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Archive for December, 2009
Wire to New Delhi
On Tuesday, Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said he wanted to speak to Delhi directly since they were the ‘masters’ ruling the ‘puppet’ government of Nepal. On Wednesday, the party’s Vice Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha clarified the statement saying Dahal had only ‘hinted’ at holding talks with India. Nepalnews reports: According to Shrestha, Dahal during his […]
No signs of reconciliation
The Maoists gathered in front of the Constituent Assembly on Tuesday to end the three-day long strike. Even as the protest comes to a conclusion, there are no signs of rapprochement between the government and the main opposition party. The Kathmandu Post writes: “If the ruling parties continue to ignore our demands, we will go […]
“Worst display of violence since Jana Andolan-II”
More than 70 people, including a Maoist CA member and a Deputy Superintendent of the Police (DSP), were injured in the clashes between the police and the Maoist protestors on Sunday. It was the first day of the three-day long banda called by the Maoist. The Kathmandu Post reports: Sunday’s strike saw Deputy Superintendent of Police (DP) Dilip […]
Economy worries
Everyone, that is everyone except perhaps the political leaders, are worried about the future of the economy. Nepali Times writes: Nepal’s trade deficit with India is now a whopping Rs100 billion and growing every quarter. While the balance of payments was still healthy, Nepal paid for goods imported from India in remittance and tourism dollars. […]
Crises loom near
We have 10 federal states in the country, and will have three more by the end of the week. The ruling coalition has been calling the Maoists’ move unconstitutional. Now, human rights activists and law experts are adding their voice to the criticism. The Kathmandu Post reports: Human rights bodies and law experts have expressed […]
The state of things
Here are the headlines of the day: In Copenhagen, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal that the term of the United Nations Mission to Nepal will only be extended by one more term. International human rights defenders are asking donors to exert pressure on the government to prosecute Major Niranjan […]
Between the devil and the deep blue sea
Thirteen people were killed and 37 others injured when a bus carrying more passengers than its capacity skidded off the road and plunged 150 metres into a gorge in Pokhara yesterday. Republica reports: Bus driver Ram Bahadur Pariyar said the accident occurred as shock absorbing blades of the ill-maintained old bus snapped when the vehicle […]
