NATIONAL 6 -(Spotlight Weekly)]

Under Fire

For the first time the Police Headquarters decides to take action against above 80 police personnel charged with negligence of duties in Maoist affected areas

BY A STAFF REPORTER

For police personnel deployed in the Maoist affected areas, it has become a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea. On one hand the insurgents have been rapidly making them their target, while on the other the government has also become stern to check if they have been doing their duties sincerely in the insurgency flash-points.

Having received serious instructions from its higher-ups, the Police Headquarters has recently decided to take action against 81 police personnel -- both gazetted and non-gazetted ones. The decision came after these policemen either refused to serve in the Maoist affected areas or deserted their stations in such areas leaving their weapons behind.

According to a reliable source with the Police Headquarters, the senior-most police personnel facing the official action action holds the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police. One Deputy Superintendent of Police and three inspectors are also facing the official action that includes either termination from job, suspension, termination of promotion and grade, and warning.

According to a police bulletin published by the Central Police News Room, some of the police personnel who tried to avoid their responsibilities in the Maoist affected areas have already been sacked while others have been suspended. The two police personnel who refused to go to the insurgency affected areas are of junior level.

This is the first time the Police Headquarters is taking action against such a big number of police personnel at a time.

After the decision of the official action against them, police personnel have already begun to express their dissatisfaction. "Taking action is fine. But, we should, at least, be given the chance to clarify ourselves," said a police personnel on condition of anonymity. "Many policemen have been enjoying in the capital because they are the yes men of their bosses in the higher ups. Those who have no one in the higher ranks have no say and therefore they are transferred from one Maoist-affected area to another."

The Maoist insurgency began in February 1996 after United Peopleís Front went underground and attacked several police posts in mid western Nepal. Since then, districts like Roll, Rum, Jajajrkot, Salyan, among other have established themselves as Maoist hotbeds. Few other districts in far-western Tarry have also been witnessing increasing insurgency activities.

Above 1200 persons including insurgents, police and common people have lost their lives in what the Maoists claim "The Peopleís War" that began four years ago.

MEDIA

Action Without Warning?

The suspension of Space Time Network for 36 hours triggers doubts whether media-operators are safe from abrupt official interference

BY A CORRESPONDENT

Shaloo Bista, a housewife at Bishalnagar, became restless after all the channels of Space Time Network were suspended for around 36 hours earlier last week. The freshly married lady was utterly confused how would she pass her day without the entertaining TV channels she was so much habituated with.

There were many others like Bista who were very disappointed after the channels were officially suspended for nearly two days. "We received 450,000 calls making inquiries on what happened," said Jamim Shah, who runs Space Time Network.

Government officials sealed the Space Time Network office last Thursday on charge that the later did not pay 4.9 million Rupees royalty to the government. Two days later, officials at the Ministry of Information and Communications allowed the telecasting of the suspended channels after the commercial telecasting company paid the due royalty.

Shah, however, claims that the official action was abrupt. "We received no warnings on the issue. Moreover, we had been corresponding with the Ministry on how to settle the dues."

He said that the legal provision is still not clear how should the royalty be paid to the government. "We are still not clear whether we should pay the royalty after deducting our expenses from the total income or not. It was this issue we wanted to be clear from the ministry and that is why we had already corresponded above 50 letters. "

Shah also claims that the government should have brought out a notice to suspend his channels in the Gazette before actually sealing his office. "That is the way the government should have taken the action. But the way the action has been taken shows that the authority can even undermine the law of the land."

Observers say that the case of suspending Space Time Network, even if only for 36 hours, has set a bad precedent in the country authorizing the government to shut down any communication operation anytime it wants.