Thaindian News

Kathmandu, Feb 26 (IANS) Sixteen major parties of Nepal, including the opposition Maoists who are seeking a change in the government, pledged not to enforce any general strikes or violent protests as Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal Friday kicked off a campaign that seeks to bring at least 1 million tourists in 2011.
A “peace lamp” that was lit Sunday in Lumbini town in southern Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha, the apostle of peace, was brought to Kathmandu by five marathon runners who have represented Nepal in the Olympic Games in the past, to kick off the campaign for Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

In an unprecedented show of solidarity since the pro-democracy march in 2006, hundreds of politicians, security personnel, film stars, business magnates, school children and athletes converged at the army parade grounds at the heart of the capital in five rallies taken out from five prominent areas of the capital, waving the flag of Nepal with its two triangles bearing the emblem of the sun and moon.

Nepal’s tourism board hopes to get at least 40 percent of the visitors from India and China, Nepal’s neighbouring countries.

Indians remain the highest spenders and visitors to Nepal.

However, the government has to grapple with several grave problems that can affect the campaign.

Nepal is scheduled to get a new constitution in May, which could either lead to lasting peace or trigger fresh violence by parties who feel their demands have not been addressed.

It is also beset by a crippling power crisis that has seen the government enforce nearly 16 hours of power outage daily.

There is also a spiralling deterioration in law and order.