So the Magical Number for Nepal’s Peace Process is 6,500 (?)

Posted on November 1, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Leaders agree on number of Maoist guerillas to be integrated

KATHMANDU, NOV 01 – The peace process that was started five years ago in 2006 is likely to witness its logical conclusion. The meeting of the top brass leaders of the major political parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist) and the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha—on Tuesday agreed on contentious issues of the peace process.

UML leader Bhim Rawal announced the deal amid a press conference organised at the PM’s residence.

The leaders have agreed to integrate 6,500 former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army in an individual basis, Rawal informed. Likewise, the rehabilitation package has been agreed upon Rs. 600,000 to Rs. 900,000 as per the rank of the combatants.

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, NC President Sushil Koirala, UML Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal and Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar as SLMM’s representative signed on the “peace deal” at Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s official residence in Baluwatar.

Meanwhile, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a talk with his deputy Mohan Baidya—leader of the party’s hardliner faction—so as to take him into confidence.

The background: how they bargained

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माओवादी-भारत सम्बन्ध: पहिले विस्तारवाद, अहिले अवसरवाद

Posted on October 22, 2011 by | 8 Comments

Bistarbad..Absarbad

दिनेश वाग्ले
वाग्ले स्ट्रिट जर्नल
यो लेख आजको कान्तिपुर मा प्रकाशित भएको हो । पत्रिकाकै पन्नामा हेर्ने भए यहाँ क्लिके हुन्छ । 

प्रधानमन्त्रीका रूपमा माओवादी नेता बाबुराम भट्टराई भारतको औपचारिक भ्रमणमा रहेको यो अवस्थामा नेपालमा विपक्षी कांग्रेसका नेताहरू हात बाँधेर मुस्काइरहेका छन् । उनीहरूको त्यो मुस्कुराइ झन्डै १५ वर्षअघिको एउटा सानो जस्तो लाग्ने घटना र त्यसपछिका भयङ्करजस्ता लाग्ने थुप्रै अन्य घटनामा अडिएको छ । २०५२ माघ २९ गते झ्याम्म दाह्री पालेका एकजना ‘रिसाहा अधबैंसे’ ले त्यतिबेलाका कांग्रेसी प्रधानमन्त्री शेरबहादुर देउवासमक्ष ४० वटा माग प्रस्तुत गर्दै ती फागुन ५ गतेसम्म पूरा नभए ‘सशक्त संघर्षको बाटोमा’ हिँड्ने चेतावनी दिएका थिए । ती माग पूरा हुने नहुने टुङ्गो नलाग्दै र आफैंले तोकेको समयसीमाको बेवास्ता गर्दै ती व्यक्ति फागुन एकमै भूमिगत भए कमरेड लालध्वजका रूपमा तत्कालीन राज्यसत्ताविरुद्ध त्यही दिन सुरु भएको सशस्त्र युद्धमा सामेल हुन । ती लालध्वज, धेरैलाई थाहा छ, यिनै भट्टराई हुन् जसले (र, उनको पार्टी माओवादीले) १५ वर्षपछि भारतसँग सम्बन्धित सुरुका नौ मागलाई पूरै बिर्सन खोजेको जबरजस्त अभिनय गरिरहेका छन् । ४० मध्ये कतिपय माग ०६२/०६३ को जनआन्दोलनले पूरा गरायो तर त्यो सूचीमा रहेका नम्बर एकदेखि नौसम्मका माग अहिले पनि पूरा भएका छैनन् । पूरा गराउने कुर्सीमा माओवादीका अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहाल नौ महिना बसिसेका छन् भने लाजध्वज त्यो कुर्सीमा बसेको आठौं हप्ता भएको छ । Continue reading →

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Posted in Eye on Maoist, Nepal-India

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Prime Minister Baburam in India: Agreements Signed and Some Photos Clicked

Posted on October 22, 2011 by | Leave a comment
Baburam Bhattarai and Man Mohan Singh

Baburam Bhattarai and Man Mohan Singh

Nepal, India ink two major deals including BIPPA

  • BIPPA a calculated gamble: PM

By Akhilesh Upadhyay and Mahesh Acharya
in The Kathmandu Post

Nepal and India singed two major agreements, including the much-talked about Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA), here late on Friday (yesterday). This brings to a close days of hectic negotiations and speculations over the fate of BIPPA, which India has sought to protect security for its investments in Nepal.

Minster for Industry Anil Kumar Jha and Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee signed the agreement at Hyderabad House, the government venue for high-level negotiations in India. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattrai and his counterpart Manmohan Singh were present at the signing.

The two sides also agreed to a $250-million line of credit to finance infrastructure projects such as highways, airports and bridges. The credit line was announced during President Ram Baran Yadav’s state visit to Delhi last year. In the run-up to the visit, PM Bhattarai is known to have pitched for a $1 billion and was expecting even more, government sources said. India responded positively, according to officials. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nepal-India

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Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai’s India Trip

Posted on October 20, 2011 by | 1 Comment

baburam bhattarai india trip

By Akhilesh Upadhyay
in the Kathmandu Post

OCT 20 – No visit by a Nepali Prime Minister to New Delhi has generated as much attention as that of Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s in September 2008. There was a good reason.

His party CPN (Maoist), underground only until two years ago, had thumped traditional powerhouses in their first open elections. Though Maoist leaders and India’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had worked closely to make the 12-point agreement between the Maoists and the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) possible, people in New Delhi were still not sure how the force that had historically regarded India as “expansionist” would respond in New Delhi. Continue reading →

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Prime Minister Sacks Two Controversial Ministers

Posted on October 19, 2011 by | Leave a comment

PM relieves Bhandari, Sah of ministerial posts, Justifies his move as instrumental to facilitate peace, statute process

Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai Wednesday relieved Defence Minister Sarat Singh Bhandari and Minister for Land Reforms and Management Prabhu Sah of their posts.

“I want to inform the parliament that I have removed ministers Bhandari and Sah in the recommendation of their respective parties,” Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai announced in the Legislature-Parliament late this afternoon. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nepali Politics 2

Eighth Wonder

Posted on October 1, 2011 by | 6 Comments

Seven years of blogging completed. Satisfied. But long way to go ahead…this journey had officially begun on this day- 1 Oct- in 2004. Thank you all.

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Does Baburam Bhattarai Need Political Adversaries like Mohan Baidya When he has a Wife like Hisila Yami?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by | 4 Comments

LEFT TO RIGHT: Sita Dahal, her husband Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Dr Baburam Bhattarai and his wife Hisila Yami pose for a photo before heading to what is now known as the historic Chunwang Baithak (meeting) in Chunwang, Rolpa in 2005. Pic via Dinesh Shrestha

‘Choosy’ Hisila Yami Cheapens Her PM Hubby’s Resolves  हिसिला यमी जस्ती भ्रष्ट श्रीमती भएपछि प्रधानमन्त्री बाबुरामलाई मोहन बैद्य जस्ता राजनीतिक शत्रु किन चाहियोस ?

By Bhadra Sharma

[प्रधानमन्त्रीकी भ्रष्ट पत्नी: १६ लाखको मुस्ताङ चढने प्रधानमन्त्रीकी श्रीमती हिसिला यमीलाई डेड करोडको प्राडो चाहियो ! जवकी प्रधानमन्त्रीकी श्रीमतीलाई गाडी दिने कानूनी प्रावधानै छैन । सस्तो गाडी दिँदा उनले मुख्य सचिवलाई भनिन्- " त्यो गिरिजाले चढेको थोत्रो, मलाई नयाँ चाहियो ।" प्रधानमन्त्रीले बोलाएको भन्दै सचिवहरूलाई बालुवाटारस्थित प्रम निवासमा झुक्याएर बोलाउने यमीले आफै सचिवहरूलाई निर्देशन दिन्छिन् । स्रोत: काठमान्डू पोष्ट]

While Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has been meticulously following the austerity measures in a bid to create a better image of his government, his wife Hisila Yami, a prominent leader in the Maoist party, seems to be swimming against the current. Sources said many of her recent acts watered down her husband’s resolves.

In a clear breach of the PM’s recent directives, Yami demanded a Prado, a Toyota car that costs Rs 15 million, from the Prime Minister’s Office only last week. PM Bhattarai, in sharp contrast, rides a Nepal-assembled Mustang car, which costs Rs 1.6 million. Continue reading →

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Population of Nepal is 26.6 Million (26,620,809 to be exact)

Posted on September 27, 2011 by | 2 Comments

people of nepalThat’s the preliminary result, which the Central Bureau of Statistics Director General Uttam Narayan Malla said, may change after the final result is prepared.

This report was prepared and distributed by the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS)

The population of Nepal has reached 26.6 million, according to the preliminary result of the National Census 2011. The result released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) on Tuesday (today) said the population of Nepal is 26,620,809 in 2011 including 12,927,431 male and 13,693,378 female. The census showed the population growth rate of Nepal was 2.25 per cent per annum. Nepal’s population was 23 million according to the last census held in 2001. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nepali Society

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Milky Way as seen from Mardi Khola, Nepal

Posted on September 27, 2011 by | 6 Comments
The Milky Way as seen in the Mardi Khola valley in the Himalayas, with clouds of galactic dust illuminated in red by young stars. Anton Jankovoy braved freezing temperatures for this shot during a trek in Nepal Photograph: Anton Jankovoy/ Caters News Agency

The Milky Way as seen in the Mardi Khola valley in the Himalayas, with clouds of galactic dust illuminated in red by young stars. Anton Jankovoy braved freezing temperatures for this shot during a trek in Nepal Photograph: Anton Jankovoy/ Caters News Agency (via the Guardian)

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Posted in Fun Blog, Nepal in Foreign Press

Buddhist Nuns Embrace the Power of Kung Fu

Posted on September 27, 2011 by | 2 Comments

NEPAL IN FOREIGN PRESS Nepali monastery is enjoying a surge in popularity after spiritual leader introduces martial arts classes

20110927-025644.jpg
Nuns practising kung fu at the Druk Gawa Khilwa Buddhist nunnery in Ramkot, Nepal. Photograph: Simon De Trey-White/Eyevine

By Syed Zain al-Mahmood in Kathmandu

A Buddhist monastery near Kathmandu is enjoying a surge in popularity after its spiritual leader directed its 300 nuns to use martial arts techniques.

Enrolment is rising and Buddhist nuns as far afield as the Himachal Pradesh in India want to become kung fu instructors.

The Druk Gawa Khilwa (DGK) nunnery near the Nepali capital teaches its nuns a mixture of martial arts and meditation as a means of empowering the young women. In Buddhism, like many religions, the voices of women have traditionally been muted. But the leader of the 800-year-old Drukpa – or Dragon – order, to which DGK belongs, is determined to change all that. Continue reading →

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Posted in Nepal in Foreign Press

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