Nepal: The would-be federal democratic nation

The federal democratic governance system would be incorporated in the new constitution to be formed after the constituent assembly elections.
In his address to the nation Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala said the govt is working to form the country with a new structure that would be representative of all caste, communities, groups and all areas. The full text of the Prime Minister’s address is as follows-

Brothers and sisters!
We are working on preparing a new formation of the country on the new structure in a way that people of all castes, ethnicity, classes and regions would have representation and that all would have proper role in nation building.
The electoral constituencies would be determined by making the population and the geographical condition of the country, and suitability as the fundamental basis. While doing so, the number of electoral constituencies would be increased on the basis of the population and not by decreasing the number of electoral constituencies of the districts. The new Constitution to be drafted by the Constituent Assembly would certainly have the provision of the federal democratic system of governance.
I call upon one and all to immediately stop all activities of movement, including the Bandhs taking place in some parts of the country at present, to resolve the problems through talks and to maintain peace, order and goodwill in the country.
To hold the election to the Constituent Assembly by mid-June is the primary responsibility of all of us at present. I heartily appeal to the people of various sections and region, including the Madhesi, indigenous communities, nationalities, Dalits and women to become sensitive toward this and maintain peace and law and order in the country.
Jaya Nepal!

Nobel laureate Pamuk’s Snow

I have just read Snow, a world famous novel by Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, this year’s Nobel Prize winner in literature. He is known as anti-establishment writer all over the world. Snow is his most famous novel published in 2004.

Ka, poet and journalist, a visitor to his rural and poor hometown of Kars in Turkey, is sought after by many for his presumed access to the German (”European”/”Western”) press. He is also protected by this and while he will be questioned, he will not be tortured.

Ka says he is investigating the suicides of the “headscarf girls”, who are the real victims of this political culture, for a story in a German periodical. While Islamists ponitificate on the pitiable piety of the suicide girls, Ka finds other motives. These motives show a paternal willingness to marry off, abuse or otherwise sacrifice their daughters that reflects the same attitude that pressures them to wear the scarves. The sad situation of the girls, caught between their desire for an education, their need to belong and their families’ desire to control them is never expressed by the girls (except by their suicides)… only by those who presume to speak for them.

(Please read Snow: The famous novel by Orhan Pamuk on the article page for detail.)

Salute dear martyrs !

We are remembering the four great pathfinders of democracy on Magh 16, Tuesday. The great Dasharath Chand, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Sukraraj Shastri and Gangalal Shrestha were given death penalty by the autocratic Rana regime in 1997 BS. The penalty was too inhumane and barbaric. If they surrendered, they would have given great chances. They loved democracy for which they did not shrink to sacrifice themselves.
Salute dear great four ! Salute known and unknown martyrs who fought for for establishment and reestablishment of democracy in Nepal and laid down their lives for the nation and its people.

The joke of name

The readers know me with this very name. It means, my real name is not Chanky Shrestha. What is my real name ? This is a genuine question, and I respect it. I hope to disclose it at the end of this column.
I did not love my real name. What was there in name ? I was overwhelmed by it. I thought my life was unsuccessful, as I faced vertigo everywhere due to the very rascal name. I thought the person who has such a name is always unfortunate and poor. It seemed, my name and poverty used to run together, as fast as possible, as if they were in a hurry to reach a point. What would take place if they reach there ?
I became enemy to my own name. Often it used to follow me, sometimes as a cannibal to pounce upon, sometimes as a cobra hissing to sting and sometimes as a notorious murderer to stab a sharp razor. Though, it was a dream, the fear of my name did not leave me fearless.
One day, it stood before me, as my own duplicate.
‘Never will I leave you free. As you know I love you very much and without imprisonment, man looses his identity ?’ he said.
I realised that I had been victim of trickery, a verbal embellishment, a metaphor. And in a voice choked with resentment, I said, ‘What does the rascal identity mean whereas it always makes me sink into the pond of poverty and misfortune ? I must kill you to rescue myself from your hell imprisonment.’
Then we both attacked each other with sharp swords. All of a sudden, I woke up before the result. What would happen if we both were killed ?
Then after, I said to myself, change your name babusaheb, if you want to be successful in your life. And the time came; I invented my new name, which was extraordinary, and wrote it down in my poetry, diarybook and everywhere but nobody called me with it. (I don’t have parents, and not having parents is the first precondition of freedom to change one’s name. I am sorry if I happened to mean loosing parents is preferable.)
Then only I was known with the new name as a poet, storywriter and freelancer as I became the winner of a big poetry competition. I had to wait for it very much.
The past was clothed in new tafetta. Alas the joke of life, now I feel the new one also does not favour me and rather mocked with. And this creature also seems to me a prancing bufoon, a clown, an enemy making fun of me, as if I am walking with a strange mocking clown on my head.
The people make joke of my name, usually those who are not aquainted with my writings.When I call friends at their home, the family members generally mispronounce and ask my name repeatedly. (As you also may feel it is not a common name and very difficult for the general people to pronounce. My name is as if foreign language and men mispronounce it.) I can do nothing more than being irritated. Yes, that is why, I tried frequently to change my second name too. Some friends made joke that I had to organise a press conference to make my new name public. But this time I was totally failed, since the new name has been as my own image. It looked like a penance. What can I do now as this name is inseparable like my own skin ?

Well, I had promised you to disclose my real name. What is my real name ? Shoot the issue. It is not important that much. The past has been clothed in new tafetta. (If you are really eager to know, someday I must disclose it.)

Kamal Thapa arrested

The then Home Minister of royal government Kamal Thapa has been arrested from his home located at Bishalnagar on Monday 10 pm.
‘He has been arrested for research’, Dhak Bahadur Karki, DSP of Metorpolitan Police Council, said. He is kept at 2 No police station Maharajgunj, it is said.

Why did Minister Tripathy resign ?

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Hridayesh Tripathy resigned from his post, Monday. Why did he resign ? ‘The incumbent government failed to pay due attention to the demands of ongoing Terai movement’, he said, ‘It forced me to quit the job.’
Tripathy, also General Secretary of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandi Devi), said that he had been fighting for the cause of Madhesis for a long time. “Thus, I felt uneasy to hold on to the ministerial berth when the whole of Terai is facing unrest.”
He tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala through chief secretary Dr. Bhoj Raj Pokharel. He has been bed-ridden for a few days because of jaundice and is now getting treatment at his own residence.
His resignation came at a time when the eight political parties are holding a meeting to address the problem of Terai.
But he expressed his ignorance about the high-level meeting of eight parties. “I am unaware of the high-level meeting. I decided to quit guided by my inner conscience.”
In the resignation letter, he has mentioned that he, on behalf of his party, had written a note of dissent while promulgating the interim statute demanding that there should be federal state system, proportional electoral system and fixation of constituencies as per population size.
Tripathy noted that not only the government but all the eight political parties would have been serious towards incorporating these issues into the interim constitution. “However, none of them realised the gravity to the Terai’s problems.”
He disclosed that his party also failed to instruct him in regard to his role in the wake of Terai movement.
Sources said that Tripathy came under mounting pressure to walk out from the government from a section of its leadership that has extended moral support to the Terai agitation.
The resignation is a powerful dashing to the government. What will be its effect ? The government should leave no stone unturned to address the Madhesi voices so that the fire do not make ashes to the whole Madhesh.

Where does vandalism lead Madheshis to ?

Who is leading the Terai agitation ? The big hands of mobocratic agitation shows that it is led by the reactionary forces.
The unruly mob at Gaur vandalised three public offices including the branch office of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) on Saturday.
The demonstration intensified after the protesters started burning tyres in Gaur bazaar. People that poured into the streets carrying batons and sticks vandalised the offices of FNJ, Nepali Congress (Democratic), and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
They also misbehaved with journalists of different daily papers, who were busy writing news inside the office of the FNJ alleging them of not disseminating news related Madhesi rights and vandalised the board of FNJ.
Issuing a press statement Bibek Mishra, district president of FNJ, called on the agitators to come to the negotiation table by shunning violent activities and demanded with the government to address Madhesi issues as early as possible.
The demonstrators also damaged furniture and burnt documents of the NEA and pelted stones at the office NC (D).
The agitators pelted stones and shattered windowpanes at the house of Rebanta Jha, district committee member of CPN-UML. They also damaged the screen of Shanta Cinema Hall of the city.
Some incidents occurred despite the deployment sufficient police forces, said DSP Kuber Kathayat. He said that Police Inspector Mahammad Sahabudin Ansari was injured while trying to control the mob.
The demonstrators also burnt effigies of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Maoist Chairman Prachanda.

Where does the mobocracy lead our Madheshi nationals to ?

Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water’ at Martin Chautari

Martin Chautari, a discussion forum based at Babermahal, organises famous film show fortnightly. This time, Chautari is set to show Deepa Mehta’s world famous film Water on Thursday, February 1 at 3 pm. If you are interested, please be there. The entry is free. The summary of the film is given below-

Set in the 1930s during the rise of the independence struggles against British colonial rule, the film examines the plight of a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi. It focuses on a relationship between one of the widows, who wants to escape the social restrictions imposed on widows, and a man who is from a lower caste and a follower of Mahatma.
Not yet in her teens, Chuyia is married to a much older and sickly male, who shortly after the marriage, passes away. Chuyia is returned unceremoniously to her parents’ house, and from there she is taken to the holy city of Banaras and left in the care of a wide assortment of widows who live at “the widows’ house,” shunned by the rest of the community. Here she meets several elderly women, including the head of the house, Madhumati; a quiet, confident woman named Shakuntala; and a gorgeous young woman named Kalyani — all widows. Chuyia does not know that according to Holy Hindu Scriptures she has been destined to live here for the rest of her life, for when a woman’s husband dies’, she has three options: One, to marry her husband’s younger brother, if his family permits; two, to kill herself on his funeral pyre; three, to live a life of celibacy, discipline, and solitude amongst her own kind. A new law in India which permits a widow to re-marry is not popular, and it is these customs and openly welcoming the lower castes that will pit Gandhiji against his very own people, apart from struggling with the British to leave India. Kalyani meets and falls in love with young Narayan, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who wants to marry her, despite his mother’s protests. But on the day he comes to take her to his home, as they are crossing the river to his family estate, Kalyani recognizes the house, the very same house she had been forced to visit as a “prostitute,” to be with Narayan’s father.

Bridal bonanza ! What a joke !

(Dear readers, I had written this news commentry freshly on Thursday but internet service did not favour me. That’s why it is published two days later though I think it will be still readable. Thanks for your cooperation.)

Bridal bonanza ! What a joke over women sensibility ! Senu Ranjit of Samakhushi, Kriti Nakarmi Manandhar of Balaju, Dr. Mamta Singh of Bansbari and Nabadita Koirala from Tangal won Lakme Bride Contest Thursday. They got a honeymoon package worth Rs. 50,000 or equivalent in cash.
The contest, organised by Unilever Nepal Ltd. was open from December 1 to January 15 to all – married as well as unmarried. Of the winners Dr. Singh and Ranjit are unmarried. Yes, Ranjit, however, is recently engaged.
All the participants had to do was, post their photos donned in a bridal dress attached to the advertisement. Married women were also allowed to present their photos of their wedding ceremony.
Ten other winners were also selected for consolation prizes. They were: Anne B.C. (Bhatta) from Chabahil, Aarati RL Rana of Dhapashi, Roshini Thapa of Bhaisepati, Roji Pradhan Shrestha of Dhalko, Rajani Byanjankar of Chyasal, Laxmi Bista of Sunakoti, Anu Khadka of New Road, Nelam Ojha of Sinamangal and Pralita Tuladhar Joshi of Dillibazar.
To facilitate the interested candidates the organisers had also made provisions for free photo shots in different places via Hits FM. A total of 1,034 photographs were received from all over the country. Of them 895 were from the Kathmandu Valley. There was an encouraging participation from our customers from the valley, said Sachin Shrestha, marketing officer of Unilever Nepal Ltd.
Likewise, Lajana Shrestha of Maruhiti was chosen Lux Star for A Day in a lucky draw among the media persons where the participants had to give their views on how they can spend rupees fifty thousand in a day.
The other ten answers selected for consolation prizes were from: Sunita Lama of Jorpati, Manju Gurung of Kathmandu, Anita Shrestha of Balaju, Rina Shilpakar of Kathmandu, Sachita Khadka of Kathmandu, Anjana Fago of Anamnagar, Amrita Shrestha of Maharajgunj, Shanti Devkota of Kalanki, Binju Shrestha of Durbur Marg and Reshma Shahi of Samakhushi.
Is this contest, in a real sense, not a joke ? Let’s consider over Lajana Shrestha’s answer who was declared Lux Star for a Day: “If I’m to spend fifty thousand in a day then I’ll buy clothes — suits, saris and others – for my family members and myself.” What sort of contest is this ? Where will this lead our women to ? Are the women just to be marked on costume, glamour and sexual attraction ?

Govt calls Terai rebels for dialogue

The special cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence at Baluwatar Tuesday decided to call the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha for talks.
“The government is always ready for negotiation and talks and it has a strong belief that all problems could be solved through talks and discussions,” Minister of State for Information and Communications and spokesman of the government Dilendra Prasad Badu said.
Informing about the cabinet decisions, he said that the government decided to provide Rs. 1 million each to those who died in the Lahan clashes.
Similarly, the government has decided to bear the cost of treatment for those injured in the clash.
The meeting of the council of ministers has decided to address the issues raised by all ethnic groups. The government would make a public appeal to exercise restraint and would urge the people to uphold social harmony so that no antisocial element could raise its head after taking advantage of the transition, Badu added.
The cabinet has also approved the three member commission headed by justice of the Appellate Court in Patan Janardan Bahadur Khadka, which was formed Monday to probe into the incident that took place in Lahan, Siraha. The commission has to submit its report within 15 days, Badu said.
The government has expressed firm commitment to take stern action against the persons proved guilty after the investigation, he said.
The government has given authority to the ward secretaries of metropolitan cities and municipalities to produce reference letters to individuals for the purpose of enlisting their names in the voters’ list.
In case of foreigner women who wants to obtain Nepali citizenship and if she has marital relationship with a bona fide Nepali, she could do so by producing a official document that proves that she has forsaken her former citizenship certificate, he added.
According to the Nepal Television, Madhesh Janadhikar Forum would consider the government’s call at its party meeting. Upendra Yadav, president of the Forum said.
He said that the government has to send a formal letter calling them for negotiation and the government has to take action against the Maoist militia, who had killed Ramesh Mahato in Lahan Friday. Yadav demanded to file a suit against the culprit.
Since, Ramesh Mahato died in the clash in Lahan Friday, four more persons died due to bullet injuries. Two persons Pramod Sada and Bijay Sahani died on Monday when the security personnel opened fire in Lahan.
According to the Directorate of Public Relations of Nepal Army, an NA night vision helicopter had brought 11 injured persons, three attendants, two injured Armed Police Force personnel and a police from Siraha to Birendra Military Hospital on Monday night.
One of the injured persons Bechan Yadav, 32 died on the way to hospital while Mohamud Mudasin, 18, died while undergoing treatment.
Other nine persons have been undergoing treatment at Chauni hospital and their condition is stable, the DPR statement said. Those undergoing treatment are Manoj Kumar Shah, 28, Appu Gupta, 24, Nandan Kumar Khetan, 21, Shekh Jam Ludhin, 31, Manoj Kumar Shah, 13, Kishan Shah, 27, Mohammud Bablu, 18, Bishnudev Raya, 40 and Mohammud Mumtaz, 18.