UNIDENTIFIED NEPALI STUDENT KILLED IN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE SHOOTING

UNIDENTIFIED NEPALI STUDENT JILLED IN CALIFORNIA COLLEGE SHOOTING

Kathmandu, 4 April: A Nepali student was among those killed Monday in
a shooting incident at a college in Calfornia.
His identity isn’t known as yet.
A Nepali-speaking Indian national was also reportedly killed in the incident, published reports said.
nnnn

MEDIA GOOGLE

“India and Nepal are equal and sovereign states, and in keeping with the spirit of non-intervention in each other’s domestic affairs, India does not have preferred electoral outcomes, preferred ruling arrangements or favourites among political parties,”

(Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad, The Himalayan Times, 4 April)
nnnn

NEW NSU CONTROVERSY IN NC ew

Kathmandu, 4 April: The long-running intra-party dispute that seemingly came to an end after the nomination of the heads of various seven sister organizations some two months ago has resurfaced in the Nepali Congress (NC) following the formation of a 101-member ad hoc committee of Nepal Students´
Union (NSU), KoshRaj Koirala writes in Republica..

The growing rift between the establishment faction and rival faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba over the formation of the committee was manifested after 28 members of the committee close to Deuba tendered their resignations en masse and took to the streets demanding immediate dissolution of the committee.

Nearly two dozen students were seriously injured in clash with the police when the latter tried to stop agitating students from padlocking the NSU central office, Putali Sadak on March 30.

"We had expected that everything would be resolved through consensus. The decision of the party establishment faction to form the committee in violation of the understanding to form a 61-member committee has dashed our hopes," said a senior leader close to the Deuba faction, asking to be unnamed. "The latest move has only revived the rift in the party.”

Party insiders said a three-member committee comprising General Secretary Prakash Man Singh and CWC member Bal Bahadur KC from establishment faction and Surendra Pandey from Deuba faction had agreed to form a 61-member ad hoc committee with the mandate of holding NSU general convention within six months of its formation.

Accordingly, the two factions had agreed to include 33 members, including the party president, from the establishment faction and 28 members from the Deuba faction in the commitee.

Differences surfaced after the establishment faction "unilaterally" announced the 101-member ad hoc committee. "The [Deuba faction´s] contension is over their low representation in the ad hoc committee. It would be difficult to hold a general convention if we fight for majority representation,” said the newly-nominated NSU President Ranjeet Karn.

In a milestone achievement, Koirala and Deuba in early February had nominated chiefs of Nepal Student Union, Nepal Women´s Association and Nepal Tarun Dal, Aadibasi Janajati Sangh, Nepal Democratic Fighters Association, Nepal Farmers Association and Rastriya Magar Sangh through consensus. Karna was nominated NSU head by the establishment faction.



Amid protests from the students close to Deuba faction, party President Sushil Koirala a few days ago has entrusted party Vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel and general secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula to settle the disputes.

“The NSU central committee was dissolved on the grounds of being too large. But there is no point in accepting another equally big committee,” argued Jit Jung Basnet, who was the general secretary in the NSU central committee formed after the unification of NC and NC (D) in 2008.

The number of NSU central committee members after the unification was 110. Later, 22 additional members were inducted into the committee.

Basnet, who received four stitches on his head for injury during police action, argued that the 101-member cannot hold general convention. "The committee should be dissolved right away and a new small committee that is inclusive of all groups and geographical locations should be formed with a mandate of holding NSU general convention," he added.

Among other things, the NSU ad hoc committee has also been criticized for not being inclusive.
nnnn



________________________________________

NC, UML parting ways NC, UML PARTING WAYS ON PEACE?
Kathmandu, 4 April: The main opposition parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML-- held common positions on the issues of the peace process for the past five years, but their presentations at the recent Special Committee meetings indicate that they are prepared to tread separate paths, Kiiran Chapagain writes in Republica.

In recent negotiations at the Special Committee over the peace process, CPN-UML representatives on the committee Ishwor Pokharel and Bhim Rawal presented an uncompromising position on the contentious issues of integration, while the NC representatives either remained conspicuously silent or presented a "compromising" stance on the issues raised by CPN-UML representatives.

"No, we are together. Even during Tuesday´s meeting, we were together in our stances," said Rawal, "But the prime minister´s office is trying to project us in public as holding different positions."

A statement from the personal secretariat of Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, the coordinator of the Special Committee, on Tuesday accused CPN-UML leaders of trying to thwart an agreement on the integration plan, a move indicating that the NC and CPN-UML are not together on peace process issues. The statement was in reply to a public allegation by the CPN-UML representatives that the prime minister was trying to backtrack on the understanding reached among the parties Friday to press on with the peace process.

Even during the negotiations on Tuesday night, CPN-UML representative Rawal came out aggressively, pressing the Maoists that each issue of integration should be determined in line with the seven-point agreement, according to Bashaman Pun, finance minister and Maoist representative on the committee. Pokharel and Rawal were also uncompromising at Sunday´s meeting of the Special Committee. Their position prompted a bitter debate between Rawal and another Special Committee member, Jitendra Dev. But NC representatives were either silent or softer over the positions taken by Pokharel and Rawal even at that meeting.

"It seems the NC has taken the present situation very seriously and is prepared for compromise. The NC representatives are presenting themselves at the meeting with creative thinking," said Dev about the NC and CPN-UML position on the peace process in recent meetings. "But CPN-UML leaders have not given up their uncompromising mindset."

NC representative Rijal, however, said they have not compromised on the seven-point agreement signed among major political parties last November. He did not comment on whether the NC has stopped sharing a common position with CPN-UML.

"We have not changed our position though our presentation style in the meetings has changed. We cannot deviate from the seven-point agreement," said Rijal, when asked whether the NC has stopped walking hand-in-hand with the CPN-UML on peace process issues.

An influential leader said NC is aware of the allegation and counter-allegation between the prime minister and CPN-UML representatives.

"Our assessment of the present situation is that the prime minister is trying to create division between the NC and the CPN-UML on our common position. We are mindful of that and will continue to be with the CPN-UML on peace process issues," said the NC leader on condition of anonymity.

Leaders waste a precious day

As the top leaders of the main political parties remained busy in progams of their parties, and bad weather prevented them from returning to Kathmandu on Tuesday, they could not discuss contentious issues of integration

The leaders were supposed to meet informally Tuesday evening to discuss the outstanding issues of the integration, but they could not, leading Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to defer a meeting of the Special Committee secheduled for Wednesday morning to evening.

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal flew to Rolpa to take part in a program of his party. As the weather played spoilsport, he could not return to the capital on time. He returned only in the late eveing.

Similarly, Nepali Congress leader Sushil Koirala and Madhav Kumar Nepal also remained out of the capital to take part in programs of their respective parties. Koirala was in Dhanusha while Nepal was in Nepalgunj.They could not come back to Kathmandu as the bad weather effected their flights.

"The leaders are coming to Kathmandu in the morning only. They will meet before the Special Committee meeting rescheduled for Wednesday evening," said an informed source.
Nnnn




LPG, DIESEL SUBSIDIES THROUGH MINISTRIES
Kathmandu, 4 Arpil: The government has almost finalised the modality of providing cooking gas and diesel at subsidised rates to college students and farmers,
Respectively, Shiromani Dhungana writes in The Hmalayan Ttimes..

Students and farmers will get the subsidy through Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, respectively, according to a source at the National Planning Commission.

The government will provide cooking gas at subsidised rates to students through concerned educational institutions where they are studying, an official at the commission told The Himalayan Times. “Students will have to pay full price of cooking gas to dealers at the time of buying but will get 33 per cent rebate from concerned Plus Two colleges and campuses.”

The Ministry of Finance will release the subsidy amount

to concerned colleges

and campuses through Ministry of Education.

The finance ministry will provide 33 per cent subsidy to farmers on diesel through Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. “A farmer will receive 150 litres of diesel at subsidised rate every year,” he added. The government had formed a committee led by National Planning Commission member Janak Shah to prepare the modality of relief package to the students and farmers.

However, the amount to be released and number of students and farmers who receive the subsidy will be calculated by concerned implementing agencies, according to a committee member.

An earlier study carried out by Ministry of Commerce and Supplies had estimated that subsidy on cooking gas and diesel would cost the state at least Rs 4 billion every year.
Nnnn
MAOIST DISSIDENTS HIT OUT AT PARTY ESTABLISHMENT
Kathmandu, 4 April: UCPN-Maoist leaders swearing allegiance to the Mohan Baidhya camp today accused that leaders of their rival group, including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice-Chairman Baburam Bhattarai of leading an elite class
within the party, The Himalayan Times reports.Ma.

Issuing a statement today, senior Vice-Chairman Mohan Baidhya and General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa claimed that the Dahal-Bhattarai faction has ‘changed colour’.

“We have enough instances in the world to show how a revolutionary communist party gradually changes its colour with the rise of the elite class, and Nepal cannot be an exception. So, the revisionists and opportunists are the one who will split the parties, not the revolutionaries,” stated the release.

Recalling that the party’s last Central Committee meeting discussed two separate proposals put forth by Dahal and Baidhya, the leaders said the committee had decided to take both the documents to the lower levels of the party for further discussion.

The two leaders lashed out at Dahal for ignoring the central body’s decisions and failing to take the initiative to resolve the existing ‘two-line’ struggle within the party. The committee’s decision to take an initiative for the formation of a national unity government to replace the present majority government means nothing other than the prime minister’s resignation, they said.

The chairman has been raising issues related to the differences and division within the party vocally, and trying to intimidate those with differing views, the release further states.

“In the latest Central Committee meeting, it was pointed out that the people have the right to revolt if the people’s federal republican constitution could not be drafted and the peace process could not be concluded through dignified integration of the PLAs,” the statement said.

However, this proposal stresses on peace and constitution-making only by ignoring the potential threat from the reactionaries against the peace process, army integration and new constitution, they said.

“Party comrades who have raised concerns about this, however, have been tagged as being against peace and constitution,” they said, claiming that the proposal, is against the revolutionary Marxist line instead.

In the 11-point statement, they said there is no alternative to a struggle as the revolutionary principles are saved, practiced, and developed through it.

Pointing out the need for attempts to keep the party united, they said the issues related to the communist ideology, new people-oriented revolution, struggle against correctionism and parliamentarianism, and two-line struggle within the party.

Meanwhile, pro-Dahal politburo member Haribol Gajurel said if the internal party struggle affects peace and constitution processes the party will be the one to suffer. Addressing an interaction in the Capital Gajurel said the ‘radical’ faction has begun a signature campaign for peace and constitution, which was positive. “We will soon know who are against peace and constitution,” he said.
nnnn