Kathmandu I Vol. XVIII No. 55 I Wednesday, April 14, 2010 (01/01/2067) I Nepal Sambat 1130 I www.ekantipur.

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President, PM call
for consensus
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, APRIL 13
President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav has
underlined the need for inter-party
discussions to tackle existing prob-
lems and challenges facing the
nation. In his New Year message,
President Dr. Yadav pointed that
reconciliation and national unity
were the need of the hour rather
than disputes and unhealthy com-
petition.
“The constitution-making
process did not gain momentum in
the past years, but we accomplished
other important tasks during the
same period.”
He said delay in the constitu-
Llingo stands tall on the eve of New Year 2067 in Bhelukhel, Bhaktapur, on Tuesday. Using ropes, a sea of people erect the wooden pole made of sal tree on the fourth day of the tion-making process has people
annual Bisket Jatra, only to dismantle it a day later. The tradition continues thus. POST PHOTO: LAXMI PD NGAKHUSI worried.
In his message, Prime Minister
Madhav Kumar Nepal said that
consensus and cooperation were
the need of the hour, appealing all
concerned to do their bit for the
accomplishment of major tasks at
hand.
Nepali Congress Acting
President Sushil Koirala under-
lined the need for consensus
among stakeholders for the sake of
peace and the constitution. He
went on to ask all concerned to
focus on promulgating the consti-
tution on time.
In his message, CPN-UML
President Jhala Nath Khanal
stressed the need for unity
among democratic forces for the
timely promulgation of the consti-
tution and success of the peace
process.

MRP deal politicised: India Nepal refuses to give in to pressure

POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, APRIL 13
India on Tuesday expressed its dis-
pleasure over the fallout of the Machine
Readable Passport (MRP) deal with
Nepal, saying that the MRP issue has
been politicised in Nepal, according to a
senior government official.
India also expressed concern that
“confidential communication from
the embassy has been publicised.”
This was in reference to the letter
dispatched by Indian Ambassador to
Nepal Rakesh Sood to Foreign
Minister Sujata Koirala that was
leaked to the press.
“It is a matter of regret that the
issue has been politicised in Nepal
and confidential communication from
the Embassy has been publicised,”
said an Indian Embassy statement
issued here on Tuesday.
“The arrangements agreed with
the Government of Nepal would have
allowed it to issue MRPs by early June
2010. To ensure this, SPMCIL and the
Government of India have already ini-
tiated action,” the statement added.
The Indian displeasure comes two
days after the government shelved the
controversial passport deal amid
widespread pressure from various
quarters, including the Parliament,
the Supreme Court (SC) and the
prime minister’s own party, CPN-
UML. Indian Ambassador Sood met
SC defers hearing
The SC on Tuesday instructed the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sub-
mit all related dossiers on MRP to
the court by April 26. “It means it
will take more time,” an official
said. A bench comprising Justices
Ram Prasad Shrestha and Prem
Sharma asked the foreign ministry
to submit all dossiers related to
MRP, Hemanta Rawal, the court’s
joint spokesperson, said.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal
on Tuesday morning and lodged his
“serious dissatisfaction over the
issue,” the government official said.
The one-on-one meeting, mostly
defying the diplomatic protocol and
without the customary presence of
Foreign Ministry officials, was to
POST REPORT Prime Minister Nepal said he minister supported by 22 political par-
KATHMANDU, APRIL 13
would not “kneel down in front of ties in the Constituent Assembly.
express his displeasure, officials said. Amid mounting pressure to step down, extremists”. “I will never give in to Although I am facing many charges, I
Indian embassy officials, the Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal extremism. I am firm on ensuring will not lose patience.”
Prime Minister’s advisers and the for- said on Tuesday that he would not sur- peace and defending democracy and Nepal also called on the political
eign ministry officials would not share render to what he called “extremists”. defeating extremism.” parties to build a common ground
the details of the meeting between In his New Year message to the The prime minister claimed he was consolidating commitments to the
Prime Minister Nepal and media, Nepal said he was demonstrat- doing his level best to stop possible supremacy of the constitution, rule of
Ambassador Sood. In a statement ing “maximum flexibility” to forge confrontation and rebuild the politics law, federalism, secularism, pluralism
issued on behalf of the Government of consensus among the political parties. of consensus. “I am an elected prime and independence of the judiciary.
India, the Indian embassy said that
India remains committed to strength-
ening ties with Nepal, which have
withstood the test of time.
“India agreed to supply the MRPs,
booklets through its government
undertaking, Security Printing and
Minting Corporation of India (SPM-
CIL), at a concessional price, as a ges-
ture of goodwill and in keeping with the
friendly relations between the two
countries,” the statement reads further.
In spirit of mutual cooperation,
the Indian government further agreed
to provide, at its cost, technical assis-
tance, which included supply of soft-
ware and hardware equipment, instal-
lation of these equipment at the
Central Passport Office in Kathmandu
and training of Nepali officials for
personalisation of MRPs, the state-
ment said.

Medicine Nation marks nine new

crunch ails
Achham
ACHHAM: Health centres
in rural areas of this district
have been facing a shortage
of medicines. The health
centre at Jaigadh, which
caters to the need of 30
VDCs through its seven
sub-health centres, lacks
drugs for most common
health problems like
fever, headache and diar-
rhoea.
The rise in the number of
diarrhoea patients has put
health centres under further
strain. “Owing to the drug
shortage, patients have no
option but to return home
without treatment,” said
Keshav Bhatta of the
Jaigadh-based health centre.
Chief of the Achham
District Hospital, Dr.
Purushottam Raj Sedai,
pledged to supply drugs.
(PR)
years in 365 days!
KESHAV P. KOIRALA
KATHMANDU, APRIL 13
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 cele-
brate New Year nine times in 365 days.
The first days of Bikram Samwat,
Nepal Samwat, Gregorian calendar,
Islamic or Hijri cal-
endar, and Tola Bikram Samwat 2067 (April 14, 2010) * calculations.”
Losar, Sonam Losar, Nepal Samwat 1131
Gyalpo Losar, Tamu Hijri Calendar 1432
Lhochhar, and Tamu Lhochhar
Magh 1 are observed
Gregorian Calendar
as the new years in
different communi- Tola Losar
ties. Change of the Sonam Losar
year plus cultural Yele Samwat, Maghi
and religious impor- Gyalbo Losar
tance aside, all these (Source: Department of Information) the same day.
days have been pro-
jected 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 calen- Bikram and Bikram Samwat in 1903 AD.
dar 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 calen-
dar. “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
(Nov. 6, 2010)* Though they do
(Dec. 7, 2010) not have a separate
(Dec. 30, 2010 )* calendar, Tharus
celebrate their New
(Jan. 1, 2011)*
Year on Magh 1.
(Jan. 5, 2011) Kirat people also
(Feb. 4, 2011)* have started cele-
(Jan. 15, 2011)* brating their New
(March 5, 2011)* Year of Yele era on
*: Public holidays Culture expert
Satya Mohan Joshi
believes that Bikram Samwat’s wide
use and legacy is instrumental in unit-
ing people. “People have started cam-
paigning 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 calendar till 879 AD,
only to be replaced with Nepal Samwat