, all go through the same problem. Thus Dr. Madhu Krishna Shrestha of Free Nepal has made a commendable effort in organising such a programme. He also made an important announcement at the programme that the royalty earned by the album would be provided to Roka’s family. He also promised to promote the poet through the website, ‘Free Nepal’ among the Nepalese all over the world. Shambhu Rijal who is currently residing in Moscow sponsored the cassette production.

Mina Roka, his wife, informed The Kathmandu Post, that since the last four years poet Roka has been suffering due to brain hemorrhage. Previously he had mild strokes in 1973, 1977 and in 1984. Each time he recovered and continued his teaching profession, but after 1998 doctors were not able to stop speech loss and general paralysis. "Now he gestures to communicate and when he feels compelled he also scribbles a sentence or two," she added. Roka’s family, with much difficulty, has been managing his medical treatment so far. "We have no complaint since people love him tremendously," she expressed.

Senior critic Dr. Mohan Himanshu Thapa said that Roka has made a great contribution in the romantic movement of Nepali literature. "I found no poet as sensitive as Roka," Thapa analysed. The Association of Literary Journalists, Saransh and Gunjan also honoured him two years back.

10 rebels shot dead, Cop-on-duty killed

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KATHMANDU, Dec 16:Security forces conducting search operations in various parts of the country shot dead at least ten Maoist rebels in Bardiya and Kailali districts in the mid and far western region on Sunday, according to reports.

Our reporter from Bardiya said that six armed Maoist rebels were shot dead in a clash at Kirdharpur of Gola VDC-4 on Sunday morning.

The deceased are yet to be identified, said a police source adding that two country made guns, one pistol, nine bags, some clothes, Maoist literature and Rs.10,000 in cash were recovered from the site of incident.

Similarly, our reporter from Kailali states that four Maoist rebels, including one woman, were killed in clashes with security personnel in the Chameli jungle area of Kotatulsipur VDC on Sunday afternoon. However, the security sources have not disclosed the identity of the dead rebels but stated that they recovered some socket bombs, a country-made gun and equipment for making land mines.

Meanwhile, a group of unidentified persons shot dead an unarmed plainclothes policeman deputed at Murgiya police station in Butwal today morning, as stated by our Butwal based reporter.

The area police office said that constable Khem Bahadur Adhikari died instantly after being shot in the head at Basgadi of Dudha Raksha Village Development Committee, located about 25 kilometres west.

Police suspect that the assailants, who fled to a nearby jungle after killing the policeman, were Maoists. Local witnesses say four to five persons were involved in the shooting.

The dead policeman, a resident of Bandipur, Tanahun, had survived a fierce battle in Synagja’s district headquarters on November 23 last year.

Though security personnel have been mobilised for a search of the perpetrators, no body has been arrested so far, said sources at the area police station.

‘700 Nepalese in Indian jail’

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BUTWAL, Dec 16:Tihar Jail in New Delhi, the central jail of India, is said to be holding 700 Nepalese as inmates, among whom 75% are believed to be innocent. This was revealed at an interaction with journalists by the Nepal-India Human Development and Friendship Association on Sunday.

It was felt that such problems could be better dealt with through peoples’ involvement from both countries rather than through official procedures.

Surya Bhusal, the central chairman of Nepal-India Development and Friendship Association, said that he could sense the anti-establishment elements active in both nations. Citing the Hrithik Roshan episode, he said that this was one example of an ignited incident meant to mar relations between the two countries. However, Bhusal also mentioned that unjust treatment meted out towards Nepalese by Indians should be stopped.

Speaking to media people, the district chairman of the association, Kaushal Kishor Agrawal said that though there were good social, cultural, and religious relationship between the people of the two nations, there are many problems in other fronts as well. He said that relations could only be improved through the efforts of people from both sides.

Bene Bahadur Paudel Chettri of the association also shed light on various other problems including the border issues that need to be amicably resolved through willingness of people of both the nations. He added that peace could be established in the region through a joint effort.

Employees’ reluctance renders educational programme fruitless

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SIMIKOT (Humla), Dec 16:Basic and primary education programme, under the incentive of improving the standard of primary education and its physical infrastructure, has come to a standstill. When the employees there received threatens from the Maoists, they preferred not to attend the education programme in that particular village.

Employees who were staying in the village and carrying on their educational duties were asked by Maoists to conduct those programmes which were suitable for them. The Maoists were also demanding money from these employees as donation, which led to employees being reluctant to go to the village to continue their programme.

Many of the schools in this remote district of Humla which lack the basic standard of education and the physical infrastructure are forced to run their classes under a tree or on open grounds. Some schools have their own buildings but due to the lack of furniture are not in a position to make necessary arrangements for the students to sit and study in clean classrooms. Many students are deprived from availing basic education due to the distance they have to walk to attend school, it is learnt.

According to the District Education Office, since the Maoists have begun to intensify their activities, the resource people and the overseer have refrained to come to the village to conduct their duties. District education officer, Dharmajit Shahi contends that due to reluctance from these employees to go to the village to conduct the programme, this noble work has been greatly hampered.

It is learnt that for about six months the works in this mountainous district, Humla, comes to a halt due to snowfall. During these cold months the chief of the programme as well as many responsible employees leave this hilly station, and it is quite obvious that the work is not likely to progress further in the second half as well.

According to the appropriation of budget from the published budget book for districts of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Rs 14,857,000 had been allocated by the government for the conduction of this educational programme in Humal district for this fiscal year.

Awareness seminar on women, children rights

RSS

RAJBIRAJ, Dec 16:Central president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Taranath Dahal inaugurated a two-day awareness raising seminar on the rights of women and children organised by the FNJ Saptari branch in association with the UNICEF regional office, Biratnagar here on Sunday.

On the occasion, Dahal said since journalism has an important role to play in creating an open and liberal environment, journalists across the country should become conscious regarding its stability.

Member of the Press Council Nepal Shivahari Prasad Bhattarai stressed that the local bodies should also give emphasis to the development of journalism at the local level.

At the programme presided over by FNJ Saptari branch president Murali Prasad Yadav, FNJ central vice-president Yagya Sharma, UNICEF representative Bhanu Pathak, journalists Sishu Prasad Devkota, Anil Anal and Ram Narayan Dev and others also expressed their views. Forty journalists from Saptari district are taking part in the seminar.

Wild foods result in health complications

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MAKWANPUR, Dec 16:Wild roots and bulbs used as their main food source by the Chepangs, contain toxic chemicals that directly affect their health, revealed a preliminary study by a Nepali student conducting his Ph.D studies in Japan.

Meghraj Bhandari, the Nepali student claims that the dwarfism and weak health structure of the people in the community is the result of two harmful chemicals present in wild roots and bulbs.

Chepangs, the indigenous and most backward community of the country with an estimated population of over 50,000 still live on wild roots due to poverty. The community is found in remote parts of Makwanpur, Chitwan, Dhading and Gorkha districts.

Bhandari, studying in Hokkaido University of Japan for the past one year is conducting the investigations with the help of his Thai and Japanese counterparts. Though preliminary reports have shown that these eatables have high fibre content and high nutrient value, two chemicals in them are equally harmful.

"Apart from the toxic chemicals, those food stuffs contain elements like calcium, zinc and iron in high proportion beyond the digestive capacity of humans," said Bhandari.

The research also shows that such food items contain other chemicals which, when taken directly may prove to be fatal. Traditionally, Chepang people boil their food and treat it with ash for a long time for safe consumption.

The investigation is also aimed at finding ways to remove the harmful chemicals from the food items. If proved successful, the investigation should be of benefit to all, with the possibility of professional farming of the highly nutritious food items, claimed Bhandari. "Since the wild roots and bulbs do not require irrigation facility and grow well in barren land, success on the investigation will be a boon to Nepal," said Bhandari.

Indian nationals found possessing dual citizenship

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MORANG, Dec 16:Four Indian nationals are found to be possessing both the Nepali citizenship cards, voter’s cards and Indian voter’s ID which is against the law.

Shailendra Das, Kishwor Pal Das, Jaya Kumar Das and their father Pancha Nanda Das, all the residents of Jogbani Nagar panchayat-7 of India have managed to obtain Nepali citizenship cards as well as the voter’s card.

Shailendra Das and Jaya Kumar Das hold the voter’s card numbered 2769781 and 2769782 respectively from Biratnagar sub-metropolis city-21. Their voter’s IDs in Jogbani, India is 23526 and 23628 respectively.

The other sons of Pancha Nanda Das too have voter’s identity card both in India and Nepal. The father has his name as Pancha Nanda Das in India while the name in the official record in Nepal is mentioned as Brijalal Das.

"Since the four are found possessing the voter’s card of both countries, the office shall initiate a probe into the matter at the earliest," said Prem Prasad Sanjel, the Chief at the District Polling Office.

The record at the District Administration Office (DAO), Morang shows that Nanda Lal Das obtained the Nepali citizenship card numbered 188 in 1986. The citizenship on hereditary basis is devoid of the name and the designation of the official issuing them and bears an unofficial signature.

The citizenship card of Shailesh Kumar Das bears the signature of the then Chief District Officer (CDO), Nanda Kumar Karki while the citizenship card held by Jayanta Kumar Das has the signature of Ram Prasad Upadhaya, the then CDO.

A source at the DAO said that the Nepali citizenship cards are illegal and requires a probe.

Kailali teachers at HQs, schools remain closed

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KAILALI, Dec 16:Even as Maoist threats have forced the closure of private schools throughout the nation for the past two weeks, government schools in Kailali have followed suit. More than three dozen government school teachers from the region are taking refugee in Dhangadi, the district headquarters, sources at the District Education Office (DEO) said.

Teachers of primary, lower-secondary and secondary government schools have been staying in Dhangadhi because of harassment and assaults meted out by the Maoist rebels.

"Groups of armed rebels visited schools, assaulted teachers were on duty and smeared black powder on their faces, following which the teachers were forced to flee to the district headquarters for sanctuary," said Nanda Raj Panta, the Chief District Officer (CDO).

Ram Chhawela Chaudhari, the Headmaster of Malika Secondary School was severely beaten up by the Maoists, while he was on duty, reported DEO sources. It is reported that the rebels also physically abused the headmasters of Dependra Secondary School, Deb Raj Rastriya Secondary School and a teacher of Rastriya Secondary School.

CDO Panta said that many government schools in the district have been closed in the absence of teachers.

"With the teachers seeking the safety of the district headquarters, school courses for current academic session remains incomplete. Students appearing for the SLC (School Leaving Certificate) examinations are suffering due to the developments," said Ram Singha Mahato, a local of Hasuliya VDC.

"For the past week, students have been refusing to attend schools saying that the schools do not run in full swing in the absence of teachers," said Lal Bahadur Kshetri, a guardian.

The government operates 223 primary schools, 17 lower-secondary and 21 secondary schools, whereas 73 primary, 23 lower-secondary and 29 secondary schools are in the private sector, within the district.

Crown prince to inaugurate trade fair

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BUTWAL, Dec 16:Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev is to inaugurate the "Trade Fair 2002" to be held in Butwal, on December 26, stated Kush Prasad Malli, the Chairman of the Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and co-ordinator of the fair.

Organised to commemorate the anniversary of the Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and coinciding with the Golden Jubilee of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, the fair will be held through December 26 to January 5.

Among the 200 stalls expected to be put up at the fair, apart from hosts Nepal, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh will also be putting up stalls. More than 2 lakh people are expected to be attending the fair.

Rajesh Kaji Shrestha, Chairman of the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, said that during the fair cultural presentations such as Dohari (duet) songs, folk songs and dances from 14 zones reflecting the national culture and heritage will be presented.

He also informed that special arrangements have been made with Nepal Television for coverage of the fair, which will be transmitting the Dohari competition for one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, during the final stages of the competition.