Maoists loot industrial bank in Chitwan

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - A group of armed-Maoists today looted around Rs 1,50,000 in cash and other valuables from the main banking office of Narayani Industrial Development Bank at Ratnanagar in Chitwan. Bank manager Birendra Shrestha said that 17 Maoists, including two women, robbed the bank taking all the bank staff under control at gunpoint. The rebels made off with cash, jewels and computers within five minutes.
Meanwhile, a report from Dharan said that Maoist rebels have demanded Rs. 300,000 as ransom from the families for the release of their near and dear ones who are in Maoist captivity for the last two months.
The rebels had captured Suraj Lama, Binod Tamang, Binod Rai, Ranjan Rai, Abinash Rai and Deepak Tamang on charges of killing 62-year-old Padam Bahadur Rai about two months ago. Dhana Shobha Lama, mother of Suraj, said the Maoists had made several phone calls to her demanding Rs 50,000 in cash if she wanted to see her son released from their captivity.
Meanwhile, in Gulmi, the rebels have severely beaten up six cadres of the Peoples Front Nepal in Gwagha VDC.
In Dang, security officials handed two motorcycles seized from a Maoist hideout over to the family members of those killed by the rebels amidst a function held today in Ghorahi, the district headquarters.
The rebels had seized the motorcycles belonging to teacher Shri Hrasha Subedi of Manpur and Keshav Pun of Tribhuvan Municipality after both of them were shot dead about three months ago. The security forces recovered the bikes while carrying out a search operation at Simaltara Village of Rampur VDC.
Another report from Khotang said that two persons - Roman Karki and Bharat Khatri, both of the Chisapani VDC - have disappeared after the Maoists charged them with passing wrong information to the army against three civilians, including a teacher, who were later shot dead by the army. Teacher Hari Parasad Bhattarai and his two close relatives, Durga Koirala and Dakmani Koirala, in Chisapani were killed by the security forces three weeks ago on charges of being the Maoists. In a news bulletin aired by Maoist-run mobile FM radio, the rebels had warned of taking severe action against the accused if they failed to turn up before the Maoist court within a period of one month.

NPI panel formed

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The fourth general assembly of the Nepal Press Institute (NPI) concluded today after electing a new working committee.
P. Kharel, Durga Nath Sharma, Shova Gautam, Gokul Pokharel, Dhruba Hari Adhikari, Pushkar Lal Shrestha, Tirtha Koirala, Rajendra Dahal and Lal Deusa Rai have been elected to the nine-member working committee.
There is a provision for the nomination of office-bearers of the working committee from among the elected members.
Addressing the general assembly prior to holding the election, chairman of the institute Gokul Pokharel said it has become necessary to move the institute ahead more vigorously in line with the growing opportunities and challenges in the journalism sector.
He added that the institute has bought its own office building for its regional media resources centres in Biratnagar and Nepalgunj and was thinking of building its own office at the centre also.
Press institute's general secretary Bharat Datta Koirala, presenting the progress report, said the institute is making efforts for making journalism training activities in Nepal more effective and competitive with the cooperation of various national and international agencies.
Treasurer Rajendra Dahal said the institute received Rs 21,670,000 from DANIDA and Rs 4,671,000 from other agencies for conducting its various programmes in 2003.

Tailoring-cum-adult education programme for army widows

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The death of Bhogendra Bahadur Limbu in Mangalsen, Achham, when the Maoist rebels overran the military barracks, not only took away Dil Kumari Limbu’s soul mate but also the only breadwinner of her family.Dil Kumari is not an exception in facing such an inconsolable grief. With the armed struggle going on in the country, there are many others who are in a similar plight.
To make Dil Kumari and others self-reliant, the Army Wives Association (AWA) initiated the sewing training-cum-adult education programme.
Wives of ex-army personnel are contacted through district divisions and those interested are brought to Kathmandu for the training.
Trainees are facilitated with the basics including accommodation, meals, entertainment, and health check-ups during the 3-month-long training.
If the trainees have children below school-going age, they are allowed to bring one child with them during the training period. All the requirements of the child are met, including weekly visit by a paediatrician. They even have childcare facilities while the mothers are in class.
"If they have more than one child or in case of school-going children, they have to make provisions for them on their own at home or wherever convenient," said Sharmila Rana, treasurer of AWA. She added, "Due to the lack of space and expenses, we cannot permit more than one child per person."
Founded nearly a year before with the concept of Kamala Thapa, president of AWA, the training centre, constructed in a former kitchen of the Chhaunni Barracks has already produced two batches and is currently training the third group.
Presently, 27 army-widows, including Dil Kumari, are receiving training at Chhaunni. Professionals from Namuna Institute of Fashion Technology are training them.
"The training has given me hope. Previously, I used to feel helpless but now I think I can do something for my children and myself," said Sabitri Karki who hailed from Nuwkot. "After the completion of the course, I plan to open a small tailoring shop of my own back home."
Likewise, Ganga Adhikari who heard about the training from her two friends namely Dilmaya and Pratima plans to join them after the training. Her friends who also received the training from the centre are running small tailoring establishment of their own.
The cost for this good cause is solely met by what comes as donations from generous contributors. "Pakistan Embassy is one of our major donors," said Himali Chand, Member Secretary of AWA.
According to Chand, the wife of the Ambassador of Pakistan donated Rs. 300,000. Similarly, Madam Musaraff, wife of president of Pakistan, made a contribution of U.S. $ 5,000.
"We not only provide training, but also give them a sewing machine and NRs 5000 so that their skill doesn’t go waste," said Chand. She further said, "Donations are pouring in as we are going in an authentic way. But we still need more for furthering this project in a smooth manner. "Other remarkable works of AWA include Bijeswori School opened for the girl-children of lower ranking personnel, who otherwise are excluded from education opportunity. According to an AWA member, "The school currently caters to day-scholars only. We
are planning it into a residential school soon so that even those from remote areas are benefited."

Philatelic exhibition on mountains held

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - An exhibition of stamps bearing the images of Nepali mountains related to people and places was held at the Hanumandhoka Durbar Square this morning.
Along with the first of its kind exhibit, renowned photojournalists who have done much for the cause of promoting mountain tourism in Nepal through their photographs too were felicitated.
Ang Chhiring Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) and deputy-chairperson of the World Mountaineering Federation, who was the chief guest on the occasion, awarded tokens of appreciation, certificates and shawls to the photojournalists.
Those awarded on the occasion are famous Nepali names working for the country’s national publications, such as Min Bajracharya of Nepali Times, Bhim Gurung and Rajesh Dhungana of Gorkhapatra, Chandraman Maharjan of Rajdhani, Sagar Shrestha of Spacetime and Sundar Shrestha of Nepal Samacharpatra.NMA president Sherpa lauded excellent works these journalists have done by taking breathtaking shots of the Himalayas which had helped the tourism industry attract more visitors to the country every year.
The awards function was followed by a stamp exhibition. In the historic setting of the Durbar Square, freelance heritage photographer Padmasagar Kakshyapati displayed her huge collection of stamps to the assembled enthusiasts and mediapersons.
Stamps dating back 50 years and bearing images of scenic mountain views, historical figures and famous places were displayed in postcard-size paper which were blow-ups of the original stamps exhibited beside them.
The mountains depicted ranged from the world-famous to unheard of peaks. Everest, the Annapurnas, Machhapuchhre, Api, Pumori, Amadablam, Lhotse, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Cholatse, Nayan, Ganesh Himal, Langtang-Lirung Cho-Oyu, Nilgiri, Jugal Himal, Nuptse, Jannu, Pabil, Tukuche and Kanchanjunga and other gigantic peaks had been captured in their full glory in the stamps.
Along with these colossal mountains, there were also images of national personalities. Among them were the late King Mahendra, Nepal’s first elected prime minister Bishewshwor Prasad Koirala, King Birendra, the first Nepali woman Everest summiteer Pasang Lhamu Sherpa and celebrated mountaineer Babu Chhiri Sherpa too were featured in the exotic stamps galore of the avid collector Kakshyapati.The picturesque tea gardens of Ilam with Kanchanjunga looming over them, images of rare creatures such as the Lynx, Great Himalayan Berbet and Snow Leopard, the Tsho-Rolpa and Tilicho lakes, the exquisite Rara National Park, the Sagarmatha satellite-earth station too were depicted on the stamps collection.
The stamps exhibit was a daylong affair, attracting hundreds of stamp collectors, mountaineers, tourists and inquisitive passers-by.

Book on freedom fighters released

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - Mukunda Prasad Acharaya of Nepal Television (NTV) released a book entitled Nepal Ka Prajatantrik Andolan Ma Dui Shikhar Purus at a function organised here today by the Employees Union, stated an NTV press statement.
According to the statement, the book written by Jivan Nath Dhamala, programme producer of NTV, carries the information about the public hero Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala and senior leader of people’s movement -1990, Ganesh Man Singh.The book is divided into three parts and includes the life history of the personalities and their contribution to democracy.

Age no bar when it comes to preserving tradition

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - Shashank Tamu had all the more reason to come to Nepal this year. Having spent the entire good half of his life in Hong Kong, he was completely oblivious of the traditions and culture that his ancestors so proudly relished. But all this changed as he finally had the opportunity to dance to the tune of Sorathi today. "Only now, I do feel like belonging to a community", he said.
And Shashank was just one of the several hundred Gurungs who gathered at the premises of the Birendra International Convention Centre (BICC) in the capital today to live up to their identities. From all over the Kathmandu Valley and places as distant as Rumjatar and Pokhara, all these people had come to celebrate their much-coveted festival, Tamu Lhochhar.
Prior to the actual assemblage at the BICC, a parade of people, dressed in traditional Gurung attires had also walked all their way from Bhrikutimandap. This procession, which was led by a rickshaw carrying a monkey mannequin, included several performers and musicians playing indigenous Gurung instruments. It also carried the banners of several organisations that helped to organise the event.
While at the BICC itself, several stalls had been set up to cater the needs of the overwhelming turnouts. Interestingly, some of these stalls housed traditional Gurung priests - the Polcha, Zhabris and Lamas, where willing enthusiasts could, supposedly, get a glimpse of their future.
Lhochhar, which is celebrated at the last day of the lunar year, also marks the yearly changing of the animal signature that represents, foretells and predicts every incident of the year. As such, this Lhochhar has ushered in the year of the monkey and bid farewell to the year of the sheep. "The monkey’s years should be a time of peace and prosperity." said Chomba Tamu to The Kathmandu Post. One can only hope that he is right. In a short formal programme, organised prior to the actual celebration, Sekhar Tamu, the co-ordinator of the main organising committee, handed out prizes and certificates to the winners of the oratory, writing and sports competitions organised a day before. "The increasing interest of the youths in their culture is a positive step forward", he said.A horde of interesting cultural items, including the dhote, shipta and sorathi were also presented on the occasion. And making them even remarkable was the fact that some of the performers were well past their 60s. Age, it seemed was not a factor when it comes to preserving tradition.
At the end of the day, the most engaging and enjoyable programme, by far was the Dohari competition. Dohari, a uniquely Nepali style of singing usually involves two groups where each group takes a turn to tell something, almost anything to the other in prose. The group that fails to come up with an appropriate sonnet soon enough loses to the other.

Capital has dirtiest air? WB denies saying so

KATHMANDU, Dec 30 - The World Bank Nepal Office today refuted a recent news report putting Kathmandu on the top of the 17 Asian cities with the dirtiest air, saying that the World Bank did not come up with any report like that, and that the fact was "misrepresented" by the press.