Reporters Club Event: A group of students associated with the Nepal Student Union (NSU), a student wing of the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC) has drawn serious attention toward its parent party’s attempt to form a central ad hoc committee by breaching the union’s statute.

The agitating students have accused the NC of trying to appoint overaged members in the NSU central ad hoc committee which, according to them, seriously violates the provision in the NSU statue that prohibits nominating a member exceeding the age of 32 in the committee.

Organizing a press conference at the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Wednesday, Nawaraj Tripathi, a member of the union said, “It is wrong to try to appoint a person above the age of 50 in the NSU ad hoc committee leadership.

“It is our demand that the party nominates members in the committee as provisioned in the NSU statue,” he added.

“On what moral ground will the committee formed by breaching the statute will distribute general membership,” he questioned.

A press release issued by the dissatisfied students states: “As per the constitution formulated by directive committee formed by the NC to conduct the 11th convention of the NSU, directive issued by the central committee to conduct the district convention in all 77 districts and NSU statute 2027 seventh amendment 2075 Part II Article 5 (5) which restricts a person aged above 32 to become a member of the NSU, district conventions in 16 districts and lower level convention in 40 districts have concluded; and in the context when 21 districts are preparing to hold convention, we conclude the NC leadership’s attempt to appoint an overaged person to the committee by violating the NSU statute is an insult of the democratic practice.”

NSU Tribhuvan University Committee Secretary Yogendra Rawal said the attempt to convert the NSU into Nepal Elders’ Union is not acceptable to them.

“It is an insult to energetic students,” he said.

The dissatisfied students have also warned of a plausible strike in front of the NC Central Office, Sanepa if the ad hoc committee is not formed as per the NSU statute.

Reporters Club: Dhading Galcchi Ward no 4 resident Amar Pariyar has alleged that due to the gross negligence of the Director Dr. Jogeshwor Gautam, at the Thapathali based maternity hospital he has lost his son. Not only that, but he also alleged that his wife’s health has been permanently damaged.

Speaking at a press conference organized at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu, Amar said that “due to negligence of the maternity hospital staff and the Director Dr. Gautam, he has lost his son. We had constantly been in touch during the time of pregnancy and with their advice, we had proceeded accordingly and had regular checkups”.

Amar further said “even when the doctors there called us thrice a week, we were always there at the hospital. It was in their set date that we went to the hospital for delivery and during the initial tests both the Mother and baby were doing fine, this was also further stated by a foreign doctor present in the hospital and the reports were normal with no complications detected”.

When Amar’s wife was admitted for delivery on September 6th the staffs were irresponsible in their conduct alleges Amar. “I saw my wife’s health was deteriorating, and I called the nurses, but they were adamant and instead of calling the senior doctors, they began arguing with me”.

Recalling that day Amar stated ” My wife was losing a lot of blood, I had informed the nurses and the attendants regarding the same and requested them to call the doctor immediately, but instead of heeding to my advice they started an argument saying ‘ we know how to handle these cases better than you do’, the following morning I had informed the doctor as well but the person did not pay much attention to the situation.

My wife was taken to the neonatal ward much later, and the Doctor began the procedure, I was finally relieved but in less than a half-hour, the Doctor called me again and informed me that my child did not have a heartbeat and they would wait and try for normal delivery. The doctor called me again this time informing me that my baby had died and needed to be surgically removed, it felt as though my life had collapsed.

After the death of my baby, the Doctor further said that my wife’s kidney had failed, and she was kept in the hospital for two days. At the hospital’s referral I took my wife to Singamangal based Kathmandu Medical College, my wife’s situation is extremely critical. Both her kidneys have stopped functioning”. Amar said that since the maternity hospital was old, he felt it was trustworthy, and that is the reason he took his wife there for treatment. But due to gross negligence of the hospital, he lost his son, and now his wife is in an extremely critical condition.

He also says that it was the hospital’s fault for his wife’s renal condition, and he has asked to be duly compensated. He has already spent over 400,000 Nepalese rupees, and he is not financially strong. He has also requested the authorities to have an investigation into this matter and initiate action against the hospital staff and the Director for which he has lost his son, and made his wife critical.

Reporters Club: Chairman and several senior members of the Village Development Committee of Bishnu, Sarlahi has come to the Capital in order to have their grievance addressed.

The team is frustrated and overwhelmed by the working style of its President Jawaharlal Yadav, and the latter has left no stone unturned to make the situation drastically miserable. With all hopes lost for the cause, the team held a special press conference at the Reporters Club today demanding that thorough investigation be held against the many acts of administrative corruption and financial irregularities including defalcating central government authorized funds.

Speaking at the program Ram Pravesh Sah stated that “the President does not listen. He has taken absolute autocratic control and is arbitrarily discharging his duties. Just before elections he didn’t possess a cycle, and now he has bought himself a luxury car, he also threatens anyone with dire consequences if they do not comply with his directions. The entire village is suffering due to his callous nature and his attitude of indifference”.

Similarly, several other VDC Chairmen’s have expressed their dissatisfaction of the working style and method of the President, also present on the occasion were Shyam Babu Raya, Govinda Mahoto, Ram Singhasan Raya and Arvind Kumar Singh representing their various wards.

The team has expressed grave disappointment and dissatisfaction over being ignored in administrative affairs, and that no committee meeting was held over the past year. The funds allocated for the purpose of development and for the victims of the recent massive floods were spent in procuring luxury cars, solar panels, and other unnecessary expenses.

The President is also being accused of misusing funds according to his own whims and fancies while making random decisions regarding transfer and appointment of government staff. The team has demanded a thorough investigation and an inquiry into the spending of funds allocated for the area and the charges of corruption that the President is involved in. They have also vowed to protest, and meet senior government officials including the Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration Lal Babu Pandit.

The working method of the current President is said to push the area into a state of chaotic under development in the field of health, education, and infrastructure. They have also requested all concerned authorities of Province 2 to look into the matter of massive irregularities and administrative failure.

Reporters Club: The family of late Kumar Poudel, who was killed in Lalbandi 1 of Sarlahi district, have remorsefully requested the media and the civil society to be aware of the injustice toward them by the current government. Speaking at a special press conference organized at the Reporters Club, Hari Krishna Paudel stated that his late brother was not a criminal and neither had he committed any offenses. “He was the most helpful and understanding of all, and he always cared for the people. He was protesting against the corruption of the government that was involved in acquiring land through mafias and involved over 200 million Nepalese rupees being embezzled”.

There was no reason that he would be involved in an encounter with the police. These are baseless lies without any evidence. They killed my brother in captivity and tortured him”. Hari Paudel also stated that those involved in his brother’s organized murder were Bharat Kumar Thapa Mayor of Bagmati, Dilli Upreti Member of State Legislative Assembly, Sagar Nath from the forest development department, and Dacharam Wagle.

(Hari Krishna Poudel brother of late Kumar Poudel)

He also stated that the administration and the authorities were hand in glove which involved both the IGP Sarbendra Khanal, as well as the Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa aka Badal and that the entire incident was premeditated in order to kill his brother as their prime objective.

The family was not only denied of any post mortem reports neither was the body handed over to them on time. Poudel stated that “they kept the body for three days, and it was decayed and unrecognizable, his teeth and hands were broken, and there were visible signs that he could have been tortured while in custody”.

This view, however, goes against the official reports that late Kumar Poudel who was a member of Netra Bikram Chand’s (Biplav) Communist Party of Nepal prohibited by the current government was killed in an encounter after he fired at the police.

The brother of late Kumar Poudel at the press conference stated that “the family was desperately looking for justice which has been denied to them. He has requested the media to take the entire incident into account which has many loopholes that bring the notion that his brother was killed in captivity after being atrociously tortured”.

Speaking at the same program was the widow of late Kumar Poudel who pleaded for justice for her late husband, ” I have been going door to door for the sake of justice for my husband, although the government says it was an encounter that is not the truth, please give me justice” she said.

( Kala Poudel widow of late Kumar Poudel) 

The mother of late Kumar Poudel, 70-year-old Durga Devi Poudel sobbed continuously while speaking about her son. “There were 12-13 thousand people who attended by sons funeral if he was a criminal why would these people turn up? The entire administrations along with the justice system have collectively colluded in order to kill my son for the person he was.

They have taken huge amounts of money in order for this to happen. When I saw my son’s body it was beyond recognition, his teeth and hands were broken, and his body was riddled with bullets. Now we are forced to organize this press conference as no one is listening to us, and our path to justice is unclear” she said. She also questioned that “is the law only for common people like us, does the government get to go scot-free for whatever they do? They must be held accountable for their actions”.

(Mother of late Kumar Poudel, Durga Devi Poudel) 

With sadness and a  pent-up emotion Durga goes on to state “If I do not get justice, I will commit suicide in front of the Human Rights Commission, at this day and age even if we kill animals on the street we are asked to pay fines and penalized, what about the value of human life? She spoke about how helpless her family was given the conditions and not that they are financially well off. I am old, and I cannot go from pillar to post looking for justice, I request all media personnel to take this cause as this state has killed my son”.

On the occasion, senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi said that “if we are living in a society that is civilized following the principles of democracy then for incidents such as this the government should be held accountable for. This government is terrorizing its citizens without following the due process of law, and since there is no provision of a death penalty in this country even via the Supreme Court, the police do not have the right to take anybody’s life like this”, he said.

(Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi)

“The body of late Kumar Poudel had enough evidence that he was brutally tortured in police custody and later murdered which was framed as an encounter, this is against all norms of a civilized society, there should be a thorough investigation regarding this matter. There should be zero tolerance regarding such cases, even our neighboring India passed a landmark judgment to prove extrajudicial killings, we should be doing the same”.

Advocate Tripathi also spoke on the various aspects of the constitution and its implementation which was completely in opposition regarding this case, and he remarked that even during the times of serious emergency the right to life always exists. The perpetrators of this heinous crime cannot go unpunished, we are slowly destroying our constitution”.

Human Rights Activist and Chair -Joint Forum for Human rights of Accountability Watch Committee Charan Prasai spoke about the violation of individual right, and in light of this making the government answerable for their actions. “The government has not been responsible and has gone beyond its democratic principles and the constitution. The victims, in this case, have been denied a fair investigation, while there are many questions that can be raised in this particular incident”.

(Human Rights Activist and Chair -Joint Forum for Human rights of Accountability Watch Committee Charan Prasai)

He also said that it is a gross violation of human rights and those very provisions that are enlisted in the constitution to which the government is caretaker too. There have been several incidents such as these, up to 12 such individual cases where the investigations have not been conclusive and the perpetrators still at large.

Activist Prasai said that this was a security issue, and it may befall on anyone. “We cannot get distracted in cases like these which are of significance. We need to be serious and cannot let these incidents continue”. He also said that it was unfortunate that the victim’s family were not treated well when they first approached the Human Rights Commission seeking justice. There is an urgent need for justice for the victim’s family, and we need to get the truth out without holding any preexisting prejudice”.

The family hopes to get justice and will be going from pillar to post explaining their plight and hoping that there will be people within the system in support for them sharing their sentiment. The family feels they have been denied justice by the system which is working closely with one another against them, and it is the government that is responsible for taking their kin’s life.

Reporters Club: World Hindu Youth Union’s International Committee along with the World Hindu Federation Committee for the valley has strenuously opposed the current group that disallowed sacred Hindu rituals known as the “Shraddh” in memory of their loved ones and ancestors, in Kagbeni of Mustang district.

Organizing an urgent press conference at the Reporters Club the members demanded that the rituals should be allowed to take place as per the Hindu customs with immediate effect, and if further interruptions continue in their way of life, they will take to the streets in full-fledged protest to save their culture, and religious practice.

They warned that they will not take this matter lightly and will further their campaign in the coming days.

Shraddh is a Sanskrit word, taken for an act that is done in the form of a ritual in the memory and remembrance of a loved one, and ancestor. People perform this ritual as a memory yearly in order for their loved ones to have a peaceful afterlife. It has a lot of emotion attached to the entire process.

According to the press release it stated that when the religious head Jagatguru Ananta Shri Bhibhusit Balsanta Mohansharan Devacharya Maharajshri went to Kagbeni to conduct the ritual of Shraddha along with his devotees and followers, a certain group demeaned the entire process by resorting to violent acts of hooliganism. They are extremely upset over what has transpired because this tradition and practice has an age-old history. They requested the media to look into the matter with seriousness.

Kagbeni is a historic Hindu place with a rich culture and tradition, but there are a certain few with a destructive mentality blatantly attacking the cultural sentiments of the Hindu way of life, said the statement.  The press release also requested the government to take strong action against the people who were involved in trying to stop the religious-cultural tradition taking place.

KATHMANDU, Sept 15: The Eternal Vedic Hindu Kingdom Re-establishment Campaign committee along with the Shiv Sena Party Nepal organized a press conference where many leaders spoke on the current state of affairs in the lives of Nepalese who were facing the oppression of the current government. According to the press release statement of the Eternal Vedic Hindu Kingdom Re-establishment campaign, 10 members were arrested during the celebrations of the Indra Jatra festival and were roughed up by Nepal Police while in custody.

Through the press conference, the leaders warned the current government to release them immediately without any preconditions. Speaking at the program the leaders of the party and the campaign spoke about the current image of the country which is rapidly declining due to the Republic. Leaders Anil Kumar Yogi, Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai, Asmita Bhandari, Shekhar Jung Rayamajhi, Nagendra Deuja, Bikram Bahadur Bom, and Dr. K.B.Roka were present on the occasion. The team was of the opinion that the government was getting barbaric by the day, and unleashing its terror among citizens which were entirely uncalled for and against the spirit of democracy. There was no self-respect for the leadership and that the masses were highly dissatisfied with the government’s current performance.

They spoke against the wrongful detention of their workers while they were peacefully protesting the actions of the President taking part in the activities as was the customary norm of the former King. The leaders were of the opinion that if the President’s republic is secular, then there is no reason for the President to be participating in religious festivities. It is a mere act, while they accused the leaders of promoting western agenda alluding to “holy wine” that the leadership was intoxicated in while the masses suffered.

The press conference highlighted that 91% of the population are Hindu’s and there will come a time when they will unite to bring back Nepal as a Hindu state along with a ceremonial Monarch. Showing the black flag to the President as a sign of protest is a democratic right, and every individual has the right to protest in a democratic country. The leaders said that their workers who were arrested were treated as criminals which were a gross human right violation.

The leaders said that the current government was working against national interest, and were mere puppets to foreign aid and donations. The nation has lost self-respect and the only alternative to bring back the image of a culturally sound nation along with dignity would be to restore Nepal as a Hindu nation and reinstate Monarchy said the leaders in the press conference. The leaders are serious and want their workers to be released immediately.

Reporters Club: Keeping in mind the vision of visit Nepal 2020, the national union for singers of Nepal will organize a grand cultural festival in South Korea.

The festival will be organized from 15-16, and this was made public through a press conference organized at the Reporters Club on Wednesday.

This festival will target people for the vision of Visit Nepal 2020 and will include programs and cultural sharing of both the countries. The union president Rajendra Kumar Karki, Vice-President Amrit Khati, and senior Vice-President Namraj Dhungana were all present at the press conference. They expressed their satisfaction over the cultural event that is taking place in Korea, and also hoped that visit Nepal 2020 will be a success.

Various other artists and union members were present on the occasion; Bikram Jung Shah, Ghamesh Dulal, Yam Baral, Shyam Dhital, Hemraj Subedi, and Suleiman Shankar were present on the occasion wishing for the success of the festival. This has been viral on social media too with various opinions coming from individuals regarding the cultural sharing festival.

In this conference, the actors also stated that they will be traveling with their personal expense rather than being funded by any external source and neither are they putting a burden on the government coffers.

With over a dozen artists present at the Reporters Club, they expressed their faith in the success of Visit Nepal 2020 and were willing to work tremendously to further spread the news to make it successful. It is a responsibility they have taken as artists and citizens. There will be prominent Korean actors too that will take part in this festival as said in the press conference. They have also requested the Nepalese diaspora residing in South Korea to make this event a grand success.

Reporters Club: Several student leaders of the student wing of the Nepali Congress Party came together for a press conference admonishing the current leadership for its inactiveness and silence over major issues plaguing the country.

Speaking at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu yesterday while the Nepali Congress began its second phase of its National Awareness Campaign, the student wing leaders were of a strong opinion that the Congress Party which has a grand old history of sacrifice and awakening mass political consciousness has not been active enough fulfilling its oppositional responsibilities.

Several student leaders had similar opinions regarding the current state of affairs of the Nepali Congress. Speaking at the press conference while terming it as an “ultimate warning to the leadership” , Motilal Bhandari said ” The Nepali Congress has played a major role in every historic political change, be it the overthrow of the Rana regime or overthrowing absolute Monarchy. However, this people’s party has distanced itself from the general masses and has been involved in an internal political struggle which goes directly against the aims and aspirations of the people”.

Similarly, student leader Premika Rana Magar said that it was essential for the awareness campaign to stretch from Mechi to Mahakali, even so, this is becoming farcical because the Nepali Congress has not been able to duly oppose and play an active role inside the parliament. It has not been able to speak on current issues of contention, violence against women, acid attacks, and increasing crime.

Student leader Shiva Rimal requested the Congress leadership through the press conference to be aware of what is happening, while the internal institutions within the Congress were in a state of coma. “We will hold you accountable, and if our request falls on deaf ears then we will unite and even go towards the extent of protesting outside your houses,” he said.

Mahesh Nepal speaking at the program said that “today is also the birth anniversary of our founder B.P.Koirala, still I do not think he would be happy to see the current state of affairs that is plaguing the party. Congress has to voice out from the streets to the parliament, but its strategy is dysfunctional.

Other student leaders Lila Balav Dahal and Likhinendra Shrestha spoke about partisan and factional politics within the party. Dahal said “Congress is moving forward illogically, and its internal politics is marred by factionalism, it is crippling its internal organizations and cannot move forward in this manner. Likhinendra said that “the country is rapidly sinking, the current government is like a termite slowly pushing us to the path of ruins, increasing taxes, rising prices, and massive corruption has substantiated on a daily basis. What is Congress doing? There is very little opposition to what is happening in the country”.

Speaking at the program were various other leaders from the Nepali Congress student wing, Kesh Kanta Ghimire, Sushil Timilsina, and Shiva Rimal spoke on the weak opposition that Congress has provided while in parliament and the utter ineffectiveness of the current government which has a 2/3rd majority.

(Kshitiz Bhandari)

Finally speaking at the program leader Kshitiz Bhandari said that while the current government was being fascist in nature, there is a need to send out a clear message and specification for actions from our party President for his silence on the matter. He spoke about the current nature of factional politics within the party, and that Congress which is supposed to be formed on the basis of the principles of democracy has been working on destroying its own internal organs and student union in an undemocratic manner. Bhandari said, ” even after multiple scams from the current government, failure of justice in Nirmala case, airplane procurement scam, the party leadership has not done much sitting in the opposition, and this is a final warning, that they need to perform their duties or leave”.

The Nepali Congress through its second awareness campaign has started raising issues that are pertinent to the current scenario of the country and their aim is to reach out to the masses in order to awaken them and create consciousness of what has been happening in the country. The aim of this press conference was a final attempt to raise a pertinent question to the Nepali Congress leadership regarding the undemocratic working structure and wholesale dismantling of its internal units and party structures.

KATHMANDU Sept 10: Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Thamamaya Thapa Magar spoke on the issue of rights regarding elderly citizens and women at a special interaction program in the Reporters Club. Minister Thapa said that the government was serious in implementing laws that would enable senior citizens to get more benefits and secure their rights. The Cabinet decision made for an awareness campaign regarding violence against women was also a historic decision and it will be implemented in all the even federal states of Nepal. Special legal recourse for women who have faced violence is an important step taken by the current government and these programs are meant to create awareness among the masses.

The Minister added that “we need to change the mindset of the people in order to curb incidents of violence against women. She said that it was important for the general public to participate and act as an aid in order to stop such criminal activities. “We need a just society where serious implementation as envisaged in the constitution was necessary to curb multiple incidents that have threatened the peace and lives of women in the society”.

(Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Thamamaya Thapa Magar) 

Minister Thapa also outlined that although there were laws being framed within the state levels its implementation is taking time. One of the prime reasons indicated for such incidents was the active prevalence and use of social media where people are interacting on a daily basis, and women were being targeted, lured with attractive salaries and perks and are being trafficked to various parts of the world. The use of social media has been increasing this crime, and it was also necessary for the press to disseminate timely information on this matter.

She said that “although data suggests there is an increasing trend, the government is serious and concerned regarding such incidents and it will take active measures in order to curb such criminal activity. The Minister also added that it was essential to provide jobs, economically viable opportunities that would make women self-reliant rather than dependent in the society so that there is a control over seeking attractive dubious offers that are being made.

The government has been working in all the levels right to the local, in order to create awareness and the dangers of human trafficking and other illicit activities. Due to rapid urbanization problems have been increasing said the Minister, and in order to put a stop to it, the citizens have to be aware and involved. When asked by journalist Rishi Dhamala, presiding over the interaction program on why isn’t the death penalty given, and why is this not incorporated into law the Minister replied by saying ” It is not an active solution, we need to prevent the crime for happening in the first place rather than meting out harshest punishments which are not listed in the constitution. The women first need to feel safe to go about their daily activities and the death penalty is not an immediate solution.

Reporters Club Nepal: Our Respect project, along with its partners and donors were together en mass to successfully conclude the fourth National Conference of the Survivors of Human Trafficking in Kathmandu. In its conclusion, they derived a 22 point memorandum for the government to seriously implement in order to eradicate human trafficking and at the same time provide relief and necessary support for the victims.  Speaking at a program in the Reporters Club through a press conference survivors from all 7 provinces gathered and participated in order to voice concerns over continuing human trafficking in the country.

The committee which includes a 17 member panel representing all the seven provinces of the country will now be proactively supporting the survivors of human trafficking along with working closely with the Nepal government for the eradication of such a societal menace. The gathering that had concluded in Staff College Lalitpur has further come out with a 22 point memorandum. Ms. Charimaya Tamang the head and a notable anti-human trafficking activist will be heading the committee and overseeing the functioning and work throughout the country. The Executive Committee that consists of 17 members will be spread across the seven federal states working closely with government institutions and as well as providing for a safe passage for survivors of human trafficking.

(Charimaya Tamang) 

Speaking at a program in the reporters club Tamang said “It is a beginning and a first of its kind committee to be established in the country. It has involved people through the seven provinces and we hope that it will reach to the grass-root level which will be an aid to the government in order to tackle the criminality of trafficking and as well as providing relief and repatriation to the survivors. While there were problems in the past related to advocacy our committee will directly deal with individuals to provide safe passage and ensure their rights enabling the process to be hassle-free”. The committee is said to be working in all the levels of the government including local bodies.

The fourth national gathering has given more importance to women and children of trafficked survivors and they hope to provide relief to all the victims that seek help from their organization. In the 22 point memorandum, it has enlisted various measures the government can take by enacting laws which will make it difficult for people to indulge in such ruthless activities and help in its eradication. The memorandum also takes about several ways where the victims can be provided with timely aid and relief in order to bring them back into the mainstream and ensure that they are both physically and mentally fit. It also brings in the issue of legal recourse they can take and necessary support.

According to the press release signed by the Chairman Chari Maya Tamang, it was the country’s first-ever national network of human trafficking survivors. Survivors from seven provinces attended the event, to commemorate the first time in Nepal’s history. This new beginning was announced in the fourth National Conference of the Survivors of Human Trafficking. This national network will closely work with the government of Nepal to address the issues related to protecting the human rights of survivors, women, and children.

This event was organized by Our Respect Project and received generous donations from USAID and the UKAID. The Freedom Fund, and Free a girl child Hope also contributed to its success.