Their Majesties return home

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KATHMANDU, March 30 : His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah returned here today from Bhubaneshwor of India by a special plane after completing a visit of various pilgrimage sites of India.

Their Majesties the King and Queen were received by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Royal Highness Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah at the Tribhuvan International Airport.

Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the Chief Justice, Speaker, Chairman of the National Assembly, Chairman of the Rajparishad Standing Committee, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers, MPS, Indian Ambassador to Nepal and high level government officials were also present at the airport on the occasion.

Their Majesties the King and Queen were greeted by a large number of people on the way to the Royal Palace from the airport.

Their Majesties the King and Queen had left for New Delhi by a regular flight of the Royal Nepal Airlines on March 20.

Crown Prince to release baby gharials

By Our Correspondent

Chitwan, March 30: Chairman of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev will release six baby gharials in Narayani River amid a special function tomorrow.The gharials reared at the Crocodile Breeding Centre in the Royal Chitwan National Park will be released from Amalgari of Nawalparasi district.At a special function to be organised at the Trust's office at Sauraha, HRH Crown Prince will also release an assessment book of the Trust during HRH the Crown Prince's one-year as president of the trust.The Centre was established in 2035 BS to protect and increase the number of gharials, which has been enlisted as an endangered species. The centre rears and releases them in different rivers.

Everyone should participate in peace process: Pun

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KATHMANDU, March 30: Everyone should focus on conflict management and success of dialogue to ensure sustainable peace in the country.

This view was expressed at a talk programme on the role to be played by the government, the CPN-Maoists, other political parties and civic society to ensure durable peace in the country. The programme was organised by Nepal Bar Association Human Rights and Public Concern Committee here today.

Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayan Singh Pun, who is the convenor on behalf of the government for talks with the Maoists, pointed out that everybody should participate in conflict management and said one and all should strive to get rid of the agony of the country by giving up petty differences.

Stating that more than 23.5 million people have been seeking peace rather then the formation of a new government, a round table conference and a constituent assembly, he asked towards whom the political parties are responsible if they are not functioning in line with the aspirations of the people.
Stating that the campaign of the CPN-Maoists was not terrorist activity but a form of revolutionary rebellion, he pointed out the need to clarify the role of everyone to fulfil the needs and aspirations of the people.

Central member of the Nepali Congress Laxman Prasad Ghimire said that every action should be carried out in a transparent manner because a question has been raised about democracy in peril.
Spokesman of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Homnath Dahal said that the activities of the government and the Maoists were dubious and not transparent.

Central member of the CPN-UML Subash Nembang said that as the way out of the mistakes and shortcomings of the past and for resolving the prevailing problems lies in the present constitution and multi-party democracy, these should not be discarded.

Dev Gurung, who is a member of the team for dialogue on behalf of the Maoists, said that his party was willing to hold talks with any party in a transparent manner.

Ojha calls on parties to play positive role

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GAUR, March 30: Minister for Education and Sports Devi Prasad Ojha has called on the political parties to play a positive role from their respective level so as to make the talks between the government and the Maoists successful and restore peace in the country after the past seven years of instability.

Speaking at a press meet organised today by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists(FNJ) at Auraiya VDC, he said the present government is fully engaged in making the peace talks successful and added that the only wish of the Nepali people is that violent activities be ended and peace restored.

Nine killed in Kavre bus mishap

By Shiva Prasad Dahal

Kavrepalanchowk, March, 30: Nine passengers died and more than 40 others were injured when a overcrowded bus fell about 200 feet from the road at Kusunde Danda-8 of Devbhumi Baluwa Village Development Committee of Kavre district this morning.

Abhusan Timilsena, Inspector at the District Police Office, Kavre said five passengers died on the spot and three others at Dhulikhel Hospital while undergoing treatment at hospitals.

Bus driver Bindralal Manandhar and the helper have been taken into custody for necessary investigation, Timilsena said. The cause of the accident is cited as brake failure.

The bus, registration No. Ba.1Kha 6167 was coming from Kaldhunga to Banepa. Kaldhunga lies 15 kilometre east of Banepa, headquarters of Kavre district.

Resha Yonjan, who had a narrow escape and suffered only minor injuries, said that some of the passengers had jumped through the door and windows as the driver warned them to save themselves saying that the brake of the bus had failed.

The bus was packed with over a hundred passengers when the accident occurred at about 7:30 A.M.
Those who died were Prem Lal Shrestha, 60, of Phulbari VDC-7, Tej Prasad Acharya, 60, of Phulbari-6, Gopal Shrestha, 32, of Daraune Pokhari VDC-2, and two women in their late 50s whose identities are not known.

Three others - Bir Bahadur Thapa of Letang VDC of Morang district, who is a non-commissioned officer in the Royal Nepalese Army, Sita Humagain, 8, of Daraune Pokhari VDC-8 and Saila Tamang of Kharpachowk VDC-8 died while undergoing treatment at Dhulikhel Hospital.

Krishna Bahadur Tamang of Sipali Chilaune VDC-4 died while undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital Kathmandu. He was referred to the Bir Hospital by the Scheer Memorial Hospital, Banepa.
A child, who has been admitted in Dhulikhel Hospital, is in a critical condition. Five others who are undergoing treatment in the Scheer Memorial Hospital are not in a serious condition.

HM's visit to India has multidimensional importance

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KATHMANDU, March 30: Foreign relations expert Hiranya Lal Shrestha has said that the visit of the King of the world's only Hindu Kingdom to India, a country with the largest Hindu population in the world, has special importance from the religious and cultural point of view.

Fielding queries during the 'Chintan-Manan' programme over Nepal Television yesterday evening, he said sometimes cultural relations are above political relations.

His Majesty's visit to India has multidimensional importance in terms of earning goodwill in a neighbouring country in the interest of Nepal's internal peace as well as for international and regional peace, for creating favourable atmosphere for the nation's reconstruction.

Maoist leader asks world community not to interfere

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, March 30: Co-ordinator of the CPN-Maoist for the peace talks Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has asked the international community not to unnecessarily interfere in Nepal which was trying to solve its internal problems by itself.

"Unfortunately, the U. S. is unnecessarily interested in here. It should stop interfering and creating unnecessary confusion," the Associated Press quoted Dr. Bhattarai, who is the politburo member of the CPN-Maoist, as saying.

Dr. Bhattarai, who came out of hiding Saturday along with three other members of the Maoist talks team, was talking to a group of journalists working for foreign media here today about the stances of his party regarding foreign affairs.

He said that he would try to meet the US ambassador to Nepal to present his party's stance regarding matters of his party's foreign policy agenda.

Dr. Bhattarai also reiterated that they came to the pubic to transform the cease-fire into a permanent peace through negotiation.

After seven years' of underground politics, Dr. Bhattarai is in the capital again and is taking part in different rallies and programmes. Dr. Bhattarai today participated in a programme organised in Lalitpur.

Issue of dalits to be included in talks: Pun

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LALITPUR, March 30 : Minister for Physical Planning and Works Narayansingh Pun has said the issue of dalits, women, indigenous people and oppressed class will be the main agenda during the talks between the Government and Maoists.

Speaking at a programme held here today he said the government is discussing the Maoists' demands of roundtable discussion, interim government and the constituent assembly with all the party representatives.

Minister Pun said a 35-page concept paper on talks was handed over to the co-ordinator of the Maoists talks team Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and the Maoists side is positive about that.

'Civic reception milestone in king-people relation'

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DHANGADHI, March 30: Nain Bahadur Swanr, chairman of the civic reception and felicitation main organising committee constituted for according civic felicitations to Their Majesties the King and Queen, has expressed the view that Their Majesties' visit to the Far-Western Development Region would prove to be a milestone in relations between the king and the people.

Talking to RSS here today, Swanr expressed the view that Their Majesties' visit would provide the healing touche to the various agonies afflicting the people of this region.

The king's visit is in keeping with tradition, he said, adding since there was no need for the political parties to panic from Their Majesties' visit, everyone including the political parties should come forward for Their Majesties' welcome.

Noting that His Majesty the King has expressed commitment toward constitutional monarchy, multiparty democracy and parliamentary system, he said there was no logic in protesting at the civic felicitations programme when the political parties also have accepted the king as the symbol of national unity.

Maoists to be flexible in peace talks: Gurung

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KATHMANDU, March 30: Leaders of various political parties have pointed out the need for the political parties to run future programmes and for the intellectuals in favour of the country and the people to protect the country from the present difficult situation.

They were speaking at a talk programme organised here today by the Intellectuals Campaign for Peace Nepal (ICPN).

CPN-Maoist politburo member as well as the party's dialogue team member Dev Gurung said his party has come for talks with much flexibility and a sense of responsibility, adding that a round table conference, an interim government and constituent assembly are necessary for this.

He said the country did not advance due to the corrupt tendency of those in power and called for sovereignty vested in the people, equal rights among castes, human rights, fundamental rights and national self reliance in the economy.

CPN-UML standing committee member Yubaraj Gyawali said there is no possibility of one going forward by bypassing the others, and called for unison between king, political parties, Maoists and civil society.

People across border arriving for civic reception

By Prakash Bikram Shah

Kailali, March 30: As the day of the civic reception of Their Majesties nears it is not only Nepalese but also people from across the border who are enthused and eager to see the event.

A large number of people are planning to visit Kailali, the border town in the Far-Western Region to observe the civic honour on April 4.

"I am very happy as the only Hindu Monarch of the world is visiting here to grace the civic reception," said Dinesh Gupta, 60, from Paliya village of Khiri district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Gupta says that he has a strong desire to see Their Majesties.

"I am eagerly waiting to see the human incarnation of Lord Bishnu," says Rajesh Mandal, 58, of Lakhinapur village of the northern Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. Mandal is planning to lead a group of people to the civic felicitation.

"I will close down my shop on that day and will come to Dhangadhi with my family to attend the programme," says Ram Narayan Awasthi, a local trader of Paliya, India.

Many people are beginning to arrive in the town. The market, which was relatively quiet until a few weeks ago, now witnesses the hustle and bustle of people and traffic.

"I have come here taking leave," says Indra Bahadur Khatri from Dhangadhi Municipality-5. Khatri arrived here from Bombay on Friday.

He says that it is a matter of pride and happiness that Their Majesties are visiting their yards and homes.

"Many Nepalese working in India are planning to take leave of at least four days to come here by April 4," he says.

Nepalese from Delhi, Gujarat, Almoda, Rajasthan and Bihar as well as hilly villages of the region are pouring here.

Locals say that Their Majesties should frequently visit here just to share their joys and sorrows. They also hope that the development works will gain momentum if the King visits the region regularly.
"Their Majesties will definitely express their concerns over the bleak social, political, economic and geographic conditions of the region," says Man Bahadur Shahi, 67, from Bajura.

The visit of Their Majesties will contribute to revive the slump in business and industries as well as to restore durable peace here, seconds Min Bahadur Khatri, who came from Rajasthan to witness the civic reception. "If permanent peace is restored and job opportunities are created here, I will not shed my sweat in foreign land."