Experts worry over growing number of suicide cases

By Bikash Sangraula

KATHMANDU, May 17 : Two years ago, 26-year-old Ramita (name changed) of a well-off middle-class family committed suicide by injecting lethal quantities of anesthetics into her blood stream. She was a medical doctor, had a daughter, and had been living with her own parents after a long, strained relationship with her husband and her in-laws.

Only a small group of her family and close friends were present during her cremation at the cremation spot in Pashupatinath. Her husband and in-laws never arrived.

The same year, Anjan (name changed), 30, son of a retired police officer, died after taking unsafe quantities of heroine. It was no accident, claim his parents. "It was deliberate," says his father. Anjan had been a heroine addict for over five years. He did away with his life after realizing that he had failed as a son, husband, and citizen.

While the fact that even educated people are committing suicide is worrisome, experts point out that the rise in the number of suicide cases over the years has been alarming.

In the last six months, two people committed suicide everyday, on an average in Kathmandu alone, according to data made available by the Valley Crime Investigation Branch (VCIB), Hanumandhoka. Of that, 52 percent were male. People in the age group 16-40 constituted sixty-six percent of the total suicides.

While there has been no systematic research as for the reasons why suicide rate has picked up in the nation, senior psychologist Dr. Nirakarman Shrestha points out lack of counselling as a major reason.

"Since the youth are most prone to suicide attempts, awareness programmes in school and colleges can help," he told The Kathmandu Post. Shrestha has been providing emergency counselling to at least three individuals every week, trying to convince them not to attempt suicide. A majority of them were found to have resolved to commit suicide after suffering from a prolonged period of depression.

Shrestha argues that the family, more than anything else, can be instrumental in preventing a person from taking that desperate step. "It is mostly determined by what kind of a family environment an individual lives in. A person belonging to a supportive, open and loving family has nominal chances of committing suicide," he said.

The problem in Nepal is that people are unaware of their mental conditions. And even if they are aware, most are unwilling to take expert’s advice, owing to cynicism as well as the fear that visiting a psychiatrist can brand them as lunatics.

Since many of the pre-suicide family feuds are reported to the police, VCIP started a counselling service a few months ago, hoping to check on domestic violence and suicides. Thus far, only two men and one woman came seeking counselling.

"Despite our efforts, the suicide rate has doubled this year as compared to last year," Superintendent of Police Binod Singh, Chief of VCIP, told The Kathmandu Post. "We hoped that we could cooperate with independent organisations working in the area. But none has turned up so far," he added.

Most of the suicide cases reported to police are due to frustrated love affairs and financial failures. The other major reasons are unreasonable ambitions, mental illnesses and physical handicap, according to preliminary investigations carried out by VCIP.

There were 210 suicides reported in the valley during 2058, 380 in 2059, and 70 suicides in Baishakh this year. The national figures for the same periods are 2012, 3333, and 500. Seventy percent of them were committed by hanging, 18 percent by taking poisonous substances and 12 percent by setting fire on oneself, drowning and using sharp weapons.

The Muluki Ain’s section on life terms suicide as a crime. But it is unclear as to what the person attempting suicide can face if the attempt fails. "One of the ways of checking suicides is to make strong punitive provisions in the Muluki Ain for those who survive an attempt," said SP Singh.

Private schools under intense pressure to reduce fees

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 17 : The topic of exorbitant fees charged by private schools, has become a national phenomena, triggering debates at the national level, which is finally putting the private schools under increasing pressure from both the parents and students’ organisations to reduce fees.

A pro-Maoist student union, the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (ANNISU-R), which spearheaded a campaign against private boarding schools, has been firmly opposed to what it said was "commercialisation" of education. It has mostly blamed private schools in the Kathmandu Valley, for the escalation of fees along the lines of excessive commercialisation.

The organisation has forced the closure of private schools a number of times, the latest being the indefinite closure of schools’ cash counters in private and boarding schools. The organisation demand that the fees charged by private schools should match the income of the people and should be equal all over the country.

In its latest bid to pressure the schools’ organisations to cut down fees, the ANNISU-R has locked up principal’s office in about 150 private schools in Chitwan and has closed the account sections of almost all private-boarding schools in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Pokhara, Birgunj and Bhairawa.

Its contention is that after the government invited private capital in schools’ education; the government schools were transforming into schools of last resort for the poor while allowing the mushrooming of elitist private schools along commercial patterns.

"We will continue to lock the schools’ account section until all the private and boarding schools levy similar fee structure," said Himal Sharma, a spokesperson of the ANISU-R.

"No two schools must charge different levels of fees," he says. "They (private schools) must also match their physical facilities."

The ANNISU-R is unwilling to withdraw its on-going strikes against the schools unless the just formed co-ordination committee of the government comes with a realistic action to put a ceiling on fees.

In recent days, there is widespread resentment from the parents apart from the hue and cry of the Maoist student organisations. They also contend that PABSON had not lived up to the commitments of its 11-point code of conduct. One of the Codes of Conduct was the reduction of tuition fee by upto 25 percent.

Nepal Guardians’ Association has frequently charged the Ministry of Education for not setting a regulatory framework by which private schools could be checked for levying rampant fees. The Ministry has recently announced the formation of a co-ordination committee, which is directed to submit the report to the government next month. The Committee is also asked to recommend the standard fee.

What is today being argued and lamented is that there is a frightening gap between the levels of education received by the same people and the same citizenry. The present education system has been blamed for creating this gap, according to experts.

Experts hold the view that the rich being able to afford costly education in private education institutions and having access to all the latest marvels of information technology is fast outsmarting the poorer pupils who are being pushed aside in the dustbins of global competition.

"Education is becoming a privilege for only those who can afford it," Dr Mana Prasad Wagle, expert on education and a professor at the Tribhuvan University (TU) earlier told The Kathmandu Post.

"This is because the government has failed to develop effective mechanisms to curb charging of excessive fees," he said.

"But not all private schools are making profit. Some are about to collapse," argues Suprabhat Bhandary, president of Nepal Guardians’ Association.

In 1990, there were less than 20,000 schools and four million students and now there are well over five million students and 26,000 schools. They have sparsely lit classrooms, dilapidated structures, moth-eaten furniture, half of them without toilets, unavailability of drinking water, shrinking funds, and above all a steady fall in academic performance. Although their staff salary has increased manifold, the end result of public education is viewed as poor and dismal.

Of about 26,000 public secondary schools in the country, about 9,000 of them are run by private individuals. But they are outsmarting the public schools in the quality of education they impart. The SLC results for instance show that private schools have scored far better.

Private and Boarding Schools’ Organisation of Nepal (PABSON) defends that the fee they charge commensurate with the physical facilities and quality of learning they offer to pupils.

Umesh Shrestha, president of PABSON is even considering inviting the journalists to go through some of the schools how they impart knowledge to pupils and what resources they have at their disposal.

He refuted the charges that all private schools charge exorbitant fees. Shrestha says most private schools have no private buildings and are heavily indebted. He said that most schools, including his own flourishing Little Angels’ has been under debt.

PABSON has called a meeting between all the stockholders on Sunday to discuss the way out of current stalemate.

Website for online pujas to be launched

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 17 : Devotees across the world will soon be able to pay homage and offer pujas to world famous pilgrimage site of Pashupatinath from their homes. This will be made possible by the launching of the website http://www.pashupatinath.org on Monday.

Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah will be launching the website amid a formal programme on Monday. Her Majesty will also be inaugurating an interaction on ‘Pashupatinath Darshan: Your Ultimate Pilgrimage’.

Stating that all the preparations for launching the website is complete, spokesperson of Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), Shyam Shekhar Jha told The Kathmandu Post that the funds collected from online pujas will be utilized to supplement the budget for the Pashupati Area master plan.

The master plan stipulates a ten-year period for completing the massive development project, with an estimated cost of about 2.3 billion rupees, of which 23 percent is to be collected by the PADT. During the two years that have passed, 160 million rupees have already been spent. The online facility is expected to augment funds for the development of the project.

Outstanding personalities felicitated

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KATHMANDU, May 17 ; Assistant Minister for Education and Sports Ravindra Khanal, on the occasion of the 2547th birth anniversary of Lord Buddha, felicitated four persons for outstanding contributions to religion and culture and to various fields of national life here yesterday.

Raj Parishad member Ganesh Bajra Lama (Chiniya Lama), social worker Dan Das Shrestha, RSS reporter Suresh Jha and Rajdhani daily reporter Sudarshan Sigdel were felicitated at the programme organised by the World Hindu Youth Federation International Committee.

On the occasion, Assistant Minister Khanal said that the objectives of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religions practised in Nepal for a long time are humanitarian service and the converging point of the followers of these faiths is the monarchy.

Alleging that the political parties of the country have not been able to carry out welfare measures in line with the aspirations of the people, he pointed out the need to be alert about some political parties seeking to disrupt the peace talks between the government and the Maoists.

Chairman of the World Hindu Federation International Committee Sagar Thapa and its vice-chairman Shankar Lal Kediya also expressed their views at the programme chaired by Baba Shiva Avatari.

Focus on world peace and human welfare

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 17 : Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has pointed out the need for one and all to follow the teachings of Lord Buddha and focus on world peace and human welfare to build a healthy world and make life happy.

Addressing a meeting on Buddhism organised by Ananda Kuti Vihar here yesterday on the occasion of the 2547th Buddha Jayanti, Prime Minister Chand said that every citizen should comply with the teachings of Lord Buddha in letter and spirit to ensure peace and security in the country.

Stating that efforts were underway to maintain lasting peace in the country through peace talks, he said that as the efforts of the government alone will not be sufficient for the success of peace talks, everyone should extend cooperation in this regard.

Referring to the sacrifices made by Lord Buddha, the apostle of peace, to propagate the message of peace in the interest of all living beings, Chand called for adherence to the path of peace shown by him.

Referring to the equal relevance of the teachings of Lord Buddha even in this twenty-first century, he called upon everyone to put them into practice in daily life so as to maintain world peace at a time when there is fear in the world due to violence, terror and the arms race.

Ekdum Live music tour kicks off 

Post Report

KATHMANDU, May 17 : The much awaited, ‘Ekdum Live! Come Alive, Stay Alive’ music tour kicked off on Sunday, May 18, at the Dasharath Stadium here today. The series of live concerts will feature some of the biggest stars from the Nepalese music industry.

The tour is to perform in four other cities of Nepal, including Shahid Maidan, Biratnagar on May 20, Narayani Stadium, Birgunj on May 22, Kalika Secondary School, Butwal on May 24 and Basundhara Park, Pokhara on May 26. The performers will include popular bands and singers like Robin n’ Looza, Mongolian Hearts, Nima Rumba, Dipesh K. Bhattarai, Nalina Chitrakar, Sugam Pokhrel, Sanjeev Singh and Kunti Moktan.

The tour is being organised in conjunction with the launch of ‘Number One’, a new youth-oriented condom. The brand was officially launched on April 13, at a gala event at the Hyatt Regency, by the ‘National Center for AIDS and STD Control’ in partnership with social marketing agencies in Nepal.

To limit the progression of STD/HIV/AIDS transmission in Nepal, the programme will focus its efforts on youth as a high-risk target group. With over half of Nepal’s population under 25, with the fact that HIV disproportionately affects youth, youth-focussed behaviour change programmes and messages are likely to have the greatest impact, states a press statement issued here today.

RNA should be under parliament: Dev Gurung

Post Report

BUTWAL, May 17 : At the time when the five major political parties have launched series of protests questioning the monarchical power an influential Maoist leader at a programme here today spoke out that the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) should be guided by the parliament not from the palace.

Dev Gurung, a member of the Maoist talk team made the statement at a programme organised by Parliamentary Study and Development Institualisation on negotiation approach.

Stating that the Maoist party came for dialogue for self-esteem and for the country and people, Gurung clarified that the party had no intentions of sidelining the political parties.

Speaking at the programme, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, a NC leader said that the agitation launched by the parties against regression would not hinder the peace talks.

Another speaker, Hiranya Lal Shrestha, a leftist intellectual said that the issue of army and Maoist militia should not infringe the peace talks.

Meanwhile, expressing his views at a separate programme here today, Taranath Ranabhat, the speaker of the dissolved house of representatives said that the Maoists would never go back to the jungle. Since the Maoists have assessed the grave losses in the country by the seven-year insurgency, they are in favour of lasting peace, said Ranabhat.

Ranabhat made the remarks inaugurating a two-day workshop on ‘Women Participation and Women in Media’ by Nepal Federation of Journalists. Other speakers of the programme were senior journalists P. Kharel and Shiva Gaunle.

DAO seals 100 tons of rotten rice

By Rajendra Manandhar

DOLAKHA, May 17 : Due to the controversy surrounding the quality of rice meant for the ‘Work for Food’ programme, the local administration in Dolakha has sealed 100 tons of rice in the godown. It has also taken actions against the defaulters, said the concerned sources. The programme is supported by WFP.

The issue surfaced after the labourers in the construction works of the Suspa-Panighat road complained to the District Administration Office (DAO) that they were provided with rotten rice.

The rice availed by Pawan Agrawal, a contractor from the Shyam Baba Enterprises.

Following the consumers’ complaint on the poor quality of rice, 100 sacks of rice from the stock were sent to the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC) for test.

"As the report from the DFTQC stated that the rice received was non-consumable, we have sealed the stock," said Khem Raj Ojha, the Assistant Chief District Officer (CDO).

Since a report by the Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) on April 18 recognized the rice to be of normal standard. it was distributed among the labourers, according to the sources at Rural Community Infrastructure Development Programme.

It is learnt that the labourers from 11 VDCs in the district were provided with sub-standard rice and its consumption resulted in the complexities like diarrhea and other stomach diseases, according to sources.

It is also feared that similar sort of rice is sent to Achham, Bajura, Doti, Bajhang, Dadeldhura, Baitadi, Darchula, Kanchanpur, Kailali, Salyan, Pyuthan, Ramechhap, Sindhupalchok and Saptari districts under the Work for Food Programme.

NORAD grant for Humla girls ‘misused’

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SIMIKOT, Humla, May 17 : It has come to light that the grant to be provided by NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation) for the improvement of girl education in Humla has been misused by employees and teachers of the concerned school.

The agency has been supporting a programme aiming to improve education quality of the girls from this mountain district over the last four years.

Many girls studying at Mansarovar Higher Secondary School complained that they were paying monthly tuition fee even though there is a provision for this.

"I know that NORAD bears the total costs for our education but I have been paying from my pocket for the last three years," said Laxmi Shahi, a grade 10 student at the school.

Officials at the District Education Office said NORAD provides them with Rs 5,51,000 for the 20 girls enrolled at the school every year. The amount is spent for the girls’ monthly tuition fee, accommodation, food, stationary and clothes.

The students also revealed that they learnt no vocational skills while studying in the classroom. "I paid Rs 400 for a subject but the teachers taught us only for two days and stopped," said Sharala Bhandari, a student of grade eight. Another student, Sabita Pun said that she had to pay Rs 1,600 for two subjects though their tuition fees are borne by NORAD.

Earlier, these students had filed a complaint at the District Education Office demanding resumption of the teaching. The girls claimed that the office took no action on their complaint. Despite the complaint, the District Education Office has been releasing the fund in the name of the school management committee.

About 2.2 million rupees have already been released in the name of these girls for the last four years and none of the girls has been able to pass the School Leaving Certificate examination during the period.

Ganga Parsad Hatta, the headmaster of the school, however, refuted the allegations by the girls. But he did not mention anything about the budget allocated for extra-curricular activities, skill development training and accommodation for the girls. The girls said that they appeared for the annual examinations without completing courses of English, Mathematics and Science.

The District Education Office has done nothing apart from changing the school management committee that controls bank accounts of the fund. "We changed the management committee to stop misuse of the fund," said Din Bandhu Jha, the district education officer.

4 killed, 18 injured in road mishaps

Post Report

PALPA, May 17 : Two were dead and 12 were injured when a jeep bearing the number GA 1 JA 2739 which was heading towards Karadi from Adhichaughera of Syangja met with an accident at Tindobato-2 of Syangja today.

In this incident, Arjun Palli Magar a resident of Pakwadi-5 in Syangja, and Huma Palli from the same place were claimed dead.

Man Bahadur Ale of Baling-1, Rupesh Thapa of Pakwadi-5, Shibakala Ale, and Shobhakanta Bhandari of Kuwakot in Syangja have been admitted to the Mission hospital of Palpa and are undergoing the treatment.

It is learnt that of the 12 injured seven have returned home after necessary treatment.

Meanwhile, in the similar type of road mishap in Chaupatta of Lakshmipur VDC in Dang today morning two were claimed dead while six injured.

The incident occurred when the tractor bearing the number RA 1 THA which was carrying the bricks and heading towards Bhaluwang from Ghorahi skid off the side of the road. A 35-year-old Chechuwa Chaudhary a resident of Chaughera of Tribhuvan municipality-4, and Bapiyogi from the same place succumbed to death.

The injured after receiving the initial treatment at the Lamahi Primary Health Centre have been deported to Nepalgunj for further treatment, informed the chief of the Lamahi centre, R. D. Shah.

Risky livelihood for Bading village youth

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ROLWALING, (Dolakha), 17 : While youths from each family go to Himalayas to be employed as porters for mountaineers, the rest in remote Bading village of Gaurishankar VDC-1 visit the nearby Gumba or monastery to offer worship for the well-being of their family members. People have a deep-rooted faith on this established routine that daily worship ensures the safety of their family members engaged in risky tasks.

A four-day walk from Charikot, the district headquarters, the village comprises 57 households of the Sherpa ethnic community. "Offering prayers in the Gumba continues until the return of the family-member," said Nurbu Sherpa, former ward Chairman.

Most of the youths from the village work either for the Everest climbers or for mountaineers attempting to scale other mountains. During the mountain climbing seasons, only the women, elderly and children remain in the village, informed the villagers.

The infertile land coupled with adverse weather produce only potatoes and carrots forcing the youth to be involved in the risky work.

"Though the work involves high risk at every step, we make good money out of it," said Ngawang Yongden, a local who claimed that he even ascended to heights over 7,000 kilometres carrying loads.

"30 youth from this village have already scaled Everest as porters," said Yongden. "I visit Gumba daily because my father has left for work in the Everest," said Doma Sherpa, another local girl.

Goodwill programme to be held

RSS

ITAHARI, May 17 : Eastern Pritana headquarters of the Royal Nepalese Army is to conduct a weeklong citizen goodwill enhancement programme concerning humanitarian service and construction in the hill districts of eastern and central regions from tomorrow.

The programme will focus on the service of the poor families of the terror and disaster-afflicted areas and it aims to guarantee peace and security for the masses.

A joint team of the army and Kamana Art Centre will organise cultural programmes, as well as the humanitarian services like, health, education, construction etc. at the district headquarters.

The programme will be conducted with the assistance of various organisations and institutions including Regional Administrator, chambers, Redcross, BP Koirala Foundation for Health Sciences and Golchha Eye Hospital.

Informing about the programme regional administrator Bisnu Datta Upreti said that the programme was initiated with the objective of making the government policy of "Rural People are the Heart of the Development".

Chief of the Pritana headquarter Pradip Pratap Bam Malla informed that the first phase of the programme will be conducted in 11 districts including Sindhuli, Morang, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Udayapur, Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Bhojpur, Dolakha and Ramechhap and said the programme will be expanded in 24 districts.

Locals walk long distances to mail out letters

Post Report

OKHALDHUNGA, May 17 : The general populace of this district has been greatly inconvenienced in five areas and eight additional post offices, as most of them had been attacked and destroyed by the Maoists prior to the cease-fire.

In the absence of other forms of communication the postal system had been the only reliable and easily accessible means of passing messages for a majority of the rural folk of this region.

According to the District Post Office of Okhaldhunga, earlier attacks by the Maoist rebels, before the cease-fire, that led to the destruction of various infrastructures of the postal system including stocks of stamps and documents, had disrupted the flow of mail, both incoming and out going, in this district.

Last year towards the end of April, Maoist workers had destroyed the area postal services of Khijiphalate, Gamnangtar, Ghodakhari, and Chyanma VDCs, while they had attacked the additional post offices at Raniban, Khiji-Chandeshori, Narmadeshori, Bilandu and Shinghadevi VDCs.

During attacks carried out at the area post office in Bigutar VDC and the two additional postal in Bhadaure and Taluwa VDCs, the Maoists had inflicted damages causing loss of over Rs 285,000.

Since the destruction and disruption in two-way postal service, the locals of this region have been either making frequent rounds to the district headquarters to post their mail to relatives outside this district, or visiting the post offices in various other VDCs in the neighbouring districts.

A local from Chanma VDC-8 laments that in order to post a letter he now has to travel a distance of about four to five hours to reach the district headquarters.

The chief of the District Post Office, Durga Bahadur Khadka says, though the both-way postal service has been disrupted yet those letters coming in from outside have been delivered to the addressees of these VDCs.

However, talking to The Kathmandu Post correspondent, the chief Khadka reiterated that they are soon restoring back the two-way postal service, and they have already talked with the concerned authorities in this connection.

At present there are one District Post Office, 11 area postal units and 44 additional post offices in this district.

Couple socially ostracised for inter-caste marriage

RSS

DOTI, May 17 : A newly-wed couple of Kalikasthan, Doti have not been able to return to their home since four months after their marriage.

The couple have been compelled to live outside their village after the villagers took them out of the village on the charge of inter-caste marriage between a high caste boy and a low caste girl.

Shere Luhar,22, of Kalikasthan in Dungra VDC of the district had married Neema Badi also from the same VDC four months ago. They were then pushed out of the village describing their love marriage against traditional culture.

Saluwa Luhar, the father of Shere Luhar says he was ready to accept his daughter-in-law but was compelled to separate them after the villagers threatened of chasing away the entire family out from the village.

Luhar and Badi castes both come from the Dalit community. But Badi caste is regarded as a low caste compared to the Luhar caste which shows that discrimination exists within the low caste community itself.

The Luhar couple are presently pleading for help at the police administration in the district headquarters, Silgadi. Mother of the girl Kamala Badi and maternal uncle Bikram Badi charged of helping the marriage are also stranded in the headquarters.

The victims had filed a complaint at the District Administration Office, Doti urging action against those guilty but the office is yet to respond, say the victims.

Some local social organisation are providing shelter and food and making effort to provide them justice, it is learnt.

Bhakta Bahadur Singh, president of Human Rights Organisation of Nepal, Doti expresses concern over the ignorance of the administration to take action against the so-called high caste people who violated fundamental human rights.

Prisoners demand better health facilities

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PALPA, May 17 : Prisoners of the district jail, Palpa, have been deprived of medical facilities due to a budget crunch for the past few years. The jail authorities put the blame on the government for not releasing sufficient budget.

Due to lack of medical care, Benisara Majhangi, a prisoner has developed ulcers for which she is not receiving any treatment. Very recently, the district leader of the Maoist party met the patient in jail and arranged a course of medicine for 10 days, according to sources.

Though the government has been releasing Rs 115,000 annually, the budget has proved insufficient after the number of inmates increased during the insurgency period, according to Kamala Poudel, an Auxiliary Health Worker (AHW) looking after the jail inmates.

"Despite the number of prisoners increasing to almost 200 from the earlier average of 150, the government has been releasing the same amount for their medical care," said Poudel.

The jail has many patients who require daily doses of medicines. "Even when required to do so, we are not able to take sick inmates for treatment as we face monetary problems," said Dipak Nepal, the Jailer.

In their 10-point demand to the jail administration a few days ago, the jail inmates had raised health care as the chief agenda, according to a concerned source.

Dalits denied entry into temple

By Binod Tripathi

BAGLUNG, May 17 : The Pujari (priest) of the Kalika temple in the Western Region of the country has denied access to the people of the Dalit community to the temple and offering their prayer.

The priest of this temple who recognizes many of the Dalits living theoes not allow them to step into the threshold of this temple which is quite popular from the tourist as well as from the religious point of view.

After being barricaded by the priest, Krishna Prasad Paudel, the Dalits there have requested the Human Right Organisations working there to help them out.

"After many futile requests to the Temple Management Committee which did not yield to anything, we had to seek help of organisations working in the field of human rights," reiterated professor Dambhar Beka. Whenever the Dalit womenfolk visited the temple to worship, they had to face staunch humiliation from the priest of the temple, and therefore to bring an end to this discrimination on the ground of caste through the existing law and justice they have approached the Human Right Organisation operating in their locality, added Beka.

According to the information provided by Beka, a Dalit from Thulipokhari who had come to this temple here on the occasion of Chaite Dasai Festival had been stopped by the priest. Narrating yet another incident he said that not only was a Dalit from Pang VDC permitted to enter the temple premises but was insulted badly infront of many worshippers who had gathered there on the occasion. They had instantly condemned such behaviour of the temple priest, but none has lend their ears to listen to our plight and thus provide justice to them, lamented Beka.

So far the priest has kept the Dalits at bay from this temple. The priest not only bars the Dalits from offering prayers, but upon suspicion he also asks the particular people if he belongs to the Dalit caste or not. On Friday Ganesh Sunwar and Bimala Sunwar who came from Pokhara to worship the idol at this temple had to bear the brunt of the priest’s tantrums. They quietly sneaked into the temple when the priest was out, and in one occasion the priest came to know about this and scolded a youth painter present then for not having stopped these Dalits from entering the temple.

Such behaviour from the religious authority at this temple is likely to bring that negative impact on other devotees who visit the temple with positive attitude said the district secretary of UML, Shree Prasad Sharma. He added that though they have been hearing time and again that anybody is allowed to enter the public temples, then such behaviour is inappropriate.

The Charmakar (so considered low caste) people have been indulged in the construction of the temple, but when it comes to worshipping inside the temple they are denied permission. Three years back when a group of Charmakars had made an attempt to enter this temple they had been stopped by the management committee and a squabble had surged up. Since then they had been denied access completely.

Govt plotting to outset people: Gupta

RAJBIRAJ, May 17 (PR) - Former Minister for Information and Communication, Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta termed the government initiation of expanding the western territory of the Koshi Wild Life Reserve as a grave conspiracy against the residents the locals of Saptari and Udayapur districts. "The government scheme is but a ploy to outset the people of six VDCs in Saptari and one VDC in Udayapur district," said Gupta at a protest assembly organised at Kamalpur of Saptari district today.

Windstorm damages school

BAGLUNG, May 17 (RSS) - Property worth Rs. 160,000 was damaged when windstorm blew off roofs of two buildings of the Timtyang lower secondary school in Timtyang VDC of Baglung on Friday. Some students and teachers have been injured in the incident that took place when the school was running. Corrugated roofs of the primary education project office and the old three-room building of the school were blown away by the windstorm, said headmaster Chudamani Acharya.