World Intellectual Property Day today

Kathmandu, Apr. 26 (RSS): The World Intellectual Property Day is being observed throughout the world today with the slogan ‘Encouragement to creativity’.

The tradition to observe the day began last year on the founding day of the
World Intellectual Property Organisation working in the field of protection of intellectual property all over the world.

Nepal acquired membership of WIPO in 1997 and membership of the Paris Convention for Industrial Property Protection in 2001.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka in a message today said the contribution of creative individuals and community is indispensable for the economic, social and cultural development of the country.

He said development, protection and promotion of intellectual property on the basis of knowledge and creativity is utterly needed for the sustainable development of the country.

Our traditional knowledge and folk culture too are the products of the creativity of our ancestors, Minister Khadka said, adding that it is indispensable to continually encourage the creativity of future generations for their bright future.

In his message, he said our success in intellectual property protection has helped us to acquire membership of the WTO and will help us also to bear the responsibility that comes with it.

On the same occasion, WIPO Director General Dr. Kamil Idris said WIPO is committed to world culture and the organisation will encourage intellectual property to give shape to the creative potential of us all.

He said patents, trade marks and copy right, the units of intellectual property systems are the powerful instruments to utilise creativity and knowledge to promote economic and cultural development.

Similarly, general secretary of the Nepal Copyright Protection Society Santosh Sharma said no development of the country is possible without protection of their creators and encouragement to their creations and called for implementation of the copyright laws by those concerned.

The Department of Industry and Nepal Chamber of Commerce jointly organised a function at the chamber building Kantipath, today to mark the occasion.

Bandh foiled in cities nationwide

Kathmandu, Apr. 25 (RSS): Life has been returning to normal across the country today on the third day of the Nepal bandh with more businesses and road vehicles running than Wednesday.

A greater number of buses, microbuses, taxis and tempos plied the roads and many shops on the thoroughfares and inner areas of Kathmandu were open.

The FNCCI has urged shop owners at Bishal bazar to remain open today in opposition to the bandh.

Minister of State for Home Devendra Raj Kandel was also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the Nepal Maoist Victims Association organised a peace rally from Bhadrakali to protest the Nepal Bandh and the murder and violence.

A bus operating on the Ratna Park–Thankot route was bombed at the old bus park near Ratnapark at 10:30 am today.

A motorcycle was also damaged at Makhantole in the afternoon.

Lalitpur: No impact of the bandh was felt, the district police office said.

Most of the shops were open and transport vehicles plied the roads more than yesterday.

Political parties, various organisations and district office chiefs organised a peace rally this morning. Party leaders, the business community, journalists, students, people’s representatives and members of the general public participated.

The rally which started from Jawalakhel chanted the slogan ‘No to violence and murder, No to Nepal Bandh’.

Syangja: Most of the shops, educational institutions, factories and government offices remained opened in Syangja Bazar and examinations of Tribhuvan University were also held.

But the short and long route buses which operate on the Siddhartha Highway did not operate today. Security forces and police have been conducting patrols in the main parts of the town.

Butwal: Although only a few shops were open in the morning, most of them opened in the afternoon through the joint efforts of the security forces and the Butwal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

While public transport like trucks and passenger buses operating on long routes stayed off the road, microbus services on the Butwal-Bhairahawa route and jeeps plying local routes resumed operations at the initiative of the West Nepal Bus Entrepreneurs’ Association.

Similarly, it is learnt that the profeciency certificate level and diploma level examinations being conducted by Tribhuvan University went ahead without any obstructions.

Makwanpur: Hetauda bazaar, the Hetauda Industrial Estate and all kinds of public transport services remained closed despite efforts by the all-party Makwanpur District Committee to re-open the local market this morning.

Public life remains normal and peaceful in various Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Hetauda municipality, it is learnt from Makwanpur district police office.

Although the local market was partially open in the morning, shops closed after 10 a.m. due to fear of violence.

A motor and motorcycle rally was held in the local bazar this morning, police said.

Birgunj: The so-called Nepal Bandh did not have any significant impact on general life in Birgunj today.

Most of the shops in the main thoroughfares of the town opened after 11 a.m. Today unlike the previous days following full security guarantees from the district police office, the Royal Nepal Army and other security agencies.

Although cycle-rikshaws, horse-drawn tongas, motorcycles and bicycle and heavy and light vehicles carrying wedding parties could be seen in large numbers from early morning today unlike during the last two days, public transport on long and short routes did not operate.

Meanwhile, the district administration office has urged one and all to cooperate with the security bodies by providing information and carrying on with their daily activities in order to minimize the impact of the bandh.

No untoward incidents have been reported from any parts of the district, according to deputy superintendent of police Birendra Babu Shrestha.

The Parsa District Administration Office states that security bodies have been mobilised in a cordinated manner for maintaining law and order in the district.

Pyuthan: The so-called Nepal Bandh had no impact whatsoever in Khalanga Bazar, the district headquarters, and surrounding villages. Business and industries are operating here as usual.

It is learnt that the overall law and order situation in the district is normal and chief district officer Nanda Prasad Poudel said the Nepal Bandh did not have any impact except in transport. He said government offices and law courts continued their work as usual like on other days.

Mahottari: General life remained normal here. Government and public service offices continued with regular business and educational institutions also carried out their usual activities.

Shops at Jaleshwar and Matihani were opened at the initiatives of the local administration, representatives of political parties and the Jaleshwar and Mahottari Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Government vehicles were used for transporting people from Janakpur to Bhittamod. Similarly, motorcycles, rikshaws and hired vehicles could be seen plying. Likewise, the railway service from Janakpur to Bijalpura operated its regular schedule.

Gorkha: Consumers are flocking the shops in the local bazaar while the buses are swarmed by passengers.

Passenger buses as usual left for various destinations from the district headquarters. Trucks, jeeps and government and private vehicles can be seen plying on the streets here.

Markets, educational institutions, industries and businesses opened as usual.

Bhadrapur: Major markets in Jhapa district like Bhadrapur, Chandragadhi, Kakarbhitta, Dhulabari, Birtamod, Damak and other townships remained fully open today.

Although long-route passenger buses operated, those plying on local routes were fewer in number and there were few passengers.

Government offices at the district headquarters as well as in other areas of the district carried on with their daily activities on a regular basis.

Rikshaws, bicycles and motorcycles plyed in large numbers in major towns of the district and the bandh made little difference.

No untoward incidents have been reported from any part of the district so far according to the district police office.

Dhangadhi: The local industrialists and businessmen opened their respective industries and businesses today also while some motorcyles and jeeps could be seen plying the streets in the bazaar area.

Similarly, although buses plying on long routes did not operate, those plying on local short routes started commuting from today.

Even though schools run in the private sector did not open, classes were run on part time basis at the local Kailali Multiple Campus and other government schools. Similarly, examinations of different levels being administered by Tribhuvan University were conducted smoothly.

Meanwhile, police said the terrorists’ attempt to attack the ilaka police office at local Sukkhad on Tuesday night was foiled by the security personnel.

A meeting of the Federation of Village Development Committees (VDCs) Nepal Kailali District Chapter today demanded that His Majesty’s Government create an environment conducive for reconstruction of various VDC offices, government offices and offices of other non-governmental organizations in different parts of the district destroyed by the Maoist terrorists so that regular services could be provided to the people from those offices.

The meeting condemned the arson attack and vandalisation by terrorists at 34 out of 42 VDC offices in the district and warned against such activities in the future.

Bhaktapur: Although shops in Bhaktapur town remained closed minibuses plying on route 9 to Kathmandu along the old route from thimi were seen operating.

According to inspector Mohan Kumar Shrestha of the ilaka police office, Thimi, some 38 buses plying the said route ferried passengers from Thimi to Kathmandu and Lagankhel and vice-versa from early morning today.

Sindhuli: Tthe entire market and businesses in sindhulimadhi bazaar remained open, all examinations under Tribhuvan University were conducted peacefully, classes ran smoothly at schools and educational institutions and general life remained normal throughout the district today.

However, public transport came to a standstill.

No untoward incidents have been reported from anywhere in the district and security has been further beefed up, according to the Sindhuli district administration office.

Kalaiya: The so-called Nepal bandh did not have any more impact on the people today than in the past two days as most of the shops were open at the initiative of the local administration in a bid to foil the bandh.

The Nepal Bandh, however, contributed to lowering the price of green vegetables at local vegetable market in Kalaiya. The price of vegetables at the market was cheaper today compared on other days.

Some tempos, jeeps and tongas could be seen plying on the Kalaiya-Birgunj road with support from the local administration.

According to the district police office, no untoward incidents have been reported in the district.

Biratnagar: Almost all shops remained open in Biratnagar today.

A motorcycle rally was organised here in protest against the so-called bandh. The rally went around the town.

Vehicles plying from here to places like Damak, Urlabari, Itahari, Dharan, Haraicha, Rangeli and Jogbani operated in large numbers, it is learnt from the traffic police office, Biratnagar.

But day and night service buses operating on long routes did not operate. Most of the local big and small industries were open yesterday and today also.

Call for intensive efforts to end refugee issue

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 26: The Bhutanese refugee crisis still has a long way to go before it is resolved, Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), said after returning today from his four-day visit to Bhutan.

"More intensive and bigger efforts are necessary from both the sides (Nepal and Bhutan) to resolve this issue," he said of his impression on discussion with the Bhutanese government.

In a major shift from its earlier stand, Bhutan has agreed to include a third party in the process of resolving the issue, Nepal said. "This is the first time they (Bhutan) said so."

The Dragon Kingdom has pointed out the lack of agreement between Nepal and Bhutan on how to treat the refugees, once they are categorised, as the main hurdle, according to Nepal. "They said that there is still no harmonisation between the two on the refugee categories."

Nepal and Bhutan in the first ministerial level talks in 1993 decided to categorise the refugees into four groups – Bonafide Bhutanese, Bhutanese who have emigrated, Bhutanese who have committed crimes and non-Bhutanese. Ever since, Bhutan has been maintaining that it would take back only the bonafide refugees while Nepal insists that all refugees except the non-Bhutanese category should be repatriated.

The steep difference has kept the refugee issue hostage all these years.

Thimpu, according to Nepal, is planning to sit for the 12th round of ministerial-level talks very soon. This meeting is long overdue since it had to take place soon after the verification of the refugee of the Khudunabari Camp – one of the seven camps in eastern Nepal where more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees are lodged for 11 years now. A joint team of Nepal and Bhutan concluded the verification of around 13,000 refugees of the Khudunabari Camp last December.

After the verification of the camp, the government is awaiting Bhutan’s confirmation on the dates for the 12th round of talks.

Bhutanese Foreign Minister Jigme Y Thinley had told The Rising Nepal last March that the 12th round of meet was to be held by the end of that month. A senior official at his ministry earlier this month contradicted him by saying that Bhutan was not even preparing for the talks.

The 12th round of talks is crucial because that would decide how to treat the verified refugees – after they are categorised. Toward that end, the Khudunabari Camp is the test case for all other camps, as agreed by the 10th round of the ministerial level talks between Nepal and Bhutan in 2000.

"They said that they are taking time because this is the first time they are practically trying to resolve the crisis," Nepal said.

Unlike Nepal’s standpoint to first sort out the differences on how to treat the categorised refugees, Bhutan wants categori sation and harmonisation to go hand in hand, according to Hiranaya Lal Shrestha of the CPN (UML) who was also a member in the five member delegation officially invited by the Bhutanese Foreign Ministry. The delegation, according to him, also discussed many other areas that could be of mutual interest between Nepal and Bhutan. "They have a plan in the pipeline to explore the prospects of trade, tourism and joint venture to be developed together by Nepal and Bhutan."

The Bhutanese government also discussed with the delegation the experience of Nepalese constitution, Shrestha said.

Bhutan ‘confesses’ resettlement in refugee’s homeland

By Navin Singh Khadka

Kathmandu, Apr. 26:Bhutan has admitted that it did resettle its northern citizens in the homelands of the refugees now languishing in seven camps in eastern Nepal, according to a Nepalese delegation just back from the Dragon Kingdom.

"They said that the resettlement was done only at those lands the refugees had already sold," said Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (UML) who had led the Nepalese delegation that came back today.

In that case, this becomes Bhutan’s first confession on the resettlement issue, even if that was in the lands it calls already sold out by the refugees.

No refugees here, however, agree that they had sold their homes and lands. Instead, they charge the Bhutanese government of forcefully evicting them after making them fill a voluntary migration form at gunpoint.

In an interview to this daily earlier this year, the Bhutanese Foreign Minister had said that the resettlement had nothing to do with refugees. "It is for the agricultural development as it happens in any developing country."

A fact finding mission hired by Habitat International Coalition, an international non-government organisation, had earlier this year found that many refugees’ lands in Bhutan were already distributed to northern Bhutanese who were not happy at their new homes.

Negligible impact of bandh on general life
Closure draws widespread criticism

By A Staff reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 25: Woman entrepreneur Hajuri Bista of Lalitpur opened her pickle and candy factory despite the terrorists’ call for bandh. "Only that I could not sell much," she said. "Maybe, I’ll have to lay off workers if bandhs continue."

She has bigger worries. "With frequent bandhs, what kind of future can we expect for our children?," she said. "Bandh is the extreme form of aberration in the society."

The call for a five-day closure has affected all — small and big businesses, common people, students and employees — in more ways than one.

Surendra Man Shakya, a goldsmith at Naradevi, also opened his shop. "But there is little work because my customers have to come from villages," he said. "This bandh has deprived me of a few hundred rupees I earned daily."

Everyone is affected by the bandhs, said a higher secondary school teacher from Manamaiju, who did not want to be named. "Five days! It is just too much," he said. "No protest should victimise the general people."

Simple folks have been affected the most. The wife of Harkha Lal Maharjan of Sat Dobato was too shy to give her name, but said she was scared to go to her own field. "I’m told there could be disturbances."

Praveen Shrestha did not open his small shop at Ason. He is angry. "I used to earn a few hundred rupees," he said. "Closure or not, I need to meet my daily expenses."

Geeta Lama of Sindhupalchowk works with the owners of a wool washing factory at Bouddha. "I was not affected directly. But many workers of the factory were," she said.

Menuka Dahal of Teku, whose school was closed, regrets stocking vegetables on the eve of the bandh, some of which are now going bad. "I thought they would not be available."

Bir Malla of Kamalpokhari happily walked to the office on the first day of bandh. "I feel secure unlike in the past bandhs," Malla said."The security arrangements are excellent."

Jeet Bahadur Shrestha, ambulance driver at Srongsten Bhrikuti Samajik Sanstha Bouddha, also thinks it is secure in the city.

"I was afraid to hear that Maoists captured even the ambulances near Mugling. But with security personnel at different points in the capital, it is reassuring."

Some fifty expecting mothers came to the Maternity hospital during the two days of so-called bandh. "They all used the ambulance service," said Amar Amatya of the Hospital. "Patients normally come by taxis and private vehicles."

Banks suffered as well. The New Road branch of the Nabil bank saw only 80 customers coming in during the two days. "The normal flow of customers used to be 250 on the average," said Toran Shah of the bank.

Bharat Kant Sharma, a priest at Bagalamukhi temple in Patan said the number of devotees were less today than last Thursday. "Bandhs are bad," he said.

Five-day shutdown angers commoners

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Apr. 25: The ongoing five-day shutdown called by the terrorists has affected the lives of ordinary people, particularly the ones who live hand to mouth.

"The five-day shutdown has prevented poor people like us from earning our daily bread", said Dolakha’s Hari Prasad Chaulagain. "I wonder what do the Maoists want to achieve by troubling the poor people ?"

Chaulagain who works as a porter in Kathmandu to provide for a family of five said, "Who will listen to our woes ? My wife and children will have nothing to eat if I don’t get to work."

Gorkha’s Baburam Gandarbha who supports himself and his family by playing the Sarangi (a string musical instrument) said the violence of the terrorists had compelled him to discard his instrument.

"The Maoists claim that they are in favour of the working class people but what do they want to achieve by holding shutdowns and terrorising the labourers who have to work everyday to earn their bread," said Gandarbha."

Ramechhap’s Sanjiv Dhungel said the five day shutdown cost him about Rs. 1,000. "This loss is going to affect all my plans," said Dhungel who makes his living and provides for a family of six by delivering cooking gas cylinders to the households on demand. He charges up to Rs. 15 per delivery and earns about Rs. 200 daily.

Purna Prasad Luintel who runs a shop at the Bhrikuti Mandap said the closure had affected the dependents of about 1,300 shopkeepers like himself.

"Such closures will have a serious impact on small scale business," Luintel said. "Who will compensate for the loss that we incur due to the closure? What is the relevance of this closure that eclipses poor people’s chances of earning the daily bread" he questioned.

Agreed Ishwori Pokhrel, the owner of Lumbini Shoe Centre at the Old Bus Park. He said the five-day shutdown would have long-term effect on the small scale businessmen. "We won’t be able to recover five day’s loss in five months."

Pokharel said the Maoists would turn the poor people poorer, and the hapless into beggars.

Ramesh Singh who runs tea stalls at New Road and Jhonche worried about the rent of the shops.

Basudev Giri, President of the Federation of Small and Cottage Industries, said, "The five-day shutdown has snatched away the daily bread of thousands of entrepreneurs and tens of thousands of workers."

This shutdown will imperil the already ailing economy of the country, he said.