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can softech 2013

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Back to bourgeoisie schooling

When the CPN (Maoist), now split into the UCPN (Maoist) and the CPN-Maoist, fought a decade-long war against the state, they ran their own schools in rural villages of Nepal. Ostensibly, the objective of the Maoist schools was to create what the rebels described as a ‘scientific’ and ‘progressive’ education system. In reality, the Maoist schools were run to develop a new breed of young communists by indoctrinating children. The Maoists believed that it was necessary to sustain their war.  The self-styled schools of the Maoists, locally referred to as ‘Janabadi Vidhyalayas’, were mostly operated in what was deemed to be their base area, particularly in the mid-western hills where the state forces, like the Nepal Army (NA) and Nepal Police, could hardly reach. In Rolpa alone, which was the epicenter of the Maoist insurgency, as many as 23 schools were run by the Maoists. Around 40 more schools were run by the Maoists in other districts like Rukum, Kalikot, Salyan and Jajarkot.

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Increasing literacy big challenge for govt

Though the government already lags behind in meeting the literacy targets set for the previous years, the government is under intense pressure to achieve 100 percent literacy by 2015 to meet the Millennium Development Goal (MDG).  For this, Non Formal Education Center (NFEC) needs to make 1.7 million people literate this year alone. The campaign launched in 2009 to meet the MDG of education by 2015, failed to meet its target in the scheduled three years. Though the campaign targeted to make 2.3 million people literate, only 1.8 million people benefited from the drive.  The NFEC had carried out survey in 2008, which found that 5.17 million people above 15 years-age were still illiterate in the country. Similarly, the National Census report 2011 revealed that 34.1 percent of the total population was illiterate in the country.  In such scenario, the government had to come up with the ambitious plan to make sure that four million people be literate annually to meet the target of total literacy by 2015. For the same, the three-year campaign, from 2013 to 2015, had a target to make 1.3 million people literate per year in a bid to cover 4 million people above 15 years of age who are said to be illiterate.  Though the NFEC was to make 1.3 million people literate in the fiscal year 2012/13, the absence of full budget later compelled the office to minimize the first year´s target to just 1.1 million. Following the same limitation, this years´ target has been expanded to 1.7 million. The NFEC has received Rs 1 billion for the campaign this year. Meanwhile, the government again missed 2,00,000 people contrary to the plan as only 0.9 million could be trained to read, write, use mobile phone, calculator and deal with banking business after receiving a three-month training as per the modified course in the last fiscal year. But the Minister for Eduation Madhav Poudel claims that the government can achieve the target in the next two years. “We have made sure that the campaign will not suffer in lack of budget this time,” claimed Poudel, adding that all the other ministries have also been asked to allocate some amount for the literacy campaign. Similarly, the policy on including project work for grade 9 and 10 students is also on the last stage of finalization in the ministry as per which each student would receive 10 marks in their exam for making five people literate, he added. So far some districts of Tarai have failed to launch the literacy program and the center is prepared to take the allocated amount back from those districts, said the NFEC Director Baburam Poudel. “Dhanusha and Mohattari are among the worst performers and we are all set to withdraw the allocated amount of Rs 10.5 million each,” claimed the NFEC director.  Human Development Index depicts that average education standard of Nepalis is till third-grade, the same as Afghanistan. Only 6.2 million of the total population of the country has reached above SLC education.

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Local communities to help deal with disasters

Participation of local communities in fire management is a key to deal with fire outbreaks in the Kathmandu Valley that reels under the shortage of fire-fighters and fire engines, suggest experts.  They also say that densely populated urban areas are at the high risk of fire during an earthquake.  In the poorly planned and densely populated urban areas of the Kathmandu Valley, fire hazards resulting from earthquakes can cause huge loss of lives and property, including damages to the historically and religiously important buildings and monuments, because the government authorities have limited resources to tackle a massive fire.  As part of the disaster preparedness program, the government is planning to form the first of its kind community-based volunteer fire fighting groups´ to protect the historically important Patan Durbar Square area in Lalitpur district from losses that may be caused by a outbreak of fire. The durbar square is enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City Office (LSMC), in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is all set to form as many as 17 Civil Firefighting Corps (CFC), volunteer groups involving locals for fire fighting in nine wards of the metropolitan in the vicinity of the durbar square.  "In order to minimize the effect of disasters, we thought participation of locals can be instrumental in managing fire in the historically significant areas. So, we are going to form volunteer firefighting groups," said Ram Prasad Dahal, chief of Disaster Preparedness Section at the LSMC.  According to him, the number of volunteer in each group of CFC will range between 8-22 members based on the density of population in a particular area.  "By the next six month, we will form CFC committees in all the nine wards and the committees will be an integral part of the Disaster Preparedness Ward Office formed in each ward of the district," he said.  He said that locals will be selected for the purpose and given firefighting training within the six-month period. Likewise, the LSMC is also seeking help from donor agencies for equipments like water pump sets and fire-proof clothes, among others, and also construct physical infrastructures like water reservoir tanks.  The budget for the CFC project is around Rs 40 million, he said. The ward office has been formed under the District Disaster Management Committee. And the committee has been recently formed by the government in all the 75 districts for rapid response in case of a natural disaster.  For the implementation of the CFC in the areas, the LSMC and JICA had conducted a one-year feasibility research in the wards in September, 2012.  "We studied about the availability of water resources in the areas. We had examined 361 wells, 14 taps, and six ponds. Of the total sources, only 17 wells have sufficient water to be used for dousing fire," said Dibyaswari Thapa, co-researcher of the research project.  "As the houses have been constructed close to each other, there is also a chance of fires spreading rapidly. So, the formation of CFC is very important," said she.  Due to the narrow road stretches around the durbar square area, fire engines takes 10-15 minutes to reach the site. The time interval is enough to ravage the historically and culturally important area. But the formation of CFC will be instrumental to nip the fire incident in the bud, she said.  "As it is a community-based project, locals participating in the CFC as firefighting volunteers know about the details of their neighbors. And it can also help to rescue and save lives," she said.  Dhakal maintained that the public in the areas are positive for the cause and the project will be able to set an example how public participation can really help to reduce losses during disasters. 

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MPRF-N set to forge seat adjustments with SP

In what appears to be a counter move against the electoral alliance between Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party and Bijaya Gachhadar´s MPRF-D, Upendra Yadav-led MPRF-N and Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhavana Party (SP) have reached an agreement to make seat adjustments during the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls. "The talks between the two party chiefs of SP and MPRF-N in Kathmandu on Saturday were positive and has paved the way for making seat adjustments between the two parties," Central Committee (CC) member of SP Upendra Mahato told Republica.  "It is an attempt to revive the United Madheshi Front (UMF), which was formed after Madhes movement," said Mahato. He further said that they were considering reinstating UMF, as they felt "sidelined by MPRF-D and TMDP". MPRF-N and SP were the constituent parties of UMF.  After its formation on December 28, 2007, TMDP had formed United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), comprising three parties, MPRF-N, TMDP and SP. Later, MPRF-N quit UDMF, citing differences over political document.  Mahato has termed the electoral adjustment between MPRF-D and TMDP as ´a deal done in a hurry´. "They [MPRF-D and TMDP] have forged adjustment deal by ignoring us," added Mahato. He further said that his party decided to go for seat adjustment with MPRF-N to counter move by MPRF-D and TMDP. "They forged adjustment by ignoring the concerns of Madhesi people, who are in favor of a single alliance of Madhesi parties," insisted Mahato. SP General Secretary Manish Suman said that they would forge electoral adjustment with any ´like-minded´ political parties. "We are open to adjustments with any party with similar agenda," added Suman. "However, we are trying to form a single alliance comprising all Madhesi forces."  Another SP leader, seeking anonymity, said that if there are two electoral alliances in Madhesh for CA elections, it should be taken as natural. "There could be two electoral alliances, one between SP and MPRF-N, and other could be between TMDP and MPRF-D. Both alliances are natural." He further added that both the TMDP and MPRF-D were formed by former Nepali Congress leaders so their closeness is not unnatural. Asserting that the electoral alliance between SP and MPRF-N is also natural, he said, "Both parties have emerged from Madhes agenda. SP has been solely working for the cause of Madhes for the last 22 years, while MPRF-N emerged from Madhesh uprising."

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Five person missing in Sunsari flood

Five persons, including four of a single family, have gone missing since Friday night after a flood caused by heavy rainfall in Sehara River in Panchakanya VDC in Sunsari district swept away their house.  According to the police, family members of Man Kumar Limbu, 47, and a guest visiting the family were swept away after the flooded Sehara River swept away Man Kumar´s house at Sauni of Panchakanya VDC.  Along with Man Kumar, his wife Dil Bahadur Limbu, 35, and his two sons, Sunil and Krishna have also gone missing, said the police. The identity of the guest staying at Man Kumar´s house remains unknown. Inspector Mukunda Rijal informed that locals of Charkoshi Jhadi on Saturday morning found a dead body. “We have sent the dead body for autopsy at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. We suspect the deceased is Man Kumar´s eldest son Anil,” said Rijal.  He said though locals at Baukajhoda in Itahari have found two dead bodies, the police have yet to establish their identities as flood in the Sehara River has disrupted telephone service.  As both Seuti and Sehara rivers are flooded, the police have faced difficulty reaching the incident site located in a remote part of Panchakanya VDC.  Flood in Sehara River washed away the house as the house was constructed close to the river, he added.  Meanwhile, Red Cross Society in Sunsari has mobilized a team to the incident site, but the team is yet to submit its report, said Umesh Thapa, vice president of the Red Cross Society in the district.  Likewise, flood in Sehara River has damaged many disrupted water supply in various parts of Morang and Sunsari districts.  Similarly, a wooden bridge constructed over Seuti River in Panchakanya VDC has been damaged by the flood on Friday night. The bridge was the only link of the VDC to Dharan. The locals heavily rely on Dharan for daily necessities, health services and education.