Inter-school dance
New generation imbibes classical sophistication

BY ARHAN STHAPIT

Kathmandu, Oct 12: The audience's long applause at the Royal Nepal Academy auditorium simmered down, as the anchors took the centre stage in a rather dramatic fashion to kick off Kathmandu Valley level Inter-School Classical Dance Competition Friday evening.

And a spell of eerie silence fell over the audience in anticipation every time they watched young school students perform the classical dance items with brilliant flair by imbibing and emulating the very philosophical spirit of the classified traditional dances.

An audience of well over a thousand witnessed the beautiful result of the combination of the concentration, patience, practice and techniques, as budding talents from the ten select schools made their performances.

In the programme organised by the Students and Teachers' Association of Prabhat Madhyamik Vidhyalaya (STAPS), Naghal, Kathmandu, eight out of the ten items were based on what is popularly known as the Chacha or Charya dance tradition of the Vajrayana, the offshoot of Buddhism being practised by Bajracharyas of Nepal over the ages. The spiritual attributes were clearly reflected in the expressions, manifestations and the attire used in the dance.

The performances by Kamal English School, Mahankal High School, Annapurna Higher Secondary School, VS Niketan, Ganesh Boarding School, Mangal High School, Budhanilkantha High School and Nepal Rastriya Vidhyalaya were the pure classical dances. They were Kumari, Manjushree, Annapurna, Bajrayogini, Bhairav-kali, Aaryatara, Kaumarya, and Mahamanjushree respectively.

The last two items presented by Rara Hill School and Herman Meiner School in the competition stood on a sharp relief in that they were the hybrids of classical school of performing arts and modern patterns. They danced to the tune of classical music based songs Dharati yo pawan (Raaga Bageshrinkara) and rimjhim (based on rain).

With their performance titled Bhairav-kali, an item characterised by philosophical projections and manifestations consisting in mystic eroticism, Ganesh Boarding School, Swoyambhu made a hat-trick by making a clean sweep of three awards put up for grabs. Apart from winning the first prize in the overall dance category, the spectacular Ganesh Boarding performance also bagged awards in the Best Director and Best performer categories that went to Trina Khadgi and Ms. Meera Shrestha respectively.

The Annapurna, an item eulogizing Asonbhulu Ajima or the Goddess of Affluence, proved to be rich enough to hand over second prize of the competition to Annapurna Higher Secondary School, which was also the runners up in the last year contest. Its performance was wrought on traditional Jati taal.

Similarly, Nepal Rastriya Lower Secondary School kids danced their way to secure the third prize for Mahamanjushree, while Shiva Khatiwada of the same school was adjudged best for his creative stage decoration.

Budhanilkantha School kids also smiled their way to walk home with the consolation prize for their performance Kaumarya. But, the winners last year Mangal High School could not repeat their feat this time through their Aaryatara dance that described the safeguarding by Panchabuddhas, the virtual manifestations of Buddha.

It must be with a view to averting possible monotony of the complicated fervours of the classical dances that the three-hour-plus programme dished out five non-competitive items too. Typical Nepali folk dances including those of Tamang, Newars and Majhi, as well as film song dances came as refreshers in between the main course.

Dance Culture Art Centre, Nasahsena Kuthi, Harati Culture Centre, and the organisers Prabhat High School presented these items which were not in the contest.

Japan gives Rs 2.53 M for rural projects

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct 12: The Embassy of Japan in Nepal has decided to provide financial assistance equivalent to Rs.2,538,000 for the construction of a new students’ hostel in Khumjung School of Solukhumbu district under the Grassroots Projects (GGP) scheme of the Government of Japan. The project will be implemented by Matsumoto Himalayan Friendship Club (MHFC), A Japanese NGO.

According to a Japanese Embassy press release, an agreement related to this was signed today between the Embassy of Japan and President of MHFC.

Sir Edmund Hilary founded the school in 1960 and it has a hostel accommodating 15 students only. Due to its limited capacity the school has not been able to accommodate students from far-away places. After the completion of the project the in-house capacity of the school will be more than doubled.

On the occasion Takamichi Okabe, Minister at the Japanese Embassy expressed his appreciation to the MHFC for taking the initiative and thereby contributing to the education of the people in remote parts of the country. Okabe expressed his hopes that the school will prosper in the future and will continue to empower the community through education.

Make media village a model: Gupta

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 12: Minister for Information and Communications Jaya Prakash Prasad Gupta today emphasised the need to develop media village as a centre of excellence.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the newly constructed building of the Department of Information at the construction site of the media village at Sinamangal today, Minister Gupta expressed the view that the media village has to be developed into an integrated site for the collection and dissemination of information.

"The newly constructed building can be taken as a step in the infrastructure development. Now modern equipment like electronic and computer system have to be developed so as to enhance the efficiency of the Department of Information," he said.

He further said that the media people would get necessary support only when the Department is made well-equipped and efficient. "Necessary homework is being done make it efficient,’ he informed.

He also said that the proposed Bill related to information would be brought to the Parliament for necessary action as soon as the agencies and individuals involved in it carry out their responsibilities in time.

He urged the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and Nepal Press Council to come up with solid programmes for the development of the information sector.

He also expressed the belief that the development of the media village would help revise the entire journalism sector.

Speaking from the chair, Shree Ram Poudel, Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communications, said that the revolution in the information sector could play an important role for the development of the nation.

Poudel further said that the efficiency of the Department of Information would be enhanced to develop it as a dynamic organisation to deliver information to the press.

Harihar Birahi, Chairman of Nepal Press Council, said that the government’s initiative to develop the media village has increased the importance of the information sector in Nepal.

"The development of the media village is expected to help ensure the constitutional provision of right to information," he said.

Similarly, Suresh Acharya, President of FNJ, said that the development of the media village is a positive step.

Acharya also pointed out the need for the Department of Information to change its role and it has to be developed as a centre for receiving information.

Delivering his welcome speech, Dharanidhar Khatiwada, Director General at the Department of Information, said that the 28-room building of the department has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 28.5 million.

Khadiwada also informed that the remaining 28 rooms will be constructed in future.

He informed that the government has plans to make the regional information centres well-equipped in future.

There will be the offices of Department of Information, Nepal Press Council and Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) in the media village which is under construction in more than 13 ropanies of land.

Last year, President of Nepali Congress and the then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala had laid the foundation stone of the building of the Department of Information.

On the occasion, Govind Biyogi, President of Editors’ Society Nepal and Shyam Krishna KC, chairman of Ward No. 9 of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), also expressed their views.

Extending vote of thanks, Basant Chitrakar, Deputy Director General at the Department of Information, said that the media village would be a friendship bridge between the government and the press sector.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
Expired pesticides face disposal problem

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Oct. 12: About 74 tons of expired and banned pesticides are in storage in Nepal and keeping them safe or disposing them has become a big problem.

Of these pesticides, about 51 metric tons are at the Agriculture Inputs Corporation (AIC) warehouse in Amlekhgunj, about 14.5 metric tons are at AIC’s Nepalgunj and other offices. Similarly, about 4.7 metric tons of pesticides at the Entomological Division of Nepal Agriculture Research Centre, Khumaltar, and 3.7 metric tons at the Cotton Development Board in Nepalgunj.

Of these pesticides, 28.62 metric tons are organophosphates and 37.09 metric tons are organochlorine and 8.1 metric tons of organomercuric compounds.

There are also 43 cylinders of Methyl Bromide, 22 cylinders at the Plant Pathological Division of NARC in Khumaltar and 21 cylinders at the horticulture farm at Kirtipur.

All these chemicals are highly poisonous and highly toxic, and detrimental to the environment and health if they ever get exposed to the environment.

According to the plant protection directorate, Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives, the stock of these pesticides were accumulated over the years. Majority of these toxic chemicals was received in the form of aid packages and the government bought some about 25 years ago.

In fact, chemical pesticides were introduced in Nepal in 1950s for malaria eradication and for agricultural purpose. At that time, there was little awareness on environmental issues specially the hazardous aspects of the pesticides.

Various organizations, including the government, encouraged the use of pesticides especially for agricultural purpose. Different types of pesticides were imported in Nepal through the government-owned Agricultural Inputs Corporation (AIC), which still has a significant amount of obsolete pesticides stored in several warehouses in different parts of the country.

It is useful for the agricultural sector and equally harmful for the environment and human beings. In Nepal, pesticides are commonly used to control various economic pests and diseases. The agro-pesticide uses are organo-phosphates, carbamates, synthetic pyrethroids, fungicides and herbicides.

However, the consumption of these chemicals was only occasional and seasonal in the case of outbreaks of pests and diseases and vector borne diseases. So, all these chemicals imported could be not used resulting in their gradual stocking rendering them obsolete and date-expired for use. Presently, the country’s annual usage of pesticides is now estimated at 100 and 300 tons per year.

The pesticide issue was first highlighted during early 1990s and the government initiated steps to assure controlled and rationale use of it. For this, the government formulated and enforced Pesticide Act in 1991 and Pesticide Regulation in 1993, there was no way these chemicals were used. All of these chemicals are banned for using in other countries.

Even after that, about 114 metric tons of these toxic and expired chemicals were disposed off by reusing, reformulation and even spreading and burying. Still there are 74 tons of chemicals remaining and their safe disposal is now a big problem.

Greenpeace, the environmental group in Nepal, says these chemicals are kept in a very poor and dilapidated condition.

At a press conference with the theme ‘Toxic chemicals back to the sender’ Thursday, the organization said there are hundreds of tins, bottles, bags and canisters are in pitiable state.

"The NARC warehouse has about 4.7 tons of chemicals in its warehouse but the steel canisters are so rusty that they fall apart when lifted, several canisters are completely destroyed and their contents have poured out over the shelves, many sacks and the bags are torn, open and are unspecified."

The condition of chemicals in other places should also be no better. Greenpeace says these pesticides pose a constant threat to the environment and health of the people. They have become some kind of ecological time bomb, it said.

It also said, it is working to repatriate these chemicals back to the sender for their safe disposal.

At the press conference, Andreas Hans, a German campaigner to Nepal, said that pesticides are both useful as well as harmful. He said not only in Nepal it creates the problem all over the world.

Krishna Kumar Shrestha, from Directorate of Crops Protection Office said that some pesticides can be disposed in Nepal but the disposal of others is hindered by technical problems. He also stressed on the need of mass awareness and government alone is unable in this task. He said, "The Ministry of Environment has not been paying attention even after requesting for help."

Meanwhile, the Greenpeace has demanded that the manufacturers and suppliers in countries of origin must take full logistic, technical and financial responsibility for the safe disposal of the waste according to the Stockholm Convention.

Lower House passes Land Bill 2058
Small farmers to benefit: Wagle, Oppositions stand against the Bill

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Oct. 12: The House of Representatives today passed the Land (Fifth Amendment) Bill 2058 by a majority vote.

The Bill was proposed in the House by Minister for Works and Physical Planning Chiranjibi Wagle on behalf of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also looking after the Ministry of Land Reforms.

While all the Left parties in the parliament, including CPN-UML voted against the bill and two non-Left parties, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and the Nepal Sadhvabana Party (NSP) boycotted the meeting of the House of Representatives in protest of the agenda for passing the bill. The Bill was sent and also tabled at the Upper House today for approval. The Bill was tabled in the Lower House of the Parliament about a month back.

The UML and other Left Parties were against the proposed ceiling of land-ownership, which they said was too high. The bill has put a ceiling of 11 bighas (10 for farming and one for homestead) of land in the Terai, 30 ropanies (25 for agriculture + 5 for homestead) in the hills and 15 (10+5) in the Kathmandu Valley.

But the UML and other Left parties were demanding the implementation of the ownership level as recommended by the Badal Commission. The Badal Commission had proposed the ceiling at almost half of what has been proposed in the Bill.

But the RPP and NSP were against the bill saying it would be discriminating to put the ceiling only on land. They were also demanding to put a ceiling on other properties. The NSP has also been raising the issue of citizenship certificates saying unless the citizenship issue is not solve the land reform would not succeed.

Meanwhile, RSS adds that responding to questions raised on the occasion, Wagle made it clear that the bill was brought about with the aim of improving the present state of landless and poor farmers and increasing agricultural productivity by providing fertilisers, irrigation, roads and other facilities.

Taking part in the general discussions were Ananda Prasad Pokhrel, Tukraj Sigdel, Bir Bahadur Lama, Pari Thapa, Narayanman Bijukchhe, Prem Bahadur Singh, Lalbabu Pandit, Sohan Prasad Chaudhary and Shankar Nath Sharma Adhikari.

Speaking during special hour at the meeting of the House of Representaties today, CPN (UML) chief whip Bharat Mohan Adhikari alleged that the land act bill has been brought up in an undemocratic way.

Stating that it is not proper to bring up the bill without going by the agreement to fix a land ceiling as per the Badal Commission report though it was agreed to do so, Adhikari said the first objective of the land reform should be to ensure social jusitce which is lacking in the bill.

The bill is unlikely to increase productivity and bring about a revolution in agriculture, he added.

Dilliram Acharya of the Rastriya Jana Morcha expressed the view that the increase in air fare and artificial shortage of sugar have caused trouble to the people instead of giving them relief at the time of Dashain.

Acharya wondered though the land in excess of the land-ceiling fixed by the government is said to be sold for the Dalits and the disadvantated sections of society, how can those people of the country where about 9 million people are below the poverty line buy the land.

Narayanman Bijukchhe of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party said under the pretext of American attacks on Afghanistan, blackmarketeers are hiding their goods and spoke of the need for the government to become aware of the impact caused by the attacks.

CPN (UML)'s Prem Bahadur Singh noted that the ceasefire between the government and the Maoists is limited just not to perpetrate killings by either side and complained that the Maoists have not yet stopped such acts as extortions and intimidation in various places.

Mahendra Bahadur Pandey of the same party said the Maoists looted things at eight VDCs in Nuwakot in broad daylight.

He also complained that there are serious problems in the health sector, incubator, ventilator and ICU are out of order at Kanti and Maternity Hospitals and for lack of regulations, Nepalis are forced to spend millions of rupees for kidney transplant in foreign countries.

Til Kumar Meyangbo, also of the CPN-UML demanded that a special program should be launched for providing telephone services in the eastern region under the rural electrification programme.

CPN-UML's Astalaxmi Shakya alleged that though some Rs 1.26 million was allocated for Jyapu Mahaguthi for promoting art and culture of the Jyapus, the amount has been provided to the Narayan Family Club.

CPN (UML)'s Tarasam Yangya 12 hundred dairy associations are now in trouble because of milk holiday.

Acharya stresses agriculture market

Kathmandu, Oct. 12 (RSS): During question answer hour at the House of Representaives today, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives Mahesh Acharya said as the Awalparajul Livestock Service Center which is convenient for Piladi, Lalikada and Goganpani VDCs in Dailkeh district has been providing services, there is no plan for setting up an agriculture and livestock service sub-centre at Lamatadama.

Stating that attention has been focussed on identification of productive areas, expansion of market infrastructure and diversification of crops under the Agriculture Perspective Plan (APP) for commercialisation and industrialisation of agriculture, Minister Acharya noted that the process will be advanced for technical training in view of the increasing interests of farmers for tea and coffee cultivation in Sankhuwasabha district.

There is no programme for establishing an agriculture university in the current fiscal year, he added.

Noting that there is no programme for establishing a ginger and turmeric processing center, the agriculture minister disclosed that as regards re-establishing dealers of the agriculture inputs corporation, a total of 212 dealers have already been appointed.

Those asking questions were MPs Nara Bahadur Hamal, Ghanendra Basnet, Parshuram Meghi Gurung, Mrs Astalaxmi Shakya, Khemraj Bhatta Mayalu, Hari Acharya and Bir Bahadur Lama.

NA approves bills on education, power leakage

Kathmandu, Oct. 12 (RSS): The National Assembly meeting today passed unanimously the proposal seeking consideration of the Education (seventh amendment) Bill tabled by Minister for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyaya.

Responding to queries raised during discussions on the bill, Minister Upadhyaya said the bill does not ignore the role of the private sector, tries to make primary education accessible to all and encourages a single professional union of teachers and schools.

He also made it clear that education should be kept aloof from politics.

CPN-UML's Bachaspati Devkota, Devraj Ghimire, Ramchandra Bhattari, Beduram Bhusal, Bal Bahadur Singh, Devendra Ghimire, Mohan Bahadur Bam, Maheshmani Acharya Dixit, Srimaya Thakali and Biswasera Dahal, NC's Sukraraj Sharma, Bijul Kumar Biswokarma, Akkal Bahadur Bista and Radheshyam Adhikari, CPN-ML's Dr Ramman Shrestha and MP Dr Rup Jyoti took part in discussions on the bill.

Likewise, responding to queries raised during discussions on the Affiliate University Bill-2001, Minister Upadhyaya said though the concept of the affiliate university is new for Nepal it has already been functioning in developed and developing countries.

He said the bill has been introduced with the objective of making higher education more systemic and of higher quality.

Taking part in discussions on the bill, MPs Bachaspati Devkota, Maheshmani Acharya Dixit, Dr Ramman Shrestha, Laxmidas Manandhar, Ganga Dutta Joshi and Dr Rup Jyoti spoke of the need for clarifications on the significance, definition and concept of the Affiliate University.

The proposal seeking consideration of the bill was also passed unanimously.

Similarly, the National Assembly meeting also today passed unanimously the Power Leakage Control Bill-2001 tabled by Minister for Water Resources Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar.

Responding to queries raised during discussions on the bill, Minister Gachchhadar said the special committee discussed at length matters relating to controlling power leakage and the bill aims to check power leakage in order to increase the efficiency of Nepal Electricity Authority which provides power as well as huge amount of revenue to the country.

MP Dr Rup Jyoti took part in the discussion.

Likewise, the meeting also passed unanimously the proposal seeking return of the Nationalities Upliftment National Foundation Bill-2000, along with report of the special committee tabled by Minister for Works and Physical Planning Chiranjibi Wagle who is also looking after the Local Development Ministry, to the special committee for reconsideration of some of its clauses.