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Nepali Times for Starting the New Response Generated a Media Uproar

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Nepali Times for Starting the New Response Generated a Media Uproar #569 2 - 8 September 2011 20 pages Rs 30 DIWAKAR CHETTRI Life after living Make or break goddess he expansion of the new in the party who deserve to be in cynics may say.” cabinet is taking longer than the cabinet,” explained Bhattarai’s The Maoist decision to postpone Texpected. No one expected adviser, Devendra Paudel, “We handing over the keys of their this to be easy for Prime Minister want to make sure they all feel weapons containers to the special Baburam Bhattarai, given that this involved in the process. Hence, committee for now is a missed was a marriage of convenience the slight delay.” opportunity. It could have been a Former Kumari between two ideologically Analysts say that in their hurry breakthrough in the peace process Rashmila Shakya is polarised groupings. to get into government, the Maoists and cemented public perception that working in a software But Bhattarai’s bigger may have given too much away to Bhattarai is a do-er. company and pursuing problem seems to be not so much win over the Madhesis. For their But he can still send positive a masters in information accommodating the demands of part, Madhesi leaders deny this signal by taking the opposition into technology. the Madhesi alliance, but to satisfy is about getting to power. MJF- confi dence while moving ahead on p6-7 factions within his own Maoist Republican leader Rajkishor Yadav the peace process and constitution party. And then he has to also acknowledges the Maoists have drafting. Even a majority government ensure caste, ethnicity and gender been generous in power sharing, needs consensus. AUTO SPECIAL diversity within the cabinet. but adds: “This coalition is based on Anurag Acharya p15-19 “We have lot of senior leaders issues, not on power, whatever the More on p12 2 EDITORIAL 2 - 8 SEPTEMBER 2011 #569 KEEP THE FLAME OF TRUTH BURNING evisara Oli’s husband, Suresh, was last seen in the On the question of atoning for wartime atrocities, leaders commission on disappearances. district police offi ce in Bardiya nine years ago after from both the Maoists and the other parties have an identical To add insult to injury, the second clause in the four-point Dbeing taken in for questioning. Nearly a decade on, response: “Digging up the past now will endanger the peace agreement between the Maoists and the Madhesi Alliance that Devisara still keeps her husband’s clothes in the hope that process.” In fact, the peace process is endangered precisely propelled Baburam Bhattarai to prime ministerhood this week he may one day return, she hurriedly picks up the phone because there is no closure for the relatives of those who were actually allows a general amnesty for wartime atrocities. The every time there is a call from an unknown number. summarily executed, or were disappeared during the war--even exact wording (our translation) reads: ‘In government, we will At about the same time, in a nearby village, Laxmi in cases when the perpetrators are known by name. immediately dissolve all court cases against Maoist leaders Khadka was home eating dinner with her and cadre and declare a general amnesty husband, Dil Bahadur. Maoists came into the in cases where the courts have passed house and dragged Dil Bahadur away into sentences.’ the darkness outside. She never saw him In the general relief over the formation of again. Laxmi still runs out of the house when a new government, and the euphoria over a the dogs bark at night, thinking her husband prime minister who rides Mustangs, this and has come back. other conditions in the agreement have gone Dil Bahadur and Suresh are among at almost unnoticed by human rights activities, least 180 people listed as disappeared by other political leaders and some Kathmandu- both sides during the confl ict in Bardiya based members of the international alone, the district with the highest number community. of disappeareds. Nationwide, the number of But for the relatives of the disappeared, reported forced disappearances is more than this is a slap in the face. On Wednesday, 1,350 but the actual total is probably closer Devisara Oli wept as she told us: “The killers to 2,000. of our husbands are walking freely and This week, families of over 40 of those threatening to kill us if we raise this issue. It’s missing in the war gathered in Kathmandu, not up to the government to pardon anyone. and another 200 in Bardiya. They used the Only we the victims can pardon those who occasion of the International Day of the tore our hearts out.” Disappeared on 30 August to draw the new To shame the government and to show coalition's attention to the inattention paid what pardoning and healing really mean, by successive governments to their plight Devisara, whose husband was disappeared since the war ended in 2006. Devisara by the police, and Laxmi, whose husband (pictured) was among those who lit lamps ERIK B WILSON was disappeared by the Maoists, are working of remembrance at Basantapur on Tuesday side-by-side for a victims support group in night. All the families of the disappeared are asking for is truth Bardiya called the Committee for Confl ict Affected People. Nepal’s post-confl ict scenario is unique because unlike and justice: information on whether their loved ones are dead Shame on a state that doesn’t have the heart to follow the most other wars, neither side lost and neither side won. or alive, the circumstances of their deaths and for the guilty example set by Devisara and Laxmi. Since most of the dead were non-combatants, though, the to answer for their crimes. The two former warring sides have Nepali people lost. As far as the Maoist militia and state stone-walled on information, there is a common conspiracy security forces are concerned, it’s over. They want to sweep of silence about war crimes, and elected rulers have tried nepalitimes.com the past under the carpet and get on with sharing the spoils. their best to water down the terms of reference for a future Same road, #517 ON THE WEB www.nepalitimes.com CYBER PATRIOTS ever devised...’ says Rubeena Mahato. Do MISTAKEN PEACE Focusing only on preventive care does not Re: Rubeena Mahato’s column, ‘The age of you mean to suggest that citizens of poor I found Anurag Acharya’s column ‘Mistaken address the immediate needs of patients cyber patriots’, #568. Taslima sure knows countries are not expected to feel outraged peace’, #568, very well written. Its nice to in the hinterland. I think a model which how to whip up controversy. Just look at about their nation? I see absolutely no know that there are still some honest and addresses both preventive and curative her tweet about a likely fatwa and her reason to feeling ashamed about people unapologetic columnist left. Devi Khadka healt care is possible and Nepalis should books being burnt. I mean seriously? There recognized the world over for their valour and Shanti Pakhrin were both victims to this not be deprived of these essential services must be at most 10-15 hate tweets which and unlike any other nationality in the world unjust system, and the writer is sensitive to at the cost of one over the other. she might have got, out of which one was are trusted with the defense of a foreign land both their causes. Gaury S Adhikary profane, but she got dozens and dozens by its government. Som BK of tweets defending her by Nepalis. What Soni LHAKPA SHERPA about those? She proclaims herself to be SRI LANKA MODEL Nepal needs more Nepalis like Lhakpa an empowered woman, a feminist and FORGOTTEN FUTURES I agree private medical colleges are not the Sherpa to create opportunities for fellow now she is playing victim here? She is not In Ram Kumar Bhandari’s ‘Forgotten solution, and also agree with Buddha Basnyat’s Nepalis through social entrepreneurship stupid. To the contrary, she is so smart that futures’, #568 I agree that Nepal’s view point that primary and secondary health (‘Making paper while the sun shines’, #568). she spinned a careless remark and a stupid transitional agenda has been hijacked by care has to be emphasised ('Sri Lanka model', Thanks to Nepali Times for starting the new response generated a media uproar. Helps political leaders, donors and NGOs. Victims #568). But I am not sure why is he is lumping Making a Difference section, bringing this a lot when you haven’t published in the last are forgotten, and it has never become a these two together? New medical colleges and other uplifting stories about ordinary couple of years. national agenda. NGOs are big players and are a private investment, and of course they Nepalis who are making a difference despite Downtoearth playing with victims for their projects. Victims mean business like any other private funded overwhelming odds, and not just sitting in Nepal suffer through top level leaders, investment. Primary and secondary health around complaining. Let me shake your Awesome piece, Rubeena Mahato. It’s perpetrators and NGO business. Keep the care are the government’s responsibility and hand, Lhakpa! like you read my mind. Taslima was stupid agenda alive, Ram ji. are thus a separate part. Is he suggesting that Kiran L but we acted even more foolishly. I’m sick Biraj private investors go for primary and secondary of these fake patriots, people creating health care instead of medical colleges? facebook groups and events against ‘dho***’ The disappeared people will not come Ramesh Bikal who we are suppose to hate for the most back to their families and community, Weekly Internet Poll # 569 absurd reasons.
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