Int'l peace award of US$ 50,000 on Buddha's name

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, May 25

The Government of Nepal is officially publicising the establishment of the Gautam Buddha International Peace Award (GBIPA) worth US$ 50,000 on the occasion of 2554^th Buddha anniversary on May 27. Buddha was born at Tilaurakot, Kapilvastu district in Lumbini Zone in Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture (MoFACAPAC), the award will be given to national and international personalities and organisations working for peace and human rights. An individual or organisation will be rewarded with US$ 50,000 in each five years.

“The decision to provide the GBIPA to the peace makers will be officially publicised on the occasion of the Buddha Jayanti function in Lumbini on May 27,” said Rishi Kesh Niroula, under-secretary at the MoFACAPAC. “The winner will be declared on the Buddha Jayanti in 2011 first time and the award will be given on that day,” he added.

The government decided to establish the GBIPA in November 11, 2002. However, it could not be materialised due to the extreme political situation in the country.

“Now, everything is prepared accordingly and it is on the final stage to recognise officially,” said Niroula. “The Peace Award Management and Coordination Committee, headed by Kul Chandra Gautam, former assistant UN General Secretary has been recently formed,” he told this daily.

The committee comprises of four members-- former chief secretary Dr Bimal Koirala, renowned artist Urmila Garga, singer Aani Choying Drolma, and Acharya Karma Sangbo Sherpa, vice-chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust. The secretariat of the committee will be stationed at the MoFACAPAC.

The committee will formulate criteria and determine procedures soon, said Niroula. “It will select the nominees within a year and recommend best three candidates to the government,” he said. “Finally, the government will select the winner of the GBIPA,” he added.

The LDT in coordination with the Ministry, the Kapilvastu District Development Committee, Kapilvastu Municipality, the Dharmodaya Sabha and other organisations will organise Buddha Jayanti in Lumbini this year. The Ministry has disbursed Rs 2 million for the celebration.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Culture Minister Dr Minendra Rijal among other ministers are scheduled to visit Lumbini on the occasion. Meanwhile, along with different programmes, an art exhibition ‘Light of Asia’ by Vietnamese artist Phu Nguyen will be on display in Lumbini,” said Prakash Darnal, officer at the MoFACAPAC. “It will be a historic celebration in terms of declaring a big award,” he added.

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Thousands flock the street against Maoist strike

Thousands of people from all walks of life landed on the streets in the Kathmandu to shun violence and strike called by the UCPN-Maoist, which came into peace process after a decade of armed struggle. About 14,000 people were killed during the Maoist insurgency.

This time, Maoists are on the street calling a general strike demanding resignation from Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and forming a coalition government led by the Maoists, who did not dare to follow the constitutional way by bringing no confidence motion in the parliament and voting for and against the government.

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Peaceful demos Maoist ploy to deceive int'l society

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, May 6

The supporters and cadres of Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoists have been staging demonstrations peacefully more than it was expected. UCPN-M is still tagged in US terrorist list although Nepal government lifted it after it coordinated with other political parties to abolish monarchy and establish Federal Democratic of Nepal in 2006.

Maoists signed the papers with commitment to follow the democratic path and abandon violence. The ten year armed conflict ended as they came into peace process. However, they are still clinging in their goals to establish totalitarian communism. They are using strategies and tricks to empower them a for the final war. They accumulated force amidst their thin presence before entering into peace process.

They want to hold state power by forcing the other parties. So they are now on the streets for last five days calling the nationwide general strike, demanding the government to step down and form new coalition headed by Maoists.

Their artificial restraint was indicatively disclosed by one educated supporter while the supreme commanders  of the party were openly threatening  to seize power if their demands were not met. They are planning to seize state power within few months. They want first to win the sympathy from international communities by showing artificial restraint in the demonstrations.

"This is a diplomatic strategy to get international support and involve in the government," said demonstrator Hom Nath Nepal, a teacher from Sindhupalchowk district. "As we win the international support and are involved in the government, we will seize state power ousting all and will achieve final goal to set up communism in the country," he added in an media investigation in the Maoist demonstration at New Baneshwor yesterday.

Therefore, Nepalese people may face violence and democracy will be snatched once again if it is not understood in time and not managed to get help from UN and international communities to curb totalitarianism in the Himalayan country.

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Nature naturally natures normally all

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