Social Welfare down Community Service

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KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : Social Welfare Sports Club (SWSC) downed Community Service Society (CSS) 2-1 in the Kathmandu district Khukuri Gold Cup played at Sanogaucharan on Monday.

Rakesh Sapkota scored both the goals for the winning team. Sapkota first struck in the 32nd minute followed by another superb goal in the 75th minute. Dipesh Tuladhar pulled one back in the 87th minute for CSS. Bouddha Youth Club will meet Kalanki Youth Club on Tuesday.

In Bhaktapur, Active Youth Club defeated TT&PP Group 1-0. Shyam Bala netted a brilliant decisive goal in the 15th minute of match. Kamal Youth Group will meet Brighter Club, Sallaghari on Tuesday.

In Gaighat, Gaighat Youth Club entered the semifinals beating Unique Sports Club 1-0 in the quarterfinal. Deepak Rai scored the solitary goal for Gaighat Club in the second half.

In Lalitpur, Pulchowk Sports Club downed Gyan Club 2-0 on the back of goals scored by Pradip Shrestha and Mangal Maharjan. In the second match of the day, Kusingal Youth Club thrashed Bishnu Devi Youth Club 4-0 as Kusingal striker duo Niraj Neupane and Amar Deula fired two goals apiece.

In Sarlahi, Dovan Youth Club and Gauri Shankar Youth Club won their respective matches on Monday. A spotkick scored in the second half by Sanjiv Chaudhary helped Dovan beat Mahakali Youth Club. Likewise, Gauri Shankar downed Sagarmatha Youth Club 2-0 through the goals of Bikram Thapa and Ashok Thokar.

In Siraha, Bipin Karmacharya scored a hattrick to guide his team to a thumping 5-1 victory over Badaharamal Bastipur Team. Sarshwor Youth Club will play against Charpane Youth Club on Monday.

In Palpa, United Palpali Football Club ‘A’ demolished Chirtung Dhara Sports Development Committee 4-0 in the inaugural match on Tuesday. The ‘B’ outfit of the same club defeated Sixteen Brothers 3-1.

In Dhangadi, Sakriya Youth Club defeated Shanti Youth Club 4-1 and Tikapur Youth Club hammered Manakamana Youth Club 5-1 on Monday. Kadga Sawat and Tanka Sawat scored two goals apiece for Sakriya while Dhruba Karki, Prakash Baral, Subash Kafley, Tekendra Kunwar, and Ayodhya Chaudhary were the goal scorers for Tipkapur Youth Club.

In Bara, Janakalyan Youth Club entered the semifinals of the tournament beating Janajagriti Youth Club 3-1 on Monday. Likewise, in Mahottari, Singipaha Youth Club downed Lafa Youth Club 1-0. Binod Sardar headed home the decisive blow in the 16th minute. In Makwanpur, Janagajaran Club edged past Chaughada Sports Club 3-1.

Lalitpur extend winning streak

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KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : Lalitpur district scored a four-wicket victory over Nuwakot on Monday extending their winning streak in the Region No 3 Cricket Selection tournament.

Nuwakot won the toss and elected to bat first compiling reasonable total of 179 runs. In reply, Lalitpur made the target in 35.1 overs for the loss of six wickets to register three straight wins in the tournament.

Allrounder Purushottam Bista once again shone with the bat smashing 50 runs off just 50 balls. All the Lalitpur toporder-batsmen scored significant runs to achieve the target with five overs to spare. Santosh Shrestha (25) and Abhishek Shrestha (14) put on 48 runs for the first wicket followed by another useful partnership of 59 runs between Naresh Rana (19) and Bista. Abinash Nepal remained unbeaten at 35 runs.

Earlier despite the loss of two early wickets, Nagendra Bhattarai (39) and Anil Amatya (69) put on 58 runs for the third wicket to rescue the innings. Bhattarai belted four boundaries in his 49 balls innings while Amatya’s 69 runs came off 99 balls featuring six fours. Pramesh Gurung chipped in useful 25 runs off just 26 balls in the later part of the innings to help Nuwakot set a commanding total.

Lalitpur’s Bijay Joshi, Naresh Rana and Abinash Nepal claimed two wickets apiece while Pratik Pradhan and Praveen Shakya notched a wicket each. >From Nuwakot, allrounder Narendra Bhattarai shone with the ball claiming two wickets. Prataksha Panti, Pramesh Gurung and Rakesh Singh bagged a wicket each.

Lalitpur will face off Kathmandu in a crucial tie at the Tribhuvan University cricket ground while Bhaktapur takes on Tribhuvan University at local Tundikhel on Tuesday.

In Region No 1 match played in Biratnagar, Saptari downed Jhapa by 54 runs. Saptari scored 188 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 50 overs. Star batsman Dipendra Chaudhary scored 50 runs while Niroj Bhattarai (29) and Mehaboob Alam (21) contributed significantly.

Santosh Baral and Bharat Thapaliya picked up three wickets each for Jhapa. Lakpa Lama claimed a wicket. Jhapa were bundled out in 32.1 overs in 134 runs. Allrounder Baral scored 49 runs and Sunil Bista chipped in with 32 runs in Jhapa’s innings. Man of the match Ayush Shrestha of Spatari claimed four wickets while left arm quick Alam and Bhattarai bagged three wickets apiece.

Focus on Duchenne MD awareness

By Perina Pathak

KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : Sujan Pokharel, 13, looks like any other ordinary child, but physically he is different. He cannot play for long hours. He can read and write but cannot go to school. Sujan is suffering from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (MD) for the last seven years.

Duchenne MD is the most common genetic and progressive muscle wasting disease that affects one in 3,500 boys every year throughout the world.

Sujan was only five years old when his calves started to swell. "I started to get tired while playing and without any reason I used to fall unconscious while walking," said Sujan.

Sujan’s elder bother Suraj, who is also suffering from Duchenne MD for the last two years said, "I need help to stand up and to go to the toilet".

"Both Sujan and Suraj have left school," said their mother Nisha Pokhrel, adding, "The disease has made them incapable of studying and living like other children."

The Pokhrel family is one among many, who are forced to suffer, because of the lack of awareness and rehabilitation programme in Nepal. "After the birth of my first child if I was aware about the transformation process of the disease, I would have given birth only under medical counsel," said the sad mother.

Considering the need of awareness and rehabilitation programme, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, established and managed by the parents of affected children is organising a week-long awareness programme. The proposed ‘Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Week’ is being held for the first time in Nepal, from February 10 to 16.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the awareness programme, Anil Kumar Upadhyaya, chairman of the project said, "We want to generate awareness about the disease, which has no alternate treatment, as only through awareness cane we control the disease."

According to Dr. Rohit Pokharel, the disease mainly affects the boy child, which he inherits from his mother. "A boy gets muscular dystrophy when he inherits the X chromosome from the dystrophic gene of his mother. However, the Y chromosome, which he inherits from his father, does not contain the dystrophic gene."

"There is no known cure for DMD so the only way to control the disease is through identification and prevention of the disease," said Upadhyaya. "The disease progress slowly affecting all the voluntary muscles."

Experts say that in Nepal the survival rate of an affected patient is rarely beyond twenty years. Usually children who suffer from Duchenne MD lose the ability to walk, between the age of eight to twelve years. The child loses movement in the arms and upper body around the age of fourteen and, during the last stage the spine becomes curved and the patient dies of pneumonia or lung and heart complications.

"Only a few medicines have been developed to prolong the longevity of the patient," said Dr. Upadhyaya, adding, "but these medicines are very expensive for the average Nepali."

Confused with polio and epilepsy, the only way to get rid of the disease is through awareness. "If we succeed in creating an awareness of the disease and detect symptoms in proper time, then many can be spared from the pain," said Dr. J.P. Agrawal, consultant neuro-physician.

Along with identification and prevention, experts say that there is a need of rehabilitation centre for affected children. Supported with the slogan, ‘Your heart is a muscle too," the week-long Duchenne MD awareness programme is dedicated in advocating awareness about the disease.

Ex-soldier on fast-unto-death

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KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : As the government showed no response to the five-month long relay sit-ins by ex-army personnel at Bhadrakali, Amar Bahadur Thapa Magar, chairman of the Council of the National Independent Ex-Army of Nepal (CNIEAN) has begun a fast-unto-death sit-in protest beginning today.

The CNIEAN, an umbrella organisation of nearly two hundred thousand ex-army men, began relay sit-ins at Bhadrakali on September 23, while submitting thirteen demands to the government. The recent fast-unto-death decision was made after there was no response from the government.

"We even submitted an appeal to the king besides five memoranda to the Prime Minister since the outset of the sit-ins but received no response. We are finally forced to take this step," said the CNIEAN chairman.

The CNIEAN 13-point demand, includes fixing of salary and perks of security guards, respecting whatever skill ex-army personnel in the country possess and giving facilities to the widows of former soldiers, among others.

Magar also complained that the government has not provided security to them at the sit-in site despite frequent demands for security.

Maoists called to hand over abducted children

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KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : Sharad Sharma, a child right activist demanded that Maoists should hand over all the kidnapped students and children being used by them as the armed forces to the civil society or Human Rights Organisation before going for peace talks.

He was speaking at the programme organised by Children at Risk- Network Group CAR-NWG on the ‘Role of the Nation and NGOs toward the Child Victims of War’.

The seven-year-old ‘people’s war’ has displaced more than 4000 children and around 146 children have lost their lives in the course of insurgency, reveals the studies done by INSEC, CWIN and Child Soldiers Global Report.

The report presented by Tanka Pant also revealed that more than 2000 children have lost their parents and over 50,000 children have been forced to leave their schools.

It also disclosed that children fill in 30 percent of the total armed forces in the Maoist force.

Speaking on the occasion, Sharad Sharma, chairman of Bal Bikas Samaj said the new constitution should give special emphasis to the children and the government and NGOs should work together for the rehabilitation of all the child victims without distinguishing the reason for their being victims.

He emphasised on declaring educational institutions and other places occupied by children as the ‘Zone of Peace’.

Bhuwaneshwari Satyal chairman of CAR-NWG expressed her grief over the present state of the country and said children are suffering for the first time due to the problems created by humans.

Child Rights Watch Group formed

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KATHMANDU, Feb 10 : Non-governmental organisations working for the rights and welfare of children and women Monday announced the formation of Child Rights Watch Group-Nepal (CRWGN) to work jointly for the protection of the rights of children.

Six child-related NGOs namely, Maiti Nepal, Underprivileged Children Educational Programme (UCEP-Nepal), Nepal Children’s Organisation, Paropakar and Sahara Group today announced the formation of the group at a joint press meet held here in Bal Mandir, Nepal Children’s Organisation.

Govinda Adhikari, chairman of UCEP-Nepal told the journalists that the basic objective of forming the group was not only to lobby for the rights and privileges of children but also to strive for service delivery.

Alleging that the government had failed to provide priority to children-related programmes and claiming to bring decisive impact on the programmes related to the protection and welfare of children, he said the group would immediately visit the conflict-hit districts to study the actual situation of the children.

Reading out the declaration letter, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, president of Sahara Group said the group would ‘soon’ visit Jhapa, Sindhuli, Kavre, Gorkha, Banke, Dang and Kailali to find out the needs of the conflict-affected children.

Meanwhile, child right activists also launched a signature campaign for the creation of a permanent peace zone in the areas related to children and calling for the rehabilitation of children and women affected by the Maoist conflict.

28 people missing from Rukum

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RUKUM, Feb 10 : A total of 28 people, most of them civilians and cadres of political parties, have disappeared from this hill district in the mid-western region over the last seven years, according to a report prepared by human rights organisations and various political parties.

The report said that around 2,000 people were killed in the district by both sides – security forces and Maoists – over the last seven years. The report also claims that teachers and Nepali Congress cadres formed the highest groups targeted by the rebels.

A meeting of representatives of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress (Democratic), RPP and People’s Forum decided to raise the issue of missing people.

Human rights organisations in Nepal have urged for the public declaration on the status of missing persons before the government and the Maoists sit for a dialogue. Top Bahadur Khadka, a human rights activist, said that both sides should make public the names of missing people before the peace talks begin.

"Bereaved family members should also be given compensation," he said.

The report alleges that the largest number of civilians to have disappeared occurred three years ago when the Maoists abducted 12 people. These people are presumed to be dead or missing. The rebels in Chunabung VDC abducted seven people.

Famous Buddhist monastery likely to lose uniqueness

By Dharma Prasad Poudel

OLANGCHUNGOLA, Feb 10 : A Buddhist monastery in Olangchungola VDC, in the north of Taplejung district, which is around a thousand years old, is likely to lose its uniqueness due to lack of required resources to resume its old rituals. The monastery management committee has lambasted the government for its nonchalance towards the monastery.

Dikichholing monastery, a three-day walk from Fungling, the district headquarters, has an eternal flame that burns throughout the year, besides other common features of a monastery. Other flames are also kept aglow along with the main flame. The main flame believed to have been burning since the inception of the monastery is likely to be extinguished this year due to lack of fuel provision.

Kushula Fula, the main monk of the monastery is now anxious to retire from his duties and pass on the responsibilities to a younger monk. Kushula has been serving as the caretaker lama in the monastery for the past three years and does not want to earn a bad name in case the flame extinguishes during his tenure.

"If the flame extinguishes, it is followed by a catastrophe in the country," claimed Fula.

The flame remains protected inside the monastery atop a drum containing ghee (clarified butter). According to Fula eight drums of ghee are required to keep the flame aglow throughout the year.

The drums would be full of ghee contributed by devotees visiting the monastery in the past. However, due to the fragile security situation very few devotees turned up this year and most of the drums remains empty, according to Fula.

The monastery usually drew many generous devotees during the Futuk festival celebrated in the month of November. The devotees would light lamps around the monastery and contribute four to five kilograms of ghee.

Devotees from various parts of the district including Kathmandu, Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum and as far as India, Bhutan, Tibet and Japan would visit the monastery to light lamps and to donate fuel for the flame, according to locals.

"If the flame extinguishes, there’s no doubt about the monastery losing its identity," said Fula.

Another threat the monastery faces is the non-availability of lamas. Its rule stipulates that a different lama should hold the position each year. However, lack of candidates has resulted in Fula being the lama there for more than a year.

As per tradition, the second son from a family becomes a lama after acquiring the lama education. However, these days there are very few interested in becoming a lama, informed Fula.

None of the locals nor Fula himself is certain on the exact date of establishment of the monastery. None have ventured to find out the fact by reading the inscription in the monastery.

But, local residents narrate a legend with regards to the establishment of the monastery. A visiting monk named Eshad Dorje from Bhutan is said to have established the monastery.

The monastery has a statue of Chhorumbuddhe, a renowned Buddhist monk. At the side of the statue is a centuries old mushroom with the Buddhist mantra ‘Aum Manepeme Humn’ inscribed on it.

"Late king Birendra had presented a purse of Rs. 100,000 in 1990. We do not know whether that came from the government or from the king’s own purse," said a member of the monastery management committee, "Since then, the monastery has received no assistance from any quarter."

Indian Embassy to provide Rs 6.5 m for school building construction

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BHADRAPUR, Feb 10 : Information provided by a member of the management committee, Bishnu Neupane, states that a donation of Rs. 6.5 million will be provided by the Indian Embassy for the building construction of the Public Campus Gaurigunj situated at Gaurigunj in south-western Jhapa.

This campus established through the effort of the locals there lacks a separate building of its own since the last ten years. It has been conducting its classes at the nearby local secondary school. This campus which has about 400 students had conducted ceremonious Puran last year and had collected some funds but not sufficient enough to start the building construction, and so had been approaching some donors for financial assistance.

In this fund raising process the management committee of the campus had approached and requested the Indian Embassy for assistance. As per the request, the Indian Embassy had shown an interest in providing a financial assistance of Rs. 6.5 million as donation.