Normal life various Terai districts remained crippled today due to separate bandh called by Maoists and the dissident faction of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum led by Bhagya Nath Gupta.
Life in five districts in the Mithila region was crippled today due to a bandh called by the CPN-Maoist's Mithila sub-committee against the killing of a Maoist district committee member Girendra Yadav by a gang in Mahottari a few days ago.
Transport services, educational activities and markets remained closed in Mahottari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Saptari and Sarlahi. Maoists had called a two-day bandh beginning from today.
Meanwhile, life in other Terai districts was crippled due to a Terai bandh called by the MJF led by Gupta. The MJF faction called the bandh to protest the Kapilvastu killings and demanding proportional system for CA polls.
Meanwhile, life in Sunsari was also affected by a bandh called by locals to protest the beating up of a str eet vendor by an Armed Police Force personnel on Wednesday.
At least 13 persons were injured on Thursday after locals clashed with police over the same issue.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Nepal Maoists quit Govt in blow to peace deal
Nepal's fragile polity plunged into yet another major crisis on Tuesday as four Maoists ministers resigned from the interim Girija Prasad Koirala government. The four Maoist ministers—Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Dev Gurung, Hisila Yami and Khadga Bahadur Biswokarma—tendered their resignations as Koirala failed to meet their 22-point demands.
The major Maoists demands included immediately declaring Nepal a "republic" and a proportional representation-based election system. After waging 'Janayuddha (Peoples' War)' for 11 years, the Maoists had joined the government on April 1.
The Maoist ministers submitted their resignation to Koirala as soon as the meeting of top leaders of four major ruling allies ended in deadlock. Koirala's "closed-door meeting" with Maoist Chairman Prachanda on Tuesday morning also failed to stop the ministers from resigning.
Leaders of Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (UML), Nepali Congress (Democratic) failed to convince the former rebels not to quit the government.
The Maoist ministers have cited that the failure to lead the government according to the eight-party common minimum programme (CMP) and lack of a credible environment for Constituent Assembly polls on November 22 as the reason for quitting the government.
Interestingly, all the Maoist ministers on Tuesday released the official vehicles provided to them by the government and headed towards the open-air theatre to address the a public meeting in private vehicles.
The Maoist leaders formally announced their decision to launch a country-wide agitation to declare Nepal as a republic. More than one lakh Maoist supporters assembled at Tudikhel ground in downtown Kathmandu and vowed to rewrite Nepal's political hope.
Normal life in downtown Kathmandu came to a grinding halt as Maoist supporters marched through the streets shouting slogan against monarchy and demanding a republican government. Senior political leaders are desperately trying to
stop the Maoists from wriggling out of the interim government.
Senior Nepali Congress (Democratic) leader Minendra Rizal said efforts were still on to retain them in the government. "The Prime Minister hasn't accepted the resignations letters as yet," he said.
However, Koirala was not available for comments as he was busy attending a series of meetings with senior leaders of his ruling coalition to avert any major political crisis in Nepal.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Two killed in Nepal riots, curfew imposed
A policeman was killed and hundreds of houses and vehicles were torched on Sunday in riots sparked by the murder of a Madhesi leader in western Nepal prompting authorities to impose an indefinite curfew in the area.
An armed Police Force man was killed during the violent clash that broke out after unidentified gunmen killed Mohit Khan in Kapilvastu district on Sunday morning, according to officials.
Khan was chief of the district's vigilante group, set up to counter the Maoists during the armed conflict.
Local residents and supporters of Khan staged protests, which soon turned violent, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in parts of Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts.
Protesters lobbed a bomb at an Armed Police Force team at Chanuata, killing Constable Hasan Puri.
The irate locals set ablaze a mosque at Butawal Municipality and also set on fire a Maoist contact office at Taulihawa alleging that those who killed Khan were the Maoist cadres.
The mob also vandalised a dozen vehicles including two having Indian number plates and looted a dozen shops and restaurants in the area. Police said at least 300 houses in the Chandrauta area have been set ablaze.
Curfew was imposed in the afternoon for indefinite period to control the situation.
An armed Police Force man was killed during the violent clash that broke out after unidentified gunmen killed Mohit Khan in Kapilvastu district on Sunday morning, according to officials.
Khan was chief of the district's vigilante group, set up to counter the Maoists during the armed conflict.
Local residents and supporters of Khan staged protests, which soon turned violent, prompting the authorities to clamp curfew in parts of Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts.
Protesters lobbed a bomb at an Armed Police Force team at Chanuata, killing Constable Hasan Puri.
The irate locals set ablaze a mosque at Butawal Municipality and also set on fire a Maoist contact office at Taulihawa alleging that those who killed Khan were the Maoist cadres.
The mob also vandalised a dozen vehicles including two having Indian number plates and looted a dozen shops and restaurants in the area. Police said at least 300 houses in the Chandrauta area have been set ablaze.
Curfew was imposed in the afternoon for indefinite period to control the situation.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
7 dead, over 25 missing as boat capsizes in Rapti River
At least seven persons, including a two-and-a-half year old baby, drowned and over 25 others went missing when an overcrowded boat capsized in the swollen Rapti River in midwestern Banke district Wednesday afternoon.
The boat carrying some 40 passengers sank near Gobarpur area in Baijapur VDC, some 55 kilometers north-east of Nepalgunj, reports quoting the police said. The boat was heading for Kachanapur from Baijapur.
Rescuers recovered bodies of four women, two girls and a youth from the river while search for other missing people is still going on. Twelve persons saved themselves by swimming ashore while local rescued two girls.
Among the dead, two are identified as 17-year-old girl Hira Thapa and the daughter of Suresh Basnet of Baijapur. Mother of the deceased girl is also missing Two injured have been admitted to Bheri Zonal Hospital for treatment.
Reports quoted survivors as saying boat overloading and flooding in the river resulted in the accident. The boat had a maximum capacity of a dozen persons.
Meanwhile, police said separate teams of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have been mobilized for carrying out search & rescue operations in the area
Monday, September 03, 2007
तराईका समूहहरुमा फूट
तराईमा सकृय मधेशी जनअधिकार फोरम राजनीतिक दलमा परिणत भएको ६ महिना नबित्दै टुक्रिएको छ।
मधेश आन्दोलनबाट चर्चामा आएको फोरम र सरकारबीच भएको २२ बुंदे सहमतिको विरोध गर्दै केही नेताहरूले संयोजक उपेन्द्र यादवलाई साधारण सदस्यबाट निलम्वन गरेको घोषणा गरेका छन्।
सात सदस्यीय सचिवालय समितिका चार जनाले बहुमतबाट संयोजक यादवलाई निलम्बन गरेको जनाएका छन्।
तर यादव पक्षधरहरुले हाल सचिवालय गठन नै नभएको जनाउंदै केन्द्रीय समितिको निर्णयलेमात्र सदस्यताबाट निलम्बन गर्न सकिने तर्क अगाडि सारेका छन्।
अर्को तर्फ सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रेको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चामा निष्काशन र नयाँ समूह खोल्ने क्रम जारी छ।
आशा र निराशा
हाम्रा जनकपुरस्थित संवाददाता भन्छन्, हालै सरकार र फोरमबीच सहमति भएपछि तराईमा समेत संविधानसभाको चुनावले गति लिने अपेक्षा गरिएको थियो।
तर उनी भन्छन्, केही सत्तारुढ दल र तराईका सशस्त्र समूहहरुले सहमतिको कडा विरोध गर्न थालेपछि फोरम र सरकारबीचको सहमति चुनावका लागि खासै प्रभावकारी हुन नसक्ने देखिएको छ।
फोरमको एउटा समूहले संविधानसभाको चुनावमा सकृय रुपले भाग लिने बताएपनि अर्को असन्तुष्ट पक्षले चुनावमा भाग नलिने संकेत दिदै संघर्षका कार्यक्रमहरु सार्वजनिक गरेकोछ।
दुवै पक्षले आफूलाइ आधिकारिक भएको दावी गरिरहेका छन्।
सरकार र फोरमबीचको सहमतिलाई ऐतिहासिक भनिए पनि अब त्यसको कार्यान्वयन हुने नहुनेमा आशंका उब्जिएको छ।
संयोजक यादवलाइ निलम्वन गरेको बताउंदै असन्तुष्ट पक्षका एकजना सचिवालय सदस्य जीतेन्द्र सोनलले यस अघि पनि सचिवालयको निर्णयबाट विद्यार्थी फोरमका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष केशव झालाई हटाइएको बताए।
तर यादव पक्षका केन्द्रीय सदस्य बी पी यादवले केही मानिसले भन्दैमा कोही निलम्वन नहुने दावी गरे।
अर्को फूट
अर्को तर्फ छुट्टै तराई राज्यको माग गर्दै सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रिएको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चाबाट तेस्रो समूह बाहिरिएको छ।
जयकृष्ण गोइत संयोजक रहेको मोर्चाबाट अलग्गिएर ज्वाला सिंह, विष्फोट सिंह र पछिल्लो पटक पवनको नेतृत्वमा संगठन खोलिएकोछ।
पवनले अधिवेशनबाट गोइत र एक जना केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशलाई निष्कासन गरेको दावी गरेका छन्।
तर मोर्चाका केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशले संगठनको नीति विपरित चन्दा, अपहरण लगायतका कार्यहरू गरेकाले निष्काशनमा परेकाहरूले जनतामा भ्रम सृजना गर्न खोजेको आरोप लगाए।
तराईका समूहहरुमा फूट
तराईमा सकृय मधेशी जनअधिकार फोरम राजनीतिक दलमा परिणत भएको ६ महिना नबित्दै टुक्रिएको छ।
मधेश आन्दोलनबाट चर्चामा आएको फोरम र सरकारबीच भएको २२ बुंदे सहमतिको विरोध गर्दै केही नेताहरूले संयोजक उपेन्द्र यादवलाई साधारण सदस्यबाट निलम्वन गरेको घोषणा गरेका छन्।
सात सदस्यीय सचिवालय समितिका चार जनाले बहुमतबाट संयोजक यादवलाई निलम्बन गरेको जनाएका छन्।
तर यादव पक्षधरहरुले हाल सचिवालय गठन नै नभएको जनाउंदै केन्द्रीय समितिको निर्णयलेमात्र सदस्यताबाट निलम्बन गर्न सकिने तर्क अगाडि सारेका छन्।
अर्को तर्फ सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रेको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चामा निष्काशन र नयाँ समूह खोल्ने क्रम जारी छ।
आशा र निराशा
हाम्रा जनकपुरस्थित संवाददाता भन्छन्, हालै सरकार र फोरमबीच सहमति भएपछि तराईमा समेत संविधानसभाको चुनावले गति लिने अपेक्षा गरिएको थियो।
तर उनी भन्छन्, केही सत्तारुढ दल र तराईका सशस्त्र समूहहरुले सहमतिको कडा विरोध गर्न थालेपछि फोरम र सरकारबीचको सहमति चुनावका लागि खासै प्रभावकारी हुन नसक्ने देखिएको छ।
फोरमको एउटा समूहले संविधानसभाको चुनावमा सकृय रुपले भाग लिने बताएपनि अर्को असन्तुष्ट पक्षले चुनावमा भाग नलिने संकेत दिदै संघर्षका कार्यक्रमहरु सार्वजनिक गरेकोछ।
दुवै पक्षले आफूलाइ आधिकारिक भएको दावी गरिरहेका छन्।
सरकार र फोरमबीचको सहमतिलाई ऐतिहासिक भनिए पनि अब त्यसको कार्यान्वयन हुने नहुनेमा आशंका उब्जिएको छ।
संयोजक यादवलाइ निलम्वन गरेको बताउंदै असन्तुष्ट पक्षका एकजना सचिवालय सदस्य जीतेन्द्र सोनलले यस अघि पनि सचिवालयको निर्णयबाट विद्यार्थी फोरमका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष केशव झालाई हटाइएको बताए।
तर यादव पक्षका केन्द्रीय सदस्य बी पी यादवले केही मानिसले भन्दैमा कोही निलम्वन नहुने दावी गरे।
अर्को फूट
अर्को तर्फ छुट्टै तराई राज्यको माग गर्दै सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा उत्रिएको जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चाबाट तेस्रो समूह बाहिरिएको छ।
जयकृष्ण गोइत संयोजक रहेको मोर्चाबाट अलग्गिएर ज्वाला सिंह, विष्फोट सिंह र पछिल्लो पटक पवनको नेतृत्वमा संगठन खोलिएकोछ।
पवनले अधिवेशनबाट गोइत र एक जना केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशलाई निष्कासन गरेको दावी गरेका छन्।
तर मोर्चाका केन्द्रीय सदस्य प्रकाशले संगठनको नीति विपरित चन्दा, अपहरण लगायतका कार्यहरू गरेकाले निष्काशनमा परेकाहरूले जनतामा भ्रम सृजना गर्न खोजेको आरोप लगाए।
'काठमाण्डू विष्फोट बर्बर एवम् अमानवीय'
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सरकारले काठमाण्डूमा आइतवार गराइएका बम विष्फोटहरुलाई आतंककारी र अमानवीय भन्दै संविधानसभा चुनावकालागि विशेष सुरक्षा अभियान शुरु गरेको बताएको छ। राजधानीका सार्वजनिक स्थल तथा परिवहनमा श्रृङखलावद्ध बम बिष्फोटन भएको एक दिन पछि बसेको मन्त्रीपरिषदको आपत्कालीन बैठकले सुरक्षा स्थितिको समीक्षा पनि गरेको थियो। सरकारले घाइतेहरुको उपचार खर्च ब्यहोर्ने जानकारी दिएको छ। मन्त्रिपरिषदले त्यस्ता कार्यलाई संविधानसभाको निर्वाचन बिथोल्ने नियोजित षडयन्त्रका रुपमा लिएको जनाएको छ। आइतवार त्रिपुरेश्वर, सुन्धारा र बालाजुमा लगभग एकै समयमा भएका बिष्फोटनमा परी विष्फोटनमा परी दुईजनाको ज्यान जानुकासाथै दुई दर्जन घाइते भएका थिए। प्रहरीले अनुसन्धानका क्रममा केही ब्यक्तिहरुलाई पक्राउ गरी सोधपुछ गर्दैरहेको जनाएको छ। बैठकपछि आठदलीय सरकारका प्रवक्ता तथा सूचना एवम् सन्चार मन्त्री कृष्णबहादुर महराले भने, "सरकारले अहिले सु्रक्षा स्थितिलाई कडा तुल्याउँदै अनुसन्धान शुरु गरेको छ र सबै नेपालीलाई संयमित हुन आग्रह गरेको छ। " 'सरकार अविचलित' महराले सरकार ती हमलाहरुबाट विचलित नभएको बताउदै सबै नेपालीहरुलाई, उनकै शब्दमा, संविधानसभा बिथोल्ने र आतंक फैल्याउने खालका षडयन्त्र र क्रियाकलापहरुलाई विफल तुल्याउन आग्रह गरे। उनले भने, "सरकार एकदम गम्भीर भएको छ र दलहरु मिलेर, सबै एकजुट भएर चुनौतीहरुको सामना गर्नुपर्छ।" सोमवार सांझ सम्म पनि एक दर्जन घाइतेहरु उपचार गराइरहेका थिए। एकजना विद्यार्थी गुमाएको र अन्य केही विद्यार्थी घाइते भएको त्रिपुरेश्वरस्थित विश्व निकेतन स्कुल शोकाकुल बन्न पुगेको छ। यसअघि खासै नाम नसुनिएका तीनवटा समूहहरु अगाडि आईसकेका छन्। बीबीसीसंग कुरा गर्दै गृह मन्त्रालयका प्रवक्ता वामनप्रसाद न्यौपानेले सरकारले त्यसबारे अनुसन्धान गरीरहेको बताए। देश संविधानसभाको चुनाव गराउन अग्रसर भैरहंदा गराईएका हमलाहरुको चौतर्फी निन्दा र भर्त्सना गरिएको छ। उता संविधान सभाको चुनावका लागि आवश्यक सुरक्षा प्रबन्ध मिलाउने विषयमा क्षेत्रीय स्तरमा छलफल गर्न गृहमन्त्री कृष्णप्रसाद सिटौला बिराटनगर पुगेका छन्। बिराटनगरस्थित बीबीसीका एकजना संवाददाता भन्छन्, "त्यहां उनले सबैलाई चुनाव शान्तिपूर्ण र तोकिएकै समयमा हुने कुरामा आश्वस्त तुल्याउने कोशिश गरेका थिए।" | |||||
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Kathmandu bomb leaves 38 injured
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The explosion struck a building of the government-owned Employees' Provident Fund that was under construction. No one has admitted the attack but police say it follows the pattern of raids by Maoist rebels. The Maoists have been waging an eight-year insurgency to replace the constitutional monarchy. More than 9,000 people have died.
Rickshaw park The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says the blast happened in a congested central area not far from the army headquarters.
At the bomb site, dust filled the air and shards of glass filled the roadway outside the building. Many plate glass windows had been shattered or fallen away completely. A nearby stallholder said it had sounded as if the whole building was collapsing. Police told the BBC three young men had overpowered a security guard and run up the entrance staircase, leaving the explosive device by lifts. The men shouted to workers to leave the building, but moments later the bomb exploded. The building adjoins a rickshaw park and market and many of the injured were passengers and drivers of rickshaws. Most of those hurt were swiftly discharged from hospital although a few have been detained.
Our correspondent says the blast was one of the capital's biggest and the first attack there since a nine-day truce expired 12 days ago. There was a second bomb explosion on Tuesday at a government building in the town of Bhaktapur, just east of Kathmandu, according to the police. Two people were reported to have been wounded in the incident, which the authorities are also blaming on the Maoists. | ||
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