Gobardhan puja observed

Kathmandu, 29: Gobardhan puja was observed Wednesday ahead of bhai tika in remembrance of Lord Krishna Thursday.
The cow, ox and calf is worshiped.
Newar community observed Wednesday at their New Year 1129 with the Maoist-led government giving the calendar national recognition for the first time this year.
The traditional noisy motorcycle rally was brought out in the capital.
The community observes Mha puja or the worship of the self in the evening.
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Bloodiest tarai group sets four conditions for talks

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: The most violent rebel group in the tarai set four pre-conditions to sit down for talks with government, including police withdrawal from villages, to resolve separatist demands.
The withdrawal will give rebels freedom to move around the rural to conduct what government calls criminal activities including extortion.
The pre-conditions were set by the Jwala Singh of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM).
Other demands include release of arrested activists, withdrawal of what has been described as false charges and security for talks.
Government says it has established links with at least nine of more than two dozen groups to initiate the dialogue.
“All conditions have to be met if government is serious for a dialogue,” Jwala Singh told The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post.
Home Minister Bamdeb Gautam said nabbing rebels was proving difficult as separatists operate from across the border like Maoists before April 2005.
Singh criticizes elected political parties in the CA from the south.
He called the parties ‘saboteurs’ and charged they ‘compromised with the pahadis’.
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More details of govt special committee for integration

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Main opposition Nepali Congress has opposed the government special five-member committee appointed by the cabinet’s political committee Tuesday for the integration of Nepal Army (NA) and Maoist PLA in the next six months.
The committee formation was discussed Tuesday by Prime Minister Prachanda and UNMIN Chief Ian Martin.
Vice-President Ram Chandra Paudel said his party won’t join the committee without equal representation with Maoists and even rejected the terms of reference for the committee set by government.
Congress is demanding two seats in the committee on par with Maoists.
But Prachanda said government was ‘very flexible’ in the committee which is being chaired by CPN-UML and not CPN (Maoist).
The previous committee under the Koirala was headed by Paudel who was peace minister and had Congress Home Minister Krishna Prasad Shitaula as member.
Maoists were represented only by one candidate in that committee.
Congress has adopted a hardened stance against the Maoist government charging it of attempts to derail democracy.
Party Party Girija Prasad Koirala even rejected the word ‘integration’ and said Maoist combatants should be ’managed’ outside the NA.
Paudel said Congress objections to the committee formation have been conveyed telephonically to the prime minister, CPN-UML General Secretary Jhalanath Khanal and MJF Chairman Upendra Yadav from Koirala’s residence Tuesday.
The government committee was discussed at the Congress president’s house.
Government has empowered the committee to form its own terms of reference.
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Two injured in Bara bomb blasts

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Three persons, including a child, were injured Wednesday in an abandoned bomb blast at Sirsiya, Bara.
Tow of the three injured are serious.
Sporadic violence continues in the tarai despite a cease-fire declared by most rebel groups during the festive season..
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Bhutan’s King Jigme remains last dictator in South Asia

Kathmandu, 29 Oct: Bhutan’s King Jigme Singhe Wangchuk is last dictator who continues to rule in South Asia.
Nearly 106,000 Hindu Bhutanese of refugees of Nepalese ethnicity live in UNHCR administered camps for more than 17 years after forcible eviction in an ethnic cleaning policy tolerated by the international community.
Some refugees are being re-settled in the west, including USA.
The other dictator Mohammad Gayoom of toppled by a rival candidate in a presidential runoff election whose result trickle into the Nepalese capital Wednesday morning.
Gayoom was familiar to the Nepalese scene.
He attended all three SAARC summits in the Nepalese capital.
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