Money On Maoists

IN a major forward step in the continuing battle against the Maoist terrorists, the government has come out with a scheme to elicit help from all in capturing them. The government on Tuesday announced various rewards for catching top Maoists leaders. It is a universal practice that the government, in a bid to catch elusive terrorists, offers incentives for getting hold of them, dead or alive. The rationale behind it is that merely calling for cooperation from the general public to contribute to the war against terrorism is not always sufficient. When the situation calls for it, the people should also be told that rewards await them if they actively cooperate with the security forces in neutralising the terrorists.

Apparently, in a bid to give an extra push to the ongoing efforts of the security forces against terrorism, the Home Ministry put a price tag of five million rupees on the three top Maoist leaders, dead or alive. Depending on their position in the terrorist outfit, other leaders, dead or alive, fetched an amount between one and 3.5 million rupees. Even informers could be rewarded. They will receive half that amount for information leading to the arrest of these terrorists.

This is a strategically wise move on the part of the government. For it became apparent that as long as the top Maoist leaders were able to direct their agents to wreck havoc on Nepal from the comfort of their safe places wherever that may be, the battle against terrorism becomes that extra hard. Thus, it is logical that an officer of monetary incentives to go after these deadly leaders could provide a strong motivation for some people to be extra alert about suspicious characters living in the neighbourhood. It also has a chance of exciting the imagination of some in the various ranks of the Maoist leadership itself. Along with the price on heads of terrorist leaders, the Tuesday announcement offered rewards for providing information about or handing over different weapons, some of which were looted by Maoists from the security forces in the past. This surely is one way to curtail Maoists’ firepower. Be it with regard to getting hold of the Maoist leaders or seizing their weapons, the government has done well to guarantee security, job and secrecy for those extending cooperation. This is an important assurance. It is to be hoped that the scheme will work as a major factor in hunting down the terrorists.

Pasang: National Hero

IT was Thursday afternoon in April 22, 1993 when Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, a Nepali woman made history in the field of the mountaineering by successfully conquering Mount Sagarmatha, the highest peak of the world. She had made history in her fourth attempt. All Nepalese were greatly thrilled upon hearing her success story which proved that Nepali women are no less capable than the women of other countries. Pasang Lhamu, a daughter of the soil became the first woman among the Nepalese and 17th in the globe to step on the highest peak. A mountaineering guide from her childhood ‘Sherpa had in her earlier attempt, reached up to 8,000 metres of the 8,848-metre Mount Sagarmatha without oxygen and successfully scaled Mount Pisang, Yala peak and Mt. Blanc of Europe. However, fate went against her and she went missing in while descending from the peak. Her dead body was recovered 19 days after her success on 10th May. Her unexpected death was surely a great loss to the nation and the Nepalese people. In fact, she offered her life for the nation and became the pride of the country and the people.

It is an age-old tradition of the Nepalese people that they never hesitate to appreciate and honour the national heroes for their exemplary deeds. And this time also they have maintained the glorious tradition by declaring Pasang Lhamu Sherpa a ‘National Hero’ and appreciating her valuable contribution to the nation. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba while speaking on the occasion of the Ninth Memorial Day of her ascent to the highest peak organised by the Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Academy in the capital appreciated her and said that late Sherpa is worth emulating and unforgettable in the history of Nepalese mountaineering. At the same function, Minister for Culture and Civil Aviation Bal Bahadur K. C. informed that late Sherpa was declared a national hero. In fact, Pasang Lhamu had been highly successful in enhancing Nepal’s prestige and the government has done a laudable task by declaring her the fifteenth National Hero of the nation. This declaration has come as an encouragement for the Nepalese women who are active in different sectors including mountaineering.