The year is 2001, the place: somewhere in the city of Nirmal Pradesh in India. It is an auspicious day. A newly married couple takes leave from the bride’s house. The journey to the groom's village is an extended voyage that requires a boat, a bus, a train, and another bus ride. Right off the bat, viewers cannot help but draw relevance to Nepal. We have the same class and caste system. Women are bound by the patriarchal society that treats them as less than equal and takes away their life choices. The practice of dowry is still prevalent in these parts of the world.&nbsp; The only difference: we don’t have the extensive railroads like India. Back to the story: on the train compartment, our couple encounter two more newly married pairs, the brides similarly attired with a veil covering their faces. When the train reaches his station, the groom gestures for his wife to get off. &nbsp;Only after reaching the village— when his mother unveils his bride to the waiting family– does the groom realise that the woman he has brought along from the train is not his wife. Laapataa Ladies starts with this rather bizarre premise that can only happen in movies. But the presence of three brides– all donning bridal red, all veiled, all of them in the same train compartment– gives enough plausibility for the audience to be engaged. A satirical approach to the patriarchy and the deeply-rooted customs that have oppressed women, the film is a wittily crafted piece of art. Adapted from Biplop Goswami’s story Two Brides, director Kiran Rao has made Laapataa Ladies a story about how getting lost helps two women to find their individual selves. The character of Jaya (Pratibha Ranta)– who ends up getting off the train with the groom Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastav), &nbsp;and Phool Kumari (Nitanshi Goel)-- Deepak’s wife who gets left behind–are two ends of a spectrum. Phool is the idealistic daughter– bright-eyed, naive and proud of the homemaking skills she has been taught. Jaya, on the other hand, is what the patriarchy would label ‘rebellious’ because she would rather go to college than be married. While Phool is the kind of person to live within restrictions that forbid women from uttering their husbands’ name out loud, Jaya is defiant of such limitations.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240619100624_adc3650769df398de6fe7f5730fe1150c30f7118cfef1c36907256bf214fd1ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240619100624_adc3650769df398de6fe7f5730fe1150c30f7118cfef1c36907256bf214fd1ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1668" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Laapataa Ladies review"> </figure>  Without celebrating any definition of what women have to be – either by conservative or progressive standards, the film centres around how the two women each navigate and make their own place in the patriarchal world. Apart from the simplistic storytelling, the film’s highlight is its portrayal of female relationships. In a world where many films are still about heroes and heroism, seeing women, women-led stories and the depth of their relationships is a rarity. And unlike how women are stereotypically portrayed in films to drag each other down, the film does just the opposite. Rao’s Laapataa Ladies is thus a breath of fresh air. The relationship Jaya and Phool develop individually with supporting female characters makes the viewer’s heart full, like the friendship that gradually flourishes between Jaya and Poonam, the eldest daughter-in-law of the house Jaya is not supposed to be in. Poonam has a knack for sketching but does not think much of it. It is Jaya who encourages her to draw and realise her potential. And while Poonam might never take up sketching professionally –that part is never dealt with within the film– that her skill was validated and appreciated is a meaningful detail. Meanwhile, everyday casual conversations that take place between the women in the film also have a deeper meaning. And though it is set in rural India, the issues the women face seem universal, especially to women across South Asia and the global south. A scene that stands out is a conversation between Manju Mai – who runs a food stall at the train station where Phool is stranded – and Phool. Phool is cooking for Manju Mai and when Manju asks if she would be okay cooking in a kitchen foreign to her, Phool replies, “As women, we are only taught to embrace a kitchen foreign to us”. Laapaata Ladies might come across as preachy at times, but aside from that, this two-hour-long film is a reflective, thought-provoking piece about women finding their place in the world. Laapaata Ladies is streaming on Netflix.

Pinki Sris Rana

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A tale of two brides in Laapataa Ladies

2023 was a year when the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and big blockbuster movie formula finally stopped bringing crowds to the cinema. It took the Barbenheimer cinematic event earlier this summer to revive the industry which has been on a constant slump post-pandemic. The second half of the year saw some exceptional films from across the world, most of which were overshadowed by the combo of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Here is a pick of some notable movies of the last few years ahead of the holiday season for you to enjoy over any number of your favourite streaming platforms. <h2>Barbenheimer (Barbie + Oppenheimer) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071232_58f1fa1ac867739c65e877ed65833e907c811f42d4c5fe805aa1e27d900686b3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231224071232_58f1fa1ac867739c65e877ed65833e907c811f42d4c5fe805aa1e27d900686b3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  No 2023 film list would be complete without the obvious mention of Barbenheimer, the seemingly oxymoronic double bill of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. Nolan’s epic stars Cillian Murphy as the “father of the atomic bomb”, Robert J. Oppenheimer, as the film takes the audience through quantum theory, Oppenheimer’s journey from struggling student to Los Alamos, and existential cold war anxiety. Rather than a dramatic reenactment, Oppenheimer feels like more of a character assassination, a meditation on the dangers of moral indecision, and the absurdity of power and those who wield it. With the reignition of nuclear anxieties most markedly triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Oppenheimer is more than just a reflection but a warning. Oppenheimer’s monochromatic cinematography is in complete contrast to the burst of neon that is Barbie. However, remarkably, these films are not too dissimilar in that both are tinged with existentialism. Through various shades of pink, Gerwig tackles the question of what it means to be a woman in our modern society and the patriarchal pressures that distort women’s sense of self. It is unsubtle but smart, accessible yet witty. It is not an arthouse intellectualisation of the human experience but it does touch on pertinent themes, and more importantly, it is an incredibly fun watch. More than capturing the zeitgeist of our post-covid, late-stage capitalistic world, these films marked the return of cinema or rather catalysed the refound joy of cinema-going. <h2>The Boy and the Heron</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_d802632e263ee5cd8f8945ef02725a75cc2a65dab9f4d6d78e303aad10047925.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231224071228_d802632e263ee5cd8f8945ef02725a75cc2a65dab9f4d6d78e303aad10047925" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1463" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  A decade after announcing his retirement, acclaimed Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki made an unexpected comeback to cinema this year with the release of The Boy and The Heron. Studio Ghibli’s latest masterpiece touches on familiar themes such as grief, the moral ambiguities of war, childhood memories, nostalgia, nature, and nationalism all presented via the prism of magical realism and mystery. A film that was almost certainly worth Miyazaki breaking his retirement for. <h2>Close </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_27085c2a3e391a0e5377e4321beababa814ad33d8260020fffdda7d43d33f003.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20231224071228_27085c2a3e391a0e5377e4321beababa814ad33d8260020fffdda7d43d33f003" data-rendition-name="original" width="2025" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  It is a heartbreakingly beautiful film that captures the tragedy that is the end of childhood naïvety and the silent dangers of societal norms and conformity. An overt description would fail to capture the poignant essence of this Belgian coming-of-age film which won the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix. The rich cinematography and lush backdrop of flower fields perfectly balance the raw emotive performances, leaving a taste in the audience that is beyond bittersweet. <h2>All the Beauty and the Bloodshed </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_0573a0e0276c14541996b668086c2d5da6311ee149bfe0ce4eec973fdb0577f0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20231224071228_0573a0e0276c14541996b668086c2d5da6311ee149bfe0ce4eec973fdb0577f0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1642" height="2461" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  This gripping Oscar-nominated documentary follows Nan Goldin, one of the greatest photographers of the last century, and her battle to hold the Sackler family accountable for their complicity in the American opioid epidemic. Goldin herself narrates the film as she recounts her dysfunctional childhood, her journey through New York’s underground scene, the fight against AIDS, and her struggles with opioid addiction. This film is poignant yet empowering and a strong reminder of the often-forgotten power of an individual’s courage and community pride. <h2>Wes Anderson’s adaptations of Roald Dahl</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_5f544b7b89ba58c09565e3905fa47473a3bfd58890aee6ae888807930d7d0646.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20231224071228_5f544b7b89ba58c09565e3905fa47473a3bfd58890aee6ae888807930d7d0646" data-rendition-name="original" width="462" height="699" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Netflix was graced by Wes Anderson’s quartet of reimagining of Road Dahl’s lesser-known short stories. Wes Anderson and Roald Dahl can only be described as a perfect match with Anderson’s eccentric yet measured style perfectly capturing the ridiculousness that is the crueler side of humanity. These full-bodied featurettes may be short but they are far from sweet. <h2>Cairo Conspiracy (Boy from Heaven) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071236_08f7cd05a6a1fa6a7a9553229591b2ac6aae2f3d4b33108932597b188c374934.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231224071236_08f7cd05a6a1fa6a7a9553229591b2ac6aae2f3d4b33108932597b188c374934" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="2560" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  This Palme d’Or nominated, Arabic political thriller is a co-production between Sweden, France, and Finland, and follows the naïve son of a village fisherman as he is unwillingly made a pawn in a political-religious power game for the future of Egypt after being accepted to study at the prestigious Al-Azhar University. This film is beautiful and gut-wrenching making it clear why it won the best screenplay at Cannes. <h2>Past Lives</h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_f739b85eca6b3768f19dbf4f062e9c91d62e99583344b17aa6862129c6a94e96.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20231224071228_f739b85eca6b3768f19dbf4f062e9c91d62e99583344b17aa6862129c6a94e96" data-rendition-name="original" width="972" height="1440" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Celine Song’s A24-produced directorial debut took the film world by storm this summer and for very good reason. It follows childhood sweethearts Na-young (Nora) and Hae-sung who reunite years after Na-young’s emigration to North America. In some ways this “What if?” film is very much reminiscent of Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” but is also a meditation on cultural identity, memory, nostalgia, and migration. A must-watch. <h2>L’immensita (The Immensity) </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_742f8454c3e18560e2bd2c570491cacc9755607500df7fd6a1b9587e82800d3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20231224071228_742f8454c3e18560e2bd2c570491cacc9755607500df7fd6a1b9587e82800d3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="2764" height="4096" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Penelope Cruz stuns in this turbulent Italian drama. While this film touches on pertinent issues such as gender dysphoria, sexism, abuse, and gentrification, it is more of a demonstration of the strength of a mother’s love and the power to embrace unconformity even if it requires sacrifice. L’immensita is heartbreaking but joyful and Cruz’s performance is truly a tour de force. <h2>Kathal </h2>  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231224071228_b9aa000d50b1d5deb28577f9a7c2f6f647f9675d163db692ae6138198f96c03b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20231224071228_b9aa000d50b1d5deb28577f9a7c2f6f647f9675d163db692ae6138198f96c03b" data-rendition-name="original" width="450" height="630" loading="lazy" alt="2023 movies NT"></figure>  Kathal (Hindi word for Jackfruit) is a Netflix-produced Indian satirical comedy film that follows a small-town police inspector as she investigates the missing Jackfruits of a local politician. This lighthearted film is more than just a quirky comedy and elegantly touches on prevalent issues including corruption, caste discrimination, gender inequality, fake news, and class dynamics.

Reel Rendezvous

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b866d9c7e80680e067853jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="817"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Scroll, scroll, scroll your mouse, gently down the screen. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a scene.Ever since the first lockdown, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-qfx-cinema-needs-a-happy-ending/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cinemas have remained mostly shut</a>. Movies did return to our lives with a bang – but with a deep “ta-dum!” and that dramatic red N on the monitor.Enter <a href="https://www.netflix.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Netflix</a>: our quarantine companion, late-night friend and biggest supporter of procrastination, with its ‘next episode’ auto-plays and daily notifications of the movie or new season.After getting disenchanted by regular cable tv and learning about how entertainment has moved to OTT (over-the-top) media platforms that thrive on a strong Internet connection, we started asking our friends and relatives living abroad to share their Netflix account with us, so that we could enjoy entertainment that our rupee couldn’t afford. They willingly or unwillingly obliged.But now, with the new $500 allowance per credit card per year from a Nepali bank, you can independently purchase your own memberships to multiple streaming platforms, offering endless entertainment at your fingertips, with remote controls that now come with bright red built-in ‘Netflix’ buttons. This button is proof that tv viewing has changed forever.Back in 1997, Netflix started as a simple DVD-by-mail rental service. In 2007, it launched a movie streaming service, which led to a cultural explosion that turned it into the biggest international streaming giant, with more than 207 million members who pay decent money for unlimited access to quality movies and tv series every month.Users pay from $8.99 (single screen streaming) to $15.99 (up to 4 screens per account at a time) per month for curated feeds that are designed to intuitively offer content that are suited to your personal taste, based on your viewing history.Netflix used to be exclusively for watching movies, but lately it strategically shifted its focus to tv and web series, investing billions of dollars in original content, including record-breaking shows like <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6468322/">Money Heist</a>, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5071412/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ozark</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2442560/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Peaky Blinders</a>.Netflix also bought 83 hours of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Friends</a>, episodes of which people across ages enjoy watching on repeat, along with other popular programs that people used to follow on traditional box tv sets.There are also award-winning documentaries like <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81045007" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">My Octopus Teacher</a> and one-hour comedy specials like Hannah Gadsby’s <a href="https://www.netflix.com/np/title/80233611" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nanette</a>. Additionally, Netflix offers offline viewing, a feature that is precious to those who want to plan their binge-watching when travelling or entering areas without WiFi.Besides Netflix, there are a few others worth spending on, but in Nepal we may require a VPN to view some of these. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Movies/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=2649512011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Amazon</a> is at a similar price point, and trying to beat Netflix’s movie collection with its own. Amazon charges $8.99 per month for a Prime Video membership without any additional Amazon shopping perks.For premium movies, Prime requires you to rent or buy them separately. Currently, Prime Video has roughly 24,000 movies and over 2,100 shows under its belt. Prime also offers select content in 4K Ultra HD quality, making investing in a 55-inch LED Smart TV totally worth it.<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Movies/b?ie=UTF8&amp;node=2858905011" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Video</a> is compatible with all browsers and devices, but the best part is, it offers a 30-day free trial (credit card required) so you can explore all you want before investing in it. From Amazon original award-winners like the latest <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Metal-Riz-Ahmed/dp/B08KZCFW1C" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sound of Metal</a> to all-round entertainers like the classic whodunnit <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8946378/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Knives Out</a> and everybody’s beloved <a href="https://www.amazon.com/T-Extra-Terrestrial-Henry-Thomas/dp/B009GN6DT4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">E.T.</a>, Prime makes sure that once you’re in, you will not run out of movies to enjoy.While Amazon Prime is popular in South Asia, <a href="https://www.hulu.com/welcome?orig_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hulu</a> ranks second-best in the USA. Hulu’s most basic plan costs $5.99 a month, but without ads it is double. For those with deeper pockets, there’s also Hulu Live TV, a premium service with 60 channels that offer sports, news and entertainment, along with standard content for streaming. Grey’s Anatomy, Modern Family, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Homeland and American Idol are just some of the hit TV shows that you can happily binge-watch on Hulu, which is more oriented towards TV viewers than movie fanatics. The one downside is that Hulu only allows two streams from the same account at the same time, making it difficult for an entire family to share.The ultimate family-friendly streaming platform is probably <a href="https://preview.disneyplus.com/unavailable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disney Plus</a>, with movies only up to PG-13 ratings, further emphasising that its focus is on kids’ entertainment. If you are a Marvel movie fan, Star Wars nerd or animated movie enthusiast, this OTT platform is perfect for you. Pixar movies and theatrical productions are also in Disney’s kitty, but it is the Disney classics in its vault (including The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, Aladdin and the new age favourite Frozen) that make it a no-brainer for anybody with children. All this for just $7.99 a month, with full access to its library and no ads.Another platform that is clearly aiming for family audiences is <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Apple TV</a> Plus, with a very small content library of over 30 Apple Originals, a variety of content across genres. Apple TV Plus has a fairly generous family sharing plan, allowing up to six family members to use the same account. Even better, they can use their own logins, so you can quietly keep your embarrassing password to yourself.Despite being a big brand, Apple is aggressively pricing its OTT platform at just $4.99 a month. Apple spends on quality, backing big budget productions that provide fresh, original content only, such as the Jennifer Aniston-starrer The Morning Show.Apple hasn’t yet convinced audiences with mind-blowing content yet, but cross-product sales offers do help increase its subscriber base; within 3 months of purchasing a new iPhone, you can avail the offer of a one-year free Apple TV Plus membership.There is one tiny inconvenience: besides Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, which can be accessed from Nepal, the rest of streaming platforms listed above can only be accessed via VPN, so before subscribing to them, you might want to consider spending $5 per month on average on a high-performance VPN (Virtual Private Network).A VPN is beneficial even for Netflix and Amazon Prime viewers because it gives access to a slightly different, wider content feed that, say, viewers in the USA get to see.What exactly does a VPN do? It connects you to a proxy server, becoming an intermediary between your device and the Internet and successfully hiding your IP address so that you can view content that is not accessible to Nepal or the region. VPNs let you break through geoblocks and keep your real location protected, so you can get your hands on all kinds of content, apps and services across borders with unlimited bandwidth. Exciting, indeed!The most highly recommended one that offers good value for money is <a href="https://www.expressvpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ExpressVPN</a>, the top-rated VPN of the year 2021. ExpressVPN has thousands of servers across 94 countries that ensure smooth, lightning-fast streaming and excellent data security. Moreover, 30-day money-back guarantee also makes it a risk-free decision. Other excellent VPN options for Nepali users to explore are <a href="https://nordvpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NordVPN</a> (best budget option), <a href="https://privatevpn.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PrivateVPN</a> (most secure connection), <a href="https://surfshark.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Surfshark</a> (rising in popularity), <a href="https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CyberGhost</a> (best for beginner users) and <a href="https://www.ipvanish.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IPVanish</a> (great for HD streaming).THIS WEEK ON NETFLIXIf you want to dive deep into a movie and feel every moment: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5727208/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Uncut Gems</a>, an Oscar-worthy performance by Adam Sandler that makes you sweat, stress and worry as much as the rich, shady characters of the diamond district of New York, shown in the movie.If you want an animated movie that takes you on a fun family adventure: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7979580/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mitchells vs. the Machines</a>, a Sony Pictures production that gives solid competition to Disney and Pixar with its lovable wannabe filmmaker teenager Katie. Shoutout to her technologically challenged dad, who is, let’s face it, all our dads.If you love a bittersweet dramedy that tells the story of a dysfunctional family through realistic, intelligent writing and relatable adult characters: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5536736/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Meyerowitz Stories</a>, directed by Noah Baumbach of Marriage Story fame. Watch Dustin Hoffman play the father’s role with panache.If you want to get inspired by excellent salesmanship (with questionable ethnics) and enjoy the story of how Ray Kroc made McDonald’s the biggest, most successful burger chain in America: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Founder</a>, starring Michael Keaton as a conniving business fox, based on a true story.If you like the idea of a French movie that is funny and far from sophisticated or depressing: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857988/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">I Am Not an Easy Man</a>, an out-and-out comedy led by a shameless chauvinist who has a tough time navigating his life when he wakes up to a world where women and men have reversed gender roles and the changed power dynamics make for an entertaining watch.If you miss watching a thrilling Bollywood movie at the movie theatres: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7212754/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ludo</a>, featuring a brilliant cast (Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Rajkumar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, etc.) that intertwines four totally different stories bound by fate, chance and crime.

Saniaa Shah

How to Netflix and stay safe during lockdown

<img width="640" height="361" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108101152/636a26df9c7e80680e043a3cjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Rap music entered the subcontinent’s musical firmament decades ago, but its essence has never been as well encapsulated as in the new Bollywood film, Gully Boy, that is in cinemas in Kathmandu this week.Right at the outset, protagonist Murad (Ranveer Singh) points out what contemporary Indian rap sounds like: “What kind of song is this? Look, this is my car! Look, this is my girl! Look at all this gold I have!” Yes, those are the rap songs we usually see from the likes of singers like Yoyo Honey Singh in most Bollywood songs.Gully Boy, however, takes us to the origins of rap, born from a need to express and to seek release from pain and suffering, from the need to stay honest and sane in a fake world, a need to seek your own centre in the constant glut of sensations that the world throws at you.It starts with the eponymous Gully Boy Murad (meaning ‘wish’, cleverly named) who lives in a slum with his extended family, just as his father brings home a second wife who is closer in age to him than his father. Murad goes to college so that he does not have to become a chauffeur like his father. But disturbed by everything he sees around him, he writes poetry at night, and is touched one day when he sees a rapper perform the kind of songs he writes.The rest of the movie is more or less predictable, but still a heartwarming tale of his eventual success as a rapper. What makes this movie watchable are the typically Indian characters, and very relatable across South Asia. The one who stands out is Shrikant aka Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) who essays the role of Murad’s mentor with the confidence of a seasoned performer, and not the newcomer that he is. Safeena played by Alia Bhatt is another instantly memorable character. Bhatt turns the role of a supportive girlfriend, a role that may have passed in the blink of an eye, into a fiery portrait of a millennial woman. She is studious, but also adventurous. She loves her parents, but does not hesitate to lie to them when she is going out with her boyfriend. She is smart, and keeps her own communication apps well hidden as she outs another girl who is flirting with her boyfriend. Murad and Safeena’s childhood sweethearts may seem too romanticised and unrealistic in other parts of the world. But not here in South Asia, where everyone is familiar with the game of cat and mouse with family, and sneaky ways to hang out. Meanwhile, the movie also manages to portray what life in Mumbai’s slums actually look like. Murad lives in a cramped loft of a two-room shed, and counts among his friend people who steal cars and deal with drugs. Director Zoya Akhtar’s last movie, the glitzy Dil Dhadakne Do that lacked an engaging story, had fallen flat both commercially and critically, and she had almost been slotted into a rich-world storyteller. With Gully Boy, she proves her versatility and her ability to mine all kinds of social strata. Ultimately, the movie succeeds in showing what rap means in India. For those who are alien to the genre and think rap is about ranting whatever comes to the mind (‘JPT’ in Nepali cyberlingo) Sher (meaning ‘couplet’, another clever name) gives a lecture about the centrality of poetry and rhythm in rap. Sher’s constant mentoring, and Murad’s incessant practicing, also break the myth that stars are born. Instead, it shows how much hard work it takes to be good at what you want to do. One of the most memorable scenes is when Murad is arguing with his father about his dreams, and breaks into rhythm naturally, as if he had internalised it with constant practice. Such poetry fills every moment of our lives, and we only need to open our eye and ears to see and hear them. Gully Boy reminds us how each of us have stories to tell, and if we do not tell them, we may just explode. Ultimately, it is a celebration of the human need to spell out our feelings in the form of art, so that we can connect with each other.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfbxcD6biOk

Gully Boy

The news headlines this week said: ‘The House of Representatives passed the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill that now makes <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-unequal-citizenship-law">acquiring citizenship through the mother</a> as equal as through the father.’&nbsp;
Could it really be true? There is genuine confusion or deliberate misunderstanding in the public about the Bill. Here is an explainer:
What is the Bill?
The Second Amendment to the Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 was tabled by the government on 11 March, 2024. The lengthy list of amendments underwent a detailed discussion within the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the HoR which presented a shortened list of agreed amendments.&nbsp;
The HoR passed this amended list of amendments on 28 June. While the original Bill contained eight amendment proposals, only three major amendments were presented by the Committee, and approved by the HoR.
Has it become law now?
No. It is yet to be passed by the National Assembly and endorsed by the President.
What exactly is contained in the amendments?&nbsp;
<ol>
 <li>Addition to Section 5 of the Act: ‘For citizenship applications, a father’s identity is deemed unknown if the applicant and their mother both provide a self-declaration stating that the father is unidentified, as per Section 5, even if his name is listed on the person’s birth registration, educational qualifications, or other certificates, yet his other identity is not available and is currently out of contact.’</li>
</ol>
This simply provides a definition to what the Act means by ‘father unidentified’ or ‘father untraceable’. Section 5 derives its authority from Article 11(5) of the Constitution that grants citizenship by descent to children whose mother is a Nepali citizen, but father is unidentified or untraceable.&nbsp;
The Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 and Regulation 2006 (both promulgated prior to the present 2015 Constitution) was amended in 2023 to incorporate the provisions of the new Constitution. In doing so, it included the procedural rule requiring both the applicant and their mother to sign a self-declaration form.
The result: a lot of people who claimed citizenship under this provision were still denied access, simply because their educational or other documents mentioned the name or address or some information about their father. The officials interpreted the presence of such information as father’s identity being known and assumed the applicants were hiding facts.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/no-state-for-women">No state for women</a>, Neha Gurung
The Supreme Court in one of such cases had clearly interpreted the meaning of ‘father unidentified’. In its overarching decision, the court stated the following:
‘It seems neither lawful nor just to compel an individual to accept someone as an identified father merely because their biological father’s name, surname, or address is claimed to be known or mentioned in educational or other documents. It would be just to consider the father’s identity as “unidentified”; if the individual has not received paternal affection or care, and the alleged father has never taken any responsibility, borne any obligation, or been physically present before the children, leading to a situation where the children haven’t even seen their face. Such an alleged biological father should remain “unidentified” for these children until they formally acknowledge them as their son or daughter, or, in their absence, their family provides reasonable proof to confirm the fact and identifies the relationship through a process acceptable to the children, or until such a confirmation becomes impossible.’
Based on this decision, multiple implementation challenges, and growing advocacy around this concern, the government included the above-mentioned addition in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-citizenship-amendment-bill-explained">the Bill</a>.
Is it new?
The proposed addition is neither an introduction of the new right, nor does it provide anything beyond what the Constitution mandates. Since the Constitution itself uses the term ‘father untraceable or unidentified’, the most a legislation can do is to ensure that the constitutional provisions are interpreted and implemented in its true meaning. Therefore, the current Bill only serves to clarify the existing misinterpretation of the phrase ‘father unidentified’.
In a country where about 17% of the population are <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Comment/stateless-daughters-in-nepal,863">single mothers</a>, this clarification may provide certain relief for those whose fathers name was mentioned in the document and the father is now unidentified. However, the addition does not grant anything new.
The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/are-women-not-nepali-enough">gender discriminatory citizenship </a>where the citizenship or legal identity of a person is always dependent on one’s husband or father still remains.
Additionally, the current addition does not completely incorporate the Supreme Court’s decision which is broader and more comprehensive, requiring that the father be considered unidentified irrespective of the knowledge of the father’s name, surname and address, if the applicant/person has not felt the paternal affection or care, and the alleged father has never taken any responsibility, or borne any obligation or been physically present before the children.
The Bill only takes ‘father’s name’ into consideration. It does not recognize the mention of surname or address in the applicant’s certificates, nor the absence of emotional and physical presence, and responsibility in their life.
2. Addition to Section 18 of the Act:
i. Unless otherwise provided in this Act, a person dissatisfied with an order or decision made by an official under this Act may file a petition with the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs within thirty-five days from the date of such order, through the District Administration Office or directly through Nepal Government.
ii. Upon receiving the report pursuant to sub-section (1), the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs shall (must) issue their decision or order after obtaining the report from the official who issued the order or made the decision, within 30 days from the date of appeal, and such decision or order made by them shall be final.’
This provision is already present in the Act itself, and the Bill simply amends or adds the parts that are in bold letters. The positive part is that it makes the right to redress mandatory. Meaning, it not only ensures the right to appeal against the unsatisfactory decisions made by the local authorities, but also the right to receive the decision.
Earlier, it depended on the government's discretion to hear the appeal, but if this amendment is passed, it now becomes the State's obligation to ensure this as a due process of law.
This makes it easier for individuals denied citizenship, by the Chief District Office (CDO), to register an appeal in the higher office, which is the Home Ministry. However, in cases concerning a certain category of naturalised citizenship that falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, its decision becomes final and cannot be appealed.
This means that Nepal has two categories of naturalised citizenship. One that falls under the jurisdiction of CDO, such as naturalised citizenship to foreign women via marriage relationship. Another that falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, such as naturalised citizenship to persons born to Nepali mother and foreign father or foreigners who intend to acquire citizenship via stay requirement.&nbsp;
While the former can be appealed if the applicant is not satisfied with the decision of the official, the former, which is the government's decision, cannot be appealed.
3. Addition of Section 22(a) to the Act: ‘Shall provide a minor’s identity card to a person who is under 16 years of age, if either mother or father is a Nepali citizen.’
This provision can be considered as a positive extension of the child’s constitutional right. The Constitution of Nepal in Article 39 (1) states that ‘every child shall have the right to name and birth registration along with his or her identity’. The current Bill extends this right to a minor's ID card.
However, a minor ID card does not guarantee a citizenship certificate, which in Nepal, a person is eligible to apply only at the age of 16. This means: even though the child has the minor’s ID card and perhaps also a passport based on it, while applying for citizenship at the age of 16 or beyond, the person is bound by citizenship laws — which as we have seen is heavily dependent on the father's identity.
The conclusion?
The current amendment does not ensure any dramatic legal reform nor ensure a complete <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-right%20-to-have-rights,2656">gender equality in nationality laws</a>, simply because it technically and legally cannot.
When the Constitution itself uses gendered language such as ‘mother’, ‘father', ‘Nepali citizen man’, and ‘foreign citizen woman’, a legislation cannot override it. Nevertheless, recent amendments to the Act, including the first amendment, shows the government’s leniency towards gender equal citizenship laws.
Additionally, Article 49 of the Constitution also recognises equal lineage right of women, meaning that the family descent is legally recognised to be carried on by both genders. Hopefully in the nearest future, Nepal will carry this same principle to shape its citizenship law as well.&nbsp;
A transformative reform by ensuring gender equal nationality rights through constitutional amendment is still possible. Nepal, a member state to the CEDAW and CRC, is still in the list of 24 countries in the world that have gender unequal citizenship laws. &nbsp;It has the obligation as well as potentiality to become a pioneer in recognizing<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/quality-of-equality-for-women"> women’s equal rights </a>to confer citizenship to their children and spouse in par with men.
Neha Gurung is a human rights lawyer dedicated to advocating for equal citizenship rights, and co-founder of the Citizenship Affected People's Network. A Fulbright scholar, Gurung obtained LLM from the Washington College of Law.

Full equality vs status quo

The sudden and massive flood on the Bhote Kosi early Tuesday morning washed away a strategic bridge on Nepal’s main border crossing with China for trade, tourists and pilgrims. Slurry from the nearly 10m high debris flow left 9 dead and 20 missing, 12 of them Nepalis and six Chinese nationals, and 150 others were rescued by helicopter.&nbsp; Four <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-smarter-himalayan-infrastructure">hydropower plants</a> Rasuwagadi, Trisuli III, Trisuli, &nbsp;Benighat and the Trisuli substation sustained heavy damage, knocking &nbsp;out 230MW of Nepal’s power supply – approximately 8% of the total. Over 100 cargo trucks and new electric vehicles parked at &nbsp;Timure Dry Port were swept away. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mapping-kangchenjunga-glacial-flood-risk">Mapping Kangchenjung glacial flood risk</a>, Gabe Allen Officials had initially thought &nbsp;the Bhote Kosi had flooded due to heavy rain in Tibet. However, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) now say a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/living-below-nepal-s-melting-mountains">Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)</a> is likely.&nbsp; NDRRMA spokesperson Suresh Sunar said it was too early to tell which one, but the flood was most likely the result of one of the glacial lakes in Tibet. Bhote Kosi begins on the north slope of the Ganesh Himal near the Nepal-China border, and its tributary Lende drains the catchment area north of Langtang. The slurry flood on Tuesday was on the Lende (map).&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250709110720_bbc99c5f3e3d61a3d340892e0273fee3605a8d334a2beb354126137bcf0c8d27.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250709110720_bbc99c5f3e3d61a3d340892e0273fee3605a8d334a2beb354126137bcf0c8d27" data-rendition-name="original" width="629" height="759" loading="lazy" alt="Bhote Kosi flood map"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250709110720_39e2f574ff8c12cecda2e5a999d2ba8a0310f599f6b2261dcad7dd43f94df2a1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250709110720_39e2f574ff8c12cecda2e5a999d2ba8a0310f599f6b2261dcad7dd43f94df2a1" data-rendition-name="original" width="997" height="613" loading="lazy" alt="Bhote Kosi flood map"> </figure>  “Preliminary study suggest that the disaster was not caused by rain in Tibet, but by a glacial lake burst, or another accident,” said Kamal Ram Joshi of the DHM. The level of water at a self-monitoring station in Timure in Rasuwa increased by 3.5m at 3:10AM on Tuesday morning while 13km downstream in Syabrubesi, the level rose by 3.65m at 3:30AM. The same station recorded 5.37m ten minutes later, after which it stopped giving a reading, possibly because the station was also washed away. The flood reached <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/neither-side-lost-both-sides-won">Betrawati</a> by 5AM, and some of the debris flow reached Mugling during Tuesday. DHM’s Flood Forecasting Division noted that there was no major precipitation in the Bhote Kosi watershed in Nepal and China in the 24 hours preceding the flood.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100724_313a684b65fc5317064779e47409a40f2bbce2c0c84db995e7f8fc6e1c142105.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250708100724_313a684b65fc5317064779e47409a40f2bbce2c0c84db995e7f8fc6e1c142105" data-rendition-name="original" width="3600" height="1662" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood"> <figcaption>The Miteri bridge before it was swept away by the flood in Bhotekosi on the Nepal-China border. Photo: SUBASH DHUNGANA / RSS</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100732_ec43f13bae979f7b61bc0db939db4157dc93d3f0767ed527f564bd5c3d12be27.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250708100732_ec43f13bae979f7b61bc0db939db4157dc93d3f0767ed527f564bd5c3d12be27" data-rendition-name="original" width="720" height="432" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood NT 2"> <figcaption>The bridge after the flood.</figcaption> </figure>  On Wednesday, several remote-sensing experts using Copernicus &nbsp;satellite images pinpointed the cause of the flood to Purepu Cangbu where supraglacial ponds had merged in June to form a large lake which did not burst, but overflowed &nbsp;and found a channel through englacial conduits to the headwaters of the Lende. The river meets the Bhote Kosi at the Nepal-China checkpoint in Rasuwa.&nbsp; “Analysis of weather forecasts and satellite data shows the Tibet region did not receive enough rain to cause this scale of flooding,” explained Binod Pokharel, associate professor of hydrology and meteorology at Tribhuvan University. “The flood could have been caused by a GLOF."&nbsp; Two weeks ago, Chinese officials had reportedly warned the Rasuwa District Administration in Nepal to be on high alert for floods on rivers that originate in Tibet. It could be that Chinese scientists had observed the alarming<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-climate-crisis-is-a-water-crisis-in-the-himalaya"> expansion of glacial lakes</a> in the Lende and Bhote Kosi catchments. If that was the case, it is an example of the kind of trans-boundary forewarning that would be critical to save lives in future.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100736_1710142917b30d4f85b343ed52743554d723db918c708f0bade8a0491ba999b2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250708100736_1710142917b30d4f85b343ed52743554d723db918c708f0bade8a0491ba999b2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1001" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood"> </figure>  However, Rasuwa’s Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruv Prasad Adhikari seems to have no knowledge of any warning from the Chinese side, either formally or informally. &nbsp; “The Chinese Embassy has said the cause of the flood is unknown that it will coordinate with Nepal to find the cause," Adhikari told us. Chinese Ambassador Chen Song and Prime Minister Oli visited the border on Tuesday (pictured). &nbsp; The sharing of real-time trans-boundary rainfall and river flow data would be crucial in early warning about the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mapping-kangchenjunga-glacial-flood-risk">risk and consequences of GLOFs</a> to reduce human and material loss. But Nepali officials say China has been reluctant to share weather-related information and data not just in this disaster, but in the past as well. “There is no mechanism or system in place for us to obtain hydrological and meteorological data of the Tibetan region,” said DHM Director General Joshi. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/for-destruction-ice-is-also-great-and-will-suffice">Himalaya is melting twice as fast as the rest of the world</a> due to a phenomenon called ‘elevation dependent warming’, and receding glaciers have led to an increasing number of transboundary GLOFs.&nbsp; According to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/danger-nepal-s-glacial-lakes-are-filling-up">a 2018 ICIMOD study</a>, of the 47 of the most dangerous lakes that threaten Nepal, 25 are on glaciers in China, 21 in Nepal and one in India. Many of these glaciers are expanding rapidly due to global warming. One of the authors of the report, glacial lake expert Samjwal Bajracharya, says that the report was prepared based on data from 2015. But climate change has accelerated since then. Moreover, seismic activity has further destabilises the landscape, adding to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-glacial-lakes-in-danger-of-bursting">GLOF risk</a>.&nbsp; “Considering the rapid rate of snowmelt and consequent increase in size of Himalayan glaciers, studies should be conducted every year, and a monitoring system should be set up on the glaciers,” says Bajracharya. “However, no studies have been conducted in the Himalaya in a decade, which has been our biggest weakness.” &nbsp;

Rasuwa flood likely a GLOF

Former president Bidhya Devi Bhandari last week officially made her comeback to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/what-just-happened-in-nepali-politics">national politics </a>at an event commemorating her late husband UML leader Madan Bhandari’s 70th birth anniversary. Bhandari’s announcement was not a surprise, nor was the furious flutter it created both within and outside the UML. A former president returning to party politics sets a dangerous precedent, many said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Now that I have been released of my previous political responsibilities, I have renewed my party membership with the righteous intention of remaining in the CPN-UML and continuing the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/post-convention-uml-eyes-set-on-elections"> party's political journey</a>,” Bhandari said, not very convincingly. Nepal’s Constitution does not prohibit a former head of state from returning to active politics once their presidential term is over, essentially leaving such decisions to ethics rather than any legality. But her return to the UML fold has angered party leaders who considered themselves Oli’s successors as well commentators who saw it as yet another example of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/the-business-of-politics-in-nepal">deep rot in Nepal’s politics</a>. ‘<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/coalition-set-to-snub-president-bhandari">Bidya Devi Bhandari </a>has not tired of ‘serving’ us despite having held multiple ministerial positions, high-level party positions, and serving two terms as President, but the country and its citizens are tired of her unceasing and immoral ‘service’,’ political commentator Muma Ram Khanal wrote sardonically on social media. ‘Please do not embarrass us through your lifetime ‘service’.’ Bhandari tried to mollify critics by pledging to forego all perks and facilities she is entitled to as a former head of state. This was met with enthusiastic cheers from supporters at the public function. Prime Minister KP Oli, sitting right beside her on the stage, remained stone-faced. He has been against Bhandari’s political comeback, and has tried to talk her out of it. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250711040740_0f2b201ed3ce2f85540554c83fc7aae6bcfcd1377aef614bbc3759eef30baa3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250711040740_0f2b201ed3ce2f85540554c83fc7aae6bcfcd1377aef614bbc3759eef30baa3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="2400" height="1599" loading="lazy" alt="PM Oli and Bidya Devi "> </figure>  Oli has reasons to worry, as Bhandari has made it clear that she intends to run for party chair in the next UML general convention. There are also those within the UML who have grown resentful of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-government-changes-again">Oli’s leadership</a>, and this has polarised the party into two camps with leaders like Ishwar Pokharel in Bhandari’s corner. Oli wields absolute authority over the party, particularly after he sidelined and silenced rivals Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, and Bamdev Gautam.&nbsp; He has removed the party’s 70-year age limit to hold leadership position so that he can continue to be chair even as he approaches the end of term limit, and questions about his health after two kidney transplants. Bhandari wasted no time in wading right into politics to forge alliances. Last week she met Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah to discuss “latest developments”. She is said to have urged <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/kathmandu-s-balen-phenomenon">Kathmandu’s popular independent mayor</a> to enter national politics through a party. The mayor is keeping his cards close to his chest. &nbsp; The former president’s return to active politics has also not sat well with other parties, either. Nepali Congress (NC) president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Oli’s coalition partner, is said to have raised issue with Bhandari’s comeback. The NC Central Committee meeting this week was abuzz with corridor talk about how retired presidents returning to politics affects not just the UML, but undermines <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/slapping-democracy">Nepal’s democracy</a>. &nbsp; The UML is not the only party roiled in internal strife. The NC Central Committee meetings turned lively as the rank and file fed up with<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/deuba-s-long-and-winding-road"> long-serving Deuba</a> and the higher political profile Foreign Minister Arzu Rana, his wife, demanded an overhaul of the leadership.&nbsp; The surname Koirala still has strong brand equity in the NC, and a rival faction led by Shekhar Koirala has questioned Deuba’s competence and has intensified calls for the party’s next general convention to be held on time. His cousin, Shashank Koirala also supports a constitutional amendment to revert Nepal back to Hindu state – possibly with an eye on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/women-first-in-2027-wfnchctq">the 2027 election</a>. The NC’s young turks are no longer young. Party General Secretary Gagan Thapa is approaching middle age while waiting for a greater leadership role with the promise of fresh new blood to rejuvenate the party. &nbsp; Meanwhile, CPN-Unified Socialists chair and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is facing calls for resignation from within his party after being charged with corruption by Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for alleged involvement in the Patanjali land scam.&nbsp; Nepal, who has been stripped of his lawmaker status, is currently out on bail. He has said the case against him is politically motivated, fuelled by one-time comrade K P Oli's vendetta.&nbsp; The CPN-US members do not seem keen on Nepal taking the already beleaguered party down with him. Firebrand leader Ram Kumari Jhakri called for a new leadership at an event of the party’s youth wing last week, obviously pushing herself as a possible successor.&nbsp; “The party chair is facing legal and constitutional challenges, we cannot move forward with this dead weight on our shoulders,” Jhakri said, calling for an early general convention to choose new leadership. CPN-US leadership has since admonished her gently about her remark, but others like Jhalanath Khanal and Ghanashyam Bhushal have lent their support. Khanal, a former prime minister himself, even asked for Nepal’s resignation at the party’s secretariat meeting earlier this week.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250711050712_bed4145c696497f12eedc746dcd0308d251ca02312bef88c549a51d54a5032a8.png" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250711050712_bed4145c696497f12eedc746dcd0308d251ca02312bef88c549a51d54a5032a8" data-rendition-name="original" width="262" height="402" loading="lazy" alt="Two to tango"> </figure>  Over at the Maoist-Centre, Pushpa Kamal Dahal is also said to be at loggerheads with top comrades, particularly Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma, who used to be a guerrilla commander during the conflict. &nbsp; Dahal and Sharma’s relationship has been strained since the party’s last general convention, when Dahal bypassed Sharma for General Secretary. The two have traded barbs in public and private since then. Sharma has long called for competition in party leadership, but like Oli and Deuba, Dahal is reluctant to give up the reins. Dahal has reportedly been reluctant to hold a general convention fearing he will be voted out of his chairmanship. &nbsp; In response, Dahal has attempted to fill the ranks with his own confidants, including actively lobbying for the return of former vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun to active politics despite objections from the party. Like Bidya Bhandari, this has not been welcomed within the party and outside. And then there is the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/in-with-the-new-out-with-the-old"> Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)</a>, the fourth largest in Parliament whose chair, former tv anchor leader Rabi Lamichhane, is in detention for multiple charges of defrauding cooperatives. The three main parties see the RSP as a threat in 2027 and want to tie Lamichhane up with court convictions, but his prolonged detention has actually allowed him to gather some public sympathy – at least on social media. The RSP has rallied around Lamichhane in public, but there are rifts within the party. In April, MP Sumana Shrestha resigned as the party’s joint general secretary, levelling criticism at the leadership and the lack of intra-party democracy and calling for reforms. But Lamichhane’s legal troubles have put a dent on the RSP’s Mission-2084 election campaign, which has come to a standstill.&nbsp; Aisde from internal feuds in all the main parties, the four main parties are also jostling for advantage ahead of 2027. And last week, the Janata Samajwadi Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party both withdrew from the alliance. &nbsp; Speculation is rife of a rift between the two largest parties in the coalition. This is driven by the two parties, which have been bitter rivals since 1990 but are now partners in government, in the leadup to elections. &nbsp; In public, the two parties have maintained that the coalition remains strong as ever. Oli is said to be considering recalling some of his ministers to pacify the NC’s dissatisfaction with UML cabinet members. Deuba seems determined not to let the coalition collapse ahead of his turn to be prime minister for the sixth time next year as per a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with Oli.&nbsp; The cement that binds the coalitions together is the mutual threat they feel about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/higher-corruption-in-high-places">corruption </a>probes of their leaders. The former RSP-NC-Maoist coalition collapsed last year after Deuba and Oli got wind that Home Minister <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-rise-and-fall-of-rabi-lamichhane">Rabi Lamichhane</a> had started investigating the involvement of their top leaders on the fake refugee and tea estate scams. &nbsp; For the moment, though, it seems as though the relationship between Oli and Deuba is more stable than the support both leaders have within their own &nbsp;parties. But the question as the elections approaches is, for how much longer.

Uncontrolled instability in Nepal

Recent outrage in Sikkim over an Indian Army expedition climbing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kangchenjunga">Kangchenjunga</a>, the world’s third-highest peak, has spiked attention to the need to balance mountaineering jobs with indigenous reverence for sacred landmarks. Kangchenjunga (8,586m) is not a peak as much as it is a mountain range with 16 peaks above 7,000m on the border between India and Nepal -- the word itself means ‘five treasures of the snows’ in Tibetan. Some of the highest prominences like Kangchenjunga West and Kangbachen are in Nepal, while the Main, Central and South Peaks are on the border. Climbing the peak from the Indian side has been banned since 2001 because the indigenous Lepcha community there regard the mountain as the abode of Dzoe-nga, the patron deity of Sikkim, which was an independent Himalayan Kingdom until it was annexed by India in 1975.&nbsp; Buddhists in Sikkim say their saint, Padmasambhava, recognised the mountain as a protective spirit. The state has declared the base of the mountain Kangchenjunga National Park, which covers an area one-third of Sikkim. ‘The act of scaling this sacred peak is not only a matter of serious concern but also a violation of both the prevailing legal provisions and the deeply held religious beliefs of the people of Sikkim,’ read a letter from Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) to Amit Shah, India’s Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation.&nbsp; Tamang continued: ‘We further request Your Honour to take up the issue with the Government of Nepal to ensure that no future expeditions are permitted on the sacred mountain, in deference to the deeply held beliefs and cultural values of the people of Sikkim.’ Kangchenjunga was climbed for the first time exactly 70 years ago by a British team who told King Tashi Namgyal, the Choegyal of Sikkim, that they would not set foot on the summit. Since then, there have been about 532 successful climbs of the peaks and 52 have died while trying.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250628060616_5c268e08cf49f36b79ef9b31933fc2d9bf9a6f65414e7ca06dd028bf04e7ccc1.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250628060616_5c268e08cf49f36b79ef9b31933fc2d9bf9a6f65414e7ca06dd028bf04e7ccc1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1782" height="1178" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga: too sacred to climb NT"> <figcaption>Indigenous communities in Sikkim held purification ceremonies following the Indian expedition to Kangchenjunga. Photo: THE VOICE OF SIKKIM / FACEBOOK</figcaption> </figure>  <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-climbing-season-2025-s4abrxny">This spring climbing season</a> alone, there were 70 climbing permits for foreigners issued for Kangchenjunga by the Nepal government, and made it to the top while one French climber died.&nbsp; One of the expeditions this year was an Indian Army team led by Col Ranveer Jamwal, who has summited the highest peaks on all seven continents, and Mt Everest thrice. Jamwal’s team was on the final leg of a ‘<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/nimas-summits-mt-kangchenjunga-concludes-historic-har-shikhar-tiranga-mission-successfully/articleshow/121341315.cms?from=mdr">Har Shikhar Tiranga</a>’ (The Tricolour on Every Peak) mission to plant the Indian flag at the highest points of each of India’s 28 states. Kanchenjunga was the last peak they had left, and the hardest, but the expedition put five climbers on the summit. What seems to have incensed the Sikkimese is that while it has banned climbing the mountain from its side, it was an Indian military expedition that went to Nepal to climb the mountain. After news broke of the climb in May, the Sikkim Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association asked people to observe purification ceremonies in temples across the state. Mayalmit Lepcha of the association acknowledged that the Sikkim government was also partly at fault: “I don’t think such an expedition could have gone forward without the state government being informed, so it could have done something to intervene. It shows weakness. What’s done is done, all we can do is carry out these sanctification ceremonies.”&nbsp; In 2000, one year before Sikkim’s ban, the state allowed an Austrian team to attempt Kanchenjunga’s northeast face for a fee of $20,000, on agreement that they would stop 10m before the summit. Despite this, there was outrage over the expedition on the grounds that it violated Indian laws regarding the defiling of religious sites and Sikkim’s rights to maintain its culture after merging with India. The Indian Army expedition was also seen to have circumvented Sikkim’s law and violated religious sensibilities by going through Nepal. While the team may have thought they were respecting Sikkim’s beliefs by finding a way to complete the mission, the people of Sikkim saw it as defilement.&nbsp; The somber mood of the Sikkim people at the ritual contrasts sharply with Jamwal’s sense of accomplishment. “Without a doubt, the most difficult summit of my life,” he told reporters after the climb. “It tested every ounce of our will.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250628060616_ccfe079c78dab788d19fe2080ee8a5d5dcb11de4157316f6d94e5964da097157.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250628060616_ccfe079c78dab788d19fe2080ee8a5d5dcb11de4157316f6d94e5964da097157" data-rendition-name="original" width="787" height="377" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga: too sacred to climb NT"> <figcaption>Prayer flags along the Sikkim-Kangchenjunga trekking route. Photo: TREKKINGININDIA.COM</figcaption> </figure>  The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-nims-purja">controversial Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal Purja</a> was also on Kangchenjunga this spring the mountain, on a mission to summit all 14 8,000m peaks for a third time. He echoed Jamwal about the tough conditions: “The conditions above camp were extremely tough, with deep snow and challenging terrain—more crevasses than usual.” Nepal’s government has not said anything publicly, but it is unlikely that it will ban climbing on Kangchenjunga, since it is becoming popular with expeditions because of its technical challenges, and overcrowding on Mt Everest. Nepal does have bans in place for some of its mountains out of respect for local beliefs. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/to-open-machapuchre-for-mountaineering-or-not">Mt Machapuchre</a> (6,990m) the imposing pyramid that looms over Pokhara, for example, is seen as an icon of purity by the Gurung people and a symbol of Vishnu by the Hindu communities who live at its base. A strict climbing ban has been in place since 1957, when a British expedition led by Col Jimmy Roberts stopped 45m short of the summit – either because the last bit was too difficult or out of deference to local sentiments.&nbsp; Khumbila that stands above Namche Bazar is only 5,761m high, but like Kanchenjunga is considered the protector deity of the Sherpa people. Gauri Shankar on the Nepal-China border, called Chomo Tseringma by the local community, was off-limits between 1965 and 1979 due to its association with Lord Shiva and Gauri, his consort. Although expeditions are now allowed, there are not too many takers. In Tibet, climbing Mount Kailash is prohibited by the Chinese government because it revered by the Hindus, Buddhists and followers of the Bon faith. Even Mt Everest is regarded as sacred, and its Sherpa name is Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the Earth.&nbsp; Economically, climbs on Kanchenjunga bring in decent revenue. This climbing season, the 41 permits, at $1,800 each, brought in $73,800. This is somewhat comparable to Makalu, Lhotse, and Annapurna I, but these numbers are dwarfed by the $4 million in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-everest-industry">Everest permits</a>. Revenue from Kanchenjunga climbing permits is something Nepal could potentially forgo if necessary, but the expeditions also provide jobs to hundreds of high altitude guides, porters, base camp support staff and other logistical costs.&nbsp; As the third highest mountain in the world and the tallest in India, there will always be significant motivation to climb it from the Nepal side, especially as climbers are drawn by the technical climbing at high altitude.

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