FRONT PAGERS

Two-pronged attack on Maoists

    There are strong indications that the days of the Maoists’ People’s War are numbered. The Maoists armed movement had flourished during the instability in the government. The present majority government of the Nepali Congress is exercising to quell the Maoists’ movement once and for all.

    The Maoists’ bad days started after it also began attacking the  UML and the RPP, and these parties too began taking them as their common enemy.

    The Nepali Congress, especially under the initiative NC’s president Girija Prasad Koirala, is working out plans and also sharpening the legal provisions to fight the Maoists. The recent bill registered in the parliament to amend some laws regarding internal administration is an example. These amendments are proposed keeping an eye on the Maoists.

    Though the Nepali Congress can easily get the bill through the parliament, but it wants other parties on its side to pass the bill.

    Recently, RPP president Surya Bahadur Thapa indicated that his party might support the bill. Similarly, in his recent statement UML’s K.P. also called the Maoists movement as directionless and insane. But the Congress is not certain that it would get the support of these parties.

    Meanwhile, the government, after much criticism for the law and order situation of the country, increased police activities in the Maoist-affected areas.

    In the recent ‘Jungle Search Operation’ of the police several central level leaders of the Maoists are killed. Almost two dozen Maoists have been killed since the police launched its operation. But the police has suffered no loss. This has encouraged the police. The government is trying to assist them with strong legal provisions. After the bill is passed, the police can indict the Maoists, who are till now are dealt for stealing, robbery and murder only, as terrorists and take action.

(Deshantar, September 19, Sunday)

History may be repeated if govt. not allowed to work

    Prime Minister K. P. Bhattarai has reminded the Nepali Congress of the incident of 1961 (2017) B.S. after some NC leaders and some MPs began criticising some members of the government.

    At an interaction programme on Friday at the Godavari Resort, the place where NC president Koirala and Bhattarai had entered into an agreement, Bhattarai said that in 1961 also the reactionaries had also said the government had not worked. (Then the Nepali Congress government led-by B.P. Koirala was ousted after one and half year of its formation and the panchayat system was ushered in the country). Somebody is trying to invite a similar situation, he said.

    The programme entitled ‘Parliamentary norm and values and the role of the parliamentarians’ was organised by Nepal Law Society. Inaugurating the programme, the prime minister said even a 10-year period is not that long, and it is wrong to say this government has done nothing in such a short period.

    Saying the feud between the two leaders (himself and Koirala) led to the fall of the Nepali Congress majority government (in 1994), Bhattarai said the Nepali Congress must not let go this opportunity and the government should get a chance to work without hindrances.

    Speaking at the same programme, Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the government has taken the parliament as a government department, a party with only five MPs can disrupt the whole parliamentary proceeding and the big parties become mute spectators. Recently, the Nepal Sadhvabana Party with its five MPs, had stalled the House proceeding demanding the tabling of their bill on citizenship issue.

    “The government has not cooperated at all to run the parliament smoothly,” he said.

(Nepal Samacharpatra, September 18, Saturday).

British MP's letter creates hue and cry in parliament

A letter written by British MP to His Majesty the King has been a matter of debate in the Nepalese parliament.

Member of the parliament has raised objection to the language and the attitude of  the letter by David Alton, a member of the British House of Lords to His Majesty the King.

In his letter exactly one month back, Alton had claimed repressions by Hindu extremists againt  Christians in Nepal and had asked the king that they be stopped immediately. In his letter Alton had also accused Ashok Nath Tiwari, an Upper House member for   atrocities against the Christians.

"The member of the British parliament, called as the mother of  parliament has used such language which befits only the Crown Prince," Dr. Ramman Shrestha, an Upper House member of the CPN-ML told the parliament. Does it mean the MP of the British parliament is unaware of what language should be used to address a monarch, he asked. Or, he said, he is trying to demean our monarchy.

  At the meeting, MP Tiwari has submitted proof of the plan to convert 1 million Hindus into christianity, and drew the government's concern towards this.

(Deshantar,  September 19, Sunday) 

Bhutanese demonstrate against talks failure

    Activists of the Bhutan Gorkha National Liberation Front (BGNLF) staged a protest programme at Funsoling, at the Bhutan-India border, calling the 8th round of talks between Nepal and Bhutan to solve the refugee problem a failure. They say the talks have failed because of the Bhutanese non-cooperation.

    More than 100 protesters, led by BGNLF’s central members Aaiman Rai and Bom Bahadur Ghale, chanted slogans calling the stoppage of the bilateral talks and for repatriation of the refugees.

    According to the general secretary of the Front, most of the protesters were arrested by the Bhutanese police and some were arrested by the Indian police on the Indian side of the border at Hashimara.

(Nepal Samacharpatra, September 18, Saturday)

Govt. has not found chairman for HR Commission

    Human Right Activists from 16 non-governmental organisations, demanding for Human Right Commission, reached Baluwatar at 8:15 to stage dharna there. After one hour’s waiting, Prime Minister Bhattarai came out. He laughed and shook hands with them. He also read the pamphlet given to him. But he did not talk with anybody.

    It is said that the palace has not accepted the nomination of former Chief Justice Bishwo Nath Upadhyaya as the chairman of the proposed Human Rights Commission. Upadhyaya’s name was proposed by the then prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

    Meanwhile, a committee has been formed under the prime minister to recommend the name of the chairman of the Human Rights Commission. However, the committee has not yet found any body who is likely to become the chairman of the commission.

It shows that either the government has not given priority in forming Commission or the government does not have will power.

(Gatibidhi, Saturday, Sept. 18)

Deputy-general secretary post to be created in UML

    The central committee meeting of the CPN-UML scheduled for Oct. 1-3, 1999 has been postponed for a week. Party sources say that the forthcoming central committee meeting will bring a massive change in party’s internal structure and activities. The meeting may create the post of deputy-general secretary of the party and K.P. Oli may be appointed to the post.

(Gatibidhi, Saturday, Sept. 18)

MPs gather at Godavari to topple govt.

    Conflict between the ruling party’s president and prime minister has reached a point of no return. In a programme organised by Nepal Farmers' Association in Chitwan last Wednesday, party president Girija Prasad Koirala called   the party workers for a nation-wide agitation against ‘Bhattarai’s almost dead government.’

    Last Friday too, at the inauguration of the Kathmandu Utsav, the former prime minister criticised the government and said if the government’s does only patch-work jobs, it may invite disaster in the country.

    Koirala's utterance in Chitwan and in Kathmandu show that he is committed to topple the present government. As the party president has expressed his anger, some MPs have met with the prime minister and have demanded the sacking of some of his cabinet colleagues

    Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress has gathered its MPs at Godavari in the name of giving them training. But, it is assumed that the Godavari gathering may prepare a plan to topple the present government.

(Saptahik Janasatta, Saturday, Sept. 18)

Maoists open ‘Youth Recruiting Centre’

    Since the ‘People’s war’ was launched by the Maoists four years back, for the first time the Maoists have lost 22 of its fighters activists in a single week and some of them their top brasses. The Party’s General Secretary has revealed that among those killed is an alternative central politburo   member Suresh Wagle alias Comrade Basu, who was killed in Gwarkhu of Gorkha. Similarly, out of the three Maoists killed in Pakhapani VDC of Rolpa, two were at the leadership rank.

    Meanwhile, a Maoist source said that the style of People’s War has been changed after it was criticised by various quarters.

During four years period more than 1,000 people have been killed and property worth more than Rs. 100 million has been destroyed. Now the Maoists has changed the strategy.

    Accordingly, they visits villages and take one son or daughter with them by giving Rs. 20,000. They also send Rs. 1,000 per month to the family. The Maoists’ new strategy is also confirmed by the police. This shows the Maoists are desperate to recruit new and more personnel. But the illiterate and poverty-stricken villagers may have approved the Maoists new tactic.

(Saptahik Janasatta, Saturday, Sept. 18)

Students to launch street protests

    A student union close to the Nepal Communist Party (ML) is to launch border security campaign starting from September 21. Party General Secretary Bam Dev Gautam will inaugurate the campaign. Participants of the campaign are to visit encroached areas of the country and return by Sept. 28.

(Saptahik Janasatta, Saturday, Sept. 18)

Embassy against Maoist

    One Albert of the American Embassy, who has come to Nepal in place of First Secretary Bernstin, has handed over Rs. 1.5 million this week to ATC of Nepal Police Amod Gurung as the 47th installment of funds to control the Maoists.

(Janata, Friday, Sept. 17)

Palace against Upadhyaya's nomination

    According to a high ranking official in the Palace, separate files of all the political parties have been kept, in which activities of main leaders of the political parties are mentioned.

    In a file dated August 31, 1999, some highly criticial matters of the Nepal Communist Party (UML) is also mentioned. As informed by the source, there was a secret meeting of NC President Girija Prasad Koirala, NC’s Khum Bahadur Khadka and UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal and Khadga Prasad Oli on August 28, 1999 to find a way out to the stalemate in the parliamentary proceedings after the UML-led opposition parties demanded a parliamentary committee to look into the frauds in the general election. Koirala, who was against accepting the demands of UML, said that look after their own faces before raising the issue of ‘rigging’ in election. In response, Madhav Nepal asked, “Why do to reject the matter already accepted by prime minister?”

    According to the matters mentioned in the file, it was agreed to set up committee. However, UML leaders asked for a big amount with Koirala. According to source, three major business houses were called there and Koirala instructed them to provide the money, but without increasing the price of the goods.

    However, the price of goods has been increased. The palace has taken this as a very serious matter.

(Janata, Friday, Sept. 17)

Opposition united against 'Black Act'

    Preparation is underway to bring out a ‘black act’ targeted in controlling the Maoists. During the tenure of Bam Dev Gautam as home minister, the government then had  tried to bring out the act. But, it was because of the strong opposition from within the parliament and outside, the effort was suspended.

    Again, it was because of the strong opposition from the CPN-UML, the then Home Minister Khum Bahadur Khadka also did not bring the act. But present Home Minister has been trying to bring out the act. The people fear such an act.

    Meanwhile UML leaders have said they are trying to make all the parties united against the black act.

(Sambodhan, Friday, Sept. 17)

Maoist move to divide country

    Nepal’s communist movement has gradually been turning to ethnic and linguistic movement to gain support. In a valley bandh programme organised on Wednesday, a slogan was chanted against Khas, which include mainly the Chhetriyas. The bandh was supported by all left parties including the Maoists and ML but UML remained quiet.

    Meanwhile, the underground Maoist party has adopted the strategy of supporting ethnic, linguistic and diversionary forces. The Karnali Liberation Front run by Yogi Narahari Nath, movement of Tej Bikram Shah in mid-western hill region, Kathmandu Newa Khala, Khumbuwan and Limbuwan Liberation Front in east and Terai Front in Terai are being thus supported. Human rights activists like Rhisikesh Shah has supported the ethnic disturbance and Padma Ratna Tuladhar has joined in the movement. It can not be an accident only that Rhisikesh Shah, Marichman, Narahari Nath and Maoists are the same.

(Nepal Bani, Thursday, Sept. 16)

Indian police in border areas

    People are asking what was the purpose of the Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh recent visit to Nepal? Immediately after Jaswant’s visit, the visit made by Bhutanese Foreign Ministers for talks on the Bhutanese refugee issue clearly indicates the way Bhutanese being used by India. As India has become unable to make Nepal a puppet like Bhutan, it has been encroaching Nepalese territory and intervening in Nepalese politics.

    The black bill being presented in the parliament and there are increasing activities of ‘RAW’ immediately after the Indian Foreign Minister’s visit to Nepal.

(Jana Dharana, Thursday, Sept. 16)

Finance Ministry foremost in irregularities

    According to the Auditor General’s Report, 1999, the Finance Ministry is involved in irregularities even in the grant assistance provided by other countries. This has caused the debt burden of Rs. 9 thousand 650 on the head of every Nepali.

    The reports from 1994 to 1999 show that the government arrears have been increasing every year. In 1998, the arrears were about Rs 6.8 billion 8. In 1999, the amount has increased to more than Rs. 22 billion. The main reason behind this is the malpractice and commission in the funding provided by the donor countries.

    Among the ministries, the Finance Ministry is ranked number one in terms of the arrears which is Rs. 1.32 billion. The Water Resource Ministry ranks second with the arrears of Rs. 720 million, and the Local Development Ministry ranks third position with Rs. 490 million arrears.

(Naya Current, Tuesday, September 14)

Anti-Koiralas to move unitedly

    Nepali Congress has been rocked badly after dissoluation of the party’s district committees in 12 districts by the Koirala camp. But the NC general secretary Sushil Koirala claims only the defunct committees have been dissolved and his move was according to the party statute.

    But the anti-Koiralas are alleging that the present party leadership has dissolved those committees unconstitutionally.

    The present party leadership has identified 17 out of 75 districts committees as in a defunct state. Five district committees of Bajhang, Solu, Bhojpur, Rasuwa and Kathmandu are also on the list to be dissolved. 

(Ghatana Ra Bichar, Wednesday, September 8)

Who will be included in the Maoist government?

    “Rishikesh Shah, Padma Ratna Tuladhar and Daman Nath Dhungana like personalities will be included in our government". Even while remaining under the Kingship, we will destroy present system here and fight against the Capitalists”. This was revealed by a politbureau member of the Maoists’ party at a mass meeting.

    Kamal (real name Kiran Shah) has said that the main enemies of the Maoists are UML, Congress and RPP, which are the fascist parties. Likewise, he has indicated Mashal, Unity Centre and other parties as the second grade enemies of the party.

    On the other hand, Shah, Tuladhar and Dhungana like personalities are saying that in the future, the country will be ruled either by Maoists or by royalists. These opinions make it clear to understand who are behind the Maoist movement in the country.

(Dristi weekly, Tuesday, September 14)

UN employees biased against South Asia

    Nepalese police force which had gone to Kosovo as a peace keeping force on the request of United Nations have returned home ‘peacefully’ because of the biased attitudeof the UN staffs. Fifty one police personnel was sent there after a training of one year but they returned home within 15 days. They are found unfit for the UN job.

    According to a police official who returned, said, Nepalese police personnel were including in six tests including English, driving and shooting. As per the provision of UN, 60 per cent mark was enough to pass the test. But they made Nepalese to score a minimum of 80 per cent. Nepalese police personnel were discourage and were misbehaved. The Nepalese police personnel were kept in Macedonia, where a UN team had took the exam.

    Only 13 Nepalese passed the test. On this the police IGP contacted the UN and said it unjustifiable to take the tests again and to make some pass and others fail. He, then, decided that he would rather withdraw all the Nepalese personnel.

(Ghatana Ra Bichar, Wednesday, Sept. 15)

PM Bhattarai not to visit India

    Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai will not visit India in the near future despite repeated invitation from the Indian side.

    According to a source in the PM’s office, Bhattarai will be visiting New York in the last week of September to take part in United Nations General assembly. Immediately after that there will be Dashain and Tihar festival and thereafter SAARC summit. So, Bhattarai may visit India only after eighth SAARC summit.

    Bhattarai was first invited to India a couple of months back when the Kargil conflict had erupted between India and Pakistan. Similarly, during Indian Foreign Minister’s visit, an invitation was also extended. The invitation has been accepted but he will not visit India before SAARC summit

    According to Deshantar, Prime Minister will be accompanied by Foreign Minister, PM's chief advisor, Foreign secretary and some members of the ruling and opposition parties.

(Khabarpatrika, Tuesday, Sept. 14)