Sherpas, Tibetans welcome Year of Water Sheep

By Tejasuee Rajbhandari

KATHMANDU, March 5: It is yet another Lhosar for the Sherpas and Tibetan community members, who hail from the high Himalayan foothills. The vicinity of the Bouddhanath stupa, also called mini-Tibet of Nepal, wears a festive look and colourful prayer flags flutter with the wind adding to its beauty.

At the very entrance of the stupa are men and women selling lime powder for the devout Tibetans and Sherpas, who use it to colour the stupa. At another corner, ethnic Tibetans in their traditional colourful attire are seen dancing ‘shyabro’ , a customary dance of Tyopa Tibetans.

This is Lhosar, which is celebrated by Tibetans, Sherpas, and other Tibeto-Burmese ethnic communities. The week-long festivities started Monday, the first day of the Tibetan New Year 2130, the year of Water Sheep.

The Chinese calendar has a cycle of twelve years and each is named after an animal – such as mouse, bull, cow, tiger, rabbit, cat, dragon, divine eagle, serpent, horse, sheep, monkey, hen, dog and pig.

"This is the most important festival for us as we receive the blessings from our elders and we too can extend our best wishes to our friends and families", says a Sherpa residing in Bouddhanath stupa.

The preparation for the festival usually starts quite early and houses are thoroughly cleaned and often coloured as well. At the same time prayer flags atop their houses are also replaced wishing for better year ahead.

Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetans, also greeted Tibetans on the occasion of the New Year from Dharmashala in India.

The day is welcomed by performing pujas and feasting together. They prepare a special kind of delicacies like khapse and chemmar especially for the festival.

Nepal National Dorge Shugden Society organised a special cultural programme here today to mark the Lhosar festival. Several worshippers of Dorge Shugden, a Tibetan deity, locals and high Tibetan monks, including Rimpoche Lamas, were present at the colourful programme.

It is believed that the tradition to celebrate Losar started only after the birth of Tibetan King Nagshi Chambo.

Dancing and singing is also a part of the festival and the people wherever they form group express their joy through dancing.

The Sherpa community members in the capital city are organising cultural and various other programmes in the coming days to mark the 2130 New Year. Just like their Tibetan brethren, the Sherpas can be seen moving around in a festive mood, wearing traditional attire. And one can hear them wishing Lhosar Tashi Delek!

93rd Int’l Women’s Day to be observed nationwide

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Kathmandu, March 5: Women wings of different political parties, human rights organisations,Trade Unions, National Commission for Women, INGOs and NGOs working for the welfare of women and children are to celebrate the 93rd International Women’s Day on March 8 by jointly organising various programmes across the nation.

Sahana Pradhan, the co-ordinator of the 93rd Joint Organising Committee informed at the interaction programme today.

The day, which is also known as International Women Workers’ Day will be celebrated with the slogan, ‘Voice of women against violence, war: peace, equality, democracy and all round development’.

The procession will start from Ratna Park at 12 in the afternoon.

Unlike in the past, the forthcoming event is expected to be held in a grand manner as a number of political and non-political organisations including NGOs and INGOs are participating in the programmes.

" Today, we all should come together to press the state to protect Nepali women against any kind of injustice, violence and atrocities and safeguard their rights," she said.

According to her, the day will mainly focus on lobbying for relief package programme for the people victimised by political conflict and violence.

" We will pressurise the government to plan and implement the relief package programmes for women without further delay," she said.

According to her,the organising committee has already submitted memorandum to Premier Lokendra Bahadur Chand along with its three demands. The demands include the immediate release of 65 women inmates being held in prison on charge of foetuscide as the 11the Amendement in Civil Code legalised abortion, the day should be declared a public holiday for women working in factories, civil organisations and the government should announce a concrete programme for socio-economic rehabilitation of the women victimised by the 7- year-old political conflict.

Many participants at the interaction programme observed that instead of celebrating the day merely as formality, committment should be made to bring about a real change in the status of Nepali women.

Call for rehabilitation of displaced people

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DHULIKHEL, Kavre, March 5: Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Nayan Bahadur Khatri today stressed the need for the immediate rehabilitation of the people displaced during the seven years of armed conflict between the government and the Maoists.

Speaking at the two-day workshop,organised in Dhulikhel, on "UN Guiding Principles and Conflict- induced Displacement in Nepal", jointly organised by the Global IDP (Internally-Displaced Persons) of the Norwegian Refugees Council (NRC) and NHRC, Chairman Khatri said, "The people displaced from the fear of the government-Maoist crossfire have emerged as a tremendous problem in the country."

Henning Karcher, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) suggested the government to adopt preventive measures to stop the situation from going worse.

"Expediting socio-economic development programme is the most effective measure to mitigate the ongoing conflict in the society and to get control over the flow of displacement."

The workshop, which is attended by UN agencies, national and international NGOs has been expected to introduce guiding principles on internally -displaced people and analyse the state of displacement in the country.

Yadu Memorial Day observed

KATHMANDU, March 5 (PR)- The Yadu Memorial Academy organised a function to mark the 4th Yadu Memorial Day here today. At the function, the academy also honoured Surya Thapa, a renowned journalist with the Yadu Memorial Journalism Award.

Surya Thapa, the editor of Buddhawar Saptahik, was presented with the award for his contribution to the society writing against violence for the past decade. Thapa donated his prize that carried a purse of Rs 10,000 to the children of the Maoist victims in a local school in Rukum.

"The Maoists have to pay the price for the murder of Yadu Gautam," said Tirla Gautam, wife of Gautam, "They have to answer to history."

She remarked that the Maoists have, in fact, lost their war by killing innocent people like Yadu Gautam.

Also speaking on the occasion, Prakash Jwala, UML alternative central committee member, condemned the cowardly act of killing Yadu Gautam.

The Maoists had killed Gautam in 1999 on March 5 on charges of undermining their movement.

Co-ordination for Bishnumati preservation sought

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KATHMANDU, March 5: Local people living on both sides of polluted Bishnumati river have raised serious concerns over the deteriorating situation of the river despite many governmental and non-governmental efforts to save the river.

Speaking at an interaction programme, they underlined the need for co-ordination among different initiatives going on to preserve the river, which bears religious, cultural and ecological value to the people.

"Many non-governmental and governmental organisations are working on the river but the condition of the river is deteriorating day by day. There must be co-ordination among all the concerned sectors to preserve the river," Chandrananda Newa, former chairman of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward 18, said.

Speaking at the interaction programme attended by former representatives of local bodies from wards affected by pollution of the river, Newa, who has been a leading initiative over many years to preserve the river at the local level, urged to create pressure group against pollution in the river.

"As awareness programmes alone could not reduce pollution in the river, we need to create a pressure group to improve the situation of the river," Newa said.

The Bishnumati river that flows along the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is one of the most affected rivers in the capital. Rapid encroachment on its banks, unchecked 15 slaughter spots along its nearly one kilo meter banks from Gongabu to Teku Dovan, dumping of solid wastes, pouring of sewage into it and wastes from Kalimati vegetable market are major causes behind the river’s present pathetic situation.

Chakra Man Dangol, former chairman of ward No. 12, was critical of international and national non-governmental organisations for undermining local people’s initiatives against pollution in the river and alleged them of working on their own, not caring the local people.

Dangol was for the demarcation of the banks of the river to stop encroachment on the river as soon as possible. According to an unofficial data made available at the programme, encroachment has reduced the river’s original span of nearly 80 meters to nearly 15 meters.

Scribe passes away

KATHMANDU, March 5 (PR)- Durga Prasad Khatiwada, sub-editor associated with Himalaya Times, a vernacular daily, and member of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Himalaya Times chapter, passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 23.

He was suffering from jaundice and cancer and was hospitalised at Patan Hospital on Sunday.

The Himalaya Times chapter and Kantipur chapter of the FNJ have condoled the untimely death of Khatiwada.

Private and public vehicles to have separate driving licences

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KATHMANDU, March 5: A meeting of government officials, traffic police and transport entrepreneurs have agreed to issue separate driving
licences to private and public vehicles respectively.

According to the new driving licence policy, private vehicles will receive white card whereas the public one will be issued red card. Besides, public vehicles will have to undergo test on the road as well apart from existing internal test.

However, in the case of drivers of light and heavy vehicles, who have obtained professional red card, the existing licence will be valid. The new policy makes it clear that foreign diplomats will be granted driving licence on recommendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The change in licence policy will bring Rule 4 of the Traffic and Transport Regulation 1999 into force. The Rule stipulates that separate licences shall be issued to private and public vehicles respectively.

Woman sues assistant CDO for marital status

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BAGLUNG, March 5: A woman has filed a case at the District Court against assistant Chief District Officer (CDO), Rajendra Raj Adhikari, seeking marital status with him on Monday.

Rita Khadka who had an affair with Adhikari, filed a case at the District Court against him after he refused to accept her as his legitimate wife even after he made her pregnant and made her undergo abortion despite her resistance.

Khadka has stated in a letter to the court that they were bounded by love marriage.

However, Adhikari, a permanent resident of Kaski district, issuing a press release had stated that he had no relationship with Khadka and that all the talk regarding their relation was part of a conspiracy against him.

It is learnt that Adhikari and Khadka had a physical relationship a year ago. The police had arrested the duo while Khadka was undergoing abortion in Pokhara, a month ago.

Afterwards, Adhikari had agreed to accept Khadka as his second wife in a meeting attended by the family members of Khadka in the presence of Devi Prasad Bhattrai, the CDO of Kaski district.

Adhikari had also written to Khadka’s family that he had accepted her as his wife.

In the letter to the District Court Khadka has mentioned that Adhikari had assured her of taking her on as his second wife each time they had intercourse. However, when she was pregnant, Adhikari forced her to undergo abortion with the help of Dr. Chandika Pandit of Fewa City Hospital.

Adhikari who is now at large has a son and a daughter with his first wife. His daughter is older than Khadka and is married.

Drug abuse rampant in Pokhara

By Amrit Bhadgaunle

POKHARA, March 5: Pokhara, renowned for its surpassing natural beauty, is under the high influence of drug addiction. Two drug addicts die every month and every tenth house has a drug abuser, according to sources.

The city has drug addicts totalling to around 6,000, according to Naulo Ghumti, an NGO that has been working in the field of Drug Education Programme for the past eight years.

A survey carried out by an institute three years ago had come out with a report that the city had 5,545 drug addicts and that 15 per cent of them were women.

The report also stated that 1,000 addicts used syringes and indulged in unsafe sex heightening the chances for the rapid spread of AIDS.

Most of the drug addicts are between 15 to 25 years of age and children whose fathers are abroad and are not well monitored fall in the vicious circle of drug abuse, according to Som Lal Ojha, an officer at Naulo Ghumti.

Drug abuse has bred many types of criminal activities, according to Daranji Sherpa, another official of Naulo Ghumti.

"The drug addicts sell domestic wares to get money for drugs. If they run out of money, they indulge in criminal activities to get money," said Sherpa.

It was only a few days ago in Pokhara that a drug addict had poured kerosene over her wife and set her on fire. The seriously hurt wife, Radha Adhikari is receiving treatment at the Western Regional Hospital.

Established in the aegis of INF in 1997, Naulo Ghumti, has cured 243 addicts from drug abuse in its reform centre. Presently, 10 drug addicts are receiving treatment at Naulo Ghumti.

Naulo Ghumti is also providing various skill oriented training that help the cured to lead an independent life, according to concerned sources.

Recently, four dozen people who were cured at Naulo Ghumti have opened up a new reform centre at Nayagaon of Pokhara-16. A total of 16 addicts are receiving treatment in the new centre, it is learnt.

Vehicular transportation starts in Rajapur

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BARDIA, March 5: Road transport has started working in Rajapur region after a pontoon bridge was constructed at the entry point of Kothiyaghat.

According to the information provided by the Administration Office, long route as well as short route transportation have started their service from this region. Now the people in this region have been able to visit places outside their district in few hours time.

Some months back when the Maoists had put embargo on the fuel to Rajapur region all the bus services and industries had come to a standstill.

After the completion of this bridge, not only have buses been able to provide their services, but also the trucks and tractors have started plying along this route. This has helped to save time and reduced the travel expenditure remarkably, said a local from Daulatpur-9, Ram Prasad Dhamala.

There has also been a sudden rise in the people’s movement these days after the buses have started their service, reiterates the Chief District Officer (CDO). According to the CDO, though the long route buses have started their service from Wednesday, the short route buses will come into effect from Sunday.

Govt officials, Maoists attend all-party meet

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JUMLA, March 5: Government law enforcement authorities and Maoist leaders today attended an all-party meeting called by a human rights organisation for the first time after the cease-fire was announced on January 29.

Naresh Bhandari, Bheri-Karnali in-charge of Maoist wing intellectual committee, expressed regrets over his party’s violent activities in the meeting organised by the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), a non-governmental human rights organisation.

Maoist intellectual, Bhandari, expressed regrets after almost all the participants protested against the party’s violent activities in the past.

The all-party meet was attended by 200 people, including Jumla Chief District Officer Krishna Shyam Budhathoki, district police chief, representatives of political parties and locals. But none of the officials from the Royal Nepal Army was present in the meet.

Maoist leader Bhandari stressed that an all-party discussion should be organised even at the district-level to make the upcoming government-Maoist peace talks a success.

Three employees of Koshi get no salary for two years

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BIRATNAGAR, March 5: The three employees at the liaison office situated at Biratnagar under the Koshi Project have not received their salaries for two whole years.

The agreement had been reached between Nepal and India over this project, but is learnt that due to the Indian side not complying with the rules, these employees have been deprived of their salaries. This project is being conducted under the joint endeavours of the Ministry of Water Resource, Nepal and the Indian government. According to the agreement the Indian government is to provide the salary to the employees appointed to this project regularly.

In the secretarial level meeting of 1992 between secretaries from India and Nepal, 10 posts had been created for this liaison office. According to the provision these three employees had been appointed.

The Indian side took to stand that it will not give any recognition to those employees appointed after 1984, the head of the liaison office, Nagendra Devkota said. The employees at the project office blamed the government for not probing into this matter seriously and seeking out a solution.

Those who have not been receiving their salaries since two years are assistant accountant and two peons. They had been given permanent appointments to these posts by the government in 1998.

After the Indian side stopped giving recognition to these employees, the Nepali government had been providing the salary. But since the past two years the Nepali government also stopped providing their salaries, contended the head Devkota. The Ministry has been enquired about this matter time and again, but it has not responded so far, he added.

At present there are only 8 persons employed at the liaison office under the Koshi project, which had been established in 1955, but only five of them have been getting their salaries from the Indian government. The two posts of liaison and assistant liaison officers have remained vacant since two years.

Udayapur locals forced to walk three hours for a bucket of water

By Peshal Acharya

MAINAMAINI, Udayapur, March 5: The locals in the most remote Mainamaini VDC of Udayapur have been faced by acute drinking water shortage. They are forced to walk a distance of three hours everyday to fetch a bucket of water.

So far no drinking water project has been conducted in this VDC, which lies about 20 miles east from the district headquarters, Gaighat. 865 families living around this region have been deprived from pure and clean drinking water due to lack of proper arrangement of drinking water by the government.

On the crack of dawn members of these families are seen hurrying down the road with some vessels in their hands to a spring, the only place from where they have been getting a meagre amount of water to keep them going through the day. So, early every morning is a race for water for the Mainamaini locals, a race, which has become the only means of their survival. Those who reach the spring early can fill all their vessels without having to stand in a queue for almost the whole day, says a local of Mainamaini VDC-8, Purnakala Rai.

The spring has been the only source of drinking water around that region and it takes quite a long time for the water to surge up and fill up this pond once a large quantity of water is taken from it. This is another reason why late comers have to often wait for hours, lament the locals there.

When they see any stranger around the pond, these locals never refrain from posing the question, "Have you come from the drinking water office?" The locals express their discontent that such persons come every year to enquire about the drinking water but have failed to do anything to relieve them from this misery.

A local, Ramprasad Rai, points out that this water, which they have been using for drinking is not fit for humans as the cattle have also been drinking from it. This water problem has forced some of the well off families to shift to other parts in the Terai.

Mainamaini has been halting station for many pilgrims and travellers visiting the renowned holy place, Barahhachetra, but the locals are not in a state to even provide drinking water to these weary travellers, said a local Purnakala, to The Kathmandu Post.

Though the District Development Committee (DDC) had formulated plans to make drinking water available by 1998, it has neglected this remote place, lamented former chairman of this VDC, Deepak Rai. The DDC has also mentioned in one of its published book called "Udayapur" about a drinking water project, which had been conducted in this VDC, but the locals of this village know nothing about this project.

It is seen that from the Constituency Development Fund of Constituency-1, Rs. 15,000 had been disbursed out to Lalit Bahadur Rai of Mainamaini-2 from the allocated amount of Rs. 28,761 under this project.

Plan to set up APF base camp in Atariya bazaar criticised

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KAILALI, March 5: The cabinet decision to set up a regional headquarters of the Armed Police Force (APF) for the far-western Nepal in Atariya bazaar area of Kailali district has drawn flak from various quarters. The cabinet had decided to set up Baidhyanath Barrack at local Allan area of the bazaar. Once it takes shape, the barrack displaces over 100 squatter families settling around the area, according to sources.

The Squatter’s Commission had suggested the squatter families to settle in the area in 1998 until another decision.

The squatters have been notified many times by the District Forest Office (DFO) and APF to evacuate the place within 17 days. However, they are firm about not evacuating the site even if their houses are set ablaze, unless another provision is made, they said.

Launching of APF headquarters requires over 13 bighas of land, according to Shiva Lal Gauli, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) of APF.

"If APF sets up its headquarters, it will ruin the town planning," said Nanda Lal Bhatta, the Chairman of Atariya Concern Forum (ACF).

ACF has handed over a memorandum to concerned ministers and the Prime Minister to revoke the cabinet decision of establishing the APF headquarters in the area.

The APF also affects around two dozen villages of Geta Malakheti Shripur VDC, some government and private schools and some community forests, in the area, states the memorandum.

Siding with the squatters are many local institutions which argue that establishment of the APF regional headquarters in the area would adversely affect the planning of the expanding bazaar.

"The densely populated bazaar, which is expanding fast, will be highly affected by the launching of the APF headquarters," said Bhojraj Joshi, the chairman of Atariya Bazaar Development Committee (ABDC).

The proposed APF headquarters will also have adverse impacts on the plans to be executed by ADB, Department of Drinking Water and Sushma Koirala Memoral Trust, according to sources.

There is no need of a security unit in Atariya bazaar as there are already such units in its vicinity, according to concerned sources.

32 Maoists in Kapilvastu jail

KAPILVASTU, March 5 (PR)- Even after almost a month of truce declaration, the district jail in Kapilvastu holds 32 Maoist suspects including 10 women. Those in jail also include some senior district level Maoist activists. Chances for the release of those imprisoned are very low, said the concerned sources. "The centre has not issued a notice to release the captives. Once the centre directs us we shall set them free," said Shibendra Purush Dhakal.

Palpa locals deprived of health services

PALPA, March 5 (PR)- Though seven years have passed since the launch of a primary health centre in Kahaireni Juhang in 1996 in the east of Gulmi district, the health centre is devoid of its senior health worker which is deprived a huge number of locals from health services, according to sources. "Locals from 25 VDCs are deprived of health services in absence of a senior doctor at the health centre," said Shiva Prasad Bhandari, a local. To the provision of 13 health workers in the centre, only 3 are rendering services. However, the health centre is very busy and receives around 6,000 patients a year, according to Bashanta Kumar Shrestha, an Auxiliary Health Worker. The health centre is also equipped with modern tools, however in absence of technicians they are collecting dust, according to concerned sources.

Flights resume in Humla

SIMIKOT, Humla, March 5 (PR)- Air service to remote Humla district has resumed from today with Sangrila Air, a private airline flying cargo to the district after a three weeks gap. Heavy snowfall had disrupted flights to the district. Flight interruption had resulted in food scarcity and medicines in the district. Equally affected were the people who had gone to the warmer plains to escape the cold winter and also the employees who had left the district for official works, according to Hum Prasad Adhikari, the Chief District Officer (CDO).

Demands to stop dam construction

KAPILVASTU, March 5(RSS)- The CPN-UML Kapilvastu has demanded that the construction works of the Mahalisagar dam be stopped at the border area by India. The party has also formed a investigation committee under the convenorship of district secretary Balaram Adhikari with ex-MP Dan Bahadur Chaudhari and Sitaram Rabidas as members to find the facts on the dam which inundates Nepalese territory.