Daily Archives: April 18, 2006

Yesterday night saw a heavy downpour while it was drizzling this morning. However, after rain stopped at 5 pm today, the agitation has resumed in many places of the Valley.

UWB! Team

At 1 pm, thirty two civil servants including a personal assistant of Home Ministry were arrested. Four journos were among them. In Thapathali, thirteen employee of Nepal Rastra Bank’s banking office were arrested. For the first time, the government and bank employees are arrested. The dhukuti of the bank was guarded by the staffs for the first time.

Protesters organized processions at Chhetrapati, Thamel, Thankot, Kalanki and Gongabu. In Buddhanagar, one protester was injured by security forces. Similarly, in Pokhara 30 protesters were injured. Today, Pokhara was tense. In Udaypur, one was injured.

Former PM Lokendra Bahadur Chand is scheduled to see king at 5:30pm. He will be followed by Pashupati Shamsher Rana.

UML General Secretary Madhav Nepal, who has been detained at Kakani, was rumored to be released today. But, after taking him to Armed Police Force’s HQ at Halchowk, he’s taken back to Kakani.

As the agitation intensifies, the beleaguered king has only few options left

UWB! Analysis

King Gyanendra seems unfazed by the ongoing agitation that has successfully entered its 13th day. Although, by meeting two former primeministers, he tried to show that he is willing to participate in dialogue, these meetings only indicate that he is hell bent on committing confrontations and violence. His meeting with the irrelevant and redundant leaders like Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is an ample proof of this. Bhattarai is neither active in the movement nor is he up to date on the recent happentances. He is also incapable to analyze the situation and the ground reality of the country. Therefore, he is reiterating the old agenda: revival of constitution. Not only that, he also absurdly claimed himself a royalist. King wants to diffuse the movement through such meetings. He wants to pretend that he’s consulting the leaders. But, what he needs to understand is no matter how many leaders he consults; the ripples of movement will not slow down. Nepali people have marched forward ahead than the leaders can imagine. Their agenda is not the cosmetic change in regime, but sovereignty of people and inclusiveness. Continue reading →