PM interacts with parties on code of conduct for talks
Govt keen to enlist support for peace: Pandey

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Mar. 11: A meeting of four political parties called by Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand today discussed the preparation of the code of conduct for the peace talks to be held between the government and the CPN (Maoist).

"In today's meeting, the parties gave valuable suggestions which the government will incorporate while preparing the code of conduct," Minister for Information and Communications as well as government spokesman Ramesh Nath Pandey told journalists after the meeting.

Minister Pandey said that the four parties - Nepal Samata Party (NSP), Rastriya Janmukti Party (RJP), Nepal Hariyali Party (NHP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party - nationalist (RPP) - expressed regret over the stance taken by the major political parties against the government's efforts to restore a lasting peace in the country.

"They have emphasised that the major parties must extend support to the government in its bid to transform the cease-fire into a permanent peace," he said.

He said that the restoration of peace was the aspiration of the people as well as a necessity. "Thus, every one should contribute to making the peace talks successful," he added.

Asked why the major parties have refused to attend the all-party meeting, Pandey said, "The government wants to move ahead by enlisting the support of all the parties. The Prime Minister has been insistently requesting them to attend and play their role in reinstating peace. We request them to giving up their petty interest for the larger interest of the country. They must be open minded."
On Monday, the two major political parties - the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML) failed to turn up for the all-party meeting called by the Prime Minister.

Pandey hinted that since these two parties have failed to provide any recommendations, their suggestions would not be incorporated in the code of conduct.

At the meeting today, NSP vice-president Daya Nanda Thapa, general secretary Dr. Laxmikant Pandey and central committee member Basant Raj Kharel; NHP President Badri Prasad Khatiwada, general secretary Govind Dev Pant and Pushpa Prasad Luintel; Ram Chandra Thapa, Ganeshbal Tamang, Ganga Rai, Kehar Singh Rana and Singh Bahadur Tamang of the RJP and Ganesh Sherchan of the RPP- Nationalist were present.

With the meeting that took place today, the series of all-party meetings called by the Prime Minister has concluded for now.

Chand calls for unity to strengthen peace process

By Our Correspondent

Turture, Gorkha, Mar. 11: Prime Minister and Defence Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has said that it is the duty of the Nepalese to transform the cease-fire between the government and the Maoists into a lasting peace. He said this while inaugurating a Bailey bridge constructed over the Marshyangdi River on the Turture-Paluntar portion of the road in west Nepal today. The bridge was constructed by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) under the Integrated Internal Security and Development Programme (ISDP).

"After a long period of killings, violence and chaos, a positive environment has been created," he said. "We should all try to transform this into a permanent peace."

Referring to the lack of ethical values in politics, he slammed the mainstream political parties for adopting a double standard on the Maoist issue. While welcoming the cease-fire, they are taking the process of the peace talks in a negative vein because of their personal and party interests, he said.
Calling on the political parties and the civil society to come together for the sake of the country and the people, he said, "Let us forget our bitter past and let us unite to establish a permanent peace for the country's reconstruction."

As peace and development are interrelated, the Royal Nepalese Army should provide a feeling of security and law and order to the people. The RNA has been successful in taking the fruits of development, which has been badly affected by terror and violence, to the people, and this Bailey bridge is a fine example of this, he said.

Appreciating the contribution of the RNA in the country's development, the Prime Minister said he was confident the army would chip in more in the future.

Briefing the Prime Minister about the bailey bridge, Chief of the Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa said that despite the country's difficult topography adverse situation, the RNA has been serving the nation honestly to maintain peace and security and in the nation's development.According to him, in just Gorkha district the Army is helping in the construction of the Gorkha-Arughat, Gorkha-Manakamana, Satdobato-Nibet-Baluwa and Drabyashah roads.The Bailey bridge that connects Paluntar of Gorkha and Turture of Tanahu is 270 feet long and 15 feet wide. The capacity of the bridge, built at a cost of Rs. 8.6 million, is 41 tons.

The bridge will benefit the people of all the VDCs of Area No. 2 of Gorkha district, the eastern part of Tanahu district and the south-eastern part of Lamjung.

At the function organised by the Royal Nepalese Army, Finance Minister Badri Prasad Shrestha, Assistant Minister for Land Reforms and Management Prakash Chitrakar and Vice-chairman of the National Planning Commission were present.

All should cooperate for peace; says Chaudhary

RSS

KATHMANDU, Mar. 11:: Chairman of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee Parasu Narayan Chaudhari has said that the nation would remain strong as long as the institution of the Crown remains in the country.

Speaking at a seminar on 'the institution of the Crown and the people' organised by the Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah's 53rd auspicious birthday main civic committee here today, chairman Chaudhari said the cooperation of all the Nepali people was necessary for materialising people's desire for peace.

Raj Parishad member Jog Mehar Shrestha stressed that the people and the King should together make initiatives for establishing peace in the country.

Reader Ghataraj Bhattarai said history is testimony to the fact that the institution of the Crown has salvaged the country whenever the country was in deep crisis.

At the programme presided over by chairperson of the main civic organising committee Uma shrestha, Dr. Bishnu Raj Atreya, social worker Nita Sharma and Badri Narsingh K.C. also expressed their views.

A variety cultural programme was also organised on the occasion.

'Talks must be result-oriented'

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Mar. 11: A meeting of 11 communist parties, including the CPN-Maoist, today called on the government to hold talks with the CPN-Maoists on the basis of wider national consensus.
"The talks must be transparent and result-oriented. Every problem of the country should be resolved through the talks," a press statement of the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN -UML) said.

The meeting, held at the CPN-UML central office, Balkhu Tuesday, stressed that the cease-fire should be kept intact and translated into a lasting peace.

Today's was the first meeting that included the CPN-Maoist, which recently announced a truce after a seven-year-long violent campaign in the country.

The parties have also agreed to move jointly in a bid to consolidate the achievements of the popular movement 1990 and restore the rights of the people.

"The people are the only decisive force to further bolster the democratic rights and take the country in the right direction," the statement read.

Chaired by the UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal, the meeting was participated in by Amrit Kumar Bohara, Subash Nemwang, Raghu Pant and Yub Raj Karki from the UML; Dinanath Sharma of the Maoist, Bishnu Bahadur Manandhar, Hemant BC and Prakash Adhikari of the CPN - United; Sonam Lama from CPN- Unity Centre Masal; C. P. Mainali, Rishi Kattel and Jitbir Lama from CPN-ML; Amik Serchan, Nab Raj Subedi and Himlal Puri from People's Front Nepal, Prabhu Narayan Chaudhari and Madhav Gyawali from CPN-Marxist, Krishna Das Shrestha and Ram Bahadur Shrestha from CPN-MLM; Nanda Kumar Prasai and Kumar Belbase from Nepal Samyabadi Party- MLM; Narayan Man Bijukchhe and Chaityaraj Shakya from Nepal Worker and Peasant Party and Shyam Shrestha and Phanindra Neupane from the Nepal Socialist Movement.

Safety belts compulsory

RSS

KATHMANDU, Mar. 11: Drivers and front seat occupants of all light vehicles will have to wear safety belts on a compulsory basis from March l5.

According to the Valley Traffic Police office, the regulation will be applicable to cars, jeeps and vans (private, commercial, government, non-government, corporation) under the first phase.

The regulation brought in under the traffic and transport management act 2049 will be progressively extended to other road vehicles also.

India for progress stability in Nepal: Envoy

RSS

KATHMANDU, Mar. 11: Ambassador of India to Nepal Shyam Saran has said that india wishes for political stability and economic progress in Nepal.

Speaking in the 'Disha Nirdesh' programme broadcast over Nepal Television on monday, he said Nepal-india relations are fully cordial and it requires a mechanism complete with a wholesome package to resolve problems if any.

Noting both countries were having to bear common problem like terrorism at present, he said the Maoist problem was as much a problem for India as it is to Nepal, and that it could be resolved through mutual cooperation.

Constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy are the two supporting pillars of Nepal, he said and stressed that both sides should complement each other.

He expressed the confidence that since the Maoist problem is a problem concerning Nepal only, Nepal could resolve the problem on its own. He said india was ready to extend financial and physical help in that connection.

Stating that the view india was supporting the Maoists is false, he said facts speak for themselves that India is helping Nepal to resolve the problem.

He said India takes the upcoming visit of His Majesty the King to India in near future as a formal visit, he expressed the confidence that His Majesty the King's visit would be important in resolving the present challenges.

Baby Rhino: Beauty, intimacy and matter of love

By Bhimsen Thapaliya

SAURAHA, CHITWAN, Mar. 11: Laptan Chaudhary, a game scout at the Sauraha office of the Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP), says he does not have much time to talk and rushes to the important business he is assigned to.

Through a forest trail, he heads towards the Rapti River nearby with his female friend Beauty. But his outdoor companion is not a girl. She is a six-month old baby rhino who is exclusively under Chaudhary's care.

Beauty, a baby rhino orphaned after her mother was killed by poachers six months ago, is being raised at this RCNP eastern office on the bank of the Rapati. She is the first female rhino orphan to be successfully brought up by the national park.

Beauty was rescued from the Kathar buffer zone area after villagers saw her lying in a miserable state. The near-dead infant rhino was picked up, fed buffalo milk from a local village and was ferried in a jeep to Sauraha, which was to be her care center. And Laptan Chaudhary was appointed for the duty.
"She has made great progress as she can now eat grass independently, although she was initially fed exclusively on milk and fruits," says Chaudhary with pride. When he takes her out for a run, she speeds so fast that he has difficulty catching up. But Beauty does not keep away from Chaudhary. She follows him everywhere he goes. When other people call her name and ask to come near, she simply does not respond.

The bond is so intimate that Chaudhary can not leave her. When he has to go out on other business, he has to steal his way without letting her know that he has left. "It is like caring for your own child. It is a matter of love," he says. Just giving food is not enough; it is more than that. You have to lie together, move together and communicate with her even though she is an animal, he says.

Sometimes she refuses to eat. Then you feel you have not done your work. You have to cajole, look after her and finally convince her to eat. Ever since Beauty was rescued and put under Chaudhary's care, the young rhino is living quite healthy. "I have so far not observed any physical complaints," he said.

In her early days, Beauty was addicted to milk and fruits, raising the fear that she may not switch to natural fodder. To break her addiction, we fed her "grass pudding", a mixture of milk, tender grass and fruits, when she entered her third month. Still, her palate for fruits, especially bananas, was very strong. Developing in her a habit to eat grass in nature was a challenge. "We had to rub ripe bananas in the grass to attract her to the smell," Chaudhary says.

According to Chaudhary, as time went by, another danger emerged. It was feared that she would be too lazy because of the intense care she was receiving. So the park scout, who has been involved with the RCNP for more than 13 years, takes Beauty for a run every morning. Not only that, she is also taken on regular outings to the jungle and the river. "After all she has to adapt to the natural habitat, and our activities are directed towards that," says Chaudhary.

Before this also, the national park had rescued, brought up and rehabilitated orphaned rhinos, but Beauty is the first successful case.

When tourists offer fruits to the baby rhino, Chaudhary does not feed her directly. He checks to see if the food is hygienic. "Extreme care is taken to keep her healthy. We even give boiled and clean water," says Chaudhary who has sentimental affiliation with Beauty.