Sur Sudha performs at Kal Mochan Ghat

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - A musical programme, featuring the celebrated musical band, Sur Sudha, was organised in Kal Mochan Ghat of the capital today. The 3-member classical music band has an incredible record of 3,000 live concerts the world over and has been performing since 1987. On the occasion, the band played their much-celebrated tune, the Fishermen’s song along with other popular pieces such as Rajamati and Resham Firiri.

After the live performance by Sur Sudha, members of the Bajra Kala Kunj of Kathmandu presented several Nepali charya dances like the Kumari and Kal Bhairab. As an antidote to the chill of the night, local Newari wine in traditional mud-bowls with delightful Newari morsels was also served. The programme ended in a grand Newari Bhoye or Newari dinner.

Several dignitaries including foreign ambassadors and the Mayor of Kathmandu City, Keshav Sthapit, were present on the occasion. Speaking at the programme, Sthapit described the event as enlivening and enchanting.

Caring for unwanted children, HCPH makes a difference

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - The Helpless Children Protection Home (HCPH) at Ranibari houses 72 children from all over the kingdom. The children, from a mere 22 day-old to thirteen years have found a home in this institution, which promises them a future, which they would otherwise have missed.

Bhawana Mainali, 9, was brought to the home from Khara village of Rukum two years ago, severely burnt in a fire that took the life of both her parents. "She was severely burnt because of which she lost all the fingers of her right hand," says Jitendra Basnyat, former police officer and the founder of HCPH.

Mainali, who is said to be a good singer, is currently studying in grade 4 at the Najarath Boarding School.

Dikshya was found in front of a hotel wrapped in a shawl, apparently deserted by her creators. Born premature she has a mal-formed backbone. Though she is now two years of age, she is unable to move around or even raise her head. It’s the ‘mothers’ at the home who have to see to her every need.

The list of children like Dikshya and Bhawana goes on. Yet the founders are always ready to accept other helpless children.

The house was established three years ago, as the founder Jitendra Basnyat puts it, ‘to realise the wish of Shree Satya Sai Baba’. There are four staff at the house to look after the children, fifty-eight of whom go to four different local schools. The house run on donations from individual donors is always short of funds. "We do not force anyone for donations. We collect it just from those who want to give something for a good cause," says Basnyat.

To add to the joy of the children, national poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire was felicitated by the HCPH today at its premises. Ghimire, full of emotion recited his poem ‘Bhagera ra Bhageri’ together with the children.

On the occasion, Prabha Basnyat, member secretary at the Social Welfare Council, assured the home of financial assistance on behalf of the council.

Child labour still persists in carpet factories

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - The magnitude of the involvement of child labour in the hand-knotted carpet industry has come down significantly as compared to the situation of ten years ago. However, there are a lot of vulnerable children who may turn to child labour in the future.

The report released here yesterday, on ‘Investigation of Child Labour in Woollen Yarn Spinning Industry of Nepal’ prepared by Nepal RUGMARK Foundation says that there are 2,157 children below 18 years depending on the spinning industry whereas the number was very high ten years ago.

However, the report states that only 1,689 children are vulnerable to exploitation and health hazards as the remaining 468 are school-going children and are out of possible danger of exploitation and abuse.

According to the report, there are 284 infant children below three years in the industry who are vulnerable to health hazards, whereas, 149 school children within the age of three to 14 are vulnerable to exploitation.

The study conducted from July to September 2003, further states that there are 283 child labourers below 14 years, 505 between 14 to 16 years and 468 from the 16 to 18-year age group.

Giving an overview of the study Dinesh Chapagain, advisor to the study team, said that the findings were on the basis of field surveys, discussion programmes, interviews and case studies. He also informed that 40 percent of the factories were unregistered.

In the factories, children were working eight to 12 hours daily, while they were just paid Rs.1200 to 1500 per month.

According to Vashkar Sharma, researcher, financial poverty combined with poor schooling was the root cause of child labour, with parents motivating them due to high family sizes and low earnings. "Two thirds of children said that they want to continue their study," he informed.

He also said that special attention in the factory premises was necessary, as there were many health risks for these children within factory premises.

Govt prioritises income oriented programmes

RSS

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - Minister for Education and Sports Hari Bahadur Basnet inaugurated the national workshop jointly organised by Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) and Asian Development Bank here today.

The workshop was organised with a view to assisting the poverty alleviation programme of His Majesty’s Government and helping the target groups and the people of remote rural areas of the country.

On the occasion , Minister Basnet said His Majesty’s Government has given priority to the income oriented programmes and employment despite the lack of resources at its disposal.

Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma said there is the need of partnership between His Majesty’s Government and the private sector to provide quality training which is very expensive at present.

Representative of the Asian Development Bank said that the bank will be involved in the poverty alleviation programme of the government.

Dr. Rajendra Suwal of Asian Development Bank technical assistance group said about 300,000 people come to the labour market every year in Nepal and among them only 50,000 people get various kinds of training in the country.

Public complaints management section set up at ministerial level

RSS

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - All HMG Ministries have in accordance with the citizens charter, initiated the process of making clear-cut arrangements for filing any complaints about services and facilities provided under each and every level under their responsibility.

The Ministries are to designate individuals to entertain complaints in case services at the ministries, departments, directorates, offices, public corporations, projects under them are not in keeping with the charter, and the names of such individuals along with their posts, levels, telephone and fax numbers and e-mail addresses will be made public soon.

The ministries have initiated this process following directives issued in this connection by the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers a few days ago, it is learnt.

In view of the fact that more than 100 complaints are filed at the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers every day, a ‘public complaints management section’ has been set up under the co-ordination and follow up division to tackle such complaints.

Complaints received at each ministry or forwarded there for action are to be duly taken care of and only complaints which cannot be deal with at the ministry level are to be received by the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Once the individuals who will entertain public complains are designated at the Ministry level and at units thereunder, the load of complaints arriving at the public complaints management section of the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers is expected to decline.

Individuals designated for hearing the complaints at ministerial level and units thereunder are to tackle the complaints that they are in a position to tackle and forward complains which they cannot tackle to the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Complaints arriving at the latter are to be investigation and sent to the Ministry concerned. Similarly, the complaints received are to be dealt with by officials of the units concerned under the chairmanship of the co-ordination and follow up division and the Prime Minister informed of this along with the appropriate suggestions.

The complaints will then be tackled as per the policy directives of the Prime Minister, it is stated.

Complaints are first to be filed at the unit concerned and the latter have to tackle them as per prevailing law and regulations.

Only if the latter cannot take decisive action on such complaints are these to be forwarded to the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Top priority has been given to ensuring that services and facilities that should accrue to the people from the policies, projects and programs approved by HMG from time to time actually reach the people, but the gains made have not been as anticipated because of the weaknesses in implementation.

That is why emphasis has been given to more forceful implementation, it is also stated by the office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Call to keep schools, students away from armed conflict

RSS

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - On the occasion of the International Child Rights Day, Amnesty International Group-80 and Joseph Secondary School, Boudha, jointly organised a peace march and oratory contest here the other day.

Inaugurating the oratory contest on the theme "Violence against children and justice", Speaker Taranath Ranabhat said at the time when the country has been facing crisis the future of the nation, the children, should move ahead with a serious thinking that would help resolve problems in the future.

President of Human Rights and Peace Society and former chairman of Amnesty International Nepal Chapter, Krishna Pahadi, said schools should be zone of peace and that the school and students should be kept aloof of the quagmire of armed conflict.

Chairman of Amnesty International, Nepal Chapter Pradip Pokharel pointed out the need to implement national and international laws and conventions in order to safeguard the rights of the children.

Director of AI Nepal Raju Sarkar, senior intellect Mitrasen Dahal and principal of Joseph Secondary School Surya Bahadur Adhikari and other speakers also shed light on various aspects of children and justice.

Twenty-one students from eight schools in the valley took part in the oratory contest.

Earlier, a peace march was organised. The march beginning from Mahankal went through Chabahil, Chuchepati, Pani Tanki and dispersed on reaching the Joseph Secondary School.

STM Telecom Media to run phone service in eastern region

RSS

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - Nepal Telecommunications Corporation (NTC) Authority has licensed the STM Telecom Media Pvt. Ltd. to run at least two telephone line service in 534 of the 893 Village Development Committees (VDCs) in the eastern region which are yet to enjoy telephone services.

Nepal Telecommunications Corporation Authority had last year called for quotations from the private sector to reach telecom services in villages of the eastern region which are yet to avail from such facility.

The quotations were called for as per the telecommunication area reform project loan agreement reached between His Majesty’s Government and World Bank in 2000.

STM Communication Services Inc, USA and Nepal Venture Pvt. Ltd. has submitted proposals and the former was selected following technical assessment.

According to the quotation, STM Communication Services Inc., USA. will have a 55 per cent share, Samart Communications Company Ltd. Thailand will have 15 per cent, STM Networks Inc., USA 10 percent and Apollo Investment Pvt. Ltd. 20 per cent.

STM Telecom Media Pvt. Ltd. is a registered organisation in Nepal. They will have to within the next six months install telephone services in 20 per cent (107 VDCs) and 50 per cent (237 VDCs) within nine months. The company will have to complete its project in all the 534 VDC within the next 18 months.

The company will have to pay royalty to His Majesty’s Government for running the telecom service from this current fiscal year while the Rural Telecommunication Development Trust Tax has been waived off for five years.

This company is expected to provide telecommunication service to 40 per cent of the total population of the eastern region.

2 dead in blasts, Maoists continue kidnappings

POST REPORT

KATHMANDU, Nov 22 - Incidents of blasts, ambush and kidnapping by the Maoist rebels have been reported from several parts of the country.

Our report from Nawalparasi said that one security personnel died when a truck ferrying security personnel was caught in a landmine blast laid by the Maoists near Ghyu Khola area along the Butwal-Narayangadh section of the Mahendra Highway today. Two other Royal Nepal Army (RNA) personnel were also injured in the incident. The identity of the dead security personnel could not be established.

Reports filed from Bara said that a blast set off by the Maoists inside the Nepal Wire Cable Industry in Simara last evening rendered major losses to the company. Over a dozen Maoists took the guards of the Industry under control and blasted a powerful bomb after attaching the same to the key machine of the industry, according to eyewitnesses. The industry is said to have suffered a loss of over five million rupees in the blast, as informed to official sources.

Our reports from Parbat said that a group of Maoists abducted two elderly women from their houses in Ranipani VDC-1 yesterday midnight. Those abducted have been identified as Bijula Kunwar, 59, the mother of Gaganbahadur Kunwar, a district member of Nepali Congress (NC) Party, and Nandakala Neupane 57, the mother of Hari Neupane, a member of Nepal Tarun Dal, the youth wing of NC.

Reports filed from Gorkha said that following the much-touted ‘unified command’ operation, proposed to be launched by the government to combat the Maoists, the rebels in Gorkha are on high alert. Their escalating activities in the district recently suggest that the rebels are working hard to face the any advances that the security forces may be planning.

The rebels have stopped any new persons from entering their base area in the north of Gorkha. All the people including teachers and government employees are under the Maoist scanner and they hardly allow anyone to visit Gorkha bazaar, the district headquarters, unless one furnishes a genuine reason, according to sources.

"The Maoists have warned us not to bring back any new faces into their base area," said a teacher who came to Gorkha bazaar on official work.

The rebels have been collecting huge quantities of grain from Arughat and Arkhet bazaars in the northeast Gorkha, according to a merchant.

Library likely to close due to lack of funds

POST REPORT

LAMJUNG, Nov 22 - Laxmi Narayan Library (LNL), located at the heart of Besisahar, the headquarters of Lamjung district, is on the verge of closure due to the shortage of funds. LNL is the only library of its kind in Besisahar.

Established in 1961, the library was closed after few years of its establishment. Local residents reopened the library in 1997 and got it registered under the Social Welfare Council.

The library is housed in a small building of its own which can accommodate only seven to eight persons at a time. It possesses some 12,000 books donated by The Royal Nepal Academy, Nepal-India Cultural Centre, District Education Office and individual persons. The LNL is also a regular subscriber of four different daily newspapers, an equal number of tabloids and some magazines.

"Around 50 to 60 persons visit the library daily. It has cultivated reading habit among local residents. However, it desperately lacks resources," said Rina Thapa, the librarian.

The only source of income for the library is the fee charged from the enrolment of new members. The library comprises of four types of members. They are the ordinary member, life member, senior life-long member and honorary member, informed Ganesh Neupane, its Chairman.

"The library is facing serious financial crisis and it is difficult to pay the librarian, the only staff at the library. The members of the management committee have been contributing money from their pockets to pay the librarian," said Neupane.

The library has plans of constructing a spacious building and adding more books to its collection. The library is on the look out for some organisations or individuals who want to help the library fulfil its scheme in cash or kind, according to Neupane.

Deaf school in Siraha doing yeoman service

Bijay Prasad Mishra

SIRAHA, Nov 22 - The establishment of a school for the deaf at Gulriya Tol of Gulriya municipality-9 with financial assistance from various social organisations is a blessing for many deaf children. Deepakumari Yadav, a 12-year-old deaf and dumb girl can now attend school which can take better care of her.

There are 22 deaf children like Deepakumari who are enrolled in this school. According to the information provided by the chairman of the school’s committee, Gangaram Yadav, the completion of this school was possible with the financial assistance of Rs. 1.5 million from Bingo Loto and Bun World Group of Germany as well as from Church Committee of England.

However, the total cost for the construction of the school came to Rs. 2.2 million, and this additional financial assistance was provided by Nepal Rastriya Bahira and Sushta Shrawan Mahasangh, and Kathmandu Bahira Sangh.

According to the chairman Yadav, this school has been in operation as early as 1997. The classes then were conducted in a rented house.

The government has not provided any assistance for this school as of yet. They approached the Ministry of Education for recruitment of a teacher for this school, but to no avail as nobody in the Ministry was ready to assist them , Yadav conceded.

This school for the deaf which runs free of cost has only a single teacher. There are more children who want to enrol themselves in this school, informed the teacher, Dineshkumar Morbeta. The salary of this teacher is being provided by Care and Fare Nepal. The school wants to build another building for a hostel, but it has not been successful in its effort due to financial crunch. Deaf children only within the vicinity of seven to eight kilometres have been coming to this school at present, though there are about 150 deaf children who wants to enrol themselves.

Talking to The Sunday Post a student of the second grade , Ranjit Kumar Das, says that he is very content in being able to attend a deaf school. He is more confident now, and will not have to face castigation from the society, he added.

A German national inaugurated a newly constructed six-room building of this school on Wednesday. At the inauguration function, Harshanarayan Dhaubadel, a former ambassador, handed over a purse of Rs. 10,000 for scholarship.

Mobile service camp benefits locals

RSS

DHANKUTA, Nov 22 - The mobile service camp organised as per the concept of mobile government announced by His Majesty’s Government in Pakhribas VDC of Dhankuta district concluded yesterday.

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa had initiated the camp organised for people from Dholikharka, Falate, Muga and Pakhibas VDCs under constituency number 2 of the district. In the two-day camp, 250 persons received their citizenship certificates while 24 acquired their passports, said acting Chief District Officer Binod Dahal. Likewise, health checkup facilities were also available at the camp where 835 persons including children, elderly, helpless and poor benefited.

The District Development Committee distributed the elderly, disabled and widow allowance while the District Agriculture Office distributed seeds and pesticides to the local farmers. Similarly, 1070 cattle heads suffering from various ailments were treated at the camp by health officials from the District Animal Service Office in Dhankuta.

Security personnel rescue two girls

HETAUDA, Nov 22 - Security personnel on Friday rescued two young girls who were being trafficked to brothels in India.

They also arrested two persons in connection with the incident. The two arrested have been identified as Thulo Kancha Sunar and Dik Bahadur Sunar of Kavre, Dapcha-35. They had lured the girls with jobs in India.

Army personnel caught the culprit when they were heading towards India with the minor girls on Thursday.

The army handed over the girls to the Maiti Nepal at Makwanpur.

"They told me that they would get me a job in India with a monthly salary of Rs 4000 ," said one of the girls.

Community feast held to break caste barriers

Post Report

MAHENDRANAGAR, Nov 22 - A feast was organised at the district headquarters, Mahendranagar, yesterday where people from all castes and walks of life gathered to rejoice and make merry. Dalits who also participated in the gathering seemed happiest to be able to feast together with people of higher castes invited at the same gathering.

Everyone present at this party, irrespective of their castes and social status were seen seated together shedding their differences. Even the organiser of the party seemed overjoyed to experience such an ecstatic moment of togetherness.

Umadevi Nepali, the chairman of the Community Aid Committee at Tikapur in Kailali, which organised this common feast said that they were initially not sure whether all the invitees would attend this social gathering.

People holding respectable positions such as, member of Rastriya Sabha, newly appointed district chairman, mayor, and the Chief District Officer, among many others who graced the feast.

All those present at the feast were univocal in their expression for the need to bring an end to caste discrimination and social inequality prevalent in our society.

They also expressed their views as to bring about social awareness programmes regarding caste discrimination and that the concept of equality that needs to be promoted in the rural areas of the country.

It is learnt that various organisations affiliated with and working for Dalits have been conducting such type of commensurable feasts as a strategy to uproot caste discrimination prevalent in our society.

Sher Ram Parki, a Dalit, contended that though the trend of discrimination on grounds of caste and class has substantially subsided in the urban areas and the district headquarters, the trend is still alive in the rural region. Therefore there is need to initiate a change in this regard and thus it is necessary to begin from the villages he added.

Lal Bahadur Beka, a member of the Rastriya Sabha, stressed the need to bring an end to capitalist outlook in order to wipe out this caste discrimination and social inequality from our society. Such phenomenon is present within the umbrella of Dalits itself, and he therefore emphasised on the need to forge ahead united incorporating the medium of education, Beka expressed.

Ashok Jairu of Samaj Kalyan Sangh said like the unified command of the government, the oppressed and victimised Dalits need to move ahead for social justice in a unified manner.