PM hints emergency will not be extended

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 15 : Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday clearly indicated that the government might not make any moves to extend the ongoing state of emergency which is coming to an end on May 24.

"It isn’t necessary that we need emergency to combat terrorism. Still I will be holding talks with others (on the issue)," said Deuba, adding that he was not in a position to say anything at this moment. He was talking to the media at the Tribhuvan International Airport after completing his 10-day visit to the USA and UK which was focussed on soliciting support against the Maoists.

While briefing the media about his visit which he termed "fruitful", Deuba said it had two objectives: to garner logistics support for the security forces and seek developmental assistance for the alleviation of poverty in the country. He added that both US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair assured him of help "to defeat terrorism". He also said that he might visit China and Russia to seek their help to combat terrorism.

Replying to a question on the specific US military aid to Nepal, the PM said that it would depend on the report of the US military assessment team that visited Nepal recently. He said the report would be submitted "soon". He denied there was any foreign intervention in Nepal as alleged by some political party leaders including his own party president Girija Prasad Koirala and leader of the main opposition and General Secretary of the CPN (UML). He also reiterated that no foreign troops would be allowed in Nepal.

In reply to a question on the agenda of his meeting with India’s Chief of Army Staff General S Padmanabhan, Deuba said it would centre around Maoist issue. "If terrorism is not wiped out in Nepal, it will affect the whole of South Asia," said the PM, adding that India had helped Nepal with helicopters and big vehicles. Some time back, there were reports in the India media that India had given 20 truck loads of sophisticated weaponry. The supply also includes armoured vehicles.

While in the US, Deuba said he raised the issue of quota for Nepali exporters. "We are talking about it." In the UK, he said he raised the pension problem of the British Gurkhas and he met MPs from both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

He handed over His Majesty King Gyanendra’s invitations to Bush and Blair to visit Nepal.

In New York, the PM also addressed the UN Special Session on Children on May 9.

Britain hosting int’l meet to help Nepal

The British government is hosting an international meet on assistance to Nepal in the third week of June.

Prime Minister Deuba today confirmed that such a meeting was being hosted by the British government. "After holding their internal meeting, Britain is hosting a meeting of international level on assistance to Nepal," the Prime Minister said while replying to a question on what help the UK had pledged in the fight against the Maoists.

The meeting is being seen as significant as countries with divergent views and polities are participating in it to find ways to assist Nepal to combat Maoist rebellion and help the nation in its development endeavours. Besides UK, some other nations such as the USA, China and India, are also participating in the meeting. The diverse participants in the meeting will also help in dispelling rumours that certain powers are intent on using Nepal as a military base, according to analysts here.

Move to alter Constitution gets underway

By Damaru Lal Bhandari

KATHMANDU, May 15 : A working group of the main opposition CPN (UML) met here today and decided to vigorously pursue dialogue with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and other political parties to effect changes in the Constitution.

CPN (UML) spokesman Pradip Nepal, in a statement issued late today, said that the meeting decided to pursue the goals of socio-economic reforms and Constitutional amendments discussed earlier with the Prime Minister as well as various political parties.

The pursuit of Constitutional amendment by the UML has been a major policy of the party which even forced Prime Minister Deuba to support the idea while granting its crucial votes to ratify the emergency declaration in parliament last February.

In fact, a joint team which also includes the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) is currently working out to recommend desired Constitutional amendments, schemes aimed at boosting the socio-economic status, and suggest ways to remove anomalies in the social and political front within a stipulated time-frame. Point is likely to be made to bring the rebels in the mainstream.

Along with this, the task of forming a "broad national democratic alliance" has been at the centre of Nepali politics in recent months. The idea was first broached by NC President Girija Prasad Koirala months earlier, but now it has been taken up by other political parties as well was evident in the all-party mass rally taken out early this week in the capital.

While Koirala and his supporters maintain that such an alliance is necessary to counter the Maoist threat, Prime Minister Deuba’s camp sees it as a clever ploy to grab power. In any case, the latter group argues, the Koirala side has not been able to justify why such an alliance is necessary.

Expanding on this theme today, Chiranjivi Wagle, Minister for Physical Planning and Works who is a close confidante of Deuba, said, "there is a government of the Nepali Congress at the moment. I don’t see any sense in this alliance."

The argument is noteworthy because many here feel that the alliance is just a method to form an all-party government for which there is no provisions in the Constitution. For this reason, the fear goes, the exercise for Constitutional amendments.

The fears were raised recently when several responsible leaders of opposition parties spelt out the agenda in internal party meetings. At a recent interaction organised by Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), its Vice Chairman Dr. Prakash Chandra Lohani had said efforts were on to form an all-party government by making desired changes in the Constitution . K P Oli of the UML , too, had said that his party could join the government "if that served the purpose."

It is suspicion aroused by such remarks that has government supporters worried.

"All that we have heard so far is too vague to take it seriously," said Narahari Acharya, an NC central member, stressing the need for detailed workplan.

But some of the newer adherents of the "broader democratic alliance" see the idea as desirable.

"We initially had doubts, but are now convinced about the need for it," Chitra Bahadur KC, Chairman, National People’s Front (NPF), said at the joint rally held on May 27 in the capital.

Rebels hit Home Minister’s Dang house again

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 15 : Rebel Maoists once again destroyed Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka’s house in Satbariya on Tuesday night. The rebels also continued their violent activities by attacking civilians and setting government vehicles on fire.

According to Sanat Kumar Basnet, Senior Superintendent of Police of the Bhalubang-based Armed Police Force (APF), western part of the minister’s house has been completely destroyed in the bomb blasts. The rebels had also partially destroyed the minister’s house while attacking the APF base on April 11. The APF base was stationed at the minister’s house before the attack.

Our reporter in Parbat said rebels on Tuesday night killed a primary school teacher— Madhav Bam Malla—in Harichaur VDC of Baglung district. Malla was dragged out of his home and beaten up to death, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Dinesh Amatya.

Similarly, in Ilam, the rebels killed Irauntar VDC Chairman Chitra Bahadur Gurung.

Meanwhile, a report from Dang stated that the rebels set afire a Toyota Pickup vehicle belonging to Lamahi-based Ground Water Development Project in Bhaisapratha area of the Dharna Village Development Committee on Tuesday. Officials said that four armed rebels forcibly drove the driver of the vehicle out of it and set it on fire.

The vehicle was carrying project officials to inspect deep tube wells installed in the VDC.

In yet another incident in Sarlahi district, a large number of rebels robbed 14 house in Dhunge Khola VDC-5, leaving a dozen people injured. Sarlahi District Police Office said that the rebels made off with property worth Rs. 1.2 million.

Speaker message

KATHMANDU, May 15 (RSS) - Speaker Taranath Ranabhat has extended heartiest congratulations to Manohar Joshi on his election to the prestigious office of the Speaker of Lok Sabha of India. In a message Speaker Ranabhat has expressed confidence that under Joshi’s able leadership, Lok Sabha will be able to play a more significant role in addressing the issues of urgent importance concerning India and her people.

TU results

KATHMANDU, May 15 (RSS) - Tribhuvan University has today published the results of the first and second year examinations of the two-year B.Com. examinations held under the Faculty of Management in the months of Poush and Magh last year.

Telecommunications Day

KATHMANDU, May 15 (RSS) - Nepal Telecommunications Corporation is to offer a discount of fifty percent on international trunk calls on May 17 which is observed as World Telecommunications Day every year and also provide free internet services in Biratnagar.

A statement published by the Ministry of Information and Communications here today states that an 11-member committee has been constituted with Joint Secretary at the Ministry Hari Prasad Nepal as convenor to observe the day by organising various programmes.

Gen. Padmanabhan expresses sadness over violence

Post Report

POKHARA, May 15 : The Chief of Army Staff of India, General S Padmanabhan, today said that India was sad over the growing Maoist terror in Nepal. He also urged all Nepalis to extend their supports to the government in fight against terrorism.

Gen. Padmanabhan made this remark while addressing a gathering of the ex-Gorkha-Indian servicemen at Indian Pension Camp here. Currently, Gen. Padmanabhan is on a four-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart, Chief of Army Staff General Prajwalla SJB Rana.

"We are very sad over the Maoist insurgency in Nepal. Present situation of Nepal is very bleak," he said, "But don’t get panicky, the situation will improve soon." He also urged the ex-Gorkha-Indian servicemen to extend their support to the government in order to bring the rebel Maoists back to the right direction.

"I want you (ex-Gorkha-Indian servicemen) to stand as a "missile" for the protection of your villages and cities," he said, adding that all the former Gorkha-Indian servicemen should be ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their motherland, if need be.

General Padmanabhan also announced that the Indian government was preparing to open another Indian Pension Camp in Butwal for the convenience of the ex-Gorkha-Indian servicemen. According to statistics, there are more than 60,000 Indian pensioners in 16 districts of the western region.

On the occasion, Captain Buddhibal Gurung, an ex-Gorkha-Indian serviceman, presented a gift to the visiting Indian Chief of Army Staff on behalf of all the Indian servicemen. Earlier today, Gen. Padmanabhan offered prayer to the famous Muktinath Temple in Mustang. He returned to the capital on Wednesday.

Urban women smokers on the rise

By Tashi Dolma Thinley

KATHMANDU, May 14 : Twenty-four-year-old Shivani and her friends frequent a coffee shop in downtown Thamel, where they often sip coffee with some yummy pizza or some other snacks. But whatever food or drinks they take, they don’t miss some sleek white cigarettes.

This, the fashionable advertising professional says, does not only helps look her "more attractive, glamorous" but also "boosts up" her "confidence". "Smoking is fun, makes us feel liberated and look attractive," the tall lady says as she lights another cigarette, third in a row. Adds her company, who is sitting next to her, "I like to smoke. If boys can smoke why can’t we? But we will stop when time comes."

The case of the two Kathmandu girls is just the tip of the iceberg. With the effects of globalisation becoming ever more visible in the capital at the dawn of the new millennium, more and more young girls in the capital - and other cities - are getting hooked to smoking. The story of them getting hooked to other lethal drug is a different story altogether.

This adds up to the already-alarming smoking trend among Nepal’s rural women and men, the latter being the impoverished country’s "number one smokers", say experts. Thirty per cent of Nepal’s rural women and 18 per cent of urban women smoke to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) study.

Now consider this: the WHO report shows that 18 per cent of urban women in the country are smokers. But in 1980, the percentage stood at 14.2 per cent. The smoking prevalence among men currently stands at 48.4, while that among women stands at 28.7. Thirty-nine per cent of smokers belong to the age group of 15 and above, which is highest in South Asia.

And the findings of a recent research make matters even worse. During the course of an ongoing survey among school students from 100 schools, 60 per cent of the respondents, between age 13 and 15 year, feel that boys and girls who smoke have more friends, and that they look more attractive.

"The trend is horrifying, and what is more worrying is the fact that our urban youngsters consider smokers as cool," says Hom Lal Shrestha, Research Co-ordinator at the Janak Memorial Service Centre, which conducted the survey. "With such being the general attitude among our adolescents, the number of women smokers is simply shooting up."

What could be pushing factor? Obviously the western movies and western channels that promote western trends and values, say experts. "A separate study has to be done to gauge the severity of the problem and measures need to be taken before it will be too late," suggests Shrestha.

Dr Yagna Bahadur Karki, Demographer at WHO says, "The number of female smokers is definitely rising due to migration and the changing trends."

The Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2001, which was released last month, says that education is negatively associated with smoking. According to the survey, one in every four out of 8,726 women aged 15-49 smoked cigarettes - 40 per cent of them were educated.

Nepal’s per capital consumption of cigarettes stood at 626 in 2001, while the same in 1990-1992 stood at 580, according to the WHO.