THT 10 YEARS AGO: Book on martyr Dharma Bhakta out

Kathmandu, May 9, 2006

Ram Hari Sharma, popularly known as the living martyr, today released Sandarbha Shahid Dharma Bhakta Charcha Bhai Dhruba Bhakta, a book by Dr Baweshwor Pangeni of the Central department of History, TU, amid a function here.

The book is based on primary data and 144 hours of interview with Dharma Bhakta’s brother, Dhruba Bhakta Mathema.

The book, published by Martyr Dharma Bhakta Study Foundation (MDSF), is a biography of martyr Dharma Bhakta Mathema and provides an insightful record of his fight against the brutal Rana regime.

It is based on interviews with his brother, Dhruba Bhakta, now 93, and other contemporaries of Dharma Bhakta. The book traces the life histories of two brothers while pro-democratic forces were waging a bitter battle against the Rana regime during the 1940s.

The book contains material collected from over two dozen original documents. “The book has been written to illuminate various aspects of the lives of those at the forefront of the democratic movement and whose lives have never been researched or analysed,” said Dr Pangeni.

The book also incorporates interviews with the founder member of the Nepal Praja Parishad (NPP), Ram Hari Sharma. Sharma, along with Tanka Prasad Acharya, were scheduled for execution by the Rana regime.

Both were later spared for being Brahmins, though.

Nepal plans donors’ conference

Kathmandu, May 9, 2006

A top official at the ministry of finance (MoF) disclosed today that Nepal would soon call a donors’ meet to explore ways to expedite the country’s economic development in the post-conflict situation.

Nepal’s major donors are the World Bank, IMF, ADB, UNDP, DFID, India, Japan, the US, the EU, Norway, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Pramod Kumar Karki, joint secretary at MoF who attended the Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting recently in the capacity of alternate governor while he was the acting finance secretary, said that ADB’s president Haruhiko Kuroda had assured him of aid to Nepal.

Kuroda has asked for detailed plans and programmes from Nepal. Karki said that his meeting in Hyderabad with ADB president Kuroda has ended successfully.

Donors have hinted that they would provide aid to Nepal if peace is established and stability is ensured, Rameshwore Khanal, joint secretary at the ministry of finance under foreign aid coordination division (FACD) informed today.

According to the ministry officials as per the rough estimates, Nepal needs more than $1.2 billion for the reconstruction for which the ministry is working out certain mechanisms.

Nepal’s revenue growth has already turned negative by 3.1 per cent as per the recent announcement of Nepal Rastra Bank’s governor (NRB) Bijay Nath Bhattarai.