Bhaktapur, August 20, 2005

Bizarre as it may seem, but youngsters of Bhaktapur were playing with bamboo sticks for a purpose. They were playing with the sticks to inform the Yamaraj, the god of death, that the souls of their relatives were waiting in his gate. The Newars of Bhaktapur believe that unless the Gai Jatra is celebrated, the souls of the people, who died this year, will not be adjudicated in the court of Yamaraj. Thousands of people from the Valley had poured into Bhaktapur to see the Gai Jatra, a festival full of humour and satire. Funny dances, fanciful attires, and whimsical characters are some of the major attractions of the festival. In Bhaktapur, the Gai Jatra is celebrated for eight consecutive days. The first day of the festival holds a special significance. The family members of the dead take a parade of cows, which could be a real one or one made of bamboos. Sometimes, people dress up as cows to do the job. After clothing the cows properly, a procession is taken around the streets. The festival thrills the locals and the foreigners alike. “The festival begins early in the morning and ends when an image of lord Bhairav, which is made of hay, is taken out,” said Hari Ram Munankarmi, a local. “People dance and play different kinds of music throughout the procession,” he added. Humourous dramas are also enacted in city theatres on the occasion. Newspapers and magazines are filled with cartoons and funny photos.

NHRC releases list of sites it visited for probe

Kathmandu, August 20, 2005

National Human Rights Commission member Sudip Pathak today released a list containing the commission’s investigation and visits to prisons, detention centres, army barracks and hospitals in Kathmandu and outside the Valley. The commission teams visited 79 places, including protest programmes by the civil society since July 28. The NHRC teams also visited Kalyanpur, Chitwan to probe the incident of landmine explosion involving a public bus. Other places the commission’s teams visited are Kavrepalanchowk, Taplejung, Panchthar, Baglung, Myagdi, Kalikot, Sindhupalchowk, Darchula, Bajhang. Speaking at a programme organised by the Reporters Club here today, Pathak said it is impossible for political parties to go to villages at a time like this. He urged the authorities concerned to “halt the arrest of representatives of the media and human rights outfits.” The King must hold a meeting with political parties and the Maoists to decide the future course of action, he added. Meanwhile, a report from Nepalgunj said an NHRC probe team concluded its on-the-site study of Pili today. The team had monitored Pili, where more than 100 people were killed when Maoists attacked a security base camp on August 7.