<figure><img width="2048" height="1366" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befc94b0ad905ca02efd0jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: SANTOSH SHAH/TWITTER</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGP6PGBcC5Lrnc6eLIS1G1D5p0NoA">Santosh Shah</a>, the Nepali who was runner-up in the MasterChef Professional 2020 in Britain last week, made it a point throughout the globally televised contest to highlight the country of his birth. The dishes he prepared were pan-Nepali, and his momo, yomari, kodo, chhyang, kulfi had innovative fusion elements. His mango dessert, for example, was frozen in a balloon in liquid nitrogen. His lunch preparation for the finals was presented in a tiffin box, and he spoke emotionally about how his mother back home in Saptari brought him lunch while he dug an irrigation canal. But it was in the finals, when Shah donned a “<a href="https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1339142086210285569" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1339142086210285569&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFC-oI1nc6u0inASpWjR5KSH-ZxHw">Nepali hat</a>”, that he got entangled in the fault lines in Nepal about ethnic identity, exclusion and the debate about the symbols of a unitary state. The भादगाऊँलेटोपी set off a vigorous argument in Nepal’s cybersphere about whether the cap really represented Nepal’s nationhood. While most commentators were proud of this self-made Nepali who elevated himself to the international stage through sheer determination, hard work and talent, others felt he should have promoted his Madhesi identity more. The cap caper was not the first criticism that Shah had to face in Nepal’s hyper-sensitive social media. Even the fact that his dish in the semi-final round involved <a href="https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1329620222966423552" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1329620222966423552&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNETBIiCywuito6QTjseyRPtCpa3FA">octopus prepared Nepali style</a> evoked some disapproval. “There were negative comments on social media on how my spiced chargrilled octopus dish isn’t our food,” Shah admitted to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGP6PGBcC5Lrnc6eLIS1G1D5p0NoA">Nepali Times</a>. “But we need to understand that this is a global competition for a global audience.” It was for the same reason that Shah got permission from the BBC to don a ढाकाटोपी in the studio kitchen to highlight his country’s significance in the global map. Shah tweeted: ‘This is called a dream come true. Dhaka topi in master chef. Thank you BBC to allowed me to wear my national hat in MasterChef professional 2020.’ <figure><img width="599" height="454" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befcc4b0ad905ca02efd1jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>But the action got enmeshed in Nepal’s own ‘cancel culture’, driven by increasing access to social media and the anonymity of the Internet in which those whose views do not match the herd are viciously trolled.One of the first salvos was fired by none other than former Maoist ideologue and avid Tweeter <a href="https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339737072194658312" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339737072194658312&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFelUbterHlQxG8kilzgA_53AtH8A">Baburam Bhattarai</a>, who posted: ‘बधाइ सन्तोष साह!फाइनल नजितेपनि तपाईॅले विविध नेपाली परिकारलाई अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय परिचय दिएर हिमाल/पहाड/मधेसका नेपालीको मनमष्तिष्क जितिसक्नु भएकोछ। एउटाकुरा, हाम्रो संविधानले देशका सबैजाति/भाषा/संस्कृतिलाई ’राष्ट्रिय’ मानिसकेकोछ! अत: हाम्रादौरा/टोपी,धोती/गम्छा बराबर’ राष्ट्रिय’ हुन्है!’After congratulating Shah for winning the hearts and minds of Nepalis, Bhattarai took at his ‘nationalism’ by adding: ‘One more thing, our Constitution considers all ethnicities, languages and cultures as “national”. So, all our costumes are equally “national”.’ <figure><img width="397" height="117" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befce4b0ad905ca02efd2jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1436" height="1369" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befce4b0ad905ca02efd3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The matter might have ended there, but the fiercely republican Bhattarai also went on to deliberately mis-spell Shah as ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339455421258498048" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339455421258498048&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHA82WTHIjNllspCue0dQcY42DKeg">Sah</a>’, possibly to take away the royal connotation of Santosh’s surname. For this, Bhattarai was himself trolled left right and centre.One of the more civil comments was from Shristi M <a href="https://twitter.com/sristee44/status/1339963912125521924" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/sristee44/status/1339963912125521924&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHNLV6ZObrz9C8LiUiUV1z-g8NdWg">@sristee44</a> who wrote: ‘Baburam has not done any productive work or labor in his life. @brb1954’s only skill and achievement is to leech off of people. Yet somehow he has the guts to tell off a highly talented chef @chefsantoshshah for HIS choices. He’s the biggest condescending mansplainer!’Another Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarvasherstha/status/1339148331985952769" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/Sarvasherstha/status/1339148331985952769&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEVOnDg5fVzrbUsvzH7yUCsPZELCA">@Sarvasherstha</a> also endured immediate social media backlash for the comment: ‘Not only Dhaka topi nepalese should show respect to all of the costumes languages castes and cultures of nepal then only this country can develop’. <figure><img width="600" height="546" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befd14b0ad905ca02efd4jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="575" height="545" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befd34b0ad905ca02efd5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Santosh Shah may not have won MasterChef Professional, but in Nepal he is considered a hero for having come so far and for having placed his country firmly in the global consciousness through cuisine inspired by his native land.However, it also showed the ethnic, caste, class, religion and language gap in Nepal between various communities, and especially between the mountains and plains. Although a majority of posts by people in the Madhes were proud of Shah’s success, some did not like it that he had donned a symbol of Nepal’s ‘Mahendra-ist’ unitary state.Supporting Santosh Shah’s achievement, Bhumi Ghimire [<a href="https://twitter.com/BhumiGhimir/status/1339501747048476672" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/BhumiGhimir/status/1339501747048476672&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH9D3ZqI-TeOty61UziSTB7TDktJQ">@BhumiGhimir</a>] wrote, ‘Anyone out there still considers people from Madhesh to be lesser Nepalis? NO ONE has represented Nepal and its culture encompassing most ethnic groups as well as this man has in recent times. What a fabulous story, he has done us so so proud. Santosh Shah was born in Nepal.’The new inclusive Constitution is supposed to provide room for everyone, but the trolling, intimidation and threats have also shown that social media can perpetuate stereotypes, enforce prejudices, and incite intolerance towards those with a different point of view. <figure><img width="398" height="590" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befd44b0ad905ca02efd6jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1377" height="741" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befd64b0ad905ca02efd7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Discussion about discrimination of the Madhesi community is not new. When an alum of Budhanilkantha School, <a href="https://twitter.com/iambikashgupta/status/1270231474474643457" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/iambikashgupta/status/1270231474474643457&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFnyXprZJCo3_ZRjX14RQuS6ewJYQ">Bikash Gupta</a>, published his personal experience of ostracisation on Medium, it set off an intense debate on social media with posts that strongly agreed and disagreed with him.  Sharing Gupta’s article, Rajesh Yadav <a href="https://twitter.com/therajesh95/status/1270364350117707778" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/therajesh95/status/1270364350117707778&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG8iVBtZic6vvTUfo3fJ_NEYzJ2FA">@therajeshyadav95</a> on Twitter went on to comment, “Majority of Kids of Pahadi community are made racists by the Societies and Parents, it's unfortunate that hatred has become a culture!”Indeed, the cancel culture trend has infected Nepal’s social web as well, leaving no room for wholesome debate and constructive dialogue, so that the sites widen divisions rather than bridging them.  And it is not just Madhesi or other ethnicities who are targetted. When <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-brief-history-of-nepali-rock-and-arthur-gunn/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-brief-history-of-nepali-rock-and-arthur-gunn/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHI1CZu7PUVz3yUYfTi5gX3-GAUXA">Arthur Gunn</a>, the Nepali who was an American Idol runner-up, and rising TikTok celebrity <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-rise-of-curtis-waters/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-rise-of-curtis-waters/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFsxcKTDHXBvTNAjzAMN19lYL-Zcg">Curtis Waters</a> became cyber celebrities, they were mercilessly trolled by Nepalis for taking on Western names.While Santosh Shah’s performance went viral around the globe last week, back home in Nepal sugarcane farmers were protesting on the streets demanding government action against the sugar industry for not paying them. Some Twitter users drew parallels.Avinash Mishra <a href="https://twitter.com/babaubermensch/status/1339597587578425344" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/babaubermensch/status/1339597587578425344&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFfosM1uoLKjcf2BKkHn4oX-GQL4Q">@babaubermensch</a> posted: ‘While we are at the whole Santosh Shah episode. Please shift your focus a little on Madhesi Farmers protesting everyday in Kathmandu for what they deserve and were promised by the Government!’ <figure><img width="599" height="344" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befd84b0ad905ca02efd8jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="599" height="183" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109191120/636befda4b0ad905ca02efd9jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>For the most part, however, Santosh Shah was widely applauded in Nepal’s mainstream and social media for his achievement, and for proudly flying the flag. This comment by SuvashThapa <a href="https://twitter.com/UnitedNep/status/1340148716187967490" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/UnitedNep/status/1340148716187967490&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGJLk4TWLZzQTV8mEbBq1TWVLTINg">@UnitedNep</a> was more representative of the general reaction: ‘I feel sad for people who have problems with Nepalis being proud of what @chefsantoshshah has achieved. Imagine taking offense at other people being happy. Too much black and white around and not enough grey.’

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'Santosh Shah was born in Nepal'

<figure><img width="2048" height="1366" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8db9c7e80680e087887jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: SANTOSH SHAH/TWITTER</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGP6PGBcC5Lrnc6eLIS1G1D5p0NoA">Santosh Shah</a>, the Nepali who was runner-up in the MasterChef Professional 2020 in Britain last week, made it a point throughout the globally televised contest to highlight the country of his birth. The dishes he prepared were pan-Nepali, and his momo, yomari, kodo, chhyang, kulfi had innovative fusion elements. His mango dessert, for example, was frozen in a balloon in liquid nitrogen. His lunch preparation for the finals was presented in a tiffin box, and he spoke emotionally about how his mother back home in Saptari brought him lunch while he dug an irrigation canal. But it was in the finals, when Shah donned a “<a href="https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1339142086210285569" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1339142086210285569&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFC-oI1nc6u0inASpWjR5KSH-ZxHw">Nepali hat</a>”, that he got entangled in the fault lines in Nepal about ethnic identity, exclusion and the debate about the symbols of a unitary state. The भादगाऊँलेटोपी set off a vigorous argument in Nepal’s cybersphere about whether the cap really represented Nepal’s nationhood. While most commentators were proud of this self-made Nepali who elevated himself to the international stage through sheer determination, hard work and talent, others felt he should have promoted his Madhesi identity more. The cap caper was not the first criticism that Shah had to face in Nepal’s hyper-sensitive social media. Even the fact that his dish in the semi-final round involved <a href="https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1329620222966423552" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/chefsantoshshah/status/1329620222966423552&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNETBIiCywuito6QTjseyRPtCpa3FA">octopus prepared Nepali style</a> evoked some disapproval. “There were negative comments on social media on how my spiced chargrilled octopus dish isn’t our food,” Shah admitted to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/you-inspire-others-by-learning-not-teaching-santosh-shah/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGP6PGBcC5Lrnc6eLIS1G1D5p0NoA">Nepali Times</a>. “But we need to understand that this is a global competition for a global audience.” It was for the same reason that Shah got permission from the BBC to don a ढाकाटोपी in the studio kitchen to highlight his country’s significance in the global map. Shah tweeted: ‘This is called a dream come true. Dhaka topi in master chef. Thank you BBC to allowed me to wear my national hat in MasterChef professional 2020.’ <figure><img width="599" height="454" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8de9c7e80680e087888jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>But the action got enmeshed in Nepal’s own ‘cancel culture’, driven by increasing access to social media and the anonymity of the Internet in which those whose views do not match the herd are viciously trolled.One of the first salvos was fired by none other than former Maoist ideologue and avid Tweeter <a href="https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339737072194658312" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339737072194658312&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFelUbterHlQxG8kilzgA_53AtH8A">Baburam Bhattarai</a>, who posted: ‘बधाइ सन्तोष साह!फाइनल नजितेपनि तपाईॅले विविध नेपाली परिकारलाई अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय परिचय दिएर हिमाल/पहाड/मधेसका नेपालीको मनमष्तिष्क जितिसक्नु भएकोछ। एउटाकुरा, हाम्रो संविधानले देशका सबैजाति/भाषा/संस्कृतिलाई ’राष्ट्रिय’ मानिसकेकोछ! अत: हाम्रादौरा/टोपी,धोती/गम्छा बराबर’ राष्ट्रिय’ हुन्है!’After congratulating Shah for winning the hearts and minds of Nepalis, Bhattarai took at his ‘nationalism’ by adding: ‘One more thing, our Constitution considers all ethnicities, languages and cultures as “national”. So, all our costumes are equally “national”.’ <figure><img width="397" height="117" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8df9c7e80680e087889jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1436" height="1369" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8e09c7e80680e08788ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The matter might have ended there, but the fiercely republican Bhattarai also went on to deliberately mis-spell Shah as ‘<a href="https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339455421258498048" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/brb1954/status/1339455421258498048&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHA82WTHIjNllspCue0dQcY42DKeg">Sah</a>’, possibly to take away the royal connotation of Santosh’s surname. For this, Bhattarai was himself trolled left right and centre.One of the more civil comments was from Shristi M <a href="https://twitter.com/sristee44/status/1339963912125521924" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/sristee44/status/1339963912125521924&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHNLV6ZObrz9C8LiUiUV1z-g8NdWg">@sristee44</a> who wrote: ‘Baburam has not done any productive work or labor in his life. @brb1954’s only skill and achievement is to leech off of people. Yet somehow he has the guts to tell off a highly talented chef @chefsantoshshah for HIS choices. He’s the biggest condescending mansplainer!’Another Twitter user <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarvasherstha/status/1339148331985952769" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/Sarvasherstha/status/1339148331985952769&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEVOnDg5fVzrbUsvzH7yUCsPZELCA">@Sarvasherstha</a> also endured immediate social media backlash for the comment: ‘Not only Dhaka topi nepalese should show respect to all of the costumes languages castes and cultures of nepal then only this country can develop’. <figure><img width="600" height="546" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8e39c7e80680e08788bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="575" height="545" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8e59c7e80680e08788cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Santosh Shah may not have won MasterChef Professional, but in Nepal he is considered a hero for having come so far and for having placed his country firmly in the global consciousness through cuisine inspired by his native land.However, it also showed the ethnic, caste, class, religion and language gap in Nepal between various communities, and especially between the mountains and plains. Although a majority of posts by people in the Madhes were proud of Shah’s success, some did not like it that he had donned a symbol of Nepal’s ‘Mahendra-ist’ unitary state.Supporting Santosh Shah’s achievement, Bhumi Ghimire [<a href="https://twitter.com/BhumiGhimir/status/1339501747048476672" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/BhumiGhimir/status/1339501747048476672&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH9D3ZqI-TeOty61UziSTB7TDktJQ">@BhumiGhimir</a>] wrote, ‘Anyone out there still considers people from Madhesh to be lesser Nepalis? NO ONE has represented Nepal and its culture encompassing most ethnic groups as well as this man has in recent times. What a fabulous story, he has done us so so proud. Santosh Shah was born in Nepal.’The new inclusive Constitution is supposed to provide room for everyone, but the trolling, intimidation and threats have also shown that social media can perpetuate stereotypes, enforce prejudices, and incite intolerance towards those with a different point of view. <figure><img width="398" height="590" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8e79c7e80680e08788djpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1377" height="741" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8e89c7e80680e08788ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Discussion about discrimination of the Madhesi community is not new. When an alum of Budhanilkantha School, <a href="https://twitter.com/iambikashgupta/status/1270231474474643457" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/iambikashgupta/status/1270231474474643457&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFnyXprZJCo3_ZRjX14RQuS6ewJYQ">Bikash Gupta</a>, published his personal experience of ostracisation on Medium, it set off an intense debate on social media with posts that strongly agreed and disagreed with him.  Sharing Gupta’s article, Rajesh Yadav <a href="https://twitter.com/therajesh95/status/1270364350117707778" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/therajesh95/status/1270364350117707778&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG8iVBtZic6vvTUfo3fJ_NEYzJ2FA">@therajeshyadav95</a> on Twitter went on to comment, “Majority of Kids of Pahadi community are made racists by the Societies and Parents, it's unfortunate that hatred has become a culture!”Indeed, the cancel culture trend has infected Nepal’s social web as well, leaving no room for wholesome debate and constructive dialogue, so that the sites widen divisions rather than bridging them.  And it is not just Madhesi or other ethnicities who are targetted. When <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-brief-history-of-nepali-rock-and-arthur-gunn/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-brief-history-of-nepali-rock-and-arthur-gunn/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHI1CZu7PUVz3yUYfTi5gX3-GAUXA">Arthur Gunn</a>, the Nepali who was an American Idol runner-up, and rising TikTok celebrity <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-rise-of-curtis-waters/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-rise-of-curtis-waters/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFsxcKTDHXBvTNAjzAMN19lYL-Zcg">Curtis Waters</a> became cyber celebrities, they were mercilessly trolled by Nepalis for taking on Western names.While Santosh Shah’s performance went viral around the globe last week, back home in Nepal sugarcane farmers were protesting on the streets demanding government action against the sugar industry for not paying them. Some Twitter users drew parallels.Avinash Mishra <a href="https://twitter.com/babaubermensch/status/1339597587578425344" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/babaubermensch/status/1339597587578425344&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFfosM1uoLKjcf2BKkHn4oX-GQL4Q">@babaubermensch</a> posted: ‘While we are at the whole Santosh Shah episode. Please shift your focus a little on Madhesi Farmers protesting everyday in Kathmandu for what they deserve and were promised by the Government!’ <figure><img width="599" height="344" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8ea9c7e80680e08788fjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img width="599" height="183" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181152/636be8ec9c7e80680e087890jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>For the most part, however, Santosh Shah was widely applauded in Nepal’s mainstream and social media for his achievement, and for proudly flying the flag. This comment by SuvashThapa <a href="https://twitter.com/UnitedNep/status/1340148716187967490" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/UnitedNep/status/1340148716187967490&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1608615562791000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGJLk4TWLZzQTV8mEbBq1TWVLTINg">@UnitedNep</a> was more representative of the general reaction: ‘I feel sad for people who have problems with Nepalis being proud of what @chefsantoshshah has achieved. Imagine taking offense at other people being happy. Too much black and white around and not enough grey.’

Fenerbahçe Beko won the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finals in Abu Dhabi, held 23-25 May, defeating Monaco 81-70 in the final. Olympiacos, who defeated Panathinaikos 97-93, finished the series in third place. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final match, Nigel Hayes-Davis from Fenerbahçe Beko, received a prize of 1,000,000 Miles&amp;Smiles from Turkish Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer Ahmet Olmuştur. The carrier has been the title sponsor of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, a top tier tournament, since 2010.

Turkish Basketball

In the black and white photograph, General Wangdu smiles broadly in front of the dusty cactus garden in Kathmandu’s Annapurna Hotel. With an ill-fitting jacket and shaggy hair he looks benign enough, but this was the last leader of the Tibetan freedom fighters who led the resistance against the Chinese from their remote mountain hideouts in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/comings-and-goings-in-mustang">Mustang</a>. Five months later, Wangdu was dead. Snapped in March 1974, I had only recently arrived in Nepal. How did I meet this legendary fighter? Possibly with his devoted camp follower, Lynne Klapecki, and probably in the Om Restaurant near Freak Street which was the preferred <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/hippie-trail-nostalgia-in-kathmandu">hippie hang-out</a>. Om Lobsang and his brother Yeshe were <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/earthquake-brings-back-memories-of-camps-for-tibetan-refugees">refugees from East Tibet </a>whose cafe offered a friendly welcome and<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/momo-loco"> the best momos</a> - they became my in-laws after I married their eldest brother Tenzin, but that was a decade later.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_4573b34282b0f5395c007243d6bef12c7ba76bfd520419e994cdcea048d795a1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2025052403054_4573b34282b0f5395c007243d6bef12c7ba76bfd520419e994cdcea048d795a1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1583" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Photo: LISA CHOEGYAL</figcaption> </figure>  Wangdu’s English was enthusiastically rudimentary, but even riding around town with him on the back of an aging <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-s-new-motorbike-museum">motorbike</a>, he was a commanding presence. Always flanked by armed outriders, impressive scars marked his forearms and a pistol hung from the cord around his neck. A charismatic guerrilla leader, Wangdu was celebrated by his followers for his tough commitment and respected for his measured pragmatism. He seemed so young to have shouldered such a responsibility of command, leading hundreds of hardened <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/50-years-after-the%20raid-into-Tibet,1012#google_vignette">Khampa combatants </a>through what had been a particularly <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/heavy-snowfall-over-nepal-himalaya">brutal winter in Mustang</a>, the last bastion to hold out against the Chinese invasion of their Tibetan homeland.&nbsp; The freedom fighters of Tibet, known as the Chushi-Gangdruk, had emerged to resist the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/territorialism">Chinese takeover</a> of Tibet during the 1950s. Estimated to be 80,000-strong at the time of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-or-who-after-the-dalai-lama">the Dalai Lama</a>’s final escape to India in 1959, the sheer number of Chinese deployed into Tibet eventually forced the Chushi-Gangdruk to retreat to Mustang, From this high Himalayan stronghold, they continued cross-border raids on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) throughout the 1960s.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_8a4a935ba25ae79dc3a63bb5c14626927020e5ec098093c45ccb9a5982e009fd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="2025052403054_8a4a935ba25ae79dc3a63bb5c14626927020e5ec098093c45ccb9a5982e009fd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1114" height="676" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Guerrillas known as the Chushi-Gangdruk emerged to resist the Chinese annexation of Tibet during the 1950s. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>  Their Kathmandu base was a small discreet lodge in a back lane near Rani Pokhari. Sipping sweet tea from a blue mug with a chipped lid, I sat bemused in a corner of the Mustang Hotel room whilst Wangdu and his cohorts received a battered brown suitcase from their CIA connection, a tousle-haired American in a leather jacket. Heaved onto the dingy bedspread that covered the thin mattress, it was clicked open to reveal piles of neatly stacked dollar bills.&nbsp; I cannot think why Wangdu allowed me to witness this handover but I was clearly no threat, a newly arrived world traveller with no understanding of the stakes nor any Nepali or <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/tibetan-music-in-nepals-sacred-valley">Tibetan language</a>. Despite armed guards in the corridor,Wangdu radiated confidence and bravado, and there was a practiced familiarity to the tense transaction. This deadly dance for many years had been funded by the Americans, tolerated by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-kingdom-within-a-republic">Mustang’s residents</a>, and permitted by King Mahendra and the Nepali authorities who it suited to turn a blind eye.&nbsp; But Mahendra died in 1972, and times were changing. Richard Nixon’s ping-pong diplomacy thawed the cold war and signalled a fresh entente with China. Nepal’s yet-to-be-crowned <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/if-birendra-was-alive-nepal-could-still-be-a-monarchy">King Birendra </a>was under pressure to curb the irritating incursions against the PLA launched from the Nepali territory of Mustang. Keen to appease his northern neighbour, on several occasions the King summoned Wangdu for peace talks but, despite increasingly overwhelming odds, Wangdu refused to surrender.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_a8efd5cfb92cd997bd7cb74296a936fef46e2f7428f9cd642b03f1ac4ea11ecb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="2025052403054_a8efd5cfb92cd997bd7cb74296a936fef46e2f7428f9cd642b03f1ac4ea11ecb" data-rendition-name="original" width="1055" height="885" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>General Wangdu flanked by two Tibetan resistance fighters in Mustang in the 1970s. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_75969125a745847a2ef82b6fe8b9106c0b21a116d85b8efdf5d2ee89a347bb31.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2025052403054_75969125a745847a2ef82b6fe8b9106c0b21a116d85b8efdf5d2ee89a347bb31" data-rendition-name="original" width="1044" height="792" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>King Birendra with General Wangdu (right in dark glasses) taken in 1974 possibly in Mustang after one of their few attempts at negotiation. Photo courtesy: RAJRNDRA KUNWAR</figcaption> </figure>  While I naively rode pillion around Kathmandu in the spring sunshine, Wangdu was in the midst of what turned out to be his final round of negotiations with the Nepal government. Refusing to cease hostilities with the Chinese, Wangdu must have suspected the cost of his decision, making his cheerful smile in the photograph all the more poignant and brave. It was only much later that I appreciated the significance of the moment. Wangdu had been sent to replace the first resistance leader in Mustang, Baba Gen Yeshe, a much derided corrupt character who stole money meant for his troops and exploited fleeing refugees by seizing their treasures. Baba Gen Yeshe never forgave Wangdu,and sought revenge in May 1974 by betraying him and his commanders to the Nepal authorities. Renewed Chinese incursions from the north, active PLA collusion with the Nepali forces under the new King, and treachery from within the Chushi-Gangdrukranks combined to seal their fate.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_e0987a7c90d76431b0d7d5e6115ebfe3dbda7ab939e5941e079c18d722e884c0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="2025052403054_e0987a7c90d76431b0d7d5e6115ebfe3dbda7ab939e5941e079c18d722e884c0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1400" height="769" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>British television journalists George Patterson and Adrian Cowell embedded themselves with Khampa guerrillas and accompanied them from Tsum Valley on a cross border raid on a Chinese Army convoy in 1964. Photo: ESSAYS ON NEPAL / SAM COWAN</figcaption> </figure>  Mikel Dunham, renowned author of Buddha’s Warriors, writes: ‘It is possible that Wangdu was waiting for some cue from the Dalai Lama’s government-in-exile in Dharamsala, India. It is equally possible – during that last, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-human-cost-of-nepal-s-yarsa-gold-rush?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR31-Cqw8oyIwMPzf_35e4Skr0ululJvLf3_vDkzHn-AYG2h8uPw2rqqErg_aem_tGVn5coY1-jA7fze_xqhew">desolate winter </a>– that he made the decision to go out in glory rather than admit defeat. Over the last fifteen years, Wangdu had experienced Tibet’s organized resistance being squeezed and shoved around by every conceivable outside force.&nbsp; First they had been pushed out of their own country by the PLA; then they had been refused sanction while on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/borderlines/nepal-india-trans-boundary-bonds?fbclid=IwAR0PpJ5zUEbwdug3g_U3ar6FUugngRY0S8Tl2v_7wqzrsHmXWcXsKjvL4t4">Indian soil</a>; then they were abandoned by the Americans because, apparently, Nixon wanted to make friends with Wangdu’s mortal enemies, the communists; then they had been betrayed by the vampiric Baba Gen Yeshe – a Tibetan and, even worse, a fellow Khampa; and now, finally Wangdu’s army was being evicted by the Nepalis. One thing was certain: Wangdu was a warrior. To imagine Wangdu simply giving up and settling down in the pacific squalor of a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/elderly-left-in-bhutan-refugee-camp">refugee camp </a>was unthinkable.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_8fc1ffef4ae751628b90ae781b66e11e51e4fdde2787207c9042efbee345ce49.jpg" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="2025052403054_8fc1ffef4ae751628b90ae781b66e11e51e4fdde2787207c9042efbee345ce49" data-rendition-name="original" width="500" height="746" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>The much derided Baba Gen Yeshe, the first Tibetan resistance leader in Mustang, who betrayed Wangdu for personal gain. Photo courtesy: MIKEL DUNHAM</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025052403054_b1d833cdb00d3ac4416b844d8730475cd88c238caaaf8da69889a584eea229a3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_21" data-image-id="2025052403054_b1d833cdb00d3ac4416b844d8730475cd88c238caaaf8da69889a584eea229a3" data-rendition-name="original" width="500" height="656" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> <figcaption>Aditya SJB Rana of the Royal Nepal Army whose team ambushed Wangdu and his cohorts at the top of Tinker Pass in Darchula, West Nepal. Photo courtesy: GAUTAM SJB RANA</figcaption> </figure>  By August 1974 the game was up. Wangdu and six of his exhausted party were killed on their horses by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=7270">the Royal Nepal Army</a> on the brink of escape. The officer in charge, Aditya SJB Rana, cleverly predicted their route into India after they failed to silence a police radio in Yari. A carefully laid ambush trapped them near the summit of the Tinker Pass in Darchula,at 5,000 meters the highest military operation of its time. Wangdu’s body was helicoptered to Kathmandu, and a big show made of the royal Nepal victory.&nbsp; The Tibetan armed insurgency against China had reached its end.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250524030520_3ff9c6fc85a65bc9a2c3afe9736d9f5f9413de752e790a5d9dca0981ea94f9b4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_23" data-image-id="20250524030520_3ff9c6fc85a65bc9a2c3afe9736d9f5f9413de752e790a5d9dca0981ea94f9b4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="The last days of the Khampa NT"> </figure>

The Last Days of the Khampa

Starting 17 September Turkish Airlines will fly daily to Seville, one of Spain’s major tourist draws. This is Turkish’s sixth destination in Spain after Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Bilbao. Seville is in the Andalusia region on Spain’s south coast with a rich Moor history. There are approximately 30,000 Nepalis living in Spain.&nbsp;

Turkish to Seville

The newly-formed Himalayan Art Council is set to launch Nepal’s National Art Protection Platform that seeks to preserve <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-history-of-heritage">Nepal’s unique cultural heritage </a>using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/artificial-censorship"> AI-powered tools</a>. The Council seeks to safeguard <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepali-art-going-places">Nepali art works</a> from neglect, theft and counterfeiting as well as preserve existing artwork and celebrate living masters by giving them a cultural space to continue the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/sacred-survival">sacred art traditions</a>. "We are introducing a new digital platform designed to preserve, verify and elevate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-new-generation-of-alternative-artists">Nepal’s art for generations to come,</a>” says a statement from the Council, adding that the digital platform will use AI told for authentication and blockchain to keep track of works of art. Artists can now be protected by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/ayo-ai?fbclid=IwAR1uwmTVq4gUB70ljfRezjzukD9ArWXPuMnUikopeQ8PoiZMjicToPSwhKE&amp;=1">AI tools</a> that detect forgeries, identify their work even when unsigned, and ensure they receive proper recognition and credit. The archives will be searchable with translated inscription and interactive guides. Says curator Meena Lama: “AI and blockchains are tools that give us the power to detect fakes and identify unsigned paintings and track every piece. With these tools we can restore trust, secure authorship and give artists the dignity they deserve.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250514170544_2ab58f6313c0458f75114a692b0016bd9efb3b59d5f8f07f0da72e1e37b82f53" data-rendition-name="original" width="1300" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum."> <figcaption>Artwork at the Traditional Art Exhibition at Patan Museum.</figcaption> </figure>  The Council is also holding an exhibition of Nepali cultural masterpieces with 50 historical <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Buzz-the-art,671">thangka and paubha </a>by past masters and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/between-the-sacred-and-everyday">contemporary works by current artists</a>. This curated collection is a living tribute to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/when-yaks-go-so-does-culture">Himalayan culture</a> with economic depictions of deities, mandala and sacred narratives. The exhibition at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-portal-into-patan-s-past-and-present">Patan Museum</a> also provides an opportunity to meet painters and custodians of art and culture. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/golden-deities">Golden deities</a>, Sewa Bhattarai ‘The exhibition is only the first step in a long journey to ensure that Nepali art is no just seen but fully understood, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Narratives-of-Faith-and-Memory-Remembering-the-Lost-Sculptures-of-Kathmandu-exhibition,987">protected and remembered</a>,’ the Council says. Artist Kailash K Shrestha of Artudio has spent decades promoting thankha and paubha traditions because of their beauty and devotional meaning. But he also says artists are underpaid, exploited and ignored. He adds, “AI and blockchain are not just buzzwords, they are powerful tools that can protect Nepal’s artists from fraud, verify authenticity and build a permanent record of provenance.” Traditional Art Exhibition Till 17 May Patan Museum

cookery

'Santosh Shah was born in Nepal'

'Santosh Shah was born in Nepal'

Turkish Basketball

The Last Days of the Khampa

Turkish to Seville

Digital protection for Nepal’s art