UCPN (Maoist) An Opportunist Party: Baidya

KIRAN PUN

KATHMANDU, Oct 31: Categorizing the parties on the basis of their political character, the CPN-Maoist has labeled the UCPN (Maoist) as a “rightist-revisionist and opportunist” party, claiming the latter has undertaken various anti-national and anti-people activities such as the BIPPA agreement. 

Presenting the party´s political document at the party central committee meeting in Buddhanagar on Monday, party Chairman Mohan Baidya said that the UCPN (Maoist) is the biggest danger for the Nepali communist movement. He also accused the party of confusing the communists and the people. 

"The document does not explicitly name the parties but only hints at them. This has been done deliberately as there is a compulsion to talk them," said a central committee member of CPN-Maoist. 

CPN-Maoist Formally Decides Thapa As Party's PM Candidate

KIRAN PUN

KATHMANDU, Oct 30: Claiming itself to be the third alternative political force in the country, CPN-Maoist has formally announced the party´s General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa as their candidate for the post of new prime minister.

During a meeting of the party´s central committee at party headquarters in Buddha Nagar on Monday, the party also called on the Baburam Bhattarai-led government to step down without further delay and that political dialogue should be held on the formation of the new government and its leader. 
Talking to Republica, the party´s secretary Netra Bikram Chand said Thapa should be given the post of prime minister for four different reasons. 

साझदेखि पेस्तोल तेस्र्याएर मलाई धम्क्याइयो

उदय चलाउने ‘दीपक’, तत्कालीन सह–कमान्डर तेस् उदय चलाउने जाजरकोटमा जन्मिए र रहरलाग्दो उमेरमा जनयुद्धमा लागे । दसवर्षे जनयुद्धका घुम्ती पार गर्दै शान्तिप्रक्रियापछि पहिले छैटौ“ डिभिजन र पछि तेस्रो डिभिजनको सह–कमान्डर बने । शिविरमा भएको भ्रष्टाचारको छानबिन गर्न माग गरेबापत कमान्डर धनबहादुर मास्कीलगायतले उनीमाथि दुस्मनको जस्तो व्यवहार गरे र अभिशप्त पात्र बनाएर शिविरबाट निकालिए । लालमोर्चाका किल्लाहरूमा, समरयात्रालगायत किताबका लेखक चलाउने जनयुद्धकालमा कमरेड दीपकका नामले चर्चित थिए ।

Feast for PM leaves man Rs 6,000 poorer

RABINDRA UPRETI, MAHOTTARI, OCT 15 -It was indeed a night to remember for Bisun Sada. Hosting the country’s prime minister was something he had not imagined in his wildest dreams.
As someone from the Musahar community, one of the lowest Dalit groups, entertaining the PM of Brahmin descent in a society still rife with caste-based discrimination was a matter of honour for Sada. He did his best to keep his guests happy and made sure they enjoyed delicious and more importantly a bellyful feast.

प्रधानमन्त्रीको स्वागतमा ६ हजार ऋण

रवीन्द्र उप्रेती- प्रधानमन्त्री भट्टराई छोरी मानुषीका साथ महोत्तरीको फुलकहा ६, मनहरवास्थित बिसुनी सदाको घरमा केराको पातमा घोङी -शंखेकिरा) को तरकारी, गँगटाको अचारसित शनिबार रातिको खाना खाँदै । तस्बिर: रवीन्द्र/कान्तिपुर प्रधानमन्
महोत्तरी, आश्विन २९ - फुलकहा ६, मनहरवाका ६३ वर्षीय बिसुनी सदालाई असोज २७ गते अविस्मरणीय दिन रह्यो ।

Dahal's wartime security commander is now Nepal Army officer

Birendra BM a.k.a Manjil

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Oct 15: Birendra BM lost his three family members - his father and two sisters-during the decade-long Maoist insurgency. But he ensured foolproof security to UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal for years.
Birendra provided security to the former supreme commander of the Maoist army from the time Dahal and his family arrived in Rolpa, the Maoist hotbed, until Dahal became the prime minister.
When Dahal arrived in Rolpa, the task of ensuring security to the Maoist chairman was a very crucial responsibility to the Maoist army, People´s Liberation Army and the PLA commander were in search of a trusted and responsible PLA commander for the purpose. Birendra shouldered the responsibility.
During the more than six tumultuous years, he encountered seesaw situation with Nepal Army many times. During such incidents he would provide security to Dahal, putting his own life at risk.

Umbrage and uncertainty

NABIN BIBHAS
DISTRESS IN PLA
In Rolpa, where the ‘people’s war’ originated, I met the PLA personnel who joined the war as members of Ladaku Dal during the war’s initial phase. Cantoned in Dahaban, the combatants think they were duped into sacrificing their happiness to build the political career of Dahal.
“By joining the war, we neglected the future of our three generations: ours, our parents’ and our children’s. And that was for the political careers of a few leaders,” says a combatant from Rolpa, who joined the Ladaku Dal [the precursor to PLA] to change the face of Nepal. “But it just changed the fate of some leaders. We are just disposable things, like condoms,” said another combatant. Dahal spent the whole process thinking about how to abandon them. And finally, we have been thrown away.” It won’t be surprising if some of them even take to criminal activities, in which case the second installment of those who opted for voluntary retirement will be stopped. They pose a challenge to Dahal.

PLA couple, siblings now NA officers

Bimala Panta a.k.a Birangana and Ram Bahadur Lama a.k.a Bibek

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Oct 14: Former Maoist combatants Ram Bahadur Lama and Bimala Panta have many things to cherish together. Coming from different castes, they not only fought shoulder to shoulder in many a guerrilla action against the state during the decade-long insurgency but also ended up tying the knot the Maoist ´janabadi´ way.
The saga of their heaven-made partnership didn´t end there, but took yet another unprecedented turn when both of them were selected for officer-level integration in the Nepal Army.

The ultimate deception

KIRAN PUN
DISTRESS IN PLA
With the dissolution of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army (PLA), many people thought Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had successfully tackled the most complex issue of the peace process and led the party to the political mainstream. Last April, he deployed the Nepal Army to disband the PLA in a humiliating manner and accepted the recruitment of a few hundred combatants into the army as a face-saver. With that move, he sufficiently addressed the criteria set by the international and domestic actors to become a “civilian party”, and allayed the widespread fears of the Maoist design to capture state power through violent means.
The question, however, is: Has Dahal been relieved of his responsibilities to the combatants who sacrificed themselves for his political career? If Dahal believes he has left his past behind and can disassociate himself from all that, he is naive.

Mom goes to school with 3 kids

Chepang mom (r)

CHADANI HAMAL
CHITWAN, Oct 13: Struggling to eke out a living with odd jobs, one thing Man Kumari Chepang, 38, of Dhading district never gave up her longing for schooling. It must have been because of that inextinguishable zeal, she doesn´t feel awkward going to Chitwan Higher Secondary School along with her children.
Like every five in the morning she pedals back to her room after buying a sackful of green corn from Narayanghat market.

No inclusion in sight as integration ends

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Oct 13: For Maoist leaders, eliminating a caste-based social structure and ensuring social inclusion for all was purportedly one of the major goals in initiating the decade-long insurgency that claimed over 15,000 lives.
However, as the much-trumpeted integration of former Maoist combatants into the Nepal Army comes to an end six years after the former rebels came into the peace process, a snap analysis of the gender, caste and region -- the core parameters of inclusion -- of the 71 individuals selected for officer-rank integration into the Nepal Army gives one the pessimistic impression that the cause of social inclusion has completely lost out.
Based on data on integrated ex-Maoist combatants gleaned by Republica, it is apparent that social inclusion has failed to get translated into action. For instance, males continue to get the lion´s share and the Bahun, Chhetri and Thakuri emerge as dominate castes among the 71 officers who are scheduled to start vigorous army training within one and half months.

टुंगियो समायोजन

नेत्र पन्थी,रोशन खड्का/नयाँ पत्रिका
काठमाडौं, २० असोज
शान्तिसम्झौता भएको करिब ६ वर्षपछि समायोजनमा जाने लडाकुको छनोट प्रक्रिया टुंगिएको छ । छनोट पूरा गरेका लडाकुले घरबिदाबाट फर्किएपछि सैनिक तालिम केन्द्रमा तालिम लिने भएका छन् ।
शान्तिसम्झौता गर्दा माओवादी लडाकुको समायोजन ६ महिनाभित्र सक्ने भनिएको थियो । तर, सम्झौता गरेको पाँच वर्ष १० महिनापछि प्रक्रिया टुंगिएको छ । ५ मंसिर ०६३ मा शान्तिसम्झौता भएको थियो ।
नयाँ जनवादी सत्ता स्थापनाका लागि भन्दै माओवादीले ८ मंसिर ०५८ मा रोल्पामा 'जनमुक्ति सेना नेपाल' गठन गरेको थियो । तिनै लडाकु शान्तिप्रक्रियाको सुरुवातसँगै देशका विभिन्न भागका २८ शिविरमा बस्दै आएका थिए । विभिन्न चरणको प्रमाणीकरणसँगै समायोजन प्रक्रियामा छनोट भएका लडाकु तालिमअघि घरबिदामा गएका छन् ।

71 ex-PLA to be appointed as NA officers today

71 Former PLA commanders who have been selected for officer position in the Nepal Army pose for a group at Sainik Aswasiya Mahavidyalaya, Chitawan. photo curtsey: Sudeep Thakuri

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Oct 7: Former People´s Liberation Army (PLA) commanders, who have been selected as Nepal Army officers, are going on 45-day home leave before joining national army training.
They will receive their appointment letters and movement orders Sunday before leaving for home leave.
With their final selection, the six-year national debate among political parties on the integration of former Maoist combatants has finally been taken to a logical conclusion.
Though the political parties committed themselves in the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 2006 to complete the integration process in six months, it has taken six years.

बाबुराम, राजु बस्नेत र बेपत्ता योद्धा

दीपशिखा

'बस्नेत प्रक्रियामा म गम्भीर र सचेत छु । उनको बढुवा सरकारले गर्दैन, तर कारबाहीका हकमा भने द्वन्द्वकालका सबै मुद्दा सत्यनिरूपण तथा मेलमिलाप आयोगमार्फत सम्बोधन गरिनेछ ।'
यो उद्गार हाम्रा प्रधानमन्त्री तथा एमाओवादी उपाध्यक्ष डा. बाबुराम भट्टराईले केही समयअघि व्यक्त गरेका हुन् । बेपत्ता परिवारको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्दै बस्नेतको बढुवा नगर्न भनी प्रधानमन्त्रीकहाँ गएका अनेरास्ववियु (क्रान्तिकारी) अध्यक्ष हिमाल शर्मासँग यसो भनिएको दुई महिना पनि नपुग्दै उनै प्रधानमन्त्री भट्टराईले बिहीबार बस्नेतको
बढुवा गरिदिए ।
बस्नेत अर्थात् नेपाली सेनाका लेफ्टिनेन्ट कर्णेल राजु बस्नेत । उनीमाथि द्वन्द्वकालमा भैरवनाथ गणबाट ४९ माओवादी नेता तथा कार्यकर्ता बेपत्ता पारिएको अभियोग छ । उनलाई संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघको उच्चायुक्तको कार्यालयले तत्काल निलम्बन गरेर कारबाही प्रक्रिया अघि बढाउन अनुरोध गरेको छ । सन् २००६ मा गरिएको यो अनुरोधसँगै विभिन्न मानवअधिकारसम्बन्धी संस्थाले उनका बारेमा पटक-पटक सरकारको ध्यानाकृष्ट मात्रै गराएका छैनन्, खबरदारीसमेत गर्दै आएका छन् ।

चार लडाकू महिला सेनामा अधिकृत बन्दै

अधितृक मापक तालिममा ७१ कमाण्डर पास

७ असोज, काठमाडौं । नेपाली सेनाविरुद्ध थुप्रै मोर्चामा युद्ध लडेका चार जना महिला लडाकू यतिबेला नेपाली सेनाको अधिकृत बन्ने अन्तिम तयारीमा छन् । नेपाली सेनाले लिएको अधितृक मापक तालिमको परीक्षामा पास भएका ७१ लडाकूमा चार महिला छन् ।
पूर्व व्रिगेड सहकमाण्डरद्वय विमला लामा, शशीकला भट्टराई, कम्पनी कमाण्डर मिना बस्नेत र बटालियन कमाण्डर मनकुमारी राईले अधिकृत मापकको तालिम पास गरेका हुन् । उनीहरुको मेडिकल जाँच पनि दिइसकेका छन् । अब अन्तरवार्तामा पास भएपछि उनीहरु सेनामा कम्तिमा अधिकृत हुने छन् ।
‘हामीले शिविरमा बसेदेखि नै नेपाली सेनामा समायोजन हुनु पर्ने माग गरेका थियौं । लामो समयको शिविरको बसाई र प्रतिक्षापछि सेनामा जाँदैछौं । निकै खुसी लागेको छ’-अधितृक मापक तालिममा पास भएपछि मेडिकज जाँच दिएकी पूर्व व्रिगेड सहकमाण्डर विमलाले टेलिफोनमा अनलाइनखबरसँग भन्नुभयो ।

के सोचेँ पहिले, के भयो अहिले !

 राजु क्षत्री– बितेका पछिल्ला १३ वर्ष थुप्रै विषयमा लेखियो, लाखौ“ शब्द सर्सर्ती लेखेका यिनै हात आज आºनै बारेमा लेख्न बस्दा किन–किन शब्दविहीनजस्तै बन्न पुगेको छ । शब्द संयोजन गर्ने आ“ैला प्यारालाइसिसझै“ भएका छन् । दुनिया“का सुख–दुःखका कुरा लेख्ने यिनै हात आºनै दुःख र पीडाका कुरा लेख्न बस्दा किन यस्तो निरीह बनेको होला ? आज लागिरहेछ, अरूका लागि शब्दद्वारा केही भन्नु र तिनै शब्दद्वारा आºनालागि भन्नु फरक कुरा रहेछ । आºनै बारेमा लेख्न बसिरह“दा आफ“ैलाई न्याय गर्न सक्छु कि सक्दिन“ भन्ने कुराले मन चिमोटिरहेको छ । घरी लाग्छ, म स्वयं मेरो बादशाह हु“, त्यसैले मैले मात्रै मलाई न्याय गर्न सक्छु ।

जतिबेला देशमा जनयुद्ध सुरु भयो, यो न्यायको युद्धमा नलाग्ने हो भने, लाग्योे भविष्यमा बितेर गएका दिन सम्झेर पश्चाताप गर्नुपर्नेछ । त्यसैले विगत सम्झेर पश्चात्ताप गर्न नपरोस् भनी विश्वविद्यालयको स्नातक तहको पढाइलाई लात मारेर युद्धमा होमिएँ । बाबाआमाले भनेका थिए– नलाग बाबु यो मर्ने यात्रामा । नातागोता, आफन्त सबैले सम्झाउ“दै भनेका थिए, अरूका लागि मान्छे मार्ने बाटोमा नलाग् बाबु । पछुताउनेछस् एकदिन । आदर्श संसारको सपना देखाएर नाता, आफन्तलाई सम्झाउ“दै, फकाउ“दै, हा“स्दै–हा“स्दै युद्ध यात्रामा लागेको थिए“ । १६ वर्षअघि पुलिसले लघारेर रु“दै–रु“दै होइन, बाबाआमाले रातो टीका लगाइदिएर हा“स्दै–हा“स्दै युद्धको यात्रामा निस्केका दिन कति रंगीन र मिठास थिए ! विद्यार्थी राजनीति, पार्टी पत्रकारिता, संकटकाल, बेपत्ता अनि जेलजीवन र फेरि फर्केर पत्रकारिता ।

Publisher Who Transformed The Times for New Era

By CLYDE HABERMAN -Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, who guided The New York Times and its parent company through a long, sometimes turbulent period of expansion and change on a scale not seen since the newspaper’s founding in 1851, died early Saturday at his home in Southampton, N.Y. He was 86.

His death, after a long illness, was announced by his family.

Mr. Sulzberger’s tenure, as publisher of the newspaper and as chairman and chief executive of The New York Times Company, reached across 34 years, from the heyday of postwar America to the twilight of the 20th century, from the era of hot lead and Linotype machines to the birth of the digital world.

The paper he took over as publisher in 1963 was the paper it had been for decades: respected and influential, often setting the national agenda. But it was also in precarious financial condition and somewhat insular, having been a tightly held family operation since 1896, when it was bought by his grandfather Adolph S. Ochs.