Monday, July 31, 2006

Fire Some Generals


The people have to take firm command of the army no matter what. It is because the people own the army. It is the people who pay the salaries of the soldiers of the Nepal Army. The people are boss. The people exercise that authority through the parliament. The parliament exercises that authority through the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is boss on behalf of the people.

The army is not an autonomous institution. The army is a subset of the Defense Ministry. The army is an organ of the Defense Ministry. The Prime Minister appoints the Denfese Minister.

The Prime Minister can order any soldier in the Nepal Army directly. He does not have to go through the Army Chief.

The Prime Minister is boss. He can fire, promote, demote any soldier in the army. Any such fired soldier will have the option to go to the courts if they feel they have been unduly fired. If the grievance be valid, the fired soldier will be duly reinstated. In that the army is just another bureaucracy.

There are those who say the seven party alliance might have to fight a war with the Maoists, and so it is not a good idea to make the army unhappy in any way. To them I say if there is a possibility the seven party alliance might have to fight a war with the Maoists down the line, that is a huge big reason why the seven party alliance has to bring the Nepal Army under its firm control. On the other hand, if it is not war we are looking at but a peace process, that is another big reason to bring the Nepal Army under firm control of the parliament. Or if war is not there down the line, and the peace process will be smooth and painless, that is still a big reason to bring the Nepal Army under firm control of the parliament. It is because the people own the palirament. It is a sovereignty issue.

"According to the model proposed by the UN, weapons of scattered barracks of the Nepali Army would be placed in a unified camp with a similar arrangement for the rebels."

The best option for the peace process is that the two armies be confined to barracks and all their weapons be collected at one barrack each. This government is going to have to order the Nepal Army to do so. And for that it is important the parliament has firm control of the army. And one way to show that you do is by firing some generals.

Some people say one has to be careful. One has to treat the army generals like they were wounded tigers. They say we should not tease them too much or they might stage a coup.

Anyone who might make the slightest attempt at a coup goes to jail for life. It is because the people took over the country in April. If you want to rule, get elected by the people. That ground rule is now irreversible in Nepal.

Any attempt at a coup will fail. It will be worse than the Russian attempted coup in 1991. The associated generals are going to turn themselves into one big joke. And then they are going to go to jail, for life.

I don't know what is up in the cards for them right now. Quite a few should lose their jobs. None might. I don't know. They might lose more than their jobs. I don't know. They might lose the money they have looted over the years. The army finances of the past years have to be audited big time. They will certainly lose their sense that the army top ranks are reserved for a few interconnected families.

I don't know what they will lose. For that we have rule of law. We have the Raymajhi Commission. I am not about to second guess the commission. Frankly, I don't know enough to be able to say what exactly it is that the commission will do. But they do have a people to answer to. The commission is on the people's payroll. They have a mandate from the people. They should act professional, as they have. And they should plain do their work.

I do agree with the MPs that their work of interrogation has to be nationally televised. The people want to know. They have a right to know.

If I were the guilty generals, I would own up to all I did, and simply resign. That "guilty plea" option is their best option. That is what you do to reduce your sentencing. Every other option looks worse.

On the other hand, if the generals engage in clever talk of deception and denial, the commission has the authority to summon any soldier in the army regardless of rank to cross-examine and corroborate.

It is because in April the people decided that they own the country.

Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament

The Law And Order Situation

The Home Minister similarly has to have a firm control of the Home Ministry and the Nepal Police. He can fire people who might disobey. He can penetrate the bureaucracy and go directly to the sources of problems and acts of disobeyance.

But the best way to enhance the law and order situation is to have a clean, fast peace process. As soon as there will be eight party parliament, interim government, and local governments, I expect the law and order situation to improve dramatically.

In The News

Govt. amends law on heir to the throne NepalNews has provision to make the first child- irrespective of the sex - of the King as heir to the throne. Earlier, only the eldest son of the King would be entitled to the throne. ...... also decided to scrap the allowances given to the relatives of the King ...... Now on, allowances will be provided only to the king, queen, crown prince, crown princess and queen mother. ..... The government in the annual budget downsized the yearly expenditure of the royal palace by 45.8 percent, limiting it to Rs 219.6 million from Rs 405 million last year.
Senior army officials defy probe commission’s summon orders Lt Gen Rukmangad Katuwal, who is the second in command of the Nepali Army, and former chief of the Valley Division, Major Gen Deepak Birakm Rana - who were summoned for interrogation today [Monday] in connection with their alleged role in suppressing the people’s movement - failed appear before the commission..... they will record their statement at the commission only after the interrogation of the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Pyar Jung Thapa. CoAS Thapa deferred his interrogation scheduled on Sunday, citing his prescheduled visit to the western region....... Major Gen Kul Bahadur Khadka, Major Gen Kiran Shumsher Thapa, Major Gen Gajendra Limbu and Colonel Suresh Kumar Karki were summoned for interrogation on Tuesday....... then Home Minister Kamal Thapa used to give directions to security officials from the army headquarters to suppress the movement.
Maoists to join interim govt. only after `decommissioning of arms': PM Koirala the UN assistance to Nepal after getting clear view from both the sides. ..... The UN team had asked the government and the Maoists to reach a consensus on the issue of arms management.
UN mission gives deadline to government, Maoist to find consensus on arms management we have only three-and-a-half days left ...... de Mistura added that the “eight-point agreement” between the SPA and Maoists could be the “starting point” to reach a consensus on any issue, including arms management. ..... According to the model proposed by the UN, weapons of scattered barracks of the Nepali Army would be placed in a unified camp with a similar arrangement for the rebels. .......
Govt. appoints chief secy., chiefs of corporations Bhojraj Ghimire as the chief secretary of the government of Nepal...... government is yet to take any decision to fill the vacant posts of 11 secretaries. ..... appointed editor of Himal Khabarpatrika, senior journalist Rajendra Dahal, as chairman of the Nepal Press Council. ....... Benju Sharma as chairman of state run Nepal Television and Sailesh Ghimire as a chairman of Film Development Board. Additionally, Babu Raja Joshi has been appointed as a chairman of Law Reform Commission.......
Maoists threaten to stop office work in Nawalparasi Locals quoted Maoists as saying that they have banned transferring land ownership from one person to another, as per the new rule of the people’s government. ..... when asked if they are breaking the 12-point and 8-point understanding, the Maoist leader said that it applies only in Kathmandu, not in Nawalparasi....... quoted the Maoist leader as saying, everyone including Nepal government employees, should follow their directives irrespective of the existing laws of the country. ...... Chief at the Nawalparasi Land Revenue Office Mukund Dhakal told Nepalnews that though Maoists had asked them to stop office work, they are continuing it..... they are not forcing us to comply with their orders .....
Government serious to resolve citizenship issue: Home Minister the government is ready to adopt all necessary measures with consensus among all political parties to ensure citizenship for every Nepali. ..... Sitaula was responding to concerns raised by MPs about citizenship problems in the Terai belt of the country. A Nepali Congress MP had tabled a motion of urgent public importance, drawing the government's attention to the need to settle the problem before the nation opts for constituent assembly elections. ...... Dozens of lawmakers, mostly from Terai region, suggested that the government base its decision on past reports of Dhanapati Upadhyay Commission and Mahantha Thakur Commission.... They also demanded that the government set up teams to distribute citizenship papers in villages.
Maoists to launch campaign for republican set up from Chitwan Chitwan district committee of the Maoists has decided to launch a two-month-long republican campaign in the district from August 5 to create public support for the constituent assembly polls. ...... from August 5 to 15 in Madi, from August 17 to September 5 in western Chitwan, from September 6 to 15 in city areas and from September 17 to October 6 in eastern Chitwan and will conclude in Narayangarh. ...... The Maoists have decided to launch the campaign from Madi, where 39 people, including security personnel, were killed when Maoists detonated a bomb in a passenger bus a year ago...... Maoists are going to that area with different programmes, including job opportunities for the relatives of the deceased and treatment facilities of the injured
CoAS Thapa visits security agencies of western Nepal Thapa visited the western divisional headquarters of the Nepal Army, Kandre army post, Syanjha barracks and Gorkha barracks on Sunday. ..... also went to Dangsingh to observe the two-week old landslide that had killed 21 people. .....

Maoist atrocities unabated, double ‘road tax’ in Sarlahi Kantipur Publications Maoists on Sunday abducted a CPN-UML cadre in Morang while they have kept an elderly in their labor camp. The rebels also doubled the "road tax" that they have been illegally collecting from vehicles plying along the East-West highway in Sarlahi, since last week....... abducted Jageshwor Mandal, member of UML village committee, from his house at Aamgachhi-9 in Morang, on Sunday afternoon. Denouncing the abduction, CPN-UML Morang, urged the Maoists to release him promptly......... abducted Rajendra Karki, resident of Hoklabari-2 in Morang, from Ghoghapul in Biratnagar ..... Karki was on his way to Bolbam pilgrimage. "The Maoists didn't leave him even as we requested them to let him make the pilgrimage and promised to come to them after it" ....... Maoists seized Ram Bahadur Tamang of Khanar-7 in Sunsari, and kept him in their "labor detention camp" for the last nine days. ..... Tamang is made to work in the field of a Maoist cadre Manohar Chaudhary for eight hours a day, as punishment for being involved in a "cultural crime" (illicit affair). ...... "I have been exploited here," said Tamang. ..... The rebels had been charging 10 rupees per vehicle a week ago, as looting of vehicles along the highway was continuing the past few weeks. The Maoists also claimed to have begun such highway patrols to provide security to vehicles as security forces failed to do so. ...... "We increased the tax as we have to deploy over 50 militias for the purpose." ..... The rebels have also put up a check post in Laxminiya since Sunday while they had already established one at Ranigunj Chowk.
APF firing kills 1 in Tatopani A woman was killed and some two dozen others were injured when Armed Police Force (APF) men indiscriminately opened fire at a group of locals who protested claiming the Nepalese police had allowed the driver of a Chinese vehicle, who had hit two Nepalis, to go free without taking any action...... Police have arrested three dozen demonstrators...... The locals brought vehicular movement to a complete halt burning tires at Miteri Bridge...... According to police, the Chinese vehicle was released after police chief of Lhasha police office agreed to provide 200,000 rupees to each victim for treatment..... Police also claimed they resorted to firing to "take control of the situation" after locals "attacked" customs office, police post and other government establishments.
Girl spending childhood in prison She had not committed any crime, but staying with her convicted mother, as there is no one back home to look after her. ..... Ram Kumari Pariyar, 12, of Kajeri VDC - 9 is spending her childhood in the prison for the past seven years along with her mother, who was imprisoned on charge of murder. .... is allowed to come out of the prison only for her school hours. .... "We even tried to rescue her through child rights organization in a bid to send her out of the jail but her mother didn't allow"
Govt committee, Military Court to investigate Durbarmarg incident a five-member committee headed by a joint secretary at the Defense Ministry ......
सेनाद्वारा छानबिन छल्ने प्रयास बयानका लागि बोलाएकै दिन आइतबार प्रधानसेनापति प्यारजंग थापा आयोगमा अनुपस्थित रहे । छानबिन दायरामा परेका अन्य वरिष्ठ सैन्य अधिकृतहरू प्रधानसेनापतिले बयान नदिई नजाने भएका छन् । आयोग अध्यक्ष्ा कृष्णजंग रायमाझीले भने छानबिनमा असहयोग भए त्यसको जिम्मेवारी सरकारले लिनुपर्ने बताएका छन् । सेना बयानका लागि नआए आफूहरू चुप लागेर नबस्ने चेतावनी पनि उनले दिए । 'हामीलाई मुकाबिला गर्न बाध्य नपारियोस्,' उनले कान्तिपुरसँग भने- 'हामी चुप लागेर बस्दैनौं । आत्मसमर्पण गर्दैनौं ।' 'सरकारकै मिलेमतोमा आयोगलाई असहयोग भयो भने,' निडर स्वभावका पूर्वन्यायाधीश रायमाझीले भने- 'हामी सबै कुरा सार्वजनिक गर्छाैं र जनतासँग जान्छौं ।' थापामाथि जनआन्दोलन दमन र नागरिक अधिकारविरुद्घ सेना परिचालन तथा राजालाई सक्रिय हुन उक्साएको आरोप छ । ..... पोखरा, १४ साउन -कास)- प्रधानसेनापति प्यारजंग थापा आइतबार पोखरा आउने पूर्वनिर्धारित कार्यक्रम नभएको सुरक्षा स्रोतले जनाएको छ । यहाँस्थित सैनिक स्रोतले उनको भ्रमण अचानक भएको बतायो । ...... स्रोतका अनुसार उनले करिब सात मिनेटको सम्बोधन गरेका थिए । 'हामी पनि नेपाली जनताकै सेना हौं, हामीलाई कुनै पनि सरकारले परिचालन गरेमा परिचालित हुनुपर्छ,' उनको सम्बोधन उद्धृत गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो- 'त्यसबाहेक महत्त्वपूर्ण अन्य कुनै निर्देशन जारी भएन ।' .... थापाले सम्बोधनको अन्त्यमा राजारानीको जयजयकार गरेपछि सबैले त्यसैको अनुकरण गरेका थिए । पृतनाको प्रवेशद्वारमा राजारानीको जयजयकार अंकित बोर्ड सजाइएको थियो । सेनापतिले प्रधानमन्त्री एवं रक्षामन्त्रीको सन्देश पनि सुनाएका थिए । प्रधानमन्त्रीले 'हौसला र मनोबललाई उच्च राख्दै आफ्नो कार्यक्षेत्रमा प्रतिबद्ध रहन निर्देशन' दिएको उनले सुनाए । ...... थापा काठमाडौं र्फकने क्रममा गोरखा पृथ्वीनारायण नगरपालिका- ८ स्थित दि फेमोस महेन्द्र दल गणमा तीन बजे पुगेका थिए । गोरखास्थित कान्तिपुर समाचारदाताका अनुसार करिब एक घन्टा बसेपछि उनी काठमाडौं फर्किए । 'काठमाडौं जाने क्रममा बाटोमा परेकाले पसेको हुँ,' प्रधानसेनापतिलाई उद्धृत गर्दै स्रोतले भन्यो- 'खासै केही भएन, सुरक्ष्ाास्थितिबारे 'बि्रफिङ' मात्रै भयो ।' थापाको पोखरा भ्रमणबारे स्थानीय प्रशासन र प्रहरीमा जानकारी गराइएको थिएन ।
पुनर्संरचनाको खाँचो
अन्तरिम संविधानमा एमाले
संविधानसभा चुनावका चुनौती

Saturday ‘Anarchy’ Boosts Call For Reforms In Army Himalayan Times "There is a need to rewrite military laws so that the institution can be democratised and fundamental rights of army personnel secured," Chitra Bahadur Gurung, a retired Lt Gen of the Nepali Army said. Gurung said it was too early to judge the role of the Nepali Army in protecting the constitution, public freedom and nationality in the changed context. ....... Shambhu Thapa, chairman of the Nepal Bar Association, termed the off-duty captain's act of cordoning off a police station an act of "sedition" since the Nepali Army doesn't have the right to arrest people or interrogate them. Thapa opined that provisions should be made in such a way that crimes by military personnel could also be dealt under Civil Courts....... Indrajit Rai questioned whether a commander of any company or battalion could use his team for vested interests. "There is a need to change overall culture of the army, especially its treatment of and behaviour with people," he added....... "This is the permanent character of those army personnel who joined Nepali Army on the quota of the royal palace," he said. He warned that the constituent assembly would not materialise if the situation persists in the country.
Goons in army won’t be tolerated: Sitaula The incident in which the drunk armymen from the Bhairavnath battalion whisked away policemen on duty in gangster-style is a serious offence .... The probe team comprises joint-secretary at the Ministry of Defence Kashi Nath Sharma, joint-secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Baman Prasad Neupane, joint government’s Attorney General, Raj Narayan Pathak, Colonel Nirendra Aryal and SSP Krishna Shrestha........ The Nepali Army is under parliament and action would be taken against any indisciplined army officer or soldiers,” Sitaula said....... Mother of army personnel Bikendra Singh Bista, aide of the army captain Robin Bikram Rana, reached the KDPO to file a complaint demanding action against the police men, alleging that her son was beaten up. However, police didn’t register the complaint and sent her back. “We asked her to bring her son to the police office and we will register the complaint,” a police official said. ..... Sitaula’s assurance of punishing the guilty did not pacify the MPs. They asked the Defence Minister, ‘not the Home Minister’ to answer on matters of the Army. ....... MP Mahendra Pandey said only the name of the Army has changed. “If the Army can treat fellow policemen that way, what would happen to civilians?” asked Pandey. He asked the Defence Minister to respond to the incident in which 49 people were disappeared in the infamous Bhairavnath battalion. MP Aanand Prasad Dhungana said that not only civilians but the police also are not safe from the army. MP Hom Nath Dahal asked the Chief of the Army Staff to take responsibility.

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Sunday, July 30, 2006

Micro Investment


Micro Investment

Small sums of $100, $500 and $1000 can be collected by locally registered, privately held funds in places like New York City. But then such funds can also have large donors. Somebody might pump in $100,000 or more in one go.

Authority will rest in the shareholders and in the Board Of Directors. There would be a top dog that answers to both.

There can be more than one fund, of course. It is for an aspiring entrepreneur, or group of entrepreneurs to take initiative.

The challenge is to sell the idea that it is better for people to invest in these funds than to send money directly to their families in Nepal, that it is better to invest in these funds than to build houses in the towns of Nepal. Real estate can feel like a secure form of investment, but other forms of investments should be able to offer higher annual returns.

Free Money Transfer

Standard Chartered Bank
Standard Chartered Bank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I learned from Ananta Risal yesterday that there is a Standard Chartered Bank that does for NRNs that Citi does for NRIs. If you have bank accounts in their New York and Kathmandu chapters, you can move dollars from here to there for free. You collect rupees at the other end. I guess the business model is to resell those dollars in Kathmandu.

At The Receiving End

I am not too knowledgeable about the policy framework at the other end. Other than the usual sluggish bureaucracy, I think there are gaping wholes. One obvious one is there is no provision for dual citizenship for the NRNs. That is a mistake. And it should be corrected right away.

Use Of The Internet

I think there should be maximum possible transparency for the investors. I should be able to track my money all the way. If I want to, I should be able to track down as to which 10 farmers are getting micro loans from my particular investment. I should be able to go visit them in Nepal if I might so desire.

Micro Credit Entrepreneurship

I have known of banks investing in big projects, usually buildings, etc. We have been trained to value physical capital. The idea about micro credit is to value human capital. You do it for money. The profit motive works. The amount of individual loans might be small, but the rate of return can be high.

And as with all loans, you have to be willing to write off a certain percentage of loans. In electricity distribution they call it chuhawat.

Policy

I think that is the real challenge. People in the diaspora at the forefront of the idea should be able to write entire policy papers with the help of locally hired legal help. So the legislators, when they are not themselves proactive, are forced to vote yes or no, one way or the other. And the work on those policy papers have to be transparent from the get-go.

It is sad that lack of policy framework is hampering the infusion of massive amounts of capital into Nepal.

Entrepreneurial Culture

That is sorely lacking among the Nepalis in New York City.

I offer a few options myself. There is network marketing. There is my technology company idea. There is a Desi fast food idea that I am also working on. The least people can do is pick up the phone to announce they are interested. Entrepreneurship is about taking initiative. Do you have what it takes?

Growing rich is glorious. Who said that? Den Xiaoping.

On The Web

[PDF] Micro Investment Development Agency Limited
Micro-investment: Building community ownership of the arts ...
Micro Loans, Solid Returns
Startups -- the micro approach
June 2006: Micro-Investment: The Last Sermon: To Someone After Me ...
dollarDEX: Micro investment conversion

Microcredit Summit Campaign
International Year of Microcredit 2005
Virtual Library on Microcredit
So, what is "microcredit" ??
Grameen - Home page of Microcredit
Microcredit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Experts Question Wisdom of Micro-Credit for Women
International Year of Microcredit 2005

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An Event With Ananta Risal At The Nepali Mandir






Date: 30th July, 2006

I would like to thank everyone who came for the Collaborative Network Initiative. Thank you for giving your valuable time and suggestion. Special thanks to Madhurji for sharing this involvement in the Children Foundation and elaborating the outsourcing possibilities in Nepal. We were able present available brochures from the various IT companies in Nepal. Thanks to Knowledge Interface for the pizza and soda. We can't thank enough to the Chairman of the NepaliMandir Mr. Chandra Prakash Sharma to let use the venue within a short notice.

We agreed to meet within 2 weeks time and accomplish the following agenda.

Please assemble your thoughts as we need to move forward with much focused mindset.

1. Name: Suitable Name this for-profit organization

2. Purpose: The purpose of this public company is to take initiation on marketing Nepal as a service sector for Information Technology and more. Work as a show case to provide Nepal as a visibility market to the International community with trust and capacity building approach to NRN.

3. Board of Project Directors and Managers

4. Venue: will be announced later, most probably in New Jersey, 12th Aug 6-8:00 PM

5. Initial Investment: We will discuss about how to execute the company with minimum investment in the earlier stage. We will also discuss about it. We need to decide on the seed money and the number of initial directors.

Please send your valuable suggestion, feedback or any professional methods to initiate this historic business movement.

I will collect all of the ideas and float among all of collectively.

Thanks.

Attendees:

Suraj Mathema
Chandra Kalu
Gopal Shrestha
Menaka Parajuli
Ankit Parajuli
Paramendra Bhagat
Mohit Khetan
Bibhu Poudyal
Binita Poudyal
Parbati Sharma
Chandra Prakash Sharma
Bidur P. Poudyal
Mr. And Mrs. Ujjal Bhattarai
Nitya Bhattarai
Manish Sharma

Coordinator: Ananta Risal

April Convention: Emerging Picture



Website

Ujjwal Bhattarai of The Nepal Digest fame will be working on the website. It will be simple and attractive.

He lives in the New York City metro area. That is a plus. Meetings can be held.

Plus, it is a business deal. The site will have a column on the right for ads. One third of that real estate will be his, and there will be no direct payments made to him.

I will be a co-administrator. Chandra Prakash has put some wonderful ideas. One is that the PayPal button for registration should be the most eye-catching item on every page of the site, hanging in the top left corner.

The site will be NepaliConvention.com, of course. But it is not there yet.

Management Team

Chandra Prakash and I are on it. We are looking for 10 others to be part of the core team. And we will need about 100 volunteers. The term volunteer is misleading since everyone who puts in work will be compensated, only the compensation will be after the convention. Openings will be posted on the site.

You have to be living in the city to be part of the core team. But volunteers can be based anywhere, and can be telecommuting.

The site will feature detailed descriptions for all the openings. Or you can email me and/or Chandra Prakash right away if interested.

There will be an attempt to seek ethnic and gender diversity on the team, but competence and enthusiasm come first in consideration. We are hoping the core team will shape up by the end of August.

Venues

Again, the goal is to get decided on the venues by the end of August. And we are actively seeking suggestions from all sorts of people. Please get in touch with us if you have any ideas on this one.

Not all venues will be at one place. We are expecting guests from outside might like the idea of using the subway. But all venues will be in Queens, and as close to each other as possible.

Registration Fees

First we thought $20, and then charge separate for concerts. Then we thought of a flat fee of $25. Then a registration fee of $25 and $10 each for the three evening events. Finally we have decided on a flat fee of $35. That takes you into all events at the convention, concert, cultural program, everything.

The thing is that this registration is compulsory. We will have security guards posted at the main entrance of each venue. Unless you have the convention button displayed on you, you will not be allowed in. And the security guards will not be anyone you might know.

Right now we are looking at a 5,000 capacity, first come, first serve. So hurry, register as soon as you can. We have to have that kind of a ceilig for the more popular of the events and the fire marshall guidelines in the city.

Media Partners

Nepali Aawaz and this blog are the official media partners of the convention. This blog will help you be part of the discussions as we shape up the convention. Our idea is that a lot of people should get together to shape up the details.

Program Schedule

This is not final, but this is what it looks like for now.

Friday 7 PM - 11 PM Inauguration Ceremony

Saturday 8 AM - 11 AM NYC Sight Seeing For The Interested Guests From Outside The City
Saturday 11 AM - 7 PM Sports Events, Forums, Mini Conventions, Displays
Saturday 7 PM - 11 PM Cultural Program To Exhibit Nepal's Diversity
Saturday 11 PM - 2 AM DJ On The Dance Floor

Sunday 8 AM - 11 AM NYC Sight Seeing For The Interested Guests From Outside The City
Sunday 11 AM - 7 PM Forums, Gatherings, Sports
Sunday 7 PM - 11 PM Concert

The detailed breakdown has not happened yet, and we are open to suggestions. The sight seeing part: we will collaborate with outside companies to provide the transportation. That will be an extra charge for you, but it should be minimal. It will be a crash course, as in see the top 10 spots in three hours.

The 11 PM cut off time is because the subway in the city slows down considerabley after midnight.

Moonlight

This convention is being brought to you by Moonlight. It is a private enterprise. The idea is to lower the price and enhance the experience. The management team for the most part just provides the platform. It is for the organizations to decide what to do. They have the power.

One great example is Anand Bist's planned convention. He is Nepali Cogress' point person in America. He has launched a Nepali People's Coordination Committee that is affiliated with the Congress. He hopes to organize a convention for the same within a year. I offered him our convention as the platform, so he does not have to worry about any of the logistics.

People affiliated with the other parties are encouraged to do similar stuff. The Nepali Convention is non partisan.

We are hoping organizations in the city and elsewhere in the country might want to use our event to host their own mini conventions.

Core 200

There will be a dozen people on the core team, and about 100 volunteers. And when you put together the Chieft Guest, the Chief Host, the Special Guests, the VVIPs and the VIPs, you are looking at another 100 people.

All these people will still have to pay $35 for registration, Chandra Prakash and me included. But these 200 get special, bigger buttons.

Organizations

There will be three categories.
  • Participating Organizations.
  • Star Organizations. Members elected its president directly some time during the past year. Number of members is public.
  • Superstar Organization. The best organization based on membership size, transparency, vibrancy, impact, internal democracy.
These organizations are the ones that will collectively decide on the awards.

Awards

There are six big awards for people in Nepal. And there will be awards for the Nepalis in America.
  • Politics.
  • Entrepreneurship.
  • NGO Sector.
  • Social Justice: DaMaJaMa.
  • Media.
  • Entertainment.
At least one officer with an organization has to register with the convention before that organization may participate.

Each organization will nominate one person each for the six categories and write a brief paragraph supporting their case. A participating organization has one vote, a star organization has two votes, a superstar organization has three votes. All nominations will be tallied, all nominations will be made public. There will be five finalists in each category. Then all organizations will vote again. And the award recipients will be decided by the end of February 2007. The entire process will stay transparent.

There will be non cash prize awards to the Nepalis in America. The categories have not been decided yet. We are open to suggestions. The awards will be decided in a similar manner as above.

Nepali Block Party: September 29

This is to be our dress rehearsal. There will be no entry fee. Food and non alcoholic drinks will be sold through vendors. There will be music, and mini speeches. And other stuff. Come in large numbers. Venue to be decided.

Why New York, Why Queens

New York City is the Kathmandu of the world. It is the most diverse city on the planet. Queens is the most diverse borough in the city. Jackson Heights is the most diverse locality in Queens.

There are 100,000-120,000 Nepalis in America. Of those close to 30,000-40,000 live in the city. Of the rest, most live in the Boston-DC corridor. New York City is the geographical center of that corridor.

There is public transportation in that corridor, unlike the rest of America. New York City has the best public transportation of any place in the country.

There are three airports.

This convention will be held in Queens, year after year after year.

April Revolution, April Convention

In The News

UML presents 23-point suggestion to ICDC; ‘fate of monarchy be decided by referendum’ NepalNews the interim constitution include provision to hold referendum to decide the fate of monarchy....... The three-member Interim Constitution Advisory Committee headed by UML standing committee member Bharat Mohan Adhikari ...... the party had suggested the drafting committee to include the mandate of the people’s movement-II, democratic republic, peace and inclusive restructuring of the state as the ‘directive principles of the state’...... referendum, which can be held in tandem with the constituent assembly elections ..... “There is no guarantee that the constituent assembly will have 2/3rd majority in favour of abolishment of monarchy from the country.” He said the UML believed that the country could easily do away with monarchy through a referendum....... Italy and Bolivia where constituent assembly polls and referendum were held together ...... a cost-effective and practical method ...... the Nepali Army.. the UML has suggested that it “should be national in nature”, inclusive and democratic and should be under the cabinet. The party has also suggested that the interim constitution make provisions to resolve the problems regarding the distribution of citizenship..... made no specific mention about the interim parliament ..... The UML’s suggestion came a day after the end of the second deadline given to the drafting committee to finalise the interim statute...... Other constituents of the SPA are yet to present their suggestions to the ICDC
CoAS Thapa defers summon of Rayamajhi commission informed that he could not attend the commission to file statement at the Commission, as he has to go Pokhara for some important work......
Prachanda, Nepal discuss upcoming high-level talks
UN team continues parleys
Armymen including Captain suspended for torturing policemen
Two Maoist cadres shot at in Siraha Reports quoted Yadav as saying that nine armed activists of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha dragged him out of bed and shot at him.

UN asks Nepal for common stand on arms India eNews.com, India
Soldiers go on rampage in Kathmandu India eNews.com
Nepal orders probe into army mayhem DailyIndia.com
Three Dozen Army Men Suspended in Nepal
Associated Content, CO
Nepal army chief to be questioned BBC News
Army Gundagardi. Nepal Army Becoming Rascals Club United We Blog, Nepal
Hooligans burn copies of Kantipur daily Kantipur Online
Armymen including Captain suspended for torturing policemen Nepalnews.com
China, Nepal agree to push economic, technical cooperation People's Daily Online
Nepal’s little prince turns five India eNews.com, India
Exit permit process for US resettlement initiated : Nepal Phayul, Tibet

ICDC giving 'final touch' to drafts today Kantipur Publications According to family sources, the members have been away from home since last Thursday.
मोर्चालाई सरकारले सम्बोधन गर्ने
नयाँ राष्ट्रगानको अर्थ
बहिरालाई क्याम्पस
युनियन गठन नगर्न अन्तरिम आदेश

Dishanirdesh

Krishna Sitaula, CK Lal Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Pitambar Sharma's Federalism


Since July 12, Israel has dropped the equivalent of a Hiroshima bomb on Lebanon. The number of dead is around 400 in Lebanon, the majority of them civilians. Forty people have been killed in Israel by Hezbollah rockets. Four United Nations peacekeepers were killed recently in what the U.N. secretary-general called "a deliberate Israeli attack."


















Federalism: Competing Maps

Pitambar Sharma embraces federalism. That is the good news. The bad news is that his suggested map looks like a vast conspiracy against the Madhesi community. And there is also a Hindu prejudice to some of the names he has chosen. You can not have religious names for provinces.

I prefer the Maoist map to the Pitambar map, even though the Maoist map is my second choice map.

In The News

Nepal Army, PLA Can’t Be Dealt Similarly: Japanese Minister Himalayan Times
Don't Include Maoists in Interim Govt Till They Disarm: Moriarty
MPs Want Livecast Of Panel Interrogation
Rights Violations On: NHRC
Maoist Hand In City Robbery Incident On July 18, a gang of seven looted cash around Rs 6 lakhs from Sindhu Housing Company owned by Bhupendra Raj Giri and Prajawal Kumar Bajracharya at Koteshwor. Police began probing after arresting Kishor Paudel, against whom the company owners had filed a complaint. During interrogation, Paudel revealed that he had asked Maoists to help him recover money that he had loaned the Housing Company. Police subsequently detained Lahanu Chaudhary, central member of pro-Maoist Valley Tharuwang Muktimorcha and his wife Bimala BK, also a Maoist cadre, said SP of the Valley Crime Branch Keshav Adhikari. Chaudhary and Bimala admitted to their crime and said that they did it because the housing company owners were "feudal". Police released both of them at the request of the company owners themselves. Now they are trying to arrest them again as the company owners returned to the police office and demanded action against Chaudhary and his wife. It has been revealed that Chaudhary and Bimala had rented a room in a house owned by Priya Gurung at Dahachowk. The two were posing as professors at TU and PK college respectively. Both have absconded.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Girija, Resign



Deaer All,

Nepali police mercilessly lathichargedand injured 20 Madheshis at the peaceful protest in Janakpur.Thousands of Madheshi inhabitants ( dalit, janjatis and women) of Dhanusha districts were sitting on Dharna at the C D O office and demnding citizenship since one week. The protest was very peaceful. Abruptly at 2.30 PM on Fiday police gheraoed the protesters and torchered and injured them. This is clear violations of human rights of the peole. Millions of Madheshis are being discrminated and denied citizenship rights since 238 yrs of Shah dynasty. I request all of you to protest this act of the govt of Nepal.

Thanks

Vijay Karna

JAGHRIT Nepal
P O Box:572, Kathmandu
Phone:009771 521797
mail:jaghrit@wlink.com.np

Stop Arresting The Disabled
Andolan Again
In Solidarity With The Kamaiya Movement
Why Were The Women Beat Up?
Gongabu Massacre

This incident has to be the spark that launched the Madhesi revolution. Madhesis have to organize peaceful protest programs in all Terai towns.

Six million Madhesis who have been denied citizenship papers are going to be issued citizenship papers, or there will be no constituent assembly elections.

We have to organize and march until that fundamental demand is met.

Enough is enough.

Girija, Resign.

Ye to Jalianwala Bagh ke tarah ho gaya.

We can not put up with this.

The right to peaceful assembly, the right to peacefully protest is a fundamental human right. International legal action can be taken against those in power who might order acts of police brutality that might violate that basic right.

Time for niceties are over. The Madhesis will get total equality, or there will be no constituent assembly elections. The Madhesis will no longer be disenfranchised.

The people who have been brought into power by the April Revolution (Interim Monarchy, Interim Army, Interim Parliament) should not forget, what the people giveth, the people can take away.

These ministers who let the police lose on peaceful protestors should be ashamed of themselves. They have to take responsibility.

A high level commission has to be formed to investigate this brutal incident. And it has to be ensured such is never repeated again.

Right to peacefully protest is a fundamental human right. You can not take it away. And if you don't understand this, you are not a democrat. You don't belong in this government.

The Pahadi media has not covered this brutal incident. Shame on the Pahadi media.

Hridayesh
April Revolution, April Convention
Indigenous Nationalities Peace Commission Nepal: Interim Constitution
Direct Elections, One Seat For Every 100,000 People, Reservations, Primaries
Brikhesh Chandra Lal: Representation In Constituent Assembly
FDI, NRN, Upendra Mahato, $100 Million Fund, Dual Citizenship
RPP For Federalism Ahead of UML, NC And NC(D)
C.K. Lal: NRIs In Nepal
Gang Of Four And Mao And Girija And Pyar Jung
ANA Convention: My Hamro Nepal Speech
Brian Cobb: Perpetual Andolan
Interim Constitution Draft
Janajati Angst
Madhesis, Social Justice, And The DaMaJaMa Equation In Nepal
Rameshwor Shah: Inclusive Constituent Assembly
June 17 Madhesi Gathering In New York City
MaMaMaMa
Frustration, Chemical Imbalance, Mental Imbalance
Dr. Hari Bansh Jha: Bonds Beyond Borders
UML Inching Towards Federalism
Bahun, Chhetri, Sunni
Abolish The Monarchy, Abolish The Army
Jay Prakash Gupta
June 7 Madhesi Rally In Janakpur
MaDaMaJa
Dr. Binay Shah
Democracy Diwali At The Nepali Mandir
Dr. Ram Krishna Shah
One Central Committee Member For Every Million Nepali
मधेशीसँग संख्या छ, शिक्त छैन
No Short Cuts: Madhesis Will Have To March
Chitralekha Yadav: Speaker
Madhesi Rights: Total Equality
ितमीले देखाइ िदयौ
18 Days Of April Revolution: Victory

In The News

SC seeks clarification from government authorities on CoAS Thapa issue NepalNews Supreme Court has issued show cause notices to government authorities on the government’s stand on taking action against the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Pyar Jung Thapa and some other high-ranking army officials. ..... Acting upon a writ petition filed by pro-Maoist student leaders ..... Raju Basnet, Bibek Bista, Indibur Rana and Dilip Rayamajhi ..... the army officials are responsible for the disappearance of 49 Maoists detainees from army barracks.
Army personnel torture police officers, civilian at the Bhairabnath battalion a group of Nepali Army personnel have ‘abducted’ three people, including two police officers and a civilian, from Durbarmarg police station at the heart of capital, Kathmandu, in the wee hours of Saturday and tortured them for nearly two hours at the Bhairavnath Battalion of Nepali Army..... a group of nearly of the Bhairabnath battalion severely beat and tortured Police Inspector Ram Bahadur KC, two dozen soldiers led by Captain Rabindra Bikram RanaAssistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Dharmendra Raya and driver Dil Bahadur Tamang after taking them forcibly to the battalion. Tamang said he was even subject to electric shocks ...... They have bruises all over their bodies and faces. ...... following an argument between Captain Rana and a police team on patrol over the issue of a wrongly parked vehicle. ..... Rana escaped arrest but returned to the police station with a group of armed soldiers, ‘abducted’ police officers and their drivers at gunpoint and set his friend free...... Brigadier General Nepal Bhusan Chand ..... an investigation is under way and that Rana and other soldiers would be punished if found guilty. ...... detainees kept in the battalion were subject to inhuman and cruel torture and women detainees were allegedly raped by the personnel stationed there.
Lawmakers demand transparency in probe of High level commission MPs expressed disenchantment with the government's failure to take the 'culprits" of the people's movement under control and to take action. ..... asked to give the media personnel free access for reporting the interrogation of former officials involved in killing and suppressing the people during the Jana Andalon ...... “Due to secret proceedings, the culprits are coming out of the Commission's office with pride." ....... the commission is not serious about taking action against the suppressors of the Jana Andalon-II. ...... Dilli Raj Sharma of Nepali Congress said it was shameful that the biggest oppressors are freely traveling on the streets but the inferior ones are being interrogated. ..... Raghuji Pant called the government to either privatise the government run medias or turn them into cooperatives, adding, “Running of the media by the government is an instance of misuse of media.”
Rights violation on: NHRC rights violation is continuing despite the ongoing peace process and ceasefire from both the government and Maoists. ....... 43 complaints of human rights violations between June 27 and July 28 from the central region alone. .....

Japan stresses on rebel disarmament before interim govt Kantipur Publications
Maoist seek ‘donation’ from security forces
Fuel adulteration hits acute level
Army thrashes, gives electric shocks to police officials
Maoists involved in Teku robbery: Police
UN team meets Maoists, Govt talks team
China increases aid by 50 percent
राजा वीरेन्द्र र राजीव गान्धी

Nepal to keep one-China policy NEWS.com.au, Australia
Nepal Army, PLA Can’t Be Dealt Similarly: Japanese Minister Himalayan Times, Nepal
Japan willing to send observers to monitor CA elections: Japanese ... Nepalnews.com
DPM Sherchan discusses Nepal situation with CPI-M leaders Nepalnews.com, Nepal
China hikes aid to mend fences with Kathmandu Gulf Times

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