Their Majesties grace reception

Kathmandu, Nov. 6 (RSS): His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev graced a tea reception hosted on the occasion of the auspicious golden jubilee birthday of Her Majesty the Queen at the Royal Nepal Academy, Kamaladi this afternoon.

Her Majesty the Queen, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and other members of the Royal Family attended the reception.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya, National Assembly chairman Dr. Mohammad Mohsin, Raj Parishad Standing Committee chairman Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, Deputy Prime Minister Ramchandra Poudel and the ministers were present at the reception hosted by the golden jubilee birthday celebration main civic committee.

Among others present were the heads of the constitutional bodies, the heads of the diplomatic missions, intellectuals and other dignitaries.

‘Dr Regmi a true   democrat'

Lalitpur, Nov. 6 (RSS): Rajparishad Standing Committee chairman Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi honoured elder politician and journalist Dr Dilliraman Regmi with the seventh " Journalism for peace" gold medal and honorary life member of National Press Club Nepal.

National Press Club Nepal conferred the award on Dr Regmi for his special contribution to peace, progress and democracy.

Dr Regmi, however, could not attend the function because of illness and the award was received on his behalf by his representative Chandrashekhar Raghubanshi.

At the function, Dr Rayamajhi said Dr Regmi’s had always been a staunch advocate of peace, friendship and democracy.

Journalism had very important role to play for national development, peace and unity, Dr Rayamajhi said, noting the notable role journalism played for the establishment of democracy, good management and meeting the people’s need.

On the occasion Dr Rayamajhi gave away certificates to forty-one trainees completed a two-month long basic journalism training organised jointly by National Press Club Nepal and the Reiyukai Nepal.

Besides, he also presented tokens of appreciation to the training instructors chairman and general manager of RSS Ganesh Ballabh Pradhan and executive director of Radio Nepal Shailendra Raj Sharma and others.

Chairman of the Press Club Ramkrishna Karmacharya, from the chair, said the government should give special attention to the rights and interests of journalists.

The Reiyukai Nepal national chairman Roshan Krishna Nyachhyon, speaking on the personality of Dr Regmi, said, "Dr Regmi is the first persons to received the award."

Vice chairman of the club Rudranath Sharma and Chandra Shekhar Raghubanshi also expressed their views.

Science and culture should coexist: PM

Biratnagar, Nov. 6 (RSS): Nepali Congress president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has said that with the tremendous development of science and technology, the world has shrunk to a small village, and he, however, is worried over whether we are indeed lagging behind in the application of science and technology.

Prime Minister Koirala made these remarks while addressing the inauguration function of the Gurukul Secondary School building at Biratnagar Sub-metropolis Ward No. 18 today.

Stating that scientific and technological progress had indeed made the world society prosperous and narrow, he expressed concern over continuous battering of our culture and tradition by application of science and technology in the country.

This Gurukul school should strive to protect our culture, he added.

"If we Nepalese keep on indiscriminately applying technology, caring little for our culture, tradition and originality, then our society as whole might take a wrong course, with the country’s youth spoiled by the western culture," the Prime Minister said, urging the Gurukul school to take initiative in checking a perverted mentality.

The government had made no provision of teachers thus far for the Gurukul Secondary School which is engaged in the promotion of Nepali language and culture and the production citizens of good moral character, the Prime Minister noted, giving assurance that provision of teachers would be made immediately for the school even by amending the rules and regulations.

All possible efforts would be made to improve the physical facility and management of the school, he said, calling for common effort from all segments of the society to banish social aberrations.

Urging the local educationists and social workers to extend more liberal co-operation to the school so that it might resolve its financial and physical problems, Prime Minister Koirala said, "we all should make active efforts to caste discrimination from the society and create an ideal society.

Vice chancellor of the Purbanchal Viswavidhalaya, Dhruba Narayan Lal Das said educational development was the hallmark of Gurukul system.

It was indeed regrettable that a malicious propaganda was being spread, describing Sankrit language as a language of Brahmins, he added.

The school management committee chairman, Sitaram Todi presided over the function.

Social worker Narayan Prasad Koirala, Dev Kumari Thapa, principal of Gurukul school Pitamber Sharma, Pralhad Raya Todi and others also expressed their views.

Within the premises of the Gurukul Secondary School, school buildings, library, Pakshala, Gaushala, Yagyashala, hostel have been built at a total cost of about Rs 10 million contributed by donors from Nepal and India.

Ramkumar Aggrawal had provided a bigha 7 katthas of land free of cost for the purpose.

At the function, Prime Minister Koirala was felicitated on behalf of the Gurukul School, while donors and founder members were honoured.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala today visited Shrikrishna Go-Sewa Sadan at Ward No. 8 of Biratnagar Sub-metropolis to get firsthand information about its condition.

On the occasion the Prime Minister was welcomed and honoured with Go-vasta by chairman of the Sadan, Dindayal Aggrawal.

At the function, Prime Minister Koirala said talks were underway with Asian Development Bank on development of the three districts as industrial districts.

"Once a ring-road is built this will contribute to good management and balanced development of Biratnagar, and talks are under with unit concerned in that connection," Prime Minister Koirala said.

The present government, he said, would extend all possible assistance for the development of the Sewa Sadan as well as to provide it with a pasture.

On the occasion, Mr Koirala paid homage at the Radhakrishna Temple at the Sewa Sadan premises and received ‘Tika’ and ‘Prasad.’

Vice chairman of the Sadan Suresh Sharma shed light on the condition of the Sewa Sadan.

Set up fifty-three years ago, the Sewa Sadan has 175 cows on it premises and a Kamadhenu section was started in the month of Jestha (May-June).

Daily 100 to 150 persons are taking cow urine, it is believed that cow urine has a therapeutic value and benefits one suffering from diabetes, hypertension, etc.

Likewise, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala met with Nepali Congress workers from various districts of the Eastern Region at his residence here today.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Koirala acquired information about the party’s various problems and activities in the districts.

At the meeting, Nepali Congress leaders of Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari and Siraha districts and the office-bearers of its sister organisations apprised the Prime Minister of the situation in the districts.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala left here today for Kathmandu after participating in various programmes held in Morang and Sunsari districts.

At the Biratnagar Airport, Prime Minister Koirala was seen off by Nepali Congress Morang district unit president Ashok Koirala and other party workers, the office-bearers of its sister organisations and the chief district officer of Sunsari.

Prime Minister Koirala had arrived here on Saturday last.

Scheduled Bandhs may be postponed: Leftists

BY A STAFF REPORTER

The nine leftist parties will decide tomorrow whether or not to postpone the Nepal Bandh they have called to be organised on November 16 and 17 this month, two leftist parties from among the groupings of the nine communist parties said here today.

The leaders said they would discuss about the postponement of the shut-down-strike dates keeping in view the 39th Annual Conference of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Kathmandu is going to host in mid November. But, they ruled out the possibility of cancelling the shut-down strikes.

"If it is about any specific date, we are ready to think about postponing the shut down strike. But we cannot cancel the whole idea because we are fighting for the cause of the general public," said Prakash Adhikari, Leader of Nepal Communist Party (United)-one of the nine leftist parties.

"We have been considering about the WWF annual conference. We will be deciding on the matter tomorrow," said Sunil Prajapati of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party-another member party of the nine leftist groupings.

The leftist leaders’ comments on the strikes came amidst avalanche of criticism from tourism entrepreneurs in an interaction programme here today. The travel traders claimed that the shut down strike would severely hamper their ongoing "harvesting" season.

Basanta Mishra, Honoray Secretary of Nepal Association of Tour Operators (NATO), said that 24 per cent of the total inbound tourist visit Nepal during November. "Given the large member of clients we receive during this month, the organisers of the shut-down strike should be sensitive toward our bread and butter."

Bhola Thapa, President of Nepal Association of Travel Agents (NATA) said that this is the month that sees the movement of a little above 27,000 tourists in the Capital Valley. He said that his organisation had submitted a memorandum on tourism woes to the government recently. "But there has been no response so far."

October onwards, tourism sees its peak season that begins to slack down by April.

The tourism entrepreneurs also singled out the WWF annual conference that would have to bear the brunt of the Nepal bandh days. The annual conference beginning November 13 through 17 this month will see VVIP guests including Prince Phillip of Great Britain and the Prime Minister of Mongolia.

Around 600 conservationists from above 60 nations are scheduled to gather here for the annual celebration of the international conservation organisation. Tour operators are pinning their hopes on the event as a rare publicity and promotion opportunity for Nepal as a destination.

The tourism entrepreneurs pressed hard to make the leftist withdraw their call for Nepal Bandh. "We are caught in an odd situation," said Yogendra Shakya, President of Nepal Incentive and Conventional Tourism Association. "If we don’t inform our clients about the bandh in advance they would complain that their right to information is violated," he said. "And if we do inform them, they will cancel their trip."

Veteran tour operator Tek Chandra Pokhrel said that the organisers of the strike should be targeting the politicians and the office bearers and not the general public.

Tourism industry employs more than 250,000 individuals and so the Nepal Bandhs make adverse impact on the general public life as well, the travel traders said.

The interaction programme turned out to be a war of words between the leftist leaders and the travel traders. Rajendra Vantava, President of Trekking Agents Association Nepal (TAAN), warned that the tour operators would gang up to rival the moves like that of the leftist parties.

The leftist leaders countered that they were not informed about the WWF annual conference when they declared the dates for the shut-down strike. They also charged the travel trade industry of not pressing the government to be responsible."All that travel traders are doing is blaming us as their obstruction while they tend to forget that it is the government that has been closing its eyes on the burning national issues."

Meet focussed on medical plants starts tomorrow

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 6: A joint Nepal-Japan symposium on conservation and utilization of Himalayan medicinal resources starts from November 8 in Kathmandu. The 4-day symposium, organised by the Department of Plant Resources, Nepal and Society for the Conservation and Development of Himalayan Medicinal Resources, Japan, will discuss on the general policy and legislation, inventory, research and development; conservation and sustainable use through utilization, industrialization and commercialization of the medicinal plants found in the Himalayas. The theme of the symposium is ‘The Himalayan Plants, Can They Save Us’.

Altogether 250 participants from Nepal, Japan, America, Canada, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will be participating the symposium and 34 working papers and 37 poster papers will be presented at the symposium. There will also be a paper on the patent utilization of the medicinal plants.

Speaking at a press conference, Madhusudan Bista, Director at the Department of Plant Resources said about 700 species of plants with medicinal value have been identified in Nepal and the conservation practices are pretty good here with almost 18 per cent of the country’s area under protected area.

Presently, the government has banned the export of 7 medicinal plants, which are sarpagantha (Rauwolfia serpentina), jatamasi (Nardostychys grandiflora), sugandhawal (Veleriana jatamasi), Sugandhakokila (Cinnamomum glaucescens), lauda salla (Taxus baccata), Talimpatra (Abies spectabilis) and some species of Lichens. Similarly, the law has also banned even the collection of two medicinal plants panch aunle and yarshagumba.

Still, he said, deforestation, population pressure, over-exploitation and even phenomenon like climatic changes have led to the depletion and decline of the medicinal resources. He said the symposium could give a direction towards conservation and sustainable use regarding their utilization and commercial use of the medicinal plants.

He also said the government’s bio-diversity action plan is in the final stage of preparation and this will shape the policy for the conservation and utilization of the medicinal plants in Nepal. Moreover, the action plan is important for gaining the patent right of the medicinal plants.

The Rio Convention, fifteen years back, had maintained that any country’s bio-diversity will remain as the property of the individual country, but for that each country should bring out a bio-diversity action plan.

Speaking at the press conference, Dr. Akihito Takano, Chairman of the Society for the Conservation and Development of Himalayan Medicinal Resources, Japan said Nepal rich in medicinal plants and if these plants could be put to commercial such as through cultivation it could benefit the people of the rural areas.

The society has a extensive collection of medicinal plants of Nepal in Japan and Dr. Takano said we do study about the Nepalese medicinal plants in Japan and we plan to return the technology back to Nepal for their utilization where ever possible.

The society also plans to import medicinal plants from Nepal. For example, one of the medicinal plants it plans to import is somlata (Ephedra sps.). The plant is found in the Mustang and other areas. He said the plant is of great demand in Japan. Earlier, it was imported from Japan but the Chinese government has now banned the export of the plant. If it can be done, it can be a big business, he said.