Enforcement of laws vital to end caste discrimination

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : Politicians, constitutional experts and Dalit leaders underlined the need for an effective enforcement of laws to prohibit any form of discrimination against the Dalit communities. The view surfaced at a programme organised to mark the 41st Muluki Ain (Civil Code) Day today.

"Making a new act is not enough for social transformation unless it is implemented well", said Speaker Tara Nath Ranabhat, at an interaction programme organised by the people’s committees. He said," The implementation of social reforms should start from those who claim to be on the top of social hierarchy."

Meanwhile, speaking at a separate programme organised to mark the Movement of Lawyers), former chief justice Bishow Nath Upadhyay said the law cannot be implemented by itself hence the state should take initiative in this regard.

"The state should develop such a mechanism that it can intervene when there is a case of discrimination," he said.

Laxman Aryal, former judge at the Supreme Court said though the national and the international law regard untouchability as a criminal act, the case is still prevalent in our society. "The immediate need thus is a change in the attitude of the people," he said.

Man Bahadur Bishowkarma, former Member of Parliament said the law has not yet been implemented. "First there was the question of equity then the question of protection of right and now it is time for the implementation of the law," he said.

Earlier in the programme, Kantipur Publications was honoured for its efforts towards the elimination of untouchability. Similarly, Man Bahadur Bishowkarma was also felicitated for his role in bringing the untouchability Elimination Part 10 (A) of the Muluki Ain in the notice of the judiciary.

Bishowkarma had filed a writ at the Supreme Court against Part 10(A) of the Muluki Ain, which was declared ‘Ultra Virus’ by the apex body.

Likewise, a book on the verdict of the Dhading district court on the issue of untouchability was also made public jointly by Upadhyay and Aryal. The book is written and edited by Ratna Bahadur Bagchand.

Similarly, in yet another programme organised by LLM Students Forum, Krishna Jung Rayamajhi, former justice of the Supreme Court, underlined the need for the implementation and translation of the commitments in the international forums into practice.

"The content of the Muluki Ain, should be rewritten in commoners’ language and should be made available to all," remarked advocate Yagya Murti Banjare.

Other speakers were of the opinion that amendment be introduced in the Muluki Ain to end discriminations against the Dalits in the country.

Krishna Janmastami celebration programme

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KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : Hindu Vidhyapith Nepal organised a celebration programme to mark the auspicious occasion of Krishna Janmastami here today.

All Hindus celebrate the occasion of Krishna Janmastami on the lunar fortnight of Bhadra, showing the greatest enjoyment and faith towards Lord Krishna who is considered to be the symbol of love, peace and respect.

Swami Dr Prapannacharya and numerous devotees attended the programme paying great homage to Lord Krishna.

Noted preacher Ajit Prasad Gautam said peace would not dwell in our heart untill we wish good of others.

Hindu preachers Ajit Prasad Gautam and Atul Prasad Gautam recited the script from the ‘Bhagwad Gita’ and sang hymn illustrating the life history of Lord Krishna.

Teachers’ results out

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : The Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) today published the results of the western development region.

It published the results of the two districts in the western region in the third phase today. The districts include Gorkha and Lamjung. In the first and second phase, the TSC completed the results of the far-west and mid-west region. Results were published for lower secondary and secondary level teachers, according to a source at the TSC.

Daring daylight robbery with three rounds of fire

BY JITENDRA SHA

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : A gang of robbers today fired rounds during a daring daylight robbery at a garment factory in the adjoining Lalitpur district today. The police are yet to arrest the culprits who made good with over 700 thousand rupees.

The robbers also injured the accountant, one Sanjiv Shakya, of the Exclusive Fabric Industry Pvt Ltd at Bakhundole when he was returning with cash collected from a bank in Thamel. The robbery occurred at around 1 p.m. today, the police said.

According to the police, four men in two motorcycles chased the red Maruti van from the Bakhundole crossing and just when the car entered the gate of the factory, the robbers fired three rounds. According to guard Kanchha Lama, two of them pointed pistol at his temple and forced him to stay at the gate while the two others went after Shakya.

The car hit the office wall in order to escape the fire. Then, Lama added, Shakya was injured in his neck when the robbers used khukuri to break open the window of the car. The accountant was taken to Patan Hospital for treatment where he is said to be out of danger.

One of the motorcycle’s number is Ba 2 Pa 5169 but other’s was hidden, the police said.

Minister Shukla in Beijing

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sarbendranath Shukla reached Beijing on Sunday in connection with a five-day visit of China at the invitation of the Minister for Civil Aviation of the People’s Republic of China.

Minister Shukla was welcomed at the Beijing airport by director general of the Department of International Affairs of China Wang Ronghuwa.

Royal Nepalese Ambassador Narendra Raj Pandey was also present on the occasion.

During the visit, the six-member Nepali delegation led by Minister Shukla is to hold consultations with Chinese Tourism, Aviation officials and sign an air service agreement, it is learnt.

Street drama to mark Queen Mother’s birthday

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KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : "You naughty boy! Leave him. Don’t beat." These were the expressions of an elderly woman watching a drama performed by the children of the Bal Mandir at the Pashupati Bridhashram premises.She had taken the drama for real

Away from the bustling city, she failed to differenciate between acting and reality.

The cultural performance was so effective and lively that all elderly people seemed to be lost in the make-believe world.

Around hundred dwellers of the Ashram enjoyed the programme organised by the 31st National Children’s Day Celebration Committee. The street drama was performed to mark the 76th auspicious birthday of Her Majesty Queen Mother and the ’31st National Children’s Day’ here today.

Physically-challenged children from the Environmental Education Centre and children from the Bal Mandhir also enjoyed the programme .

During the cultural show children performed six dances, two dramas and four songs.

Singha Asta fair begins in Godavari

RSS

LALITPUR, Aug 18 : The ‘Singha Asta Fair-2003,’ which is observed in every 12 years at Godavari, the historical and tourist destination, kicked off from today.

Member of Rajparishad Standing Committee Dr Swami Prapannacharya inaugurated the fair by performing worship and distributing sacred water of the Godavari Pond amid a function organised by the 12-year Singh Asta Fair Management Committee.

Dr Prapannacharya released a book ‘a Precise Introduction of Godavari’ on the occasion. The fair, which is often started four hours before the sunrise, was inaugurated at 6:30 AM this year.

According to the committee chairman Shyam Krishna Silwal, about 1.2 million devotees have been expected to visit the fair this time and an amount of Rs 700,000 will be raised.

‘200 plus security personnel and volunteers have been deployed for maintaining the security and 160 shops and stalls have been kept in order to avail necessary materials to the devotees,’ he said.

According to mythical legends, Ganga Mata had appeared in the Godavari Kunda (pond) being pleased to see the penance and devotion of Swami Bahadur Puri and a saint from India’s southern Godavari, who together used to have sacred bath in the pond, and since then a 12-year fair started at the spot.

In the fifth century BC, Lichchhavi King Viswo Dev recognised the fair as national pilgrimage, it is mentioned in the history. ‘Big fair is observed every 12 years in Godavari of India too and it’s believed that all the sins are purged if sacred bath were taken in the Godavari Pond,’ says an Indian devotee Narayan Kumari.

CWIN to observe Children’s Day

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 (PR) - Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Centre (CWIN) is organising various programmes to celebrate the 39th National Children’s Day, which falls on August 21, a press statement issued here by CWIN said. According to the press statement, the programmes would be organised in collaboration with various child-related organisations. Programmes include: games and sports, art, music, poetry competition among children clubs and children homes. Similar programmes will also be organised in Rukum, Rolpa and Salyan, according to the statement.

Free health clinic organised

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 (PR) - Leo Club of Kathmandu, Bagmati and Nar Narayan Baba Ashram of Matatirtha, Gurjudhara jointly organised a one-day free health clinic on Saturday. According to a press release received from the club today, twenty medical professionals- doctors and health assistants of pediatrics, ENT, general medicine, cardiac, gynecology and ophthalmology volunteered their services to 1,600 locals. The patients were also distributed with free medicines. A total of 69 pints of blood was collected from a number of donors on the occasion.

Electronic goods show to be held

KATHMANDU, Aug 18 (RSS) - Kathmandu Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. and Himalayan Trade Promotion Centre Pvt. Ltd. are jointly organised a grand exhibition of electronic goods on the occasion of Bada Dashain Festival in Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Post is presenting the exhibition named "Electric Expo-2003" to be held from September 25 to 29. It is said to be the first of its kind to be held in Nepal. The exhibition will feature television, electric stove, computer micro chips, video game, electric wires, printers, photocopy, communication sets and cooking machines, said the organisers.

Eight Maoists killed in Kailali

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KATHMANDU, Aug 18 : A Maoist source said that government security forces killed their eight militias, including five commanders of the western division headquarters, in Masuriya Village Development Committee of Kailali on August 11.

The Defence Ministry, however, had confirmed the deaths of only five Maoists during an "encounter". The Maoist source said the security forces rounded up a Maoist squad and shot them dead when they were changing their shelters.

Meanwhile, a report from Dadeldhura states that the Maoist rebels imposed a ban on vehicular movement in Darchula and Bajhang districts after the security forces arrested 12 Maoist cadres along with arms three days ago.

"The rebels have forced all the vehicles to retreat from the districts," said Dev Bahadur Malla, a local businessman, who arrived here from Bajhang. A Maoist notice pasted at Shribhavar read that they would take action against those who violate their order. A regional administrator in Dipayel, Doti said that only eight Maoists were arrested for carrying guns during a mass meeting.

Encephalitis claims three lives in Dang

Post Report

GHORAHI, Dang, Aug 18 : The intensity of encephalitis has already claimed three lives over a period of one week. According to the information provided by the public health inspector at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) of Lamahi, RD Shahi, a 35-year-old Jhagani Chaudhary of Shregaon in Sonpur VDC succumbed to this malady just today morning.

It is learnt that within this week, three encephalitis patients died, which included two at the PHC of Lamahi including Jhagani, while one was reported from Mahendra Hospital of Ghorahi. Shahi also informed of a 3-year-old boy from Bangaon, Anil Kumar Chaudhary, who is in a serious condition, fighting this malady.

However, it is learnt that 20-year-old Shyam Kumar Chaudhary of Ranipapur in Sonpur has returned home after receiving necessary treatment.

Similarly, according to Dr. Surendralal Shrestha, of the four patients admitted to the hospital for encephalitis all were released after the treatment.

It is learnt that this malady is spreading fast and inflicting more people from the Tharu communities and that the outburst of epidemic cannot be denied.

Locals reel under food shortage in Kalikot

Post Report

MANMA, Kalikot, Aug 18 : The food store of the Food Corporation in the remote Kalikot district, which had a stock of 5,400 quintals of rice-grain from last year’s supply, has become empty from today. It is learnt that just 160 quintals of rice-grain remains in the store as of today morning, which will be completely used up by evening after supplying to only some of the consumers.

It is learnt that those locals who had been displaced by the fear and atrocities of Maoists from their villages and who have been living in the district headquarters are the ones who will suffer the most by the shortage of the rice. They are worried this year too, they will have to survive on nettle leaves and Niguro (a type of spinach) like they did the year before due to similar food shortage experienced in this district.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, the head at the Food Corporation branch of Kalikot, Jeebnath Kadel, said that they have food in their granary to last upto a day only. He further added that they have no information as to when additional supplies will be reaching their place. However, he informed of some rice-grain being dispatched to them tomorrow from Surkhet to manage the crisis situation for some days.

Since today was the Sankranti day (feasting day), an unusually extra crowd had thronged at the corporation storehouse to procure rice-grain, while the corporation has decided not to give more than 10 kgs per family.

Lal Bahadur Bum, a local from Dhaulagoha, who had covered a distance of 21 miles to Manma just to obtain rice for his family, seemed annoyed by this decision as he has to feed a huge family of 13 members.

Similarly, distressed Padam Nepali of Manma-4, whose family consists of 12 members, said that a famine has set in for him and his family, and he does not know how to sustain his family with just the 10 kgs of rice distributed by the corporation. All this while Nepali had been engaged with firewood selling business buy rice for his family and sustain them.

Sunsara Shahi, who had been living in the district headquarters after getting displaced from her village Nani, says that they have no hope of getting rice at the district headquarters, and that they cannot go back to their village because of the fear of the Maoists. However, according to the view expressed by the head at the District Police Office here, he is optimistic of the rice grains reaching the district soon as the weather conditions improve.

VDC offices ‘fail’ to follow directives

Post Report

PARBAT, Aug 18 : Directives have been given that five percent of the total budget allocated to the Village Development Committees (VDCs) should be invested in the health sector of all VDCs. Yet most of the VDCs in Prabat district have not been able to avail much of the health facilities that the locals are entitled.

According to the information provided by the District Health Office, due the non-allocation of funds these health centres have been facing financial crunch. As a result they have not have not been able to make any progress in the development of the physical infrastructures of these health centres and posts. This has also affected various health-related programmes, and the quality of health services in the district.

As per the directives set by the government in 1995, the provision of yearly sum of Rs. 25,000, which must compulsorily be provided to health centres at the districts and villages.

According to Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel, the head of the District Health Office, so far the VDC offices have not availed out this sum meant for the locals living around this region.

Druk Govt expels citizens of Nepali origin

By Lila Baral

BIRTAMOD, Aug 18 : While the repatriation process of the Bhutanese refugees seems to be underway, the Druk government officials have intensified their acts in banishing more of its Nepali origin citizens .

As to the latest reports, Sonam Dawa, the Jongda or the Chief of Sarwang district has issued verbal orders to two Nepalese families to leave the district within a month, according to Sasabi Subba, the Chairman of Bhutanese Refugee Repatriation Committee (BRRC).

Dawa ordered a Magar and a Ghale family to leave the country branding them as ‘Non-national People’ as they could not furnish a document on time which stated that they had been living in Bhutan before 1958, informed Subba quoting the victims.

It is also reported that the Druk government has been tormenting its nationals of Nepalese origin in various ways thereby forcing them to leave the country. Such Bhutanese nationals are found loitering
in Assam area and boarder
area of India leading a harsh life.

Meanwhile, a team of refugee women in Khudunbari camp expressing dissent on the latest verification results have left for Kathmandu, the capital city today to plead the government heads to correct the mistake committed by the Joint Verification Team (JVT). Garima Adhikari heads the 11-member team.

Concerns raised over reserve privatisation policy

Post Report

SAPTARI, Aug 18 : Issuing a press release today, Local Level Advisory and Co-ordination Committee (LLACC), Saptari for the Koshi Tappu Wild Life Reserve, stated that the news concerning the government policy to privatise national parks and wild-life reserves in the country has drawn its attention.

The government’s steps are against the interest of the reserves and parks as well as of the people affected, according to release. The release further states that the people affected by the reserve have not been compensated as of yet and that handing over of the reserve to the private bodies shall have an adverse impact on those people who are in the process of generating income from creative works in the reserve. Handing over of the reserve to private bodies would also have dire consequences to the wild buffaloes, an endangered species as stated by LLACC.

Textbooks distributed

RSS

DHANGADI, Aug 18 : Janak Educational Materials Centre, Bhaktapur has distributed textbooks worth Rs 12.9 million free of cost to the students of far-eastern region in the current academic session with a view to accessing textbooks to the students of outreach parts in time.

The sole producer and distributor of textbooks of government schools from grade 1 to 10, the centre also sold a total of 542,170 textbooks worth Rs 19.2 in the region during the current academic session.

The centre has started distributing the textbooks of English for grade 1 as the government has made English compulsory in the primary level from the current academic session.

Aiming at accessing the textbooks and teaching materials to the students of far and mid eastern regions in time and making the distribution effective, the centre has started works for the establishment of branch office at Khajura of Banke district, where textbooks necessary for the regions are printed, it was informed at a press conference held by the centre at Dhangadi.

The centre is to distribute exercise books and other educational materials worth Rs 200,000 to the students of poor and backward families of Bajhang, Darchula and Bajura districts on the occasion of its anniversary.

Manager of the centre, Ramesh Nath Joshi speaking on the occasion said the centre is committed to carry out its duty and responsibility in effective manners.

Illegal trader arrested

SIRAHA, Aug 18 (RSS) - The Ilaka Police Office, Mirchiya, has arrested a businessman in possession with Indian cloth that had been smuggled into the country.

The cloth carried in six huge sacks worth Rs 210,000 were found by the mobile police team that carried out a check in the bus that the businessman was travelling in Katari Chowk. The cloth was in excess of the bill that Mujjafar Khan showed to police. As a result Khan and the cloth were handed over to the Khaireto Customs Office, police said.

ADB computer room gutted

Post Report

SARLAHI, Aug 18 : A fire that broke out under mysterious circumstances at the Agriculture Development Bank, branch office in Malangawa yesterday night has destroyed its computer room. However, the important documents are safe, according to concerned sources.

The helper and the gatekeeper at the office knew of the incident only this morning, according to Rajendra Bhandari, the bank manager. Bhandari stated that a thief, who intended to enter the bank must have set the bank entrance on fire, which lit the entire computer room.

However, the computer was found safe at the top of the building. The helper and guard of the bank are in police custody for further investigation. Since the computer was not missing, the incident might be something beyond a theft, according to police sources.

Health centre fails to provide services

PARABAT, Aug 18 (PR) - Even after over a decade of its establishment, Thulo Pokhari Primary Health Centre (TPPHC) in Parbat district is unable to impart effective service due to the lack of required machinery and manpower. To the anxiety of locals, TPPHC is functioning just as a sub-health post, said sources. It was in 1995 that Thulo Pokhari Sub-health post was converted into a health centre. However, except for the name, there have been no substantial changes in TPPHC services, according to Hem Sharma Subedi of Thulo Pokhari area.

While the TPPHC has vacancy for 13 personnel, only five people are employed in this centre. The workload with TPPHC has increased but it suffers from manpower crunch, according to Rajan Poudel, the health assistant at the TPPHC.

For not having its own building, TPPHC is lodged in the library block of local Janata Sudarshan Multiple Campus.

"Inadequate budget, manpower and machinery all have hindered TPPHC in imparting effective services," said Dr. Krishna Poudel, the chief at the centre.

Mysterious object lands in Jhapa

Post Report

JHAPA, Aug 18 : A mysterious object landed at the yard of a villager in Garamani-8 of Jhapa district this evening. The flat object landed with a huge explosion crushing the ground to one -feet depth. The object weighs seven to eight kilograms, according to Haricharan Shivakoti, the house owner.

Department of Meteorology New Delhi and 003 are inscribed in the machine that carried balloons, according to Shivakoti. The object is now in the possession of police.

Kidney patient struggling for life

POKHARA, Aug 18 (RSS) - Chhyam Bahadur Gurung, a 21-year-old resident of Pipalthok in Firfire VDC of Tanahun district is fighting to stay alive due to financial problems after both his kidneys failed. Gurung, who does not have any property nor any source of income, lost his job in India as a result of the ailment. Presently, he is going from home to home in search for assistance for the around Rs. 800,000 required for kidney transplant. However, Gurung has not yet received any donor so far. Since the past three months, with assistance provided by some well-wishers, Gurung is undergoing dialysis worth Rs.2,500 every week. Doctors have advised him to undergo regular dialysis after his body began swelling as a result of the kidney failure.

600 benefit from literacy class

SOLUKHUMBU, Aug 18 (PR) - Six-month basic adult literacy classes run in some of the VDCs of remote Solukhumbu district concluded recently. The programme was conducted by Young Star Club, an NGO in Solukhumbu district in association with DIALOGOS, an INGO. Some 8,000 people from Kerung, Gora and Tapting VDCs in south Solukhumbu benefited from the training, according to Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, the chairman of the club. Other programmes such as education, awareness raising and income generating programmes should be organised, expressed Shrestha.

Rapist arrested

SARLAHI, Aug 18 (RSS) - Yadav Prasad Poudel of Jabdi-8 in Sarlahi district was arrested by the local people on the charge of raping a ten-year-old girl and handed over to police. Known as Kamal, Poudel raped the girl of Bhaktipur-2 on Friday night when she was alone in her house, police said.

Oratory contest held

UDAYAPUR, Aug 18 (RSS) - The district-wide speech contest on the topic ‘Role of youths in development’ organised on the occasion of International Youth Day by Women Rehabilitation Centre, Udayapur concluded recently. To receive the first, second, third and consolation prizes in the competition were Gokul Thapa, Shiva Kumar Karki, Ramesh Chaudhari and Sarki Danuwar respectively. Representatives of 20 different youth groups of the district had participated in the contest.

Livestock development programme initiated

URLABARI, Aug 18 (RSS) - The integrated livestock development and breeding improvement programme has been initiated in different VDCs of Jhapa and Morang districts with a view to develop cattle rearing at professional level and develop livestock. The programme started under the auspices of Madan Memorial Foundation, Urlabari, was the first of this sort in the area, said the foundation chairman Guru Prasad Baral. Different free veterinary camps will be organized in different places of the districts along with the programme, he said.

Groups involved in land conservation up

PANCHTHAR, Aug 18 (RSS) - People of about 30 community development groups of Panchthar district have been involved in the task of land conservation. The local people have completed different land conservation works with the help of Rs 900,000 as grant from the government. About 6,801 people are said to have been benefited from the conservation works.

Community medical programme gains popularity

RSS

POKHARA, Aug 18 : As a result of the failure of the government-run health posts to provide essential health services in the rural parts of Kaski district, the "Community medical programme" run by the local residents is gaining popularity in the district.

Drugs provided in grants by His Majesty’s Government don’t last for more than two to three months but health services and drugs are now available round the year as a result of the programme that was initiated seven years ago with the objective of providing long-term health services to the rural people.

A committee has been constituted in every VDC to manage the programme that run through a fund established with the minimal registration fees paid by the patients and some amount provided every year from the rural self-reliance programme.

Under the programme, a total of Rs 6.246 million has already been deposited as of end of the previous fiscal year in 12 health posts, 34 sub-health posts and two primary health centres in the district, says chief of the District Public Health Office, Maiya Ranjitkar.

The community medical programme also run the integrated child health management programme taking into consideration the 45 per cent of infant mortality due to pneumonia. Under the programme, women volunteers in all the VDCs have been trained and provided necessary equipment to detect and treat cases of pneumonia.

Health workers involved in the sector and local people’s representatives who had initially declined to assist the programme have now started coming forward after the programme became successful, says Ranjitkar.

It took us a great deal of effort in order to run the programme in the past, adds Ranjitkar.

The trust of the programme purchases essential drugs for the rural patients and then provides it to them in a reasonable price, it is learnt.

The UNICEF Pokhara has been providing training on management and drugs distribution to the office-bearers of the management committee in all the VDCs, health post employees as well as the local people. This has also added to the success of the programme.

UNICEF had begun the programme on a trail basis in Morang, Kaski and Banke districts and following it success expanded it to Sunsari, Udayapur, Kavre, Chitwan, Parsa, Nawalparasi, Kailali and Dang districts. The programme will be launched in Tanahun and Kapilvastu districts this year.

The bodies concerned should discourage running of private clinics by health workers in the villages in order to provide cheap health services to the rural people and encourage local people towards development of the health centres, says outgoing DDC chairman, Punya Prasad Poudel.

The health centres are presently providing for free drugs for pneumonia, tuberculosis, leprosy, the jeevanjal, iron tablets and contraceptives received free of cost from various organisations.

The centre also provide regular service for various vaccines like BCG, DPT, polio, measles and tetanus.

Majority of the people coming to the centre are found suffering from pneumonia, diarrhoea and vommitting, dysentery, worms, fever and cough and cold. the required drugs are provided in low cost while the poor and helpless receive it for free.

Earlier, while receiving drugs from the government the centre used to function for around four months a year but after the running of the community medical programme we receive five to 10 patients everyday, says assistant health worker of Lahachowk Health Post, Nawaraj Adhikari.

Taking into consideration the important role that women volunteers have in the rural society to general health awareness, a trust has been established in every VDC of the interest and well-being of the women volunteers.

There are presently 860 women volunteers working in the district and the trust for them has already collected more than Rs 500,000 so far.