First form a govt of political parties: Baidya

REPUBLICA
Separate meetings of the High Level Political Committee and the government have decided to hold talks with the dissident political parties and persuade them to participate in the coming elections. Mohan Baidya-led CPN-Maoist is in the forefront of those disrupting the ongoing voter registration drive launched by the Election Commission. Republica"s Kiran Pun talked with CPN-Maoist Chairman Mohan Baidya on issues surrounding the coming elections.

Why UCPN (Maoist) wants Jha in at top level?

KATHMANDU, March 28: With the postponement of former CPN-UML leader Ram Chandra Jha´s joining the UCPN(Maoist) party as scheduled, this has now become a most talked-about issue within the UCPN (Maoist) over the last couple of days.

Debate rages on over Jha joining in the largest party, so much so that the issue of giving full shape to the party´s central committee is being overshadowed by his proposed entry into the party.[break]

Some Madhes-based leaders in the party are lobbying against allowing the top party leadership to appoint Jha to the party´s top body while other leaders want to give him a key role in the party so that the former rebels could establish a strong foothold in the Madhesi community.

बन्दुक उठाएदेखि बिसाएसम्मको कथा

नन्दकिशोर पुन पासाङ, पूर्वकमान्डर

जनयुद्धका लागि भनेर तपाईंले पहिलोपटक बन्दुक कहिले समात्नुभयो ?

जनयुद्ध जनताले लडिने एउटा युद्धको मोडल भएको हुनाले सुरुमा जनयुद्धका लागि कुनै त्यस्तो आधुनिक हतियार वा तालिमको आवश्यकता पर्दैन । जनतासँग जुन विचार छ, जुन हतियार छ, त्यसैको सहारामा लडिन्छ । युद्धद्वारा युद्ध सिक्ने, लडाइँद्वारा लडाइँ सिक्ने, संघर्षबाट नै बलियो बन्ने, संघर्षको मोर्चाबाटै तालिम प्राप्त गर्ने र दक्ष बन्ने, वस्तुगत राजनीतिक अवस्थालाई पक्डेर मानसिक र भौतिक रूपमा आफूलाई तयार पार्ने कुरा नै माओवादी मान्यता हो । जब म कम्युनिस्ट प्रभावमा परँे र त्यससम्बन्धी अध्ययन गर्दै गएँ, त्यतिखेरदेखि नै वैचारिक राजनीतिक तथा सांगठनिक बन्दुक समातिसकेको थिएँ । ठोसमा भन्नुपर्दा जनयुद्धकै लागि भनेर बन्दुक, जनयुद्धको तयारी र थालनीआसपासदेखि नै समातियो, त्यतिवेला ग्रामीण वर्गसंघर्षको पनि अवस्था थियो । त्यो आफँैमा तालिम र लडाइँको मोर्चा दुवै थियो ।

News Anchor Reads Her Boyfriend's Marriage Proposal on TV

Here's a story one TV news anchor never thought she'd break on air -- she's getting married!
During Huntsville, Alabama news station FOX54's Saturday night broadcast, anchor Jillian Pavlica became engaged on-air after she read the proposal her boyfriend, Vince, snuck into the teleprompter.

Fleshingout CC a tough job for Dahal

Maoist leaders in the meeting. (Photo: Bhaswor Ojha)

Marwa's story: 10 years since the bomb fell

As the US military fought their way into Baghdad 10 years ago, the life of one Iraqi girl was changed forever when she was gravely injured in an air raid. Marwa's story, and charitable efforts by outsiders to rebuild her life, reflect the wider struggle of millions of Iraqis over the past decade.

चे का चेहरा

ओम थानवी--

वह तस्वीर चे ने खुद कभी नहीं देखी। उस तस्वीर से उसके छविकार ने कभी एक पैसा नहीं कमाया। मगर दुनिया के हर कोने में आज वह छवि मौजूद है। विद्रोह और क्रांति के एक सशक्त प्रतीक के रूप में। ‘टाइम’ पत्रिका द्वारा चे गेवारा को पिछली सदी की सौ हस्तियों में शरीक करने से बहुत पहले वह छवि दुनिया में सबसे ज्यादा छपी तस्वीर घोषित हो गई थी।

'हाम्रो ठूले 'खिरारे' प्रधानमन्त्री भयो'

टेकनारायण भट्टराई - चुनावी सरकारका प्रमुख खिलराज रेग्मी जन्मे हुर्केको पाल्पा पोखराथोक स्थित घरमा बिहीबार बिहान पुग्दा सुनसान थियो। 'घरमा को हुनुहुन्छ?' चिच्याएपछि भित्रबाट एक पुरुषको जवाफ आयो-'हजुर हामी भित्र छम्।' उनी बाहिर आए र भने-टिभीमा हाम्रो घरबेटीज्यूको सपथ चल्दैछ त्यै हेर्दैछम्।'

Everyone wants to be on TV

R. Sukumar --In India, everyone wants to own a car and house.
Everyone has an opinion, especially about politics and cricket (which is good).
And everyone wants to be on TV.
Every TV news story, irrespective of whether it is about a terror attack or a cricket match, has people jostling to get into the frame. And it isn’t just the man on the street who wants to be on camera. Politicians, businessmen, even print journalists who are otherwise rarely seen—all love to be on TV.
Most are willing to do what it takes, even if this means coping with a little indignity.

Pundit Manto’s First Letter to Pundit Nehru

This is M. ASADUDDIN‘s translation of a letter written by SA’ADAT HASAN MANTO to Jawaharlal Nehru in 1954. This translation first appeared in The Annual of Urdu Studies (volume 11, 1996). 
Pundit-ji, assalamu alaikum!
This is the first letter I’m sending you. By the grace of God you’re considered very handsome by the Americans. Well, my features are not exactly bad either. If I go to America, perhaps I’ll be accorded the same status. But you’re the Prime Minister of India, and I’m the famed story writer of Pakistan. Quite a deep gulf separating us! However, what is common between us is that we are both Kashmiris. You’re a Nehru, I’m a Manto. To be a Kashmiri is to be handsome, and to be handsome … I don’t know.

Jaya Shambho! Shivaratri --Yes! Ganja/Bhang --No!

Photo: Kamal Pariyar

KAMAL PARIYAR

KATHMANDU, March 9: In view of the rampant trade of marijuana during the Maha Shivaratri festival, the government authorities have warned that sadhus found selling the drug to devotees on the pretext of offering prasad would be arrested.

त्यसै जाने भो राउटे जवानी

जनक नेपाल
काठमाडौ, फाल्गुन २५ -
राउटे समुदायभित्र उमेर पुगेका कन्या अभाव भएपछि मुखिया मैनबहादुर शाही अचेल चिन्तामा छन् । झन्डै एक दर्जन युवाहरूले बिहे नगरेरै ३५ वर्ष काटेका छन् । राउटे बस्तीमा किशोरीहरू हुर्किन नपाउँदै कसले बिहे गर्ने भन्ने तँछाड-मछाड हुन थालेको छ । यसले गर्दा केटा र केटीको उमेरमा ठूलो अन्तर त देखिएको छ नै, सानै उमेरमा केटीहरूको बिहे हुने क्रम पनि बढेको छ । केही महिनाअघि ३८ वषर्ीय प्रकाश शाहीले १३ वषर्ीया मिनुलाई भित्र्याए । त्यो पनि ठूलो कसरतपछि । 'तीन/चार वर्षदेखि मागेको । बल्लतल्ल राजी बनाएँ,' प्रकाशले भने, 'अब यिनलाई सुखले राख्छु ।'

७ परिवारको एउटै घर

Kashi Ram Dangi

खाना भिन्नै भए पनि सुत्न भने ७ परिवारका २३ जना एउटै कोठामा आइपुग्छन्
काशीराम डाँगी
रोल्पा, फाल्गुन २६ - सात परिवारको एउटै घर छ । त्यसमा पनि थोरै मात्र कोठा भएको सानो फुसको छानो । उत्तर-पश्चिमी इरिबाङ गाविसको बिसुनधारा गाउँका ७ घर बादी परिवारका लागि एउटै घरमा कोचिएर बस्नुको विकल्प पनि छैन । बिहे भई परिवार सदस्य थपिए, लालाबाला जन्मिएर संख्या बढ्यो तर पनि वर्षौंदेखि बादी परिवार एउटै घरमा बस्दै आएका छन् । सुकलाल बादीले ६० वर्षअघि बनाएको तीनकोठे घरलाई बाँडेर उनका ७ भाइ छोरासहित २३ जनाको परिवार एउटै छानामुनि बस्छन् ।

The Once and Future Kathmandu

Bansagopal Temple, from the 17th century, in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square. Photographs by Robert Polidori.

 After a glorious efflorescence as the link between Hindu India and Buddhist China, Nepal was isolated from the world until 1950. The result: Kathmandu Valley, where a medieval past is vibrantly present, architectural marvels are part of everyday life, and the sacred is pervasive. Amid thousands of temples, pagodas, monasteries, and other hallowed structures, the author salutes preservation efforts to bring Nepal’s magic into a third millennium.

by Lucinda Lambton

'The Chavez I knew'

Lucia Newman is Al Jazeera's Latin America editor.

Lucia Newman --Caracas, Venezuela: I must confess that it took me some time to take Hugo Chavez seriously. The first time I heard of him was in 1992, the day of his botched military coup attempt against Venezuela's then President Carlos Andres Perez. As I walked through the Miraflores Presidential Palace the next day, counting the bullet holes in the walls, I was quick to dismiss Lieutenant Colonel Chavez as a soldier with more illusions of grandeur and thirst for power than brains.

Seven years later when the obscure former military officer and paratrooper resurfaced to run for president – and actually got elected - I was more than surprised. Now I was really curious.

My Conversation With Hugo Chavez

Larry King

Larry King --It was September of 2009, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
That day I interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, in the morning. In the early afternoon, I interviewed Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, and in the evening I interviewed Muammar Gaddafi, the leader of Libya.
It was a strange kind of day, a hectic day with three world leaders, all of whom were regarded as despots. I was surprised when I met Chavez. He was engaging. When he walked into the room, he was laughing and singing. He spoke English and we talked baseball for a few minutes. For someone who didn't like the American leadership or our country, he certainly followed American baseball and knew everything about it. For about five or ten minutes we chatted, while the crew finished setting up for the interview.

Hardy Survivor of a Vanishing Print Era Is Still Delivering the Newspaper at 93

Max Whittaker for The New York Times

Newt Wallace, who at 93 is thought to be the world’s oldest newspaper delivery person, distributing The Winters Express in Winters, a town in Northern California. He was the publisher of the 2,300- circulation weekly, which he bought shortly after World War II, until he turned it over to his son in 1983.

By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY and MALIA WOLLAN

As Chavez ordained, VP Maduro is interim president

Photo: AP

ASSOCIATED PRESSE

CARACAS, Venezuela, March 6:  Even in death, Hugo Chavez´s orders are being followed. The man he anointed to succeed him, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, will continue to run Venezuela as interim president and be the governing socialists´ candidate in an election to be called within 30 days.

चम्किला चोकमान

चाँदनी हमाल, चौकीडाँडा, (चितवन), फागुन २३ - काठमाडौंबाट चिल्लो गाडी चढेर बाजेबज्यै भेट्न चोकमान प्रजा मंगलबार चितवन कविलासको उकालो चौकीडाँडा आइपुगे जहाँ विषालु च्याउ खाँदा नौ महिनाअघि उनले आमा सोमती, बुबा बुद्धिबहादुरसहित तीन दाजु गुमाएका थिए। 

Male temple virgin tradition still alive in Dailekh

GOVINDA KC

DAILEKH, March 5: The ancient tradition of appointing young boy as the custodian of Shiva Mahadev Temple, a must-visit pilgrimage that completes the popular Pancha Koshi procession, in Tallo Dhugheshwar Bazaar of Dailekh, is still kept alive by descendents of a Giri family. The family has remained custodians of the temple for the last five centuries. 

As per the custom, a young boy from their family is made the worshiper and custodian of the temple until he crosses the age of 16. Until then, he is forbidden to have any sexual relations. 

Dahal-Bhattarai rift persists

KIRAN PUN/ KOSH RAJ KOIRALA
KATHMANDU, Mar 6: A serious rift has surfaced between UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai, who is also the prime minister, over providing compensation to the victims of Bandarmude incident.

Dahal, who was very unhappy at the government´s “reluctance” to release Rs 6 million in compensation to the kin of those killed or injured in the Bandarmude incident during the Maoist insurgency, had himself taken initiatives to release the amount from the party´s treasury Tuesday morning.

A Love Letter

Rémi Ochlik et Emilie Blachère

In memoriam A Love Letter from Emilie Blachère to Rémi Ochlik

A Never-Ending Dream

My friend Bipulendra Adhikari not only recommended also forced me to read this essay of Ang Lee. Very impressive yar. Thank you Bipul. 

Following Lee’s second Best Directing win at the Academy Awards last night, this beautiful essay resurfaced. Here is Irene Shih's translation of Ang Lee’s words, written in 2006 (post-Oscar win). Courtesy from http://whatshihsaid.com/2013/02/26/ang-lee-a-never-ending-dream/

Bhattarai forced to people to laugh

Photo: KIRAN PUN

 "Mr. Yami himself could not get Hisila. But he left a Hisila for me," said Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai @brb_laaldhwoj who is also Vice-chairman of the ruling Maoist, giving reference of love story in the book -- Lhasa Bolchhe-- authored by his late father-in-law Dharma Ratna Yami.