Pre-primary classes in Udayapur

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Udayapur, Oct. 6: The District Education Office has decided to run 34 pre-primary and nursery classes within this academic year in cooperation with the local people’s committees. The program is believed to beneficial to about 900 children.

Brikha Bhadur Tamang, conventioneer of basic and primary education committee, said, "The District Education Office has already prepared the documents needed and has also talked with several NGOs and the local people committee."

In addition, he said that the District Education Office has allocated Rs. 824,000 to run the classes from the 2058 academic year. The money includes Rs. 2,000 for education material, Rs. 1000 for class management and Rs. 500 for salaries of the teachers every month. The classes will be run for four hours a day with 25 children in each class.

After the elimination of pre primary classes from the government schools, about 40,000 children of the district have not been able to get pre-primary education. The 24 classes will cater to about half of those children who are under five. Most of the teachers and parents have welcomed the basic and primary education programme.

According to principle of children psychology, children should be given necessary skills before they begin their primary education. "But teachers and our educationists are turning a deaf ear this necessity," said president of district education committee Bedha Prasad Pokharel.

Uma Adhikari elected NWA president

Biratnagar, Oct. 6 (RSS): The first national general convention of the Nepal Women's Association (NWA) that concluded here the other day has elected Mrs. Uma Adhikari as its president.

Mrs. Adhikari secured 296 votes and her rival Mina Pandey 191 votes in the election held for the president of the association.

Rukmini Koirala and Chet Kumari Dahal have been elected members duo from eastern region, Kamala Thapa and Sushma Mudbhari from central region, Jasamati Gurung and Sitalaxmi Neupane from western region, Anita Devkota and Uma Karki from mid-western region and Dibyashwari Shaha and Ishwori Neupane from far-western region in the election for two members each from the five development regions.

NWA patron and Nepali Congress central member Nona Koirala gave away certificates to the newly elected office-bearers of the Association, Friday.

Lord Buddha's teachings need to spread: Speaker

Kathmandu, Oct. 6 (RSS): Speaker Taranath Ranabhat has said that the message of Lord Buddha is just as relevant for the welfare of mankind even today.

Releasing a book on Buddhism in the eyes of the modern science authored by R.B. Bandya here today, he said that the message of Buddha should reach every nook and corner of the world.

Stating that our experiences of the past 3 to 4 years have shown that the message of peace was inevitable, he noted that Buddhism can teach the way to peace that cannot be taught by science and politics.

Former minister of state Tirtha Ram Dangol noted that peace is equally needed in the world today as was during the time of Lord Buddha.

MP Rupjyoti Kansakar, MP Laxmi Das Manandhar, Bhikshu Gyanurnik Mahasthavir and author of the book, R.B. Bandya, also expressed their views at the function chaired by president of all Nepal Bhikshu Federation, Bhadanta Buddhaghosh Mahasthavir.

Sagarmatha Zone affected due to rains

Rajbiraj, Oct. 6 (RSS): Incessant rains for the last one week have affected the normal life throughout Sagarmatha Zone claiming two lives.

The flood in Tabakhola Stream as a result of the rain swept away Khim Bahadur Rai, 18, the son of Jagat Bahadur Rai of Solukhumbu district Junu VDC ward No. 3.

Mr Rai was swept away while he was returning home from Kolkota in India and was crossing the river with his luggage. Police has recovered the body two kilometer down the river.

Similarly, Mahanarayan Shah, 22, son of Pradip Shah of Sarlahi district Gamhariya-9 and a cloth dealer died when he was swept away by Khaharekhola stream between Salyan and Necha Batase villages.

Likewise, the estimated loss due to inundation of 21 houses at Hanumannagar VDC is around Rs 500,000, of 100 houses at Bangabhakatti VDC is Rs 800,000 and of 59 houses at Bhediya Daulatpur VDC is around Rs 2 million, it is learnt from the district police office, Saptari.

Likewise, in Itahari, property worth millions of rupees is reported to have been damaged due to floods triggered by incessant rainfall in various VDCs of Morang district.

Some 210 houses in Sripur Jabdi, Narsing, Baklauri VDCs and some VDCs in the south were swept away and the families thus displaced have been shifted to safer areas along with necessary relief materials, says CDO Ram Prasad Khatiwada.

One hundred fifty thatch-roofed houses were swept away in Sripur Jabdi and Narsingh VDCs alone, while 15 houses in Baklauri and 45 in various other VDCs have been reported to have been swept away by floods.

The detailed report of the damage caused due to the heavy downpour has not yet been received.

Meanwhile, the agriculture development office has expressed fears that the huge damaged caused to paddy cultivation may lead to a decline in its production.

Art
Growing interest and awareness

By Arjun Ranjit

As the present government has introduced some promotional tips for the art activities of Nepal, the time has come for Nepalese artists and other various individuals to work more and more producing the qualitative works rather than thinking of increasing quantity only.

Many artists, dealers and collectors are delighted with these new packages which will definitely flourished the artists and critics.

If it is to succeed in establishing of a regional art and antiques market in Nepal, certainly it will help to develop our society and strengthen the economy too. But developing Nepal as a center place for art is not like building the world’s number one airport. For this the government’s pragmatic approach to this sector may be prescient. That is why all the artists, galleries, collectors, lovers and other concerned have opined of that with the positive approach of the present government, this tiny Himalayan Kingdom –Nepal, rich in arts and cultural heritage— will definitely make its mark with its own type and style rather than of with Western based art.

Even with this, we would still not get the world’s best. But, however, the awareness in the interest in Nepalese as well as South Asian paintings has growing since some years before only.

In a case, if Nepalese succeeds to become a South Asia’s art hub, it certainly will not benefit the entire art communities but also other entrepreneurs too. Nepalese artists who make a name in this field have surprised the world community that Nepal’s visual art is an arena the power that is face relatively free and standards are high.

In a place where writing is not encouraged, journalism is less than lively and playwrights must submit their work to the censors, painters and sculptures do pretty much what they like when they like.

And the results are receiving more and more attention. Indeed over the past some months, a directory of artist was published by the Artists Society of Nepal (ASON). In which despite including of all water, oil and other colour artists and sculptors, many are watercolour painters and most of them are rated among the best in Asia because of their qualitative fine products, style, and theme.

Most of the Nepalese artists have creativity mind and are appreciated by the foreigners because of their creative talent. They could attract the viewers and the works may encourage the buyers to get at least one work.

All the artists and other concerned people working in the field of art have been seriously working for developing Nepal as an active art market just because of widely appreciated government packages. As the present government is helping through the various facilities packages for the promotion of arts and culture of the country, the patrons and professionals as well as gallery people, art lovers, art critics and other supporters have felt more comfortable than in Western society.

Thus, despite the various difficulties being facing by the country, because of the continuously growing interest of Nepalese artists and art community as well as also of the serious thinking of the government as it has introduced various promotional encouraged packages for the art sector, Nepal could be developed as Asia’s art hub.

Thus, to change the dream of developing Nepal into Asia’s focal art market into a reality, the time has come for all the individuals who are working in this sector to be involved with more hard and seriously in order to develop the habit of buying antiques.

The concerned offices has also been looking into ways of making taxation if the trade in art works internationally competitive to attract buyers, sellers and auction houses to Nepal.

However, the conflict between quality and profitability will be there. The works have to be both professionally competent and commercially enterprising

Two girls commit suicide, a baby dies of burn

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, October 6: Five-year-old Ashmita Shrestha of Chabahil, Ward No. 7 of Kathmandu Metropolitican City has died of burn wounds. According to the Police news bulletin, the rented room of Ananta Shrestha had caught fire on Friday due to short circuit where Shrestha’s wife Anu Shrestha,28, his nine-year-old son Anish Shrestha and deceased were severely wounded.

Ashmita died while undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital. The condition of the other two are also said to be serious. The fire also caused a damaged of about Rs. 200,000 worth of properties.

Meanwhile, Rita Thapa, 22, of Bishalnagar, Ward No. 4 of Kathmandu, was died due to hanging. She was found hanging by her shawl with an iron hook on the ceiling at the beauty parlour she was running at Ratopul.

Similarly, 18-year-old Parvati of Makawanpur district, but living in Adamghat, has died due to poisoning. She was brought to the Bir Hospital in a critical state on Wednesday after she was found to have consumed an unnamed poison. She died the next day.

Meanwhile, police have arrested one Ram Das Tapna of Bhawanipur VDC of Siraha district on Wednesday for possessing weapons illegally. Police had raided his house after receiving tips and police found one shot-gun, three round of .303 rifle. Police has also arrested Midhilesh Yadav of the same district with a home-made pistol and one round of bullet. The weapon was found when police, under suspicion checked his body.