Tale of a hermaphrodite mom

SAMUNDRA POUDEL
TANAHU, Feb 22: When Laxmi Sah came into the world, her family, which was originally from Motihari, India, was overjoyed, thinking it a good omen for their house.
After nurturing her into a young girl, she was married off to Acchelal Sah of Sarlahi district at the age of 16. In course of time, she became a mother of two sons and two daughters.

CJ-led govt proposal unscientific -NetraBikramChand Biplav

PHOTO: KIRAN PUN

As deliberations over a CJ-led election government continues between the four major political forces, other political parties have been expressing their dissatisfaction over the whole process from which they feel left out. The biggest opponent of a CJ-led government has been CPN-Maoist, which organized Nepal banda against the decision on Tuesday. Kiran Pun and Biswas Baral talked to party secretary Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’ to understand the position of ‘dash’ Maoists on government formation and broader national politics. 

Child marriage a tradition in Chitwan village

CHANDNI HAMAL
CHITWAN, Feb 18: The atmosphere in a village of Chitwan was festive and a hut in the village was decked out for a wedding ceremony. The relatives of the bride were busy attending to guests.

People's War gains, loss

KIRAN PUN
KATHMANDU, Feb 13: All the Maoist factions --Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led UCPN (Maoist), Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist, Matrika Yadav-led CPN (Maoist) and Mani Thapa-led Revolutionary Communist Party of Nepal --have celebrated the 18th anniversary of the Maoist people´s war with various programs.

Maoist parties to observe occasion in separate ways

---'People's war' anniversary today---       
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Feb 12: Tuesday is the 18th anniversary of the 10-year Maoist insurgency known as ´People´s war´, according to the Nepali calendar. More than 15,000 people were killed in the insurgency, with thousands injured or maimed, over 1,500 disappeared, and thousands more displaced.

The then CPN (Maoist) launched its people´s war with armed attacks on police posts at Holeri, Rolpa and Sindhuligadhi, Sindhuli on 13 Feb, 1992.

Dahal re-elected party chairman

KIRAN PUN
Former PLA members object to new leadership
HETAUDA, Feb 9: Giving continuity to Pushpa Kamal Dahal´s leadership, the ongoing seventh general convention of ruling the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) has concluded on Friday.

The convention also announced 98 members of the 151-member central committee. While Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha have retained their positions as vice-chairmen, Post Bahadur Bogati who was the party secretary has been elected general secretary.

Dahal to emerge as heavyweight

Dahal addressing closed session. (Photo: Republica)

KIRAN PU, HETAUDA, Feb 8: Probably, there are few political parties like the CPN (Maoist) that went through umpteen upheavals. CPN (Maoist) waged the bloodiest insurgency in Nepal´s history with the aim of abolishing monarchy and turning Nepal into a communist country. 

Dahal for CJ as head of election govt

KIRAN PUN

HETAUDA, Feb 8: The ruling UCPN (Maoist) has floated a new proposal of forming an election government under the leadership of incumbent chief justice (CJ) as a way to end the ongoing political impasse.

The ongoing general convention of the party came up with the new proposal as the opposition parties turned down several earlier proposals. Dahal’s political document has been endorsed on Thursday.

Party should stay in govt for next 20-30 yrs: PM

KIRAN PUN
HETAUDA, Jan 7: At a time when the opposition parties have launched anti-government protests demanding his immediate exit, Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Wednesday told his party´s rank and file that it had become necessary for the party to stay in government for the next 20-30 years.

Addressing the closed session of the ongoing seventh general convention of UCPN (Maoist) in Hetauda, Bhattarai also sought support from the party organization to formulate party policy and programs accordingly. He said he would not step down any time soon without finding a suitable alternative.

Violent phase of revolution over

PHOTO: KIRAN PUN

REPUBLICA

The seventh UCPN (Maoist) general convention in Hetauda has garnered the attention of the whole nation. Although the party has already endorsed its political document and settled top leadership positions ahead of the national gathering, there is a belief that the general convention will mark political transformation of the Maoist party and could be instrumental in breaking the logjam in national politics. Republica’s Kiran Pun caught up with Maoist vice-chairman and prime minister Baburam Bhattarai on the sidelines of the Heutada conclave to learn more about the general convention and the future course of national politics. 

Where has Prachanda Path gone?: Maoists

KIRAN PUN
HETAUDA, Feb 6: Strongly criticizing the proposal to hold a referendum on the issue of disputed borders, the chiefs of discussion groups at the ongoing UCPN(Maoist) general convention have expressed grave concern that the proposal could turn Nepal into Fiji or Sikkim.

Presenting the views of the groups at the general convention venue at the Hetauda textile factory on Tuesday, they also termed Dahal´s political document a ´political document for elections´ or ´a proposal of an NGO´.

Maoist leaders register 3 more documents

KIRAN PUN

HETAUDA, Feb 5: Representatives of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) at the ongoing seventh general convention criticized the life style of the leaders and cadres Monday, terming them a ´new elite´ class in the party.

Expressing their views on the political document presented by party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at a group discussion, they also demanded that the reports of the two high-level commissions led by party Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati and leader Amik Sherchan be made public.

UCPN (Maoist) general convention kicks off

KIRAN PUN

HETAUDA, Feb 3: The seventh general convention of the ruling Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) kicked off in Hetauda on Saturday. This is the party´s first general convention after 21 years. 
Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the convention at Hupra Chaur in Hetauda. 

The general convention will elect new leadership of the party and debate on Dahal´s proposal that calls for “capitalist revolution to create the foundation of socialism”. 

In 1992, the party general convention had endorsed the political line of ´people´s war´. It would mark the party´s formal entry into parliamentary politics after Dahal´s political proposal gets endorsed in the convention. The party during the Chunbang meeting in 2005 had already decided to accept multiparty system, which the party then described as ´21st century janabad [democracy]´.

Ruling Maoist general convention today