<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3ff9c7e80680e0333b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1123" height="699"/>The whole world, including Nepal, is now <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-in-the-grip-of-world-cup-fever/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the grips of the World Cup football</a> tournament in Russia. The host country is expected to generate about $30 billion in revenue from the month-long jamboree.Neither Nepal, or any South Asian country, is participating in the games. Yet we have gone crazy about it, cheering for our favourite teams – in Nepal it tends to be Argentina or Brazil.But can we at least learn from the game we love to watch and talk about so much? Some of the discussions are quite esoteric. Such as, when Sweden plays Denmark, the first three letters of each team combined becomes Sweden and the remaining letters make up Denmark?Betting on the games has become quite a trend, even if it is a great way to lose money. Some love to bet and make or lose money. A taxi driver quoted some of the amounts at stake, and it was huge. Restaurants and bars have been cashing in on the games by selling drinks and snacks, and there are attractive discounts if you are able to predict the outcome of each game.For others, the game offers a lot more. Let us take the word competition, for example, and understand what it really means. There are 22 players on the field. There are rules of the game, and the outcome of the game does not depend on the size of the country, its army, GDP or population.The only thing that matters is how well the 11 play and how much time, energy, practice and research of the opposite team they have done. The captains lead, the coaches strategise, and then the whole world watches. Is it not amazing, therefore, that Croatia can defeat Argentine 3-0? In previous tournaments Serbia defeated the USA, and Iceland defeated England.Football has regulators. The referee, the assistants and the nearly 35 cameras help ensure fairness. The fans can be, and are, biased. There is time added at the end of each half to make up for time lost or wasted by players.Let us transpose this rules-based state of play to Nepal, and the businesses and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/Elected-contractors,4182" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contractors</a> working here. If players and teams feel there is a foul the referee did not see, they have the option of watching the video replay. Using this technology, a penalty can be awarded.The much talked about game between Croatia and Argentina provided insight into how we need to manage change. As the saying goes: ‘When the hammer is the only tool you have, every problem begins to look like a nail.’ In the game, it looked like Messi was the only tool they had. But a toolbox consists of a set of implements, not just a hammer.Secondly, there is a realisation when the goals begin to mount that the ‘goal‘ is not going to change. The rules of the game are not going to change, the field size, the time allocated, and the referee, are all going to remain the same. The 35 cameras are also going to ensure that foul play is unlikely. What needs to change is the way the game is played.Einstein famously said ‘Insanity is repeating the same process hoping for a different result.’ Is Nepal learning from Argentina, then? Can we rely only on a ‘Messi’ to get us where we need to be? Can we continue to play the same game? Do we need to develop new tools? Is it time to change the way we play?What <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/business-of-entrepreneurship-in-nepal,3362" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepali entrepreneurs</a> need is a level playing field where they can compete. They want a regulator who ensures fairness. Whenever there is room for discretionary powers to be misused, they want to see a technological intervention. They also want fans and the glare of the camera when they succeed.It is also worth mentioning that players need to have a strong track record and their profiles are updated so commentators have easy access to their information. In winning teams, the players are there on the basis of merit. They are not there based on what their surname is, what part of the country they come from, or who they know in the political arena.Anil Chitrakar is President of Siddharthinc.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-in-the-grip-of-world-cup-fever/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal in the grip of World Cup fever</a>, Monika Deupala

Anil Chitrakar

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The state of play

<figure><img width="640" height="426" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3e79c7e80680e0333abjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Girls football team from the mountainous and remote district of Mugu. Photos: Bhojraj Bhat</figcaption></figure>Prakash Kandel in Naya PatrikaAt a time when football frenzy has gripped the entire world, a group of Nepali teenagers from remote Mugu have been invited to Spain to participate in the <a href="http://www.donosticup.com/english.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donosti Cup</a>, a tournament for youth sports. The girls from the mountainous district, who do not even have a football ground to practice on, are going to get their first experience of international sports.The girls will leave for San Sebastian in Spain on 28 June for the tournament which will be held from 1-7 July and they will play four games. Their own struggle and love for football has led them to this tournament where 33 teams from 30 countries will be competing."Apart from the competition, the journey from Nepal's remote hills to Europe itself is a great experience," says coach Bhagwati Rana. After the game, the players will also get to visit world famous football clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona.In 2015, filmmaker Bhojraj Bhat made a documentary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunakali" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunakali</a> based on the story of Mugu teenagers who struggled to play football in the snow. The documentary was shown in 137 film festivals across Europe, and it also won 23 awards. <img width="640" height="426" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3ea9c7e80680e0333acjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="1000" height="667" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3ec9c7e80680e0333adjpeg.jpg" alt="">After that, <a href="https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FIFA</a> shot a 12 minute documentary called Meet the Himalayan Messi which also attracted notice and led to Mugu teenagers getting international opportunities. The organisers of Donosti cup in Spain invited Sunakali's team to participate, paying for their costs. Though the original characters of the documentary are not in the team anymore, another team was created with younger players.Last January, 17 players were selected from more than 135 teenagers and they have been rehearsing in the <a href="http://the-anfa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">All Nepal Football Association (ANFA)</a> complex at Satdobato in Kathmandu. ANFA does not even have a district association in Mugu because the mountain district does not have a standard football ground. <img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3ef9c7e80680e0333aejpeg.jpg" alt="">“Their journey from Bama of Mugu to Spain is nothing less than a dream,” says Bhojraj Bhat, who worked on the final selection of players.In an area where girls get married off early, parents were not really happy that their daughters wanted to play football instead."It was a challenge to make the parents agree to let their daughters go for this international opportunity," Bhat says.The girls have found even the journey to Kathmandu challenging, and were surprised by the artificial turf at Satdobato. "We had never been outside Mugu, and the heat of Nepalganj and Kathmandu's crowds really shocked us," says captain Rita Rokaya. "Still, it feels like a dream." <figure><img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3f39c7e80680e0333afjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Read also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19748#.WyuQs1UzbIV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Best foot forward</a>, Bhrikuti Rai<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/nepali-mens-and-womens-football-hasnt-kicked-off,1812" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why Nepali football hasn't kicked off</a>, Elvin L Shrestha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/turning-the-tide-in-Nepali-football,2879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Turning the tide</a>, Santa Gaha Magar

Mugu footballers to go to Spain

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3ce9c7e80680e0333a2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="667"/>It is a great downer when you have to be in the kitchen during a much anticipated World Cup match. You want to watch the exciting game, but you also want a nice spread of snacks to enjoy the games along with. This is the perfect time when a food delivery system comes  handy. Making the lives of football fanatics a little easier, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/food-and-football/">Foodmandu recently launched a World Cup campaign, ‘Cheer Your Team’</a> with discounts of up to 40%. The campaign allows customers to predict the results of a game after ordering a meal. If your prediction is right, you win a 10% discount voucher along with some points. The contestant with highest number of points at the end of the tournament will get a chance to win a 43” Samsung FHD Smart TV.“Through this campaign we not only wish to be a part of the football experience, but also offer our customers great deals,” says Manohar Adhikari, Founder of Foodmandu.Besides the Order. Predict. Win! campaign, Foodmandu also has combo meals and discounted food items. Orders can be placed until 9:30pm. The system currently is cash-on-delivery, but in a few months, online wallet and card systems will be introduced.Back in 2010, Foodmandu was working hard to get five orders a day. After eight years it now gets more than 400 orders daily for more than 220 client restaurants, and timely delivery has made it reliable.The total sales of Foodmandu increased by 30% since the World Cup started, and customers have made more than 200 predictions already. The online food site is soon planning to expand its operations in Pokhara.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3d09c7e80680e0333a3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="960"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Value MealsBawarchi (Save 24%)Non Veg combo: 1 Chicken Tandoori, 3 Chicken Rolls, 2 Chicken Biryani, 1 Chicken ChillyRs2,000<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3d39c7e80680e0333a4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427">Vootoo (Save 23%)Newari Meat Platter largeRs999The Crust Pizza (Save 40%)12” pizza + 8” pizza (varieties available)Rs491-584Bricks (Save 23%)50 pieces Chicken Steam mo:moRs1,000KFC (Save 18%)4 Hot &amp; Crispy, 6 Hot Wings, 8 Boneless Strips ChickenRs1,350Lazy Gringo (Save 12%)3 NachosRs725Beverages offerBlack Label (Save 6%)Rs5,905Chivas Regal (Save 6%)Rs5,913Jack Daniels (Save 7%)Rs5,382Khukuri Rum (Save 10%)Rs1,179<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3d69c7e80680e0333a5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="963">Amazing OffersEmpire (Save 10%)Ostrich Chhoila /Sekuwa/Timur- 250gmRs720Grilled Ostrich mo:moRs450Spanish Veg mo:moRs144Genesis (Save 20%)Chicken Schnitzel BurgerChicken, Tomato, Guacamole, Lettuce, Wasabi Mayonnaise &amp; Fried EggRs424Twice Cooked Pork Belly, Cauliflower Mash, Wild Rocket, Cabbage Relish, &amp; Juniper JusRs688French House Restaurant (Save 20%)Grilled Lamb ChopServed with saute veg with red wine sauce or cream sauce with sidesRs1,068Special Veggie DishServed with pesto, zuccini, capsicum, egg plant bread crumb &amp; parmesan cheese, sitake mushroomRs276For more offers visit <a href="http://www.foodmandu.com/worldcup">foodmandu.com/worldcup.</a>

Food and football

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYhlbW9pcyM&amp;feature=youtu.beThe Football World Cup 2018 happening in Russia this week has united the world, as more than 3 billion people across the globe tune in to the matches.Although the greatest soccer showpiece may unite the world, the teams have divided it up into rival territories. People in some areas of Kathmandu Valley are ardent supporters of Latin American teams like Brazil and Argentina, while others are rooting for European giants like Germany, Spain and England because of the popularity of celebrity league players.The fan base is even segregated by neighbourhoods here in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/bhaktapur-shows-the-way-by-rebuilding-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bhaktapur</a>, with some festooned with Brazil flags and people wearing Selecao jerseys while people in an adjacent locality are a fierce Argentina loyalists. <img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a39c7e80680e033393jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Devendra Oli of Jhapa, who now lives in Kathmandu, posted on his Facebook wall a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LeEwsuSE7U" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video of himself performing a pooja and chanting a Sanskrit mantra, praying for Argentina’s win</a>. His wife and little daughter, both wearing Argentinian jerseys just like him, also sat cross-legged devotedly throughout the ritual.But Messi failed to convert a penalty, and the Argentinians were frustrated by Iceland, a World Cup first-timer with just 300,000 people and amateur footballers.Two football fans -- one supporting Brazil and the other rooting for Argentina, have released a duet on YouTube in which they praise their own favourites.Large flags of Argentina and Brazil hang over Bhaktapur’s alleys, and have themselves become as much of a tourist attraction as the temples, with foreigners taking selfies in front of them. In Kathmandu, small flags of Germany have gone down on sale after the team lost 1-0 to Mexico, and it dropped to the bottom of the group ranking.Anmol Bhandari in Dhading is a huge fan of Argentina and its star striker Lionel Messi. For the World Cup, He modified his bike with La Albiceleste flag and picture of Messi. Many people are posting the screenshots of games on their social page, trolling losing teams, and celebrating the victory. <figure><img width="640" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a69c7e80680e033394jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Schools in Kathmandu have had to deal with students wearing Messi or Ronaldo jerseys inside their uniforms. Some schools have even allowed students to wear their favourite teams’ jerseys instead of uniforms. After school, impromptu matches take places in the bahals and in any open space.For many, the timing of World Cup 2018 is just right with families settling down with snacks and drinks by 5:45pm and watching all three matches till two in the morning. Cafes and restaurants across the capital advertise special screenings on large screens. Attendance at school and offices have fallen, and many arrive at work wearing jerseys of favourite players and with bleary eyes. During meetings, many are scrolling through phones to see who is playing next and what the group scores are.There are a lot of people betting on the games and scores, and this has added passion and excitement to an already gripping game. <img width="640" height="853" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3a89c7e80680e033395jpeg.jpg" alt="">Anil Thakur who runs a salon in Sitapaila is doing brisk business giving dozens of fans special World Cut haircuts. Even those who don’t need a haircut are getting shaves or mohawks.“Customers bring their own favorite players name with designs and I run my scissors,” says Thakur. A normal haircut costs Rs100, but Thakur can charge up to Rs 1,000 for the really special ones. The <a href="http://www.epa.eu/sports-photos/soccer-photos/nepalese-ronaldo-supporter-get-special-haircut-ahead-of-world-cup-photos-54399237" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photo of Jeevan Giri</a> who had cut his hair in name of Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo by EPA photographer Narendra Shrestha lined the newsfeed of many social sites.“Coke Kham, Russia Jaam” promotional campaign of Coca-Cola have sent their 40 lucky winners to witness the game live in a stadium at Russia this year. The games are being broadcast live on NTV, NTV PLUS, KANTIPUR, DH ACTION SPORTS every day.Says Hari Maharjan, a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/from-luxury-to-necessity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">satellite dish</a> installer: “Business has never been better, I installed TV's for  12 new customers just today, and many want to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/kicking-off/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upgrade to HD</a>. Some even inquire about illegal Indian dishes that have the games on 4K.”

Monika Deupala

Nepal in the grip of World cup fever

Foodmandu’s freshly launched ‘Cheer your team’ World Cup campaign offers up to 40% discounts to customers who correctly predict the game while ordering combos, value meals or regular food.Points will also be awarded that customers can collect. The contestant with highest points at the end of the tournament will get a chance to win 43” Samsung FHD Smart TV.Stay tuned at <a href="https://foodmandu.com/">www.foodmandu.com</a>.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107111152/6368e3659c7e80680e03337djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="579"/>

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Foodmandu offers

After staying awake watching the World Cup opening ceremony, the Ass is writing this column while fast asleep. So, I would appreciate it if you didn’t open the curtains.After cricket, football is the most boring game on Earth. It is actually derived from an ancient Aztec sport in which one team kicked around the decapitated head of the enemy goalie in a blood-soaked arena. It has been downhill ever since in terms of excitement.It does not help that the matches all happen in the wee hours, so called I am told, because that is when most boys in boarding school wet their beds. In contrast, ice hockey combines kick-boxing and sword-fighting while players are involved in a high speed chase. American football is another contact sport that thrills me to bits because it is a Greco-Roman Wrestling tournament with multiple contestants playing catch.Essentially, football (or “soccer” to the Moms out there) entails 22 men in mohawks, tattoos, or blue hair, kicking each other in their gonads for 90 minutes without scoring, at the end of which they continue to play pointlessly on for another 30 minutes, and after that each side gets five target practice shots. They then strip in full view of 3 billion people and exchange jerseys.How to make football more exciting? That question has bedeviled humankind ever since the collapse of the Aztec empire. The Ass has a few humble suggestions:1. Move goalposts. Increase goal width to 25m from the present 9m. Then we can have scores like Germany 73 - Argentina 81.2. Allow offsides. Strikers can loiter at enemy goal post waiting for a long pass.3. Don’t level the playing field. Incline it at 15o to allow one side to run downhill to score more goals, so more tv spots can be sold.4. Allow hands. Let’s use our god-given hands, let players grab the ball and run with it.5. Permit fouls. Using Muay Thai and Ninjutsu techniques players can bring down rival team members, and the referee too if he doesn’t behave himself.6. Allow diving. Players who feign falls should not be given yellow cards anymore, they should be awarded Oscars in the Best Supporting Role Category.7. No hands on  crotches. Defenders setting up a wall to face a free kick at the penalty area will no longer be allowed to protect their crown jewels. It’s a disgusting habit.8. Why only one ball? Multiple balls in the field will make games much more unpredictable and exciting.9. Why round balls? Americans took a dreary game, and changed the shape of the ball to resemble a near-earth asteroid so they bounce more crazily. And they have so much more fun.10. Increase number of players. Each team must henceforth have 56 players, with a 33% quota for females. All members of winning team must mandatorily take off jerseys.

The Ass

GOOOOAAAALLLL !

Television technology has vastly improved image quality in the 4 years after the last world cup. It may be time to upgrade. <img width="640" height="707" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d75d9c7e80680e0314dajpeg.jpg" alt=""/>The world’s biggest sporting event FIFA World Cup was first broadcast on television in 1954, when its viewers exceeded even that of the Olympic Games. As the 2018 World Cup opening nears, the excitement is building up for an exhilarating experience for those who will travel to Russia, as well as those who will spend the summer watching the games on home television. The technology has improved vastly in the last four years, with better image quality, higher definition and better sound systems.Sales of TVs grow exponentially during every international sports event. “Though the championship happens only every four years, the World Cup is the biggest festival for TV companies,” says Nabin Pokhrel at Skyworth in Kathmandu. “We do not want to miss out on this opportunity to present our latest models.”TV was invented only 90 years ago, and the technology is advancing at an accelerated pace. It has gone from large cathode ray tubes to wallpaper-thin QLED TVs now. With the convergence of internet with TV, the demand today is for smart TVs with bigger screens. Global market leaders such as Samsung, LG, Skyworth and Sony all incorporate these latest features like 43-55 inch screens, 4K or full HD resolution, smart features, fine sound system and LED backlights.Many companies are offering discounts up to 27% and gift vouchers this season. Some high-end brands are also offering limited editions: Skyworth’s thinnest Wallpaper OLED, Samsung’s 100% burn-in resistant QLED, Sony’s slanted Bravia OLED. They will surely blow a hole in your wallets, but you won't mind when the games kick off. <img width="534" height="1024" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d75f9c7e80680e0314dbjpeg.jpg" alt="">“Go beyond your initial budget and purchase a higher inch TV with internet and the option to upgrade, so that you won’t regret the decision for at least 5-6 years,” advises Alok Gupta at Samsung in Kathmandu. Or, you may want to forego monitors and invest in a high-end digital projector with a surround sound system to watch the action on your wall's virtual stadium.With TV companies going all out to cash in on the football fever, this might be a good time to go for that flat-screen 4K you have been eyeing. These gadgets will outlast FIFA, adding to your home entertainment system, and will be around for the 2022 games in Qatar.Samsung Model: UA55M5500 ARSHE Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: Tizen HD Technology: Full HD Smart TV Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: PurColor, Smart HUB, USB connection, one remote control, Evolution kit for software update, color and contrast enhancer, TV to mobile mirroring, sports mode, Dolby Digital Plus, Smart View, Bluetooth audio, and more. Offers: 11-27% cash back, 2 years warranty, 0% EMI on purchase, gift vouchers from Turkish Airlines, KGH hotels, Vayodha Hospital and a lucky draw for gift hampers. Offer price: Rs133,300 <img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7629c7e80680e0314dcjpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="412" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7649c7e80680e0314ddjpeg.jpg" alt="">Skyworth Model: 55G6 Big Screen Android Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: Android 6.0 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: Powerful front soundbar, Dolby Digital and DTS TruSurround, metal frame design, Bluetooth connectivity, voice search, cinema and sports mode, Google Play Store, Google Cast Offers: Up to 25% cash back Offer price: Rs97,356Sony Model: KD-49X7000E Bravia Screen: 49 inch Edge LED Operating system: Linux HD Technology: 4K UHD Internet TV Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixel Features: 4K picture processor X1, 4K X-Reality PRO, Bluetooth and Smartphone connectivity, TRILUMINOS display, dynamic contrast enhancer, live football sound mode, Open Baffle Speaker, 3 HDMI inputs, DTS Digital Surround and more. Offer: 20% cash back Offer price: Rs124,000 <img width="640" height="407" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7679c7e80680e0314dejpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="414" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d76a9c7e80680e0314dfjpeg.jpg" alt="">LG Model: 55UJ652T Smart TV Screen: 55 inch LED Operating system: WebOS HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 Pixel Features: USB connectivity, 4 HDMI inputs, ultra slim, magic zoom, magic remote and mobile connection, single click access, Tellybean (video calling), unlimited content from LG store, expandable memory, 4 years warranty, and more. Price: Rs217,590Rowa Model: 65D1800A Smart Android Screen: 65 inch LED Operating system: Android 5.1 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: Black crystal panel, dual core A53 1.5HZ, Quad core, memory flash 1.5 GBDDR3/8GB flash, wireless WiFi default, multimedia video, 4000:1 contrast ratio, 178*178 view angle, 3 HDMI inputs, 1 year warranty, and more. Price: Rs162,075 <img width="640" height="479" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d76d9c7e80680e0314e0jpeg.jpg" alt=""><img width="640" height="424" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110711110/6368d7709c7e80680e0314e1jpeg.jpg" alt="">Hisense Model: HX55N3000UWT Smart TV Screen: 55 Inch LED Operating system: VIDAA Lite 2.0 HD Technology: 4K UHD Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels Features: 3 HDMI inputs and 2 USB ports, Dolby Digital audio, Internet features, preloaded Opera store, screen mirroring, easy user interface and smart view, 178 degree viewing angle, two built in speakers, and more. Price: Rs145,000Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/skyworth-world-cup-offer/">Skyworth world cup offer</a><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/road-to-russia-win-a-ticket-to-world-cup-2018/">Road to Russia: win a ticket to World Cup 2018</a>

Kicking off

India and Pakistan are twins separated at birth. Tensions between them have been at a hair trigger ever since independence and has erupted into full scale conflict at least four times in the past 80 years.
The 22 April terrorist attack in Kashmir that killed 25 Indian tourists and a Nepali citizen, threatens to escalate tension between the two nuclear-armed nations. India has squarely blamed Pakistan for the attacks, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his military “operational freedom” to respond. Pakistan has said it has credible intelligence of an Indian military strike and its officials have promised a “full spectrum” response — a code for a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/thinking-the-thinkable">nuclear retaliation</a>.
For Nepal, the killing of its national in the Pahalgam attack comes as another stark reminder that in conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq, from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-to-agree-an-armistice-in-ukraine">Ukraine</a> to Israel, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/10-nepalis-from-one-town-fighting-in-ukraine">Nepalis are getting caught in the crossfire</a>. The last time full-scale fighting broke out between <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/peacemongers-at-india-pakistan-border">India and Pakistan</a> on Kargil in 1999, at least 22<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-s-trial-by-fire-for-soldiers-from-nepal?%27%5C%22="> Nepalis fighting for the Indian Army</a> were killed in action.
Three of Nepal’s immediate neighbours (China, India, Pakistan) have nuclear weapons, and they do not have good relations. With China supplying weapons, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/war-and-warming">missile technology</a> and other support to Pakistan, this triangular friction could set off a regional conflagration.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00573-0" target="_blank">Research at Rutgers University</a> has calculated that even a week-long tactical nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan would throw up so much smoke and debris into the atmosphere that it would block out the sun for years, and lead to a collapse of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/grow-nourish-sustain-together-world-food-day">global food system</a>. This does not take into account the radioactive fallout that prevailing winds would blow up to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/lives-on-the-line-in-the-himalaya">the Himalaya</a>, contaminating glaciers that are the sources of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-what-is-left-of-himalayan-rivers">Asia’s main rivers</a>.
The impact of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>on High Asia was already ringing alarm bells about its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/himalayan-icecap-melting-faster-than-thought">shrinking ice cap</a> reducing the dry season flow of water downstream. Water was going to be the next strategic commodity, geopolitical experts warned, and the next wars in Asia would be over water.
That water war is already happening. India retaliated to the Kashmir attack by suspending the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/world/asia/india-pakistan-indus-waters-treaty.html" target="_blank">Indus Waters Treaty</a> of 1960 mediated by the World Bank that has withstood at least three wars between India and Pakistan. The treaty gives India control over the three eastern tributaries of the Indus (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beas_River" target="_blank">Beas</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_River" target="_blank">Ravi</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutlej" target="_blank">Sutlej</a>), while Pakistan got water from the Indus and two of its western tributaries (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River" target="_blank">Indus</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chenab_River" target="_blank">Chenab</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhelum_River" target="_blank">Jhelum</a>.
Pakistan was assured of 70% of the annual flow, and India could use a reasonable amount of water for<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15231"> irrigation and hydropower</a>. &nbsp;Within days of its threat, India stopped water flowing down to Pakistan from the Chenab river and is reportedly preparing to do the same on the Jhelum.
The sabre-rattling has reached a crescendo. Besides threats and counter-threats there are also symbolic drills, with the Indian Air Force practicing landing on an expressway in Uttar Pradesh by its Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets to demonstrate ‘operational readiness’. In response Pakistan test-fired its Abdali ballistic missile that can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 450km.&nbsp;
The danger is that with ultra-nationalist rhetoric and the beating the war drums by both sides, India’s government and Pakistan’s military may have to ‘do something’ to appease domestic public opinion. But any tactical strike, an artillery exchange, or territorial incursion could quickly escalate out of control.
Expecting an Indian retaliation for the Pahalgam killings, Pakistan is using<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/interfaith-collaboration-for-nuclear-disarmament"> nuclear deterrence </a>and warning of “catastrophic consequences”. The two neighbours came close to a nuclear exchange in 2019 after an attack on the Indian military in Kashmir, and prompt international intervention led by the United States cooled tensions.&nbsp;
This time, the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/trump-shock-wave-hits-nepal">Trump administration</a> is too distracted and not as engaged. Pakistan has denied it was responsible for the terrorist attack and called on Washington to stop a possible Indian retaliation. India and Pakistan have stopped overflights by each other’s airlines, and some international carriers have even stopped flying over Pakistan fearing an air war.
Washington, Beijing, the UN and the EU have all urged restraint. Iran, which has good relations with both India and Pakistan has sent its foreign minister to urge both countries not to go into a tit-for-tat war. Iran has its own nuclear flashpoint to worry about with tensions in Israel, &nbsp;Yemen and Syria.
India and Pakistan both share similar problems of joblessness, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/why-nepal-s-poverty-rate-is-stuck">poverty </a>and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/climate-change-new-threat-to-nepal-s-rhinos">environmental threats</a>. Neither side needs the threat of a senseless war, and we in the neighbourhood do not need it either.&nbsp;
Kunda Dixit
This Editorial is brought to you by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/" target="_blank">Nepali Times</a>, in collaboration with <a href="https://inpsjapan.com/en/" target="_blank">INPS Japan</a> and <a href="https://sgi-peace.org/" target="_blank">Soka Gakkai International</a>, in consultative status with UN ECOSOC.

Nukes in the neighbourhood

The streets of Patan are alive this month with lavender jacaranda trees under rain-washed skies as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-red-god-rises-again-in-patan">the chariot of Rato Matsyendranath</a> is pulled across town. This is the festival of the rain god, and inevitably the heavens opened up and pre-monsoon showers pelted the chariot as it started being pulled in Pulchok last week. Thousands of devotees, onlookers and the chariot procession organisers thronged the streets on the first day last week. The rhythmic cymbals and drums exuded a vibrant energy as the enormous four wheels turned and the chariot lurched.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025051007050_81df97744db16f732a419dc1f1579d235ce3df37642b078f50b83bd4bd026688.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2025051007050_81df97744db16f732a419dc1f1579d235ce3df37642b078f50b83bd4bd026688" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1503" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  The<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Red-rain-god,3141"> red rain god</a> has Hindu and Buddhist antecedents, alternatively called Bungadya and<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-s-gravity-defying-chariot-festival"> Karunamaya</a> — reflecting Kathmandu Valley’s syncretic mixture of the two religions.&nbsp; “Bungadya is a profoundly <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/marketing-the-intangible">intangible form of heritage</a>,” explains heritage expert Monalisa Maharjan. “It embodies traditional knowledge,<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/reviving-nepal-s-craft"> artisanal skills passed down through generations</a>. Local communities and specific families have specified roles in being custodians of the heritage, ensuring their survival over the centuries.” There are many legends and stories about this annual tradition. Lichhavi king Narendra Dev is supposed to have brought Rato Matsyendranath from Assam to Kathmandu Valley to convince Guru Gorakhnath to lift a spell that created a two-year drought in Kathmandu.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250510050520_347a9a398f8a9abc4a7fb4e2774fde8264cccbdce8bdab23851ab3f0e73c3e8a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250510050520_347a9a398f8a9abc4a7fb4e2774fde8264cccbdce8bdab23851ab3f0e73c3e8a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1503" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  Matsyendranath was Gorakhnath’s mentor, and upon seeing him, the serpents were released, unleashing the rains. The chariot festival honours the return of this life-giving rain. The deity is seen as an icon for thriving agriculture, t<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/before-the-next-monsoon">he arrival of monsoon</a> showers, and the welfare of the community. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-reign-of-the-god-of-rain">The reign of the god of rain</a>, Vidhu Prakash Kayastha Till this day, the Rato Matsyendranath festival is no ordinary celebration. Patan does not sleep for a month as the chariot is pulled through various neighbourhoods. It unfolds at a state level with the president (formerly the king) attending the climax of the Bhoto Jatra in Jawalakhel later this month.&nbsp; The intergenerational transmission of tradition is unique in the world, and the reason the festival is one of the most vibrant cultural expressions that thrives despite inroads of modernity. The other unique aspect is that it is a transnational festival, binding Patan with Guwahati in the Indian state of Assam.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2025051005058_8bc685ada13045d863b28e3eed91c931da2b510714586af6fd7eb5d1e298a24a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="2025051005058_8bc685ada13045d863b28e3eed91c931da2b510714586af6fd7eb5d1e298a24a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1503" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  “Unlike Nepal, where the deity commands grandeur and devotion, many in Assam are unaware of Rato Matsyendranath,” says Khagen Sharma of Gauhati University, which convened <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-assam-connection-revived">a symposium in February in Guwahati on the rain god</a>. Attending was a delegation led by Lalitpur Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan, organisers of the festival, and builders of the chariot. After the symposium, a committee was formed to explore and revive the tradition in Assam as well. Although the team had planned to visit Nepal this month, logistical challenges delayed the trip. Still, there are plans to build a Guru Matsyendranath statue in Assam to reestablish regular worship practices in the Guwahati shrine.&nbsp; The vines used to build the chariot in Patan are sourced from the jungles of Assam. But Sharma notes that in recent years unclear regulations have blocked the official import of the vines, although they are still brought to Nepal informally. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/makers-of-machhindranath,2204">chariot making</a> has also had a taste of modernisation in recent times. In the past, even a single nail or piece of steel was avoided. But over time, the wooden structure, particularly the shaft between the wheels, has been replaced with bronze. When that too proved unstable, metal clamps were introduced, which have become a pragmatic compromise.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250510050524_b2a819a5791612f14c81d30fc393dbd3f99f0c64b90a9110e8b0855d944bfa93.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="20250510050524_b2a819a5791612f14c81d30fc393dbd3f99f0c64b90a9110e8b0855d944bfa93" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="998" loading="lazy" alt="Divine chariot"> </figure>  Another welcome change is the focus on safety. Builders climbing the chariot’s tower now wear harnesses and there are efforts in crowd control. The most visible change in recent years has been the involvement of Patan’s enthusiastic youth in the festival — the tradition is now passing to a new generation. Says Matsyendranath expert Vidhu Kayastha: “There is more energy, the young people in red t-shirts this year were very organised, these modern touches aren’t diluting our culture, they’re keeping it alive in new forms.” He adds, “We are <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/searching-for-a-homeland-away-from-home">reconnecting with our roots</a>, we have more resources, more awareness than ever before. We must not be swept away by western values that may not serve us, and in some ways, cause more harm than good. We must revive our own culture.”&nbsp;

Divine chariot

In 2025, two seemingly disconnected acts of violence shattered the illusion of stability in the region. In March, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/16f7f947-1e96-4206-9844-891378adc683" target="_blank">militants hijacked a passenger train</a> near the Bolan Pass in Balochistan, executing soldiers in cold blood. A month later, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/world/asia/kashmir-terrorist-attack.html" target="_blank">gunmen in Kashmir’s</a> Pahalgam Valley massacred tourists. 
In both Islamabad and New Delhi, <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/25/were-cursed-kashmiris-under-attack-across-india-after-pahalgam-killings" target="_blank">the reaction was reflexive:</a> condemn the violence, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2025/04/22/india-and-pakistan-could-come-to-blows-over-kashmir" target="_blank">blame external enemies</a>, declare the situation contained. But South Asia’s leaders are not fighting terrorists alone. They are fighting the consequences of their own betrayals.
Across <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26272897" target="_blank">Balochistan</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-11693674" target="_blank">Kashmir</a>, <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/india/346-finding-way-out-festering-conflict-indias-manipur" target="_blank">Manipur</a>, and beyond, decades of <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/projects/enforced-disappearance-in-south-asia/" target="_blank">enforced disappearances</a>, broken promises, and brute militarisation have hollowed out the social contracts meant to hold these nations together. The grievances that drove rebellions from the 1940s through the 1990s – demands for dignity, recognition, and political agency – were never meaningfully addressed. They were buried beneath asphalt and propaganda, paved over by development projects and security checkpoints.
States may claim victory. But their victories are mirages, dissolving the moment anyone looks too closely. South Asia’s unfinished wars are not relics of a violent past. They are live ammunition, loaded into the future.
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/24/he-only-wanted-revenge-the-bloody-insurgency-in-balochistan-gaining-lethal-momentum" target="_blank">Balochistan</a> has been at war with Pakistan for most of its modern history. Rich in gas, minerals, and coastline, the province has been plundered for decades under the language of national development. 
Projects like the <a href="https://eastasiaforum.org/2020/11/26/pakistans-three-evils-cpec-and-good-governance/" target="_blank">China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)</a> promise progress but deliver exclusion: minerals are mined, ports are secured, but Baloch homes are raided. 
The insurgency endures not because of foreign conspiracies, as Islamabad endlessly insists, but because the Pakistani state remains incapable of seeing its <a href="https://thebalochistanpost.net/2025/01/enforced-disappearances-in-balochistan-in-december-2024-tbp-report/" target="_blank">Baloch citizens</a> as anything other than a security problem to be managed.
In <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/ranisingh/2016/07/12/kashmir-in-the-worlds-most-militarized-zone-violence-after-years-of-comparative-calm/" target="_blank">Kashmir</a>, the Indian government claims to have <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/world/asia/kashmir-village-defense-committees.html" target="_blank">“normalised” the valley</a> after revoking its autonomy in 2019. It <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-pakistan" target="_blank">looks a lot like occupation</a>. Soldiers outnumber local leaders, dissent is criminalised, internet shutdowns suffocate public life. Tourism campaigns and investment summits cannot erase a generation raised under curfew and surveillance.
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66260730" target="_blank">Manipur’s descent into ethnic bloodshed</a> in 2023 exposed another fault line Delhi prefers to ignore. Long-simmering tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities erupted into violence that shattered any illusions of northeastern integration. The central government’s delayed, politicised response made clear what many Manipuris had always suspected: they are citizens of India only when convenient.
Even the <a href="https://msf.org.au/rohingya-worlds-largest-stateless-population" target="_blank">Rohingya, stateless and exiled from Myanmar</a>, find themselves entangled in South Asia’s ethnonationalist calculus. Fleeing genocide, they are criminalised anew in Bangladesh and India – trapped between the countries that reject them and the memories that refuse to let them go.
South Asia’s states have excelled at suppressing rebellion. But failed at extinguishing the reasons rebellions rise in the first place. And the wars South Asia tries to forget at home have found new life abroad.
Across <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-17/modis-indian-government-accused-of-spying-silencing-critics/103974414" target="_blank">Canada, Australia, Britain, and the United States</a>, diasporic communities have become memory-keepers and, increasingly, <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/khalistan-supporters-hold-protest-outside-indian-consulate-in-vancouver-123092600087_1.html" target="_blank">the agitators</a> for the struggles their home states would rather erase.
Khalistan flags fly outside Indian consulates in Vancouver and <a href="https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/perturbed-over-waving-of-khalistani-flags-at-an-event-in-melbourne-india-warns-australia-of-khalistan-separatists-and-their-links-with-terror-groups-458320/" target="_blank">Melbourne</a>. Tamil activists march through London, demanding accountability for the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/19/grim-reminder-sri-lankas-tamils-mark-15-years-since-end-of-civil-war" target="_blank">massacres in Mullivaikkal</a>. Kashmiri protests in Washington and New York refuse to let India’s crackdown slip into diplomatic amnesia.
For host countries, these movements pose uncomfortable questions. Freedom of expression collides with fears of extremism. Clashes erupt between communities carrying wounds that their new homelands.
Meanwhile, South Asian states pursue their adversaries across borders. India faces allegations of <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/canada-says-india-home-minister-ordered-campaign-against-sikh-activist-rcna177972" target="_blank">targeting Sikh activists for assassination in Canada</a> and the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/10/27/g-s1-29561/sikh-separatist-assassination-india" target="_blank">United States</a>. Pakistan continues to court Kashmiri separatists abroad while crushing Baloch dissent at home. <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-tamils-civil-war-dead-5b372b0bba567837c5a4d94250040e7d" target="_blank">Sri Lanka</a> lobbies furiously to brand Tamil diaspora organisations as fronts for terrorism, even as it stonewalls investigations into its own wartime atrocities.
The old insurgencies have not been defeated. They have been globalised. South Asia’s governments have long mistaken silence for stability.
In Punjab, India broke the back of the <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/india/india-canada-sikh-khalistan-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">Khalistan insurgency</a> through brute force. The fields grew green again, the trains ran on time. But the wounds were never closed, the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/why-is-indias-khalistan-separatist-movement-on-the-rise/a-65081729" target="_blank">movement’s heart beats</a> not in Amritsar but in Brampton and Surrey.
In Sri Lanka, the <a href="https://www.academia.edu/4738983/The_Man_Who_Destroyed_Eelam" target="_blank">military crushed the Tamil Tigers</a> with <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/01/17/death-of-the-tiger" target="_blank">overwhelming brutality in 2009</a>. <a href="https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3264148/we-want-our-children-back-sri-lankan-families-still-demanding-justice-their-missing-loved-ones" target="_blank">Tamil families still search for their missing</a>, still mourn their dead – and still organise across the diaspora for justice that remains undelivered.
In Kashmir, Delhi boasts of new <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/2/4/kashmir-is-bleeding-its-economy" target="_blank">highways and investment corridors</a>, showcasing the region as a trophy of unity. But when the visitors leave and the cameras are packed away, <a href="https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-134/from-domicile-to-dominion-indias-settler-colonial-agenda-in-kashmir/" target="_blank">the checkpoints, the raids, and the quiet despair remain.</a>
Victory parades fade. Grievance endures. Suppressing insurgency may end battles. It does not end the ideas that fueled them. In a region where <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/world/asia/kashmir-attack-india-pakistan.html" target="_blank">history is rarely past</a>, and memory is rarely voluntary, states that rule through repression are only ever buying time. And often, not very much.
South Asia’s unfinished wars are not accidents. They are the inevitable consequences of states that confuse conquest with consent, and erasure with reconciliation. They cannot legislate memory out of existence.
Every <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15qyyzz89lo" target="_blank">disappeared son in Balochistan</a>, every <a href="https://medium.com/the-wvoice/the-half-widows-in-kashmir-fef80c6b88e9" target="_blank">half-widow in Kashmir</a>, every <a href="https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/focus/rohingya-refugee-crisis" target="_blank">refugee child born stateless in a Rohingya camp</a> carries forward the memory of betrayal – a memory that outlives soldiers, politicians, and peace accords alike.
The region’s future will not be decided by GDP figures or infrastructure projects alone. It will be decided by whether its governments can summon the political courage to face the truths they have long suppressed – or whether they will continue down a path <a href="https://theconversation.com/india-is-using-the-g20-summit-to-further-its-settler-colonial-ambitions-in-kashmir-205166" target="_blank">where forgetting is demanded</a>, and rebellion becomes inevitable.
Shyam Tekwani is a professor at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Hawaii. This <a href="https://dkiapcss.edu/nexus_articles/ghosts-at-the-border-south-asias-unfinished-wars/" target="_blank">article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://dkiapcss.edu/security-nexus/" target="_blank">DKI APCSS Security Nexus.</a> The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of DKI APCSS, the Department of Defense, or the US Government. The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the United States Department of Defense (DoD) of the linked websites, or the information, products, or services contained therein. DoD does not exercise any editorial, security, or other control over the information you may find at these sites.

Balochistan to Kashmir

Most Nepalis thought they had seen the last of it after <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/11-56-25-april-2015-wkc9q2an">the 25 April 7.8 magnitude </a>earthquake ten years ago. But the Himalaya had more surprises in store. On 12 May, another 7.3 magnitude tremor that some said was an aftershock, but was strong enough to itself be a major earthquake, struck Dolakha.&nbsp; Not many people had heard of Singati till then — a cluster of houses by the Tama Kosi River along a narrow gorge that is the roadhead to Rolwaling Valley.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250508110520_57b6e316656851f71eca56ca6f98d9bbcc820c1a00d62af3c990725b4361244d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20250508110520_016534fb2b6a79957402281cda768efb83a146786377e39e11df3e251d37159e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  It was here that dozens were killed on 25 April in the first earthquake. Hundreds of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati-rising-from-rubble-rebuilding,3703">Singati survivors</a> had lined up for food and relief supplies in the morning of 12 May when the second earthquake triggered a rock slide that buried a nearby camp. At least 50 people were killed. &nbsp; Three hours later, a US Marine Corps UH-1Y Venom helicopter landed in a nearby cornfield to pick up the wounded, and flew off. The aircraft lost contact with air traffic control in Kathmandu and its wreckage was located high on Kalinchok four days later. Six American servicemen, two Nepal Army soldiers, and five wounded civilians from Singati were killed. Today, Singati bears little physical scar of the multiple tragedies that struck the town ten years ago. Most <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/bungamati-builds-back">houses have been rebuilt</a> as urban-style concrete structures, and Singati has become an economic hub on the road leading up to several hydropower plants and a<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/off-the-beaten-trek-in-nepal"> popular trekking destination</a>.&nbsp; The town looks less like a village and more like a suburb of the Dolakha district headquarter of Charikot, 47km away.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250508110520_196f341d1df1403ba133e5dfeb837eec20d7cbcb4c8c56b17cc5598810de5df2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250508110524_ae66c4a92430f67db51b5e11e017059eedfbac4cb18c8e073f2a50cca1fe904e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> </figure>  “The demand for construction material, cement, iron rods and bricks peaked after the earthquakes,” says Suresh Khadka, who owns a hardware business here and now supplies material to the 456MW Upper Tama Kosi hydropower project that is undergoing repairs after it was damaged by a landslide last year. The demand for cement boomed since most residents believe, not necessarily correctly, that <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/in-a-disastrous-state">cement houses are safer</a>. Although Khadka did well selling construction material after the earthquake, he worries that most new structures do not follow seismic-resistant building codes.&nbsp; The construction boom financed by bank loans has in turn forced many from Singati to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/making-overseas-migration-better">migrate overseas for work</a> so they can service their debt.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250508110524_50caa4530bd5ff9120cf7ab70a62173846d337ef448ff8bac339f3faa375a9e2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Suresh Khadka</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20250508110520_ef8b7d3993fc3b5df852bbf952feb3fbabc96d6883b0d5eb74ee5c60f4123b83" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Phu Doma Sherpa (right)</figcaption> </figure>  “My family had no choice but to borrow money to rebuild our home since the government compensation was not enough, and ten years later we are still paying off the loan,” says Phu Doma Sherpa, 60. Because of the shortage of qualified masons and proper seismic engineering, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/structural-problems">many of the buildings are of questionable building standards </a>and the traditional architecture has been abandoned, admits Kul Bahadur Budathoki, deputy chair of the municipality. “But these buildings were more expensive than what the government grants could cover, many people here are heavily in debt and the men have <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/every-day-is-closer-to-pay-day">migrated to the Gulf to pay their loans</a>,” Budathoki says.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20250508110520_32f89e97b7e757fc9286c0bbb671f48ea8d4468e9634fa646d7247c650ad8480" data-rendition-name="original" width="1501" height="1079" loading="lazy" alt="Climate magnifies earthquake risk in Nepal village NT"> <figcaption>Kul Bahadur Budathoki</figcaption> </figure>  Singati is in a multi-hazard zone. The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Singati,3091">12 May 2015 earthquake </a>could have led to the collapse of Nepal’s largest glacial lake, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/stairway-to-heaven">Tso Rolpa</a>, upstream. Due to global warming, the glacier has turned into an expanding lake 3.5km long, and its collapse would have unleashed a catastrophic Himalayan tsunami down the Tama Kosi Valley, with Singati directly in its path. Singati has literally risen from the ashes of 2015, with its residents beginning to recover from the trauma and financial toll. But it is not out of danger as <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/climate-breakdown-linked-to-thame-flood">climate breakdown </a>magnifies the risk from future earthquakes.

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