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The Nepal Digest Saturday 27 July 94: Shrawan 12 2051 BkSm Volume 29 Issue 4
Today's Topics:
Topics not printed due to time constraints.
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**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 94 10:37:34 -0700
From: ojha@ece.ucdavis.edu (Bijaya Ojha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Mr. Editor,
I want to add to the recent editorials that Mr. Pramod K.
Mishra has written to you regarding the status of women in Hinduism.
As a Nepali Hindu woman (a claim which an elder questioned because I
am not yet married -- 'girl' was suggested the more appropriate
title), I believe that I have a responsibility to ensure that the
dialog on this topic continues. I will speak for myself but think
that the words I have to say are words that many other women would
like to say as well.
I write with anger in my heart toward the customs, the
rituals, and the people who ask me to give up my goals and dreams to
submissively hand my future to a total stranger for no other reason
than he is Nepali and belongs to a certain caste.
I will not!
If I am to be treated like property, then let me show you how
the advertisement for my sale would read:
I come without dowry. If my parents insist on paying to get
rid of me, I won't marry. If that means that Nepali men from a
certain caste (or their parents) won't accept me, then I'm too good
for them. I don't guarantee children within a few years of marriage
-- I'm more interested in establishing a foundation for my dreams at
the moment than raising a family. I hate working in the kitchen so I
won't provide my husband's every hot meal. I won't be a washing
machine, a cooking machine, a cleaning machine, a sex machine, a
status machine. I'm not and will never be property. The course of my
life with my husband will be as unpredictable as that of a raging
river's to the sea.
My college education is not the means to an end of being
chosen for marriage over a younger, fairer maiden!
Let me address the entire Nepali and Hindu community and
culture now:
Would you rather that my thinking capacities were limited only
to how to become a good mother and wife? Would you rather believe
that God gave women their days under the sun only to always think of
others and never themselves? Would you rather see a Nepali girl who
grew up in the West and found herself a Western boyfriend as someone
branded for life, but a Nepali boy who chose a Western girlfriend as
merely having fun until he found a nice, submissive, obedient Nepali
girl? Would you rather I keep quiet about everything that bothers me
about my culture because it is not the woman's place to raise her
voice?
When I go to Nepali functions, the question I encounter most
is 'When are you getting married?' I haven't yet learned to answer
creatively and usually respond with 'I don't know.' But this is what
I'd like to say: 'It's none of your business and who are you to tell
me when and who I should marry?'
Some may argue that I'm being disrespectful and that the
people who question me are concerned with my future. I see right
through that logic. If they were concerned for me, wouldn't they
insist that I'm worth the best that life has to offer me? Wouldn't
they acknowledge my dreams and aspirations? Wouldn't they address my
questions regarding what would happen if my husband turned out to be a
monster, by saying something other than 'That won't happen'? If
people were concerned for me, then why must I guard my every action
lest it become fodder for the gossip mill?
There's theory and there's practice in every religion. The
theory in Hinduism is that a woman commands respect -- she is Shakti.
Woman and man complement one another -- each only a half without the
other to make a whole. Shakti and Shiva. Laxmi and Narayan. Radha
and Krishna. But the practice in Hinduism remains, in Valmiky's
words: "The drums, the ignorant men, the untouchables, the animals,
and the women deserve regular beating."
I don't think so!
Bijaya Ojha <ojha@madrone.ece.ucdavis.edu>
**********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 1994 23:58:35 -0400
From: rajendra@coos.dartmouth.edu (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Budget for FY 1994/95 passed by royal decree
Source: AFP, July 15 (paraphrased)
Headline: Budget for FY 1994/95 passed
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 15
The caretaker government of prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala
announced the budget for 1994/95 fiscal year on Friday. The budget was
passed by a royal ordinance because the parliament was dissolved on
Monday.
The Finance Ministry announced its 39.91 billion rupee (80.5
million U.S. dollar) budget at a meeting of the national planning
commission.
In what has been considered as a political budget, the government
has exempted 90 percent of farmers in mountaineous areas and
smallholders from land taxes. Hotel taxes have also been reduced.
The government plans to receive 22.3 billion rupees from land,
income, tourist taxes,and customs duties and other sources.
Nearly half of the development spending will be covered through
foreign loans, a fifth by spending cuts, 9 percent through internal
loans and 21 percent through foreign grants.
Out of the total 39.91 billion rupee budget, 18.76 billion rupees
are set for police and army, as well as civil servant salaries.
The remaining 21.14 billion rupees have been earmarked for
development.
Source: Xinhua
Headline: Nepali Congress General Secretary Lambasts PM Koirala
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 15
The General Secretary of the ruling Nepali Congress, Mahendra
Narayan Nidhi, lambasted prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala for
mid-term poll, according to an interview published in the "Kathmandu
Post".
Nidhi said that the announcement of mid-term poll was "pre-planned"
and that the caretaker prime minister and palace were involved in a
"conspiracy". Nidhi was critical of the caretaker government led by
Koirala to oversee the mid-term poll, terming it "undemocratic and
immoral". The Nepali Congress General Secretary added that Koirala
lost majority in the house of representatives and therefore has no
right to be the prime minister. He pointed out that the only way out
of the present political stalemate was to let the Nepali Congress form
a new government.
Nidhi also urged his party to support the Communist Party of Nepal
(UML) in its bid to oust Koirala. "If the CPN(UML) agitation fails,
the Nepali Congress should boycott the mid-term poll," said Nidhi. The
Nepali Congress General Secretary's open position against mid-term
poll is seen as a major victory for Ganesh Man Singh and the party
president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.
Meanwhile, chairman of the national assembly (upper house), Beni
Bahadur Karki, also raised doubts about the mid-term poll. Speaking on
radio Nepal Thursday, he said that he felt there was a deep conspiracy
behind the dissolution of the house of representatives.
Meanwhile, prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala has been receiving
support from Nepali Congress party workers in various districts,
according to the official news agency RSS reports. These include the
district committees of Kavre, Nawalparasi, Okhaldhunga and other
districts. They have also called for convening the general council as
early as possible. The Nepali Congress general council, slated for
June 22, was postponed due to Ganesh Man Singh's illness. Nepali
Congress party workers held rallies in many municipalities and
districts in support of Koirala.
**********************************************************************
From: Rajendra Shrestha
Subject: Saturday's News
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Sun, 17 Jul 1994 15:14:53 -0400 (EDT)
Source: Agence France Presse, July 16
Headline: Demonstrations against Nepalese king, PM gaining momentum in
Nepal
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 16
Anti-monarchist demonstrations took to the streets of Kathmandu
Saturday, denouncing the King's dissolution of parliament and calling
for the Prime Minister's immediate removal.
The United People's Front (UPF) activists and other communist
supporters expressed anger over King Birendra's decision last Monday
to dissolve the Nepalese house of representatives and call November
elections.
The anti-monarchist sentiment is slowly spreading throughout this
Himalayan kingdom, the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist and
Leninist (NCP-UML) Central Party Secretary Pradip Nepal said in a
statement Saturday.
The communists claim that Koirala has already lost the crucial vote
and no longer has the right to advise the king on his
"unconstitutional" decision to dissolve the lower house. The
protesters also called the caretaker government unacceptable and
pressed for an all-party interim government to conduct the polls
fairly and freely.
Koirala has been criticized by his own Nepali Congress (NC) MPs, as
well as opposition members for his failure to tackle inflation,
control administrative corruption, or maintain law and order.
He has also been accused of using his influence over the
appointment of a foreign company as the Royal Nepal Airline's general
sales agency, an accusation he denies.
The NCP-UML on Thursday handed King Birendra a five-day ultimatum
threatening to launch a massive agitation campaign across the country
if Koirala is not dismissed.
The communists have threatened to stage a one-day general strike on
July 20 to be quickly followed by a three-day strike.
Source: Xinhua
Headline: Nepali Congress to solve internal crisis
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 16
The Nepali Congress will hold its central working committee meeting
on July 18 to solve its internal crisis. It is expected that the
central working committee meeting will take a crucial decision on the
future of the Nepali Congress and hold extensive deliberations on the
topical political issues. The prime minister lobby will reportedly
table a proposal at the meeting to demand the meeting take action
against the 36 dissident former Nepali Congress lawmakers while the
majority of the central working committee members, who support
president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, will demand that prime minister
Koirala including his supporters be removed from the party.
On Friday, Prime Minister Koirala and Nepali Congress president
Bhattarai had talks on the party unity and conciliation. But no
particular results is available up to now. The internal crisis within
the Nepali Congress was intensified after the dissolution of the house
of representatives and the appointment of Koirala as carataker prime
minister.
------------------------------------------------------------
Source: UPI
Headline: Nepal's leftist parties to launch joint protest
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 16
Six leftist parties announced Saturday a common program to oust the
caretaker government of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and form
a coalition government. Protests will begin Monday with demonstrations
in the 75 administrative headquarters nationwide, the protesters
said. Representatives of the six-party alliance of communists told
reporters the first phase of the demonstrations will include a
three-day nationwide general strike beginning Sunday July 24. "The six
leftist parties have reached a clear understanding that a free and
fair election cannot be held under Koirala," Madhav Nepal, general
secretary of the Nepal Communist Party (UML) told reporters. King
Birendra, Nepal said, "did not act according to the Constitution and
did not exhaust parliamentary exercises" while appointing Girija
Prasad Koirala caretaker government. Koirala resigned Sunday when 36
rebels in his Nepali Congress party helped defeat a government program
in parliament that led to Koirala's resignation.
King Birendra dissolved Parliament on Koirala's recommendation,
called snap elections almost two years ahead of schedule and appointed
Koirala to hold the snap polls. "We will talk only with the king. We
cannot talk to Koirala (because) his government is unconstitutional,"
Nirmal Lama of the Samyukta Jana Morcha, another party of the
alliance, said. The six communist factions are the UML, the Unity
Centre, the Nepal Communist League, the Workers and Peasants Party,
the United People's Front and the Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal).
While the communists have now joined forces against Koirala, inside
Nepali Congress party the chasm deepened with demands for Koirala's
expulsion from the party for calling snap polls without consulting the
party leadership. Koirala retaliated by demanding the expulstion of 36
rebel parliamentarians who abstained in a crucial parliament vote that
forced his resignation.
****************************************************************
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 11:17:15 +0700 (GMT+0700)
From: Leader Shreshta <leader@emailhost.ait.ac.th>
Subject: NPNIC-DOM For your information
To: nepal <Nepal@cs.niu.edu>
I came to know about Nepal Network Information Center (NPNIC-DOM) through
APNIC admin. The Nepal NIC has not yet been established. APNIC has reserved
the names of national NICs in the AP region until the time that the
national NICs are established and can receive the DNS delegation. Once
NPNIC-DOM starts every one of us will have access to hosts at NEPAL
directly. Do any one in the net has idea when will APNIC start ?
L. Shrestha
AIT
*****************************************************************
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 17:43:15 +1000
From: Subas Bastola <s9100209@chudich.cse.rmit.edu.au>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Re: Top 10 Greats of Nepal
Dear netters
Namaskaar!
Remember me? I had earlier posted an article relating to my choice of top 10
great Nepalese of this twentieth century.I had also asked you to send me your
invaluable comments. Well I could not be disappointed,the response was
fantastic.
To recap, my choices were
1. King Mahendra
2. Gaje Ghale (symbolically representing the Gurkha soldiers)
3. Chandra Shumsher
4. B.P. Koirala
5. Laxmi Prasad Devkota
6. Subarna Shumsher
7. Tenzing Sherpa
8. Madan Bhandari
9. Narayan Gopal
10.Surya Bahadur Thapa
And how were they selected?
They were chosen and ranked according to the impact they made in Nepalese
society, no matter good or bad.
To elaborate on this criterion, we should definitely include Hitler and Mao
Tse Tung in a list of greats of the world in this century.
Why I am using this criterion rather than "morally greats"?
Because the list then would be:
1) Subjective: Some people regard Mao as a cruel dictator and giant killing
machine. At the same time other regard him as a humane,honest and the God
of the oppressed, who sometimes had to resort to violence for the benefit
of the people.
2) Discriminatory: If you deeply look into every human being he would be
"great". How can you say that a poor farmer toiling his sweat and blood in
the paddy field is not "great" when he is most honest and caring. At least
he is working to feed others.
Returning to the response, it was overwhelming. I received around twenty five
responses from all over the world. Most them were Nepalese but some people
from non-Nepalese origin also participated.
The important points are:
1) Almost all of them reacted strongly for excluding Supremo G.M. Singh.
Although they did not forget to mention that the Supremo has behaved little
bit of erratically in last few years, they all believed that he has contributed
a lot in all of the three main peoples movement that happened in this century.
This shows that he still commands respect in our society and must be included
in our list.
Mind you I deliberately excluded him from the list to find where does he stands
in the minds of Nepalese people. Actually he takes the place of Madan Bhandari.
2) Almost half of the respondents did not want Surya Bahadur Thapa in the list.
I think some were confused about the list as a list of "moral greats".
3) Tenzing Sherpa - Issue was raised regarding his nationality. This is a
controversial topic. I just wonder if Neil Armstrong took the citizenship
of Mongolia tomorrow would American regard him as an alien.
4) A good favorite was Parijat.
5) I was accused of being too much interested in political figures. I don't
know but I have infact tried to be less favorable to the politicians.
6) Some suggestions were:
Prem Bahadur Kansakar
Chittadhar Hridaya
Gehendra Shumsher
Shankardev Pant
Amritman Pradhan
S. B. Dhaubadel ( a Nepalese scientist, supposedly the founder of Dhaubadel acid)
Four Martyrs (Gangalal,...)
Shiva Shrestha
Well, thank you all of you for your suggestions.
Lastly a lot of respondents believed that it would be a great project to compilethe list according the votes of the netters. In fact I also belive that this is
not a useless mental exercise, rather it gives us a rare opporunity to judge
our leaders. By voting it would give some objectivity( otherwise the list may
be regarded as subjective one).
Therefore I just wonder if we would like to cast our vote on this topic when
our beloved bretherens would be casting their votes in the mid-term poll.
If you would like to participate in this project "Top 10 Great" please send
the names of your choosen personalities and their ranking.
I am ready to volunteer as a statistician and I would provide you with the
result of your votes.
ITS VOTING TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CAST YOUR VOTE FOR TOP 10 GREAT NEPALESE OF THIS CENTURY
If your chosen personality is less known in Nepal please give some info on him
or her.
Send your votes to NEPAL@CS.NIU.EDU
SEND YOUR VOTE NOW!!!!!!!!
Jay Nepal
Subas Bastola
Melbourne
Australia.
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 14:53 EST
From: ATULADHAR@vax.clarku.edu
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Eight Years of Girija?
=======================
Will girija rule for eight years?
Three years as head of a congress government and 5 years as head of the
Congress (Koirala faction) and National Democratic Party (Panche party)
coalition with Sadbhavana Party?
This is what Koirala thinks he can do.
This is what all his political opponents in Communist parties and Congress
party think he can do. That is why all of them are against the midtermn
elections and why some of them are threatening to launch nation-wide strikes
for his removal.
What is the reason for this image of invincibility for Girija?
There are actually several:
1. Girija will have control of the government machinery and resources and
in a poor country with poor political parties, the party faction with
government coffers to reach into for money and powers has all the powers sof
the incumbent. For instance, during the Congress general counsel meeting of
elected local government leaders of Congress in Pokhara, Girija used the
government machinery of Chief district Officers and faxes and vehicles to
round up his supporters to show down krishna Prasad. For the elections, he
will have the powerful security agencies: the military and police to
intimidate and downright suppress his opponenent in the name of law and order,
peace and security.
2. Girija has the support of the King. This has been his long time
politics. Indeed he was against the launching of the 1989 revolution that
paved the way to his power. The panchas have always been dearer to him than
the communists. In power, he has protected the king's wishes by promoting
police officers accused of suppressing democracy, releasing Dhirendra' body
guard, Bharat Gurung, and generally pleasing the Royals when Krishna Prasad
revealed that he stood up to the Palace's threats druing the drafting of the
congress. In return, the King obviously trusts Girija much more than any
leaders around. And the King still commands a lot of resources both money,
goodwill, support of the Army and the residual constitutional powers.
3. Regional politics also seem to favour Girija at least for the time
being. Girija has the strong family support of janata Dal Leader and former
Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, who is romantically linked to Shailaza
Acharya, the relative of Girija and a prime ministerial candidate in her own
right (according to local papers). In India, narasimha Rao government is
coming on strong and for him to consolidate his majority, Chandra Shekhar has
been supplying janata dal defectors and tacit support to him. Nepali PM seat
is small price for narasimha Rao to pay to consolidate the stakes of a strong
Congress I government with janata dal support from Chandra Shekhar.
4. Nationally, girija has all the support he needs from the West namely
USA and the capitalist institutions. In strategic terms, Girija is keeping US
very happy by playing the Tibet card of promoting and inciting "Free Tibet"
movement of Tibetans in Kathmandu, permitting Taiwanese to come to Nepal and
generally allowing US to irk and irritate China with a human right prick to
extract trade benefits and now behind the scenes influence on recalcitrant
North Korean nuclear program. He is also keeping the Western capitalist happy
by abandoning the congress plank of "democratic socialism" and embracing
whole-hog capitalism with liberalization, private sector ownership, and taking
huge loans from World Bank for massive projects such as Arun III and reducing
subsidies for electricity, oil, and food crops and giving Nepali janata a
royal dose ofhyper-inflation.
5. Another thing going for Girija is the history of strong family rule
from damodar Pandey and bhimsen Thapa to Jung Bahadur Rana. Family politics is
historically more effective and long lasting than democratic party politics.
That is why when congress, the huge power won power, girija did not find many
fellow congressis to trust to run this governemnt, he had tos scour his
relatives for key cabinet slots, and ministerial advisorships, and
ambassadors. Already, 3 of the Koirala brothers have become prime ministers
and he has the "Killing instinct" which the sage Krishna Prasad doies not seem
to have. Girija is tenacious and can play political hardball with this
opponents.
Of course, conventional political wisdome can go wrong and that is one reasons
why watching politics is so entertaining at times.
One of the things that could go wrong is the way girija is playing the China
and the India card and American card.
Indian foreign policy is already unhappy at the eagerness with which Girija is
aligning his foreign policy with the US interests over Indian and Chinese
interests. India and China are both building up rapport and see a foreseeable
strategic common interests in ganging up together against the US and japan
both economically and militarily and politically. Both India and China
consdier themselves super power in their own rights and have long been
resentful of US constraining their regional dominance. India has been trying
to play down the tibet card to be friendsly with China ; recently, India
disallowed the use of Indian airlines to carry international delegates to a
tibetan government-in-exile conference in Dharamshala. India has also assured
the Chinese that they will not allow Tibetan young hot-heads from violently
seeking to overthrow the Chinese and has exerted on Dalai Lama to issue a
statement that he will resign if this happens.
Not that US cares for Tibet, commerceis always over human rights as is
eveident from Clinton's renewal of the most-favoured nation status to China
despite poor improvement in human rights. But US does want a beating stick to
get some concessions from China.
It is a tricky game, on one hand US does want the tremendous markets offered
by both INdia and China (2 billion people right there) and is more than happy
that they are lunging ahead in liberalization of economy. US also does not
want unmanageable "ethnic" issues stopping the march of capitalism so it is
quite happy with India, China, and nepal handle these problems with firmness
and a little leeway once in a while.
India is obviously unhappy that Koirala could not deliver the Tanakpur and is
cozying up with US over India. They feel, krishna and Ganesh Man are cognizant
of their iinterests. Remember Ganesh Man asking for 2/3 of the seats in the
parliament so he can ratify water accords through the Parliament
constitutinally and Krishna Prasad declaring publicly that he is pro-Indian?
But currently it's big national interests are more efficiently served with
consolidationof the Rao government so let Girija rule.
Amulya Tuladhar
clark university
usa
**********************************************************************
Date: Mon, 18 Jul 1994 21:59:57 -0700 (MST)
From: LITTLE@NAUVAX.UCC.NAU.EDU
Subject: Digest Contribution
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
>Dear Editor, These are my feelings regarding the series on Women in Hinduism. I
>do not mind sharing them if you find it appropriate. U.K. Little
>
>>Response to the series "Women in Hinduism:"
>>
>>"Women in Hinduism" is a remarkably well written series which successfully points out issues that are deeply rooted in our consciousness. However, I doubt that all Hindu women of the world would agree with Mr. Mishra's interpretation and may not take their tradition roles as negatively as it is described.
>>
>>Many Hindu women cherish their traditional roles and apply them positively to their advantage. Traditional Hindu women are well recognized in their societies for having positive influence, providing moral support, feeling secure, visionary thinking, patience, compassion, and so on. Because of these qualities, even today Hindu women's role play very subtle but quite powerful influence in both domestic and professional circumstances.
>>
>>Therefore, many positive aspects of Hindu women's roles must not be disregarded instead they should be preserved. It has been said that changes are inevitable.
>>
>>What do Hindu women want for change: more power, fairness, does not want to cook and clean, wants equal property rights, do not want arrange marrige, want equal educational or economical opportunities, more freedom from husband, control of family finances, more attention and recognition of who she is, be able to work ten hours a day, come to America for a PHD and so on? What women want and which Hindu roles has been the obstacle to word achieving those goals must be carefully examined before seeking new changes. Women also must take the responsibility of developing new set of roles not only suitable for the present but the possible impacts that may emerge in next generation.
>>
>>How women are going to develop a new set of roles ? What models are they going to follow? The roles of women in a Anglo-European society are definitely not convincing viewing their deteriorating social structure and discriminative, abusive, and suffering condition of women in the Unites States.
>>Looking at a Matriarchal culture, a traditional Navajo woman's roles we find as follows:
>>
>>The Navajo Matriarchal culture exists among 300,000 Navajos occupying one of the largest Indian reservations (25,000 square miles) in Northern Arizona and small portions of Utah and New Mexico. Navajos are the people who migrated from Mongolia across the Bering sea to Alaska during the ice age. A traditional Navajo woman shares her concerns of her culture as it is loosing the language, history and self-identity.
>>
>>She is the one who teaches language, culture, and religion to the young generation and practices what she believes.
>>She prepares food for the preservation of life. She feeds hungry people to give strength and the life sources.
>>She makes a child happy giving hope to their life.
>>She takes care of water. Water which is essential for life. Keeps water pure and untouched by harmful substances.
>>Give instruction about plants. Plants are the source of life which she teaches to the young people. She teaches about plant food and medicine
>>Women give birth to new life and accept circle of life. Women see her shadow through her children. Her children are happy and healthy that means she is happy. Her children are the shadow of herself, her life and what she believes.
>>She feels rich and contends through her knowledge, experiences and devotion by making others feel happy, she provides strength, confident, and hope to human life. Changing Seasons as circle of life Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
>>Season to a Navajo woman represents birth, gaining maturity, growth, harvest, fulfillment, resourceful, rest and completion.
>>
>>Although, above roles reflect traditional hunting and gathering Navajo culture but the last 200 years of Anglo-European efforts on assimilating Navajo culture in to the dominant white society have not been successful. The Navajo people have been able to retain their ancestry land, language, culture, and traditions intact until recent. Today, elders, educators, and policy makers are struggling to keep the Navajo identity from further change.
>>Before, we adapt any new roles let's not ignored the meaning behind traditional roles.
**********************************************************************
Date: Wed, 20 Jul 1994 00:27:05 -0400
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
From: rajendra@coos.dartmouth.edu (Rajendra P. Shrestha)
Subject: Congress meeting postponed indefinitely
Source: Agence France Presse
Headline: Nepalese Prime Minister attempts reconciliation with
dissidents
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 18
A meeting of the Nepali Congress central committee scheduled for
Monday was postponed indefinitely in a bid to reconcile the country's
beleagured prime minister and dissident members.
Chiranjibi Wagle, a spokesman for 36 dissident former Nepali
Congress MPs, said the postponement was an attempt to agree with Prime
Minister Girija Prasad Koirala a way of contesting election in
November.
The two sides will also seek to find ways of confronting a protest
movement jointly organized by six left wing factions.
The leftist groups plan a strike on July 20, followed by a 3-day
successive general strikes. The action is expected to hamper tourism
and national activity.
A Koirala supporter told AFP the prime minister fears he may be
expelled from the Nepali Congress for advising the king to order
elections.
At least two-thirds of the 27 central committee members, and the
Nepali Congress's top leader Ganesh Man Singh, want tough action
against Koirala, which could include expulsion.
[Xinhua reports that PM Koirala told the weekly "Suruchi" that the
decision to recommend new elections was made by the cabinet, and was
not just his personal decision. After the cabinet meeting, informal
discussions were held on the matter in the presence of party president
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and all ministers, he said. "I had told the
party president that I would resign, dissolve the house of
representatives and recommend snap polls," he clarified. The PM also
reassured that "the Nepali Congress will not split." ]
Subject: 8 injured by police in demonstrations
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Headline: 8 protestors injured in protests in Kathmandu
Dateline: Kathmandu, July 20
KATMANDU, Nepal (Reuter) - Nepali riot police firing tear
gas charged a huge anti-government demonstration near Katmandu's
royal palace Wednesday, injuring at least eight left-wing
protesters, government officials said.
The demonstration took place as schools, factories and
businesses closed across the Himalayan kingdom in response to an
opposition call for a general strike.
Police detained 268 of some 20,000 people who had gathered
near the palace to demand the resignation of Nepal's caretaker
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala ahead of elections
scheduled for November 13.
``We hope the leaders leading the crowd will not allow the
situation to get out of hand,'' Home Ministry spokesman Shree
Kanta Regmi said.
He said 25 vehicles were damaged in skirmishes between the
demonstrators and police.
A senior police official, who asked not to be named, said
earlier that riot police had been deployed in large numbers in
the area and the situation was tense.
Witnesses said the crowd chanted slogans against Koirala and
against King Birendra, who had asked him to stay on as caretaker
prime minister.
The police official said there had been scattered minor
incidents around Katmandu throughout the day and at least seven
buses had been stoned in the capital.
Violence often accompanies strikes in Nepal and police said
some 500 people described as potential trouble makers had been
detained on the eve of the strike.
There were no reports of major clashes between police and
protesters elsewhere in Nepal.
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