Nepal and Bhutan News and discussion

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 May 2015 21:23

Why osprey aircraft are just parked rather than being used for releif works. They are taking up huge tarmac space to which Nepalis don't seem to object. Bulk of relief bulwark is being carried out by Mi17 and ALH , it seems.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 May 2015 21:24

Earthquake victims queue up for midday lunch at Tundhikhel, Kathmandu on Tuesday. Khalsa Aid is providing free food for the quake victims.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 May 2015 21:26

PM Relief Fund receives Rs 3.25 billion

KATHMANDU, MAY 19 - The Prime Minister Natural Disaster Relief Fund meant for the assistance of quake survivors has received a total of around Rs 3.252 billion.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 May 2015 21:27

Earthquake: 55 pc of dead are women, children

ATHMANDU, MAY 19 - More women and girl children died in the April 25 earthquake compared to men and boys, according to a data published by the Nepal Police. It mentioned that 55 percent of the casualties were women and children .

The first gender-oriented data published by the government stated that 8,942 earthquake-incuded deaths had been reported as of Saturday (, of which only 8,193 bodies were identified. A total of 4,497 women and children died in the disaster-- 3,145 were women and 1,352 children.

Narayan Kafle, spokesperson of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, said that the ministry has already begun work to ensure proper care to that those who survived one of the deadliest earthquakes ever recorded in the country’s history.

“We are aware that women and children are the most vulnerable during disaster and working to ensure that the survivors get proper care,” said Kafle. “Our primary concern is towards the safety of pregnant women and children who have lost their parents in this great disaster.”

He also informed that a high level committee chaired by Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Neelam Khadka has been formed and that the ministry has also submitted its work plan to the Prime Minister.

According to the data collected by Nepal Police from the quake-affected areas of the nation, 2,467 men and 1,229 boy children were killed in the Great Earthquake and its May 12 aftershock.

The data further reveals that most casualties occurred in the central region and the Kathmandu valley. The disaster claimed 6,289 lives in the central region and 1,720 inside the Valley. Similarly, 424 deaths were reported in the western region and two in mid-western and eastern region.

A research conducted by the Asian Development Bank in 2008 had shown that during natural disasters, women population is highly likely to die. The data showed that women accounted for 61% of deaths from Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, 70-80% in the Indian Ocean tsunami and 91% in the 1991 cyclone in Bangladesh.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 19 May 2015 21:32

Indian PM's additional principal secy calls on PM Koirala

He was deeply involved in Bhuj Relief and reconstruction and rehabilitation effort.

Mishra is known for playing a pivotal rolein moulding the Gujarat State Disaster Management Aauthority (GSDMA) into a robust and award winning organisation.

KATHMANDU, MAY 19 - Visiting Indian Prime Minister 's additional principal secretary P K Mishra has called on Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Tuesday.

During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the reconstruction and rehabilitation aspects in the post-quake scenario as well as immediate needs of Nepal government, spokesperson at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu Abhay Kumar told RSS.

Likewise, long-term reconstruction and rehabilitation and the measures to bringing the life to normalcy were also discussed.

On the occasion, PM Koirala expressed gratitude for India's immediate support for rescue and relief operation in the time of crisis and expressed confidence for the additional support in the reconstruction works.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae was also present during the meeting.

Likewise, Mishra has also held separate meetings with Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat and Vice-chairman of National Planning Commission Prof Dr Govindaraj Pokharel. The talks were centered on reconstruction bids in the post-quake period, it is said.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 20 May 2015 08:37

IDSA Commen

IDSA COMMENT
India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Effort in Nepal
Ravi Pandalai

May 18, 2015

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal on 25 April 2015 has caused widespread devastation in 30 districts, with over 7000 deaths and thousands have been rendered homeless. Buildings in parts of the capital, Kathmandu, were reduced to rubble, and there were shortages of food, fuel, electricity and shelter. Conditions were far worse in the countryside, with rescue workers struggling to reach mountain villages days after the earthquake. An estimated eight million people have been affected by the quake. The international community rushed aid and relief effort to help Nepal to face this calamity. Within hours of the earthquake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to both the President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala of Nepal and assured them of India’s commitment to help their country meet the calamity. The first Indian plane with relief workers, medical aid and heavy earth moving equipment landed in Kathmandu within six hours of the earthquake. India has played a major part in the rescue and relief efforts in Nepal.

India has geared itself up to deal with natural disasters in the last 15 years or so, given its climatic conditions and high incidence of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and cyclones. The devastating Orissa Super Cyclone (1999) and the Gujarat Earthquake (2001) led to India setting up a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in 2005 and 2006, respectively. Over the years, be it during the Asian Tsunami (2004), earthquakes (Andamans 2009; Sikkim 2011), floods (Uttarakhand 2013; Jammu & Kashmir 2014) or the evacuation of citizens from Iraq, Libya, and Yemen, India has proven its ability to carry out the task at hand with professionalism and in an organised manner. The latest demonstration of India’s capabilities in this regard came in the wake of the earthquake that struck Nepal.
Operation ‘Maitri’

India’s assistance to earthquake-affected Nepal is the largest relief and rescue mission undertaken by India outside its own borders. The NDRF, the Army, Indian Air Force (IAF) and other agencies were co-opted into the plan ab initio. Being an immediate neighbour, India enjoys a familiarity with the Nepalese system and people that is almost unique, including with Nepal’s armed forces which are leading the rescue and relief efforts. IAF aircraft ferried heavy earth moving equipment, relief material, food, water, and medical teams and equipment. Stranded Indian citizens were brought home on return flights. Helicopters were pressed into service to deploy rescue teams, medical teams and relief material in the interior areas and evacuate casualties. These teams worked round-the-clock and in close co-ordination with the government of Nepal.

The Indian Army, with its close linkages with the Nepal Army, set up a Task Force led by a Major General at Kathmandu and a Brigadier at Barpak, the epicentre of the earthquake, for close coordination. The communication infrastructure was reinforced with detachments at Kathmandu, Pokhra, Barpak, Lalitpur and Gorkha. A 45-bed hospital and three field hospitals with 18 medical teams, along with six ambulances for casualty evacuation, were functional in different areas to provide medical support to the affected population. More than 2,600 victims have been treated so far by Indian medical teams; and out of these, 1,170 have been treated at Barpak. The orbits of six Indian satellites were adjusted to give coverage of the affected areas. It was heartening to see the coordination between various agencies from India as well as with the international rescue and relief teams.
Controversies

Although the Indian response was greatly appreciated for its speed and magnitude, a shadow was cast on this effort by the overzealous coverage of the Indian media. Indian journalists who had showed the world the magnitude of the tragedy ended up being blamed for pursuing sensational news and for being insensitive and arrogant. The extent of the disaffection that the Indian media caused is evident from the #GoHomeIndianMedia hashtag that trended on Twitter. As the Hindustan Times pertinently observed, “While rescue effort has been praised, media’s wall-to-wall coverage of the calamity and that of the relief operation seems to have left a bitter aftertaste among Nepalis.”1. The other controversy surrounding the Indian relief effort was the perception that it was driven by a sense of competition with China, a proxy ‘aid war’ so to speak. There was also some controversy of Indian helicopters flying close to the Nepal-China border.
Lessons Learnt

Though the task at hand was dealt with in a professional manner, some issues that can be improved upon are:-
The areas in which Indian teams were deployed were not known to them beforehand. The Nepal Army and ex-servicemen did come in handy in this regard. Nevertheless, there is a need to pre-identify possible areas of deployment in neighbouring countries, develop contingency plans for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and make all the preparations necessary for a successful relief effort.
The NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have Disaster Relief Nodes. Nominating which force will operate in which neighbouring country will improve response time and help in prior familiarisation and coordination.
Since disaster management is a multi-agency task there is a need to evolve protocols at the state and regional levels to smoothen interactions.
Though information centres were set up, agencies doing rescue and relief tend to concentrate information flow within them. Hence, a central coordinating agency would help in prioritising assistance.
Though the NDRF is tasked to deal with disasters, the armed forces willy-nilly become the first responders. Hence it is for consideration whether, like the Rashtriya Rifles, certain formations/units could be assigned a Disaster Management role.
Rehabilitation

According to Nepal’s Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat, his country would need at least USD 2 billion to rebuild homes, hospitals, government offices and historic buildings.2. Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at business research firm IHS, has said that long-term reconstruction costs using proper building standards for an earthquake zone could total more than USD 5 billion, or about 20 per cent of Nepal’s GDP.3 The United Nations has allocated an amount of USD 15 million from the UN Emergency Fund.4. The United States has donated USD 10 million through its Agency for International Development. 5 Other countries too have promised monetary aid – the United Kingdom USD 7.6 million, Canada USD 4.1 million, Australia USD 3.9 million, Norway USD 3.9 million, China USD 3.3 million, the European Union USD 3 million and South Korea USD one million.

India has unambiguously stated its full commitment to assist Nepal. Prime Minister Modi observed that ''India will do its best to wipe the tears of every Nepali, hold their hands and stand with them.' Haryana State has committed a sum of INR 5 crore through the central government.6 India could choose a few aanchals in Nepal with maximum number of ex-servicemen (e.g. Gorkha and Sindhupalchowk) and commit to carry out the reconstruction there. According to a report in the Times of India,7 a number of Indian corporate houses such as the RPG Group, Mahindra Group, Bajaj, Videocon, India Bulls, have expressed their willingness to contribute financially towards rehabilitation in Nepal.

There is thus widespread commitment within India for Nepal’s reconstruction. There is a need to guard against episodic assistance. India’s provision of reconstruction assistance to Nepal must be worked out as a long term strategy. One particular area of Indian focus could be assistance in restoring damaged heritage buildings and structures. Several historic and celebrated temples in the Valley's durbar squares with tiered pagoda-like roofs, generally dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, have been affected. Their restoration would help heal people’s hearts and minds and enable them regain a sense of their tradition and put the disaster behind them. India must use the expertise of the Archaeological Survey of India to assist in the reconstruction of Nepal’s cultural heritage by restoring these sites to their original glory. It could start with the Pasupatinath Temple in Kathmandu considering its recall and tourism value to Nepal and historical connect with India. India could also help Nepal by sharing meteorological data and assisting with the forecast of natural disasters. India should also help Nepal formulate a disaster response strategy.
The Way Forward

With about three million Nepalese living and working in India, the two countries have deep political and economic links. The fact remains however that India and Nepal share an uneasy relationship. India is perceived as a big brother and as interfering in Nepal’s internal politics. Such a perception has contributed to Nepal seeking closer ties with China. China has made increasing inroads into Nepal in the form of investments in the development of infrastructure, increased tourist inflows and monetary assistance. China’s clout seems so strong that Nepal even sends back Tibetan refugees seeking asylum.

Though China has both the economic might as well as expertise in large scale infrastructure construction, India should use this opportunity to showcase its prowess and play a major role in Nepal’s reconstruction. Its quick response saved precious lives and re-confirmed the functionality of its response mechanism. A majority of the Nepalese appreciate the large-scale Indian aid and the prompt appearance of Indian military rescuers. However, as the social media campaign has highlighted, any assistance has to take into consideration the sensitivities of the recipient as well.

Brig (Retd.) Ravi Pandalai, SM, having served extensively in the North East, has an abiding interest in the affairs of Nepal and Bangladesh.

Views expressed are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IDSA or of the Government of India

1. http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new ... 43462.aspx

2. http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-new ... 42771.aspx

3. http://www.inews163.com/2015/04/28/nepa ... 24631.html

4. http://www.firstpost.com/world/un-relea ... 17354.html

5. http://time.com/3837688/nepal-earthquak ... donations/

6. http://www.hindustantimes.com/haryana/h ... 44101.aspx

7. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/busi ... 064555.cms

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 20 May 2015 16:01

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nepa ... 39181.html

Buddhist nuns, trained in the ancient Chinese martial arts are fighting against all odds to help Nepal get back on its feet after last month's devastating quake and a series of aftershocks.

They are the 300 kung fu nuns from the Kathmandu-based Druk Amitabha Mountain nunnery, established by the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual head of the 1,000-year-old Drukpa Order based in the Himalayas. They are using their skills to provide succour to the victims.

Every morning, after their routine prayers and meditation, the maroon-robed nuns, whose monastery and residential complexes were extensively damaged, leave for the villages located in Ramkot district to help in the reconstruction effort and the rehabilitation of the quake-hit people.

"They earlier helped the villagers removing the rubble, retrieving buried household goods and reconstructing the village pathways," the Gyalwang Drukpa, who is active in Nepal and India, told this visiting IANS correspondent.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/nepa ... 39181.html

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 May 2015 18:48

http://echoofindia.com/new-delhi-india- ... epal-85832
"India offers help to restore 2 more temples in quake-hit Nepal"

After Pashupatinath Temple, India has offered help to restore two more temples -- Swayambhunath and Kumarika temples in Kathmandu Valley – in earthquake-hit Nepal, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma on Friday said.
Sharma, who is the Minister for State for Tourism and Culture, said India has offered help in restoration work of the two temples damaged due to the high-intensity earthquake last month and a number of aftershocks.
"The ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) is already taking care of Pashupatinath. We have sent our request to intervene in Swayambhunath temple and Kumarika Mandir...," Sharma told PTI.
During his visit to Nepal in August last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced Rs 25 crore for development of Pashupatinath Temple and now the fund would be utilised for its restoration.
However, Bhesh Narayan Dahal, Director General of the Department of Archaeology of Nepal, said they were yet to receive any proposal from India to help in restoration of these two temples. "We have not any received any proposal as of now," he said.

Sridhar K · Post by **Sridhar K** » 23 May 2015 20:23

We (our spirtual circle) had planned to go on Kailash Yatra on 27th via Kathmandu, Nepalgunj, Similkot (flying) and then cross over to Tibet. During the return, we were supposed to visit Mukthinath (by chopper) and Manokhamna temple (Sakthipeet). Every arrangement was complete with us scheduled to enter Tibet on the 1st of June(our passports were with the Chinese Govt's Tibet authority). We infer that the Chinese Govt. did not issue permits/cancelled for people until May end and ours would have just made through. However, considering the situation in Nepal, we just postponed the tour.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 May 2015 19:15

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 406328.cms
"Massive spurt in trafficking along Nepal border"

NEW DELHI: A "massive" spurt in human trafficking instances in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Nepal has prompted security agencies to issue an alert along the open India-Nepal border.

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), mandated to guard this 1,751km long frontier and also collect intelligence on suspicious activities, has apprehended about 50 young girls and boys who were allegedly being trafficked along this border after March 25, the day when the strong earthquake hit Nepal and eastern parts of India.

The SSB has caught about 15 suspected traffickers in less than a month's time — 10 Indians and five Nepalese — who were making these young boys and girls cross the border illegally, which the security agencies believe could be for a variety of purposes like indulging in flesh trade, forced labour, beggary and illegal working as domestic helps among others.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 May 2015 19:17

http://www.thehindu.com/news/internatio ... 241437.ece
"Gandak Canal gates opened, India officials alerted".

The district authority in Nawalparasi on Sunday opened the gates of the Gandak Canal after the landslide at Ramche in Myagdi district blocked the Kali Gandaki river in the wee hours of Sunday.

According to Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Chief District Officer of Nawalparasi, Hari Prasad Mainali, said that all the 36 doors of the Gandak Canal were opened to prevent the sudden bursting of the blocked river. The district authorities fear that if the sudden flow Kali Gandaki, a tributary of Ganga river, added to the swelling of Narayani river, the region could be submerged. Gandal Canal is a joint irrigation and power project between India and Nepal were Mr. Mainali said that authorities in neighbouring India have also been informed as the impact could be felt in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh of India.

The Nepal Army personnel who have been deployed to clear the blockade on the river at Ramche in Myagdi – where the landslides occurred – were unable to do their work due to continuous landslides, officials said. According to Nepal Police, they are trying to reopen the blocked Beni-Jomsom road, besides trying to unclog Kali Gandaki.

The landslide occurred at 1.20 a.m. local time Sunday. It blocked Kali Gandaki river at Ramche in Myagdi district in western part of Nepal, Nepal Police said. So far, no human casualty were reported as yet. Police said the landslide created a dam of about 150-200m deep, 1 km long and about 100m wide.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 24 May 2015 21:25

Nepalese call for return of stolen murtis after earthquake
Read it all, wonder who were doing all these when the whole nation was facing the tragedy.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 24 May 2015 22:16

Blocked Kali Gandaki river flows again (with photos)

KATHMANDU, MAY 24 - The Kali Gandaki River that was blocked in the wee hours of Sunday morning following a landslide in Kafaldanda of Ramche VDC-9 in Myagdi district began to flow out from 5:00 in the evening.

Western Regional Police Chief Pankaj Shrestha informed that dammed water began to overflow 15 hours after the debris blocked the river. The water level had risen up to 300 meters before the river reclaimed its course.

It took about an hour for the dammed water to arrive at the district headquarters Beni. The water level in the river rose two meters above the normal recorded during monsoon season. Though the flood entered the houses and huts lying along the banks of the river, no untoward incident occurred.

According to Chief District Officer of Myagdi, Tek Bahadur KC, the situation is out of danger. There was not human casualty and reports of damage to property.

The inhabitants residing along the river banks have heaved a sigh of relief following the release of the clogged water. The residents of Beni, who moved towards higher grounds for safety, have started returning home.

According to district President of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Surat KC, who was at the landslide hit area, the water level at the artificial level dropped to normal. The human settlements have not been washed though they were submerged as the river took its own course.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 25 May 2015 19:31

Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 21h 21 hours ago

#NepalEarthquake Group photo of 17 engineers regiment, Nepal Army and armed police before de-induction from #Barpak.

39 retweets 30 favorites
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Sitanshu Kar @SpokespersonMoD · 22h 22 hours ago

#NepalEarthquake #Barpak gave an emotional farewell 2 Lt Col Nikhil Sankaran & 17 Engineers Team b4 de-induction.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 26 May 2015 21:00

"Nepal leaders ask China to correct agreement with India"
http://www.telegraphnepal.com/headline/ ... with-india
(touches on Nepal's border dispute with India).

Communist leaders Sadhya Bahadur Bhandari and Narayan Kaji Shresha have deplored agreement recently reached between Nepal’s immediate neighbours, India and China to expand border trade through the Lipu-Lekh Pass.

Whereas Nepal’s subservient government has so far failed to formally forward its claim over the region (including Lipu-Lekh Pass) in the district of Darchula, Nepal’s border experts claim that India has been since its humiliating defeat with China in the 1962 war, has been occupying Nepali territory in Kalapani, including Lipu Lekh.

India has also illegally set up a military camp in Lipu Lekh region.

The Point No. 28 in the 41-point joint statement of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese Premier Li Kegiang issued during Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to China under the subtitle “New Avenues for Cooperation” mentions:

“The two sides agreed to hold negotiation on augmenting the list of trade commodities, and expand border trade at Nathu La, Qiangla/Lipu-Lekh Pass and Shipki La."

Bhandari who is the general secretary of Janmorcha Nepal claims that the two neighbours out rightly reject Nepal’s sovereignty over Kalapani region including Lipu Lekh Pass.

“This clearly means that even China ignores Nepal's border dispute with India”, he said addressing a press meet in Narayanghjat of Chitwan, May 25, 2015.

Kalapani-the tri-junction where China, Nepal and India meet, India has occupied some 37.5 thousand hectares of Nepali lands.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 26 May 2015 21:01

Wiki on Lipu-Lekh Pass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipulekh_Pass

More on the Nepali claim:
http://greaternepal.org/article/unnf-th ... t-kalapani

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 29 May 2015 20:10

Bhutanese Prime Minister invites Mamata
http://zeenews.india.com/news/west-beng ... 04021.html

Kolkata: Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has invited West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to visit his country, according to Consul-General of Bhutan in Kolkata Dashi Karma Tsering Namgyal.

Namgyal today personally handed over the invitation from Tobgay to the chief minister at the state secretariat.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 03 Jun 2015 17:30

"Bhutan breaks Guinness record for tree planting"
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32971952

A team of 100 volunteers in Bhutan has set a new world record by planting 49,672 trees in one hour.

They smashed the previous record by almost 10,000 trees. It had been set by an Indian team three years ago.

Bhutan's planters gathered in the capital, Thimphu, for their feat, which Guinness World Records confirmed.

The government of the mountainous Himalayan kingdom lays great emphasis on protecting the environment. Bhutan has more than 75% forest cover.

"The whole country is happy. Our world record shows that Bhutan's young generation wants a clean and green future. We will never compromise on that," tree planting event organiser Karma Tshering said.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 04 Jun 2015 14:06

Sitanshu Kar ‏@SpokespersonMoD 17h17 hours ago New Delhi, Delhi

#NepalEarthquake #OpMaitri- the 40-day long Rescue & Relief works of Indian Armed Forces came to an end today.

Sitanshu Kar ‏@SpokespersonMoD 16h16 hours ago New Delhi, Delhi

#NepalEarthquake Last landing by #IAF's MI-17 V5 with relief supply at #Lukla.

Sitanshu Kar ‏@SpokespersonMoD 16h16 hours ago New Delhi, Delhi

#Nepalearthquake Adieu #Lukla : Last take off of #IAF's MI-17 V5. The view with rear ramp open.

Sitanshu Kar ‏@SpokespersonMoD 2h2 hours ago New Delhi, Delhi

One for the album before returning home. #OpMaitri #IAF contingent in #Kathmandu before de-induction.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 15 Jun 2015 16:32

"Quantum jump in human trafficking, smuggling from Nepal: SSB"
http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/q ... 51644.html

aipur: Special Service Bureau (SSB) guarding the Nepal border said that human trafficking and smuggling from across the neighbouring country have witnessed a substantial rise.

The Director General of SSB, B D Sharma, said, "Human trafficking specially of young girls was rampant and SSB was trying to rescue and rehabilitate them with the help of NGOs."

He was delivering a key note address at a national conference titled 'Border Security: Challenges and Remedies'.

There was a quantum jump in seizure of gold in recent years, he said.

"As against seizure of gold worth Rs 73 lakh in 2012 it was Rs 23 cr worth in 2014," he said.

Similarly, Fake Indian Currency (FICN) seizure was also rising along the border as it was Rs 62 lakh counterfeit notes in 2012 which grew up to 194 lakh in 2014, he said.

Cattle smuggling was 17 lakh heads in 2008, which was 144 lakh in just five months of 2015, he said in his slide presentation.

A parallel economy was running across from the border as cattle smuggling, human trafficking and FICN not only generated income but also provide avenues of jobs, he said.

India needed better rules and acts to curb such crime and deal with smugglers and habitual criminals, the SSB DG opined.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 15 Jun 2015 16:40

"Nepal constitution drafting committee begins work"
http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asi ... 13452.html

Kathmandu: After a year-long gap, a committee of Nepal`s Constituent Assembly on Sunday began preparing the preliminary draft of the constitution which, it said, would be promulgated by mid-July, an official said.

The Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly (CA) has been assigned 15 days to prepare the document and the panel said it expected to finish its task by June-end, a lawmaker conversant with the constitution-drafting process said.

Nepal has so far elected two Constituent Assemblies -- in 2008 and 2013 -- to prepare the so far elusive document. The first CA folded up without any progress on the much-awaited Constitution of the Himalayan nation -- and now the second house is engaged in the task.

An interim constitution is guiding the lawmakers at present.

The logjam was cleared on June 8 when the four major political parties of Nepal inked a 16-point agreement to federate the country into eight federal provinces, thus paving the way for the promulgation of the new constitution.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 Jun 2015 01:23

Nepal, India amend bilateral Treaty of Transit
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-ne ... it-2097953

India has agreed to Nepal's request for allowing the movement of vehicles imported from a third country into Nepal through four border points by amending the bilateral Treaty of Transit.

Nepal had requested India for the move citing the requirements of additional handling facilities, special carriers and equipment which added to the cost and time of clearance of vehicles from Kolkata port into Nepal.

Earlier, there was no provision under Nepal-India Treaty of Transit allowing import of third country motor vehicles transiting India to be moved on their own power. Such vehicles were allowed only by railway wagons and trucks or trailers after proper sealing by Indian Customs.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 23 Jun 2015 11:29

This is a natural corollary of India, Bhutan, Nepal and BD motor pac. It would have been anomalous not to accede to the request.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 Jun 2015 18:27

http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/06/23/wor ... 06929.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the June 25 international donors' meet on reconstruction of quake-hit Nepal as it coincides with a conclave in Delhi to announce the 'Smart Cities Mission', according to a senior official.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has been deputed to stand in for Modi and pledge New Delhi 's strong support at the Kathmandu meet, the official told ET.

Both Delhi and Tokyo were earlier keen to host the first donors' meet but Kathmandu turned down the offer on the ground that through this meet the government wants to boost confidence of the locals and once again showcase the country as a tourist destination.

India was the first to reach aid to Nepal after the quake. Japan, on the other hand, possesses world-class expertise in post-quake reconstruction activities.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 Jun 2015 21:10

India will continue to stand beside Nepal to help in the quick recovery and reconstruction of the quake-ravaged Himalayan country after the major earthquake two months ago, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Wednesday after her arrival in Kathmandu.

Sushma Swaraj, who is here to participate in a conference on Nepal's reconstruction on June 25, said she also looks forward to "fruitful exchange of views" with the leadership of Nepal.

http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articl ... 26079.html

Avarachan · Post by **Avarachan** » 25 Jun 2015 05:13

X-posting for reference purposes. http://forums.bharat-rakshak.com/viewto ... 0#p1860154

This is very revealing regarding the work culture of the "New York Times." This image should be spread throughout social media.
http://gawker.com/here-are-some-top-n-y ... 1713336525
https://twitter.com/AdamWeinstein/statu ... 6131653633

http://sputniknews.com/us/20150624/1023765075.html
"The typically respectable and highly regarded New York Times is coming under serious scrutiny after leaked photos show the staff, including longtime opinion editor Andrew Rosenthal, tastelessly recreating mass shootings and suicides.

One photo, obtained by Gawker, showed Rosenthal holding a replica M-16 and a bottle of wine while recreating the June 2001 Nepalese royal massacre, with a calendar on the wall showing the photo was taken the same month."

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 27 Jun 2015 08:53

http://www.ekantipur.com/2015/06/27/top ... 07093.html

KATHMANDU, JUN 27 - The government is collecting evidence before making its official claim with India and China that the Lipu-Lekh pass lies within the Nepali territory.

The row over Lipu-Lekh, located on the Nepal- China border, erupted after a joint statement issued on May 15 in Beijing during India n Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit read that the two of Nepal’s neighbours agreed to expand border trade through the pass.

The 28th point of the joint communiqué states that “the two sides agreed to hold negotiation on augmenting the list of trade d commodities, and expand the border trade at the Lipu-Lekh pass .”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is in consultation with the concerned line agencies to collect facts to claim that the Lipu-Lekh pass belongs to Nepal.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 27 Jun 2015 15:03

The Kathmandu Post ‏@kathmandupost Jun 25

India $1 billion
China $760 million
ADB $600 m
WB $500 m
Japan $260 m
USA $130 m
EU $112 m
UK $110 m
#ICNR2015

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 05 Jul 2015 20:26

http://www.mid-day.com/articles/nepal-m ... a/16346154
"Nepal Maoist chief to visit India"

Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda', will visit India from July 14 to 19 on an invitation from the Indian government, his party said on Sunday.

"Our chairman is visiting India," UCPN (Maoist) vice chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha told IANS, adding that details of Dahal's visit and agenda will be made public later.

The Nepali Maoist leader's visit to India comes at a time when the country's constitution-drafting process is gaining momentum and disagreements have cropped up among some sections of the political class. Therefore, Dahal's visit is widely seen as a political one.

Dahal's five-day visit will give India an opportunity to engage with the Nepali Maoist leadership and to take STOCK of the political situation in the Himalayan nation.

Another Maoist leader told IANS that Dahal's visit will also help the leader to understand as to what India thinks about Nepal's constitutional process, besides issues related to the country's development and prospects of a Nepal-India-China trilateral cooperation.

Political analysts in Nepal believe that issues like the breaking of the alliance between Maoist and Madhesh-based political parties will also figure prominently during the talks with Indian leaders, as Prachanda was its coordinator.

A large section of Madheshi parties, who claim to be closer to New Delhi, had a working political relationship with the UCPN (Maoist). However, after a recent agreement among the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the Nepali Maoist party on the constitution-drafting process, the Madhesh-based parties have decided to go their separate way.

On Friday, top leaders of Madhesh-based parties met India's Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae and urged him to push for inclusion of several of their demands in the constitution draft.

The Madhesh-based parties have been demanding that the agreements signed by the Nepali government with them in the past should be incorporated in the constitution and that the delineation of federal states and their names should be decided by the Constituent Assembly.

They stress that the new statute should address the aspirations of the Madhesi, Janajati, Adivasi, Muslim, women and other marginalised communities in Nepal. - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/nepal-m ... q3m8w.dpuf

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 05 Jul 2015 20:30

"China urges Nepal to play constructive role in trilateral cooperation"
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articl ... 35214.html

Nepal should play a constructive role in the trilateral cooperation among China, India and Nepal, Chinese ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai said on Sunday.

"It's time for Nepal to find the areas of cooperation, models of cooperation and especially projects of cooperation," Xinhua quoted the Chinese envoy as saying at an event here.

He added that Nepal was very important for the three-party diplomatic relations.

Muns · Post by **Muns** » 06 Jul 2015 06:44

http://www.amazon.com/The-Peoples-Nepal ... B004EFVRFY

THE PEOPLE'S NEPAL

Watched the above documentary about Nepal during the years of revolution against the king. Here's a quick synopis of a few of the ideas that led to the eventual overthrow of King Gyanendra during the April 2006 uprising. From the documentary it seems that poverty is extremely widespread in Nepal and much of the population is involved in hard agricultural labor. That and gross inequalities stemming from Caste politics towards Dalits have led much of the Maoist message to take hold on society. There was a deep distrust of the God king and his upper caste ministers taking advantage of the poor and riding on their back so to speak. There is also deep unhappiness from the fact that such poverty has led such a proud nation of warriors to find employment in India as well as the Gulf countries often as menial laborers for which they are abused and paid a menial wage.

The promise of a bed to sleep, enough food to eat, a roof over your head and abolishment of casteist politics as promised the Maoists were hugely popular. A deep distrust of King Gyanendra after the assassination of the prior King Birendra was also widespread. His imposition of direct rule and dissolving of the assembly in 2006 we're extremely unpopular among the society. Talk of corruption and him looting the country with personal swiss Bank accounts were also wide spread as well. The Maoist message of food for all, equality and overthrow of the king and his Brahminical politics seemed to resonate well among the populace. His Dissolution of Parliament led to the 2006 April uprising across party lines and resulted in a mass populace movement to overthrow him. His hand forced by increasing street violence, parliament was reinstated at the end of April and Nepal formerly made Republic.It seems from that time in 2008, the beginning of an attempt was made to write the Constitution for the New Republic.

Synopsis ends :

Here starts a few thoughts of mine. Post Earthquake a already desperately poor Nepal is even more in a crisis. In such a climate, Maoist politics and tarnishing of Hindu values will only worsen. Nepal's relative mountainous isolation makes it relatively easier for such corrupted Ideas to spread. What needs to be strengthened is inlay of Indian political parties into Nepali politics. The VHP and the RSS may yet pave the way for a BJP offshoot party to take hold in Nepal. I sense that Modi's popularity in Nepal stems from the fact that his caste gives great strength to the poor of Nepal that even a tea seller can rise to become the PM of India. It's a powerful story that must be constantly retold amongst the Nepali poor. Indian assistance through such Sangh associated Political parties can stem the tide against the Chinese backed Maoist propaganda. In the long run, strenghthening Nepals infrastructure, infusing new contemporary Hindu values such as Advaita and starting Indian backed political parties will bring Nepal into the fold as a new state.

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 06 Jul 2015 07:19

A_Gupta wrote:"China urges Nepal to play constructive role in trilateral cooperation"
http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articl ... 35214.html
Nepal should play a constructive role in the trilateral cooperation among China, India and Nepal, Chinese ambassador to Nepal Wu Chuntai said on Sunday.

"It's time for Nepal to find the areas of cooperation, models of cooperation and especially projects of cooperation," Xinhua quoted the Chinese envoy as saying at an event here.

He added that Nepal was very important for the three-party diplomatic relations.

It seems more like desperation from China. Why so much of call for cooperation?

Melwyn · Post by **Melwyn** » 21 Jul 2015 09:45

Nepal bans religious conversion in new draft constitution

Read the report carefully. This is the exact game that was played by EJs in India in 70s.

1) Use Muslims against Hindus
2) Insert secular into constitution by hook or crook
3) Create an aura of persecution
4) Apply international pressure

Christians and Muslims in Nepal are criticizing the draft version of a new constitution that bans religious conversion.

Spurred to action by the recent earthquake, Nepal’s government introduced the draft for public comment on June 30, Reuters reported. Religious minorities are concerned about its impact on their religious freedom and the government’s haste to finalize the document as soon as August.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) warned language about religious conversion in the draft version “fails to allow for choosing and changing one’s faith to be seen as a positive individual choice or as a matter of individual rights, as required and guaranteed by international treaties.”

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 31 Jul 2015 18:37

The movement of personal vehicles between India and Nepal is set to be facilitated under a protocol to be put in place shortly with the entire process of applying and getting permit for the journey available online, it was announced here on Friday.

http://www.newkerala.com/news/2015/fullnews-97005.html

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 09 Aug 2015 18:09

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_dis ... _id=343175
"Nepali parties propose formation of six states"

Nepal stepped closer to finalising a constitution for itself after four major political parties agreed to a division of the Himalayan nation into six federally-administered states.

In a major breakthrough, the four political parties -- Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik -- signed an agreement to this effect late on Saturday night.

They agreed on the division of the country into six federally-administered provinces and also came up with a draft proposal for the boundaries of the suggested states.

However, immediately after the agreement was sealed, many political groups opposed the agreement and launched protests across the country on Sunday.

All six provinces will share their borders with India, and of them, four will touch the China border.

However, there were reservations from parties over the deal.

The Madhesi parties -- representing the southern plains of Nepal -- and some indigenous groups opposed the deal, calling for an "inclusive" constitution.

The parties agreed that the president and vice president should represent different genders or communities.

The parties, however, failed to reach an agreement on the issues of secularism, threshold for political parties in the general elections under the Proportional Representative system and reappointment in constitutional bodies after the new constitution is delivered, said Nepali Congress negotiator Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

Sitaula said the Constituent Assembly will now be able to deliver the new constitution by August-end as envisaged.

During the Constituent Assembly's recently-conducted feedback drive, reducing the number of proposed eight provinces and inserting the "or" provision to ensure equal rights to both mother and father for transmitting Nepali nationality to their children were widely demanded.

The parties also agreed to increase the number of members of the upper house from 45 to 51.

As per the new provision, each of the six provinces will send eight members -- including three women, one Dalit and one disabled person or from a minority group -- to the upper house.

The other three members will be nominated by the president.

Some changes were also made in the language of the preamble and in the provisions of fundamental rights as demanded during the people's feedback.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Aug 2015 16:36

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 758_1.html
"Storage projects planned on rivers flowing from Nepal"

India is working to have storage projects on rivers flowing into India from Nepal to control flooding, the government told Rajya Sabha today.

Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, in a written reply, said the problem of flooding in India in rivers flowing from Nepal is not due to release of water by Nepal.

"In fact, it is because there are no storage projects in Nepal on these rivers. India is endeavouring to have storage projects at potential sites on these rivers," the minister said.

For instance, she said, Indo-Nepal Pancheswar Development Authority (PDA) has been set up for undertaking Pancheshwar Multipurpose project on Mahakali River (Sarada in India).

Besides, preparation of DPRs of Sapta Kosi High Dam Project, Sun Kosi Storage-cum-Diversion projects and feasibility study of Kamala Dam projects have also been undertaken, she added.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Aug 2015 20:54

http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 316_1.html

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India will remain a committed development partner of Bhutan, a country which he had chosen as his first foreign destination after assuming the top post.

He made the views known while welcoming a Bhutanese Parliamentary delegation, led by Jigme Zangpo, Speaker of the National Assembly, and Sonam Kinga, Chairperson of the National Council.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 12 Aug 2015 21:50

http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asi ... 46037.html
"Muslims in Nepal demand a 'Hindu state' to protect Islam"

"Turning the country secular is nothing but a design to break the longstanding unity among Muslims and Hindus. So there is no alternative to reinstating the country's old Hindu State identity in order to allow fellow citizens to live with religious tolerance," Babu Khan Pathan, chairperson of the Rastrabadi Muslim Manch Nepalgunj, was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

"We don't need a secular identity, but want to see the country called Hindu State as this ensures safety and security for all," Pathan added and claimed that around 80 per cent of Muslims in Banke are in favour of Hindu State identity.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 12 Aug 2015 21:51

Piaggio India launches its first overseas operation in Nepal
http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.co ... l/48456321

NEW DELHI: Piaggio India has made its first overseas operations in Nepal with the launch of Vespa in Kathmandu on Wednesday . The price starts at 249,946 NPR for Vespa VX and 263,946 NPR for Vespa S.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 12 Aug 2015 21:52

"Cabinet nod for India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline"
http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 862_1.html

The union cabinet on Wednesday approved signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and Nepal for constructing a petroleum products pipeline from Raxaul in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal, as well as the re-engineering of Amlekhgunj depot.

"The MoU will promote bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector and secure long term supply of petroleum products to Nepal," a cabinet communique said.

"It would help preserve the environment along the route and decongest the international border at Raxaul," the statement added.