Maoist’ yesterday, innocent today; ninth grader’s torturous ordeal

By Ghanashyam Ojha

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Handcuffed and skinny, with eyes filled with tears, 16-year-old Diwakar Adhikari, says he had a great desire to be an army man in his life. "But I will never be an army man," he broke down sobbing, looking at his poor, helpless father squatting in front of him.

The ninth grader studying at Mansing Dharma Secondary School, Shangla Village Development Committee (VDC), Kathmandu, was at the same time, constantly looking at the Supreme Court bench which later ordered his release.

A division bench consisting of the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Kedar Nath Upadhyaya, and Justice Govinda Bahadur Shrestha were through the court hearing of Adhikari who was arrested last year under the Terrorist and Destructive Activities (Control and Prevention) Act (TADA).

According to Bhadragol Prison officials, the formalities for Adhikari’s release will need some more time and he will be released tomorrow. But it took hours for Adhikari to narrate the ordeal he had to go through during his almost year-long detention.

Adhikari was trying to forget the mental and physical torture meted out to him at the army headquarters, where he was forced to admit ‘his Maoist links.’

Narrating his ordeal there, the lad said that the army men asked him to disclose the name of his Maoist leaders and their whereabouts. On every denial of having any knowledge about the Maoists, they threw cold water all over his naked body. He was frequently put into a pit and they threatened to take his life if he did not admit of being a Maoist.

"They asked about my family members and told me that they even would rape my small sister back at home after they knew I had a sister at home," the boy stammered. "I was asked quite non-sense questions like whether I ever had sexual relations with anyone."

On the fourth day, he was terrified when an armyman asked him to put on an army uniform. He overheard that he would be taken to a jungle and shot dead.

He knew that he would be killed and finally said that he was a Maoist. "It was the only option to save my life," he recalls.

He vividly remembers the day a year back, when two plain-clothes army men picked him up from his class, on charges of being a Maoist.

Speechless, Adhikari could not argue with the army personnel as they said he was arrested under TADA, the Act promulgated after the spell of emergency, to deal with Maoist related cases.

"They did not listen to me at all. They told me they had to interrogate me," he said.

Narrating further, Adhikari says that while being taken to the army headquarters, he remembered the incident that occured in his school few days back. A group of Maoist students had come to his school and demanded a cash amount of Rs 10,000 from the school headmaster.

The helpless headmaster did not comply with the Maoist demand. "We were in our class and saw our headmaster being beaten and his face smeared black and we came out to help him," Adhikari went on. The Maoists then fled the scene.

After about two weeks they again visited the school and repeated their demand. The headmaster, the boy said, gave Rs 10,000 to the Maoists as demanded. They then asked the headmaster to distribute their membership forms to the students.

"I was reluctant to take the membership form but the headmaster asked me to follow their orders, in order to avert possible punishment," he said.

"It was a usual day, I had forgotten about the membership form like all my friends, I was studying in my class, when armymen took me in their van, claiming that I was a Maoist," the boy continued.

The boy holds the VDC chairman Mani Bikram Kunwar responsible for his arrest. "It must be Mani Bikram Kunwar, the VDC chairman who is very powerful," the boy said. "Kunwar is known for his notoriety in the village and usually tortures the villagers who go against him," the boy said. "It was one of his cruel activities, as he had picked up a quarrel with my father a few months back."

After his forced ‘confession’, he was deported to Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu and later to Bhadragol Prison, on charges of being a Maoist.

His parents were not given any information about his whereabouts for almost 11 months after his arrest.
After about a year, the poor father Achyut Adhikari got a tip about his son’s whereabouts. With the help of Centre to Assist and Protect Child Rights of Nepal (CAP-CRON), a non-government organisation, a case was filed in the Supreme Court last week. The Court today issued an order to release Adhikari.

The court verdict came following the writ petition filed by an advocate Bal Krishna Mainali urging the court to immediately release Adhikari as he was innocent.

Although the court ordered the immediate release of Adhikari, he was not released today citing few technical problems. According to the prison official, he would be released tomorrow.

ADB equates restoration of peace with positive economic growth

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Asian Development Bank (ADB), one of the largest multilateral donors of the country, today stressed for a need to expedite peace restoration process and stabilise politics if the country is to register a positive economic growth in the current fiscal year.

"The economic recovery of the country depends on addressing the internal problems, and most importantly on how quickly the security situation improves in the country," said Dr Richard Vokes, Country Director of ADB Nepal Resident Mission.

Talking to the press, he ruled out the possibility of achieving the targeted growth of 4.3 per cent in the existing difficult security situation and political uncertainty.

Speaking on the termination of the tenure of the local bodies and deferral of local elections, he said that the move exacerbated the problems of already poor service delivery and development administration at the local levels.

"The country needs to deepen economic reforms to address issues like poverty, poor governance and public service delivery - the root causes of insurgency," he added.

He referred the year 2002 as a very difficult year for Nepal with worsening political instability and uncertainty, escalating of insurgency and a sharp economic downturn. "Political upheavals including dissolution of Lower House, dismissal of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and postponement of earlier scheduled mid-term elections added to uncertainty facing the country."

Referring to decline in ADB lending during the year, Dr Vokes said that the political and security problems posed challenges in both finalising new programmes of loan and technical assistance projects and in implementing ongoing projects and programmes.

During the year, the ADB approved two loans for a total of US$ 60 million, which included Secondary Education Support Project (SESP) and Urban Environment Improvement Project (UEIP) of US$ 30 million each.

"This less than expected lending was largely due to slippage of the loan to support the Public Sector Management Programme (PSMP)," said Dr Vokes, further stating that the political changes in the second half of the year prevented finalising the US$ 25 million-programme. The PSMP was aimed at strengthening the fiscal position, helping the government disengage from state-owned enterprises and improving governance.

Nonetheless, the government and ADB signed the loan agreement for the Road Network Development Project approved in December 2001, said Dr Vokes. The ADB also approved six technical assistance grant projects for a total of US$ 2.7 billion till Tuesday, he informed, adding, "four more technical assistance grant projects worth US$ 1.2 million are expected to be approved within few days."

He further expressed satisfaction over ADB’s support in helping the government streamline the development efforts through the Governance Reform Programme (GRP). "ADB is committed to support Nepal’s development," he stated.

The ADB Country Programme Confirmation Mission (CPCM) has already reached an understanding with the government on five loan proposals for 2003for a total of US$ 115 million and 9 technical assistance projects for a total of US$ 3.8 million, he informed.

"Moreover, ADB will work with the government and other development partners along with stakeholders to try and identify new approaches and modalities to remain engaged, particularly in conflict affected areas," he said.

Stand off between king, parties ‘dangerous’, warns Speaker

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Speaker Taranath Ranabhat today warned the king and the political parties that the ongoing conflict between them could be "dangerous" to the country. Hence, he called them to stand united to resist the force of "republic seekers".

"The king and the constitutional forces should unite together to fight against the republicans in the country," the Speaker said. "But they are standing apart, which is very dangerous for the nation."

A ‘new political polarisation’ has cropped up in the country in the aftermath of October 4 royal proclamation, which is not good for the country, he said here today while addressing a workshop on "Management of Conflicts in Nepal", organised by Centre for Study on Good Governance and Democracy (CSGD).

He was critical of the ongoing military action against the Maoists in a bid to restore peace. "It is not the solution to solve the Maoist problem in the country, its solution should be sought politically," the Speaker said.

He pledged the king and the political parties to co-work to find a way out of the present crisis in the country, so as to discourage Maoists, even as he stressed on making the constitution active, effective and authentic.

The general secretary of Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist-Leninist, Madhav Kumar Nepal underlined the need to apply conflict resolution practices used in other countries to resolve political, social and economic conflicts in the country. He urged the civil society and political parties to look for remedies for ongoing conflicts in the country.

"The solutions of conflicts should be searched within poverty, inequality and discrimination in our society, since these are the root causes of conflicts," Nepal said.

The newly elected chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Pashupati Shumsher Rana suggested the need to analyse conflicts scientifically, while reiterating his party’s commitment to consensus among political parties, and then for agreement between the king and the political parties.

Police most corrupt in S Asia: TI survey

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Latest household survey conducted by the South Asian regional chapters of Transparency International (TI) has found high level of corruption in public institutions. Of the seven major public institutions, police was found as most corrupt in five countries of the region.

However, only 48 percent of the Nepalese respondents picked up from over 3000 households, flayed police as corrupt. Compare this with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka where 100 percent of the people said police to be most corrupt.

Similarly, while 100 percent of respondents in India and Sri Lanka identified judiciary as the corrupt one, this is 96 percent in case of Pakistan and 75 percent in Bangladesh.

Compare this with 48 percent Nepalese claiming judiciary as corrupt. Again, only 17 percent of the Nepalese said land revenue office as corrupt. The survey was conducted by regional chapters of Transparency International between November 2001 and May 2002 by using similar methodology, a TI press statement issued here today said.

The survey was conducted to assess degree of corruption in healthcare, education, power, land administration, taxation, police and judiciary. The survey has concluded that bribes cuts heavily on the income of families in the region.

"The survey vindicates the need for empowering the ombudsman body in the respective countries of the region," Gopakumar Krishnan, Asia Programme Manager of TI said.

CIAA, Maoists two sides of same coin: Wagle

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Former Minister Chiranjivi Wagle today came down heavily against the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and accused the Constitutional Corruption watchdog of following the path of the underground Maoist outfit.

"The Maoists are torturing people through their spree of killings and violence so is CIAA torturing us with its so-called authority," Wagle fumed. "Maoists and CIAA are same."

The CIAA today presented a charge sheet against Wagle at the Special Court. The case could not be filed due to the short of time. The trial against Wagle would begin tomorrow.

Talking to the journalists at the Special Court premises, Wagle said that the Commission has violated its norms.

He accused Surya Nath Upadhyaya, the Chief Commissioner, of trying to uproot democracy. "Upadhyaya is in a mission to prove that democracy has really failed," Wagle said.

Claiming that Upadhyaya had alliance with the Maoists, Wagle said that Updhayaya had been carrying out investigation against him with the help of a leftist leader. However, he did not name the leader involved in this procedure.

Wagle has been charged of amassing huge sum of money while assuming various ministries in the past.

The Commission has claimed that Wagle has transferred over Rs 32,90,0000 in the name of his son Devendra Wagle’s bank account.

But Wagle argued that his son had over Rs 250 million of total transaction in his business for the past ten years.

"My son has achieved the profit amount of over Rs 30 million for the past three months," Wagle said. "But the Commission does not look into this fact."

Wagle said that CIAA was trying to destroy multi-party democracy in Nepal. "It’s a well planned strategy to defame the democratic leaders."

He also claimed that the corruption would not be eliminated by taking action against few innocent people.

Insurgency, poverty lead to mass migration

By Rudra Khadka

NEPALGUNJ, Dec 17 Distraught by the Maoist insurgency, around 60,000 Nepalis hailing from various districts in the mid western and far western Nepal have fled their villages. Exodus of locals from these regions has become a daily phenomenon. A few of them have crossed over through Rupeidiha, Banbasa, Jhulaghat and other entry points along the Indian borders, in the past one month.

With the fleeing of locals to other parts of the country and some Indian cities in search of peace, security and employment, an eerie silence pervades in most of the villages, with extremely low number of people, according to sources.

"Entire village wears a deserted look showing rare movement of people, after 800 locals left for India," said Man Bahadur Shahi, a local in Sanigaon of Jumla heading for India.

Around 1,002 people enter India daily, states a police record in Rupeidiha entry point, of Banke district. Sometimes the outflow rate exceeds 2,000 according to the police.

Almost the same numbers of people from far-western region enter India through Banbasa entry point of Mahendranagar district and Jhulaghat of Baitadi district, revealed sources.

"For the past one month, over one hundred people were seen leaving for India early morning each day," said Fanananda Pandaya, chief at Customs Office along the Mahakali border.

"Staying in the village is no good in anyway. We are equally tormented by the Maoists while with the development activities halted due to insurgency, we are forced to go to Indian cities to earn livelihood," said Dambar Budhathoki, a local of Tharmare VDC-4 of Salyan district. Budhathoki is leading a 24-member team to India.

The development activities in the district have come to a halt since two years ago, said Budhathoki, adding that at least 3,000 people from his VDC have left for India till date.

The same predicament rules in Salyan, Jumla, Jajarkot, Rukum, Rolpa, Kalikot districts of mid western Nepal and other districts in the far western Nepal, sources said.

Chief of Army Staff leaves for India today

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Pyar Jung Thapa will embark on a weeklong goodwill visit to India tomorrow at the invitation of Indian army chief General Sunderajan Padmanabhan.

COAS Thapa will be accompanied by Major General Om Bahadur Gurung, Staff Officer Colonel Victory Rana and several other Royal Nepal Army officers, officials at the Defence Ministry said.

General Thapa is scheduled to visit several military installations of the Indian army and hold one-to-one talks with General Padmanabhan and other high-ranking Indian military officials.

At the heart of the Royal Nepal Army chief’s India visit is his meeting with Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. President Kalam will confer him with the title of Honorary General of the Indian Army at a special investiture ceremony.

Royal Nepal Army officials said that it is a regular goodwill visit by the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) after his appointment in August. The visit will go a long way in boosting military-to-military communication and cooperation between the two friendly countries, one military official said.

Traditionally, army chiefs have been visiting such friendly countries as India, China and the United Kingdom after assuming office.

Thapa’s visit to India follows Indian COAS General Padmanabhan’s visit to Nepal during the second week of May earlier this year. General Padmanabhan pledged continued military assistance to Nepal.

Defence Ministry officials would not want to divulge details about General Thapa’s visit, but speculations are rife in Kathmandu that General Thapa could ask for more military assistance with his Indian counterpart.

India has provided the Royal Nepal Army and the newly set up Armed Police Force (APF) with military trucks, tankers, mortars, Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs), Light Machine Guns (LMGs) and ammunition, in addition to two Cheetah helicopters.

Also, India has provided counter-insurgency training to RNA officials.

Meanwhile, the army is also understood to have asked India to speed up the delivery of at least two Lancer helicopters. "Lancer helicopters would be great for the army," said another military official, who spoke on customary condition of anonymity. "With Lancers, we could launch more accurate aerial operations during our operations."

RPP to strive for bridging gap between king, parties: Rana

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Newly elected chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Pashupati Sumsher JB Rana said today that the RPP would try its best to bridge the growing mistrust between the monarchy and the political parties, that was being experienced after the October 4 royal move.

Speaking at the Reporters’ Club in the capital today, Rana said, "Since the king chose our leader as the Prime Minister, we have the responsibility to bridge the growing gap between the king and the political parties."

Rana said that RPP wanted consensus among the political parties at first and subsequent consensus between the political parties and the king and then the constitutional forces and the Maoists.

"There is a vital need to make consensus in three different parties to end the present state of violence," Rana said. "We have not been able to make a uniform voice before an agreement with the king is sought."

"All the issues raised by the parties, reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives, restoration of the disbanded government and formation of an all-party government under Article 128, could not address the immediate requirement of the people that is restoration of peace."

Rana claimed that all the demands put forward by the political parties were irrelevant and could not solve the problems.

"The parliament resurrected from the graveyards cannot explore the way out of the problems nor the formation of an all-party government can do it," said Rana. "The same parliament has functioned for three years but the problems are still in place."

Rana ruled out the possibility of the party going for a more active monarchy. He said the party still favours the constitutional monarchy and multi-party democracy as its main principle.

Issue of IPR to be accorded top priority: Minister Devkota

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Dr Upendra Devkota, Minister for Science and Technology, today assured he is giving more time to the ministry though being a neurosurgeon.

This announcement was made at a press meet held here. Devkota, who also holds the portfolio of Health Ministry spoke after questions were raised on his commitment towards the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). Devkota arrived at the press meet nearly an hour late.

"It is true I am giving more time to Health, but I am still involved in all important issues relating to MOST, like the issues that have been made public today," said Devkota. He announced the commencement of MOST in three focal areas, medicinal plants, arsenic and intellectual property rights (IPR).

"There is data showing that amongst the 6000 species of plants available in Nepal, 1600 are of medicinal value" said Devkota, adding," These plants are valuable both to the national and international community".

"Although many governmental and non-governmental organisations have been involved in medicinal plants, due to a lack of communication between them, the nation has not been able to benefit," he further added.

A committee has been formed to collect information regarding the conservation and utilisation of medical plants.

"Citizens have been seriously concerned about the growing number of technologies indigenous to Nepal being lost to foreign countries, due to the lack of property rights," said Devkota, "Although it’s already very late, IPR will be a priority project that will focus on protecting these rights"

The committees in these two focal areas have been established under the chairmanship of the Prof Dr Dayananda Bajracharya, vice-chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (RONAST),. "Work in the areas will begin within the next week," said Prof Bajracharya.

Similarly, arsenic has also been included as a focal point. The growing number of cases of arsenic poisoning in the Terai areas has brought attention to this topic.

The three focal points publicised by MOST today are part of the 13-point ‘Future policies and plans’ made public by the Ministry a few weeks ago.

Rights group moving ahead to end deadlock in education

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Dec 17 Human rights activists today said they are sparing no efforts to bring the government and the Maoist students to the table for talks so as to find a peaceful solution to the indefinite strikes on educational institutions, but said they are unable to set the clock ticking for the dialogue due to technical problems.

"We are now stuck with only one problem: to chalk-out some technical problems to bring them to the negotiating table," said Padma Ratna Tuladhar, a prominent human rights activist, who claimed to have met with the Maoist student leaders on Monday.

"They (All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union Revolutionary, ANNISU-R) are ready for talks. We are now left with only technical difficulties to bring the two sides to the table," he said.

The rights group today also held "preliminary discussions" with the assistant minister of Education and Sports, Rabindra Khanal, at the latter’s office in Kesharmahal to find a peaceful exit to the problems plaguing the educational institutions.

However, they said that it was pre-mature to speak on the outcomes of today’s discussions.