Kathmandu, February 13, 2007

Tri-Chandra Youth Forum of Tri-Chandra Multiple College is organising an open love-letter writing competition on the occasion of Valentine’s Day tomorrow.

“It is a yearly affair,” said Mahendra Karki, this year’s coordinator of the ‘Love Letter Competition.’ Karki said senior litterateur Dr Benju Sharma has consented to be the chief guest of a special function to be held on the premises of the oldest college of the country.

The college is situated behind the historic pond of Rani Pokhari famous as a symbol of eternal love. He said the forum has expected better participation this year, given the changed political scenario. Some 80 students, including 15 girls, have registered for the competition. “We are expecting more than 300 participants this year,” Karki said. Some 200 students participated in the competition last year. Pairavi Prakashan and Nepal Academy have already provided 60 books on literature to the organisers to be distributed to the winners of the contest.

President of Sahitya Abhiyan Samuha of Tri-Chandra College, Nabin Khanal, had started the competition some six years ago. This year around, the organisers are going ahead with the slogan “Love letter writing competition for lasting peace and social harmony.”

Fight for republic in April ‘if polls put off’

Kathmandu, February 13, 2007

Chairman of the CPN-Maoist, Prachanda, has warned of launching a final battle in April for a federal republican set-up if any conspiracy is hatched to delay constituent assembly polls. He gave this warning at a massive rally held here at the Khula Manch.

He asked the people to be prepared to fight for an announcement declaring the country a federal republic in April if the government does not announce constituent assembly elections. “If circumstances indicate that elections to constituent assembly would be prolonged, the only option would be to declare Nepal a republic by April,” he warned. This was his first public address after 25 years of underground politics, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of the launching of the “People’s War”. Prachanda spoke for over an hour.

He said his party would thwart any conspiracy to abort elections to a constituent assembly. “Now there is no option to a federal loktantrik republican Nepal,” he said. “The recent remark made by an army general was also part of a conspiracy,” he said. Prachanda vowed to destroy the “cobweb” of corruption, introduce “revolutionary” land reforms, mixed economy on the basis of national interest, impose land ceiling, provide land to the landless people and even “seize” the money deposited in foreign banks as part of his party’s policies to build a new Nepal.