INDIAN HOME MINISTER RAISES ALARM OVER 'INFILTRATION' OVER NEW ROUTES FROM NEPAL

INDIAN HOME MINISTER RAISES ALARM OF ‘INFILTRATION’ FROM NEPAL VIA NEW ROUTES

Kathmandu, 18 April: Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram Monday raised an alarm charging attmpts were being to infiltrate India through new route while
addressing aan annual conference of chief ministers in the Indian capoital.
“Every week has witnessed attempts to infiltrate into India and new routes
appear to have been opened via Nepal and Bangladesh, Pioneer daily
newspaper reports from New Delhi
“I would like to draw the attention of the Center to the need for establishing adequate number of integrated check-posts and special police arrangements to control anyossoble anti-national activities along the 550km long open border with Nepal,.”
Utter Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav who was just elected Utter Pradesh chief minister and is the youngest person to lead a state government said.
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MAOIST LAWMAKER RELEASED ON BAIL

Kathmandu, 18 April: Maoist lawmaker Prem Bahadur Pulami was released on a Rs,2,500 bail Tuesday by by a Rautahat court.
He was arrested after an imposter sat for the kust concluded SLC exainations on his behalf.
No party action has been taken against him.
Parliament has asked the party whip for action after presenting its own investigation to the legislative party on the episode.
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BAIDYA FACTION HOLDS 22 ISTOLS; OTHER DETAILS

Kathmandu, 18 April:: Senior leaders belonging to the Mohan Baidya faction in the UCPN (Maoist) have yet to hand over at least 22 pistols to the arms monitors in the cantonments, according to a source at the Special Committee, Republic reports.

Those failing to hand over pistols include Mohan Baidya and Ram Bahadur Thapa, among others.

When asked why the pistols were not submitted to the cantonments, Dev Gurung, who is close to Baidya, said, “We already submitted the weapons.”

But when Republica mentioned that there are still about two dozen pistols to be submitted to the cantonments, he added, “The authorized agencies might have idea about who have still held the pistols. I don´t know anything about this.”
Meanwhile,.
The Nepal Army has asked the Special Committee to decide on the leadership of the proposed directorate under the Nepal Army and create posts for Maoist combatants who will be recruited there.

Special Committee member Barshaman Pun, who is also the finance minister, said Army Chief Chhatraman Singh Gurung and high-ranking army officers made the request during a meeting of the Special Committee on Tuesday.

The army generals argued that decision on these two issues were required to begin the integration process. However, NC and CPN-UML representatives argued that creation of posts for combatants in the army and the leadership of the directorate should be decided only after the actual number of the combatants joining the army became clear.

"These decisions should be taken after we know the exact numbers," said NC representatives on the committee Ram Sharan Mahat.

Pun Pun said that the government would decide on the posts and the leadership of the directorate very soon.

During the meeting, Acting Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission Kayo Devi Yami was also invited as she will head a committee to select the combatants to join the army. According to Pun the Special Committee told her that combatants convicted of serious human rights violations would be ineligible to join the army and should not be considered.

"But those who have been facing human rights violations allegation will be considered eligible. The prime minister told the meeting that there are allegations against him also," said Pun about the understanding reached in the Special Committee.

He further said that those with minor injuries will also be considered eligible to join the Nepal Army.

Asked whether the low number of the combatants opting voluntary retirement would affect the structure of the directorate, Pun said, "The number has nothing to do with the structure of the directorate."
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MUSLIMS FORM ALLIANCE TO PUSH DEMANDS
Kathmandu, 18 April:: In a bid to exert pressure to ensure constitutional guarantee for Muslim rights and identity, Muslim organisations and the Muslim wings of various political parties have formed a broad alliance named National Muslim Struggle Alliance (NMSA).

The alliance formed on Monday comprises a total of 31 organizations including Rastriya Muslim Mukti Morcha of UCPN (Maoist), Nepal Muslim Sangha of Nepali Congress, Muslim Itehad Sangathan of CPN-UML and Islamic Sangha Nepal.

Leaders associated with the alliance on Tuesday handed over a memorandum to Constituent Assembly (CA) Chairman Subash Chandra Nembang, demanding incorporation of their concerns in the new constitution.

According to Secretary of the newly formed alliance Rahamatullah Miyan, they have demanded that the Muslim community be listed as having a distinct identity and asked for the formation of a constitutional Muslim commission to address their needs.

Similarly, the alliance has demanded restructuring of the state in such a way that it ensures Muslims their identity. They have, likewise, pressed for constitutional provisions that provide guarantees of proportionate representation for Muslims at all levels of the state including in the fields of health, education and security agencies.

It has also demanded a mixed electoral system under the new constitution and equal treatment for the Muslim community based on secularism and affirmative action as with all other groups entitled to such privileges and reservations.

While submitting the memorandum to Nembang, the Muslim leaders warned of ´decisive´ agitations if their concerns are not addressed in the new constitution.

In response, Nembang assured the Muslim leaders that their demands would be addressed in the new constitution.

“I will put forth the concerns raised by you all at the forthcoming meeting of the Constitutional Committee,” Miyan quoted Nembang as saying at the meeting.

According to leaders associated with the alliance, they are planning to picket the district administration offices (CDOs) and call a partial transport strike across the country.
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