Shikhs celebrate Guru Govind’s birth anniversary

By Perina Pathak

KATHMANDU, Jan 21:Thousands of Shikhs living in Nepal celebrated the 335th birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh, who is a founder of Khalsa Panth and the preserver of Hindu religion.

Those residing in the Kathmandu Valley gathered at local Gurudwaras that are situated in different places. Gurudwara Guru Nanak Satsang had organised a programme in which hundreds of Shikhs participated.

Around ten priests of the Gurudwara recited Akhanda Path from the religious book, Guru Grantha. The non-stop Akhanda Path that began two days ago concluded on Monday morning, reading out the last episode to end one of the greatest celebrations of Shikhs.

There are about 1000 families of Shikhs living mainly in Kathmandu, Birgunj, Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj.

At the concluding ceremony, former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand offered his honour to Guru and said, "He was not against any religion. Instead, he raised his voice against the evils of the Hindu religion for its protection."

Acting President of Gurudwara and the member of Rajparishad, Satya Pal Sachdeva said, "Guru Govind fought for the protection of Hindu religion without caring for his life."

"Guru Govind was not only the Guru of Shikh community, but is also the Guru of humanism", said Jay Prakash, chairman of World Hindu Federation – Kathmandu.

Shankar Lal Kedia, member of World Hindu Federation, shed light on the relationship of Guru Govind with Nepal. "Nepal is a Hindu country and Guru fought for the protection of Hindu religion, so he is directly related with Nepal and the Nepali people."

After an hour long Bhajans (hymns), all those present at the celebration took Manabhog as prasad and participated in the Langar, a special lunch.

Looking back towards the history, Guru Govind Singh is the 10th and last Guru of Shikh community, which is also known as Khalsa Panth. Guru Nank founded Khalsa Panth around the 16th century.

Hinduism was in debacle during the rule of Mughal King, Aurangzeb, as they were against the religion. Therefore, to protect the Hindu religion, nine years old Govind Rai had suggested his father Guru Tej Bahadur to sacrifice his own life. Thus the Shikhs began calling him Guru Govind, when he was just nine years old, on November 11, 1675.

After pronounced Guru, he inspired the Shikh community to fight war against those fighting against the Hindus. Guru fought 14 wars and won all of them. Hardayal Singh Gupta writes in his book ‘Shikh Dharmako Ruparekha’ that four sons of Guru Govind died during the war against Mughal rulers and no other such Guru emerged after him.

" The Shikh community is not only the part of Hinduism but is also one of its protectors," writes Hardayal Singh. "In the Shikh community, men generally write ‘Singh’ after their names and women write Kaur."

Guru Govind made Shikh people compulsory to have five things that start from ‘Ka’- Kesh (hair), Kachhad (underwear), Kada (bangle), Kirpan (sword) and Kanga (comb).

Shikh people follow the Granth (a holy book) called Guru Granth Shaheb. The Granth with 1430 pages is the collection of preaches given by ten Gurus and by other gods and goddesses.

Decentralisation process fails to gain momentum

Post Report

LALITPUR, Jan 21: The process of decentralisation has not been effective in the country mainly due to unclear policies, lack of political commitment and ineffective administrative policy at the local level, said political leaders here today.

They said though decentralisation has been the main agenda of every government after the restoration of democracy and much money has been supplied in the name of decentralisation, it is far from implementation.

They were speaking at the inaugural session of the Eighth Central Regional Network Meet of 19 district development committee officials of the region.

Speaking at the programme, Minister for Physical Planning and Works Chiranjivi Wagle said that the local bodies are needed to be empowered for the effective implementation of the decentralisation process. "The role of district and village development committees should be clarified to make them responsible for decentralisation," Wagle said.

"Until the local bodies are not given authority to control over local administration, the decentralisation process cannot make progress", Minister Wagle said adding " Government is ready to amend the existing laws if they are causing hindrance to the decentralisation process."

Jagadish Chandra Pokharel, member of the National Planning Commission was of the opinion that the organisational structure of government ministries should be changed so as to improve the decentralisation process.

Secretary at the Ministry of Local Development said that the organisational structure needs revision before they are given authority over the local administration.

"Respective ministries should provide programmes in the form of a package to local bodies," the Secretary said, adding "The government will incorporate the plans prepared by the local bodies in the Tenth Five Years Plan".

Raghuji Panta, a CPN-UML lawmaker, blamed the Nepali Congress intra-party conflict for the decentralisation process not making headway. He also asked the officials who are in charge of implementing decentralisation in the country not to raise question over the capacity of local bodies for implementing the decentralisation process.

He also asked the government to slash the Cabinet, instead of cutting off the budget of the local bodies to meet the security expenses during the emergency.

Chairman of the Association of District Development Committee (ADDC) Krishna Prasad Sapkota demanded the government to formulate a clear policy for assistance from donor agencies. "The assistance from the donors to the community development should be utilised in a holistic approach," Sapkota said.

Speaking at the same programme, former chairman of the ADDC Madhav Paudel said there are at least 23 laws that contradict with the essence of the self-local governance.

Saresh Nepal, coordinator of the two-day meet and the chairman of Sindhuli District Development Committee came heavily against the government for cutting the local budget for emergency by 50 percents.

Thousands visit Pathibhara to fulfil their wishes

By Dharma Prasad Poudel

PATHIBHARA, Taplejung, Jan 21: Seventy-four-year-old Ran Kesar Sangraula has no further ambition. He has achieved what he had wished for in his life. Sangraula scaled the 3,794 metres high Pathibhara peak, a religious spot, risking his life. He has been visiting the temple continuously for the past 55 years, setting a record of a sort.

It took him four days to climb the peak from his home village Deulukhe, which is situated near Phungling, the district headquarters of Taplejung. It was heavily snowing when he scaled the snow-capped mountain, which is situated on the lap of Mt. Kanchanjungha, the third tallest peak in the world.

"The Pathibhara (Devi) deity has granted me everything I wished throughout my life," says Sangraula. This man is of full conviction when he said that he regained his lost eyesight after praying for the deity.

Thousands of devotees from eastern Nepal and neighbouring parts of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Manipur in India are presently thronging to this religious site to get their wishes fulfilled.

Tourism entrepreneurs estimate that as many as 50,000 people visit this site twice a year: during the Dashain festival and the Chandi Purnima (April). A legend has it that the deity fulfils wishes of her devotees.

Until the last year, the offerings made by the devotees used to be lost or buried in the snow. But now, all the offerings – cash or kind – are collected and kept in bank accounts as a trust. Chairman of the Pathibhara Conservation Committee Mitralal Poudel says that the area of the Pathibhara temple has to be demarcated for its proper conservation.

Pathibhara peak covers the area of Tapethok, Lingkhim, Phawa Khola and Phurumbu VDCs, which fall under the Kanchanjungha Conservation Area Programme (K-CAP). But its area is yet to be demarcated. K-CAP Chief Angfuri Sherpa says that they are interested to develop it as one of the major religious and tourist destinations provided that the locals agreed with their proposal.

Keeping in mind the growing inflow of pilgrims and tourists, a private investor is constructing a cable car service to provide facilities to tourists and pilgrims. Taplejung District Development Committee Chairman, Bijaya Raj Thebe, says that they are ready to extend their support to build the cable car, which will be the second such service in the country. The DDC is building a link road up to the Kafle Pati area from where the cable car will start. The DDC will start the road construction from this fiscal year.

Although there are 10 sheds built by Pathibhara Conservation Committee, they are not adequate for accommodating thousands of pilgrims, says Bijaya Shrestha, Secretary of the Committee. The offering extended by the devotees is the only source of income of the temple and the government has provided nothing for its conservation. This is the second most famous temple after the Mankamana Temple in Gorkha for the people who believe that their wishes are fulfilled after their visit.

Tendency of saving rising in Dolakha

RSS

CHARIKOT, Dolakha, Jan 21: The cooperative institutions being run in Dolakha district have been carrying out transactions over Rs 40 million a year, according to the district cooperative office.

The 46 multipurpose cooperatives, 46 savings and loan cooperatives, 13 women saving and loan cooperatives, three consumer stores, two transport cooperatives, three agricultural cooperatives of the district collected savings amounting to Rs 42,913,701 and recovered loans totalling Rs 64,199,816 in the last fiscal year 2057/58.

The Jana Chetana Saving and Loan Cooperative and Bhabishe Nirman Mahila Cooperative of Kabhre Village Development Committee and Friendship Saving and loan Cooperative of Jiri Village Development Committee have been providing loans to its members for income generating works.

At present 5,471 women and 8,315 men are members of the cooperatives in the district.

The cooperatives have floated shares worth Rs 6,345,944 while loans amounting to Rs 44,482,954 remains to be collected from its members.

Of the total loans to be recovered from the members, the date for returning loan amounting to Rs 5472,949 has expired already.

Even though the tendency of managers of the cooperatives fleeing away with the funds are seen in many parts of the country, this problem has not been faced by the cooperatives of Dolakha district to date, according to inspector of the District Cooperative Office Manohar Puri.

The cooperative movement is gaining popularity in the district as the people have been saving little money and taking loans for conducting business, livestock and vegetable farming, transport business, tailoring, etc and improving their living conditions.

The saving cooperatives have drastically improved the living conditions of the middle class people in the district, according to persons linked with the cooperatives.

Locals ask RCNP for forest products

By Prabhakar Ghimire

CHITWAN, Jan 21: Thousands of locals will be deprived of secured shelters during the coming monsoon as uncertainty continues to shroud over the opening of the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP) for cutting high dry grass.

This year, the RCNP authorities closed it for the locals citing security reasons.

The RCNP authorities used to open the protected forest for locals every year for over a week to collect the grass, which is used as thatched-roof in the rural areas.

The locals, inhabiting the adjoining the national park, which is home to endangered one-horned rhino, largely depend on the elephant grass for roofing their houses.

The locals comprising some 100,000 from Chitwan and the adjoining districts - Nawalparasi and Makawanpur - rely on the Park, which supplies forest products like dry grass and fire-wood for their annual requirement.

It would be hazardous for the wildlife and the entire Park if it is opened after January because the already dried vegetation would be easily caught by fire.

The Park normally used to be flung open for the locals in the first week of January and closed by the third week of the month. The closure of the Park is likely to hit the low-income villagers depending primarily upon the straw for roofing their houses.

Bir Bahadur Sarki of Chitwan’s Jagatpur-3 is one among the thousands of locals, who feels disappointed. "The rain has already started leaking through the roof of my house I last repaired a year ago. The rainy season will be disastrous," Sarki, said, adding that he would not be able to collect grass from elsewhere if the park is not opened.

Similarly, Subash Bidari, a local of Barchali VDC-6, feels utterly disappointed as prospects for a rain-proof roof and firewood for cooking turned bleak.

Locals say that a large chunk of dry wood and straw go into a sheer waste if the Park remains closed this season. The park officials say the decision to open the Park has been delayed on security grounds.

"We cannot rule out the possibility of intruders getting into the Park while letting it open to the locals at a time when the country is witnessing a serious security problem," officials looking after the Park said.

Sources close to RNCP said the talks are underway between the security officials and the concerned parties whether or not to allow the villagers to collect the grass and firewood.

However, no dates have been finalised yet as to when the Park will be opened to the people desperately looking forward to repairing their huts before the beginning of the monsoon outbursts.

President of the Buffer
Zone Development Council, Keshab Devkota, however, is hopeful that the Park will be opened for the people even if it has become late.

Should the authority decide to close down the Park this year, it will lose over 800,000 rupees in its revenue. The Park collects 10 rupees from each of the individuals as an entry fee in return of forest products.

Squatters get land certificate not land

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Jan21:Despite having the land ownership certificates from the government commissions, thousands of squatters in
the central and mid-western regions of the country are deprived of the land as the land is not registered in the concerned Land Revenue Offices.

The government has formed several commissions to manage the squatters but with the change of governments, the work of the commissions remain incomplete, leaving the squatters stranded, the squatters say.

According to a report from Rautahat, a latest commission among the four which had Satya Narayan Khanal, Kalyani Khadka and Gambhir Prasad Niraula as its vice- chairpersons, had provided land ownership certificates to 5,000 squatters in Rautahat district. However, the squatters are not benefited with the land as yet.

The then state minister, Mohammad Aftav Alam has now flayed the government in its failure to provide land ownership certificate by a commission formed in his initiation at his working period.

The squatter’s problems remain unsolved due to political unsuitability and the lack of fair play while appointing the members in the commissions, said Ghambhira Prasad Niraula, the chairman of the third commission to manage squatters in Rautahut.

The certificates of land ownership were demanded from the recipient squatters, for investigation following an application stating that the land deal by the commission is unfair, said an employee at the Office of Land Revenue in the district.

Similarly, in a similar report by our reporter from Banke, around 3,000 squatters have not received the land mentioned in their certificates yet. They have been wandering in search of their land for years.

Khushi Ram Tharu said other people are using the land mentioned in the land ownership certificate he received in 1995.

"The commission had provided the certificates to 67 families but the land are being used by others as the commission failed to register the land in the district Land Revenue Office," said Man Bahadur Bali, the chairman of Sitapur VDC.

He mentioned that the commission had given the certificate of 150 bigha of land for the squatters in the region.

Meanwhile, 435 Bighas of the land near Banke and Bardiya is to be distributed to the tillers in the initiation of a government company named Rural and Residential Company, located at Bardia. The squatters in the regions were given the certificate earlier for the same land. The land falls in Bageshwori and Sitapur VDCs of Banke and Jamuni VDC in Bardiya.

According to the Company, a total of 1,070 people from Bageshwori, Sitapur and Jamuni VDCs have applied in the company to get land registered, claiming to be the tiller. If the commission that had distributed land certificates to the squatters gets the land registered accordingly, the company shall give top priority to avail the land to the squatters, said Krishna Gyawali, the chief at the company.

Flights cancelled due to foul weather

Post Report

NEPALGUNJ, Jan 21: Hundreds of people travelling to the hill and mountain district of the Mid-Western region have been stranded in Nepalgunj airport after the Royal Nepal Airlines (RNAC), the state-flag carrier, cancelled its flights due to foul weather and heavy snowfall in the region over the weekend.

Air service is the only means of transport in the region, which is devoid of road links with the rest of the country.

T B Thapa, regional manager of the RNAC, said that around 25 regular flights to Humla, Jumla, Dolpa, Bajhang and Rukum districts from Nepalgunj have been suspended because of the bad weather. Ticket booking counter of the RNAC has been closed down citing the bad weather in the region.

He said that the airports in Humla, Jumla and Dolpa have been covered with up to two feets of snow. Thapa added that it would take at least a week to melt the snow in those airports. It has been reported that it is still snowing in some airports of the mountain districts. Thapa added that the flights would be resumed as soon as the weather is improved.