GIVE UP BATTLE FRENZY, CPRM TELL MAOISTS
The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists has called on the Maoist rebels and the Government of Nepal to give up their "war frenzy" or they ran the risk of getting smothered by foreign hands. The CPRM issued a statement on the Nepali New Year saying the "civil war" would rob the country's independence, sovereignty and democracy", which is yet in its "infancy". The crisis affects not only Nepal but the Indian sub-continent as well, an India in particular, the CPRM said.

Nepalis should be cautious against foreign intervention that comes in the name of suppressing terrorism, it said, noting that the HImalayan kingdom's economy, culture, social fabric and political atmosphere. "We feel this bloody civil war should end immediately. Both sides should give up war frenzy and resume peace talks. Reform or radical change in the society can come about only in peace," said R B Rai, CPRM central committee general secretary.

The CPRM central committee appealed to all left, "progressive, democratic and peace loving forces" of Nepal to "persuade and pressurise" both rulers and rebels to resolve the present crisis on the negotiation table. "both the rulers and the rebels should ponder over the consequences of this war for a country like Nepal that is solely dependent on other countries, even for development works," the release stated.

TEACHER IN ASSAULT ROW
A Kalimpong school teacher has been accused of assaulting the son of a pastor on Nepalese New Year. Some local organisations have demanded immediate withdrawal of the case against Suva Pradhan and said that the incident has been given a communal colour. Pradhan allegedly beat up David Tharchin, son of Rev S G Tharchin. Kalimpong Police launched an inquiry after Tharchin's mother lodged an FIR. It was found that David verbally abused Pradhan and was a troublemaker. On April 14, when a cultural programme was organised by Nari Sangathan at Gumba Hatta in Kalimpong on the occasion of Nepali New Year, David landed up at the venue drunk and shouted obscenities and making similar gesticulations. Pradhan, a science teacher of Scottish Universities' Mission Institute (Sumi) was the compere for the programme.

The incident did not end there. The next day, David returned home with bruises. The Tharchin family lodged an FIR against Pradhan and alleged that on the night of April 14, Pradhan had led a gang searching for David. David has been admitted to Kalimpong Sadar Hospital.

Principal of Sumi N R Pradhan has apologised but the Tharchin family has rejected it. The staff Council condemned the attitude of the Tharchin family and urged the reverend to come to an amicable settlement and withdraw the FIR.

JAPANESE GREEN TEAM STUDIES HILLS
A delegation from Japan Ecological Foundation - a Japanese NGO working towards afforestation, biodiversity and eco-tourism - visited Darjeeling. The chairman of the NGO, Yuchi Takami, recently come to know about the ecological problems of Darjeeling and wanted to work in the area provided he gets help from some local NGO.

During the delegation's visit to Darjeeling, local NGO Federation of Societies for Environmental Protection (Fosep) met it and wanted to work with it. At a function organised at Ging Tea Garden, Fosep officials submitted a memorandum to Takami. "You would agree that the Himalayas are environmentally and ecologically significant not only for the Indian sub-continent but also for the whole of Asia including Japan," stated the memorandum. "The responsibility and obligation to conserve the region intact falls upon all of us and it is certainly difficult for one single country to address its myriad issues and problems," said the memorandum.

The Fosep officials also told the Japanese delegation about the developmental activities they have been conducting in the region. The delegation left for Sikkim. It is scheduled to meet Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and senior officials of Tourism, horticulture, floriculture and forest departments and discuss issues of mutual importance.