Dalit commission holds meeting

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24- Even after the two years of establishment of the National Dalit Commission, the term ‘Dalit’ remains undefined and the entire surnames of this community members have not been registered in the list, reveals a two-day meeting held to discuss the definition of Dalits and its racial index.

The programme organised by the National Dalit Commission was chaired by chairman Padam Singh Bishwokarma.

The NDC has listed 23 sub-tittles of the community members till date. However, they have divided the sub-titles into seven main castes namely Bishwokarma, Sarki, Darji, Gaine, Newaa Dalit community Madhesi Dalit community, and Badi.

Among them, Dalits from Newaa community do not prefer to be called themselves Dalit, says the paper presented by Jeetu Gautam, member of NDC.

The meeting also revealed the workplan of the NDC to be undertaken in the near future, its responsibility as well as rights.

Govt committed to promote Ayurved

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24- Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma inaugurated the 3rd National Convention of Nepal Ayurved Doctors Association (NADA) here today.

The two-day convention which began with the theme, ‘Ayurvedic Education and Herbs: Today’s Need’ saw the participation of around 200 Ayurved doctors and medical practitioners. Addressing the inaugural ceremony Dr. Sharma said the government is willing to give priority to the development of Ayurved treatment in Nepal. "The doctors involved in the Ayurved treatment should recommend for the proper utilisation of the valuable herb found in Nepal," he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, around 70 percent of the people use medicinal herb as complementary medicine in Nepal. And the report of World Bank states more than 75 percent of the people living in the remote area depends on herb business as their main income source.

Addressing the function, Modnath Prashrit, member of NADA, said the government should formulate a policy for the development of Ayurved treatment in Nepal. "Ayurved treatment is taken as an alternative treatment in Nepal, which 80 percent of the people use, therefore this national treatment procedure should be preserved," he said.

ELT conference concludes

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24- Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA) organised its Ninth International Conference at the Nepal Administrative Staff College, Jawalakhel. The three-day conference, ‘Evaluation on English Language Teaching (ELT)’ opened on February 22 was concluded today.

The conference brought 425 ELT experts and practitioners in a single platform from home and abroad to share their professional expertise. The General Assembly of NELTA elected a new 15-member central executive committee headed by Chandika Bhatta.

Seminar on leasehold forestry development programme

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24- The Leasehold Forestry Development Programme should be extended as it is one of the most successful programmes run by the Ministry of Forestry, said Chandi Prasad Shrestha, secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation.

"We are working for the extension of the programme," said Shrestha.

Shrestha was speaking at a seminar organised by the Department of Forestry to mark the completion of the programme which has benefited more than 11,000 families living below poverty level across Nepal. The three-day seminar will discuss future plans of the programme as it reaches its last year.

IFAD gave a loan to the Government of Nepal for the leasehold forestry programme which began in 1990 with the aim of reducing poverty level and conserving the forest areas at the same time. The project gave each family living under poverty a hectre of land to use it for income-generating activities.

Currently, there are 1711 leasehold forest communities with a total of 7011 hectres of land handed over to them.

"Issues such as family planning can be addressed through the leasehold forestry programme," said Badri Narayan Basnet, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation. He said the programme was the only one which reached the people living below poverty line.

According to Badriraj Joshi, the objective of the seminar is to organise an interaction programme between the representatives of the leasehold forest development programme from 26 districts. Similarly, the effectiveness of the development programme will also be analysed.

The seminar is jointly organised by the Leasehold Forest Development Programme, the Hill Leasehold Forest and Pasture Land Development Programme and the National Forest Division.

Role of community radio highlighted

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KATHMANDU, Feb 24 - The importance of community radio in establishing peace and reducing the effects of violence in any conflict-ridden country or community was brought out today at the ongoing conference on ‘Community Radio During Conflict’. Though attacks were made on community radio stations during the conflict, these stations have made important contributions in the rehabilitation of those displaced during the conflict, said participants in the discussion, according to a statement issued here today.

Speaking on the occasion today, Nepal’s representative Pratyoush Onta of the Martin Chautari said during the period of conflict, the Nepali media was seen to contain exaggerated reports that were devoid of analysis. Similarly, Luci Ventra of Maya Vision Community Radio of El Salvadore related similar experience in her country as in Nepal in terms of the role and plight of community radio.

Around 250 people from 30 different countries are participating in the conference that kicked off last Friday.

Office bearers elected

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LALITPUR, Feb 24 - The annual general meeting of the Ekhalakhu Tole (area) Development Committee was organised the other day. On the occasion, Rajendra Raj Nankhwa, secretary, highlighted the activities of the committee while treasurer Nanda Gopal Shrestha presented the report on income and expenditure of the committee for the FY 2059/60. Speaking at the programme, chairman Keshav Krishna Shrestha shed light on the workplan of the committee for the coming year.

At the function, the committee also held an election for its office bearers in which Keshav Krishna Shrestha,Raju Gurbacharya, Julum Krishna Shilpakar, Jagadishwor Prasad Joshi and Kamal Raj Nankhwa were unanimously elected chairman, vice-chairman, secretary, treasurer and joint secretary respectively.

Likewise, on the occasion, Saraswoti Shrestha, Srijana Maharjan, Surendra Lal Shrestha, Tejendra Shilpakar, Shripati Das Joshi and Kalyan Tamrakar were also elected as members of the committee.

Pokhara jail inmates stage relay hunger strike

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POKHARA, Feb 24- Inmates of the local jail have gone on a relay hunger strike pressing for the successful conduct of the peace talks, which starts from Monday. The strike will be in place until the coming Thursday.

However, the inmates who have gone on strike are two women inmates and three men. They initiated the strike after writing down slogans on the walls of the jail.

It may be said that there are nearly 38 people lodged up in the local jail on charges of involving in the Maoist movement. In fact they were arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act.

Although they have demanded that the peace talks should be a success, they have also launched the strike lamenting discrimination among the inmates. In fact they have been demanding uniform ration to all inmates and protesting re-arrest of those who have been freed by the government.

Local administration has treated those arrested under terrorist activities as second class inmates while those arrested under security act have been treated as first class inmates.

The incident has taken place after the police arrested a person soon after he was released by the government subsequent to the cease-fire. Devendra Paudel aka Meghnath Sharma, who was released under the auspices of human rights activists was re-arrested on Monday.

Paudel was arrested while he was in possession of 24 kg of gold. He was released after the court ruled in his favor subsequent to a writ filed for his release. "I know he was freed but do not know about whether he has been re-arrested," Chief District Officer Devi Prasad Bhattarai told The Kathmandu Post.

Meanwhile, the inmates who have launched a stir have protested the development. They have accused the administration of disrupting the peace process. There are 13 women inmates in Kaski prison.

First public library in Kalikot

By Tularam Pandey

MANMA, Kalikot, Feb 24 - A new scene dominates Manma, the headquarters of the remote far-western Kalikot district, for the past one month. Manma has a newly set up library, the first of its kind in the district. These days, the library draws a huge crowd and locals are found busy reading different books and magazines in the library.

An air of enthusiasm fills Manma bazaar ever since the establishment of this library on January 30. Jagatman Shrestha, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), the Chief at the District Police Office (DPO), moved by his philanthropic nature set up the library.

Arranged in a small rented room, the library has come as a great relief, especially to the people displaced by the insurgency, who are taking refuge in Manma.

Dr. Govinda Bahadur Thapa, the Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) inaugurated the library named Pidit Samudaya Pustakalaya, or Victim Community Library. He also contributing some books to the library.

"The plight of the insurgency victims wasting precious time just loitering around had been troubling me for a long time. Thinking deeply into the matter, I came up with an idea of establishing a library," recounted DSP Shrestha. He is hopeful that the library will serve the people of different walks of life in the district.

The library has newspapers, various types books and magazines adding upto over 500, according to Padam Bahadur Malla, the librarian who is also a Maoist victim. Malla, a displaced teacher at Jana Pravat Primary School in Serawada VDC, was appointed by the District Education Office (DEO) to voluntary serve in the library.

DSP Shrestha has invested over Rs.7,000 on books for the library while the DEO and other local government bodies have also contributed books to it. The library should hold books on diverse subjects so as to raise people’s consciousness, said Shrestha.

"It is a matter of great happiness for a remote district like Kalikot to have a library. It is the responsibility of all concerned to encourage the library," said Madhav Pokhrel, the Chief District Officer (CDO). "The library should be developed as an institution."

The library has become more popular among the students. "The library gave me the chance to read Muna-Madan of which our teacher talked much about when I was in class five," said Sharmila Shahi, a grade 10 student at local Pancha Dev Higher Secondary School.

According to Ashok Kumar Bista, 11, a grade five student at local Mahadev Lower Secondary School, he enjoys reading children books in the library.

Government employees are equally jubilant with the establishment of the library. "I was quite upset from the time I stepped into this district. In the absence of newspapers, magazines and other noteworthy items to read, I felt that I was dumped into total darkness. The library has emerged as a light in a dark cave," said Tulsi Ram Bhandari, the secretary of Dhaulagoha VDC.

"A huge eager crowd gathers here at the time when the library receives fresh newspapers," said librarian Malla. "Even on other days, 50 to 60 people come here daily."

"The library has become an ideal place for killing time. In a way, it has helped a lot to weed out social anomalies. People who spent their time by gambling, enjoy reading books in the library now," said Krishna Prasad Achrya, the co-ordinator of Bionic Energy.

Lack of authority disrupts road maintenance work

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SALYAN, Feb 24 - The maintenance and repair work over the Tulsipur-Salyan road of the Rapti Highway for the current fiscal year could not be started after not receiving of any authority letter from the concerned body to start the necessary work.

The condition of the road around that section is dilapidated, and the programme and proposal of the maintenance for this road had been placed before the Ministry, but has not been granted authority, laments the head of the Road Department Office at Dang, Mishry Lal Shah. He further contends that under the maintenance and repair provision of the National Planning Commission (NPC), the Tulsipur-Salyan road falls within the third category P3.

According to district-wise budget charted out by the Commission for the fiscal year 2002/2003, Rs. 6.5 million had been allocated for this road as mentioned in the Budget Allocation Book. It is learnt that the delay forwarding authority and hence the start of the necessary maintenance work were due to lack of arrangement of the fund for those under the P3 category.

Since the budget is allotted out starting from the first category and then the second, most of the budget is set aside to be spent on them while leaving almost nothing for the works under other categories that follow.

According to the Local Development Officer (LDO), Homnath Thapaliya, since the condition over the 65 kilometre Tulsipur-Salyan road was very pitiful the DDC office had sent letters requesting the regional as well as the Centre for the necessary fulfilment so that they would be able to immediately start the maintenance and repair works. Though they had informed them through letters no response has been heard as of yet.

During the monsoons, occurrence of cracks and crevices, and the narrowing of the road due to flooding and landslides create great inconveniences for the vehicles travelling along this highway. The passengers lament that if this road is not repaired in time number of accidents are likely to rise. Looking at the condition of roads we are afraid to travel by this route, but we have no option but to go through these hurdle risking our lives, they say in an univocal tone.

Corrugated sheets distributed

CHAUTARA, Feb 24(RSS)- Corrugated sheets used for roofing have been distributed to different schools, Buddhist monastery and downtrodden families at local Tatopani VDC where a large number of buildings were roofless due to the storm.

Maoists release six captives

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DANG, Feb 24 - Maoist cadres in Rukum set free six captives in the second week of this month on the occasion of its party anniversary. Meanwhile, the party issuing a press release has stated that the government has violated the truce by taking action against its cadres in Kanchanpur district.

The persons released are Bhim Bahadur Bista, a school headmaster, Kaman Singha Dangi, a school teacher, Dhani Prasad Budha, a merchant and Dal Bahadur Khatri, Post Bahadur Khatri and Shiva Ram Khatri, civilians, as informed by Rukum Area Number-7 of the party.

"The Maoist leader, Prabhat smeared vermilion powder on the foreheads of those released and handed them over to their family members," said Narendra KC, a local who came to Dang from Rukum.

Meanwhile, our reporter from Mahendranagar said that the Maoists issued a press release alleging the government security force of arresting its party cadres and confiscating their arms.

The district secretary of the Maoist party for Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur, known by the name of Bikram, talking to the local journalists yesterday said that the security personnel are engaged in kidnapping and disarming the party cadres.

The security personnel cordoned and arrested 16 Maoist militia and confiscated their arms in Loharpur Gadariya of Pipaladi VDC of Kanchanpur district on February 17, according to Bikram.

"It’s absurd on the part of the government to think of disarming the Maoist militia during the cease-fire, when it failed to do so during emergency . The government’s unscrupulous acts only violates the truce situation," said Bikram.

Even the local administration has admitted the action taken by the security personnel. The arrest was made for an investigation as per the Arms and Ammunition Act, according to a source at the District Police Office (DPO).

Police arrested 15 Maoists including two women rebels as directed by the Ministry of Home. Police confiscated some guns, bullets and other arms from those arrested, according to Shyam Khadka, the Superintendent of Police at the DPO.

In yet another report from Surkhet district, the district Maoist leaders at an interaction programme with local media persons said that the government should be forced to make the peace talks a success for lasting peace in the country.

AIDS affected woman worries about her daughters

By Manoj Paudel

KAPILVASTU, Feb 24 - A village woman, who had contracted the HIV virus and has been subsequently shunned and pooh-poohed by her own family members and friends, is now moving from pillar to post for such organisations who take care of women in distress.

Gayatri (name changed), who is a resident of Singhakhor Village Development Committee (VDC), is facing the onslaught of AIDS virus even as was she left to virtually beg for food from others.

Although Gayatri, 30, belongs to a family which is by all means a middle class family, she has been shown the door soon after they came to know that she has contracted the AIDS virus.

In fact, as if contracting AIDS virus was not tormenting her enough, she was mentally tortured by her family members soon after it became clear that she has contracted the deadly virus.

Incidentally, her husband, who used to work in Bombay had earlier contracted HIV virus and had soon died at the age of 32 recently. However, she had come to know that she too has contracted the virus only after she visited the local Aastha clinic, which is being run by Dr. Sunil Singh.

"I had gone there after I felt sick, but the doctor told me that I have contracted the AIDS virus," she says painfully. She also said that since she did not know what contracting AIDS meant she used to take it lightly.

"In fact, my brother came to know about it only from the local chemist where he had gone to buy medicine for me," she further said. She also said that she almost fainted after knowing everything about HIV/AIDS.

She was kicked out of the house soon after it became a public knowledge in the neighbourhood that she was suffering from HIV/AIDS. She is currently staying in a house in her own village, which her husband had built from his earnings.

Since she has no means of income, she is finding it extremely difficult to fend for herself. Thinking of her pathetic status, her mother’s family and her neighbours are helping her to meet daily needs.

More than about herself, Gayatri is worried about her two tiny daughetrs. She looks forward to send her two daughters, who are 6 and 8 years of age, to school. The daughters had dropped out of school soon after their father passed away.

"I contracted AIDS because I did not attend any school. One cannot say that they would not face similar situation if they were not send to school. But there is no one who I can tell about it," she wails.

She did not want her daughters to know that their mother has contracted the deadly virus. But they soon learned about it largely because she could not somehow hide the fact from them.

Thinking that virus could be transmitted through shared food, she had told her daughters not to share food with her. But the daughters had insisted to know the reason, which soon ended in them knowing about it all.

There was a phase when the daughters would cry saying their mother and they would soon die. But this was put to an end by neighbours who moved by their wailings.

Gayatri is lamenting the fact that she could not find anyone who could take care of the young girls. "I have now known that there are many orgnisations, which are working for the rehabilitation of the people who have contracted this virus. But, as I have found, there is no one who I could reach to ensure that my children live to see their future."

Khotang people may face starvation

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KHOTANG, Feb 24 - People in Sungdel and Dipsung VDCs of Khotang district, affected by flood and landslides last monsoon are on the verge of starvation in lack of food grains. The natural disasters washed away their farmlands and the food grains availed as relief aids have been already consumed. The government has turned a deaf ear to their plights, alleged the victims.

"Flood and landslide victims had been sustained by the relief aids provided by various organisations. Government has not provided any sort of help as of yet," said Lalit Chandra Rai, a victim. "The words of the then Deuba government to support the victims has not materialised to date."

Janasewa Samaj Nepal, Khotang Sewa Nepal, District Red Cross and other organisations had availed relief aids. Those aids have been used up and now they are passing through a critical condition, according to victims.

35 per cent of people desperately need food grains in Dipsung VDC, according to Chuda Raj Bhattarai, the outgoing VDC chairman.

Meanwhile, the victims have alleged massive irregularities by Dr. Pramod Chandra Rai, in the distribution of rice availed by the Ex-Gurkha Army. "The areas will soon be in the grips of starvation in case of delay in providing relief measures," said Jamuna Rai.

Extortion continues even after truce

MANTHALI, Feb 24 (PR) - Despite the party ruling, the Maoist cadres are still busy extorting money and grains from the rural parts of Ramechhap district and the way they treat locals is the same even after truce declaration, said a farmer requesting anonymity who came to Manthali, the district headquarters.

"Since the security personnel no more patrol the villages, the rebels have intensified extorting money and goods," said a farmer. Even, a high profile district level Maoist cadre admitted to the incident. "We have been continuing our routine work as we have not received the party circular yet. Once we receive the circular, we shall stop doing so," said the Maoist District Secretary known as Lalit, over the telephone.