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'Govt ready to meet demands of protesting kin of slain youths'

The government has assured to fulfill the demands of protesting locals and kin of the two youths from Syuchatar, Kathmandu, who were found dead in Dhanding after being abducted by Young Communist League (YCL) cadres a month ago.

At a meeting with the members of a struggle committee of the relatives of the victims, Nirmal Panta and Pushkar Dangol, on Thursday, Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam said government is ready to form a judicial commission to probe the murder case and initiate action as per probe report.

Talking to reporters after the meeting held at Armed Police Force (APF) headquarters in Swayambhu, Gautam said that apart from constituting a high-level probe commission the government is ready to consider other demands raised by the committee including compensation to the families of the two youths, jobs to one member of each of victim family, martyr status to the two and strict control on the unruly activities of YCL and other youth groups. Chiefs of Nepal Police and APF were present during the meeting.

Even as the Home Minister assured to meet the demands no agreement was reached at the meeting. The government has formed a team comprising the chief district officer of Kathmandu and police officials to hold talks with the struggle committee, which has declared that its protest programmes would continue unless there is clear commitment from the government to meet the demands.

Protests snowballed in Kathmandu from Wednesday, a day after the dead bodies of the two youths were found buried at Bhorlephant Bagar in Dhading. Normal life in the capital city was paralysed today due to a shutdown strike called by the CPN (UML) to protest the killing of the two youths. UML has said the victims were its cadres. nepalnews.com mk Nov 20 08