Queen Mother's Birthday celebrated

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KATHMANDU, Aug 22: Reports on various programmes organised to mark the 75th auspicious birthday of Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laksmi Devi Shaha and 38th National Children's Day have been pouring in.

On the occasion, former member secretary of Social Welfare Council Dr Tika Pokharel gave away prizes and certificates to the winners of a valley wide inter secondary school oratory contest organised by Focus Aid Nepal .

In the competition participated by 30 students of 18 different schools, Surendra Kunwar of Little Angel's, Ganga Ranamagar of Motherland Academy and Mahesh Banjara of Little Angel's School came first, second and third respectively.

Likewise, the participants of a speech programme organised by Manamaiju women awakening centre here opined that children's rights and well-being have been preserved and have prospered under the warm patronage of Her Majesty the Queen Mother.

At the programme presided over by centre advisor prem man dangol, centre president Bala Gurung, secretary Junu Hamal and others had expressed their respective views.

In Lalitpur: Shringeri Primary School, Lamatar organised eye donation, blood donation, oratory contest, quiz contest, dance and street drama against drugs abuse.

Inaugurating the programmes, national assembly member basu rishal praised the role played by the school in imparting education to children.

Govinda Prasad Regmi working for District Education Office distributed prizes to the winning children and certificates to the blood and eye donors at the programme.

Some 92 persons had donated their eyes posthumously and 26 had donated their blood.

Different people had expressed their opinions at the programme presided over by school management committee president hira bahadur paudel.

In Bhaktapur: Society for Local Awareness Bhaktapur organised a district wide inter secondary school speech contest.

In the competition, Sadhana Pradhan of everest school, Krishna Ram Batra of Jesij English School and Sunita Nyaichyai stood first, second and third respectively.

Bhaktapur hospital developmnent and aid committee president Tilak Prakash Kayastha handed out the prizes and certificates to the winners.

Mahesh Dahal, Rameswor Bhuju and others also spoke at the programme presided by society president Shila Sainju.

The auspicious 75th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Mother and 38th National Children's Day was also celebrated with various programs and activities in Charikot, Sindhuli, Khandbari, Nuwakot, Kavrepalanchowk and Phidim.

Likewise the teachers and students of the Kanti Ishwari Shishu School, at a programme organised at the school premises on the occasion of the 75th auspicious birthday of Her Majesty the Queen Mother and the 38th National Children's Day here Tuesday, wished good health and long life by offering bouquets to Her Majesty the Queen Mother's portrait.

Children of the school sang songs, staged dance and presented poetry at the programme chaired by acting principal of the school Pushpa Singh.

Inter-house football tournament was also organised in memory of His late Royal Highness Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah who was an ex-student of the school.

Shivashakti Music and devotional songs were presented under the covenorship of the school on the occasion.

Sweets were also distributed to the children on the occasion.

Similarly, on the occasion of the 75th auspicious birthday of Her Majesty Queen Mother Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah and the 38th National Children's Day, chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi inaugurated the 3rd anniversary function of the disabled children protection home here Tuesday.

On the occasion, chairman Dr. Rayamajhi gave away letters of commendations to the senior police officers, various institutions and organisations, schools and social workers extending cooperation to the disabled children protection home.

Dr. Rayamajhi also released the "Bal Jyoti" journal published by the disabled children protection home.

The disabled children protection home initially run with eight orphans provides protection to 36,000 children in the country.

Speaking on the occasion chairman Dr. Rayamajhi said that everyone should extend cooperation to the institutions providing services to the children without any selfish interest.

Member of the Rajparishad Miss. Bhadra Ghale, chairman of the disabled children protection Home Jitendra Basnet, member Dr. Laxman Shakya and others threw light on the importance of the children's home for protection of the disabled children.

On the occasion the children had staged a cultural programme.

Govt firm for children's rights

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Minister of State for Women, Children and Social Welfare Sushila Swanr said His Majesty's Government is prepared to fulfil all necessary provisions for children's rights.

She was speaking at the interaction programme on present and future of child prisoners in Nepal organised by UCEP Nepal and Child NGO Federation at Sanothimi, Bhaktapur Wednesday.
Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare Bijaya Raj Bhattarai, chairperson of child NGO Federation Gauri Pradhan and Durgamani Sapkota of Prison Management Department also expressed their views on the occasion.

General secretary of UCEP Nepal Upendra Kesari Neupane said the programme was organised with the objective of sorting out solutions to the problems faced by child prisoners.

Following discussion at the programme, an advisory committee was also constituted with Gauri Pradhan, Sharad Sharma, Dipak Sapkota, Suraj Dahal, Hiramani Sapkota and Bhubaneswari Satyal.
The committee will present suggestions to the government on matters relating to amendments essential in the act and regulations for the protection of rights and well-being of the children, it is learnt.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the National Children's Day, three organisations have initiated the campaign of collecting signatures of the children for the sake of peace.

Milijuli Nepal, CWIN and Bal Chetana Samuha have been launching the campaign of collecting signatures of the children for two weeks until September 2. The children comprise 41 per cent of the total population in the country.

The collected signatures will be presented to the Prime Minister as a token of respect of the feelings of the children for the sake of peace.

Shedding light on the programme, president of CWIN Gauri Pradhan said that the signature campaign of the children will teach adults a lesson.

President of Milijuli Nepal Stella Tamang said that the signature collection campaign will help creating a culture free of violence.

Songs, dances and other programmes were also staged on the occasion.

In Itahari, Dharan Municipality Town Children Education Programme organised a painting and free health check up for children on the occasion of the National Children's Day.

Thirty five children of various classes took part and Dharan Municipality secretary Bindu Prasad Guragain gave away prizes and certificates.

A team of bpkfhs doctors examined the health of 300 children.

In an inter-school table tennis organised by the Summit Boarding School of Dharan, Diksan Subba of Padam Memorial came out first, Bikas Adhikari of the same school second and Kishor Rai of Araniko Boarding and Bimal Rai of little heart boarding came out third.

Thirteen schools took part in the programme. The function was presided over by headmaster of the Summit Secondary Boarding Hari Prasad Trital.

FNJ condemns journo's murder

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), issuing a press release Wednesday, stated that the FNJ has been stunned by the murder of Nawaraj Sharma 'Basanta', the editor and publisher of the "Karnali Saptahik," the only newspaper being published from the Karnali zone, by the Maoist terrorists.

The FNJ press release reads- the entire journalists and media persons have been deeply hurt by the killing of a working journalist of a remote area by the terrorist organisation just when the FNJ is continuing with its movement demanding the formation of a high-level judicial commission to launch an impartial probe into all kinds of mistreatment meted out against the press following the imposition of the state of emergency in the country.

Denouncing in strong terms the inhuman treatment of the media persons by the government and the terrorist activities of "Organised Forces," the FNJ has drawn the attention of the national and international media and human rights organisations for calling an end to such kinds of incidents and for support in the FNJ's demand of constituting a high-level judicial investigation commission.

Windows worry about their future

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Widows who have lost their husbands in Maoist violence say their future has been darkened and have to bear social torture.

Those who have children say they live only for their children. They even wish no other women be in the situation to bear the same fate.

Pabitra Sharma, of Salyan Damachaur who is only 29 lost her teacher Husband Puspa Raj Acharya in 2054 poush while he was teaching in the class. She now lives in her maternal home with her six year old daughter for the past three years. She says 'I am unemployed, I do not get my share of property, furthermore the society hates us. My child asks where our home is. No party or government has been cooperating. Where should we go now, she asks.

Champa Tamang, 28, of Changunarayan is widowed after her husband working in the armed police was killed last year and says her future is dark too. She says she is illiterate, have only little land, but i have to live for the children. She has two girls of nine and six and one infant son.

Isha Upreti, 31, who is a mother of four year old son and nine year old daughter and a resident of Kathmandu also says she has to live only for the children, her husband Naresh Raj Upreti, a major in the army was killed in the Maoist terrorist attack on Dang barrack on Mangsir 8, last year.

The six year old Maoist terror has killed many army men, police, teachers, political workers, employees and general public as well as the Maoists themselves and there is no record of how many have been widowed. Pradip Prasad Upadhyay in a working paper on the victims and affected children and their future, said the number may be around 2,755 of those who lost their spouses among which the Maoists are 1,151, general public 654 and police 761, army 164 and employees 25. Most of them are widows.

They are worried about their future after losing their employed family member. They see their future darkened and have even to bear social torture.

They are suffering because they do not have any skills and education.

Dr. Prabha Thaker says empowerment of women by training them for some occupation is necessary.
SP Parbati Thapa says, of all of those killed in the incidents except 100 personnel were married and police authorities have been making efforts to provide them a basis to live with self reliance and self confidence by assisting and providing them training for some occupation. This will give them courage to live with self reliance.

Primary school enrolment of children goes up

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Eighty per cent of children of school going age were enrolled in primary school at the end of fiscal year 2001/2002, the Ministry of Education and Sports said today. Last year, only 70 per cent of the children were enrolled.

A review of the educational programmes carried out last year under the second phase of the Basic and Primary Education Programme (BPEP II) showed a fiscal progress of 70.8 per cent at the district level and 68.7 per cent at the central level, the Ministry said. The BPEP II began in 1999.
The gross fiscal progress in the BPEP II is, thus, 70.4 per cent with the progress in physical infrastructure put at 84 per cent.

The government has allocated Rs. 1,996,070,000 this fiscal year for basic and primary education. Of this, 87 per cent has been allocated for programmes at the district level, and only 13 per cent for the central level.

Still a large number of girls stay away from school due to poverty and traditional beliefs that see no value in their education.

Just over half, or 51 per cent of the children, completed the primary school cycle of five years in 2001/2002, an increase of nine percentage points over the 1998 figure. The target of the BPEP II is to have a completion rate of 75 per cent in the next two years.

The Ministry at a press meet today said that the government had planned to legalize the fees taken by private schools and colleges.

According to provisions made in the Education Act, the process of classifying schools has begun. This fiscal year alone, 100 schools will be handed over to the local bodies or management committees.

Nepal has committed itself to meeting the international goal of Education for All by 2015.

Support extended to FNJ

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: Various political parties and organisations have extended support to the relay hunger strike organised by Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) at Bhadrakali since yesterday pressing for fulfilment of their five-point demands including professional freedom and security for journalists.

Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) has, in a press statement issued here today, supported the movement launched by FNJ in protest of the mistreatment of journalists and the restrictions imposed on freedom of the press and demanded that His Majesty's Government seriously consider the just and genuine demands of the journalists.

In the same manner president of the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal Sudip Pathak has requested His Majesty's Government to take a decision by considering the demands of the journalists.

Likewise, chairman of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nepal National Committee has expressed its full support and solidarity with the ongoing relay hunger strike launched by FNJ at Bhadrakali since Aug. 21.

A statement signed by Pushkar Lal Shrestha, chairman of International Press Institute Nepal National Committee states that IPI Nepal chapter takes this opportunity to urge His Majesty's Government to immediately open dialogue with the FNJ and fulfill all their demands as they represent the genuine demands of the entire media community in Nepal.

Export promotion emphasised

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 22: The 64th meeting of the Carpet and Wool Development Committee held under the chairmanship of Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Purna Bahadur Khadka here today has decided to control the quality of carpets, pashmina shawls and other woolen goods for promotion of export of these goods.

The meeting also decided to launch programmes for development of goods and promotion of market with the participation of the private sector.

Discussions on the various steps to be taken for promotion of exports of carpets and woollen goods were also held at the meeting.

On the occasion Minister Khadka stressed the need to resolve the problems faced in export of carpets and woollen goods, produce good quality carpets for promotion of market and look for new markets.

Khadka said active participation of the private sector is necessary in the efforts being made by His Majesty's Government for promotion of exports.

Assistant Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Prakash Bahadur Gurung and secretary Bhanu Prasad Acharya were also present at the meeting.

Gaijatra today

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 23: The traditional Gaijatra or cow festival is being observed in the three cities of Kathmandu valley and some other places outside the valley amidst fun, gaiety, humour, satire and entertainment.

The festival, beginning on the first day of the waning moon in the month of Bhadra, lasts for a week.
During this time-honoured tradition, the people of all ages in the guise of cows and lunatics go round the city wearing odd costumes to commemorate those who died during the past year.

The family members of those who died during the past year offer fruit, bread, beaten rice, curd and money to those participating in the procession, including the cows.

As the saying goes, the festival derives its name from the religious belief that the deceased during their journey to heaven cross the legendary river by holding onto the tail of a cow.

This festival is believed to have started during the reign of King Pratap Malla, who, in a bid to appease his Queen much grieved at the death of her son in the smallpox epidemic, ordered his people to organize humour and satire programmes in various comic postures.

This tradition has been given continuity in the form of the Gaijatra festival during which the people also give vent to pent-up feelings towards social and political anomalies, human follies and other contemporary affairs through comic skits, cartoons and the like.