(Courtesy: The "Nepali Source")
On Property Disclosures
• Ministers and members of the House of Representatives have not as yet disclosed their property holdings to the public. According to the law, a minister must disclose his or her property within 15 days of becoming minister. However, only a few ministers have complied with this law and no proclamation has originated form the government, that nullifies this constitutional provision.
• Minister for Land Reform and Management, Prabhu Narayan Chowdhary has done an excellent job of forcing disclosure of the king's properties. On the topic of his own properties, the Minister may have been too busy exposing the King’s to comply with the law of the land. It is hoped that the honorable Minister will have the ability to take a few hours of his hectic schedule to comply with the same set of laws that he is in charge of enforcing.
• Likewise, MP Prakash Jwala who is chairman of one of the committees under the HoR hasn't given an account of his property either. The people of Salyan District of the mid-western region remember Jwala from when he was a teacher and didn’t have any property to account for. Now, he owns a three-story building at Shantinagar in Kathmandu. People are eagerly awaiting the details of property disclosures from likes of MP Jwala.
On the Illusion of Maoist Rhetoric
• There is vast difference between what Maoists leaders say and what their activists do. As per announcements from the Maoists, people who had left their homes due to the rebels' atrocities, started returning after being displaced for three-four years.
• Unfortunately, these IDPs were still denied entry into their house by district level Maoists. People like Nepali Congress activist Bhupendra Shah of Dailekh district, and the UML's Chitra Prasad Sharma are among those who are unable to return to their own homes.
• They are unsure of the nature of the truce between the SPA and the Maoists where the Maoists get away with everything they do and common people like themselves cannot even return to their rightful dwellings.
• Harsh Man K.C., 79 years old and a resident of Rukum district expressed his desire to return to his place of birth, so that he may die in peace. He too bas been denied entry into his own home.
• Internally displaced people blame this government for not being able to enforce their agreements with the Maoists. After all, these are clear violations of the code of conduct that the Maoists blame the government for violating, almost every day. IDPs largely charge Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula as a person with three roles – Home Minister, Chief Government Negotiator and Spokesperson for the Maoists inside the HoR.
On the Freedom of Expression
• Bablu Shrivastva, an Indian national and member of a notorious gang is now serving a prison term in Nepal. He has written a book 'Adhura Khwab' (incomplete dream) published by Nayee Shadi Books House, New Delhi.
• In his writing, Bablu Shrivastva has details his close ties with prominent Nepali political leaders such as Hridyesh Tripathi among others. Tripathi is a cabinet Minister in PM Koirala government.
• Naturally, the book has been banned in Nepal by a government committed to all sorts of democratic freedoms.
On DJs Pushpa, Baburam and the 8AM Maoist Broadcast
• The Maoists are slowly tacking control of FM Stations in Nepal.
• They are forcing F.M. radio stations to broadcast news about their political activities. Those not complying or exhibiting reluctance, are threatened with dire consequences.
• One FM radio station, Ghoda Ghodi in Bardiya district has been forced to close because it did not comply with Maoist demands.
• In other cases, it is believed that the Maoists and FM station operators have reached a mutual understanding. The rebels have assured FM Stations of payment for their service. As per the understanding, the Maoists will not let employees of the FM stations stage protests or strikes in future and they will not ask for any donation from FM Stations. From the sounds of this, it appears the Maoists have engineered a complicated strategy of payments in return for services – similar to the protection / insurance schemes that Mafia organizations get their revenue from.
• The Maoists have issued stern verbal and written warnings to government owned TV and radio stations also.
On Rumored Maoist Intents
• It is rumored that Maoists leader Prachanda has instructed his cadres to be ready to take-over the Katmandu valley.
• According to reliable sources, the American Embassy, Singha Durbar, Telecommunications Offices and Security barracks are cited on the Maoists list of assets to control.
• It is also rumored that 30 vehicles of the Maoists entered the Katmandu Valley on 2nd and 3rd of September, 2006, with logistics necessary to engineer the takeover.
• Commander of the operation, Nanda Kishore Pun a.k.a. Pasang has surfaced publicly in Kathmandu last week.
• It is also rumored that Pasang has studied “Guests of the Ayatollah” in detail – he intends to use this strategy to overwhelm the American embassy in maharajgunj.
On Humanitarian Relief
• Flood affected people of Banke and Bardiya districts are still looking forward to relief aids from the government.
• Some NGOs, on their own, distributed 1 kg chiura (beaten rice), 100 grams shakkar, and also 1 dozen condom to each of the flood affected individuals.
• Children were observed inflating condoms and blowing them in the air.
On Protests by the Relatives of the Disappeared
• A protest rally in Katmandu is being organized by the families of those allegedly disappeared by the state.
• The demonstration is being mobilized and led by the Maoists. Those, not biased, are asking questions why families of more than 300 people disappeared by Maoists are not organizing a similar rally.
• Last week Maoists abducted and then killed a pregnant woman. People suffering from Maoists atrocities have labeled charges against so-called Human Rights activists as being champions of the Maoists cause.
• The relation between these events – if killing a pregnant woman is not a problem for the Maoists, they will surely not hesitate to kill protesters who demand to know what happened to their kin, in Maoist custody. There is also the memory of what the Maoists did to the leaders of the Maoist Victims Association.
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