21 die of mystery disease in Kalikot

By Tularam Pandey

KALIKOT, March 16: At least 21 people have died of an unknown disease in this hill district of the mid-western region over the last two weeks.

Authorities said that six people have died alone in Manma, the district headquarters, while more than 400 others, mostly children and elders, have been affected by the killer disease in other parts.

The disease has also affected five government employees, said officials.

"In the beginning, people suffer from severe fever and feel dizzy," said Kashinath Banjade, Assistant Health Worker and Chief of the District Public Health Office.

This type of disease was first detected in Gela Village Development Committee (VDC) about two months ago when seven people lost their lives.

According to a report prepared by the police with the help of locals visiting the district headquarters, three people were killed in Pakha VDC, three in Odanekoma, two in Malkot, two in Lalu, two in Kumal Gaon and one each in Jubitha and Rupsa VDCs over the period.

Currently, there are no doctors in the district hospital though the disease has held grip of large parts of the district. Banjade, however, claimed that it was "ordinary common cold" that normally broke out at the time of season change.

Bhanubhakta Sanjyal, another health worker at Manma Health Centre, said that it was a disease that mainly infected the respiratory system.

Acting Chief District Officer Madhav Prasad Pokharel said that he had already instructed the District Public Health Office to dispatch teams of medics to the affected areas along with medicines.

Constitution doesn’t justify House revival, all-party Govt: PM

Post Report

MAHENDRANAGAR, March 16: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand today said that although political parties have demanded the restoration of the House of Representatives, there was no provision in the constitution which could justify the same.

"Who is authorised to do that?" he queried while talking to reporters in the town. He also ruled out any possibility for the restoration of the House even if one tried to do so somehow or the other.

Prime Minister Chand said there was every chance of the restoration of the House flayed by none other us since the dissolution order had come from the government and which has been upheld by the court of law.

He also flayed the demand for the formation of the all-party government as unconstitutional. "One has to think of the political crisis of the last six months before asking for it," he claimed.

He chastised the CPN-UML for demanding formation of an all-party government saying, "How could they expect to form one at a time when they are not ready to recognise the government formed under 127?" He claimed that the government led by him was formed to remove obstacles in the constitutional path.

"My advice to all those who are opposing the incumbent government is that they should join it rather than demand a separate one."

Chand said that the talks would take place at the earliest since the cease-fire is in place, adding that the eventual aim was to restore lasting peace. However, commenting on the formation of the talk team, Chand said that the same would be instituted as and when the need arises for certain people to be on the panel.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Chand said he would again convene a meeting with political parties to drive home the point that it would be in their interest if they co-operated in the peace talks.

Maoist students unlock TU colleges

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KATHMANDU, March 16: Maoists’ student wing has withdrawn its protest, and has unlocked the Tribhuvan University (TU) and government colleges saying that the concerned authorities showed intentions to fulfil their demands.

All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union -Revolutionary (ANNISU-R), the student wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), in a press statement today, said that the agreement reached on March 13 between the students and the TU administration was in the process of implementation.

The release signed by Himal Sharma, secretary of the ANNISU (R), said, "The decision to unlock the colleges is a response to TU’s public statement to implement the agreement and fulfil our demands."

The Maoist student wing had put forward five demands before the TU administration and locked the TU affiliated colleges since March 9.

The demands included immediate information on whereabouts of its general secretary Purna Poudel, release of the Maoist students in government custody and an atmosphere for admission of Maoist students to the colleges.

However, Home Ministry today claimed that Poudel was never arrested, and was not in any kind of government detention. "The ministry’s attention has been drawn towards the demands of ANNISU-R, but Poudel is not in the police custody or detention," said a Home Ministry release.

The ministry has also requested all the individuals to inform the nearby police post if they have any knowledge about Poudel.

Secretary of the Union, Sharma however flayed the home ministry statement saying that it was irresponsible and an attempt to conceal all its wrongdoing. He also warned the government of strident action in the future if the government continued ignoring the demands of the Union and wanted to conceal the arrests.

"Poudel was arrested by the security forces on April 26 last year along with other colleagues-Navin Kumar Rai and Ishwor Lama from Kalimati in Kathmandu," claimed Poudel, while talking to The Kathmandu Post Sunday evening.

Parties hail code of conduct, albeit some misgivings

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KATHMANDU, March 16: Leaders of various political parties today welcomed the code of conduct signed by the government and the Maoists to regulate the peace process but expressed their suspicions that both the armed forces (government and Maoists) wanted to undermine the role of other forces.

Arjun Narsingh KC, spokesman of Nepali Congress, said the party has hailed the signing of the code of conduct but has seriously taken the intention of both the parties to undermine the role of other parties.

"Their agreement to settle all disputed matters through agreement between them has created suspicions over their intention to ignore the political parties," said KC.

He said the Nepali Congress has hailed the code of conduct despite its ambiguity and vagueness.

"We had requested the government to provide draft of code of conduct but the government declined to provide it to the party," KC said, while justifying the parties’ boycott of the Prime Minister’s all-party meets.

"Since all the process are conducted under dark, where could we join the process?" KC questioned. "We don’t want to be a bystander in their secret agreement."

Leader of People’s Front Nepal, Chitra Bahadur KC said the signing of an agreement on the code of conduct was a welcome effort but it lacked programmes for rehabilitation of thousands of people displaced during the Maoist war and for providing compensation to them.

"It is the most essential work the people are expecting from the government at the earliest, as an immediate relief," said KC.

He also said that none of the parties currently was ready to send the Maoists to the jungle again and invite terror again but they are suspicious over the secret agreements made between the two armed forces.

He said advocating for a constituent assembly election could not be justifiable until and unless it ensures that the rights of the people envisioned in the present constitution would not be curbed in the new one.

Rajeshwor Devkota, leader of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Nationalist) said there was a vital need to change the present constitution, claiming that it had several shortcomings.

"The new one will be a progressive one and could be made through two different ways," said Devkota.

He said either the constituent assembly election or parliamentary election, could be the measure to formulate a new constitution but claimed that the round-table conference could not find a right solution.

RK Mainali of CPN-UML hailed the code of conduct but expressed suspicions over the success of the talks. "If both the sides wanted to utilize the truce for consolidating their military strength, it would be counter-productive." Dip Kumar Upadhyay of Nepali Congress (Democratic) said for the sake of restoration of peace in the country, the parties have become more flexible in recent days. Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay urged the parties to be cooperative to the government for restoration of peace in the country.

Activists kick storm over ill-treatment of animals

By Kiran Chapagain

KATHMANDU, March 16: The animal rights activists and conservationists have flayed medical institutes, veterinaries, government bodies and private research laboratories for inhuman behavior with animals.

They have also raised serious concerns over poor health conditions of park animals and other wild animals in captivity. The activists blame lack of law and ethics code for the infringement on the animal rights.

"These institutions are using live animals inhumanely in absence of legal and ethical provision ensuring the welfare of laboratory animals," says Dr Durga Dutta Joshi, director of National Zoonoses and Food Hygiene Research Centre (NZFHRC).

Altogether 15 different institutions are using over 1500 animals annually. The mice, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, sheep, buffalo calves, goats, goose and chickens are becoming the prey of such institutions for their so-called scientific research.

There is no government or private organisation to regulate the use and welfare of the animals in the country. Besides, there is no public health policy regarding procedure and impacts of animal experimentation. Nor do we have law and ethics guaranteeing welfare and rights of such animals.

They also blame that the welfare of laboratory animals and birds are not taken care of by these experimenting stations.

"Animal welfare condition is very poor in terms of housing, feeding, care and management, and medical treatment," according to a research by NZFHRC.

But the institutions using animals for experimental purposes are not ready to accept the charges.

"We are also equally concerned about the welfare of the animals and do provide facilities affordable by our resources," says Dr. Baikuntha Parajuli, chief veterinary officer at the Biological Products Division under the Department of Livestock Service.

He, however, conceded that the facility that the animals are getting was much below European or developed countries’ standard.

Not much different is the case of wild animals in captivity. Conservationists and animal right groups say that such animals are being devoid of their basic rights of proper habitat, food, right to environment and free movement.

"The health status of wild animals in captivity is very pathetic," said Prof. Dr. Tej Bahadur Shrestha, head of the central department of zoology, Tribhuvan University.

He added that the wild animals kept in the Central Zoo, Jawalakhel and two other minor zoos-one in Dhankuta and another in Hetauda, are not getting proper habitat and foods. Nor is their health status satisfactory.

Similarly, a research done by Dr. Benu Shrestha, former veterinarian at the zoo suggests "utmost care of the zoo animals in terms of their physical, psychological, nutritional and medical requirements.

Even the health condition of wild animals in national parks in the country is not satisfactory. There are not veterinarians specialized on wild animals, whether in captivity or in park. There is only one vet to check up animals preserved in 16 protected areas across the country.

"Now there is a need to set up a network to monitor the welfare and health status of laboratory animals and wild animals in captivity," suggests Prof. Dr. Purna Nath Mishra, a senior zoologist at Tribhuvan University.

Armies should be under state control: Oli

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KATHMANDU, March 16: KP Sharma Oli, a powerful leader in the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), today urged that the armies should be under the control of the state and not under any institution.

Claiming that the regressive and violent activities were a result of keeping the Royal Nepal Army under monarchy and ‘People’s Liberation Army’ under the Maoists, Oli said. "Both of them are institutions run in the interest of individuals."

Presenting a paper "Appropriate dialogue for lasting peace: Today’s necessity", at a programme here, Oli said that the challenge of transforming the government-Maoist cease-fire was one to be met by every citizen.

He also demanded an effective role for all political parties in the government-Maoist peace process. "None should attempt to undermine the role of the political parties for there is no solution without their participation," Oli said.

Warning the Maoists of worse consequences if they withdraw from the present peace process, Oli said that the Maoists should be more sincere to convert the cease-fire into lasting peace.

The Maoists had unilaterally withdrawn from the peace talks with the government during the Sher Bahadur Deuba-government in November 2001. The Maoists were then accused of betraying the government and the subsequent blood letting that following led to the killing of over five thousand people.

Oli also urged the Maoists to clarify about their demands on the constituent assembly, interim government and round table meeting.

He said that the demands put forth by the Maoists were only mediums, "But the Maoists must speak out about their destination," Oli said.

Talking about the need of the constituent assembly, Oli said that the political parties only should not keep on protecting the constitution during such a situation when even the king, who was supposed to be the patron of the Constitution, has ‘violated’ it.

‘New constitution with the representation of all sovereign people can be efficient enough to resolve any crisis," Oli said.

He also raised doubts that the Maoists were trying to undermine the political parties. "The Maoists have not yet spoken clearly whether they were talking to the king or the government. They are vague on this," Oli said.

The Maoists have been claiming that they were holding talks with the representatives of the king, who represents the present state power and the present government.

Other speakers Nilambar Acharya, former minister of law, Dr Durga Pokharel, president of the National Women’s Commission, Dr Meena Acharya and Sindhu Nath Pyakurel, president of the Nepal Bar Association also spoke in favour of the constituent assembly. They stress that the government-Maoist peace talks could in no way go further without an effective role earmarked for the political parties.