News Notes (Spotlight Weekly)

Govt. To Issue Free Passports In Lieu Of Those Destroyed

In a meeting with the representatives of the manpower agencies, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has assured to issue passport for free in lieu of those destroyed during the mob attacks. He also said that the government was considering providing compensation to the manpower agencies. A delegation of manpower agents met with PM Deuba and asked for security and compensation. Meanwhile, PM Deuba has said that State Minister for Foreign Affairs would soon be leaving for the Gulf countries to take stock of the situation of Nepalese workers there. He also added that he has directed to include a representative from the manpower agencies in the high level probe committee formed to investigate the mob attacks. Compiled from reports.

Two Maoist Central Members Killed

In a clash with the security forces, six Maoists including two central members have been killed near Maheshpur Dhanswar in Siraha district. When the Maoists opened fire from long range at a security patrol, the forces retaliated gunning down six of them including central members Kumar Poudel and Sher Man Kunwar, reports said. Poudel is a central member and Maoists’ in-charge for Ramechhap, Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk districts while Kunwar alias Bishal, is an armed commander of Sagarmatha 6th brigade. The district Maoist leadership has confirmed the killing of the two central members. Leading dailies report.

Police Arrest Three For Vandalizing

Police have arrested three persons on charge of vandalizing the office of Spacetime Publications in Shantinagar on September 1 incidents. Those arrested include Keshav Karki, Rajesh Tandukar and Ram Kumar Basnet. Karki has already conceded his crime while the two others have claimed that they only engaged in hooting and not the vandalism, police said. They have been booked under the Public Offense Act and has been taken into policy custody for one-week as per the district court order. Compiled from reports.

Maoist Issue Death Threat To A Journalist

Close on the heels of the killing of a journalist in Dailekh district, the Maoists have issued death threat to Siraha-based journalist of Kantipur daily on charges that he did not publish their news. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ), Siraha chapter, has condemned the death threat issued by the Maoists. According to reports journalist Bijaya Mishra has been threatened by the Maoists for failing to write news about the arrest of a Maoist leader. He has been warned that he would ‘suffer the same fate as that of Dekendra Thapa’. Thapa was killed by Maoists in Dailekh district three weeks ago. Kantipur daily reports.

Three Parties Charge Govt. Of Sponsoring The Vandalism

The meeting of the top leaders of three out of four agitating parties – Nepali Congress (NC), Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) and People’s Front (PF) – held on September 5, has charged the government of conspiracy and complacency in the September 1 riots and vandalism. “It has come to light that intelligence agents, plain clothes security personnel and hooligans had carried out these acts in various parts of the capital and Lalitpur,” said a joint statement issued by Girija Prasad Koirala, Narayan Man Bijukchhe and Amik Sherchan, chiefs of the NC, NWPP and PF respectively. The parties have vowed to continue their anti-regression agitation beginning September 21. Leading dailies report.

Only 55 Stranded In Kuwait

Unlike the news reports that claimed over 500 Nepalese were stranded in Kuwait en route to Iraq, Royal Nepalese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Lok Bahadur Thapa, who had gone to Kuwait to take stock of the situation has reported that he came across only 55 such Nepalese. He added that some Nepalese might have already slipped into Iraq though. In Kuwait, he met with the representatives of manpower companies there and requested them not to send any more Nepalese to Iraq. He also asked them for help to bring back those already in Iraq. Thapa said the companies have agreed to help Nepal government in this regard. Kantipur daily reports.

Koirala Incident Blamed On Poor Communication

The committee set up to probe into the incident of army personnel stopping NC president Girija Prasad Koirala’s vehicle from entering the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) Domestic Terminal on August 28 has pinpointed the lack of communication and coordination among the security forces as the root of the problem. The committee coordinated by Medini Prasad Sharma, joint secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, has also said there is a lack of clear system regarding mobilization of VIPs in the domestic terminal. “The government has decided to implement the committee’s suggestions,” said Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Minister Deep Kumar Upadhyaya. “Failure to communicate to the concerned departments by the airport civil aviation office also caused the problem,” he report stated. In view of the increased threat perception, the security section has barred all private vehicles from going directly to the terminal, the report said, “Securitymen, unaware of who was in the vehicle, had routed Koirala’s vehicle towards the park,” the report said. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Punish The Culprits To Prevent Future Turmoil: Giri

A leading political thinker and leader of the ruling Nepali Congress (Democratic) Pradeep Giri has asked the government to immediately take necessary steps to identify and punish the people who led the violent mob to attack particular targets. “I refuse to condone the violent act perpetrated by the mob for whatever reasons,” said Giri. “I also refuse to believe that these mobs acted the way they did out of grief over the killing of innocent Nepalese in Iraq. If the government does not punish the culprits and upholds the culture of impunity, we will have to face even greater problems in the future,” said Giri speaking at a talks program “Dishanirdesh” in Nepal Television. Giri also said that the manpower companies were “more sinned against than the sinning.” He said that the mob attack would not only destroy the social harmony but also the economic pillar of the country if not addressed properly. “Although many political leaders have accused the government of acting late and failing to prevent the mob attacks, I think that the government, too, was taken by surprise over the swiftness and simultaneous attacks. So, the government does deserve a benefit of doubt here. But it will be seen as having failed if it does not take action against the guilty ones in the next few weeks,” he added. Compiled from reports.

Districts In Dark Over New Curriculum

Even though the Curriculum Development Center (CDC) at the Department of Education (DoE) announced the changes in the texts of grade 9 and 10 five months back, most schools in remote areas are still using old textbooks without the ‘compiled correct booklet’ provided by the CDC. The CDC had made slight changes in all core six subjects but Nepali and Mathematics underwent major changes. According to Madhav Timilsina, a district education officer at Dolakha, none of the schools in his area knew of the latest information. “Five months have already passed. What will be the plight of the students here appearing for the SLC examination?” he asked. “We have not been informed of the changes, CDC needs to be more serious about disseminating such information,” said Timilsina. The CDC director general Jagannath Awa said that the responsibility of sending the ‘compiled correct booklet’ with the information on the changes was given to Janak Education Materials Center (JEMC). Ram Chandra Silwal, director at JEMC, said that 15,000 such booklets were printed in the first lot which was to be distributed free of cost but the book sales agent had not distributed evenly. The reason for using same old textbooks and printing separate compiled correct booklet was that more than Rs 20 million worth of old textbooks were in stock. The Himalayan Times daily reports.

Investment Opportunities Opened For Army Welfare Fund

The avenue for investment has been formally opened for the Army Welfare Fund. In the Gazette published on Monday (August 30), a regulation has been announced allowing the investment of fund money in income-generating activities. The fund currently has Rs 7 billion – including the money earned by the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) by taking part in UN peacekeeping missions. According to the regulation, the fund resource can be used investment in income-generating activities aimed at helping the welfare activities. It has also allowed the fund money to be invested in projects by tying up with national or multinational companies. The King has been made the patron of the fund without whose approval the investment cannot be made. Kantipur daily reports.

Perspective From The Other Side

In a news article titled "Hindu fanatics behind Kathmandu arson", The News - a Pakistani daily based in Islamabad - has reported that the Pashupati Sena was responsible for the September 1 incident in Kathmandu. "The Push Patti Sena, an extremist Nepalese Hindu outfit and off-shoot of the Indian Hindu terrorist organization Shiva Sena, is responsible for ransacking the properties and interests of Muslim countries, including Pakistan, in Kathmandu in the wake of killing of 12 Nepalese hostages by their kidnappers in Baghdad. The Nepalese government has regretted the incidents and assured Pakistan stern action against those who are involved in carrying out these acts. Diplomatic sources told The News here on Thursday that the incidents of looting and putting Muslim properties on fire in Kathmandu was part of well-planned conspiracy hatched by the Push Patti Sena in connivance with Shiv Sena," the report stated. "Nepalese Ambassador in Islamabad Raj Bhindari was summoned in the Foreign Office on Thursday where Director General South Asia Syed Jaleel Abbas Jailani conveyed him Pakistan’s sentiments on the ugly incidents in Kathmandu. The ambassador was asked to ensure that such incidents do not reoccur as these could vitiate the friendly relations between the two countries," it further reported. The paper went on to note, "Diplomatic observers are of the view that the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) has established its clandestine network in the Nepalese capital from where it is carrying out its nefarious activities detrimental to the interests of other neighboring countries. The Wednesday’s incidents are also handiwork of the RAW, which has been executed through Push Patti Sena. The so-called Maoists, working to destabilize Nepal, are being fully patronized and equipped by the RAW as their chief is openly living in India. The Wednesday’s incidents were an attempt by the Indian agents to soar friendly relations between Pakistan and Nepal. The Nepalese ambassador was also given a hint about those behind the incident. It is believed that Indians have developed a nexus with the global forces working systematically against the interests of Muslims and trying to give a tilt of every adverse action against Islam and Muslims. In India itself Muslims are suffering at the hands of Hindus and they have been denied their legitimate rights on many counts." The News (of Pakistan) reports on September 2.