KATHMANDU, NEPAL, June 11, 2008: The deposed king of Nepal, Gyanendra, has moved out of the palace in the capital Kathmandu where his family lived for more than a century. Mr Shah, as he is now known, and his wife Komal swept out of the compound in the back of a black Mercedes as scores of riot police guarded the main gate. Earlier, he said he had returned his crown but would not go into exile and would work for the republic’s benefit.
“I have no intention or thoughts to leave the country,” Gyanendra said. “I have assisted in and respected the verdict of the people.” He strongly rebuffed the suspicions of many Nepalis that he had engineered the palace massacre of 2001 which brought him to the throne. He pointed out that his wife had had several bullets lodged in her body in the attack, in which Crown Prince Dipendra shot dead King Birendra and eight other members of the royal family before killing himself.
Gyanendra said he had taken over power in 2005 hoping it would bring harmony and peace, but he admitted things had not worked out as he had planned.
The BBC’s Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says that the former monarch’s departure is a major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty, which unified Nepal in the 1760s. The Maoists, who urged Gyanendra to bow out gracefully or be put on trial, welcomed the news that he was going quietly.
Nataraja Statue Banned from Malaysian Bharatanatyam Dance Performance
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/8420/1/
IPOH, MALAYSIA, June 8, 2008: At the beginning of every Bharatanatyam performance, artistes of this famous South Indian classical dance pay obeisance on stage to a statue of Lord Nataraja. However, on Monday night, a group of Bharatanatyam dancers performed before a full gallery at the Taman Budaya public auditorium without the customary on-stage prayer to Lord Nataraja. This was because the owner of the venue, the state Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Department, permitted the dance on condition they did not install a statue or portrait of the deity and offer their prayers on stage. This is not the first time that dancers from the three Bharatanatyam schools of Nrityakalanjali, Natyakalamandir and Anandanarthana Choodamani in the state had performed at the venue. The department said the organizers were informed beforehand of the conditions and chose to go ahead with the performance.
The department’s public relations officer, Shaliza Azlin, said the organizers had agreed that the prayers would be performed backstage to respect the sensitivities of the audience, who also comprised Chinese and Malays. “We did not stop them from doing the puja. We did not want them to do it in public.” Shaliza said the same conditions had been imposed on other cultural groups. Perak state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar, who was at the performance, said: “The prayer is very much part of the cultural performance and should have been allowed on the stage.” He said he would bring the matter up with the state government as well as his party so that such “intolerant behavior” could be nipped in the bud before it became widespread.
Jains In Delhi Receive Minority Status
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/002200806111221.htm
NEW DELHI, INDIA, June 12, 2008: The Congress in Delhi has approved the long-standing demand of the Jain community for minority status.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced to the media on Tuesday after a
Cabinet meeting which approved the decision. She said after getting minority status, the Jains would be able to effectively manage their educational institutions with minority priviledges.
Jain constitute around 2 per cent of the population of the Indian capital, but the affluent community has considerably more influence despite lower numbers. Christians, Muslims and Punjabis are already enjoying minority status
in the city.