Workshop on community forestry guidelines

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KATHMANDU, Jan 30 A two-day national workshop to review the guidelines of community forestry began here today. The workshop is expected to give a final touch to the draft report of the guidelines.

The Department of Forest, Community Forestry Branch, has taken the initiative to review the guidelines which was operational for more than one year to make them simpler and to avoid weaknesses through learnt experiences in the field.

Besides, making the existing guidelines simple for the common people and the users’ group, the review will make provisions for inclusion of women and other backward section of the
society in community forest management.

Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Gopal Man Shrestha inaugurating the workshop Wednesday said that the community forest programme has played an important role in preserving country’s environment, besides playing a crucial role in poverty alleviation.

The programme has already covered more than two-third of the country’s population.

Speaking on the occasion, Surendra Hamal, State Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation (MFSC) said that the programme has raised the living condition of the people living at grassroot levels, and preserved the country’s land from erosion.

MFSC Secretary Chandi Prasad Shrestha was of the opinion that the community forest is not a profession, only an additional means of earning livelihood. "It should not be confined to the ownership of a certain community," Shrestha said.

Director at the Department of Forests (DoF) Dibya Deo Bhatta said that the department has given more priority to management of forest than handing over more and more forests to the user groups.

Chief of the Community Forest Programme Krishna Bahadur Shrestha and Deputy Director at the DoF also spoke on the occasion.

At the same programme, Minister Shrestha awarded six officials under the MFSC with Birendra Aishwarya Medal. The officials include Chandi Prasad Shrestha, Dibya Deo Bhatta, Tirtha Man Maskey, Mana Prasad Wagle, Madhusudan Bista and Sainju Man Amatya.

Govt urged to sign Ottawa Treaty

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KATHMANDU Jan 30 The human rights activists at an interaction programme organised by Parliamentary Foreign Relations and Human Rights Committee have urged the government to sign the Ottawa Convention on banning land mines and implement the treaties signed in the international forum.

They also expressed grave concern over the worsening condition of human rights in the country after the imposition of the state of emergency.

HR actvists like Sudip Pathak, KB Rokaya, Khim Lal Devkota pointed out that the role of political parties remained passive, civil administration remained defunct, doctors were treated inhumanly by the government and raised concerns over the state of emergency.

The HR activists emphasised the need for peace dialogue but no one wanted to take the responsibility of the Maoists and assure the government of their motive.

The committee is expected to make its dicision after compiling the reports from different human rights organisations, political parties and civil society and hand them over to the government suggesting their implementation.

Poetry symposium marks Prithvi Jayanti

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KATHMANDU, Jan 30 - On the occasion of the 280th birth anniversary of King Prithvi Narayan Shah the great and National Unification Day, the Royal Nepal Academy and Lija Nepal Bhasa Poetry Forum, jointly organised a multi-lingual poetry symposium amidst a function here today.

Speaking at the programme, chief guest and vice chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy (RNA) Mohan Koirala stressed the need of periodic multi-literary language seminars. Koirala said, "As our country is rich in multi-languages, these types of programmes should be organised to bring different languages under one roof.

"Besides, this type of function also helps to preserve the languages and cultures that are on the verge of extinction." Koirala added.

The programme, chaired by Bairagi Kainla, was attended by various literary personalities including Tulsi Diwas, Toya Gurung,Tulsi Prasad Bhattarai and Maithali poet Ganga Prasad Akela.

On the occasion, various poets recited over 25 poems of national languages like Nepali, Newari, Maithali, Limbu, Tamang, Doteli, Bhojpuri, Aabodhi and Maithali. At the programme, poetess Mariam Shameem recited her poem in Bengali.

Jana Astha editor’s release demanded

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KATHMANDU, Jan 30 A day after Editor and Publisher of Jana Astha Weekly, Kishor Shrestha was arrested by the police on Tuesday, the action was condemned by political parties and several human rights organisations which also called for his immediate release.

Shrestha was arrested from the Weekly’s office at Bagbazar yesterday. According to his colleagues, three plain clothes policemen headed by Inspector Yubaraj Pokharel arrested Shrestha at 7:30 p.m. His whereabouts is still unknown.

Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) today came down heavily on the government, terming the arrest as the government’s attempt to muzzle press freedom and misuse of state power. The party demanded Shrestha’s immediate release.

Similarly, National Union of Journalists said the act was indicative of the government’s ill intention as it neither had any arrest warrant nor was it in accordance with the government’s stated position that press freedom would remain intact during the ongoing emergency.

Likewise, Press Chautari Nepal, Human Rights Organisation of Nepal and Human Rights and Peace Society too demanded the editor’s immediate release.

Along with Shrestha’s detention, the number of journalists taken into police custody for interrogation during the emergency reached 54. Of these, some have been released while many more are still in custody.

Makawanpur marijuana farmers face starvation

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HETAUDA, Jan 30 The farming families in nine VDCs in the remote western part of Makawanpur district are facing starvation as the illegal cultivation of marijuana in around 500 ropanis of land has not got the market after its harvest, said locals.

The farmers from Sarikhet, Kankada, Raksirang, Khirang, Varta, Kalikatar, Namtar, Dandakhark and Gogane VDCs had started growing cannabis in their fertile land which once used to see millet and maize harvest.

"As I wanted to earn a lot of money, I started cultivating marijuana by putting in all my money. Now the marijuana lies stored and my family is starving," said a troubled Akaul Bahadur Thing from Varta VDC.

Similar is the tale of many other farmers in the area who are still waiting for clients to sell their marijuana yield. They are also worried about the police raiding their houses, said Raj Kumar Malla, the Chairman of Khairang VDC.

Some farmers have even started making hashish out of the marijuana for fear that if the marijuana is stored for too long the quality will be reduced.

The marijuana last year was sold at Rs. 200 per kilogram, but now there are no takers even at Rs. 50 per kilogram. The marijuana used to be mainly supplied to Indian markets through the Indian merchants, said Chairman Malla.

With the farmers unable to raise money from the marijuana crop, the businessmen in Manahari Bazar are also worried as they had supplied huge quantities of chemical fertilisers to these famers on credit.

Schools to be closed down as VDC grants dry up

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BHOJPUR, Jan 30 One hundred and fifteen public schools in Surkhet and 82 public schools in Bhojpur running on local resources are set to be closed after the government cut off 50 percent of the grant to the Village Development Committees (VDCs).

These schools at Bhojpur—23 secondary, 22 lower secondary and 37 primary—run on the local resources as permitted by the District Education Office. Most of these schools also depend on the aid received from the VDCs, according to Kedar Bahadur Bogati, the Local Development Officer.

But the VDCs are not actually supposed to use the grant for funding these schools since the government wants it to be used for other development projects, says Bogati.

Now with the VDCs not receiving the money, around 21,000 students and 92 teachers face an uncertain future.

"We would not be able to pay the salaries of our eight teachers," says Khagendra Kumar Rai, the Chairman of Kudak Kaule VDC. He also said that two primary schools in the VDC will most likely close down since the schools were receiving an yearly grant of over 256,000 rupees from the VDC.

A lower secondary school with 900 students at Timma VDC will also be closed, said Man Kumar Rai, the Chairman of the VDC.

A similar fate is threatening 115 public schools in Surkhet district, according to our reporter there.

"The cut off in the grant will force us to close a few schools," said Bhakti Prasad Sapkota, the Chairman of Bidyapur VDC. Sapkota said these schools run purely on local resources, and with no money coming from the VDC, running them would be "very difficult".

Surkhet district has 48 primary, 34 lower secondary, 28 secondary and four higher secondary public schools that depend on local resources, according to the District Education Office.

More than 300 teachers of these schools have been appointed by the VDCs.

These schools cannot also seek donations or fees for the fear of Maoists who have been coming down heavily on the management staff of those schools raising donations and fees. "With the Maoists allowing us not to take donations and fees, how can we pay our teachers?" asks Tara Keshar Gautam, the Chairman of Kumathari VDC.

Martyr’s Day observed nationwide

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KATHMANDU, Jan 30 Reports of commemoration of the Martyr’s Day have been received from various parts of the country.

Kalaiya - Minister without portfolio Rishikesh Gautam, inaugurating a colloquium on "Martyrs’ Dreams and Present Nepal" organised by the Nepali Congress Bara District Committee marking the Martyr’s Day on Tuesday, called upon Nepali Congress cadres to root out inconsistencies within the party to live up to the party’s standing as a party with a glorious history that fought for democracy.

He said the dreams of the late popular leader B.P. Koirala would be fulfilled through the consolidation of democracy in the country.

At the programme presided over by Nepali Congress Bara district president and former MP Ramchandra Raya Yadav, party’s senior local leader Sarbajit Lal Saha and NC former district secretary Nasir Das Mansoor said we would have paid true tributes to the martyrs if we can live up to the dreams of the martyrs.

Kapilbastu - On the occasion, Nepali Congress Kapilbastu District Committee organised a function at Taulihawa on Tuesday.

Speaking at the programme which began with the garlanding of the portraits of the martyrs, ex-minister of state Dip Kumar Upadhyaya underlined the need for all democratic forces to unite to fight against the anomalies and inconsistencies that have cropped up in the country in order to materialise the dreams of the martyrs.

Nepali Congress Kapilbastu district vice-president Sudhakar Pandey, NC district treasurer Narayan Prasad Sharma, Nepal Women’s Association district president Indra Maya Sharma and Nepal Students Union district president Rajesh Gyawali also shed light on the contribution of the martyrs to the country and the society.

Nepali Congress Kapilbastu district president Kamlesh Kumar Sharma presided.

nepalgunj - The Banke District Development Committee held a talk programme on the occasion of the martyrs day on Tuesday.

At the talk seminar, the speakers stressed on the need to guide the society ahead on the path envisioned by the martyrs.

Ex-mp and member of Nepali Congress Central Organization Department Krishna Prasad Gautam pointed out the need for all the Nepalese to foster mutual trust and goodwill and not be carried away by the meaningless wave of terrorism that has been perpetrated in the country by anarchic forces.

This is an effort at finishing off democracy and embroiling the Nepali Society into the quagmire of terrorism, he warned.

Nepali Congress Banke district secretary Uma Karkiu, CPN-UML’s Ramlal Tharu, Ramesh Sharma of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rajesh Kumar Verma of Nepal Sadbhavavana Party said that the fruits of democracy should be taken to each and every household in the country.

Mayor Dhawal Shumsher Rana, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists(FNJ) Banke Unit Panna Lal Gupta and chief district officer Balkrishna Prasai paid tributes to the martyrs.

At the programme, floral tributes were paid and a minute of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs.

Chairman of the Banke District Development Committee Om Prakash Jung Rana presided.

Freedom fighter sells own son for his treatment

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DANG, Jan 30 Tara Khadka, a freedom fighter of the popular movement of 2046 BS, roamed to different places seeking charity for his treatment but in vain. He met many high ranking personalities but none of them showed the interest.

The Community Rehabilitation Centre (CRC) for the Political Victims refered to the Ministry of Home saying this is beyond their scope of work and the Ministry straightly denied the request.

None of them could do anything. So, Khadka finally sold his 8 year old son for Indian Currency (IC) 13 hundred thousand for the treatment of his mental ailments caused by the torture given to him by the anti democratic forces.

Yesterday, Martyrs’ Day was observed across the country but here is a bitter story of a neglected freedom fighter who is struggling hard in oder to live a life and seeks donors for treatment.

Tara Khadga, who fought for freedom in 2046, was injured in his leg and had to cut it off in order to get free from the poison of bullet. He recalls the torture exerted to him by the anti-democratic forces. He was tortured and beaten up almost to death in jail and was left abandoned at the bank of Bishnumati River.

"I dont exactly recall who rescued me from death and took to Bir Hospital. And, the doctors saying no way out had to cut my leg and the anti-democratic forces had already cut off my tongue while turturing me.

He had to approach many doors even for the artificial legs too.

He was helped by one NGO called Sanjeevani for the treatment. As a government charity he was given Rs 2000 by District Administration Office (DAO).

"I somehow recoverd the mental illness. But I could never gain self-satisfaction for overcoming it as the loss of son is for ever".

Tara who lost his parents at the age of 8, worked in many places as a house worker to hotel cleaner, then got a political appointment as a peon in 2051 at one of the government office in Pokhara. Also lost his wife in 2045, the year the devastating earthquake enveloped the nation.

Tara, a 2046 batch diploma student added, I earned myself to complete my Diploma but my involvement in politics had totally hampered the study with my dream of becoming a professor.

At last he states, I want to live in order to work for the betterment of nation.