Fourteen Maoist guerrillas escape from custody

By Shyam Bhatta 

Kanchanpur, March 9:Fourteen Maoists guerillas were in police custody have escaped. The detainees beat up the police guards and ran to safety yesterday evening, police said. All the 14 had been arrested along with arms from Pipladi Village Development Committee (VDC) of this district in the far-western region about three weeks ago.

Police said that the rebels, locked up in a room, took on the security guards by surprise and managed to break the "highly-secured custody" soon after they were taken out of the room for dinner. Two female rebels, who were also arrested along with their male colleagues and locked up in another room, however, are still in the custody.

Those who managed to escape from the custody include a platoon commander, a section commander and area commanders. Police immediately opened five rounds of bullet aiming at the fleeing rebels, but to no avail.

A combined force of security personnel had arrested them along with sophisticated arms in the VDC on February 17 when they were meeting with martyrs’ family members and engaged in door-to-door political campaign.

Army personnel from Kalidal and Chandidal barracks were mobilised in search of the rebels shortly after the incident. Sources said one of the rebels was re-arrested from Madan Chowk. Security personnel were also mobilised for the search of the fleeing rebels even today.

They were arrested along with a self-loading rifle, two short machine guns, one shotgun, three 3-0-3 rifles, two 12-bore guns, two Maouzers, five country made guns and 24 grenades.

Earlier, issuing a press statement, Kanchanpur district committee secretary Bikram had asked the administration to release all the detainees, including commander of people’s liberation army, along with the weapons.

Govt to table code of conduct in cabinet meeting today
Monitoring committee to be formed

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POKHARA, March 9:The designated official co-ordinator and Physical Planning Minister, Narayan Singh Pun, today said the government would table the mutually agreed code of conduct in Monday’s meeting of the Council of Ministers and the same would be made public on Tuesday with mutually desired changes.

He, however, did not say anything about the changes made by the Maoist negotiators in the revised draft of the code of conduct.

Addressing a felicitation programme organised by Ex-Army Servicemen Club here, he also disclosed that a committee comprising representatives of all political parties, including the Maoists, and civil society would be constituted in all the districts to monitor whether or not the code of conduct were respected by the parties involved.

"I have understood the revised draft submitted by the Maoists. The draft will be tabled in the cabinet meeting tomorrow after fine-tuning in one or two points and they will be made public on Tuesday."

Pun said that he had already held talks with chief Maoist negotiator Dr. Baburam Bhattarai regarding the formation of such monitoring committees in all the districts to monitor the situation after mutually agreeing upon the code of conduct.

"This (all-party monitoring committee) will thoroughly monitor whether or not the code of conduct are adhered by the parties involved, and there will be no rooms for accusations and counter accusations against each other," he added.

He said that the government was planning to arrange foodstuffs and medicine for the Maoists, keeping in mind the impending violation of the code of conduct prior to the beginning of formal peace talks.

He disclosed the government’s plan of providing the rebels with about 1,500 tonnes of food-grains with support from donor agencies while addressing a function in Parbat district yesterday. He said that the government decided to supply them food and medicine so that the rebels may not resort to looting spree for lack of essential goods.

Minister Pun said the proposed peace talks would not be delayed even if efforts to accommodate major political parties in the process failed.

He said some national and international forces were hatching conspiracy to derail the peace process. "Various power centres provoke me against the peace process in Kathmandu. But I let them go in one ear and out the other," he said, adding that nobody could prevent the desire of the people for peace and stability. At one point, he said that no political parties, including the Maoists, should set their political agenda only as means to come to power.

Referring to the Maoist leaders’ insistence on speeding up the peace process, the government negotiator said lasting peace would not be achieved by merely proceeding with quick peace talks. "The peace talks should also be able to address the problems of all ethnic communities, dalits and social discriminations."

Deuba for constituent assembly if king is ready for it

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BANKE, March 9:Former Prime Minister and president of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), Sher Bahadur Deuba, today said his party would raise no objections if the king accepts Maoist demand of constituent assembly.

"Current political impasse will be resolved, provided that the king accepts the constituent assembly or the Maoists are ready to drop it," the former Prime Minister told the reporters. He said, "I will not be a stumbling block if the king agrees on it."

Referring to the previous peace talks with Maoists during his tenure, Deuba said that the talks failed inconclusively because of the Maoist stand on the constituent assembly. He, however, emphasised on the need of successful conclusion of peace talks though the cease-fire was announced in "a mysterious circumstance".

Deuba, however, has been maintaining that the demand of constituent assembly was irrelevant if the Maoists accept constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy.

He also made it clear that his party would boycott an all-party meeting called by the king’s handpicked government, which is scheduled for tomorrow.

When asked about his party’s future course of action, Deuba said that he would launch peaceful political campaigns to bring the king on constitutional track. Replying yet another query, Deuba said reunification between the Nepali Congress and his party was possible only if his government, which was unceremoniously dismissed by the king on October 4 last year, was re-instated.

Parties confer over unified voice before audience with king

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KATHMANDU, March 9:After the king called for a separate audience to the leaders of major political parties, the parties have started their homework to put forth a collective voice before the king.

According the sources, heads of Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), People’s Front Nepal and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP) have been called for an audience at the royal palace.

"But we are making collective voice before the audience with the king," said the high-level source at CPN-UML. Narayan Man Bijukchhe, NWPP leader said his meeting with the CPN- UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal today was confined to discussing the issue of audience with the king among others. He said that there was agreement to hold discussions before the audience with the king.

"We are still stuck to our previous stance for a collective audience," said Amik Sherchan of People’s Front Nepal.

The parties had failed to receive the king’s collective audience, one of the main demands they put forward before the king immediately after the October 4 move.

Meanwhile, the CPN-Maoist leaders Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Dinanath Sharma today met with the leaders of CPN-UML in connection with unity among the leftist parties.

"The Maoists have shown their willingness for joining hands against regressive moves," said Subash Nemwang, central committee member of CPN-UML after the meeting.

CBS mulling to conduct survey on women, children

By Damaru Lal Bhandari 

KATHMANDU, March 9:The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is mulling a survey to ascertain the status of women and children during the upcoming fiscal year. The steering committee meeting is soon expected to give a green signal for start of the survey, assistance for which is expected to come from UNICEF.

CBS officials said the data collected at the end of the three-month-long survey would go a long way in implementing the programmes and policies aimed at achieving the stated goals.

The inter-census survey, the second such exercise of its kind since 2000, has been christened Between Census Household Information, Monitoring and Evaluation System (BECHIMES). Supposed to be conducted every two years, it was dropped during 2002 since the CBS had with it required data through the decennial census.

BECHIMES survey, which is conducted by adopting multi-stroke sampling, is known to compile data on the health status of women and children, prevalence of diseases among children, maternal status of women, access to primary education, iodised salt and sanitation and water.

The BECHIMES-2000 had compiled data on the strength of 208 clusters (181 rural and 27 urban) covering nearly 69 districts. The teams had interviewed as much as 10, 295 households on the basis of questionnaires drawn up for the purpose.

Last BECHIMES had found that the percentage of households headed by women stood at 9.1 per cent. Similarly, 24 per cent of households out of 56,488 had electricity, 2.1 per cent had motorcycles, 49.7 per cent had radio, 13.9 per cent had television, 3.4 per cent had telephone while 1.4 per cent owned a refrigerator.

Likewise, the literacy rate among children aged six years and above was 57.6 per cent, with 51.3 per cent learning through formal and 6.3 per cent learning from informal education schemes. It had claimed progress on water supply front since 1990, with 79.9 per cent of household having access to clean drinking water.

The source of supply differed, with only 48 per cent of the households having access to piped water. But 90 per cent of the households had billed the water supply as insufficient, leaving much to do for the planners in the years ahead.

The survey had found sanitation scenario as the worst, with the percentage of households, which had any type of toilets at 33, with the percentage of safe toilets at 29. The use of iodised salt was found popular among 62.6 per cent of the families surveyed, while the percentage of families using non-iodised salt was found to be at 9.3 per cent. Moreover, crystal soda still remained the most popular salt.

Interestingly, nearly 99.7 per cent of the newly married women knew about contraception. The figure was 98.4 per cent during the family survey conducted in 1996. Female sterilisation remained the most popular mode of family planning, followed by vasectomy, Depo-Provera, pills and condoms.

On the antenatal care front, nearly 39.8 per cent of the women respondents had consulted doctors during their pregnancy. Virtually all the women received service from trained staff, while nearly 88.8 per cent of women had received TT shots.

Nearly 88 per cent of the women had delivered their baby at home, including in cow-sheds. Shockingly enough, nearly 12 per cent of the women gave birth without assistance from anyone whatsoever.

BECHIMES-2000 had intensively reported on STD and HIV/AIDS, practice of breast-feeding, access to Vitamin A and immunisation. The data were highly mixed, with great difference still pointing out at the rural-urban divide.

Superstition may see less marriages next year

By Suvecha Pant 

KATHMANDU, March 9:For those planning to enter into wedlock the curtains have been lowered, as today happened to be the last auspicious day in this year, 2059 BS.

As these couples enter into their married life, there are also many who will have to wait for the next year or the year after to get married. There is a slight hitch. There are many who believe that 2060 BS is an unlucky year.

This is the reason why this season saw a lot more couples tying the knot than before.

Prakash Dahal along with a battalion of his kith and kin went to fix the date of his wedding with Sharmila Paneru at the latter’s house in Naikap village here today. But it turned out to be a marriage in haste. The 30-year-old of Jhoukhel, Bhaktapur, ended up marrying Paneru at the end of the day, after both the parties agreed to "speed up things".

The reason: Most Hindus in the largely conservative Nepali society tend to avoid sunya saal to organise wedding ceremonies and consider it inauspicous.

This sudden increase in the number of marriages this season, is due to the conception amongst the Nepali public that the year 2060 BS is a sunna saal (zero year) and hence is unlucky.

Shova Sharma is amongst the hundreds of mothers who have married their daughters this year due to the belief that next year is not auspicious. "A lot of people told us that it was unlucky to be wed in 2060," said Sharma. "We couldn’t wait another year so we married her this year."

"It was very hectic getting everything together within a few weeks," adds Sharma.

Sharma is not the only one who believes that the sunna saal is unlucky for marriage. Thousands of families throughout the country seem to be supporting this notion and an increase in the number of marriages this season is a refection of this.

According to Dr Purna Prasad Adhikari, an astrologer, the number of marriages this season has increased by more than 10 per cent in comparison to the previous years. He too has observed that many families were anxious to get their sons and daughters married this year because of the belief that next year is unlucky for marriage.

However, according to Adhikari, the misconception that getting married in a sunna (or 0 year) is unlucky is purely psychological. "There are no religious reasons why a marriage should not be held in 2060," said Adhikari. He added that since ‘0’ seemed to be a number representing nothing, most people tended to think marrying during this year would bring bad luck.

However, looking at the calendar of 2060 B.S, it is clearly indicated that there are in fact auspicious days set aside for marriage during the next year.

Krishna Sivakoti waits anxiously outside an astrology centre in Dillibazar. He says that he has come to ask whether or not it would be good to marry in 2060 BS.

"A number of family members have told me that it is not lucky to marry next year," said Sivakoti. However, after ten minutes inside the centre he comes out happy and relieved.

"The jyotishi (astrologer) told me that there are many auspicious days in 2060," he adds. Many like Sivakoti are thronging to the astrologers for advice on whether or not the ‘0’ year is good to marry.

A point validated by astrologers themselves who clearly debunk the popular belief that 2060 BS is an unlucky year and term such talk as mere ‘jargon’.

"There are plenty of lagans in 2060," said astrologer Maya Ram Sharma Rijal, President of Nepal Astrological Research Centre. "No where in the religious books is it written that one can not marry in the ‘0’ year".

NC, UML not to recognise anti-graft mobile teams

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KATHMANDU, March 9:Three major political forces including Nepali Congress (NC) andCommunist Party of Nepal -Unified Marxist-Leninist ( CPN-UML) have decided not to recognise the anti-graft mobile teams, on the ground that they were formed by a government "whose legitimacy in under question".

NC, UML, People’s Front Nepal (PFN) and Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party (NWPP) have reached a decision three weeks ago not to recognise the mobile teams, as they have been formed by an illegitimate government formed after the October 4 royal proclamation, said Krishna Prasad Sitaula, NC Central Working Committee member.

Speaking at a face-to-face programme held at the Reporters’ Club here today, Sitaula said all government actions taken after the October 4 were against the constitution and formation of the mobile teams could not be an exception.

"The all-party meeting held in Bhaktapur had reached the conclusion that the actions of an illegitimate government should be regarded as illegitimate," said Sitaula, citing the decision made at the end of a meeting of NC, CPN-UML, PFN and NWPP three weeks ago.

"It is no more than an intention of the government to spread terror among the government employees and demoralise them," said Sitaula. "The teams have been constituted through bypassing due process of law and it has made a mockery of the rule of law."

"Perhaps the present problems of corruption could be averted if the post-democracy government had implemented the recommendations made by the Mallik Commission, which was constituted immediately after the restoration of democracy in 1990.

The commission had suggested for action against many government officials and political figures, who were alleged to have indulged in corruption during the party-less Panchayati rule. But none of the elected governments thereafter dared to initiate action, besides ignoring to make public the report.

Senior advocate Bishwo Kanta Mainali, also said the decisions of the present government were illegitimate since the formation of the government itself was against the constitution. "So there is no constitutional ground for the teams constituted to control corruption."

Mainali said that the promulgation of the Ordinance to set up the teams to operate, inspect and monitor the public services could not be expected at a time when there was no possibility of Parliamentary session within six months.

Contrary to Sitaula and Mainali, Bharat Jangam, the convenor of the mobile team for Bagmati and Narayani zones, said the teams were essential to check the widespread corruption in society as the nation required immediate action to stop it from collapsing.

He claimed that the institution of the teams followed due constitutional and legal processes and gave recommending power to the teams. "The recommendations of the teams would be supportive to the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and other anti-graft government mechanisms to take action against corrupt officials."

He also claimed that there has been significant decline in corruption cases after formation of the teams. "Most instances of direct bribes have stopped and what is still left is under the table deals," the team leader Jangam said.

Madhav Dutta Bhatta, Commissioner at the CIAA said the teams would at least find out the cases of corruption through on the spot visit and the CIAA would be benefited from the reports provided by the teams.

Niranjan Thapa, newly appointed chairman of Law Reforms Commission said there was no place to suspect the government’s motive, adding "The formation of the teams will prove to be unconstitutional only if it is rejected by parliament."

Maoist studensts padlock over a dozen Govt colleges

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KATHMANDU, March 9:All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), the students wing of the Maoists’ today padlocked over half-a-dozen government colleges in the capital to press for their five-point demands. An equal number of such institutions outside the valley were also padlocked.

The ANNISU-R locked the main gates of major colleges in the valley running under the Tribhuvan University (TU) administration today morning. Notices pasted on the wall of every college said that they would continue the closure of the colleges until their five-point demands were fulfilled.

Earlier the ANNISU-R had similarly closed down all the schools in the Kathmandu Valley three months ago and had threatened an indefinite strike in educational institutions.

However, they had withdrawn it following the government-Maoist cease-fire.

The Maoist students’ district level units have carried out the present closure of the government colleges.

A statement issued by Dipendra Pant, Kathmandu district chairman of ANNISU-R, pointed out the action to close own the colleges was its pre-scheduled programme to compel the government to fulfil their five-point demand put forward by the Union.

These five-point demands include releasing of all students in government custody, making public the whereabouts of its central general secretary Purna Poudel among others and creating an easy atmosphere for enrolment of the students deprived of the facility due to their connection to ANNISU-R.

The ANNISU-R said that the major colleges in the valley including Patan Campus, Pulchowk Engineering Campus, Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, Tahachal Campus and Vishwo Bhasha Campus were locked by the Maoist students.

Wife of historian passes away

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KATHMANDU, March 9: Nutan Regmi, wife of late politician and historian Dr. Dilli Raman Regmi, passed away at 5:35 p.m. today at Norvic Hospital. She was 86.

She was suffering from brain tumour for the last five months. The funeral rites of late Regmi was observed at Pashupati Aryaghat today. Her son Madan Regmi lit the funeral pyre. She is survived by one son and three daughters. Her husband Dr. Regmi had died about one and half years ago.

Intelligentsia accuses Govt of derailing talks

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Lalitpur, March 9:Members of the intelligentsia sympathetic to the Maoist cause today asked the government to be reasonable in formulation of the code of conduct to facilitate a meaningful dialogue with the Maoists.

The breakdown of the talks in absence of a proper code of conduct would be disastrous for the country, they warned.

"Worst may follow if the government does not agree to a reasonable cease-fire," said Shyam Shrestha, editor of the Mulyankan monthly. He was speaking at a function held to debate peace talks. He also debunked claims that the government and the Maoists have sorted out their differences in the 20-point code of conduct. "Far from it, the government has come up with inadmissible condition under surprising circumstances," Shrestha opined.

He claimed that the government has come up with the condition that while the army would be still place in a heightened state of alert and not marched back to the barracks, the rebel militia would have to refrain from effecting any ground movements.

Similarly, he also claimed that the government has refused to set free Maoist rebels in detention while the Maoists would be obliged to set free all those who have been held by them.

Similarly, the government has also ruled out involvement of international agencies in the monitoring of the cease-fire, something which it had agreed during the initial stage. The slapping of criminal proceedings against Dr Baburam Bhattarai, too, has been billed as efforts taken to derail talks.

Shrestha also defended the demand concerning constituent assembly saying that although much can be achieved even if we settle for effecting amendment in the constitution, what cannot be achieved in a scenario whereby the nation could go for a referendum as and when the need arises for the same.

"Besides there is also a need to have a constitution which might have been drawn up and enforced by the sovereign people," Shrestha further said, adding that the current constitution has been violated and rendered redundant by the king.

He spoke of a future arrangement whereby the army shall be under the purview of the parliament. He also referred to the need to have a provision which allowed referendum on vital issues even as the local governments enjoyed greater autonomy, among others.

Much like other speakers, including Shanta Shrestha, he said that the political parties were not playing any positive role to resolve the issues. In fact, he was of the view that other parties ought to have identified themselves with the CPN-Maoist and not with the monarch.