PM Nepal’s nay to Prachanda as his successor

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has harshly criticised Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda openly and said that he will not step down from the government to hand over power to the latter. He said a fierce Maoist Chairman who is inciting violence in the country cannot succeed him.

After visiting  his party cadres who were attacked and injured in Surkhet by the Maoists  at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj in Kathmandu today, he maintained that he will not bow down before any pressure and violent politics.

Kids know what bliss is

Look at little Johnny there, Little Johnny Head-in-Air *

Notwithstanding aching ribs and difficulties in breathing, I went outside today evening.
My friend was bit late. During the waiting period, I took some videos and photographs with my darling Canon.

Here I have something to share with you.
Seeing these  kids playing dust, I was like “Oh! This is the time people enjoy their life the fullest.”

I wish I could be child again.

(* Heinrich Hoffman’s verse in Struwwelpeter “Johnny Head-in-Air” as caption)

Ncell hacked

Was working at office. All of a sudden got a message that said the website of Ncell has been hacked.

The mobile company that invested USD 80 million has been organising lavish parties and different programmes spending millions to promote its brand name. However, it appears that it did not consider the security of its website important.

Ncell website hacked

I opened their  site and read the hacker’s message. I smiled at their “I am bad at hacking but a good hacker.”

An encounter with glue-sniffing kids

They were three and they took me for a foreigner. They asked for money. I pretended that I did not understand what they said — as usual.

Glue sniffing is rampant among street kids in Kathmandu.

Hiding a polythene bag (of milk) filled with glue in a handkerchief, they were inhaling it–  which is more popularly known as dendrite — on the running public bus  this afternoon.

The smell was nauseating.

None of the passengers reacted, at least vocally. Or, even if they did, I did not hear. I tried to control my breath, and spit two or three times due to intolerable pungent smell. Gosh! What do they get from it?

One of the guys had a tube of glue and some money in  his pocket, which he tried to hide after noticing that I was taking their photograph. When the conductor asked them for the bus fare, they paid without any defiance. (Street kids in Kathmandu are notorious for their anarchic style though.)

How Many New Years in 365 days? In Nepal, at least, nine

Nine new years in 365 days!
Keshav P. Koirala
Kathmandu, April 14

Last sunset of 2066 BS as seen from Nepalgunj. (Photo: Bikas Rauniar)

Bidding farewell to the year that was, folks are welcoming the New Year 2067 of Bikram Samwat on Wednesday. But revellers will not have to wait for 12 months to witness New Year. Thanks to our cultural diversity, there are many calendars in use and people get to celebrate New Year at least nine times in 365 days.

The first days of Bikram Samwat, Nepal Samwat, Gregorian calendar, Islamic or Hijri calendar, and Tola Losar, Sonam Losar, Gyalpo Losar, Tamu Lhochhar, and Magh 1 are observed as the new years in different communities. Change of the year plus cultural and religious importance aside, all these days have been projected as the matter of ethnic identity. The government, too, has recognised most of the days as public holidays.

There are debates over after who the era is named. But Bikram Samwat got its name about 800 years after its start. “History shows the era was known as Malawa Gana Samwat or Krita Samwat till the ninth century,” historian Gyanmani Nepal said.

Bikram Samwat, Nepal’s official calendar, is the fusion of solar and lunar calendars, while Gregorian calendar is solar and the Islamic calendar, which has only 354 or 355 days a year, is lunar. The new year days marked by the country’s Mongolian communities are calculated as per the Chinese calendar. “Tola Losar of Humli people, Sonam Losar of Tamang, Gyalpo Losar of Sherpa are marked according to lunar calculations,” said culture expert Dr. Jagman Gurung, “While the Gurung community celebrates Tamu Lhochhar as its new year on Poush 15 according to solar calculations.”

Though they do not have a separate calendar, Tharus celebrate their New Year on Magh 1. Kirat people also have started celebrating their New Year of Yele era on the same day.

Culture expert Satya Mohan Joshi believes that Bikram Samwat’s wide use and legacy is instrumental in uniting people. “People have started campaigning for their ethnic identity and pressing for the recognition of their calendar. However, Bikram Samwat is culturally associated with people of all castes and creeds and it can nurture Nepaliness.”

According to historians, Mandeva Samwat was official Nepal’s calendar till 879 AD, only to be replaced with Nepal Samwat and Bikram Samwat in 1903 AD.

New Year days

Bikram Samwat 2067 (April 14, 2010) *

Nepal Samwat 1131 (Nov. 6, 2010)*

Hijri Calendar 1432 (Dec. 7, 2010)

Tamu Lhochhar (Dec. 30, 2010 )*

Gregorian Calendar (Jan. 1, 2011)*

Tola Losar (Jan. 5, 2011)

Sonam Losar (Feb. 4, 2011)*

Yele Samwat, Maghi (Jan. 15, 2011)*

Gyalpo Losar (March 5, 2011)*

(Source: Department of Information)

via eKantipur

*: Public holiday

( Download the pdf copy of story)

Story published on The Kathmandu Post

कमिलाको प्रचण्डलाई पिट्ने प्लान

अस्ति चैत २४ गते कमिलाहरू फिट्टु भएर नयाँबजारमा बसेका रहेछन् । त्यही बेला कमरेड प्रचण्ड खुलामंचबाट भाषण ठोकेर घर फर्किँदै रहेछन् ।

प्रचण्डको गाडी देख्नासाथ एउटा दादा कमिलालाई सनक चढेछ । “म त्यो हात्तीजस्तो मान्छेलाई गोदिदिन्छु,” उसले आफ्नो इच्छा सबैलाई सुनाएछ ।

मातेको कमिला

कमिलाको गोलोमा एउटा कमिला बुझ्झकी रहेछ ।  उसले प्रचण्डलाई चिनेको रहेछ । सबैलाई सम्झाउँदै उसले भनेछ, “बाबु हो ,  ती माओवादीका सबभन्दा ठूला नेता हुन् । अहिले एकचोटिलाई छोडिदेऊ । अस्ति गिर्जाबाबुले देशको जिम्मेवारी तिम्रो काँधमा भनेको मान्छे पनि यिनै हुन् । एक चान्स् देऊ ।”

मातेको कमिलाले के मान्थ्यो र ? उसले भनेछ, “को गिर्जाबाबु ? अस्ति मर्दा काठमाडौंका सबै मलामी लैजाने बूढा ?

बुझ्झकी कमिलाले टाउको हल्लाएर हो भन्ने इसारा गरेछ । अनि दादा कमिलाले भनेछ, “ती बूढाले त हात्ती भन्ठान्या रै’छन्  यसलाई । हाम्रो हात्तीसँग पुरानो दुस्मनी छ । छोड्नुहुन्न है केटा हो !”

माओवादी अध्यक्ष प्रचण्ड

बूढो कमिलाले खुइय्य सुस्केरा हालेछ र भनेछ , “लौ केटा हो जे गर्छौ गर । आज कुट्यौ भने वाइसीएलले आएर हामी सबैलाई भकुर्छ   । मिठाइ पसलमा गएर गुलियो चाख्न नसक्ने गरी ….। “

वाइसीएलको नाम सुन्नासाथ सबैजना तर्सिएछन् । बूढाको कुरा पूरा भएकै थिएन सबैजना भागेछन् ।

यसरी प्रचण्ड जोगिएछन्  र कमिलाहरूलाई विदेशी दलाल र षड्यन्त्रकारीको आरोप लाग्ने परिस्थिति नै सिर्जना भएनछ ।

(नयाँबजारको मिठाइ पसलमा गुलियोमा रमाउँदै कमिलाहरूले गरेको बातचित सुनेको आधारमा लेखिएको । )