NEPAL: Nepal PM meets family of world renowned climber

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal met the poverty-stricken widow of a world record holder mountaineer, who is struggling to send her daughters to school and assured them of all possible government help.

Nepal met the widow of Babu Chhiri Sherpa, Ang Kuti Sherpa and her daughters yesterday and assured them of all possible help from the government including meeting the expenditures of school fees of her six daughters, the Rising Nepal daily reported.

“Study well, we will contact your school and look after your dues,” PM Nepal told Babu Chhiri’s eldest daughter Lakpa Sherpa, a ten grader.

Babu Chhiri Sherpa is a Guinness World Records holder for staying atop of Mt Sagarmatha for 21 hours without oxygen and scaling the same in the shortest period or 16 hr 56 minutes, at the same time.

“The PM is like god for us, it is a matter of great pleasure for us that the state has paid attention to us,” Ang Kuti said after the meeting.

Ang Kuti along with her three daughters accompanied chairperson of Sherpa Women Association Nimi Sherpa to the PM’s residence.

WORTH A THOUGHT: Forgiveness

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One day, a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him.

He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had, that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment, and frustration.

Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there. And with tears in his eyes, he prayed:

‘Lord,You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot, I don’t know how. It is not fair Lord, I didn’t deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn’t have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don’t know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray you teach me to do the one thing I cannot do: Teach me to forgive .’

As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them.

He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man’s tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak.

‘Have you ever told a lie?’ He asked?

NEW DELHI: Now, BJP asks Jaswant to vacate PAC post

FROM HINDUSTAN TIMES

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

The BJP on Monday asked expelled leader Jaswant Singh to step down as Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Chairman soon after Sushma Swaraj met him at his residence.

Leaders of the saffron party feel that since Jaswant Singh did not belong to the party anymore, he should also vacate the House panel post.

Earlier, sources close to Jaswant Singh said Swaraj, the deputy leader in the Lok Sabha had sought an appointment in the morning, but refused to divulge details of their meeting.

Jaswant Singh, 71, was expelled from the party Aug 19, two days after the launch of his book ‘Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence’ that eulogised Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

Since his expulsion, the party has been witnessing serious strife with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat summoning BJP leaders at different levels for one-on-one discussion on a change of guard — virtually taking charge of the crisis-ridden party.

NEW DELHI: BJP asks Jaswant to quit as House panel chief

FROM IBN.COM

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday asked its expelled leader Jaswant Singh to step down as Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman.

The BJP is of the view that Jaswant was made PAC chairman in his capacity as a BJP leader and should step down now that he was no longer with the BJP.

A team of BJP leaders including Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj met Jaswant at his residence in New Delhi on Monday.

The 22-member Committee on Public Accounts is constituted by Parliament each year for examination of accounts showing the appropriation of sums granted by Parliament for expenditure of Government of India.

The Committee is also authorised to examine the annual finance accounts of Government of India, and such other Accounts laid before Parliament as the Committee may deem fit such as accounts of autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies.

However, the Committee is not authorised to examine the accounts of those public undertakings and government companies which come under the purview of the Committee on Public Undertakings.

While the Committee has 15 members from the Lok Sabha, seven of its members come form Rajya Sabha.

Jaswant was expelled by the BJP from the primary membership of the party for writing a book praising Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah on the first day of the party’s chintan baithak (brainstorming session) in Shimla on August 19.

JUST IN: GJM leaders meet Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanwala

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

GJM leaders, Asst. General Secretary Binoy Tamang, General Secretary Roshan Giri and Central Committee Member Passang Lama with Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanwala at the C.M.'s residence in Aijwal, Mizoram today seeking supoport on Gorkhaland.

INDIA/CHINA: Generals in charge of China border head for Beijing — and Lhasa

FROM INDIAN EXPRES

In an effort to achieve some confidence building amid growing suspicion of a military build-up on the Sino-Indian border, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen V K Singh is leading a high-level military delegation to China on a weeklong “goodwill visit” that would include a rare stop in Lhasa. The Eastern Army Command is responsible for deployment in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim.

It is learnt that Commander of Leh-based 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Singh, who is responsible for forces facing the Chinese on the Ladakh border, is also part of the delegation along with a senior official from the Lucknow-based Central Command that oversees deployment along the Uttarakhand border.

While senior Indian military officials — the last being the Central Army Commander in 2006-07 — have visited China, this visit draws its significance from the fact that it includes all senior officials in-charge of Army deployment along the India-China border. The plan, sources said, had been in the works but dates could only be finalised now.

The delegation will not only meet senior officials from the PLA in Beijing but will also travel to Lhasa and the Chengdu province to meet some of their military counterparts. The visit comes at a time when there is increased suspicion among militaries on both sides, particularly in the Eastern Sector where China has suddenly become more active after staking claim to the Finger Area, the northernmost tip of Sikkim.

Just last week, sources said, junior military officials from the Chinese side wanted to cross into the area claiming that it was their territory. Indian troops blocked them, leading to a heated exchange of words with local commanders finally being able to resolve the issue through persuasion. Such incidents have become more routine than before.

BENGAL: We’ll fight for Jangalkhand autonomy – Chhatradhar

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

BY CAESAR MANDAL

Like the Gorkha and Koch outfits in North Bengal, Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA) the tribal organization in Jangalkhand in south Bengal has raised the call for autonomy.

Speaking exclusively to TOI from his hideout near Lalgarh, wanted PCPA leader Chhatradhar Mahato declared, “We, the sons of the soil, want the rights to the land, jungle and water of Jangalkhand. We want total autonomy because our people and land should be ruled by us.” He did not rule out the possibility of a statehood demand. ” We will soon set up an united ethnic platform to raise our demand for autonomy.” This is the first time the tribal leadership has expressed a clear autonomy demand.

With this fresh issue, PCPA which had emerged as a resistance group to counter police excess in the far-flung tribal villages has morphed into a full-fledged ethnic organization.

Criticizing the role of both state and union governments including Mamata Banerjee Mahato said: “The government is still ignoring the people’s voice here. We want the security forces to be immediately withdrawn as the majority of the residents of the area depend on the forest for their livelihood and they have been forced to stay away from the jungles by the security forces. This is driving people to starvation.” 

NEPAL: Regional conference on climate change to be held in Nepal

FROM PEOPLE’S DAILY, CHINA

A two-day regional gathering on climate change will start on Monday in Nepali capital Kathmandu.

The conference will discuss the risks caused by global warning among South Asian countries as well as to find out a common agenda to be put forth at the 15th Climate Conference 2009 to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark in December.

According to Monday’s The Kathmandu Post daily, officials at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology said that the conference will focus on the effects caused by climate change in the Himalayan region, on the challenges and opportunities as well as on the possible effects that climate change could have on indigenous people living in the Himalayan region.

NEPAL: Nepal Vice President’s position defunct from today

FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA NEWS NET

Kathmandu, Aug 31 : Paramananda Jha’s position as Nepal Vice President has become defunct from Monday with Jha’s refusal to take oath in Nepali within the deadline given by the Supreme Court.

Rejecting the Supreme Court ruling that ordered him to take fresh oath in Nepali, Vice President Jha has declared that he will decide whether to retake the oath only if the Constitution is amended.

“The situation is that the mother language of Nepalis people so far has not been respected by the previous decisions of the Supreme Court and the government level. Thus, I can think about the issue of oath-taking only after the government and the Constituent Assembly (CA) honours the mother languages,” Nepalnews quoted him as, saying.

He also criticized the Supreme Court’s order to him to re-take oath in Nepali or else vacate his post.

He called the Supreme Court’s verdict ‘prejudiced’ and against the tenet and spirit of the interim Constitution and said it serves no purpose other than to start a “language war” as it is against the basic right of the people “to take oath in his own mother tongue”.

He also complained that some political parties supported the “anti-constitution” decision by staying quiet.

Supreme Court had issued a verdict on August 25 ordering him to take oath in Nepali within a week and that failure to do so would render his position defunct.

NEW DELHI/MORADABAD: Army officer holds up train over coach lights

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEW DELHI/MORADABAD: A senior army official in full official uniform created mayhem inside an AC-II tier coach and delayed the train by several hours over his insistence on “keeping the lights on.”

Passengers travelling on the Dehradun bound Upasana Express on Saturday even alleged that they were threatened at gunpoint during the four hour ordeal lasting from midnight to Sunday early morning. The accused officer, identified as captain S S Mallik posted with 2/3 Gorkha Rifles at Dehradun was later handed over to the military police by the GRP.

According to Dushyant Singh, cheif security officer in the ministry of Home Affairs who is an eyewitness to the entire incident. “The train had reached the Bareilly station around 11.50 pm on Saturday when the captain stepped in. He immediately switched on all compartment lights. When we protested, he said he was “on duty” and hence the lights need to be switched on,” said Singh.

It was then that passengers called the TTE. The TTE, Ashok Pandey, tried to explain that lights are switched off between 10 pm and 6 am in every sleeper coach. “This infuriated Mallik and he pulled out his loaded weapon to threaten us.The RPF staff inside the train were also called but the army officer continued with his threats,” said Singh.

According to RPF and Moradabad GRP sources, their colleagues inside the train then sent a message to Moradabad and asked senior officials to come to the platform.

CAREER NEWS: CAT to begin on November 28

FROM PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) The Common Admission Test (CAT), which is being conducted through computers for the first time, will be held over a period of ten days from November 28 this year, an official notification said today.

The CAT is being held through computers and the IIMs have hired a US-based firm to conduct the competitive exam across the country for candidates seeking admission to the prestigious B-schools.

The test will be conducted at 30 centres including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, New Delhi, Chennai, Kochi, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad, it said.

There are about 1,800 seats in the existing seven IIMs at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Shillong.

Besides IIMs, about 50 other reputed B-schools in the country give admission to students from the CAT merit list.

DARJEELING HILLS: Parisangh’s New Executive Committee Constituted in Kalimpong

THE HIMALAYAN BEACON [BEACON ONLINE]

TEXTS AND IMAGES BY BGP MEDIA CELL

C.K. Pradhan, Dy. S.P. (Retd), President, BGP, Kalimpong hoisting the organisation flag in Kalimpong.

BGP working president C K Shrestha lighting the lamp during the inaguration of the meeting

Kalimpong (BGP Media Cell) 30 Aug : A 31 member new Executive Committee of Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh (BGP) was reconstituted today in its triennial general meeting held at Pranami Balika Vidya Mandir. The new executive members re-elected Dy. S.P. (Retd) C.K. Pradhan and Advocate Dinesh Chandra Poudyal as President and General Secretary respectively while Madan Shanker was elected as Working President and P.K. Pradhan, Kiran Chandra Pradhan and Gyan Sutar were elected Vice-Presidents. In the executive meeting held immediately after its re-constitution Ramal Chhetri, Chandrakala Shilal and Kalyan Thapa were elected Secretaries while Smt. Lakshmi Baraily was elected the Finance Secretary and B.N. Pradhan and Leelabal Ghimirey as Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer respectively. The members of executive committee included B.K. Shilal, D.K. Chhetri, Milan Pradhan, Lalita Sharma, Kamala Rai, B.B. Basnett, B.B. Blon, C.K. Shrestha, Ganesh Chhetri, Gauri Nembang, Mahendra Chhetri, Sashi Sunam, Dr. Saroja Rai, Sumitra Chhetri, Rajen Chhetri, Nagendra Hamal and others. The meeting also nominated educationist and social activist B.R. Chhetri as a member to the Advisory Board.

During the first half of the session which included formal presentation of secretarial report and statement of cash account, C.K. Shrestha, who also happens to be the Working President in the central committee, evaluated the demerits of the organization experienced during the last three years’ tenure. He indicated that the face of forthcoming committees of the BGP could be visible in the Gorkha society of India since the organization had experienced unwanted difficulties in the past years due to its present code of conduct. He also said that the BGP members should now become assertive and take part in the society building process in effective manner. He, however, clarified that the BGP does not want its members become aggressive and over-reactive. He also gave reply to the queries raised in the meeting which was related to the present political condition of Darjeeling hills. He said that it has now become clear that the demand of Gorkhaland is being raised in two different ways i.e. on the basis of development, deprivation by West Bengal Govt in social, economical, educational, cultural spheres in one hand and as the matter of political identity criris at national level. According to Shrestha, recently Sushma Swaraj, MP/BJP had raised the issue of Gorkhaland in the Lok Sabha with reference to the problem of identity crisis of Indian Gorkhas and BGP had thanked her accordingly which was misinterpreted at regional level in Darjeeling hills.

OUT OF THE BOX: Unending queue fora statue at Parliament

FROM HINDUSTAN TIMES

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

There is a virtual traffic jam there, but Parliament’s statue brigade will soon have another addition: Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi.

And what is common amongst deceased parliamentarians NT Rama Rao, Sardar Swaran Singh, Raj Narain, Chandrashekhar and VP Singh?

The answer: All of them have been knocking hard, seeking an entry into the portals of Parliament.

Freedom freedom fighter Kuwar Vir Singh, hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, litterateurs Thiruvallur, Prem Chand, Mahatma Gandhi’s associate Sushila Nayar, saints Narayana Guru and Ghasi Das — these are among other names being pushed for inclusion in the statue club.

“BSP founder Kanshi Ram and other great leaders who contributed to the cause of social justice deserve to be there,” party leader in the Lok Sabha Dara Singh Chauhan said.

Does his list include the party chief Mayawati? Chauhan offers no comment.

“Since 2005, there has been a freeze on putting up new statues, while more stringent application guidelines have also been issued by the Parliament secretariat. But the downpour of new demands has not halted”, said an official.

TEA TALK: Govt to map unorganized tea sector in Assam

FROM ECONOMIC TIMES

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

GUWAHATI: With the unorganized sector in Assam accounting for almost 29 per cent of the total tea production in Assam and almost 14 per cent of the

total tea production of the country, Assam government decided to do the mapping of the tea produced in the unorganized sector in Assam.

To kick start the mapping process, the state government has initiated baseline survey of the small tea growers in the state through the general manager, District Industries and Commerce Centre of Industries and commerce department besides the district administration.

The state government is looking to adopt the Kenyan practice where small tea growers and bought leaf factories (BLF) are organized. Assam industry minister Pradyut Bordoloi told ET, “At present, the state government does not have adequate data about the unorganized sector which comprises small tea growers. The base line survey will document the landholding by small tea growers and the amount of green leaf produced by growers. With complete data in hand, we will come up with policy and regulatory framework, wherever necessary.”

The survey is slated to be competed in another three months time. A senior official in the directorate of tea, government of Assam said, “With documents ready, we will check the quality of Assam tea. If we have mapping done, we can check right from green leaf to the made tea. Necessary policy and guidelines can be issued. The state government has decided to start quality certification of tea manufactured by BLF from reputed certifying agencies.”

Sources added that the state government will also come up with a financial assistance scheme for the unorganized sector as soon as the survey is completed. Even big gardens are at times dependent on small tea growers for getting green leaf. This sector is emerging in a big way. According to an estimate, there are over 60,000 small tea growers in the state.

NEW DELHI: Delhi half-marathon on November 1

FROM TIMES OF INDIA

NEWS SHARED BY AARDEE

NEW DELHI: It’s that time of the year when Delhi gears up to come together and run on a common platform. Come November 1, the Capital will experience the joy of running while celebrating the second edition of the Airtel Delhi Half-Marathon.

This time, two Australian legends – sprinter Cathy Freeman and former cricket captain Allan Border – would be encouraging the runners as brand ambassadors.

Vivek B Singh of Procam International, the race promoters, said that to encourage runners to attempt the distance seriously, it has been decided to make the timing chip mandatory for all half-marathon participants from this year onwards.

He also said that the event continues to remain the world’s richest half-marathon with the prize money standing at $210,000. Recipient of the IAAF Gold Label, it is expected to attract the leading long-distance runners from around the world who would be fighting for top honours over a distance of 21.097 km.

NEW DELHI: BJP is imploding, says Jaswant Singh

FROM GULF TIMES, DOHA

Jaswant Singh

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is “imploding”, says Jaswant Singh who feels the party he was associated with for 30 years is demonstrating “lack of confidence” with each passing day and has suddenly been “robbed of reasoning”.

He also said he was “trapped” into going to Shimla for the leadership meeting that sacked him without explanation.

Maintaining he had no plans to join another political party for the moment, Jaswant Singh said the BJP was collapsing internally following the rapid sequence of events after his exit.

“Yes, it is imploding. Every additional day they display greater and greater lack of confidence. I don’t know what has suddenly robbed them of reasoning. It is a very sad demonstration of incapacity,” Jaswant Singh said in an exclusive interview at his sprawling 15, Teen Murti Lane residence.

“Is it a crisis of the party or leadership? The party should have been bursting with political health after expelling me and been in the pink of health. Why is it suffering more? It puts paid to the rationale then.”

Jaswant Singh, 71, who has served as minister of finance, defence and external affairs in prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s governments, said he never expected to be dismissed from the BJP for authoring Jinnah: India – Partition – Independence.

The Lok Sabha member from Darjeeling expressed disgust that the BJP threw him out summarily for writing a book that tried to historically evaluate Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah vis-a-vis India’s partition.

NEPAL: Jha defiance plunges Nepal into crisis

FROM THE STATESMAN

KATHMANDU, 30 AUG: Nepal’s embattled Vice President today boycotted an oath taking ceremony scheduled by the government, defying a week-long deadline set by the Supreme Court to take a fresh oath of office in the Nepali language, thereby plunging the country into a constitutional crisis.

Mr Parmananda Jha (file photograph), who was asked to take fresh oath by this evening, did not attend a ceremony at the President’s Office where Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Constituent Assembly chairman Mr Subas Nemwang, among others had gathered. Mr Jha, 65, failed to turn up even as the seven-day deadline set by the SC ended today. The dignatories left after waiting for Mr Jha for some time.

Mr Jha, an ethnic Madhesi and a former judge from southern Terai region bordering India, had courted controversy last year after he took the oath of office in Hindi.

Mr Jha’s action leaves the vice presidential office in a limbo, as though he would cease to function as the VP, his post can be vacated only by a Parliamentary impeachment motion. There was no immediate reaction from the government or the Supreme Court.

NEPAL: Jha refuses to take fresh oath

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: Amidst growing political and constitutional controversy, Parmananda Jha on Sunday refused to take oath of the office of the vice president in Nepali. Jha skipped the last day of the Supreme Court´s deadline by not attending the swearing-in ceremony arranged by the Office of the President in Shital Niwas.

Jha´s refusal to take the fresh oath on the backdrop of the nullification of his oath taken in Hindi means that he would no longer retain the post of vice president from Monday. However, Jha´s lawyer claimed Jha had now become “vice president-elect.”

“He [Jha] did not appear to take his oath in Nepali,” Raghu Panta, the prime minister´s principal advisor, told reporters, while emerging from the President´s Office.

Pant had accompanied Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to the president´s office to attend the ceremony. “The government has upheld the SC´s order by arranging for his oath-taking ceremony. The government cannot force him to take oath,” he argued.

It is learnt that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had tried his best to convince Jha to take a fresh oath till the last minute. When Jha did not show up for the ceremony, Nepal had urged Jha over the phone to retake the oath and settle the row in an amicable way.

Earlier in the morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Democratic) Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Mahantha Thakur and Minister for Supplies and Chairman of Sadbhawana Party Rajendra Mahato had also urged Jha to retake the oath.

NEPAL: Maoists to intensify protests

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: As a part of its protest against the “violation of civilian supremacy,” the main opposition UCPN (Maoist) has decided to wave black flags at all the public functions attended by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal from Monday.

A meeting of the Joint Mass Movement, Nepal, (JMMN) — a political front set up by the Maoists to press for civilian supremacy and formation of national unity government — took a decision to this effect on Sunday. The JMMN is headed by Maoist vice president Dr Baburam Bhattarai. On Aug 3, the Maoists had announced a two-month nationwide protest demanding formal debate in the legislature parliament on President Dr Ram Baran Yadav´s move to reinstate the then Army Chief Rookmangud Katuwal and formation of a Maoist-led national unity.

“We have decided to intensify our protest for the sake of civilian supremacy,” said Dr Bhattarai. “Mathematically, the government seems legitimate, but it is illegitimate constitutionally and politically,” he added.

According to him, a Maoist Central Committee meeting on Sept 17 will announce extra protest programs to give a momentum to the ongoing agitation. He also said that the JMNN will launch mass meetings throughout the country from Sept 6 to 14.

NEPAL: Maoists not isolated – PM

FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET

KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said on Sunday that the ruling parties have not isolated the Maoists, as accused by some Maoist leaders after the loss of its candidate in the election for the post of chairman of constitutional committee.

Speaking with journalists in Singha Durbar, Nepal said that the allegation is just the reflection of the defeated mentality of the Maoists.

Nepal said he has time and again urged the Maoists to join the government and effort was on to form the proposed high-level political mechanism to smooth the constitution writing and peace process by resolving differences among the parties.

The PM claimed that he has adopted maximum flexibility for the sake of politics of consensus and cooperation.

On controversy over the oath row of vice president, the PM said the government was ready to resolve the issue through constitution amendment.

NEPAL: Land to harvest arts

FROM MYREPUBLICA.COM

BY SHIVA RIJAL

A few years back, theater for us meant good stories, playwrights, directors, regular workshops, trained and disciplined theater bodies, good number of audiences and also the media coverage of the performances that we would produce. Many of us deliberately tried to belong to one or the other theater groups. For many of us, it was an act of acquiring a sense of power and recognition among our theater communities. With some strong zeal, we worked with a common goal of creating a theater-based performance culture in Kathmandu. Many of us have emerged as actors, directors and critics out of this practice. Some of us have produced books on different aspects of Nepali theater of present times. We have taken part in several international theater festivals and seminars.

But now we realize that theater also means a piece of land where we could erect a theater building to give some greater dimensions to our zeal of creating and performing modern cultures. Like the characters caught in the conundrum of life, many of us individually or in theater groups have been tirelessly searching for some pieces of land where we can anchor our professional works. Almost all the theater groups based in Kathmandu and elsewhere share a common anxiety of not having or owning any venues for showcasing our performances. This has made us realize that we were always and are caught in our careers. But we know that this time we must not remain stuck here at this point as it is the right time to solve this problem not only for us but also for the artists of the future generations.

Gurukul has now come to realize that it does not have a piece of land of its own. The landlord wants to start his own business center in the land where Gurukul is currently situated. Gurukul theater center has come to fully function from 2003. With the help of many theater creators and lovers, it has become very popular among the audiences in Kathmandu. Under the leadership of Sunil Pokharel, the artistic director of Gurukul, this theater center has brought out great many fresh words, voices, movements and aspirations of the new times that we have been living with in this nation in the present times. Gurukul now has everything required for producing plays on a regular basis. It has got two theater halls named after two famous Nepali playwrights and theater creators of the past. It has produced over a dozen and a half performances to this date. It has trained great many theater artists who are currently working in different theater stations scattered throughout the country and are busy producing plays or creating performances of one or the other type. It has introduced several playwrights, theater artists and critics and, very importantly, it has created a community of thousands of audiences. It has also organized theater festivals of both national and international stature and introduced Nepali theater art and culture outside the world. Moreover, it is going to run a theater center in Biratanagar, the eastern city of Nepal.

NATURE WATCH: One of a kind

FROM THE STATESMAN

THE Red Panda or Ailurus fulgens is a slightly large domestic cat-like animal, some 40-60 cm long, with an additional 46-centimetre bushy tail and it weighs weigh between three and six kilograms. The state animal of Sikkim, it is also the mascot of the International Tea Festival in Darjeeling. Its skin is used to make hats and the tail is used to make a duster. Furthermore, the skin of the Red Panda may still be worn by a bridegroom in a local Chinese wedding.

There is no sexual dimorphism in colour or size between males and females but it remains among the most beautiful animals around. The lustrous coat is a rich reddish brown on the back and black on the lower parts and legs. The coat provides effective camouflage amongst the trees where the branches are often swathed in reddish-brown moss. The face is rounded and predominantly white, with reddish-brown “tear marks” running from the corner of each eye to the mouth, similar to that of a raccoon, but each individual has distinctive markings. Its roundish head has medium-sized upright ears, a black nose, and very dark eyes. The long bushy tail is marked with 12 alternating red and buff rings that provide balance and excellent camouflage against a habitat of moss and lichen-covered trees. The soles of the feet are covered with thick white fur that provides warmth, serving as thermal insulation on snow-covered or icy surfaces. Red Pandas possess strong, curved and sharp semi-retractile claws for grasping narrow tree branches, leaves and fruit, much like the Giant Pandas with which they share their names.

Much like the Giant Panda, their habitat consists of rainy, high-altitude forest but with a wider range. They are found in a temperate climate, under thick bamboo cover at an elevation of 2,200-4,800 feet above sea level, with an optimal “wellbeing” temperature between 17°-25° Celsius and an average rainfall of 350 cm, hence endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, central China, India, Laos, Nepal and northern Myanmar.

DOOARS TERAI: Diarrhoea hits Birpara, 35 in hospital

FROM THE STATESMAN

JALPAIGURI, 30 AUG: At least thirty five people, all suffering from diarrhoea, have been admitted at the Birpara state general hospital over the past two days fuelling fear of a diarrhoea outbreak in the Birpara area in Jalpaiguri district. Two children have alredy died of the malady this month.

Informing the matter, the superintendent of Birpara state general hospital, Mr Jaydip Barman stated that most of these patients hailed from the tea plantations scattered over Birpara,

“Dhekla Para, Dalmore, Jaibirpara and Gopalpur tea plantations are the most affected. Twenty-five people were admitted to our hospital yesterday and ten fresh cases have come today. Ten of the patients so far admitted are children. We are keeping a close watch, though the situation is quite alarming. The number of the affected might mount going by the record of this diarrhoea prone area,” Mr Barman added.

Commenting on the possibility of an outbreak, Birpara Panchayat Samiti president Mr Bikash Das said that the cause of the ailment was contamination of drinking water.

“The Dhekla Para Tea Plantation remained locked out for the last few years and two children have already died of the disease this month. The number of affected people keep mounting with every passing day,” he said.

Admitting the gravity of the situation, the block medical officer of health, Madarihat, Dr Sujan Sarkar said that the appalling spread of the disease could be ascribed to the poor maintenance of the water supply system in a number of tea plantations.

DARJEELING HILLS: NH 55 reopens

FROM THE STATESMAN

KURSEONG, 30 AUG: The National Highway 55, which remained closed due to landslides on 16 August, re-opened today. The landslides damaged the road and resulted in its closure, suspending trasportation between Kurseong and Siliguri.

DARJEELING HILLS: AIGL resumes work in the Hills

FROM THE STATESMAN

KURSEONG, 30 AUG: Following a calculated hibernation for several months in the wake of the mounting political tension centering round its political activities, the All India Gorkha League had resumed political work in the Darjeeling hills.

According to the AIGL Kurseong branch general secretary, Mr Prem Bomjon, his party would organise a series of public meetings in Darjeeling in the coming days. “The first one would be organised in Darjeeling on 7 September and this would be followed by others in Kalimpong and Kurseong which are slated to be held on 9 September and 13 September, respectively.

Confirming the resumption of political activities in the strife-scarred region, the AIGL chief, Mr. Madan Tamang said that his party could not shirk its responsibility in the fast changing political scenario in the hills. “Ours being the oldest political outfit we owe a responsibility to the struggling populace in the long-neglected Hills,” he added.

The party organised its last public congregation in Kalimpong in May last year. It could not carry on with its pre scheduled political programmes in Darjeeling and Kurseong due to the GJMM’s antagonism.