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This is an archive article published on September 5, 2009

Indian priests assaulted by Maoists at Pashupatinath

Nepal says one of the attackers detained after Indian mission takes up matter....

Two newly appointed priests in the famous Pashupatinath Temple — who were set to take up their duties from Saturday — were on Friday beaten up allegedly by workers of the youth wing of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M).

The cadres of the Young Communist League (YCL) were apparently venting out their anger over the continuing practice of appointing only Indian priests in the country’s most revered Hindu shrine.

The two victims — Girish Bhatta and Raghavendra Bhatta — were performing religious rituals in a ‘gupt bas’ (a customary refuge in a secret place) a day before their formal initiation into priestly duties when they were attacked by a group of about 10-12 Maoist cadres,armed with rods and sticks. The priests were beaten mercilessly,leaving them with cuts and bruises.

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“They were attacked with rods and showered blows. It appeared like a deliberate attack,” Pashupati Area Development Trust sources said.

The incident prompted an intervention of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu,which asked the Nepal government to ensure safety and security of the temple and its employees.

“Upon learning of the event,the embassy took up the matter with the law enforcement agencies in Nepal and also at the appropriate political level to take necessary steps to prevent such incidents. We have been informed that one of the attackers has been apprehended,” a Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said.

The area has been witnessing some unrest over the fact that only Indians are appointed as priests in the temple. “We demand that Nepalis be appointed as priests,” Ganesh Chandra Adhikari,leader of an agitation committee,said.

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It is learnt that Indian Ambassador to Nepal Rakesh Sood had met former Prime Minister and Maoist leader Prachanda and “cautioned” him against targeting established institutions in the country.

The area is now under heavy police presence with an additional Inspector General of Police himself camping near the temple. The two priests would be admitted to a hospital,police said. A doctor from the Indian Embassy has already attended on them.

A senior official from the Indian Embassy visited the temple and met the victims at the residence of chief priest Mahabaleshwar,the man in-charge of selection of new priests.

Last year,a sudden replacement of the chief priest by a Sanskrit professor of Nepal had led to the suspension of routine prayers in the temple for a week,something that has never happened in the past.

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Gen Katawal retires,says no room for Maoist cadres in nepal army

Kathmandu: Chief of Army General R Katawal who retired on Friday said in his farewell speech that there should be no space for politically indoctrinated cadres in the premier security agency. In a speech that had political overtones and bitterness towards the Maoists,Katawal said the Nepal Army has always recruited cadres irrespective of their caste,creed,ethnicity and religion,but politicisation in the name of Army’s democratisation,inclusiveness,right-sizing and integration of ‘combatants’ is not acceptable.

Maoist chief Prachanda had quit the Prime Minister’s post in May after President Rambaran Yadav had stayed his decision to sack Katawal.

On Friday,in response to his successor Chhatraman Singh Gurung’s speech,Katawal said he will always remember with gratitude all those who fought and laid their lives on the orders of a democratically elected Parliament. He also recalled the courage of his wife when she was told over the phone that she should buy white saris,implying a threat to his life. Katawal said it was difficult to have a secure Nepal without a well-equipped Army. He asked the government to have an Army that is fully-equipped and well-trained.“Do not expect that the Army will be doing bhajan and yoga,” he said. Yubaraj Ghimire

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