An estimated 1.8 million people were expected to leave Kathmandu Valley for their home districts for the Dasain festival this year. But that estimate was made before the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/when-it-rains-it-pours-ksqprbu3">devastating floods last week</a> that killed at least 244 people and knocked out roads effectively marooning Kathmandu.
There are still 15 roads and major sections of highways that are blocked, while the Department of Roads and local governments are trying to build temporary roads to bypass the destroyed sections.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/flood-of-despair">The flood of despair</a>, Rastraraj Bhandari
Because of this, only 800,000 people had left Kathmandu Valley till Wednesday, the last day before the Dasain holidays. Domestic airlines are doing brisk business and have added flights to ferry passengers, and Nepal Airlines and Himalaya Airlines are planning to use their Airbus 320 jets to fly to Bhairawa and Pokhara from Kathmandu.
The worst damage is on the B P Highway, a major artery connecting Kathmandu to Eastern Nepal, where at least seven sections have been completely swept away by the flooded Sun Kosi and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-flood-of-tears-on-the-rosi">Rosi Khola</a>. The roads to Bhyakure Khola, Mamti Khola, Kaldhunga, Boksi Kuna, Narke Bridge, Pinthali Besi, and Dalabesi in Kavre are all blocked.
The damage to the Japanese-built BP Highway at various points along the 7km stretch from Chaukidanda in Namo Buddha to Narke in Rosi Municipality is so severe that it may take months for it to be completely repaired.
Many are not waiting for the temporary detour roads to be built and taking a roundabout route via Charikot and the Midhill Highway to head east from Kathmandu. But road conditions even there are bad with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-mountain-fell-on-top-of-us">numerous landslides</a>.&nbsp;
On Tuesday, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak visited Sindhuli and said that the BP Highway should be operational within a week with Nepali Army working on the repairs. However, Keshav Sharma, secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure, contradicted Lekhak saying it would be difficult to reopen the BP Highway before Dasain.
The Arniko Highway connecting Kathmandu to the Chinese border at Kodari is also completely blocked at Panchkhal in Kavre and the Liping Bridge in Sindhupalchok. A span of the Sunkosi Bridge connecting the BP Highway to Ramechhap was swept away, and the Nepal Army has built a temporary ramp by filling in a part of the river.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-revenge-of-the-rivers">The revenge of the rivers</a>, Shamshad Ahmad
The road is also blocked at Lubhu Khola in Ramechhap and Phoksintar in Udayapur along the Pushpalal Highway. Some damaged roads are now open for one way traffic and many vehicles are stuck in the mud.
For instance, only one-way traffic is allowed in Lele on the Tika Bhairav road joining southern Lalitpur to the plains. The Midhill Highway is also blocked at Tinghare in Tehrathum, Phidim-2 on the Mechi Highway and Krishnabhir in Dhading on the Prithvi Highway to Pokhara.

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Long way home this Dasain

Kanchan Rai caught the travel bug young. During holidays, he would spend the entire day roaming around Kathmandu, coming home late into the evening, much to the dismay of his mother. She called him ‘ghumante’, a wanderer. The obsession with wandering never left Rai even when he grew up, and the nickname stuck. Over the years he explored parts of Nepal, far from the beaten track.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/top-dasain-destinations">Top Dasain destinations</a>, Nepali Times He has now built the Ghumante brand that has through social media inspired a whole new generation of Nepalis to pursue the roads less taken. “Ghumante is not an insult anymore,” says Rai. “There are now many other accounts on social media that have the word ghumante in their ID.” Ghumante first started as a blog back in 2013. As an IT professional, Rai was aware of the emerging trends and he wanted to set up a travel blog to earn a side income from Google ads. A friend familiar with SEOs helped him to ensure rankings. He also started a Facebook page, where he crowdsourced photos from fellow travellers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913100_84eafbd78eb77309d62f2e66e807b6ed541d55e7b94761e33bc9c31cf65f0eb1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2023101913100_84eafbd78eb77309d62f2e66e807b6ed541d55e7b94761e33bc9c31cf65f0eb1" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Ghumante NT"> <figcaption>Kanchan Rai </figcaption> </figure>  Initially he asked his siblings for photos from their travels to ensure regular posting, as he could not travel as often due to work. He also collaborated with another friend, Prakash Buda, a photographer. They also gave away t-shirts to contributors. The blog and Facebook page saw modest success.&nbsp; “I was conscious about copyright, so I did not lift things from the internet, even though I could have got more followers,” says Rai. The turning point came in 2015, as the internet pivoted to video. Rai was working in Thailand and travelled to Nepal every holiday. He bought a GoPro and also found a group of Nepalis with similar interests. Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/top-10-treks">Top 10 treks</a>, Nepali Times At the end of 2015, they went to Gupha Pokhari, and documented the trip, learning video editing and script-writing as they went. In 2019, he returned to Nepal for good, and that was when travelling became a full-time occupation. He dedicated time and resources for YouTube with a team. Then Covid-19 hit. “That was the time I wished I was a journalist. Getting travel passes would have been much easier,” recalls Rai. “But it was amazing traveling when no one else was.” Ghumante’s YouTube channel now has 125 videos spanning the mountains and plains with a total of over 24 million views. Rai paid for it with savings in the beginning, but now they have partners and sponsors.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913104_5b9bc41fa208b56a2bf44294fc20a6e4a5b2915e52387d3d3663dcd80076387f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2023101913104_5b9bc41fa208b56a2bf44294fc20a6e4a5b2915e52387d3d3663dcd80076387f" data-rendition-name="original" width="3000" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="Ghumante"> </figure>  Planning for videos can take anywhere from 2 months to a year. The team researches the location including the altitude, settlements and whether there are clear trails, then they find local contacts who can help them navigate and introduce the village to them. “One should travel because it broadens one’s horizon,” says Rai. “Those who don’t travel only read one page of the entire book that is life.” He is happy that people take his video as reference when traveling but says he feels an added responsibility these days thinking of the aftermath on the environment and culture of a place when a lot of people visit a new place. “It is important to respect the culture, landscape and people when we travel,” says Rai. “We need to be responsible travellers and leave nothing but our footprints--a message we are trying to give through our videos.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/where-are-you-going-this-dasain">Where are you going this Dasain?</a>, Sikuma Rai When they travel, they also try to convince the locals to preserve their own culture and identity in food and architecture to attract the tourists--like you don’t need a cement building in community homestays, traditional architecture should be kept intact.&nbsp; “We don’t need ugly view towers on mountain tops. Binoculars would be better,” says Rai, who now wants to produce full-fledged travel documentaries. &nbsp; 10 Ghumante Travel Recommendations Note from Ghumante: When choosing the destination, consider time, budget, your own physical condition, and research and respect the place, its culture and customs. 1. Millennium Trek, Tanahun and Syangja In 2000, a new trekking trail through the culturally rich Gurung and Magar villages of Tanahun and Syangja was initiated. Due to the conflict, the trail never took off. Although the highest point of this trek is no more than 1,800m, this fairly easy trail offers unprecedented views of Annapurna, Manaslu and Dhaulagiri.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121032_c3ac6b8070d3ae030070a146ee789e9e413109c37e2fb163a40426b9bd1f4273.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20231019121032_c3ac6b8070d3ae030070a146ee789e9e413109c37e2fb163a40426b9bd1f4273" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1124" loading="lazy" alt="Millennium trek "> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_qWgugTzCm0?si=PLp_0ZjK0YBnTrN4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;2. Badimalika, Bajura More popular as a religious destination, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Badimalika-a-ridge-too-far,3328">Badimalika</a> can also be a pilgrimage to nature. The remoteness of the place has kept it preserved from the outside world and ‘development’ that has accompanied other tourist spots. Trek there any time, except in winter.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_207e0b66036aba24112107f59e796029903bd6082d43929c04e01b4a32e1e33e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20231019121048_207e0b66036aba24112107f59e796029903bd6082d43929c04e01b4a32e1e33e" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Bdhimalika"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9iXhMmPtqRE?si=v0QKzyqFQ-RfbUgZ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;3. Ramaroshan, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-rural-lifeline">Achham</a> With 12 lakes and 18 alpine meadows at a height of 2,500m, the wetland of Ramaroshan is a hidden gem. Now easily accessible by road and air, travellers cross rhododendron forests and grazing horses, waterfalls, and mallard ducks in the clear waters. They can also visit Kinemini maidan, a former Maoist training ground.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_560b6ee91f56dc88f24502115396f28d53720a4169dee01a69969fb1ff66ca16.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20231019121048_560b6ee91f56dc88f24502115396f28d53720a4169dee01a69969fb1ff66ca16" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Ramaroshan"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VTq6NA18xeM?si=bjFu7mQrIZrNOAVQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;4. Janakpur Often overlooked due to the lure of the mountains, Nepal's plains offer an equally enriching experience. Home to more than 70 shrines including the Janaki Temple and numerous ponds, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Federalism-in-the-capital-of-Tarai,3449">Janakpur</a> boasts a rich history and culture. It is noted for its arts, languages, and literature.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121048_4ee366063fb4f5f378b25f5c10b6aea42aa45e4721df27e986e84f69f4405cf8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20231019121048_4ee366063fb4f5f378b25f5c10b6aea42aa45e4721df27e986e84f69f4405cf8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1024" height="1536" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aDVwQwLHqeE?si=UO-NdBeq4CpmE2kY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;5. Tharu Community Lodge, Nawalpur Experience the rich <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/displacement-and-defiance">Tharu culture and architecture</a> against the backdrop of mesmerising sunsets reflected on the Narayani River. Hire a local guide and book a safari to the Chitwan National Park. Even better, time your visit for the annual Holi festival for an experience of a lifetime.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_b7740e2d6bb329ca5d4bfbe894c9dad5b521906762354831cc579d33f1d195f9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20231019121052_b7740e2d6bb329ca5d4bfbe894c9dad5b521906762354831cc579d33f1d195f9" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Tharu Community Lodge Nawalpur"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bkmScIO8K5E?si=71TiCPdxIdPwZLxt" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;6. Kangchenjunga <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kangchenjunga">The Kangchenjunga Base Camp</a> trek is enough to satisfy even the most avid traveler. Perhaps one of the most diverse treks in Nepal, the altitude goes from 200-300m in the lowlands of Jhapa to 5,140m. The trek is doable in 15-20 days.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_c7b09810d6439e67ea27f5baf1496419ca683bfc2ef7b6a7d45a4be230b42f95.jpg" data-media-id="editor_20" data-image-id="20231019121052_c7b09810d6439e67ea27f5baf1496419ca683bfc2ef7b6a7d45a4be230b42f95" data-rendition-name="original" width="1080" height="1350" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BBa0F1kzToI?si=CiS_loVwGUtlJ2hc" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> 7. &nbsp;Api Base Camp, Darchula Mt Api, 7,132m, is the westernmost peak. Camp at the edge of a coniferous forest and wake up to see the sunrise to the sound of chirping birds and a gurgling brook. Off the beaten path, Api lies in the most remote and hardest-to-get-to parts of Nepal, but the people, views, and culture make the arduous journey worthwhile.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_a7cfc7ee445967dc75fbf3d26638c5f3370a4ee576c4b404fc03a273461f784c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="20231019121052_a7cfc7ee445967dc75fbf3d26638c5f3370a4ee576c4b404fc03a273461f784c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1439" loading="lazy" alt="Api Base Camp"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D6iGgWyd_F4?si=N68MeN8G-z9vlJTu" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;8. Mugu Mugu is popular because of Rara lake, but the district has much more to offer. From its beautiful pastures to Swangeri, a unique mountain with a big hole on the top, which local folklore says was made by the arrow of Pala Gopo, Mugu's potential for tourism remains untapped.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121052_c634db7ffc06446bdd83d11c2fca23c19fcfeb491b0836ce83a8761989a22715.jpg" data-media-id="editor_24" data-image-id="20231019121052_c634db7ffc06446bdd83d11c2fca23c19fcfeb491b0836ce83a8761989a22715" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Mugu"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MdERyxqw_I4?si=iXjZPYsKOmJ3UpsL" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;9. Pikey Peak, Solu&nbsp; One of the best-kept secrets of trekking in Nepal is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/lifetime-experience-on-pikey-peak">Pikey Peak in Solu</a>, which offers a view of seven of Nepal's eight-thousanders from one place, including Mt Everest. The 4,065m peak was bypassed by most trekkers on the Everest trail. Now, the road from Kathmandu to Jiri and the Solu Highway has reached Phaplu via Okhaldhunga, and Pikey is accessible to trekkers of all ages.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_fb22519283cd5d9d8bdba5ba99fa28fb2abb73209797e945e398e1a9853ddb02.jpg" data-media-id="editor_27" data-image-id="20231019121056_fb22519283cd5d9d8bdba5ba99fa28fb2abb73209797e945e398e1a9853ddb02" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Pikey Peak"> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngQLVloeNwU?si=dR7tbJvl5yhtEO1H" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> 10. Panchpokhari, Solukhumbu, Ramechhap, Sindhupalchok&nbsp; There are many Panchpokharis in Nepal, most of them sacred ponds in the mountains. From lush green grasslands to colourful wildflowers and breathtaking mountain views, the Panchpokhari of Sindhupalchok is perhaps best known with shamans and pilgrims flocking the holy site during Janai Purnima. But there are other Panchpokharis in Solukhumbu and Ramechhap.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_c82a9074cecf34ba19e0f9491a8eff8243acb9733a635bd5336a7fb469bb3b36.jpg" data-media-id="editor_29" data-image-id="20231019121056_c82a9074cecf34ba19e0f9491a8eff8243acb9733a635bd5336a7fb469bb3b36" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1365" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Ramechhap</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231019121056_4908f6f24bea125b2c58f7a909a1c2efee6d07c4e9dad3bea9a8742fc638e56c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_30" data-image-id="20231019121056_4908f6f24bea125b2c58f7a909a1c2efee6d07c4e9dad3bea9a8742fc638e56c" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1499" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Sindhupalchok</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023101913100_51e01bb85da1a62a976b288deb8b3bc251e4aac1a21e73accb1e3fc7bff0eba3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_31" data-image-id="2023101913100_51e01bb85da1a62a976b288deb8b3bc251e4aac1a21e73accb1e3fc7bff0eba3" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1332" loading="lazy" alt="Panchpokhari"> <figcaption>Panchpokhari, Solu</figcaption> </figure>  <div class="embed-block"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uRcnEWvPZA4?si=o_E2t5BFUHxbucuo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> &nbsp;

The journey is more interesting than the destination

Nepal’s consumer inflation reached 8.19% in mid-September compared to 8.64% last year, latest Nepal Rastra Bank figures show.
Food and beverage inflation hit 9.74%, and non-food and service sector prices increased by 6.99% during the review period. The highest costs hit low and lower-middle-income families especially hard during Dasain.
The only saving grace is remittances from Nepali abroad, where even the official inflow figures through banks and registered exchanges have increased to record levels.
The cost of spices (especially important items at festival time) went up by a whopping 45.46%. There is a severe shortage of sugar in the market, and even when available it is 17.86% costlier than last year. Vegetable prices rose 14.51%, and the price of milk and eggs are up 12.6%. Ghee is the only commodity for which the price has declined: by 13.08%.
Read Also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/business-not-happy-with-the-imf">Business not happy with the IMF</a>, Ramesh Kumar
Prices in the entertainment and culture sub-category have also increased by 15.55%— with miscellaneous goods and services going up by 12.21%, education 9.10%, household goods 8.11%, as well as furniture and household appliances by 6.59%.
While the inflation rate remains high, wages and salaries have not kept pace. The salary and wage rate index increased 5.25% in mid-September compared to 11.68% a year ago.
The government’s expenditure was Rs131.14 billion while revenue collection amounted to Rs141.08 billion. Gross foreign exchange reserves have also increased by 3.9%, mainly due to remittances and lower imports. Remittance inflow increased by 22.1% to Rs.228.37 billion compared to a 19.8% increase in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s current account and balance of payments were both in surplus during the first two months of fiscal year 2023/2024. The current account shows a surplus of Rs23.5 billion compared to a deficit of Rs36.84 billion during the same period last fiscal year while the BoP had a surplus of Rs53.61 billion by mid-September against a deficit of Rs 20.81 billion during the same time last year. &nbsp;

Bada Inflation at Bada Dasain

Assaulted daily by news of politicians getting away with larceny, convicted criminals being freed, impunity and then the tragic news of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/war-in-israel-earthquake-and-grief-in-nepal">10 students brutally killed</a> by Hamas in Israel, the mood ahead of Dasain this year is subdued.
<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/state-malfunction">Adding to the woes</a> are everyday economic worries about inflation, low purchasing power, a slump in retail trading. Street front shops are shuttered, and have to-let signs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
But at the macro-economic level, things are looking rosy, with Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat trying to raise spirits this week by declaring that the death of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/business-as-unusual">Nepal's economy</a> was exaggerated.
The World Bank has projected that the economy will grow by 3.9% this fiscal year, and by 5% in fiscal 2025.&nbsp;
Removing import restrictions, loosening monetary policy, surging remittances, and the locomotive of India’s economic growth together appear to be pulling Nepal’s wagons along.&nbsp;
But the Bank also warned of risks: an <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/sikkim-flood-is-warning-to-nepal">erratic monsoon </a>that could harm agriculture, a new spike in commodity prices due to India’s food export ban. Higher inflation could keep policy rates elevated, increase domestic debt servicing costs, and drag growth.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) projected Nepal’s economic growth at a slightly higher 4.3% for fiscal 2024, up from 1.9% in 2023. But both projections are far short of the government’s 6% growth target, and behind India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
The overall scenario does not look precarious because of bulging forex reserves driven by last year’s import restrictions and remittances.&nbsp;
From suffering daily electricity rationing Nepal is now exploring exports, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/it-is-it">the IT sector is booming</a>, e-commerce has taken off, and agriculture is going from subsistence to commercial.&nbsp;
However, all this could have happened much more rapidly with better policy implementation. Money <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/guest-editorial/the-migration-myth">Nepalis abroad</a> send home is not being invested in productive sectors.
“Nepal needs $7-8 billion in investment per year. Capital formation is low, so we have to get more FDI. The scale of projects that need to come up has to be larger so that it can drive legislative and institutional reforms,” says Sujeev Shakya of Beed Management. “Only then can we create jobs, accelerate the economy and stem migration.”
<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/state-sponsored-economic-crisis-ikcxxmnp">Nepal’s economy has been stagnant </a>in recent years, with high inflation, fiscal imbalance, inadequate investment, low domestic production, deteriorating bank asset quality, and mass out-migration. Export continues to lag further behind burgeoning imports.
Nepal’s economy is still reeling from long-Covid complications, but many of the underlying problems are structural, and lack of strategic thinking.&nbsp;
The economy did reap the peace dividend in the 2006-2016 decade after the peace agreement: fiscal management was in good shape, public debt was decreasing, the external sector was robust, and resources for expanding credit was adequate.&nbsp;
Investment in infrastructure at that time could have boosted growth and created jobs, but the private sector opted for quick returns on real estate, stock market speculation and trade. Politicians also never followed through on grand speeches about attracting and retaining foreign investors.&nbsp;
Coalition politics, bureaucratic inefficiency and counterintuitive policies<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/state-of-the-state"> remain major hurdles</a>. The private sector shielded by insular policies do not want the status quo to change, even though there has been no major economic reform legislation for four long years.
One does not need a Nobel Prize in Economics to figure out what to do: move on the next set of macro-fiscal reforms, create a genuine investment friendly environment, and curb the rampant rent-seeking mindset.&nbsp;
Often accused of being a compulsive optimist, Shakya maintains that although the road is serpentine, Nepal is moving in the right direction. “Nepalis are resilient,” he notes.&nbsp;
“We overcame war, earthquake, blockade and Covid. We are generally happy with what we have, but what Nepal needs is forward-thinking policies and transformative reforms to actually drive the economy forward.” &nbsp;

Sahina Shrestha

To-let

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414114/63723cdc9c7e80680e0c963ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/>Dasain this year was a washout, but with the rains gone it is looking brighter for the approaching festivals of Tihar, Mha Puja and Chhath.Besides its cultural and religious significance, Tihar is also a time when gambling with cards has official sanction. And, since this year the festival coincides with preparations for elections exactly a month away, there will no doubt be a lot of candidates gambling everything on their political futures.Impunity and the rule of the lawless is rife in this country. When murderers do not have to answer for crimes, it is a small matter that bribe-takers, swindlers, extortionists can stay in office and ply their trade.So far, we have seen malafide nominations of relatives, cronies and influential party donors on the Proportional Representation list. The leadership of all main parties have purged popular and competent candidates, treating them as more of an enemy than opposition figures. There has been shameless gerrymandering by coalition leaders to divide up constituencies so they have a 100% chance of being elected.We in the media are preoccupied with election arithmetic and not questioning enough how the entire system has been manipulated in violation of the Constitution. We accept it as a given.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/house-of-cards-2/">House of cards</a>, Sonia AwaleWhat could be more absurd than the sight of Nepali Congress leaders in Gorkha on a stage where the photos of the warriors who sacrificed to restore democracy in Nepal were overshadowed by hammer and sickle posters? Or a Hindu-royalist candidate campaigning under the symbol of the Unified Marxist-Leninists. If there is no ideological difference between parties, why do we need parties at all?In any other democracy worth its salt, this would be called rigging the vote. In fact, it is like cheating at cards on Laxmi Puja.The only flickering lights we see this Tihar will be the fresh young faces who have managed to get tickets from the parties, or are standing as rebel candidates and independents. It is likely that despite a public yearning for change and an overwhelming disillusionment with established parties and their leaders, many of them may lose because Nepal’s elections are still largely determined by vote banks, tribal loyalty to parties, and the ability of candidates to spend lavishly on feasts and booze. They are not determined by the performance track record of candidates when they had a chance.The top leaders of all main parties have been prime ministers cumulatively 14 times since 1996. Prime Minister Deuba wants to do a double hat-trick.Nearly 4 million young Nepalis abroad, who would mostly be anti-incumbent, cannot cast absentee ballots because the established parties have not allowed voting by mail.  Electronic voting machines are not used either because they just don’t trust each other.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-parties-forge-new-pre-poll-alliances/">Nepal’s parties forge new pre-poll alliances</a>, Shristi KarkiIt is no wonder that Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in another candid off-the-cuff remark, boasted how his party had stuffed ballot boxes in the Constituent Assembly elections in 2008, and maybe they should try that again since his party has been too ‘decent’.The reverence for hard cash is engrained even in this festival of lights. The first day of Yampanchak on Saturday, 22 October, is devoted to Ganesh, the elephant-headed god who removes all obstacles. Sunday is the day of the crow, the scavenger who is doing more to consume and recycle Kathmandu Valley’s garbage than the municipalities are. Dogs are gods on 24 October, and it is the turn of cows and bulls the next two days. The last day, 27 October, is sibling day when sisters and brothers venerate each other.Tihar ends, but the festivities do not. In the Tarai, Chhath takes off with the worship of the sun asit sets and is reflected on water bodies.Besides gambling there is one element that is common to Diwali, Tihar and Chhath: the leitmotif of light. The light that illuminates the darkness and allows us to remove injustice, greed, envy, inequality and discrimination.The symbolism of Tihar is great, and gives us a glimmer of hope that on 20 November the country will have the good fortune of dealing from a brand new deck of cards.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/3-party-dictatorship/">3-party dictatorship</a>, Editorial

Gambling with our future

<img width="800" height="533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723bd09c7e80680e0c95e4jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Dasain is a time for Nepali families to get together. Kathmandu’s population drops by half as people head back to their home districts, and flights to and within Nepal are full during the festive season.But two years of Covid made travel difficult, and since then high air fares have discouraged many from <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/post-covid-rebound-for-nepals-airlines/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">flying</a>. Which is why virtual vermilion tika and Jamara barley shoots have become the norm.Maya Moktan has not been able to celebrate the festival with her family in Sindhupalchok for eight years because she is a nurse in Dubai. She only gets a few weeks of leave which does not coincide with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/top-dasain-destinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain</a>. But she has made the best of this by connecting with her family on video calls.“I have now celebrated one too many Dasains virtually,” Moktan told us in a video chat from Dubai. “I miss my family even more during this time and call them every day.”While still in Nepal, she and her family used to travel from Bhaktapur where they had settled to their hometown in Sindhupalchok district every Dasain. This annual ritual has now shifted to the mobile platform. Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dasain-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain 2022</a>“My dad pretends to put tika on me on the mobile camera and I act as if I received it on my forehead,” adds Moktan.Badri Dhital is working in Japan and has not been home for five years. He could not make it this year either. The time difference with Nepal means most days he is often unable to catch his family online, but he made sure to mark the Dasain via a video call.“Thank god for technology. This is the only thing that helps lessen the pain of separation,” the 27-year-old told us in a phone interview.Virtual platforms have dramatically changed the way the Nepali diaspora marks Dasain. With more than 300,000 Nepalis leaving the country every year for work, study or to settle abroad, there is now an increasing trend of digital Dasain.  An estimated 5 million Nepalis are in India or overseas, which is nearly 15% of the population. This year, 1.5 million people left Kathmandu for their hometowns during Dasain, many could not find bus or airline tickets in time. And this year heavy rains disrupted festival travel.Even for families living in Nepal, digital Dasain has become an option in case they cannot make it home. Many share Dasain photos on Facebook or social media platform group chats. As the number of TikTok users among Nepalis exceeds 50% and is catching up with Facebook, more and more Dasain videos are shared on that platform.But while online platforms have made Dasain easy for families to spread far and wide, there are concerns that they are eroding the unique culture and heritage tied with the festival. For example, there has been a dramatic drop in traditional kite flying or playing in the swing during the festival week.There are also fewer local Dasain carnivals which used to help in face-to-face social integration. But Nepalis do not have to wait Dasain anymore to take part in shopping — just about everything can be bought online, from food to clothes. What used to be carnivals are now Dasain schemes offered by brands and companies.“As we embrace technology, we have stopped meeting relatives and celebrating festivals in their true spirit. Our children want to do even less of that,” says Dipesh Ghimire, a professor at Tribhuvan University, adding that the trend is now equally prevalent in rural areas.He adds: “In fact, technology have made everything so accessible and cheap so that Dasain is no longer necessary for some people who are connected all the time with their relatives anyway.”Dasain celebrations of the past represented the society of yesteryear. If it is celebrated the same way today, it cannot reflect the understanding of people today, their consciousness and the world at large, adds Ghimire.Another culture expert Govind Tandon says digital platforms have made Dasain more accessible and significant without adding financial burden to families away from home. Digital Dasain has also lessened the craze of dakshina, the cash token given to younger relatives, for whom the pocket money is an added attraction of the festival. But even dakshina is going digital. Banks and digital wallets now offer schemes at Dasain. Last year, e-Sewa provided gifts worth Rs500 to 500 people who made transactions under their 'Dasain Digital Dakshina Abhiyan'.The campaign was so successful the developers extended it until Tihar and some 30,000 people used the platform amounting to transactions worth Rs70 million. Says Ashish Gautam of E-Sewa: “Digital Dakshina has made Dasain technology-friendly while also reducing the burden of printing new notes.”Now banks and digital micropayment platforms, as well as brothers and sisters, are gearing up for virtual Tihar which this year falls on 24-27 October.Translated from the <a href="https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/132446?fbclid=IwAR01IqRld3ZMnuDvn2BmJHGi0TOlnVNHhQzNB2XqIG-W1MbooU_58wTdSGQ">Nepali original</a> published in Himalkhabar monthly magazine.

Digital Diaspora Dasain for Nepalis

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b9b9c7e80680e0c95d2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4993" height="3241"/><figcaption>Vermilion rice paste and barley shoots prepared for Tika. All photos: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>After two years of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/this-years-dangerous-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relatively muted Dasain festivities</a> due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Nepalis were all revved up to make up for it this year. However, heavy post-monsoonal rains over most of Nepal drenched Tika on Wednesday.The rains, combined with a lingering <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/dengue-days-are-here-to-stay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dengue epidemic in Kathmandu</a> did put a damper on the festivities, but did not seem to dampen the Dasain spirit.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b9f9c7e80680e0c95d3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba39c7e80680e0c95d4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba69c7e80680e0c95d5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2304" height="1536"><figcaption>People leaving for their home towns for Dasain and crowded marketplace with people shoping for the festivities.</figcaption></figure>On 5 October, families celebrating the festival across the country observed Tika, the main day of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/where-are-you-going-this-dasain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain</a> when elders bless younger ones with ceremonial vermilion-rice paste on the forehead and sacred barley shoots. The celebration continues until the full moon night of 9 October.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723ba99c7e80680e0c95d6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bac9c7e80680e0c95d7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb29c7e80680e0c95d8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4809" height="3387"><figcaption>Various rituals performed throughout Dasain festivities.</figcaption></figure>Dasain has been marked for millennia as a symbol of good vs evil, but probably originated as a harvest festival, and evolved into family get togethers. It is also traditionally accompanied by <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/high-on-swings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">playing on bamboo swings</a> and flying kites -- although this Dasain was too wet for kite fights.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb69c7e80680e0c95d9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723bb99c7e80680e0c95dajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2048" height="1312"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Nepali Times photojournalist Suman Nepali brings these and more in this photo feature depicting this year’s <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/top-dasain-destinations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dasain</a> festivities.

Dasain 2022

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b839c7e80680e0c95c9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683"/><figcaption>Photo: SUMAN NEPALI</figcaption></figure>The thing about Dasain is that I’m never good enough for it.When I was a child, I wasn’t good enough because I was a girl. It meant I could not participate in certain rituals by the virtue of being female.Over the years, I learned to make peace with it. Rituals were not my thing, anyway.One Dasain, after the main practice of sacrificing the gourd, painted as the demon Mahishasur was over, my sister picked the khadga dagger handed down from our Malla ancestors, and started to slice the gourd. It riled the male guardians in the clan. My sister tried to argue that it is after all the goddess who kills the demon, and the goddess is female. Not like her argument would work.After that, the age-old practice of impaling the gourd in our clan met a sudden end — causing our strand of the Tuladhar men to disperse into nuclear family Dasain celebrations.While my childhood memory of Dasain, or Mohni as the Newa people call it, has always been about the Tika big day (this year on Wednesday) when the men came together to perform the violent act against a painted gourd, the festival has changed over the years. Some of those changes are very welcome, including the one that put an end to the simulation of violence performed by certain Buddhist Newa families in Kathmandu.Growing up, I also experienced discrimination shared by some of my cousins, who were not allowed the tika by certain relatives because they were not Buddhist. But wasn’t Dasain a Hindu event in itself? I never understood that. And while I stood on the other side of the line where I was allowed tika, their sense of humiliation for being refused the blessing was mine, too. We were children together.Over the years, I also learned to stage fake periods when I did not want to receive tika. And while isolation during period is something my family has never observed, I still have mood swings the moment I see the tika tray.Lately, they remind me of the Asur people in certain parts of India, who mourn their dead during Dasain. But the tika is also sticky and leaves a mark on my forehead, reminding me that I have the privilege of it because I was born in a certain family.Also, for women, neither having or not having your period during Dasain is a privilege. Either way, it means you spend the festival running household chores or being banished for bleeding. All things become tied to birth eventually—who you were born to, where and how—your gender, your sexual orientation, your religion, your civil status and your social station in life, to mention a few. They make that everything about you. In this case, they is Dasain and Dasain is they.Once upon a time, I worked in a newsroom. The country was declared secular and we stopped calling Dasain the biggest festival celebrated by Nepalis. We started writing: the biggest festival celebrated by Hindus in Nepal. But every other day, one person would change it back. All Nepalis are Hindu by default, he would say. How? I would ask. And he would say: it is just how it is. In my head, I would say: It is just how a newsroom you lead is. Closed to everyone who is not you.Over the years, Dasain has kept finding new ways to defeat me. When it discovered that I am a woman without a man, it naturally relegated me to the lower-station of social life. You need a husband to do certain things in the society that calls me its own. Doesn’t matter that this time of the year is about a woman who rides on a ferocious animal and is independent.I have met Dasain with an entirely new fear recently, because it’s given me fresh reasons for disdain. It tells me I’m not good enough. My hair is greying, and fast. Dasain wants me to discover hair colour. I’m told my cousins who are in their 50s “upstage” me in looks and it is why I will never “find a husband”. I’m also being told I’m too conservative in how I dress and in the topics I like to discuss. And so, I’m too conservative for this festival.It is never going to be good enough for Dasain that I’ve learned to play kitty to entertain my nonagenarian grandfather. Not good enough, that I let the spindle reel against my thumb, flying a kite with my nephews and my brothers.Dasain is often a reminder that singlehood is not even a concept available to one and that we must make the choice of finding a partner. It doesn’t matter that the partner might have been someone who slammed the door on your face or held you to the ground by your hair, or spent his entire time watching pornography on his phone while you sat up in bed wondering. But you must have a partner because that’s what is acceptable to Dasain.I’m never going to be good for Dasain. And that, is just fine.Suburban Tales is a monthly column in Nepali Times based on real people (with some names changed) in Pratibha’s life.

Pratibha Tuladhar

Reasons for disdain at Dasain

<h2>Yogmaya by Neelam Karki Niharika</h2> Neelam Karki Niharika's 2018 Madan Puraskar-winning Yogmaya is a compelling historical fiction on women's rights and freedom of expression. Centred on the figure of pioneer poet and religious leader Yogmaya Neupane, born in 1867 in Bhojpur of eastern Nepal, the novel charts her fight against the autocratic Rana rule of the time. Yogmaya was heavily monitored by the government for her activism and activities, her contributions were censored until the Ranas were overthrown in 1951, even his discontent with the government and the ritual mass suicide, jal samadhi, she and her disciples committed in 1941. Although a fictionalised narrative, Niharika's searing prose explores the themes of sati, child marriage, widowhood, caste- and sex-based discriminations, class struggle from ground-up, with sharp critique of the patriarchy and authoritarianism -- themes that remain pertinent in contemporary times. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7c9c7e80680e0c95c2jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>योगमाया | Yogmaya                                             By Nilam Karki NiharikaSangri~la Books, 2018503 pages,  Rs595 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7d9c7e80680e0c95c3jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Ramite by Jason Kunwar</h2> The world of multi-instrumentalist and ethnomusicology scholar Jason Kunwar's 2020 novel Ramite is a fictional one. Multiple narrators chart a landscape with names not found any map one is familiar with. Uga, Magadi, Kharka, Hitkot ... the list goes on. Yet, these are names, places and cultures that the reader will immediately connect to. The voices of the characters, their mannerisms, the geography of hills and rivers, all create a riveting universe complete with its own languages, cultures and civilisations. Among the contemporary penchant in Nepali literature for experimental writing, Ramite also ushers in graphic storytelling in the novel form. With themes of nationalism, migration, generational conflict weaved into a delicate thread, Ramite is a remarkable tale of making sense of one's world.रमिते | RamiteBy Jason KunwarRed Panda Books, 2021282 pages, Rs850 <h2>Lichhavi Lipi: A Book on Epigraphy by Nayanath Paudel</h2> Lichhavi inscriptions in Nepal are relatively rarer compared to Malla: and people who can read those inscriptions are even rarer. Now, scholar Narayan Paudel takes a step at correcting that with his astounding tome, Lichhavi Lipi. The detailed book starts with a look into the development of script from hieroglyphs to the Phoenician alphabets, the Brahmi abugida, making way to the Lichhavi script. It explains the writing system with diagrams and inscriptions, even noting where they could be found in the country the, giving an authentic basis for research to an aspirant scholar or archivist in the history of Nepal, the Lichhavi period, linguistics and scripts. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7e9c7e80680e0c95c4jpeg.jpg" alt="">लिच्छवि लिपि | Lichhavi Lipi: A Book on EpigraphyBy Nayanath PaudelPublished by Pramila Paudel, 2022686 pages, Rs1200 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b7f9c7e80680e0c95c5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Kalpa-Grantha by Kumar Nagarkoti</h2> Setting a novel precedent in Nepali publishing, Kumar Nagarkoti's voluminous 2021 book Kalpa-Grantha was available only by pre-order and delivered directly to readers. Packaged as a ready-made gift in a sleek bag, the royal-sized book weighing 1.5kg at 800 pages fits snugly inside a box, accompanied by a postcard and a bookmark. More than a novel marketing strategy, this packaging marked Nagarkoti’s 10th anniversary as a writer, and also his 10th book. A prime example of ergodic writing, Kalpa-Grantha is quite literally a collection of dreams and imaginations, where Nagarkoti plays with languages, form and content -- from typographical stories to screenplays, from conceptual narratives to gray -- challenging writing and storytelling themselves. While the print-run now has been discontinued, Kalpa-Grantha was indeed a touch of newness in Nepal's literary scene.कल्प-ग्रन्थ | Kalpa-GranthaBy Kumar NagarkotiBook Hill Publication, 2021800 pages <h2>Pather by Shyam Sah</h2> The second collection of stories by Shyam Sah, Pather, continue his exploration into the depths of marginalisation and rebellious consciousness in Madhes. In the style of a confident social realist, these 11 potent stories portray class struggles, exploitation, gender and caste, writing about the people living on the margins, forgotten by the government and often misrepresented. These stories are political at their core, and his aim is to bring Madhes to the forefront, examine exclusionary politics, the justice system, and inspire more such stories to claim their space in the literature of Nepal. The literal definition of 'pather' is a brick-labourer; as a book, there is also an added layer of nuance to this, which points to inequity in societies, distortion and neglect that has repercussions across generations.  <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b819c7e80680e0c95c6jpeg.jpg" alt="">पथेर | PatherBy Shyam SahPhoenix Books, 2021194 pages, Rs350 <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b829c7e80680e0c95c7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><h2>Yambunera by Bina Theeng</h2> Bina Theeng's third book, Yambunera, is a collection of 13 short stories set in and around the Kathmandu Valley, looking into the sense of otherness and displacement in hearts of its inhabitants entangled in the web of structural discrimination based on caste, colour, culture, religion and region. 'Yambu' in Tamang language means Kathmandu, the place where the ruler lives. Theeng's stories and beautiful and clear, written almost economically, about marginalised Indigenous people revolting against oppression and rejection, critiquing the system that refuses to change and politics that finds comfort in wilful blindness.याम्बुनेर | YambuneraBy Bina TheengPhoenix Books, 2020173 pages, Rs300 <h2>Mera Nau Dashak by Surya Bahadur Thapa</h2> Five-time prime minister Surya Bahadur Thapa's life and political career spanned five kings. Born in 1928, Thapa was selected to the national assembly as an independent, and became Chairman of the Advisory Council in 1958. The following year, he was elected to the Upper House, appointed the Minister of Agriculture, Forest and Industry under the newly formed Panchayat system, and drafted King Mahendra's Poush 1 coup speech. During the Maoist insurgency, he initiated talks with the Maoists. After the Second People's Movement, he chaired the second constituent assembly. In his autobiography, Mera Nau Dashak, Thapa's memoir is woven with the political history of modern Nepal, making sense of the possibilities and carving of a sovereign identity. Written by Ganesh Paudel with 310-hours of interviews with Thapa before he died in 2015, the book is as much one man's story as it is a country's biography. <img width="264" height="405" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b829c7e80680e0c95c8jpeg.jpg" alt="">मेरा नौ दशक | Mera Nau DashakBy Surya Bahadur ThapaBook Hill Publications, 2022470 pages, Rs1500

Our pick of Nepali books to read over Dasain

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131156/63723b799c7e80680e0c95c1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4096" height="2353"/><figcaption>Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>The Ass has been reminded that this paper takes a break over Dasain, and we skip one issue next week. Yay! Also, there is a full page nude on the back page. Double Yay! But the editor tells me I still have to submit my weekly column. Nay!It is therefore incumbent upon yours truly to circulate this strong internal memo against the media typhoon who owns this paper who sold his soul to Mammon, sacrificing the donkey’s designated Backside place and squeezing the Ass into this obscure inside section.I will therefore not beat around the burning bush indulging in frivolous chitchat, supposedly witty repartees, idle banter, lame puns, below the belt innuendos about the Prime Minister, ridiculing the President’s taste in upholstery from the Ministry of Interior Decoration, or muttering allegedly hilarious asides about the posterior body parts of some prominent members of the Council of Ministers.No, today we shall tackle deadly serious national issues so that we can roll our loins and gird up our sleeves to ensure that Fedex Elections are held as scheduled in November. We should doubly redouble our efforts to protect the Constitution (the world’s best, in fact) that ensures politicians of all hues and cries have equal rights in our democracy to pillage and plunder.We now break our usual programming for this important grabberment announcement:Hear ye, her ye! It is hereby notified to all concerned that this year’s Dasain festival has been postponed until further notice because of the need for belt-tightening during these tumultuous times.All concerned should watch this space for new Dasain dates, but it will most probably be next April, when it will be held in conjunction with New Year 2080 in order to reduce Nepal’s petroleum import bill and the country’s carbon footprint.There will also be a moratorium on mountain goat imports from Tibet till next April because of our balance of trade deficit with China. Water buffalos have also been included in the list of ‘luxury items’ together with iPhone 14s, Old Monk Rum, and Odomos mosquito repellent creams, that are currently restricted for import to save Indian currency reserves from further depletion.Mountain goats and buffaloes will therefore be allowed to carry on with their daily lives until such time as they may again be required to be decapitated in the epic struggle of good against evil next April. For further information, contact the Dept of Humanitarian Sacrifices.Despite austerity, MPs in the prorogued Parliament who knew their days were numbered voted themselves fat Dasain bonuses. Former Chief Justices, Ministers, and Reps in the August House had till end-August to award themselves posthumous pensions so they can keep on enjoying legislative perks, and official cars in their afterlife.As you may have heard, Prime Minister Dubya has decided to give election tickets to Baddie candidates recommended by Comrade Awesome rather than to dissidents within his own party who could challenge The Foremost Lady in future. These tickets are so sought after that they are being sold in the black market, or so I am told.

Ass s

Dasain is postponed

One smoggy winter morning in February 2019, Ekta regretted coming to her sculpture class. It was the first day of her period, and the 19-year-old wished she was home, curled up in bed with a hot water bag to soothe her cramps.
Her class was at Kalapremi Ceramic Studio, a dark room on the ground floor of a house in Maharajganj, and Ekta’s teacher was the artist Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’, a noted sculptor.
Two other students were already there, using all their muscle strength to knead the sculpting clay. Ekta, now 24, recalls how Kalapremi asked her if she was feeling all right. She avoided him, as she did not want everyone to know she was menstruating.
Kalapremi repeatedly asked Ekta what was wrong. She finally muttered that she was having her period, after which he grabbed her hand and led her to a partitioned corner of the studio and sat her on a chair. Before she could stop him, he slid his hand under her dress, and started massaging her abdomen.
“I was horrified,” Ekta recalls. “I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen, asking me not to be shy, saying he knew how to relieve my pain. He stopped only after I protested furiously.”&nbsp;
The art tutor then said, “You’re like my daughter. I’m doing it out of love to make you feel better, but you’re so stubborn.”&nbsp;
“Instead of saying sorry he acted like I was the one having crazy thoughts,” remembers Ekta, adding that from April 2016 to August 2020 beginning the time she was 16, the artist sexually abused and harassed her on several occasions. &nbsp;
Now, Ekta and the artist’s other former students are finally sharing their experiences and some are pressing legal charges against him, hoping that others do not have to endure what they did.&nbsp;
Award-winning artist and teacher Gopal Das Shrestha ‘Kalapremi’ (the name means ‘Art Lover’) is known for his ceramic art, sculpture, and contemporary pottery. He was <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/the-house-of-kalapremi">profiled in Nepali Times after a collaborative exhibition</a>, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ at the Siddhartha Art Gallery three years ago.&nbsp;
His pieces, titled Gaalis, featured sculpted female figures with the heads of dogs, sheep, and donkeys (pictured) to depict derogatory terms for women. Some critics said the collection was a satire on feminists.
Kalapremi started his artistic and teaching career in 1983 and over the years taught at Bhanubhakta School, Kathmandu University School of Arts, Lalitkala Campus and at his private Kalapremi Ceramic Studio. He has also lectured at Jeonju University in South Korea and recently at Tabor Academy in the United States.
Seven of Kalapremi’s former students were interviewed for this story. Five female students said he touched them inappropriately in his studio or at Kathmandu University. Two male students said they witnessed him abuse and harass the women. In all cases, the students struggled to recognise the abuse when it occurred, and the lack of reporting systems left them to cope on their own for years.&nbsp;
Earlier this year, students shared a social media post hinting at Kalapremi’s history of abusive behaviour following which more students of the artist reached out sharing similar experiences. Some students spoke of abuse that happened as long as 20 years ago.
Kalapremi, 60, has denied the allegations. He told Nepali Times: “Some years ago, there was a movement encouraging people to hug and kiss. I used to do it purely out of friendship and love. But after seeing posts on social media last year calling out my behaviour, I realised my actions may have hurt some people. I understand now that I should have been more mindful.”
He added: “I am also an auxiliary health worker, so I know the exact points to massage to relieve menstrual pain. It’s not just menstruation, I take anyone who is ill to the hospital.”
Sexual abuse is much more rampant than reported given how difficult it is to prove it in court. The law defines sexual abuse as occuring when someone touches another’s private parts, coerces them into touching theirs, uses vulgar language, shows degrading images, or behaves indecently towards them without consent.&nbsp;
Ekta and her fellow students are consulting lawyer Suneeta Regmi Pokhrel, who says they know that even if the court decides in their favour, it is difficult to survive after speaking up, and influential men defend themselves saying they are being framed.&nbsp;
“They are in a lot of pain and weep when recalling how he abused them,” Regmi Pokhrel told us. “They are angry and have filed a case against him, but they are also terrified. They know he is a powerful man and they have seen how our society treats women who speak up against abusers. Unless people speak up, perpetrators will be emboldened.”
Art and academia in Nepal simply reflect the power imbalances in society where people with intersecting identities experience worse forms of abuse. Theatre actors Raj Kumar Pudasaini, Rajan Khatiwada, and Sunil Pokhrel were called out during the #MeToo movement in the Nepali theatre scene in 2019. Even after the allegations Pokhrel went on to receive national awards, while others continued to work without repercussions.
“If you speak up against abusers, you gradually get sidelined from projects,” explained a theatre artist who wished anonymity fearing professional setbacks. “The theatre scene in Nepal is quite small, you just have to make peace with the perpetrators and work with them if you want to sustain yourself.”&nbsp;
In academia there is a history of faculty members sexually harassing students and getting away with it. After Tribhuvan University (TU) lecturer Krishna Bhattachan was accused of harassing women students, the university said it would follow Nepal’s sexual harassment law and set up a reporting mechanism. But nothing happened to the professor, who had already retired. Instead, he counter-accused the students of 'attacking the indigenous people’s movement with baseless allegations' as <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/letters/2019/01/29/bhattachan-responds">he told the Kathmandu Post in 2019</a>. He continues to be featured as a prominent speaker including at TU.
Other faculty members previously accused of sexual harassment include Jagadish Murti Koirala from TU, Bishnu Prasad Acharya from Ratna Rajya Campus, and Bodha Raj Tripathee from Lalitpur Madhyamik Vidhyalaya. A woman staff member from TU also filed a sexual abuse complaint against Dambar Chemjong from TU.
Prominent figures like <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-nims-purja">mountaineer Nims Purja</a> have been <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/31/sports/mountaineering-sexual-harassment-abuse-nims-purja.html">accused of sexual assault</a>, and cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane, actor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/celebrity-rape-case-spotlights-nepal-laws">Paul Shah</a>, and former speaker of Parliament <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mahara-arrested">Krishna Bahadur Mahara</a> have been accused of rape, but society-at-large has let off the alleged perpetrators amdist a larger debate about justice for survivors and punishment of perpetrators.&nbsp;
‘Gaushala-26’ is the court name given to the 18-year-old who accused Sandeep Lamichhane, former captain of Nepal’s national cricket team and skipper of Biratnagar Kings in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/here-comes-the-nepal-premier-league">ongoing Nepal Premier League</a>, of rape. She left the country citing society questioning her character affecting her mental health while Lamichhane got an outpouring of support. In May, the Patan High Court overturned a prior verdict that found Lamichhane guilty of rape and had sentenced him to eight years in prison. During the 23-month legal battle to pursue justice, Gaushala-26 faced threats of gang rape and acid attacks.&nbsp;
Exhausted by the struggle, Gaushala-26 sought to “move to a new world” where she could live free without hiding her identity.
Actress Samragyee Rajya Laxmi Shah in an Instagram video now deleted detailed the harassment she faced from a filmmaker during a movie shoot. She did not name any name but veteran actor Bhuwan KC filed a defamation case against Rana, but the court ruled that the charge lacked sufficient evidence.&nbsp;
Former Kathmandu mayor <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/theytoo">Keshav Sthapit also mocked the #MeToo movement</a>, calling accusations against him by journalists Rashmila Prajapati and Ujjwala Maharjan “a rape of men’s rights”.
Serial Abuse
Back at the Kalapremi Ceramics studio, another former student, 24-year-old Rajiv, says he felt the need to speak out after seeing his female classmates being abused.&nbsp;
“He frequently kissed them on their cheeks,” he told Nepali Times. “Whenever they walked into the studio he flailed his arms like a child asking for a hug. They awkwardly hugged him from the side, but he pulled them closer, held their chin, and kissed their cheeks.”&nbsp;
Rajiv says he also saw Kalapremi pull the women’s bra straps, touch their breasts, and slap their buttocks. The young students would freeze, not knowing how to react, and if they protested, he would say it was “normal in art”. Rajiv, 19 at the time like his classmates, remembers thinking perhaps the well-respected artist was right after all.
Another student, Luna, who took lessons at Kalapremi’s studio from 2020 to 2022 did try to confront the tutor after he made an obscene proposal to her. She recalls: “One day when the other students had left the studio and it was just the two of us, he told me that God had given him special artistic talent and he could transfer those powers to me. But to do that both of us will have to be naked, inside a dark room, and have sex.”
Luna, who was 18 then, was livid and told him she did not want any of his powers, but she says he laughed at her as if he was joking. She did not tell her family about the incident because she thought no one would believe her.&nbsp;
“They were all in awe of this famous artist and felt I should be grateful that to be learning sculpting from him,” she says. “I was scared to be alone with him in case he talked about sex again. My coping mechanism was to be rude so he wouldn’t try to come close to me.”
Seeing how some classmates were standing up to Kalapremi, Ekta too tried to push back against his advances, but she said he found ways to coerce her. Since Ekta, Rajiv, and Luna could not afford Kalapremi’s Rs30,000 monthly fee for lessons, he had offered them all a stipend to assist him in the studio.
“He had spondylosis and took me to his therapy sessions to learn massage techniques, then he often made me and other students massage him,” says Ekta. Whenever she refused, he would feign pain to make her feel sorry for him. “He would insist that I put my hands under his shirt so that I could massage him better,” she adds.
The art tutor often tried to “seduce sympathy” from Ekta by sharing how he had never been loved as a child and was “sexually frustrated” as an adult.&nbsp;
“At 7PM, he would pour himself Signature whiskey and immediately go off again about how he was sex-starved. I didn’t know how to respond. It took me time to realise alcohol was just an excuse to talk about sex,” Ekta says.
If convicted, Kalapremi could face financial penalty and/or a prison sentence of up to three years according to Section 224 of National Penal (Code) Act 2017.&nbsp;
Data suggests that victims of child sexual abuse on average take nearly 24 years to tell someone about their trauma, and some may never disclose it at all.&nbsp;
“In our culture, children are rarely taught about boundaries. They often react, show anger when adults pinch their cheeks. But adults insist they did it out of love, and force the children to accept it,” says Sita Lama, a psychotherapist at Manka Kura. “And even when someone touches them inappropriately they struggle to identify and verbalise it.”
When perpetrators claim to be “acting out of love”, Lama says survivors are likely to perceive it as something safe, rather than recognising it as abuse.&nbsp;
“It may take years for them to realise they were abused,” she explains. "And even when they become aware, the power imbalance with the abuser and the associated shame often prevents survivors from speaking up."
Other former students from the School of Art at Kathmandu University have also come forward years later, saying Kalapremi sexually abused them. As young adults, they felt his behaviour was off but were uncertain if it was inappropriate, illegal, or they did not know how to respond. After having understood that it was indeed abuse, they say they are speaking out now to protect others.&nbsp;
Amina Singh, a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University, says there is no clause against sexual abuse in contracts of teachers, and there is no formal grievance handling mechanism for the students.&nbsp;
“So the only way students can to deal with sexual abuse is approach someone they trust,” she says.
Eight other former art students of Lalit Kala Campus and Srijana College of Fine Arts of Tribhuvan University and other private art studios in Kathmandu say they were also sexually abused by their art teachers. Three faculty members interviewed from these institutions said they saw the abuse, but felt it was futile to report it given how powerful the teachers were.
In the absence of a formal system, some longtime women artists warned each other about “problematic” artists. They shared &nbsp;a “heads-up” to be more cautious when collaborating with them, and avoided responding to their calls and texts after work hours.
To ensure art institutions are safe for all, galleries, museums, artist studios, and smaller art spaces need to develop policies on sexual harassment. This would include a code of conduct or studio policies that hold the leadership accountable and outline the principles of professional ethics.&nbsp;
Students and employees should inquire about accountability mechanisms for raising concerns, both formally and informally, advocates say.
Three years after Ekta left the ceramics studio, she learnt that Kalapremi had harassed many other women. Still trying to get a footing in the art industry, she attended a workshop in Kathmandu where women artists discussed ways to stay safe in the art sector.&nbsp;
Since it was a close-knit group Ekta opened up about how she felt violated and realised she was not alone, he had been abusing underprivileged students for years, and this was common knowledge among artists in Nepal.
Ekta says that even after she quit, Kalapremi continued sending her text messages like ‘I am thinking of you’, ‘Why have you stopped speaking with me’, or ‘I am waiting for your call’.&nbsp;
But what really forced her to act was when Ekta found out that he was sending similar texts to her younger sister.&nbsp;
“I’ve had enough,” she told us. “He abused me all these years but I won’t let him abuse my sister.” &nbsp;
Ekta, Rajiv and Luna are not the real names of the students.&nbsp;

‘Art Lover’ accused of sexual abuse

It was 8:15 in the evening of 25 March 1968 when everyone in the village of Batulechaur near Pokhara heard a deafening sound like thunder as a bright flashing object hurtled down to land in a field.&nbsp; That field belonged to Kul Timilsina, and the next morning he retrieved a sheet of metal about 2m by 1m and carried it home with the help of a few others, thinking it would be useful for his buffalo shed.&nbsp; Before he died at age 83 three years ago, Timilsina had told photo archivist Sunil Ulak that the black metal sheet was not rectangular and had rounded corners. There are a few witnesses still alive who have a clear recollection of the object that fell from the sky that night.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024120707128_75cc85aac56b9cc4a77366471f058d7b3eb6868776811b0923845c2d0a61f014" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="601" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>The field in Batulechaur belonging to Kul Timilsina where fragments of a flying object fell from the sky in 1968.</figcaption> </figure>  One of them is Timilsina’s wife Gyanu, who was 22 at the time. She had been at home, and remembers hearing the big bang and the sky becoming very bright. “We saw the thing in the field in the morning,” she told us. “It looked like a lid, a covering of some sort. The way it was stuck in the ground, it must have fallen from the sky. We thought we could use it to dry clothes on, and took it home.”&nbsp; Another witness is Kul Narayan Paudel. “I was only eight then. We ran to the field to see what had fallen. It was a four-sided metal sheet. The elders took it away, and I don't know what happened to it.” &nbsp; Ram Bahadur Baniya, a teacher at the local school, says he had heard the sheet had been brought to the school, and later handed over to the Zonal Commissioner at the time, Nanda Prasad Malla. “But that is all hearsay,” he says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024120707128_0bf207a12063fb8155b3c8d9a00a94887b126380c9e0627527c84cf5e1101f54" data-rendition-name="original" width="1170" height="610" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Gyanu Timilsina, wife of Kul Timilsina.</figcaption> </figure>  There are two versions of what happened to Kul Timilsina’s metal sheet. One is that an American Peace Corp Volunteer teaching at the nearby Bindyabasini School took it, and another is that it was handed over to the government. Recently declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and US State Department documents from the time say that the US Embassy in Kathmandu tracked down the object two years later and had it shipped back to the US. A telegram from the Department of State and Department of Defense tagged as ‘MOON DUST / Space Fragments’ dated 1 March 1972 stated: ‘1. Restored space fragment will be on board Embassy support flight 115 arriving Kathmandu on or about March 10. Fragment is packed in shipping crate (cargo no. 72-33365) marked in care of DAO.&nbsp; 2. State and Defense representatives examined fragments prior to shipment finding restoration acceptable.’  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df.png" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20241207071212_929d903ee06d41baa4f6040e981cd7c7d7bd75cc9c37c9b617d307fc8538d2df" data-rendition-name="original" width="856" height="568" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> <figcaption>Declassified CIA documents about the investigation into the object sighted in Pokhara. </figcaption> </figure>  The documents show that the US government, military and intelligence agencies investigated this incident thoroughly when it occurred, and have continued to revisit it ever since, as recently as five years ago. What is even more intriguing is that the object that fell in Pokhara was not the only unidentified space object that fell to earth that year. There were similar sightings of objects falling from the sky in Ladakh, Sikkim and Bhutan between 19 February and 25 March 1968.&nbsp; These mysteries were the subject of a CIA investigation in 1968 titled ‘<a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP81R00560R000100070007-8.pdf">Sighting of Unidentified Flying Objects in Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan</a>’, and the report is part of the recent online declassification of 800,000 top-secret documents from the period.&nbsp; &nbsp;Although unidentified flying objects (UFOs) have a connotation now of being alien craft, it could be pieces of satellite, missile, rocket or even aircraft. The CIA report documents six sightings in 1968 and quotes local sources as describing all of them having similar characteristics: bright blue or red streaks in the sky accompanied by loud sounds like lightning and thunder and objects falling to the ground. Aside from the metallic object that was found in Batlechaur, there were other items also found nearby in Tallakot, Tureypasal, Armalakot and Maidan. Whatever the object was, it seems to have disintegrated even before it hit the ground.&nbsp; The CIA report records the first sighting on 19 February 1968 in various parts of Sikkim and Olangchung Gola and Ghunsa in eastern Nepal. The light was said to be ‘long and thin’ and giving out ‘green and red light’. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241207071212_c3c825027d966a2aedc846970390eebe063957503c7eacc8e01e0517843f9bbb" data-rendition-name="original" width="892" height="596" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara "> </figure>  Two days later on 21 February, a soundless blue object was seen traveling fast across the sky above Thimphu in Bhutan. Then on 4 March there were multiple daytime sightings or white streaks in the sky at Chang La Pass, Fukche and Koyul in Ladakh. There were more sightings in Ladakh on the very day fragments fell near Pokhara on 25 March 1968.&nbsp; After the sightings in Pokhara, rumours started flying in Kathmandu that these were aliens trying to land on Earth, it could be Russian or Chinese spy planes or satellites, and some even say it as a sign from heaven that the end of the world was near. This was at the height of the Cold War. The Russians and Americans were testing their thermonuclear devices as well as intercontinental ballistic missile delivery systems. The Washington-Beijing rapprochement had not yet happened, and China was making quick progress testing atomic bombs. Within two years after its first atomic test, in 1966 China exploded its first hydrogen bomb at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang, 3,000km to the north from Nepal. After neary six decades, what is still intriguing is that all the sightings within a few months of each other in 1968 were along the Himalayan arc bordering Tibet: from Bhutan, Sikkim Nepal, to Ladakh. The US military intelligence seems to have concluded that this was not a coincidence and there were frequent research trips to the site in Pokhara by American officials in the months after the incident. With the help of the Royal Nepal Army, the region north of Pokhara was thoroughly searched.&nbsp; A confidential memo dated 25 June 1968 by Jerry C Trippy to a ‘Mr Farley’ mentions that the US Air Force’s Foreign Technology Division had decided that the debris could be important because it may be related to a Chinese missile test or a Soviet ‘Vehicle Venik’ rocket.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20241207071216_feb5425692dc36b20187de4e4fcc2ce9fd12b6d9e1b8724398e50bcdbf9032fe" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  On 28 August 1968 the US Embassy in Kathmandu sent a letter to Washington DC saying that the object could be of Soviet origin, possibly from when the rocket carrying the ‘Kosmos 208’ satellite re-entered the atmosphere. But why were the fragments falling to earth several weeks apart, and in the same region? No one knows where the metal sheet that Kul Timilsina recovered is now. It was definitely packed in a crate and taken to the US, and although it is rumoured that it was returned that is not very likely. Archivist Sunil Ulak heard from the Timilsina family that CIA officials had returned to the site five years ago. &nbsp; Interest in UFOs peaked in the US in the 1950s, with the Cold War space race and tests of atomic weapons and delivery rockets. CIA and scientists were being sent to investigate sightings, both publicly and privately. Could the Pokhara fragments as well as the sightings in Ladakh and Bhutan actually be alien craft falling to earth? The renewal in interest in space travel in large part due to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, UFOs and sightings are again subjects of public interest.&nbsp; Even 57 years later, even if there was definitive proof about whether the Batlechaur fragment was from a Chinese missile or a soviet rocket, it has not been made public in documents declassified so far. We may never know.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20241207071216_b6938795f40731e7657fd6dcbb3cf460a326186a15eb11d4f832f602201ff598" data-rendition-name="original" width="642" height="320" loading="lazy" alt="UFO over Pokhara"> </figure>  Sunil Ulak speculates if the debris actually came from an American aircraft, perhaps on an intel mission upon China. “Which could explain why they were so thorough in collecting the fragments in Pokhara,” he says. But that still does not explain the multiple sightings weeks apart in 1968.&nbsp; Indeed, US military aircraft were at that time flying frequent night-time missions from air force bases in India to supply weapons to Khampa guerrilla camps in Nepal located north of Pokhara in Mustang. It could very well be that the Chinese shot down one such aircraft. The other sightings could have been contrails of US spy planes, or Chinese anti-aircraft missiles.&nbsp; There were quite a few developments regarding UFOs in 2024. In a US congressional hearing in July, former intelligence officer David Grusch claimed that the government had long been involved in a program to investigate and retrieve non-human craft crashes, and then try to reverse engineer them. However Grusch did not show any evidence.&nbsp; The UAP Disclosure Act of 2024 was signed into law by Joe Biden in December 2023. It plans to oversee the public disclosure of UFO information. However, there is a clause in it that prevents disclosure if it would cause threats to military defense, intelligence operations or foreign relations.&nbsp; It is unlikely that the declassified documents about sightings in the Himalayan will cause any real surprise about definite evidence of alien life even if it was found. It seems humanity will continue, at least for now, to wonder about curious lights in the sky and whether there is anybody out there.&nbsp;

UFO over Pokhara

When Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Rabi Lamichhane was arrested in October on charges of defrauding depositors of cooperatives, the party’s vice president Swarnim Wagle gifted him Fareed Zakaria’s book, Age of Revolutions.
Since then, Lamichhane has been shunted around from Kathmandu to Pokhara to Chitwan and back to Pokhara to attend police investigations and court proceedings. He was being flown to Birganj via Kathmandu on Buddha Air on Monday. There is another pending case in Janakpur.
Human rights groups and civil society have criticised the government for hounding Lamichhane with inhumane treatment that borders on physical torture. The two parties in the coalition, Nepali Congress (NC) and the UML, see Lamichhane’s RSP as a potentially formidable challenge to their power.
Even if the fraud charges against Lamichhane are true, the Nepali public is increasingly looking at the government’s actions through the police and courts as political vendetta.
Despite all the travelling, sometimes by plane and often by road at night, Lamichhane appears to be in high spirits, waving to supporters who often gather if they know he is going to be driven around. A social media video shows him giving high fives to fellow passengers on a recent flight to Pokhara.&nbsp;
In the past weeks, streets in Pokhara have erupted with parallel protests by Lamichhane’s supporters as well as depositors of cooperatives who lost their savings to the scam.&nbsp;
Although family visits are allowed, prison officials in Pokhara told Nepali Times that not many people visit Lamichhane these days. He added, “When he does get visitors, he asks them to bring him books.”
Lamichhane is currently Nepal’s most high-profile public figure in custody, and highlights the stark difference between how influential prisoners are treated compared to ordinary inmates.
There are six prison cells at Kaski District Police Office’s two-story detention centre, three on each floor. And while authorities pack prisoners into already overcrowded cells, Lamichhane has an entire room on the second floor to himself.&nbsp;
He has also been allowed to call his family every few days. Other prisoners are not permitted phone calls except for emergencies.
Meanwhile, Lamichhane’s former business partner Chhabilal Joshi, an ex-Deputy Inspector General of Police with whom he established his Gorkha Media Network, is in custody under the same charges in the prison cell next to him.
Lamichhane is accused of siphoning off depositors' money to the tv network in which he was part-owner and anchor. &nbsp;
Both Lamichhane and Joshi are able to buy food from the police canteen instead of being served the regular meal like other prisoners. Joshi has also given his statement to authorities in Rupandehi and Kathmandu for his alleged role in the scam. Lamichhane is yet to be presented in Kathmandu for questioning.
While he was in custody at the Kathmandu District Police Complex, Joshi expressed his desire to sleep in a police officer’s office, reportedly assuring authorities that he would not run away and he was entitled to certain facilities as a former officer of the law.
“He seemed to be under the impression that he is still a police officer,” says a source at the Kathmandu District Police. “We made it clear to him that as someone accused of a crime, he was not entitled to special treatment.”
Former ministers Balkrishna Khand and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, and ex-home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, who were arrested in connection with the fake refugee scam last year, were similarly housed in the offices of law enforcement officials instead of prison cells. Khand has since been released after six months in jail.
While there is no legal provision to keep high-ranking officials in separate detention centres when they are arrested, authorities granting them special facilities is not uncommon. Law enforcement officials say VIP detainees expect preferential treatment while in police custody.
Among those is former Kosi Province minister Lila Ballav Adhikari, who was arrested from Biratnagar on 10 November over his alleged involvement in human trafficking and brought to Kathmandu. Adhikari had flown to Japan without government approval with three individuals on 29 October to attend a cultural conference, but had been sent back to Nepal from Narita.&nbsp;
His three companions were arrested at Kathmandu airport upon their arrival, but Adhikari was able to exit unscathed from the VIP lounge. Adhikari had resigned as the Kosi Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law when it became public that his companions had been taken into custody, and was himself arrested shortly after. He has since been cleared by the courts.
Throughout his detention, Adhikari was kept separately from other inmates. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basant Rajouri, head of the Bhadrakali complex, says that while there is no separate detention area for VIPs, some detainees are kept separately depending on the nature of their crime.
However, sources say that arrangements were made for retired judges and others to visit Adhikari frequently worked at the office of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) during his time in custody.&nbsp;
“He used to constantly pester the authorities to let him sit outside in the sun, and to be able to use the police officer’s shower area,” added an officer.
Adhikari was released on 25 November after the government prosecutor’s office decided not to charge him in a move that was seen to expose the government’s double standards.
Over at Kathmandu’s Dilli Bazar Prison, former Kist Bank CEO Kamal Gyawali emerges from his prison cell into the courtyard of the prison’s ‘Ka (क)’ block every morning with a thick book in his hands, ready to give his daily sermon.
With his long beard, Gyawali, who is serving a prison sentence for banking fraud, looks the part of a religious guru as he implores his rapt listeners to “walk the right path, abandon bad thoughts and turn to scripture and spirituality”.&nbsp;
Afterward, the attendees gather to discuss politics and current affairs. Inmates at his daily sermons at the prison include other high-profile detainees, including former MP Ichchha Raj Tamang, who is in jail for money laundering and cooperatives fraud, former joint secretary Chudamani Sharma, who was convicted of corruption, as well as NC leader Chandra Bahadur Lama and Krishna Bahadur Upreti of the UML both of whom are on trial for embezzling billions of rupees.
Victims of the cooperatives scam that former lawmaker Tamang was involved in have made trips to the prison and requested visits, but he has refused to meet with any of them.
“Tamang often complains that the state has prevented him from returning the money to the victims by locking him up,” says a police officer at the Dili Bazar jail.
“All you hear every day from the VIP prisoners is that they have been framed,” adds the officer. “No one admits that they were involved in misdeeds.”
But while most high-profile prisoners complain about prison conditions, one exception is former provincial lawmaker Deepak Manange, who is serving a sentence at Dilli Bazar Jail for attempted murder.
“He is the happiest prisoner here,” says a warden. “Unlike the others, he doesn’t claim to have been framed, in fact he doesn’t seem to care that he is in prison.”
Manange is detained in the ‘Kha (ख)’ block of the prison complex, which he renovated at his own expense. The block previously housed female prisoners, but Manange used his influence to transfer them elsewhere. He faces no shortage of visitors, who range from political leaders to people from the underworld.
Along with Manange, other well-known prisoners in this block include Nepal Telecom Managing Director Sunil Poudel, and former executive director of the Surakshan Printing Centre Bikal Poudel, who are serving time for corruption.
Former prisoners at Dilli Bazar prison include ex-ministers Khum Bahadur Khadka and Shyam Sundar Gupta, NC leader Ganesh Lama, Maoist MP Balkrishna Dhungel, Nagarik Unmukti Party leader Resham Chaudhary, as well as former IGs Ramesh Chand Thakuri, Om Bikram Rana, and Hem Bahadur Gurung.
Section 54 of Nepal’s Prison Act assigns each prison’s internal administration the
responsibility of governing its prisoners, which means the more favourable the jail management is, the more comfortable it is for prisoners.
Dilli Bazar prison has been the prison of choice for many high-ranking prisoners, especially those convicted of white collar crimes, due to its more accommodating administrators. The prison, which has the capacity to house 700 inmates, is also less crowded than other jails.
Anuj Bhattarai, spokesperson of the Department of Prison Management, says that there is no legal classification in Nepal for felons to be assigned prisons based on the nature of their crimes.
“That Dilli Bazar Jail has a higher number of prisoners convicted of crimes like corruption is most likely a coincidence,” says Bhattarai. “There is no provision for influential people to be able to choose where they will be incarcerated.”&nbsp;
Translated by Shristi Karki from the Nepali original published in himalkhabar.com

What Nepal’s VIP prisoners do in jail

If you were raised in Nepal, you must have picked up its unique set of vocabulary: आन्दोलन, चक्का जाम, बन्द, राँके जुलुस, आफ्नो मान्छे, हाम्रो दल, कर्फु and many more words connoting political protest.
We became familiar with the acrid smell of burning tyres, and eyes smarting from tear gas. And yet, everyone speaks of another revolution in the making. Not by desire, but by suffocation.
We heard speeches about नयाँ नेपाल, but the New Nepal never arrived. The governance system changed, but it did not reflect on people’s lives — except for those close to centres of power. The state is still unreachable and is not bothered about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/matter-of-life-and-debt">victims of loan sharks</a>, cooperative scams and other injustices.
Politicians continue to speak in sound bites, but fail to deliver. They have mastered the game of pointing fingers towards an external enemy and convincing people that they are never at fault. The political narrative is so disconnected from the actual analysis of the problem that suffocation doesn’t go away after every revolution.
No genuine effort has been made to deliver at all, which is why there is a palpable sense of disillusionment in the air forcing us to seek another revolution, even if Nepal may not be able to afford it.
How has the current system successfully held power, even if the public is deeply frustrated? How is it that for three decades we continue to be led by the same faces, who have time and again, proved to us that they may be great politicians but not national leaders?
<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/improving-internet-governance-in-nepal">My experience at the epicentre of politics</a> has led me to identify three cultures that have enabled political parties to keep a tight hold on power: acceptance, silence and dependency.
We accept things the way they are. We use fatalistic phrases like “नेपालमा यस्तै हो” or “नेपालको कानुन दैब जानुन”. While this resilience enables us to rise back up from devastating calamities, it is also a reason for our compliance with the status quo.
Despite so many ‘revolutions’ that have led to significant reforms, these phrases keep getting reinforced, to the point that the upcoming generations have made it their lingo.&nbsp;
This acceptance is not a symbol of law-abiding citizens, but citizens living in fear of those in power, unable to ask the whys and why-nots.
Innovation suffocates in this culture of acceptance of the status quo. This is manifested in remarks like “but we don’t have any laws for this,” or “we don’t have the capacity to implement this”. An innovator or entrepreneur therefore has to spend that energy to become a political lobbyist, often educating and convincing the bureaucracy.&nbsp;
Remember when locally assembled <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/designed-and-made-in-nepal">Yatri motorbikes</a>, despite having willing customers, had to suffer to secure license numbers because of a lack of regulations? Instead of creating new laws, the government kept chanting the “We will promote Nepal-made goods” mantra, leaving entrepreneurs in a labyrinth of bureaucracy. The weight of acceptance of the law lies heavily on innovators. Fatalism is a tactic used by those in power to generate mass fear in society.
When we accept, we become silent. This is a pervasive phenomenon. We are trained to keep quiet, lest we ruffle feathers, burn bridges, or not get the help we need in future. We know, yet we don’t speak.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/bureaucratic-hurdles-in-researching-nepals-bureaucracy">Bureaucratic hurdles in researching Nepal's bureaucracy</a>, Daniel W Edwards
Here is one example: the 2021 census shows that the number of baby boys born for every 100 baby girls is 112. This is a clear indication of female foeticide because of boy preference in society.
Despite such horrifying realities, there is finger-pointing within the government between the Ministry of Health and Population with the Ministry of Home Affairs. At the citizen level, we know those who are involved in killing girls. Yet, we don’t speak up. The Nepal Medical Council reports state that despite this gender imbalance at birth, there is no indication of any action.
But why would anyone speak against one's own fraternity, no matter how vile the act is?
When we accept and keep quiet, we become dependent on those who yield power. From getting our government procedure completed on time to getting transfers, to accessing any of our legally protected rights as well, we are forced to depend on our networks of चिनेको मान्छे people we know by blood, village, relations, political affiliation.
The culture of dependency has been the established way in Nepal. If you drive a two-wheeler or four-wheeler, and you get into a small accident, you will be asked to sort it yourself, dialing up the most powerful person you know. It becomes a competition of who knows who.
Recently I was told that there were calls from the Ministry of Health and Population and another from the Prime Minister's Office for just one medical position in a private hospital. Each was pushing its own candidate. Guess which candidate got the position.&nbsp;
The dependency of people is not on the laws or the state, it is with people in power, a reliance on the network of somebody who knows somebody, including those not officially in power.
These cultures are deeply ingrained in our heads, and in society. Collectively they form a vicious circle that helps those in power to retain power. This is not the society we want to live in.
Then, what do we do as a collective to break away from this? How do we break away from the cultures of acceptance and silence that have created this dependency? What can we do to ensure that our children do not have to learn the jargon of आन्दोलन before they learn about the state?
These are the cultures political parties need to shed rather than use them to perpetuate their power. This is what <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/an-alternative-to-alternative-politics-in-nepal">alternative politics</a> needs to be about.
Sumana Shrestha is a member of Parliament’s Education, Health and Information Technology parliamentary committee and represents the Rastriya Swatantara Party.

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