WI THOUT F EAR O R F A V O U R

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 184 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 35.5 C 13.5 C Saturday, August 21, 2021 | 05-05-2078 Dipayal Jomsom Alliance politics set to make a comeback as two parties split Stability, a common refrain of Nepali politicians, goes up in the smoke as they squabble over power, partisan interests.

TIKA R PRADHAN ments, they will be submitted to the KATHMANDU, AUG 20 board of commissioners,” said Raj Kumar Shrestha, spokesperson for the Ever since the Nepali Congress- Election Commission. “If everything Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist is per existing laws, the applicants Centre) alliance came to power, their will get their new parties registered.” one objective was to break the CPN- The splits in the largest and fourth UML. And with an ordinance issued largest parties will for now help Deuba by the Sher Bahadur Deuba govern- prolong his stay in power, but it will ment, the largest party in Parliament take some time to know how the over- on Wednesday saw a split. The Madhav all political process will be impacted, Nepal faction has applied for a new say observers. However, it has become party at the Election Commission, apparent that alliance politics has proposing its name the CPN (Unified made a comeback despite excessive Socialist). The ordinance, however, focus on stability, according to them. caused yet another split. The Despite securing 165 votes when Mahantha Thakur faction of the Deuba went for a floor test on July 18, Janata Samajbadi Party has also he was not confident of a majority in applied for a new party—Loktantrik the House for the passage of any bills. Samajbadi Party. As many as 14 lawmakers of the Nepal Once the two new parties are regis- faction as well as eight from the KP tered by the Election Commission, Oli faction and all 32 lawmakers of the Parliament will have six political Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) had forces—CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, voted for Deuba. the Maoist Centre, Janata Samajbadi There was no certainty if the Nepal Party, CPN (Unified Socialist) faction would vote for any bill present- and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party ed by Deuba defying the party whip. (LSP). Three other parties— Nor was Deuba confident about Post Photo: KABIN ADHIKARI Rastriya Janamorcha, Nepal around 10-13 lawmakers from the High school and college students and people aged 40 years and above line up to receive their first dose of the Vero Cell vaccine at Civil Service Majdoor Kisan Party and Thakur faction. Hospital, Minbhawan, Kathmandu on Friday. Students needed to show their exam admission cards to be eligible for vaccination. Rastriya Prajatantra Party— A bill’s failure in the House would have their representation with have created moral pressure on Deuba one lawmaker each as independ- not to continue as prime minister. ents because they are not recog- With the split in the UML, it has now Interview nised as national parties. become apparent that the Nepal-led The Election Commission has party will support the Deuba govern- Inside invited leaders of both appli- ment. Deuba has not been able to cants on Wednesday at 11am to expand his Cabinet even a month after ‘The only way to be a examine if they have completed assuming office, as it was waiting for Landslide debris blocks river, all legal procedures. the Nepal group. triggers flood threats “After examining the docu- >> Continued on page 2 BAJHANG: Landslide debris carried by writer is to write and write’ the Sanigad river in Bungal Municipality, Bajhang has formed a dam midstream in the Githine area While Sulochana Manandhar Dhital today is known since Friday morning, putting nearby settlements at risk. With the surge in more as a writer and poet, in her younger days, she was water level, the river started breach- ing the debris dam in the afternoon, a revolutionary who spent years trying to change society. threatening to sweep away Mahadev Secondary School nearby. The land- slide occurred at around 9am from Githine cliff, according to Rakesh Singh, a local man of Kafalseri. “The landslide debris has blocked the river,” said Singh. “The dam may burst anytime. Settlements nearby and downstream are at risk of getting flooded.” (Details on Pg 2)

Public school students faring worse than private schoolgoers KATHMANDU: The performance of stu- dents from public schools is below the average learning achievement pre- scribed by the curriculum. A report by the Education Review Office under the Ministry of Education made pub- lic on Friday shows a disparity in the learning achievement between the public and private schools. The review office had carried out a study among 42,000 grade 10 students of the 2019 batch from 1,800 public and pri- vate schools across the country. The Post Photo: Kabin Adhikari average performance of the commu- Sulochana Manandhar Dhital reads from her new chapbook ‘Night’. nity school students in mathematics stood at 491 against 542 of the private In her younger days, Sulochana ers of Nebico Biscuit Factory aware school students. Likewise, the aver- Manandhar Dhital had a wayward of their rights, she joined the factory age learning achievement in Science spirit. In the late ’60s, it was custom- as a labourer and eventually led a of the community school students is ary for girls to be married off in their women-only protest demanding 491 against 540 of the private school teens. Manandhar, who was born in labour rights. She also played an students. In Nepali the performance 1955, had already turned down an active role in the 1979 student protests of public school students is 496 arranged marriage proposal by the to address why the country needs a against 512 of those from private age of 18 and had made it clear to multi-party governance system. schools, and in English it is 488 for everyone that she was going to walk In those years, she also wrote poems public school students against 556 for her own path. and essays advocating for equality of private school students. (Details on Pg 3) She was ambitious with her dreams the sexes and women to speak up. She and goals and was determined to make also wrote about revolution and resist- society a better and fairer place. ance, and her literary works were Taliban revenge fears grow After finishing her schooling, then distributed to the public. Then in in Afghanistan Manandhar started teaching at a 1980, when a few political parties school in Lagan, Kathmandu. organised another labour movement, KABUL: The Taliban are going house- “The majority of the students in Manandhar once again took to the to-house searching for opponents and the school were from the Pode commu- frontlines to address labour issues. their families, according to an intelli- nity [considered so-called ‘backward The state in its attempt to quell pro- gence document for the UN that deep- caste’] and the teachers wouldn’t take tests started clamping down on ened fears on Friday Afghanistan’s classes regularly. It was this fact that reformists and revolutionaries, and new rulers were reneging on pledges led me to start teaching at the school,” Manandhar had to go underground for of tolerance. After routing govern- she says. years. She then stopped writing. ment forces and taking over Kabul on During her free time in the after- It was only years after Manandhar Sunday to end two decades of war, noons, Manandhar taught the commu- got married to Dr Saroj Dhital that she the hardline Islamist movement’s nity’s men and women reading and resumed writing poems and essays. leaders have repeatedly vowed a com- writing. She also spent a year teaching Her literary works, which were trans- plete amnesty as part of a well-craft- children of a farming community in lated into several languages, por- ed PR blitz. Women have also been Balambu where she remembers get- trayed the hues of life and some of assured their rights will be respected, ting a lot of love from the local people them even raised questions on what and that the Taliban will be “positive- for her efforts to educate the children the country perceived as development. ly different” from their brutal 1996- and her determination to bring posi- As her works reached far and wide, 2001 rule. But with thousands of peo- tive changes in the community. Manandhar started witnessing the ple still trying to flee the capital “I felt free and brave when I was power of literature to transcend bor- aboard evacuation flights, the report teaching in these communities,” says ders and move people. for the United Nations confirmed the Manandhar. “I felt like I was doing my At her home in Lazimpat now, fears of many. The Taliban have been part in making the world a better place.” Manandhar, who is lately popular for conducting “targeted door-to-door vis- Manandhar says she knew from her radio show ‘Jivanbata Jivan its” of people who worked with US very early on that empowering women Sikau’ on Radio Sagarmatha, smiles and NATO forces, according to a doc- and the economically marginalised back at the untamed journey she has ument by the UN’s threat assessment was the key to bring about real chang- had through the years. consultants seen by AFP. (Details on Pg 4) es in society. In order to make labour- >> Continued on page 7

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 | 02 National Briefing People returning to India despite Covid-19 risks Violent clash at Around 600 migrant workers from Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces cross the Jamunaha border point into India on a daily basis. teachers’ protest KANCHANPUR: Nine security personnel RUPA GAHATRAJ and a dozen of protesters were NEPALGUNJ, AUG 20 injured in a clash that broke out dur- ing a demonstration of Nepal Mohan Thapa had returned home to Teachers’ Association outside the Surkhet in the second week of April office of Bhimdatta Municipality in after most Indian cities went into Kanchanpur on Friday. The protest lockdown due to a surge in Covid-19 turned violent after supporters of the cases. Nepali Congress and representatives The situation was the same when of Nepal Students Union reached the Thapa reached Nepal. So he remained municipal office and expressed their confined in his home for several solidarity with the agitating teachers. months. The clash erupted when the police There was no work to be found but tried to stop the protesters who were he had to meet his household expenses trying to padlock the municipal which he managed by taking a loan office. The Kanchanpur chapter of from neighbours. With no prospects of the teachers’ body has been protest- income and mounting debt, Thapa ing against the adjustment of teach- decided to return to India although er’s posts since last one month. the risk of Covid-19 has still not sub- sided there. “I stayed in the village for months Landslide damages but I could not find work. I had to bor- bridge in Gorkha row money to take care of my expens- es. I can’t live on borrowed money for long so I decided to head back to India in search of jobs,” said the 40-year-old, who had reached Jamunaha border point in Banke on his way to India on Thursday. Thapa was accompanied by five of his friends. GORKHA: A cantilever bridge at Like Thapa and his friends, a large Sardibhir in Chumchet of number of migrant workers from Chumnubri Rural Municipality was Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim damaged by a landslide on Thursday. provinces have started returning to Saroj Lama, a local resident, said, India in search of jobs. Hundreds of “The landslide has rendered the people, mostly youths, enter India bridge impassable.” The area has through Jumunaha crossing on a been seeing continuous landslides for daily basis, according to the border the past five days, locals say. police. Purna Khatri, sub-inspector of Area Police Office, Jamunaha, said Flooded Koshi enters around 500 to 600 individuals are Post Photo: RUPA GHATRAJ entering India on a daily basis. People migrating to India in search of jobs queue up at Jamunaha border point in Banke district on Thursday. Gobargadha settlement “Most of the people are headed to RAJBIRAJ: The flooded Koshi river has New Delhi, Chandigarh, Gujarat, and Dhamala. “Our government did noth- “I am going to India again for a job visit Rupaidiha Bazar for their daily ple at Jamunaha crossing has been entered 35 houses in Ward No 13 of Mumbai. They had returned to Nepal ing for people like us. They have left us because I could not find one in my own shopping. relaxed considering the daily needs of Hanuman Nagar Kankalini some three to four months ago,” to fend for ourselves.” country,” he said. “The government has not opened the local residents. We have not Municipality in Saptari. According to Khatri said. Most of the India-bound migrant A majority of the young population the borders officially yet. However, the received an official letter from the Bindeshwar Yadav, the ward chair- Ramesh Dhamala of Banke also workers said they were compelled to in the hill districts of Lumbini Jamunaha border is open only for government to open the border point.” man, Gobargadha remains inundated returned to India after seeing that go to India because there were no job and Karnali provinces go to various daily shopping,” said Khatri, the According to the District for the last three days. Shailesh there were no employment opportuni- opportunities in Nepal. Indian cities every year in search sub-inspector at Area Police Office, Administration Office in Banke, Kumar Sah, mayor of the municipali- ties at home. Jasabir Budha of Dailekh had of jobs. Jamunaha. Indian nationals, Nepali workers and ty, said, “A team led by the ward “I wanted to stay home during the returned from India in mid-April. He The movement of people along Dirgharaj Upadhayay, assistant employees are allowed to enter into chairman has been deployed to col- pandemic. But I have no alternative tried to find a job in his home district Jamunaha border has also increased chief District officer of Banke, said, Nepali territory only after conducting lect the details of the destruction. but to go to India for work,” said for months without avail. due to the local people of Banke who “The cross-border movement of peo- health checkups. Landslide debris blocks river in Bajhang, triggers flood threats Continuous landslide at Githine cliff in Bungal Municipality has hindered work to safely channelise the blocked river.

BASANTA PRATAP SINGH “At least five cattle died because of BAJHANG, AUG 20 inundation. Our paddy fields have been destroyed by the floodwaters,” Landslide debris carried by the said Yogesh Singh, a local resident. Sanigad river in Bungal Municipality, On Friday evening, a team of Nepali Bajhang has formed a dam midstream Army reached the incident site to safe- in the Githine area since Friday morn- ly channelise the blocked river. But ing, putting nearby settlements at risk. their work has been hindered due to a With the surge in water level, the continuous landslide in the area. river started breaching the debris “The team are at the incident site dam in the afternoon, threatening to with an excavator. However, the land- sweep away Mahadev Secondary slide has not stopped yet. There’s a School nearby. chance that the flow of the river could The landslide occurred at around get blocked again at night,” Rupak 9am from Githine cliff, according to Khadka, deputy superintendent of Rakesh Singh, a local man of police in Bajhang, said. “If this hap- Kafalseri. pens, we have to shift people from the “The landslide debris has blocked risky areas tonight. We have mobi- the river,” said Singh. “The dam may lised police personnel in various plac- burst anytime. Settlements nearby es to alert people.” and downstream are at risk of getting Meanwhile, continuous rainfall flooded.” since the last few days has increased The District Police Office in the water level of Bahuligad stream Bajhang has requested people living near Chainpur, Bajhang district head- near the riverbank areas to stay alert. quarters. “If the dam bursts, Kafalseri On Friday, the rain-swollen stream Bazar and the settlements near the breached its banks in Jaya Prithvi Sanigad and Kalanga river bank Municipality and swept away a sus- areas could be flooded. Besides pension bridge. Githine cliff, a landslide has also bro- “Vehicular movement along ken out at the Sanigad Hydropower Rithapata-Surma road has come to a dam site,” said Singh. halt after the stream damaged the The landslide dammed river has road. We have urged the local resi- Post Photo: Deepak kc already inundated around 50 ropanis dents to stay alert,” said. Nawaraj A man selling pillows and cushions looks at his phone as he waits for customers at Chyasal, Lalitpur on Friday. of paddy fields, a house and a shed. Koirala, a local government officer. Alliance politics set to make a comeback as two parties split

>> Continued from page 1 for them during local elections, they comfortable to go to the polls alone as A divorce has taken place even before come into play during polls—person- Though a natural alliance is possi- If the Election Commission timeline can continue it during general elec- the communist forces are divided.” a proper honeymoon. It was bound to ality, caste and power exercise. Yadav ble between like-minded parties, or is anything to go by, Cabinet expan- tions as well. According to Shrestha, Nepal alone happen,” said Tula Narayan Shah, a no doubt is likely to fare better than the parties that share similar ideolo- sion is most likely immediately after “Nepal is left with no option than to with his new party cannot face the political commentator. “Thakur’s Thakur.” gies like communists, observers say Wednesday (August 25). seek an alliance with other forces and polls, as he is well aware of the history party will become a mini-Congress.” During the upcoming Cabinet anything is possible in politics. “The Cabinet will be expanded as the most likely partners will be the of breakaway factions faring badly in With Yadav already emerging expansion, Yadav is going to join the The Congress and Maoist soon as Madhav Nepal’s party is regis- Maoist Centre and JSP,” said Shyam the polls. stronger—he is believed to have a government, and that will give the JSP Centre are recent examples. Both had tered,” said Maoist Centre chair Shrestha, a political analyst who has When Bamdev Gautam broke away strong hold in Madhes constituencies an extra edge over LSP. joined hands to lead a coalition Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Thursday followed Nepal’s leftist politics closely. from the UML in 1998 and formed still—Thakur could face a tough time, According to Sarbendra Nath government in turns in 2017, but on while addressing a function in A lot will depend also on how the CPN-ML, it failed to secure even a especially because of the Nepali Shukla, a leader close to Thakur, given the eve of the general elections, Kathmandu. Nepali Congress behaves. Though the single seat in the 1999 elections. This Congress. the animosity with the Yadav faction, Dahal forged an electoral alliance The Thakur faction, however, Congress is leading the government is why Nepal, despite deciding to split Whether the Congress and LSP the possibility of his party forging an with Oli’s UML. has not yet decided on joining the with the support of the Maoist Centre the party, has maintained that the pos- could forge an electoral alliance in electoral alliance with the JSP during Given the raging bitterness between government. and Yadav-Bhattarai’s Janata sibility of a left alliance, with Oli some constituencies in Madhes, how- the local polls is almost nil. Oli and Dahal, an electoral alliance Analysts say while joining the gov- Samajbadi, it may not find it easy to included, cannot be ruled out. ever, is too premature to talk at this “The Nepali Congress is our major between the Maoist Centre and ernment is a short-term goal, parties share constituencies with them dur- As far as Thakur’s LSP is con- time, say analysts. competitor in Madhes, while the UML UML is unlikely, raising the chances will ultimately aim for elections and ing the polls. And a split in the UML cerned, it’s fight will be mainly with Thakur has already been losing is also strong on the northern parts of of an alliance between Dahal and things won’t be easy for both Nepal makes it easier for the Congress, as it the JSP, as both have their constituen- some of his leaders, as they are defect- the postal highway,” said Shukla. “We Nepal instead. and Thakur when the country goes to had faced an unprecedented drubbing cies in the Madhes region. ing to Yadav’s JSP. will decide with which party to forge “Our five-party alliance (Congress, polls next year. And before that, in the 2017 elections largely because Analysts who have closely followed Shah says Thakur shot himself in an electoral alliance later. During Maoist Centre, JSP, Nepal faction and local elections will be held, in around the communist forces had formed an Madhes politics say the JSP was his foot by supporting Oli. local polls, decisions will be taken Janamorcha) will continue,” said seven months. electoral alliance. doomed to fail the day it was formed, “It was a myopic decision. Now based on the needs on the ground.” Metmani Chaudhary, a leader close to The JSP, led by Upendra Yadav and “Unless the Congress decides to go as the two constituent parties were because of Thakur’s move to stand by The outcomes of the local polls Nepal. “Let’s see how the situation Baburam Bhattarai, is already eyeing to the polls alone, the existing left-dem- poles apart. Oli, which barely benefited him, will also guide parties how they unfolds. Maybe we can even form an electoral alliance with the Maoist ocratic alliance is likely to continue,” “It was a marriage of convenience Yadav managed to take control of the are going to make strategies for the a united left party, including the Centre, and if the alliance works well said Shrestha. “Congress might find it between Yadav and Thakur’s parties. party,” said Shah. “A lot of factors general elections. Maoist Centre.”

C M Y K 03 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 National Public school students faring poorly compared to private schoolgoers Students from Province 1 and Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini have fared better in four main subjects.

BINOD GHIMIRE KATHMANDU, AUG 20

The performance of students from public schools is below the average learning achievement pre- scribed by the curriculum. A report by the Education Review Office under the Ministry of Education made public on Friday shows a disparity in the learning achievement between the public and private schools. The review office had carried out a study among 42,000 grade 10 students of the 2019 batch from 1,800 public and private schools across the country. The average performance of the community school students in mathematics stood at 491 against 542 of the private school students. Likewise, the average learning achievement in Science of the community school students is 491 against 540 of the private school students. In Nepali the performance of public school stu- dents is 496 against 512 of those from private schools, and in English it is 488 for public school students against 556 for private school students. The study was done using a multi-stage sam- pling technique and Item Response Theory where 500 has been taken as the mean value of perfor- mance. The 500 reflects the average performance on a scale that ranges from 0 to 1,000. Post Photo: Beeju Maharjan However, the range of the score students Workers prepare to install the pinnacle on Kumbheshwar Temple at Bagalamukhi, Lalitpur on Friday. Reconstruction of the temple damaged in the 2015 earthquake has been completed. achieved largely runs between 400 and 600, accord- ing to the review office. “The study shows the learning achievement is higher where the investment is higher. It applies to both private and public schools,” said Shiva Kumar Sapkota, director general of the review office. “The study tests not just the learning Pandemic rages on but money in Covid-19 achievement of the students but also the efficiency of the education system.” Along with the funding in schools, there are several other factors that affect the learning achievement. fund remains unspent for past six months Except in Nepali, girl students fare poorer in mathematics, Science and English in comparison to their male counterparts. The performance of Not a single rupee has been released from the Coronavirus Prevention, Control and Treatment Fund since January 27. the students from urban areas is better than those from rural areas while the performance of stu- PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA son for the CCMC. “A draft of the working year and May 21 as per the recommendation the brink when hospitals started turning dents from the schools where they have cordial KATHMANDU, AUG 20 procedure is under discussion at the Prime of the then prime minister KP Sharma Oli, away Covid-19 patients due to the lack of oxy- relationships with teachers is better. Minister’s Office. Once the Cabinet approves but the Supreme Court reinstated the House gen and beds. The second wave of the pandem- According to the study, the mother’s education The fund created by the government to gener- it, we will be able to spend from the fund.” both times terming the moves constitutional. ic has seen two and a half times more deaths has a huge role in increasing the learning ate resources to fight Covid-19 through volun- Before January 27, four other meetings of Before the House was dissolved the second and several times higher numbers of infec- achievements of the children. The children of tary contributions has remained idle through- the fund’s board chaired by the National time, the then prime minister Oli sought a tions compared to the first wave, which saw a mother who holds a master’s degree have out the second wave of the pandemic, with no Planning Commission vice-chairperson vote of confidence in the House of around 3,000 deaths. an average learning achievement of 558 in mathe- budget released since January 27. had released money for various purposes Representatives but failed the floor test on As of Friday, the total death toll from Covid- matics, 561 in Science, 520 in Nepali and 567 in The Coronavirus Prevention, Control and including developing health infrastructure May 10. As a result, the office-bearers of the 19 has reached 10,455 and total infections are English. Treatment Fund was set up in March 2020, like freezers required to manage bodies, set- National Planning Commission also lost their at 744,307, according to the Ministry of Health However, for the children of illiterate mothers, two months after the country reported its ting up oxygen plants and oxygen manage- positions as per the commission’s Formation and Population. the average learning achievement is 490 in mathe- first infection, with a view to using the money ment systems, hospital beds, intensive care and Operating Order-2018. After he was “Even with the limited resources of the matics, 488 in Science, 487 in Nepali and 482 in for procuring medicines and medical goods, units (ICUs) and laboratories, and procuring appointed prime minister on May 13, once fund, works like contract tracing, logistic English. setting up infrastructure for the management ventilators and polymerase chain reaction again as leader of the largest party on May 13, management at hospitals and providing sup- “The average performance of the students in of the infected, mobilising human resources (PCR) machines. the same office bearers at the commission port to the poor could be done,” said Dr both the private and public schools stands at and providing relief for those hit hard by the In the last fiscal year, a total of Rs1.48 bil- were reappointed on May 20. Basudev Pandey, former director at the around 500 in all four subjects which means stu- pandemic. lion was released from the fund, all before the Officials at the Prime Minister’s Office say Epidemiology and Disease Control Division dents have only grasped around half the content The government had established second wave hit the country in early-April. the absence of the vice-chair in the planning under the Health Ministry. “But, the country’s prescribed in their courses,” said Shyam Acharya, the fund by issuing the ‘Directives on There is still Rs452.55 million remaining in body for some time also contributed to delay politics took primacy over the pandemic and an officer at the review office who was involved in Coronavirus Prevention, Control and the fund. in the meeting of the fund’s board. affected the whole efforts against the disease.” the study. Treatment Fund-2020’. Current and former officials said a relative- Former vice-chairperson of the planning Besides releasing no budget since January, “This is definitely not a satisfactory result.” When the pandemic caused a humanitarian ly small amount of money remaining in the body Pushpa Raj Kadel had told the Post in the leadership of the fund also made no Mother tongue and the development status of a crisis in May, the government decided to bring fund and the Finance Ministry itself arrang- early June that the fund had received no efforts to increase the size of the fund over the particular area too has a direct impact on the the fund, headed by the National Planning ing funds for the procurement of medical request for resources allocation from any gov- last several months. learning achievement, as per the report. The stu- Commission vice-chairperson, under the supplies and infrastructure were primary ernment entities and no meeting was held for According to the directives on Coronavirus dents who speak Nepali as their mother tongue reorganised Covid-19 Crisis Management factors behind its non-use during the second a prolonged period. Prevention, Control and Treatment Fund- fare better than those who speak other languages. Centre (CCMC), through an ordinance. wave of the pandemic. He had also claimed that a meeting of the 2020, key resources of the fund include The average learning achievement for the students Even after coming under the new structure, “The size of the fund could not grow much fund’s board in late May before its formal receipts from the federal government, provin- speaking Nepali is 504 in mathematics, 506 in not a single rupee has been released from and the Finance Ministry was also providing handover to the CCMC, had decided to distrib- cial governments and local governments; for- Science, 505 in Nepali and 500 in science while they the fund for procuring medical goods and resources from other sources,” said ute funds between Rs500,000 and Rs1 million eign governments, institutions/organisations are 493, 489, 488 and 486 respectively for the stu- building health infrastructure, according to Maheshwor Neupane, secretary at the Prime to each district for the management of the or individuals; governmental and non-govern- dents from the families which don’t have Nepali as official records. Minister’s Office, who also participated in the bodies of Covid-19 victims. mental organisations; and domestic organisa- their mother tongue. As per the Financial Comptroller General meeting of fund’s board as secretary of the But, there is no record of any fund distribu- tions or individuals. While the students from Bagmati Province, Office, which keeps the record of the govern- Home Ministry before his recent transfer to tion until mid-July [end of last fiscal year] at When the fund was created last year, minis- Gandaki Province, Lumbini and Province 1 have ment’s income and expenditures, after Rs85 the Prime Minister’s Office. the Financial Comptroller General Office. ters, lawmakers, private companies, police better performance in all four subjects, those from million was released from the fund on January But, a secretary on condition of anonymity But, health experts say that failure to uti- personnel, non-governmental organisations Karnali Province have the poorest outcome fol- 27, no money has been released until mid-July, said the political crisis created after the House lise the fund, which was created to tackle the and individuals had contributed to it. lowed by Sudurpaschim Province and Province 2. the end of the last fiscal year. of Representatives was dissolved twice might pandemic, even in times of huge public suffer- According to the Financial Comptroller The findings of the review office for grade 8 in “As there is no working procedure ready to have also disoriented the government from ing suggests how indifferent the political lead- General Office, only Rs585.50 million was col- 2019 also painted a similar bleak picture. It has release the budget from the fund after it came the fund. ership became towards people’s woes during lected in the fund in the last fiscal year 2020- been assessing the performance of the students of under the CCMC, the fund has remained idle President Bidya Devi Bhandari had dis- the second wave of the pandemic. 21, a sharp drop from Rs1.35 billion in the grades 3, 5 and 8 since 2011. so far,” said Nurahari Khatiwada, spokesper- solved the lower house on December 22 last The country’s health system was pushed to previous fiscal year. Drink-driving cases, road accidents decline after night-time ban on vehicles

ANUP OJHA since they have stopped using breath- motorists who are found driving care- KATHMANDU, AUG 20 alysers fearing virus transmission. lessly at night or behaving unusually Even when the traffic police in or aggressively after drinking. The ban on all types of vehicles in the October last year announced stringent “But since last week, we have Valley except those in emergency ser- measures against drink-driving dur- stopped looking for drunk drivers as vices after 8pm since August 10 may ing the Dashain festival in Kathmandu our job has been to detain any public have drawn widespread criticism, but Valley, public health experts had criti- or private vehicle found violating the this has come as a respite for at least cised the move saying it would put night-time ban,” said Das. one group–traffic police personnel both police and motorists at high risk In the past one week alone, traffic who had to man the roads till late to of virus infection. police have detained a total of 2,425 check drink-driving. The traffic division’s data show that vehicles for operating after 8pm. Das “Since non-essential vehicles in the past two years, they issued tick- said such vehicles are detained for two are banned, this has automatically ets to a total of 9,702 motorists for hours and released. reduced road traffic in the Valley,” drink-driving. However, before the “But if motorists have genuine rea- said Superintendent Sanjib Sharma pandemic, in the fiscal year 2018-19, sons for driving at night, then we take Das, who is also the spokesperson of the number of motorists booked for no action,” said Das. the Metropolitan Traffic Police drink-driving was 31,987. He said 700 traffic police are Division, Kathmandu. Those booked for drink-driving are deployed across the Valley to enforce Although public health experts fined Rs1,000 and made to attend a the night-time ban on vehicles. have criticised the night-time ban call- one-hour class on traffic rules. But Although the ban has been criti- ing it a futile exercise as the virus since the first week of January, the cised for being short-sighted and does not distinguish between day and traffic police division has been collect- impractical as major market hubs in night, traffic police say road accident ing the fines through an online pay- the Valley remain crowded through- cases have come down since the impo- ment system and taking the classes out the day with people ignoring social sition of the ban. According to them, virtually due to the pandemic. Every distancing and other health protocols, there are hardly any cases of day, around 180 rule-breakers have traffic police officials credit the ban drink-driving now. been attending the one-hour class, for the drop in drink-driving and “Before the ban, we would register according to traffic police officials. night-time road accidents. at least 20 cases of drink-driving daily, “The fewer numbers are because Meanwhile, Nepal on Friday report- but there are no such cases now,” said public mobility has come down ed 3,042 new coronavirus cases with 26 Das. “The ban has also brought respite and we have reduced random checks Covid-19 related fatalities taking the to the traffic police as it has greatly for drink-driving,” said Senior nationwide infection tally to 744,307. reduced road accidents.” Superintendent Janak Bhattrai, also Kathmandu Valley recorded 898 new Ever since the country was hit by the chief of the division. infections in the past 24 hours. Of the first wave of Covid-19 pandemic in The division spokesperson, Das, these, 604 cases were confirmed in March last year, police crackdown on Post file Photo said of late police have not been using Kathmandu, 187 in Lalitpur and 107 in drink-driving has become ineffective Traffic police enforce the vehicle ban after 8pm in Kathmandu. breathalysers and instead they nab Bhaktapur.

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 | 04 world

Briefing AstraZeneca’s new Taliban revenge fears grow in Afghanistan anitbody therapy US says food aid runs out this week in Ethiopia’s Tigray They have been conducting ‘targeted door-to-door visits’ of people who worked with US and NATO forces. shows promise NAIROBI: The United States is warning AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE that food aid will run out this week KABUL, AUG 20 REUTERS for millions of hungry people under a LONDON, AUG 20 blockade imposed by Ethiopia’s gov- The Taliban are going house to house ernment on the embattled Tigray searching for opponents and their AstraZeneca’s new antibody therapy region. Samantha Power, the adminis- families, according to an intelligence reduced the risk of people developing trator of the US Agency for document for the UN that deepened Covid-19 symptoms by 77 percent in a International Development, said in a fears on Friday Afghanistan’s new late-stage trial, putting the drugmaker statement on late Thursday that less rulers were reneging on pledges of on track to offer protection to those than 7 percent of the needed food aid tolerance. who respond poorly to vaccines. has been reaching the Tigray region After routing government forces The company said on Friday that of some 6 million people, and and taking over Kabul on Sunday to 75 percent of the participants in the USAID and other aid groups “have end two decades of war, the hardline trial for the therapy—two types of depleted their stores of food items Islamist movement’s leaders have antibodies discovered by Vanderbilt warehoused in Tigray” after nine repeatedly vowed a complete amnesty University Medical Center—had months of war. as part of a well-crafted PR blitz. chronic conditions including some Women have also been assured their with a lower immune response rights will be respected, and that the to vaccinations. Singapore says ASEAN not as Taliban will be “positively different” Similar therapies made with a drug effective as hoped in Myanmar from their brutal 1996-2001 rule. class called monoclonal antibodies SINGAPORE: The progress by the But with thousands of people still which mimic naturally occurring Association of Southeast Asian trying to flee the capital aboard evacu- immune system proteins are Nations (ASEAN) in Myanmar has ation flights, the report for the United being developed by Regeneron, Eli not been as effective as hoped, Nations confirmed the fears of many. Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline with part- Singapore’s foreign minister said in The Taliban have been conducting ner Vir. an interview. The United Nations and “targeted door-to-door visits” of peo- But AstraZeneca is the first to pub- many countries have urged ASEAN ple who worked with US and NATO lish positive Covid-19 prevention data to restore stability through forces, according to a confidential doc- from an antibody trial. diplomacy. “(ASEAN is) not as effec- ument by the UN’s threat assessment The good news on the therapy was tive or as quick as we would have consultants seen by AFP. tempered, however, by a separate hoped for,” Vivian Balakrishnan told The report, written by the AstraZeneca statement on Friday. Reuters. In April, ASEAN announced Norwegian Center for Global It said a trial of a treatment for the a five-point consensus aimed at Analyses, said militants were also rare neurological disorder amyotroph- resolving the crisis. As part of those screening people on the way to Kabul ic lateral sclerosis (ALS), developed by efforts, the bloc has appointed airport. AstraZeneca’s newly acquired Brunei’s second minister for foreign “They are targeting the families of AFP/RSS Alexion, had been stopped early due to affairs as special envoy to Myanmar. those who refuse to give themselves Afghans gather on a roadside near the military part of the airport in Kabul on Friday, hoping to flee from the country after the Taliban takeover. a lack of efficacy. up, and prosecuting and punishing AstraZeneca executive Mene their families ‘according to sharia ceded some of their fighters were “The male employees, those with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Pangalos said the therapy trial results Navalny calls on global leaders law’,” Christian Nellemann, the breaking into homes. office cards were allowed to enter the Lavrov said. were taken three months after the group’s executive director, told AFP. “Some people are still doing this, office but I was told that I couldn’t In the Panjshir Valley northeast of antibodies were injected and investi- to combat corruption “We expect both individuals previ- possibly in ignorance,” he said in a continue my duty because the system Kabul, Massoud, the son of gators would follow up as far out as 15 MOSCOW: Imprisoned Russian opposi- ously working with NATO/US forces Twitter post. has been changed.” Afghanistan’s most famed anti-Talib- months in the hope the company can tion leader Alexei Navalny marked and their allies, alongside with their “We are ashamed and have no There have been isolated signs of an fighter Ahmed Shah Massoud, said tout the shot as a year-long shield. the anniversary of a poisoning attack family members to be exposed to tor- answer for it.” opposition to the Taliban in parts of he was “ready to follow in his father’s Pangalos signalled that the pros- against him by urging global leaders ture and executions.” The Taliban have also insisted Afghanistan this week. footsteps”. pects of a new Covid-19 product in on Friday to put more attention on The German public broadcaster women have nothing to fear under Small groups of Afghans waved the “But we need more weapons, more AstraZeneca’s medicine cabinet could combating corruption and to target Deutsche Welle also reported that the their new rule. country’s black, red and green flags in ammunition and more supplies,” also enhance the strategic value of its tycoons close to Russian President Taliban had shot dead the relative of During their first stint in power, Kabul and a handful of suburbs on Massoud wrote in the Washington existing vaccine Vaxzevria, which it Vladimir Putin. In an article pub- one of its journalists while searching women were excluded from public life Thursday to celebrate the anniversary Post. developed in collaboration with lished in three European newspapers, for the editor. and girls banned from school. of Afghanistan’s independence -- on Tens of thousands of people have Oxford University. Navalny chided Western leaders for “The killing of a close relative of People were stoned to death for occasion in plain sight of patrolling tried to flee Afghanistan since the “No other company has delivered relegating the fight against corrup- one of our editors by the Taliban yes- adultery, while music and television Taliban fighters. Taliban swept into the capital. two molecules against SARS-CoV2. tion to a “secondary agenda” item terday is inconceivably tragic, and were also banned. Taliban fighters fired guns to dis- The United States said Thursday This definitely helps us in positioning and said that graft plays an essential testifies to the acute danger in which A video posted online by a high-pro- perse dozens of Afghans in Jalalabad that it had airlifted about 7,000 people us in terms of Covid,” Pangalos told part in policy failures, including in all our employees and their families in file woman journalist this week for a who waved the flag on Wednesday. out of Kabul over the past five days. Reuters. SARS-CoV2 is the scientific Iraq and Afghanistan. “It is precisely Afghanistan find themselves,” DW government-run television station Russia also emphasised on Chaos erupted at the airport this name for the coronavirus that causes the fact that the West ‘failed to notice’ director general Peter Limbourg said. offered a different reality to the Thursday that a resistance movement week, as frantic Afghans searched for Covid-19. the total corruption in Afghanistan— The Taliban have repeatedly said Taliban’s new image of tolerance. was forming in the Panjshir Valley, led a way to leave the country. Another leading AstraZeneca exec- that Western leaders preferred not to their fighters are barred from enter- “Our lives are under threat,” by deposed vice-president Amrullah An Afghan sports federation utive, Ruud Dobber, had said last talk about a topic they found embar- ing private homes. Shabnam Dawran, an anchor in state- Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of announced a footballer for the nation- month that different strategic options rassing—which was the most crucial Nazar Mohammad Mutmaeen, a owned broadcaster RTA, said as she a slain anti-Taliban fighter. al youth team had died after falling were being explored for AstraZeneca’s factor in the victory of the Taliban,” senior Taliban official, insisted this recounted being barred from the “The Taliban doesn’t control the from a US plane he desperately clung vaccine operations, which have faced Navalny wrote. (AGENCIES) remained the policy, though he con- office. whole territory of Afghanistan,” to as it took off. a string of challenges. In Haiti, close relation between the living and the dead ASSOCIATED PRESS dozens of small, modest private funer- with them.” Such a solution is little LES CAYES, HAITI, AUG 20 al homes in the area. short of a sacrilege in Haiti, but the There, at least air-conditioned beleaguered funeral home director Haiti’s unusually close relationship rooms mean the bodies won’t decom- has little choice. between the living and the dead has pose while relatives struggle to come “I was already working eight hours helped hide, in part, the huge toll of up with enough money to meet burial a day, and now I have to work 24,” he Saturday’s earthquake: People in costs that can run around $500, a for- said. “I am burning $50 in gas every Haiti want to be close to their deceased tune for people in the hemisphere’s day. We need an institution or a chari- relatives, to the point of sometimes poorest country. ty to donate to help with the costs.” burying them in their front yards. Jean Eddy Montezima runs one “In some cases, the bodies were in Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency puts such parlour, the St Jaques funeral such bad condition, we had to bury the number of dead from the quake at home in Les Cayes, on a shoestring, them immediately,” he said, adding he almost 2,200. Questions had arisen and he is overworked and fed up. As he can’t hand that task off to the govern- about how such a large number of spoke with journalists, another rick- ment. “If the body is badly decom- dead could have been handled or bur- ety, informal “ambulance” — actually posed, they won’t accept them at the ied so quickly, but amateur burials just an SUV with a folding stretcher in morgue.” and overflowing private funeral par- lours may explain where all the bodies went. The magnitude 7.2 earthquake injured more than 12,000 people, destroyed or damaged more than 100,000 homes and left about 30,000 families homeless, officials said. Schools, offices and churches — and even funeral homes and cemeteries — were demolished or badly damaged. The quake also brought the living and the dead even closer in a nation which, like Mexico, celebrates a Day of the Dead holiday: In the country- side outside the city of Les Cayes, some of the frontyard burial crypts were broken open by the force of the quake, exposing coffins inside. And some of the living came closer to the grave than anyone should: Serge Chery, the head of civil defence for the Southern Province, which covers Les Cayes, said that his officers had found two women buried in the rubble of a two-story apartment building because they had been able to communicate with the outside world via cellphones. AP/RSS Such stories are common rumours A man sits in front of a collapsed funeral home in Les Cayes, Haiti on August 16, two days in disaster zones. Chery said his after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern part of the country. department received innumerable false reports of such calls. “We dialled the back — pulled up with another Eventually, though, the dead and the one number that people said was send- body, a woman who died of natural living have to part ways. ing messages from a collapsed house, causes at a local hospital. Chery has the painful task of decid- and a living person answered it in That’s good, because Montezima ing, along with other authorities, Jeremie,” a nearby city. says he is no longer accepting the bod- when to send in heavy machinery to But Chery refused to call the real ies of quake victims. He has 15 corps- clear the rubble, though he acknowl- cellphone rescue a miracle. es crowding his small, air-conditioned edges it will ’inevitably” result in “The only miracle was that they had rooms. The woman’s body was carried churning up more bodies. Chery said their phones charged and in their into the parlour and relatives prom- that in the Les Cayes area alone, 300 hands at the time of the quake, and ised to come back later to make people are still missing; many are they had sufficient room to dial after- arrangements. probably still under tons of broken ward,” Chery said. Montezima says he has taken in the concrete and brick. Government hospital morgues, like bodies of at least 50 quake victims “We are planning a meeting to start the one at the Les Cayes’ general hos- since Saturday at his small building, clearing all of the sites that were pital, are almost empty. That’s because, where a noisy generator growls 24 destroyed because that will give the as the hospital’s director admits, they hours a day to keep air conditioners owner of that site at least the haven’t had working refrigeration at running so the bodies won’t decom- chance to build something temporary, the morgue for at least three months pose. out of wood, to live on that site,” due to problems with the electrical “A lot of people may not have the Chery said, noting that “it will be equipment. money to bury them,” Montezima easier to distribute aid if people are Instead, local residents know they said. “If the families don’t come back, living at their addresses, rather than have to take deceased to one of the I will probably have to do a mass grave in a tent.”

C M Y K 05 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 Money India’s trade with Afghanistan Two-thirds of Nepalis have a bank account stalls but likely to resume soon, Male account holders outnumber females by almost two to one, according to Nepal Rastra Bank. industry officials say KRISHANA PRASAIN accounts, the report showed. KATHMANDU, AUG 20 Bagmati Province has the highest per- REUTERS centage of financial technology users with MUMBAI, AUG 20 An estimated 67.3 percent of Nepalis have 26.11 percent ATM users, 6.40 percent inter- at least one bank account, but there is a net banking users and 33.12 percent mobile India’s trade with Afghanistan has dried up as borders and huge gap in the number of accounts banking users. banks have closed since the Taliban took over the country, but between males and females, and rural and The total number of accounts per 1,000 industry officials said that the disruption was temporary and urban areas, a central bank report revealed. population stands at 998 while the total that it would be business as usual soon. According to the Financial Access number of accounts per 1,000 adult popula- New Delhi is one of the leading suppliers of essential com- Report 2021 published by Nepal Rastra tion stands at 1,348.1, as per the report. modities to Afghanistan, which exports mainly dry fruits to Bank on Friday, male account holders Individual (natural) accounts stands for India. Shipments between the two countries were delayed or outnumber females by almost two to one. 93.48 percent of the total deposit accounts disrupted after Taliban insurgents started making military Among the total 29.92 million account in the banking and financial institutions. advances earlier this month, leading to the fall of the capital holders in banking and financial institu- The population per branch stands at Kabul on Sunday, industry officials said. tions, 19.11 million are male and 10.61 mil- 5,268 with the lowest 2,185 in metropolitan “There is a temporary glitch in trade as Afghanistan is lion are female. areas and the highest 11,716 in rural munic- witnessing a transition of power. But within a few days trade Likewise, there is a rural-urban gap in ipalities. Saving accounts make up the will restart,” said Rahil Shaikh, managing director of the number of bank accounts. There are highest number of deposit accounts in Mumbai-based MEIR Commodities, which exports sugar to 251 accounts per 1,000 population in rural banking and financial intuitions while Afghanistan. municipalities while 953 accounts per 1,000 about one-third of the accounts are India’s exports to Afghanistan came to $826 million in the population in urban municipalities. The dormant, the report said. financial year that ended on March 31, consisting mainly of gap increases when the number of account The number of people with bank sugar, cereals, tea, spices, pharmaceutical and textile prod- holders from rural municipalities is com- accounts has swelled mainly due to the ucts. In the same year, New Delhi’s imports from Kabul came pared with people from sub-metropolitan government policy of conducting cam- to $509 million, consisting mainly of figs, raisins and apples. cities and metropolitan cities. paigns to encourage people to open bank Afghanistan has been the second-biggest buyer of Indian There are 1,930 and 3,296 accounts per accounts, requirement to have a bank sugar in the 2020/21 marketing year ending on Sept. 30, pur- 1,000 population in sub-metropolitan cities account to receive social security allowanc- chasing a record 624,000 tonnes, according to the All India and metropolitan cities respectively. es, expansion of bank branches to the local Sugar Trade Association. The central bank report says gender bias level, and increase in the participation of Indian shipments for Afghanistan usually land at Pakistan’s exists in all provinces and local levels people in the stock market through online Karachi port and from there are moved to Afghanistan while the urban population has greater purchase and trading mechanisms which through road. Demand for sugar and other essential commod- access to financial services than the rural require them to have a bank account. ities is robust from Afghanistan and imports could rise once population. About one-third (33.6 percent) of the banks start operations, said Tayyab Balagamwala, director at “Karnali Province, Province 2 and total deposit accounts are found to be Karachi-based Seatrade Group. Surdurpaschim Province have a low num- dormant accounts. This shows that finan- “Taliban has slashed import taxes on many commodities. ber of deposit accounts compared to other Post file Photo cial access does not guarantee the use of This will lead to more imports,” Balagamwala said. provinces,” the report says. “This implies Bagmati Province has the highest percentage of financial technology users with 26.11 percent ATM users, bank accounts. Female accounts are less India was importing and exporting commodities from that we need to focus on enhancing finan- 6.40 percent internet banking users and 33.12 percent mobile banking users. dormant compared to male accounts, Afghanistan even during the previous Taliban rule during cial access in these provinces as well as for the report revealed. The proportion of 1996 to 2001, said a Mumbai-based exporter, who declined to be females and rural areas. Increasing finan- patterns to make this happen,” she added. nology is more popular among the young dormant accounts is higher for non-finan- named. The United States or European Union might impose cial access to unbanked areas and seg- “Banks and financial institutions seem and middle age population compared to cial corporations compared to individual sanctions on Taliban but even those sanctions would exclude ments requires both demand and supply to be focused on providing loans to the other age groups. The Covid-19 pandemic accounts. trade of essential commodities, he said. The Federation of side approaches.” existing businessmen and are reluctant to has also proven the importance of digital Nepal Rastra Bank conducted the study Indian Export Organisation told Reuters partner ANI on Kusum Lama, chairperson at Prabhu expand new and inclusive financing pro- payment systems for business continuity. to further explore the status of financial Thursday that the Taliban have stopped all imports and Management, a financial service providing grammes that address not just urban cus- The age profile of account holders shows access from regulated banking and finan- exports from India through transit routes of Pakistan. company, said, “Financial access starts at tomers, but also customers in rural areas,” that 96.15 percent of the accounts are held cial institutions (A, B, C classes) based on home, and since a majority of income earn- Lama said. by adults (16 and above) while the majority detailed data of deposit accounts as of mid- ers in most families are male, women have In rural areas, women do vegetable farm- of account holders are between 20 and 40 June 2020. less access to finance. Even in urban areas, ing, livestock rearing and other income years of age. At that time, there were 5,694 bank women participate less in financial man- generating work, but it is the males who “Investment in digital payment should branches, 31.88 million deposit accounts, agement, and their fathers or husbands take the products to market. As a result, continue given its popularity among young 1.52 million loan accounts, 10.67 million manage it for them.” women do not see the money they users and the uncertainty related to the mobile banking customers, 992,724 internet She added, “There is a lack of financial have earned, and their role is limited to existence of Covid-19. The use of technolo- banking customers and 7.24 million ATM awareness campaigns for females in the production only. gy also needs to be expanded to enhance card holders. country. Unless women are financially lit- Prabhu Management is working to boost financial inclusion across the country with The 5,694 branches of A, B, C class erate, their access to finance will be less. financial literacy in Sudurpaschim the effective implementation of digital banking and financial institutions resulted Financial access to women will also help Province, where most of the men go to financial literacy,” the report said. in a ratio of 18.98 branches per 100,000 them to contribute to the economy. India to earn while the women remain at In terms of electronic payment, the per- population. Lama said that if banks provided subsi- home, so they can manage the earnings centage of automated teller machine The concentration of branches is higher dies on loans for women, it would help to of their male relatives. “We have associat- (ATM) users is 20.35 percent, internet in Bagmati and Gandaki provinces com- increase their financial access, as it would ed them with prepaid cards or e-wallet,” banking users make up 3.86 percent and pared to other provinces. Province 2 has encourage them to utilise their rights. Lama said. mobile banking users make up 32.03 per- the lowest number of branches per 100,000 “Banks should change their investment According to the report, financial tech- cent respectively of the total deposit population—9.73 branches.

FOREX Half a trillion dollars US Dollar 119.32 Euro 139.29 Pound Sterling 162.42 Japanese Yen 10.89 wiped from China Chinese Yuan 18.36 Qatari Riyal 32.27 Australian Dollar 84.99 markets in a week Malaysian Ringit 28.16 REUTERS Saudi Arab Riyal 31.82 BEIJING, AUG 20 Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank A series of China’s tech stocks slumped to new Chinese regulatory Price Per tola lows on Friday and Hong Kong’s bullion benchmark index hit an almost crackdowns 10-month trough, as an unrelenting Fine Gold Rs 91,200 series of Chinese regulatory crack- crushed investors’ downs crushed investors’ confidence. Silver Rs 1,195 More than $560 billion in market confidence. value has been wiped off Hong Kong Source: FENEGOSIDA and mainland China exchanges in a week as funds capitulate out of the firm’s massive debt and state once-favoured stocks, unsure which media reported looming regulations gasoline watch sectors regulators will target next. for liquor makers, a favourite tipple The Hang Seng fell 1.8 percent and for foreign fund managers. its weekly drop of 5.8 percent was the On the heels of crackdowns span- largest since the height of the pan- ning from steelmaking to e-commerce demic panic in financial markets in and education, the moves are sapping March 2020. Stocks in Shanghai also faith in a market that seems yet to find fell, while investors sold risky corpo- a floor after months of selling. The rate debt and the Chinese currency. Shanghai Composite dropped 1.1 per- The yuan was poised for its biggest cent to its lowest close in more than weekly loss in two months as inves- two weeks on Friday and blue chips tors rushed to safety amid global coro- fell 1.9 percent, with liquor makers navirus concerns. leading losses. “There isn’t really one trigger, but China Telecom was a rare bright many bits and pieces that add to the spot and surged on its debut in narrative to stay away from China,” Shanghai. The epicentre of the selloff said Dave Wang, a portfolio manager has been the tech sector, which had at Nuvest Capital in Singapore. been popular with foreign investors “Almost on a daily basis you have who are now afraid they can’t quanti- negative news coming out, so it forms fy the regulatory risk and are selling the impression there’s no end in in droves. sight.” This week alone China Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Tech index, announced tougher rules on competi- comprised of many one-time darlings, tion in the tech sector, summoned dropped 2.5 percent on Friday to a new executives at property developer record low and has shed about 48 per- Evergrande to warn them to reduce cent since February. Facebook teams up with Indian firm to help provide loans to small businesses

REUTERS managing director, told a virtual news businesses that have been advertising NEW DELHI, AUG 20 conference. on Facebook or its group apps Facebook said it would pay off to for at least 180 days. And, the pro- Facebook is partnering with an bolster the small business economy in gramme could help drive more such Indian online lending firm to help India as these companies will use its firms to advertise on the social net- provide loans to small domestic apps including Instagram and work and its apps which are highly businesses, its country head said WhatsApp to boost their growth. popular in India. on Friday, as part of a push to bring “We’re not looking to make money India is a key growth market for more businesses to advertise on its from this programme, we don’t have Facebook with more than 410 million platform. any revenue share... but we are hoping users, and its WhatsApp messenger The social media giant is joining this creates growth in the industry counts the South Asian country as its hands with Indifi to help provide loans that will eventually benefit us,” said biggest market with over 530 million ranging from 500,000 rupees to Mohan, adding that Facebook had no users. Instagram has over 210 million 5,000,000 rupees ($6,719-$67,191) at monetary contribution towards the users in India, also benefiting from a annual interest rates of up to 20 per- programme. ban on Chinese short video platform cent, Ajit Mohan, Facebook India’s The loans are available to small TikTok last year.

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 | 06 Sports | Medley Briefing Juventus look to regain Serie A crown Rahul tightens grip Arsenal rope in Odegaard on opener’s role Reuters LONDON: Arsenal have signed Norway The Old Lady have brought back coach Allegri, added Locatelli to a midefield—their weak point under Pirlo last season LONDON, Aug 20 international Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid on a permanent deal, the and kept Rolando while champions Inter Milan had to let go Conte and sell two of their top players in Lukaku and Hakimi. KL Rahul was not even India’s sec- Premier League club said on Friday. Associated Press Juventus start the season as the Ibrahimovic turns 40 in October ond-choice opener in England but The midfielder spent the latter half MILAN, Aug 20 favourite to win back their title and much of Milan’s success when the task fell into his lap for the of last season on loan at Arsenal, despite their worst season in 10 could depend on him remaining first Test at Trent Bridge, the 29-year- making 20 appearances in all compe- Juventus are favoured to regain their years. injury-free. old made sure his recall lasted longer titions and scoring twice, including Italian league title, partly because of Andrea Pirlo’s first season as a However, Milan have signed anoth- than just one match. in a 2-1 win over north London rivals defending champions Inter Milan’s coach ended without a title—stop- er aging forward in Olivier Giroud to With 244 runs from four innings, Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal did not financial difficulties. ping Juve’s run of nine straight offer some support. The hardwork- including a sixth Test hundred, Rahul reveal details of the transfer but Inter open the new season at home league titles. His team finished ing 34-year-old Frenchman helped is India’s highest scorer in the British media reported they had against Genoa on Saturday, while fourth and at times looked in danger Chelsea to the Champions League ongoing five-match series which they agreed to pay around 35 million euros Juventus play Sunday at Udinese. of missing out on a Champions last season and also won the World lead 1-0. ($40.88 million) to sign the 22-year-old Five of the top seven teams from League spot. Cup with France in 2018. After Shubman Gill returned home on a four-year contract. Odegaard last season have new coaches. Somewhat surprisingly for a But Milan have lost two key with a stress fracture before the series becomes Arteta’s fourth signing of club that has consistently invested in players on free transfers in Gianluigi had started, Mayank Agarwal was the summer following the additions Inter Milan and added to its title-winning Donnarumma and Calhanoglu. expected to be Rohit Sharma’s open- of centre back Ben White, midfielder Inter’s title celebrations turned sour squads, it has been Juve’s most Donnarumma—named the best play- ing partner in Nottingham. But Albert Sambi Lokonga and left back only days after the final match of last inactive offseason in the transfer er of the European Championship— Agarwal suffered concussion during Nuno Tavares. season. market since 1986. Juventus have has been replaced with goalkeeper training, leaving Rahul to step in for Inter coach Antonio Conte left, Mike Maignan from French league his first Test in almost two years - and Cahill signs for Bournemouth officially by mutual consent, but champions Lille. now in no mood to surrender that reportedly because he was unhappy Milan will play their first match of position. BOURNEMOUTH: Former England inter- Inter Milan kick that he would not be able to continue the season on Monday at Sampdoria. Rahul’s 84 was the highest score by national Gary Cahill has joined sec- his project and build on his title-win- an Indian in the drawn Trent Bridge ond-tier side AFC Bournemouth on a off the new Serie A ning squad. The rest Test as was his 129 at Lord’s, where his one-year deal after his contract with Instead, financial constraints Jose Mourinho is back in Italian foot- team demolished England on the final Crystal Palace expired at the end of season against meant that Inter had to sell two of ball a little more than a decade after day to triumph by 151 runs. last season, the Championship club their top players in Romelu Lukaku leading Inter Milan to a treble of An automatic choice in limit- said on Friday. The 35-year-old centre Genoa today. and Achraf Hakimi. titles. ed-overs cricket because of his back played 47 games in all competi- There is a sense that not only is The 58-year-old Mourinho is look- free-scoring style, Rahul has now tions for Premier League club Palace retaining the title a nigh impossible only signed teenage forward Kaio ing to revive his career and Roma demonstrated his ability to play the after signing on a free transfer follow- task, but also that Inter will struggle Jorge and Italy midfielder Manuel could be the perfect place for that, waiting game too. ing his release from Chelsea in 2019. to make it into the top four for a Locatelli. with the club hoping to move back “Rahul’s comeback as an opener in Cahill enjoyed a successful seven-year Champions League place. However, their most significant into the elite. Test cricket wasn’t so much about his stint at Stamford Bridge, winning the However, Inter have worked dealing in the window could be keep- Roma finished seventh in Serie A ability to succeed at the top - you don’t Champions League as well as two hard—and cheaply—in the transfer ing Cristiano Ronaldo amid contin- last season, 29 points behind champi- score five Test tons (four of them away Premier League and FA Cup titles. market with signings such as Hakan ued reports that the Portugal for- ons Inter. They have not claimed a from home) if you don’t have the Capped 61 times, Cahill appeared at Calhanoglu and Edin Dzeko. And in ward was set to leave Serie A. trophy since 2008, when they won the skills,” former India opener Aakash the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. Simone Inzaghi, the club has an Italian Cup. Chopra wrote in ESPNCricinfo impressive young coach. AC Milan Lazio and Napoli also have new website. Emerson joins Lyon on loan AC Milan’s surprise title challenge coaches, Maurizio Sarri and Luciano “If his first innings of the tour, 84 at Juventus faded away in the second half of last Spalletti, respectively. Atalanta and Trent Bridge, showed that he’s trust- LONDON : Chelsea defender Emerson Only two years after he was fired, season. But that still heralded the Milan are the only clubs from the top ing his skills against the new ball, has joined French side Lyon on loan Massimiliano Allegri has been club’s return to the Champions seven last season to stay with the Rahul’s century at Lord’s established for the rest of the season, the Premier rehired as Juventus coach. League for the first time since the same coach this season. that he is back for good.” League club said on Thursday. The Allegri won five straight Serie A 2013-14 season. Atalanta are growing as a club Curbing a tendency to chase balls 27-year-old, who moved to Chelsea titles with Juventus, including four Veteran forward Zlatan and, after finishing third in each of Afp/Rss outside the off-stump, he scored off from Roma in January 2018, has made league and cup doubles, and also Ibrahimovic was the inspiration the past three seasons, Gian Piero Massimiliano Allegri won five consecutive Serie only 18 of the first 100 balls he faced at 71 appearances in all competitions for reached two Champions League behind Milan’s strong start last Gasperini will be looking to take A titles with Juventus, including four league and Lord’s and accelerated later. the London side, winning the Europa finals. The return of the 54-year-old season but the title challenge tailed advantage of other teams’ disarray cup doubles, and also reached two Champions The third Test starts at Headingley League in 2019 and the Champions coach is one of the principal reasons off with his injuries. to again challenge for the title. League finals between 2014 and 2019. on August 25. League last season. Emerson played four times for Italy during their victo- rious Euro 2020 campaign, and even came off the bench in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in their Premier League opener last week. The fullback joins a struggling Lyon Barcelona hope to continue promising La Liga campaign team that has just one point from their opening two fixtures in Ligue 1. Agence France-Presse dled with debt and only finishing fate of matches on his own—now it tre-back Gerard Pique, who scored duo of Sergio Ramos and Raphael MADRID, Aug 20 third last season. will be a collective effort,” said the last weekend, could miss out with a Varane have also left, for PSG and Cairns’s heath improving Koeman did win his first major tro- Dutchman. calf problem against Athletic. Manchester United respectively, Barcelona face Athletic Bilbao on phy as Barca boss last term, his side Instability at the Camp Nou is also Atletico Madrid took advantage of although David Alaba will be expected WELLINGTON: New Zealand cricket leg- Saturday in their first away match thrashing Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in a Copa rampant off the pitch, with president Barcelona and Real Madrid’s on-pitch to plug one of those gaps after his end Chris Cairns has been taken off since the departure of Lionel Messi, del Rey final in which Messi scored Joan Laporta on Monday saying the woes to win La Liga for the first time move from Bayern Munich. life support and his condition is hoping to back up a promising La Liga twice. club’s financial problems are “worry- since 2014 last season and kicked off Ancelotti brought Gareth Bale back improving after a major heart scare, opener last weekend, while Real Martin Braithwaite stepped into the ing”. He revealed that Barcelona’s their title defence with a 2-1 victory at into the fold for a 4-1 thumping of a family spokesman said Friday. Madrid and Atletico Madrid also look six-time Ballon d’Or winner’s shoes debts stand at 1.35 billion euros ($1.58 Celta Vigo. Diego Simeone’s Atletico Alaves last week when Karim Cairns, 51, one of the world’s top to notch second straight wins. last Sunday by grabbing a brace, while billion) and that their wage bill is at on Sunday welcome Elche to the Benzema, who is reportedly set to sign all-rounders in the early 2000s, was Ronald Koeman’s Barca beat Memphis Depay impressed on his least 25 percent higher than their com- Wanda Metropolitano, where fans will a new contract, netted a double. rushed to Sydney’s St Vincent’s Real Sociedad 4-2 last weekend despite debut after joining from Lyon. petitors at 617 million euros. be present to celebrate their 2021 title All the focus at the Santiago Hospital this month and placed in the shock of seeing Messi leave for Koeman admitted after the win over Philippe Coutinho, among those triumph. Bernabeu remains on the chase of intensive care in a specialist cardiac Paris Saint-Germain. The Catalan Sociedad that other players in high earners, was not part of the Real have also seen plenty of change Kylian Mbappe, who is still yet to unit. He was reported to have suf- giants are also still without injured his team need to step up without matchday squad against Sociedad and in the close-season, with coach agree a new deal with PSG. fered an aortic dissection, which is a winger Ousmane Dembele and Messi—who scored 38 goals in his has been linked with a return to the Zinedine Zidane departing the club to This Sunday, though, Los Blancos tear in the inner layer of the body’s close-season arrival Sergio Aguero as final Barca season. “We no longer Premier League—where he previously be replaced by former boss Carlo will be bidding to continue their main artery. (AGENCIES) they look to rebuild despite being sad- have a player who can decide the starred for Liverpool. Veteran cen- Ancelotti. The long-serving defensive strong start at Levante. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** The universe is filling up your tank with an invigor- Cancerians have a tendency to hold their tongue You’re ready to leave this week behind and trade it in The universe has been shaking things up around ated, excitable energy today, Aries. The day increases unless they feel safe to share their thoughts. for a good time, Libra. The moon slips into social- your creative potential, Capricorn. This story is your need for freedom, spontaneity, and the desire to Saturday’s skies push you out of your shell and urge ly-curious Aquarius today, encouraging you to aban- nudged along even further today, as Saturday’s skies break through your own personal boundaries. you to get your story told, no matter the circumstanc- don your workload and reconnect with your creative push you out of your comfort zone and into adven- es. Today, speak your truth. spirit. ture seeking mode.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** Harness the electric energy building within today, Put your talents to the test today, Leo. The universe is As a Scorpio, you take cosmic directions from the Important breakthroughs are likely to be made Taurus. The universe is pushing you to tackle new encouraging you to prove yourself to yourself, as courageous, self-driven planet, Mars. Saturday’s beneath Saturday’s skies, Aquarius. Today work on terrain creatively and to embrace a new form of go-getter Mars smoothly syncs up with innovative skies find Mars on the receiving end of a highly-en- tearing down long-standing walls in your approach to self-expression today. Be mindful of acting with too Uranus. Today break through your suffocating inhi- ergising connection with change-demanding Uranus. intimate partnerships. Aim to be direct without going much impulse. bitions. overboard!

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** As a Gemini, you’re no stranger to getting lost in the As a Virgo, you tend to be your own worst critic. You’re on the brink of reaching new heights career- As a Pisces, you require more time alone than the labyrinth of your own mind. Saturday’s skies may Today’s cosmic landscape is working to help you wise, Sagittarius. Saturday’s skies thrust you into a others. Honour your need to carve out that solitary find you doing some deep-diving into ancient family break through some of these self-limiting behav- new mode of electric action, as self-motivated Mars space today, as the mood slides into solitude-seeking history. Today, be careful of being too sensitive iours, as self-motivated Mars locks into a smooth forms a supportive connection with pioneering Aquarius. Today, embrace any calming, therapeutic around your family. connection with freedom-seeking Uranus. Uranus. endeavours. Crossword Sudoku

Yesterday’s Solution

C M Y K 07 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 Culture & Lifestyle ‘The only way to be a writer is to write and write’ While Sulochana Manandhar Dhital today is known more as a writer and poet, in her younger days, she was a revolutionary who spent years trying to change society.

>> Continued from page 1 at night and that’s why I started Away from the burdens of writing at night about night. changing the world, Manandhar at In a way, my inability to sleep at 65 says she is focused on spending night has also meant that it has her energy on contributing to given me more time to live my life making small changes. She says than people who actually have no she is calmer and less restless now trouble sleeping at night. I write at than when she was younger. night because when everyone’s And as a reprint of her poetry sleeping, it’s difficult to keep your collection, ‘Raat’, translated in overwhelming thoughts at bay. I English by writer and translator have often found that in the dark- Muna Gurung into ‘Night’ makes ness of the night, thoughts about way for its official launch on life crawl into your mind. Instead Saturday, Manandhar is excited of running away from these about finding new readers for her thoughts, I started hosting, enter- poetry. The chapbook also includes taining, and communicating with Manandhar’s original verses. them as friends. That is how Night’s poetry collection feels like ‘Night’ happened. just the right kind of poetry we The collection is very dear to me can take solace from for our heavy and to have it translated and print- nights as we navigate our lives in ed twice in a row means a lot to me the pandemic. The collection feels as translations like these help me personal and liberating. reach more readers. And Muna In this interview with the Post’s has done a great job with the Srizu Bajracharya, Manandhar translation. She has aptly cap- talks about her motivation behind tured the emotions behind my her versatile journey and her love poems as if she is me--my other for night and poetry. Excerpts: self. I have seen bad translations, and I know what it can do. But What has been your motivation Muna’s translation is more than a throughout your journey? good translation.

Whenever I think about my child- How do the translations of hood, I think of the many difficul- Nepali and Nepalbhasa writings ties and the pain we had to endure. help in our language movement? I grew up in a family that knew What do you think about transla- sadness better than happiness. tion’s role in making cultures At a very young age, my mother stronger? became a widow with three daugh- ters, and society looked at our Translations help transcend family differently. A family with- cultural and language barriers. It out a man was never considered helps make literature more acces- good enough, and daughters were Photo courtesy: chemi dorje sible. It also makes people curious never as good as sons. When my Manandhar’s poetry collection, ‘Raat’ is translated into English by writer and translator Muna Gurung into ‘Night’. about the original work. As a writ- father passed away just eight er, translations of my works have months after I was born, darkness helped me boost my career. When I became a part of our home. I grew started writing again, it was trans- up seeing my mother always griev- lations that gave more life to my ing and restless. I never saw her writings. My works have been happy in those days. As children, translated into Chinese, Japanese, we never dared to cry in front of and English. our mother because we didn’t One name I should not forget for want to add to her challenges and all the recognition my poetry has we always tried to face our diffi- received is Manjushree Thapa. In culties with courage. 2003, she translated ten of my I always thought of how I need to poems from ‘Anubhuti ka be a good daughter, and how I need Thopaharu’ into English for the to make her laugh in whatever Nepali Times. It was after the ways I know. I don’t remember translated poems were published demanding much from my mother. that people came to know me as a I just wanted to make her happy. poet. My husband has also trans- Our home was barren of books and lated many of my works into copies [exercise books], and our English. childhood was devoid of quality So be it literary works in the materials. But I was lucky to enrol Nepali language or Nepalbhasa, in a school. Perhaps it was my chal- when they get translated into dif- lenging childhood that instilled in ferent languages, the works and me the drive to do something sig- the values of the cultures reach nificant with my life. more people. And with indigenous languages such as Nepalbhasa, In the early ’80s you took a break translations are particularly from writing. Why and what important because the younger made you begin writing again? generations are slowly not using the language. We need more trans- In those days, more than a writer, I lation works because more and was running around to change our more young people are not aware society. Writing was something I of the literary heritage they have. used to do on the side. We were living in dangerous times and peo- What are some of your sugges- ple who raised their voices against tions for young writers? the government had to stay low. As the government started intensify- The only way to be a writer is to ing its clampdown on dissenters, I write and write. It is the only com- sent my books and writings to my mitment you need to keep to better friend Astalaxmi Shakya’s house Photo courtesy: Sulochana Manandhar Dhital your craft. Writing needs dedica- for safekeeping. She came from a Manandhar interacts with guests at the launch of her book ‘Jhyaarkhana’ circa 1996. tion, time, and space. If you are wealthy family and I thought the not able to invest time in writing, government wouldn’t raid her ically discuss my work and that because it’s quite open with its friend. And I think the poem I published ‘Raat’ (Night) in 2014. you will never be able to write home. But unfortunately, they did made me realise the impact of approach. I also love writing trave- works because many feel the same It was a poetry collection that I well. Persistence is also another and I couldn’t recover my collec- writing. logues as life itself is a journey. In way too and the people reading the wrote over seventeen years. It was important quality to have. You tion of poems. I was too attached many ways, writers live many sto- poem can relate to the emotion I Meghraj Sharma Nepal (a singer, need to keep at this process even if to my poems because they had Why writing? Can we also talk a ries in their lifetime, and if they am talking about. And when one writer, and poet) or Manjul who it is tiring. The moment you let go, inspired people towards our politi- little about why poetry is wish to, they can write about any- can relate to a poem’s emotions, pushed me to write more poems the momentum breaks. A lot of cal cause and I had spent many powerful? thing. poetry becomes more comprehen- about night when he read a poem my writing projects remain unfin- hours reading them to women and And I love poems because they sible and accessible. In that way, that I had written about night and ished because I failed with my youths of the time. It took me a I believe I am a free writer. I capture emotions. But I believe poems light the path ahead. said he felt like he was reading his dedication. But I will get back to it long time to overcome that sense don’t associate and bind myself to poetry is less about making people story in my poem. After that I again. I am still a keen writer. of loss. I resumed writing poems any particular genre of writing. I understand it and more about Let’s talk about ‘Night’. This is started to write whenever words only after returning from China write because I love to pen down expressing feelings and emotions, the second time it’s getting came to me. And I have continued Night, a translation of 32 of where I lived for a few years with my feelings. I write stories because which have the power to influence reprinted. What does the poetry writing about night even to this Sulochana Manandhar Dhital’s my husband as he pursued his they are a great medium to reflect people. In ‘Saathi’, which is one of collection mean to you, and how day. But I don’t know if I will pub- poems by Muna Gurung will be medical residency programme. In on the world and times we are liv- the poems in my ‘Raat’ collection, and when did you begin writing lish what I have in my diaries now. launched virtually on August 21, China, a few people started to crit- ing in. And I like writing essays I try to say that night can be your poems about the night? I have always had trouble sleeping 2021.

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1. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 2. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides 3. Azadi: Freedom-Facism-Fiction by Arundhati Roy 4. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 5. Whereabouts: A Novel by Jumpa Lahiri Source: Mandala Book Point Source:

Non-Fiction Samanta ko Relay Daud The Code Breaker Money and Power: The World Edited by: Sabitri Gautam, Kailash Author: Walter Isaacson Leaders who Changed Economics Rai,Pratyoush Onta Publication: Simon & Schuster Author: Vince Cable 1. Studies In Nepali History and Society: Publication: Martin Chautari Price: Rs 1438 Publication: Atlantic Books Vol. 26 No. 1 June 2021 Edt. Pratyoush Price: Rs 400 Price: Rs 1118 Onta, Mark Liechty, TAtsuro Fujikura, Bestselling author of books like Lokranjan Parajuli Seika Sato, Seira From pioneering feminist researcher to Leonardo da Vinci and Steve Jobs, In his latest book, economist and poli- Tamang activists, the book documents works and Walter Isaacson returns with another tician Vince Cable examines the lega- 2. Epicenter to Aftermath: Rebuilding and contributions of 12 women who have gripping account of how Nobel Prize cy of 16 world leaders like Franklin D Remembering in the Wake of Nepal’s been fighting for gender equality in winner Jennifer Doudna and her col- Roosevelt, Margret Thatcher, Or Earthquakes Edt by Michael Hutt Nepal over the past five decades. The leagues launched a revolution that Peron, Vladimir Lenin and others who Mark Liechty/Stefanie book highlights the feminist movement changed the whole world by helping transformed their countries’ econom- 3. Policymaker’s Journal by Kaushik of Nepal since the 1970s. cure diseases, fend off viruses, and ic fortunes and challenged the eco- Basu have healthier babies. nomical functioning of the society in the last 300 years. 4. Languages of Truth by Salman Rushdie 5. Hisila: From Revolutionary to First lady

C M Y K SATURDAY, AUGUST 21, 2021 | 08 Culture & Lifestyle (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Mangoes and memories of home Every batch of mango pickle contains little snippets of our family’s chatter.

Shuvekshya Limbu the tall buildings will swallow me up if I SYDNEY stare at them too long. I become astounded and embarrassed by the way my tongue efore the start of summer, my rolls English like it has never spoken mother orders raw mangoes another language before. Turning 22 a few from Tarai and dreams of months ago, I made a promise that I will making tangy mango pickles never sever the roots that have held my spicy enough to cause a little memories like a secret wad of money wildfire in a plate of dal-bhat. inside the hidden compartment of the BShe speaks to her sister on the phone, and bottom drawer. orders her to send only the round, petu- So, at the start of spring in October, I lant ones plucked straight from the tree, hustle to the sleek mall nearby and pick still carrying the smell of countryside. some round, petulant mangoes from the After a few days, the mangoes arrive at fresh food aisle at $3.99 each. When I tell our doorstep in a cardboard shoebox, my mother how much it costs for a single wrapped in newspaper and tired after a mango here, her voice rises like an anx- long bus journey listening to the driver’s ious spring breeze while she calculates the crass Bhojpuri songs. currency in rupees and states that you can First, she bathes them in a bucket of get a whole kilo back home. But the stick- ice-cold water and cuts them in slender ered mangoes never exactly smell like the slices, tempting enough to make my sister sun to me. I bathe them in cold water, put and I steal some as they are left to bask on the exact spices as my mother does, and a nanglo under the blistering sun. After a leave them outside on big trays. I follow few days when the slices look like 80-year- her instructions word by word, while olds- full of flavour and knowledge, she long-distance calling her on her phone. puts them in a large bowl and marinades them in oil, salt, paprika, cumin, and cori- ander powder. Then, they are shoved in large glass jars, and left to further ferment My mother’s mango under the sun. Every batch of mango pick- pickle recipe has been le contains little snippets of our family’s chatter, my pesky little fingerprints as I perfected with years steal and eat the pickled mangoes straight from the jar, and most of all my mother’s of struggle and undiluted hope that they will turn out better than last year’s. practice. These jars travel to places you would have never thought possible. One jar, I’m sure, travels to the UK where my cousins When I check the mangoes a few days live, evading customs and hiding in later, they always look shrivelled and do suitcase underneath a pile of flowery not taste the ones like from my memory. knickers. Another jar travels to Australia Maybe it is the weather. The sun does not where my elder sister lives. For this one, wait long enough in the sky here to toast my mother makes me print a false label them to perfection, and the summer heat that says it is “dried goods” and sticks the chars them too deep. I always end up label on the jar with some scotch tape. chucking them out, like my past mistakes. Other jars find a home at our neighbours; This spring I am dreaming again, like most often the auntie whose voice always my mother, to make the perfect mango carries the latest gossip at around midday. pickle spicy enough to cause a flame in my As you take a bite of the pickled mango, wintered plate of dal-bhat. I will call her and your teeth grind together by the again and go through every instruction weight of the sourness and your eyes like it’s my map. I will bring the mango water by the spices, you realise that like jars in as soon as it starts raining, and love, good things in life can also be over- leave them out only three hours a day if whelming. I for one know how overwhelm- the sun is overbearing. I will reuse the

ing my mother’s love can be sometimes. Unsplash finished coffee jars as it will make the But like her mango pickle recipe that she process feel more real. I will try again and learned from her mother and her mother childhood memories into a black and asks if the customs or a sniffing dog found being uprooted from the ground up. again, until the pickled mangoes finally learned it from my great grandmother, her white flashback from a movie that lacks the jars bundled in shirts and pillowcases In between the long and straining shifts lead me to the person I once was. love has been perfected with years of definition and clarity. I know my mother every time she persuades one of my rela- at the local pub where my feet feel like struggle and practice, whose secret little still dreams of the perfect mango pickle tives to bring them to us. But they never they have painfully grown other limbs, I Limbu is a student of English literature recipe only she knows. every summer. Meanwhile, my sister and I do. Border laws are too strict now, and contemplate what it means to be me. Most and creative writing at Western Sydney It’s 2021 now, years have turned my live in Sydney now. My mother ardently every year we feel like our roots are slowly days, when I return from the city I feel like University.

Published and Printed by Kantipur Publications Limited, Central Business Park, Thapathali, Kathmandu, Nepal, P. B. No. 8559, Phone: 5135000, Fax: 977-1-5135057, e-mail: [email protected], Regd. No. 32/049/050, Chairman & Managing Director: Kailash Sirohiya, Director: Swastika Sirohiya, Editor: Sanjeev Satgainya