<img width="640" height="694" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceef49c7e80680e09ae5cjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Twenty years ago on 1 June, 2001, Nepal witnessed an unimaginably shocking tragedy. King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and eight other members of the royal family were killed during regular monthly family dinner at the Naryanhiti Palace.People at the centre of Kathmandu all heard the sound of automatic gunfire at 8:45pm, and feared that the Maoists were attacking the palace. It turned out that Prince Dipendra had killed his father, mother, brother, sister, an uncle, aunts, and other relatives before killing himself.The massacre shocked not just Nepal, but the world — a regicide, patricide, matricide, fratricide, sororicide, multiple homicides and a suicide -- all within minutes.Nepal was in the midst of the Maoist insurrection which had the aim of abolishing the monarchy, and the monarchy itself had imploded. Within five months, the rebels attacked the Royal Nepal Army bases, intensifying the conflict which was to drag on for another five years with much loss of life. Dipendra was in a coma for four days, and proclaimed king. After he died, his uncle Gyanendra became king. Nepal had three kings in four days. On Tuesday, it will be exactly 20 years since that fateful Friday night. Many who knew King Birendra still mourn him, and say that perhaps Nepal would still be a constitutional monarchy today if he had not died. <figure><img width="574" height="713" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceef79c7e80680e09ae5djpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>For some, he was “Maharaj Sarkar”, to others their beloved “Biren Dai”, Birendra was the perfect gentleman king, and for many Nepalis he was also an incarnation of Vishnu. From palace colleagues to civil servants, relatives to politicians most have nothing but nice things to say about the man. Since he was a child, Birendra was always known for his calm demeanour, mild manners, and a soft-spoken kind hearted personality. Educated in Darjeeling, Eton, Harvard and Tokyo, Birendra was never comfortable being an absolute monarch. So, when the first People’s Movement of 1990 took place, he relinquished powers to be a constitutional king despite misgivings from hardliners in the palace, including his own family.He was devoted to his country, and wanted to make things better. His leadership skills differed from all the preceding kings as well as his brother who succeeded him to the throne. A man of frugal tastes, he wanted nothing but peace and development for his country. But critics say he was not assertive enough to follow through, and get things done. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa was Nepal’s ambassador to India when the massacre took place. He found out from breaking news on television at the Barakhamba Road embassy residence in New Delhi. In interviews with the media the next day, he broke into tears.Even after two decades, Thapa’s voice falters when he remembers the king who appointed him to be Nepal’s youngest ever Finance Minister. He remembers how deftly Birendra defused the crisis of the People’s Movement in 1990, and his state visit to India on Republic Day in 2001 when it was clear that he was a man without airs or arrogance. "He had made peace with the idea of taking a back seat,” Thapa recalls. “King Birendra hated war and violence, and knowing that the Maoist insurgency was on the rise, he was keen on finding a peaceful solution. He was actually working on a peace plan when the massacre happened.”   <figure><img width="640" height="993" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceef99c7e80680e09ae5ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>King Mahendra instructed Thapa, whom he had brought back from college in the United States to become the governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, to have weekly sessions with Crown Prince Birendra to instruct him about the country’s economy and development.“One of the most memorable things he said to me once was, ‘You know, I am not like my father, I have my own vision for my country’. That sentence still rings in my ears till today,” Thapa recalls. As crown prince, and after returning from abroad, Birendra travelled all over Nepal in disguise to understand the socio-economic situation of his people. Thapa says, “In his mind, he knew that there was Nepal beyond Kathmandu and his love and devotion for his people showed in his deep sense of patriotism.” Vivek Shah worked with Birendra as his military secretary for more than 27 years, and has similar memories of the king. He remembers King Birendra as being very calm, someone who did not get flustered in a crisis.  <figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceefb9c7e80680e09ae5fjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“He did not speak much, but when he did, it was deep and considered opinion, and he showed great compassion to people around him,” Shah recalls. “He loved and admired the Nepali people and worried constantly about the country’s resource limitation in moving forward.”Shah remembers King Birendra always had a strategy in handling any grave situation, and he regarded the Nepali people as his family. So much so that he perhaps did not devote as much time to his own family.Shah says, “If King Birendra was alive today, Nepal would still be a monarchy and he would have devoted all his time and energy to confront a challenge like the Covid-19 pandemic.” Ketaki Chester, first cousin"I have never met a more genuine person than King Birendra. As a person, he was a wonderful, good human being.  He was kind to everybody. I seldom heard his voice raised in anger. There was a stage in our lives, when we climbed in the garden and we got into a lot of trouble for it. As a young boy, he was quite naughty. We have two-and-a-half years of difference. He was very friendly with all of us cousins.  <img width="400" height="300" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceefe9c7e80680e09ae60jpeg.jpg" alt="">Once he had become the reigning monarch, he was a very popular person who everyone loved, and I am sure the country would have been in much better hands today had he still been around. I was wounded in the massacre and even 20 years on, I have to live with the terrible memory. I was hit in the shoulder. It seems like a bad dream. I was hit in the shoulder. I have not forgotten even the tiniest detail of that night." Rajni Singh, first cousin"King Birendra and I have roughly 10 to 12 years of age difference. He was either in school or college when I was growing up. Of whatever I can recollect of him, he was a very calm and good-hearted person. During those days, we had a trend of collecting autographs, and I remember how sweetly he signed an autograph for me and drew my sketch. Not everyone knows that he was a very good artist, too. He often took us for drives when I was a child. He didn’t talk much, but was a good listener. We used to be on the same flight to school in Darjeeling as well. <img width="640" height="592" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636ceeff9c7e80680e09ae61jpeg.jpg" alt="">He always made sure that he came along for dinner and movie sessions with our grannies and whenever he returned from his trip abroad, he always brought presents for the whole family. I was lucky to receive a few presents. He was a very thoughtful person and quite different from the rest of the family."Bhekh Bahadur Thapa Former minister and diplomat. "He was an excellent human being. A nationalist and a decent gentleman. His approach to people and country was of a very high order. When he asked me to be his Cabinet Minister, I politely refused the offer but suggested that he wanted someone with a specialisation in economics and finance to help him. It was then I got to know him, and when I was in the Planning Commission, King Mahendra asked me to have sessions with him. So, I started getting in touch with him on a weekly basis. During those meetings, he once mentioned  ‘My father has his own vision and I have my own’. I developed a strong sense of respect for him after that, and it is still very fresh in my mind. <img width="400" height="263" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636cef029c7e80680e09ae62jpeg.jpg" alt="">King Birendra was devoted to the national interest, and was very mild-mannered, and he must have been under pressure from his family and society. His mild manners meant that some in his family and core advisers may not have taken him as seriously as they should have. The moment he succeeded his father, he started the process to know people and the Nepali landscape. He believed in seeing things for himself rather than relying on others. Instead of listening to experts, he started listening directly to the people."Vivek Shah, King Birendra's military secretary"If the tragic massacre had not happened, perhaps Nepal could still be a constitutional monarchy and the state of the country would have been far different from what it is now. I worked with him for over 27 years and he was so down to earth, simple and kind-hearted. Working with him for so long, there is one thing that he always abided by: "Whatever it is, I have to do everything in my capacity to be there for my people." Nepal was not just his homeland, it was his whole reason for being. He often worried about the lack of resources to develop the country, and the political turmoil and insurgency. Violence and war really troubled him. <img width="175" height="251" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131128/636cef039c7e80680e09ae63jpeg.jpg" alt="">After the 1990’s movement, King Birendra was very well aware that things were not going too well, but he wanted to do the best he could to bring peace. The only goal he had in mind was to end the conflict with a political resolution. He was always looking for solutions, he wanted to bring change to the country and for that he knew the country needed to be at peace.Towards the end, he had a lot of things in mind. He was under a lot of stress, but he was always working towards his end goal. As a person King Birendra was a devoted family man, but he regarded all Nepalis as his family. And perhaps he did not give as much time to his own family that he wanted to. I remember during the People's Movement of 1990 how violence had gone beyond control, and how difficult it was for him to handle it all. He wanted a truce, and later when the conflict started he worked tirelessly to bring about a peaceful resolution."

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If Birendra was alive, Nepal could still be a monarchy

<img width="640" height="694" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86ee9c7e80680e06787fjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Twenty years ago on 1 June, 2001, Nepal witnessed an unimaginably shocking tragedy. King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and eight other members of the royal family were killed during regular monthly family dinner at the Naryanhiti Palace.People at the centre of Kathmandu all heard the sound of automatic gunfire at 8:45pm, and feared that the Maoists were attacking the palace. It turned out that Prince Dipendra had killed his father, mother, brother, sister, an uncle, aunts, and other relatives before killing himself.The massacre shocked not just Nepal, but the world — a regicide, patricide, matricide, fratricide, sororicide, multiple homicides and a suicide -- all within minutes.Nepal was in the midst of the Maoist insurrection which had the aim of abolishing the monarchy, and the monarchy itself had imploded. Within five months, the rebels attacked the Royal Nepal Army bases, intensifying the conflict which was to drag on for another five years with much loss of life. Dipendra was in a coma for four days, and proclaimed king. After he died, his uncle Gyanendra became king. Nepal had three kings in four days. On Tuesday, it will be exactly 20 years since that fateful Friday night. Many who knew King Birendra still mourn him, and say that perhaps Nepal would still be a constitutional monarchy today if he had not died. <figure><img width="574" height="713" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86f19c7e80680e067880jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>For some, he was “Maharaj Sarkar”, to others their beloved “Biren Dai”, Birendra was the perfect gentleman king, and for many Nepalis he was also an incarnation of Vishnu. From palace colleagues to civil servants, relatives to politicians most have nothing but nice things to say about the man. Since he was a child, Birendra was always known for his calm demeanour, mild manners, and a soft-spoken kind hearted personality. Educated in Darjeeling, Eton, Harvard and Tokyo, Birendra was never comfortable being an absolute monarch. So, when the first People’s Movement of 1990 took place, he relinquished powers to be a constitutional king despite misgivings from hardliners in the palace, including his own family.He was devoted to his country, and wanted to make things better. His leadership skills differed from all the preceding kings as well as his brother who succeeded him to the throne. A man of frugal tastes, he wanted nothing but peace and development for his country. But critics say he was not assertive enough to follow through, and get things done. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa was Nepal’s ambassador to India when the massacre took place. He found out from breaking news on television at the Barakhamba Road embassy residence in New Delhi. In interviews with the media the next day, he broke into tears.Even after two decades, Thapa’s voice falters when he remembers the king who appointed him to be Nepal’s youngest ever Finance Minister. He remembers how deftly Birendra defused the crisis of the People’s Movement in 1990, and his state visit to India on Republic Day in 2001 when it was clear that he was a man without airs or arrogance. "He had made peace with the idea of taking a back seat,” Thapa recalls. “King Birendra hated war and violence, and knowing that the Maoist insurgency was on the rise, he was keen on finding a peaceful solution. He was actually working on a peace plan when the massacre happened.”   <figure><img width="640" height="993" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86f39c7e80680e067881jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>King Mahendra instructed Thapa, whom he had brought back from college in the United States to become the governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, to have weekly sessions with Crown Prince Birendra to instruct him about the country’s economy and development.“One of the most memorable things he said to me once was, ‘You know, I am not like my father, I have my own vision for my country’. That sentence still rings in my ears till today,” Thapa recalls. As crown prince, and after returning from abroad, Birendra travelled all over Nepal in disguise to understand the socio-economic situation of his people. Thapa says, “In his mind, he knew that there was Nepal beyond Kathmandu and his love and devotion for his people showed in his deep sense of patriotism.” Vivek Shah worked with Birendra as his military secretary for more than 27 years, and has similar memories of the king. He remembers King Birendra as being very calm, someone who did not get flustered in a crisis.  <figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86f69c7e80680e067882jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“He did not speak much, but when he did, it was deep and considered opinion, and he showed great compassion to people around him,” Shah recalls. “He loved and admired the Nepali people and worried constantly about the country’s resource limitation in moving forward.”Shah remembers King Birendra always had a strategy in handling any grave situation, and he regarded the Nepali people as his family. So much so that he perhaps did not devote as much time to his own family.Shah says, “If King Birendra was alive today, Nepal would still be a monarchy and he would have devoted all his time and energy to confront a challenge like the Covid-19 pandemic.” Ketaki Chester, first cousin"I have never met a more genuine person than King Birendra. As a person, he was a wonderful, good human being.  He was kind to everybody. I seldom heard his voice raised in anger. There was a stage in our lives, when we climbed in the garden and we got into a lot of trouble for it. As a young boy, he was quite naughty. We have two-and-a-half years of difference. He was very friendly with all of us cousins.  <img width="400" height="300" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86f99c7e80680e067883jpeg.jpg" alt="">Once he had become the reigning monarch, he was a very popular person who everyone loved, and I am sure the country would have been in much better hands today had he still been around. I was wounded in the massacre and even 20 years on, I have to live with the terrible memory. I was hit in the shoulder. It seems like a bad dream. I was hit in the shoulder. I have not forgotten even the tiniest detail of that night." Rajni Singh, first cousin"King Birendra and I have roughly 10 to 12 years of age difference. He was either in school or college when I was growing up. Of whatever I can recollect of him, he was a very calm and good-hearted person. During those days, we had a trend of collecting autographs, and I remember how sweetly he signed an autograph for me and drew my sketch. Not everyone knows that he was a very good artist, too. He often took us for drives when I was a child. He didn’t talk much, but was a good listener. We used to be on the same flight to school in Darjeeling as well. <img width="640" height="592" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86fa9c7e80680e067884jpeg.jpg" alt="">He always made sure that he came along for dinner and movie sessions with our grannies and whenever he returned from his trip abroad, he always brought presents for the whole family. I was lucky to receive a few presents. He was a very thoughtful person and quite different from the rest of the family."Bhekh Bahadur Thapa Former minister and diplomat. "He was an excellent human being. A nationalist and a decent gentleman. His approach to people and country was of a very high order. When he asked me to be his Cabinet Minister, I politely refused the offer but suggested that he wanted someone with a specialisation in economics and finance to help him. It was then I got to know him, and when I was in the Planning Commission, King Mahendra asked me to have sessions with him. So, I started getting in touch with him on a weekly basis. During those meetings, he once mentioned  ‘My father has his own vision and I have my own’. I developed a strong sense of respect for him after that, and it is still very fresh in my mind. <img width="400" height="263" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86fd9c7e80680e067885jpeg.jpg" alt="">King Birendra was devoted to the national interest, and was very mild-mannered, and he must have been under pressure from his family and society. His mild manners meant that some in his family and core advisers may not have taken him as seriously as they should have. The moment he succeeded his father, he started the process to know people and the Nepali landscape. He believed in seeing things for himself rather than relying on others. Instead of listening to experts, he started listening directly to the people."Vivek Shah, King Birendra's military secretary"If the tragic massacre had not happened, perhaps Nepal could still be a constitutional monarchy and the state of the country would have been far different from what it is now. I worked with him for over 27 years and he was so down to earth, simple and kind-hearted. Working with him for so long, there is one thing that he always abided by: "Whatever it is, I have to do everything in my capacity to be there for my people." Nepal was not just his homeland, it was his whole reason for being. He often worried about the lack of resources to develop the country, and the political turmoil and insurgency. Violence and war really troubled him. <img width="175" height="251" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111152/636b86ff9c7e80680e067886jpeg.jpg" alt="">After the 1990’s movement, King Birendra was very well aware that things were not going too well, but he wanted to do the best he could to bring peace. The only goal he had in mind was to end the conflict with a political resolution. He was always looking for solutions, he wanted to bring change to the country and for that he knew the country needed to be at peace.Towards the end, he had a lot of things in mind. He was under a lot of stress, but he was always working towards his end goal. As a person King Birendra was a devoted family man, but he regarded all Nepalis as his family. And perhaps he did not give as much time to his own family that he wanted to. I remember during the People's Movement of 1990 how violence had gone beyond control, and how difficult it was for him to handle it all. He wanted a truce, and later when the conflict started he worked tirelessly to bring about a peaceful resolution."

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4e59c7e80680e073690jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1125" height="844"/><figcaption>King Birendra designed this three-storey cottage named Shree Sadan for his family when he was Crown Prince. It will soon be open to the public, and has preserved the rooms exactly like it was when the entire royal family was killed in a massacre in 2001.</figcaption></figure>When <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18278#.XyvRz4gzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D18278%23.XyvRz4gzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEMDOjs0Q__r5yzqk3y4KnEOM3DbQ">Narayanhiti Palace</a> was opened to the public in 2009 soon after Nepal was declared a <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFzk-FZmp9_uF7TZbIDq9ksZbxx5Q">republic</a>, Nepalis flocked in to see what daily life of the royals looked like. They were not impressed.Many thought they would also see Tribhuvan Sadan, the building where the 2001 family massacre took place in which<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18246#.XyvKMYgzbIW" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D18246%23.XyvKMYgzbIW&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEqs-7ecqRU__rrDrjApuAv6iFXXw"> ten members of the royal family were killed</a>, and which was later demolished.The pink pagoda shaped building with a tower designed by American architect Benjamin Polk was a ceremonial structure for official functions, and there was not much to see there about the private life of royals.Now, the Narayanhiti Palace Museum is set to open Shree Sadan, King Birendra’s private family residence, which has been kept intact since the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8338#.XyvJuYgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8338%23.XyvJuYgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEOCPm9GlBmc0iJNiguhP4cCLSrZw">massacre at 8:45 PM on Friday, 1 June 2001</a>.Nepali Times got an exclusive sneak preview of Shree Sadan this week, and it is like a time capsule – <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10777#.XyvMSIgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D10777%23.XyvMSIgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGvrL28ueQ0BKNZpuFCX6fQ8gIBeQ">Prince Nirajan</a>’s room still has his class timetable stuck to the wall, the alcove bar has King Birendra’s favourite brandy, and in the bedroom is a small cot where the king’s beloved German Shepherd, Jit, used to sleep.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4e89c7e80680e073691jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720">“Everything is the same as it was 20 years ago, we wanted it to be as it was, a place where our king, queen, princes and princesses walked, this place holds attachment, and tampering with the memories would be a disservice to Nepal’s history,” says Buddhi Bahadur Gurung as he walks through the dark and slightly musty-smelling rooms.This is an emotional project for 54-year-old Gurung, who worked closely with <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8412#.XyvLKogzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8412%23.XyvLKogzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGeCUSJ9L4IT2nNkCNxYQQBL4UGPQ">King Birendra</a> ever since he was employed at the royal palace at the age of 21. He is now entrusted with sprucing up Shree Sadan so it can be added to the Narayanhiti Museum once the COVID-19 lockdown is fully lifted.Despite the coronavirus restrictions, workers have used the past four months preserving the artefacts in Shree Sadan, while taking care not to disturb anything in the rooms. The building lies  between the current museum and the Republic Memorial to the east.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8252#.XyvM0YgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8252%23.XyvM0YgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGc1b0k3_N99uTD9MCTxraR1yAFxA">At Chhauni, 1-4 June 2001</a>, Dr Upendra DevkotaEntering the lush driveway, visitors will be reminded that this was the route King Birendra took every day as he went to and from his office with Jit. There is a deep stillness in the air, and Shree Sadan has a raw and foreboding look.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4eb9c7e80680e073692jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720">Gurung remembers King Birendra as a simple man with plain tastes, and did not want an ostentatious building: “He preferred it this way, he loved the natural charm of the brick and tiles.”<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/A-suitable-prince,2423" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/A-suitable-prince,2423&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFNAjv0Qh-bv9vVdDIYVbjwsnV8Cw">Crown Prince Dipendra</a> did not live in Shree Sadan because royal tradition demanded that he stay separately from his parents once he turned 18. He had moved to Tribhuvan Sadan, where the shooting of the royal family took place in 2001 during a regular royal family dinner gathering.Birendra had also moved out of the home of his father, King Mahendra, when he turned 18. That is when he built the 3-storey and 12-room Shree Sadan for himself.The main door leads to a red carpeted hallway and a double staircase with a portrait of the extended royal family on the left. The shelf centres a painting of King Birendra’s mother, Queen Indra – her immaculate beauty captured on a crystal frame. In contrast, the hallway also has some grisly taxidermy heads of bears, deer and mountain goats along the wall, a life-size mirror reflecting them.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/issue/293/Headline/11506#.XyvRLYgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/issue/293/Headline/11506%23.XyvRLYgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEDVIynu33aH-wFZUGVAi689ZtDTA">Cut and cleanly</a>, Kunda Dixit<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4ed9c7e80680e073693jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1250" height="1610">The ground floor has the study of King Birendra and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/issue/293/Headline/11506#.XyvRLYgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/issue/293/Headline/11506%23.XyvRLYgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEDVIynu33aH-wFZUGVAi689ZtDTA">Queen Aishwarya</a>, which was Crown Prince Dipendra’s bedroom before he moved out in 1988.The living room has portraits of Dipendra, Princess Shruti and Prince Nirajan, and the dining hall has a large brown marble table under a blue ceiling where only the family was allowed.Off the dining area is a small alcove bar where King Birendra sometimes hosted his brothers for after-dinner drinks and a cigar. He would pour himself a brandy, and fix drinks for Prince <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8986#.XyvKzIgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8986%23.XyvKzIgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEWT3vGN0LEwDCPH13w01gNtUPADA">Gyanendra</a> and Prince <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8999#.XyvO-4gzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8999%23.XyvO-4gzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHFL_bPTVkhGRlrqRqbPAFtSR7pMQ">Dhirendra</a>.Upstairs, the first floor leads to the King and Queen’s personal chambers and the hallway has oil-on-canvas paintings of landscapes and wildlife by Princess Shruti, an accomplished artist herself.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18278#.XyvRz4gzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D18278%23.XyvRz4gzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEMDOjs0Q__r5yzqk3y4KnEOM3DbQ">Tyaha raja rani hunthyo</a>, Rabi ThapaTo the left is a common living room, with blue themed walls and furniture. There is a bulky cathode-ray Sony tv set and a stereo with cassette tapes in a corner. This area leads to Queen Aishwarya’s vanity room where there is a small dressing area with a three-sided mirror table, a partition for changing. Adjoining it is a puja kotha (prayer room).<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4f09c7e80680e073694jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="1000"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4f39c7e80680e073695jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1334">The living room, bedrooms, dining hall and even the bar alcove show the king's simple lifestyle and plain taste.To the right on the first floor is the personal room of the King and Queen which is modest, almost frugal. A 1990s National tv set faces a king-sized bed attached to a mirror that goes up to the ceiling. The side table has a dial telephone along with a framed image of Khaptad Baba. The bathrooms are simple with pink tiles, a bathtub, a small mirror and ordinary sink.Next to the door is a small cot for King Birendra’s favourite pet, Jit the German Shepherd. Jit died soon after the royal massacre. “It was depression,” Gurung says.Princess Shruti and Prince Nirajan lived on the second floor. To the right of the hallway is Nirajan’s chamber: his study room, bedroom and a small terrace with a punching bag, where he often practiced boxing. Nirajan was 23 when he was killed.The Prince’s study room had stickers of cartoon characters Goofy and Mickey Mouse. He has a collection of Laughing Buddha figures on his shelf, and picture frames on the wall. Everything is as it was 20 years ago – even Nirajan’s class schedule for Kathmandu Management College pinned to the wall and a weekly schedule printed in dot matrix: ‘Wake up at 6.30 and head to bed by 23.00. Friday wake up at 10 am and FRIDAY NIGHT from 19.00 to 23.00.’<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8339#.XyvJpogzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8339%23.XyvJpogzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHPR-EtIoIq_0AKcb1_9edSsYIErQ">If truth to be told</a>, Kunda Dixit Princess Shruti’s room is different. She was two years older than Nirajan, and it is more feminine: pink flowered closets, family portraits, single bed, study table with VCR tapes which she often shared with her brother. In the driveway below Shree Sadan are three small toy cars -- black, red and white – in which the three siblings often played when they were children.The opening of Shree Sadan has been delayed by the pandemic and bureaucratic hurdles. But Director of the Narayanhiti Palace Museum Bhesh Narayan Dahal says they are being sorted out: “Yes there were a lot of delays and mismanagement, but we don’t want to wait any further. There is much more of an <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8985#.XyvLRYgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D8985%23.XyvLRYgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEyddHjnjp-HWHCTi9M4ERmYsvxCw">emotional connection</a> with the royal family in Shree Sadan and it is a searing memory of the tragedy.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4f69c7e80680e073696jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="720" height="462"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4f89c7e80680e073697jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="606" height="500"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Because of his links to the royal family, Gurung was disappointed that visitors were not happy with the ceremonial palace and its exhibits. But he is confident that Shree Sadan will be a much more intimate addition to the museum.There are other sections of the palace that are still out of bounds. Trishul Sadan to the east of the main palace has a salon, medication room, gymnasium, indoor swimming pool and private rooms of the prince and princesses. It has not been opened because it is part of the Mahendra Manjil, still the private residence of<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17847#.Xyui1IgzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D17847%23.Xyui1IgzbIU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEOb-DHNL1YqctviEnpu2KOrQykuA"> Queen Mother Ratna</a> who is now 92, and was allowed to live there after 2008.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596794292205000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFzk-FZmp9_uF7TZbIDq9ksZbxx5Q">From royal to republic</a>, Shreejana ShresthaGurung says that although King Birendra had winter and summer palaces in Chitwan, Pokhara and Nagarjun, his favourite was always  Shree Sadan, a place where he truly felt at home and where he liked to relax while gardening and reading.Narayanhiti is named after the Malla-era water spouts near the Narayan Temple. Prime Minister Bir Shumshere Rana, who had his daughter marry King Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, made a palace for the king as a dowry in the late 19th century.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4fa9c7e80680e073698jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1347" height="750"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>However, that neo-classical palace was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake and King Tribhuvan rebuilt the house called Tribhuvan Sadan -- the building where the massacre took place.Says Buddhi Bahadur Gurung: “We look forward to welcoming visitors to this museum after the COVID-19 crisis. We have put our heart and soul into it to preserve it just as it was two decades ago on the day of the tragedy.”Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/three-kings-in-four-days-nepal-massacre">Three kings in four days</a>, Kunda Dixit

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Preserving King Birendra’s family home

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109101148/636b779c9c7e80680e064647jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="1083"/><figcaption>Illustration: SUBHAS RAI</figcaption></figure>When the Nepali Times was preparing to launch two decades ago, many Nepalis were sad, frightened and looking for ways to leave areas affected by armed conflict, and then Nepal altogether.A few decided that the future would depend on what we did and how effectively we did it. Twenty years later, Nepal is at peace with numerous challenges, but at least it is at peace.Nepal went from <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2016/11/20/no-peace-dividend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war to peace</a> and from <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14803" target="_blank" rel="noopener">monarchy to republic</a>, it inducted some of the guerrillas into the national army, it held elections at all three levels of government under a new federal constitution, and the ruling party promises citizens stability and a better quality of life. The earthquake, the Indian blockade, endemic corruption and a lack of trust in government, businesses houses and political parties have slowed things down.Throughout these last 20 years, the Nepali Times team had a ringside seat to history being made. It worked hard and worked smart and issue after issue, it kept the hopes and aspirations of Nepal as high as it could with facts, data, images, animation, analysis and, yes, even humour. The colourful and elegantly designed pages of the Nepali Times became conversation pieces every Friday, raising public consciousness about critical issues and allowing people to form communities and organise for action.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=41591&amp;preview_nonce=f9ef547137&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,000 weeks of Nepali Times</a>, Mark TurinThe paper became a catalyst, and provided a medium for small and big actions around health, environment, the economy, gender and justice. Confused by day-to-day politics, many of us readers looked forward week after week to stay informed and to make personal and collective decisions based on what the Nepali Times covered, analysed and projected.But even while the Nepali Times marks this 1000th issue, the future of free press and the financial viability of publications cannot and should not be taken for granted. People in power have tried to manipulate or control the media to consolidate power and personal wealth. Media outlets that do not fall in line are under attack. The legacy media, already under financial strain because of the internet, is also facing pressure from the government. This newspaper has been made to suffer for its independence. It has been attacked by both the extreme left and the extreme right in the past 20 years.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/back-to-the-future-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Back to the future in Nepal</a>, Anil ChitrakarThese thousand issues of the Nepali Times are fully archived, and a site search of any subject will show that this archive provides a valuable window on Nepal’s recent history. Future generations of historians will find a handy narrative of how Nepal made its great transition. And perhaps a book summarising the times of Nepali Times would ensure that history is not written by the winners.As regular writers for the Nepali Times, we crave ‘shelf life’, which these archives give us. And this means remembering not to forget what we lived through in the past 20 years, so that we do not repeat the fearful times of conflict, the royal massacre, the communal riots of 2004, or the abuse of human rights in the name of revolution that has left deep scars in Nepali society.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/half-full/nepal-between-two-tomcats,1084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The great leap</a>, Anil ChitrakarThe earthquake united the Nepali people unlike the politics that divided us. Disasters seem to bring out the best in us, and politics the worst. In the next two decades Nepal will reap what it has sown in the past.The unresolved issues in the Constitution and the challenges related to identity politics, correcting historical wrongs, growing pollution in the Kathmandu valley, corruption and fraud are what we will now be grappling with. To stay tuned, read the Nepali Times.Anil Chitrakar is President of Siddharthinc and writes this forthnightly column ‘½ Full’ for the Nepali Times.

Anil Chitrakar

Nepal’s history foretold

<img width="640" height="417" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108111156/636a35e09c7e80680e0482d4jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><img width="640" height="461" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108111156/636a35e39c7e80680e0482d5jpeg.jpg" alt="">Every Monday morning for the next few months a lot of Nepalis young and old will be up early to watch tv. No, not for the Champions League, but for the latest episode of the last season of the<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game of Thrones.</a> Our own bloody history of palace intrigue and royal feud perhaps make Nepalis familiar with the conspiracies, back-stabbing, violence, and belief in the supernatural that are staple fare of the HBO series based on the novels of <a href="http://www.georgerrmartin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">George RR Martin</a>. Those who think there is too much blood-letting, gratuitous gore, or an unrealistic plot only have to look back at Nepal's own history of massacres at the Kot, Bhandarkhal and Narayanhiti to know that the stuff is all too real. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.atavist.com/three-kings-in-four-days-nepal-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">royal massacre of 2001</a> is still fresh in many minds, and would have made a great tv series to beat any melodrama that  Bollywood or Hollywood could concoct. We in Nepal may be ahead of the rest of the world in real-life bloodbaths, but are still behind in their artistic representation. That must be why we from the land of the erstwhile 24 Kingdoms take vicarious pleasure in bloody feuds in the 7 Kingdoms of Westeros. And if you miss the next episode (who wants to wake up at 6:45 AM?) there are plenty of cafes in town that have started holding screenings on Monday evenings, some free and some paid, where you can join fellow GoT addicts. There is nothing earth-shattering in the first episode of Season 8, in fact it leaves the viewer distinctly underwhelmed. There are some predictable meetings that flash back to Season 1 Episode 1 almost ten years ago. Sure, Jon gets on his dragon for the first time and flies off with Danaerys to romance in a mountain, and sure, Arya faces her captor The Hound, but there is nothing extra-dramatic or memorable. Especially after a searing end to Season 7, these plot lines barely create a ripple. That was perhaps to be expected of the first episode, however, because it is only setting the scene for the finale. The episode did have its moments: one of which was that Cersei, as usual, has a new lover, but this time her brother is not by her side to save her from her foolish dalliances. The fact that she orders her beloved (pun intended) brother Jaime killed is quite a shocker, even for Cersei. Meanwhile, the other queen Danaerys, known to flirt with women when she likes to, misses it badly this time, as she comes across a battle-hardened Sansa Stark whose looks belie her steeliness. The interaction between the two women, friendly up front but simmering with resentful sparks below, is something to behold. And this brings us to the crux of the finale, which has been plaguing fans for two blank years: what is going to happen now? You know it is the beginning of the end when the episode goes back to the very beginning, with a huge retinue marching into Winterfell. Nothing seems changed, and yet, everything has changed. The Starks are not the innocent fools they used to be, and yet, they continue to be noble fools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR4PJn8b8IGame of Thrones is famous for decapitations galore and moral ambiguity in a plot that is like a cross between Rana sibling infighting and The Sopranos. For the past few seasons, as the story focuses on the threat of the Night King's Army of the Whitewalkers, there have been clearer heroes and anti-heroes. Everything is looking good for Jon Snow, and the much admired Danaerys Targaryen. Is the show moving towards a typical happy ending after all?Viewers will also notice that the colour palette for this season is relatively muted. Blacks, grays, and the occasional white on Danaerys, but none of the vibrant blues of Margery or the flamboyant yellows of Ellaria. The colour range owes a lot to the fact that winter has come to the wintry north. But it also befits the sombre mood as the White Walkers' Army of the undead has finally broken through the magical ice wall. The costumes are stunning as usual, and there is much to enjoy visually, even apart from the drama. The revamped title sequence, for one, includes new locations, new stories, and interiors of the castles that we previously only saw from outside.The big reveal of the episode, Jon Snow's lineage, was not a big surprise to viewers at all, who have known for quite some time who he is. But finally, something has changed, and the next episode will hopefully see more action along these lines. All along, Jon Snow knew nothing, and now, he knows something.

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Game of Thrones familiar to Nepalis

Former Norwegian ambassador to Nepal returns to see a country transformed<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101152/6368d5cd9c7e80680e031449jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="837"/>Even when there was a conflict going on, I always found people friendly and open during my years in Nepal from 1999-2004. Despite the warmth and hospitality, things changed somewhat as the government lost control over a large part of the countryside to Maoist rebels.Norway was supporting the education sector but visits to rural schools became difficult as teachers and students were terrified by both the Maoists and the security forces.Fourteen years later, Nepal has moved from war to peace. People can move freely, and children go to school without fear. On a recent visit, I saw no armoured vehicles on the streets of Kathmandu and no APFs checking cars at night. The police checkpoints now are looking for drunk drivers.A <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">palace massacre</a>, a violent insurgency, the royal takeover, new constitution, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2015/05/27/a-month-that-felt-like-a-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquake</a> and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/As-It-Happens/blockade-that-benefitted-no-one,660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blockade</a>, all in a timespan of less than 15 years – it is really too much for any nation to cope with. Still, this is just what the people of Nepal have done, and they have come out more united and confident.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepal-from-royal-to-republic,3736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">From royal to republic</a>,  Shreejana ShresthaMy friends told me that many wounds are not healed, that the victims feel forgotten, and that there is still a big gap between the class of rulers and those being ruled. This may hopefully slowly change, the commitment of many Nepalis encouraged me.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101152/6368d5d09c7e80680e03144ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="480"><figcaption>Maternal Waiting Ward in Okhaldhunga</figcaption></figure>I visited Okhaldhunga and saw that the earthquake too had hit the schools hard. But there was a priority on the rehabilitation of schools, many children now have safer classrooms. The people were busy building new, stronger brick houses as the government support had finally reached them.My Norwegian friends have worked at Okhaldhunga Community Hospital for 14 years. During this time, the hospital and its outreach services have grown to take particular care of mothers and children. They even offer expecting young mothers the facility to stay with relatives at the Maternal Waiting Home, ensuring that they reach the hospital in time. The relative these days is often the husband, and many of them want to be present during delivery.The other big change is that there are now roads everywhere. You can now drive fromn Kathmandu to Okhaldhunga and even to Solu Khumbu further north. In Kathmandu, of course, the increase in traffic has brought heavy <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/air-pollution-survey-kathmandu,3998" target="_blank" rel="noopener">air pollution</a>.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101152/6368d5d29c7e80680e03144bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figcaption>Ingrid Ofstad and husband Rolf Ree at Poon Hill</figcaption></figure>Still, the rest of the country is as magnificent as ever. My visit to Nepal was timed to enable me to experience the spectacular sunrise view of Dhaulagiri and Annapurna from Poon Hill with the red rhododendron forests in full bloom. I was not disappointed. It is one of the most stunning views I have ever seen. Somewhat disturbing was that the new road to Ulleri and Ghandruk have partly destroyed the old walking trails. Local people want road access, but it makes sense to protect the trekking routes.Read also:  <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2015/05/27/a-month-that-felt-like-a-year/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A month that felt like a year</a>,  Kunda DixitOne of the greater charms of trekking in Nepal is walking on paths used by local people, passing villages where farms and livestock are still the main activity. Nepal still has a living cultural landscape, which is the main draw for foreigners besides the mountain views. This may be difficult to preserve, but finding better ways to accommodate both tourism and farming needs to be explored.Nepal has changed, but is still in many ways the same. People are struggling to keep traditions alive, to preserve national identity. I was lucky to witness the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/makers-of-machhindranath,2204" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rato Machindranath chariot</a> being pulled by women, and was encouraged by the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/piece-by-piece-patan-darbar-square-reconstruction,3782" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rebuilding of the temples at Patan Durbar Square</a>.Compared to 14 years ago, there are mobile phones everywhere and there is dramatic improvement in electricity supply. There are more latrines in rural areas and I was thrilled by the spread of the Open Defecation Free Zones .I am glad to have visited Nepal at a time when there are reasons to be optimistic about the country’s future, and I hope Nepal will find its own way to make traditions and development ‘go hand in hand’.Ingrid Ofstad was Norway’s ambassador to Nepal from 2000-2004, and later served as ambassador to South Sudan and Angola.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/As-It-Happens/blockade-that-benefitted-no-one,660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The blockade that benefitted no one except smugglers</a>,  Om Astha Rai

Back in Nepal after 14 years

The news headlines this week said: ‘The House of Representatives passed the Nepal Citizenship (Second Amendment) Bill that now makes <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-unequal-citizenship-law">acquiring citizenship through the mother</a> as equal as through the father.’&nbsp;
Could it really be true? There is genuine confusion or deliberate misunderstanding in the public about the Bill. Here is an explainer:
What is the Bill?
The Second Amendment to the Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 was tabled by the government on 11 March, 2024. The lengthy list of amendments underwent a detailed discussion within the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee of the HoR which presented a shortened list of agreed amendments.&nbsp;
The HoR passed this amended list of amendments on 28 June. While the original Bill contained eight amendment proposals, only three major amendments were presented by the Committee, and approved by the HoR.
Has it become law now?
No. It is yet to be passed by the National Assembly and endorsed by the President.
What exactly is contained in the amendments?&nbsp;
<ol>
 <li>Addition to Section 5 of the Act: ‘For citizenship applications, a father’s identity is deemed unknown if the applicant and their mother both provide a self-declaration stating that the father is unidentified, as per Section 5, even if his name is listed on the person’s birth registration, educational qualifications, or other certificates, yet his other identity is not available and is currently out of contact.’</li>
</ol>
This simply provides a definition to what the Act means by ‘father unidentified’ or ‘father untraceable’. Section 5 derives its authority from Article 11(5) of the Constitution that grants citizenship by descent to children whose mother is a Nepali citizen, but father is unidentified or untraceable.&nbsp;
The Nepal Citizenship Act 2006 and Regulation 2006 (both promulgated prior to the present 2015 Constitution) was amended in 2023 to incorporate the provisions of the new Constitution. In doing so, it included the procedural rule requiring both the applicant and their mother to sign a self-declaration form.
The result: a lot of people who claimed citizenship under this provision were still denied access, simply because their educational or other documents mentioned the name or address or some information about their father. The officials interpreted the presence of such information as father’s identity being known and assumed the applicants were hiding facts.
Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/no-state-for-women">No state for women</a>, Neha Gurung
The Supreme Court in one of such cases had clearly interpreted the meaning of ‘father unidentified’. In its overarching decision, the court stated the following:
‘It seems neither lawful nor just to compel an individual to accept someone as an identified father merely because their biological father’s name, surname, or address is claimed to be known or mentioned in educational or other documents. It would be just to consider the father’s identity as “unidentified”; if the individual has not received paternal affection or care, and the alleged father has never taken any responsibility, borne any obligation, or been physically present before the children, leading to a situation where the children haven’t even seen their face. Such an alleged biological father should remain “unidentified” for these children until they formally acknowledge them as their son or daughter, or, in their absence, their family provides reasonable proof to confirm the fact and identifies the relationship through a process acceptable to the children, or until such a confirmation becomes impossible.’
Based on this decision, multiple implementation challenges, and growing advocacy around this concern, the government included the above-mentioned addition in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-citizenship-amendment-bill-explained">the Bill</a>.
Is it new?
The proposed addition is neither an introduction of the new right, nor does it provide anything beyond what the Constitution mandates. Since the Constitution itself uses the term ‘father untraceable or unidentified’, the most a legislation can do is to ensure that the constitutional provisions are interpreted and implemented in its true meaning. Therefore, the current Bill only serves to clarify the existing misinterpretation of the phrase ‘father unidentified’.
In a country where about 17% of the population are <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Comment/stateless-daughters-in-nepal,863">single mothers</a>, this clarification may provide certain relief for those whose fathers name was mentioned in the document and the father is now unidentified. However, the addition does not grant anything new.
The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/are-women-not-nepali-enough">gender discriminatory citizenship </a>where the citizenship or legal identity of a person is always dependent on one’s husband or father still remains.
Additionally, the current addition does not completely incorporate the Supreme Court’s decision which is broader and more comprehensive, requiring that the father be considered unidentified irrespective of the knowledge of the father’s name, surname and address, if the applicant/person has not felt the paternal affection or care, and the alleged father has never taken any responsibility, or borne any obligation or been physically present before the children.
The Bill only takes ‘father’s name’ into consideration. It does not recognize the mention of surname or address in the applicant’s certificates, nor the absence of emotional and physical presence, and responsibility in their life.
2. Addition to Section 18 of the Act:
i. Unless otherwise provided in this Act, a person dissatisfied with an order or decision made by an official under this Act may file a petition with the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs within thirty-five days from the date of such order, through the District Administration Office or directly through Nepal Government.
ii. Upon receiving the report pursuant to sub-section (1), the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs shall (must) issue their decision or order after obtaining the report from the official who issued the order or made the decision, within 30 days from the date of appeal, and such decision or order made by them shall be final.’
This provision is already present in the Act itself, and the Bill simply amends or adds the parts that are in bold letters. The positive part is that it makes the right to redress mandatory. Meaning, it not only ensures the right to appeal against the unsatisfactory decisions made by the local authorities, but also the right to receive the decision.
Earlier, it depended on the government's discretion to hear the appeal, but if this amendment is passed, it now becomes the State's obligation to ensure this as a due process of law.
This makes it easier for individuals denied citizenship, by the Chief District Office (CDO), to register an appeal in the higher office, which is the Home Ministry. However, in cases concerning a certain category of naturalised citizenship that falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, its decision becomes final and cannot be appealed.
This means that Nepal has two categories of naturalised citizenship. One that falls under the jurisdiction of CDO, such as naturalised citizenship to foreign women via marriage relationship. Another that falls under the jurisdiction of the Home Ministry, such as naturalised citizenship to persons born to Nepali mother and foreign father or foreigners who intend to acquire citizenship via stay requirement.&nbsp;
While the former can be appealed if the applicant is not satisfied with the decision of the official, the former, which is the government's decision, cannot be appealed.
3. Addition of Section 22(a) to the Act: ‘Shall provide a minor’s identity card to a person who is under 16 years of age, if either mother or father is a Nepali citizen.’
This provision can be considered as a positive extension of the child’s constitutional right. The Constitution of Nepal in Article 39 (1) states that ‘every child shall have the right to name and birth registration along with his or her identity’. The current Bill extends this right to a minor's ID card.
However, a minor ID card does not guarantee a citizenship certificate, which in Nepal, a person is eligible to apply only at the age of 16. This means: even though the child has the minor’s ID card and perhaps also a passport based on it, while applying for citizenship at the age of 16 or beyond, the person is bound by citizenship laws — which as we have seen is heavily dependent on the father's identity.
The conclusion?
The current amendment does not ensure any dramatic legal reform nor ensure a complete <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/The-right%20-to-have-rights,2656">gender equality in nationality laws</a>, simply because it technically and legally cannot.
When the Constitution itself uses gendered language such as ‘mother’, ‘father', ‘Nepali citizen man’, and ‘foreign citizen woman’, a legislation cannot override it. Nevertheless, recent amendments to the Act, including the first amendment, shows the government’s leniency towards gender equal citizenship laws.
Additionally, Article 49 of the Constitution also recognises equal lineage right of women, meaning that the family descent is legally recognised to be carried on by both genders. Hopefully in the nearest future, Nepal will carry this same principle to shape its citizenship law as well.&nbsp;
A transformative reform by ensuring gender equal nationality rights through constitutional amendment is still possible. Nepal, a member state to the CEDAW and CRC, is still in the list of 24 countries in the world that have gender unequal citizenship laws. &nbsp;It has the obligation as well as potentiality to become a pioneer in recognizing<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/quality-of-equality-for-women"> women’s equal rights </a>to confer citizenship to their children and spouse in par with men.
Neha Gurung is a human rights lawyer dedicated to advocating for equal citizenship rights, and co-founder of the Citizenship Affected People's Network. A Fulbright scholar, Gurung obtained LLM from the Washington College of Law.

Full equality vs status quo

The sudden and massive flood on the Bhote Kosi early Tuesday morning washed away a strategic bridge on Nepal’s main border crossing with China for trade, tourists and pilgrims. Slurry from the nearly 10m high debris flow left 9 dead and 20 missing, 12 of them Nepalis and six Chinese nationals, and 150 others were rescued by helicopter.&nbsp; Four <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-smarter-himalayan-infrastructure">hydropower plants</a> Rasuwagadi, Trisuli III, Trisuli, &nbsp;Benighat and the Trisuli substation sustained heavy damage, knocking &nbsp;out 230MW of Nepal’s power supply – approximately 8% of the total. Over 100 cargo trucks and new electric vehicles parked at &nbsp;Timure Dry Port were swept away. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mapping-kangchenjunga-glacial-flood-risk">Mapping Kangchenjung glacial flood risk</a>, Gabe Allen Officials had initially thought &nbsp;the Bhote Kosi had flooded due to heavy rain in Tibet. However, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) now say a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/living-below-nepal-s-melting-mountains">Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)</a> is likely.&nbsp; NDRRMA spokesperson Suresh Sunar said it was too early to tell which one, but the flood was most likely the result of one of the glacial lakes in Tibet. Bhote Kosi begins on the north slope of the Ganesh Himal near the Nepal-China border, and its tributary Lende drains the catchment area north of Langtang. The slurry flood on Tuesday was on the Lende (map).&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250709110720_bbc99c5f3e3d61a3d340892e0273fee3605a8d334a2beb354126137bcf0c8d27.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20250709110720_bbc99c5f3e3d61a3d340892e0273fee3605a8d334a2beb354126137bcf0c8d27" data-rendition-name="original" width="629" height="759" loading="lazy" alt="Bhote Kosi flood map"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250709110720_39e2f574ff8c12cecda2e5a999d2ba8a0310f599f6b2261dcad7dd43f94df2a1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250709110720_39e2f574ff8c12cecda2e5a999d2ba8a0310f599f6b2261dcad7dd43f94df2a1" data-rendition-name="original" width="997" height="613" loading="lazy" alt="Bhote Kosi flood map"> </figure>  “Preliminary study suggest that the disaster was not caused by rain in Tibet, but by a glacial lake burst, or another accident,” said Kamal Ram Joshi of the DHM. The level of water at a self-monitoring station in Timure in Rasuwa increased by 3.5m at 3:10AM on Tuesday morning while 13km downstream in Syabrubesi, the level rose by 3.65m at 3:30AM. The same station recorded 5.37m ten minutes later, after which it stopped giving a reading, possibly because the station was also washed away. The flood reached <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/neither-side-lost-both-sides-won">Betrawati</a> by 5AM, and some of the debris flow reached Mugling during Tuesday. DHM’s Flood Forecasting Division noted that there was no major precipitation in the Bhote Kosi watershed in Nepal and China in the 24 hours preceding the flood.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100724_313a684b65fc5317064779e47409a40f2bbce2c0c84db995e7f8fc6e1c142105.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20250708100724_313a684b65fc5317064779e47409a40f2bbce2c0c84db995e7f8fc6e1c142105" data-rendition-name="original" width="3600" height="1662" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood"> <figcaption>The Miteri bridge before it was swept away by the flood in Bhotekosi on the Nepal-China border. Photo: SUBASH DHUNGANA / RSS</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100732_ec43f13bae979f7b61bc0db939db4157dc93d3f0767ed527f564bd5c3d12be27.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250708100732_ec43f13bae979f7b61bc0db939db4157dc93d3f0767ed527f564bd5c3d12be27" data-rendition-name="original" width="720" height="432" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood NT 2"> <figcaption>The bridge after the flood.</figcaption> </figure>  On Wednesday, several remote-sensing experts using Copernicus &nbsp;satellite images pinpointed the cause of the flood to Purepu Cangbu where supraglacial ponds had merged in June to form a large lake which did not burst, but overflowed &nbsp;and found a channel through englacial conduits to the headwaters of the Lende. The river meets the Bhote Kosi at the Nepal-China checkpoint in Rasuwa.&nbsp; “Analysis of weather forecasts and satellite data shows the Tibet region did not receive enough rain to cause this scale of flooding,” explained Binod Pokharel, associate professor of hydrology and meteorology at Tribhuvan University. “The flood could have been caused by a GLOF."&nbsp; Two weeks ago, Chinese officials had reportedly warned the Rasuwa District Administration in Nepal to be on high alert for floods on rivers that originate in Tibet. It could be that Chinese scientists had observed the alarming<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-climate-crisis-is-a-water-crisis-in-the-himalaya"> expansion of glacial lakes</a> in the Lende and Bhote Kosi catchments. If that was the case, it is an example of the kind of trans-boundary forewarning that would be critical to save lives in future.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250708100736_1710142917b30d4f85b343ed52743554d723db918c708f0bade8a0491ba999b2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250708100736_1710142917b30d4f85b343ed52743554d723db918c708f0bade8a0491ba999b2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1001" height="500" loading="lazy" alt="Bhotekosi flood"> </figure>  However, Rasuwa’s Assistant Chief District Officer Dhruv Prasad Adhikari seems to have no knowledge of any warning from the Chinese side, either formally or informally. &nbsp; “The Chinese Embassy has said the cause of the flood is unknown that it will coordinate with Nepal to find the cause," Adhikari told us. Chinese Ambassador Chen Song and Prime Minister Oli visited the border on Tuesday (pictured). &nbsp; The sharing of real-time trans-boundary rainfall and river flow data would be crucial in early warning about the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mapping-kangchenjunga-glacial-flood-risk">risk and consequences of GLOFs</a> to reduce human and material loss. But Nepali officials say China has been reluctant to share weather-related information and data not just in this disaster, but in the past as well. “There is no mechanism or system in place for us to obtain hydrological and meteorological data of the Tibetan region,” said DHM Director General Joshi. The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/for-destruction-ice-is-also-great-and-will-suffice">Himalaya is melting twice as fast as the rest of the world</a> due to a phenomenon called ‘elevation dependent warming’, and receding glaciers have led to an increasing number of transboundary GLOFs.&nbsp; According to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/danger-nepal-s-glacial-lakes-are-filling-up">a 2018 ICIMOD study</a>, of the 47 of the most dangerous lakes that threaten Nepal, 25 are on glaciers in China, 21 in Nepal and one in India. Many of these glaciers are expanding rapidly due to global warming. One of the authors of the report, glacial lake expert Samjwal Bajracharya, says that the report was prepared based on data from 2015. But climate change has accelerated since then. Moreover, seismic activity has further destabilises the landscape, adding to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-glacial-lakes-in-danger-of-bursting">GLOF risk</a>.&nbsp; “Considering the rapid rate of snowmelt and consequent increase in size of Himalayan glaciers, studies should be conducted every year, and a monitoring system should be set up on the glaciers,” says Bajracharya. “However, no studies have been conducted in the Himalaya in a decade, which has been our biggest weakness.” &nbsp;

Rasuwa flood likely a GLOF

Former president Bidhya Devi Bhandari last week officially made her comeback to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/what-just-happened-in-nepali-politics">national politics </a>at an event commemorating her late husband UML leader Madan Bhandari’s 70th birth anniversary. Bhandari’s announcement was not a surprise, nor was the furious flutter it created both within and outside the UML. A former president returning to party politics sets a dangerous precedent, many said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Now that I have been released of my previous political responsibilities, I have renewed my party membership with the righteous intention of remaining in the CPN-UML and continuing the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/post-convention-uml-eyes-set-on-elections"> party's political journey</a>,” Bhandari said, not very convincingly. Nepal’s Constitution does not prohibit a former head of state from returning to active politics once their presidential term is over, essentially leaving such decisions to ethics rather than any legality. But her return to the UML fold has angered party leaders who considered themselves Oli’s successors as well commentators who saw it as yet another example of the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/the-business-of-politics-in-nepal">deep rot in Nepal’s politics</a>. ‘<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/coalition-set-to-snub-president-bhandari">Bidya Devi Bhandari </a>has not tired of ‘serving’ us despite having held multiple ministerial positions, high-level party positions, and serving two terms as President, but the country and its citizens are tired of her unceasing and immoral ‘service’,’ political commentator Muma Ram Khanal wrote sardonically on social media. ‘Please do not embarrass us through your lifetime ‘service’.’ Bhandari tried to mollify critics by pledging to forego all perks and facilities she is entitled to as a former head of state. This was met with enthusiastic cheers from supporters at the public function. Prime Minister KP Oli, sitting right beside her on the stage, remained stone-faced. He has been against Bhandari’s political comeback, and has tried to talk her out of it. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250711040740_0f2b201ed3ce2f85540554c83fc7aae6bcfcd1377aef614bbc3759eef30baa3f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250711040740_0f2b201ed3ce2f85540554c83fc7aae6bcfcd1377aef614bbc3759eef30baa3f" data-rendition-name="original" width="2400" height="1599" loading="lazy" alt="PM Oli and Bidya Devi "> </figure>  Oli has reasons to worry, as Bhandari has made it clear that she intends to run for party chair in the next UML general convention. There are also those within the UML who have grown resentful of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-government-changes-again">Oli’s leadership</a>, and this has polarised the party into two camps with leaders like Ishwar Pokharel in Bhandari’s corner. Oli wields absolute authority over the party, particularly after he sidelined and silenced rivals Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalanath Khanal, and Bamdev Gautam.&nbsp; He has removed the party’s 70-year age limit to hold leadership position so that he can continue to be chair even as he approaches the end of term limit, and questions about his health after two kidney transplants. Bhandari wasted no time in wading right into politics to forge alliances. Last week she met Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah to discuss “latest developments”. She is said to have urged <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/kathmandu-s-balen-phenomenon">Kathmandu’s popular independent mayor</a> to enter national politics through a party. The mayor is keeping his cards close to his chest. &nbsp; The former president’s return to active politics has also not sat well with other parties, either. Nepali Congress (NC) president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Oli’s coalition partner, is said to have raised issue with Bhandari’s comeback. The NC Central Committee meeting this week was abuzz with corridor talk about how retired presidents returning to politics affects not just the UML, but undermines <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/slapping-democracy">Nepal’s democracy</a>. &nbsp; The UML is not the only party roiled in internal strife. The NC Central Committee meetings turned lively as the rank and file fed up with<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/deuba-s-long-and-winding-road"> long-serving Deuba</a> and the higher political profile Foreign Minister Arzu Rana, his wife, demanded an overhaul of the leadership.&nbsp; The surname Koirala still has strong brand equity in the NC, and a rival faction led by Shekhar Koirala has questioned Deuba’s competence and has intensified calls for the party’s next general convention to be held on time. His cousin, Shashank Koirala also supports a constitutional amendment to revert Nepal back to Hindu state – possibly with an eye on <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/women-first-in-2027-wfnchctq">the 2027 election</a>. The NC’s young turks are no longer young. Party General Secretary Gagan Thapa is approaching middle age while waiting for a greater leadership role with the promise of fresh new blood to rejuvenate the party. &nbsp; Meanwhile, CPN-Unified Socialists chair and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal is facing calls for resignation from within his party after being charged with corruption by Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) for alleged involvement in the Patanjali land scam.&nbsp; Nepal, who has been stripped of his lawmaker status, is currently out on bail. He has said the case against him is politically motivated, fuelled by one-time comrade K P Oli's vendetta.&nbsp; The CPN-US members do not seem keen on Nepal taking the already beleaguered party down with him. Firebrand leader Ram Kumari Jhakri called for a new leadership at an event of the party’s youth wing last week, obviously pushing herself as a possible successor.&nbsp; “The party chair is facing legal and constitutional challenges, we cannot move forward with this dead weight on our shoulders,” Jhakri said, calling for an early general convention to choose new leadership. CPN-US leadership has since admonished her gently about her remark, but others like Jhalanath Khanal and Ghanashyam Bhushal have lent their support. Khanal, a former prime minister himself, even asked for Nepal’s resignation at the party’s secretariat meeting earlier this week.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250711050712_bed4145c696497f12eedc746dcd0308d251ca02312bef88c549a51d54a5032a8.png" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20250711050712_bed4145c696497f12eedc746dcd0308d251ca02312bef88c549a51d54a5032a8" data-rendition-name="original" width="262" height="402" loading="lazy" alt="Two to tango"> </figure>  Over at the Maoist-Centre, Pushpa Kamal Dahal is also said to be at loggerheads with top comrades, particularly Deputy General Secretary Janardan Sharma, who used to be a guerrilla commander during the conflict. &nbsp; Dahal and Sharma’s relationship has been strained since the party’s last general convention, when Dahal bypassed Sharma for General Secretary. The two have traded barbs in public and private since then. Sharma has long called for competition in party leadership, but like Oli and Deuba, Dahal is reluctant to give up the reins. Dahal has reportedly been reluctant to hold a general convention fearing he will be voted out of his chairmanship. &nbsp; In response, Dahal has attempted to fill the ranks with his own confidants, including actively lobbying for the return of former vice-president Nanda Bahadur Pun to active politics despite objections from the party. Like Bidya Bhandari, this has not been welcomed within the party and outside. And then there is the<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/in-with-the-new-out-with-the-old"> Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)</a>, the fourth largest in Parliament whose chair, former tv anchor leader Rabi Lamichhane, is in detention for multiple charges of defrauding cooperatives. The three main parties see the RSP as a threat in 2027 and want to tie Lamichhane up with court convictions, but his prolonged detention has actually allowed him to gather some public sympathy – at least on social media. The RSP has rallied around Lamichhane in public, but there are rifts within the party. In April, MP Sumana Shrestha resigned as the party’s joint general secretary, levelling criticism at the leadership and the lack of intra-party democracy and calling for reforms. But Lamichhane’s legal troubles have put a dent on the RSP’s Mission-2084 election campaign, which has come to a standstill.&nbsp; Aisde from internal feuds in all the main parties, the four main parties are also jostling for advantage ahead of 2027. And last week, the Janata Samajwadi Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party both withdrew from the alliance. &nbsp; Speculation is rife of a rift between the two largest parties in the coalition. This is driven by the two parties, which have been bitter rivals since 1990 but are now partners in government, in the leadup to elections. &nbsp; In public, the two parties have maintained that the coalition remains strong as ever. Oli is said to be considering recalling some of his ministers to pacify the NC’s dissatisfaction with UML cabinet members. Deuba seems determined not to let the coalition collapse ahead of his turn to be prime minister for the sixth time next year as per a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with Oli.&nbsp; The cement that binds the coalitions together is the mutual threat they feel about <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/higher-corruption-in-high-places">corruption </a>probes of their leaders. The former RSP-NC-Maoist coalition collapsed last year after Deuba and Oli got wind that Home Minister <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-rise-and-fall-of-rabi-lamichhane">Rabi Lamichhane</a> had started investigating the involvement of their top leaders on the fake refugee and tea estate scams. &nbsp; For the moment, though, it seems as though the relationship between Oli and Deuba is more stable than the support both leaders have within their own &nbsp;parties. But the question as the elections approaches is, for how much longer.

Uncontrolled instability in Nepal

Recent outrage in Sikkim over an Indian Army expedition climbing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-kangchenjunga">Kangchenjunga</a>, the world’s third-highest peak, has spiked attention to the need to balance mountaineering jobs with indigenous reverence for sacred landmarks. Kangchenjunga (8,586m) is not a peak as much as it is a mountain range with 16 peaks above 7,000m on the border between India and Nepal -- the word itself means ‘five treasures of the snows’ in Tibetan. Some of the highest prominences like Kangchenjunga West and Kangbachen are in Nepal, while the Main, Central and South Peaks are on the border. Climbing the peak from the Indian side has been banned since 2001 because the indigenous Lepcha community there regard the mountain as the abode of Dzoe-nga, the patron deity of Sikkim, which was an independent Himalayan Kingdom until it was annexed by India in 1975.&nbsp; Buddhists in Sikkim say their saint, Padmasambhava, recognised the mountain as a protective spirit. The state has declared the base of the mountain Kangchenjunga National Park, which covers an area one-third of Sikkim. ‘The act of scaling this sacred peak is not only a matter of serious concern but also a violation of both the prevailing legal provisions and the deeply held religious beliefs of the people of Sikkim,’ read a letter from Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) to Amit Shah, India’s Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation.&nbsp; Tamang continued: ‘We further request Your Honour to take up the issue with the Government of Nepal to ensure that no future expeditions are permitted on the sacred mountain, in deference to the deeply held beliefs and cultural values of the people of Sikkim.’ Kangchenjunga was climbed for the first time exactly 70 years ago by a British team who told King Tashi Namgyal, the Choegyal of Sikkim, that they would not set foot on the summit. Since then, there have been about 532 successful climbs of the peaks and 52 have died while trying.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250628060616_5c268e08cf49f36b79ef9b31933fc2d9bf9a6f65414e7ca06dd028bf04e7ccc1.png" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20250628060616_5c268e08cf49f36b79ef9b31933fc2d9bf9a6f65414e7ca06dd028bf04e7ccc1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1782" height="1178" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga: too sacred to climb NT"> <figcaption>Indigenous communities in Sikkim held purification ceremonies following the Indian expedition to Kangchenjunga. Photo: THE VOICE OF SIKKIM / FACEBOOK</figcaption> </figure>  <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/peak-climbing-season-2025-s4abrxny">This spring climbing season</a> alone, there were 70 climbing permits for foreigners issued for Kangchenjunga by the Nepal government, and made it to the top while one French climber died.&nbsp; One of the expeditions this year was an Indian Army team led by Col Ranveer Jamwal, who has summited the highest peaks on all seven continents, and Mt Everest thrice. Jamwal’s team was on the final leg of a ‘<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/nimas-summits-mt-kangchenjunga-concludes-historic-har-shikhar-tiranga-mission-successfully/articleshow/121341315.cms?from=mdr">Har Shikhar Tiranga</a>’ (The Tricolour on Every Peak) mission to plant the Indian flag at the highest points of each of India’s 28 states. Kanchenjunga was the last peak they had left, and the hardest, but the expedition put five climbers on the summit. What seems to have incensed the Sikkimese is that while it has banned climbing the mountain from its side, it was an Indian military expedition that went to Nepal to climb the mountain. After news broke of the climb in May, the Sikkim Indigenous Lepcha Tribal Association asked people to observe purification ceremonies in temples across the state. Mayalmit Lepcha of the association acknowledged that the Sikkim government was also partly at fault: “I don’t think such an expedition could have gone forward without the state government being informed, so it could have done something to intervene. It shows weakness. What’s done is done, all we can do is carry out these sanctification ceremonies.”&nbsp; In 2000, one year before Sikkim’s ban, the state allowed an Austrian team to attempt Kanchenjunga’s northeast face for a fee of $20,000, on agreement that they would stop 10m before the summit. Despite this, there was outrage over the expedition on the grounds that it violated Indian laws regarding the defiling of religious sites and Sikkim’s rights to maintain its culture after merging with India. The Indian Army expedition was also seen to have circumvented Sikkim’s law and violated religious sensibilities by going through Nepal. While the team may have thought they were respecting Sikkim’s beliefs by finding a way to complete the mission, the people of Sikkim saw it as defilement.&nbsp; The somber mood of the Sikkim people at the ritual contrasts sharply with Jamwal’s sense of accomplishment. “Without a doubt, the most difficult summit of my life,” he told reporters after the climb. “It tested every ounce of our will.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250628060616_ccfe079c78dab788d19fe2080ee8a5d5dcb11de4157316f6d94e5964da097157.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20250628060616_ccfe079c78dab788d19fe2080ee8a5d5dcb11de4157316f6d94e5964da097157" data-rendition-name="original" width="787" height="377" loading="lazy" alt="Kangchenjunga: too sacred to climb NT"> <figcaption>Prayer flags along the Sikkim-Kangchenjunga trekking route. Photo: TREKKINGININDIA.COM</figcaption> </figure>  The <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-rise-and-fall-of-nims-purja">controversial Nepali-British mountaineer Nirmal Purja</a> was also on Kangchenjunga this spring the mountain, on a mission to summit all 14 8,000m peaks for a third time. He echoed Jamwal about the tough conditions: “The conditions above camp were extremely tough, with deep snow and challenging terrain—more crevasses than usual.” Nepal’s government has not said anything publicly, but it is unlikely that it will ban climbing on Kangchenjunga, since it is becoming popular with expeditions because of its technical challenges, and overcrowding on Mt Everest. Nepal does have bans in place for some of its mountains out of respect for local beliefs. <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/to-open-machapuchre-for-mountaineering-or-not">Mt Machapuchre</a> (6,990m) the imposing pyramid that looms over Pokhara, for example, is seen as an icon of purity by the Gurung people and a symbol of Vishnu by the Hindu communities who live at its base. A strict climbing ban has been in place since 1957, when a British expedition led by Col Jimmy Roberts stopped 45m short of the summit – either because the last bit was too difficult or out of deference to local sentiments.&nbsp; Khumbila that stands above Namche Bazar is only 5,761m high, but like Kanchenjunga is considered the protector deity of the Sherpa people. Gauri Shankar on the Nepal-China border, called Chomo Tseringma by the local community, was off-limits between 1965 and 1979 due to its association with Lord Shiva and Gauri, his consort. Although expeditions are now allowed, there are not too many takers. In Tibet, climbing Mount Kailash is prohibited by the Chinese government because it revered by the Hindus, Buddhists and followers of the Bon faith. Even Mt Everest is regarded as sacred, and its Sherpa name is Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the Earth.&nbsp; Economically, climbs on Kanchenjunga bring in decent revenue. This climbing season, the 41 permits, at $1,800 each, brought in $73,800. This is somewhat comparable to Makalu, Lhotse, and Annapurna I, but these numbers are dwarfed by the $4 million in <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-everest-industry">Everest permits</a>. Revenue from Kanchenjunga climbing permits is something Nepal could potentially forgo if necessary, but the expeditions also provide jobs to hundreds of high altitude guides, porters, base camp support staff and other logistical costs.&nbsp; As the third highest mountain in the world and the tallest in India, there will always be significant motivation to climb it from the Nepal side, especially as climbers are drawn by the technical climbing at high altitude.

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Kangchenjunga: too sacred to climb?