• Supreme Court's Decision . • Air Pollution FIGHTS GERMS EVEN HOURS AFTER BRUSHING CONTENTS
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
• Supreme Court's Decision . • Air Pollution FIGHTS GERMS EVEN HOURS AFTER BRUSHING CONTENTS Page Letters 3 News Notes 4 Briefs 6 Quote Unquote 7 COVER STORY: THE NEW MONARCH Off The Record 8 Af!er the tragic palace killings Prince Gyanendra is crowned the new monarch Page 14 ROY AL DEATHS :Tremors or Tragedy 9 RUMORS: A Dangerous Pastime 10 SUPREME COURT DlCISION : Stricture To The ClAA 11 '. SHAH DYNASTY: Changing Of The Guards 12 IOTO FEATURE 20 NATION IN MOURNING: People At Loss 25 Air Pollution: Unmet Challenges INTERNET: Ugly Face 26 Kathmandu valley still has to do a lot lO improve the condition of its environment. Page 9 THE BOTTOMLlNE 27 BOOK REVIEW 28 PASTIME 29 INTERVIEW: Cyril Sikder LEISURE 30 Bangladeshi Ambassador to Nepal Sikder lalks about bilaleral rela tions. FORUM: Ludwig F. Stilier, S.J 32 Page 22 SPO~HT/JUNE 8, 200 t SPOTLIGHT EDITOR'S NOTE THE NATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE Vol. 20, No.47, June 8, 2001 (Jestha 26, 2057) Chief Editor And Publisher Madhav Kumar Rimal hat unprecedented tragedy should strike Nepal is indeed very unfortunate. What Editor happened at the Royal Palace in Kathmandu on that fatefu l evening of Friday last Sarita Aimal week can seldom find a parallel in the annals of the world. The whole family of the ruling monarch was totally wiped out. Such horrendous events always Managing Editor generate lots of contradiclOry and controversial opinions, rumors, views and Keshab Poudel conjectures. Interested peoples, parties and forces would callously try to exploit Associate Editor rrthe tragic situation to furthertheirown nefarious interest. Anti-national and inimical forces would Bhagirath Yogi gleefully fish in the troubled waters. As such. It becomes the duty of all patriotic forces to sink in their differences and unite unconditionally to safeguard the integrity of the counlry. All our Senior Reporter Sanjaya Dhakal personal likes and di slikes. prides and prejudices and constraints and compulsions must be bru shed aside and all our endeavors mu st be focussed on tiding over this national catastrop Reporter There wi ll be enough time to nurse our personal or partisan interests once general normalcy Akshay Sharma restored and confidence regained. Design and Layout Jyoli Singh We do mourn the irreparable loss of our dear King - the late Birendra and all other members of the royal family. The cruel fate has snatched our king away from us in the most ignominious way. Photographer HIS concern for his poor peoples. hi s resolute pursuance of the democratic process and his Nishchat Chapagain unshakable faith in his constitutional role has given him the image of an ideal democratic Art monarch. In his sudden death. the democratic forces of the country have lost their beloved M.S. Khokna monarch whose untiring efforts had given strong roots to the nascent democracy in the country. At this critical time facing the nation. we shall be paying the most precious memorial to our late Legal Advisor king if we could all unite and save the country from sliding into politi cal and economic chaos. Advocate Lok Bhakta Rana Internecine fights at this stage will not only jeopardize the stabilization of the hard won Marketing/Advertisement democracy but push the country towards disintegration which is sure to i mperillhe very existence Sarit Rimal (USA) of Nepal as a sovereign nation. Marketing Madan Kaji Basnet Rl.!cent events in Kathmandu have, once again. proved the old adage that no onc is more Navin Kumar Maharjan powerful th an "Destiny". Crowned King when a toddler, by the beleaguered Rana regime more Madan Raj Poudel than fifty years ago for about four months. King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dcv has now inherited the throne in a most bizarre and difficult situation. With inimical and anti·national Editorial Office forces always ploning to destabilize the situation King Gyanendra is facing grave challenges. GPO Box 7256, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Tel: (977-1) 423127, Fax (977-1) 417845 Those who know him well do believe that he is fully equipped to ri se up to occasion. But. Chief Editor's: 435594 exigency of the si tu ation demands [hal he must win the unstinted cooperation of all sections E·mail: [email protected] the people. One wrong advice orone wrong step is apt to worsen the already volatile situation, Internet Add: http://www.nepalnews.com/ In these trying times what the king needs is wise counsel. Happenings in the last few days have spotlight already shown some chinks in the armor. These have not only to be plugged but should in no Cover Design way reappear. Since the new king is fully alive to the dangers inherent in the unprecedented Wordscape situation in the country as evinced in Ihe royal proclamalion, the nation can rest assured that Kamal Pokhari, Ph : 410772, Fax: 432872 King Gyanendra will leave no stone un-turned to defend the country and work for the welfare of the people, Sin ce. it is the foremost duty of the king to keep his people happy and satisfied Distribution Bazaar International and the nation is eager to know the truth about th e sad killings of the king, the queen and other 228 Sanchaya Kosh Bldg. Kathmandu members of the royal family. an early probe into the matter seems urgent. It has become the G.P.O Box 2480, Ph: 222983 Fax: 229437 pnme dUly of every Nepali. irrespective of hi s standing III the society. to render Ulmost a-mail: [email protected] cooperation to the new monarch. We all. in the SPOTLIGHT hail King Gyanendra and assure Printers: Kishor offset Press (P.) Ltd. him of our sincere loyalty. We do pray to Lord Pashupati Nath to grant him long life, good P.O. Box 4665, Galkopakha, Thame!, health and wisdom lO guide our nation. • Ka1hmandu,Tel: 351 044 (Off), 351172 (Res.), Fax: 977-1-351172, E-mail: [email protected] C.D.O. Regd. No 151/039-40 Postal Regd. No 42/057/58 U.S. Library of Congress Madhav Kumar Rimal Catalogue No. 91·905060 Chief Editor& Publisher 2 SPOTLIGHTIJUNE 8, 200 1 LETTERS _______________________________________________________________ This is ridiculous. , . Challdra Mall Shreslha fORUM Yuba ~ ~ A ENCOUNTER l li Rldd Mangal Bazar Weak Case Apropos your cover sLOry Expedite HA Costly Fiasco" (SPOT L1GHT,June I), it appears that The Construction SPOTLIG1IT Being the shortest route the cases filed by the ClAA against the accused In the lhat could link Kalhmandu LaudaAirscam stand on weak with Hetauda, Kanti Rajpath legal ground. Whether this deserve s topmost priority weakness is deliberate or not. ("Slow Start", SPOTLIGHT. tbe people will definitely lose May 25). The govern me m confidence in the anlH:OITUP should takc firm measure s to tlOn body if it fails to put the expedite construction. This offenders behind bars for good, will provide a viable alterna The CIAA has a poor track tive la exisling highways record proving Its cases in plagued with traffic co nges court. The commiSSIOn must tion and landslide:,. take the services of top legal B~sldes. this would brains of the country while also save lime and energy. A framing charges so that cor The remole villages of rupt officials will start fearing Lalitpur district could get a the organization. special chance 10 develop if COSTLY Kamal Dista this highway materializes in Sancpn tim e. SUlIlall Amatya FIASCO Satdob,1O Alternative A Must The alternative lO the ex Why Not The PM? Ironic Decision "A Costly Affair" (SPOT Isting Prithvi highway has be The CIAA has lost a In its charge-sheet. the LIGHT, June I), the charge come extremely nece ssary ique opportunity by failing lOp anti-corruption body has sheet of the ClAA against the ("Slow Start", SPOTLIGHT o formally implicate a sitting filed cases against 10 people, Lauda accused are based May 25), From landslides at prime minister on charges of including two foreign execu merely on the balance sheet Krishnabhir to traffic conges corruption CA Costly Fiasco", tives of Lauda Air, but failed of the RNAC. If cases of tion and freq uent strikes at SPOTLlGHT,June I), The text 10 do so against the local co m corruption can be fi led based places. Prithvi Highway has of the ClAA 's charge-sheet has mission agent Dincsh Lal on profit and losses of par been unable 10 catc r to grow· warned Prime Minister Girija Shrestha ("A Costly Fiasco", ticular organization, chi ef ex ing vo lume of hi ghway pas Prasad Koirala 10 remain alert SPOTLIGHT. June I ), This is ecutives orQO percent of pub sengers. to prevent corruption in the an ironic decision . lithe com lic enterprises could end up in Besides. it is not rational future . These words lead one mission wants to do away with jai 1. for a capital city to have lim to believe that the commis corruption, it has (oael againsl In the last six months or ited road links with other parts sion, indeed. bad sensed that such un scrupulous agents. By so, Nepalese media have been of the country, More the high the lITegularities in the Lauda Jetting the big fish off the nooded with storie s ofirregu ways, better the inrra!:.tructure. Air deal took place with the hook. the CIAA wi 11 not be larities on the Lauda Air deal. Kanti RaJpath seems to be a connivance of the prime min able to establish its credibility Most of the ordinary people very suitable alternative that ister. Ifthat was so, it is tragic in front of the public, were led to believe that cor can be constructed in few that the CIAA could not bpl Nabill Tuladhar ruption had indeed taken place years.