Monthly Archives: March 2006

Patan Meet in the Eve of April Uprising

Posted on March 31, 2006 by | 16 Comments

Text by Deepak Adhikari/Photos by Shruti Shrestha

The ancient city of Patan, especially the Krishnamandir area saw an unprecedented mass meet today. The month of April, according to the pamphlet distributed there, is marked by martyrdom and sacrifice for the country.


Mass at Mandir: People gathered at the Patan Durbar Square.

Hundreds of people participated in the rally organized by Joint People’s Movement Committee, Lalitpur. The mass meet precedes the much awaited seven party protest of April first week. Continue reading →

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UWB in USA: Mr. Blogger Goes to Washington

Posted on March 30, 2006 by | 57 Comments

[Update: Read Dinesh Wagle's American Journey here.]

UWB Note: Nepali blogging in UCLA. See this page.

After being invited by the U.S. government, UWB blogger Dinesh Wagle will go to America tomorrow in a three-week-long sponsored trip

By Dinesh Wagle

“Dear Mr. Wagle,” reads the letter signed by James F. Moriarty, the American ambassador in Nepal. “I am pleased to inform you that the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu invites you to visit the United States of America under an International Visitor Leadership Program entitled Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists in South Asia,” scheduled for April 3-21, 2006.” Because of that invitation, I am going to the United States. About 12 hours after the publications of this blog, I will be flying somewhere over the Indian Ocean heading for Washington DC via Bangkok-Tokyo-Detroit). Continue reading →

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Live From The War Zone. Thokarpa Aerial Attack

Posted on March 29, 2006 by | 88 Comments

Royal Nepalese Army attacked from air to the Moaists mass meeting at the Bagh Bhairav Secondary School, Thokarpa, Sindhupalchowk District killing at least four rebels and a civilains. UWB! blogger Bhojraj Bhat was covering the outlawed party’s mass meeting and saw everything with his own eyes. “Thank god,” he says after returning Kathmandu. “I am alive to tell the story.”

Thokarpa Army Aerial Attack Over Maoist Meeting
Maoists carry the corpse of their fallen comrade

By Bhojraj Bhat

One hour before the scheduled time, Maoists movement increased at Thokarpa. At around 11:30am, Varsha Man Pun (aka Ananta) walked towards the venue with his face covered by a handkerchief. Agni Prasad Sapkota (aka Kanchan) was accompanying him. A few number of them walked down from the school for the lunch. Continue reading →

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Indigenous Nepalis Rally Against Autocracy

Posted on March 29, 2006 by | 9 Comments

Nepal Indigenous Protest Rally Against Monarchy

Whispering Against Autocracy?

Two ladies talk to each other this afternoon while participating in a mass meeting organized to protest the autocracy of king Gyanendra in Basantapur, Kathmandu. Before this, several hundred people indigenous Nepalis affiliated with various organizations took out a rally chanting anti-king slogans. They were supporting the April 6-9 general strike and demonstrations planned against the autocracy by the Seven Party Alliance. The government has vowed to make the general strike a flop show. Pics by Bikash Karki Continue reading →

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Maoist Expects ‘April Revolution’ in Nepal

Posted on March 28, 2006 by | 63 Comments

Ten years after running the violent war against the state to topple monarchy for the communist dictatorship, top leader of the Maoist Party stresses the importance of unified non-violent movement to bring down autocracy in Nepal

So Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, revolutionary by some and terrorist for others, tries to convince us that the Nepal will see an “April Revolution” and that the peaceful movement against autocracy will successfully restore democracy in the country this time around. Writing an op-ed piece in today’s edition of Kantipur daily, Dr Bhattarai says, “It is felt everywhere that the pro-democracy movement has reached to the decisive turning point after the second understanding between the Maoists and pro-parliament forces and announcements of programs of strike and non-cooperation programs beginning from April 6.” He ends his optimistic and ‘the glass is half-full’ type of article with this warning sentence: “But there is only one condition that the party leadership should lead [the movement] firmly.” Continue reading →

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Nepalis in Europe Deliver Message To Their Prince

Posted on March 28, 2006 by | 20 Comments

See the equation, do the math:

Paris Protests Prince Paras Europe Visit

It wasn’t exactly the kind of welcome that the Crown Prince Paras wanted to see in Europe. There were no prajas clapping hands and bowing heads to receive him in Paris. Informed and empowered people were saying something that he didn’t probably wanted to hear. Prince is in Europe to present the Austrian government with a rhino as part of the courtesy extended by the poor Himalayan country marred by the conflict and political mismanagement of his father. Nepalis around the continent quickly gathered in front of the Eiffel Tower, Paris with different kinds of, some of them very creative, banners and placards a single aim: tell the prince that they don’t like what his father is doing back in home. And they did that Monday. Pics source: Pro-democratic Forum Paris via the Kathmandu Post Continue reading →

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In Autocracy, Nepal Economy Goes Down

Posted on March 27, 2006 by | 21 Comments

Renewing its warning issued a month ago, Kathmandu based economic watchdog Institute for Development Studies(IfDS) today said, ” While stagnant income and increasing inflation mean hardships for the ordinary people, capital flight points out that the future economic prospects of the country are bleak.” Here i s the complete text of the report disclosed by the organization:

The Economic Level and Directionafter February 2, 2006……

Institute for Development Studies(IfDS)

Executive Summary

1. After the publication of our report on February 20, a new wave of interest was shown by all on the state of Nepalese economy. But no improvements have been noticed yet in the overall performances of the economy. Instead, a number of new policies and programs initiated by the government in the recent past have helped the economy to deteriorate further. Against this background, it is not necessary to change the following hypothesis discussed in our first report:

(a) “In the lack of proper measures to improve the situation, the economy may fall together abruptly;”

(b) “If the present trend continues, the government may be financially bankrupt by the end of June”;

(c) “Once the economic problem is exploded, we will not have long time in the name of finding alternative programs. We will not be surprised if total anarchy prevails in the country….The national identity itself will be at stake”. Continue reading →

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For the Final Assault: Nepali Democracy Movement

Posted on March 27, 2006 by | 42 Comments

March 27 torchlight rally for the April demonstrations

Political parties have started campaigning for the April demonstrations. Pic by Prakash Mathema via Kantipur

Now that the programs for the grand protest against autocracy has been announced, Nepal’s political parties, supported by their sister organizations, have geared up for the BIG Decisive April Demonstrations. They have started rallying around the cities, sometime like in the photo above, carrying torches with them, to publicize the upcoming demos and telling people to be ready for the final assault against autocracy. Students associated with the Free Student’s Union at Tri-Chandra Campus organized a tourch-light rally in Maitidevi Temple this evening. Yesterday, parties organized a rally in Ason area and requested people for their support. Continue reading →

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Gandhi Resignation, Indian Democracy and Nepali Politics

Posted on March 25, 2006 by | 27 Comments

Not all things from India are suitable for copy but things like Sonia Gandhi’s giving up of two important posts and promising to go to people certainly qualify for imitating and implementing in Nepal.

By Dinesh Wagle

This is why, I think, the Indian Democracy rocks. People like Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari Bajpayee, stalwarts from the two opposing political parties, are there to save the Indian Democracy and push it upward as and when needed. Barely two years after she famously rejected the premiership of the world’s largest democracy, Sonia Gandhi, the president of India’s Congress Party today sacrificed two major posts- Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Presidency of the National Advisory Council. Even if this latest move turns out to be a part of the larger political drama, Sonia deserves praise for giving up greed and trusting the people power. She said that she will be fighting for the Parliament seat from her constituency (Rae Bareilly). Continue reading →

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A Far Cry From America

Posted on March 25, 2006 by | 3 Comments

SATURDAY BLOG by Deepak Adhikari

How do you feel when, one fine morning, your acquaintance comes up carrying a slim book of poetry collection with an abstract art in its cover? I, for one, was pleasantly surprised to find out that my teacher at Ratna Rajya Laxmi College, English Department, Mr. Hriseekesh Upadhyay has a penchant for poetry. I recalled him teaching Ted Hughes and Derek Walcott in our Postgraduate classes, but never knew he was clandestinely following their suits.

In the first week of March, his poetry collection In Love of America and Other Observations saw the light of the day. In fifty one pages, he has put together 30 poems; from half page long to 8-page long title poem. I confess: I’m still a novice in terms of technical aspects of poetry. I love reading them but can not fathom much beneath the surface. Not a review or anything, here’s just a primer: Continue reading →

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