Kathmandu, February 15, 2007

Police personnel today found personal security guards of the legislators of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPNM) carrying weapons while entering the Singha Durbar.

Parliamentarians — Lokendra Bista and Dev Gurung —were on their way to attend the session of the legislative parliament when their guards were caught with Chinese pistols at the eastern and southern gates in a routine security check.

Although the cops seized the weapons for a while, they handed the arms back to the duo before their release. “They were released as per orders from above,” a police source told The Himalayan Times. A legislator of Nepali Congress (NC) confirmed that he and his colleague witnessed the incident at the eastern gate when Bista’s guard “Agni” was arrested and released. “Bista’s guard, who calls himself Agni, has a Chinese pistol, what shall I do?” the security guard at the eastern gate had asked his senior officer on the radio-set at around 10:30 am, according to the NC parliamentarian. Bista, who is from Rukum district, admitted that his bodyguard was carrying weapon as per the agreement between the central level leaders of the seven-party alliance and the CPN-M. “We believe in the security set-up. We are allowed to keep a bodyguard to thwart the designs of conspirators,” said Bista on the parliamentary premises.

Janajati strike hits valley denizens hard Schools, colleges, shops shut

Kathmandu, February 15, 2007

Normal life in the valley was crippled due to the valley bandh called by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and Indigenous Nationalities Joint Struggle Committee, demanding that the interim constitution should address the concerns of indigenous nationalities.

Educational institutions and major marketplaces of the valley, including New Road, Bagbazar and Putalisadak remained closed. The traffic flow remained thin throughout the day. Some people opposing the bandh attacked NEFIN general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa in Kalanki this morning. Thapa was admitted to Model Hospital with head injury.

Meanwhile police arrested five people for vandalism in Kalanki. One protester was arrested from Gongabu but was later released. Organisers of the bandh said some 35 vehicles violating the bandh call were vandalized by the protesters, most of them in Kalanki. “No vehicles were allowed to ply through Kalanki since early morning. Long route vehicles also could not ply in the morning,” said Om Gurung, vice-president of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities’ Students.

One motorbike was set ablaze at Maharajgunj Chakrapath. A number of indigenous youths were mobilized at the chowks of the valley to make bandh a success.