In search of identity: Perceptions on nationalism

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Aug 30 : With the aim of promoting dialogue bsetween professionals and youth, an interaction programme was organised in the capital today. The seminar was organised by Today’s Youth magazine in collaboration with the B.P. Koirala Nepal-India Friendship Foundation at the premises of Budhanilkantha School.

In the presence of print and visual media, distinguished professionals from the media, economics, music, sports, politics, medicine and interest organisations gave their opinion on the topic: In Search of National Identity.

Starting with Yubaraj Ghimire - Editor of The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur, the speakers who included Bipul Singh - official at Asian Development Bank, Sarita Giri - spokesperson of Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Shakti Gauchan - Captain of Nepali cricket team, Yadav Kharel - veteran film-maker, Santosh Sharma - MD of Music Nepal, Ganesh Gurung - ethnic rights activist, Rizwan Qaiser - a professor from India and Praveen Swami -Frontline magazine, each gave their thought-provoking opinions on what national identity is.

Ghimire questioned the tendency of the Kathmandu-based elite to perceive only those dressed in the daura-suruwal as being ‘patriotic’ and ‘nationalistic’. "Are not poor farmers who, for practical and financial reasons wear langautis not nationalistic?" he queried. He further drew attention to the fact that unless a wide cross-section of society participates in policy-making, the existing policies framed by a select few, will fail.

Activist Gurung challenged those who boast that ‘ours is the land of Buddha and Mt. Everest’. "Nepalese didn’t carry Mt. Everest from China to Nepal nor did Mayadevi come to Lumbini to give birth to Buddha wishing that it would benefit Nepal in the future," he said. He stressed that we should be proud of what we have done ourselves and not of what occurred in the course of nature and history.

Concerning Nepal’s imminent accession to the World Trade Organisation, University of Virginia-educated economist Bipul Singh said, "Being a member of the WTO will entail that competition for the domestic market from abroad will get fierce. Our industries are weak - we don’t have a single industry of international standard in terms of product quality. While the domestic market will be swamped with foreign products, I doubt if we can increase exports. It would be no understatement to say that Nepal’s accession will be a disaster. If that is the case, our fragile sense of national identity will be seriously jeopardised," he declared.

NSP’s Giri called upon the government to give equal citizenship and property rights to the deprived majority - women, who constitute 51 percent of the population but are treated as second class citizens. Only then, she added, would "the people get a sense of fair and balanced national identity."

The guest speakers from India - professor Qaiser and Swami of Frontline, were of the unanimous notion that national identity cannot be associated solely with any one religion, creed, ethnicity, gender or other such criteria. "In every country of the world, different kinds of people live and it becomes imperative to define national identity as a conglomeration of the diverse collective identities of people. If any one community impose their views on the unwilling others, then sectarian conflict such as that in Israel and India these days, will erupt," they surmised.

14th CIDAP council meet concludes

RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug 30 : The 14th governing council meeting of the Centre for Integrated Rural Development for the Asia Pacific (CIDAP) concluded in Indonesia recently.

Vice-chairman of National Planning Commission Dr Shanker Prasad Sharma who is also the vice-president of the centre chaired the meeting.

Nepal had been the president of the centre since 2002 and on the occasion Dr Sharma handed over the presidency to Indonesia. The meeting had been inaugurated by Indonesian president Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Representatives from all member countries of CIDAP including Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Afghanistan took part in the meeting.

At the meeting, leader of the Nepalese delegation Dr Sharma shed light on the progress and future planning of rural development in Nepal.

On the occasion, on recommendation of His Majesty’s Government and the selection committee Dr Durga Prasad Poudel of Nepal was appointed director general of the centre for a term of four years to be effective from July 6, 2004. The secretariat of the centre is based in Bangladesh.

Chepangs urged to maintain identity

POST REPORT

LALITPUR, Aug 30 : "Approximately, 50,000 rupees per head has been spent for Chepangs by different organisations but no significant change has been visible," said Dambar Bahadur Chepang at the 4th National Chepang Convention organised by the Nepal Chepang Association (NCA) here yesterday.

Lauding the present stand of NCA, which initially began by gathering labourers in Kathmandu, he stated, "Since there is a big gap between the organisations and Chepangs, the development is not possible unless we come forward."

‘It was disclosed at the programme that among 52,237 Chepangs 85 percent of them have no citizenship certificates and 95 percent do not own land.

Only 67 of Chepangs have passed the SLC examination till today and 15 have reached intermediate level and one is studying at Degree level.

"Schools should be opened in our own neighbourhood and villages not in headquarters to make it accessible to all the Chepangs," said president of NCA, Pahalman Chepang.

Revealing that 24 households of Chepangs were converted into Bankaria in Handigaun VDC of Makwanpur district, he said, "No one should make use of the deplorable condition of the Chepangs and make them convert their identity." He also urged all the Chepangs to maintain their identity by preserving their culture and religion.

At the programme, Dr. Ganesh Man Gurung expressed, "Chepangs should not be addressed as Praja (attendants)." He further commenced, "The title Praja has been given by the dominant groups to the minority Chepangs, and this type of domination should not be accepted."

Speakers, including Dr. Om Gurung, Em Bahadur Chepang, Sanjaya Rana stressed the need to avail the Chepangs with basic rights of citizenship, land ownership and education. They also shed light on the necessity of unity among the Chepangs and the need of their involvement at the decision-making level. On June 26, NCA had forwarded their 26-point demand, asking for basic needs of the Chepangs on June 26.

The two-day assembly, which is to end on August 30, also urged the Maoists to release four Chepangs who were kidnapped from Kankada of Makwanpur district.

Namuna School hosts Teej celebration

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Aug 30 : "Teejako rahara aayo bari lai, teejako rahara aayo bari lai" swaying to this song almost twenty sisters of Maiti Nepal, along with members of their hosts from Namuna Machhindra Boarding School celebrated the joyous Teej, festival today. The women from Maiti Nepal, were also presented with gifts by the organisers.

Hindu girls and women, decorated in their best, observe this ceremony, which falls on the third fortnight of Bhadra, with great enjoyment.

Speaking at the programme, Chintamani Yogi, Principal of Hindu Vidya Pith said, "Though the current situation of Nepal is crucial, women and girls should not be discouraged but should even increase their spirit in merry-making as dancing and singing on this day augurs well for coming good days in our country".

This auspicious day is regarded as the victory day of Parvati, the daughter of Himalaya who won Lord Shiva’s heart with her devotion on this very day.

Women and girls fast on this day in the name of Lord Shiva, as it is believed that God will provide good grace to all women who practise fast on this day. It is also believed that if an unmarried girl fast on this day will get husband she wish for.

TU bachelor’s degree exam begins today

KATHMANDU, Aug 30 (PR) - A total of 83,000 students are appearing in their Bachelor’s degree examination from Sunday, Tribhuvan University (TU) officials said here on Saturday.

The University today concluded that any political disturbances would have severe consequences on the future of thousands of students if their exams were disrupted or postponed.

Seven student organisations affiliated to major political parties call on the students to join them in the September 4 ‘decisive’ struggle.

Student organisations have asked TU officials to postpone the exams so as to allow them to use colleges as their lodges during the agitation planned by their sister organisations in the capital.

"In no circumstances exams will be postponed. It will begin from tomorrow as scheduled," said Badri Prasad Shrestha, Controller of Examinations, TU.

"University exams are many times more important than the agitation," he said adding, "Any attempt at disrupting the exams would amount to injustice to students."

Agitating students affiliated to political parties on Friday obstructed some campuses to issue entrance cards to students. In some of the colleges including Shankar Dev and Tri-Chandra, students tried to obstruct the distribution of the exam entry cards.

CJ heads for Tokyo

KATHMANDU, Aug 30 (RSS) - Chief Justice Kedarnath Upadhyaya left for Tokyo, the capital of Japan, to attend the 10th conference of the chief justices of the Asia and the Pacific Region.

The conference will be held from August 31 to September 5. The objectives of the conference, which will be attended by the chief justices of the Asia and the Pacific Region, is to maintain understanding between the judiciary of the Asia and the Pacific Region and develop the judiciary system of the region.

It is expected that the conference will help for the institutional development and reform in the judiciary system of Nepal. Nepal has been participating in the conference since the first conference held in Penang of Malaysia in 1985.

The chief justice is scheduled to return on September 7.

Return of personal arms demanded

Post Report

RAUTAHAT, Aug 30 : Around three dozen persons, including outgoing VDC officials and ex-public representatives in Rautahat district yesterday, citing security reasons demanded that their licensed weapons be returned by the District Police Office (DPO).

After Maoist cadres had forcibly taken away licensed arms from ex-public representatives, police had collected the arms from remaining others in the past. A majority of the representatives are supporters of Nepali Congress Party.

Those making requests at the DPO had been staying in Gaur, the district headquarters for the past three to four years without venturing to return to their respective areas even during the truce period.

"There had been a two-hour discussion among the ex-public representatives, Chief District Officer (CDO), representatives from army and police on the issue", said a police source adding that public representatives had raised the issue stating that their arms were now invaluable for their personal safety following violation of the truce by the rebels.

However, no decision has yet been reached on the issue, said the police source confirming that DPO has in its possession licensed guns of some three dozen ex-public representatives.

"We had been demanding the return of our weapons since a long time ago.

Since the Maoists are vindictive towards political activists and have resumed a killing spree once again, keeping a weapon has become a must for personal safety," said an ex-VDC Chairman taking refuge in Gaur.

Maoists have killed three public representatives and raided houses of many during the past.

Police restrict rice supply in Maoist-controlled VDCs

PANCHTHAR, Aug 30 (PR) - District Police Office (DPO) of Panchthar district has directed merchants in Fidim, the district headquarters, not to sell rice exceeding 10 kg. per head to the people of certain VDCs. DPO has also ruled that a villager needs to acquire recommendation first prior to purchasing rice.

Security force considers remote Prangbung, Sidin, Lungrupa, Nagin and Ramang VDCs to be Maoist strongholds. Maoists are said to have established their so-called Jana Sarkar or ‘Public Government’ in these areas under their ‘Hewan Khola Public Government Region’. Security forces believe that Maoists have been carrying huge amount of grain to the area. Daily around 20 quintals of rice would be carried to the VDCs, according to Mitra Kafle, the Chairman of Panchthar Chambers of Commerce.

Locals fed up with Maoists’ extortion drive

Post Report

BIRATNAGAR, Aug 30 : Residents in the rural areas of Morang district are being harassed due to Maoist extortion drive. At the time when Dashain, the greatest Hindu festival, is approaching near, they are forced to hand over whatever money they have to the Maoists, according to victims.

For more than a week, Maoists have ordered people to make donations with amounts ranging from Rs. 5,000 to 25,000. They have warned of dire consequences in case people fail to comply with the order, according to victims.

Economically backward people are to donate Rs. 5,000 while farmers possessing land and political activists of other parties are to donate amount ranging from Rs. 10,000 to 25,000, according to sources.

A person running a tea-stall in Katahadi VDC-9, requesting anonymity said that he would borrow Rs. 1,000 from a moneylender to fulfil the Maoists’ demand.

"It is always hard to manage my family of five members with a meagre income. At a time when I was wondering how to celebrate the coming Dashain festival, the Maoists added one more burden," lamented the victim. Shopkeepers, ordinary people and teachers alike are now terrorised by the Maoist extortion drive.

Maoists have demanded salary of each Saturday and the Dashain allowance from the teachers of government schools in the district. "We had been handing over our salary of every Saturday to the Maoists. However, their new demand for our Dashain allowance has stunned us," lamented a teacher. "How are we to celebrate the festival if we are to be deprived of the Dashain allowance?"

Probe team starts work

SIRAHA, Aug 30 (PR)- A team formed to probe the death of two police personnel in Zero Mile Square of Dhangadi VDC in Siraha district has started investigation. Led by Udayaraj Upadhyaya, associated with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the team questioned local human rights activists, journalists, intellectuals and locals regarding the case.

Upadhyaya said that the team already inspected the site of the incident yesterday. Of the 29 questioned on the case, a majority of them have alleged that one of the police personnel harassed ordinary people, according to Upadhyaya. There have been no responses from the Maoists regarding the case.

Drinking water scarcity in Damak

Post Report

DAMAK, Aug 30 : The government had planned to provide pure drinking water to 16,000 residents of Damak, with a provision to expand its capacity as required. It had handed over this project to the Consumers Committee in 1994 after the completion of preliminary works.

However, most residents of Damak have been deprived of pure drinking water as the committee could not increase its water supply. The project was initially set to provide drinking water to 16,000 consumers around this region, but the population had increased to 18,000 by 2002 before the project was completed, thus leading to shortage of drinking water in many parts of Damak.

It is learnt that taps have been installed only in seven of the 19 wards, with total number of taps distributed by this project standing at 1960. The population of Damak has been estimated to be 65,000.

The consumers committee, since last year has been requesting the government to expand the capacity of this water project to meet the demand of increasing number of people here, informed the committee at a press meeting organised here yesterday.

The government reiterating its inability to extend this project by itself, and as per its suggestion to seek grant and financial assistance of Asian Development Bank (ADB), the committee had sent letters to Drinking Water and Sewage Department, Small Urban Drinking Water and Sanitation Committee last year.

According to the loan provision of the ADB to fund this project, 30 percent of the allocated budget was the liability of the Municipality Development Fund, 20 percent was to be borne by the Consumers Committee, while the government was requested to fulfill the remaining 50 percent.

According to the initial estimates of the committee, the additional work on this project would cost them about Rs. 30 million.

After complying to bear the 20 percent of the total additional cost, the committee had presented the request letter to the concerned government body. It is learnt that 20,000 consumers have already given their application for the installation of new taps, informs the committee.

Viral encephalitis flares up

Post Report

BIRATNAGAR, Aug 30 : Two more patients, undergoing treatment for encephalitis at the Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar died yesterday, taking the toll from the disease to seven.

Five people have died from June to the second week of August, according to the statistical branch of this hospital. This year 40 encephalitis cases were treated at the zonal hospital, of which 25 returned home after necessary treatment while eight patients are undergoing treatment.

According to information provided by the hospital, socially and economically backward people living in the rural areas were mostly found to be suffering. Last year 17 encephalitis patients had died at this hospital while under treatment.

Meanwhile, a report from RSS adds, the number of people falling victim to viral encephalitis in Dang has reached 11.

According to the Mahendra Hospital, Dang, 11-year-old Siru Budhathoki of ward No-6 in Laxmipur Village Development Committee became the eleventh victim of the epidemic that has spread out here following heavy rainfall.

The number of people suffering from the disease and coming to the hospital for treatment has been on the rise since the past week. Presently 28 persons including 23 in Mahendra Hospital and five in primary health centres are undergoing treatment. Around 60 persons had succumbed to the disease in the district last year. Small children and elderly are said to be the most affected by the disease and people come to hospital for treatment only at the last stage, say doctors. Mosquitoes laying eggs in pigs, duck and poultry farm are responsible of transmitting the disease.

Illiteracy and poverty is said to be the main reason for the disease to spreading out in rural parts of the district.

Eastern Palpa reels under food crisis

PALPA, Aug 30 (PR) - For the past two weeks vehicular movement on the 65-km long Tansen-Rampur road has come to a standstill, causing food crisis in eastern Palpa.

Triggered by landslides, the gravel road at Saphed-pahad has sunk about 10 metres causing vehicular movement from Tansen to Rampur through Aryabhanjyang on the Siddhartha Highway being disrupted. However, it is learnt that debris from the bigger landslide at Belauti Ghari in Birkot VDC has been cleared, and this too expected to be cleared out within a week.

This road disruption is learnt to have disconnected about 15 VDCs in eastern Palpa from the district headquarters, which has led to the food crisis in these VDCs. Food is being ferried on ponies as well as being carried by porters to ameliorate the crisis. However, the situation has been further aggravated with very high prices of the commodities, which is quite beyond the means of the general populace.The absence of vehicles along this route has forced hundreds of people going in and out of eastern Palpa to walk through the rubble to reach their destinations. Ekraj Aryal of Khaliban VDC says that since he has an important assignment at the district headquarters he has no choice but to start his journey at four in the morning to reach his destination in time.

However, according to Lekhnath Pokhrel, the chairman of Aryabhanjyang-Rampur road, the road will reopen within this week.

Typhoid claims 1

GAIGHAT, Aug 30 (PR) - The spread of typhoid in Triyuga municipality since a week has claimed life of a 14 year-old Sunder Chaudhary, son of Hari Chaudhary of Bisanpur village.

According to sources at the District Hospital at Ghaighat, the boy died today morning while undergoing treatment.

Health workers at the district headquarters say that everyday about 10 to 15 typhoid- affected patients have been visiting the hospital and private clinics in the district headquarters.

According to Dr. Bidhan Chandra Jha, contaminated food and polluted drinking water are the main reasons for the spread of the disease.

The intensity of this disease is reported to be greater at the Asari, Bisanpur and Gaighat-Lakshmipur region.

Conducive environment vital for lasting peace

RSS

NEPALGUNJ, Aug 30 : A conducive environment should be created for reinstatement of peace and humanitarian services and restarting the stalled development construction works in the mid-western development region which has been affected most by the armed conflict over the last eight years.

This was pointed out by participants of a regional workshop seminar on " Role of the stake-holders for peace and development" organised by the Informal Sector Services Centre (INSEC), Mid-western Development Region Office, here on Thursday.

The speakers at the programme underlined the need for resolving the basic problems of the people and forging an all-party consensus for gearing ahead the development process in the region.

Professor of political science at the Mahendra Multiple Campus, Nepalgunj, Dr. Janardan Acharya, presenting a theme paper on the occasion, stressed ending the situation of one Nepali killing a fellow Nepali.

He pointed out the need for implementing development programmes aimed at uplifting the socio-economic condition of the deprived classes and the backward regions in the country.

A situation has arisen in the country in which the government and the rebel sides have been compelled to increase their defence spending owing to the on-going conflict, he said, adding concrete programmes could be formulated for the development of the deprived classes and backward regions if this spending was checked and diverted to social sector.

It is pointed out in the base paper presented by the INSEC regional office that mid-western development region has been plagued by the law and order problem, education and health-related problems, the problem of reconstructing the physical infrastructures, the problem of livelihood and decreasing production.

The seminar, organised with the objective of holding extensive discussions on development and rehabilitation topics, concluded urging all sides to be sensitive regarding establishing peace rather than development after the Maoists called off the cease-fire with the government.

On the occasion, Chief District Officer of Bardiya, Mathur Prasad Yadav, Superintendent of Police from Bardiya, Shyam Nepal and Local Development Officer, Yagya Prasad Bhattarai said establishment of lasting peace is the priority of the entire Nepalese people.

Similarly, Assistant Inspector General of Police for the mid-western development region, Him Bahadur Gurung, called on all the Nepalese to cooperate with the security personnel with equal responsibility.

Nepali Congress, Banke district president Krishna Man Shrestha, president of People’s Front Nepal, Banke district, IP Kharel, CPN-UML Banke district member, Ashok Koirala, Krishna Kharel of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Ananda Prasad Shrestha of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), central member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Poshan KC and president of the Appellate Court Bar Association, Dhruba Prasad Basyal also addressed the seminar.

The participants called on both the Maoists and the government to stick to the cease-fire and restart the talks in a more serious way. The programme was presided over by INSEC’s regional coordinator, Bhola Mahat.