Probe team formed
Locals, cops clash over seats in cinema hall

Mahottari, Aug. 19 (RSS): More than half a dozen people were injured in a clash that took place between the local people and police personnel of the armed police force camp at Bardibas who had gone to watch a film at the Janaki Cinema Hall at Ward No. 1 of Bardibas Village Development Committee (VDC) in Mahottari district on Saturday.

According to reports, three persons were severely injured in the confrontation between the local people and the police personnel after a dispute over the occupation of seat between locals Krishna Bahadur Thapa and Sharma Raj Tamang and 35 police personnel from the armed police force camp who had gone to the cinema hall, took a serious turn yesterday afternoon.

The armed police even fired two rounds in the air during the clash, according to the district police office, Mahottari.

Mukunda Koirala of Bardibas-7 and Krishna Bahadur Thapa and Sharma Raj Tamang of Bardibas-1 have been severely injured during the encounter. Koirala, who sustained grave injury in his head, has been taken to Dharan for treatment.

Likewise, police hawaldar Durga Narayan Subasan and police constable Kedar K.C., who have been injured on the police side, are undergoing treatment at the Bardibas Health Post.

As soon as the incident was reported, a police team was sent to the site of the incident under the command of deputy superintendent of police Manohar Rimal from the district police office.

The enraged locals threw stones at the police team when it reached to the site, injuring the deputy superintendent of police in the process. He got hurt in the lips and he had to be given three sutures on his lips.

Two vehicles- a police van (Ba. 1 Aa. 2790) belonging to the district police office, Mahottari and another belonging to the Ilaka Police Office, Bardibas, have also been damaged in the clash.

The clash took place after a dispute over seating arrangement according to the seat number between the spectators and the armed police personnel.

Thousands of passengers of some 100 buses and vehicles have been stranded here due to the transport blockade which the local people organised there since 12:30 p.m. yesterday, demanding an impartial investigation of the incident, moving out the armed police camp, compensation for the looting of local people’s shops by the policemen and making arrangements for the treatment of the people injured in the clash.

Although the transport strike (chakka jam) was opened at 2:30 a.m. last night, it has been again imposed from 7:50 a.m. today.

It is learnt that chief district officer Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai, superintendent of police Bir Sharan Thapa, superintendent of the National Investigation Department Ganesh Thapa are investigating into the incident since yesterday and they have also been holding talks with the local people for opening the transport.

Bardibas is said to be tense at present.

A large number of passengers have been affected due to the transport closure on the day of a religious festival today.

Meanwhile, His Majesty's Government has formed a three-member team under the convenorship of joint secretary at the Home Ministry Bijaya Raj Bhattarai to probe an incident that took place at Bardibas of Mahottari district yesterday and submit a report within a week.

The team comprises DIG Rup Sagar Moktan from police headquarters and deputy chief officer of the National Investigation Department Bhagvat Chaudhari, according to a spokesman of the Home Ministry.

Landslides, floods damage properties

Nuwakot, Aug. 19 (RSS): Eight houses in Mahakali VDC-7 and Likhu VDC-7 in Nuwakot district have been totally damaged and property worth Rs. 500,000 has been ravaged in landslides triggered by recent heavy downpour.

The house of Ram Sharan Adhikari of Likhu VDC has been completely swept away by the landslide and the houses of Ramkaji Deuja, Shiv Deuja, Bidur Deuja, Thulo Kanchha Rana, Lila Bahadur Rana, Chitra Bahadur Rana and Gopal Rana have been damaged by landslides.

A rescue team from the District Red Cross has been providing first aid services to the people affected by the landslides, Nuwakot Red Cross Chairman Ram Prasad Joshi said.

Meanwhile, in Gulariya, the Geruwa Karnali river is reported to have eroded land in many places at Ward No. 1 and 2 of local Gola village development committee (VDC).

The river has so far eroded about 40 bigahas of land, according to Umakanta Dhital, Ward chairman of the area.

Meanwhile, a meeting of Bardiya District Development Committee has decided to ask the department concerned for providing the budget necessary for the prevention of the river cutting that has been taking place rapidly at Ward Nos. 1,2,5 and 9 of the VDC.

VDC chairman Krishna Kumar Barma says that the rapid erosion of the land is because of sand and stone extraction from the river banks.

A delegation of local people’s representatives from the affected areas recently met with DDC chairman Bharat Bahadur Shaha and other officials of the DDC and related in detail about the problem of river abrasion in their area.

Meet remembers late Keshav Koirala

Mahottari, Aug. 19 (RSS): The martyr Keshav Koirala Memorial Foundation organised a condolence meeting at local Matihani, the place where martyr Keshav Koirala attained martyrdom, to commemorate his 28th death anniversary here last Thursday.

Addressing the condolence meeting, spouse of late Keshav Koirala, Mrs Guna Kumari Koirala underlined the need for cooperation from all for the institutionalised development of democracy in the country.

Former minister Maheshwar Prasad Singh said that the Nepali Congress cadres should follow the path shown by the martyrs in order to consolidate democracy.

Chairman of the Greater Janakpur Area Development Committee Narendra Mishra stressed the need for unity among all the political parties for sustainable development of democracy and the constitution attained through great sacrifice of martyrs.

Former MPs Mahendra Mishra and Harishankar Mishra said that martyrs are the common assets of the nation.

Central member of All Nepal Farmers Association Ganesh Nepali expressed the view that the martyrs’ dreams would materialise only after anomalies and distortions seen in the country at present will be banished.

Matihani Village Development Committee (VDC) chairman Jaya Kumar Chaudhari presided.

Poet Motiram's contributions lauded

Kathmandu, Aug. 19 (RSS): On the occasion of the 136th birth anniversary of national celebrity youth poet Motiram Bhatta, Chintan bimonthly magazine and White Lotus Bookshop Kopundol, hosted a special poetry symposium with the cooperation of Thapathali Classic Academy.

Chief guest on the occasion, critic Dr. Basudev Tripathi, said that Motiram Bhatta will always remain a source of inspiration for the youth.

Academician Toya Gurung emphasised the need to enhance the teaching of Nepali literature.

Jivan Dhamala, Bhupal Rai, Dhirendra Premarshi, Shashi Lumumbu and a host of other poets and poetesses recited their compositions at the poetry symposium.

Meanwhile, poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire, at a function organised by Nepali Education Council on the occasion of the 136th Motiram birth anniversary, gave away the Moti Award for this year to Indra Kumar Shrestha "Sarit" and Ramesh Shrestha.

The award carries a purse of Rs 20 thousand, a gold medal and a citation each.

On the occasion, vice-chairman of National Youth Services Trust Pradip Man Baidya gave a brief account of the recipients of the award.

At the function, 40 persons including poets Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Bharat Raj Panta, Dharma Raj Thapa, Ramesh Khakurel and Radheshyam Bhattarai recited their poems on "Asahya Bhayo, Ashaya Bhayo (Intolerable, Intolerable)".

At the programme, Bhim Bahadur Adhikari, was given a commendation letter for his participation in the Samasyapurti poems for 25 years.

Member cum secretary Rama Sharma and the litterateurs receiving the awards also expressed their views at the programme chaired by Council chairman poet Ghimire.

Atrocities against Mahottari women widely condemned

Kathmandu, Aug. 19 (RSS): The All Nepal Women's Organisation (ANWO), central committee and the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) jointly organised a press conference today to highlight the inhuman behaviour meted out to a large number of local women on the pretext of identifying a witch at Simardahi VDC of Mahottari district recently and condemned the incident.

The incident in which local health worker Marani Devi Sahani was beaten up severely and a large number of women were publicly humiliated is a serious social crime that poses a challenge before all intellectuals, the educated masses and human rights activists, the press meet organisers said.

On the (baseless) grounds that an epileptic son of one Joginder Singh of the same VDC had died after taking Pooja Prasad at local health worker Marani Devi's house a so called Jhankri or witch doctor was brought in from India for identifying the witch involved and a large number of women were brought together and publicly humiliated.

Replying to questions from journalists, MP Sushila Nepal, who recently returned from Simardahi after making inquiries about the incident, said Marani Devi, the main victim of the incident, has not been able to return to her village for security reasons, the villagers are very scared and decline to comment on the incident and the VDC chairman, one of the seven persons who were behind the incident, turned back the police who had gone there for maintaining security.

ANWO president MP Vidya Devi Bhandari and member Jaya Ghimire, and Samir Nepal, Indira Phuyal, Kavita Aryal and Bimal Chandra Sharma also condemned the incident.

Meanwhile, about 24 non-governmental organisations working in different areas including women's rights, have strongly condemned the inhuman behaviour meted out to the women at Simardahi VDC for purportedly discouraging witchcraft.

The NGOs who are working in the Western, Mid-Western, Far-Western and Central Development Regions in partnership with the Danish Association for International Cooperation, adopted a resolution during a partnership seminar here yesterday demanding strong action against all those including the VDC chairman who were involved in the despicable act.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal has made public its report prepared after making an on-site investigation into the public defamation of women on charge of witchcraft at Simardahi VDC in Mahottari.

Local people had misbehaved with and beaten up local health worker Maranidevi Sahani amidst the local representatives and thousands of people at the VDC under the programme of finding out the witch on Aug 15.

Condemning the act of witch-hunting and crimes, oppression and maltreatment against women in the 21st century, the report demanded that strong actions be taken against the guilty, compensation provided to the victims and an atmosphere created for them to live with dignity in society.

The report underlined the need of proper legislations to put an end to such practice for good.

Stating that the decisions of people's representatives from Ward No. 1 to 6 to examine the finger prints of some 500 women to find out whether they are witches or not, ostracise those who do not take the prasad are not in conformity with the laws, advocate Puspa Bhusal noted that the women who are thousands in number do not have their dignity and respect.

HURON president Sudip Pathak said that the victim had not yet filed any case till yesterday and as the shamans and others involved in the incident have already escaped, they are yet to be formally charged.

A seven-member committee was formed under the convenorship of HURON president Sudip Pathak with women human rights activists, legal experts and journalists as members to prepare a report to this effect.

Likewise, in Mahottari, Chairman of Human Rights Organisation of Nepal Sudeep Pathak has denounced the incident that took place in Simardahi village, Mahottari district, in which a large number of village women, including Marani Devi were who has been victimised on the charge of being a witch, were mistreated in the name of witch-hunt.

Talking to RSS in Jaleshwar recently he said the incident of witch-hunt has indicated the magnitude of the oppression and exploitation prevailing in our society.

He also demanded a probe into the incident and stopping of such incidents of human rights violation.

The 6-member team headed by Mr. Pathak met with CDO Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai, Superintendent of Police Bir Sharan Thapa, Simardahi VDC chairman Nawal Kishore Sahani and victim Marani Devi and acquired information about the incident.

Similarly, a three-member team headed by MP Sushila Nepal also made an on-the-spot inspection of Simardahi VDC and met with Marani Devi, the VDC chairman, the CDO and the superintendent of police in connection with the incident.

A four-member team led by INSEC Women Wing Chief Indira Phunyal also acquired information about the incident.

Winners of children's song competition awarded

Lalitpur, Aug. 19 (RSS): Rajparishad Standing Committee Chairman Dr Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, presented prizes to winners of National Children's Song Competition organised jointly by Radio Nepal and the Society for Children's Development on the occasion of the 37th National Children's Day today.

Niraj Ghimire, Muna Bhusal and Arun Giri who came out first, second and third in the competition received cash prizes of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively along with shields and certificates.

A total of 37 child artistes had taken part at the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Rayamajhi spoke of the importance of education, literature and music.

Executive Director of Radio Nepal Shailendraraj Sharma and society chairman Sharad Sharma also spoke at the function.

Meanwhile, Minister for Population and Environment Prem Lal Singh, inaugurating a children's cultural programme organised by the Dance Cultural Art Centre on the occasion of the 37th National Children's Day today, spoke of the need of providing quality education to children, the future builders of society.

Stating that it is only children who can keep the country's art and culture alive, Singh said the country's future would be bright if the children are provided education on population and environment from the very beginning.

MP Tirtharam Dongol said Nepal is known the world over not only as a country of Sagarmatha and Buddha, but also a land of cultural diversity.

Various other speakers also spoke at the function chaired by Center's chairman Miss Sabita Maharjan.

On the occasion, children of different schools and institutions had presented songs and dances.

'Films should encourage youth in nation building'

Kathmandu, Aug. 19 (RSS): Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated the second general meeting of Nepal Film Artists National Association and a function organised to felicitate film artistes here today.

In his inaugural speech, Prime Minister Deuba said that the film industry, which has seen tremendous progress after the restoration of democracy, should pay adequate attention to preserving and promoting the country's cultures, languages and identity while striving for commercial progress.

Stating that the youth can play an important role in the country's progress and prosperity, he said the film industry has an equally important role to play in encouraging the youth to actively involve themselves in nation building and disciplining themselves.

Association president Basundhara Bhusal described art and culture as the main constituents of the country's identity and said that artistes are playing an important role in promoting this sector.

General secretary of the association Krishna Malla presenting the association's report lauded such measures taken by the government as the formation of a film development board, and committees to guarantee professional security of the artistes.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Deuba presented the Nepal Film Artistes National Association Award-2057 to the first actress in Nepali film and senior artiste Bhuvan Chand. The award given every year carries a purse of Rs. 50,000.

Likewise, he presented the Haritara Film Award 2056, which is given separately to two persons every year, to actress Sushila Rayamajhi and actor Srikrishna Shrestha. The award carries a purse of Rs. 20,000.

The Prime Minister also felicitated 19 senior film artistes and distinguished persons making significant contribution to the film sector.

He also presented the Chetnarayan-Basundhara talent award instituted this year to journalist Maniraj Poudel.

House disrupted over govt decision to freeze land sale

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 19: House of Representatives was adjourned again today after lawmakers from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) disrupted the House proceeding demanding the ceiling on the property and immediate withdrawal of the government’s decision to freeze the land sale.

"We are not against the land reform and there should be a ceiling on land-holding but firstly, there should also be a ceiling on property," said NSP leader Badri Prasad Mandal and Renu Yadav, RPP parliamentarian.

As soon as the Speaker Taranath Ranabhat announced the commencement of the zero hour of today’s meeting, MPs of both parties started shouting slogans against the recent declaration of the Prime Minister for a complete ban on transaction of land.

Ranabhat said that the issue is now in the Supreme Court and asked the agitated lawmakers not to raise the matter that would hurt the spirit of the Constitution as well as of the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, from the rostrum of the Parliament, had made a landmark declaration for a sweeping land reform to bring visible changes in the life of a majority rustic population depending on agriculture of this Himalayan Kingdom.

The government had decided to freeze on buying, selling and transfer of ownership of land until a law is made for the same purpose.

In today’s meeting, the agitated MPs, who were blocked from going to the well by the marshals, chanted slogans against the Prime Minister and demanded his resignation.

Likewise, speaking at today’s meeting, Lila Mani Pokharel, MP from the United People’s Front Nepal drew the attention of the government on the event that took place in Bardibas of Mahottari district Saturday.

Pokharel said that riot police terrified the village and mercilessly attacked the innocent villagers and commuters after a minor dispute grew between the policemen and the locals. "They insulted and raped the women by searching them," Pokharel said. Two people, who were seriously wounded in the incident, are undergoing treatment in the Janakpur Zonal Hospital. Some people sustained minor injuries.

At a time when the issue of the government-Maoist dialogue is being soaring up, the police, on the other hand, security forces are creating terror in the village, Pokharel said. He also demanded the stern action be taken against the police personnel responsible for the event.

Mahat leaves for Bhutan
Refugee talks: It’s show time, once again

BY NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

Kathmandu, Aug. 19: When Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat leaves for Bhutanese capital Thimpu tomorrow, he will have with him a four-point checklist to negotiate with the Dragon Kingdom. Verification, categorization, harmonisation and repatriation of the Bhutanese refugees.

"We will be dealing with all these four issues," Dr. Mahat told The Rising Nepal today. At the face of it, Mahat’s saying may sound too vague. After all, discussing the more than one-decade-old refugee crisis’ entire gamut – verification, categorisation, harmonisation, and repatriation – with the Bhutanese authority at one go, does not appear strategic.

More so, considering the Druk Yul’s over the years’ track record of tactfully dealing only one issue at a time, be it categorization or harmonisation or repatriation or its latest card – verification.

But, if read between the lines, dwelling on the overall aspect of the protracted refugee problem at the 11th round of the Nepal-Bhutan talks – to be held from August 20-23 -- would be a positive score for the country.

A peep into the recent development of the refugee crisis will give a better insight. The need for one more round of bilateral talks between the two Himalayan Kingdoms arose after the verification of the refugees, that started last March, staged a flop show. Hardly 900 refugee families verified in the last five months. While the yet to be identified are a little above 14,000 families. Hence, the need to speed up the verification pace.

But, wait a minute. A meet as high as of ministerial level simply to increase the tempo of verification? To expand the number of the Joint Verification Team – that now has five officials from each side, do the two ministers have to find one another across the dialogue table? If it were just the matter of deploying few more officials to get the verification going faster, a tete-a-tete over the phone between the Foreign Ministries in Kathmandu and Thimpu would have been more than enough.

So, why the Foreign Ministerial level bilateral talk then, when the country (Nepal) does not even have a separate Foreign Minister? For the nation, clearly, it is not just verification. The prime question for it is: What after verification? Going by what Dr. Mahat told this daily today, it is going to be categorisation once the 1200 families of the Khudunabari Camp – one of the seven camps whose refugees are presently being verified in Jhapa – are identified.

In that case, yet another question crops up: What after the categorisation? The verified refugees may well be categorised into the four groups – Bonafide Bhutanese, Bhutanese who have emigrated, Bhutanese who have committed crimes, and Non-Bhutanese – as agreed by Nepal and Bhutan way back in 1993.

But, will they be repatriated as easily as they will be categorised? The country would certainly like to see all the refugees, except the Non Bhutanese category, pack up their luggage and go back where they came from (because officials here believe almost all the refugees have the credentials to prove that they were once Bhutanese citizens). But, will Bhutan cooperate?

What if it sticks with its one time stand – it would take back only the first category refugees and not the rest because its law does not allow it to? And, unfortunately, that is not a distant possibility. As Dr Mahat said: There is still no harmonisation between the two countries on the categorisation issue. "They do say that they would not take back the category two refugees – those who have emigrated -- but we cannot accept that."

Which means, the harmonisation factor could once again keep the entire refugee issue hostage, as it did for around four years after the bilateral talks on the refugee issue were stonewalled on the same ground in 1996. But, why the fuss on the second category alone? That because the majority of the refugees could fall into the second category thanks, refugees claim, to the Bhutanese well-planned move of having made the Nepali-speaking Lhotsampas sign the voluntary migration forms under gunpoint before evicting them from their homelands in the late 80’s and early 90’s

And when there is no harmonisation, there is no question of repatriation. Is the situation really hopeless then? Not necessarily. Under increasing international pressure, Bhutan’s softening posture – for instance, by agreeing for verification and thus pushing the categorisation issue on the back seat for now – is already evident. Equally true, however, is the fact that Bhutan’s changed attitude cannot be taken for granted.

Meaning, ahead lies a mission: Knowing what Bhutan actually has up its sleeves. Herein comes handy Dr. Mahat’s four-point checklist – verification, categorisation, harmonisation, and repatriation. What remains now to be seen is how effectively all the four cards are played: To hit, to miss, or to be boomeranged. It’s show time once again.

Experts to meet in Delhi
Nepal, India to keep up spirit of trade treaty Indian minister returns

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 19: The Indian Minister for External Affairs Jaswant Singh returned home today after completing a three-day goodwill visit to Nepal, with both Nepal and India stating to keep the spirit, which guides the bilateral trade treaty 1996, alive.

Talking briefly to the press at the Tribhuvan International Airport, the Indian Foreign Minister said that his visit was essentially to convey his personal condolences to His Majesty the King and to the government of Nepal, and to offer to Nepal, India’s continuing commitment of friendship, support and cooperation.

The Indian Foreign Minister was full of praise of Nepal and the Nepalese for the exemplary resilience demonstrated at, what he called as, ‘one of the grimmest tragedies that may beset a country’.

"The civil society of Nepal, the political system and its administration continued to function and this, for many countries in the world, showed an example of the inner strength and resilience of the people of Nepal, its establishment, democratic system and of the total Nepalese society."

Saying that he had a very fruitful and productive meeting at all levels, Minister Singh said he was going back highly rewarded.

During his stay, the visiting Indian Foreign Minister had talks with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, and leaders of the major political parties.

The talks also included the construction of the barrage by India near the Nepal-Indian border at Marchawar.

Meanwhile, Nepalese Foreign Secretary Narayan Shumsher Thapa said the Indian Foreign Minister said that such high level visits should continue and it would help strengthen relations between the two countries.

Talking to the press at the TIA, Foreign Secretary Thapa said there would be a meeting of the committee experts from both sides to deal on the concerns shown on trade treaty. "India has already sent a letter to Nepal for the experts’ committee meeting in New Delhi," he said.

During the talks, India put forth its concern and we also did the same, he said and added that our concern was on the objectives of the treaty, which are helping in industrialisation of Nepal and promotion of Nepalese exports to India.

Nepalese ambassador to India Dr. Bhek Bahadur Thapa said India’s main concern was the surge of export of certain items. "Despite the growth of certain Nepalese exports, the trade gap between Nepal and India is still a whopping Rs. 20 billion or more," Ambassador Thapa said.

But the main focus of the talks was to keep the basic characteristic of the treaty intact. "So long as the spirit of the treaty remains alive both the sides can always address each other’s concerns," he said.

On India’s construction of the barrage near Marchawar in southwest Nepal, the Nepalese Foreign Secretary said that the Indian side told Nepal that it has no intention of submerging any Nepalese territory. The Indian side has said that India would do what needs to be done after the presentation of the report of a joint committee.

The Nepalese Foreign Secretary also said that Nepal has reaffirmed that it would not allow its territory to be used against India, on India’s raising of security issue.

Meanwhile, a press release of the Indian Embassy issued today said the Indian Foreign Minister cnveyed (to Nepal) that certain issues have come up over the past five years in the operation of the trade treaty and those issues need to be addressed and necessary adjustment made.

It also said Indian Foreign Minister Singh expressed India’s appreciation on the steps towards negotiation and reconciliation that has been made with regard to the Maoist qustions. "He also conveyed India’s concern over the use of Nepalese territory for anti-Indian activities, and the Nepalese government reiterated that such activities against friendly neighbours would not be tolerated," the press release said.