Dogs, cattle, crows have their day as Nepal observes Tihar

By Pratibha Tuladhar Oct 26, 2011, 9:37 GMT

Kathmandu - Nepalese rubbed vermillion on the foreheads of cows Wednesday and placed garlands of marigolds around their necks as part of the five-day Tihar festival, which shows reverence for animals.

Tihar - which comes weeks after Dashain, another festival often criticized for its tradition of animal sacrifices - also gives dogs and crows their day.

The festival began Tuesday with the worshipping of crows and dogs, which are considered the messengers of Yamaraj, the god of death, by Hindus.

'We believe that by offering food to crows, we can thwart tragedies because the bird symbolizes grief,' said Anjali Balami, who was busy selling marigold garlands that people also use to decorate their homes during Tihar.

'Dogs accompany their masters to heaven, so we worship dogs,' Balami said.

People left sweetmeats for crows on the rooftops of their homes and placed garlands on dogs, decorated them with red and fed them treats Tuesday.

Cows were worshipped Wednesday in a similar fashion as a symbol of sustenance for the milk they provide while the animal also represents Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Tihar falls every year in the month of October, marked by the waning moon. The festival also has days devoted to bulls and brothers. Homes are decorated with flowers and lit by candles and oil lamps during the festival.

'Bulls represent the Govardhan mountain, which sheltered the people of Mathura in the Hindu epic of Mahabharata,' Ajay Shrestha said while doing a brisk business selling clothes for the festival. 'In that sense, we worship bulls as the protectors.'

Also known as the festival of flowers and lights, Tihar is closely connected to braving death and the celebration of life as the Newar community of the Kathmandu Valley also marks its New Year.

Markets are brightly lit with electric lights and lined with colourful streamers. Coloured powder, candles, fruits, and garlands of marigold, globe amaranth and chrysanthemum are for sale everywhere.

For some, the festival is a time for Deusi-bhailo, a tradition of singing festive songs door-to-door and receiving gifts of money and sweets in return.

'Playing the Deusi is the highlight of Tihar, so we choreographed it together,' said Prakriti Thapaliya, who led a group of her teenage friends dressed in traditional Nepalese attire.

Sanjeeb Gautam, who runs a gift shop, said he sold 5,000 garlands in two days as he beamed over the profit he makes during Tihar.

'Tihar has been passed down to us from our forefathers, and even though the festival feels quite different from how it did during my childhood, it's still a great time to have fun,' Gautam said.

Leopard eats three year old in Nepal

   Kathmandu (dpa)- A three-year-old boy was eaten by a leopard in Nepal's Kavre district, some 35 kilometres from the capital, police confirmed Tuesday.

   Police said the leopard had taken away the boy from a cowshed, where he was with his mother. The remains of the boy, Sunil Lama, was found in the nearby Bela forest.

   According to locals, the same leopard ate a 7-year-old girl four months ago.
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Nepal premier under fire for signing investment deal with India

Kathmandu - Nepalese Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai was Monday criticized in parliament, by the opposition and lawmakers from his own party, for an investment treaty he signed with India.

Ram Sharan Mahat of the main opposition party, the Nepali Congress, said the treaty had nothing new to offer Nepal. Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxists Leninists lawmaker Pradip Gyawali said the treaty was not a priority for Nepal and that political stability was needed to attract foreign investment.

India on Friday extended a 250-million-dollar credit line for infrastructure projects in Nepal, during a visit by Bhattarai.

The agreement was signed between the Nepal government and the Export-Import Bank of India, and the funds would be used to finance projects such as highways, airports, bridges, irrigation, roads, railways and hydropower.

Bhattarai's visit was seen as an opportunity to mend strained ties between his ruling Maoist party and New Delhi. It also came at a crucial time in the country's politics, as efforts are underway to integrate and rehabilitate former Maoist rebels, ahead of a November 30 deadline for framing a constitution.

But on Monday, Maoist lawmaker Ekraj Bhandari said the agreement was against the national interest.

Bhattarai said it would help bring in Indian investments as well as improve bilateral ties. 'Foreign investment is a compulsion for us, as we have limited resources,' he said.

On his return to Kathmandu on Sunday, Bhattarai said: 'The visit was focused on clearing existing misunderstandings and forging confidence and cooperation between the two countries.

Black flags welcome Nepalese Premier's homecoming from India

   Kathmandu (dpa) - An investment treaty signed between India and Nepal - and the Nepalese prime minister who signed it - received a chilly reception upon returning to Kathmandu Sunday.

   Members of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai's Unified Maoist party greeted him with black flags, saying the deal invited Indian interference in Nepal and demanded he step down.

   It was yet another sign of stress in efforts to integrate and rehabilitate former Maoist rebels ahead of a November 30 deadline for framing a constitution. The protests Sunday were organized by a hardline faction of the Unified Maoists.

   During his visit, Bhattarai also signed 250-million-dollar credit line for infrastructure projects in Nepal.

   Speaking to the press at the airport, Bhattarai said the treaty was a milestone in India-Nepal relations and requested that his intentions not be doubted.

   "The visit was focused on clearing existing misunderstandings and forging confidence and cooperation between the two countries," said Bhattarai upon his return.

   India is fighting a Maoist insurgency and has been cool towards the Nepalese Maoists, who have close ties to China. The Maoists have in turn resented the huge political influence India has historically exerted over its northern neighbour.

   The decade-long war between Maoist rebels and the Nepalese government ended in 2006 with a peace agreement that saw the Maoists join mainstream politics.
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Nepal to count tigers using DNA

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Scientists in Nepal have launched a new program that will enable them to keep count of the tigers by tracing their DNA in the faeces, reports said Saturday.

   The droppings will be collected from forests to analyze genetic and other vital details. Researchers said it would be more accurate than the method of using cameras and counting footprints.

   “This system enables us to find out the whereabouts of the tiger, its gender and its area of origin," project chief Divesh Karmacharya was quoted by the Nagarik newsportal as saying.

   National Conservation Department, Chitwan National Park and Nepal Tiger Genetics Project are working jointly with funding by the United States Agency for International Development.

   “This system is being introduced with the objective of doubling Tiger count in Nepal by 2022,” the agency said.

   It will be the first testing of tiger DNA in Nepal. The country has used the system to research the status of snow leopards.

   “This system is not as expensive as those that were used in the past,” said ecologist Maheshwar Dhakal. “It will help maintain a good archive of the wildlife in Nepal and to form strategies for preservation of tigers, elephants, rhinos and other animals.”

   The initial tests will be conducted in the forests of Nepal’s southern plains, in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shuklaphata.

   The World Wildlife Fund said there are only 121 adult tigers in Nepal. It said the global population has collapsed by 95 per cent, from 100,000 in 1900 to only around 3,200 tigers currently.

   Political instability in Nepal over the past decade created a conducive environment for poachers. The skin, meat and bones of tiger are used as valuable ingredients as traditional medicine in some East Asian countries, including China.
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Three South Korean climbers missing on Nepal's mountains

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Three South Korean climbers have gone missing on Nepal's Mount Annapurna, local media reported Thursday.

   Park Young-Seok - who has climbed the world's 14 highest peaks - was among the mountaineers who went missing on Tuesday, reported online news portal Republic, quoting the Mountaineering Divison.

   The climbers were attempting Mt.Annapurna, which is 8,091 meters above sea level, when they disappeared.

   "The three went out of contact Tuesday while climbing from Camp I to Camp II," said Mountaineering Division official Dipendra Poudel.

   Ne-Ko Treks, who organized the Annapurna South Face Expedition, said the three had last contacted the base camp late Tuesday to inform them that they were retreating from 6,300 meters, as bad weather endangered the further ascent.

   A rescue team was sent Thursday to search for them, media reported.
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Nepalese premier seeks to mend ties amid Maoist-India tensions

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai left Nepal Thursday for a four-day visit to India in what was seen as an opportunity to mend strained ties between his ruling Maoist party and New Delhi.

   Bhattarai, who was leading a 37-member delegation, told the media before his departure he was on a "goodwill visit," "directed towards building a better understanding between the two countries and two peoples."

   India is fighting a Maoist insurgency and has been cool toward the Nepalese Maoists and their close ties with its rival China.

   Bhattarai, a graduate from India's Jawarharlal Nehru University, took office two months ago and chose India as the destination for his first trip abroad.

   "This meeting will be crucial for Nepal and India as Bhattarai himself represents the Maoists, who have been critical of India's role in Nepal," former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the media days ahead of the visit.

   India provides Nepal's energy, is its largest trading partner and has historically exerted enormous political influence over its northern neighbour.

   Bhattarai said he would focus on clearing up existing misunderstandings and creating an atmosphere of cooperation during his visit.

   It was expected to focus on economic cooperation between the two nations. Bhattarai is to seek low-interest loans worth 78 billion rupees (1 billion dollars) from India to fund infrastructure projects, the construction of special economic zones and energy imports.
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Nepal premier to seek 1-billion-dollar loan from India

  Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal’s prime minister, Baburam Bhattarai, is to seek soft loans worth 78 billion rupees (1 billion dollars) during a visit to India on Thursday, the government said Wednesday.

   Bhattarai told local media that he would seek to boost economic ties with the southern neighbour during the visit.

   Discussions on the agenda are to centre on financial assistance in building the "Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track Road," which will connect the capital with the southern region.

   “The program has been included in the agenda of the prime minister’s visit,” Nepalese Finance Minister Barshaman Pun was quoted as saying.

   The money would also be used for infrastructure, constructing special economic zones and importing 200 megawatts of electricity.

   Prime Minister Bhattarai was due to be accompanied in his visit to New Delhi by a 37-strong delegation, which includes Maoist leader Hishila Yami and six ministers.
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Nepal to put Mount Everest experience online

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal is preparing to launch a website allowing users to make a virtual tour of the country's popular tourist spots, including the world's highest mountain, officials said Wednesday.

   The site will contain computer-generated graphics of monuments and places of interest, allowing the web visitor to guide the viewpoint through a virtual tour, the Nepal Tourism Board said.

   The "Journey to Everest" programme was developed by 3rd Planet Pte Ltd, based in Singapore.

   "We be launching towards end 2011," 3rd Planet chief Terence Mak said.

   The interactive site will also allow the user to call up information about a location's history, tourist facilities or weather.

   "3rd Planet has an amazing technology that enables us to showcase our country in a totally new dimension," said Prachanda Man Shrestha, chief executive of the Nepal Tourism Board.
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ROUNDUP: Six die in Nepal plane crash

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Six people were killed in Nepal late Tuesday when a Nepal Army islander airplane crashed in the western mountains, local media reported.

   The RAN49BN2T aircraft went missing in the forest of Dhorpatan in Baglung district in western Nepal, killing all on board, the Himalayan Times news portal wrote.

   The aircraft had airlifted a patient, a Nepalese army soldier, from Nepalganj in the south-west and was heading for the capital Kathmandu.

   On board were the patient, his brother, a Nepalese Army doctor, nurse and two crew members.

   Local TV stations said the villagers in Dhorpatan had heard a loud bang and witnessed flames on the hills. Police and army rescue teams were deployed to the accident site, which is 35 miles away from the nearest motorable road.

   This is the fifth crash in four months in Nepal, where aviation safety is problematic because of its difficult terrain. In September, 19 people died when a domestic plane crashed near the capital, Kathmandu.
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Nepal prepares to buy more time to write a constitution

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Nepal is preparing to allow a further six months to write its new constitution, media reported Tuesday.

   Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai said a joint draft of the constitution would be prepared by the end of November, then finalized during an extended six-month period, Kantipur Television reported.

   His statement came amid speculation over the timing of the new charter, integrating the country's former Maoist combatants.

   The government has faced criticism for political infighting and tolerating impunity among legislators, instead of focusing on writing the constitution and completing the peace process.

   The new constitution is part of Nepal's peace process, ending a decade of civil war between the Maoists and the former government in 2006 and bringing the rebels from the battlefield into politics.

   Political factions remain deadlocked over several issues, including the fate of former guerrillas. Since the end of the conflict, 19,000 Maoist combatants have been confined to seven camps across Nepal.

   The 601-member Constituent Assembly was elected in 2008 and given a two-year mandate to write a charter. Its term was extended for a third time on August 31, and a new deadline was set for November 30.
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ROUNDUP: Nepal Maoist minister accused of murder resigns

Eds: Releads with resignation =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A Nepalese government minister accused of murder stepped down late Sunday after receiving a direct order to do so from the Maoist Party, of which he is a member.

   Land Reform Minister Prabhu Sah handed his resignation to Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.

   Nepal's Maoists on Sunday decided to ask Sah to resign from the council of ministers, following pressure from the opposition.

   The opposition parties, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninists obstructed parliamentary proceedings Sunday, demanding the government sack the minister.

   Sah has been accused by police of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari. Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in the southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists. Tiwari's wife has accused Sah of offering her blood money to drop murder charges against him.

   Maoist Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met early Sunday and decided to ask Sah to resign.

   Last week all charges against Sah were dropped, following protests from his party, which alleged the accusations were baseless and politically motivated.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   This month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.
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Nepal's Maoists decide to ask minister accused of murder to resign

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Nepal's Maoists on Sunday decided to ask a minister accused of murder to resign from the council of ministers, following pressure from the opposition.

   Land Reform Minister Prabhu Sah, a member of the Maoist party, has been accused by police of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari.

   Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in the southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists. Tiwari’s wife has accused Sah of offering her blood money to drop murder charges against him.

   Maoist Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal met early Sunday and decided to ask Sah to resign.

   On Wednesday, all charges against him were dropped, following protests from his party, which alleged the accusations were baseless and politically motivated.

   The opposition parties, Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist obstructed parliamentary proceedings on Thursday, demanding the government sack the minister.

   “The Maoists have decided to make Sah resign, which we appreciate,” Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak said on the decision. “But the Prime Minister needs to inform the parliament about where the case against him stands now.”

   Parliament was due to meet later Sunday and Sah's resignation was expected.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   This month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.
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Three dead, four missing in Nepal landslide

   Kathmandu (dpa) - Three people, including a child, were killed early Sunday in a landslide in south-east Nepal, local media reported.

   Locals were digging clay from the banks of the Bairahawa River to paint houses for the upcoming festival of Tihar, when the landslide occurred.

   Four people were missing after the incident in Siraha district’s Badhadamal village, according to Avenues Television.

   Police and army teams, with the help of local residents, rescued three people who were seriously injured.

   Police said that hopes of rescuing those buried alive were slim, as several hours had passed since the incident.
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Nepal villagers resort to camomile to ward off wild animals

   Kathmandu (dpa)- Villagers in the western Nepalese district of Bardiya have resorted to the use of camomile flowers to keep away wild animals, media reported Friday.

   The villagers - threatened by wild rhinoceros and elephants who destroyed their crops and charged at locals - resorted to the simple, non-violent measure after discovering that mint and camomile plants repelled the animals, wrote online news portal Republica.

   "Our primary goal was to reduce the conflict between the wild animals and the villagers," Republica quoted Mangal Man Tharu, Chairperson of Shiva Community Forest.

   Farmers have planted the herbs along the edge of their farmland and community forests in the area, saving them the trouble of sitting around in tall bamboo towers, to keep vigil over the wild animals.

   "Every year, three to four people would be killed or severely hurt due to animal attacks, and huge parts of our plantations would be destroyed," said Tharu.

   "But since we started planting mint and camomile, such damages have been reduced to a great extent."

   Besides providing security, the plants are also highly prized cash crops.

   According to World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mint and camomile harvests fetch three- to eightfold higher returns than their previous earnings from rice plantations, thus raising their living standards.

   WWF said the initiative was also an important contribution to wildlife conservation.

   The project has been nominated for the World Challenge 2011, which recognizes projects bringing social and environmental benefits through enterprise and innovation.

   The award, run by BBC World News and Newsweek magazine, selects 12 projects globally, of which the best one wins a 20,000-dollar prize.
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47 killed in Nepal bus accident

   Kathmandu (dpa) - At least 47 people were killed when a bus plunged into a river in Nepal Thursday, police said.

   The bus was carrying over 60 passengers home after the annual Dashain festival celebrations. It was travelling to the capital Kathmandu.

   Police said the bus was carrying more than its capacity.

   It swerved off the road and plunged 300 metres into the Sunkoshi River, in Sindhuli district, some 240 kilometres east of the capital.

   Police said 11 people who were travelling on the roof had jumped to safety but many were missing. Precisely how many was not known, as there was no record of the number of passengers.

   Rescue operations were being carried out by police with the help of inhabitants of nearby villages.

   Many overcrowded buses have taken to the roads of Nepal in the last two weeks as people travel home or to visit relatives during the festive season of Dashain, the country's largest public holiday, commemorating the victory of the gods over demons.

   Road accidents that claim hundreds of lives in Nepal every year are blamed on poor road conditions, reckless driving and the use of old vehicles.
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Murder charges against Maoist minister dropped =

   Kathmandu (dpa) - A Maoist government minister accused of murder had all charges against him dropped on Wednesday, following protests from his party, which alleged the charges were baseless and politically motivated, local media reported.

   A district court dropped all charges against Minister for Land Reform Prabhu Sah for lack of evidence, Kantipur Television reported.

   The Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Maoists had earlier requested the government to revoke murder charges against Sah, who is a party central committee member.

   On Tuesday, Maoist party cadres demonstrated in various parts of the country in support of demands that Sah be acquitted.

   Police had accused Sah of involvement in the killing of Hindu youth leader Kashi Tiwari. Tiwari was shot dead in June 2010 in Nepal's southern city of Birganj days after he launched a protest against the Maoists.

   The court has filed charges against four others, including Sah's personal secretary, Shiyaram Kushawaha.

   Another accused in the case, Aman Kushawaha, has confessed that he pulled the trigger on Sah's orders, an allegation denied by Sah.

   Earlier this month, the government pardoned a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder.

   Critics have accused the new Maoist-led coalition government of undermining the rule of law by withdrawing cases against those accused of committing serious crimes during the country's 10-year armed conflict, which ended in 2006.
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Nepali government set to pardon lawmaker involved in murder

October 2, 2011

  Kathmandu (dpa) - The Nepali government was Sunday set to pardon a Maoist lawmaker convicted of involvement in a 1998 murder, local media reported.

   The move comes amid growing concerns that the new Maoist-led coalition government may undermine the rule of law by withdrawing court cases filed against those accused of committing serious crimes
during the country's ten-year-long armed conflict, which ended in 2006.

   The cabinet on Sunday forwarded an amnesty proposal for United Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel to the president.

   Since the president's role is mainly ceremonial, he can only turn down a government decision in unusual circumstances.

   Dhungel was in 2010 sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court for his involvement in a murder in 1998, when the country was mired in civil war.

   Despite the court decision, Dhungel has been free to move about the country and has also attended parliamentary proceedings.

   Rights activists have condemned a four-point agreement between the UCPN-M and a crucial faction of parties from the Tarai belt, the country's bread basket, which led to the formation of a coalition government a month ago.

   According to a provision in the four-point deal, the government will grant amnesty to those charged with crimes committed during the Maoist insurgency and the 2007 revolt in the Tarai belt.

   UCPN-M insists Dhungel's case is of a political nature and he cannot be tried by regular courts. The party has said that only a yet-to-be-formed Truth and Reconciliation Commission can look into
criminal cases from the conflict period.
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Author: Biswas Baral

More than half of all homes in Nepal have no toilet, figures show

 Oct 7, 2011, 14:13 GMT

Kathmandu- Some 57 per cent houses in Nepal do not have toilets according to government figures released Friday.

According to the Department of Environmental Sanitation and Natural Disaster Management, a recent study shows that only 43 per cent households have sanitation facilities.

Those without toilets relieve themselves into streams, rivers, forests and open fields.

The figures come in the wake of a government plan to provide people with basic toilet facilities by 2017.

The government currently operates sanitation programs in over 200 villages and four municipalities across the country, under which two districts have been declared 'open-defecation-free' zones.

Every year, scores die and hundreds suffer from diarrhea and cholera due to contaminated water in Nepal.