Nepal's "living goddess" gets a pay rise

Nepal's "living goddess" gets a pay rise

Nepal has increased the monthly stipend it gives its "living goddess" by a quarter, a top official said on Thursday, to help the schoolgirl revered by thousands of Hindus and Buddhists beat double-digit inflation.


The girl called Kumari is considerd holy and is an attraction for the many tourists who visit the Himalayan nation every year.

"The government has increased the monthly allowance of Kumari from 6,000 rupees ($80) to 7,500 rupees," said Mod Raj Dotel, the top bureaucrat at the culture ministry which also oversees religious affairs.

"The increase is meant to help her lead an easy life," Dotel added. The government would also bear the expenses of her education, he said.

Political turmoil in Nepal has kept the impoverished economy on a low growth path. Nearly one-fourth of Nepalis live on a daily income of less than a dollar, and have to grapple with crippling electricity shortages and high inflation.

The girl chosen to play the divine role must pass a rigorous religious process must hail from a Buddhist Shakya family.

She then moves away from the family home and lives in a 15th century temple in Kathmandu's Basantapur area, noted for its ancient shrines, until retirement, which usually takes place at the onset of puberty.

Critics of the centuries-old Kumari tradition say the girl is denied basic human rights as she cannot lead a normal life during the time she serves as the "goddess".

In 2008, Nepal's Supreme Court ordered the government to safeguard Kumari's rights and ensure her health care and education.

Majority-Hindu Nepal became a secular nation in 2006 in a deal with the former Maoist rebels who ended their decade-long civil war.

Nepal Maoists says ruling parties trying to misinterpret three-point agreement

Nepal Maoists says ruling parties trying to misinterpret three-point agreement

The Unified CPN (Maoist) on Monday said the ruling parties are trying to interpret the three-point agreement reached on Friday night according to their convenience.

A meeting of the Maoist Standing Committee held at party headquarters here, made the call to the ruling parties, concluding that the pact should be implemented right away in order to build trust among the parties for establishing politics of consensus.


Nepalnews quoted Maoist spokesperson Dina Nath Sharma as, saying that the party has taken exception to the remarks and interpretations on the deal made by some ruling party leaders.

He further said the Maoists would put forth the issue at the three-party meeting scheduled today.

The three point deal includes, a provision for extending the term of the Constituent Assembly by a year, implementation of past agreements and the resignation of the Prime Minister within days to pave the way for a unity government.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress (NC) had reiterated that a national government would be formed only after the UCPN (Maoist) transforms itself into a civilian party.

According to Nepalnews, the parliamentary party meeting of the NC held at Singha Durbar on Sunday concluded that the party can support for Maoist leadership in the new government only after resolving all contentious issues in package.

They insist that Maoists must determine the number of combatants to be integrated into national security forces, return the captured properties and dismantle the paramilitary structure of the Young Communist League (YCL).

They also resolved to intensify its role in Constitution making and peace process for the next one year.
The ten parties associated with the current ruling coalition had also suggested Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to resign only after reaching an agreement in package.

Nepal feels effects of Maoist rallies

Nepal feels effects of Maoist rallies

KATHMANDU: An anti-government strike called by Maoists in Nepal has entered its third day, with many businesses still shut and roads empty. The Maoists want the government to resign. Talks are continuing between the sides to try to resolve the crisis. The Maoists say the government has no popular support and that Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal should stand down.


The BBC's Joanna Jolly in Kathmandu says protests so far have been largely peaceful, barring a few scuffles.

Officials say that armed police have escorted lorries with food supplies and fuel into the capital, which has been paralysed by the strike since Sunday.

The Maoists have forced most businesses, offices and schools to shut.

Food shops have been allowed to open for two hours in the evening but are reported to be running out of supplies.

On Tuesday the authorities began evacuating scores of tourists stranded by the strike.

Correspondents say that while the Maoists have not threatened tourists, their supporters have blocked roads and stopped vehicles, stranding many visitors in the western resort town of Pokhara.

Those wishing to leave from the country's only international airport in Kathmandu - which remains open - were forced to walk there as there are no taxis operating.
The main tourist area of Kathmandu, Thamel, has effectively been closed down because of the strike, officials say.

One of the organisers of the strike told the BBC that the protesters were determined to continue until their demands were met.

A number of Maoist supporters have returned to their farms outside the city to plant their maize crop. But they are being replaced by new supporters who say they have enough food and water supplies to stay for weeks.

The prime minister has said he will consider stepping down, but only if the Maoists pursue their demands through dialogue and meet certain conditions.

These include resolving who would lead a government of national unity, disbanding the Maoist paramilitary wing and returning property they seized during their 10-year conflict with the state.

The Maoists say the government has not consolidated Nepal's peace process and has failed to draft a new constitution.

Nepal police told to lose weight

Nepal police told to lose weight

Police in Nepal have been told to lose weight because they look lousy and people do not treat them as well, The Telegraph quoted a spokesman at the Nepalese Police Headquarters, as saying.


When you are fat, you look lousy and it's obvious that perception of people towards you is not positive. They don't trust you, police spokesman Bigyan Raj Sharma said, adding annual tests would be introduced to monitor progress.

Mr Sharma said the initiative was the result of feedback received by the Secretariat of the Inspector General of Police from unhappy members of the public.

He said each of the force's 56,000 officers will be given an individual regime to help them keep fit, and issued with a target Body Mass Index.

Fitness and yoga sessions will be scheduled, following a successful yoga camp with the renowned Indian guru Swami Ramdev organised for police last month.

Sharma said that junior officers working in desk jobs were the worst affected by weight problems.