Monday, August 21, 2006

Hridayesh Tripathy's August Revolution




Hridayesh Tripathy can not take sole credit for the April Revolution. He was only one of the many eight party leaders who shaped the 12 point agreement that became the bedrock for the April Revolution. So Tripathy gets credit, but it is widely shared.

And the Maoists have been threatening a possible October Revolution. But before that could happen, you got to see Hridayesh Tripathy's August Revolution.

I think the whole turmoil takes the national imagination one step closer to seeing someone in dhoti kurta in the top job.

The thing is oil prices have gone up worldwide. To protest against that is almost like protesting against delay in monsoon rains, or protesting an earthquake. Larger global market forces are in play.

I think it is unfortunate that world oil prices have gone up. But there is nothing a minister of a small, poor country can do about it.

The price hike has been withdrawn for now. But it will have to kick back in, perhaps in increments, down the line.

Unless you vastly liberalize the FDI policy framework for investments in hydro projects and turn Nepal into a country where people use electricity to cook, and have electric cars to drive around.

Reforming the Nepal Oil Corporation, necessary as it is, is not the entire solution. It is a tiny appendage at best to the larger challenge.

Petroleum dealers gherao NOC office; locals hand over six looters to police NepalNews demanding compensation to the petrol pumps vandalized during the protests ...... Angry mobs vandalized at least nine petrol pumps of the valley and 16 petrol pumps throughout the country while protesting ......
'NOC is bankrupt' Former vice chairman of National Planning Commission (NPC) Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma says the present status of the NOC is of bankruptcy. ....... Earlier, both Tirpathi and finance minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat had been saying publicly that there wound not be any increase in the fuel prices. ...... a commission led by Sharma had suggested for thorough investigation into technical and administrative lapses at the NOC have also been causing mammoth losses. ...... “We have no objection to raising the prices but before that the government should check the corruption within the corporation, leakages of the oil, decrease the taxes and take initiative to ask the Indian government to revoke some taxes imposed on oil transported to Nepal,” maintains Pandey, questioning, “Why do the state corporations in Nepal go into liquidation while their managers become plump financially?” ....... the profit margin given to the dealers is too high ...... The dealers get 3 percent commission in the sale of petroleum products while it is 35 paisa per liter in India....... supplies minister Tripathi failed to appear before the parliament's human rights committee on Sunday to explain the rationale of price hike. ..... Tripathi on Sunday evening also hinted that IOC might stop the supply of petroleum products to Nepal in view of the growing liability of the NOC. The NOC owes more than Rs 8 billion to IOC and around Rs 4 billion to various financial institutions in the country. ...... With over Rs. 12 debt .....
Govt withdraws fuel price hike A meeting of the Council of Ministers this evening decided ..... formed a committee headed by former finance secretary Bhanu Acharya to work out new price set up of petroleum products. ...... the price of the petroleum products will remain same as before Friday until next decision.
Petro price hike sparks nationwide protests for second consecutive day the clash occurred when a group of people, in a police van, got off the van and attacked people who were burning the effigies of Finance Minister Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat and Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supply Hridayesh Tripathi ....... Maitidevi, Lainchaur, Chabhil, Gangabu, Kalimati, Baneshwor, Koteshwor, Patan, Satdobato and Bhaktapur areas remains tense. ...... traffic movement also came to a halt in major cities of the country in Dolakha, Pokhara, Nepalgunj, Chitwan and Bhairahawa ...... a delegation of the UML affiliated ANNFSU submitted a memorandum to the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Hridayesh Tripathi, putting forth its four-point demand ....... According to chairman of ANNFSU Khim Lal Bhattarai, the demands include withdrawal of decision to hike price of petroleum products, 50 percent discount in petroleum products for students, announcement of relief package for the people under the poverty line and 50 percent discount in transportation fare for students.
Petro prices will be adjusted: PM Koirala “We agreed to accept a ceremonial King. The King will be like Lord Pashupatinath, who do not have any role in state affairs,” Koirala added. ....... the party would be united within six months and that he would handover the post of party president by holding a general convention within six months after party unification.
Petro hike demonstrations affects life in valley; parties condemn it The major streets of Kathmandu were deserted .... demonstrations are taking place in Kalimari, Balkhu, Kalanki, Sitapaila, Balaju, Gangabu, Chabhil, Gaushala, Tinkune, New Baneshwore, Ratnapark, Bhotahity, Old Baneshwore, Kirtipur and other places in Kathmandu. Protests have been organized in Satdobato, Patan, Jawlakhel, Lagankhel and Nakkhu Chowk ..... Most shops and market remained shut and people were seen walking to reach their office. ....... UML affiliate All Nepal National Free Student Union closed the roads for one hour in front of Tri Chandra Campus, Pashupati Campus, Ascol, Saraswoti Campus, Ratna Raya Laxmi Campus, Nepal Commerce Campus, Patan Multiple Campus and others. ..... demonstrations have been organized in Dharan, Gaighat, Charikot, Pokhara and other major cities. ..... Nepali Congress, has said that the price hike has added extra financial burden to the middle and low-income class people..... Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumsher Rana said the price hike was an injustice committed to the people by the government. ...... People's Front Nepal, CPN (Unity Center-Masal), nine ethnic fronts and eight sister wings of the Maoists, various trade unions and most of the student bodies have also protested the price hike .........
Unidentified group attacks UML gen secy’s residence A group of about 40 persons that came demonstrating in the area smashed the windowpanes of Nepal’s house and “tried to set fire to the house” ...... The mob dispersed after 10 minutes when the police arrived ...... general secretary Nepal was detained for the longest time during the people’s movement .... The incident took place when angry protests were going on around the Kathmandu Valley against the price hike in petroleum products.
POL price hike sparks demonstrations countywide Nepal Student Union, All Nepal National Free Student Union and Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student Union have taken out protest rallies in Lainchaur, Sorakhutte, Gaushala, Chabhil, Balkhu, Kalanki, Maharajgunj, Kalimati, Soaltee Mode and many other places. ...... Demonstrators in Kalimati hurled stones upon a taxi, a microbus and a garbage collection truck of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, damaging the vehicles. The demonstrators burnt tyres in various places. Students in Pashupati , Saraswoti and Ascol campuses stopped vehicles plying on the roads. ..... Taxi drivers have also protested ..... demonstrations have been organized in Kavre, Pokhara, Biratnagar and other major cities of the country.....
Govt increases POL prices the dealership price of petrol has been fixed at Rs 80 per liter, diesel and kerosene at Rs 56 per liter and cooking gas at Rs 1,000 per cylinder. However, subsidized kerosene would be available at Rs 50 per liter for poor and students. The rate of air fuel has been fixed at Rs 76.38 per liter (US$876.16 per kl). ..... as per the decision of the NOC management committee held on Friday. ...... the retail price of the petrol was Rs 67 per liter, diesel Rs 52, kerosene Rs 46 and LP gas Rs 900 per cylinder. .... retail price of the products would be around 3 percent more than the dealership price ...... hoped adulteration in diesel would end since the price of diesel and kerosene has been fixed as equal. ..... increase in price was necessary to control the spills of petroleum products into India. ..... NOC has been incurring losses of Rs 830 million per month with unprecedented price hike in the international market. .... NOC owes about Rs 8.7 billion debt with IOC and another Rs 3.5 billion with the private banks in the country.

Hridayesh
Hridayesh Tripathy Released
Phone Talk With Madhav Nepal, Hridayesh Tripathy
Hridayesh Tripathy
To: Koirala, Nepal, KC, Pokharel, Tripathy, Mahto And The Rest
Phone Talk With Hridayesh Tripathy
Hridayesh Tripathy In Delhi: Good News

Baburam Bhattarai Audio Interview With Kantipur Samudaya

Mass Protests Lead Nepal to Rescind Fuel Price Hikes Los Angeles Times, CA
Mob fury forces fuel price slash in Kathmandu Hindustan Times, India
Nepali gov't revokes petro price hike decision People's Daily Online, China
Nepal revokes fuel price rises The Australian, Australia
Nepal backs down after fuel riots Aljazeera.net, Qatar
Nepal Government withdraws petroleum price hike Hindu, India
Nepal withdraws fuel hike NDTV.com, India
Nepal rolls back oil price rise after protests Daily News & Analysis, India
Nepalese protests sink fuel price hikes Seattle Post Intelligencer
Nepalese protest fuel price hikes ABC Online, Australia
Nepali House committee condemns gov't for hiking petroleum ... People's Daily Online, China
Protests at Nepal fuel price hike BBC News, UK
Roundup: Petroleum price hike sparks protests across Nepal People's Daily Online, China
Demonstrators clash with police in Nepal Hindu, India
Protest against petroleum price hike leaves Nepali capital tense People's Daily Online, China
Violent protest in Nepal over hike in fuel prices Daily News & Analysis, India
Protests in Nepal capital over fuel price rise Reuters India, India
Rise in Gas Prices Sparks Nepal Protests Houston Chronicle, United States
Nepal Announces Rise in Fuel Prices Houston Chronicle, United States
Nepali gov't raises petrol prices in capital People's Daily Online, China
Protests erupt over fuel price hike Gulf Times, Qatar
Life returns to normal in Nepal after weekend protests over fuel ... China Post, Taiwan
Students affiliated to seven parties padlock NOC depot Gorkhapatra, Nepal
Nepal sinks fuel price hike after violent protests The Money Times, India
Protests Force Nepal Government To Withdraw Hike In Fuel Price Trading Markets, CA
Fuel price protesters clash with police Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
Nepal ends fuel price hikes after protests United Press International
Adding fuel to the fire Nepali Times, Nepal
Fuel price rise sparks protest Gulf Daily News, Bahrain
Nepal Petroleum Price Hike Protest and Blame Game Politics United We Blog, Nepal the stories of encountering Maoist cadres on way to Kathmandu from Tibet. “They wanted money from us,” she said. “But our driver said that we couldn’t pay. Then they left us.” ....... Today saw Nepali politics’ one of the naked games of blaming others for unfavorable decisions when Nepali Congress issued a statement saying the government’s decision to hike the price of petroleum products yesterday was against the people. Another member of the ruling Seven Party Alliance, Nepal Worker and Peasants Party has also expressed its unhappiness over the government’s decision to hike the price. CPN UML, second largest partner in the government, is also understood to have blamed the government for the hike. Even the minister who was directly responsible for raising the price, Nepal Sadbhavawana Party (Anandidevi)’s Hrideyesh Tripathi has also reportedly expressed his ignorance about the hike. ....... The decision, very painful but necessary ...... the hike in the petro price was inevitable because Nepal doesn’t have oil fields and all petro products are imported from international market. The price has risen internationally and that wasn’t adjusted in the previous regime. Only alternative option would be to launch a massive reform within the state monopoly Nepal Oil Corporation ..... all parties should come together and collectively decide. If no one wants to hike the price for the shake of politics, okay, cut the defense or even development budget and subsidize on the petroleum products.......
Nepal hikes fuel prices DailyIndia.com, NY
Nepal Government Hikes Prices Of Petrol, Diesel And Other Products Playfuls.com, Romania
Nepal Reverses Fuel Price Hikes After Thousands Protest Los Angeles Times, CA
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes CBS News, New York
Nepal rolls back oil price rise after protests Reuters AlertNet, UK
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes Salon
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes MSN Money
Nepalese protests sink fuel price hikes BusinessWeek
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes Los Angeles Times, CA
Nepal announces fuel price rise to cut state company's losses Malaysia Star, Malaysia
Rise in gas prices sparks Nepal protests BusinessWeek
Add new comment Indian Muslims, California
Mob fury forces fuel price slash in Nepal Telugu Portal, India
Nepal ends fuel price hikes after protests Malaysia Sun, Malaysia
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes Wyoming News, WY
Nepalese protests sink fuel price hikes Brocktown News, USA
Nepalese Protests Sink Fuel Price Hikes Town Hall, DC
Violent protest in Nepal over hike in fuel prices Samudaya.org, AZ

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