Congress Holds Mass Rallies to Proclaim It's Back in Business. but Is

WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 287 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 24.8 C -6.5 C Tuesday, December 15, 2020 | 30-08-2077 Bhairahawa Jumla Congress holds mass rallies to proclaim it’s back in business. But is it? Analysts say it’s already too late for it to focus on raising issues from the House and work as an effective opposition party that can really hold the government to account.

ANIL GIRI ber. Even as the Oli administration KATHMANDU, DEC 14 failed on multiple fronts, the opposition was barely seen, except for a The last few days have been busy for handful of leaders on some occasions Bishwo Prakash Sharma, the spokes- thundering at Parliament, making person for the primary opposition any impact. Nepali Congress. From disseminating But after the government prorogued information on the demonstrations the budget session on July 2, the planned for Monday through party lost even that platform from various mediums, including social where it could have questioned the media like Twitter, to correcting the executive. Nepal map on his social media video Observers say the main opposition in which he was making a case for the should have taken into consideration rallies and calling on his party mem- the Covid-19 threat and avoided mass bers to join, Sharma was doing all he demonstrations and instead pressed could to make the Congress protests the government for the House session. successful. Many say the Congress party seems to The party organised mass demon- be taking a queue from some pro-mon- strations in all 77 districts on Monday archy, pro-Hindu forces that were on POST PHOTO: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA to, what it said, expose the Oli admin- the streets recently. Prakash BK is carried to Dhading district hospital after fracturing his leg. It took BK and his three companions 16 hours to reach the hospital at the district headquarters from Tipling village, only istration’s failures and hold it to “In just about two weeks, the House to be told that his treatment was not possible there. The 23-year-old was referred to a hospital in Kathmandu. account. session will convene as per the consti- As Congress leaders were allotted tutional provisions,” said Damannath different districts to address Monday’s Dhungana, a former Speaker. “I won- rallies, Sharma was in Hetauda. der why it has chosen to hold street “Don’t try to tease a sleeping tiger,” protests. If it has indeed realised its Sharma roared. mistakes, it can call out the govern- Judicial custody of former anti-graft body A Twitter user was quick to react. ment and hold it to account from “So the spokesperson is admitting Parliament.” that they were sleeping,” the user A divided house in itself, the wrote on the microblogging site. Congress party has been struggling to chief raises questions over appointments The one charge the main opposition get back on its feet ever since it faced has been facing over the last three a drubbing in 2017 elections. years is that it went into a deep slum- >> Continued on page 2 Unless appointments are made in a transparent way without political motivations, the trend of choosing a person lacking qualifications will continue, observers say.

PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA character to be appointed as chief ship dispute of a Bhaktapur-based KATHMANDU, DEC 14 commissioner or commissioner of the college when he was an incumbent anti-graft body as per the constitution. commissioner. The Special Court order to send Deep The Special Court, which looks into “Officials of the commission being Basnyat, former chief commissioner cases related to corruption, refused to dragged into corruption case has of the Commission for Investigation release him on bail as he had been smeared the image of the anti-graft of Abuse of Authority, to judicial cus- accused of a serious offence--of creat- body,” said Surya Nath Upadhyay, a tody on the Baluwatar land grab case ing fake tenants as well as transfer- former chief commissioner of the has once again raised questions over ring government lands in their names, commission. “These cases have also why people like Basnyat are appointed according to Pushpa Raj Pandeya, raised serious questions over the to lead the anti-graft body in the first spokesperson of the Special Court. intention of those who appointed place. Basnyat is not the only one who, them to run the commission. They Basnyat, a long-time bureaucrat, was despite having a poor track record, still should take first the biggest responsi- appointed chief commissioner of the managed to head the anti-graft body. bility for controversial figures taking anti-graft agency after Lok Man Singh Ignoring massive protests within charge of the anti-graft body.” Karki was disqualified for the job by political parties, Karki was appointed He said that the political leader- the Supreme Court in January 2017. as chief commissioner in 2013 as a ship’s tendency to choose a person A person needs to have high moral consensus candidate of the parties who is close to a particular political despite his history of allegedly party or political leader, instead of playing a key role in suppressing one’s qualification and integrity, has people’s movement in 2006 and resulted in the appointment of contro- promoting gold smuggling dur- versial figures. ing his bureaucratic career. “This has also been the reason why The integrity of Raj Narayan the anti-graft body has been embroiled Pathak had also been questioned in controversy,” Upadhyay added. before his appointment as com- As per the Article 238 (2) of the con- missioner at the anti-graft body. stitution, the President appoints He is also facing corruption chief commissioners and commis- charges from the commission sioners of constitutional commissions itself after he was caught on vid- based on the recommendation of the eotape admitting to accepting Constitutional Council. Rs7.8 million to settle the owner- >> Continued on page 2 Mission impossible: Sherpa from Nepal to lead 55-member K2 winter expedition Despite over 30 attempts to climb the world’s second highest mountain in winter, given the extreme weather and the difficult route to summit, none has been successful.

on the mountain. “It’s the planet’s toughest and most dangerous mountain to climb,” said Kami Rita Sherpa, who has climbed Everest a record 24 times. Eighty-four climbers have died attempting to climb K2, and only 306 have reached its summit. The death and success ratio is roughly one death for every three successful climbs. In contrast, 6,507 mountaineers have climbed Everest from the Nepal side since Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and SHUTTERSTOCK New Zealander Edmund Percival The base camp of K2 (pictured) is reached after a week’s trek on a glacier. Hillary first set foot atop the world’s highest peak in May 1953. SANGAM PRASAIN blow up to 200km/h (124mph) that’s In the summer of 1954, Italian KATHMANDU, DEC 14 equal to cyclone Fani, the most severe climbers Achille Compagnoni and storm that travelled more than 900 Lino Lacedelli became the first per- Thirteen of the world’s 14 peaks taller kilometres (570 miles) from the Indian sons to reach the summit of K2. than 8,000-meters have been climbed state of Odisha and blew nearly two “K2 is 237 metres lower than in winter. But one still remains dozen tents at Everest’s Camp 2, at Everest, but it is much challenging to unclimbed—the 8,611 metres (28,251 6,400 metres in May last year. climb even in the best conditions. feet) K2, the world’s second tallest that It is also considered to be a That’s in summer,” said Kami Rita. straddles Pakistan and China. technically very difficult mountain to “The weather in winter is beyond Climbers say that avalanches are an climb and has been dubbed “killer imagination. The weather is good only ever-present risk, and in winter tem- mountain” for the sheer number of for 2-3 hours a day.” peratures can fall to -50C (-58F). Winds climbers that have lost their lives >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Government plans ambitious water project for Birendranagar It is projected to be the biggest drinking water project in the country after Melamchi.

CHANDANI KATHAYAT BIRENDRANAGAR, DEC 14

The government has come up with an ambitious plan to lift water from the Bheri River and supply it to Birendrnagar, the provincial headquarters of Karnali. Anticipating a possible population growth in Birendranagar, authorities are all set to initiate the Surkhet Valley Drinking Water Project by lifting water from the nearby Bheri River. The project is estimated to supply drinking water to Birendranagar for at least 30 years. POST PHOTO: CHANDANI KATHAYAT “The construction work of this pro- The Surkhet Valley Drinking Water Project will be funded by the federal, provincial and local ject will begin soon. We plan to com- governments. plete the work within three years,” said Suryaraj Kandel, the deputy supply water to each house in age of drinking water in Birendranagar director-general at the Department of Birendranagar. in the near future, the provincial gov- Water Supply and Sewerage. “We will “Structures and pipelines that are ernment has also kept the water lifting install modern devices to control the already in use will also be utilised for project in its priority list. POST PHOTO: PRAKASH CHANDRA TIMILSENA flow of water and its distribution.” the project. Pipelines will be installed “We have prioritised the Surkhet People from the Gurung community perform the Maruni dance at Chalise in Dhading district. While speaking at an interaction in some areas with the possibility of Valley Drinking Water Project programme in Birendranagar on human settlement in future,” said through an integrated development Monday, Kandel said that the Surkhet Malla. plan of Birendranagar,” said Prakash Valley Drinking Water Project is pro- The estimated cost of the mega pro- Jwala, the provincial minister for jected to be the biggest drinking water ject is around Rs 6.67 billion. financial affairs and planning. “Our project in the country after the According to Kandel, water distribu- budget froze in the past, as the project Judicial custody of former anti-graft Melamchi Water Supply Project. tion will cost around Rs 4.63 billion. work could not be initiated. We won’t The project will be funded by “We will soon begin the tender bid- let the budget freeze this time.” the federal, provincial and local ding process for the construction of Birendranagar is an emerging city governments. the drinking water project after study- of Karnali Province. According to the body chief raises questions over ... A team of technicians and experts ing the possible sources that could be data available at Birendranagar from the department recently visited managed by three different govern- Municipality, the population of the project site and identified the pos- ments,” he added. Birendranagar is around 200,000 who >> Continued from page 1 Amid talks about fresh appoint- investigation on former communica- sible location to make an intake to lift The construction of the water lift- require nearly 560 litres of water per The council is headed by the prime ments, concerns are also being raised tion minister Gokul Baskota and no water. According to Prashant Malla, ing project was supposed to start three second. minister and has the chief justice, the whether Prime Minister KP Sharma case was filed against son of Finance the intake will be constructed 574 years ago. The construction of the “But we can currently supply only speaker of the House of Oli, who heads the Constitutional Minister Bishnu Poudel, after he metres upstream from the confluence intakes began in the last fiscal year 152 litres of water per second. Representatives, chairperson of the Council, will pick the right candidate promised to return the land of Lalita of the Bheri River and Jhupra stream but it was affected as floods swept Moreover, the water supply is reduced National Assembly, the leader of the as envisioned by the constitution and Niwas, Baluwatar while many others in Birendranagar. away the structures. by nearly 50 percent in the dry sea- main opposition party and deputy law as corruption scandals have were made defendants,” he said. “Water from the Bheri River will be The federal government had allocat- son,” said Kulmani Devkota, chair- speaker of the House of emerged involving his ministers and Poudel is also the general secretary lifted to a treatment plant around 400 ed Rs 60 million budget in the last fis- man of Surkhet Valley Drinking Representatives as members. It is political appointees. of the ruling Nepal Communist Party metres above and supplied to the main cal year of 2019/20 and Rs 20 million Water and Sanitation Corporation. therefore, essentially, political leaders There have also been reports of a and close ally of Prime Minister Oli. reservoir tank in Amritdanda, which in 2018/19 for the project. The Karnali It is projected that the population of taking key roles in appointments. deal having been made between Oli Ghimire was one of 594 recipients is around seven kilometres from the Province government had also issued Birendranagar will reach around While making recommendations, and president of Nepali Congress and of titles and honours, decorations and treatment plant,” said Malla. “We are Rs 500 million in the last fiscal year. 384,000 within 30 years. the council needs to consider a host of leader of the main opposition Sher medals, many of them controversially, still discussing the number of water But all the amount froze, as the “The water lifting project can sup- factors including his/her social pres- Bahadur Deuba over appointments. distributed to those making “out- lifting machines that should be authorities could not initiate con- ply water as per the need of tige, moral character, honesty, public The meeting of the Constitutional standing contribution to various installed.” struction work. Birendranagar residents for the attitude toward him/her and his/her Council, scheduled for Sunday, was walks of national life” on the occasion The drinking water project plans to Keeping in view the possible short- upcoming 30 years,” said Devkota. previous service, if any, and profes- postponed after Deuba said he was not of Constitution Day in September. sional experience, according to the attending as his party organised Experts and observers said a trans- Constitutional Council Act. anti-government rallies across the parent process for making appoint- But experts say that these provi- country on Monday. ments in the anti-graft body was sions are hardly followed. Experts and observers say the indi- required so that people’s faith in it Om Prakash Aryal, the advocate cations are not right with legal provi- could be restored. Mission impossible: Sherpa from Nepal ... whose writ petition against the sions being made to shield political Karki suggested that a board of appointment of Lok Man Singh Karki leaders from corruption cases. independent people could be formed >> Continued from page 1 The Post’s attempt to contact Purja “The K2 winter feat is very tough. If turned to be crucial to end his tenure, According to a bill to amend the to select the potential candidates and Kami Rita, who had climbed the K2 went unsuccessful. any member of the team climbs, it will said that sound academic qualifica- Corruption Prevention Act registered public hearing of those who are select- in the summer of 2014, said as far as Other climbers include Noel Hanna be another milestone in the mountain- tion and track record are required to at the National Assembly, corruption ed could be conducted to examine K2 is concerned he is retired. from Britain, Arnold Coster from the eering history—the first winter ascent be appointed in constitutional bodies, cases have to be filed within five years whether anybody has any fault. But now a massive 55-member Netherlands, Atanas Skatov from of the world’s second-tallest moun- including the anti-graft body, but polit- since an alleged case of corruption Even though there is the provision group of climbing veterans from Bulgaria, Waldemar Kowalewski from tain,” said Kami Rita. “Even Sherpas ical leaders hardly care about those has taken place. The existing law of parliamentary hearing of around the world, including 27 Poland, Antonis Sykaris from Greece who have climbed Everest multiple requirements and the appointments allows the anti-graft body to prosecute those who are chosen by the Sherpas from Nepal, has set its sight and Luis Carlos Garranzo Ibanez from times are scared to climb K2.” are made based on power sharing public officials any time. The bill to Constitutional Council, the parlia- on one of the most daring missions on Spain. Slovenian, Romanian, Swiss, K2 is a rocky mountain up to 6,000 deals and collusion with the interest amend the law on the Commission for ment committee has often become a the planet, which many mountaineers Italian, Chilen, American and Finnish metres and beyond it becomes an groups. Investigation of Abuse of Authority rubber stamp to approve persons still call an “impossible project”. mountaineers are also part of the ocean of snow, according to Seven “For example, Lok Man Singh Karki has the provision that it cannot inves- picked by the council. The extreme mission, that may cost 55-member mission. Summit Treks. “It’s difficult even to was appointed based on collusion as tigate into policy decisions of provin- Advocate Aryal said a vetting more than Rs200 million, is being han- The two-month-long expedition will reach the base camp of K2. We have to he was a consensus candidate among cial governments too. At present it process could be introduced by mak- dled by Kathmandu-based Seven begin from December 21 and ends by trek on the glacier for a week to reach the major political parties of that cannot investigate policy decisions of ing provision that the candidates Summit Treks, which also devised the February 28. the base camp and there aren’t any time,” he said. “As long as the motive the federal government. require to declare their qualifications expedition. Chhang Dawa Sherpa, the “Ten Sherpa climbers left for lodging and fooding facilities on the of those who have the responsibility “Such laws are being introduced and qualities and making youngest mountaineer to have climbed Pakistan on Sunday,” said Thaneshwor way up,” said Kami Rita, who has to make appointments is malafide, under the influence of interest groups anybody who has made a false declara- all the 14 highest peaks, is leading the Guragain, manager of Seven Summit plans to lead two expeditions on legal provisions are not followed in and political leaders have a close tion ineligible. K2 winter mission. Treks. “The remaining 17 climbers Everest in spring next year. their true spirit to appoint the best nexus with them,” said advocate “Even though the motive of politi- Spanish climber Sergi Mingote, from Nepal are scheduled to join them According to Kami Rita, one spot in possible person.” Aryal. cal leadership remains central in who has been attempting to climb all on December 18 and others from particular is infamous in K2. That’s He said that people like According to Aryal, when the politi- making appointments in the eight-thousanders without supple- around the world will join the expedi- Bottleneck, a perilous couloir Karki, Basnyat and Pathak might cal leadership engages to profit from constitutional bodies, such a checklist mental oxygen within 1,000 days, is tion by December 20.” about 300 metres below the summit, have been appointed by taking certain nexus with an interest group, how can may also help choose better candi- the co-leader of the expedition. The bid to climb K2 in the winter which was the site of a 2008 tragedy benefits from them or with a view to appointments of the right person at dates,” he said. Mingote’s plan had come to a halt, has attracted mountaineers for long. in which 11 people were killed in an benefit from their appointments in the commission can be expected irre- Upadhyay, the former chief com- after seven successful summits, due to The mountain has been attempted avalanche. future. spective of how good legal provisions missioner of the Commission for the Covid-19 related restrictions. more than 30 times in winter but all “Winter brings with it a whole dif- After Nabin Kumar Ghimire retired are made. Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Nepali climber Nirmal “Nims” expeditions have been unsuccessful ferent level of danger and challenge. from the post of chief commissioner Gauri Bahadur Karki, former chair- also said that the proper vetting by the Purja, who smashed the record for with the highest point reached being Numerous teams have attempted since at the Commission for Investigation person of the Special Court, also parliamentary hearing committee taking the shortest time to climb all 14 7,400 metres. 1987-88, but all have fallen short, Purja of Abuse of Authority in mid-Septem- points out the trend to award people could help pick a good candidate. of the world’s 8,000-meter-high moun- Last winter, Spanish mountaineer writes in his website describing it as a ber for age limit, the post as well as who are controversial. “It should be able to tell the tains and had also announced his Alex Txikon, led one of the two expe- personal project. three posts of commissioner remains “We saw former chief commission- Constitutional Council to reconsider plans to climb bid K2 in the winter of ditions to K2 comprising mostly “Not only do the sheerness of the vacant. Acting chief commissioner er Nabin Ghimire rewarded for out- the selection of any person who it 2020-21, has joined the group. Through Sherpa climbers. But it was unsuc- slopes and overall exposure create a Ganesh Raj Joshi and commissioner standing works with medals from the finds not fit to hold the position based his website nimsdai.com, he has cessful. Several expeditions have technically challenging climb, but the Sabitri Thapa Gurung will also retire President right after his retirement on evidence collected during the hear- described K2 winter ascent as “the last failed in past years, mainly because of weather is also always the great oppo- early next year. even though he decided to suspend ing process,” he said. great mountaineering challenge.” unstable climate, mountaineers said. nent on K2 all year round.” Congress holds mass rallies to proclaim it’s back in business. But is it? >> Continued from page 1 demand resumption of the House ses- the Covid-19 pandemic and politicis- chy and Hindu state. And in such The party’s decision to protest sion,” said Puranjan Acharya, a polit- ing the judiciary. times, the opposition is on the against the Oli government was large- ical analyst who closely follows He even questioned if the Oli gov- streets instead of demanding the ly prompted by an incident in Tanahun Congress politics. “Calling the House ernment has been backing the House session.” on December 3 when its senior leader session should have been the major pro-monarchy organisations which According to Dhungana, the Ram Chandra Poudel was detained for demand of the Congress party rather have been holding rallies in different Congress party should have pressed three hours. than going out on the streets. If Covid- parts of the country demanding the the government for resumption of The Congress described the arrest 19 cases spike, it can be easily blamed.” reinstatement of monarchy and Parliament long ago. of a senior leader, who had formerly Analysts earlier this month had told Hindu state. “I wonder what prompted the party served as House Speaker and deputy the Post how the Congress party lost “Some people are on the streets to seek solutions to the problems from prime minister, showed the Oli admin- the plot and became an ally to the Oli today demanding reinstatement of outside Parliament,” Dhuganal told istration’s authoritarian streak. government–not only by failing to monarchy. The Oli government is the Post. This was arguably for the first time hold the executive to account but responsible for this,” said Deuba. A Congress leader told the Post that the Congress party spoke publicly also by being hand in glove in some of “The Congress is not for monarchy. We the problem with the party is that the against the Oli administration, accus- its actions that were against the have to implement this constitution leadership is confused. ing it of trying to impose authoritari- constitution. and make the current system demo- “Our leadership is not clear wheth- anism, even though the Oli adminis- Congress leaders themselves admit cratic.” Even as Deuba stressed imple- er we want more street protests or a tration since it came to power has that the party is divided along differ- menting the current constitution, one Parliament session,” said the central been using different means to curtail ent factions and hence it has been of his party leaders, Shashanka member who did not wish to be named, freedom of speech, shrink civic space, unable to perform the duty of the Koirala, talked about holding a ref- saying he did not want to appear to be curb the media and centralise power. main opposition. The party has yet to erendum on Hindu state. one who is against Monday’s rallies. “I Most of the leaders who addressed decide on its general convention, POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI “Once the Congress party forms the wonder why Deuba is not taking the rallies in different parts of the coun- which will elect a new leadership so as The party organised mass demonstrations in all 77 districts on Monday to, what it said, government after the elections, it will initiative to call the House session.” try on Monday censured the Oli gov- to guide the party during the elections expose the Oli administration’s failures and hold it to account. call a referendum for a Hindu state,” According to the central member, ernment for trying to impose total- which will be held in about two years. said Koirala at a press meet in there are concerns within the party ianarism, promoting corruption and Ahead of Sunday’s mass demon- are currently protesting in Kathmandu Gagan Thapa, a central leader, while Biratnagar. about the party president’s proximity impunity, failing to contain the coro- strations, the party had given clear demanding that the Oli administra- addressing the party gathering in Nepal abolished monarchy in 2008 with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli navirus and attacking the system. instructions to leaders on the issues to tion implement the agreement Dhangadhi. “The government is and subsequently, in 2015, the country and some “tacit understandings” A political commentator said by speak. They included exposing the Oli reached last year and ensure that escaping from calling the House ses- through the new constitution shed the between them. holding mass rallies in the midst of administration’s failure in handling their due payments from sugar mill sion. We will keep on taking to the tag of being a Hindu state. “Why is he looking for shares in the pandemic, the Congress party has the Covid-19 pandemic, rising cases of owners are paid. streets until the Oli government “The opposition party should seek constitutional bodies? Why is he nego- actually prepared a readymade excuse corruption, bad governance and Very few leaders spoke about sum- amends its working style.” redressal of pertinent national and tiating with Oli without sharing for the Oli government should the issues related to public concerns and moning the House session. Speaking in Makwanpur, Congress political issues from the House floor,” details to the top party leadership?” coronavirus cases rise. livelihoods. “We are sorry to say that we have President Sher Bahadur Deuba said Dhungana. “Some elements are the leader told the Post. “It’s high time “Over the last six months, the None, however, spoke about the been forced to come to the streets in accused the Oli administration of pro- resorting to violence, some forces are our party acted as a strong opposition Congress party never bothered to plight of the sugarcane farmers who the midst of the pandemic,” said moting corruption, mishandling of demanding reinstatement of monar- force.”

C M Y K 03 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 NATIONAL BRIEFING Odd-even rule on Temporary camp established to investigate Miklajung incident traffic movement BIRATNAGAR: A temporary operation camp has been established in Miklajung Rural Municipality, Morang, to investigate the abduction and killing of school principal hasn’t checked Rajendra Kumar Shrestha in Miklajung Rural Municipality in Morang district. The Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal has claimed responsibility for the spread of virus murder. Currently, there are 36 security personnel from the Armed Police The rule has led to overcrowding in public transport and Force and 15 from Nepal Police at the incident site. Santosh Khadka, super- experts say its efficacy should have been reviewed earlier. intendent of police in Morang, said, “The team members of the operation ARJUN POUDEL Of late, the number of new cases base camp are patrolling the area.” KATHMANDU, DEC 14 have declined after the authorities stopped providing free testing in On September 5, following the three October. Although the government Nepal Army to reconstruct weeks of prohibitory orders in was forced to resume free testing fol- Bayalkanda fort August, the government decided to lowing a Supreme Court decision, con- SURKHET: Nepal Army is all set to enforce an odd even-rule for vehicular tact tracing has all but stopped since reconstruct Bayalkanda fort in movement in Kathmandu Valley hop- October 17. Birendranagar Municipality-14, ing that this would discourage people Meanwhile, most of the public plac- Surkhet, in coordination with the coming out of their homes and the es have opened and more and more local government. The historic fort is spread of the virus would be checked. schools are opening both across the believed to have been constructed by Unfortunately, that did not happen. country and in Kathmandu Valley. Bahadur Shah during his Nepal unifi- Instead, exactly the opposite has Doctors said that the continuation cation campaign. The army said that happened. of the odd even rule in the vehicles, design of the fort was being prepared On September 5, the number of which only gathered crowds could following an interaction with experts positive cases across the country stood bring disaster in the days to come. and stakeholders. “We will initiate at 45,277. In Kathmandu Valley this “It is impossible to maintain social reconstruction work immediately figure stood at 7,900. distancing in the public vehicles,” Dr after the design is approved by the As of Monday, the number of posi- Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of the Department of Archaeology,” said tive cases stood at 249,244 nationwide Clinical research Unit at the Sukraraj Bigyan Dev Pandey, chief of the and 116,023 in the Valley, or 203,967 Tropical and Infectious Disease Nepal Army’s North-Western more in the country and 108,213 more Hospital, told the Post. “The odd-even Division. in Kathmandu Valley than September rule will be effective only if the move- 5, according to data from the Ministry ment of the public is low.” of Health and Population. The nation- Spread of highly contagious corona- 444 fugitives arrested wide death toll on Monday stood virus can be halted only by completely at 1,716. halting public movement and it is in four months Public health experts have ques- impossible at the time when all busi- NEPALGUNJ: Banke District Police tioned the ad-hoc decision of enforc- Office has arrested a total of 444 ing odd even rules for vehicles and fugitives in the past four months. maintain that this decision is Officials say until a According to Superintendent of partly responsible for the spread of Police Om Rana, police have launched coronavirus. new decision is a drive to arrest fugitives who were “I don’t understand how it will be sentenced by the court. “We detained possible to maintain social distancing made, odd-even rule some fugitives who were at large for by forcing people to board crammed the past two decades. Search is on to vehicles,” Dr GD Thakur, former is set to continue. nab other fugitives,” said Rana. director at the Epidemiology and According to him, there are around Disease Control Division, told 500 fugitives convicted on various the Post. ness has resumed like during the charges, including rape and POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA With businesses and offices open, pre-pandemic period, according murder. A woman puts clay piggy banks to dry at the pottery square, in Bhaktapur on Monday. people have since September 5 been to Pun. travelling on public buses which ply Even as authorities have enforced based on the odd-even rule. odd-even rules in Kathmandu Valley, “The decision has not only been it has been unable to prohibit protests giving trouble to the people, but has and rallies of different political par- been also proved counterproductive,” ties, which pose serious risk of said Thakur. spreading the coronavirus. Schools hopeful Supreme Court will clear On the other hand, traffic police Following pro-monarchy protests in have also been impounding private different parts of the country in the motorcycles and vehicles on an ad-hoc past weeks, on Monday the Nepali basis if they are found to be flouting Congress party organised anti-govern- confusion over new curriculum for grade 11 the odd-even rule. ment protests in all 77 districts of the “We are quite aware about the pub- country, including Kathmandu Valley, Government-run schools have switched to the new curriculum, which private schools have refused to adopt. lic’s grievances over the odd-even a decision that political analysts have rule,” said Kali Prasad Parajuli, chief called misguided. BINOD GHIMIRE opposed to the decision. They have Tripureshwor. “We are okay with the lum. We expect its final verdict will district officer of Kathmandu. “We are not the agencies to contain KATHMANDU, DEC 14 been saying that it is wrong to enforce old curriculum as well, but the court’s also be in the same line.” But three months since the deci- the rallies of political parties includ- the new curriculum at the time of final verdict has come to come.” Schools started grade 11 classes a sion, there has been no review of the ing motorcycle rallies,” Janak Padmodaya School in Putalisadak, crisis. Private school operators also say month after the National Examination effect of the decision on the spread of Bhattarai, senior superintendent of Kathmandu, started grade 11 classes While the Supreme Court’s interim they want the final verdict on the mat- Board on August 17 published the the virus. police at Metropolitan Traffic Police based on the new curriculum pre- order may have offered respite to pri- ter to clear the confusion. results of the Secondary Education In the pandemic, authorities con- Division, told the Post. “We are tasked pared by the Curriculum Development vate schools, it has also caused confu- Lok Bahadur Bhandari, general sec- Examinations (SEE). Among 482,986 cerned are supposed to conduct daily, to enforce the odd even rules and this Centre from the last week of sion among government-run schools, retary of Higher Institutions and students who had registered for the weekly and monthly review of the sit- we are implementing.” September. grade 10 national exams this year, uation and the decision taken to han- Until a new decision is made, the Classes were running smoothly 472,078 were promoted to grade 11 dle the pandemic, according to Thakur. odd-even rule is set to continue. until the Supreme Court on November based on internal evaluation, as the “Had the authorities reviewed the According to the Ministry of Home 4 issued an interim order halting the SEE could not take place due to the effects of the odd-even rule enforced Affairs, it is the local administration implementation of the new curricu- pandemic. on vehicles, they would have scrapped who makes the decision on this. lum until its final verdict. Months of education disruption the decision long ago,” Thakur told “The district administration is “The interim order has confused caused by the pandemic has led the the Post. “Some decisions may not responsible to enforce and lift the odd us,” Narayan Gautam, principal at the government to truncate the academic work, but they should be replaced by even rules,” said ministry spokesman school, told the Post. “We are current- year. It is one of the reasons why pri- new decisions.” Budha. According to Parajuli, the ly teaching the contents that are com- vate schools are reluctant to adopt the This passivity on the part of the chief district officer of Kathmandu, mon in both the curricula. However, new curriculum that has raised the authorities is also a reflection of how the decision will be reviewed soon. we haven’t been able to run the classes subject numbers to six from the exist- serious they are about controlling the “We are going to hold a meeting of in a full-fledged manner since we are ing five. spread of the coronavirus, experts say. the chief district officers of the valley not sure what verdict the court is According to the new curriculum, “Continuation of the decision, soon to review the effect of the deci- going to announce.” students will have to study six sub- taken months ago, which has only sion,” he told the Post. The hearing on the case, originally jects each in grades 11 and 12 instead helped spread the infection, shows But the decision whether to contin- slated for November 11, has already of the present five. Three of these are how seriously we are working to con- ue with or lift the odd-even rule on been rescheduled thrice. The latest compulsory — English, Nepali and tain the spread of the infection,”said vehicular movement will not be made rescheduled date for December 21, and POST FILE PHOTO Social Studies in grade 11 and Life Thakur. by the three chief district officers of schools across the country expect the Schools started grade 11 classes a month after the National Examination Board on August 17 Skills Education in grade 12 — and The Home Ministry, under whose Kathmandu, Bhaktpaur and Lalitpur. Supreme Court to give its final verdict published the results of the Secondary Education Examinations. three others elective subjects. orders the police enforce the odd-even “We will recommend after review- on the matter this time. The new curriculum, according to rule on vehicular movement, said that ing the decision to the Covid-19 Crisis Following the government’s deci- where around 70 percent of the higher Secondary Schools’ Association the Curriculum Development Centre, it cannot do anything, as the decision Management Center after the meet- sion to replace the old curriculum in secondary school students are Nepal, said they expected the Supreme has been designed to switch to the was taken by the Cabinet. ing,” Parajuli said. January, all government-rub higher enrolled. Court to issue its final verdict on single-track curriculum for grades 11 “We don’t know if the decision to The Covid-19 Crisis Management secondary schools switched to the new “The delay in the final verdict has December 21. and 12 from the system of four disci- enforce odd even rules is working or Committee is headed by Deputy Prime curricula prepared by the Curriculum hampered the classes,” said Heramba “The Supreme Court had rightly plines where students after passing not,”Chakra Bahadur Budha, spokes- Minister Ishwor Pokharel. But its role Development Centre. Raj Kandel, principal of Bishwo issued the interim order to halt the grade 10 chose Science, Management, person for the Home Ministry, told has been limited to making recom- Private schools, however, are Niketan School at Kathmandu’s implementation of the new curricu- Humanities or Education stream. the Post. mendations to the Cabinet. Health workers, doctors to be trained to deal with mental health issues Nepal faces a severe shortage of mental health professionals, especially at the grassroots, as it only has 130 psychiatrists, most of whom are based in Kathmandu and urban centres.

ARJUN POUDEL chiatrists in the country, most of out in the past showed that of the 100 KATHMANDU, DEC 14 whom are based in the Kathmandu people recommended by trained Valley and other urban areas. The female community health volunteers, After all its efforts to deploy psychia- Health Ministry said that less than 30 64 were found suffering from some trists at the grassroots failed, the psychiatric doctors serve in state-run form of mental health problems. Ministry of Health and Population hospitals. Mental health is one of the major has started providing mental health “It may take years to deploy psychi- public health issues in Nepal. The training to health workers. atrist doctors at the grassroots, so we National Mental Health Survey-2020 According to the Non-communicable decided to train medical officers, para- showed that 10 percent of the Disease and Mental Health Section at medic and staff nurses,” added Baral. adult population has suffered from the Epidemiology and Disease Control The Ministry of Health and mental health problems in their life- Division, medical doctors, health Population has already trained around time and 4.3 percent currently have assistants, paramedics and staff nurs- 1,000 paramedics and staff nurses of mental disorders. es of 21 districts will get mental health 20 districts to address mental health The study was carried out on 15,088 training in the ongoing fiscal year. problems. people from across the country from “We have also planned to train “A lot of mental health patients, January 2019 to January 2020. female community health volunteers who are deprived of treatment, will Doctors say mental health problems serving at the local level in mental get treatment at their nearest health have increased several folds due to the health,” Dr Phanindra Prasad Baral, facilities, if we could train local health effect of ongoing coronavirus pan- chief of the section, told the Post. “We workers,” Dr Basudev Karki, a con- demic. A lot of people have been com- hope that the training provided to the sultant psychiatrist at Nepal Mental pelled to remain in isolation, have lost female community health volunteers Hospital, told the Post. “Female com- their jobs and family members and will help find and treat people suffer- munity health volunteers, who work incurred losses due to the pandemic. ing from mental health problems.” at the grassroots will recommend peo- The Health Ministry provides 11 Nepal does not have enough experts ple for treatment, if they are provided POST FILE PHOTO different types of psychotropic medi- to treat and cure mental health prob- with mental health training.” The National Mental Health Survey-2020 showed that 10 percent of the adult population has suffered from mental health problems in their cines from state- run health facilities lems. There are only around 130 psy- According to Karki, a study carried lifetime and 4.3 percent currently have mental disorders. throughout the country.

C M Y K TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL The business of foreign affairs Bitter pill The government must ensure that sugarcane farmers are paid in full immediately.

Most farmers often don’t have much reason to visit Kathmandu as they spend their lives toiling in their fields. More so for sugarcane farmers, who would have no reason to stay away from their fields in the thick of the harvesting season. But like last year, they are in the capital city again. The industrious farmers are leaving their work behind to visit Kathmandu as they are duped time and again—by the sugar mills they sell their crop to, and the government that is supposed to support them—as the factory owners fail to pay them their dues that run into hundreds of millions. According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Shree Ram Sugar Mill owes farmers Rs260 million, Indira Sugar Mill around Rs40 million, Lumbini Rs80 million and Annapurna Sugar Mill Rs170 million. There are over 6,000 farmers in Sarlahi district alone that await payment for their sales. What is alarming is that the mill owners are paying small amounts to the farmers, especially to those who are more vocal, so that they stop asking for their payments and their joint agi- tation goes into disarray. Not to mention that the mills have failed to pay the farmers according to the schedule fixed during the previous negotiations. Left in the lurch by the government after its repeated promises to help them, the sugarcane farmers are now torn between selling their product to the same non-paying mills or finding new mills that are more likely than not to turn out to be yet other defaulters. Such is the precarious position they are in as the KP Oli administration has done little to help their cause even after repeated requests and protests. The government has been too lenient when it comes to making the sugar mills accountable. The mills, meanwhile, continue to dupe the farm- SHUTTERSTOCK ers even after making repeated promises that they would pay past rather than looking ahead. It is sured to handle mundane issues that spent a couple of years helping NRNA the outstanding dues that run into hundreds of millions. As Nepal shows a renewed like trying to find new ways to fix the arise when a service-oriented system is to create its Vision 2030 and implement Their demand is for the five-point agreement the sugar mill fax machine when most of the world not in place. And, such a service pro- transformation, but politics has domi- owners reached with the government in January 2020 to be focus on foreign policy, it has moved on to better forms of com- vided through the embassies wouldn’t nated the discourse. honoured. They had planned to visit Kathmandu in March munication. Nepal needs to continu- be as exploitative and problematic as The associations that dominate the needs to think about possible ously have a futuristic perspective on some of the private, outsourced compa- lives of the diaspora have become vote itself but held back due to the increase of the Covid-19 pandem- managing the fundamentals, rather nies that other countries are known to banks; even the newer political ic. The farmers would have no reason to leave their work transformative changes. than trying to repair a broken past. In employ. groups in Nepal see them that way. It behind and hold a march on Kathmandu if their demands had this regard, we can focus on some key Second, we need an institution that seems the transformation of non-resi- been met. Hundreds of farmers from Sarlahi had visited areas. focuses on the selective study of coun- dent contribution through the NRNA SUJEEV SHAKYA Kathmandu last year to pressurise the government to help First, we need to think of the large tries and regions from around the seems complicated, while the second population of Nepalis around the world world. Global events can be held, and generation of non-resident Nepalis them get the money the sugar mills owed them. The farmers THE OTHER and the services that they need. A sur- collaborative projects can be undertak- feels disconnected from the ancestral had withdrawn their indefinite protests in a week following the VIEW vey that we ran, when I was visiting the en. Such an institution would then home. Perhaps an independent entity government’s assurance that it would get the sugar mills to pay US regularly in the early 2000s, told us mould academics that could make bet- within the Foreign Ministry or the their outstanding dues by January 21. But most of the farmers that people of the diaspora were will- ter policy recommendations, particu- NRNA can lead the necessary changes. ing to pay as much as $100 to get a birth larly foreign policy. Hundreds of well- The issues that need dire attention are remained unpaid. certificate (and other important admin- trained Nepalis who have studied inter- the provisioning for dual citizenships, It is high time the government addressed the demands of the Last week, the government released the istrative documents) attested and sent national relations from a top institu- helping Nepalis invest or grow their farmers once and for all. It cannot expect them to stay silent 31-page Nepal Foreign Policy 2077 docu- back to them. I had proposed to the tion will be more than happy to serve businesses abroad, and unleashing even if the mills continue to default on the payment schedule. ment. While it is no doubt interesting Nepal Embassy in the US how this ser- their own country; they will bring not Nepal’s soft power. The latter can focus The government must take immediate steps to facilitate a nego- that the government has finally thought vice could be thought of as a profit only their experience, but also the con- on Nepal’s rich endowment of nature, to bring forward a seemingly compre- centre—a point from where the nections they have fostered through heritage and the diversity of its art, tiation between the farmers and the mills and penalise the hensive policy direction in an area Ministry of Foreign Affairs or individ- global links. For a young Nepali who culture, music and culinary experienc- mills that fail to clear the dues for years. much neglected, I continue to question ual embassies could gain a large chunk aspires to contribute to Nepal’s trans- es. If the government sought help, the basics surrounding its release. of much-needed revenue. Yet, the formation, this would be an there would be hundreds that would With no official English translation thought was considered too disruptive essential institution. The revenue volunteer. released, it seems like the document back then. gained from providing effective service Finally, what will be required is the was meant for the domestic audience. Perhaps the time has come to revisit through embassies could fund this change in the old mindset of cronyism Corrections But how can people who do not read this idea, particularly considering how institution. and nepotism. Nepal needs to reima- Nepali understand it? If it were to have some countries gain back the cost of Third, we need to reimagine how the gine its diplomacy. It has to move away A news article published on Pg 7 on Monday about sports awards been released in the six official UN building new embassy buildings from government connects with its diaspora. from politics. If it is to succeed, it misstated the date of the award ceremony. The event will take place on languages, Hindi and Bengali, it would just the visa fees and services sold from The Non-Resident Nepali Association would be better to run the system like a January 12. have been a groundbreaking effort that those individual embassies. The five (NRNA) was created in 2003 when there business—with a CEO at the helm that If you believe we have got something wrong and it requires correc- would cover most of our neighbour- million-odd Nepalis around the world were less than half a million Nepalis delivers the triple bottom line; namely, tion, please email us at [email protected] with ‘correction’ in the hood and the countries strategically who have to jump through hoops to (besides the Nepalis residing in India) surpluses from services, high impact subject line. important to us. avail of consular services would living abroad. Today, when there are unleashing of Nepal’s soft power and For the most recent corrections, visit kathmandupost.com/ Whenever Nepalis look to reimagine undoubtedly appreciate it. Embassies, more than five million. This necessi- happy citizens who are genuinely corrections. issues, we get stuck building on the at the same time, would not be pres- tates recalibration. I had personally proud of their country. Building an EU-Africa partnership of equals

is a systemic problem. As it stands, The relationship must be some African countries—especially those with very limited monetary-pol- rethought and icy space—need external support, particularly from the International reshaped—beginning at the Monetary Fund, to be able to respond to exogenous shocks. The EU can and upcoming mini-summit. should play a key role here. Such cooperation must extend beyond short-term imperatives to CARLOS LOPES address medium- to long-term structural challenges. For example, while debt relief is important, and the sus- tained push for it by several G20 countries is welcome, it will not be enough to reinvigorate African economies. Rethinking financing approaches for infrastructure investment, to support This was supposed to be the year the implementation of the AfCFTA, Europe and Africa redefined their would have a greater long-term relationship. In March, the European impact. Commission unveiled its vision for a Building a stronger, more strategic ‘comprehensive strategy with Africa’, partnership with Africa will also intended to kick-start a six-month con- require EU countries to abandon their sultation process, which would culmi- fixation on the migration ‘threat’, and nate at the European Union-African recognise the continent’s strategic Union summit in October in an agree- importance. A candid debate about the ment on a new blueprint for rela- expansion of legal pathways to ensure tions—one that would give Africa sig- mobility, including circular migra- nificantly more agency. Then Covid-19 tion, would help. arrived. The idea of returning to ‘normal’ Even without the pandemic, the road after the Covid-19 crisis may still tempt to a stronger, more equal EU-Africa many people. But, when it comes to the partnership would have been difficult. EU-Africa relationship, it is simply not When the year began, tensions were an option. The partnership must be high in many parts of the world, rais- rethought and reshaped. To that end, ing serious geopolitical and security HAIREM/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM both sides must abandon the unbal- risks. Moreover, the strategic competi- the continent. As a result, the desire to ‘return to by the virus than many other parts of chains for pharmaceuticals and medi- anced, piecemeal approach of the past, tion between the United States and The Covid-19 crisis threw a wrench normal’ has increasingly given way to the world. The continent’s leaders cal equipment on the continent. The and work toward creating an effective China had escalated into a trade war. into plans to engineer such an over- calls to ‘build back better’. Progress must ensure that, when the next crisis AfCFTA would facilitate these efforts. joint-governance mechanism. Multilateralism was faltering. haul with Europe. But it also under- on the European Green Deal reflects strikes, Africa is ready. But the AfCFTA’s implementation At the upcoming ‘mini-summit’, EU As challenging as these conditions scored the need for one—not least policymakers’ determination to take Given the likelihood of another will need to go hand in hand with and AU leaders have an ideal opportu- were, they also encouraged progress, because the EU is Africa’s main trade advantage of the current upheaval to health crisis—experts warn that pan- broader international engagement, nity to catalyse this process. By the by highlighting how high the stakes and investment partner. advance real change. Africa should demic risks are rising—this means, especially with the EU. During the time the full summit takes place next had become. Africa’s resolve was evi- The pandemic has demonstrated follow suit—beginning by accelerat- among other things, ensuring stable Covid-19 crisis, Africa needed large- year, they should be able to put for- dent: a series of AU summits and the practical implications of inequali- ing the implementation of the supplies of critical medical equip- scale debt relief and increased access ward a clear vision of a partnership meetings had indicated that the conti- ty; revealed the excessive dependence AfCFTA. ment. Early restrictions on medi- to liquidity, so that countries could fit for the 21st century. nent was committed finally to imple- of critical value chains on certain An integrated continental market cal-supply exports and more recent implement economic-support meas- ment the African Continental Free economies, particularly China; and could have cushioned the blow of ‘vaccine nationalism’ on the part of a ures on par with the advanced econo- Lopes, Professor at the Nelson Trade Area (AfCFTA), to reform exposed the vulnerabilities of the declining international trade during handful of countries show just how mies. It hasn’t gotten them—at least Mandela School of Public Governance regional bodies, and to move onto a international finance system. It has the Covid-19 crisis, saving jobs and quickly countries can resort to protec- not to the necessary extent. at the University of Cape Town, is more ambitious development path. also shown the limits of current livelihoods. Instead, Africa is strug- tionism. It is thus in Africa’s interest Of course, it is far from ideal for African Union High Representative for Such initiatives implied an overhaul modes of global cooperation, even in gling to revive its economies, despite to promote production of strategic Africans to assume that others will Partnerships with Europe. of the tenets of any partnership with the face of shared crises. having been significantly less affected supplies and create robust value rescue them. But this is not a choice; it —Project Syndicate

C M Y K 05 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 MONEY Handicraft Year 2021 announced to revive curio industry Tata Sons expected The sector contributes around Rs20 billion to the national economy annually, according to the Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal. to submit initial bid

KRISHANA PRASAIN Supplies, said that emphasis should be for state-run carrier KATHMANDU, DEC 14 laid on quality products while reducing production costs. “The govern- Handicraft makers and traders have ment can help bring down production Air India: Sources announced dedicating the coming costs, but entrepreneurs should work year to revitalising the industry left in to produce quality products,” he said. REUTERS tatters by the coronavirus. Lack of “Nepal has not been able to make NEW DELHI, DEC 14 sales and new export orders has good use of the United States conces- brought distress to the thousands of sion on 77 items,” said Aryal. Tata Sons, India’s autos-to-steel con- Nepalis that depend on the sector for This year, the association will glomerate, is expected to submit an their livelihoods. implement the collective trademark initial bid for state-run carrier Air The Federation of Handicraft for the material genre scheme, launch India ahead of the auction’s deadline Associations of Nepal said on Sunday programmes to integrate interior on Monday evening, sources aware of that it was declaring next year as designing with handicrafts to promote the matter told Reuters. Handicraft Year when they would tangible and intangible art culture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s work to promote the business and provide identity cards to artists and government in January renewed lobby with the government for policy organise art exhibitions, officials its push to sell its entire interest reform to make Nepali products acces- said. The federation will also expand in the loss-making airline, which sible and competitive in the interna- its footprint in all seven provinces by has been kept aloft by a bailout tional market. merging with more and more com- since 2012. Speaking at the federation’s 48th modity federations and district federa- An effort to auction a majority stake anniversary function, its president tions across the country. almost two years ago drew no bids, Surendra Bhai Shakya said that the Other initiatives in the annual pro- forcing the government to ease Handicraft Year was intended to gramme include urging the govern- terms. It has also extended the dead- restore the industry affected by the ment to carry out timely policy modi- line multiple times this year due to coronavirus pandemic. fication and remove procedural has- Covid-19 and further eased the terms The federal, provincial and local sles, operating the SAARC Handicraft to attract bidders. governments should provide skill- POST FILE PHOTO Development Centre and establishing The airline industry around the based self-employment training and The online marketplace, which can be an appropriate platform for handicraft products, has not been able to promote locally produced goods. a handicraft village. world has been hammered by a slump national and international market The federation also plans to imple- in travel due to restrictions aimed at management training to protect and was ready to make policy reforms to down brought about by the pandemic. um-sized enterprises do not find a ment the Handicraft Development containing the novel coronavirus. promote the declining handicraft promote handicrafts and make exports Gurung added that the ministry market even though they provide a Policy, develop the competitive con- A Tata spokesperson declined to industry, he said. Government offices competitive. was ready to facilitate online market- livelihood for many families. cept of Made in Nepal and Make in comment. should also use Nepali handicraft The government is going to make ing of Nepali handicrafts. Motilal Dugad, Minister of State for Nepal, and make timely use of busi- Tata already operates two airlines products to help the industry get back policy reforms for the promotion of The online marketplace, which can Industry, Commerce and Supplies, ness and business networks. in India—full-service carrier Vistara, on its feet, he added. Nepali handicrafts which have been be an appropriate platform for handi- said that the ministry would help According to the Federation, the which is in partnership with The federation said that funding playing an important role in enlarging craft products, has not been able to reduce production costs for export handicraft industry has been directly Singapore Airlines, and budget airline should be provided by giving export trade, creating jobs and publi- promote locally produced goods, promotion. As the country has not and indirectly involved in the national AirAsia India along with Malaysia’s priority to the clear objective of cising Nepal’s identity in the interna- according to entrepreneurs. been able to export handicraft prod- economy by creating employment, AirAsia Group. becoming self-reliant by creating tional market, he said. E-commerce has been growing ucts as expected, diversification of earning foreign exchange through A successful bidder would win con- self-employment. Gurung urged the federation to rec- steadily in Nepal, but because of lack handicrafts should be emphasised by export trade and contributing around trol of Air India’s 4,400 domestic and Parbat Gurung, Minister for ommend policy reforms to make of proper linkage between e-retailers reducing production costs, he said. Rs20 billion to the national economy 1,800 international landing and park- Communications and Information exports competitive and boost the and producers, many homemade Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at the annually through exports and domes- ing slots at domestic airports, as well Technology, said that the government handicraft business amid the slow- goods produced by small and medi- Ministry of Industry, Commerce and tic consumption. as 900 slots at airports overseas.

FOREX EU chief negotiator still sees US Dollar 118.03 China ups Internet sector scrutiny, Euro 143.47 Pound Sterling 158.40 hope to clinch EU-UK deal Japanese Yen 11.38 fines deals involving Alibaba, Tencent Chinese Yuan 18.04 ASSOCIATED PRESS BRUSSELS, DEC 14 REUTERS Qatari Riyal 32.41 PM Johnson says SHANGHAI/BEIJING, DEC 14 Australian Dollar 89.22 European Union chief negotiator he does not want Malaysian Ringit 29.10 Michel Barnier said on Monday he China warned its Internet giants on still has the firm belief that a Brexit Monday that it would not tolerate Saudi Arab Riyal 31.47 British business trade agreement is possible, and monopolistic practices and to brace Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank whittled the outstanding disputes to be hemmed in by for increased scrutiny, as it slapped to be settled ahead of the New Year to fines and announced probes into deals Shares just two. EU restrictions. involving Alibaba Group and Tencent Barnier said that the nine-month Holdings. Nepse 2,067.17pts 2.82% negotiations had come down to find- The State Administration of Market ing settlements on fair-competition consumers so successful. “Free and Regulation (SAMR) said it would fine HIGHEST GAINERS rules and fishing rights, no longer fair competition, fair and free, equita- Alibaba, Tencent-backed China PLIC GILB NABBC NLIC SMFBS NMFBS 10% 9.99% 9.98% 9.98% 9.97% 9.96% mentioning the issue of legal ble and open, the two go together,” Literature and Shenzhen Hive Box mechanisms for resolving future Barnier said. 500,000 yuan ($76,464) each, the maxi- MODERATE GAINERS disputes that also long dogged the Johnson, however, says he does not mum under a 2008 anti-monopoly law, SICL MSLB SMB LLBS USLB NLICL 9.96% 9.96% 9.95% 9.94% 9.92% 9.75% negotiations. want British business to be hemmed for not reporting past deals properly

MODERATE LOSERS “Two conditions are not met yet,” in by EU restrictions, especially if for anti-trust reviews. SSHL LUK CHCL KRBL HDHPC RHPL he said as he entered a meeting to those restrictions would have to be It said it would also look into a -1.88% -2.01% -2.11% -2.13% -2.16% -2.33% brief the 27 EU nations on progress in progressively adapted to mainland merger between game livestreaming REUTERS HIGHEST LOSERS the talks. He is expected to continue standards in the future. firms Huya Inc and DouYu The Alibaba Group logo is seen at its headquarters in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. HURJA RHPC ADBL MHNL UNL LEC negotiations with his UK counterpart On fisheries, Barnier demanded International announced in October. -2.37% -2.5% -3.08% -3.83% -4.95% -5.79% David Frost later on Monday. “This “an agreement that guarantees a Tencent is a major investor in both Tencent’s shares ending 2.9% lower in buro meeting chaired by President Xi deal, it is still possible,” he added. reciprocal, I insist, reciprocal access and the Chinese tech giant had pushed their worst day since November 30. Jinping said last Friday that Beijing Both sides are teetering on the to markets and waters.” It highlighted the deal, Reuters has previously China Literature said it had would step up its anti-trust efforts. PRICE PER TOLA brink of a no-deal Brexit departure, that just as EU fishermen crave to reported. received SAMR’s notice and would Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant BULLION but have committed to a final push continue working in British waters, In addition, the SAMR said it will carry out relevant compliance work. Group, founded by billionaire Jack ahead of January 1, when a transi- the UK seafood industry is extremely review and investigate other deals Alibaba and Tencent did not immedi- Ma, has been a target of the height- Fine Gold Rs 92,400 tional period following Britain’s dependent on exports into the based on tip-offs that some firms had ately respond to requests for com- ened scrutiny. Its $37 billion listing, January 31 departure from the bloc is 27-nation bloc. cornered a lot of operating power in ment. This is the first time that Beijing scheduled to be the world’s largest, Silver Rs 1,200 to end. Johnson has made fisheries certain sectors—a process it expects has fined any Internet company for was abruptly halted last month after On Sunday, British Prime Minister and UK control over its waters a key will be lengthy and involve a large violating the 2008 anti-monopoly law regulators warned its online lending SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA Boris Johnson and EU Commission demand in the long saga of leaving number of companies. by not properly reported deals for business faced tighter scrutiny. President Ursula von der Leyen the EU. It has been four-and-a-half “The fines of the three cases are a anti-trust vetting. The deals the SAMR fined on ditched a self-imposed deadline and years since Britons voted narrowly signal to society that anti-monopoly The SAMR warned that companies Monday include Alibaba’s $692 mil- GASOLINE WATCH promised to “go the extra mile” to leave the EU and—in the words supervision in the Internet field will should not adopt a “wait-and-see” atti- lion investment in Intime in 2014 and to clinch a post-Brexit trade agree- of the Brexiteers’ slogan—“take be strengthened,” the SAMR said even tude before reporting deals, saying the e-commerce giant’s $2.6 billion bid ment that would avert New Year’s back control” of the UK’s borders as it acknowledged the fines were rela- some had failed to do so even after in 2017 to privatise Intime. chaos and costs for cross-border and laws. tively small. reminders. Beijing issued draft rules China Literature was fined for fail- commerce. Johnson said over the weekend that “The Internet industry is not out- last month aimed at preventing ing to report its 2018 New Classics Barnier is willing to accept British the “most likely” outcome was that side the oversight of anti-monopoly monopolistic behaviour by internet Media acquisition. Shenzhen Hive trade with no tariffs or quotas, but the two sides wouldn’t reach a deal law,” it added in a separate statement. firms, marking China’s first serious Box, whose backers include logistics only if the UK respects the rules and and would trade on World Trade Hong Kong-listed shares of Alibaba regulatory move against the sector. giant SF Holding Co, was rapped regulations that have made the EU’s Organization terms, with the tariffs and Tencent fell after the news, with The issue has also become a priori- for its acquisition of China Post single market of almost 500 million and barriers that would bring. Alibaba closing down 2.6% and ty for China’s top leadership. A polit- Smart Logistics. Falling plane values, e-commerce rise fuels boom in converting passenger planes to freighters

REUTERS Permanent conversions are a finan- Narrowbody freighters are almost all SYDNEY/JERUSALEM/MONTREAL, DEC 14 cial bet that air freight demand, conversions. which was weak before Covid-19, will The conversion boom is also help- From Air Canada to China’s CDB remain strong for years to come as ing aviation maintenance, repair and Aviation, airlines and leasing firms shoppers turn to e-commerce. The air- overhaul groups offset some of the are rushing to permanently convert line industry estimates it will take lost business from the decline in pas- older passenger jets into freighters, until 2024 for passenger traffic to senger flights. BIZLINE betting on a boom in e-commerce as recover to 2019 levels. Such conversions generally cost the value of used planes tumbles amid Freight markets are notoriously millions of dollars on top of the cost the pandemic. volatile, however, and have been beset of the aircraft and take three to four Khukri launches ‘Khukri That has created a huge opportuni- by extended downturns; shortage can months, said ST Engineering ty for passenger-to-freighter (P2F) con- quickly turn into overcapacity, ana- Aerospace president Jeffrey Lam said. Music Nation’ contest version companies, including lysts warn. His company is ramping up capaci- KATHMANDU: Khukri is lauching the Singapore Technologies (ST) Normally about half of the world’s ty, with plans to convert at least 18 ‘Khukri Music Nation’ contest to con- Engineering Ltd, Israel Aerospace cargo is carried in the bellies of pas- A321 planes next year, rising to around tinue the legacy of Nepali music and Industries (IAI) and US-based senger planes, but the hit to demand 25-30 annually in the future, up from mark the grand start of New Year Aeronautical Engineers Inc. has left the world more reliant on single digits this year. 2021. Khuri Rum will be holding a Aviation analytics firm Cirium dedicated freighters. “We are all booked out for 2021 for contest via its website, where appli- expects the number of P2F conver- “2020 has seen record high freighter aircraft conversions,” Lam said. “The cants will be able to submit their sions globally will rise by 36 percent REUTERS aircraft utilisation, and our view is first slots are well into 2022.” musical talents by uploading a video. to 90 planes in 2021, and to 109 planes Labourers work inside and around a passenger plane as they convert it into a cargo plane at that the pandemic has accelerated the ST Engineering also may add con- The contest will be judged by the big- in 2022. Israel Aerospace Industries site in Ben Gurion International Airport, Lod, Israel. long-term structural shift towards verted freighters to its leasing busi- gest music stars, Bipul Chhetri, “We estimate that most slots are increased e-commerce demand,” said ness, which has focused on passenger Sambriddhi Rai and Sabin Rai states sold for 2021 and at least 40 percent for The market value of 15-year-old GECAS, and lessor CDB Aviation has CDB Aviation chief executive Patrick planes, he said. IAI can convert 18 or the press release issued by the compa- 2022,” Cirium Head of Market planes has fallen by 20 percent to 47 ordered two Airbus SE A330 conver- Hannigan. more 767s a year and produces most of ny. The top 16 will be announced via Analysis Chris Seymour said. “There percent since the start of the year sions from ST Engineering’s EFW Boeing said cargo yields had risen those used by Amazon.com Inc. Khukri Music Nation’s live musical is an increase in newer-generation depending on the model, according to joint venture with Airbus. by 40 percent through September “We are investing a lot of effort to show on January 1, 2021. Due to the programmes, notably the 737-800 and advisory firm Ishka, which makes The P2F conversions are a step because of the pandemic-related pas- meet the market demand,” said Yosef current Covid situation, Khukri A321 as well as the A330, although freighter conversions more attractive. beyond the cheaper temporary conver- senger disruptions, and it forecasts Melamed, general manager of IAI’s Music Nation will not be a physical older types like the 767 continue to see Air Canada is looking to convert sions many airlines have implement- more than 60 percent of freighter aviation group, which is also working show but it will be the first of its strong demand, driven in the past several of its Boeing Co 767s, Russia’s ed during the pandemic, which deliveries over the next 20 years will on the first-ever P2F conversion of the kind and largest online concert few years by Amazon building their S7 Group is acquiring its first 737-800 remove passenger seats to carry be conversions rather than new wide- larger 777-300ER as part of a 15-plane in Nepal. own fleet.” converted freighters from lessor more cargo. body freighters like the 777. contract with GECAS.

C M Y K TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 | 06 WORLD

BRIEFING Protesting farmers call for second strike TV executive held in India SRINAGAR: Indian police have arrested the chief executive officer of a media in a week in India group that owns a polarizing televi- sion news channel on charges of rig- ASSOCIATED PRESS ging the ratings system, a major com- NEW DELHI, DEC 14 ponent in determining what a channel can charge advertisers. Police Tens of thousands of protesting arrested Vikas Khanchandani, the Indian farmers called for a national chief executive of ARG Outlier farmers’ strike on Monday, the second Media, on Sunday at his home in in a week, to press for the quashing of Mumbai, India’s financial capital, three new laws on agricultural reform Republic TV, which is owned by ARG, that they say will drive down crop announced during a broadcast. prices and devastate their earnings. Republic TV, which broadcasts in The farmers are camping along at English and Hindi, aggressively sup- least five major highways on the out- ports Prime Minister Narendra Modi skirts of New Delhi and have said they and his nationalist policies. Republic won’t leave until the government rolls TV denounced the arrest. “I know he back what they call the “black laws.” will go in and come out with his head They have blockaded highways lead- held high,” the news channel’s ing to the capital for three weeks, and co-founder, Arnab Goswami, said of several rounds of talks with the gov- Khanchandani on his firebrand ernment have failed to produce any nightly show. The arrest is part of a breakthroughs. police investigation that began in Scores of farmer leaders also con- October into some TV channels in the ducted a token hunger strike on western state of Maharashtra, of Monday at the protest sites. Heavy which Mumbai is the capital, over contingents of police in riot gear accusations that they rig the ratings patrolled the areas where the farmers scores system. have been camping.

Trump raises China concerns Protest leaders have as reason to veto defence bill rejected government WASHINGTON: President Donald AP/RSS Trump offered a new rationale on A man dressed as Santa Claus greets children from a glass enclosure in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. Vaughan cancelled their seasonal in-person visits with Santa amid the offer to amend the Sunday for threatening to veto the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. annual defense policy bill that covers new farming law. the military’s budget for equipment and pay raises for service members: China. He did not outline his con- Protest leaders have rejected the cerns. Republican and Democratic government’s offer to amend some lawmakers say the wide-ranging contentious provisions of the new defense policy bill, which the Senate Japan, South Korea fret as surging farm laws, which deregulate crop pric- sent to the president on Friday, would ing, and have stuck to their demand be tough on China and must become for total repeal. law as soon as possible. Both the At Singhu, a protest site on the out- House and Senate passed the measure skirts of New Delhi, hundreds of by margins large enough to override Covid cases undermine leaders’ support farmers blocked all entry and exit a potential veto from the president, routes and chanted anti-government who has a history of failing to carry slogans. Some of them carried ban- out actions he has threatened. Singapore approves Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine and says it expects its first shots to be administered by end of the month. ners reading “No farmers, no food.” About two dozen leaders held a day- REUTERS more stringent curbs. New Zealand, which has been par- In Japan, which is hoping to stage long hunger strike at the site, while a US agencies hit by cyberattack TOKYO/ SEOUL, DEC 14 “Our back is against the wall,” he ticularly successful in tackling the the postponed summer Olympics next huge communal kitchen served food WASHINGTON: The US government said. “This is a crucial moment to pandemic, said it had agreed to open a year, testing has remained relatively for the other protesters. issued an emergency directive to fed- Japan and South Korea grappled with devote all our virus control capabili- “travel bubble” with Australia in the low, peaking at about 50,000 in one day “It’s the government’s responsibili- eral agencies in the wake of a major surging coronavirus cases and grow- ties and administrative power to stop- first quarter of 2021. recently. Testing in Tokyo, which has ty to provide social benefits (to peo- cyberattack, as multiple media outing public frustration on Monday, ping the coronavirus.” South Korea ordered schools to the capacity for more than 60,000, is ple.) And if they don’t give those, then lets reported at least two departments with Japan suspending a contentious South Korea reported a new daily close in its capital, Seoul, and sur- now about 9,000 a day. people will have to come together” to —including the Treasury—had been travel subsidy programme and South record of 1,030 infections on Sunday, a rounding areas and warned that “Whether a country or region is protest, said Harvinder Kaur, a gov- targeted by hackers with ties to Korea closing some schools and con- big worry for a country for months restrictions may be raised to the doing enough testing should be ernment employee who came from her Russia. In a statement on Sunday, the sidering its toughest curbs yet. held up as a mitigation success story highest Phase 3 level, which would assessed based on the positivity rate home in Punjab state to help at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Japan reported more than 3,000 but still a fraction of the tallies being essentially mean a lockdown for the and not on the number of tests,” said kitchen. Security Agency (CISA) said it had new cases on Saturday, yet another seen in some European countries and first time in Asia’s fourth-largest Fumie Sakamoto, infection control Another protester, Rajdeep Singh, a ordered federal agencies to immedi- record as winter set in, with infections the United States, where vaccines are economy. manager at the St Luke’s International 20-year-old student who helps his ately stop using SolarWinds Orion IT worsening in Tokyo, the northern being rolled out. Last month, the government banned Hospital in Tokyo. farming family back home in Punjab, products following reports that hack- island of Hokkaido and the city Few Asian countries expect to get year-end parties and it has ramped up “The positivity rate for Tokyo is said the protest would continue until ers had used a recent update to gain of Osaka. significant amounts of coronavirus testing to more than 22,000 people a now over 6 percent, so we should be their demands are met. access to internal communications. But Japan, with a focus on the eco- vaccines in coming weeks as they day, compared with about 16,000 a day doing a bit more testing to bring the Farmer leaders have threatened to “The compromise of SolarWinds’ nomic costs, has steered clear of tough manage distribution schedules, allow in September. number down.” intensify their actions and have Orion Network Management lockdowns. It tackled its first wave of time to check for any inoculation side threatened to block trains in the com- Products poses unacceptable risks to infections in the spring by asking peo- effects elsewhere or run their own ing days if the government doesn’t the security of federal networks,” ple to refrain from going out and for late-stage trials. abolish the laws. said CISA Acting Director Brandon businesses to close or curtail operat- Instead, they are counting on the The farmers filed a petition with Wales. “Tonight’s directive is intend- ing hours. methods that have largely kept infec- the Supreme Court on Friday seeking ed to mitigate potential compromises The government also launched a tions in check for months - ahead of the quashing of the laws, which were within federal civilian networks... we subidy programme called “Go To the curve testing, stringent travel passed in September. The petition was urge all our partners to assess their Travel” to encourage domestic tour- curbs, strict social distancing and filed by the Bharatiya Kisan Union, or exposure,” he added. (AGENCIES) ism and support businesses but critics masks. China, for instance, where the Indian Farmers’ Union, and its said encouraging people to travel had virus emerged almost a year ago, has leader, Bhanu Pratap Singh, who helped spread infections. managed to limit new cases with argued that the laws were arbitrary Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga had tough, sweeping action. because the government enacted them ruled out halting the programme, cit- It locked down an area of more than without proper consultations with ing economic considerations, but that 250,000 people after half a dozen stakeholders. changed after weekend polls showed cases were confirmed near the The farmers fear the government his support being eroded over his han- Russian border in the province of will stop buying grain at minimum dling of the pandemic. Heilongjiang, the Associated Press guaranteed prices and corporations The programme would be suspend- reported on Monday. will then push prices down. The gov- ed nationwide for two weeks from Singapore, which has reported only ernment says it is willing to pledge December 28, media reported. a handful of local cases over the past that guaranteed prices will continue. Across the sea in South Korea, two months, said it was easing restric- With nearly 60 percent of the Indian President Moon Jae-in also faces slid- tions and would soon allow up to eight population depending on agriculture ing ratings as clusters of new infec- people to gather. It also approved for their livelihoods, the growing tions fuel criticism over what many Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine and said it AP/RSS farmer rebellion has rattled Prime see as slack containment. expected its first shots by the end of A worker attaches a social distancing sign on the road as people wait for their Covid-19 Minister Narendra Modi’s adminis- Moon has warned of the possibility the month. testing at a makeshift clinic in Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. tration and its allies.

Scientists focus on bats for clues to prevent next pandemic ASSOCIATED PRESS multiple viruses that have spawned University of California, Berkeley. RIO DE JANEIRO, DEC 14 recent epidemics, including SARS, In India, a National Mission on MERS, Ebola, Nipah virus, Hendra Biodiversity and Human Well-Being Night began to fall in Rio de Janeiro’s virus and Marburg virus. has been pending since 2018 and will Pedra Branca state park as four A 2019 study found that of viruses likely be launched next year. A core Brazilian scientists switched on their originating from the five most com- part of the plan is to set up 25 virus flashlights to traipse along a narrow mon mammalian sources—primates, surveillance sites across the country. trail of mud through dense rainforest. rodents, carnivores, ungulates and One approach that won’t help, scien- The researchers were on a mission: bats—those from bats are the most tists say, is treating bats as the capture bats and help prevent the next virulent in humans. enemy—vilifying them, throwing global pandemic. “The secret is that bats have unusu- stones or trying to burn them out of The November nighttime outing al immune systems, and that’s related caves. An attack along those lines took was part of a project at Brazil’s state- to their ability to fly,” said Raina place this spring, when villagers in run Fiocruz Institute to collect and Plowright, an epidemiologist who the Indian state of Rajasthan identi- study viruses present in wild ani- studies bats at Montana State fied bat colonies in abandoned forts mals—including bats, which many University. and palaces and killed hundreds with scientists believe were linked to the Plowright and other bat scientists bats and sticks. outbreak of Covid-19. believe evolutionary tweaks that help Scientists say such tactics are likely The goal now is to identify bats recover from the stress of flying, to backfire. other viruses that may be highly con- when their metabolic rate rises six- Bats also play vital roles in ecosys- tagious and lethal in humans, and to teen-fold, also give them extra protec- tems: They consume insects like mos- use that information to devise plans to tion against pathogens. quitos, pollinate plants like agave, and stop them from ever infecting peo- Probing the secrets of bat immune disperse seeds. ple—to forestall the next potential systems may help scientists under- A better approach to minimise dis- global disease outbreak before it stand more about when bats do shed ease risk, Frank said, is simply to gets started. viruses, as well as providing hints for minimise contact between wild bats In a highly connected world, an out- possible future medical treatment and people and livestock. break in one place endangers the strategies, said Arinjay Banerjee, a In Australia, bats transmitted a entire globe, just as the coronavirus virologist at McMaster University in virus to horses, which in turn infected did. And the Brazilian team is just one Canada. people. First identified in 1994 and among many worldwide racing to min- Increasing destruction and frag- named Hendra virus, it is highly imize the risk of a second pandemic mentation of habitats worldwide— lethal, killing 60 percent of people and this century. especially biodiverse areas like tropi- 75 percemt of horses infected. It’s no coincidence that many dis- cal forests—means “we are seeing To potentially reverse the move- ease scientists are focusing attention higher rates of contact between wild- ment of bats, Montana State on bats, the the world’s only flying life and humans, creating more oppor- University’s Plowright and colleagues mammals. Bats are thought to be the tunities for spillover,” said Cara based in Australia are studying restor- original or intermediary hosts for Brook, a disease ecologist at the ing the bats’ original habitat.

C M Y K 07 | TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 SPORTS | MEDLEY BRIEFING Arsenal’s crisis deepens after Burnley defeat New Zealand beat AC Milan stay unbeaten in Italy West Indies to MILAN: Theo Hernandez scored twice The Gunners drop to 15th position after crumbling to fourth straight home league defeat for the first time since 1959. to help AC Milan recover from two sweep Test series goals down to draw 2-2 against Parma repelled the home side before half- on Sunday and preserve their unbeat- time with saves from Kieran Tierney, REUTERS en league record. Hernani fired Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka. WELLINGTON, DEC 14 Parma into the lead in the 13th min- However, Arsenal’s momentum was ute and doubled their tally with lost when Xhaka was shown the third New Zealand took a little over an hour Jasmin Kurtic’s header in the 56th. red card of his career at the Emirates to wrap up a comprehensive innings However, Hernandez headed Milan for grabbing Westwood by the throat. and 12 runs victory in the second Test back into the match two minutes later At the Craven Cottage, Mohamed against West Indies on the fourth day and scored the equalizer in stoppage Salah spared Liverpool blushes with a at the Basin Reserve on Monday to time. Milan remained top of Serie A late penalty which rescued a 1-1 draw seal a 2-0 series sweep. but had their advantage cut to three against struggling Fulham. Jurgen The tourists resumed on 244-6 with points above second-place Inter Milan Klopp’s side were punished for a slop- captain Jason Holder on 60 and Joshua after the Nerazzurri scored three py first half display when Bobby Da Silva on 25 but were dismissed for goals late on to win 3-1 at Cagliari. Decordova-Reid gave Fulham a shock 317 midway through the first session, Nicolo Barella, Danilo D’Ambrosio lead. But Salah rescued the Premier still 12 runs from making the hosts bat and Romelu Lukaku scored in the League champions after Aboubakar again after they scored 460 in their final 15 minutes after Riccardo Sottil Kamara handled with 11 minutes left. first innings. New Zealand dismissed had given Cagliari the lead shortly Liverpool remain in second place and the visitors for 131 in their first before halftime. Elsewhere, Cristiano sit behind leaders Tottenham on goal innings early on Sunday and captain Ronaldo marked his 100th Juventus difference. Tom Latham had little hesitation in match by scoring two penalties to “If they had to wake up I don’t enforcing the follow on. The home side help his side win 3-1 at Genoa, while know, but I cannot write a book and also won the first Test in Hamilton by Napoli remained level on points with throw it on the pitch for them to read. an innings and 134 runs. The victory Juventus after beating Sampdoria 2-1. But I wanted us to shake up the game,” put New Zealand level with Australia Roma was two points further back Klopp said. on 116 points at the top of the after thrashing Bologna 5-1. Atalanta Crystal Palace’s late equaliser in International Cricket Council Test beat Fiorentina 3-0. their 1-1 draw against Tottenham just rankings and they moved to third in before Liverpool kicked off had given the table for the World Test Champion- Dortmund sack coach Favre the Reds a chance to go top if they won ship final at Lord’s next year. in west London. “Clinical is probably the word to BERLIN: Borussia Dortmund have Instead, they will have to wait until use,” Latham told reporters. “The way sacked manager Lucien Favre follow- Wednesday’s summit meeting with we were able to set the game with the ing Saturday’s 5-1 loss at home to pro- Tottenham, who are now unbeaten in bat on the back of Henry’s innings moted VfB Stuttgart that saw them 11 league games, at the Anfield for was outstanding. On the back of that drop to fifth. The Swiss, who had their next chance to knock Jose ...to put a team back in twice in two taken over in 2018, was seen as the AP/RSS Mourinho’s team out of pole position. matches was not going to be easy for ideal candidate to break Bayern Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (centre) is waiting for his first league goal from open play since new contract extension in September. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last the bowlers ... but they kept coming Munich’s stranglehold on the eight league games. time and again and did the job with Bundesliga title. But in his 2-1/2 sea- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE year contract in September, but scored the FA Cup last season, just eight Adding to Klopp’s concerns, Joel the ball. So, yeah, clinical is a good sons in charge he failed to win a LONDON, DEC 14 at the wrong end when he flicked in months into his first senior manageri- Matip suffered a back injury that saw word for it.” German league or Cup title. Ashley Westwood’s corner 17 minutes al role. him join the long list of Liverpool The start of play on Monday was Dortmund, who last won the Arsenal slumped to a fourth consecu- from time. However, Arteta is now under injuries which already included his delayed for 20 minutes due to light Bundesliga title under Juergen tive home league defeat for the first Victory takes Burnley out of the mounting pressure with little sign his fellow centre-backs Virgil van Dijk rain falling in central Wellington but Klopp in 2012, also failed to challenge time since 1959 after Pierre-Emerick relegation zone, while Arsenal creep side can turn things around and and Joe Gomez. Tim Southee and Neil Wagner picked Bayern last season. Favre’s three-year Aubameyang’s own goal handed ever closer to the drop zone as they sit high-flying Southampton, Everton, Meanwhile, Leicester took advan- up the four wickets required, while Da contract was due to run out at the Burnley a 1-0 win on Sunday. 15th, just five points above the bottom Manchester City in the League Cup tage of slip ups by the top two to close Silva scored his first Test half century. end of the season. Dortmund’s bad The Gunners were again undone by three. “We need to put the ball in the and Chelsea to come in their next four to within one point of the leaders as “When we batted in the first innings run in the Bundesliga this season has indiscipline as Granit Xhaka’s need- net, that’s what is missing. What we games. James Maddison scored twice in a 3-0 we didn’t set up the game very well,” meant they have dropped to fifth less sending-off just before the hour did and what Burnley did there is no It was a familiar tale for Arteta’s rout over Brighton. Maddison was Holder told reporters as to why his place. Assistant coach Edin Terzic mark turned the game in Burnley’s comparison,” said Arsenal manager men as they failed to take their chanc- back to his best after a series of injury side had lost the game. We always say took charge of the team and will favour. Aubameyang is still waiting Mikel Arteta. es and were then undone by a red card problems with two brilliant finishes the first innings is really important to remain at the helm until the end of for his first league goal from open play The Spaniard was hailed for his and one moment of sloppy defending. either side of Jamie Vardy’s 12th goal set the match up and we didn’t do that the season. (AGENCIES) since signing a lucrative new three- instant impact in leading Arsenal to England international Nick Pope of the season. in this Test match.” Bhurtel guides Rapti to one-wicket victory Messi saves Barcelona, Sociedad back on top

SPORTS BUREAU league finals after defeating national ets for 28 runs. But they managed to AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE first place despite only drawing 1-1 saves from Aitor Fernandez, with the KATHMANDU, DEC 14 team skipper Gyanendra Malla-led reach 138-8 with contributions from BARCELONA, DEC 14 with Eibar. Barcelona do however Levante goalkeeper doing particularly Bagmati in their first matches. lower middle and tailender batsmen. have two games in hand on the Basque well to push away a stinging shot from Rapt clinched a one wicket win over Monday’s match outcome means Sushan Bhari, who came to bat at Lionel Messi saved Barcelona from outfit. Atletico are level on 26 points Martin Braithwaite in the 16th minute Narayani in the last league match of Rapti secured first position in the number seven, contributed 18 runs another embarrassing result by scor- with Sociedad and also have two and Antoine Griezmann’s header five the Gautam Buddha Cup twenty20 round-robin league finals. The same before skipper KC and Mahato played ing the decisive goal in a 1-0 win over games in hand while Real Madrid are minutes later. cricket tournament played in teams will vie in the finals on Tuesday. 59 runs for the eight wicket. lowly Levante, while Real Sociedad now just three points behind the lead- Earlier Ander Barrenetxea gave Bharatpur on Monday. Kamal Singh who came to bat at Mahato contributed unbeaten 36 returned top of La Liga on Sunday. ers having played one less after beat- Real Sociedad the lead in San Kushal Bhurtel cracked 65 runs off number eight remained unbeaten at runs, the highest score for Narayani, Messi struck with 14 minutes ing their local rivals 2-0 on Saturday. Sebastian with a thumping strike in 41 balls as Rapti chased 139 runs tar- 24 runs while Asif Sheikh and Sumit which included two boundaries and remaining of a lacklustre display “The team is working well, they the 20th minute, but Sergi Enrich get with a ball to spare. Bhurtel, who Maharjan contributed 14 and 12 runs four sixes in his 14-ball knock. KC from Barca at the Camp Nou which gave the maximum,” said Koeman. turned home with 25 minutes remain- came as one of the openers, hit four respectively. Narayani captain Karan scored 32 off 22 deliveries. will do little to ease fan fears following “We still lack a little confidence in ing to send his team 10th on 15 points. fences and six sixes before being KC claimed three wickets while Rapti bowlers Surya Tamang and their 3-0 hammering at the hands of ourselves, in our game, but we had a Sociedad would have had a bigger gap bowled out by Kishore Mahato in the Kishore Mahato and Sushan Bhari Abinash Bohara grabbed two wickets Juventus midweek. lot of chances, and I have nothing to between them and Atletico had Igor 11th over. grabbed two wickets each. apiece while Jitendra Mukhiya, Ronald Koeman’s side are still way say about the attitude of the players in Zubeldia’s 80th-minute tap-in not been Both sides have already secured Narayani, which elected to bat first, Kamal Singh and Basant Karki picked off the pace in the title race, nine this match.” ruled out by VAR for an extremely berths in the three-team round-robin made a shaky start and lost four wick- one each. points behind Sociedad who reclaimed Barca managed to force several tight offside. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** People will treat you the way you deserve to be treat- Someone close to you could be going through some Don’t let your flirting skills get rusty! Even if you’re The challenges you face at your job or school are not ed today—singing your praises and patting you on issue with their home life. The drama in their pri- in a long-term, committed relationship, flirting only adding stress to your life, they’re also causing the back. That means that it’s a particularly good vate life is leaking into your relationship. You’re should still be a part of your life. After all, it’s not a some disruption in the lives of your closest friends time to use all the goodwill that’s coming your way to getting frustrated by their lack of concentration, and big commitment or infidelity. It is (or it should be) and loved ones. Today, try to make sure your two get people to help you start something new. that’s understandable. harmless. worlds stay separate.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** It’s wise for you to rethink your health regimen One of your friends has been acting immature lately, Have the past few days been dragging along too slow- Today, let people into your life a little bit more. Open today, but it’s unwise to set goals that are too ambi- but today it looks like they’ve decided to grow up. But ly for you? If so, today will probably be no different. yourself up and they’ll show you the best that they tious. You have to be realistic about what you can do is it too little too late? This relationship has been a Time feels like it’s crawling right now, but in reality have to offer. Encourage them to be confident and and how quickly you can do it or you’ll only get frus- mixed blessing in your life, and it might be time to you’re just moving too quickly for it! So slow down you’ll be putting yourself in a strong leadership posi- trated. decide once and for all if you want it to continue. the pace of your life. tion.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** There’s a fight about to bust out today, and you’ll be You’ve got a much more focused energy than you’ve You can feel free to kick back and just have fun today. Getting caught up in the past isn’t something you lucky enough to have a front row seat for all the had for a while, and you can almost instantly make a Go ahead and let yourself get distracted by the silly, should be doing right now. There are too many action! The two warring parties, in your humble molehill out of any mountain! The tallest, toughest the inane, and the downright goofy. If you have chil- important opportunities in front of you, and you opinion, are equally in the wrong, so this should be obstacles will melt into minor setbacks and your dren in your life, this is the perfect day to get down can’t afford to be distracted by things that have an interesting battle to witness! plan for fun won’t have to be delayed by one minute. on their level and have a play date. already happened and don’t really matter anymore. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020 | 08 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 The unemployed and small business owners turn to ride-sharing apps to pay their bills Many who have lost jobs or are incurring losses have joined the gig economy to earn a living, with a majority of them opting to work as riders on ride-sharing platforms.

TSERING NGODUP LAMA Pathao and worked as a rider for KATHMANDU a few months. But when my mother came to know about it and she got itting on his parked motorbike worried and asked me to quit,” said beside an upscale restaurant in Roshan. Lazimpat, Uttam Kumar Rai, his But this time, Roshan says he has no head bowed, stares intermittent- option but to work as a rider and keep it ly at his smartphone’s Pathao hidden from his family. app, a ride-sharing app. Roshan now divides his time SIt’s almost noon, and Rai has just com- between his restaurant and ride-sharing pleted a ride request from Boudha to platform. Lazimpat. And until he gets a new ride Until 9 am, Roshan helps his partner at request on the app, all Rai can do is wait. the restaurant in getting things ready for After around 10 minutes of waiting, a the day, and by 10 am, he is out ferrying ride request pops up. Rai is quick to passengers on the back of his scooter. accept it, and he speeds away. “I make sure I am back at the restaurant On any given day, Rai, a full-time before six in the evening because things Pathao rider, takes anywhere between 12 get slightly busy at the restaurant around to 15 rides. He starts early, around 8 am that time,” said Roshan. “I manage to do every day, and by the time he gets home in around eight to 10 rides in a day and after his rented accommodation in Kapan, it’s my expenses, I save around Rs 700.” usually 7 pm. Since the lockdown loosened, says Until a few months ago, Rai’s daily rou- Thapa, riders on Pathao are also taking tine was completely different. He held a twice the number of rides they used to 9-5 job at a financial investment company, before the pandemic. and it was only during his free time that “This trend clearly shows that the num- he worked as a Pathao rider to make extra ber of riders who rely on the platform for money. their livelihood has increased significant- But in February this year, says Rai, a ly,” said Thapa. disagreement with the company’s HR left Both Rai and Thapa say that they are him with no option but to quit. “I was told grateful that ride-sharing platforms are by the company’s HR that upon complet- providing many like them a source of ing two years at the company, I would get income at such an economically volatile a better contract. But when the time time in their lives. came, the HR reneged on the promise,” “To be honest, I am making more said Rai. “I felt disrespected and unappre- money working as a rider than I used to ciated, and I decided to resign.” work at the financial investment compa- After putting in his papers, Rai started SHUTTERSTOCK ny. My salary then was Rs 19,000 a month. applying for jobs but before he could land a pandemic. But soon, Pathao, says Thapa, started 400,000 in setting up the place and busi- But now I make that amount in around 20 one, the pandemic hit, and for months, Starting from June, Pathao, says the receiving messages from people saying ness was doing okay and we were hoping days,” said Rai. Rai was left without a source of income. platform’s senior manager Shashank how they have lost jobs, their businesses that things would pick up,” said Roshan. But it’s a hard job, says both Rai and When the lockdown loosened, Rai left Shumsher Thapa, was inundated with have suffered immensely and that they “When the lockdown hit I wasn’t very Roshan. for his village in Khotang and returned to queries from people wanting to sign up on desperately need the gig as a rider to worried because I thought things would “Riding a motorbike in this cold isn’t Kathmandu only a month ago, and he has the platform. make a living with. return to normalcy in a few weeks and easy and after riding for hours, in the since been working full-time as a Pathao The situation was similar at Tootle. “So for the first few weeks after the the whole thing would just be a minor evening, your back hurts a lot,” said rider. “We were seeing anywhere between 80 lockdown, we decided to screen and setback.” Roshan. Rai’s case isn’t an outlier. to 100 new applicants daily,” said Sixit accept riders on a case-by-case basis to But as the lockdown stretched for For Rai, the biggest drawback of work- Ever since the lockdown loosened, Bhatta, co-founder of Tootle. ensure that those who were financially months, fear and worry began to creep in. ing in the gig economy as a rider is the many who have lost jobs and owners of But during the first few weeks follow- struggling due to the pandemic have a “Despite remaining shut for four risks involved. small businesses that have been hit hard ing the lockdown, with many people chance to get on board the platform and at months and with no business at all, we “When you are riding for hours on a by the pandemic have joined the gig econ- reluctant to step outside their homes, the same time not significantly still had to pay rent, and that crippled us daily basis, you are obviously more pre- omy to earn a living, the vast majority of demand for rides on ride-sharing plat- disrupt the supply-demand balance,” said financially. When the lockdown loosened disposed to auto accidents. And if a rider them opting to work as riders on forms was low. Thapa. in July, we reopened but business was injures himself/herself, they are on their ride-sharing platforms. “Given the low demand, it didn’t make When the nation-wide lockdown was very slow,” said Roshan. own. That’s a huge risk for riders,” said Data from ride-sharing apps like sense for us to accept new applicants announced in March, Roshan (name In September, out of desperation, Rai. “But then in the present scenario, Pathao and Tootle show a huge surge in because that would mean existing riders changed) didn’t think it would last that Roshan started working as a rider for a those who are doing it full time are doing the number of new applicants wanting to on the platform would end up getting long. In January, he and his friend had ride-sharing platform. so out of desperation. The bills have to be sign up and work as riders in the midst of much fewer rides,” said Thapa. started a small restaurant. “We spent Rs “Last year, I signed up on Tootle and paid.” Artists, activists rush to save Black Lives Matter murals To preserve expressions of anger and pain born of outrage over racial injustice, artists have begun painting intricate murals and spray-painting raw messages of anguish.

CHRISTINE FERNANDO the art alive. INDIANAPOLIS In New York City, the Soho Broadway Initiative worked with local arts groups to either woman could bring get permission for murals and provide themselves to watch the artists with materials. As murals started video of George Floyd’s coming down, the organisation returned final moments, his neck 22 artworks to artists and collected 20 pinned under a more waiting to be returned. Minneapolis police In Indianapolis, organiser Malina Nofficer’s knee. Jeffers is unsure about the future of the But as their city grieved, Leesa Kelly and Black Lives Matter street mural stretching Kenda Zellner-Smith found much-needed across Indiana Avenue. The mural is wear- comfort in the messages of anguish and ing down from traffic, and with winter will hope that appeared on boarded-up windows come weather damage and snowplows. as residents turned miles of plywood into But the mural will live on in prints and canvases. Now, they’re working to save T-shirts created by the local Black artists those murals before they vanish. behind the original mural. More than “These walls speak,” said Zellner- 1,000 shirts have been sold. Vinyl banners Smith, who said she was too numb to cry representing 24 other murals painted in after Floyd’s killing. “They’re the expres- the downtown area are displayed at the sions of communities. We want these city’s Central Library. feelings, hopes, calls to action to live on.” “All of us know the mural won’t be Together, the two Black women formed there forever,” Jeffers said. “So we all Save the Boards to Memorialize the wanted a piece of it to hold onto.” Movement, part of a push to preserve the ephemeral expressions of anger and pain born of outrage over racial injustice that ‘They’re the triggered weeks of protests across the country. expressions of Some artists began painting intricate murals, but many spray-painted raw mes- communities. We sages of anguish. Zellner-Smith started with the simple pieces. want these feelings, “Some of these boards aren’t pretty,” hopes, calls to action she said. “There is collective pain and grief in each board, and each one tells a to live on.’ different aspect of this story. And now we get to tell that story to everyone.” One is the word “MAMA” scrawled hast- ily onto the side of an abandoned Walmart. For Seattle’s Black Lives Matter street The word was among Floyd’s last. Now it’s mural, Mexican American artist Angelina part of a database of protest art called the Villalobos, aka 179, mixed her mother’s Urban Art Mapping George Floyd and ashes into the bright green paint she used Anti-Racist Street Art database. for the letter A. City workers scrubbed “The art was changing quickly, and the mural from the asphalt after it began AP/RSS these raw, immediate responses were chipping, but one worker collected paint Leesa Kelly (left) walks past plywood mural boards as she and Kenda Zellner-Smith (background right) and volunteers meet at a warehouse in Minneapolis. being erased and painted over,” said Todd from each letter, which Villalobos plans to Lawrence, an associate professor of keep on her mother’s altar in the kitchen. Seattle was removed. Street art has been Marie Durant, president of Oakland Art in this country,” she said. “We’re docu- English at the University of St Thomas in “I’m getting my mom back, but she’s erased in many other cities, including Murmur Board of Directors. menting history.” St Paul, Minnesota, and one of the data- been transformed,” she said. “It’s like ... a Tulsa, Oklahoma, where workers in The Black-led Black Cultural Zone has Kelly and Zellner-Smith have filled base’s creators. “We want people to see time capsule of that mural experience October removed a Black Lives Matter a leading role in the project. their warehouse space to capacity. They the full range of responses, the complexi- and all the work and thought and pain painting at the site of the Tulsa Race “We’ve been living this story, this trau- started out by hoarding boards in their ty, the multitude of voices.” that went into it.” Massacre where in 1921 a white mob ma for a long time,” CEO Carolyn Johnson garages. Now, they have 537 in a ware- Lawrence and art history professor The original artists have repainted the attacked a prosperous African American said. “That gives us a perspective that house. They say watching the space fill up Heather Shirey were part of a research mural, planning to touch it up again in district, killing an estimated 300 people. others may not have. We know how to best was surreal. team already documenting street art. five years. Other cities such as Indianapolis and tell this story.” “Being surrounded by these boards When the streets of countless cities Designers at the Seattle architecture New York City have seen their Black Back in Minneapolis, Save the Boards that encompass this pain and grief and became temporary galleries after Floyd’s and design firm GGLO are using a differ- Lives Matter murals vandalised. is working with researchers Lawrence hope, it was spiritual,” Kelly said. death, they set out to capture the art ent approach to preserve protest art by “This is our homage to the art that is and Shirey as well as the Minnesota The group’s next steps are to catalog before it disappeared. creating an augmented reality art show gone,” she said. “It’s trying to keep the African American Heritage Museum and the boards, do 3D scans and build a virtu- Although many of the 1,600 artworks in that allows visitors to use smartphones to message alive virtually, in a form that no Gallery to document, archive and plan an al gallery. the crowdsourced database come from view works scattered around the city. The one can take down or hose off.” exhibition in May 2021, the anniversary But while Kelly and Zellner-Smith cre- Minneapolis, Shirey says they hope to show includes a digital version of the In Oakland, California, community of Floyd’s death. ated a GoFundMe to raise money for the expand to pieces from around the world. “Right to Remain” poster by local artist arts organisations are preserving and Museum co-founder Tina Burnside project, funds have quickly dwindled. “Oppression and racial violence is Kreau, 3D graffiti honoring victims of cataloging more than 700 murals. The says the initiative hopes to preserve the “They all need to be saved,” Zellner- unfortunately universal, so art is respond- police brutality and digital tears pouring team is discussing plans including a murals in a way that continues dialogue Smith said. “They all matter, and we want ing to it around the world,” she said. over Seattle’s skyline. December outdoor exhibition, a 2021 on systemic racism, provides context and to keep collecting. We’re just a little stuck Similar work is going on across the Gargi Kadoo, a member of the design indoor exhibition, and high school lesson allows for public access. “It’s an impor- right now. But the work is far from over.” country as groups take measures to keep team, says much of the protest art around plans centering the artwork, said Jean tant chapter in the fight for racial justice —Associated Press

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