SC ruling on fund distribution to political victims

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 : The Supreme Court today ruled that the Political Victims’ Welfare Committee (PVWC) should formulate legal provisions to distribute money to political victims.

The court in its order stated that the PVWC should stop the procedure it has been doing till now.

The court order was handed over by a joint bench of Chief Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyay and Justices Arvinda Nath Acharya and Chandra Prasad Parajuli.

However, the plaintiff’s demand for the refunding of the amount distributed by PVWC till date has been rejected.

A case regarding this was filed at the Apex Court by Shanta Shrestha, Nani Maiya Nakarmi, Urmila Shrestha, Rameshwore Man Amatya, Sharda Raman Nepal and Binod Upadhyay in 1998.

The PVWC was established in 1993 following a cabinet decision and money was distributed to the political victims.

The Committee had a running sum of Rs 20 million under the supervision of the former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

"Under the Constitution, Article 75 states that the money collected in the Saved Fund or Government Treasury cannot be spent other than that mentioned by the Expenditure Act," said Advocate Bal Krishna Neupane to The Kathmandu Post. "However, the money has been distributed from the fund without making any necessary legal provisions."

"Without any investigations on whether a person is a political victim, there has been a trend of distributing money in an arbitrary manner to persons of their choice," added Neupane.

Meanwhile, those who filed the petition are not satisfied with the decision of the SC although it has ordered that the committee should now be legalised.

"The decision has not addressed the fact that for over 10 years the committee has been distributing money illegally," said Shanta Shrestha to The Kathmandu Post. "It has only stated that in the future a law should be made."

Mahashivaratri, marijuana and half-naked godmen

By Bikash Sangraula

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 : Mahashivaratri, one of the great festivals of the Hindus will be celebrated from this Saturday, with pomp and grandeur. Apart from regular preparations, this time the Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT) is also providing free accommodation to about 50,000 pilgrims during the three-day festival, according to Kul Prasad Upadhyaya, a staffer of the trust.

However, the half-naked sadhus from India, who are one of the major attractions of the festival, are not too concerned about accomodation.

"We are used to sleeping on the streets. We can survive scorching heat, freezing cold, hurricanes and earthquakes. But we cannot survive without grass," Shiv Giri Baba, chief of the Annapurna Akhanda Ashram at the Pashupatinath area, told The Kathmandu Post. While making that dramatic statement, he was inhaling strong marijuana from meticulously prepared marijuana sticks. Beside him were ample marijuana sticks to entertain a whole village.

The sadhu came from Kanyakumari expressly to participate in the Mahashivaratri festivities. "This time, it’s going to be special. We have hundreds of sacks of marijuana, charas and bhang gifted to us by generous devotees," says he, while a floor below him, dozens of obedient devotees are preparing narcotic-mixed delicacies for around a thousand half-naked sadhus whom Giri Baba expects to entertain this Mahashivaratri.

When inquired on who provided him with such a profusion of drugs, the sadhu had a philosophical answer, "The one who gives lives up there, behind the clouds. Don’t ask who gives, just take the gift."

In total, the festival is expected to attract more than two hundred thousand pilgrims, double that in the previous year, thanks to the ceasefire. While PADT has correspondingly doubled its management budget for the festival and has been seeing to it that things go on without any hitches, the naked sadhus are all set to upset unsuspecting pilgrims by exposing their pierced private parts, a practice common during the festival.

A highly placed police official of the Police Headquarters told The Kathmandu Post under conditions of anonymity that marijuana, taken as acceptable drugs until over a decade ago, was classified under illegal drugs in 1988. "The law clearly states that production, circulation and consumption of marijuana is punishable by law. However, during the festival of Mahashivaratri, there is informal concession to the drug," he said.

Despite prohibition by law, plantation of cannabis, the plant that is processed into marijuana, is rampant in the Terai, especially in Hetauda, Bara and Parsa districts. This produce is regarded as one of the most profitable cash crops of the region.

Similarly, the public exhibition of private body parts that is regarded as normal practice during the festival, is punishable as public offence in Nepal, according to the official. However, Prem Pujari Baba, who came back to Nepal for good after hearing about the cease-fire argues that if the worship of the Shiva lingum is sacred, there is no harm in exposing private parts during the greatest festival of the Lord Shiva.

"There is no shame in this. There are no bars for us. We go where no one hinders our impulses. That is what naked sadhus are all about," said the Baba munching a milk-sweet containing bhang.

While the sadhus are glad that there is no scarcity of the ‘essentials’ this time as well, devotees like Narayan Siwakoti of Chabahil is critical about the practice. "Exposing private body parts and consuming drugs is not a part of our culture. Through Mahashivaratri, the sadhus and sanyasis of India are trying to spread drug culture in Nepal. I am surprised how they manage to get hold of sacks of drugs despite prohibition by the law of Nepal," he argues.

Yogi Naraharinath’s death condoled

Post Report

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 : Various distinguished personalities from their respective fields have mourned the death of spiritual master Yogi Naraharinath expressing their deep grief over the sad demise of Yogi Naraharinath, who passed away at the age of 92. He was revered as the national spiritual guru.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Taranath Ranabhat, expressing sorrow over the untimely death of the late Yogi wished for the eternal peace of the departed soul. He said the death of Yogi is an irreparable loss for the nation.

Dr Mohammad Mohsin, chairman of the National Assembly has also expressed his grief on the sad demise of Yogi.

In the meantime, Nepal Sanatanbadi Morcha family expressing grief on the passing away of Yogi has demanded Yogi Naraharinath should be declared a national figure.

Likewise, the Bishwo Hindu Mahasangh, Jumla and the Nepal University Teachers’ Association have also expressed condolence on the sad and untimely demise of Yogi Naraharinath.

Meanwhile, news report from RSS adds,various political parties, organisations and persons have extended condolences in the demise of veteran scholar of Nepali history, language, culture, literature and archaeology.

The World Hindu Federation(WHF) has said the nation has lost its founder, a true nationalist and monarchist and prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul.

The WHF said the nation lost a distinguished scholar and a bright star of religion, culture, history, geography, archaeology, botany and Ayurved.

The Hariyali Nepal Party said the country lost a great personality and called on his followers to take ahead the national campaign as advocated by him.

The Jayatu Sanskritam said the Sanskrit world has lost a true patron. He was a bold political thinker, a living symbol of nation and nationalism, a statement by its president Shribhadra Sharma stated, adding the Yogi was a confluence of history, philosophy and literature and a revolutionary against religious orthodoxy.

RPP-Nationalist President Rajeshwor Devkota said Yogi was a distinguished multi-talent scholar of Vedic culture.

The Nepal Journalist Federation president Manju Ratna Shakya said the country lost a learned historian, a Vedic follower and honest personality.

The WHF Youth Council and Human Rights Protection Council also extended condolences in the demise of the Yogi.

Focus on rights of common man to information

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb 27 : The Eighth Conference of the AMARC, the organization of World’s Community Radios has adopted a Kathmandu declaration calling on its members to focus their services on safeguard of the rights of the common man to exchange information.

The radios will be a bridge between those who have and those who do not have the access to advanced digital equipment and the only medium to reach to the world’s poor, the declaration states.

Of the one and a half dozen proposals passed include the simplification of radio license, women’s participation and self-reliance. The conference elected ex-president Steve Buckley as the central president of AMARC for the next term.

The General Assembly yesterday elected Lin Munoli of South Africa as co-president and Elizabeth Robins of US as treasurer.

The central vice-presidents are Stanley Steins Kaka ( Papua New Guinea), George Christensen (Zambiya ), Freda Welden ( USA ), Bharat Dutta Koirala ( Nepal) and Mavik Kavreg Alez ( Philippines) and Feraly Salaha ( Tunisia).

Magar Day festivities reveal rich cultural past

By Tejasuee Rajbhandari

Lalitpur, Feb 27 : A series of programmes marked the 21st Magar Day celebrations held all over the kingdom today. Along with other programmes, 10 different Magar organisations held a special programme to celebrate the day in the valley.

All through the day men and women were seen dancing and singing to the accompaniment of folk music. Most of the people, including small kids were attired in traditional Magar outfits.

Gore Bahadur Khapangu, Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare also took part in the festivities. Addressing the audience, Khapangi opined that the day holds a very important place in the hearts of all Magars.

He further reminded all Magars that their culture and traditions could best be preserved through such kinds of activities.

All these things reflected only one thing, which is the unification of Magars, their language, dress, culture and tradition. Even the cultural programme presented depicted this rich cultural wealth of the Magars.

The songs and dances revealed not only the attractive dresses of the community but also the rich culture they possessed. The entire cultural programme enticed the viewers.

Magars have been celebrating this day since February 27, 1983 as a day of unity for the entire community, and as an effort to preserve their culture and tradition. Most of the Magars opine that the day should be an example for other community people.

Talking to The Kathmandu Post, Kul Prasad Pun Magar, president of Nepal Magar Sangh, Lalitpur said that the day is observed by the Magars as the day of harmony and Magars from all over the world come together to celebrate the day.

The day can also be taken as the day of revival of the culture and tradition of Magars, who have a rich historical past most of which have been forgotten, he added.

While talking to Kul Prasad, an old Magar woman came in between to express her sorrow on the negligence of the government and demanded that the day should be declared a national holiday.

Captain Deo Bahadur Rana Magar, president of Nepal Magar Bouddha Sewa Samaj recalled their historical struggle to set up the Magar Association after Democracy in 1951.

He, however, seemed satisfied that though it was a bit late, they ultimately succeeded and have been celebrating this special day since 1983.

"Hardly few Magars of the Valley have attended the celebration", he commented, showing his concern over the fading attraction of urban residents toward the culture.

However, participation of a large number of Magars gives a clear and positive gesture of the growing awareness of the people in the preservation of their culture.

Heavy snowfall disrupts life in Humla

By Jaya Bahadur Rokaya

SIMIKOT, Humla, Feb 27 : Heavy snowfall in this mountain district of the mid-western region that occurred during the second week of this month has affected normal life and regular flights from Nepalgunj and Surkhet. As the entire region bordering Tibet has yet to be connected by road, air service is the only means of transport. Four feet thick snowfall was recorded here, the district headquarters, for the third time during the winter.

All regular flights to and from Nepalgunj and Surkhet have been suspended as a result of the heavy blizzard that also badly affected normal life. Government employees could be seen sitting around fireplaces and locals cuddled up inside their homes. Local authorities said contact with other parts of the district was also totally cut off. Roofs of two primary schools at Hildum and Burause were reported to have blown off by a hurricane. Locals said most of the schools have been shut down in spite of the starting of summer.

Earlier, the airport authorities had removed snow from the runway by using a tractor. Now, it is too difficult to clear the snow from the airstrip. Chief District Officer Hum Prasad Adhikari said it was impossible to remove it because of heavy deposit of snow. He said it would take at least 10 days to melt down the snow. He said that they were importing required medicine by helicopter. Until the snow is melted, all the flights would be suspended, he added.

Adhikari said two of the remotest villages of the district – Limi and Muchu – have been totally disconnected with the rest of the district since the snowfall began this winter. He said that the people of these villages would not be able to come to the district headquarters until the next two months.

Ramechhap phone owners furious over steep fare

Post Report

MANTHALI, Feb 27 : A minimum of Rs 1,600 per month for just one phone line! But for residents of Ramechhap this is the bitter reality. This steep fare is being charged by the Telecommunications office on the telephone customers there.

For the 28 telephone lines that have been distributed from the JRC Exchange by the Telecommunication office there, these customers are forced to pay this high charge. The minimum monthly charge for the other telephones distributed in Manthali comes to Rs 253 only, it is learnt.

This exchange, constructed 15 years back with assistance from the Japanese government has a total capacity of 30 lines. Lines from this exchange have been used at the moment by business firms, government and semi-government organisations situated in Ramechhap, and by Gwaltar and Ratmata areas of Sindhuli. All the customers of these lines from this exchange have expressed their annoyance over this, but the problems still persists and is worsening every day.

The Telecommunication office which has not done anything to revise the high minimum charge, has further exacerbated the situation by introducing an additional tax. Earlier the customers had to pay a minimum monthly charge of Rs 1000 only in addition to the service charge and tax. Now the minimum monthly charge comes to Rs 1,200. Added with the service charge and VAT this amount totals to Rs 1,600, which the subscribers have to shell out to the telecommunication office.

Reacting to the complaints, head of district forest officer there Yadav Dhital says, "No such type of charge has been imposed in any other part and the Telecommunication office has been discriminating against us and doing injustice."

According to head of the Telecommunication office at Manthali, Bhuvan Karki, there is no possibility of any lowering of these charges as these telephones have been distributed from that particular exchange.

Though the telephone owners have to pay such a huge monthly amount to the Telecommunication office, yet they are barred from charging more from the customers who come to make calls in order to make up for this monthly amount.

The owners who charge the people coming for calls can only charge the same amount of money for the duration of the call made as is charged in Ramechhap, it is learnt.

Even those locals who had purchased the lines from the Telecommunication office with profit making motives and who have facilities for making STD and ISD calls are left with barely enough to pay the telephone bill. A local customer, Sumesh Shrestha questions, "How can anyone afford to keep a phone then?"

Dalits pursue path of education through self-help

By Bijay Prasad Mishra

LAHAN, Feb 27 : Around 70 families of Musahar in Majhaura VDC-2 of Siraha district have started a school by the name Dalit Utpidit Janjati Primary school on their own with the money collected among themselves.

The chairman of the school management committee, Kapileshwor Sadaya says that each Musahar family involved in labour work contributes an yearly share of Rs 25 cash and eight kilogrammes of rice grains which is given to the teacher, Binod Kumar Sadaya, as a fee for providing education to their children in this school.

According to the chairman, the establishment of this school in 2001 was possible due to the success of an awareness campaign which highlighted the importance of imparting education to children. The campaign was conducted by regional committees formed at various villages by Nepal Rishikul Sadaya Samiti, an organisation of Musahar ethnic group. He added that there are 105 Dalit children enrolled in this school which conducts classes upto standard two at the moment.

This school which did not receive any form of assistance from the government for its construction was extended an helping hand by Manoj Kumar Yadav who had contributed 35,000 bricks for the school building. Similarly, Save the Children US had donated materials such as corrugated sheets and 25 sacks of cement required for construction of the school building.

Chairman Sadaya laments, "though we had completed the school convincing this ethnic community about the importance of education and compelling their children, who otherwise assisted their parents in labour work to get enrolled, the education office was not considerate enough to send at least a teacher to this school."

A nine-year-old class two student of the school, Jitendra Sadaya remarks, " Earlier we children from our community used to spend most of the time playing marbles. But since we have a school near our homes now, we go to this school." He added that since they have just one teacher to attend to all the students in this school, they have not been able to get proper attention.

The District Education Office (DEO) had granted the school with permission for running class one only on December 19 last. The chief at education branch office expressed his view, " We will try to put the reality of this school where the children of the Dalit and the socially deprived class pursue their education and present the proposal before the Education Committee for the deployment of the teachers to this school.

Thapa points that since there is no any other school around this Phulbariya locality of Musahar, this locality is the most deprived around the region.

Chief District Officer and also member of Education Committee, Bhola Prasad Shivakoti reiterates that if any information regarding the problems faced by the Dalits is brought to their committee, it will be given due attention since there exists the provision to give priority to the Dalits

Smokeless ovens becoming popular

RSS

PANCHTHAR, Feb 27 : Improved smokeless ovens are becoming increasingly popular among the locals in Pauwasartap village which is situated in the southern parts of Panchthar district.

In the past only two or three such ovens could be seen in houses at a few wards in the VDC but there are over 100 such ovens at each and every ward at the VDC at present, he said.

It costs only Rs 100 to install one such oven. It is learnt that with the use of improved oven becoming popular among the local people, the risk of destruction of forest for firewood and the chances of various bronchial diseases has been reduced in the village.