http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=25923
'Proportional representation makes polls meaningful' [ 2007-8-30 ] RSS LALITPUR, Aug. 29: Martyr Memorial Committee paid tribute to the great martyr Shukra Raj Shashtri on the occasion of his 144th birth day organizing a programme at Pulchowk, the place of Shashtri's statue, yesterday. The autocratic Ranas had killed martyr Shashtri citing his protest against their rule in 1997 BS. Various common people, political leaders and their cadres and representatives of civil society had paid tribute to the martyr Shashtri. At the programme, one of the precursors of the Civil Society, Devendra Raj Pandey said getting victory in the election by the political leaders is not great but being statesman. Stating that the constituent assembly election will be meaningful if it is held as per the complete proportional representation system, Pandey said people's liberty will again be suppressed if the path shown by the martyrs is not followed. Daughter of martyr Chiniya Lal Singh, Usha Singh said the martyrs' dreams would not be fulfilled only by marking their birthdays. Chairman of the Committee, Prakash Dhar Sharma said the admiration on words of the sacrifice of martyr Shashtri for the freedom will be always less and little. Democratic Jana Mukti Party (DJMP) has demanded a complete proportional representation system on the basis of ethnic population taking the whole nation as a single constituency in the forthcoming constituent assembly (CA) election. The three-day long Central Committee Meeting of the Party held here has made such demand, drawing a conclusion that all the ethnic groups may not be represented unless the provision of fully proportional representation system is made. Talking to the media persons after the meeting, Chairman of the Party, Gore Bahadur Khapangi said an extensive discussion should be held on the forms of the restructure of state and inclusiveness. The meeting also suggested the government to fulfill the demands of various groups including Madheshi, indigenous nationalities, Dalit and women by holding the dialogues. Stating that launching the people's action as a ruling party was much deplorable; the DJMP said neither of the ruling parties nor those out of the government should launch such activities. Meanwhile, Nepal Dalit Liberation Front (United) has announced that it will further intensify the upcoming protest programmes for fulfilling the basic demands of the Dalit community. In a press conference organised Tuesday, the Front made public the important decisions related to the organisation and struggle taken by the plenary meeting of the Front from 25 -27 August, 2006. The Front stated that the government has not addressed the fundamental demands of the Dalit community even while making amendments to the Interim Constitution from time to time. It also accused the government of being indifferent towards these demands of the Dalit community in the talks on 17 August 2007. President of the Front, Tilak Pariyar said the plenary meeting dissolved the 14 regional coordination committees of the Front which were in existence until now and constituted 11 Jatiya and Regional State Committee and three sub-regional committees like the CPN (Maoist) has done and also assigned the coordinators of these committees. It was announced at the press conference that the Front would be launching protest programmes from 18 September around the slogan, 'Caste discrimination and untouchability are serious social crimes! Speacial Rights to the Dalits in all sectors of the State'. Under the protest programmes, the Front would be organizing sit-ins, general strike, Bandh and public mobilization, and taking public action against people practicing untouchability. Meanwhile in Kaski, District Development Committee (DDC), Kaski has provided scholarship for seven Dalit students of the districts aiming to increases the access of Dalit Community in education. Students, who received scholarship include, Rudra Bahadur Nepali, Masters' Level student of Prithvi Narayan Campus, Prem Bahadur Nepali and Durga Pariyar of Bachelors' level and Gautam Baraili and Sharmila Nepali of the Certificate level. Similarly the Kaski DDC provided scholarship for Rudra Bahadur Pariyar and Saraswoti Nepali, who secured highest marks in the SLC examinations of 2063 BS, from the Dalit Community in the district. Meanwhile in Tulasipur (Dang), eight persons were injured in the clash that took place between cadres of the United National Tharu Front, Nepal and the traders at Lamahi today as the former tried to forcibly shut down shops in course of the indefinite chakka jam called by Front. According to the Area Police Office, Lamahi, the injured are undergoing treatment at the Primary Health Centre, Lamahi. The clash took place as the cadres of the Front were forcibly closing down the market today, the third day of the transport strike called in five districts of the mid-west region including Dang. In course of the clash, the cadres also set ablaze two motorcycles owned by the traders. The situation has come under control after security personnel were extensively mobilized, the District Police Office, Dang has said.
