<img width="1400" height="934" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151112/636d07729c7e80680e0a5fbfjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>In one of his moves to shore up public support, former Prime Minister K P Oli <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/govt-not-employers-responsible-for-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">launched his much-vaunted Social Security Fund (SSF)</a> in November 2018 amidst much fanfare.  The government bought full-page ads in the national media, and Oli’s face was on SSF posters all over the country. Oli was trying to ride a populist wave <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/social-insecurity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ahead of the 2023 elections</a>, and pushed a project actually designed under a previous government.  The SSF was billed as a ‘birth of a new era’ while promising the ‘protection of the working class’.  Now, with Oli no longer prime minister, the future of the scheme has been thrown into doubt. Most of its supposed beneficiaries are not convinced about it, the private sector is taking a wait-and-watch approach, and there have been few takers.  Earlier this month, trade unions of 22 commercial banks filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court demanding a repeal of mandatory listing in the SSF, citing that it was less beneficial to workers than existing welfare funds.   “We have been receiving government-set assistance from appointment to retirement, it makes no sense to opt for SSF, slashing our current benefits,” says Padmaraj Regmi of the Financial Institutions Employees Union Nepal (FIEUN). The employees argue that they have been in service before the implementation of the Labour Act 2017 and hence are covered by the regulations of Section 133(1) of the Bank and Financial Institution Act 2017. Moreover, they add that banks and financial institutions have also set up a separate welfare fund for their employees, which they find more beneficial and practical.  On 9 April, SSF issued a notice to the employers who had missed the listing for compulsory registration by mid-July. The fund had similarly written letters to the Nepal Bankers’ Association on 16 March and 31 May calling for their registration. While banks and employers were willing to take part, the backlash and workers’ agitation have made them reconsider. Says CEO of Sanima Bank and chairman of Nepal Bankers’ Association Bhuwan Dahal: “Legal arrangements, government plans and policies are on our side, and we work within government guidelines. However, we cannot move forward knowing that our employees have doubts about it.”  Banks and employers in fact stand to gain from the SSF, as compensation in a case of a death of a worker would then be solely managed by the fund.  <img width="1050" height="700" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151112/636d07759c7e80680e0a5fc0jpeg.jpg" alt="">When Sanaj Khatiwada of Sunrise Bank died in August 2020, his family approached the SSF for compensation. The fund ordered the bank to pay Rs4.3 million in restitution, derived from 60% of the employee’s monthly salary as decreed by the Social Security Scheme Operating Procedures 2018. Global IME Bank was also ordered to pay Rs10.5 million to a victim’s family in a similar case in March. Both banks were not part of the SSF at the time and bore full financial responsibility. SSF spokesperson Bibek Panthi claims that the fund was designed with workers and employees at its centre, and that no benefits will be stripped away upon joining it. “The SSF was set up to ensure that workers couldn’t be exploited and to secure post-retirement life. All benefits outlined in Article 178 of Labour Act 2017 are enshrined by SSF,” he says.However, upon closer inspection of the provisions, one can see why the workers and businesses are up in arms. Entirely contribution-funded, 31% of the basic salary of each employee (11% by workers and 20% by company) must be deposited into the SSF, but some companies are making workers deposit up to 20% out-of-pocket. These are significant financial undertakings in times of slashed income due to the pandemic-induced economic collapse and job losses.When inflation and interest are taken into account, subscribers will in fact lose money. Even so, one must wait until age 60 to receive monthly pensions, but any amount accrued before 60 cannot be withdrawn post-retirement. Monthly accumulations cannot be withdrawn all at once post-retirement, either.Also, funeral costs, accident insurance and medical coverage are not covered after three months of retirement. Moreover, the dependent spouse will receive only 50% compensation if the employee dies after 15 years of receiving the pension. “Saving 30% of salary in the current economic climate is difficult for many, people must have the freedom to choose when it comes to safeguarding their money,” says the former chief of the investment department of Employees’ Provident Fund Arjun Gautam. “It is counterproductive to force customers to leave government-run funds and join another one.” There are also doubts about whether the government can handle sole responsibility for the social security of private workers, especially as the informal sector has not even been factored in. The government plans to cover over three million social taxpayers with the SSF. But as of now, only 14,738 employers and 257,817 contributors are registered from an estimated 923,000 private institutions across the country. With current contributions standing at Rs6.65 billion, experts fear the fund may be financially incapable of handling the tenfold increase in outlays and deposits if and when the informal sector is roped in.  In fact, the SSF is serving the same purpose, but only worse, that existing government schemes provide. The Citizens’ Investment Fund and Employees’ Provident Fund provide hybrid and public sector coverage respectively, with the former already offering 11 service pensions and insurance schemes.  <img width="723" height="398" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151112/636d07789c7e80680e0a5fc1jpeg.jpg" alt="">“So far no one has come to us to close their accounts and move to the SSF,” says Managing Director of Citizens’ Investment Fund, Raman Nepal. The SSF has issued dozens of notices and extended deadlines for listing multiple times since 17 July 2019 until now, but to no avail.   Private institutions however have no alternative but to sign up for it, says spokesperson Panthi, who blames misinformation and rumour-mongering for the scheme’s failure to meet the expectation.   “The government created this scheme for the workers’ benefit, but they themselves are finding excuses to not join and be at a disadvantage,” he adds. To be sure, there are some progressive clauses in the SSF. In the event of a workplace accident, it will provide full coverage on treatment costs. The SSF also covers occupational hazards and illness as well as monthly funds for the education of dependent children of a deceased employee.  However, the SSF is complicated and unattractive for the general public. It is split into the medical treatment, health and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/who-will-save-nepals-poor-new-mothers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">maternal care</a> plan, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-plans-to-reintegrate-returning-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">accident and disability protection</a> plan, dependent family protection plan and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-future-is-older/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">elderly </a>protection plan. Contributors who have deposited for three months can cash in on the healthcare and maternal plan, which lasts for three months from the most recent deposit date, but can only be claimed by one spouse.   The dependent family protection plan is further split into education funds, spousal retirement funds, elderly parents' support and final rites expenditure. No matter the cause of death, the subscriber’s spouse is guaranteed to receive monthly stipends of 60% of the deceased’s basic salary. However, if the claimant has alternate sources of income, they are not eligible. This applies to the deceased’s spouse and elderly parents.  The accrued amount and returns from the SSF deposit are added then divided by 180 to be handed out as monthly pension, for which the subscriber must be above 60 and should have contributed for at least 180 months (15 years). Experts say that this time period is too long and impractical, especially when money cannot be withdrawn at will.  It is clear that the planners designed the SSF without taking the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/not-just-social-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">economic reality and situation of the country</a> into account, say experts, but nonetheless there is a space for improvement. Says Gautam: “We copied a foreign product without considering our economy and quality of public education and health facilities. As it may erode public faith in similar schemes, the fund must be restructured, made more competitive and optional, which will then attract workers.

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Nepalis insecure about new Social Security Fund

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107161116/6369220f9c7e80680e03a108jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667"/>With the introduction of its Monetary Policy for 2018-19 in June, Nepal Rastra Bank intended to address the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/guest-editorial/banking-crisis-explained,1096">shortage of loanable funds</a> and maintain financial stability, while focusing on production and infrastructure sector. With one-fourth of the year already gone, Nepali Times spoke with Govinda Gurung, CEO of <a href="http://www.civilbank.com.np/">Civil Bank</a> about the outcomes so far.Nepali Times: How has the new Monetary Policy fared?                                                        Govinda Gurung: Federalism, political stability and the Monetary Policy for 2017/18 have brought opportunities for the banking sector, strengthening its risk management capacity and creating business opportunities. The policies allowed the banks to move ahead aggressively with service and expansion, which in turn led to increase in capital collection and profit. However, compared to capital, the boundary for business has not improved because of which there are challenges in maintaining balance between GDP and the capital.Banks these days seem to be marketing auto and home loans a lot?The analytical parameters to issue loans for automation and homes are very few and easy to conduct. The process includes verification of income source and few papers. So it is easy for us to market it.What about education loans?In countries like the US, the government has fixed a certain amount of salary for a graduate from a particular university. Even though salaries vary, it is all verified by the certificate. So banks do not have to go into detail before issuing a loan. Here, we have been issuing loans based on the parent’s income, which we know is not the exact process.And productive sectors?Two sectors that can change the course of Nepal’s economy are agriculture and tourism. But these need detailed analysis on more than 200 parameters – the entrepreneur’s investment capacity, past background history, business skills and plans, financial integrity background, feasibility, tax regime, international market, available technology, to name a few. This takes more than 25 days with lots of complications to issue a loan.Also, the concept of agro-business in Nepal is complicated. There are only a few with a master’s degree who are engaged in farming. Even those who are willing lack necessary skills and a strategic plan. In fact, there are people who casually apply for loan without a proper research, just because they are aware of government’s subsidy and loan policy.Traditional subsistence farming systems in Nepal needs to be tweaked. Consolidation of land, irrigation systems, market linkage through transport and price stability play key role in supporting agriculture sector. Even if banks are interested in providing huge financial assistance, they cannot do anything other than micro-financing.If policies are revised, Nepal has the capacity to export its products to countries like Singapore, where there is no land to farm. Remittance could be replaced with the capitals earned from agricultural export. Banks will happily invest in this sector as turnover is obvious. Read also: "<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/a-part-of-something-bigger/">A part of something bigger</a>"<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107161116/636922119c7e80680e03a109jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="960"><figcaption>Photos: SIKUMA RAI</figcaption></figure>And Civil Bank’s plans?Last fiscal year, the bank has earned Rs645 million net growth within a year. It is an increase of 85.2% from last year’s net profit. We have achieved 34% growth in loan, 17% in deposit with total capital of Rs8 billion and total assets of Rs51 billion.After my appointment as the CEO of the bank in July 2017, out portfolio of non-performing assets has decreased to 2.65% from 4.66% within 15 months. Currently, Civil Bank has customer base of 240,000, which is a 100% increase from last year.Keeping in line with the policy of the central bank, we are planning to expand our network to 119 branches, up from 68, by the end of this fiscal year. Also, we have kept the option of merger acquisition open, keeping the primary focus on business synergy and profit synergy.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2018/01/24/himalayas-himalayan-turns-25/">Himalaya's Himalayan turns 25</a>, Sikuma Rai<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-turns-to-solar-and-batteries-to-meet-peak-demand/">Nepal turns to solar and batteries to meet peak demand, </a>Kunda Dixit

Focus on agriculture and tourism

The monsoon has got bad press because Nepal’s tourism operators actively told visitors to avoid <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/managing-the-monsoon?%2F">the rainy season</a>. It is time to change that. The reason can be found right here in the vast alpine meadows of Central Nepal where this time of year you can walk on velvet grass of pastures abloom with delicate pink, red and yellow flowers as the mist rolls up the valley. There is no sound except the hum of bumble bees. &nbsp;&nbsp; There are dozens of places across high Nepal called Chaurikharka, which means yak pasture. But this particular Chaurikharka in Rukum East located at an altitude of 4,000m stands out for its serene beauty, rustic charm and bucolic setting. There is just the occasional chime of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">yak bells</a> in the distance, and the sharp whistle of herders corralling sheep. &nbsp;&nbsp; The grass shoots are so fragile that one hesitates to step on them, the rounded ridges appear and quickly vanish in waves of mist. With the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon"> arrival of monsoon</a>, these meadows are a soothing shade of green dotted with millions of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-anatomy-of-a-flower?%2F=">multi-coloured flowers</a>. Until very recently, it took a week or so to hike up to places like Chaurikharka, but with the expansion of the road network even to these far-flung mountains in the lap of Dhaulagiri, they are much more accessible. It is just a three-hour uphill from the Mid-Hill Highway on the border between Baglung and Rukum East.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250802130828_a0b06b494d751b2144ffbbf10894ea64b29e8aed844bc8c66171783abfaf4e16.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250802130828_a0b06b494d751b2144ffbbf10894ea64b29e8aed844bc8c66171783abfaf4e16" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon"> </figure>  Purists would say that such easy access devalues the sanctity of these remote high meadows, but it also means more people will be moved to treasure the experience, appreciate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/natures-fragile-gift-to-nepal">the value of nature </a>so they can take steps to protect it.&nbsp; To be sure, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/deadly-monsoon-in-nepal-turns-deadlier">monsoon season can be challenging for road travel</a>. The roads are rough even at the best of times, and in the monsoon they become muddy and treacherous, often blocked by<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/monsoon-deluge-in-nepal"> landslides</a>. But that could be precisely the kind of adventure that the more intrepid visitors crave. Improved road connectivity has already made Chaurikharka and places like Badimallika &nbsp;and other sacred lakes in the mountains of western Nepal popular with domestic tourists. What is driving this traffic is the urge to go to exotic new places and share videos and selfies on social media. Several of Nepal’s travel vloggers have visited Chaurikharka and popularised the place, enticing followers on TikTok or YouTube to retrace their footsteps. But even as they become more popular, these fragile and once-remote places should be protected from over-tourism.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110736_f97110b7cdc3e7f80d5877690948fc9f4c95a09c583deb23b07355491e6c5446.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250731110736_f97110b7cdc3e7f80d5877690948fc9f4c95a09c583deb23b07355491e6c5446" data-rendition-name="original" width="1083" height="699" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon NT"> </figure>  <h2>INCREASING FOOTFALL</h2> Chaurikharka is located in Bhume Rural Municipality of East Rukum, near the scenic valley of Dhorpatan in Baglung district. Even in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/monsoon-culture">middle of the monsoon</a>, there is a steady stream of Nepali hikers trooping to these high pastures – especially during festival days like Saune Sankranti which this year was on 17 July and actually marks the auspicious beginning of the monsoon here. “This year the rains have not been as heavy and there have been some clear mornings when we could see everything from Dhaulagiri to Machapuchre,” says Khageswar Bhandari, who trekked up here from the road. “The flowers, the greenery and the snowy mountain views make this an incredibly unique place.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250802130824_1b9e26f2e9853fdfe69154bb42a7c9ea6da4bf4940efc1da99b304dcfbd7d3d9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250802130824_1b9e26f2e9853fdfe69154bb42a7c9ea6da4bf4940efc1da99b304dcfbd7d3d9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1152" loading="lazy" alt="Visit Nepal in the monsoon"> </figure>  Chaurikharka is worthwhile to get to in any season, but it has a different charm during the monsoon. Word has spread and because it is now easy to get to from Baglung or even Pokhara, people have been flocking here.&nbsp; “Holidays and Saturdays see the largest crowds, with up to 500 visitors every day,” says ward chair Mankaji Pun of Bhume.&nbsp; There was a time not too long ago when local herders brought sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes, horses, and mules to graze here during the monsoon. Although there are still livestock around, animals have been replaced by visitors taking selfies. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-monsoon-and-nature-s-arithmetic">The monsoon, and nature’s arithmetic</a>, Tom Robertson Ward Chair Pun says infrastructure development is his main priority. A foot trail to Chaurikharka was built last year by the Tourism Division Office in Kohalpur, but access via the Raniwas-Koipa road section still remains challenging.&nbsp; “If we get more budget, we can improve the road and facilities to make Chaurikharka the main tourist attraction of this region,” says Bhume Municipality Chair Hom Prakash Shrestha. “After that, we hope to promote Chaurikharka as a top tourist spot.”&nbsp; Economic activity is also picking up with the arrival of visitors, but there seems to be a need to manage the makeshift sheds made of corrugated sheets that spoil the beauty of the place. Tea shops and lodges are also available but facilities are basic. Kuldeep Neupane took a three-day trip from Ghorahi in Dang to visit Chaurikharka recently, and says: “This is an ideal trip to make a quick getaway and let nature recharge your mind and body. And it is much more fun with a tent, to watch the sunrise over the Himalaya or the mist blowing in.”

Visit Nepal in the monsoon

The final investigation report on the crash of a Saurya Airlines jet on 24 July 2024 at Kathmandu airport has revealed flaws in the carrier’s technical operation procedures, poor monitoring by the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) and gaps in the airport’s emergency response. Eighteen people including a child were killed, and only the captain survived as the plane plunged seconds after takeoff, crashing within the airport perimeter. This was the latest in a series of aircraft accidents in previous years, and further tarnished Nepal’s already poor aviation safety record and contributed to the country being retained in the EU’s air safety list. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The circumstances in the Saurya crash were different from the Yeti Airlines crash in Pokhara in January 2022 that killed all 72 on board, and two Tara Air crashes in February 2016 and May 2022 on approach to Jomsom that together claimed 45 lives. However, all four tragedies were a result of negligence of carriers and crew, failure to follow procedures, regulatory slackness, and overconfidence. The Saurya crash, especially, was a glaring example of how an ailing airline broke its own rules to allow passengers, including non-employees, a joy ride to Pokhara on a maintenance ferry flight. CRASH REPORT The Final Investigation Report prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission and released on the first anniversary of the crash last week carried a long list of rules that were ignored or broken, and of regulatory failure. The first mistake was to cram spares, tools and inflammable chemicals needed for the aircraft’s C-Check in Pokhara into the cargo hold flouting its own ground handling procedures.&nbsp; There was no check-in of passengers, some of whom were not even employees – even though regulations say only flight and maintenance crew should be on board a maintenance positioning flight. Many brought their own luggage into the plane and stored it unsecured in the cabin. There was no flight attendant to give a safety briefing to passengers. The load and trim charts given to the flight crew were rough estimates, and the total takeoff weight of the plane was 18,300kg plus or minus 200 kg. That would still have been all right, but there was a glaring mistake in the speedchart Saurya pilots were using to calculate the minimum takeoff speed (known as VR), and it had been wrong ever since the 21-year-old aircraft entered service with the airline in 2017. FAULTY DATA&nbsp; The Commission probed Flight Data Recorder inputs from previous takeoffs of the Canadian-built CRJ200-LR in 2023-2024 and found that the undetected error in the speedchart had caused the plane to pitch up at an abnormal rotation rate at least 18 times on previous takeoffs.&nbsp; Any rotation rate more than 3°/sec is regarded as unusual. But on at least two occasions, this aircraft with tail number 9N-AME had rotation rates of 5.8°/sec and 5.5°/sec, the second one was when the pilot who survived was flying in March 2024.&nbsp; On this particular day, the plane’s rotation rate was 6.5°/sec, causing it to go into a deep stall soon after takeoff, the Commission report said. Essentially, the plane was not flying fast enough down the runway to take off safely.&nbsp; It is not yet clear whether excess weight, unsecured luggage, wrong centre of gravity were also factors, but relying on a faulty speedchart for the given takeoff weight, the captain flying pulled back on the yoke before the plane had reached takeoff speed and at a pitch angle that was too steep. The investigation report says the plane then went into a deep stall and started banking right with the stick shaking. At this point, the flight officer on the right hand seat is heard on the cockpit voice recorder saying: “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sir, Sir, Sir…” It then banked left before the pilot flying turned the plane sharply to the right again in an evasive action to avoid the parking aprons of the international and domestic terminals. Had he not done so, there would have been a disaster of a much greater magnitude at Kathmandu airport that day. The plane scraped the runway with its right wingtip, collided with a container having helicopter spare parts, and plunged into a gully east of the runway, exploding in a fireball. The investigation also noted that the impact forces seemed to be survivable for some occupants. The fire trucks took unnecessarily long to reach the site even though it was inside the airport perimeter. The absence of an ICAO-standard runway strip, inadequate rescue drills, lack of training, and a blocked emergency service gate leading to the crash site were cited as other factors. &nbsp;&nbsp; <h2>Timestamp of a Disaster</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110724_39cdd04693994ce6e55a5b302905c0fa4884fe85bed21ff0779bb1439f3a5725.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20250731110724_39cdd04693994ce6e55a5b302905c0fa4884fe85bed21ff0779bb1439f3a5725" data-rendition-name="original" width="778" height="826" loading="lazy" alt="Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy NT"> </figure>  11:10:34 - The Saurya Airlines CRJ200 on the takeoff roll from runway 02. It had a takeoff weight of about 18,300kg, but the pilot’s speedcard had a previously undetected mistake about the minimum takeoff speed. 11:10:55 -The plane with tail number 9N-AME goes into deep stall soon after takeoff because it does not have enough speed to lift its weight. The plane also has an abnormally steep nose-up attitude.&nbsp; 11:11:03 - Without enough speed to generate lift, the plane banks right, then left and right again in CCTV photos taken from the domestic apron (below). If it had not banked right, it could have hit the aprons and terminal buildings. Seen parked is Saurya’s other CRJ200 with tail number 9N-ANM.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250731110732_608132f7225c649125cca2691dd6a6bf930984c5b359e888d7ad9e5eacce3afd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250731110732_608132f7225c649125cca2691dd6a6bf930984c5b359e888d7ad9e5eacce3afd" data-rendition-name="original" width="770" height="555" loading="lazy" alt="Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy NT"> </figure>  11:11:08 - The plane scrapes the runway with its right wingtip, and falls into the gully. The captain is thrown off the left side of the cockpit and survives. 11:11:15: Plane explodes in a fireball inside the airport perimeter. Firefighters take time to reach the site because of lack of access road and a blocked gate. Read the full investigation report <a href="https://www.tourism.gov.np/files/9N-AME%20AIC%20Final%20Report.pdf">here</a>.

Flouting rules caused Saurya tragedy

Every year, up to 15 people are killed by tigers in and around Nepal’s Chitwan National Park, famous for its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/is-wildlife-conservation-a-victim-of-its-own-success-in-nepal">conservation success story</a>.&nbsp; But this was not always the case — elders say there used to be many more tigers but fewer deaths. What changed? Long before <a href="https://chitwannationalpark.gov.np/index.php">Chitwan National Park</a> was established in 1972, the indigenous Tharu people and tigers coexisted, fostering a centuries-old relationship based on an understanding of each other’s behaviour. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">the Tarai </a>plains, especially Chitwan, gained fame for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">tiger hunting</a> and proved useful as Nepal’s rulers employed hunting diplomacy by inviting British royals to extravagant hunting parties. Hunting expeditions would descend from Kathmandu in winter months to avoid malarial summers. The Tharu supplied rice, vegetables, goats, and constructed access roads.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250729160752_c9998ffdaa27ff3c251556bd472945bf6e648fdb4016d3b152cbef86f321c7f7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250729160752_c9998ffdaa27ff3c251556bd472945bf6e648fdb4016d3b152cbef86f321c7f7" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1146" loading="lazy" alt="Tharu people"> <figcaption>A US-supported DDT spraying campaign against malaria in Chitwan in the 1950s that opened the valley to trans-migration of farmers from the hills. The Tharu people were partially immune to malaria. Photo: USOM RECORDS, US NATIONAL ARCHIVES, COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND</figcaption> </figure>  Rana rulers also relied upon Tharu mahout expertise in handling elephants, navigating the jungle, and tracking wildlife for hunting. The Ranas and their guests killed an astonishing number of tigers. During a hunting expedition in 1850, Rana Prime Minister Jung Bahadur Rana personally shot dead 31 tigers. In 1876, during two weeks, British King Albert Edward VII shot 23 tigers.&nbsp; In 1911 King George V killed four bears, eight one-horned rhinoceroses, and 39 tigers. Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher is said to have killed 433 tigers from all across the Tarai between 1930 to 1940. At the time, 90% of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/chitwan-s-bote-people-in-a-changing-world">Chitwan’s population </a>were indigenous Tharu, Bote, Musahar, with the Kumal making up the rest. While people were worried about their crops and food sources, they were also mindful of tigers, rhinos, and other forms of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/human-animal-interface-in-nepal-wildlife-corridor?%2F">wildlife</a>.&nbsp; The Tharu trapped tiger prey such as wild boar and deer for their survival, also understood that predators like tigers sometimes hunted their buffalos, goats, and cows — especially when they grazed in or near the jungle. To Tharu, this seemed only fair. “In 1973, just before the establishment of the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/on-the-tri-junction-of-wildlife-conservation-conflict-and-co-existence"> Chitwan National Park</a>, my family owned between 200 and 300 cows, oxen, and buffaloes,” says Keval Chaudhary, 95. “Tigers killed four to five of my cattle each year, but we never hated tigers and never felt like killing them. It was coexistence — we shared the same land.”&nbsp; Shukhlal Chaudhary of Bachauli once told us there used to be significantly more tigers before malaria eradication in the 1950s, but that did not mean there was more conflict with humans. “We used to go into the forest every day, and were familiar with the routines of the animals that lived there,” he used to say. “The tigers rarely ventured into our village or killed anyone who lived there.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250729160756_e39f7bdb451f752b753b1d8fc4e590196afd5cd21e2456443557c2eafb6c5c82.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250729160756_e39f7bdb451f752b753b1d8fc4e590196afd5cd21e2456443557c2eafb6c5c82" data-rendition-name="original" width="1915" height="1443" loading="lazy" alt="Tigers in Nepal"> </figure>  In the days before the National Park, the tiger population in Chitwan was probably bigger. The Ranas had laws against hurting rhinos and tigers, but more importantly, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/unsung-heroes-of-nepal-s-tiger-recovery">the Tharu also cared for the animals </a>and the jungle. This respect for nature runs deep in our tradition. The Tharu worship through the Gurau spiritual healer and honour the forest deity known as Bandevi. Says Aasha Ram Mahato, an 85-year-old resident of Madi: “हमरा पुजा करइ खुनिय जम्मा देवी देउता जससनेकी सोमेसोरबाणि, कल्की माइ, बिक्रम बाबा सब थारु देवी देउता क नाउ लेके हमरा सन्सारी बर्ना कर्साहु इय जेठवा नत एसार्ह महिनावमा हमरा इअ बाली बिर्ही बचावके, बनवका चिजुवा बिजुवा बचावके कहके हमरा बरसमा ३ चोटी पुजा कर्साहु एसार्ही बर्ना, लेरुवा पैठ हसे चैत पैठ बर्ना।” <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/5-myths-about-the-tharu">The Tharu </a>take the names of all the gods they worship — such as Somesor Baani, Kalki Maai, and Bikram Baba, and perform Sansaari Puja, a traditional ritual to protect crops, wild and domestic animals, insects, and everything in nature. This ritual reflects the community’s deep respect and spiritual bond with the natural world and is performed three times a year. Bikram Mahato, 65, recalls an incident six years ago when 10 people entered Chitwan National Park to cut fodder grass. A tiger was 50m away, silently watching them and preparing to attack. The group quickly decided not to run or scatter. Instead, they stayed close together.&nbsp; This smart and immediate decision prevented a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/close-encounters-with-tigers-in-nepal">tiger attack</a>. It also depicts the Tharu indigenous community’s understanding of nature and wildlife, as well as their choice of coexistence and protection. The Nepal government and foreign aid organisations have mostly forgotten the history of Tharu–tiger coexistence and the community’s silent but c<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/conservation-at-the-crossroads">rucial role in tiger conservation</a>. Nevertheless, let us hope that the state will eventually acknowledge and pay tribute to the contributions of the Indigenous Tharu in protecting the forests and wildlife, especially the tigers, that currently make up Chitwan National Park. Birendra Mahato is an elected member of the Ratnanagar Municipality Ward 6 and Founder Chair of the Tharu Culture Museum Research Centre in Sauraha.

Nepal’s Tharu are tiger protectors

American artist Peter Makela was in Nepal in 2022 on a Fulbright scholarship when he experienced the Matya festival in Patan in which devotees made the rounds of the city’s shrines.&nbsp;
He joined the procession, walking through 2,600 stupa and 140 bahal of the town. That immersion left a lasting impression.
As part of Gallery Mcube’s international residency program in Patan, he put his inspiration to canvas in the exhibition Yala Yatra: Walking, Working, Worshipping. The exhibition also coincides with this month’s Matya festival.&nbsp;
Makela has visited Nepal often in the past 11 years but he mostly stayed in and spent his time around Boudha. “This time I stayed in Patan, put the sites I wanted to visit on my map, and off I went,” he tells us. “Each of my artwork is inspired by the stupas and shrines in Patan that I visited.”
The stupa and Ganesh are recurring motifs in his watercolours, and the elephant gods are located in chaityas — reflecting the interplay and blending of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths in Kathmandu Valley.&nbsp;
The stupas and Ganesh are painted in vivid red, yellow, blue and green against abstract backgrounds meant to represent the sky.
“I use the sky as a backdrop because the sky has no border,” says Makela. “The four colours represent the four elements, the different Buddha families and also lights bouncing off of a rainbow.”
The use of just four colours for all the artwork stands out, and combined with the absence of heavy canvases, frames or stands render Makela’s art striking in its simplicity.&nbsp;
The Ganesh is always holding something and the art also portrays the elephant god’s sacred vehicle, the mouse.
While his vibrant stupas and Ganesh reflect the tangibility of Patan’s tradition and heritage, it is as if the backdrops with their shades of grey and red and yellow capture the soul of the city’s shrines.
“If you look closely, there is a sense of form and formlessness at the same time,” he says.&nbsp;
Makela walked 108 kora around the shrines during his exploration of the town, and in the process developed a spiritual connection with Patan’s heritage and traditions.&nbsp;
The exhibition connects with visitors on a deeper, more spiritual, level as well. And with it, they feel a sense of pride as well as the need to urgently preserve Patan’s heritage for future generations.
“Peter’s inclination and approach towards Nepali art and culture is fascinating, and it reflects in his work,” says Mcube curator Manish Lal Shrestha, whose international artist residency program promotes Nepal’s cultural heritage. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Yala Yatra: Walking, Working, Worshipping
1-5 August&nbsp;
10AM-7PM
Gallery Mcube, Patan

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Walking, working, worshipping in Patan