on Ghatasthapana day. all was fun but don’t want to remember the ordeal while returning home in the evening.

Prachanda video spills Maoist beans
Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, May 5 – In a video recently leaked to a television channel, Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal is seen briefing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) about his party’s scheme last year to acquire the state power.

Interestingly, the Maoist leader, in the video, babbles out that the PLA strength was inflated during the United Nations verification with an aim to establish Maoist control in the national army after the integration.

Also, it has revealed that the Maoists had taken a strategy to let the Constituent Assembly elections happen only if they could win. Dahal said the Maoists would let the CA elections happen only if they could smell a victorious situation. “Either we would not let the CA happen or the (Nepali) Congress would not. The CA elections will happen only in the situation in which either the Congress or we can win.”

The video broadcast by Image Television for the first time on Monday after Dahal stepped down from the government over the Chief of the Army Staff’s dismissal controversy was reportedly shot at the UNMIN monitored Shaktikhor cantonment on Jan. 2, 2008 before the historic Constituent Assembly elections.

Admitting that the real strength of the PLA was around 7000, Dahal who was the supreme commander of the PLA said the Maoists, however, managed to show the figure as 35,000 to the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), and got 20,000 verified.

“Before the compromise was made in fact we were few. We were about 7,000,” says Dahal in the video talking about the UNMIN verification results, “We managed 35,000 in the camps and it (figure) came around at least 20,000.”

“We shall not say this to others,” the then PLA chieftain said with smiles and added, “But this is the fact.”

Stating had the party shown the PLA’s real strength after the verification the count would drop to 4000, Dahal said, “Our leadership shrewdly made up the regular army from 7,000 to 21,000,” adding, “We haven’t decreased (in number), we have increased. Moreover, we have formed the YCL outside. We haven’t left that (army) structure. We have been adding up thousands there also.”

Addressing the Maoist combatants residing at the cantonment at the time when the country was preparing for the CA elections, he revealed the plan to disapprove the UNMIN verification after winning the polls. “After we win, we will not consider the verification as basis (for the army integration). We will make other provision. Why would we abide by that after we win? … Why would we follow it when we are on the upper hand?”
Moreover, Dahal said the PLA that is politically aware can hold full control over the national army even if it gets entry in a small number. “They (Nepal Army) know only to tread boots. This is not the case with us,” he said, and argued that it was the reason for army chief (Rookmangud) Katawal to publicly speak against the army integration.

I am busted!

Up in the sky there are stars!

@NAST with Academician Rishi Shah

Photo Courtesy: Bikash Rauniyar

I am planning to go to NAST at Khumaltar to observe the green comet through telescope. Wrote this story for ekantipur , and anchor story for The Kathmandu Post.

Comet Lulin

Water water everywhere
But not a drop to drink!

I am really lost.

Venus-Jupiter conjuntion

No feigning, it was the watershed.

To be particular, the second stanza.

सुखको इच्छा

यस्तो होस्

रत्ति कसैमा

दु:ख नहोस्।

I would have heard the song hundreds of time. But for me this was a mere song—a mellisonant piece of half philosophical and half spiritual hokum earlier, to be honest. Simple, yet hard to comprehend.

On the big day, at the time, for whatever reason, I was obsessed with harebrained ideas, see, these harbingers—my boy and his girl—showed up, showing respect to me, no matter just only to cheer up a heartsick beau, and listened to his rigmarole. Moreover, they brought me a manna from heaven.

They did what they had to…

No, that was not just etiquette; I read what they had scribbled. Intuition. Inner inspiration. A very popular song written by Durga Lal Shrestha and sung by Aani Chhoying Dolma. (Is Nhoo Bajracharya the composer/musician?) it was!

Cliché, I would have said had it been some other time. But man, when I reached the second stanza, I realised the meaning it was pregnant with. Not only philosophical and spiritual it was, but also it was practically awe inspiring.

I don’t know how my facial expression was that time. However, I still bear in my mind the free-flow throughout the body that I felt. Honestly, it was not just another experience. I was in tears, and I heaved a deep sigh.

I told them, the friends with who there is no selfishness, the spur-of-the-moment decision that I made in the wake of the inspiration. They okayed…

“You are relieved from all bonds, if there were any,” said I.

In clear words.

Overcoming all craving, affliction and aversion.

And added, “Free like a bird now.”

—————————-

सुखको इच्छा

यस्तो होस्

रत्ति कसैमा

दु:ख नहोस्।

——————————-

…Unending joys,

countless achievements and

everlasting happiness,

for a special person like you

deserves only the

best things in life.

Have a very

Happy Birthday

———————————————-

Yes, buddies, I deserve only the best things in life. Thanks!

काला बादलले ढाकिएको

गम्भीर आकाशले

विषवर्षा गरे पनि नगरे पनि

ज्वालामुखी विष्फोटपश्चात्

धीर धरणीबाट

फेरि

तातो लाभाको भयंकर फोहोरा छुटे पनि नछुटे पनि

टायर्‌को विषाक्त कालो धूँवा

र

सडकनै डढ्ने रापमाझ

मेरा धुन्धुकारी मामा र काकाहरूले

मेरो स्वाभिमानको सगरमाथाको अपहरण हिजै गरिसके

मेरा आफन्तहरूले

मलाई कबाडको मोलमा हिजो नै लिलाम गरिसके…..

दशैँ आयो रे। तर मलाई त आएजस्तो पटक्कै लागेको छैन।
तर अस्ति एकदिन एकछिन चङ्गा उडाउँदाचाहिँ पुराना दिनहरू याद आए।

वर्तमानसँग मेरो कुनै गुनासो छैन। विवेकको खडेरी परेको बेलामा अरूलाई दोष थोपर्नुभन्दा चुपचाप दु:ख भोग्नु जाती!

तर अहंकारको चुलीमा पुगेका आफ्ना मान्छेहरूको पतन देख्दा अलिक् नराम्रो त लाग्दोरहेछ। कोसिस गरेकै हुँ सम्झाउने।…

“…

Turning a blind eye to me, the wild white cat  started exchanging gamey grins with the new swain without any shame.

…

I was impelled to construe the  meaning the  shift was pregnant with. Dazed by the blow, I could only say ugh!

…

Was the cat hamming it up? Or, it’s my overreacting?”