28 June, 2004; NOW! 1

C M Y K

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JORHAT, 27 June: The army isall set to launch a fresh offensiveagainst the ULFA, following a SOSby the Assam Government to thedefence ministry for immediate de-ployment of jawans to stop re-newed violence.

Army sources here said, the statehome ministry had sent a messageto the defence ministry and follow-ing which the army was ready toconduct operation in ULFA-infesteddistricts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh,Sibsagar and Jorhat.

After the operation by the RoyalBhutan army, this would be the sec-ond such offensive and the armyhas already ordered its battalions toreach upper Assam border areas,which would be the initial scene ofaction, the sources said.

Sources also claimed that of late,the ULFA had been very active inthe region with help of a Naga out-fit for logistic support in the jungleson the borders of these states. Thearmy had also taken note of the factthat the ULFA and the naga outfithad come to an understanding tolaunch ‘joint operations’ until theirdemands for talks were met.

Although the ULFA chairmanArabindo Rajkhowa has reportedlyshown desire for talks, hardlinersled by commander-in-chief PareshBaruah have insisted on three con-ditions — talks to be held in a for-eign country, under UN supervisionand the talks must centre around theissue of sovereignty of the state(which both the state and centralgovernment have rejected).

Sources said a 14-memberULFA group was currently operat-ing in the border areas of upper As-sam and there was an ‘agreement’with other insurgent outfits active inthe region to go for fresh recruitmentfollowing the formation of a new‘forum’ by the insurgents.

SUBASH RAI

Today [28 June], is AshadPandra, the 15th day of themonth of Ashad of the

Nepali lunar calendar. The day isespecially associated with the cul-tivation of paddy.

The occasion is symbolic andon this day even the King andQueen of Nepal go into the paddyfields to work with their hands.

Although the day is not knownfor any great festivity as all the vil-

lagers are busy in their fields, onetradition still remains. All the farm-ers eat Dahi-Chewra mixed eitherwith sugar or banana before goingto the fields.

With the passage of time, how-ever, traditions like these are in dan-ger of disappearing.

“Not only the traditions, butalso the people’s interest in agricul-ture is also going down,” says anold farmer from Barbing Busty inEast Sikkim.

According to him, the entire

Today is Ashad ko Pandra GateyThe right time totalk Agriculture

paddy cultivation in his village aswell neighbouring areas of

Lingdum, Rodong, Rumtek, Lowerturn to pg 5

KARAN SHAH

KALIMPONG, 27 June: Al-though seven of the 30 pollingbooths in the Kalimpong munici-pality had been declared “sensi-tive,” the administration need nothave bothered with such classifica-tions. The much-awaited municipal

IS 61% GOOD ENOUGH FOR A CHANGE IN KPG?polls held today were conducted ina very peaceful manner in all the23 wards with initial estimates sug-gesting a 61 per cent voter turnout.The question that now remains iswhether this 61% is good enoughto effect a change in the subdivi-sion’s municipal politics.Kalimpong, it might be recalled is

the only municipality in the Hillswhich has not uncontested wins forthe GNLF.

The people’s interest in the pollprocess was evident in the nearly30 per cent turnout recorded bymidday itself. A total of 101 candi-dates had filed their nominationsfrom the 23 wards. The fates lie in

the hands of the 28,783 voters thatthe Kalimpong municipality has.

An interesting developmentthis time, apart from the collectivestand taken against the GNLF bylocal opposition leaders, has beenthe emergence of young candidates.

BK Thapa, a 27 year old candi-turn to pg 5

ULFAATTACKS:ASSAM

SENDS SOSTO ARMY

AusAIDto begin

watersurveyin July

TURN TO pg 3

FOR DETAILS

2; NOW!; 28 June, 2004

C M Y K

NOW!FIRST WITH THE NEWS

ED-SPACE

Grooming AchieversMany years have passed since a Sikkimese cleared the IAS ex-amination. Frankly speaking, we are not too sure whether anytook the examination either ever since the young Sangay Laden,who later met an untimely death, did Sikkim proud by becomingthe third Sikkimese to successfully take the civil services exami-nation. Three - that’s the number of Indian Civil Servants that theSikkimese educational system has created in twenty-eight yearsthat Sikkim has been a part of India! There have been none whohave enrolled in the Indian Police Service so far! Compare thiswith Bihar, ranked much lower than Sikkim as far as literacy andquality of life goes, which has accounted for 26 per cent of the IPSofficers in the country in the last decade. While it is an acceptedfact that the services are losing their charm with the best brains inthe country increasingly opting for higher studies or seeking outcareers in the private sector, the same does not apply to Sikkim.The number of Sikkimese students pursuing higher education oremployed with topnotch private companies is embarrassingly lowif not nonexistent. This is not an attempt to make a case on thevirtues of a career in the services, nor even a castigation of themental calibre of the local youth, it is simply an illustration ofSikkim’s dismal track record in education. This is an importantpoint for consideration given the fact that the government is plan-ning to set up a university and a slew of other educational institu-tions in the State.It’s obvious that the quality of education in most schools in thestate is woefully mediocre. At best, the schools churn outsemiliterates who enrol in colleges along with a chip on their shoul-der. Laloo’s Bihar cannot possibly be handling education bettereither, but his State still produces achievers. It is obviously not justschools that matter, parents in particular and society at large, too,are responsible. The Sikkimese ethos does not promote the spiritof either individuality or competitiveness, both of which are neces-sary tools for survival in our performance-oriented job market. Whileit was all well till the State soaked in whatever the schools pro-duced, the situation becomes alarming now because the govern-ment employment has saturated.So, what can be done now? Much, actually. For starters, the Edu-cation Department has to decide to move beyond figures. Thequality of education has to improve. Sikkim’s teachers are amongthe best paid in the country. The Department should now demandthat they start producing the best students too. Government teach-ers, so popular in the tuition circuit, should be taking even betterclasses in schools where they have the support of better infra-structure. The initiative demanding performance should be backedwith motivational drives to instil a sense of competition among thestudents. Admittedly, a generation groomed on handouts wouldfind it difficult to prepare the next for the cutthroat job-market ofthe new economy. But at least we can try.

Unlike their counterparts inthe English national newspapers who even rise to the

position of resident editors, womenjournalists in the regional press aregenerally employed like daily-wageearners and face sexual harassmentat the workplace, a study under-taken by the National Commissionfor Women [NCW] has said.

The NCW study “Status ofWomen Journalists in India,” car-ried out by the Press Institute ofIndia [PII] reveals that women inthe regional and vernacular pressare lagging far behind their col-leagues in the English languagepress.

The study is based on a surveyof responses to problems and issuesconfronting women working in themedia, to gauge the extent of di-rect and indirect discrimination atworkplace among other things,from as many as 410 women jour-nalists working nearly in all thestates and union territories. The 410women journalists included 190from the regional press and 220from the English media.

There is a vast difference in thewages earned by women in Englishnational newspapers and those inthe regional media. It was shock-ing to find that in the regional pressin several parts of the country, menand women were hired like contractlabour on daily wages, the studypointed out.

At the end of the month theyare paid on a voucher system, anamount that varied from Rs. 1500to Rs. 3000. “They are extremelyinsecure, living from month tomonth and when the establish-ment decides that it does not needso many hands, it is invariably thewomen are the first to be axed,”it said.

Besides, majority of the women

In his visit to Ireland, PresidentBush stayed in a 16th century

Renaissance castle on a 375-acresecluded estate. But it wasn’t se-cluded enough.

Bush was spotted by televisioncameras as he was standing in a T-shirt at his window at DromolandCastle. He was visible from thewaist up, apparently as he waschanging clothes.

An embarrassed Irish govern-ment quickly tried to prevent therelease of the images.

A notice to the news mediasaid, “The host broadcaster inad-vertently transmitted pictures ofPresident Bush at the window ofDromoland Castle. These picturesare the property of the Irish presi-dency and must not be used fortransmission by any service.”

In April 1998, a news camera zoom-ing in on President Clinton’s hotel suitein Dakar, Senegal captured images of himchomping a cigar, tapping an Africandrum and strumming a guitar.

� ISSUES

‘Women scribes face discriminationin regional press’

surveyed were on contract for twoor three years and at the end of theperiod there was no guarantee thatthe contract would be renewed.

The study also revealed thatseveral newspapers are reluctant toemploy women because theywould take maternity leave or haveto be provided transport after nightduty. Sexual harassment at work

is a reality and despite the SupremeCourt ruling that there should be apermanent committee in every or-ganisation to look into complaintsof sexual harassment, the respond-ents said that no such committeesexisted.

The study also brought out that‘more women were being em-ployed in the media now since theywere available at lower salaries onthe contract system. In such circum-stances, fair reporting and practicesare more difficult to promote’. Ne-glect of maternity and childcareprovisions are the other major con-cerns of women journalists work-ing in the regional press.

“As a profession it is very sat-isfying and stimulating. But thework environment needs to beegalitarian and encouraging. Atpresent, enthusiasm is often wa-tered down by unresponsive organi-sations that are not sensitive to gen-

der specific requirements which areoften viewed as liabilities — trans-port, maternity leave, childcare fa-cilities and rest rooms among otherthings,” a woman journalist said.

“There is no transparency inpolicy matters - entitlements, rightsand promotion criteria,” she added.

In the regional press, womenare more visible, but they arelargely on the desk or in the Sun-day sections of newspapers. A lotof them write for the supplementson topics like social gossip, partycircuits, films and celebrities. Thereare few women reporters and spe-cial correspondents. However, theregional press bureaus in Delhi dohave few women doing city report-ing and even cover Parliament.

However, they have recom-mended among other things gendersensitisation, organising trainingand information sessions, encour-aging women journalists in hardreporting, provision of basic facili-ties like toilets and canteen, ap-pointment of women on top mana-gerial posts and appointment of anorganisation to look into sexualharassment cases.

The study has also recom-mended that a cell be set up in thePress Council to specifically hearissues related to women journalists— such as transfers, promotions,night shifts, maternity leave, spe-cial needs and sexual harassmentamong other things.

write NOW! Democracy does not only allow a person the libertyof holding an opinion, but also expressing it publicly. If you feelstrongly about something that has been reported in NOW! or havean opinion on some recent development, then share it with a wideraudience. While the LETTERS section will carry responses to ar-ticles and news carried in NOW!, ACTION MAIL is about com-plaints and grievances. Wherever possible, NOW! shall also searchout a response to the Action Mail. If not, then at least a complaintwould have been filed in the public domain.write to: NOW!, Gairi Gaon, Tadong, East Sikkim.Or email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

As far as Bush’s Irih visit is con-cerned, there is more. Maybe it wasjet lag, or maybe summit-fatigue.

Bush on Saturday twice hadtrouble figuring out what day itwas. At a news conference follow-ing the U.S.-European Union sum-mit, Bush first said he was travelingon to Turkey on Sunday to meetwith leaders of NATO nations.

“Tomorrow I will travel to Turkeyfor the NATO summit,” he said. “Ac-tually, today I will travel to Turkey.Tomorrow is the NATO summit.”

Later, he repeated his blunder -still not getting the schedule right.

“As I said tomorrow I’m goingto go to Turkey for the NATO sum-mit,” he said. “Today I’m going toTurkey. Tomorrow’s the summit.”

If it’s Saturday, Mr. President,it must be Ireland [during the day]

and Turkey [at night].At the end Bush used the mix-

up to his advantage.“No,” he told a reporter trying

to squeeze in one more question.“We’ve got to go to Turkey.”

Bush had a last-minute send-offbefore leaving for Turkey - fromabout 400 protesters.

“George Bush never shouldhave come here and it’s not a mo-ment too soon that he leaves,” saidRichard Boyd Barrett, leader of agroup called the Irish Anti-Warmovement, said as the engines ofAir Force One revved nearby.

Bush had been the target of pro-tests since his arrival Friday, when10,000 demonstrators marchedthrough Dublin.

On Saturday, about 5,000 traveledby bus to barbed wire barricades set

up a few miles from the castle. About4,000 police and 2,000 soldiers - one-third of the security forces in Ireland -patrolled the security cordon aroundthe leaders’ meeting.

The protests lasted more thanan hour with no trouble or arrestsand little tension.

“We came to demonstrate toshow that the people here aren’t anti-American,” said Carol Fox, anAmerican who is from New Yorkand has lived in a suburb of Dublinfor more than 20 years. “We’re allanti-George Bush. Everything I everlearned in school about human rightshas been contravened by this man.”

She held a sign that said “U.S.citizens in Ireland for peace.”

The media alo learnt some hardlessions. The White House canceledRadio and Television Ireland’s

scheduled interview of First LadyLaura Bush during her short staythere for the U.S.-European Unionsummit, the president’s spokesmanScott McClellan said Saturday.

He didn’t say why, but the reasonfor the decision was clear: The WhiteHouse didn’t like the news organiza-tion’s interview with the president atthe White House last Thursday.

During the interview, Bush be-came exasperated with his ques-tioner, who seemed intent on con-trolling the discussion.

In one exchange, Bush madethe point that Saddam Hussein hadused weapons of mass destructionagainst Iraqis.

“Indeed, Mr. President, but youdidn’t find the weapons of mass de-struction,” the interviewer shot back.

“Let me finish,” Bush said. “Letme finish, please. Please. You askthe questions and I’ll answer them,if you don’t mind.

Three more times he scoldedthe interviewer:

HOW DOES BUSH DO IT?

28 June, 2004; NOW! 3

C M Y K

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SUBHAS RAI

GANGTOK, 26 June: If you haverecently been seeing advertise-ments issued by the Water Secu-rity & Public Health EngineeringDepartment [erstwhile PHE] inlocal newspapers asking “Help usto serve you better,” do take themseriously. Although skeptics mayscoff at this latest initiative byPHE, the advertisements refer toa “consumer survey” on watersupply and sewerage, which willbe starting from July.

At the PHE Department, wewere told that full-scale planningfor the survey had already begun atthe newly established AustralianAid Agency’s [AusAID] office atPanihouse.

According to Dr. Sally Rynveld,Community Development Advisorof AusAID, the agency helpingPHE with the project, the survey ismainly for the Gangtok Town Area

AusAID to begin water survey in Julywith the main objective being toidentify the actual number of con-sumers and the problems faced bythem as well as by the department.The survey would also collect sew-erage related data from the public.

The survey will start from Julyand will be completed within sixmonths. AusAID is imparting train-ing to the surveyors who consist oflocal youth selected by the depart-ment, as well as to the staff whowill be the supervisors. It will be adoor-to-door survey, especially tar-geted at house owners to seek mis-cellaneous information such as thenumber of taps in use, source oftheir water, etc.

“Finally, the reports will be sub-mitted to the department, and it willbe utilized to work out how to sup-ply clean, hygienic and ample wa-ter to Gangtokians through CentralGovernment approved funds,” Dr.Rynveld informed.

Dr. MK Nath, Community De-

velopment Specialist of AusAIDurged the public to openly furnishthe factual data to surveyors.

“No penalty or punishment willbe imposed on any consumer if theyhave been defaulting in the past,”he says. Delivering a message to theconsumers, Dr. Nath requests, “For-get about the past, come forwardto avail of the best service from thedepartment.”

ANAND OBEROI

GANGTOK, 27 June: With the in-vasion of Tibet, the nature-friendlyway of life of the Tibetan people wastrampled upon by a materialistic Chi-nese ideology. The invasion was fol-lowed by widespread environmentaldestruction in Tibet, resulting in de-forestation, overgrazing, uncon-trolled mining, nuclear waste dump-ing and other perils. China continuesto extract various minerals withoutfollowing any environmental safe-guards, and as a result, Tibet is fac-ing an environmental crisis, whichwill be felt far beyond its borders andmore acutely by future generations.

This was the general concensuswhich emerged from the group discus-sion on ways to generate awareness onenvironmental issues facing theHimalaya on the concluding day of thetwo-day Seminar on Himalayan Secu-rity and Environment at Hotel Tibet.

The Seminar which was organ-ized by Central Himalayan BuddhistCultural Association, Delhi with theCore Group for Tibetan Cause, NewDelhi saw about 100 people in attend-ance, many of whom well known en-vironmentalists, philosophers, MPsand other politicians from around theregion and all over India.

Amongst dignitaries present forthe seminar were Dr. KC Agnihotri,National Co-convener, CGTC,Sonam Lhundup, Convenor, North-East Region-I, CGTC, CWangchuk, Coordinator, India Ti-bet Coordination office, Delhi.

Dr. Agnihotri while addressingthe gathering said that the basic is-sue at the seminar was to look atTibet and the environmental disre-gard shown by the Chinese in theregion plus what steps needed to be

“INDIA NEEDS TO ADOPT ASTRONGER STAND ON CHINESE

OCCUPATION OF TIBET”RALLYING FOR TIBET: A pro-

Tibet rally winds through thecapital on 27 June

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taken by the neighboring countries.“The role of China in the deterio-

ration of the entire environment andecology of the Himalayan regionshould be seriously looked into. Thesecountries should now realize the dam-age and do something. Political par-ties should include the Tibet issue intheir manifestos,” he urged.

He asked the Tibetan communityto go to the grass roots to raise thelevel of awareness on Tibet. “The is-sue of Tibet should be taken very se-riously. India has been passive aboutthe issue, it has to be more staunchand persuasive. The basic issue hereis - Is Tibet Free? Do the people wantto be under China? There is nothingcommon between the two countries.We fully support the Tibetan Causefor Independence,” he concluded.

“Sikkim being a part of theHimalayan region and a neighbourof Tibet should now realize the envi-ronmental destruction taking placethere and become more consciousabout the impact of this deteriorat-ing ecology. The people of the worldhave to understand this and have tohelp and support the Tibetan Cause,”said Yangchen a spokeswoman fromthe State at the seminar.

During the course of the semi-nar a new Core Group, theHimalayan Eco Watch, was formal-ised. The group will have six ex-ecutive members for now subjectto an increase as per the need.

The second day of the Seminaron Himalayan Security and Environ-ment concluded with a Peace Rallytaken out from Hotel Tibet throughMG Marg to Star Hall. More than 250people participated in the rally whichhad one big message, Free Tibet. Af-ter the Rally 100 saplings wereplanted at Smriti Van at Bulbulay.

Sikkim Akademiannounces plans for

2nd anniversarya NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 27 June: SikkimAkademi celebrates its SecondAnniversary with a special functionon 6 July at the Community Hall,Gangtok. The programme, whichwill start at 12.45, will have thechief minister, Pawan Chamling asthe chief guest.

The occasion will also see therelease of a Souvenir on 2nd BookFair 2004 and the release andscreening of a short film on MaghaySankranti.

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Press Cluba NOW REPORT

GANGTOK, 27 June: Themonthly literary function ofSrijansil Sahitya Sangam, organ-ized by Press Club of Sikkim [PCS]was held today here at Press Clubpremises at Nam Nang under thechairmanship of Lok Sabha MP,Nakul Rai.

The association felicitated twoSahitya Academy award winners,namely, Bindhya Subba andSubhash Deepak on the occasion.The function was also graced byrenowned littérateur, MahanandaPoudyal, as a guest of honour. Morethan twenty poets and writers re-cited their poems and stories dur-ing the function.

Later, the members of PCS andSSS submitted a 7-point charter ofdemands to the MP. The demandletter includes a special concessionwhile sanctioning DAVP advertise-ments to the newspapers of hilly aswell as border sensitive States likeSikkim; national accreditation toeligible media members of Sikkim;provision of fund for the establish-ment of Press Bhavan through MPfund, if available, etc.

While addressing the gathering,Mr. Rai assured that their demandswould be placed before the con-cerned ministry for a possible so-lution. He urged the media mem-bers to highlight the problems fac-ing the younger generation of thesociety.

The function concluded with aproposal to organize a similar pro-gramme next month too. GYALSING, 27 June: A vulner-

ability reduction campaign throughcleanliness was organized atGyalsing and Legship towns on 25June under the initiative of the dis-trict authorities.

The campaign, jointly organ-ized by Land Revenue & DisasterManagement Department andUNDP [India] had been given a fi-nal shape at a meeting held on 21

BIRENDRA SHANDILYA

DARJEELING, 27 June: Munici-pal elections passed off peacefullyin the Darjeeling Hills with no re-ports of any untoward incidents.

Though the day started off inDarjeeling, Kurseong andKalimpong with a light drizzle caus-ing a low turnout, as the day passed,the skies cleared and the queues gotlonger outside the polling stations.By the end of the day, polling per-centage was reported at 59.91 inDarjeeling, 70.37 in Kurseong andaround 61 in Kalimpong.

“In all the three subdivisions

KARNAILGUNJ [U.P.], 27 June:Eleven days after a violent clash,following an attempt by humanrights activists and journalists torescue Nepali girls exploited in acircus here, the authorities yester-day rescued 12 of the girls andhanded them over to the Nepalesegovernment officials.

“Acting on the order of RanjitRoy, Joint Secretary at the Minis-try of External Affairs, India, in aletter dated 23 June and a requestmade by Consular Jyoti PrasadAdhikari at the Royal NepaleseEmbassy in New Delhi on 26 June,I order that the Nepali girls work-ing in the Great Roman Circus behanded over to the Administrative

turnout was good and it was verypeaceful,” said Dr. Aariz Aftab,District Magistrate, Darjeeling.

Incidentally there are 32 Mu-nicipal Wards in Darjeeling, 20 inKurseong and 23 wards inKalimpong. The total number ofvoters in Darjeeling is 53,629 whowill be voting in 61 polling booths.In Kurseong the number of votersis 18,434 with 21 polling boothsand in Kalimpong the voterstrength is 28,765 voting in 30 poll-ing stations.

“Except for the preventive ar-rest of 7 people, no major incidentoccurred anywhere in the Hills,”

stated R. Mishra, SP, Darjeeling.Though there were allegations

and counter-allegations of riggingand booth jamming by some can-didates, most of the political par-ties agreed that the elections hadpassed of peacefully.

“We are completely satisfiedwith this election,” said DeepakGurung, President, DarjeelingGNLF Branch Committee.

Similarly, Narayan Pradhan, aCPI [M] leader stated that the elec-tions were peaceful but added thathis party had kept a strict vigil tostop bogus votes from being caste.

Peoples’ Democratic Front, a 5-

party alliance, also did not havemuch to complain.

“We did not contest this elec-tion as PDF as we do not believethat the Municipality electionsshould be politicized. Our main tar-get is the DGHC elections. How-ever we have nothing to complainabout today,” said Madan Tamang,Chairman, PDF.

In Darjeeling polling was heldin 21 Wards, 11 wards being un-contested in favour of the GNLF.In Kurseong 1 ward went uncon-tested in favour of the GNLF, InKalimpong all the wards were con-tested.

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Officer at the District Administra-tion Office Banke, Hari PrasadPyakurel, and his deputy BasantaKumar Kanaudiya,” the Gonda Dis-trict Magistrate Dr. IIM. Khan ruledSaturday.

Pyakurel and Kanaudiya took thegirls in an ambulance escorted by apolice team, up to the nearest Nepal-India border point. “The Home Min-istry will decide on how to rehabili-tate the girls,” Pyakurel said.

Among the girls taken to NepalSaturday, nine are from Makawanpurand one each from Bara, Dhanushaand Morang districts.

Meanwhile, a Nepali girl alleg-edly raped by Circus owner Raza

Khan, who was released by theCivil Judicial Magistrate Court,Gonda, on Friday, has come toLucknow with the officials ofBachpan Bachao Andolan [BBA].

BBA’s Uttar Pradesh Coordina-tor Ramakant Rai, who put his car assurety for the girl’s release, said hisorganization is going to file a habeascorpus writ in the Lucknow HighCourt on Monday, seeking thewhereabouts of the 10 girls allegedly“disappeared” by the circus owners.

The circus owner, Raza, hasbeen remanded into judicial custodyfor allegedly raping the circus girls.

Superintendent of PoliceAmitabh Thakur said the police

have intensified search for the miss-ing girls.

“We will grill Raza’s father,Fatteh, in this connection and willtake him into custody if need be,”said Thakur.

Among the 30 girls reportedlyemployed in the circus, six are fromDarjeeling [India] and the rest fromNepal. The 10 girls went missingafter some of them were traced bytheir parents during the 15 June raidon the circus.

The raid later turned violentafter Raza took out a pistol and hishenchmen started beating up theactivists and journalists, in front ofwatching policemen.

12 GIRLS FROM NEPAL RESCUEDFROM INDIAN CIRCUS

MASSIVE CLEANLINESS CAMPAIGN AT GYALSINGJune which was attended by thedistrict officials and NGOs.

The daylong cleanliness cam-paign was actively attended by theDC, ADC, SDM and other officialsalong with different NGOs of thevicinity.

Improper handling of garbagecould lead to serious calamitieswhich in turn could cause loss to

the public as well as theGovernment.Strict vigil against theuse of polythene bags and a spotfine of Rs.5,000 to offenders andcancellation of licenses were someof the measures introduced by theofficials for effective disaster re-duction in the district.

- by Simon Subba, SIA, West

Deranged sisters killfather in MP

BHOPAL, 27 June: In a shocking incident, superstition led two sisters toallegedly kill their father, in a bid to free him from a ‘jinn’ here today.

Statements by the family members indicate that the girls, Tasneem[23] and Yasmeen [25], both allegedly unsound, killed their father,Nishadpura police-station in-charge S L Zaidi said. Other family mem-bers, including mother Rajia and three sisters were locked in an adjacentroom when the ritual was being performed on the intervening night ofJune 18 and 19, he added.

The deceased, Mohd Hussain (60), a retired driver of Madhya PradeshRoad Transport Corporation (MPRTC), was buried at Bada Bagh grave-yard by his son Yusuf and his friends, but neighbours leaked out informa-tion to the police on Saturday.

The two girls were detained and the forensic experts on Sunday re-covered Hussain’s body and sent it for post-mortem, Zaidi said.

Tantrik rituals were common among the family members and the in-vestigating officials found that Hussain’s family had kept him tied up,fearing that a ‘jinn had taken control over him’, he said.

“The girls are mentally unstable and unable to make statements at thisjuncture,” Zaidi said adding, that a case would be registered soon afterthe post-mortem report was received.

28 June, 2004; NOW! 5

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NAMCHI, 27 June: A meeting ofthe grade-three Sikkim Govern-ment Employees Welfare Associa-tion of the south and west districtswas held today at Zilla Bhawan,Namchi under the chairperson ofMrs. Bal Kumari Subba, a seniorAssociation member from Namchi.

The meeting also discussed therefixation, promotion and advanceincrement of higher qualification etc.

The president, JB Rasailly, vicepresident, MN Sherpa, general sec-retary, BT Rai along with more than200 members from Namchi,Ravangla, Jorethang and otherplaces from west district attendedthe meeting.

A similar meeting had beenheld earlier at Jorethang in whichsimilar demands had been for-warded to the Chief Minister.

THIMPU, 27 June- A kilogrammeof Yartsa Goenbub (CordycepsSinensis) will fetch Nu. 37,000,according to the Bhutan AgricultureMinistry which fixed the floor pricefor the plant on June 24 in consul-tation with the buyers.

Initially the Ministry had de-cided the floor price at Nu. 40,000a kilogramme for dry cordyceps, butauthorised buyers suggested that thiswas too high for overseas buyersalthough the Ministry suggested thatthe government would buy it fromthem for Nu. 40,000 if they were

6th Mile and Sorong, used to becompleted by Ashad Pandra, buttoday, not even half the work hasbeen completed.

Another man in his sixties nowrefutes his father’s preaching,“Padi lekhi key kaam, haalo jotimaam” saying that it was a wrongbelief. He claims that in the presentsituation, no one can earn a livingfrom agriculture alone. “Incomefrom the fields needs to be supple-mented with at least a simple jobelsewhere,” he says.

According to him, there is ashortage of skilled manpower towork in the fields. No one wants torear bullocks any more, and the

shortage of this beast of burden isone reason why fields in the busteesare still not completely sown.“Younger people prefer plying tax-ies rather than working in the fieldsand villagers prefer rearing cowsinstead. No one seems to be think-ing of the community any more,”he rues.

The villagers now seem to bemoving away from traditional ag-riculture. Owners of the big paddyfields have already started experi-menting with less labour-intensivecash crops like passion fruit.

One cannot really blame themeither. Fewer hands to work thefields at home forces people to hirelabour on per diem basis. This inturn increases the expenses and the

returns are not that high from tra-ditional agriculture.

“In the old days, we did nothave to pay a single penny to sowthe fields. The entire village wouldchip in with free labour as wemoved from field to field, helpingeach other out. Such communityparticipation is not seen any more,”recollects a tenant farmer, who hasonly recently returned the paddyfield to its owner.

According to him, earlier, thevillage elders would fix a routineby which every house contributedlabour to each other. This ensuredthat the work got completed in time.

“Nowadays, our children don’twant to work in the fields, so la-bour has to be paid for the job,

TODAY IS ASHAD KO PANDRA GATEY

which obviously we can’t afford,”he explains.

This shift from rural areas andtraditional ways of earning a livingto the search for urban jobs is acause of concern all over the coun-try. In Sikkim we really need tothink what is best for our future.While those in agriculture are seek-

Contd from pg 1

date, says: “ There is no doubtingthe capability of the youth nowadays.”

He is the GNLF candidate fromWard No. 15 and is pitted against arelatively strong candidate from theGNLF-C, Maximus Kalikothey whoalso happens to be the sitting coun-cillor from the ward. Thapa is alsothe College Committee President ofthe Gorkha National Students Front.

Yet another example of youthparticipation in the poll process isLopsang Bhutia [24] of ward 7from the Topkhana locality. He isthere as an Independent candidate.Though the opposition for him is

relatively strong, he hopes hispromise of development will clickwith the voters. The GNLF candi-date from the ward is DhendupBhutia, the Vice-Chairman of theKalimpong Municipality. Thethree-way contest here is completedwith PDF-backed independent,Norden Lama.

The polls also see the politicaldebut of 24-year-old Runa Pradhan,daughter of the slain dissident GNLFleader CK Pradhan. She has filed hernomination from Ward 4, considereda stronghold of the GNLF.

No one is more pleased with thesafe conduction of the polls that theGorkha League leader and candi-

date from Ward 21, Dr. HarkaBahadur Chettri. “Such a fair elec-tion has taken place after years. Wemay lose the elections, but partici-pating in and guaranteeing peace-ful polls is victory enough for us,”Dr. Chettri said.

The counting will take place onthe 29th at the Municipality guest-house.

unable to sell the plant overseas.The buyers requested the Min-

istry to lower the floor price to Nu.30,000, but the ministry felt it wastoo low. After a lengthy discussionthe Ministry settled for Nu. 37,000on which even the buyers agreed.

“I thought Nu. 40,000 as thefloor price was fair enough,” saidWangcha Sangay, a local contrac-tor from Haa. “In any case the gov-ernment was willing to pay if buy-ers failed to sell it overseas for thatamount. There was no loss in-volved.”

To make the cordyceps transac-tion official the agriculture minis-try has made a transaction form inwhich the buyers will have to fillup how many kilogrammes ofcordyceps they buy from the farm-ers and for how much.

“The transaction between thebuyers and the sellers should takeplace in presence of the sales com-mittee comprising the gup and a for-estry official who will be the wit-ness,” said the agriculture market-ing services officer, Sonam Tobgay.

Buyers can go to any cordyceps

growing places and buy the plantand after having bought the plantfrom the farmers, they will have toget a clearance from the BhutanAgriculture Food Regulatory Au-thority which will issue a certificateto the buyers wanting to export itto other countries.

“The certificate will maintain thatthe package contains cordyceps toavoid buyers getting into problemswith the forestry and customs person-nel when they export it to other coun-tries,” said an agriculture officer.

courtesy: Kuensel

ing newer methods of employment,losing faith in their traditional in-heritance, the reality is that thou-sands of unemployed youth are stilllooking for a job.

Bhutan Cordyceps to sell at Rs. 37,000 a kg

Contd from pg 1

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Outsidersbanned fromrailway worksites in J&K

JAMMU, 27 June: Entry of outsid-ers to the construction sites ofJammu-Udhampur-Baramulla rail-way project has been banned fromtoday and prohibitory orders imposednear them in the wake of abductionand killing of an IRCON engineerand his brother my militants.

The ban would remain in forcefor two months, Sohan Lal Raina,Additional District Magistrate forRamban, under which all thepresent construction sites fall, said.

Prohibitory orders have alsobeen imposed near the sites andSuperintendent of Police, Rambanasked to strictly impose the meas-ure, he said.

“All the railway constructionsites have been made out of boundfor outsiders and locals,” Raina said.

Only workers, officials and of-ficers of the executing agencieswould be allowed at the sites.

Tunnelling and other work ofthe ambitious Rs 3,000 croreproject is being carried out byIRCON and other agencies inRamban stretching from Udhampurto Anantnag.

The areas where construction isunder progress are Bunkote,Krawah, Kaskoot, Gund Adalkote,Jagirnamdar, Hagazine Asher,Darshipura, Chreel, Lumbar Bridgeand four railways stations, he said.

IRCON engineer Sudhir KumarPundir and his brother Sandeepwere abducted for ransom by mili-tants from wantipora in Pulwamadistrict on Wednesday and theirblood soaked bodies were found inthe fields in Zainapora area of thedistrict two days later.

PANCHSHEELPRINCIPLES TIMELESS:

INDIA, CHINA

India and China, joint enunciators of Panchsheel 50 years ago, haveasserted that the five principles guiding international relations are ‘timeless’, still valid and could provide a new paradigm of global interac-

tion in the post-cold war era.

“The relevance of Panchsheel is timeless. It is rooted in the culturaltraditions of the Indian and Chinese civilisations, two of the worlds mostancient,” External Affairs Minister, K Natwar Singh told PTI.

“Panchsheel can provide an ideological foundation for developing anew paradigm of international interaction in the new global situation, whileallowing countries to maintain their national identity, spirit and charac-ter,” Singh said, ahead of the celebrations in Beijing and New Delhi onMonday to mark the 50th anniversary of the five principles of peacefulco-existence.

“Panchsheel is as relevant to the developed countries as it is to theless developed. These are guiding principles that enshrine a certain codeof behaviour, whose essence is non-use of power and tolerance,” Singhsaid.

Singh, who recently visited China, noted that the Panchsheel was de-veloped by India and China in the context of the post-colonial world.“Fifty years later, the world is now searching for an alternative to theadversarial constraints that dominated the cold war era,” he said.

NEW DELHI, 27 June: Last month,Akhil Gupta got the shock of his lifewhen CBSE Class XII results showedthat he has got only 13 marks in Phys-ics though he had scored good marksin other subjects. A bright student, 17-year-old Akhil Gupta, a student ofDayawati Modi Academy in Rampurin Uttar Pradesh, was expecting over90 in Physics.

Nobody, including his school

Pakistan Prime Minister MirZafarullah Jamali’s dramaticresignation exposes the hol-

lowness of the democratic set-upinstalled by President GeneralPervez Musharraf only two yearsago, Pakistani analysts and oppo-sition leaders said. The resignationwas ‘forced’ and raises concernsabout the stability of the civilianrule restored after three years ofmilitary dictatorship, they said.

Jamali announced his resigna-tion at a meeting of the PakistanMuslim League (PML) and its par-liamentary allies late on Saturday.“I have decided to resign immedi-ately in the interest of the countryand the party,” he said.

He also announced the disso-lution of the cabinet and nomina-tion of PML president ChaudhryShujaat Hussain as his interim suc-cessor, to be followed some twomonths later by outgoing financeminister Shaukat Aziz. Aziz, aformer Citibank official, creditedfor taking the country out of eco-nomic crisis, is considered a closeconfidant of Musharraf.

Political analyst Hassan Askarisaid Jamali simply obeyedMusharraf. “He stepped down un-

Principal Ashok Thakur believedthat Gupta could fare so badly inthis subject, when he has scored 97per cent in Mathematics. Not get-ting any immediate response fromthe CBSE, the shattered Guptamade a last ditch effort by sendingan e-mail to President A P J AbdulKalam and followed it up withsimilar messages to Congress Presi-dent Sonia Gandhi and other lead-

ers explaining his plight.Unwilling to take any chances,

he send another e-mail to the Presi-dent. Realising that this will havea bearing on the youth, Kalam hadGupta’s case sent to the HRD min-istry and the CBSE.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan officialsaid Kalam, who daily receiveshundreds of e-mails, had personallyread Gupta’s plea and asked his

staff to take it up.Good news followed when on

revaluation, Gupta’s marks werecorrected to 85 from 13.

A thankful Gupta, who has ap-plied to BITS-Pilani, feels thePresident should take the initiativein revamping the entire revaluationsystem so that deserving candidatesdo not suffer because of an error ofone person.

KALAM HELPS BOY CLEAR EXAMS

der instruction from the presiden-tial house. The parliament and theruling coalition had no role in ef-fecting this change,” Askari said.“The change confirms the presi-dent’s centrality to the politicalprocess and his ability to manipu-late it according to his wishes.”

Askari said there was no obvi-ous justification for the removal ofJamali, who was hand-picked byMusharraf. “There was no politicalcrisis and there was no revolt in theparty. This exposes the weakness andhollowness of the civil institutionsestablished after the 2002 elections.”

Jamali was elected in November2002 in the first polls after three yearsof military rule by Musharraf, whoseized power by toppling the electedgovernment of then-prime ministerNawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999.Jamali stressed that his governmentwas unblemished. “There is nocharge on me or my cabinet col-

leagues. My intention was pious andmy conscience is clear.”

However, the burly 60-year oldtribal elder from poor Baluchistanprovince was seen by many as doc-ile and overshadowed byMusharraf, who is also the chief ofthe army. Jamali was ‘slow’ in tak-ing decisions and Musharraf, fac-ing tough parliamentary opposition,perhaps wanted a dynamic person,Askari said.

Analyst Mohammad AfzalNiazi said Jamali ‘failed to deliverpolitical support to Musharraf toremain in uniform’. Musharrafpromised to become a fully civil-ian president by the end of 2004,under a deal the ruling partybrokered with the powerful Islamicalliance of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), which had paralysedparliament last year.

Musharraf, who has emerged asa key ally in the US-led war on ter-

ror, sought a parliamentary confi-dence vote in January to rule until2007 and remain the military chiefuntil December this year. His au-thority as army chief is consideredvital in Pakistan’s anti-terroristcampaign, which has netted morethan 500 Al-Qaeda suspects, themajority of whom have beenhanded over to the US custody.

Pak democracy weak, shallow: analysts

28 June, 2004; NOW! 7

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When the ray of the morning sun

Makes its entry through the window

Like the heat of fever,

I quietly rise from my bed

Vapour like from the damp clothes

Left to dry in the sun,

Then I am lost away from home

Through the entire day

Like a sin forgotten after a drinking bout.

With night I return home,

Like regrets that follow

After the intoxication is spent.

Aah this is how I am spending my life

Like the ravings of a man in delirium

[Manis nabhaya ko zindagi,

Bhupi Sherchan]

The above is a bad translationof the poem ManisNabhayeko Zindagi [Life

without a person] by the famousNepali poet Bhupi Sherchan.

However, if you thought thatthe translation was the only trag-edy inflicted upon the good poet’sArt, think again. The greater trav-esty is the fact that this poem findsentry into a Nepali primer meant forthe students of class VI!

Although there is no fixed po-etry syllabus for the lower classes[it is only at the high school levelthat the different boards prescribethe stories and poems that need tobe studied], common sense shouldhave dictated that the children bemade to study only those materialthat they are intellectually capableof handling. But since the worthiesat their high places do not seem tounderstand this, we will take thisham-handed approach towards en-forcing Nepali poetry as illustrativeof the rot that has affected not justthe quality of literary output [thesheer non-availability of quality chil-dren literature in Nepali is one as-pect], but also the ineffectuality ofthe various bodies in marketing thisgood that we call Nepali literature.

It has been my observation thatreadership of Nepali fiction andpoetry has been dwindling steadilyover the years. There was a timewhen parochial interests wouldhave made it the patriotic thing todo. But now, having matured as acommunity and Nepali languagehaving received the sort of consti-tutional and literary recognition thatit sought, that sentimentality has

worn off and books today need tostand on the merits of what theycontain. In today’s market, Nepalibooks jostle for shelf space withworld literature. As with any othercommodity out there in the bazaardemanding our attention, Nepalibooks too will have to give into thepush and pulls of market forces.

It is a well-understood fact thatwhile the book publishing industryis different from the other industriesin many ways; they are not abovethe laws of economics. In any trans-action, supply actually follows de-mand. So, when you supply booksyou will need to have understood thedemand that is there, maybe not forthat particular book, but for booksper se. Publishers are not fools tooffer six-figure advances to peoplelike Hari Kunzru and Vikram Seth.The book publishing industry likeany other has its own arsenal of ad-vertising and publicity campaigns todrive the demand for the commod-ity that it sells. Even in the intellec-tually sophisticated community ofEnglish readership, publishers re-leasing books by first time authorsresort to all sorts of gimmick to givetheir products the sort of marketpresence and visibility that justifythe investments made.

Of course, it would be wishfulto believe that Nepali publishingalso operates at that level ofcorporatisation. Nevertheless, doesit not make it eminently more nec-essary, given the almost primitiveattitude that exists towards that pro-duction and selling of Nepalibooks, to bring about a certain levelof professionalism in managing ourbook selling enterprise?

There are many areas wherework need to be done. Motiram

Bhatta may have initiated a revo-lution in Nepali printing, but thegood pundit will be surprised tofind how little publishing haschanged from the days when hemade his first forays into publish-ing Nepali books at Varanasi. Ofcourse, there is the computer andthe stray fonts that are digitized, butapart from the DTP aspect, the otherthings remain constant.

Book publishers should perhapstake a cue from the manner in whichcassette producers have taken up thetask of packaging their products.Nepali cassettes [especially of popmusic] today are attractive to lookat. The art in them reveals how muchin tune with global trends these de-signers are in giving Nepali musicthe ‘facelift’ that will translate intorupees in the long run.

We are, of course, at the mo-ment, reserving our comments onthe content.

The argument that some mayhave regarding the fact thatNarayan Gopal’s cassettes operatesat the level of the genius of sayDevkota whose books need not bepitched on the merits of the cover.But for the rest, the sheer lack ofprofessionalism is appalling. IBRai’s first play is decidedly a semi-nal literary event, but look at theproduction values of his PaheloDin and you will find it galling that

the greatest writer of the Hillsshould be inflicted that sort of in-dignity in the design of the cover,the paper quality and binding.

In English literature, the crea-tive aspect of producing books goesas far back as Blake. It is thereforeno wonder that some of the old edi-tions are categorized as works ofArt, as much for their content as fortheir design. It is also no surprisethat they fetch millions at auctions.Artists like Aubrey Beardsley, whodid illustrations for the works ofOscar Wilde, is as well known forhis drawings as the master was forhis plays. We thus see how far backin time it was felt necessary to im-part books an aestheticism beyondthe written word.

To conclude let us come backto where we started from. I am notaware of any research that may havebeen indigenously undertaken tounderstand the manner in which theNepali syllabus got canonized.

Why, for example, are certain

authors studied at the exclusion ofothers? What is the rationale forprescribing a particular work andomitting others? Is there some sortof a working formula that decidesthe relative proportion of Indianwriters and those from Nepal in agiven syllabus?

These are questions that may beaddressed in the future by those un-dertaking serious research in Nepali.However, for starters, we may seekto understand what objective is be-ing sought by the teaching of Nepaliliterature at the primary level. Is itto initiate an interest in the excitingworld of Nepali books and authorsor is it mere tokenism?

If the reason is the former, asmost who are willing to give thebenefit of doubt to the curriculumframers will vouch for, then it is sadthat we are not making the most ofthis opportunity. As we have al-ready discussed, for Nepali publish-ing to cater beyond the require-ments of examining boards and cre-ate a viable market that will attractprivate players and thus breed bet-ter writers who will write becauseit is commercially attractive to doso, we need to start early. And whatbetter place then the classroom?

Surely, even in the worst-casescenario, enough material could beharvested to give to the young read-ers who are being exposed to Nepaliliterature for the first time, the sortof an imaginative beginning thatcould stir in them a lasting interestand love for Nepali literature.

NEPALI PUBLISHING

Impassive readers orignorant publishers?

Publishing in Nepali hasnot changed much since

Motiram Bhattarevolutionised it more

than a century back.PRAVEEN MOKTAN reasons

out the stagnation andsuggests the way out...

I killed myself last night.

I couldn’t stand me anymore.

I let death race through my heart

and head

and strangle me down to the

floor.

I killed myself last night.

I cut and sliced upon my being.

Slashed the loser, diced the liar,

minced into pieces all useless

dreams.

I stabbed myself last night

and let gut ooze out of me

with sins of the past, loss of the

present

and dread of the future I could

not see.

I murdered myself last night.

My every part revolting

to my eyes and the eyes that

watched me,

who made me, yet simply sat

cursing.

Yet this morning I woke pregnant

conceiving a child from love and

grace.

A child that self grow into the ‘I’

to be proud of,

the ‘I’ that I can finally face.

-penny

homicide

8; NOW!; 28 June, 2004

C M Y K

Published by Lt. Col. (retd) P. Dorjee and printed at Darpan Publications Pvt. Ltd, Siliguri. Editor: Pema Wangchuk. Executive Editor: Mita ZulcaNow! Near Ayurvedic Clinic, Gairi Gaon, Tadong. East Sikkim. ph: 03592 270949 email: sikkimnow@rediffmail.com

THEFINALONE �

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History28th June

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1838: Britain’s Queen Victo-ria crowned in WestminsterAbbey1894: Labor Day establishedas a federal employees holi-day1914: Assassination of theheir to the throne of Austria,Archduke Franz Ferdinandand his wife, Sophia, inSarajevo by a SerbianNationalist,Gavrilo Princip.This incident precipitated awar with Serbia, eventuallystarting WW11919: Treaty of Versaillesending WW I signed1926: Born, comedian MelBrooks1950 North Korean forcescapture Seoul, South Korea1964 Organization for Afo-American Unity forms in NYby Malcolm X1965 1st US ground combatforces in Vietnam authorizedby Pres Johnson1968 Daniel Ellsberg indictedfor leaking Pentagon Papers1971 US Supreme Courtoverturns draft evasion con-viction of Muhammad Ali1988 Mike Tyson sues tobreak contract with managerBill Cayton

‘FAHRENHEIT 9/11’ TOPS $8M IN FIRST DAYLOS ANGELES: “Fahrenheit 9/11,” Michael Moore’s assault on Presi-dent Bush, took in $8.2 million to $8.4 million in its first day, positioningit as the weekend’s No. 1 film, its distributors said Saturday

Based on Friday’s numbers, “Fahrenheit 9/11” was on track for anopening weekend that would surpass the $21.6 million total gross ofMoore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” his 2002 film that earned him anAcademy Award for best documentary.

“Bowling for Columbine” holds the record for highest domestic grossamong documentaries, excluding concert films and movies made for huge-screen IMAX theaters.

Friday grosses for “Fahrenheit 9/11” ran about $1.5 million ahead of itsclosest competitor, the Wayans brothers comedy “White Chicks.” The per-formance of “Fahrenheit 9/11” was even more remarkable considering itplayed in just 868 theaters, fewer than a third the number for “White Chicks.”

“Fahrenheit 9/11” benefited from a flurry of praise and condemnation.Supporters mobilized liberal-minded audiences to see it over opening week-end to counter efforts by some right-wing groups to discredit the film.

GLASTONBURY, England: PaulMcCartney capped a day of musicand rain at the Glastonbury musicfestival Saturday, taking the stageto cheers from tens of thousands ofdamp but enthusiastic fans

The 61-year-old former Beatleopened his set with “Jet,” a hit fromhis time with Wings. The gig, whichends McCartney’s monthlong Eu-ropean tour, was McCartney’s firstappearance at Britain’s leadingsummer music festival.

More than 100,000 music fansendured several hours of rain on thesecond day of the three-day event

HUGE KITELIFTS MAN,DROPS HIM

BEIJING: A man in south Chinabroke both his legs and an arm whenhe fell to the ground after a fast-ris-ing kite pulled him 5 meters (16 feet)into the air, the official Xinhua NewsAgency said Saturday.

The man, identified only by hissurname, Zhong, was a spectatorTuesday at a kite-flying festival onthe island province of Hainan,Xinhua said.

He joined a group of people fly-ing a 10-square meter (108-squarefoot) hexagonal kite, it said.

As the kite was lifted by strongwinds, the others holding it let go,but Zhong was dragged about 5meters (16 feet) into the air beforehe let loose and fell.LEO: You will be very comfortable.

You will be in a position to take a newdecision regarding family matters.Understanding with your life partnerwill be very good. You will receiveencouraging communication. You willenjoy healthy returns in business.VIRGO: You may go on a long trip.You may take up a new agencybusiness. Worries will be over.Happiness will prevail. You may getmarried. You will be in a position totake a new decision regarding fam-ily members.LIBRA: You may find improvement.Frequent travel is indicated. You willbe successful in all you do. Cash flowwill be maintained. You will be popu-lar. Loans will be reduced. Litigationwill be in your favour.SCORPIO: You may go on a longtrip. You will be in a position ofstrength. You may acquire a newvehicle. New jobs may come up.New ventures may fail.SAGITTARIUS: There may be a fi-nancial crisis. You will be tense.Happiness will prevail. Worries will

be over. Cash flow will be verygood. Encouraging communicationwill be received.CAPRICORN: You may go on a longtrip. Political life will be very success-ful. Cash flow will be very good. Ten-sion will be over. Those in trade orwith agencies may find favourablechanges. You may acquire timely helpfrom a friend. Happiness will prevail.Litigation will be in your favour.AQUARIUS: You may go on a longtrip. Your business position will bevery sound. You may take up newbusiness activities. You may re-ceive income from mult iplesources. Tensions will be over.Cash flow will be maintained. Ex-port businesses will do well.PISCES: Happiness, wealth andpopularity will be yours. You will beactive. You may go on a long trip. Achange of environment will takeplace. Worries will be over. Ex-penses will be reduced. Those intrade or with agencies will find lit-tle improvement. Government em-ployees will do better.

Saturday. Many went barefoot ordonned bright Wellington boots,and some slathered themselves inmud, as the tent-crowded rural sitein southwest England was churnedinto a soupy stew.

Glastonbury was first held in 1970on Michael Eavis’ Worthy Farm nearPilton, 120 miles southwest of Lon-don. The festival was canceled in 2001after crime and crowd control prob-lems a year earlier, and reinstated in2002 with tightened security, includ-ing a 12-foot steel fence around the900-acre site.

PAUL McCARTNEY ROCKSGLASTONBURY FESTIVAL

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