Nepal Cabinet expanded

Prerana Marasini

KATHMANDU: The Cabinet of the coalition government led by CPN (UML) was expanded on Thursday by eight Ministers; one from the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, six from the Nepali Congress and one from the CPN (ML).

Bijay Kumar Gachchedar of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum has become the Deputy Prime Minister while Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala has become the Foreign Minister. Other Congress leaders, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Minendra Rijal, Purna Kumar Sherma, Umakanta Chaudhary, Bal Krishna Khand, and Damber Shrestha of the CPN (ML) also took oath, but as Ministers without portfolios. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal administered the oath in the presence of President Ram Baran Yadav at the President’s office in Shital Niwas.

Earlier, CPN(UML) leaders Bidya Bhandari and Surendra Pandey had assumed office as Defence and Finance Ministers.

“Encroachment”

The Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) on Thursday called an all-party meeting and raised the issue of border encroachment in Dang district by the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) that displaced around 6,000 Nepalis. The meeting agreed to inspect the region and diplomatically address the issue. Maoists had earlier resigned from the government saying they could not accept foreign intervention. At the meeting on Thursday also, senior Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai reiterated that foreign intervention would not be tolerated.

Various Maoist wings also submitted a memorandum to the Indian Embassy and staged a sit-in outside its building. Meanwhile, CPN(UML) leader Bam Dev Gautam said the government of India should take action against the Indian security force and inform the government of Nepal.

People in some 22 villages in Dang were reportedly chased away by the SSB recently, but on Thursday they agreed to return to their villages after the local administration assured them of security.

source:

http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/05/stories/2009060559921800.htm

SSB becomes Nepal's new villain 4 Jun 2009, 1814 hrs IST, Sudeshna Sarkar, TNN

KATHMANDU: The Seema Suraksha Bal (SSB), India's paramilitary forces deployed along the Indo-Nepal border, have become the new villain in the Himalayan republic with growing allegations of attacks and rape against them. On Thursday, common complaints against India united Nepal's usual warring parties with 18 of them, including the current ruling party, the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), and its ally-turned-foe the Maoists, condemning reported fresh atrocities by the Indian forces and agreeing to send a team to two border districts for inspection. Out of power and blaming India for that, the Maoists jumped into the fray Thursday after a series of reports in the media that the SSB was spreading terror in more than 20 border villages in Dang district in midwestern Nepal, roughing up men and raping women. The Kathmandu Post daily also said that Nepali women have been going missing while visiting their relatives across the border. Over 2000 people were said to have fled their villages and taken shelter in a community forest. There are also reports of Indian encroachment on Nepali territory in Bara, Nawalparasi, Parsa, Darchula, Ilam and Jhapa districts. While Nepal's home ministry said it had asked Dang's chief district officer to submit a report, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said it had not been given any official indication by the foreign ministry. Nepal's student organisations have also announced they would send a team to Dang. Twelve such organisations have petitioned the new Prime Minister, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and said they would hold protests before the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu Friday. Five lesser parties have already staged a demonstration before the embassy Wednesday. The SSB has came under fire in the past too for fired on Nepali villagers returning home after buying essential goods in Indian border towns. source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/SSB-becomes-Nepals-new-villain/articleshow/4617564.cms

SSB drives out Nepali families

SSB drives out Nepali families

The Indian border security force, Seema Surakshya Bal (SSB) has driven out hundreds of Nepali families living along Nepal-India border in west Nepal, reports say.

More than 1800 families have taken refuge at the Satbariya community forest of Deukhuri, Dang after SSB encroached Nepali land and torched their homes, Kantipur daily reported.

“They torched our houses saying you can’t live here," said Purna Kumari Bista, 70, of Rajpur, Dang. “We had to leave with the family to protect our lives.”

She also claimed the SSB shifted border pillars some 35 metres inside Nepali land.

Villagers from some 22 entry points bordering Dang district on the Nepali side and Balarampur, Shravasti and Gonda districts on the Indian side have fled from their homes.

The displaced said the SSB assaulted and raped women. “We are forced to become mute spectators when they rape our ladies,” said Begaram Pun of Siriya. “More than 15 girls have already gone missing.”

Even though the villagers had been facing atrocities since years, they were forced to flee when the atrocities became intolerable, the report says.

They were forced to flee after the SSB did not allow them to buy essentials in the Indian market and took away theirs, according to Cham Kumari Gharti of Khangra.

“They (used to) come to our houses brandishing guns and take away our ration and live stocks,” said Gharti. “They beat us up if we try to oppose. Probably there is no body that has not been beaten up at least once.”

The displaced have been living in make-shift tents at Karri community forest in Satbariaya.

Chief District Officer of Dang Rishi Ram Dhakal said an all-party meeting would be called soon to resolve the issue. 

nepalnews.com Jun 02 09

source:

http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2009/jun/jun02/news01.php