The Kangchenjunga region is where modern tourism first started in Nepal. &nbsp; As early as the mid-1800s, the region below the world's third-highest mountain had started seeing foreign expeditions.&nbsp; The English botanist J D Hooker traveled throughout the Tamor, Ghunsa, and Yangma river valleys in 1849. ‘Pundit’ Sarad Chandra Das, one of the indigenous spies trained by the British Raj for clandestine mapping and intelligence work in Nepal and Tibet, visited the region in 1879, following the Chabuk Glacier north to cross into Tibet. &nbsp; In 1884 Rinzing Namgyal completed the first recorded circumambulation of the Kangchenjunga massif. In 1899 the British mountaineer Sir Douglas Freshfield replicated Rinzing’s journey with him, Italian photographer Victorio Sella, Sella’s brother, and other notable mountaineers of the time.&nbsp; But it was not until 1955 that Kangchenjunga was first climbed by George Band and Joe Brown. Since then, more than 350 climbers have made it to Kangchenjunga’s various summits. &nbsp; Trekking tourism began in earnest in 1984 when the region was first opened to foreign groups and has averaged only a few hundred tourists per year since 2010. Till last year, most trekkers said they decided to come here because it was the last mountain area in Nepal without a road. That is changing.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/trekking-in-the-time-of-climate-change">Trekking in the time of climate change</a>, Achyut Tiwari  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_1456c0d0abe065672ab1ce6eafb47b1b2ced22c22034d5a577c59e4131c0dc72.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20230929090912_1456c0d0abe065672ab1ce6eafb47b1b2ced22c22034d5a577c59e4131c0dc72" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> <figcaption>Steep switchbacks on a new road from Nepal over the Tiptola Pass up to Tibet.</figcaption> </figure>  The region is actively undergoing more environmental, socio-economic, and cultural changes during the past 10 years, more so than anytime previously in Nepal’s 250-year history as a unified nation.&nbsp; The alpine shrub juniper and dwarf rhododendron throughout the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) are in surprisingly good condition, in spite of the hundreds of years of harvesting by yak herders and villagers for fuel, incense, and to increase pasture area. &nbsp; This is largely reflective of low tourism, decreasing livestock numbers, and extremely wet environments found in the KCA. Humid environments tend to be more forgiving of human and cattle disturbances while promoting the rapid re-establishment of protective ground cover such as herbs and grasses.&nbsp; Populations of yaks, dzopkio, and other livestock are rapidly decreasing, as they are throughout much of the Nepal Himalaya due partly to labour shortages because of the outmigration of young people, and also herds being sold for meat in Tibet as well as changing lifestyles. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/participating-to-save-kangchenjunga">Participating to save Kangchenjunga</a>, Ghana S Gurung  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_57ba334e068885e104dd80e2c039d9b6bbc0d7f03aa4b8f038b661a121e52d51.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230929090912_57ba334e068885e104dd80e2c039d9b6bbc0d7f03aa4b8f038b661a121e52d51" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> <figcaption>Four dzopkio carried the author's  camping equipment, food, and research gear with Mt Jannu soaring in the distance.</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_a189ed918701329be149e9005b01f532b69e8ce07428102445326390734eddf9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230929090912_a189ed918701329be149e9005b01f532b69e8ce07428102445326390734eddf9" data-rendition-name="original" width="900" height="675" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> </figure>  Young people have been leaving the KCA for jobs in Kathmandu and overseas since the early 1990s, a process that intensified during the Maoist insurgency between 1996-2006. Most of the remaining inhabitants in villages such as Ghunsa are elderly, with the exception of a few younger lodge owners who can make their living from tourism. Climate change and warming trends are accelerating the glacier melt, processes already noted by Hooker in 1849 and Freshfield in 1899. Since then, the problem has become more acute and potentially catastrophic. Glacial floods, rockfalls and ice-debris avalanches have increased the vulnerability of local populations.&nbsp; Villages need to start thinking about mitigating and preventing the impact of floods by building gabions along river channels, moving structures away from vulnerable areas and monitoring threatening glacial lakes and other dangerous features. Himalayan fir (Abies spectabilis), an IUCN Red List species, is being overharvested, as are many other rare and medicinal alpine plants. This trend will be exacerbated by the construction of the new proposed roads and the easier accessibility to formerly remote regions which they provide. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/tracing-past-glacial-floods-in-kangchenjunga">Tracing past glacial floods in Kangchenjunga</a>, Alton C Byers  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_5d3c7af6b71ddf163b14d85b6efbbe6fba1960d0d95be0e451cd09e553edab3e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230929090912_5d3c7af6b71ddf163b14d85b6efbbe6fba1960d0d95be0e451cd09e553edab3e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1800" height="502" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> <figcaption>Dozens of glacial lakes like Nangama have formed over the past 25 years as the glaciers melt and retreat. </figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_a729648e8faf81a3b41e26fe11e229409e84f75e330dc7ce7fa0386198d63ef3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230929090912_a729648e8faf81a3b41e26fe11e229409e84f75e330dc7ce7fa0386198d63ef3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> <figcaption>Elizabeth Byers stands next to Rheum nobile (padamchal, or lemonade plant) which used to be common in the KCA but are now rare due to overharvesting and increased access to new roads.</figcaption> </figure>  The most striking change in the KCA, and one with social and environmental impact, has been the construction of new roads throughout the Taplejung district during the past 10 years which are now beginning to encroach into the KCA.&nbsp; The perceived benefits of roads have typically included increased access and connectivity for rural populations, employment opportunities and health benefits.&nbsp; Hastily bulldozed roads are also now encroaching into national parks and protected areas, with little concern for old growth forests, wildlife, local economy, traditional cultures, and the future of adventure tourism.&nbsp; Many of these changes are happening throughout Nepal. New highways, transmission lines, irrigation canals and even new railways are crisscrossing national parks and protected areas. Poaching is reduced, but infrastructure is the new threat to Nepal’s conservation.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/including-local-knowledge-to-study-climate-change">Including local knowledge to study climate change</a>, Kunda Dixit  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090924_3cd5315c71ccda3cd328954695ec0a158d1928e5ba59f29831c49573fdf4f3d5.png" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20230929090924_3cd5315c71ccda3cd328954695ec0a158d1928e5ba59f29831c49573fdf4f3d5" data-rendition-name="original" width="783" height="586" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> <figcaption>The spread of the road network (red lines) in the last 12 years has been rapid, threatening the regions rich biodiversity. Map: MOHAN CHAND</figcaption> </figure>  But it is still not too late for Kangchenjunga. The region differs from others because there is still time to assess the feasibility of new roads and their environmental and socio-economic impacts.&nbsp; KCA could choose to remain a ‘traditional' protected area only for foot and beast of burden travel, thus making it unique in Nepal’s rapidly diminishing roadless protected areas.&nbsp; Increased visitation would directly benefit local cottage industries like handicrafts, fresh vegetable production, milk and dairy products, pack animal rental, and others.&nbsp; A functioning natural history museum and interpretation centre in Ghunsa and elsewhere could educate visitors about the rich and unique flora and fauna of the region. &nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/go-eat-to-kanchenjunga"> Go East</a>, Sudhir Limbu <h2>Land above the trees</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230929090912_ffc46c7ecd43e1d4d35b1e18ccec7d750d0828b98b3f532c720553aa0ec7bb7e.png" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="20230929090912_ffc46c7ecd43e1d4d35b1e18ccec7d750d0828b98b3f532c720553aa0ec7bb7e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1051" height="457" loading="lazy" alt="Page 6-7"> </figure>  The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), established in 1997, is spread across 2,035km² of protected area in easternmost Nepal. It was turned over to local communities in 2006 as Nepal’s first community-managed protected area. It is home to the world’s third-highest mountain, Kangchenjunga at 8,586m, once thought to be the highest in the world because of its massive summit ridge and visibility from Darjeeling. &nbsp; The region is also believed to conceal a beyul, or hidden valley of treasure and immortality containing sacred teachings that will be revealed to the devout in times of trouble.&nbsp; Elevations in the KCA range from subtropical forests below 1,000m, the fir/birch/rhododendron forests in the subalpine, dwarf vegetation of the alpine zone, to the 8,586m summit of Kangchenjunga, all within a horizontal distance of less than 30km.&nbsp; KCA is one of the last remaining refuges for the rare Red Panda, whose remnant populations live in remote conifer-bamboo forests. Himalayan Black Bear, Common Leopard, Red Dog, Palm Civet, and Yellow-throated Martin are more common, inhabiting both forest and farmland where they can often be a problem for local farmers and their livestock and crops.&nbsp; Large populations of Blue Sheep can be found in nearly every side valley encountered and are a good indicator of the presence of Snow Leopards.&nbsp; Alton C Byers, PhD is a senior research scientist at INSTAAR, University of Colorado at Boulder in the United States. In 2022, he and his botanist wife Elizabeth spent six months in the KCA documenting and quantifying contemporary threats to the KCA’s alpine zone under a Fulbright project. Byers has been involved in other initiatives that are still running in the Everest, Makalu-Barun and Peru’s Cordillera Blanca funded by the National Geographic. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/remembering-nepal-s-conservation-heroes">Remembering Nepal’s conservation heroes</a>, Ghana Gurung

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Saving Kangchenjunga

When landslides struck a pilgrimage route to the Kedarnath shrine in the Indian Himalaya last week, 13 of the 19 people killed were Nepalis. All of them were migrant workers from Jumla in western Nepal.
Largely ignored in Nepal’s migration statistics are the estimated 4 million Nepalis who are studying, working and living in India. They are undocumented as Nepalis do not need visas or passports for India, just as Indians do not need those travel documents to travel to Nepal.
Nepal has an 1,808km open border with India to its east, south and west, and recorded migration between the two countries can be traced back to the Treaty of Sugauli between Nepal and The East India Company in 1816 which allowed the recruitment of Gurkha soldiers into the British Army.
But following Indian independence in 1947, while the 2nd, 6th, 7th and 10th Gurkha Rifles became part of the British Army, the rest stayed with the new Indian Army. Even today, there are nearly 42,000 Nepali soldiers in the Indian Army.
Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/india-s-faith-in-politics">India’s faith in politics</a>, Shrijan Pandey
A large portion of Nepalis making their way to Uttar Pradesh and other Indian cities are seasonal workers from historically neglected far western Nepal looking for jobs to augment family expenses.
For people in the remote mountains of Nepal or Tarai towns, India is much closer than faraway Kathmandu. Dehradun is only seven hours by bus from Mahendranagar while Kathmandu can take up to 17 hours.
“I work for 12 hours a day for 12,000 Indian rupees a month,” says a native of Mahendranagar who has been working in a dhawa roadside restaurant in Haridwar for the past 10 years. He initially went to Saudi Arabia but the recruiter robbed him of his salary, and he was forced to come back. When he couldn’t land a job in Nepal, he left for India.
He adds: “Going to India was a more convenient option than coming to Kathmandu. I don't make much but I get to see my wife and son once every few months.”
Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/inconvenient-truths">Inconvenient truths</a>, Editorial
Nepalis make it to India via five main transit points: Kakadbhitta-Siliguri, Biratnagar-Jogbani, Bhairahawa-Sunauli, Nepalgunj-Rupediya, and Dhangadhi-Gauriphanta. But there are no exact figures on the total number of Nepalis in India, only rough estimates.
The Asian Centre for Human Rights says that some 350,000 to 400,000 Nepalis were internally displaced from their villages during the Maoist conflict, and many more crossed over to India to escape the violence. Many never returned.
While increasingly many Nepalis are making it big in the IT and management sectors in India, many more are still security guards and domestic workers. As unskilled workers, most earn only a little more than they would in Nepal.
Even so, according to the Nepal Labor Migration Report 2022, Nepal received Rs43.16 billion in remittances from India, just behind the top contributor Qatar. Even that could be a gross undercount since much more money comes in through informal channels.
Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-hard-working-students-overseas">Nepal’s hard working students overseas</a>, Sonia Awale
There are also Nepalis who have lived in India with their family for years. “My parents came here long ago and are now settled here,” says a 20-year-old Nepali worker in a restaurant in Srinagar. There were many others like him in Dehradun, Mussoorie, and Delhi with their families who first came looking for a job but are now settled in India.
Many lodges and restaurants in Delhi are run by Nepali migrants. “I sold my camera to come to Delhi for work,” says a 21-year-old working in Krishna Rooftop Cafe in Pahadganj. The staff is all Nepali and the whole establishment was buzzing with dohori folk songs.
Labour migration to the Gulf and Malaysia is rife with stories of exploitation and abuse. Things are as bad if not worse in India, with a near absence of safety mechanisms and legislation to protect the workers.
Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-nurses-gone-and-going-to-the-uk">Nepali nurses gone and going to the UK</a>, Nepali Times
Since Nepalis in India are largely undocumented, most cases go unreported, are un-surveilled and out of social policy. This poses an additional security risk for those involved in unregulated sectors such as sex trade and domestic work.
The National Human Rights Commission in 2019 estimated that 1.5 million Nepalis are vulnerable to human trafficking. The traffickers often target young girls from financially weak families belonging to marginalised communities. The open border between Nepal and India and lack of documentation make it virtually impossible to track these instances of crime.
Growing intolerance of minorities in recent years means Nepalis also sometimes face hostility.
In an era of right-wing nationalism, Nepali migrants can also face the heat. In fact, even Indians of Nepali descent were treated with much scrutiny when the dispute over much-contested Kalapani-Limpiyadhura territories broke out between Nepal and India in 2019. &nbsp;
Read also:<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Between-the-lines/More-Nepali-students-settle-overseas,528"> Losing our young</a>, Tsering Dolker Gurung

Love thy neighbours

Nepali nurses gone and going to the UK

Hanan Goden is serving his second tenure as Israel’s ambassador to Nepal, and is passionate about agriculture. Nepali Times interviewed Goder this week at <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/down-in-sherpa-s-farm">a dairy farm in Gokarna started by a returnee from Israel</a>. Excerpts: Nepali Times: What is so special about the Learn and Earn scheme? Ambassador Hanan Goder: The idea is to <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/fishing-lessons-from-the-Negev,1171">send young people to Israel for 11 months</a> during which they spend five days a week on the job training in Israeli farms and one day in college for theoretical knowledge. When they come back, they bring earnings, knowledge, but most of all the culture of work. Some 60% of Nepalis are involved in farming. Israel on the other hand has only 2% workforce in agriculture, but it produces for the rest 98% and even exports. There is no magic involved, we are proud to share our knowledge and ideas with Nepal. Agriculture is not a hobby, it's a business, a profession and a way of life. You have to invest before you can reap benefits. Traditional subsistence agriculture has no future. Farming has to be modern and more productive. What did you mean by Nepalis also learning the work culture in Israel? They learn to start their day early and end it late, in contrast to villages here in Nepal where men are hardworking but not as productive, they are often busy playing board games while womenfolk toil away. What the farmers learn in Israel is a combination of things, not just the need for investment and innovation but farming as the way of life. One of the biggest challenges here in Nepal is land fragmentation because a father divides his property among his children, he shouldn't have to do that, it is his private property. But then the younger generation, the children do not want to continue farming. Traditional farming is scenic to look at, but ineffective. Also, people do not invest enough in agriculture here, and expect returns prematurely. There are now about 3,000 Nepali farmers who have gone to Israel and are now back all over Nepal. How are they doing? I'm in constant touch with the returnees. Not all of them are doing agriculture, maybe just a third. But these 1,000 are quality farmers. They are doing vegetables, livestock, fish, poultry, fruits and everything in between. But each one of them is specialising in something. You can’t be a farmer that is doing mangoes, poultry, vegetables, and bananas at the same time, you have to specialise if you want to do it on an industrial scale. Why has farming become a priority in Nepal-Israel relations more than the other sectors? Agriculture is a priority, but it is not the only thing that we are doing here. People are not aware that there are a lot of Israeli companies located in Kathmandu working in high tech, hiring Nepali youth who get to work remotely but make salaries that Israelis do. And that is because Nepal has talented software developers, among others. Also last year we sent about 1,000 <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/caring-for-her-own-and-others-ho4nidzs">Nepali caregivers to Israel</a>. A lesser-known fact is that Israeli tourists are now starting to come in thousands and they often stay for longer periods. Our agriculture program is better known because it has become a model. Many farmers have come back and become almost ambassadors of sorts for Israel. We are in the dairy farm run by Ang Phurba Sherpa who seems to have good managerial skills and knows about doing sustainable farming. What Nepalis like Ang Phurba learn is that Israel is a young nation with farmers only in their first and second generation, still learning and trying to improve the ways to do it. Israel used to be a desert, a nation of immigrants but we cultivated the land. When Nepalis see that and how we overcome the challenges, they realise that they can too. You have had the second tenure as an ambassador, is there a chance that you'll come back a third time as an ambassador? Sure, why not. The former Israeli ambassador Benny Omar is still here and has opened a restaurant in Patan. Much like you have the highest point in the world, we have the Dead Sea, the lowest. Ten years ago we took two stones from the Dead Sea to Everest and vice versa. At the time, we also issued a stamp that is common to Israel and Nepal, with the highest and the lowest points at 8,448m and -432m. But there are thousands of beautiful places just one hour from Kathmandu. I encourage everybody to enjoy the country and preserve it.  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230723110756_6fdd2c0b233dcbc8c73f8e08bcc88296f96093da49092d6f64b4a0e4158f1dc8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230723110756_6fdd2c0b233dcbc8c73f8e08bcc88296f96093da49092d6f64b4a0e4158f1dc8" data-rendition-name="original" width="271" height="358" loading="lazy" alt="Nepal-Israel stamp"></figure>

“Nepalis learn and earn from Israel”

The oil paintings hang in sharp relief against the white walls at Siddhartha Art Gallery, and have a distinct sepia tint reminiscent of historical images from the early days of photography. &nbsp; And just like the sepia tone protects prints and keeps them from ageing, artist Mann Gurung uses the warm monochrome tint to preserve the history and identity of his indigenous community in the mountains of central Nepal.&nbsp; Gurung’s collection of 24 burnt umber paintings titled Lost in Translation II is a continuation of his<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/lost-in-transition"> 2019 exhibition</a> of the same name. His art depicts real men, women and children from up country villages in his native Gorkha district, and are as much an act of cultural conservation as a homage.&nbsp; Born in Gorkha’s Khorla village, Gurung grew up away from home to attend school in the neighbouring towns. As a child, he would draw pictures of gods and goddesses and create his own comic strips, which eventually gained the attention of an INGO worker who suggested he study art in Kathmandu.&nbsp; For a long time after he left home, Gurung took comfort in the memory of his village where people still wore their customary jama, bhoto, lungi and cholo, sang dohori during Dasain, &nbsp;and were self-reliant in agriculture and trade.&nbsp; But when he returned after completing his Master’s in the United States, Gorkha had changed. The district was just getting over the trauma of conflict, and traditional attire and customs had given way to new influences. T-shirts had replaced bhoto, film songs on mobile phones had taken the place of dohori and ghatu. Just like he had, many young men had left the village, and only the elderly, women and children remained.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/at-the-edge-of-tomorrow">At the edge of tomorrow</a>, Mark Turin  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230712100744_1da3e2e936ab582955cf91d92c3cf759ac9d89a2e6d539a837e1c2185bc81e3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20230712100744_1da3e2e936ab582955cf91d92c3cf759ac9d89a2e6d539a837e1c2185bc81e3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1714" loading="lazy" alt="Lost in Transition"> <figcaption>Photo: MANN GURUNG</figcaption> </figure>  “Our identity was being wiped out in front of our very eyes with no visual reference point and archive,” explains Gurung. “I knew that if we did not document our history and culture, they would become a mere memory.” The artist travelled through 13 villages in Gorkha documenting what he saw for his Lost in Transition exhibition in 2019. And in 2021, he started work once again to create a second collection.&nbsp; Gurung paints his subjects as if they are posing in front of a camera, a calculated choice to reflect the indigenous community’s unfamiliarity with modern devices even as they move towards modernity.&nbsp; Their smiles are careful, stances self-conscious. An elderly woman looks out at visitors, clad in lungi, cholo, ghalek, and patuki. Her head is covered with a pachyeuri, and she wears gumboots. Another man has a tungna strapped to his jacket, and a patuki around his sweater, and smiles beatifically as he glances away. &nbsp; But the most striking work in the collection is the only one in which Gurung deviates from his monochromatic style. A single family of eight women and children are standing as if to get a family portrait taken at a photo studio. The men are present only in the background, in colourful signages of remittance companies.&nbsp; In another part of the gallery, Himalayan Light Award 2022 recipient Riti Maharjan is wrapping up her own migration-themed exhibition, Awaiting. The theme here is more contemplative, and portrays the longing and waiting for a faraway relative.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/chitwan-s-bote-people-in-a-changing-world">Chitwan’s Bote people in a changing world</a>, Sravasti Ghosh Dastidar  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230712100744_a4c5c06b34fdeb7df36d78ab01d20b44d936b3c36fc7f755e5f3cc7b9135d1e7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20230712100744_a4c5c06b34fdeb7df36d78ab01d20b44d936b3c36fc7f755e5f3cc7b9135d1e7" data-rendition-name="original" width="1009" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Awaiting"> <figcaption>Photo: RITI MAHARJAN</figcaption> </figure>  Maharjan uses vibrant colours that are also poignant, and feature women and children as they wait for their migrant sons and husbands and fathers to return home. Maharjan completed her Masters in Fine Arts in China, and that was the first time she had been away from her family for an extended period. She says, “It hit me that many Nepalis are far from their loved ones, and on return I began to notice that there wasn’t a family in my community that didn’t have someone living abroad.” Born in Kathmandu, Maharjan married into a family in Lamjung after graduating. On visits to her in-law’s village, like Mann Gurung in Gorkha, she noticed that there were only women, children and the elderly. She also noticed how the women tended their homes with dedication and care, painting murals on the walls that are traditional to Brahmin communities in the region. “These women might not realise that they are folk artists, and I felt that their work should be honoured,” adds Maharjan. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men">No country for young men</a>, Shristi Karki  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230712100744_ae35181903d7b20b2bba96b580d04a36c45b0f332c952f40b643e138ab5debe6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230712100744_ae35181903d7b20b2bba96b580d04a36c45b0f332c952f40b643e138ab5debe6" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Awaiting"> <figcaption>Photo: RITI MAHARJAN</figcaption> </figure>  Geometric murals are a recurring motif in her paintings which have rich reds, yellows and greens, providing a backdrop for a depiction of a young girl longing for her father as she sits in her mother’s lap. In My Father’s Hat another toddler has on his father’s too-big Dhaka topi while his mother looks on at a framed photograph of her previously intact family.&nbsp; The Melting Emotion shows an elderly woman standing and waiting for somebody, longing etched in her wrinkled forehead. Maharjan has painted her as if she is dissolving away with age and grief, her entire being dripping with tears.&nbsp; Curator Sangeeta Thapa of Siddhartha Art Gallery notes that although migration is the central theme in both exhibitions, the artists employ differing stylistic approaches which provide entirely different perspectives.&nbsp; “Both of these collections are representative of how communities are impacted by Nepal hurtling from tradition towards modernity for the last seventy-odd years, while our culture and traditions have failed to catch up,” says Thapa. “What we need to figure out is how we balance progress with preserving culture and identities.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/multimedia/the-last-of-the-kusunda">The last of the Kusunda</a>, Sewa Bhattarai Mann Gurung’s Lost in Transition II is on exhibit at Siddhartha Art Gallery until 18 July. Riti Maharjan’s collection, Awaiting, can be viewed online <a href="https://www.siddharthaartgallery.com/online-gallery/394-awaiting-riti-maharjan" target="_blank">here</a>.

Shristi Karki

Home and away

Nepal’s economy is now a<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/more-remittance-more-than-remittance"> migrant economy</a>, and has brought about a deep socio-economic transformation. There are 4 million Nepalis now spread across 180 countries, and they send home an estimated $18 billion a year through formal and informal channels. These remittances make up a quarter of Nepal’s GDP. Nepal’s hinterland is emptying. Young men and women are moving to Kathmandu, waiting here to get their papers before flying out. Yet, this is not a new phenomenon. Nepalis have been migrating for centuries, driven by indebtedness to loan sharks, subsistence agriculture, discrimination and exclusion, or to join foreign armies. Many of these push factors are the same today. &nbsp; According to the World Bank’s World Development Report 2023: Migrants, Refugees, and Societies <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldBankNepal/videos/276985014698853">launched in Kathmandu this week</a>, 184 million or 2.3% of the world’s population live in countries they are not citizens of, 80% of them are economic migrants and the rest refugees. Almost half live in low- and middle-income countries. Every day, over 4,000 Nepalis leave for jobs overseas, not counting those crossing over into India. For many, it is not smooth sailing. Cheated by recruiters in Nepal and in destination countries, paid less in jobs not in the contract, working for months just to pay off loans. Government efforts to address this injustice have been ad hoc and lack focus. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men">No country for young men</a>, Shristi Karki But migration is not black and white as the World Bank Country Director Faris Hadad-Zervos put it at the launch event: “It’s not whether migration is good or bad, but rather how we can better manage migration so that it serves as a force for development and prosperity for all countries.” The Nepali media’s largely adverse portrayal of migration is driven by how ‘news’ itself is defined. Journalists are taught to highlight the negative and the unusual. Selection of what we choose to report has its own bias, and distorts the true picture. The media’s coverage of criminal mistreatment overshadows stories of tens of thousands of Nepalis who have struggled, but have done well for themselves, their families and their communities. The stories of abuse and exploitation have become so commonplace that the public is desensitised. &nbsp; This newspaper runs the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/diaspora-diaries">Diaspora Diaries</a> columns about the struggles and successes of migrant workers. The series is now in its 31th episode, and tries to go beyond the statistics to humanise the lives of workers. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/making-overseas-migration-better">Making overseas migration better</a>, Kunda Dixit The migration discourse in Nepal also largely leaves out young Nepalis leaving for higher studies, primarily to Australia, Canada, the UK, Japan, India and the US. Over 100,000 Nepalis left last year, some to never come back. Many Nepalis on student visas are migrant workers. The Nepal government knows this, and so do the host governments – it is supply-demand economics.&nbsp; Nepal is graduating from LDC status, but nearly 16% of the country’s population is out of the country at any given time. Nepal’s population pyramid now shows fewer children, a youth bulge, and a growing proportion of seniors. The population below 14 years is down to 28% from 35% 10 years ago. Those older than 60 has increased to 10%, up from 8%. Nepal has to reap the benefit of its demographic dividend, and has about 20 years before it becomes an ageing society. To prepare for that, we need all the nurses we have gainfully employed in Nepal, not in the UK. Aside from a few new bright sparks, Nepal’s democracy is not bringing up the kind of leadership that understands these challenges. The Bhutan refugee scam shows that the rot is right at the top. The implication for Nepal’s international image and moral standing on the Bhutan refugee issue is incalculable.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/two-decades-of-debate-on-female-migration">Two decades of debate on female migration</a>, Upasana Khadka The other type of migration we must start preparing for are climate refugees. Nepalis are on the move because springs are going dry, monsoons have become erratic, and there are prolonged droughts. Climate collapse will intensify this trend, as the record heat wave across Asia in May proves. &nbsp;&nbsp; Gaia Vince in her book Nomad Country warns of the need for governments to be prepared for global mass migration because it will be too hot for people to survive where they live. For us in Nepal, this means being prepared for people moving back up to the mountains from the Tarai in the coming decades. It may be too much to ask the present crop of politicians to think that far into the future when they cannot even address the immediate concerns of migrant workers including abuse and exploitation of vulnerable aspirants, reintegration of returnees into society, incentives to come back to invest their savings and make the best use of skills gained abroad in productive sectors for job creation. But there may be hope in the next generation of technocrats.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230511120552_1771c3afa938f3c85f06b0117991e7def624111ac31e782afa809cf42dbc04aa.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230511120552_1771c3afa938f3c85f06b0117991e7def624111ac31e782afa809cf42dbc04aa" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="labour migration in Nepal"> </figure>  As Prajwal Sharma of the International Organisation of Migration (IOM) said at the report launch: “Nepal can reap the benefit of overseas employment only by investing in skills and building human resources, and with the smarter investment of remittances through the promotion of entrepreneurship, and efficient mobilisation of skills and knowledge of diaspora to ensure brain gain.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-not-a-wish-but-necessity-for-nepalis">Migration not a wish, but necessity for Nepalis</a>, Shristi Karki

Human flight

Over 600 young Nepalis apply for no objection certificates every day to go overseas for higher studies. Between January-June 2022, the Ministry of Education in Kathmandu<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-hard-working-students-overseas"> approved 82,000 NOC for students</a> going to Australia, Canada, UK, Japan, and the US. Many of them never come back. Nepal has long been experiencing a severe brain drain challenge. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-certificate">Moving abroad</a> provides a ray of hope to escape the frustrations of living in a troubled socio-economic and political context, and pursue better higher education, employment, or livelihood opportunities. The push factors to go abroad are deeply rooted, and are shaped by experiences of peers who have seemingly flourished, escaped the poverty and education trap as well as socio-economic and political frustrations, and climbed the class ladder. Coming up with policy solutions to break this vicious cycle is challenging, if at all possible. Emphasis on job creation, livelihood opportunities, nationalistic narratives, partnerships with foreign universities to provide foreign degrees are all out there, and they may as well have worked with certain segments of the population. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/bigotry-of-low-expectations">Bigotry of low expectations</a>, Tom Robertson But as a Nepali diaspora returnee, I cannot help but ponder what role the lack of higher education possibilities plays in creating a long-lasting and sustained solution. A serious thought on higher education infrastructure and ecosystem seem necessary, including from non-education experts. Looking back at my high-school self, leaving for higher education was a choice so glorified that it was almost natural. This was commonplace among my peers, and was even the advice from the guidance counsellors.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230417110428_9af648d753bf2e5824d09762e8dac96c7ab5e62f855571178a72b1e6a7f641a1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230417110428_9af648d753bf2e5824d09762e8dac96c7ab5e62f855571178a72b1e6a7f641a1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1115" height="738" loading="lazy" alt="Nepali students abroad"> </figure>  This sentiment has not changed and in fact, has perhaps been grown. Lack of high-quality higher education institutions in Nepal is a factor for a proportion of Nepali students who <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Between-the-lines/More-Nepali-students-settle-overseas,528">migrate abroad for higher education</a>. Nepal’s higher education system seems to be an archaic and opaque platform that has been on a standstill and has forgotten to move forward with time. There is a need to create a holistic higher education eco-system in Nepal, reform existing institutions, and move to more world class higher education institutions in Nepal. Internal efforts to establish a world-class higher education institution in Nepal need to be harnessed and acknowledged. Busan Prasain, co-founder of the<a href="https://daayitwa.org/project/daayitwa-nepal-public-policy-fellowship-2023"> Daayitwa Fellowship Program</a>, was until very recently laying the groundwork for a liberal arts college through the Ullens Education Foundation. “There are several regulatory, legislative, legal, and bureaucratic hurdles to establishing an independent higher education institution in Nepal, even before considering the obvious financial and human resource hurdles, despite the manifold opportunities doing so can provide to Nepal,” he says. “As opposed to adding barriers, it is imperative to streamline the process and support initiatives that seek to establish institutions of higher education.” In addition, an external stimulus in the form of inviting and allowing international universities, and not just affiliate colleges with partnership programs, could be another avenue for Nepal to establish itself as a centre for high quality higher education. Says Narottam Aryal, the President of<a href="https://www.kingscollege.edu.np/"> King’s College in Kathmandu</a>: “We could make Nepal an international education hub if we could encourage the world’s best universities such as MIT, IIT, ANU and the likes to set up their campus in Nepal in partnership with local colleges and universities.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230417110428_6454ed1b1030de5ddadf18eeccc1bd5884e786c72391788612bac24647fcfad5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20230417110428_6454ed1b1030de5ddadf18eeccc1bd5884e786c72391788612bac24647fcfad5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1214" height="1107" loading="lazy" alt="NOC letters"> </figure>  There is a need for better understanding on what is needed to attract foreign universities and ensure it is not a money-making business. Having foreign universities in Nepal not only provides high quality education but also attracts international students in the country. Nepal need not look too far away –– the India University Grants Commission (UGC) has <a href="https://thewire.in/education/foreign-universities-india-govt-indifference" target="_blank">recently announced</a> it is inviting foreign universities to open campuses in India. My alma mater, <a href="https://nyuad.nyu.edu/en/" target="_blank">New York University Abu Dhabi</a>, provides a well-grounded example on how bringing in world-class international universities can help create a higher education ecosystem in the country. At Peking University, where I studied for a master’s degree in economics, I took MBA courses at the <a href="https://scpku.fsi.stanford.edu/" target="_blank">Stanford Center</a>, which is Stanford's hub in Beijing for all China-focused research, education and collaborations. Nepal might not necessarily have the financial impetus of the UAE or the geopolitical, economic, and strategic importance of China to attract foreign universities. However, the country provides a unique research ground and there are many examples of research initiatives within international universities that have a focus in Nepal. Yale’s <a href="https://resources.environment.yale.edu/envy/stories/himalaya-initiative/#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank">Himalayan Initiative</a>, NYU Abu Dhabi’s <a href="https://www.himalayanwaterproject.org/" target="_blank">Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water</a>, the <a href="https://www.digitalhimalaya.com/" target="_blank">Digital Himalaya Project</a> at Cambridge University &nbsp;are just a few examples. There are also areas of study that seem to stand Nepal in a competitive advantage – indigenous studies, anthropology, sociology, climate change, environmental studies, horticulture are areas that consistently attract international scholars to Nepal. The challenges are plentiful but creating a policy environment with a forward vision for the education system in Nepal can be a no-harm approach. Doing so can not only help retain Nepali students and tackle brain-drain, attract foreign students keen on learning about Nepal, develop high quality research output within the country, but also create an ecosystem for overseas companies to employ Nepali professionals in this globalised world.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230417110428_c1ea314cdfdbaaebb2d840bc22180c49ed059265e9e3f3ad89dc05adbcc33201.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20230417110428_c1ea314cdfdbaaebb2d840bc22180c49ed059265e9e3f3ad89dc05adbcc33201" data-rendition-name="original" width="802" height="900" loading="lazy" alt="nepali students abroad"> </figure>  Access to information has levelheaded technologies that are being used globally in the information technology and software engineering industry. The US Labor Department estimates that the <a href="https://codesubmit.io/blog/shortage-of-developers/" target="_blank">global shortage</a> of software engineers may reach 85.2 million by 2030. This brings immense opportunities for software engineers and for Nepal to build talent accordingly. Karvika Thapa, the CEO at Kimbu Tech, an <a href="https://www.kimbutech.com/" target="_blank">international software company</a> based in Nepal that provides IT solutions and outsourcing services to companies in Israel and United States of America says, “If Nepal can create a talent pool within the country in the software and IT sector, there is a clear demand from the international community to take advantage of this talent locally.” She adds, “A globalised world, particularly post the Covid-19 pandemic, brings opportunities for remote working and if Nepal can produce talent, it can also attract international companies into the country.” But expanding the talent scheme in the IT sector in Nepal is not just about universities and effective pedagogy and curriculum. Alongside, there is a need to focus heavily on teaching programming languages relevant to industry demand, providing early exposure to students by focusing on internships and project-level experiences, as well as helping them build their soft skills which are equally important in the global talent market. It is therefore important to mention that establishing a university alone would not be a panacea. It will need to be complemented by creating a pipeline of opportunities and an ecosystem that can help businesses come to Nepal and retain the talent within the country. There is a need for disruption –– both from within but also from the periphery. And establishing high quality higher education institutions could be an important first step. The goal should not be on retaining students in Nepal. Rather, it should be about creating a holistic environment and providing high-quality education, and a by-product of that could be that students and talents are retained. In addition, it can also create an enabling environment for talents who have left abroad to come back and contribute to Nepal. Rastraraj Bhandari contributes regularly to Nepali Times on climate change.

Building blocks of a nation

The densely packed houses cling to a steep mountainside in scenic Sikles village below the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-other-abc-trek">Annapurnas</a>. The doors of many of the homes are padlocked, some have wads of electricity bills shoved into them. The barren terrace farms below the town now have uttis forests growing in them. The Sikles health post ambulance is permanently stationed in Pokhara, since most of the residents have moved down to the city. The student body of the secondary school in nearby Taprang has shrunk by half. Yet, a new highway will soon make it possible to shorten the three-day trek from Pokhara to Sikles to a one-hour jeep ride. Some of the traditional stone-and-tile Gurung homes are being demolished to build multi-story concrete structures in anticipation of a tourism boom.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-s-demographic-dividend">Nepal's demographic dividend</a>, Shristi Karki  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023033021030_15d745dd840441a987ba3f8bf35af930cb6c85de99c87a83c7ab77896d2d6e97.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2023033021030_15d745dd840441a987ba3f8bf35af930cb6c85de99c87a83c7ab77896d2d6e97" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="2268" loading="lazy" alt="Sikles Nepal NT 1"> </figure>  A new cable car is planned to nearby Kori Peak at 3,800m which commands a sweeping panorama of Lamjung and Annapurna Himals. “What you see here is the government bringing development to villages, but villagers have moved to cities, and the cities have become unliveable,” laments Buddhi Bahadur Gurung, 70, who is collecting buffalo dung from the trail to turn into fertiliser for his maize field. Most of his family is in Kathmandu, Pokhara or London. The village of Sikles was made famous because it was in the office of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/municipalities-want-to-manage-annapurna">Annapurna Conservation Area</a> (ACA) that Maoist leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Baburam Bhattarai in April 2016 negotiated the ceasefire before being flown to Kathmandu to form an interim government. Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepalis-moving-from-mountains-to-plains">Nepalis moving from mountains to plains</a>, Shristi Karki  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230330210312_fe3875d6834a7ee852474a81cc0572e178cad58bfbb33cfe7bffbfeb046cb4cb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230330210312_fe3875d6834a7ee852474a81cc0572e178cad58bfbb33cfe7bffbfeb046cb4cb" data-rendition-name="original" width="2268" height="4032" loading="lazy" alt="Sikles Nepal NT 4"> <figcaption>Water buffalo grazing below Annapurna 2 at the point where the proposed Kori Peak cable car will have its terminal.</figcaption> </figure>  Sikles is also the birthplace of Chandra Gurung, who was inspired by shared decision-making and collective participation of his people to design Nepal’s innovative approach to community-led conservation of nature. The ‘Conservation Area’ model has since been replicated in Gauri Shankar, Api Nampa, Manaslu. And it was just after the inauguration of the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in September 2006 that Chandra Gurung, along with other top Nepali environmentalists, was among the 24 people killed in a helicopter crash. “Everything you see here is because of Chandra, these mountains used to be denuded.” says Purna Gurung, who has retired after working for ACA for 30 years. “But look at Sikles now. Still, what is the use if no one is going to live here?” Even Chandra Gurung’s own house is locked up, and only his elder brother lives there. In stark contrast, another cement-plastered house with iron rods poking out of concrete beams is coming up down the hill.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/no-country-for-young-men-c89lgrrl">No country for young men</a>, Priti Thapa  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023033021038_98227ff8-b691-4696-a95d-13c56ac19249.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="2023033021038_98227ff8-b691-4696-a95d-13c56ac19249" data-rendition-name="original" width="3024" height="4032" loading="lazy" alt="Sikles Nepal NT 2"> </figure>  “Dr Chandra would not have approved of this new construction,” says resident Bal Bahadur Gurung, shaking his head. “Now it is up to us to carry on his work.” The Kori Peak cable car project has also divided the Sikles community. Some lodge owners in town welcome it, hoping it will boost the local economy and help slow outmigration by creating jobs. Others say it will irreparably damage the wilderness, which is the region’s biggest draw. After <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/survive-revive-thrive">international tourism collapsed during the pandemic</a>, it was mostly Nepalis trekking to Kapuche Lake that brought some income here. The lake itself is an indicator of the climate crisis and is fed by melted ice from more-frequent avalanches from Annapurna II, and at 2,437m is the lowest glacial lake in Nepal. Ward 1 chair Devi Jang Gurung, who was elected last year and is a former radio journalist, is not a fan of the cable car project because, he says, it will just bring visitors on day trips from Pokhara after the road is finished. &nbsp; “Sikles will not benefit at all, tourists will not stay here. In fact, Nepalis going to Kapuche spend much more money because they buy local food and spend nights in homestays,” adds Devi Jung Gurung, who believes that, if properly managed, trekking tourism can reverse the out-migration trend. Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/visit-nepal-again/"> Visit Nepal Again</a>, Ashish Dakal  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230330210312_e17a32350e9c36388a77fe621ee178e7e5b3a12173971042ef12b616b485f966.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20230330210312_e17a32350e9c36388a77fe621ee178e7e5b3a12173971042ef12b616b485f966" data-rendition-name="original" width="2268" height="4032" loading="lazy" alt="Sikles Nepal NT 3"> <figcaption>The traditional architecture of scenic Sikles amidst a backdrop of Lamjung Himal is changing with new concrete structures.</figcaption> </figure>  Schools in Sikles and Taprang that have seen a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/news/half-of-nepal-s-girls-may-drop-out-of-school">drop in enrollment</a> are also trying to make 10+2 classes more relevant and useful, so school education does not drive young people away. One idea is to have 9+3 classes with a focus on vocational training in subjects like tourism, disaster preparedness, heritage and environment preservation. The Kori Peak cable car project was being initiated by the same group that operates Chandragiri in Kathmandu Valley, but has been stopped after an interim order from the Supreme Court in response to a public interest litigation arguing that it was being pushed without a proper Environmental Impact Assessment. Also from Sikles is environmentalist Hum Gurung, formerly with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and now Asia Partnership Manager at the Singapore-based BirdLife International Asia. He is worried about unregulated construction that is eroding the traditional architecture of Sikles town and its main attraction besides mountains. “The road has already arrived in Sikles with all its consequences,” he says. “But with new infrastructure like the cable car we have to make sure it has minimum impact and improves livelihoods, creates jobs and slows out-migration. Ultimately it is about balancing economy and ecology.” &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/knowing-our-mountains">Knowing our mountains</a>, Editorial <h2>Sikles Peak</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2023033021038_3e87cc1cdaaaf14dc492ea28e852589f7fae7ee524f436a0c97192241d1d134a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_13" data-image-id="2023033021038_3e87cc1cdaaaf14dc492ea28e852589f7fae7ee524f436a0c97192241d1d134a" data-rendition-name="original" width="6000" height="4000" loading="lazy" alt="Sikles Peak NT"> </figure>  The imposing pointed peak stands out when viewed from <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-man-from-sikles">Sikles</a> because of its dramatic summit pyramid. This is why most people coming here mistake it for Mt Machapuchre.&nbsp; But this peak is just a spur of Annapurna 4, and is only 5,900m, compared to 6,990m of Machapuchre, which is not visible from here. Since so many people take selfies saying it is Machapuchre, Sikles native Hum Gurung has decided to christen the mountain Sikles Peak. This is a sensitive topic here because Lamjung Himal which looms over the town bears the name of the adjoining district even though it is now in Kaski after a change in the border.&nbsp; Says Hum Gurung: “Since we cannot change the name of Lamjung Himal, we can at least call this one Sikles Peak.” Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/himal-pahad-tarai">Himal-Pahad-Tarai</a>

Letter from Sikles

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a18d9c7e80680e0d7088jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1250" height="667"/><figcaption>All photos: KHIM GHALE</figcaption></figure>When Satya Ghale left his village in Lamjung for Hong Kong for work, there was no one left in his ancestral home, and it began to fall apart. He could not return to renovate the house in the scenic village of Khasur, nor could he entrust the upkeep to someone else.His neighbour Chandra Kumari Ghale was in a similar dilemma 12 years ago. Her sons moved out, and since she could not bear to be alone, she joined her elder son in Besisahar.Once, during a visit she was sad to see that her home in Khasur was derelict, so Chandra Kumari decided to let the local women’s group in the village turn it into a restaurant (pictured above).Most of the women in the group were single women, whose children or husbands had moved out for work. Many had gone to Kathmandu, while others had <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/migration-not-a-wish-but-necessity-for-nepalis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">migrated overseas</a>.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a18f9c7e80680e0d7089jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1411" height="893"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/trails-less-travelled/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trails less travelled</a>, Joy StephensLike many Himalayan districts of Nepal, Lamjung’s population has been decreasing, and is now 20% less than what it was 20 years ago. Many village schools have closed, farm terraces are fallow, and only the elderly, women and young children remain. Many of the quaint stone houses with slate tile roofs have fallen into disrepair.Khasur is across Marsyangdi River from the nearest town, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6916#.Y9irdexBzt0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Besisahar</a>. The surrounding mountains are all draped in thick forests, there is a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tang-tings-winter-wonderland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spectacular view of Lamjung Himal</a>, and folds of ridges to the south.The village’s cobblestone paths wind past stone houses built in the traditional architectural style of the Gurung people. But of the 64 households, 20 or so are vacant. With few of the families returning, residents are worried that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/ghatu-dance-of-lamjung/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">their culture and way of life</a> will also soon disappear.Which is why Rupa Ghale has brought together other women in the village and formed the Pragati Nari Samaj (Progressive Women’s Group) to convert abandoned homes into homestays, so that the houses can be maintained with the income.One of those houses is Satya Ghale’s ancestral home. Inspired by Chandra Kumari, he too renovated the building at his own expense and gave it to the women for free to run a homestay for tourists.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a1929c7e80680e0d708ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1800" height="1200"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Village elder Prithvi Man Ghale, teachers, government officials and entrepreneurs have promised support and cooperation for this women-led initiative for sustainable tourism. In return, those who have left Khasur have their family property taken care of, and they also have a place to stay when they return for holidays at festival time.“When people began to leave, the houses started falling apart and there was no money to fix them,” Prithvi Man Ghale says. “And we thought <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepalis-open-doors-to-a-better-life/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">homestay tourism</a> was the perfect way to generate income for the upkeep of the houses and for the families taking care of them.”The women of Pragati Nari Samaj currently run three homestays and have coordinated operations for 10 more. Another 17 houses are in process of getting permits, and there are more unused houses that need to be looked after.“When guests arrive, the first priority is always to place them in a home where we operate a homestay," says Rupa Ghale. “If there is no space here, we arrange to host guests in other houses in the village.”It is now the single women of Khasur who have turned their village into a model for the preservation of Gurung culture and architecture. The income for the homesteads are divided among the 16 members of the group, and a part of it is budgeted for upkeep of the facilities.All hands are on deck to turn Khasur into a prominent tourist destination to rival nearby Ghalegaun. The community has approached the state and local governments for assistance with infrastructure development, training and publicity.For road improvement, Gandaki Province has allocated Rs1 million, Besisahar Municipality Rs500,000 and the ward office Rs200,000.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestay-brings-locals-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Homestay brings locals home</a>, Reeti K.C.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hiking up the benefits of tourism</a>, Sangmin Kim<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230208140220/63e3a1959c7e80680e0d708bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1800" height="1200"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>While the Khasur Homestay Committee has been formed to arrange homestay options for visitors, the three houses run by Pragati Nari Samaj has become a secretariat. The welcome and farewell programs for the guests are at Chandra Kumari Ghale’s restaurant which has also become a venue for planning.The women have also made familiarisation visits to Sirubari, Ghalegaun, Manang and Mustang, where homestay tourism has taken off in recent years. For the Gurung people of Khasur, all this is just an extension of their traditional culture of hospitality.The initiative is also a perfect antidote to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">depopulation of these villages</a> because of the out-migration, mainly of young men. It helps preserve the festivals which revolve around the farming seasons, and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/homestays-keep-former-migrants-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">restores the economy and vibrancy</a> of the community.“While many of our guests right now come from Beshisahar for lunch and return, we hope to attract people from Kathmandu and even abroad,” says Rupa Ghale, who adds this has restored Khasur’s traditional hubbub.Translated from the Himal Khabar <a href="https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/134148" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">original </a>by Ashish Dhakal.Read also:<a style="outline: 0px;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/migrant-worker-finds-farming-in-nepal-more-rewarding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Migrant worker finds farming in Nepal more rewarding</a>, Naresh Newar<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/no-need-to-migrate-for-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No need to migrate for work</a>, Nepali Times

Vacant homes become homestays in Nepal

&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230112100136_63bfd4f89c7e80680e0d30c8jpeg.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20230112100136_63bfd4f89c7e80680e0d30c8jpeg" data-rendition-name="original" width="642" height="635" loading="lazy" alt=" "> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure>  Nepalis had much to look forward to in 2022. The pandemic had abated, tourism was picking up, and the second series of elections under the federal system were set to take place. Barely two months into the year, Russia invaded Ukraine and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/ukraine-crisis-hits-nepal-economy-hard/" target="_blank">the war hit Nepal’s struggling economy hard</a>. A steep rise in the petroleum import bill further depleted state coffers, and widened the trade gap. Political disarray led to ministerial mis-steps and delayed government response. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-local-election-gives-power-back-to-people/" target="_blank">Local elections</a> in May consolidated the coalition, but the strong showing of the independents in federal elections shook the established parties. However, the leaders have ignored the national mood and in a repeat of 2017, Nepal’s Communist parties have joined forces to form <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/left-led-coalition-upturns-nepal-politics/" target="_blank">another coalition government</a>, this time of seven parties with Pushpa Kamal Dahal as the Prime Minister for the third time. Nepali politics continues to be defined by a coalition governments devoid of ideology and incapable of solving urgent problems like creating jobs, curbing pollution, or addressing the climate crisis. <div class="embed-block"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100136/63bfd4fc9c7e80680e0d30c9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="659" height="635"></div> A recap of the year that was through the 12 front pages of Nepali Times in 2022: Pollution and exploitation <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/happy-new-air/" target="_blank">Nepali Times’ first issue for 2022</a> carried an image of brick kilns spewing smoke. That, combined with vehicular emissions and open burning meant that Kathmandu residents were breathing the dirtiest air in the world, reducing their lifespans by 4 years. Garbage piled up on the streets of the capital even as the rivers and mountains were ravaged by illegal quarries and sand mining. As the country plunged headlong from a Covid pandemic into a dengue epidemic. Climate breakdown The year saw worsening impact of the climate crisis, with heat waves and weather extremes. Himalayan glaciers continued to melt, and two-thirds of what remains will be gone during this century. COP27 in Egypt agreed on a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-next-after-cop27-ld-fund/" target="_blank">Loss and Damage Fund</a>, but failed to agree on a more ambitious emission target. But Nepal’s leaders cannot blame global warming for everything -- many of our problems predate the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-climate-crisis-is-a-water-crisis-in-the-himalaya/" target="_blank">climate crisis</a>. More than to save the planet, Nepal must reduce petroleum imports to save its economy from collapse. Migration Nepali Times continued its coverage of the hopes and sorrows of Nepali migrant workers overseas, and added its voice to calls for compensation for the abuse and<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/world-cup-ending-without-migrant-relief/" target="_blank"> deaths of workers building World Cup infrastructure</a> in Qatar. Remittances have started picking up again after the Covid slowdown, propping up the economy. It is not just workers who are leaving, as our investigation last week showed, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-hard-working-students-overseas/" target="_blank">students are leaving in droves</a> with many of them taking this path to emigration. New blood&nbsp; The local election in May and<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-nepali-people-have-spoken/" target="_blank"> federal and provincial polls</a> in November indicated that while the established parties are still dominant, many Nepalis are fed up with them. Rapper-engineer Balen Shah became mayor of Kathmandu, while young professionals were elected to the federal parliament. &nbsp;While traditional politicians will try to trip up the new entrants every step of the way, their very presence in legislative positions provides a glimmer of hope that democracy may finally deliver. Shristi Karki

migration