Society of oppressed class stages rally

Kathmandu, Aug. 22 (RSS): The Society for the Liberation of the Oppressed and Downtrodden Castes of Nepal took out a rally here today to press various 25 demands including constitution of a high level commission for the oppressed and downtrodden and formulation of law against untouchability as early as possible in order to resolve the problem of about five million people belonging to the socially and economically backward classes.

The rally, which began from Ratna Park covered Bhadrakali, Nayasadak, Bishal Bazaar, Indrachowk and Ason and converged into a mass meeting on reaching Ratna Park again.

National Assembly members Lal Bahadur Bishwakarma and Lalit Basnet, human rights activists and representatives of various organisations concerned with the downtrodden took part in the rally.

Shoddy buses foul Dang environment

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Dang, Aug. 22: The public transportation service in the whole of Rapti zone is poor because almost all the buses, which run in the zone, are old and battered and, moreover, they are irregular. There are also not enough buses to provide service to the commuters. The transportation service run under the transportation entrepreneurs’ committee of Rapti zone.

There are about 400 buses that operate in the district. Of them 125 are more than 15 years old and are practically unfit to run.

Passengers travelling from Ghorahi to Tulsipur complain that there are not enough seats, and the seats are in very poor condition, the glasses in the window are all broken and the roof leaks when it rains. But the complaints are unheared by the transport entrepreneurs’ committee. Passengers are perplexed by the indifference of the transport entrepreneurs.

Madan Pokharel, General Manager of the Transportation Entrepreneur Committee, said they are not responsible for the condition of buses. It is the transport entrepreneurs’ office, which gives permission for the buses to run.

But the General Manager of Transport Entrepreneur Office Leknath Gyanwali said that the road permits are given with an agreement that the buses should remain in proper condition. Gyanwali said that this rule was implemented in request of the Transport Entrepreneurs’ Committee.

However, chief executive of the committee Devi Bahadur accepted the weaknesses of the committee and said that the committee has informed the bus-owners to keep their buses in condition. He also said buses, which are not in proper condition, would not be given permission to run. In addition he said that he needed the cooperation of both the bus-owners and the people to improve the condition of the transport sector.

Decision to execute Dr. Seikh criticized

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Aug. 22: Humanist Association of Nepal (HUMAN), a member organisation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union for Nepal, has expressed its deep shock and utterly condemned over the news of conviction for blasphemy and the punishment of death penalty to Dr. Yunus Seikh on August 18 by Pakistani government.

A press statement issued today by HUMAN has strongly denounced the act of the Pakistan government and has urged that Dr. Seikh, a freedom fighter who is also a medical practitioner by profession, be declared free from baseless charges so that the long preserved humanity could prevail in South Asia.

The press release has further demanded the Pakistan government to release Dr. Seikh from the jail on humanitarian grounds and cancel the decision of death penalty.

UML wants to side with patriotic forces: Nepal

Kathmandu, Aug. 22 (RSS): Main Opposition Party leader in Parliament Madhav Kumar Nepal has said that the CPN-UML wants to move ahead together with all patriotic political parties on the basis of a national consensus for the protection and promotion of nationalism and the people’s rights, and for immediately implementing programmes for social justice.

Mr. Nepal, who chaired the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party meeting at the party’s Parliamentary party office at Singha Durbar today, said the Parliamentary party will shape the party’s role accordingly.

CPN-UML chief whip Bharat Mohan Adhikari briefed the meeting about new developments concerning talks and consensus between the government and the opposition parties and unity among left parties.

NC parliamentary party meet

Kathmandu, Aug. 22 (RSS):  The Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party Working Committee is to meet at 7:30 a.m. and the parliamentary Party at 8:00 a.m. at the Prime Minister’s residence on August 24.

The NC Parliamentary Party has requested all parliamentary party members and parliamentary party working committee members to attend the meetings compulsorily.

‘Literacy drive for child labourers effective’

Lalitpur, Aug. 22 (RSS): A three-day national workshop on informal education kicked off here today under joint auspices of Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and Japan International Labour Foundation (JILAF) here today.

The workshop is being participated in by 50 trainees.

Inaugurating the workshop, chairman of JILAF Youchi Yamada expressed the satisfaction that literacy drive for the child labourers has become effective in Nepal.

Chairman of NTUC Laxman Basnet noted that NTUC has been opting for ensuring social justice for the deprived and backward communities of the country.

JILAF has been providing informal education to child labourers and generating awareness about the state of child labourers among their guardians.

Chief of the Child Labour Eradication Department Ganesh Niraula was on the chair.

National rapporteur on women trafficking to be set up

Kathmandu, Aug. 22 (RSS): A consultative meeting was organised here today to collect inputs for establishment of a national rapporteur on trafficking of women and children.

"Beyond trafficking : A joint initiative in the millennium against trafficking of women and girls (JIT)", a project of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and the United Nations system task force against trafficking, is in the process of exploring possibility or advocating for the establishment of the national rapporteur in question.

The establishment of national rapporteur on trafficking and human rights is intended to bring conceptual clarity, coherence, public visibility and high level commitment to efforts aimed at improving the human rights situation of women and girls and thereby reducing the incidence of trafficking.

As per the initial idea the national rapporteur will be located within the National Human Rights Commission and will therefore be in a position to influence the integration of a gender perspective and specific concerns of women into the broader work of the commission.

Tentative terms of reference (TOR) of the proposed national rapporteur were also presented at the consultation meeting for discussion.

Participants at the meeting spoke of the need to make clear whether the national rapporteur should be responsible to the National Human Rights Commission or His Majesty’s Government, and refine the TOR setting out clear provisions for appointment of such a rapporteur, his/her tenure of office and jurisdiction.

They also suggested that instead of setting up the rapporteur’s office as a branch of the Human Rights Commission it would be better if it is kept under the National Women’s Commission to be formed in future.

They also stressed the need to make the rappoeteur responsible towards Parliament, formulate clear legal provisions for the post and replace the title "rapporteur" by a simpler term in common usage such as "coordinator" or "facilitator".

Those providing the suggestions were MPs Urmila Aryal, Bijaya Subba, Jagannath Khatiwada and Suresh Kumar Karki, member of the National Human Rights Commission Kapil Shrestha, legal practitioner Sapana Malla, ex-vice chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Mohan Man Sainju, government officers and representatives of various NGOs and INGOs.

Member of the National Human Rights Commission Mrs Indira Rana presided over the consultations.

Jyamira Khola sweeps away Kunwar

Mawalparasi, Aug. 22 (RSS): Gunakhar Kunwar, 40, a resident of Dumkibas VDC ward No. 5 is reported missing after he was swept away by the swollen Jyamire Khola river.

According to the eye witnesses, he was swept away by a flashflood in the river while taking a dip.

Local people and police have mounted a search for the missing person.