Stop Burning Tire: कहिले रोकिने होला टायर बल्न ?

नेपालीलाई के भएको होला… जो देखे पनि खाली सडक कब्जा गर्न र टायर बाल्न मात्र अघि बढेको देखिन्छ । जन आन्दोलन भाग २ मा पनि खुबै टायर बल्यो । त्यो बेला तत्कालीन शाही सरकारको गोली र लट्ठी खाएकाहरु त चर्चामा आए… कतिको उपचार राज्यले गर्यो भने कतिलाई वेवास्ता पनि । तर त्यो टायरको धुँवा खाएर ढलेका या विरामी भएकाहरुको भने कसैले वास्ता गरेनन् । हुन त टायरको धुँवा र प्रदुषणको कारण विरामी भएर ढलेका कतिलाई त थाहा पनि भएन होला उनीहरु किन विरामी भए भनेर । आखीर कसले यहाँ टायर बाल्नुको खराबीको बारेमा चेतना फैलाएको छ र भन्या ।
त्यसपछि मधेश जल्यो…। अनि हरेक सानो सानो कुरामा टायर जल्दै आएको छ । दुर्घटना भयो भने तुरुन्तै टायर बल्छ सडकको गति रोकिन्छ… अझ हाँसो लाग्दो कुरो त के भने ती टायर बाल्नेहरुलाई नै थाहा हुन्न बाल्नुको खास कारण । हल्ला फैलिन्छ कुन गाडीले बच्चा या मान्छे मार्यो अनि क्षण भरमै सडक रोकिन्छ र टायरको कालो धुँवा हावामा फैलिन्छ । को मर्यो वा साँच्चिकै हो वा हैन कस्को गल्ती थियो केही हेरिन्न ।
अझ यो लोकतन्त्र आएर हो कि के हो सबैलाई अधिकार चाहिएको छ तर आफ्नो जिम्मेबारीको बोध भने कसैलाई भएको देखिन्न । कति माग जायज छन् तर कति त किन मागिएको नै बुझ्न सकिन्न ।
बाल्नेहरुलाई पक्कै पनि चेतना छैन होला बलेको टायरले के गर्न सक्छ भनेर । अब ठुलो कुरा गर्नेहरुले यस्ता सानो सानो कुरामा के ध्यान पुर्याउथे होला र भन्या । तर यस्तै सानो सानो कुराले त हाम्रो सभ्यता र विकास दर्साउँछ र मलाई लाग्छ हामी किन विकासको क्रममा पछाडी परेका हौँ भनेर बुझ्ने सानो मापन पनि हो हाम्रो यस्तै सानो भनेर हेप्ने व्यवहार ।

बलेको टायरको धुँवाले क्यान्सर गराउन सक्छ, श्वासप्रश्वास सम्बन्धी रोगहरु निम्त्याउँछ, वातावरणलाई प्रदुषित गरी भोली जीवनमाथि नै प्रश्न चिन्ह लगाउन सक्छ । यो बारेमा अझ धेरै त यही तल टायर बाल्नेको लागि भनेर लेख नै प्रकाशित भइसकेको छ ।

यहाँ मैले टायरको खाली केही नराम्रो कुरा मात्र दर्साउन खोजेको हैन ...हामी भित्रको जिम्मेवारीको खोजी गर्न पनि खोजेको हुँ । अधिकारको नाममा वा अन्य कुनै नाममा टायर बाल्दा हामीले कसरी अर्काको स्वस्थ पुर्वक बाँच्न पाउनुपर्ने अधिकारको हनन गरिरहेका छौँ । के आफ्नो अधिकार माग्न अरुको अधिकारको इज्जत गर्न नसक्नेले अधिकार पाएपछि सही उपयोग गर्ला ? लोकतन्त्र र मानव अधिकार भनेको त अरुको अधिकारको सम्मान गर्नु र आफ्नो अधिकारको सही उपयोग गर्नु हो । अधिकार माग्ने हक सबैलाई छ तर अरुको अधिकारमाथि खेलबाड गर्ने अधिकार त मैले संविधानको कुनै पनि धारामा देखिन त । राजालाई जनआन्दोलनमा गरिएको दमनको विरोधमा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय अदालतमा उभ्याउनुपर्ने माग गर्नेहरुले टायर बाल्नेहरुको विरोधमा कहिले बोल्ने हुन् खै ?

अस्थायी शिक्षकलाई स्थायी गर्न भएको अस्थायी शिक्षकको आन्दोलन अनि त्यसपछि शिक्षकको माग पुरा गरिएको विरोधमा विद्यार्थी आन्दोलन, खानेपानी नीजिकरण गर्न बनेको विधेयक पास भएको विरोधमा अर्को आन्दोलन, कमैयाको आन्दोलन, माओवादी पीडितको आन्दोलन, मधेशीको आन्दोलन अनि जनजातीको आन्दोलन, कहि न कही कुनै न कुनै दिन टायर बलेरै छाड्यो । यो आन्दोलनको बाढीसँगै बढेको टायरको प्रदुषण… कहिले सकिने होला ?

यो दोष बाल्नेहरुको मात्र होइन सरकारको पनि हो । टायर बाले पछि मात्र सरकारले कुरो सुन्छ नत्र त के हो के हो । तर बाल्नेहरु यसको नकारात्मक पक्ष प्रति सजग भइदिए र विरोधको अर्को कुनै नयाँ तरिका जुनले अरुलाई दुःख नहुने तर सरकारको पनि कान सम्म सुन्ने उपाय अपनाए त प्रदुषण केही भए पनि कम हुन्थ्यो होला नि… अनि विरोध र बन्दले गर्दा हुने हाम्रो पीडा पनि ।
नत्र फेरी कुनै दिन टायर बालेको विरोधमा टायर आफै बलेर विरोध जनाउला नि ।

Finally OSCARS for Scorsese

US mob drama The Departed has won four Oscars, including best film and best director for Martin Scorsese, who had missed out on five previous occasions.

Dame Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker collected best actress and actor, and there were three Academy Awards for Mexican fairytale Pan's Labyrinth. Alan Arkin won best supporting actor for Little Miss Sunshine, which was also best original screenplay. And Jennifer Hudson earned best supporting actress for Dreamgirls.

Scorsese said he was "overwhelmed" as he clutched his award and asked: "Could you double-check the envelope?" Dame Helen, who had earlier said it was "amazing" to be nominated for best actress for The Queen, was thrilled about her victory. "All kids love to get gold stars, and this is the biggest and the best gold star that I have ever had in my life," she said. Whitaker - who won for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland - struggled for words before pulling out a pre-written speech.

Environmental film An Inconvenient Truth was best full-length documentary, and Melissa Etheridge's I Need to Wake Up - one of the tracks from that movie - won best original song. Dreamgirls lost out in that category, despite having three of the five nominations, but it did win best sound mixing.

There was a sound editing award for Letters From Iwo Jima, while Babel had top original score. And staying with soundtracks, a lifetime achievement Oscar was given to Italian composer Ennio Morricone for his "magnificent and multi-faceted contributions to the art of film music". Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was presented with the Academy Award for best visual effects, while Happy Feet was best animated film. Also receiving Oscars were German production Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others), named best foreign-language film, plus Marie Antoinette, for best costume design.

The Danish Poet was best animated short film, while West Bank Story collected best live-action short film. The Blood of Yingzhou District, a Chinese film about the effects of Aids, won best documentary short. US comedy star and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres presented the glittering ceremony at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. She teased the gathered nominees by joking that "everything is on the line for you", reminding them not to make fools of themselves because "there's a billion people watching right now".

Multiple OSCAR Winner

4: The Departed

3: Pan's Labyrinth

2: An Inconvenient Truth

2: Dreamgirls

2: Little Miss Sunshine

Protest and Band in Kupondole for RS 10 ; Accident in Chitwan kills 14

Irate microbus owners protesting against the beating up of a microbus driver by Maoist cadres on Tuesday staged demonstrations and obstructed traffic in Lalitpur's Kupondole area for five hours since early morning.

According to the protesters, driver Saroj Shrestha and conductor Tirtha Shrestha of a microbus (Ba 1 Ja 5916) plying the Lagankhel-Ratnapark route sustained serious injuries after being beaten up by the cadres of Maoist affiliated Tamang Mukti Morcha (TMM) yesterday.

According to the victims, the TMM cadres, who had boarded the vehicle at Kupondole, began beating up the after the conductor refused to accept a torn 10 rupee note while collecting fares.

The driver and the conductor further claimed that the cadres took them to their party office where they were tied up and meted out further beatings.

Meanwhile At least 14 people were killed and 31 injured as a Birgunj bound bus from Kathmandu veered off the road to plunge into the Trishuli river at the Prithvi Highway's Darechowk stretch in Chitwan in Monday night.

The injured have been rushed to Kathmandu and Bharatpur and are undergoing treatment at the Bir Hospital in the capital and Bharatpur's Bharatpur Hospital and Medical College. According to the police, most of the travelers in the bus were Indian nationals. The bus fell some 130 metres down from the highway.

Microsoft: Woes Continues on Security System

Was just passing through the sites i found this news regarding Microsoft's plan to fight against vulnerabilities. Experts have been involved in discussions over Microsoft's (MS) new system Window's Vista which have motto of "Wow" but it seems, we really need to say WOW. Wondered why, MS delayed it's product by almost 3 years stating it needs to work on security to make it most protected system ever, but ops! it seems there have been many loopholes. Worked so hard and still problems? Who don't say "Wow! Still problem? Great Job Hacker." Reports have been that many crackers have already cracked it's strong holds. On February 1, 2007 MicroSoft admitted it had loopholes.It admitted that speech recognition features in Vista could be hijacked so that a PC tells itself to delete files or folders. Vista can respond to vocal commands and concern has been raised about malicious audio on websites or sent via e-mail. In one scenario outlined by users an MP3 file of voice instructions was used to tell the PC to delete documents. Microsoft said the exploit was "technically possible" but there was no need to worry.

To add more pain, now there have been other problems for Windows XP/2000 users also. See the news below taken from BBC.

Windows users are being urged to install Microsoft's February security update which contains 12 patches for 20 vulnerabilities. The bumper package includes fixes for loopholes that malicious hackers are known to be already exploiting.

Another vulnerability is in the program Microsoft designed to spot viruses and spyware that has infected PCs. Half of the patches in the update have been rated as critical; criminals exploiting these could take over a PC.

Hijack trick

The fixes were issued as part of Microsoft's regular monthly security update that falls on the second Tuesday of every month. Loopholes in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer and Microsoft's Malware Protection Engine are closed by the updates in the patch. Versions of these programs used on Windows 2000 and XP could have these loopholes.

Users worried that they are at risk are being encouraged to check information about which programs are vulnerable via Microsoft's security site. Some of the loopholes, particularly those in Word, have been actively exploited by malicious hackers for several weeks.

Many Windows XP owners are likely to get the patches automatically, but any user can download the patches from the Windows Update site. The "critical" rating usually means that a cyber criminal exploiting such a vulnerability could take over a PC via a booby-trapped webpage or by tricking a user into opening an attachment on an e-mail. None of the patches affected Vista - the newest version of the Windows operating system which was released on 30 January.

Source: BBC NEWS

HamroLyrics - Home for Nepali Lyrics

Searching Nepali Lyrics but no avail? Having rough time with wrong lyrics or site's interface? Now there is going to be an end to such problems. HamroLyrics.com has more than 700 songs and it's growing bigger and bigger. It surely is user friendly and looks pretty attractive. Searching song's has never been so easy. There are wallpapers (of course of site) but are pretty good.

Younnovation strongly recommends the site Hamro Lyrics for any Nepali Song's lyrics. Go there and Enjoy Nepali Music and lyrics,.

Snow in Kathmandu after 62 Years

Kathmandu Valley witnessed the first snowfall in 63 years on Wednesday which brought people out into the streets, school children ran out of their classrooms and the mobile phone system was paralyzed for an hour as people started calling each other. The snow was part of a westerly disturbance that had earlier dumped about 20 mm of rain all over Nepal. The last time there was rain in Kathmandu was in the year 2000 BS when there was five inches of snow.

It was a beautiful experience. It was raining heavily and suddenly there were something with rain like bird's fur. First thought it was hailstorm but they are not so soft. It took few more minutes to realize Man! it's snow. People were shouting and going mad Kathmandu was seeing snowfall. The snow was falling and environment was looking white everywhere. It was like thousands of white furs are falling down.

The temperature hovered at 7 degrees all day Wednesday, but this wasn't cold enough for the snow to accumulate in the Valley. However, the hills surrounding Kathmandu had snow down to 1,900 m with roofs in Thankot, Dakshinkali and even Budalnilkantha with accumulation.

Photo source: Rajesh K.C.(blog.com.np)

Revisiting Nora: Putaliko Ghar

Last time when I met Nora, she was waiting for bus to go to her parent's home. She had just left Hemanta, her husband. She had realized that above all she's human first then only someone's wife, someone's mother etc. I was left with question that why she had left Hemanta. After all he had realized his mistake. She should have forgiven him and stayed with him happily.

I got another chance to revisit her and see her full story from the beginning. She was living happily with her 3 kids and husband, Hemanta. He cares her very much and calls her "Meri Maina Chari". He loves her much. She shares her everything to hemanta except one thing. She has one secret which only she knows until she shares with her friend, Leena Bista. She has taken loan from Kedar Adhikari, a lawyer with dreadful past, to save her husband. Kedar had done forgery and to save himself from law, had done another morally unacceptable works. Doctor had advised Nora to take Hemanta away to Madesh otherwise he wouldn't live. She couldn't get money from anyone and at last has taken loan from Kedar. But he had one condition that is she must have her father's signature as witness. But before she could take her father's signature, her father died. So she made forgery signature to take loan. She has been paying regularly but destiny has something in her store. Hemanta has been made manager of bank where Kedar works. Hemanta and Kedar are school friends but because of Kedar's past. So he fires him and Kedar uses Nora's secret to reinstate him. Nora now falls in great problem. She fears if her husband knows then he would die to save her but she doesn't want that. She wishes to die rather than see him in problem. But when Kedar's letter reaches Hemanta, everything is opposite. He becomes too scared about his social status and when Nora tries o explain why she had to take loan, he doesn't listen. For him, she has done great mistake. He decides they can't be together as husband and. For social fear, he cannot send her out of home. Social prestige and status is greater for him rather than his wife's love. But later when Kedar sends another letter stating he won't tell this to anyone and wants to close the chapter, Hemanta becomes very happy. Now he realizes he's safe, so again he wants Nora to be with him. But Nora has seen and understands that she has been living together with stranger for past 8 years. For the first time they become serious and sit together to discuss. He had treated her as his doll, a possession, material property, a thing that can only speak and act strictly as per his command and desires. She searches dignity, humanity and love in her husband but for her but there's none. He had prevented any opportunity for her to realize her potentials as an individual. She has woken up from dream. She realizes she has been wrong in one of her most cherished hopes and beliefs, the belief that her husband would sacrifice his honor at least when he realizes how much she has sacrificed her honor, dreams, and life. So she leaves him.

I don't know how justifiable is Nora's exit but when I saw her and tried to feel her putting myself in her shoes, I find her decision a right one. Relationship is not just about supporting each other in happy times, but also lending arms in sour times. Marriage is that string which joins two souls together. There should be respect, love, tenderness, faith, trust etc. for each other. But in Nora's case I feel there's none. Hemanta had treated her as doll only with whom he can play whenever he wanted. There's no liberty for her. She's lost in doll's house. May be people might question what kind of mother she is, but still deep somewhere I feel she did right thing. I may sound feminist, but searching own identity is not feminism. If Hemanta has left Nora like this, people wouldn't have had problem. See the story in different angle. Not from "the glass is half full" ideology but from "glass is half empty" then may be it would make sense.

This play is adapted from Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House but with Nepali. There have been intense debates about her exit. People in Europe especially Germans couldn't digest the ending and made their own version. Even dramatist Henrik Ibsen had to rewrite another version with happy ending but later he regretted.

There are numbers of Nora in our Nepali society. Some dares to live like her some don't. Have you seen her lately? What's she's doing? If so please don't forget to write.

And how do you feel about her exit? Is it justified? Please comment.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Guruku everyday till February 12 at 4.30 pm. Be there to taste the Theater experience.

Dreams of Mayadevi: blending dreams with reality

Mayadevi is simple mother who is waiting for her son Siddhartha a.k.a. Kale to return home who has gone lost six months ago. She lives alone in her home and there's another character, Lahure who respects Mayadevi as sister and protects her. She talks with her own shadow and with birds. She had only read about wars in letters sent to her when her husband died in foreign war. Lahure and her husband both had gone to war, but Lahure returns being amputee and her husband died there. Lahure had come home seeing enough war but the war doesn't leave him. Battle is raging in his own jungles and people are killing their own brothers or neighbors or someone they know. Mayadevi says, "It's easy to run in moonlight but difficult to hide". She time and again talks about moon and points toward the war. Then a man of her son's age comes to her house asking refuge for night. She lets him in and sees her own son in him. Seeing her pain, the man takes her to the battleground where people are dying and groaning and grumbling in pain. She searches her son but he's not there. Both of them return home. She cannot forget the pain, fear and shouts. Then she sees a dream, in dream she becomes Mayadevi, mother of Lord Buddha. She is going to her matriarchal home. But on the way, she feels labor pain. She gives birth to Siddartha and feels the ultimate happiness. She tries to hold her son but he runs leaving behind lotus petals. She wakes up and finds herself at home, looking at the young man. Then 2 people enter her house and takes away young man forcefully. Then she heard her Kale's voice. She tries to stop him but he goes away. The drama ends her saying, "Mother is happy to know that you are alive, Kale! May flowers bloom with your every step too, my son!"

Dreams of Mayadevi is simple yet powerful drama which connects the story of past and present, war and peace, dreams and reality and above all a tale of mother's love. She had hoped her son would be Siddartha, preacher of peace but reality is different. Lahure knows war doesn't help anyone because he has seen the destruction but he's also helpless. Mayadevi and Lahure present the state of people who are forced in war and are enduring pain. They want it to stop but couldn't do anything. Before they used to play in jungles but all are only memories now. Now in full moon only jungle can be seen, not pain, death, war it hides. Dreams of Mayadevi is full of metaphor and similes. This drama shows the young people who are facing identity crisis and fighting absurd war. Mayadevi dreams of peace and happiness but alas, it's her dream only.

Every character is flawless. Professor Dr. Abhi Subedi has written this play with so supreme command, and he has successfully captured the intensity of conflict. Use of moonlit night and darkness has created surrealistic effect. Directorial command is superb. Design of stage is simple yet powerful. Use of lights, music and themes are wonderful. Clearly a masterpiece.

Aarohan Theater Festival is going on at Gurukul everyday till February 12, 2007. Don't forget to be there and taste the dramatic enjoyment.

Terai Unrest: Criminals take Charge of Demonstrations

Even after Prime Minister's address to the nation, terai hasn't come to rest. Reports say Sadvabana (A), one of the alliances of government, is considering to get out from the government. In this transitional time, when everyone should been united, the bloody political game is going on. We all understand and support the demands of Madhesi people, but is this the right way to put pressure on? Biratnagar is in indefinite curfew and even during curfew a police post is attacked and Sub-Inspector is killed, arms are looted. What kind of peaceful demonstration is this? What is Madhesi People's Right Forum (MRPF), organizer of demonstration doing? Press is under attacked, reporters are threatened or displaced. If they cannot accept free press and human rights, how they claim they are protesting for people's right. Can't they control their so called peaceful protestors? Or they also are being played by so called regressive forces? Are they going to take responsibilities for all this? The big questions are rising up.

The follow up article is from blog.com.np. This article has genuinely analyzed how criminals are infiltrating the demonstration.

With the heinous killing of Assistant Sub Inspector Naresh Jung Karki in Biratnagar this evening, it has become crystal clear that the ongoing movement in eastern Terai is more than just an expression of political dissatisfaction: it is overwhelmingly dominated by criminal intentions. To carry swords, iron rods and go on rampage in residential area can't be a political demonstration. To demand federalism and proportional representation in election is a political work but to continue with murderous activities even after listening the genuine answer from the government established by the peoples' movement is a deplorable act. Today's killing of the policeman and other violent activities in the recent past in eastern Terai marks the spectacular comeback of royalist elements in political scenario that were sidelined by people in April. It was an open secret that they would seek ways for comeback to try their best to make democracy a failure. They will do anything to create the impression that monarchy is needed in Nepal. They used the Maoist movement in the past for the same and now they are trying to deliver this message: look what's happening when king is sidelined. They will do everything to turn these demonstrations into full fledged communal conflict in Nepal which will ultimately weaken peoples' united power to run the government.

How can anyone justify the brutal killing of a policeman? [ASI Naresh Jung Karki was leading a 13-member police team at Buddhanagar, Biratnagar at 5 pm this evening. Criminals associating themselves with the Madheshi Peoples' Rights Forum (MPRF) surrounded the police team and barbarically killed Karki to death by using knives and swords. The protesters, according to eKantipur, also abducted three other policemen after attacking them with sharp weapons, sources said. The criminals also took away 2 rifles and a pistol from the policemen. In retaliation, the police had opened fire on them. The bloody protests in southeastern Nepal have already claimed the lives of ten people over the past two weeks.] How can you justify a movement that, it seems, doesn't believe in talks? Even the Maoists, who were waging a violent war, came to the talks table and engaged themselves in peace process. But these elements that are spreading violence in Madhesh under the cover of political demands are exposing themselves as days are passing. They will put forward one nonsense demand after another as the government goes on addressing them. The government must use its machinery to expose infiltrating criminal elements. It has partially done so by arresting Kamal Thapa, Badri Mandal and Salim Ansari but this must be intensified. We are running out of time.

Source: blog.com.np

10th Hits FM Music Awards 2063: AND THE WINNERS ARE...

It was the day for music lovers/ artistes to celebrate their success, glory, achievement and passion. It was the day of 10^th Annual Hits FM Music Awards 2063. Singers, musicians, creative artistes, all were there to celebrate the mega event of the Nepali Music Industry.

The rock band Sayaas stole the show walking away with 3 quick awards in Best New Artist, Best Rock Composition and Best Performance by a Group or Duo. Sabin Rai also snatched 2 awards for Best Pop Composition and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance though he had got 4 nominations. Sugam Pokhrel also didn’t let go the chance to kiss glory. He won Record of the Year while Album of the Year went ro Shishir Yogi’s Suskera. Ratna Shamsher Thapa proved to be the best lyricist with Katinjel as Song of the Year.

Reema Gurung was declared the Best Female Vocal Performance from Kasko Maya Lagyo while Jagadish Samal got the Best Male Vocal performance Award for his single Tapoban.

Lyricist Kiran Kharel was awarded with Life Time Achievement Award for his contribution in Nepali Music Industry.

Rest Awardees are:
Best Song in the Foreign Language – Albaratross for Scared
Bets Music Video – Asim Chirtrakar for Birsun Bhanchu
Best composition – Suresh Chitrakar for Purano Hundaina Maya
Best Song Originally Recorded for a Motion Picture Soundtrack – Suresh Adhikari for Saathi of ye Pandit Baje
Best Vocal Collaboration – Various Artist for Chyangba
Folk Record of the Year – Sarara Pani Ghattai Ma
Folk Album of the Year – Timi Gayau Arkai ko Dolima
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance – Shubani Moktan for Pharkena Maya

Though the event was star-studded and entertaining guests were from different genre of music, it was a bit boring one. Many audiences left the event before it was over. Sunil Bardewa, Looza, Kutumba etc did try their best to keep audiences stick to their chairs but was not enough. Short interviews of Music Company owners, artistes and others were too many and MCs were also going on and on.

Besides few draw backs, the event was great. Hits FM Music Awards 2063 has certainly brought few reasons to smile for winners and their record companies and overall Nepali Music Industry. Past experiences have shown the increases in sales of albums and songs after such award were announced. So all the best for everyone.

Photo source: hitsfm.com.np

New Constitution, New Legislature and New Dawn for Nepal

Nepal created yet another history with new Interim Constitution and new Interim Legislature. Nepal's constitution of 1990 has been nullified and new constitution has been implemented which stripped all the powers from King Gyanendra and made him powerless like common man. till date, Nepal saw 6 constitution and this new constitution has been the first one written by people. House of Representative have been dissolved and Interim Legislature have taken it's place with Maoists entering parliament after 14 years. In yet another historical move, 83 members of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have entered inside the parliament house as the members of the interim legislature. [The existing parliament was restored in April by the historical peoples' movement.] Members of various parties in the (old and existing) parliament are already saying that today will herald a new beginning of the process of making a new Nepal, a democratic republic of Nepal. The interim constitution significantly reduces king's role in the state of affairs and empowers people of Nepal like never before. The main objective of the interim house and interim constitution will be to hold the election of constituent assembly on time (by mid June) which will decide Monarchy's future. Soon all party Interim Government will be formed which will announce dates for Constituent Assembly to be held by coming July.

The Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) had entered jungle with arms after it lost it's faith in legislature. It has hoped to make Nepal a Republic Country. They fought for bloody 11 years for their dreams and around 13000 people lost their precious life and there's no account of how much physical and other assets were lost or damaged. But after 19 day's peaceful April Movement, the Nepal's political and landscape have changed. Maoists laid their arms and came to peaceful political mainstream. Now the bloody was is over and it's new dawn has arrived for Nepal.

Tampering with meters

You are riding taxi from New Road to Thamel via Jamal. How much it would cost you? You would say it costs you around Rs. 35 to Rs. 45. Not more than that. What if you are charged Rs. 81? Then you would say, "Man the taxi's meter is tampered!" Yes we were charged Rs. 81 for mere 10 minutes distance. The taxi with number plate Ba. 1. Ja. 4402 charged Rs. 81. And when bargained he simply slashed down charge to Rs. 60. This is just a single case. Daily hundreds of people are cheated like this. Government has implemented the standard meter and rates and legal punishments for those convicted. But still Taxi drivers and owners are not hesitating to tamper with meter and cheat passengers. To prevent this we all must be aware, but sometimes the problem is we don't know the rates because most of us hardly ride taxi unless it's emergency.

So what precautions should be taken then? What measure should be applied to prevent such cases? Come let's haunt those who tamper meter and try to cheat us. If you have any cases or incidents, share with us.

Ministry's Home Page : A porn Site???

Have you ever thought of watching porn site without meaning to show it's address on address bar? If you directly hit the address of porn site, then anyone might pop at any moment and may cause embarrassment. So watching porn on other common site's name is very safe. Then guys don't worry, there's such site. go to http://www.moh.gov.np and click on guest book, you can find numbers of porn pictures, links and comments. Well wondering who owns this site? It's non other than our very own government. Yes, this is the official home page of Ministry of Health.

According to Kantipur Daily, Ministry's officials are aware of the fact that their homepage has turned into porn site. Neither Ministry updates it's site nor have moderator to check the comments. Within a year, around 1200 people have left abusive comments, pictures and links and that too is of 303 pages. This page was last updated on February 7, 2006. So it's been year sicne it's last update. So flock, go there and have fun (if you want). It's safe and sound after all if anyone asks you what are you watching, then tell them you are visiting MINISTRY'S HOMEPAGE.

Power Woes!!!

"Today I woke up early. I had many works to be done and plans to be made. But Ahhh!!! No electricity. Damn it's load shedding."

Load shedding has become our destiny. From January 7, 2007 it has gone up to 8 hours a week per household from 2.5 hours a week previously. Even the worst is in the area from Hetauda to Birjung where load shedding would be imposed for 3 hours everyday. After a month it is expected to go up to 40 hours a week. Currently Nepal needs 640 MW of power but the irony is Nepal can produce mere 440 MW power in its peak time i.e. rainy season. Nepal's power production is based on run-of-river projects and in winter, due to decrease in water level, power production capacity declines by almost half. On January 6, 2007 power production declines to 230 MW nearly tri-fold less than demand. It is expected that soon power production would plunge to mere 185 MW.

According to NEA figure, 20 % of total population in 72 districts have access to electricity. Currently there are no any big projects going on except Mid-Marshyandi Hydro Power with capacity of 69 MW. And it has also it's own woes. It has already been delayed for 3 years than expected. It's cost has increased by three fold than evaluated and still it is not showing any signs to complete.

NEA has plans to buy power from India and are in procedure to make deal. But currently only 23 MW of energy can be bought because of its own problems.

Nepal is considered as second richest country of the world in terms of water. Nepal's power production is estimated to be 83000 MW out of which 43000 MW is possible.

The most irony is, so called watery-rich Nepalis are those unlucky people who haven't reach to electricity and safe drinking water. And if sooner no plans are formulated, load shedding would be problem of coming generations also.

Bitter Realities of Domestic Violence

"My husband tried to kill me by putting me on fire because I didn't follow his order to heat the food. Luckily my neighbors came in time. Otherwise I would have become dead. "

Srijana (Name changed) shared her painful story with tears in her eyes. She couldn't resist herself from crying while sharing her stories. Tears were tickling down through her chins and I was just speechless.

This is just a single case how domestic violence takes place in our society. Though the half sky of Nepal is covered by women, they are the ones who are assaulted or discriminate and made to suffer by their male partners. Home is the place where one feels safe and comfort but in many cases torture begins at home. Instead of protection they face torture and are abused. Either in the name of dowry, education, or any other excuses, women are made forced to suffer violence at home.

Domestic violence is a widespread but unreported problem in Nepal. Data on the issue is hard to come by, as there are very few studies on the subject. Many form of violence against women and girls are not even recognized as violence, but ignored or justified by quoting religious, cultural or traditional beliefs and practices. Legal and even judicial institutions fail to provide adequate safeguards for women and girls against violence. State institutions lack both the sensitivity and capacity to deal with gender-specific violence, and enforcing the law often fails. Judicial pronouncements have frequently reflected biases that indicate the strong influence of prevalent social attitudes. Women thus become victims not only of the violence they suffer, but also of social and legal attitudes, which are often indifferent to their plight and sometimes even hold them responsible for it. Such a trivialization of violence against women is due to the failure to recognize that it infringes on their right to life, to bodily security, and freedom from torture, to which all citizens are entitled.

While Nepali society upholds the chastity and virginity of girls as a measure of the ultimate prestige and dignity of a family, the socialization process encourages girls and women to become victims as it installs the values of suffering in silence, tolerance and non-retaliation in them. This is perhaps why cases of rape are under-reported in Nepal. Awareness is also extremely low so this remains the hidden problem of Nepal.

The majority of violence is non-fatal however health effects can last forever. Physically women may experience a vast range of injuries, many affecting their reproductive health, and increasing vulnerability to sexual dysfunction, HIV/AIDS and death. Psychologically, women may experience post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and even attempt suicide. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to gender based violence: Women who experience violence from their partners run twice the risk of miscarriage and four times the risk of having a low birth-weight baby. Although it is underreported, domestic violence may cause as mush disease, disability, and death as many other illnesses combined: gender based violence is itself a significant high-risk health factor for women of reproductive age.

Since the Maoist movement began in 1996, thousands of innocent men and women have been killed, critically injured or rendered homeless, and property worth millions has been destroyed. Looting, extortion, harassment, torture, seizure of home and land, rape and kidnapping are bitter realities in insurgency-affected areas. Women and children have no place to go for immediate relief and support. Women are the victims of mental and physical abuse, rape and other human right violations by both Maoists and government security forces.

There are no mechanism to rehabilitate, support or record the plight of these victims; and no information on the women who have joined the Maoist movement or on their condition. The worst affected areas are the remote villages of far western region. As most men in these areas have either been killed or have fled from their hometowns, the household burden of women has increased. In Nepal, where the social stigma on widowhood is high, women who lose their husbands in conflict suffer not only grief but also social exclusion, and less access to food, nourishment, and basic services for the rest of their lives.

Perpetrators of domestic violence are generally not prosecuted in the Nepali criminal justice system. The National Code does not require the state to prosecute the crime of assault. Accordingly, assault is usually left to private prosecution. The state prosecutes some assaults that disturb the public peace, as violations of a lesser, ancillary law. Because women lack the financial resources to seek private legal relief and given the non-public nature of most assaults on women, domestic violence has been relegated to a second class crime. Women rarely report incidents of domestic violence to the police. When a report is made, an arrest is very unlikely and police usually encourage the woman to reconcile with her partner. Unless domestic violence rises to the level of murder or attempted murder, state prosecutors will generally not pursue the cases.

Social, cultural, economic and religious factors reiterate male dominance and allow systematic discrimination and violence to pervade women’s lives. According to the Nepal Human Development Report 2004, women’s literacy rate is 35 per cent as compared 63 per cent for men; maternal mortality rates of Nepali women rank among the highest in the world; one out of every 185 women dies because of pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Nepal has one of the highest indices of son preference in the world and estimates by local NGOs show organized gangs traffick some 5,000 to 12,000 Nepalese girls to work in brothels each year.

It is extremely difficult for a woman to prove that she is being abused within her home in Nepal. Women who do decide to come forth and demand justice face an uphill task. Unless community attitudes change and people recognize violence against women to be a crime, women will continue to suffer daily abuse at the hands of their partners and within their very homes.

Budha boy found with sword

Yesterday's Kantipur Television's news drew my attention to the lost Buddha boy. At last HE is found in the midst of jungle and also with sword. The so called Buddha Boy, Ram Bahadur Bomjan, had disappeared nine months before from jungle of Ratanpuri reappeared near by jungle. He shot to fame after claiming to be meditating without any food or water for ten months (which I doubt). But he suddenly disappeared from his meditating place and has told people that he would be back after six years of meditation along with peace. But everything didn't work as he had said. Barely 2 months after his disappearance, April revolution brought peace.

Hunters found him yesterday's night and human rights activist and local journalists have reached the jungle yesterday. When he was asked why he's carrying the sword he replied that Buddha also needs security (strange answer). But his devotees have begun flocking to see him.

He still claims that he is not having any foods but only herbal medicines, but what types only he knows. He said that he will continue his meditation as said before for six years but not in noisy place.

Many people didn't believe him at all while many worshipped him as god. But strange part is that he has similarities to share with Gautam Buddha who got enlightenment 2500 yrs before. Buddha was born only 257 km (160 miles) from Bara, where Bomjon is now, in 540BC. Interestingly, Bomjon's mother's name, too, is Maya Devi- the name of Buddha's mother.

Santa tracked over Himalayas (Nepal)????

Dec. 24: The Himalayas — Just 40 minutes after he was spotted over the Great Wall of China, Santa was heard urging his reindeer over the Himalayan mountains in Nepal. “First we heard the bells jingling, and then we heard Santa call out all of his reindeer by name,” said one 7-year-old Himalayan local, “I’m so excited I can’t go back to sleep!”

This is the text taken from msnbc.com. But does he exist in real world??? This is the major question. NORAD, a bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace defense of the United States and Canada, claims it uses four high-tech systems to track Santa - radar, satellites, Santa Cams and jet fighter aircraft. This year too it tracked Santa at many places including Birjung To know more u can go here noradsanta.org. Every year norad tries to track Santa since last 50 years. How the tradition was born? here's story:

NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa. The tradition began after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. store advertisement for children to call Santa on a special "hotline" included an inadvertently misprinted telephone number. Instead of Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations, Colonel Harry Shoup, received the first "Santa" call on Christmas Eve 1955. Realizing what had happened, Colonel Shoup had his staff check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Indeed there were signs of Santa and children who called were given an update on Santa's position. Thus, the tradition was born.

Since then government of US and Canada has jointly tried to track Santa and many have claimed they have spotted him indeed. This year MSNBC with NORAD tried to trackSanta's track. But dunno this whole affair is just a joke or a really serious topic. But we enjoyed reading about him and tracking him, so why not joining to track him (if he's really there flying).

Father, Son studying in same class!!!!

Saying goes "It's never too late to study." but it's very hard to find people following the saying. But reading kantipuronline's news story made me feel there are still people who believe in power of education. According to the report, father Khadga Bahadur Rai and his son Bir Bikram Rai both studies at class eleven in Thakurdevi Higher Secondary School of Ankhisalla, Dhankuta. Interestingly father Khadga passed his School Leaving Certificate (SLC) the year his son Bir was born. Rai said that he wanted to study further but couldn't. But now high school is established in village and he couldn't help himself joining the class. His son Bir says that he felt awkward in the beginning but now it's great fun to have his father in his class. And to add more spice, his mother is a member of school management committee.

Now days we heard many people saying there's no value of studying. "We study hard but what we do get in return except the certificates. Neither I get decent jobs nor opportunities. If I have to work like menial labour, then what's the point of studying?" Such voices are increasing day by day. In reality also sometimes, we feel they are right but not always. Agreed they got good marks in exams but are they equally qualified for practical life also? Now employers don't see only good marks but also capabilities which we can build ourselves. But they also need to have good educational background capabilities and qualifications; both are part of a coin. So the power of education is still rising and we can only cash if we see it's real power.

And such examples definitely help people to recognize the value of education. If there was no significance of education, people like Rai won't have joined the college despite having family and social responsibilities. Accept or not, education definitely helps to shape future and make people ready to face the bitter world. Not only this, education makes people humans.