By Basudev Mohapatra

In A democratic set up, when the government fails to uphold the basic rights of people living at the grass root level, it is the duty of the civil society to act for the cause and build pressure to protect the rights of common people, was the theme of the Mahapanchayat (the grand village court) organised by a Bhubaneswar based trust bringing out Aromv- a daily newspaper in Oriya language. The objective of the Mahapanchayat was to openly discuss the issue of farmers death in the state of Orissa since last one month.

The Mahapanchayat was a well thought-out assembly of people from different walks of life such as, politics, media, volunteer non-government organisations, development planning and activism including members of the deceased families and farmers to represent the total community that is now reeling under a drought like situation across the state.

Dharanidhara Patra of Sagarpali, father of the farmer Gaurahari Patra who committed suicide on October 4, 2009, said that his son was worried because of complete crop loss due to crop-eating caterpillar attack over his six acres of land and thus, committed suicide to get rid of the farm loan burdens.

Gaurahari took a loan of Rs 11,000 from a sanctioned amount of 26,250 from the Co-operative Bank. Even though his fields are just beside the largest reservoir of the state Hirakud Dam Project, a drop of water for irrigation is still a dream for the farmers of Sagarpali. So, like any other farmer of Sagarpali, Gaurahari expected a good harvest from the usual rain fed Karif cultivation. But his hopes shattered due to low rainfall followed by caterpillar attack for which he committed suicide apprehending troubles in feeding his family and also, pressure from the bank for recovery of loan.

While the government in the state led by Naveen Patnaik is high-sounding on its measures to support the farmers of the state, the story narrated by a Co-operative Society president of Lakhanpur is completely different from the government claims. The amount sanctioned to the farmers as loans are just figures for the government to quote and a dream for the farmers as the banks never release the amount. The banks only release the subsidy amount declared by the government and never release the rest even in case of distress due to crop loss. These became the reason of death of the farmer Angad Barik by committing suicide, said Panda.

Angad wouldnt commit suicide had there been a glimpse of hope for the summer cultivation using irrigation facility. Even though over 25000 people of Lakhanpur Block live on agriculture, government has taken no serious step to ensure irrigation to the fields adjacent to the Hirakud Dam. The irony is that, almost all the villages of Lakhanpur are habited by families who had lost their land for the largest dam.

Some Lift Irrigation (LI) points would solve the problems of the farmers. But the project proposal is rotting under bureaucratic red tape. The plea behind non-execution of the proposal for LI points has been absence of electricity. It is worth mentioning here that Hirakud Dam, built over the land of these farmers, produces the major share of hydro electricity in the state.

As per the promises made by Naveen Patnaik in 2000, the government chalked out a plan in 2003, to start a project of water reservoirs and renovation of canal irrigation system. But all plans ended abruptly in 2004, said a public judge of the Mahapanchayat Panchanan Kanungo, the former finance minister and a close aid of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at one point.

Describing state government as the primary culprit behind the series of farmers death, a former member of state administrative tribunal and special jury member in the Mahapanchayat, Saroj Kant Mishra expressed his concern saying that this government has utterly failed in accomplishing its moral and constitutional duties for the farmers of the state.

Holding the government responsible for the death of at least 15 farmers who have committed suicide due to crop loss, the farmers and other public judges who attended the Mahapanchayat condemned Orissa governments non-responsive attitude towards the issues of the farmers and demanded a compensation of two lakh rupees to the deceased families along with a compensation amount of 10000 rupees per acre against crop loss and complete waiver of all loans.

This is for the first time in the state of Orissa and may be in the country also, that a media organisation has picked up an issue concerning the common man and has started a campaign to build up pressure on the government by involving the civil society. The other unique feature of Aromv is that, everyday it declares a common man as its peoples editor by carrying a piece written by the person as its editorial.

It is not a function, nor a festival, but a day of national shame as the farmers the backbone of Indian economy are reeling under distress and are forced to commit suicide, said Chandra Mishra, founder of Aromv and convener of Aromv Peoples Editorial Committee. Editor of the newspaper Nihar Nalini Sarangi charged the government as playing with the lives of people which is completely against the spirit of democracy.

Bhubaneswar (Orissa) : Armed militants of the outlawed CPI (Maoists) on Wednesday gun down three persons at Pandratola village in Orissa’s Rayagada district bordering Andhra Pradesh.

“The outlawed ultras killed three and injured two very badly,” District Superintendent of Police AK Singh said adding that rebels were good in number and they were speaking in Telegu language.

Earlier on Tuesday, the outlawed militants had blown up a bridge over a rivulet to stall movement security forces in State’s Malkangiri district.

The incident took place at MV-77 village under Kalimela Police limits of the district. The rebels had used a high power land mine to damage the bridge.

Meanwhile, senior police officials in the State are blaming the Union Home Ministry for infiltration of Maoists into Malkangiri district through Chhattisgarh border.

The police establishment here is very critical over the delayed deployment of additional 7000 CRPF personnel for the Operation Green Hunt. Sources said that due to a secrete offensive prior to the main operation, a good number of Maoists leaders have shifted their hideout from Chhattisgarh.

The dense forests and hilly terrain of the Malkangiri district under the south-western range have been conducive to the movement of the Maoists whenever pressure mounts on them in Chhattisgarh.

A senior police official involved in anti-insurgency operations said that they have received information from Intelligence sleuths of Andhra Pradesh that a group of senior leftwing ultras have been infiltrated into Malkangiri and Rayagada.

Orissa government decided to conduct an intensive joint raid and constitute committee under the Chairmanship of the Additional Secretary of Steel and Mines Department to check the theft of minerals.

State Chief Secretary T K Mishra will soon write letters to the Director General of Police, Collector, Mines Department and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest to conduct joint raids outside lease area to prevent the smuggling of minerals from the state.

The decision was taken at the state-level Task Force meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary here.

After the meeting, Steel and Mines Secretary A K Dalwai told newspersons that a decision was also taken for the verification of documents both at the generating and the consumption point of minerals to check the theft and smuggling of minerals in view of the allegation of wide-scale smuggling of mineral ores.

Instruction was given to field staff in October 2009 to verify the documents of the Renewal Mining Lease (RML) applications.

Mr Dalwai said so far out of the 639 applications for renewal of mining lease, the verification of 134 applications had been completed and the mining operations in 63 mines were suspended.

Similarly, at the consumption point, out of the 2,412 license issued, as many as 644 had been verified. Out of the 644 verified license, as many as 482 license were suspended, including cancellation and surrender for the violation of the Rule 7 of the OMPTS Rule, 2007 and MDR Act for theft and smuggling.

He said the Task Force decided to constitute a committee under the Chairmanship of the Additional Secretary of Steel and Mines Department to computerise the check gates and weigh bridges to check smuggling of ores.

Mr Dalwai said earlier three high-power committees had already been constituted to check the smuggling of minerals from the state.

While a committee had been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Commissioner Commercial Tax to set up integrated check gates and to improve the weigh bridges, another committee had been formed under the Chairmanship of Commissioner Commerce and Transport to gather revenue intelligence.

A Rationalising Committee, headed by Executive Director of Orissa Mining Corporation, was formed to initiate steps for the strengthening of staff strength in weigh bridges and the check gates, he said.

By Rajesh Kumar Behera

The religious sentiments of the Khadipala villagers related to a fresh water soft shell turtle has bent down the forest officials and the local administration to take possession of the turtle .Finally, the officials returned with empty hand on Wednesday as the orthodoxical god fearing people refused to hand over the turtle to the forest officials .

If sources are to be believed, the Ranger of Mahakalapada forest Range, Mihir Pattnaik, the Executive officer of Pattamundai NAC,Basant Kumar Pal, and a police team went to Batu Baba’s temple in Khadipala village under Pattamundai police station, where the endangered fresh water Soft Shell turtle was kept and worshipped by the locals and the adjoining villagers , in order to take possession of the turtle and to release the endangered species at the nearby river .But , about 400 people ,including more than 250 women , protested the move of the forest officials and denied to hand over the turtle at any cost as the villagers believing that the turtle is the incarnation of God following two black spot on its carapaces resembles to the eye of the Lord Jagannath .

Many residents were seen in making queue to take a glimpse of the rare turtle and to get an opportunity to worship the turtle .Villagers chanting hymns and carrying garlands, bowls of rice and fruits are pouring in from remote villages in front of the turtle has become a common sight at Batu Baba’s temple at Khadipala. Since last Thursday The inhabitants of Khadipala village and its nearby villages under Pattamundai block have been worshipping a rare fresh water turtle , by keeping it in a bowl, as the carapace of the turtle is marked with the eyes of the Lord Jagannath . The rustic and gullible villagers considering the turtle as the incarnation of Lord Jagannath have been worshipping the turtle., Himanshu Swain, a villager

“We have asked the villagers to hand it over as it is illegal to confine a turtle, but they are refusing by saying that Lord Jagannath has visited to our village in the form of a turtle. We will not allow anybody to take the turtle away from us .”,added the Ranger of Mahakalapada Forest Range , Mihir Patnaik.

“We saw a turtle crawling on the lane, so, the villagers suggested that it should be kept in a well for safety reasons. But when we washed the turtle, we found some divine images of eyes, divine conch shell, lotus flower and wooden sandals which attributed to Lord Jagannath; and since then we are worshipping this turtle,” a Ram Chandra Das, the priest Batu Baba temple

“Though we have tried to convince the locals the this rare turtle is an Indian Soft shell Turtle (Aspideretes gangeticus) This turtle is one of the most critically endangered species of fresh water turtles . This turtle was earlier found in Brahmani, Baitarani, Kharasrota and Mahanadi river’s upper catches . This turtle is a sub –adult one .for which two marks found in the carapaces . In a juvenile turtle four marks can be found ,but it vanishes when it grows to an adult..But they were hell bent not to hand over the turtle to us. We also informed that they would be jailed for a year or more than a year if the turtle dies ,but they are not a position to listen us except saying that you leave the place without taking the turtle “,added Ranger of Mahakalapada Forest Ranger.

According to Patnaik ,Soft-shelled Turtle is distinctive in appearance, having flat, smooth, soft, and rubbery rounded shells that are usually similar to pancake. Its back is olive, dark green or gray and the plastron is white or pink in color. It has webbed feet, long necks and elongated proboscis-like snouts bearing the nostrils at the tip. Females are considerably larger than the males.Soft-shell Turtles are swift-moving carnivorous reptiles. Sometimes the turtle lies buried in mud or sand and occasionally emerge to bask in the sun. The tissues in the pharynx help the reptile to extract oxygen for respiration from the water. It is aggressive when captured and is capable of biting viciously.

To protect itself from predators, it spends 95 per cent of its life hidden in sand or mud with only its eyes and nose showing.It is Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix I of CITES (2),added official sources .

Dubbendu Chakrabarty in Bhubaneswar

As We all know that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is been known for his lethargic approach towards all the developmental works of Odisha. And from now on the new hot topics of these winter season in the Mining Scam by his own loyal Administrative officers of the state. Every time if any sankat struck to the Naveen power their own Vishmapitamaha roses to the Occasion. As we know about the Bandhutiva between BJD/BJP to create a Ram Rajya. But these times it will be hard for Naveen to gobble out the entire fruits of Mine, the reason is been very clear as Rajya Sabha MP Pyari Mohan Mahapatra yesterday has given in an interview to a private TV channel that ” Chief Minister is the only concerned person who will give the answer to these”.

By Rajesh Kumar Behera

The long wait of the 26 crew members of the ill-fated Mongolian based sunken Ship”MV.Black Rose”  , who were stranded at a Paradip based hotel since  last 9^th September  after the Black Rose ship sunken due to technical snag near Paradip port  ,to go to their country and to see their family members  ended today .As these ill fated crew members of Sunken Ship  Black Rose were repatriated to their countries on Tuesday afternoon by the port authority  following the Director General of Shipping ,Mumbai gave green signal for repatriations  to the Paradip Port Authority on Monday .As a result the Immigration authority , local police and Port authority later permitted these hapless stranded crew members of  Black Rose to go to their native land .

According to Santanu Dash , the SDPO of Paradep , out of the  26 crew members ,who on Tuesday started their homeward jounrney ,17 were Bangladeshis three Russians and six Ukrainians and have been put up at the Aristocrat hotel in Paradip after they were rescued from the sunken ship on 9^th September.

Notably,  the crew members earlier sought the help of the Bangladesh High commission, Ukraine embassy and Russia embassy in New Delhi to leave the port town Paradip for their countries. They earlier also threatened to go for hunger strike if they would not permitted to go to their country.

The  Sea Trans Maritime , the agent of the sunken ship, made all the arrangements for the stranded crew members at to reach at the Bhubaneswar –based Biju Pattnaik Airport .On Tuesday at about 12 pm , all the stranded crew members were boarded on a bus and started their journey towards Bhubaneswar airport .A police team escorted the crew members  in order to see off them at Bhubaneswar air port ,added Santuanu Dash.

Their joys know no bound and joyous tear were rolling on their eyes when they were boarded in the  vehicle as they are sure that finally their bad days are over and they are going to be freed from the alien land and would able to see their near and dear one within some days, said a senior police officials

On Monday when we came to know that we a re going to be set free on Tuesday , I told my wife over telephone that I will reach home in Chittaganj on Thursday. My wife was delighted and she was speechless for some seconds after she came to know that the long ordeal of not seeing him is going to be ended within a day or two , said a delighted Abdul Hussein(40) a cook of the sunken ship .

Repatriation was delayed as the sunken ship anchored in the port by furnishing forged and fabricated insurance papers and other documents. Whereas necessary documents were not with the  26 crew members for repatriating the crew members to their country .for which   the crew members  were staying in a hotel in Paradip under the watchful eyes of the marine police and port officials,added Dash, the SDPO.

The agent of the ship “Sea  Trans Maritime “ arranged the Sea Man’s book and other relevant documents by communicating with the embassies of Bangladesh, Ukraine and Russia as some of the crew members missed  in the sea .Later , the Sea Man’s Book and other relevant documents were submitted before the Director General of Shipping .

After examining all documents the Director General of Shipping  allowed them  to leave from Paradip .

The Bangladeshi crew members are going to be boarded on flight which is scheduled to depart on 8 pm today  from Bhubaneswar  air port  to Kolkota .Later, they will fly to their country from Kolkata ,whereas Russian and Ukraine crew members will fly from New Delhi to their countries as per the scheduled flight time .

Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara, Orissa

Trawler seized and 8 fishermen arrested by forest officials for catching fish illegally inside the prohibited area of Gahirmath Marine Sanctuary The Bhitarkanika forest officials ,on Monday , arrested 8 fishermen and seized a mechanized fishingt vessel from their possession while they were catching fish illegally by entering unlawfully into the prohibited zone under Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary near Ekakaula,said P.K.Behera, the DFO of Bhitarkanika National Park. According to Behera ,While the forest officials were patrolling in the sea coast at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary ,they found that ta fishing vessel was catching fish illegally by entering into the prohibited zone of the sanctuary. Later ,the forest officials intercepted the fishing trawler and arrested the fishermen. The arrested fishermen were the residence of Dhamara area and they used to eke out their livelihood by fishing in the Bay of Bengal. On Monday evening , the Bhitarkanika Forest officials produced 8 arrested fishermen under Wildlife Protection Act,1972 before the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class Court of Pattamundai where they were remanded into jail custody after their bail petitions were rejected ,informed DFO of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and wildlife Division , Prasanna Kumar Behera. Notably, the State Forest Department has imposed ban on fishing around 20 km off the shore from 1st November to 31st May , as to protect the endangered marine turtles, which come en mass for laying eggs at Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary. This is the first seizure of fishing vessels intercepted for unlawful intrusion into water territory prohibited for fishing operation this year after the prohibition imposed on the water of Gahirmatha in Bay of Bengal on last November 1, added DFO . According to official sources, the turtles have either been killed when they are mangled by fishing trawler propellers or suffocated in fishermen’s nets in mechanized fishing vessels during the turtle mating and nesting season. If the Gahirmatha rookery is stated to be the largest rookery it also appears to be the biggest graveyard in recent years .The beaches instead of being beacons of new life have turned into mass graveyard due to illegal fishing by the fishermen ,who come in giant trawlers for catching fish , alleged turtle conservationists. The turtle mortality rate in one year is estimated at more than 10,000 per year. The last decade and a half has seen between 10,000 to 15,000 dead Olive Ridley sea turtles washed ashore every year along the coast of Orissa , largely victims of illegal trawling in near shore waters

Indian Navy has said that it has made all possible plans to ensure that a repetition of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack- like incident does not take place.

Addressing the media during the navy drill organised as a part of Navy Week, off the Paradip coast in Orissa, Rear Admiral P. Murugesan, VSM flag officer commanding eastern fleet, said: Along with the coast guards and coastal states, marine police the Indian Navy has made all possible plans, so that we do not allow any such (26/11 Mumbai attack) incidents to take place again.

The entire operation of the navy has been focussed towards coastal security, so that such a thing does not happen again, Murugesan added.

India has heightened coastal security in the country, on its borders and the coastal areas following the Mumbai attacks, which killed nearly 166 people.

Sea routes have emerged as the safest routes by terror outfits to carry out dreadful operations. In 1993 serial blasts that rocked Mumbai more than a decade ago and took a toll of more than 250 lives, the militants had smuggled in RDX and other explosives through the sea route.

India Government has said that the assault on Mumbai was carried out by Pakistan-based LeT militants, who must have had backing from some official Pakistani agencies.

Though Pakistan denies official involvement in the Mumbai terror attacks, but has acknowledged the coordinated attacks were launched and partly planned from Pakistan’s soil.

Murugesan said that they were aware of the vulnerability of the eastern coast to terror attacks and are ever vigilant.

East coast can be as vulnerable as any other coast. When we are guard one place, they will definitely come from place where we are least expecting, to that extent we are not leaving any portion of the east coast unguarded and unattended, Murugesan added.

Six naval warships – INS Rajput, INS Kirpan, INS Jalashwa, INS Kuthar, INS Kora and INS Kulish – were open for public viewing by Navy to create awareness about naval activities.

The drill was part of the navy week celebrations ahead of the Navy Day on December 4.

Rajesh Kumar Behera in  Kendrapara, Orissa

Much to the joy of turtle lovers and researchers , the  endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have started arriving  to Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary  ,the world’s largest rookery and one of the favourite nesting place of the endangered species, as the Bhitarakanika National Park authority have come across six carcasses of the endangered olive Ridley Sea turtle ,which were laying at the coast of Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary , informed Prasanna Kumar Behera, the Divisional Forest Officer of Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division on Sunday.

The laying of half dozen of Olive Ridley carcasses at the coast of Gahiramatha Marine Sanctuary  gives an ample indication that  the endangered species have entered into the water of  Bay of Bengal for mating and nesting season this year  and are now in deep sea.

According to the scientists of Wildlife Institute of India (WII),Derahdun ,they have already sighted the mating phenomenon of  several pair of endangered  olive Ridley Sea turtles  at the deep sea at the Bay of Bengal this year .

The scientists of WII informed that generally the endangered species ,which is a highly threatened species under Wildlife Protection Act,1972 and accorded highest protection like endangered tigers , movement are found  in the deep sea of Bay of Bengal  and Northern Indian Ocean round the year but it comes to the coast of Bay of Bengal during the winter season in order to lay eggs enmass at sandy beaches of Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary besides Devi river mouth and Rushikulya .Such fact has been established recently through satellite picture as the olive Ridely sea turtle ,on whose carapaces Satellite Telemetric Transmitter were fitted last year , were found moving in the Bay of Bengal and Northern Indian Ocean.

According to official sources, the female olive Ridley sea turtles lay 120- 150 eggs in a go. The female turtle arrive at the coast at the dead of the night and after laying eggs and later  they get back into the deep sea water. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days and find their way to the sea creating a cacophony. It is one of the Nature’s rare phenomenon where babies grow without their mother.

Sea turtles, in general, nests at night. During the breeding season, males and females  migrate from their feeding ground  to the breeding ground ,mating occurs in the offshore waters  of the breeding The female turtles tend to move towards the beaches in large synchronized concentrations. They lay their eggs at midnight in 45 centimeters pits, which they dig with their rear flippers. After laying the eggs in the pits, the female turtles cover the nests with sand and return to the sea in a zigzag manner to confuse predators about the location of the nests,added official sources .

According to official sources, the endangered species mortality rate is so high that one egg out of every 1000 eggs laid, ultimately hatches and the hatchlings survives to become

An adult Olive Ridley.The eggs ,which were hatched in low temperature ,most yield males.

The arribada , a Spanish term  used for mass nesting phenomenon ,generally occurs during the mid week of January to end of February  as it has been seen  in  past couple of years that the mass nesting phenomenon has occurred at Orissa coast during the specified period.

The  Bhitarkanika Forest personnel has  taken comprehensive measure to ensure the safety of the turtle during the mass nesting. The Bhitarkanika Forest officials have imposed a ban order on fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary around 20 km off the shore from 1^st November to 31^st May,2010 .The forest officials have effectively enforced the ban order under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act,1982 and Orissa Marine Fishing Rules,1983 .The forest department has sought the help from coast Guards, Marine police to step up surveillance inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary by restricting illegal entry of trawlers for fishing in the restrict zone ,added Behera, the DFO.

In a bid to give protection to the Olive Ridleys Sea Turtle ,during the ongoing mass nesting , at Gahirmatha, the world’s largest rookery  of  these marine species, the forest department has also sought the help of DRDO

To prevent illegal fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary , two sea worthy modernized vessels “Olive Ridley “ and “Sea Horse “  which came from Gujarat are going  to be engaged by forest department  for patrolling  inside the Gahirmatha in the ongoing turtle season,added the scientists of WII.

The  scientists of Derhadun –based Wildlife Institute of India(WII) with the help of  State Forest Department  are optimistic and expecting  to fit  more Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTTs) commonly known as  Satellite Telemetric Transmitter on carapaces of  olive Ridley Sea turtles in the three nesting sites of Olive Ridley turtle ,including Gahirmatha , of the state  in this ongoing turtle season.

Notably, last year the WII scientists fitted 33 Satellite Telemetric Transmitters, including 14 numbers  of PTT at Gahirmatha ,12 numbers at Rushikulya and 7 numbers of PTT at Devi , on female and male turtles with an aim to monitor the movement and to get  more important information  regarding  the turtle’s behaviour and  the place from where they start for annual sojourn to Orissa coast.

Couple of years back ,  the scientists of WII  had fitted 30 transmitters on the carapace of the turtles ,including 10 at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.

It is pertinent to note here that the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 2006  had  provided Rs  3.5 crore to the WII to fit the satellite transmitters on the 70 turtles in Orissa to get from it information on the movements and habits of the turtles and do research on the turtles for three years.

According to forest official sources , each  PTT,which were fitted on the carapaces of the turtle , coasts about 5,000 USA dollar .Scientists of WII informed that the PTTs  have temperature sensors and surface time counters to indicate the proportion of time spent on the surface.  The transmitters ,which were fitted on turtle, send high frequency signals that are received by polar orbiting weather satellites. The transmissions are first decoded to identify the transmitter , as each has a unique code. The latitudes and longitudes can   be plotted  on a map and the migratory routes of the turtles traced

Experts of their view that the tranquil beaches of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is considered to be the most congenial habitat for the mass nesting phenomenon of these species.

BIRGUNJ (NEPAL): The political parties are likely to reach a consensus within a week, chairman of UCPN-Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal said in an interaction programme in Parsa on Sunday morning.

Dahal revealed that he and his party members have been engaged in crucial talks with the leaders of the other political parties and further said he would intensify them once he returns to the capital. He also said his party was showing extreme political flexibility and warned his party’s critics not to interpret it as a weakness of his party. He described the present government as a puppet formed through unconstitutional methods and further added that the protest programmes of his party were for civilian supremacy not an outcome of power lust. However, he stressed on the formation of an inclusive government under the leadership of his party.

He backed the UNSG’s suggestion on the peace process of Nepal and further said that the UN has been playing a constructive role in the peace process. Any attempt to criticise the UN move was equivalent to protesting the peace process of Nepal, added Dahal. He reiterated his party’s view of maintaining equidistant and balanced relations with China and India. He refuted the accusations that his party had illicit relations with Indian Maoists in the present context but revealed that they were in touch during the decade long conflict.