Bandh cripples life in Nepal
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Normal life is crippled across the country today when the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) forced a day-long bandh protesting against police action in Dundejhari in Kalali district in far-western Nepal on December 4.

Maoist leaders and cadres affiliated with its sister organisations brought the vehicular movement across the country to a grinding halt by burning tires and closed all industries, market places and academic institutions demanding compensation for Kailali victims and resignation of the Home Minister.

But Home Minister Bhim Rawal asserted that the incident was planned and provoked by the Maoists.

People were lured and prompted by the Maoists, belonging to their students, farmers and labour wing, to capture the forest area, and attack the police.

Rawal, in his first official statement after the incident on December 6, said the use of force had become necessary when all measures opted by the authorities were proved futile to evacuate unauthorised settlers from the forest area.

He charged that the settlers, backed by the Maoists, attacked the police on duty provoking the retaliation in “self-defense”.

At least five persons, including a policeman, were killed, and 74 - 40 from the settlers and rest from the police - wounded. “The settlers were given a crash course by the Maoists about the way to attack the security forces”, he said, adding that “Altogether, 825 police personnel had been deployed there”.

According to Rawal, local Maoist leader Purnaram Dagora had agreed to be part of the all-party initiative to persuade the settlers to vacate the area “failing which the force will be used”. Maoist outfits had even collected Rs 20 each from each of the 15,000 families who had come from seven different districts in west promising that they would get land, Rawal said, a charge that Maoists are yet to refute.

However, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and leader Netra Bikram Chanda “Biplab” said the government action was unjustified, and Rawal must own the responsibility and quit.

Expressing firm commitment to uphold the rule of law, Rawal claimed that the Maoists move to seize private and public properties was blatant attack against the existing legal provision and past pacts and understandings reached between then government and Maoists.

The constituent assembly was adjourned for a day for the first time after the Maoist members chose not to attend it.

Gyanendra leaves for India
Bishnu Budhathoki writes from Kathmandu

Nepal’s former King Gyanendra Shah on Sunday left for New Delhi along with his wife Komal on a two-week private-cum-social visit to India and has plans to go to Mayurbhanj in Orissa. When asked by the mediapersons at the Tribhuvan International Airport about the purpose of his visit to India, Gyanendra, who was dethroned by the Constituent Assembly on May 28, 2008, replied: “The visit is personal and social.”

The Royal family of Mayurbhanj is related to the Nepalis Royal family through marriage. He left Nirmal Niwas in the afternoon amidst tight security arrangement because of general strike called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M) protesting against the police operation at Kailali district in far western Nepal where at least five persons, including a police personal were killed on December 4.

But there are many speculations about this visit, his second after the abolition of the monarchy. However, being seen politically significant as the law and order has almost collapsed, and the success of the peace as well as the constitution writing process are more uncertain, top Maoist leaders including its key ideologue Baburam Bhattarai had accused India of conspiring to re-revive monarchy in Himalayan nation.

According to a source at the Nirmal Niwas, Gyanendra will stay in Delhi for two days and leave for Mayurbhanj. He will be back in Delhi and then go to different parts of Rajasthan.

There are speculations that he would meet top Indian leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi like last year besides some leaders of the opposition, but Nirmal Niwas sources chose not to say anything about it.

Gyanendra had been extended all courtesies due to a visiting former head of the state last year during his visit to Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.

While he travelled on a driving license last year, the former King and Queen have been issued diplomatic passports this time.

Mosque Bombing
We’ll live & die for Pak: Gen Kayani
Tribune News Service

Islamabad, December 6
Describing Pakistan as "bastion of Islam”, Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, on Saturday reaffirmed that the Army would defend, protect and preserve Pakistan at all costs.

"Pakistan is our motherland. It is the bastion of Islam. We live and die for the glory of Islam and Pakistan. Our faith, resolve and pride in our religion and in our country is an asset, which is further reinforced after each terrorist incident," Gen Kayani said, while offering condolences to the bereaved families of officers and jawans of the Pakistan Army killed in the devastating terrorist attack in a mosque in Rawalpindi on Friday.

The nation - including the Army - stands united in sharing their grief, he said. Having met and talked to these families, he praised their exemplary strength of faith at this moment of trial. This intrinsic strength is a true reflection of the will and resilience of the nation, he added.

The COAS concluded by reaffirming his conviction in the will of the nation to fight all odds. He said the Army, with the help of the people of Pakistan, will protect and preserve nation's core values and interests in a dignified and chivalrous manner.

‘US doesn’t know where Osama is’

Washington, December 6
The US has not had good intelligence on whereabouts of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden for years and does not know where the world's most wanted terrorist is hiding, Defence Secretary Robert Gates has said. "Well, we don't know for a fact where Osama bin Laden is. If we did, we'd go get him," Gates told ABC News when asked if Pakistan was doing enough to catch the terrorist mastermind.

His remarks follow reports that bin Laden could be hiding in the Pakistani side of the Pak-Afghan border.

Asked when was the last time the US had any good intelligence on Osama's whereabouts, the Defence Secretary said "I think it's been years." About reports on a Taliban detainee's claim in Pakistan that one of his contacts had met bin Laden in Afghanistan early this year, Gates said he could not confirm this.

The unnamed Taliban detainee had recently claimed in an interview to BBC that his "friend" had met bin Laden and told him that he could arrange a meting for him also.

"The Sheikh (bin Laden) doesn't stay at any one place. That guy (the contact) came from Ghazni, so I think that's where the Sheikh was," the detainee was quoted as saying. — PTI

Ahsan’s suspension revoked
Afzal Khan writes from Islamabad

President Asif Ali Zardari has restored senior PPP leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan’s membership of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).

The decision, taken by the president in his capacity as the Pakistan People’s Party’s co-chairman, was announced by the party’s secretary-general Jehangir Badr through a press release here. It said the party leadership was pleased to restore the CEC membership of Ahsan.

The PPP had served a show-cause notice on the former Interior Minister on February 18 for participating in the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of the judiciary. Later, his membership of CEC was suspended.

NRI brothers jailed for drug smuggling

London, December 6
Two brothers of Indian origin in the East Midlands town of Leicester have been jailed for 25 and 18 years respectively, after being convicted of their roles in a major heroin-smuggling racket.

Babu Natha Sarasia and his brother Bharat Ram Sarasia were jailed at the Nottingham Crown Court for 25 and 18 years, respectively.

They were convicted of being key players in a conspiracy to smuggle the drug from Turkey to UK. In July 2007, they were caught when 18 kg of the drug was found in hollowed-out pallets bound for a backstreet car showroom in Leicester. — PTI