WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 200 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 34.2 C 15.8 C Saturday, September 12, 2020 | 27-05-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla Tug-of-war ends, but ruling party leaders wonder how long truce will last Oli and Dahal’s joint proposal commits a lot. But since it fails to address some key issues, insiders say irritants are likely to emerge sooner rather than later.

TIKA R PRADHAN joint proposal by chairmen Oli and KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 Dahal. According to Shrestha, the party Seven weeks of tug-of-war in the won’t interfere in the daily works of ruling Nepal Communist Party finally the government, but important poli- seems to have ended. The players, cies and matters of national impor- however, have switched sides. Pushpa tance are decided as per the party’s Kamal Dahal has now once again guidelines. extracted “executive chairman” sta- The party has decided to hold a tus and sided with chair KP Sharma unity national convention on April Oli, leaving Madhav Kumar Nepal and 7-12 next year for which the party’s Jhala Nath Khanal seething. central committee meeting will be When the party held its Standing held on October 31-November 2. Committee meeting on June 24, Dahal, On the Millennium Challenge Nepal and Khanal were baying for Corporation Nepal Compact, Oli’s blood, demanding his resigna- according to Shrestha, the party tion both as party chair and prime decided to endorse it with minister. revisions and it will arrive at a conclu- The Standing Committee meeting sion on the issues that require revi- POST PHOTO: DEEPAK KC concluded on Friday, eighty days sions, considering a report presented A delivery boy pushes a cart loaded with cold drink bottles at Ghantaghar in Kathmandu. later, saying the party has man- by the Khanal-led three-member aged to iron out all major differ- panel. ences. Leaders said the party may have “Dahal will look after the managed to avoid a split for now, but party works with executive pow- irritants will continue to emerge in ers while Oli will focus on the the coming days because as of now In cases involving members of Chand-led government,” Narayan Kaji everything seems to be pro-tem man- Shrestha, the party’s spokesper- agement. son, told the media after Friday’s They believe that the two chairmen outfit, police are violating court orders meeting. “Now the government have agreed for a truce for various will run under the party’s guide- reasons, including the Covid-19 pan- lines.” demic. Members of the group have been rearrested multiple times despite courts The meeting also endorsed a >> Continued on page 2 ordering their release citing the lack of evidence.

BINOD GHIMIRE Maoists ended their war against the KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 state and one of the Maoist leaders, Ram Bahadur Thapa, helms the Home Ignoring repeated court orders, Nepal Ministry under which falls the coun- Police has been re-arresting leaders of try’s police department. the Netra Bikram Chand-led Thapa and Chand once were com- Communist Party of Nepal immedi- rades in arms. Years after the Maoist ately after releasing them, in what is party, led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, reminiscent of the days when officials decided to join mainstream politics, treated detainees during the dec- both Thapa and Chand had deserted ade-long armed conflict. the party and formed the Nepal Since December 28, police have Comunist Party-Maoist along with arrested Uma Bhujel, a politburo Mohan Baidya in 2012. member of the Chand-led outfit at But two years later, Chand decided least 14 times. Bhujel, who was first to part ways with Thapa and Baidya. arrested in Sunsari on charge of her In 2016, Thapa returned to Dahal’s involvement in violent activities, was POST FILE PHOTO Maoist party, which in 2018 merged released on bail by the Sunsari District Many court orders have been defied. with then CPN-UML. Court for lack of evidence against her. In the KP Sharma Oli government, But police rearrested her on the Senior Advocate Ek Narayan Thapa was appointed the home minis- court premises and took her to Bhandari, Bhujel’s lawyer, said the ter. Weeks after two blasts in the Dhanusha, where the district court police department did not abide by Capital resulting in one person’s ordered that she be freed. After arrest- court orders in cases related to the death, the government on March 12 ing her from the court premises, Maoists during the insurgency. “It is last year declared the Chand-led party again, police took her to Saptari after exhibiting a similar approach when it a criminal outfit and banned all its they failed to present any evidence comes to people like Bhujel,” he said. activities. against her at 12 different places. It has been 14 years since the >> Continued on page 2 Despite poor rights record, Nepal eyes another term at Human Rights Council Nepal government has largely failed to uphold the promises it made in 2017 in the lead up to the election for membership for the 2018-20 period in the UN body.

that the Nepal government is commit- ted to completing the transitional jus- tice process based on victims’ concern respecting the directives delivered by the Supreme Court in 2015, interna- tional instruments that Nepal is a party to, the local reality and the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Despite repeated promises at home and before the international commu- nity, Nepal has yet to investigate a single case of the transitional justice process, depriving thousands of con- flict victims of justice even a decade and a half after the end of the fighting. Ahead of its first term in 2017, in an eight-page aide-memoire, Nepal had pledged over two dozen commitments at the national and international levels. Completion of the transitional jus- tice process was one of the major commitments. PHOTO VIA FOREIGN MINISTRY/TWITTER Nepal had promised to address Nepal faces criticism for failing to honour its human rights commitments. human rights violations during the Maoist conflict, provide justice to vic- ANIL GIRI those which it made before its election tims, and ‘promote sustainable peace, KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 to the UN body for the 2018-20 period. harmony and reconciliation in society’. On Wednesday, while addressing the The government’s treatment of the Nepal is seeking yet another term on pledging session organised by leaders and cadres of Communist the Human Rights Council for the Amnesty International and the Party of Nepal led by Netra Bikram 2021-23 period, amid rising concerns International Service for Human Chand too has drawn global attention, over the country’s commitment to Rights, Nepal’s Permanent with rights bodies saying Nepal has rights issues and criticism for failing Representative to the United Nations failed to uphold human rights. to uphold its past promises, including in New York, Amrit Bahadur Rai, said >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Industries and factories begin operations Despite poor rights record, Nepal eyes in Province 5 with local labour force another term ... Local workforce is filling the vacuum created by foreign workers who left for their home when the pandemic hit. >> Continued from page 1 On June 20 last year, police in Sarlahi killed Kumar Paudel, a MADHAV DHUNGANA workforce to grow once the industries member of the Chand-led party, in what officials claimed was BHAIRAHAWA, SEPT 11 start producing to their maximum capaci- an exchange of fire with the armed outfit. However, an investi- ty,” said Dhungana. gation by the National Human Rights Commission, launched Many foreign migrant workers employed Likewise, there are 11 steel industries in after complaints from family members, found that Paudel died in cement and steel industries in Rupandehi, Nawalparasi and Kapilvastu under suspicious circumstances and concluded that Paudel’s Rupandehi left for their home country districts. “Nepali workers have started was an extrajudicial killing. The commission had recommend- when the pandemic hit and the nationwide visiting our factories in search of jobs. ed action against officials involved, but the Home Ministry has lockdown was put in place back on March Since most of our workers have returned asked the commission to review its recommendations. 24. Most of these migrant workers were to their native countries, we have started UN human rights experts in Geneva too had taken cognizance from India. The vacuum created by their employing more Nepalis in our factories,” of Paudel’s killing. departure is now being filled by workers said Suraj Upreti, operator of SR Steel Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch called on the Nepal from within the country, according to the Industry in Madauliya, Rupandehi. government to punish rights abusers and protect the independ- Province Planning Commission in Similarly, industries in the Lumbini ent National Human Rights Commission. Province 5. Corridor have also started receiving work- On October 28, 2009, three United Nations special rapporteurs The data available at the commission ers from Palpa, Dadeldhura, Bhojpur and wrote to the Nepal government regarding Paudel’s killing as showed that more than 200,000 migrant Dhangadhi. well as the alleged extrajudicial executions of Dipendra workers in Nepal have returned to India POST PHOTO: MADHAV DHUNGANA Sher Baha Gaha, 38, of Palpa Dovan, Chaudhary on January 23, 2019 and Saroj Narayan Singh on and overseas in the last five months. More than 200,000 foreigners working in Nepal have returned to their native countries in the last five said he used to work as a daily wage work- June 29, 2019. “There was a dearth of workers in facto- months, according to the provincial Planning Commission. er in New Delhi before he returned home Singh, an unarmed protester, had died when police shot him ries since most migrants from India went following the Covid-19 pandemic. Now he in head. Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa had said the bullet back home. But Nepali workers have grad- ing in those factories,” said Gautam. director of Jagadamba Cement. works at a steel factory in the Lumbini hit Singh because he was standing at an elevated surface. ually started working in their stead,” said According to Bidur Dhungana, general Bal Krishna Pandey, 32, a resident of Corridor. Police had refused to register first information reports in all Ishwor Gautam, the vice-chairperson of secretary at the Western Cement Mayadevi-3 in Rupandehi, said he used to “I stayed home in Palpa for almost two three cases. the commission. Manufacturers Association, there were work in a pipe factory in Gujarat, India, months due to the nationwide lockdown. Human Rights Watch also asked if deaths of two youths from Although the commission does not have around 5,000 to 6,000 foreign migrant work- before he came back to Nepal some five But I needed to work to look after my fam- marginalised communities will ever be credibly investigated as the updated data on all Nepali returnees ers in various cement and steel industries months ago. ily. So in mid-July, I came to the they had died after being abused in the custody of security forc- who are in need of employment, it will in Rupandehi and Kapilvastu districts “Now I work at a local steel industry in Lumbini Corridor and started working in es. In July and August, Raj Kumar Chepang, 24, had died 22 days soon have the final figures, says Gautam. before the lockdown. the Lumbini Corridor,” said Pandey. one of the steel factories,” said Gaha. “I after he was arrested and freed by the Nepal Army and Bijaya “We plan to create jobs and open employ- “Out of around 40,000 workers in 200 “There is not much of a difference in the used to earn Rs 20,000 in India working 16 Mahara, 19, had died at a hospital while undergoing treatment ment opportunities for the returnees. We brick kilns, at least 35,000 were from India. earning that I made in India and what I am hours a day. Here I make the same amount after he was arrested by police. are coordinating with the local units to But since most of them have returned to making here so I’ve decided to stay back.” of money and I only put in 10 to 12 hours According to the International Society for Human Rights update the data,” Gautam said. their native country, local Nepalis are fill- All industries in Rupandehi, per day.” (ISHR), Nepal failed to play a leadership role at the Council, did Before the pandemic, most cement and ing up the vacant positions,” said Nawalparasi (West) and Kapilvastu dis- Meanwhile, Arghakhanchi Cement has not send standing invitations to the special procedures, did not steel factories, among other industries, in Thaneshwor Ghimire, chairman of the tricts were shut down for two months after also started appointing local workers from respond positively to country visits requested by the special Rupandehi had 80 percent workforce from Federation of Nepal Brick Industries in the start of the nationwide lockdown in the Lumbini area and from Siyari Rural procedures, and only responded to 20 percent of the replies to India since the locals used to migrate Province 5. the country. According to Dhungana, most Municipality in Rupandehi, where its fac- the special procedure by the state. abroad in search of jobs. In the past, locals preferred going abroad of the industries have now reopened and tory is situated. Uddhav Bahadur Karki, The international human rights body also said that Nepal But the scenario has been changed since for employment, creating a dearth of man- are being run by the local labour force. managing director at the factory, said, “We failed to submit midterm universal human rights periodic the pandemic. power in the local industries. There are 11 cement factories and more are communicating with the rural munici- report, did not ratify nine international human rights treaties “A large chunk of the workforce in vari- “But now, Nepali workers from than one-and-a-half dozen industries in pality chairman to find out the exact num- and related optional protocol, failed to have a mechanism for ous brick kilns and factories in Rupandehi Rupandehi and other parts of the country the Lumbini Corridor. ber of unemployed youths in Siyari. The individual complaints, has not spoken about particular cases of used to be from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and have started arriving here for work,” said “We now have around 3,000 Nepalis factory has started deploying local work- reprisals and failed to sponsor Human Rights Council and third other states of India. Now locals are work- Dhungana, who is also the managing working in the corridor. We expect the ers in cement production.” committee resolutions on human rights defenders, civil society space and reprisals. Rights defenders at home also say Nepal’s human rights record has not been up to the mark and they are forced to pro- test on the streets demanding justice and guarantees of several rights. Tug-of-war ends, but ruling party leaders wonder ... “It has been almost five years since the promulgation of the constitution, but the National Human Rights Commission >> Continued from page 1 an alliance with leaders like Nepal, Khanal define the future course.” ideological struggles, but we have man- has yet to get its law,” said Mohna Ansari, a member of the “It’s just a truce for some time,” said and party vice-chair Bamdev Gautam. Even though the party has decided to aged to defuse the raging enmity,” a commission. Matrika Yadav, a Standing Committee After months of exercise, the Dahal fac- hold the unity convention on April 7-12 Standing Committee member quoted “On transitional justice, we have not been able to take the member close to Dahal. “Given the nature tion emerged strong both in the Secretariat next year, leaders doubt it can happen Khanal as telling the meeting. process forward despite repeated promises,” Ansari told the of the prime minister and the way he tends and the Standing Committee and started to given the uncertainties surrounding the “It was seen as the fight between two Post. “The rights and authority of the National Human Rights to work, I don’t think this peace in the pile pressure on Oli to resign. coronavirus pandemic. chairs. But that was not the case. It also Commission have been curtailed. It has been weakened by not party is likely to last long.” Days after the Standing Committee Madhav Nepal, who had sided with reflects the class struggle of our society providing financial resources. Strengthening of civil society is The new agreement is in line with the meeting began with calls growing louder Dahal in his fight against Oli’s unilateral and the proposal has failed to address not happening and several of our recommendations to the gov- understanding that the two chairs had for Oli’s resignation, Oli prorogued working style, has cautiously supported that.” Leaders say the good thing after ernment are gathering dust.” reached back in November last year. Parliament on July 2 and launched charges the proposal presented by the chairmen, Friday’s meeting is the party has averted a For its election to the Human Rights Council in 2018, Nepal Oli and Dahal on November 19 had against his opponents, saying they were saying the deadlock needed to end in light disaster. But only time will tell whether had also pledged to continue to strengthen the central agreed that the former would lead the gov- trying to unseat him. While Oli engaged of rising coronavirus cases. the leadership complies with the agree- role of the National Human Rights Commission with the ernment for the full term and the latter Dahal—both held a series of negotia- Nepal has been demanding that the ‘one ment and upholds the promises in true responsibility of independent investigation into all human would run the party as “executive chair- tions—he managed to win over Gautam, leader, one major responsibility’ rule must spirit, according to them. rights violations. man”. Days after the understanding, Oli, strengthening his position in the be implemented. Raghuji Pant, a Standing Committee Despite human rights concerns, Nepal may, however, once in an interview with Kantipur Television, Secretariat. A task force formed by the two A leader close to Nepal said they will member, said he had told Friday’s meeting again get elected to the rights council. said that he was not only the “other execu- chairs suggested that there was no alterna- wait and see if Oli abides by the party’s that the fight for a system in the party has Nepal is contesting from the Asia-Pacific region where four tive chairman” but also senior to Dahal, in tive to an agreement between them to save decisions. not been over. other nations–China, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan– a clear indication that it was him—and not the party unity. Among the 13 leaders who spoke on “My take was that the proposal by the are in the fray. Dahal—who would call shots in the party. “It depends on how long the ceasefire Friday, most of them supported the propos- two chairs has led the party towards a Nepal’s current term at the Human Rights Council ends on And he continued to do so—running both between the two chairs holds,” said al with criticism, saying many issues have truce,” Pant told the Post. “The ongoing December 31. The election for the 2021-23 period will be held in the party and the government—much to Leelamani Pokhrel, a Standing Committee not been properly addressed. struggle for the system and ensuring that October. Dahal’s chagrin. member. “Whether the agreement between “This proposal failed to reflect and procedures are duly followed will, howev- During an online event where representatives of prominent An infuriated Dahal then started forging the two leaders is duly implemented will define the party’s ongoing political and er, continue.” human rights organisations were present on Wednesday, Rai also reiterated that there will be no blanket amnesty in the cases of serious human rights violations committed during the decade-long conflict. Nepal, however, is yet to amend the Transitional Justice Act as per the orders from the Supreme Court which had struck down around a dozen provisions aimed at granting amnesty to those who commit serious human rights violations. In a statement earlier this month, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the Nepal govern- ment has continued to foster a culture of impunity. “Nepal is still trying to grapple with delivering justice for unlawful killings during the armed conflict, but instead of keeping its promise of reforms and pledges against repeat offences, the abuses continue to mount,” said Ganguly. “The government uses rule of law rhetoric to appeal to foreign diplo- mats and donors but actually fosters a culture of impunity.” Gopal Siwakoti, a rights activist who heads Inhured Nepal, a rights organisation, believes that despite concerns, member states might vote for Nepal, since being a member of the Human Rights Council could help the country be more accountable. “There are some landmark verdicts made by the Supreme Court, but we are failing to implement them,” said Siwakoti. “Nations, however, will vote for Nepal in Geneva also to ensure that Nepal does not make a U-turn on its commitments to protecting, promoting and advancing human rights.” According to Siwakoti, Nepal’s human rights situation should have improved a lot by now but that has not happened. “Rights defenders and victims of human rights abuses are forced to take to the streets to demand justice,” Siwakoti told the PHOTO COURTESY: PRIME MINISTER’S SECRETARIAT Post. “There is a lack of political will to address the challenges Leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party attend the Standing Committee meeting in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, on Friday. faced by the human rights community.” In cases involving members of Chand-led outfit, police are violating court orders

>> Continued from page 1 which is now under the command of a arrestees. dinate courts, the Supreme Court may, ordered released. Surya Subedi, Thapa’s aide and a Thapa as the home minister now former Maoist leader, is resorting to But the police are blatantly defying in accordance with the law, initiate According to officials at the consti- central member of the Nepal treats leaders of his one-time com- the same techniques that had sent the court orders, said Bhandari. and impose punishment for contempt. tutional rights watchdog, dozens of Communist Party, said it would be rade’s party as the state’s enemies. hundreds of rebels behind bars,” said The latest example is Anil Sharma, Nepal Police officials, including the Maoist leaders and cadres were saved wrong to compare the conflict period “Despite the court order to free her, Bhandari. a central committee member of the inspector general, face a contempt of from being rearrested as police with the present times. police wanted to arrest her again, but Since declaring the Chand party a group. court case for failing to abide by the wouldn’t dare detain them under the “Even if the Chand-led party she somehow managed to flee,” said criminal outfit in March last year, The Dhanusha District Court on Supreme Court’s order to release Hari commission’s watch. comes to power, it will have to Bhandari. police have arrested hundreds of lead- Tuesday directed police to release Adhikari, another leader of the However, last year, police tried to govern based on the constitution and According to Bhandari, who fought ers and cadres of the Communist Sharma on bail. Chanda-led party. Adhikari, according forcibly enter the banned group’s the law. I believe police are working dozens of cases on behalf of then Party of Nepal. However, he was rearrested imme- to Bhandari, was arrested at the gates office in Nepalgunj to arrest cadres, based on existing laws,” he told the Maoist leaders and cadres during the “The Maoists fought the war to diately after the court order and hand- of the Supreme Court in April despite who were earlier released by the Post. “We, however, are ready to make insurgency, the way police are defying usher in a change. But it has become ed over to Sunsari police. He had been orders to release him on bail for lack Banke District Court. The commis- amends if there have been some court orders in cases related to mem- clear that nothing has changed,” said brought to Dhanusha from Chitwan of evidence. sion had given refuge to the cadres mistakes.” bers of the Chand group resembles Bhandari. “Just a different set of peo- last week after Chitwan District Court “Everyone should abide by court following the court’s order. Rights activists say the act of arrests of people during the conflict. ple has come to power. It’s a shame had ordered his release. rulings. Police can’t hold someone “It seems that then Maoist leaders repeatedly arresting individuals defy- After police kept on arresting that those who once vowed to change Bhandari said he has fought at least captive just because s/he follows have forgotten what they went through ing court orders is an attack against Bhujel despite court orders to release the system have been co-opted and are 30 cases on behalf of detainees like Chand’s ideology,” said Bhandari. during the conflict,” Bed Bhattarai, the rule of law. her, her lawyer had filed a habeas cor- behaving like the actors of the same Bhujel and Sharma since March. “There must be proof to establish they secretary at the commission, told the “How can we expect the rule of law pus petition in the Supreme Court old system they once loathed.” “The rearrests aren’t just contempt are actually involved in violence.” Post. “We have received complaints to strengthen in the country when demanding that police present her Even though police have been of court, they are also in violation of During the insurgency days, on var- that police haven’t been adhering to police are violating court orders,” said before the bench. The Supreme Court arresting Chand outfit leaders charg- the Constitution of Nepal,” he said. ious occasions, the court would order court rulings.” Raju Chapagain, a human rights law- on August 30 directed Saptari police to ing them with their involvement in Article 128 (4) of the constitution the release of then Maoist leaders and Meanwhile, an aide to Home yer. “Though the country has gone release her in the presence of a dis- illegal, criminal and violent says that if anyone obstructs the dis- cadres in the presence of officials Minister Thapa said a single person through a huge political change, the trict judge and representatives from activities, they have largely failed to pensation of justice, or disregards any from the National Human Rights might have cases against him/her in police administration continues to the Nepal Bar Association. support their actions with evidence, order or judgment handed down by Commissions but police officials various districts. Therefore, they have function as it used to during the time “It’s an irony that the police force, resulting in court orders to release the the Supreme Court or any of its subor- would immediately rearrest those to be arrested multiple times, he said. of insurgency.”

C M Y K 03 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 NATIONAL

BRIEFING Undocumented Another murder suspect held migrant workers BARA: Police on Thursday arrested a suspect in the murder of journalist Birendra Sah 13 years ago. to get support to Superintendent of Police Krishna Pangeni said Hareram Patel, 45, was found hiding at a house in Kolhabi return home Municipality Ward No. 4. The then Maoists had abducted journalist Sah from Dodhiyapipara Bazaar and mur- They had so far been excluded dered him in 2007. Another suspect Kundan Phaujadar was arrested six from the government’s months ago. repatriation schemes. Probe team submits report CHANDAN KUMAR MANDAL KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 PARSA: A committee, formed to inves- tigate the death of Bikram Chaudhary in the ICU ward of After months of confusion, the govern- Narayani Hospital, submitted its ment has finally stepped forward to take report to the medical superintendent care of undocumented Nepali workers in of the hospital on Thursday. various labour destination countries who According to Dr Atulesh Chaurasiya, have been left out of the Covid-19 pandem- spokesperson for the hospital, the ic repatriation scheme. report will be made public once it is According to Labour, Employment and submitted to the district administra- Social Security Minister Rameshwar Ray tion soon. The committee was formed Yadav, the government has decided to make after the 23-year-old Chaudhary died arrangements to help undocumented work- at the hospital on Sunday evening. ers return home from the Covid-19 hit countries like Malaysia and the Persian Gulf states. Prison sentence for caste-based “The government will ensure that all Nepali migrant workers, be it documented discrimination or undocumented, get the support to return GULMI: The Gulmi District Court on home. The Nepal government will bear the Friday sentenced a man to three repatriation expenses of the workers,” months in prison for practicing caste- Yadav told the Post. “Not a single Nepali based discrimination. “Netra worker should languish in labour destina- Bahadur Kauchha Magar has been tion countries.” sentenced to three months in prison, So far the government’s repatriation Rs 50,000 fine and Rs 10,000 compensa- programme has not prioritised undocu- tion for his act,” said Bhim Prasad mented workers, even though they are the Bhusal, an official at the district ones who need help the most. court. Magar allegedly thrashed Even when the government came up Shyam Pariyar, another local when POST PHOTO: DEEPAK KC with a plan to provide financial support to the latter entered his house. Workers remove weed from Rani Pokhari in Kathmandu on Friday. The pond, which was damaged in the 2015 earthquake, is in the final stage of reconstruction. those migrant workers who cannot afford to buy air tickets, the undocumented work- ers were left out. The decision to support the workers had come following a Supreme Court order directing the government to use the money from the Foreign Welfare Fund to cover the Local governments to manage school education flight expenses of those workers who had migrated for overseas jobs by seeking labour permits and still had valid permits. Local authorities charge the federal government with waiting for months to announce the decision and hindering children’s education. The migrant workers who had reached various labour destination countries BINOD GHIMIRE school system, and those who attend schools in through the virtual medium, do their home- tive says the federal government will provide through unrecognised channels and those KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 other parts of the country but are now in their work after the classes are over, according to the the public schools with free internet service to who did not have valid job permits and respective local units due to the pandemic. directive. ease the teaching-learning activities. visas were therefore unqualified to avail The government on Thursday came up with a The local governments will have to mobilise While the federal government has prepared “The service will be provided to the schools the welfare fund to return home. directive making local governments responsible teachers or the volunteers to conduct the direct the audio or audio-visual learning materials, that have the availability of computers and As per the latest decision of the govern- for managing the teaching-learning activities at classes in small groups for students who do not the local governments too could have prepared broadband internet,” said Deepak Sharma, ment, the repatriation cost of undocu- school level using virtual medium, or by bring- have access to any kinds of virtual teaching them based on the national curriculum frame- spokesperson at the ministry. mented Nepali migrant workers would be ing students and teachers together in small medium. Such students account for around 40 work prepared by the Curriculum Development According to the government’s Economic covered by the Covid-19 Prevention, groups. percent of the total students, according to an Centre. Survey for the fiscal year 2019-20, among the Control and Treatment Fund, said Minister But local governments say the federal govern- 29,707 public schools, only 8,366 have computers Yadav. ment did not consult with them before coming while the number of schools that can offer While the government has announced to up with the directive. Information Technology-based study with the help out the undocumented workers lan- The directive endorsed by the Ministry of internet connectivity stands at 3,676, which is guishing in various labour destination Education tasks the local level to categorise the just 12 percent. countries, there is no data available on the students in five different groups based on their Had the local governments got the authority number of such workers. access to virtual learning platforms first and on time, Dhugana said, they would have already “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide them with the learning opportunities started the alternative classes by now, at least collect such data on undocumented work- accordingly. The local governments say the fed- those local units that were least affected by the ers from Nepali missions abroad,” said eral government passed on the responsibilities pandemic. Minister Yadav. “We have also discussed to them after it failed to manage the teach- Not all local governments were equally hit by the prospect of increasing the number of ing-learning activities on its own. the pandemic, therefore, those which were least daily flights so that more migrant workers “If the local governments had to do everything affected would have made a good achievement can return home.” why did it take months for the federal govern- by now, Dhungana added. On Friday, the Nepal Embassy in Oman ment to decide,” said Bhim Prasad Dhungana, Education experts say local governments rescued and sent back three undocument- general secretary of the Municipal Association have raised a valid question as to why the feder- ed women workers who had been in the Nepal, an umbrella body of the municipalities al government took such a long time to take the Gulf state for several years. According to across the nation. “We would have done our decision. the embassy, a woman migrant worker preparations as per our convenience if we were “It is true that the responsibility was passed from Jhapa, who had been out of family given the authority on time.” only after assessing that there was no possibili- contact for the last seven years, was among The new academic session normally starts in ty to resume the schools anytime soon,” said the three workers who were sent home. mid-April. However, all schools and colleges Basudev Kafle, a professor at Tribhuvan The two other women workers had have been closed since March 18 due to the coro- University who has done several research on reached Oman through illegal routes with navirus pandemic. The country went under a school education. “Now the main question is the help of human traffickers. full lockdown on March 24 to contain the spread how well the local governments are prepared to According to Bharatmani Pandey, of the coronavirus. Dhungana said the federal start the classes.” spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, government passed on the responsibility five He said the federal government assumed that there has been regular discussions on how months late upon realising that there was no the threat of pandemic wouldn’t last long and the repatriation of undocumented migrant possibility for the resumption of schools any- the schools can be reopened after a few months. workers could be facilitated. time soon. But as the scenario proved different, the respon- As per the Labour Ministry statistics, “The directive has given so much responsibil- sibility was given to the local governments. 43,887 migrant workers from Qatar, the ity that it will take over a month just for the POST FILE PHOTO Kafle said the federal government should also United Arab of Emirates, Saudi Arabia, preparations to start the classes,” Dhungana The new academic session normally starts in mid-April. However, all schools and colleges have been closed since be generous while decentralising resources, not Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia and said. March 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic. just responsibilities to local governments. South Korea have returned home until According to the directive, the local govern- Sharma, the spokesperson for the Ministry of September 3. Likewise, a total of 125,960 ments will have to categorise the students under estimation by the Education Ministry. “For the students who have access to more Education, however, defended the ministry’s Nepali workers have registered to return five groups based on their accessibility to alter- However, a recent report by the UNICEF than one learning platform, it would be their decision. home in this period. native learning platforms like TV, radio and shows only three among ten students do not choice to adopt any of them,” reads the direc- “We had never faced such a problem before, “The Labour ministry with other con- internet, before starting the teaching-learning have access to any of the virtual teaching-learn- tive. “The respective local governments will so there might have been some lapses,” he said. cerned ministries are coordinating to activities. ing mediums. manage that.” “The past is gone now. It’s time for all tiers of speed up the repatriation process which so The local governments will also have to pre- It would be the responsibility of the respec- The federal government, according to the government to join hands to ensure our chil- far has been affected due to limited flights,” pare separate lists of the students enrolled in tive local governments to ensure the teachers directive, will have a coordinating role and dren get to learn maximum, using the available said Pandey. “Once the flight numbers are different schools, those who are out of the coordinate with the students, taking the classes would provide the needed resources. The direc- resources in the remaining time.” increased, more workers will come home.” Kathmandu wants administration to roll back decision to allow footpath vending Friday’s incident shows absence of coordination between federal and local governments in controlling Covid-19 as cases spiral in the metropolis.

ANUP OJHA Officer Janakraj Dahal’s office lead- move for banning their business in over two decades now. A decade ago, a KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 ing a delegation of ward representa- such a difficult time. committee formed by the government tives to seek a review of the decision. “We are the ones most affected by recommended relocating vendors to Kathmandu municipal authorities are The city, in its annual plans and the Covid-19 lockdown. Many of us are Khulamanch, Tinkune Ground, in conflict with the district adminis- policies, has decided to clear footpaths facing hard times surviving here. Now Kalanki and Balaju, but that didn’t tration over the permission granted to by removing street vendors and push- the city has again asked the CDO to happen. In 2014, then home minister footpath and pushcart vendors to do carts, said Khadgi. close our business,” said Kumar Bam Dev Gautam had ordered evict- their business as part of the new “The CDO’s announcement is Sapkota, chairperson of the Nepal ing all vendors from the streets of relaxation in Covid-19 restrictions. against the city’s rules.” Street Vendors Trade Union. Kathmandu but the vendors defied it. The chief district offices of “The number of Covid-19 cases is The union’s data shows there are Even during the local level elections Kathmandu Valley on Wednesday going uncontrollably high. In this sit- more than 10,000 street vendors of 2017, Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya evening decided to continue prohibito- uation if we let footpath vendors run around the Valley. Before the three had listed the management of street ry orders for another week, while their business, contact tracing will be weeks of restrictions and four months vendors among his priorities but in relaxing some measures including more difficult,” she said. of nationwide lockdown starting three years since, there has been no resumption of vehicular movements According to the municipal Public March 24, many vendors would do significant change. on odd-even registration basis. Health Division, Kathmandu has car- their business after 7pm on the foot- Dhanapati Sapkota, chief of the city The authorities also fixed timings ried out contact tracing of 10,275 peo- paths of Ratnapark, Sundhara, police, says Covid-19 has put everyone for opening shops and delivering ser- ple. The division’s data shows a total Kalanki, New Baneshwor, Koteshwor, in trouble. “They [street vendors vices. According to the official order, of 4,512 people were infected with New Bus Park, Chabahil, and are illegal, and they should be footpath shops, pushcarts, stationery Covid-19 including 31 deaths as of Gaushala, among other places. stopped,” he said. “Our task is to stores, department stores and elec- Thursday. “Now the biggest festivals of implement the city’s rule, and we will tronic shops can open till 11 in the Responding to the city’s concerns, Dashain and Tihar are near and we follow its decisions.” morning and 4 to 7 in the evening. Dahal said the decision was aimed at POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI hoped to earn a little, but the authori- Meanwhile, Gyan Bahadur Oli, Two days later, the Kathmandu addressing the problem of working A vendor crosses road with her wares in Balaju, Kathmandu on Thursday. ty does not listen to poor people like Covid-19 focal person at the city’s Metropolitan City registered its con- class people. “We are concerned now. us,” said Sapkota, who used to run a health division, says letting street ven- cern about the local administration’s We will take further decisions in con- Friday’s incident shows how the contagion as coronavirus cases spiral footpath shop at Ratnapark. dors do their business will increase decision. Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu sultation with the district crisis man- federal and local governments have in the city. The street vendors’ problem is not the risk of Covid-19 transmission. He Metropolitan City Hari Prabha Khadgi agement committee for Covid-19,” said failed to hold adequate consultations Street vendors, meanwhile, have new. The Kathmandu metropolis has argued that crowding makes it impos- on Friday reached Chief District Dahal. for devising measures to control the voiced concerns against the city’s failed to manage street vendors for sible to implement health protocols.

C M Y K SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 | 04 WORLD Indian state China, India agree to uses draconian disengage troops on law to detain contested border

REUTERS those accused BEIJING/ NEW DELHI, SEPT 11 of killing cows China and India said on Friday they had agreed to de-escalate renewed ten- REUTERS sions on their contested Himalayan LUCKNOW, SEPT 11 border and take steps to restore “peace and tranquillity” following a high-lev- More than half the arrests this year el diplomatic meeting in Moscow. under a tough national security law in Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi India’s most populous state of Uttar and Indian Foreign Minister S Pradesh have involved suspects in Jaishankar met in Moscow on cases of cow slaughter, data showed. Thursday and reached a five-point The northern state has used the consensus, including agreements that National Security Act (NSA), which troops from both sides should quickly allows for those deemed a threat to disengage and ease tensions, the two national security to be detained countries said in a joint statement. without charge for up to a year, almost The consensus, struck on the side- 140 times in the first eight months of lines of a Shanghai Cooperation the year. Organisation meeting, came after a “The NSA has been invoked in 139 confrontation in the border area in the cases across Uttar Pradesh, of which western Himalayas earlier this week. 76 have been against the slaughter of “The two Foreign Ministers agreed cows,” Awanish Awasthi, a top state that the current situation in the bor- official, said in a statement. der areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides Uttar Pradesh has should continue their dialogue, quick- ly disengage, maintain proper dis- used the National tance and ease tensions,” they said in Security Act almost the statement. 140 times this year. Troops are barely a few hundred The figure, for the year to August 18, was first reported by the Indian AP/RSS metres apart at Express newspaper on Friday. Wearing face masks to protect against coronavirus, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (right) shows Croatia’s President Zoran Milanovic his social distancing posi- The cow is considered sacred by tion during a ceremony at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin, on Friday. some points. India’s Hindu-majority population, and most states, including Uttar Pradesh, have laws against slaughter Jaishankar told Wang that the of the animals. Vigilante attacks on immediate task would be for troops to those accused of killing the animal for step back from the “areas of friction” meat, often people belonging to the so that things do not get worse, tiny Muslim minority, are common. Maharashtra nears 1 million coronavirus an Indian source said. Troops are Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi barely a few hundred metres apart at Adityanath has repeatedly urged use some points. of the NSA to combat law and order China and India accused each other issues in the state of more than 200 of firing into the air during the con- million people. cases, rivalling Russia, stifling recovery frontation, a violation of long-held The Hindu monk is a high-profile protocol not to use firearms on the figure in Prime Minister Narendra sensitive frontier. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Public transport, malls and other businesses remain depressed even as the rest of India slowly gets back to business. Wang told Jaishankar the “impera- The NSA, which Indian rights activ- tive is to immediately stop provoca- ists have described as draconian, is REUTERS manage”, says a research paper tions such as firing and other danger- also frequently used in the contested MUMBAI, SEPT 11 Millions of cases went undetected submitted to Mumbai authorities ous actions that violate the commit- region of Kashmir to detain people this week. ments made by the two sides,” China’s suspected of separatist activity. India’s biggest and richest state, in India, paper estimates Indeed, Maharashtra’s partial reo- foreign ministry said in a statement “In many cases the charges of NSA Maharashtra, is set to record its mil- pening of factories in recent months, on Friday. are dropped because the authorities lionth infection of the new coronavi- MUMBAI: Millions of coronavirus cases ernment scientists and other experts local festivals and lockdown fatigue Wang also told Jaishankar all per- fail to prove it in court,” said Irfan rus on Friday, putting it on par with may have gone undetected across and published late on Thursday, said help to explain the state’s Covid-19 sonnel and equipment that have tres- Ghazi, a lawyer based in Aligarh. Russia in the pandemic and stifling India earlier this year, a research large numbers of cases could have surge, local health officials told passed at the border must be moved to India’s attempts to turn around an paper estimates, saying that for every gone under the radar earlier this year Reuters. de-escalate the situation. economic plummet. confirmed case in May, there were 82 because testing was limited to sympto- “People have tired after spending In June, tensions erupted into a The western state, home to finan- to 130 infections not recorded. matic patients or states had varying months at home and they’re stepping frontier clash in which 20 Indian cial capital Mumbai, is on pace to blow The paper, published in the Indian testing rates. out despite knowing they could soldiers were killed and China BRIEFING past the 1 million mark as infections Journal of Medical Research, estimat- During the period they surveyed, get infected,” said Subhash Chavhan, suffered an unspecified number of have been rising some 20,000 a day ed that the country had nearly 6.5 India was conducting around 100,000 a surgeon in Satara district. “They’re casualties. recently. Maharashtra, if it were a million cases of ovid-19 as early as tests per day. It has ramped that up to no longer taking coronavirus The ministers’ meeting lasted ‘Historic’ Afghan peace country, would now rival Russia for May. Total cases stood at more than a current more than 1.1 million tests a seriously.” for two hours and was the latest diplo- talks to open the world’s fourth-highest caseload. 180,000 in late May, according to the day. To determine the range of infec- The state’s initial reopening, start- matic effort to head off a broader The spike in the state of 130 million health ministry. Infections are grow- tions, the researchers looked at the ing in July, accelerated the spread to conflict between the world’s two most KABUL: Long-delayed peace talks people is the vanguard for India’s ing faster in India than anywhere else number of confirmed Covid-19 cases previously less-hit rural areas, said Dr populous countries, which went to between the Taliban and Afghan breathtaking Covid-19 surge, account- in the world, and the health ministry on May 3 and May 11, and compared it Pradip Awate, Maharashtra’s disease war in 1962. government negotiators will begin ing for nearly one-quarter of the reported another record daily jump of with the number of individuals who surveillance officer. Jaishankar told Wang that India Saturday in Qatar, officials said, national total. India is likely to hit 5 96,551 new cases on Friday, taking the displayed coronavirus antibodies dur- Tiny Rajewadi village did not have a was deeply concerned about the build- marking a potentially momentous million cases in coming days, behind official total case load to 4.5 million. ing a nationwide survey conducted in single confirmed coronavirus case up of Chinese forces on the Line of milestone in Afghanistan’s 19-year- only to the United States. The research paper, written by gov- May and early June. (REUTERS) until mid-August. Recently, one in Actual Control on the poorly defined old war. Secretary of State Mike With the virus surging unabated every four was testing positive for border. Pompeo will travel to Doha for the through Maharashtra’s urban and the virus. “The Chinese side has not provided opening of the US-backed negotia- rural areas and state authorities Abraham, head of IDFC Institute, a Services Ltd, Reliance Industries Ltd Also contributing to Maharashtra’s a credible explanation for this deploy- tions, as President Donald Trump struggling to curb Covid-19 deaths, policy think-tank. and HDFC Bank. infections was the festival last month ment,” an Indian government source seeks to honour his pledge to halt the Prime Minister Prime Minister Yet Maharashtra’s authorities are While cities around India have for the Hindu elephant-headed god quoted Jaishankar as saying at the country’s “endless wars” overseas Narendra Modi is hamstrung in try- unable to ease many restrictions in resumed commuter rail, Maharashtra Ganesh, a signature 11-day Mumbai meeting. with just two months to go until he ing to revive an economy that shriv- the state. Public transport, malls and has held off. In Mumbai—where celebration that sees huge numbers of “The provocative behavior of faces re-election. The talks had origi- elled 23.9 percent in the second quar- other businesses remain depressed packed trains define the workday— people travelling to and from their Chinese frontline troops at numerous nally been slated to start in March ter from a year earlier. even as the rest of India slowly gets suburban train service has been halt- hometowns. incidents of friction along the but were repeatedly pushed back “Maharashtra accounts for approxi- back to business. ed since March for all but essential “Before the Ganesh festival there LAC also showed disregard for bilater- amid disputes over a prisoner mately 15 percent of India’s GDP. That is unlikely to change soon for a workers. were on an average 60 new cases daily al agreements and protocols,” exchange that included the release Unless Maharashtra gets back on its state that is home to several major Resuming public transport in the in the district. Now we’re recording Jaishankar said, adding any unilater- of hundreds of battle-hardened feet, India’s chances for an economic industries, including its three most city this month would lead to a second more than 150,” said an official in the al attempt to change status quo would Taliban fighters. recovery are bleak,” said Reuben valuable companies: Tata Consultancy wave, which would be “difficult to coastal district of Ratnagiri. be resisted. North Korea issues shoot-to-kill orders to prevent virus: US WASHINGTON: North Korean authori- ties have issued shoot-to-kill orders to AstraZeneca expects vaccine result by year-end if trials resume prevent the coronavirus entering the country from China, according to the commander of US forces in the REUTERS “It’s very common, actually, and South. The impoverished North, ZURICH/FRANKFURT, SEPT 11 many experts will tell you this,” Soriot whose crumbling health system said, adding: “The difference with would struggle to cope with a major AstraZeneca should still know by other vaccine trials is, the whole world virus outbreak, has not confirmed a year-end whether its experimental is not watching them, of course. They single case of the disease that has vaccine protects people against coro- stop, they study, and they restart.” swept the world since first emerging navirus, as long as it is cleared AstraZeneca would supply vaccines in China, the North’s key ally. to resume trials soon, its chief execu- to countries at the same time to ensure Pyongyang closed its border with tive said on Thursday amid doubts a fair and equitable distribution, China in January to try to prevent over its rollout. Soriot said, reiterating that the com- contamination, and in July state Governments desperate to put an pany was close to having capacity to media said it had raised its state of end to the Covid-19 pandemic which produce 3 billion doses at sites set up emergency to the maximum level. US has caused more than 900,000 deaths around the world to prevent govern- Forces Korea (USFK) commander and huge economic and social disrup- ments from restricting distribution. Robert Abrams said that the border tion during 2020 are pinning their With up to 60,000 people set to par- shutdown had increased demand for hopes on a vaccine. ticipate in the study program, smuggled goods, prompting authori- However British drugmaker AstraZeneca’s CEO said the volume ties to intervene. AstraZeneca suspended late-stage tri- was typical of vaccine trials and large als on its potential vaccine this week enough to spot rare side effects. after an illness in a participant in “With this you are going to pick up Russian hackers targeting US Britain who was reported to be suffer- very rare events.” he said, adding that ing from symptoms associated with a planned staggered launch, prioritiz- campaigns, Microsoft says transverse myelitis, a rare spinal ing at-risk groups, would provide fur- BOSTON: The same Russian military inflammatory disorder. ther assurance for the masses that are intelligence outfit that hacked the The World Health Organization set to be covered by government plans Democrats in 2016 has renewed vigor- (WHO) has flagged the AstraZeneca at a later stage. ous US election-related targeting, try- vaccine, which is being developed Serum Institute of India, one of ing to breach computers at more than with the University of Oxford, as the AstraZeneca’s development and pro- 200 organisations including political most promising for coronavirus. duction partners, said on Thursday it AP/RSS campaigns and their consultants, CEO Pascal Soriot said during an was joining the suspension, back- In this June 24, 2020 file photo, a volunteer receives a potential Covid-19 vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford in Johannesburg. Microsoft said on Thursday. The online event on Thursday that tracking on remarks that it did not intrusion attempts reflect a stepped AstraZeneca did not yet know the face any issues. of nearly 40 years of English-language response to a single factor like a vac- the study than what is normally up effort to infiltrate the US political diagnosis of the participant who was Transverse myelitis cases after a publications found 37 cases of trans- cine is problematic, he said, given the observed sporadically” he wrote to establishment, the company said. ill, adding that it was not clear if the vaccination have been documented verse myelitis associated with hepati- number of immunological, hormonal investors, adding a one in 10,000 risk, “What we’ve seen is consistent with volunteer had transverse myelitis and before, but concrete links between the tis B vaccines, measles-mumps-rubel- or environmental factors at play. if confirmed, would likely be unac- previous attack patterns that not only more tests were needed. condition and vaccinations have not la, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis and “It’s terribly difficult to be sure,” ceptable. BioNTech, among the front- target candidates and campaign staff- The diagnosis would be submitted been established, experts said. others. The vaccines remained on the Evans said. RBC Capital Markets ana- runners in the vaccine race with part- ers but also those who they consult to an independent safety committee The US-based Mayo Clinic con- market, Stephen Evans, a professor of lyst Bryan Abrahams cautioned the ner Pfizer, echoed remarks by Soriot on key issues,” Tom Burt, a Microsoft and this would usually then say cludes that the association so far is pharmacoepidemiology at the London trial participant’s condition must be that clinical halts are a common fea- vice president, said in a blog post. UK whether trials can be resumed, Soriot not strong enough to warrant limiting School of Hygiene and Tropical thoroughly investigated. ture of immunisation trials. and European political groups were said, adding it was usual for such any vaccine. Medicine, said. “Even a single case could possibly “Safety is a top priority,” its CEO also probed, he added. (AGENCIES) pauses. A 2009 review in the journal Lupus Linking such an autoimmune imply a rate or association higher in Ugur Sahin told Reuters.

C M Y K 05 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 MONEY FOREX China’s export controls US Dollar 117.96 Food prices unlikely to fall Euro 139.73 Pound Sterling 151.18 pose fresh challenge to Japanese Yen 11.11 after last month’s steep rise Chinese Yuan 17.25 global tech industry Qatari Riyal 32.40 Traders say that prices will not go down in the short run with festivals around the corner.

Australian Dollar 85.98 REUTERS Rs12 per litre to Rs152 and sunflower SHANGHAI, SEPT 11 Malaysian Ringit 28.39 by Rs12 per litre to Rs162. “Edible oil has become dearer due to a rise in The latest additions to China’s list of Saudi Arab Riyal 31.45 prices in the international market,” controlled technology exports could Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank said Phuyal. upset a broad range of industries Prices of pulses and legumes have and raise the possibility that some PRICE PER TOLA increased by Rs26 to Rs31 per kg with- global tech giants might have to split BULLION in a year. off their Chinese operations, legal Dried peas cost Rs126 per kg com- experts said. Fine Gold Rs 96,500 pared to Rs95 per kg last year. Dried The new list of technologies under peas green that used to cost Rs80 per export controls announced on Silver Rs 1,310 kg now cost Rs106 per kg. The price of August 28 came as an unwelcome sur- sugar also has increased by Rs5 per kg prise to an industry already grappling SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA to Rs85 per kg. with the uncertainty posed by trade Lentils now cost Rs147 per kg, up tensions between China and the from Rs110 per kg last year. The United States. GASOLINE WATCH price of split red or pink lentils (musu- The move was initially seen as a ro) has increased by Rs31 per kg to means of giving Beijing a say in REUTERS Rs121 per kg. any sale of video app TikTok, but The revisions could affect multi-national A separate comparative study done advisers to Chinese and foreign firms companies that conduct research and POST FILE PHOTO by the National Consumer Forum say the potential consequences go development in China. According to retailers, food prices jumped 10 to 20 percent year-on-year largely due to higher shows that prices of most food items much further. labour and production costs and disruption in the supply chain. like rice, lentils, legumes, edible oil “The rules were a surprise to many means they could hit a wide range of and meat swelled by 15 to 20 percent in the market, and there is a lot of companies across different business KRISHANA PRASAIN adding another 10 percent to their within a year. Prem Lal Maharjan, tension in the tech space at the sectors. They could change the think- KATHMANDU, SEPT 11 mark-up to make up for losses president of the forum, said that the moment,” said Alex Roberts, a corpo- ing of companies such as Microsoft, incurred during the long lockdown. price of a 25 kg bag of rice had rate counsel at the Shanghai office of consumer drone manufacturer SZ DJI Food prices rose sharply on height- According to the comparative retail increased by Rs150-200, lentils and leg- law firm Linklaters. Technology Co Ltd, video streaming ened demand in August as people price report of the Department of umes by 15-20 percent, edible oil by In addition to recommendation service Zoom Video Communications, rushed out of their homes to stock up Commerce, Supplies and Consumer 15-20 percent and sugar by Rs30 per kg. algorithms such as those used by and Tencent Holdings, which on groceries after the lockdown was Protection, prices of all food items The price of rice had increased by ByteDance-owned TikTok, the new list exports games worldwide and has a lifted in the third week of July. like rice, flour, lentils, legumes, 10 to 15 percent during the first nation- of “partially restricted exports” fast-growing overseas cloud-service Panic buying preceded the stay-at- sugar, edible oil and beaten rice have wide lockdown with stocks running includes drone and cybersecurity business. home order that was issued on March gone up. out due to panic buying, said traders. technology, voice recognition soft- A Tencent source, which has a slew 24 and lasted for four months. Raj Kumar Shrestha, president of Phuyal said that rice and flour ware, and handwriting scanning of overseas subsidiaries and invested According to retailers, food prices the Nepal Retailers Association, said prices had dropped after the lockdown software. companies, said the company was jumped 10-20 percent year-on-year the Covid-19 pandemic had altered the was relaxed. Companies seeking export of these waiting for clarification on what the largely due to higher labour and pro- market dynamics of the retail busi- “Currently, sales of food items have technologies must first pass reviews rules would mean for technology-shar- duction costs and disruption in the ness, and it was obvious that prices contracted by 60 percent as people still and obtain approvals from China’s ing with these units. supply chain. would rise. remain indoors and their larders are Ministry of Commerce and Ministry “In general it will impact Chinese The traders say that food prices will “The operation of retail stores was full,” he said. of Science and Technology. companies’ overseas businesses, not go down in the short run as the thrown into chaos after the lockdown “Most of the people who have The revisions could also affect a mainly involving those that provide country’s major festivals like Dashain was withdrawn as shops were allowed gone out of the valley have not bevy of multi-national companies that cross-border services,” said Raymond and Tihar are around the corner when to open during certain time slots. returned, and people are also not buy- conduct research and development Wang, managing partner at Beijing food consumption swells due to the There was a problem with transport- ing much because they have less inside China, adds Nicolas Bahmanyar, law firm Anli Partners. endless feasts. ing goods too,” he said. money,” he said. cybersecurity senior consultant at Zoom, for example, employs rough- India passenger After the global health crisis forced Since the lockdown on March 24, Maharjan blamed the local govern- LEAF law firm in Beijing. ly 500 people in China as engineers tens of thousands of restaurants labour charges have increased from ments for the huge fluctuation in “It’s very probable that a company working on product development, vehicle sales up 14 across the country to close, food sales Rs25 per quintal to Rs35 per quintal,” retail food prices. It is the local units with R&D centres in China are according to its prospectus. Microsoft had plunged resulting in a steep fall in said Sanjay Phuyal, proprietor of that are responsible for keeping the going to face a choice—keep their houses Microsoft Research Asia in prices. But prices started to increase Aasma Enterprises, a wholesale sup- market well managed, competitive R&D centre in China, just for China, Beijing, which has been the origin of a percent in August as soon as the lockdown was lifted plier of food items in Kathmandu. and disciplined during a crisis situa- or leave China so they can use the tech number of advances in AI. with restaurants buying in bulk to Labour charges have also gone up in tion, he said. Except for a few local they develop anywhere in the world,” Zoom and DJI declined to comment. serve diners. the factories and the cost of produc- units, most of them have not conduct- he said. The Ministry of Commerce Microsoft and Tencent did not respond REUTERS According to consumer rights activ- tion has risen as food manufacturers ed market inspection, he added. was quick to respond to speculation to Reuters’ requests for comment. BENGALURU, SEPT 11 ists, opportunist traders are hiking have to follow health safety protocols, “As daily consumable products that the new rules were aimed mainly “It is generally clear from the mar- prices in the absence of proper gov- he said. come under the government categori- at TikTok, saying they were not target- ket reaction that there is some think- Total passenger vehicle sales in India ernment monitoring. They said that According to the department’s data, sation of essential goods, the govern- ed at any one company. ing to be done by numerous business- rose 14.16 percent in August, showing market prices rose by around 10 per- the price of mustard oil increased by ment can intervene in the market and Lawyers that have looked closely at es with operations in mainland some signs of economic recovery as cent, but retailers have been Rs17 per litre to Rs177, soybean by control prices,” he said. the changes say their broad scope China,” said Roberts of Linklaters. industries restart operations months after a coronavirus-led lockdown disrupted a sector already hit by poor demand. Indians bought a total of 215,916 cars, utility vehicles and vans in Fear and frustration: Europe’s wealthy keep wallets closed August, compared with 189,129 a year earlier, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) REUTERS socks before trying on trainers, to lower-income side of the spectrum, said on Friday. LISBON, SEPT 11 plastic screens dividing customers at particularly in sectors like grocery the hairdresser—the fun of going out which until now have proved resilient. By this time of year, Ilene Steele, 63, is lost, Steele feels. Data scraped by analytics firm The auto industry would usually have several trips “It’s like being at an operating StyleSage from online clothing compa- behind her: one to visit family in the table,” she said of images she’d seen nies’ websites including Zara, Asos, is expecting more United States, a holiday in Italy, and a of restaurants with barriers between Mango, Net-A-Porter and New Look in few day excursions in London, where diners. “I just wouldn’t enjoy that.” August showed 6-10 percent more sales during the she lives with her retired therapist Consumer transaction studies in products on discount than last year at husband Mike. countries including Britain, Denmark, 2-4 percent lower prices, as retailers upcoming festive She’d be meeting friends for drinks France and Sweden show a pattern pre-empt a fall in purchasing power. and dinners, and enjoying manicures also seen in the United States: even as Surico’s study of the UK, where a season. and pedicures with her daughter. shops re-opened, high-income con- furlough scheme is being gradually But not this year, even after lock- sumers kept their wallets zipped up. phased out, showed those receiving downs to counter the Covid-19 pan- British consumers earning 40,000 government benefits returned to 2019 “We are beginning to observe demic eased. pounds ($51,250) or more after tax spending levels in June, while those growth, which is instilling confidence “We hardly go out, really,” the accounted for around 35 percent of not on government support remained back into the industry,” SIAM retired jeweller said. “We haven’t trav- spending in 2019, but 45 percent of the 30 percent below last year’s levels. President Kenichi Ayukawa said in a elled. We thought about going to decline in the second quarter of 2020, Still, card transaction data from statement. The upcoming festive sea- Greece—in a way it’s so appealing a study of card transaction data by analytics firm Fable Data shows UK son, which culminates in Diwali and when you know there aren’t many London Business School professor retail sales rose in August, recovering sees a majority of Indians making big tourists—but honestly, I’d feel pretty Paolo Surico and others showed. REUTERS to just above 2019 levels by the end of ticket purchases, will help with a fast- stupid if I died.” “High-income groups spend in A woman wearing a protective face mask walks by a shop on Oxford Street as the spread of the month. Consumers shifted spend- er revival in demand, another execu- As coronavirus cases rise again areas with a so-called ‘multiplier coronavirus disease continues in London. ing from entertainment, leisure and tive said. across Europe, spending data shows effect’—non-essential services which transport toward cars, car mainte- Two-wheeler sales—widely seen as that fear of infection is deterring employ lower-income groups,” Surico 860,000 consumers in Denmark, which “Our interpretation is that the high- nance, home improvements and sport- an indicator of the health of the rural many wealthier consumers from explained. “We want to engineer a sit- imposed heavy coronavirus restric- er Covid incidence in Sweden made ing goods, it showed. economy—rose 3 percent from a year splashing out. That spells trouble for uation where the young and the poor tions, and Sweden, which did not, but this high-risk group more cautious, Grocery retailers are for now still earlier. In July, passenger vehicle sales retailers, luxury goods and leisure can save a bit more, and the older saw more infections. despite stronger formal restrictions in benefiting from people eating in, rath- had fallen almost 4 percent and an firms desperate to make up lost spend. But it’s happening the wrong The data showed spending in Denmark,” Andersen said. er than out. Sales of fresh fruit and executive from an industry body had ground. way around.” Denmark falling by just 4 percent The resurgence of the virus, cou- vegetables in Germany at Aldi, warned that auto sales were not Between the risk of contracting the A comparative study by economist more than in Sweden, and the elderly pled with the winding down of fur- Europe’s second largest grocery retail- expected to return to peak levels seen virus and the hassle of safety meas- Asger Lau Andersen and others ana- in Sweden actually cutting back more lough schemes in some countries, er, continue to be higher than usual, a in 2018 for another three or four years. ures—from needing to put on paper lysed spending from March to May by than the same age group in Denmark. could further dampen demand on the spokeswoman said.

Microsoft takes aim at Sony with cloud gaming service ahead of console launch

REUTERS struggled to build a fanbase for its graphics, to drive sales of consoles, STOCKHOLM/TOKYO, SEPT 11 Stadia service. with both Microsoft and Sony launch- “We built this experience so that it ing next-generation devices this year. Microsoft will on Tuesday launch its requires as little bandwidth as possi- Microsoft said this week the Xbox Xbox cloud gaming service priced at ble,” said Kareem Choudhry, Series S will go on sale in November $1 for new users’ first month, in a Microsoft’s head of cloud gaming. priced at $299.99, with the more power- major drive to attract casual gamers “We’re also working with ISPs (inter- ful Xbox Series X priced at $499.99. with the promise of cutting ties to the net service providers) around the Sony, widely seen as the victor of the living room and as competition with world to ensure a strong connection last generation console battle, already Sony heats up. between gamers and our Azure data- offers cloud gaming via the PlayStation Subscribers to Xbox Game Pass centres.” The Xbox Game Pass service Now service, but this is not available Ultimate, priced at $14.99 monthly, will has more than 10 million members. on mobile devices. Sony has not yet be able to play more than 150 games Across the industry, cloud gaming announced pricing for its next-genera- via the cloud on Xbox consoles, revenue is expected to grow to $4.8 tion PlayStation 5 console. Android devices and PCs. billion by 2023 from nearly $600 mil- Gaming is on a tear due to demand A subscriber won’t even need to lion this year, according to Guilherme from stuck-at-home users during buy a console to play the games, just Fernandes, analyst at gaming analysis the Covid-19 pandemic. Microsoft is an Android device and a supported firm Newzoo. banking on offering users many ways controller. Subscribers to the Xbox cloud ser- to play via the cloud service and con- The launch in 22 countries, includ- vice will be able to play hit titles like soles at different price points to give it ing the United States and 19 European “Sea of Thieves” and “Gears 5” as part an edge. A constraint on the growth of countries, marks a shift for Microsoft of the monthly fee. The games library cloud gaming is latency, or the time into cloud gaming, which removes the is seen as key for the incumbents look- delay between pressing a button and need for bulky hardware but requires ing to maintain their lead. getting the reaction on screen, with a fast internet connection. New Analysts expect demand for immer- deployment of 5G telecom services entrants include Google, which has sive experiences, via better sound and expected to speed up its adoption.

C M Y K SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 | 06 SPORTS | MEDLEY Azarenka stuns Serena in US Open semi Let the show begin M SHRESTHA have a point to prove. Mourinho is probably under bigger The defeat ends the American’s hopes of winning a record-equalling 24th singles Grand Slam on home soil this year. PL WATCH pressure since his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino had done won- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ders at Tottenham taking them to NEW YORK, SEPT 11 Champions League final in 2019 and Some six weeks after the end of the finishing top four places in the Victoria Azarenka came from a set last season, the new season is here. It Premier League for four consecutive down to stun record-chasing Serena seems too soon. It is too soon because years without big money signings and Williams on Thursday and set up a US these are not normal times. But the a relatively young squad. This season Open final against Japan’s Naomi way clubs have been going about their they play in the Europa League and an Osaka. business in the transfer market and unlikely top four finish for a place in Azarenka recovered from a 6-1 ham- their preparations, it sometimes like the Champions League next season mering in the first set to win the next there is little amiss. Of course, the would be a success. two 6-3, 6-3 and schedule her first fans will not be at the games although Ancelotti, on the other hand, is Grand Slam final appearance in seven plans are set to have them in reduced under less pressure. Everton do not years. The former world number one numbers from next month. One of the have much to boast of in recent times is enjoying a remarkable renaissance joys of watching Premier League other than a perennial mid-table fin- in New York that the Belarusian cred- games on television is the full stadi- ish. But ever since the Iranian busi- its to finding humility, following sev- ums with raucous fans baying for nessman Farhad Moshiri invested in eral years disrupted by injury and a blood. With social distancing, the the club, they have set their ambitions custody battle over her son. “I think same atmosphere as other times will higher. Unproven Spaniard Marco when you’re coming up from kind of not be created for a long time and if Silva seemed lost and was soon shown nothing, then you become a number the ongoing situation worsens, fans the door and the Ancelotti’s appoint- one player in the world, sometimes may not be allowed in as planned. ment had raised eyebrows since the you can start to think you’re invinci- Then there is even the possibility of club’s signing him was seemed as a ble and that you’re better than every- the league having to be brought to a prize catch. Unlike Tottenham, there body, and it’s not true,” Azarenka said. screeching halt. have been eye-catching signings. After a first set plagued by double The good news for the moment is Colombian James Rodriguez, the faults and unforced errors, Azarenka games begin this weekend. There are top scorer at the 2014 FIFA World Cup turned the tide in the second, upping no big games between title contenders was signed from Real Madrid. her service game and getting more or even top four contenders in the first Ancelotti was his boss at Real Madrid. returns in play as she began to dictate round. Of the eight games (Manchester The other notable arrival has been lengthy rallies. “I knew I needed to City and Manchester United have Brazilian Allan from Napoli, step up with my aggressivity, play a been given extra time off because of Ancelotti’s last club. little smarter, play with a little bit their exertions in Europe last season) If Mourinho loses, pressure will more width of the court and bring the two stand out. One is between start mounting from day one. If intensity up,” Azarenka explained. Tottenham Hotspur and Everton and Ancelotti loses, well, Everton are just Two-time Grand Slam winner had the other between Liverpool and Leeds starting their journey. never beaten Williams before in a United. Liverpool versus Leeds United is a Grand Slam. Her last appearance in a REUTERS Both Jose Mourinho and his oppo- match of two champions under two Grand Slam final came in the US Open Victoria Azarenka (right) greets Serena Williams after defeating her in the women’s singles semi-final match at US Open in New York on Thursday. site number Carlo Ancelotti begin charismatic coaches. But there is a in 2013 when Williams beat her. their first full season. Both were difference of a whole division between Azarenka also suffered a heartbreak- a little too much off the gas pedal at to 27th in the world rankings. who defeated 28th seed Jennifer Brady brought in mid-season last year to ful- them, one winning the Premier ing loss to Williams in the 2012 US some point,” the American added. Azarenka has been smiling and 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-3. fill the ambitions of their clubs. Both League the other the Championship to Open final, when she served for the The defeat ended Williams’ hopes of dancing on court, and even meditating Osaka, of Haitian and Japanese come with impressive track records bring the storied club to its rightful match at 5-3 in the third set only to winning a record-equalling 24th sin- during breaks. She says she’s enjoy- heritage, walked onto the court wear- and are serial winners at European place in the English game. Jurgen lose 7-5. gles Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows. ing her tennis more than ever and ing a facemask emblazoned with the clubs including winning the Klopp made Liverpool the champions Azarenka was determined that his- It has been more than three years credits it to a new-found maturity. “I name of Philando Castile, a black man Champions League. Both have won of Europe and followed that with tory would not repeat itself. Serving since Williams won her 23rd singles started taking more responsibility for who was shot dead by a police officer the Premier League titles with Chelsea champions of England playing his for the match, she hit a double fault tennis major title at the 2017 what I do, for what happens to me, and during a traffic stop in Minnesota in in their first seasons in charge. brand of high voltage football. before smashing her fastest serve of Australian Open. responsibility of how I’m going to 2016. The 2019 Australian Open cham- Both are seen to have taken a step Marcelo Bielsa has brought a mid- the night at 109 mph. When Williams Azarenka’s last Slam title came at react to situations. pion says she is getting strength from down in their illustrious careers dling Championship team to fight then challenged and lost an ace that the 2013 Australian Open, when she Azarenka, who had a son in wearing different masks honouring managing Tottenham and Everton. with the big boys with his brand of was called in on the next point, it was retained the crown she had won a year December 2016, will bid to become victims of racial injustice and police Both are relatively purse tied fluid football. Lose and Liverpool’s Azarenka’s match. Williams said she earlier. The 31-year-old’s march to the only the fourth woman to win a sin- brutality throughout the tournament. compared to the riches of their previ- title credentials will be questioned. started the 1 hr 56min-match “really US Open final comes after she claimed gles Grand Slam in the Open era after “I do think it’s a very big motivating ous teams. Both had been sacked from Win and Leeds will be the team to strong.” “(But) then she just kept last month’s Western and Southern having children. She faces a formida- factor for me just to try to, like, get the their previous jobs mid-season – watch out for this season. fighting. She just changed and started Open tune-up event in New York. Her ble opponent in two-time Grand Slam names out to as many people as I can,” Mourinho from Manchester United Ladies and gentlemen, for your playing better and better. Maybe I took recent rejuvenation has seen her rise winner and fourth seed Naomi Osaka, Osaka said. and Ancelotti from Napoli. Both pleasure the Premier League. PSG begin title defence with 1-0 loss after keeper blunder REUTERS and give Lens a surprise lead in the motivated Lens, who were playing their the defeat but we gave everything we PARIS, SEPT 11 57th minute. first home game back in the top flight could,” he told French television network Bulka, playing only his second after five years in Ligue 2. Canal Plus. Paris St Germain lost 1-0 at promoted RC Ligue 1 match for PSG, was one of several PSG started the season later than the “It was impossible to ask for Lens in their first Ligue 1 game of the inexperienced players given a chance due other teams in Ligue 1 due to reaching the better after only one week of training. season on Thursday following a bad mis- to the number of positive tests for the Champions League final, with their first Our players were very tired after take by goalkeeper Marcin Bulka, as the virus, which included first-choice keeper game against Metz rescheduled and the the match. This sort of scheduling is very French champions suffered in the absence Keylor Navas, world record signing match with Lens, originally set for August strange. A lot of our players were out with of several players who tested positive for Neymar and France striker Kylian 29, also pushed back. coronavirus and we had a lot of young- Covid-19. Mbappe. Midfielder Marco Veratti put the defeat sters. It will be more of the same madness Pole Bulka, 20, tried to play the ball out They could only field four players who down to a lack of preparation time due to in three days [against Olympique de along the floor to a team mate but started their 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich the Champions League final as well as the Marseille],” he added. REUTERS Cameroonian forward Ignatius Gango in the Champions League final on August coronavirus absentees. PSG play Marseille, one of their PSG were without goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. got there first to fire into the top corner 23 and struggled to get going against a “I think there were a lot of factors in arch-rivals, on Sunday. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) *** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** You can’t let one little “no” get you down. A crazy idea could occur to you today, and it’s You’re like a sponge right now, eager to soak up You can make people happy without even trying Rejections happen, and you have to get through just crazy enough that it might work! Success new ideas and experiences. Do whatever you today. Just being pleasant to someone on the them. The only way to avoid rejection is never to isn’t the question. The only question you’ll have can to make time for gaining knowledge, even if street as you pass by will make their day bright- put yourself out there. And if you never put your- in your mind is who you’re going to ask to hop it’s just learning about a cuisine or city you’re er. After all, don’t you love it when someone self out there, you’ll never get what you want. on board and go on this adventure with you. curious about. pays attention to you?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) **** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) **** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** They say that the little things are profound, and An authority figure at work needs your help with Be the first person to speak up when something Your eye for detail could get you into an interesting that is definitely true in your life right now. Make a big problem, and you may have to put a person- unfair or unjust happens. Make it known that situation when you notice something unusual sure you have all the details of your life taken al event on hold for a few days to deal with it. The you don’t agree or you can’t be surprised if peo- about someone’s behaviour. They’ll be flattered by care of. Tidy things up and tie loose ends. It’s an good news is that this interruption will create ple assume that you do. It takes action to stand your attention and liable to open up to you about what especially good time to catch up on paperwork. more opportunities than frustrations. firm sometimes. is going on, and you’re going to like what you hear.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) *** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) **** PISCES (February 19-March 20) **** Something could happen today that forces you to Your plans will go smoothly, though one small Watch out for confusion today. You might think It’s easy for you to see the best in everyone, call upon your hidden strength for tolerating snag could leave you feeling rushed. Your opti- you’re speaking clearly, but other people might which means you will automatically see the best things you don’t understand. You could be asked mism is still your best asset, so when you misinterpret you. You are better off communicat- in yourself. You’re feeling positive, which means to do something that isn’t your style, yet you approach this uncertain situation, expect the best ing in writing, especially when it comes to areas that people are going to notice you lots more and should give it a try. possible outcome. Things will go in your favour. where technology could garble the message. probably find you very attractive. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K 07 | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE Contemplating society’s different realities Mahesh Paudyal’s Shunya Praharko Sakshi, an anthology of 108 short poems, reflects diverse human experiences with acute literary sensibility.

SAROJ GC to live with paradoxes. ‘Kawya Sarowar’, Bachchaa’ both satirise ingenuous adult As the poems are really short, details Janmadin’, ‘Siyo’, ‘Jallad’, ‘Swabhimaan thinking. about relationships, places, and experi- he landscape of Nepali poetry Ko Bojh’, etc, are among some of his more Paudyal’s poems seem to be inspired by ences are concrete and short. The collec- has historically undergone a powerful poems, and they precisely pin postmodernist optimism--you do not need tion entails a substantial proportion of crucial debate: whether poet- down intricate conditions and plights of a grand theme to compose a poem; some- prose interspersed within poems. ry should be interventionist general human life. thing small and little can be engaging. However, the prose is not always so prosa- or should it be a spontaneous His reflections are infused with the Therefore, everything is subject matter ic. Paudyal’s keeping of every poem short and lucid expression of sub- internalisation and personalisation of for poetry. and terse means they sometimes lack the Tjective feelings. Irrespective of the debate, local situations and problems. vigor or the profundity of emotions. an informed poetry reader is likely to ‘Dharaaharaa’, ‘Buddha ra Ma’, ‘Chhori’, Readers become unable to connect deeply accept that a poem must reflect sincere ‘Jaat’, ‘Tihar Ma Sapana’, as feelings shrivel off before they reach human experience. ‘Sahidkiwidhawaa’ and some other poems His reflections are saturation. Mahesh Paudyal’s Shunya Praharko deal prominently with local circumstan- Perfervid with curtness of expression, Sakshi, an anthology of 108 short poems, tial reality, and explore the eccentricities infused with the the poet does not touch deeper on the sub- reflects diverse human experiences on a and problems perennially existing in our ject matter at hand despite the topic being variety of topics. It is a collection based society. internalisation and ambitious and pressing. Similarly, the on his contemplations of humanity, Some of the poems speak for the collection lacks the variety of style and romance, love, childhood innocence and oppressed and the disadvantaged, like in personalisation of presentation: all the poems are similar in adult experiences through war, violence ‘Shramik ra Kawi’, where he shows us the size, nature of diction and in direction. and politics. These multifarious themes reality of blue-collar workers. ‘Vijeta’ local problems. Sometimes, straightforward language are pitched with poetic vision, aesthetic shows us a majhi’s indifference to any can be used to address deep philosophical consciousness and literary sensibility. victory, because no victory has ever been issues in prose but poetry is such a genre And although all the poems are pretty able to change his plight. As powerful as which demands adroitness in handling short in size, a majority of them do appeal these poems are, what is more commend- In terms of rhetoric, Paudyal has han- emotions and feelings juxtaposed with to the senses, and more importantly, able is the fact that while the reflections dled paradox as a rhetorical device quite linguistic dexterity. And that is some- require intellectual and tactful observa- are upon political and social realities, the tactfully. A few examples are intriguing: times lost in his poems. tions on the part of the reader for poetic poet himself has not taken any position ‘Jallaad’, who is doing his work to live a At its best, the anthology foregrounds epiphany. or passed any kind of judgement. He life; ‘Jamin’ is the ultimate destination personal experiences without generalis- The anthology begins with ‘Karnali’, stands merely as a witness. despite one’s exuberant flight. In another, ing universal values: the sturdiest poems an incisive criticism on politics perpe- Child psychology has also occupied a SHUNYA PRAHARKO SAKSHI an exquisite lady finds beauty as too bur- point to an inner world and the secretive trated on the Karnali region through space in this collection. Disgruntled with densome, as a ‘Bojh’, and wants to spaces that the persona inhabits instead which many have progressed but the peo- adulthood, blemished by politics, the poet Author : Mahesh Paudyal exchange it with someone else’s ugliness. of being swayed by typical and abstract ple of Karnali. ‘Sanwidhan’, as one of his at times becomes nostalgic of the inno- Publisher : Shikha Books Similarly, some parallels are intriguing. things. Some poems are intellectually poems is titled, was supposed to be an cence he had as a child and wishes to Pages : 120 For example, in ‘Pahaad ra Haami’, he challenging as they require fundamental iridescent box of hopes and dreams, but it think of the world as he did as a child, the Price : Rs 200 draws an incongruous similarity between understanding of both eastern and west- turned out to be the largest politics that perfect abode to unburden his burden of humans and mountains: though the ern philosophies but in some, emotions was ever effected on the country’s citi- adulthood experiences. In ‘Umer’, the mountains seem to be calm and com- fall short. zens, says the poet. Similarly, there are poet compares himself with a river which reminisces and realises that he/she is posed, like humans, they also have their other poems dealing with general but never harks back to the bank that once he well ahead with times and cannot go own silent battles, they are also crying, in GC is a professor of English Studies based apposite themes--how humans are made had trodden; in ‘Janmadin’, the speaker back. ‘Bachchaako Khel’ and ‘Samrat ra the form of Mechi and Kali. in Kathmandu.

Laxmi ji: Remembering a true teacher For my lessons, he would only bring a pen and a few written notes with him. But with just his pen and his notes, he would open up a whole new universe.

MARILENA FRISONE only bring a pen and a few written notes at the same time, he was an incredibly with him. But with just his pen and his humble and generous person, always first met Laxmi Nath Shrestha dur- notes, he would open up a whole new uni- ready to share his knowledge with stu- ing a coffee break at the University verse for me. dents and colleagues, and always involved of Heidelberg, Germany, back in Having studied education in the UK, in charitable work. When not in person, 2007. I was attending a summer Laxmiji had more than 40 years of experi- he would be teaching over the phone, to school in spoken Sanskrit, and he ence in teaching. He had taught for the students and scholars working all over was teaching spoken Nepali at the Peace Corps, and he had been a key figure the world, unstoppable in his wish to ISouth Asia Institute. The passion with in the Nepali education system. He con- make people speak the Nepali and the which he was explaining new Nepali vened Nepali Language Intensive Courses Newa language. words and expressions to his students at the University of Heidelberg for many He passed away on September 3, at the during the breaks, while sharing tea and years, and he taught Nepali and Newa age of 71. The last time I spoke to him, a biscuits, really struck me, which was why language courses at the Universities of few days before he passed, he said: “Kuraa the following year I decided to attend the Lisbon, Kiel, Marburg, Wien, and Zürich. gardaa gardai jhan kuraa garna manlag- spoken Nepali course with him, where he I remember that often in Heidelberg, he cha, sikaaune kura dherai baki chha! introduced me for the first time to Nepali would be so deeply immersed in teaching Baffi baaf! Tara, aja ko laagi aaram language and culture. that he would forget to eat. In those occa- garnus, ani bholi bhetaun laa!” (“The “Laxmi ji”, as that’s what all his stu- sions, it was his beloved wife, Belayti ji, more we talk the more I feel like talking, dents called him, was able to magically who made sure to enter the class at lunch there is a lot left to teach. Ah! But for transform even the most difficult and time and sit in the corner, today take some rest, and we’ll meet unfamiliar grammatical structures into discreetly reminding him (and the stu- tomorrow). Even in this very last something easy to memorise, and fun to dents too!) that “khane bela bhayo!” (“it’s conversation, his concern was for the learn. His smile, his cheerful attitude, time to eat!”). large number of topics he still wanted to and his passion for teaching were conta- gious. His students loved him. He was ironic, joyous and dedicated to his job, He was an incredibly humble and generous and teaching and sharing his knowledge of Nepali culture was his life-long com- person, always ready to share his knowledge mitment. I encountered him again between 2011- with students and colleagues. 13 in Nepal, where I went to conduct PHOTO CREDIT: SOUTH ASIA INSTITUTE anthropological fieldwork. We used to Laxmi Nath Shrestha at the University of Heidelberg. meet in the morning at 7.00 am at the His most recent course was held in 2019 teach. It is with this sentence that Sugat Hotel, in Basantapur, Kathmandu, you can have a view of the city from and loud city centre, and he would encour- at the University of Toronto, where he I think it would be best to conclude a por- where I was staying. I wanted to learn there. age me to interact with local street ven- taught a three-week intensive course of trait of the truly passionate and dedicat- more and he was always ready to teach. Once he even took me to a tall building dors, or shop keepers to learn new, dai- Nepali and Newa languages. He was ed teacher that Laxmi Nath Shrestha was. And our classrooms would always be in the middle of a wholesale centre, where ly-life expressions. He used to say that in revered for having trained generations of And that is how I will always remember interesting. Most times it would be the we had to climb a shaky ladder to reach a order to learn about Nepali culture and Nepal Studies scholars including Declan him. roof of the hotel, where he would sit with small, quiet and isolated rooftop. That language “samajmaa bichnu parcha, Quigley, Siegfried Lienhard, Bernhard me for hours and teach me the was where our lesson would take place for natra bhane hundaina!” (“you have to Kölver, Leonard van der Kuijp, Axel Frisone is a Teaching Fellow of Nepali language and different Nepali cul- the day. mix with society, otherwise it doesn’t Michaels, Alexander von Rospatt, Anthropology in University of Padua, tures. He used to say that he liked roof- Sometimes he would take me down for work!”). Christoph Emmrich, and many more. Italy, and SOAS Newar Language Society, tops because they are peaceful places, and a walk through the buzz of the crowded For the lessons themselves, he would While being such a respectable name, the UK.

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C M Y K SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 | 08 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Here’s what these short films are doing right This week, the Post examines four Nepali short films that were released last month and discusses their strengths and the lessons that can be learned.

ANKIT KHADGI good use of colour is the moment when the father and told before. But what makes it different is its portray- has been made from a cisgender heterosexual lens. KATHMANDU the son are having a conversation: the colour tone al of a heart-felt human story based on the real And frankly, aren’t we tired of seeing this kind of turns bright, reflecting the changing dynamics of the plights of Nepali women who have to suffer because representation of queer people? When are we going inema over the world has taken big relationship. of poverty. to see the depiction of queer stories where they leaps in recent years. However, the Using the characters’ costumes to reflect their The writing is subtle and nuanced and doesn’t cre- aren’t always seen as helpless people, but as strong same cannot be said for Nepali films. In mood is a rarity in Nepali movies, and here Shrestha ate unnecessary tension and conflicts in the movie to individuals who aren’t always defined by their sexual more than five decades since its incep- also cleverly uses this filmmaking technique. The manipulate the emotions of the viewers. Rather, identity? tion, the growth of Nepali motion father, since he’s calm and composed, is wearing a through nuanced story-telling, the filmmakers show pictures has been slow and mostly blue t-shirt. Likewise, the son is wearing a grey the power and the strength of people, who, when Demo-Crazy by LSM Cunimaginative. t-shirt. Since greys are associated with sadness, it together, can beat the patriarchal system that treats Released on August 4, ‘Demo-Crazy’ by Saliesh There is no denying that the Nepali film industry symbolises his mood and mental state. women like objects. Bikram Kshetri (LSM) is probably one of the most still lacks substance and with the pandemic shutting Likewise, even the title of the movie, ‘Anumala’, innovative Nepali short films of recent times. down production and theatres, there is a high proba- which is made from the amalgamation of Anuradha Based on a dystopian fictional landscape, where bility that the quality of Nepali films will suffer. In the past few years, a and Nirmal’s names is a clever creative choice, mak- autocracy has reached its limit, the story is a man’s Having said that, there are some new-age, independ- ing this movie a great example of how a heartfelt quest for water. The thirst for water makes the man ent filmmakers who have emerged that have done handful of new-age personal story can be told in a nuanced way. desperate. In a deserted world, set in an amusement commendable work, although such works are few and park, with a mask covering his face, he searches for far between. filmmakers have Timi Ra Ma by Pradhanya Devi Yonzon water everywhere but his efforts are futile: no one This week, the Post critically reviews four Nepali Directed by Pradhanya Devi Yonzon, ‘Timi Ra Ma’ is has it. short movies released last month on YouTube, dis- emerged who have done a seven-minute film that depicts the suppression of As his search for water intensifies, he enters the cussing their strengths, their shortcomings, and the desire and freedom to live the way one wants, due to Wall of Death, where he sees other people, also wear- lessons that can be learned from these movies. commendable work. the enforcement of rules by a society that is still driv- ing face masks, kneeling in front of a man. Taking (Editor’s warning: Contains spoilers) en by cisgender heteronormativity. the cue from the others, he also kneels in front of the authoritative figure in hopes of getting water. Bojh by Shashank Shrestha However, some flaws do compromise the quality of This authority figure then shouts orders at the Released on August 19, ‘Bojh’, directed and edited by the movie. Since the story is told through dialogues, people, ordering them to bark like dogs if they want Shashank Shrestha and written by Yoznaa Thapa at times it does seem overwhelming. The makers water. Out of desperation, the people start barking at Magar is an earnest story of a son who’s angry at his could have also incorporated visuals or actions to his instruction. But the lead character, however, father, a foreign-returnee, for not doing enough effort depict the mood at times. Something else that could stands up to the man and encourages everyone else to hold their family together. have been away with was perhaps the ending, as it too to stand against the authorities’ atrocities. After seemed forced and unnecessary. seeing the people revolt, the authoritative figure fleds the scene. Anumala by Bishal Dotel/Bibhu Poudel Screened at the 19th Tiburon International Film Festival and the Asian Film Festival, ‘Anumala’ is a story of two women, Anuradha and Nirmala, whose lives change when their paths cross. When Anuradha, who’s serving in the Nepal Army, returns home to her village from Kathmandu, she finds three strangers in her home. A man, his mother, and his recently married wife, Nirmala. Anuradha’s mother has given the three shelter at her home for Released on August 21, the film begins with a boy the night, she finds. And the twist in the story comes getting a random friend request from a girl on when Anuradha, through a newspaper cutting, finds Facebook. He accepts the friend request and then like out that the mother-in-law is a trafficker and the life every modern-day story, the two start chatting. After The 11-minute film has a simple story: it shows us of the young girl, Nirmala, is in danger. months of chatting, the boy requests the girl to meet a strained relationship between a father (played by Based on this premise, the 13-minute-long short him. They decide to meet at Ratnapark; however, the Parikshit Bickram Rana) and a son (played by Aadesh film doesn’t depict a story that is new or hasn’t been girl ditches the plan at the last minute. In the end, it Shakya) which begins to heal with an honest conver- is revealed that the girl is actually a boy too afraid to sation where the father owns up to past mistakes. The come out. father’s honesty saves his son from taking his own In terms of technicalities and even acting, there’s life. no room to find flaws, as the film is really well-shot. Like most stories, this film too is written in a sym- The performances by the actors are also very authen- While the story isn’t the most imaginative, what is metrical format, where the plot components are line- tic. But one thing that should be addressed is the commendable is how the story is depicted. By making arly followed. However, the writer, Magar, cleverly theme it is based on. the common people wear masks, the filmmaker deploys her writing skills and plays with common While the issue of queer men having to ‘hide’ or depicts the rise of a totalitarian system that sup- plot elements. not reveal their identity to openly express their emo- presses the voices of people, forcing them to not The makers should also be applauded for their tions might be true, but not every queer man relies on speak out. Likewise, ‘water’ here in this film symbol- masterful use of colours in the story. In the scenes using fake accounts to hide themselves or are inter- ises freedom. where we see the two characters fighting, the colour ested in straight men. The way a queer person is If anyone wants to learn how to tell a known-story, tone is dim, which perfectly encapsulates the essence shown as a helpless person who has to hide and sup- then this movie is something that should be and mood of the scene. Another instance that shows press his emotions in this film shows how the film seen by all. PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB VIA YOUTUBE George RR Martin can’t build Academy Museum details plan for castle library in New Mexico inaugural Miyazaki exhibit The Game of Thrones author wanted to build a seven-sided, castle-style Envisioned as a journey through the legendary Japanese animator’s six-decade library at his compound in Santa Fe that drew objections from neighbours. career, the first-of-its-kind exhibit will have over 300 objects on display.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Alexander Dzurec with the architecture firm SANTA FE Autotroph Inc. filed the application for the height exemption and said Tuesday that the library was ame of Thrones author George RR intended to house “a very sizable collection” of Martin won’t be able to build a sev- literature and “other collectibles.” More than 40 en-sided, castle-style library at his neighbours had signed a letter urging the Historic compound in Santa Fe that drew Districts Review Board to reject the request. objections from neighbours. The city’s Historic Districts GReview Board on Tuesday denied a request to allow More than 40 neighbours Martin to exceed the building height limit in the historic district where he lives, the Santa Fe New had signed a letter urging Mexican reported. The project included a roof deck and an elevator tower. the Historic Districts “It is a medieval castle, and I don’t understand how we could possibly approve it in this style,” Review Board to reject the board member Frank Katz said. Mark Graham lives south of the property and request. said residents couldn’t “support having a castle in the neighborhood.” “With the notoriety of Mr Martin and ‘Game of Guy Gronquist signed the letter and read it at the Thrones,’ we absolutely fear that our neighborhood meeting, saying the architect had gone to “great will become the next treasure hunt, that his fans pains to draw comparisons with existing medie- will be looking to find the castle that’s in the mid- val-style structures in Santa Fe.” But those build- dle of Santa Fe,” Graham said. ings aren’t surrounded by houses, he said. Officials also denied a similar proposal early this “The fact remains that the proposed building is year, saying the project didn’t meet height and style still a prominent castle in the middle of a residen- standards and didn’t fit in with the character of the tial neighborhood in Santa Fe,” the letter said. “It historic district. will be visible.”

AP/RSS The temporary exhibition exploring Miyazaki’s (pictured) animated films will open on April 30, 2021.

LINDSEY BAHR laboration with the late Isao Takahata, who LOS ANGELES co-founded Studio Ghibli, as well as his early works including the TV series Heidi, Girl of the Alps and he Academy Museum of Motion Pictures his first feature Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of is finally opening its doors in Los Angeles Cagliostro, from 1979. in April with an exhibit celebrating the In Creating Worlds, which is described as a space works of the legendary Japanese anima- that “evokes Miyazaki’s fantastical worlds,” audienc- tor Hayao Miyazaki. Envisioned as a jour- es can delve into the bathhouse fromSpirited Away ney through his six-decade career, it’s the and the underwater world in Ponyo, before taking a Tfirst of its kind in North America and will have over moment to pause in the Sky View installation which 300 objects on display, organizers said Thursday. is touted as a highlight of the exhibit. The final two Some have never been shown outside of Japan. galleries are Transformations, exploring character “Miyazaki’s genius is his power of remembering and setting metamorphosis, and the Magical Forest. what he sees,” said Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio There will also be an accompanying 256-page cata- Suzuki. “It is our hope that visitors will be able to log with production materials from his early televi- experience the entire scope of Hayao Miyazaki’s cre- sion work and his feature films and essays by the ative process through this exhibition.” likes of Inside Out director Pete Docter. The museum Curator Jessica Niebel said she hopes that it will also organize film screenings in Japanese and will appeal to both the most avid Miyazaki fans and English. newcomers. Museum director Bill Kramer said that this is a Visitors will enter the temporary exhibit, which is fitting way of opening their doors, “signifying the organised thematically into seven sections, following global scope of the Academy Museum.” Mei, the four-year-old heroine of My Neighbor Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The Academy Totoro, into the Tree Tunnel gallery. From there, they Museum of Motion Pictures is located at the corner will emerge into the Creating Characters gallery fea- of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in the turing original character design drawings from films historic Saban Building and is currently set to open AP/RSS like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Princess Mononoke. on April 30, 2021. Author George RR Martin. The next gallery, Making Of, will highlight his col- —Associated Press

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