NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 1 NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 2 NEW

SPOTLIGHTFORTNIGHTLY Notes From The Editor

Vol.:Vol.: 14, 13, No.-08, No.-11, December-11, January- 24, 2020 2020 (Mangsir(Magh. 10.2076) 26. 2077) Price: Price NRs. NRs.100 100 Requesting Indian government to lift the restriction Editor and Publisher Everyput on year, palm the oil globalexport, community government celebrates has theshown World its Keshab Poudel Disabilityweakness Day to traderswith fanfare who have and slogansbeen thriving to safeguard and making rights ofprofits people through with disability. the misuse Nepal of trade is no agreement’s exception. loopholes.However, Contributor theInstead sufferings of restricting and difficulties this kind ofof large short termnumbers business, of people Sabine Pretsch withthis disability request will are boostyet to the be moraleaddressed. of traders With overand business500,000 peoplecommunity with disability, who has hardlyas per Nepalshown government’sinterest in sustained census Design/Layout ofand 2011 long-term and over industrialization 4500000 people of as Nepal. per the With WHO this model, kind Sahil Mokthan, 9863022025 Nepalof backing, has just tradersrecently often started misused to recognize the preferential the people treat with- disabilityments time as anda distinct again togroup make and individual providing gains. them In thelimited last Marketing Manager amountthree decades, of money Nepal under and the India social have welfare signed scheme. several Under trade Madan Raj Poudel agreements with preferential treatments to Nepalese prod- Tel: 9841320517 Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI), various organizations haveucts been with effortfulcertain percentages at making oforganization local value structures added. This and Nabin Kumar Maharjan infrastructureaimed to promote inclusive. industrialization As people inwith Nepal. disability By misusing is also Tel: 9841291404 a thisbroader kind aspectof preferential of GESI, treatments many people to generate interpret short it as term in- clusionbenefits, of womenNepal hasand neither other groupsseen a long and termdiscard and the sustained inclu- Editorial Office sionindustrialization of people with nor disabilities consistent and export. other Thissexual was minorities. not only , Nepal Althoughapplied tothe India government but with other has announced countries as several well. In policies 1990s, Tel: 977-1-4430250 andNepalese programs traders directed exploited at the the welfare markets of ofpeople Germany with disand- E-mail abilities,United Statesonly aincreasing small number the volume of people of export with of disabilities carpet and [email protected] aregarment benefiting under from preferential it. From treatment. physical infrastructureOnce the period to ofle- P.O.Box: 7256 galpreferential and policy treatment level, there came are tomany an end, barriers. they Despitecollapsed. legal In Website provisions1996, India to openedmake all all service the markets delivery to Nepalese offices productsaccessible www.spotlightnepal.com withwith construction preferential ramps,treatments overwhelming for many products. numbers Nepalese of phys- icaltraders infrastructure and business are inaccessible. communities Similarly, invested inpublic Vegetable trans- Kathmandu DAO Regd. No. portGhee is alsowith unfriendlyvery nominal to peoplelocal components. with disability. Some Monthly traders 148/11/063/64 socialmade welfare billions allowances individually provided but it has by thenot governmentmade any long are Central Region Postal Regd. tooterm small contribution and too little.to Nepal. Although Even recently, local levels Nepalese are given trad- No. 36/067/068 theers right have to started take care to increase of the social export welfare of palm of oil people using with the disability,loopholes they of preferential are yet to developtreatment. the However, institution it cameto carry to US Library of Congress Catalogue outan theirend followingrole. Given the the new present restrictions. scenario, This we is have what cov the- No. 91-905060, ISSN : 2091-0711 eredcurrent a story cover of issue Nannda has triedRaj toBhatta, look at.a representative of (Print), ISSN: 2091-0754 (Online) the People with Disability, from Sudupashchim prov- ince. Bhatta, who writes from mouth and foot, shows a Printing way how people with disability can live in self sufficiency. Megha Offset Printing Press P. Ltd., Dhapasi, Kathmandu Tel. : 977-1-4363624

Keshab Poudel Editor

NEWNEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec.Jan. 11. 24. 2020 2020 | 1 1 CONTENT

US SUPPORT Friend In Deed 3

NEWSNOTES 4

BUSINESS BRIEF 6

OPINION Dipak Gyawali 8

COVERSTORY: World Disability Day 2020: One Bhatta’s Tale 26 POLITICS Upsurge For Monarchy 12

FOREIGN POLICY 2020 Bundle Of Jargons 16

ARITICLE Aagya Pokharel 19

CHANDRA PRASAD DHAKAL Goodwill Winner 20

VIEWPOINT François-Xavier Léger 24 INDIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY VISIT: Restoring Trust 10

FORUM Dr. Prabin Manandhar 25

DOCUMENT Harsh Vardhan Shringla 31

UNMISS Reward & Recognition 33

COVID-19 Children Under Stress 34

CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER’S VISIT: Security Concern 14 ARITICLE Hemang Dixit 36

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 2 US SUPPORT Friend In Deed By providing more than 100 ventilators and other materials to Nepal in response to COVID-19, the United States has shown its commitments towards helping Nepal By A CORRESPONDENT

ith the increase of COV- As the United States, the ed remote health counseling with more ID-19 related cases, de- world, and Nepal confront an increase than 500,000 families during the lock- Wmands for ventilators and in COVID-19 cases, America stands downs, identified more than 60,000 ICU bed have also increased. How- with the Nepali people to combat the food insecure families and referred ever, Nepal is unable to fulfill the de- pandemic that has hit both the coun- them to food aid programs, and reached mands. At a time when Nepal desper- tries hard. To help relieve the pressure more than 14 million people with mass ately needs ventilators, U.S. comes to on some of the most critical cases, the media messages about COVID-19. rescue Nepal from the health catastro- U.S. government is providing these USAID is also funding a tai- phe, donating 100 ventilators, which highly versatile ventilators to help lored package of ventilator support that is equivalent to existing numbers of even the ventilators in Nepal. most re- On November 13, 2020, the mote com- United States government, through munities. the U.S. Agency for International They are Development (USAID), donated 100 compact, state-of-the-art ventilators to Nepal to deployable, assist its fight against COVID-19. For and provide more than 70 years, through disaster, Nepal with conflict and rough times, the United portable States has stood by Nepal in partner- flexibility ship and, continuing this collabora- in treating tion, it was helping the people of Ne- patients pal through the COVID-19 pandemic. affected “This is a great support for us by the vi- at the time of major crisis. With these rus. For ventilators, Nepal’s health system will COVID-19 be now able to provide much needed patients life saving support to large number of whose lungs patients of COVID-19,” said Minister are not of Health and Population Bhanubhak- working adequately, this vital re- includes accompanying equipment, ta Dhakal. Dhakal thanked US gov- source may prove life-saving. service plans, and technical assistance. ernment for its continuation support During the event, U.S. Am- This donation builds on the $28.3 in modernizing Nepal’s health sector. bassador Randy Berry stated, “The million (3.4 billion NPR) to active As minister Dhakal said United States remains committed to its projects that USAID has committed US has been providing much need- partnership with Nepal through the best to Nepal in response to the pandem- ed support to Nepal’s health sec- and worst of times. With these ventila- ic. The United States is committed to tor since last seven decades or tors, we want to help Nepali families be providing an All-of-America approach establishment of diplomatic rela- prepared to help their loved ones that for life-saving support by coordinat- tions between the two countries. are the most affected by COVID-19.” ing with the . From early stage of Ne- In addition to the ventilators, By providing 100 ventila- pal’s health sector development, USAID activities have also support- tors at the midst of major health cri- U.S. has remained a major devel- ed 113 municipal contact tracing and sis in Nepal, U.S has shown once opment partner providing all kinds case investigation teams, provided again its commitment to health sec- of support to Nepal’s health sector, COVID-19 telephone counseling to tor of Nepal. This is what makes from community to policy levels. almost two million families, conduct- U.S a friend in need for Nepal.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 3 NEWSNOTES Nepal-India IGC Meet On Trade, Transit And Cooperation prove safety mechanisms as progress has been made in re- The Commerce cent years to address the challenges of aviation safety. The Secretaries of Commission is aware of the efforts that have been under- India and Nepal taken by the country, notably as regards the proposed new co-chaired the aviation legislation currently before Nepal Parliament. It meeting of the would be key for this legislation to be adopted by the Par- Inter-Govern- liament and subsequently implemented. This would allow mental Com- the Commission to advance with the process of eventual- mittee (IGC) on ly removing Nepal from the EU Air Safety List: standard Trade, Transit process specifically includes i) organising a technical meet- and Coopera- ing (in Brussels) with CAAN to review the progress made; tion to Control ii) organising a subsequent on-site visit to Nepal by DG Unauthorized MOVE, EASA, and air safety experts from Member States, Trade that was which is needed in order to make a determination about the held through effective implementation of the safety enhancements, and video conferencing. iii) enacting the eventual removal from the EU Air Safe- Anup Wadhawan, Commerce Secretary, Gov- ty List by way of a Commission proposal to be endorsed ernment of India was accompanied by the Ambassa- by the EU Air Safety Committee,” stated a press release dor of India to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and a 15 issued by Delegation of the European Union to Nepal. member delegation drawn from various Ministries and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, while his counter- French Ambassador Hands Over Photos Herzog To Museum part, Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Secretary (Commerce & Sup- Ambassador François-Xavier Léger hand- plies) of Nepal was assisted by representatives of various ed over Photos of the French climber Maurice Her- Ministries and Departments of Government of Nepal. zog and the first successful Annapurna ascent to The IGC is the apex bilateral mechanism for pro- the International Mountain Museum, Pokhara. motion of trade and investments between the two coun- Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest tries. The meeting reviewed progress made on several no- and Environment of the Gandaki Province, Bikash table agenda items in the sphere of trade and commerce. Lamsal, and the members of the Nepal Mountaineer- “These included discussions on comprehensive ing Association were also present during the program. reviews of the Treaty of Transit and the Treaty of Trade, In his remarks, Ambassador Léger recollected amendments to the Rail Services Agreements, measures the important contribution of Nepali Sherpas to the suc- taken for investment promotion, constitution of Joint Busi- cess of the mission and termed it a Franco-Nepali expe- ness Forum, harmonization of standards as well as syn- dition. Ambassador Léger also read out a message from chronized development of trade infrastructure on the two Elizabeth Herzog, spouse of late Maurice Herzog, in which sides. The two sides also discussed in detail various Gov- she thanked the Nepali authorities and the museum for pro- ernment-level initiatives that need to be taken in future for viding a space which is a tribute to both the Nepali and further enhancing trade and commercial linkages,” stated the French members of a press release issued by Embassy of India Kathmandu. the expedition team. The Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee On the occa- (IGSC) at the level of Joint Secretaries met on 3-4 De- sion, Minister Lamsal cember 2020 in the preparation for IGC meeting. recalled the importance of Herzog’s expedi- EU Applauds Nepal For Commitment To Improve Air Safety tion in the development The European Union and its member states con- of the tourism in Ne- gratulate Nepal for International Civil Aviation Day that pal and how he (Her- aims to generate awareness on the importance of inter- zog) helped spread the national civil aviation for word about Annapurna the social and economic and Nepal through- development of the nation out the world through his book “Annapurna”. to cooperate and realise Mrs Elizabeth Herzog from her home town Cham- safe, efficient and sustain- onix France also sent a message to the program. “Although I able air transportation. would have loved to be with you all today for this important “We applaud the occasion but am unable to do so due to the current heath cri- Government of Nepal for sis. I am extremely grateful to the Nepali authorities and to its firm commitment to im- the International Mountain Museum for making this exhi-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 4 NEWSNOTES bition possible and for providing a space. I am sure that my “The recent re- husband would have been very happy today to see his 1950 ported cases of violence French expedition team be celebrated in Pokhara, 70 years underscore the need after the first successful summit of an 8000m peak by him for all acts of violence and his teammate Louis Lachenal. You know how attached against children to be re- my husband was to Nepal and having a space dedicated ported to the authorities for this expedition in the International Mountain Museum and dealt with by the le- means a lot to us. This is also a tribute to the Nepali Sher- gal system. We urge the pas who accompanied the French expedition team. We are law enforcement agencies forever grateful to them for without their support, this ambi- and judicial system to tious mission to climb the first 8000-m would not have been ensure swift application possible at all,” said Mrs Elizabeth Herzog in her message. of legal redress,” said Jennifer Syed, Country Ambassadors Present Credentials To President Bhandari Director of Save the Children in Nepal. Newly appointed ambassadors from Thai- Save the Children believes that it is possible to cre- land Vosita Vorasaph, state of Israel Hanan God- ate a safer world for children. While fulfilling our own re- er-Goldberger, Bangladesh Salahuddin Noman Chow- sponsibility towards children, we would like to urge all rel- dhury and ambassador from Sein Oo evant bodies to prioritize protection of children and respond to violence against children, including girls and women.

ADB Approves $160 Million Loan To Upgrade Power Grids The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has ap- proved a $156 million concessional loan to modernize power transmission and distribution systems in Nepal. While majority of Nepal’s population has ac- cess to grid-supplied electricity, there is a need to increase the capacity and reach of power distribution networks to meet current and future demands, improve reliability and quality of supply, and reduce losses. The Electricity Grid Modernization Project will finance the automation of grid substations throughout the country, modernize distribution and transmission systems in various areas, complete the installation of smart meters in the Kathman- du Valley, and support sector reform and institutional strengthening of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). presented their letter of credence to president Bidhya “ADB has been actively involved in major policy Devi Bhandari at Shitalniwas amid a special function. and institutional reforms in the power sector, and this project Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar is a continuation of our support to provide reliable and effi- Gyawali, chief of Army Staff Purna Chandra Thapa, sec- cient electricity supply in the country,” said ADB Principal retaries of President Office, and high officials of the- Min Energy Specialist Jiwan Acharya. “Moreover, this project istry of Foreign Affairs were present on the occasion. will position Nepal to be better prepared in its post-pandem- ic economic rebuilding.” Save The Children Calls For Protection Of Children The project will, In the context of the increased incidenc- among others, automate 34 es of violence against children in the country, Save existing grid substations, the Children condemns such acts against chil- install 220-kilovolt (kV) dren, particularly the sexual violence against girls. and 132-kV automated Save the Children calls upon the federal and local grid substations, construct government, and all relevant stakeholders to take strong ac- a total of 113 kilometers tions to protect children of Nepal. As enshrined in the Con- (km) of new transmission stitution of Nepal, the UN Convention on the Rights of the lines, upgrade 144 km of Child and the Child Rights Act 2018, we urge the government existing transmission lines to uphold the Rights of Children, ensure protection mech- with efficient conductors, and expand the installation of anism is mobilized effectively and efficient to protect chil- smart meters for 350,000 electricity consumers in the Kath- dren and prevents such cases from happening in the future. mandu Valley. An electricity distribution system command and control center in Kathmandu will also be constructed. NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 5 BUSINESS BRIEF NIBL Opens 126th ATM In Kathmandu For those families who cannot take part in the Nepal Investment Bank Ltd. a leading ‘A’ category livelihood project’s ‘cash for work’ activities, the WFP said bank, has expanded its operations by it will provide unconditional cash support to protect them opening its 126th ATM at Chunnikhel against resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as eat- Marg, Budhanilkantha Municipality. ing fewer and smaller meals, child labour or child marriage. According to a press release issued by the bank, the ATM is lo- NMB Bags Award cated within the premises of Karuna NMB Bank has been awarded the prestigious Hospital and was inaugurated jointly ‘Bank of the Year-2020’ by The by NIBL Deputy General Manager Banker, The Financial Times, Lon- Bijendra Suwal, Budhanilkantha Na- don, for the third time in four years. garpalika Chairperson Shree Krishna The bank has had a re- Shrestha, Monasteries Development markable growth trajectory evi- Committee Chairperson Bhicchu dently reflected in the growth in its Thupten Jigdol and Karuna Hospi- balance sheet size and its balanced tal Chairperson Tirthalal Shrestha network expansion that covers ur- NIBL has been cater- ban-semi urban and rural corners of ing to its customers from 83 branches, 126 ATMs, 19 ex- the country, as per a press statement. tension counters, 10 revenue collection counters and 56 NMB has positioned itself as the bank that does things dif- branchless banking counters. The bank, being the recipi- ferently and translated the same in its core focus areas: Re- ent of five Bank of the Year awards for exemplary service newable energy, agriculture, MSMEs/ SMEs, and digitisation. and business, was accredited with Euromoney awards for The ‘Bank of the Year’ award de- “Best Bank 2018” from the international publication - Eu- fines banking excellence globally. romoney. Further, ICRA Nepal (International Credit Rat- The winners are judged on the ba- ing Agency- Nepal) has given the bank a credit rating of A. sis of their ability to deliver returns to sharehold- ers, bank’s financial performance, shareholders’ - val UK Provides Rs 678M To Groups Vulnerable To Covid-19 ue, customers’ initiative, amongst others parameters. The UK government has provided £4.49 mil- lion (Rs 678 million) to help Nepal’s most vulnerable peo- Nepal To Import 250 MW Of Electricity From India For Winter ple cope with the Covid-19 pandemic and provide food The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is going to im- security and nutrition recovery support to their families. port up to 250 megawatt of electricity from India to ensure smooth The aid from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Devel- supply of electricity during the winter, according to a RSS report. opment Office will allow the World Food Pro- The water level in the river recedes in the win- gramme (WFP) to support close to 65,000 people affected by the ter, especially during January, February and March, leading socio-economic impact of Covid-19 with cash-based assistance. to lesser generation of power in the hydro power projects. According to the WFP, the assistance is part of its The NEA had placed a request with the government of In- Livelihoods and Economic Recovery Project to help improve dia to procure electricity from December 1, 2020 to June next year. livelihoods and reduce food insecurity in five vulnerable dis- Authority’s Executive Director Hitendra Dev Shak- tricts of Province 2, Karnali and Sudur-Paschim provinces. ya shared that the Indian side had approved the request. In rural areas across the country, the pandemic has de- Out of 250 MW electric- stroyed work and livelihood opportunities for many households. ity, 80 to 150 MW is needed for Currently, over 20 per cent of households in consumption for 24 hours while the Nepal are severely food insecure while around 43 per- rest would be used when needed. cent of children between 6 to 23 months do not have Minister for Energy, enough variety in their diet, WFP said in a statement. Water Resources and Irriga- Additionally, the WFP said the pandemic has se- tion Barshaman Pun, who also verely affected those families with vulnerable members, chairs NEA’s Board of Direc- including the disabled, elderly, children, family members tors, had directed the NEA to en- suffering from Covid-19 or with pre-existing medical condi- sure quality and smooth supply tions, as well as pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers. of electricity to its consumers. WFP said the UK aid will help support these vulnera- ble groups through its various nutrition and livelihood projects. Laxmi Signs MoUs “I am proud that we are providing UKaid to help Laxmi Bank has signed separate memoranda of some of the poor and vulnerable people of Nepal, particu- understanding (MoUs) with Tribeni and Banphikot Gau- larly mothers and children, who have been especially hard palika of Rukum-West to extend subsidised loans in agri- hit. My thanks go to our WFP partners for joining us in this culture sector to various farmers’ groups, entrepreneurs, effort and helping us to make it happen,” said Lisa Honan, firms as well as cooperatives under recommendation development director at British Embassy in Kathmandu. and facilitation of the palika itself, as per a press release.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 6 BUSINESS BRIEF The agreement was signed by Dipesh Amat- mittee led by its new president Shekhar Golchha. While ya, chief of Retail Financial Services on behalf of the bank Golchha was automatically elevated to the post of presi- whereas the Chairperson Duo Dharma Bahadur KC and dent from senior vice president, Chandra Prasad Dhakal Jhakku Prasad Gharti Magar signed the contract on be- was elected the senior vice president of the FNCCI. half of Banphikot and Tribeni Gaupalika, respectively. Ajaya Bikram Shah, CEO of Laxmi Bank, said 10 MW Solar Plant To Be Installed At Gautam that the bank has always prioritised agriculture sector. Buddha Airport A 10 MW solar plant will be installed at the Nabil Bank, Daraz Launch Sarathi Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) that is un- Nepal’s leading commercial bank, Na- der construction in Bhairahawa of Rupandehi district. bil Bank, and leading online marketplace, Daraz, The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and have jointly launched the Sarathi Programme. Irrigation and Ministry Under this strategic partnership, small and of Culture, Tourism and medium enterprises (SME) selling via Daraz online Civil Aviation discussed shopping marketplace will be able to obtain a wide the possibility of electric- range of credit facilities and benefits which they can ity supply by setting up a use to grow their business, as per a media release. solar plant at the airport. This SME lending programme is a new mer- The meeting it-based approach with credit scoring, considering data has directed the con- points from Daraz cerned officials at the two and scorecard mod- ministries and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to pre- el of Nabil Bank. pare a detailed blueprint for the establishment of solar plant That and submit it to their respective ministers within a week. means sellers that There is a plan to operate a 10 MW ca- perform well on pacity solar plant on the vacant land of Bhairaha- Daraz get better wa Airport through the private sector with the as- credit offering. sistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Under the Sara- Of the Rs 18.5 billion provided by ADB to thi Programme, Nepal for solar plants, the process of generating 5 SME sellers MW in Jhapa, 7 MW in Butwal, 4 MW in Pokhara can get financing under different categories. and 8 MW in Chanauta has already started. The They will also be able to avail SME NEA has also signed power purchase agreements for loan of up to Rs 10 million, especially de- the plants to be constructed in Butwal and Pokhara. signed for Daraz sellers at attractive interest rates. Namrata Shrestha Wins Miss Nepal 2020 Sukuntalal Hirachan Elected FNCCI Treasurer Namrata Shrestha was crowned Sukuntalal Hirachan has been elect- Miss Nepal World 2020 at the 25th edition ed as the new treasurer of Federation of Nepa- of the Hidden Treasure Miss Nepal pageant. lese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). Shrestha bagged the ‘Miss Nepal’ crown beating He was elected as the new treasurer of the FNCCI 20 other contestants in the grand finale of the pageant, organ- by defeating his contender DB Basnet. Hirachan is also an ized at Hotel Park Village in Kathmandu. Chairman of the advisor to Federation of Contractors’ Associations of Nepal. Hidden Treasure Diwakar Rajkarnikar announced Shrestha The executive committee of the FNCCI elects the as the winner of the beauty pageant. Miss Nepal 2019 Anush- treasurer from among the executive committee members. ka Shrestha crowned Shrestha, a teacher by profession. With the newly elected treasurer, the executive She was awarded Rs 250,000 cash and a scooter. Sim- committee of the FNCCI ilarly, Sandhya Sharma was declared Miss Nepal Internation- has now got a full shape. al and Supriya Shrestha clinched the Miss Nepal Earth title. Newly elected treasurer Hi- rachan has also taken the oath of office and secrecy, according to the FNCCI. Hirachan will suc- ceed Nirak KC as the FNCCI treasurer. Earlier, the FNCCI got the new executive com-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 7 OPINION

Royal Resurgence

An old Rig Vedic line praising Goddess of wis- sheltered acolytes were losing their asset value dom Saraswati as the Word Supernal points out and the political parties who felt the King would that until we cleanse our thoughts by getting away get the credit for bringing the violence to a close. from the thrall of improper words, our actions Now, if the massive street demonstra- will neither be correct nor lead to worthy ends. tions of the past weeks in major cities of Nepal are This truth has now been brought painfully home BY: DIPAK GYAWALI any indication, it does seem that many passengers to Nepal’s current political discourse. Ostensibly are beginning to have serious second thoughts. In noble sounding Left slogans that dominated the country’s the slogan of demonstrators, one word was jettisoned and political thinking for decades are now seen as nothing replaced by another that signifies a mental cleansing of the more than seductive advertising of snake oil salesmen, political discourse. The slogan of the Monarchists used to words such as “agragaman” (moving forward or progres- be “Raja aau desh bachau!” which is now “Raja lyau desh sion as opposed to regression which is “pratigaman”). bachau!” The shift from “aau” to “lyau” is significant: it Indeed, the Loktantrick (dis)order of 2005 was is no longer “O, King! Come save the country!” but “You gifted by Mughlani spooks and EuroAmerican INGO bus- incompetent party neo-feudals! You better bring the monar- ybodies to party leaders who had proved dismal failures chy back to save the country!” It is no longer an appeal of a decade earlier, but were nevertheless carried to pow- the helpless to the King to come and rescue them: it is a seri- er by a self-styled “civil society” cravenly beholden to ous warning to the Loktantricksters to move out of the way. those leaders. It is increasingly coming to resemble a bus There were also diplomatic messages in the hastily assembled from junkyard parts post 2015 earth- last weeks from our two neighbours that they too see quake, now stuck in a blind alley. Moreover, the drivers the blind alley Nepali politics is stuck in, that perhaps and conductors are fighting each other, insisting that they the drivers as well as the bus itself will be junked an- can take it forward despite the impenetrable wall ahead yway. In that eventuality, subtle shifts were apparent and their demonstrated incompetence of the last three in their posture and realignment to protect what they decades in matters related to statesmanship and statecraft. see as their interests in the buffer zone that is Nepal. The duped passengers had been seduced into be- Modi’s 2015 adventurism with the blockade, lievingthat the only way was forward (agragaman) and which saw him overnight plunge from being the most popu- that the squabbling incompetent drivers would get them lar Indian in Nepal to the most despised, cost India dear and to their destination (“Sambriddhi” or prosperity). What perhaps for generations to come. By mistakenly believing the Left’s distorted discourse has propagandized as re- that the “roti-beti” relations between the two countries were gression (“pratigaman”), i.e., backing out of the blind al- limited to a few Maithili and Bhojpuri elites of the Tarai ley to the point where the wrong turn was made to head between Bagmati and Kosi, they alienated Nepal’s majority in the right direction, would normally be called a wise with multiple relations all over India. In the west Kumaon move.And for Nepali politics (as well as its internation- and Gadhwal to the east in Darjeeling, Sikkim and Assam, as al underwriters) that wrong turn is the November 2005 well as in the rest of India from temple priests to businesses 12-Delhi Deal, the subsequent induction into a resurrect- to security establishments, Nepalis have rich and close rela- ed but date-expired parliament of Noida-sheltered insur- tions in India which suffered grievously.That Modi misad- gent terrorists, and the jettisoning of the 1990 constitution. venturealso provided the Chinese a diplomatic and psycho- Politically, the 2005/2006 shenanigans were logical lottery windfall for no significant investment at all! not what ended the Maoist violence but rather deified and To break the impasse and begin repairing the dam- enshrined it in Nepali governance. The indigenous effort age, Modi fell back on his spooks (who ruined relations in to end it was the 29th January 2003 ceasefire that was ul- the first place with their ill-advised blockade) and sent the timately sabotaged by both the Mughlanis who felt their RAW chief on a semi-clandestine mission to meet PM Oli

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 8 OPINION and other political figures. That choice was made mainly it the changing Nepali mindset about the failed Loktantrick seems because it is not Indian diplomats or political figures dispensation, and what would have to replace it? A dec- the current Nepali leadership listen to: the top honchos are ade and a half ago, because of the apartheid practiced by beholden to the Indian intelligence agencies that nurtured the Loktantricksters towards traditional forces including and elevated them. It was followed by a ceremonial visit religious ones, none would have dared come out to pro- by the Indian army chief to receive the mutual confirming test in the streets. Today, they are supported in droves by of honorary generalship. What must not be forgotten is that youth born after the Panchayat system was done away during the critical days of the 2005 November adventurism with, by common small-time business folks groaning un- by the Sonia-led Indian establishment, the Indian army stood der a nepotistic kleptocracy and even ordinary members against the spooks and South Block proposed regime change in Nepal but lost that battle. Also, it was the pressure of the Indian Army that forced Modi and the spooks faction to lift the 2015 blockade of Nepal. The subsequent visit by the Indian foreign secretary, leaving aside the procedural and ritual as- pects, was significant for one major diplomatic mes- sage: his eulogizing King Prithvi Narayan Shah in Gorkha.The 2005 alliance of European proselytizers, Mughlani adventurism and history-distorting Nepali Left opportunism was to undermine the very foun- dations of Nepali nationhood and portray 240 years of Shah dynasty rule as the darkest period in Nepali history. The new shifting mood, at least in Delhi’s corridors of power, seems to be a belated recogni- tion of the need to base relations with Nepal on com- mon cultural and historical foundations, and not on denying and displacing them with liberal Western political philosophy-inspired vision of a future under threat in its own Trumpian and Brexited homelands. For such a change in mindset, it is imperative to of Kangress and UML deeply disappointed with their recognize that Nepal’s founding King had a seminal role own leaders. A major rupture and breakdown of order is in preserving core cultural elements of South Asia. As possible where the Nepal Army would have to step in. the inspirational icon of Nepal Army, which is the old- However, if a sense of self-preservation prevailed est surviving Nepali state feature since the side-lining of upon the Loktantricksters, a less radical way out would be the monarchy, it must be remembered that it was Prithvi to go back to the 1990 constitution and start the reform pro- Narayan Shah who succeeded in creating and preserving cesses from where the wrong turn into the blind alley was an independent “Asli Hindustan” in Nepal when Shiv- made. Such a reform could include even participatory ref- aji, Rani of Jhansi, and Ranjit Singh (to say nothing of erendum on critical issues of secularism, republicanism and the Mughlani remnants of Bengali Sultans and Punja- federalism that they fraudulently denied the people between bi Nawabs) failed and succumbed to British onslaught. 2006 and 2008. Reforms would have to include preventing The Chinese too seem to have similar after legislative representative MPs from becoming executive thoughts as indicated by the symbolic diplomatic mes- ministers, a major flaw in the imported Westminster model sage of the 8-hour Nepal visit of the Chinese defense of democracy where the required separation of powers is minister and state councilor. Ostensibly as part of the 65th violated. And why not? The parties themselves have argued Anniversary to celebrate the establishment of diplomat- for “one person, one post”: why should a member of the leg- ic relations between the two countries, Gen Wei Fenghe islature be derelict in the duty of oversight on the executive spent the substantive bulk of his time at the Nepal Army and become simultaneously an expertise-bereft minister? headquarters, while meeting the prime minister and pres- Other reforms would have to be the need to get ident only as a short formality on the way to the airport. at least 50% of the votes in an election, going for run-off There is little doubt that the Chinese, despite attempts to among the top two contenders if necessary. These and oth- forge party-to-party ties with Nepal’s ruling communists, er such measures will all have to be initiated to improve are deeply disappointed with Nepal’s feckless kleptocrats, upon the 1990 constitution. But for that, first this 2015 un- and are struggling to find reliable partners in Nepal that workable dispensation together with the failed leaders of are firm Nepali nationalists but value Chinese friendship. the last three decades must be consigned to the junkyard, In light of all these shifts, what is one to make of peacefully or thrown out by more robust public disgust.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 9 NATIONAL

INDIAN FOREIGN SECRETARY VISIT Restoring Trust After completing his visit to Nepal, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian Foreign Secretary, has suc- ceeded to restore the trust between the people of two countries

By KESHAB POUDEL

rom his first statement delivered ed with Indian reconstruction same. He reached to the common at Tribhuwan International Air- assistance. Those include Shree people showing proximity of lan- Fport VIP lounge to his last state- Mahalaxmi, Shree Ratnalaxmi and guage. He has made efforts to revive ment delivered at a talk program and Shree Tara Secondary Schools. Dur- and restore people’s traditional faith his remarks in Gorkha, Indian foreign ing the inaugural statement, foreign on India. Although one visit cannot secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, a secretary Shringla expressed his re- make many differences, this visit has highly qualified and capable profes- gards to founder of modern Nepal. opened up to find out common interest sional cadre of , Frustrated by the role and common civilization and culture. did not spare any time while winning of mainstream political lead- Handled by professional the heart and mind of the people. ers, who denounced and de- hands of Nepal’s Ministry of For- With a remark in Nepali at Tribhuwan In- ternational Airport’s VIP longue saying that he feels like coming home, sec- retary Shringla started his first official visit- win ning the heart and mind of people. Native Nepali made a psychological edge over the mind of people. His praisewor- thy remarks on the role of Prithivi Narayan Shah at his birthplace Gorkha was an- other gesture of respecting Nepal’s unification. He paid respect to Prithvi Narayan Shah, founder of modern Nepal who launched the unification motion to make Nepal original Hindustan, for his contribution to expand bravery stroyed the statue of Shaha, eign Affairs and secretary Bharat of Gorkha all over the world includ- Indian foreign secretary’s statement re- Raj Paudyal, the visit of foreign sec- ing India. This was another soft point vitalized the minds of common people. retary of India set a new tone in the which touched sentiments of Nepalis. Not seen in the last few relations between the two countries. Foreign Secretary Shrin- years, Indian foreign secretary Harsh Even political leader includ- gla travelled to Gorkha and inau- Vardhan Shringla’s approach was dif- ing prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli gurated three schools construct- ferent although policy remained the and main opposition leader Sher Ba-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 10 NATIONAL hadur Deuba, who passed the new map linkages between India and Nepal secretary Harsh Vardhan Shring- in haste last time, came with different are so powerful that people in the la addressing the lecture program. tones stressing the need to have dia- government only complement these. Religious Link logue to settle all the bilateral problems. Delivering a distinguished In his official visit, Indian As they have already passed lecture at a program organized by Army Chief visited Pashupatinath the map including disputed portion Asian Institute of Diplomacy and In- Temple and Kumari Temple, two of territory, their recent tone for di- ternational Affairs (AIDA) in -Kath important Hindu temples of Nepal alogue has no meaning. By passing mandu, Foreign Secretary Harsh showing common connections. In- augurating the monastery, Indian foreign secretary Shringla has touched oth- er areas of commonality. Thriving in com- mon civilization, Nepal and India share common religion and colure. “Given our ge- netic profiles, what works for India is likely to work for Nepal as well. Together we will recover from the pan- demic and together we will protect our people,” he said. In his last en- gagement before leaving Nepal that also signifies the diverse bilateral devel- opment and cultural coop- eration, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla virtually inaugurated the Tashop (Tare) Gompa mon- the map unilaterally and issuing offi- Vardhan Shringla laid out the foun- astery constructed at Shree Khar- cially, Nepal has closed the door. The dational multi-dimensional strength ka village in Manang district. question now is will they amend the of the ties between the two countries Visiting the places like map again in case of the settlement? and the vision for taking it forward. Gorkha, Kingdom of founder of Ne- In 2015, Nepal promulgated “The people-to-people link- pal Prithvi Narayan Shaha and inau- the new constitution in haste discard- ages are so strong and so powerful that gurating the monastery in Manang ing the request of India. This created quite frankly we in government only and speaking in Nepali language distrust between the two neighbors. complement these,” he said while ad- in all the places, the foreign secre- Although the visit of In- dressing a limited gathering of leading tary has made efforts to revive- In dian Army Chief General Manoj civil society members on India-Nepal dia’s deep connection with Nepal. Mukund Naravane, had helped to relations at an event hosted by AIDIA However, given the present set of ease some misunderstanding be- According to him, the re- ruler without any conviction on Ne- tween the two countries, foreign sec- lations between the two neighbors pal’s civilization, culture and histo- retary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has rest on four pillars - development ry, there is the need of a long march. further opened a new link to Nepal. cooperation, stronger connectivity, Indian Foreign secretary Issued following the bilateral expanded infrastructure and econom- conveyed enough of a message to secretary level meeting led by foreign ic projects, and easier and enhanced Nepal with his sober and soft tone. secretary of Nepal Paudyal, Indian access to educational opportunities in However, it remains to be seen how foreign secretary’s official statement India for the young people of Nepal. Nepal’s current political leadership mentioned Nepal’s foreign minis- Dr. Madan K Bhattarai, including ruling NCP and Opposi- try for arranging a successful visit. Former foreign Secretary, delivered tion who have been People To People Relations opening remarks. Similarly, chair- exploiting civilization based Ne- Foreign Secretary of India person of AIDA Sunil KC delivered pal-India relations for individual gain Shringla said that people to people opening remarks thanking foreign and loss handle the new scenario.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 11 POLITICS Upsurge For Monarchy As nationwide mass upsurge demanding the restoration of monarchy is taking shape, prime minister Oli has called an all-party meeting urging unity among the republican forces By A CORRESPONDENT

s there has been a political Taking the all-party meet- ed economic recovery programs. rivalry in the ruling Nepal ing as an opportune time, Prime As his party colleagues are ACommunist Party (NCP) Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, who demanding his resignation and op- continuing over the last months, the has been facing internal rebellion position parties are blaming him for state machinery has been paralyzed. within the party, called for uni- failure, Prime Minister Oli has called The economic disruption created by ty among those for the current upon all the pro-change parties COVID-19 pandemic and inefficien- change to prevent the upsurge of and forces to be united for protect- cy of the government forced thou- regressive and monarchist forces. ing the federal democratic republic sands of people to go jobless, Having seen no hope in the current dispensation, people across the country have launched a nation-wide peaceful rally and agitation demanding the restoration of constitutional monarchy. Following ten days of nation-wide peaceful ag- itation demanding monar- chy and Hindu state, forces in favor of current ruling dispensation, who were re- sponsible to promulgate the new constitution, have come together to find out a way to pacify the people. Fed up with inter- nal party feuds, corruption and in- However, there were few achieved through people’s struggle. efficiency, more people are coming buyers to his argument. Leader of Welcoming the leaders to street on a call of unknown po- main opposition party Sher Baha- to the all-party meeting of the na- litical forces resting new hope on dur Deuba blamed PM Oli and his tional parties represented in the revival of constitutional monarchy. government for the failure to con- Federal parliament at his official For Prime Minister K.P. tain the resurgence of monarchists. residence in Baluwatar, he made Sharma Oli who is facing serious However, Prime Minister it clear that the anti-constitutional challenges for his leadership from Oli said that resurgence of pro-mon- and violent activities taking place within the party, pro-monarchist archist movement has nothing to in the recent days in the name of rally give a chance to defend the do with government, claiming that regression would not be tolerated. work of government and defend the his government successfully han- The all-party meeting also current constitution and republic. dled COVID-19 and other relat- held discussions on the prevention

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 12 POLITICS of COVID-19, safeguard- ing the achievements of the democratic movement and anti-constitutional activities, among oth- er contemporary issues, the Press Advisor to the PM, Surya Thapa, said. Leaders of the po- litical parties represented in the parliament, includ- ing the ruling Nepal Com- munist Party (NCP), main opposition Nepali Con- gress (NC), Janata Sama- jwadi Party (JSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) were present at the meeting In a meeting, lead- er of Rashtriya Prajatantra have been chanted in favor of the sation makes efforts to suppress Part Dipak Bohara said that his par- monarchy and the Hindu nation ty has moral support for agitation monarchist and pro-Hindu rally. in various parts of the country, in- demanding to restore constitutional Nepal has promulgated a cluding the Kathmandu Valley. The monarchy. He urged all political par- new republican, secular and federal , the rul- ties to amend the constitution for this. constitution without broader consent ing party, has accused the govern- PM Oli called the meet- of the people. Corruption and inef- ment of patronizing such activities. ing after massive protests demand- ficiency have intensified following However, the growing ing restoration of monarchy were the promulgation of new constitu- frustration is likely to take a vio- held across the country. Slogans tion and elections at three tiers of lent course in case ruling dispen- governments. The recent Transparency International Report shows Nepal among the most corrupt na- tions in the world. As people are losing the faith on the current politi- cal dispensation, one cannot rule out the possibility of mass rebellion throughout the country against the present constitu- tion. In case, pro-re- publican parties de- cide to launch a rally aiming to suppress monarchists, it will invite more chaos.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 13 NATIONAL CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER’S VISIT Security Concern Chinese Defense Chief’s visit to Nepal indicates the growing security concerns

By A CORRESPONDENT

ith over 1400 km long held at the delegation level mainly as soon as possible, including ex- border in most difficult on issues pertaining to resumption change of high level visits. Gen- Wparts of Tibet, Nepal has of training and student exchange eral Wei also pledged to provide always been a highly sensitive buff- program and follow-up on defense additional assistance to the Nepali er zone for Chinese security appara- assistance that have been impact- Army in fighting the Covid-19 tus. This was what the recent 7-hour ed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. pandemic,” read the statement. stopover visit of Chinese State According to a press release He was the highest-ranking Councilor and Defense Minister Wei issued by Public Relations and Infor- Chinese official to visit the plateau Fenghe indicated. mation Directorate of Nepal Army, country after China’s top leader vis- Given the globally shifting General Wei and the delegation ited Kathmandu in October 2019. power balance and emerging new viewed both the proposals positively. “When Wei met Pres- world order amid COVID-19, Chi- “The Nepali Army is con- ident and nese interest in Nepal is likely to in- fident that this visit will help in Prime Minister and Minister for tensify in the coming days. This is further strengthening and expand- Defense KP Sharma Oli, they dis- also what the recent visit indicated. ing the cordial military to mil- cussed economic cooperation amid After spending most of his itary relations between the two the framework of the China-pro- time discussing security matters at countries,” said the press release. posed Belt and Road Initiative Nepal Army Headquarter, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Fenghe paid a courtesy call to Prime Minister and defense Minister K.P. Sharma Oli and President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at the end of the visit. Upon his arrival, Gener- al Wei was presented with a Guard of Honour at the Army Headquar- ters. General Wei then paid an offi- cial call on General Purna Chandra Thapa, Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army, at the latter’s office. On that occasion, the dis- tinguished visitor, General Wei and General Thapa held a cordial dis- cussion on various issues of bilat- eral interest. A representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also present during the discussion. After the call, General Wei Fenghe and his delegation were giv- “General Wei and the del- and military exchanges,” report- en a short presentation on the his- egation viewed both the proposals ed Global Times, a Chinese media tory and roles of the Nepali Army. positively and affirmed that the- bi close to Chinese Communist Party. Bilateral discussions were then lateral cooperation should resume As in the past, Chinese de-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 14 fense minister Wei noted that China na and Nepal and provoke trouble. Talking to the media per- firmly supports Nepal to safeguard During his call on Prime sons at the Tribhuvan International its national independence, sover- Minister KP Sharma Oli, he said Airport, Wei said that the objective eignty and territorial integrity, and that his visit was aimed at im- of his one-day visit was to bol- will continue assisting Nepal’s plementing the bilateral agree- ster mutual military cooperation military development, contribut- ments made by the head of states and further strengthen the bilater- ing to regional peace and stability. and head of governments of al ties between the two countries. Wei also discussed the in- the two neighbours in the past. During the call-on, views ternational and regional situations Earlier, speaking after his were exchanged on matters of mu- and bilateral diplomatic and military welcome by Home Minister Ram tual interest including the further relations with Nepal’s Chief of Army Bahadur Thapa at the Tribhuvan promotion of traditionally friendly Staff General Purna Chandra Thapa. International Airport, he had said relations between Nepal and China. Wei’s trip came days af- that his visit also had the objective Stating that Nepal and Chi- ter Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh of enhancing the bilateral military na have strong relations, the visiting Vardhan Shringla visited Nepal. assistance and strengthening the re- Chinese dignitary said that he had Indian officials have paid frequent lations between the two countries. arrived in Nepal with a goal to take visits to Nepal since late Octo- Wei was welcomed by Nepal-China ties to a newer height. ber, including Samant Goel, chief Minister Thapa, Secretary of the “I am confident that the visit would of India’s Research and Analy- Home Ministry Reshmi Raj Pan- be result-oriented. My visit to Nepal sis Wing and Indian Army Chief. dey, Lieutenant General of Nepal is slightly delayed by the COVID-19 Chinese media reported Army Prabhu Ram Sharma, Chi- but it will be a special one,” he said. that Wei’s visit is also a warning for nese Ambassador to Nepal Hou Whatever Chinese Defense anti-China hardliners in India who Yanqi, Joint Secretary of the Min- Minister said his visit has indicat- do not reflect on themselves but istry of Foreign Affairs Kali Pras- ed that Tibet Security is their ma- seek to sow discord between Chi- ad Pokharel and other dignitaries. jor and only one concern in Nepal.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 15 NATIONAL FOREIGN POLICY 2020 Bundle Of Jargons As in the past, the new government led by Nepal Communist Party-NCP has announced Nepal’s Foreign Policy 2020

By KESHAB POUDEL

s soon as Nepali Congress This will be the central policy of the has been facing the same problems, formed its government in 1991, country’s foreign relations, on the basis the only differences will be in style. APrime Minister late Girija Pras- of which other related policies would be With a small nation situat- ad Koirala declared that Human Rights formulated or amended,” said Gyawali. ed between two big powers with di- and Democracy would be the foundation Being a small country between verse political system, Nepal has a of Nepal’s foreign policy. big powers, Nepal’s geographical posi- very thin space to play and it has many In a similar manifestation and tion has not changed since the country limitations. Among two nations, Ne- declaration, rebel leader prime min- constituted itself as an independent and pal’s relations with southern neigh- ister , in his first sovereign nation over 230 years ago. bor are closely tied by common civi- address to the nation, said Nepal is no Its political geography has lization, culture, religion and history. more a yam between two nations, but a not changed and its foreign policy and Given this reality, Nepal’s dynamite between the two. Merely 10 challenges remain the same. Howev- foreign policy is defined by its destiny. months in power, Prachanda led Maoist er, individual rulers have brought out “Nepal has every right to determine government was blasted out of power. such documents from time to time to its foreign policy matters. However, it As a prime minister, Dr. project their views. All of them have has its limitation which impinges upon declared that the turned out irrelevant and out of con- her. Taking into account the reality of era of equidistance was over and he text. What it shows is that Nepal is in its geo-strategic situation,” one foreign propounded a new theory of Nepal as continuity as a nation with continuity of policy expert opined, “Nepal’s freedom a link between the two big countries. real policy destined by its geography. of choice is obviously limited by the A government formed un- As American scholar late Leo exigencies of power politics…. Nepal’s der the leadership NC leader in 2017 constituted a high level commit- tee to draft Nepal’s Foreign Policy. However, the government was oust- ed without receiving the document. Coming to power three years ago, harping on anti-Indian slo- gans, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has also endorsed the Foreign Poli- cy 2020. Amid a function, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali released the document. He declared Nepal’s Foreign Policy is for a rule-based, just, inclusive hu- man rights-centric world system. “We are for a rule-based global system, the current deal-based system would be detrimental for the interest of the small nations. There- fore, the policy aims at rule-based, just, inclusive and human-centric world system,” declared Finance Minister Gyawali in the program. Rose in his book Strategy of Survival strategic location afforded its scope of “Foreign Policy, 2020 has in- says from King Prithvinarayan Shah to maneuvering within limits. These lim- tegrated the varying components of dip- present ruler King Mahendra had faced its are, in practice, set by what India lomatic practices across the sectors rang- the same limitations and challenges. and China consider to be their minimal ing from defense to the United Nations. Even Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli interest in a given situation. As long as

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 16 NATIONAL

Nepal keeps within these limits, it is product of the consultation of Buddha’s Nepal has several econom- free to manipulate in any way it likes teaching on peace and non-violence, ic other interests with Israel and Ne- in relations with its immediate neigh- Prithvi Narayan Shah’s Dibyopadesh pal can benefit a lot from maintaining bors and other countries,” writes for- on geopolitical considerations and de- neutrality in the case of Israel-Pales- mer foreign secretary Professor Bishwa mographic diversity in the country. tinian issue. Despite no greater inter- Pradhan in his book Diplomatic Strate- According to Minister Gyawa- est attach with Palestine, Nepal has gy for Nepal. “If Nepal is tempered to li, the new policy has offered the poli- been voting for the Palestinian cause overestimate it strength and loses sight cy requirement needed for the relations UN System since last many years. In of the practical limits of its capacity to with the immediate neighbors to the many cases, Nepal can easily win Is- maneuver, it encounters real danger.” multilateral organizations like the Unit- rael’s favor if absent in voting. That Whether the policy looks at ed Nations, and track-two diplomacy. can make a lot of difference for Nepal. Nepal’s reality is another matter. Howev- It aims at expanding and “Nepal has to decide in vot- er, the government has claimed that this strengthening the bilateral relations ing where Nepal’s interest is protected is the first time an integrated foreign pol- with all friendly countries including more,” said former foreign secretary icy has been brought out for the country. the immediate neighbors on the basis and secretary-general of SAARC Arjun “The main aim of the policy of equality, mutual respect and benefits. Bahadur Thapa. “Since Nepal and Israel is to protect and promote the nation- “Nepal’s international bor- established diplomatic relations over 60 al interest. The country needs a policy ders would be kept intact. The bor- years ago and Nepal’s relation with Is- that can define its role in the changed der issues would be resolved through rael is economically more valuable for geopolitical and global political con- diplomatic and peaceful means on the countr, there is no reason for Nepal text,” said Foreign Affairs Minister the basis of historical agreements, to vote in favor of Palestinian in every Pradeep Kumar Gyawali at a program treaties and evidences,” it read. issue. Nepal can register as absentee.” organized at the ministry to launch the Contradictions Realizing the importance of Is- policy and annual report of the MoFA. Every country pursues its rael for Nepal’s economic development, The policy is the synthesis of foreign policy to protect and promote Nepal’s two visionary leaders King Ma- various past practices such as the Na- country’s core interests; Nepal’s for- hendra and democratically elected lead- tional Main Policy of the Panchayat eign policy is unclear within. At a time er B.P. Koirala took the riskiest decision era and reports of the commissions like when global perception on the Pal- but most favorable decision in Nepal’s task force led by Murari Raj Sharma estinian issue has changed drastical- interest during 1960. However, Nepal in post-2006 change and commission ly with oil reach Gulf reach countries has failed to carry on the spirit of vision- led by Prof. Shreedhar Khatri in 2015. have started to recognize and establish ary leadership supporting sovereignty It has taken references from diplomatic relations with Israel, Ne- and integrity of small country like Israel the past study reports as well as Na- pal is still following same old dictum which serves Nepal’s interest as well. tional Dialogue on Foreign Policy or- to case votes in UN system against Although protection and pro- ganized last year. The policy is also the Israel supporting Palestinian cause. motion of Nepal’s interest is a core

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 17 NATIONAL issue of newly announces foreign policy, it is unclear how Nepal will deal with the issue of Israel and Palestine. “Nepal has to fol- low changing context of Israel-Palestinian issue in current changing circum- stances when Oil rich Gulf countries have recognized Israel’s existence giving their old policy,” said Thapa in his interview to an online. Reviewing Treaties Bilateral treaties and agreements with the neigh- bors and other friendly coun- tries would be reviewed and amended in the national in- terest and new treaties would be signed as per the need. Current commerce, transit, railway service, trade and payment and transportation agreements and treaties would be amended as per the chang- The policy aims at emphasiz- trade and tourism promotion which ing national and international scenario. ing the United Nation’s central role in are fundamental for the develop- “Any policy needs to be based multilateral diplomacy to make contribu- ment and prosperity of the country. on realistic assumptions. If it fails to tion in the promotion of world peace, hu- Managing foreign employ- address realistic issues, it is doomed to man rights and sustainable development. ment, utilizing the knowledge, skill, fail,” said Professor Dr. Lok Raj Baral. “Collaboration with the inter- capital, technology and access of mi- As Nepal’s Foreign Policy national community would be forged grant Nepalis in economic develop- 2020 talks about amending and rewrit- for the complete disarmament of ment of the country, protecting the ing the treaties, it naturally attracts India atomic, biological, chemical and oth- interest of Nepali nationals in for- with whom Nepal signed several bilat- er weapons of mass destruction,” read eign land, and application of track- eral treaties. Nepal’s communist leaders the policy. It also includes a provision two diplomacy are in the priority. including the current leadership in the for the solidarity and cooperation with With so many limitations government thrived in the party call- the international community against in foreign policy imposed by Nepal’s ing some of those treaties as unequal. all forms of terrorism and extremism. geo-strategy, Nepal’s policy needs to “Bulk of our foreign policy Enhancing Nepal’s role in in- address the reality. Late Leo Rose in engagements is with India. Whether ternational platforms like the UN Hu- his book Nepal, Profile of A Himala- one likes it not, the geo-politics is such man Rights Commission and forums of yan Kingdom, writes, “it is a normal that, as immediate neighbors, we are landlocked and least developed coun- phenomenon for the foreign policy of bound to have bilateral problems of tries, and playing effective role in the any society to be strongly affected by multi-faced character in our relations reduction of greenhouse gas and adap- domestic political and economic fac- with India. Basically, Nepal’s foreign tion to combat the challenges posed tors, and this is certainly the case in Ne- policy is India policy which covers by climate change and its negative pal. But the reverse principle-namely, most of the aspects of it ranging from impacts are also the policy priorities. that international factors have a strong the socio-economic to political fields,” In terms of the region- and decisive impact on Kathman- writes former secretary Pradhan. al cooperation, the policy aims at du’s policies-is even more apparent.” Professor Dev Raj Dahal in increasing the regional interde- As ancient Greek adage stat- his article Geopolitics of Nepal, Sur- pendency and interconnectivity to ed, “the strong nation do what they vival Strategy of Small States, writes, achieve development and prosperity. will do and the weaker ones do what “because of interdependence, Nep- Similarly, it has duly recog- they must.” Given Nepal’s geo-strate- alese foreign policy must be based nized the importance of the foreign gic position, Nepal has very thin space more on national and regional con- policy in the mobilization of foreign to play between two big neighbors. sensus, explicit and implicit, by tak- economic and development coopera- Nepal has to follow the course where ing the national interest into account.” tion, foreign direct investment, export Nepal’s core interest lies and get much.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 18 ARITICLE

Role Of CSOs In UNSCR 1325

BY: AAGYA POKHAREL

UNSCR 1325, a United Nations Security Council res- vent, manage and resolve conflict and violence olution on women, peace and security, captures the im- • CSOs as an advocate and influencer in the- im pact on women due to armed conflict and recognizes the plementation and effectiveness of National- Ac under-estimated and underrepresented involvement of tion Plans on 1325 from local to global levels women in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict res- • Advancing women leadership and women organi- olution and peace building. UNSCR stresses women as zation in peace and security agenda through CSOs equal partners in preventing violent conflict and involves • Advocating quota system of women in political participa- them in promoting peace and security for lasting stability. tion, national reconciliation and political reform process There are 4 pillars of UNSCR 1325: participa- • Supporting in the areas of gender, violence tion and representation of women in all spheres of deci- against women in conflict and post conflict time sion-making process; protection of women and girls from • Promoting women led CSOs as a peace sexual and gender-based violence; preventing violence builder through activism and participation against women; and relief and recovery measures through • Addressing women’s rights in conflict setting, a gendered lens considering the needs of women and girls. peace negotiation and post war reconstruction The global commitment is to ensure that the • Capacity building (Trust building and solidari- women and girls are comprehensively assimilated into ty, negotiation and mediation and negotiation with peace process and conflict prevention. It is necessary to armed groups), raising awareness for active engage- bring change through collective efforts of UNSCR 1325. ment in the peace keeping and transitional process The action of resolution is done through the development • Strengthening accountability and transparency link- of government led National Action Plan, where Civil So- ing international standard like SGGs and CEDAW ciety Organizations (CSOs) remain critical to improve • Preparing shadow reports on the imple- consideration of gender, security and peace process. mentation status of National Action Plans CSOs are an integral element of the global so- • Advancing 16-days of activ- ciety due to their perception, proficiency and partner- ism against gender-based violence ship building capabilities to bring wider changes. They It is true that in warfare women and chil- work in a coordinated approach in the field of conflict dren are made the easy targets by the armed groups. and post conflict areas to develop understanding and Due to conflict, communities are torn apart and knowledge on the linkages of security and gender equal- families are divided, so we must take holistic ap- ity for implementation of UNSCR 1325. As the world is proach that recognizes the needs and opportunities. celebrating the 16-day campaign against gender-based Effective National Action Plan development, violence from November 25 to December 10, 2020, UN- implementation and monitoring require clear govern- SCR 1325 agenda complements the commitment to chal- ment commitment and leadership, both at political lenge stereotypes and harmful gender norms and practices. and technical levels. Nevertheless, CSOs have critical Based on the good practices from around role in the implementation and monitoring of UNSCR the world, CSOs can participate in the implemen- 1325. Women must be on the forefront of this agenda. tation of UNSCR1325 in the following ways: (Aagya Pokharel, Master in Human and Nat- • CSOs as a monitor to ensure gender equality as well ural Resource Studies from Kathmandu Universi- ty, can be reached via [email protected]) as supporting inclusiveness representation to pre-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 19 CHANDRA PRASAD DHAKAL Goodwill Winner Chandra Prasad Dhakal, newly elected senior vice president of Federation Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), has stood firm on his election commitment and vision for all its members to work together

By KESHAB POUDEL

hen a gentleman wants lowed a soft and reconciliatory said senior VP Dhakal, while to establish himself, tone during the whole of elec- calling all colleagues to come Whe also helps others tion period, has set the same together “to protect and pro- to establish themselves. When he tone urging his colleagues to mote the interest of business wants to be successful himself, come together to help each oth- and industrial community.” he also helps others to succeed. er to be successful themselves. As Chinese philosopher He judges others by what he “Now election is over Confucius said helping others to knows of himself. These are the as our competition and confron- establish themselves is a mantra thoughts of Confucius. tation. The time now is to help for someone to establish himself Delivering his first pub- each other to make FNCCI a as well. Although he defeated a lic statement, following formal strong and efficient organiza- rival supported by a big power- assumption of office, newly tion to raise the issue faced by ful establishment faction, Dhakal elected senior vice president business and industrial sectors has sent a gesture of friendship to of FNCCI Dhakal, who fol- amid COVID-19 Pandemic,” those who have lost the elections

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 20 NATIONAL showing that help- ing them to succeed in future will help him to be successful. “Now on, we are colleagues and there is no more enmity among us. Our common goal is to support and rescue business and industrial sector,” stressed Dhakal, who is widely popular at the base of FNCCI. medium, newly elected team led business success from a small Although some of his by president Shekhar Golchha cold store up to the Nepal’s larg- colleagues have lost the elec- and senior vice president Dha- est recreation industry to lead- tions in a close fighting, senior ka has to face a mammoth task. ing Global-IME Bank shows vice president Dhakal repaid For president Golchha, how he succeeds by strategy. their contributions and support senior Vice President Dhakal is Having worked in the same in the elections with kindness. going to be a big asset given his team for a long time, President “I don’t forget the contributions wider contact, punctuality, hard Golchha is well aware about and dedication offered by my work and strategic mind. As Con- Dhakal’s capacity and capability. colleagues to elect me. Similarly, fucius suggested, the first thing a Senior Vice-President of I don’t have any hesitation now leader would not take a command- the FNCCI Dhakal has assured with those who contested the er who fight tiger with his bare that the newly elected executive elections against me and my pan- hands or crosses the river with- committee of the federation will el,” said Dhakal, the first person out a boat. Confucius said that he work united and also urged all elected by defeating a candidate wants somebody who approach- the members to work together of the establishment, showing es difficulties with cautions and putting aside the election results. kindness towards his colleagues. who chose to succeed by strategy. Responding to the media, Elections Dhakal said that the panel formed dur- ing the election has been dismissed and now all the FNCCI members have to work as one team. “Now that the election has been completed we should not keep focusing on who won and who lost the elec- tion,” he said, add- ing, “I believe all of us will be working together for the bet- Over, Struggles Begin Senior vice President terment of the organization and At a time when the COV- Dhakal always approaches diffi- the concerned stakeholders.” ID-19 Pandemic has badly af- culties with caution and choos- The victory of Dhakal fected business enterprises and es to succeed by strategy. His is a historical power shift in industries, particularly small and

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 21 NATIONAL FNCCI. He is not only the first over the presidency to Golchha. According to Golch- outsider of traditional indus- As the senior vice pres- ha, the strategic paper incorpo- trial group of Nepal but also a ident of the organization gets rates immediate, medium term first commoner industrialist to automatically elevated to the and long term reform plans that reach that height within FNCCI. post of FNCCI president, Gol- the government and private sec- Shekhar Gol- chha took over the leadership of tor can implement for various chha President the FNCCI from 23 November sectors to build a sustainable, For Shekhar Golchha and from outgoing FNCCI President robust and resilient economy Golchha Group of Industries, this Rana, the first woman to lead Rush For Meeting is a long due dream in the sense the apex business organization. With COVID-19 epidem- that it took them decades to lead New FNCCI President ic and lockdown, business and the apex organization. Although Golchha said that he was confident industrial sector has been bad- late Diwakar Golchha had made of the new executive committee ly shaken. According to a study, efforts to be president of- FNC dedicating itself for the benefit of large numbers of industries and CI, he failed to achieve that. the federation as well as the over- business organizations have been Having walked very all private sector by forgetting all fully or partially shut down and carefully and strategically, jun- election-related grudges and mis- there is a long way to for their re- ior Golchha, highly qualified understanding, if there were any. covery. For this, they need stim- ulus financial packages. Given such a bleak scenario, the newly elected office bearers have no time to take rest. The new- ly elected central com- mittee members of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Com- merce and Industry (FNCCI), in a meeting with Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, urged the government to fully implement the measures unveiled in the monetary policy. “To help the small enterprises in their recovery plan, there is a need to en- force targeted spe- cial stimulus pack- and soft spoken person, has ful- “I do not need to repeat ages,” a FNCCI press filled an aspiration of Golchha here that we are united now even statement quoted FNCCI Presi- group, one of the largest and old- if there were any panels and fac- dent Shekhar Golchha as saying. est industrial houses of Nepal. tions until the election. We have According to the FNCCI, As per the rule, Golchha understood the importance of the umbrella organization has also has become the 19th president unity,” said new FNCCI Presi- stepped up its efforts to prepare a while Dhakal will be the 20th dent Golchha. “I cannot imple- ‘vision document’ with support president of the biggest umbrel- ment all my plans and strategies of the international organizations. la organization of the private alone. Our executive committee The document is set to pinpoint sector in the country. Under this will now unite for the implemen- the short-term, medium-term and provision, Bhavani Rana handed tation of those plans,” he added.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 22 NATIONAL long-term goals for the country. Dhakal beat his com- The newly elected exec- Elected with a promise petitor Kishor Pradhan by 147 utive members of the federation to help industries and business, votes. Dhakal was able to se- are Rajan Shrestha, Taranath senior vice president Dhakal cure 522 votes while Pradhan Adhikari, Kamal Kumar Shres- tha, Chakra Ba- hadur Adhikari, Arunraj Sumargi, Dev Kumar Shres- tha, Rameswar Manandhar, Shobha Kant Poudel, Sur Krishna Baidya, Gajendra Bhagat, Kubir Kumar Shres- tha, Kaman Baha- dur Khadka, Gopal Kedia, Mahendra Kumar Shrestha, Kamal Kumar Shres- tha, Umesh Dalm- iya and Kishore Kumar Acharya. A total of 119 candidates were vying for a post in the executive com- mittee including received 375 votes. Similarly, the senior vice president, three also stressed the need to imple- Dhakal secured 59 percent votes ment recovery packages. “We are vice presidents, and 43 execu- and his rival Pradhan secured 39 preparing packages by incorpo- tive committee members. Over percent votes in the commodity rating the successful models of a thousand delegates cast their group that has a weightage of 20 various countries,” said Dhakal. votes to elect the new execu- percent of the total votes. In the FNCCI will prepare an tive committee of the umbrella district-municipal group that has investigative report on the im- organizations of the business a weightage of 50 percent of the pacts of COVID to businesses community across the country. total votes; Dhakal secured 52, and industries and will come As Confucius says in while Pradhan bagged 53 votes. up with recommendations for conducting yourself in business, Dhakal was able to se- the economic recovery of the combine firmness with tact; in cure a total of 54.23 percent country. The federation said al- dealing with people, combine of the total votes cast by secur- though the budget and mone- ing 12.04 percent votes in the kindness with principle. For- tary policy have tried to address commodity, 24.76 percent in get the favor you did for oth- the recommendations forward- industry/commerce, and 17.4 ers, but forget not your own ed by the private sector the re- percent in the associate group. faults. Remember the favors lief measures have hardly been Similarly, Anjan Shrestha you received, but remember not implemented at the local level. has been elected as vice president the injuries others did to you. FNCCI’s Elections for Commodity while Ramchan- Senior vice President The 54th General As- dra Shanghai has been elected Dhakal, who will lead FNCCI sembly and Election has elect- as vice president for Associates. after three years, is helping pres- ed a new executive committee Meanwhile, Dinesh Shrestha ident Golchha to make FNCCI including a senior vice presi- has been elected as vice presi- strong and efficient organiza- dent and three vice presidents. dent for Industry and Commerce. tion to address the challenges.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 23 VIEWPOINT Triumphed Over Annapurna And The French Expedition Team

As a French Ambassador to Nepal, it gives would like to call it a Franco-Nepali ex- me immense pleasure and an honour to be pedition because without the invaluable here amongst you today for this important help, support and local knowledge of the occasion. BY: FRANÇOIS-XAVIER LÉGER Nepali Sherpas, this mission would not 2019 and 2020 are very important years have been successful and the outcome could have in the history of Nepal-France relationship. In been devastating. Hence, I take this opportuni- 2019 we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the ty to thank and pay homage to Ang Tharkey and establishment of Nepal-France diplomatic rela- other Sherpas who were a vital part of the expe- tions and in 2020, we are celebrating the 70th an- dition team. niversary of the Annapurna ascent by the French expedition team led by Maurice Herzog. Actually we had planned this inaugura- In June 2019, Prime Minister KP Shar- tion to coincide with the celebration of 70th anni- ma OLI had visited France in 2019 and he was versary of the ascent in June, but it was not pos- in Chamonix, the place of which Herzog was a sible due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The spouse Mayor and the place which has a deep connection of late Mr. Herzog was also supposed to be here with Nepal especially in the domain of mountain- with us but as you can imaging, it was not pos- eering. sible. Nevertheless, I do have a small message I find myself fortunate from her which I am go- that 70 years after that famous ing to read: Annapurna ascent, I am here In conclusion, I today to be part of this inaugu- would like to sincerely ration where we inaugurated thank the Honourable some pictures from that very Minister for their time important day in the history of and for being here today. the development of tourism in I would also like to thank Nepal: 3 June 1950. This was the Nepal Mountaineer- the day when men triumphed ing Association and the over Annapurna and the International Mountain French expedition team led by Museum for being a Maurice Herzog was able to partner in this project and for providing a space successfully summit the 8000-metre peak for the for the exhibition which would benefit the - Ne first time. pali and foreign visitors coming to this museum As you can imagine this was not an easy as I’m sure that these photographs and the article feat and it required months and months of prepa- would make their visit more fruitful. ration and a very careful planning. Although this François-Xavier Léger is an Ambassador of was a French expedition with Herzog and Lou- France to Nepal. Excerpts of his statement delivered at is Lachenal being the first to climb Annapurna, I the program.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 24 FORUM

COVID-19 Vaccination And Leave No One Behind Agenda

The COVID-19 has been spreading for the Many died from preventable diseases. past 11 months affecting every country A research from Duke Univer- BY: DR. PRABIN MANANDHAR across the world with more than 55 mil- sity in estimates that 6.4 lion confirmed cases and more than 1.3 million billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have already deaths. The vast majority of people in the richer been bought, and another 3.2 billion are either or poorer nations are still vulnerable to the virus. under negotiation or reserved as “optional expan- Now we have a vaccine to fight the in- sions of existing deals”. No wonder, the research fection, but the question is when everyone gets it. found that the vast majority of vaccine doses that There are concerns that poorer nations could get have been bought so far are going to high-income left behind. countries. Through the pledge to Leave No One It is likely that the low- Behind, the Sustaina- and middle-income countries ble Development Goals will start getting the vaccine (SDGs) are designed to probably by the mid and the end bring the world to sever- of next year. Unfortunately, this al life-changing ‘zeros’, will leave many people behind including zero pover- even in 2022 if the vaccine is ty, hunger, AIDS and not shared far and wide. discrimination against Vaccination is a human women and girls. How rights issue as we have the right can the world live up to life and the right to health. to the Agenda - Leave No One Behind when it Achieving Leave No One Behind requires the comes to the COVID-19 vaccine? partnership of governments, private sector, civil The SDG 3 ensures healthy lives and society and citizens. The richer nations must be promote well-being for all at all ages among other generous while the poor nations must take proac- goals. There is also a target under SDG 3 to fight tive measures to get the vaccines to their citizens communicable diseases. Now there is a real test alongside health measures and better treatments. before us whether these Global Goals help the world to fight against this global crisis ensuring Let us be remined that no country will be everyone gets the vaccine. safe until all countries are safe from this pandem- Looking at the history, there are vaccines ic. We need to act now and act together. Author: Dr. Prabin Manandhar is an expert of in- to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases. ternational development. Currently, he is working in Iraq as At present, immunization annually saves 400 mil- Country Representative of The Lutheran World Federation. He lion lives and approximately 80% of worldwide is the Former Chair of the Association of International NGOs children are vaccinated against several diseas- in Nepal (AIN). He is also a visiting faculty at the Kathman- du University and the Tribhuvan University Institute of Crisis es. Yet, many children and adults in low income Management Studies. He can be reached at prabin.manand- countries have insufficient access to vaccines. [email protected] NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 25 COVERSTORY

World Disability Day 2020 One Bhatta’s Tale

As the global community has celebrated the World Disability Day 2020 by organizing various programs calling on all to protect the rights of People with Disability amid COVID-19 Pandem- ic, Nanda Raj Bhatta, a person with disability from Far Western Province of Nepal, has shown how to live with dignity and respect. With support from his wrist and mouth, Bhatta, who was born without palm, has been using all modern communication equipment and launching pro- grams to encourage people with disability to live in self reliance

By KESHAB POUDEL hen Nanda Raj Bhatta was They had tried to convince Bhatta’s Bhatta and Parbati Bhatta moved side born in remote Surnaya-3, mother and father that birth of such by side with son Nanda Raj Bhatta. WBaitadi, with incomplete a child is a curse and it is better to With strength, patience physical body, the first reaction of throw the baby in Mahakali for the and courage, his mother and father his neighbors to his mother and fa- sake of salvation,” narrates Bhatta. discarded such cruel suggestion, ther was to throw the child in the Ma- Rejecting such inhuman taking a challenge to make her son hakali River. suggestion, mother Parbati Bhatta self reliant in the competitive world. “Coming from a conserv- and father Rani Bhatta decided to Facing all kinds of discrimination, ative and tradition-based society, make the boy a model for society and she finally proved to her -commu the villagers held the view that the people with disability. Having faced nity and other people that being birth of a child with short foot and several difficulties to fulfill their- de born with disability is not a curse. without the palm was ill-timed. termination, the poor family of Rani Born in Sunarya Rural

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 26 Municipality-3 in 2045 and Bhat- bled friendly education build- Leaving Certificate. Looking at ta went to Shree Virendra Higher ings. Despite certain improve- my physical condition, the campus Secondary School, Shahilek, Baita- ments, things have not changed chief declined to admit me,” recalls di. Now he a source of inspiration. much in the country,” said Bhatta. Bhatta, who has been categorized in The villagers who once Writing from mouth the second layer of disability under pressured Rani and Parbati to throw and his foot, he has complet- Nepal’s three category of disability. the baby to the Mahakali river look ed his master’s degree. Having According to Nepal’s law, at Bhatta as an icon for many peo- made a love marriage in 2071, only a person with red and blue cards, ple with disabilities in the area. Bhatta has a 4-year old daughter. among red, blue, yellow and white, “My parents have shown According to World Health receive monthly social benefits. Red the way to all villagers how a per- Organization Definition, there are receives Rs, 3000 and blue receives son with disability can make differ- over 15 percent of the people glob- Rs.16,00.00 per month. Hence, ences. Of course, we are physically ally with one or the other kind of Bhatta also receives Rs.1600.00 disabled but we are mentally fit. disability. If one takes this defini- per month. He has been receiving We can work more than able per- tion, there are 4.5 million people this benefit for the last 10 years. sons,” said Bhatta, who has been in Nepal with disability. How- With support from one of busy all the day taking part in ever, National census of 2011 his villagers, he was admitted to the various programs and seminars. found 1.98 percent of population college. Then he never turned back. Living with an extended with disability or over 500000. “Following completion of family of 12 and wife Kabita Bhat- Although his financial my certificate and bachelor levels ta and four years daughter Arina condition was not good and going from Dhangadhi, I decided to join Bhatta in Dhangadhi, Nanda Raj to school in the mountain area was Tribhuwan University for my mas- Bhatta has suffered a lot, including not easy, his parents helped him ter’s degree. Many people discour- lack of disabled friendly transport, much to complete his education. aged me from going to Kathmandu, office buildings and restaurants. “After completing stud- but my determination to complete “It is unfortunate that ies in my village, my parents took the master’s degree did not stop.” I had no access to any disa- me to Dhangadhi with my School Bhatta’s Determination

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 27 COVERSTORY

al on his own top, mobile and other equipments. way. From early Completing Master’s De- morning to late gree in Rural Development from evening, Bhat- Tribhuwan University, Bhatta is an ta visits differ- icon of people with disability in Su- ent villages to dur Pachism province. He attends encourage and every program related to the protec- inspire people tion of rights of people with disability. with disability in He conducts research, sem- Sudur Paschim inars and other programs aimed to Province and make people with disability self re- organizes pro- liance in economically and protect grams to protect their rights. Married with a daughter, Bhatta, a Community Ser- the rights of people with disability. Bhatta holds the view that people with vice Worker from Dhangadhi, has As COVID-19 has bad- disability are no different than other shown that physical disability cannot ly hampered the mobility of people. “What we need is the courage, prevent a person’s ability to work and people with disability in the re- determination and will,” said Bhatta. complete with other normal people. gion, Bhatta is calling for Great- As the world is celebrating Now Executive Director at er Inclusion amid Covid-19. International Day of Persons with HDDS-Nepal, a local NGO working If a person has the will, cour- Disabilities 2020, Bhatta has a bit to protect human rights and rights age, determination and family sup- of frustration over the recent action of People With Disability, Bhat- port, he or she can make a difference of the government not showing any ta is a person with high demand in in the world. This is what Bhtta has interest to provide welfare and oth- the region to hold different classes shown. Although he was born without er scheme to people with disability. and orientation to people with dis- the palm, finger and wrist in remote “As per the constitution, ability. Bhatta has been travelling Far-western part of Nepal, Bhatta people with disability need to be in- extensively in the region as well has shown the way to other people cluded in all the development pro- as different parts of the country with disability to live independently cess and there is the need to have and managing the HDDS-Nepal. working in competitive environment. policies and programs to main- Although he also faced all Although Bhatta (Spandan) streaming people with disability,” kinds of discriminations in the so- was born without fingers, wrist and He was facilitating dis- ciety, Bhatta did not care it much. palm, he used other physical parts ability, early detection and main- He made the destiny for his surviv- of the body as alternative to use lap- streaming training at Dhangadhi

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 28 COVERSTORY

organized by Province health Head- ities (IDPD) was proclaimed in 1992 World Disability Day was quarter Sudurpaschim province Nepal. by a United Nations General Assem- being held in the shadow of the As there were growing voic- bly resolution to “promote the rights COVID-19 pandemic this year. The es for greater inclusion amid COV- and well-being of persons with dis- pandemic has deepened inequalities ID-19 ahead of World Disability Day abilities in all spheres of society...” affecting around one billion- peo on December 3, Bhatta was cham- International Day of Per- ple with disabilities globally. The pioning the cause from Dhangadhi. sons with Disabilities 2020 Theme: UN chief said, even under normal UN Secretary Gener- “Building back better: towards al Call For Greater Inclusion an inclusive, accessible and sus- Ahead of World Disability tainable post COVID-19 world Day on December 3, United Nations by, for and with persons with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres disabilities” is the focus in the called for greater inclusion of per- pandemic year. UNESCO will sons with disabilities in society, in- also organize a Global Aware- cluding in COVID-19 response and ness Raising Campaign “Tell recovery. “Realizing the rights of our stories, enable our rights”. persons with disabilities is crucial to “In all our actions, our fulfilling the core promise of the 2030 goal is clear: a world in which Agenda: to leave no one behind,” all persons can enjoy equal op- Antonio Gueterres said, referring to portunities, participate in deci- the global action plan to bring about sion-making and truly benefit a more just and sustainable world. from economic, social, polit- The UN chief was address- ical and cultural life. That is a ing countries that are parties to the goal worth fighting for,” the 2006 Convention on the Rights of UN chief said at the 13th ses- Persons with Disabilities. Interna- sion of the Conference of States tional Day of Persons with Disabil- Parties to the Convention.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 29 COVERSTORY

circumstances the people with dis- Nepal’s Cause is determination and dedication abilities were already less likely to As the whole world was to do something for the better- be included in their communities. marking the 29th International ment of society and community. “While I celebrate that there Day of Persons with Disabilities, are now 182 parties to the conven- Bhatta had his message to other tion, the pandemic has made evi- women and men with complete dent that there is still a long way to or partial disabilities that prop- go in fully understanding the human er guidance, support from fam- rights model of disability enshrined ily, friends and education only in the convention, and therefore in can help make people’s life eas- fully implementing its provisions,” ier and independent and happy. Guterres said in a video message. He said although there are In May, the UN chief is- dozens of private and non-govern- sued a policy brief highlighting the mental organizations working in disproportionate impact COVID-19 the sector of persons with disabil- is having on persons with disabil- ities, the government’s own Na- ities. He has called for pandemic tional Disabled Fund, under the response and recovery to be more Ministry Women, Children and disability inclusive, starting with rec- Senior Citizens, has been doing ognizing and protecting the human its best to provide all possible sup- rights of persons with disabilities. port to the persons with disabilities “We must also ensure that across the country with the availa- the vision and aspirations of per- ble resources and the fund the gov- sons with disabilities are included ernment provides them annually. and accounted for in a disability-in- Bhatta’s message for clusive, accessible and sustainable people with disability is that the post COVID-19 world,” he said. sky has no limit, what is required

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 30 DOCUMENT

India Sees Itself As Nepal’s Natural And Instinctive Responder In Times Of Crisis.

I want to say that I have been to this wonderful city four times and the Prime Minister of Nepal has been of Kathmandu after a gap of a decade or so. People welcomed in India seven times. At the level of head who ask me , “Does it feel different this time?” The of state or head of government, our leaders have met answer is both “yes” and “no”. “Yes”, because I have 16 times. At the level of Foreign Minister, our Joint never previously visited Nepal wearing a mask; Commission has convened three times, and there and “no” because the buzz and vibrancy of Kath- BY: HARSH VARDHAN SHRINGLA have been innumerable other official engage- mandu are undiminished, rather they have been enhanced. ments. Our bilateral calendar has never been busier. 8. Our The transformation of the city is apparent. Eco- people – Nepal’s people and India’s people – are our strength, nomic and social upgrade, a construction push, the energy and our endeavours are meant to assist and enable them. of youth and enterprise – it is all extremely impressive. And Our aspiration of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka it is apparent even in these restrictive pandemic conditions. Vishwas” and your goal of “Samriddh Nepal, Sukhi Nepali” The hearts and smiles of friends and interlocutors I have are entirely compatible. In my meetings here in Kathmandu, met remain unchanged. These hearts and smiles, and such with the President and the Prime Minister of Nepal, the For- sentiments, are unreservedly reciprocated by us in India. eign Minister, and my counterpart, the Foreign Secretary, and The Nepal-India relationship is intricate and exists other dignitaries and officials, I have been left with no doubt in various paradigms. We share the same geography, civili- that our countries are on the same page and share the same vi- sational heritage, culture and customs. There are affinities in sion. I must acknowledge here that the welcome that my dele- religious and spiritual traditions, even food habits. The peo- gation and I have received. It has been moving and memorable. ple-to-people linkages are so strong and so powerful that quite Aside from our common civilisational inheritance, frankly we in government only complement these. As Prime India’s relationship with Nepal rests on four pillars – devel- Minister put it during when opment cooperation; he visited Nepal two years ago, “India’s re- stronger connectivity; lations with Nepal are familial and friendly, expanded infrastructure which stand on the strong foundations of As a neighbour and friend, and economic projects; mutual and deep relationships between its India sees itself as Nepal’s natural easier and enhanced ac- people, which are much above the relation- cess to educational op- and instinctive responder in times ship between the two governments.” 6. Re- portunities in India for the of crisis. The devastating earth- cent years have given the relationship a new young people of Nepal. quake of 2015 was a test for the momentum. For India, Nepal is fundamental Underlying all of these to our “Neighbourhood First” approach. In- people and government of Nepal. is a steadfast principle: dia’s development and modernisation are in- The courage and resilience of the we will work to Nepal’s complete and intrinsically and symbiotically citizens of Nepal, the grit and de- priorities. The structure linked to the development and modernisation termination in rebuilding lives and that the pillars hold up of neighbouring countries such as Nepal. livelihoods, was an inspiration for is also well-defined and That is why leaders from our us in India and across the world. unchanging – mutually neighbouring countries were invited to beneficial people-to-peo- Prime Minister Modi’s swearing-in cer- ple contacts. And in all emony in 2014 and in 2019. We are this technology, par- deeply appreciative of the Nepalese leadership’s gesture ticularly digital technology, is to my mind a force multiplier. in travelling to for these cherished occasions. India sees itself as Nepal’s foremost friend and de- They celebrated our mutual commitment to inclusive velopment partner. Developmental experiences that we share democracy and governance , dedicated that to the welfare of all with you are developmental experiences that have proved citizens and all sections of society. 7. Our Prime Minister’s vis- successful and beneficial in our own country. Given our sim- it to Nepal in August 2014 was the first at that level in 17 years. ilarities in environmental conditions and socio-economic It injected a fresh energy into the relationship and created a challenges, there is so much we can learn from each other. steady stream of two-way travel and developmental initiatives. Let me illustrate with an example of my own ca- Over the past six years, Prime Minister Modi has visited Nepal reer. As a younger officer, I have vivid memories of an iodised

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 31 DOCUMENT salt programme that India supported in the hilly remote dis- The spectrum of our bilateral cooperation is all-en- tricts of Nepal. It helped address the chronic ailment of goitre, compassing. It traverses centuries, quite literally. An element and mirrored India’s own battle against this pressing health of our cooperation that is often missed is the restoration and problem. As someone from the hills myself I personally ex- conservation of the cultural heritage of Nepal. Some years perienced the incidence of Goitre in many of our hill districts ago, at your request, we shared proposals for the conserva- in India. One programmatic mechanism that we have used to tion of monuments in the revered Pashupati temple complex. good effect is that of High Impact Community Development After the earthquake of 2015, India cooperated with Nepal in Projects, implemented in Nepal with India’s support. These the restoration of 30 heritage locations, including the iconic projects are tailored to the needs of the local community, cre- Seto Machindranath temple in Kathmandu, the Hiranyavar- ate community assets, and promote socio-economic welfare at na Mahavihar at Patan, and the Jangam Matha at Bhaktapur. the grassroots level. We are mindful in designing sustainable Our best domain specialists are at the programmes that contribute service of the living history of Nepal. to the community and don’t Yet, our endeavours are in any manner encumber it. meant to not only preserve and cele- Such development That is why leaders from brate the past but also build and nurture projects have been imple- our neighbouring countries were the future. Given the young population mented in all 77 of Nepal’s invited to Prime Minister Modi’s districts and over a hundred swearing-in ceremony in 2014 and – both in India and Nepal – education of them have been completed in 2019. We are deeply apprecia- is a crucial bridge. Seventy schools since 2014 when our Prime tive of the Nepalese leadership’s and 150 health facilities are coming Minister visited Nepal for the gesture in travelling to New Del- up in 12 districts of Nepal with Indian first time when he took over. hi for these cherished occasions. support. I know that our Ambassador They cover diverse sectors Vinay Kwatra and his colleagues have such as education, health, been working ceaselessly to ensure irrigation, drinking water, that many of these commitments that preservation of culture, skill are being made at the level of our lead- development, youth training, and agriculture. These ership are implemented in a timely manner. And I think go- are projects that have immediate and positive impact ing over, taking stock of the implementation projects , I find on the lives of people, touching everybody in society. that we have done extraordinarily well despite Covid in this Enhancing cross-border connectivity and infrastruc- context .Few projects are as satisfying as those that promote ture projects are also critical. They unlock potential of millions learning and the health for the well-being of our citizens. and in millions. Connectivity projects come in various forms. As a neighbour and friend, India sees itself as Ne- Physical connectivity projects such as highways, rail and air pal’s natural and instinctive responder in times of crisis. The links and inland waterways enhance movement of goods and devastating earthquake of 2015 was a test for the people and people. Energy connectivity – whether power transmission lines government of Nepal. The courage and resilience of the citi- or petroleum pipelines – contribute to the well-being of each zens of Nepal, the grit and determination in rebuilding lives other’s citizens, and build mutual trust and partnerships. Digital and livelihoods, was an inspiration for us in India and across connectivity through optical fibre networks is our route to the the world. On our part, we were happy to contribute to this future, particularly, and as we find in India, with remote access process, as first responders and then towards long-term recon- to education, healthcare and other services through the digital struction. 18. The outlay of Indian earthquake-related assis- medium. Finally, trade facilitation through upgraded border tance is US$ 1 billion but its true value is not in monetary infrastructure makes for easier transit and seamless commerce. terms. It lies in how it has helped communities on the ground. Several examples can be provided in each of the cat- To cite an instance, 46,000 houses have been built in Gorkha egories. I will mention only a few: ·The Motihari–Amlekhgunj petroleum pipeline was the first of its kind in the region. It has and Nuwakot. They incorporate earthquake-resilient tech- created capacity to carry two million metric tonnes of petrole- nologies in line with your motto of “Build Back Better”, and um products into Nepal, and has already led to savings of over they epitomise humanity’s ability to triumph over adversity. Nepali Rupees 800 million for the people of this country ·Brisk The year 2020 has brought with it an addition- implementation of the 900 MW Arun III hydropower power al challenge in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. This project is underway, and cross-border power transmission lines has been the most globally disruptive event since World have been upgraded ·The Jayanagar-Kurtha cross-border rail War II. Its devastating impact on society and on the econ- line should be operational shortly. It will make Janakpur so omy is still being tabulated. Recovery, resilience and re- much quicker to visit from India. Tourism from India would be building will require both perseverance and planning. an important area of employment, commerce and opportunity. Through this period, Nepal and India have been together. We want to promote it to the extent that we can. · The modern We have suffered together and we have fought back together. integrated check-posts at Birgunj and Biratnagar have trans- ... For more Detials Please go to www.spotlightnepal.com formed cross-border movement of people and goods, and work Harsh Vardhan Shringla is a Foreign Secretary of India. Ex- on the integrated check-posts at Nepalgunj has commenced. cerpts of his statement delivered at a lecture program organized by Asian Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs, Kathmandu.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 32 UNMISS Reward & Recognition UNMISS peacekeepers from Nepal received UN Medal for their service in South Sudan

By A CORRESPONDENT

’m very proud to be a part of UN- MISS,” says Captain Chunadevi IPaudel, a peacekeeper from Ne- pal, upon receiving the United Na- tions medal for her commitment to the cause of durable peace across South Sudan. “I think what I have been most struck by are the people of South Sudan. They have been through so much, but their resilience and positivity have touched every interaction I have had in the course of this year,” she continues. This is Captain Pau- del’s first peacekeeping mission and she left behind her young son to wear the iconic blue beret. “Staying away from one’s prevented conflicts from escalating. ability to understand the on-ground children is hard,” she reveals, “but Addressing the parade, situation, respect the rule of the land, at the end of my deployment, I Special Representative of the UN be dedicated to the mission’s objec- can truly say that I have learnt Secretary-General and Head of UN- tives and always have a sense of pride a lot—from the host communi- MISS, David Shearer, commended in the duties we perform,” he stated. ty and from all my fellow peace- the awardees for their profession- Additionally, Colonel keepers from different countries.” alism, commitment and dedication. Adhikari paid tribute to the generous Captain Paudel is one of 850 “I would particularly like to thank spirit of South Sudanese communities. Nepalese peacekeepers who received you for the support you provided As one of the first medal the UN medal for their immense con- to reinforce Pibor, during a period parades to be held in Juba follow- tribution to the mission’s mandate of intense intercommunal violence ing the outbreak of COVID-19, it delivery during a most challenging and large-scale displacement of ci- has been a special day, not just for and extraordinary time, when con- vilians. As such, you the Battalion, those being honored, but for every- flict and displacement in the world’s should be justifiably proud of your one attending and a testament to newest country have been exacer- efforts to create positive and mean- the peacekeeping mission’s com- bated by the spread of COVID-19. ingful change for the people of mitment towards ensuring a just, This Nepalese battalion South Sudan,” said SRSG Shearer. equitable and sustainable peace for has, in the past 11 months, conduct- For his part, Colonel Saroj all communities in South Sudan. ed operational activities in some of Kumar Adhikari, Contingent Com- Nepal’s first deployment to the most sensitive areas of South Su- mander for the Nepalese battalion, UNMISS was in 2011; since then dan, especially in the Equatorias, un- reiterated his country’s commitment its commitment has grown to over dertaking diverse tasks such as force to United Nations Peacekeeping. 2000 personnel including military protection, community engagement “Our country has a long history of observers, staff officers, two- Bat and enhancing UNMISS’ situation- contributing troops to the United Na- talions, the High Readiness Com- al awareness. Most importantly, tions. As peacekeepers what we try pany, as well as a Formed Police they have protected civilians and to bring to all our deployments is the Unit and Individual Police Officers.

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 33 COVID-19 Children Under Stress Anxiety and depression are the most common functional difficulties amongst children in Nepal

By A CORRESPONDENT

ith the spread of COVID-19, quences for children as the COVID-19 groups, there is strong evidence that, schools are still under a pandemic lurches toward a second year. with basic safety measures in place, Wlockdown even after seven Released ahead of World the net benefits of keeping schools months. Despite efforts to start classes Children’s Day, Averting a Lost COV- open outweigh the costs of closing online, they are unable to cover all due ID Generation is the first UNICEF - re them, the report notes. Schools are not to lack of equipment, such as comput- port to comprehensively outline the a main driver of community transmis- ers. Thus, children in Nepal have been dire and growing consequences for sion, and children are more likely to suffering a lot. children as the pandemic drags on. It get the virus outside of school settings. A recently published report of shows that while symptoms among in- COVID-related disruptions UNICEF showed that anxiety and de- fected children remain mild, infections to critical health and social servic- pression are the most common function- are rising and the longer-term impact es for children pose the most serious al difficulties reported amongst children on the education, nutrition and well-be- threat to children, the report says. in Nepal due to obstruction of various ac- ing of an entire generation of children Using new data from UNICEF tivities including teaching and learning. and young people can be life-altering. surveys across 140 countries, it notes According to UNICEF, “Throughout the COVID-19 that: Around one-third of the countries 1 in 12 children aged 10-14 years pandemic there has been a persistent analyzed witnessed a drop of at least and 1 in 10 aged 15-17 years expe- myth that children are barely affect- 10 per cent in coverage for health ser- rience anxiety, and 2 per cent of 10- ed by the disease. Nothing could be vices such as routine vaccinations, out- 17-year olds suffer from depression. further from the truth,” said Henriet- patient care for childhood infectious To mark the World Children’s ta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. diseases, and maternal health services. Day on 20 November, various programs “While children can get sick were organized to highlight the issues and can spread the disease, around children’s and young people’s this is just the tip of the pan- wellbeing. UNICEF Nepal hosted a demic iceberg. Disruptions virtual children’s parliamentary session to key services and soaring and a virtual festival of visions and poverty rates pose the biggest voices of young people. In addition, threat to children. The longer UNICEF Nepal is launching a mental the crisis persists, the deeper health campaign ‘Ma Chhu Ni’ to help to its impact on children’s edu- build an allyship among young people. cation, health, nutrition and Of particular concern during well-being. The future of an the COVID-19 pandemic and conse- entire generation is at risk.” quent lockdown is the mental health The report finds of children and young people. Beyond that, as of 3 November, in their immediate experiences, mental 87 countries with age-disaggregated Fear of infection is a prominent reason. health issues and distress can have a data, children and adolescents under There is a 40 per cent de- lasting impact on children’s long-term 20 years of age accounted for 1 in 9 of cline in the coverage of nutrition ser- development and the current pandem- COVID-19 infections, or 11 per cent of vices for women and children across ic has exposed the extent and sever- the 25.7 million infections reported by 135 countries. As of October 2020, 265 ity of the global mental health crisis. these countries. More reliable, age-dis- million children were still missing out Children and adolescents ac- aggregated data on infection, deaths and on school meals globally. More than count for 1 in 9 of reported COVID-19in- testing is needed to better understand 250 million children under 5 could fections, according to a new analysis how the crisis impacts the most vulner- miss the life-protecting benefits of - vi released ahead of World Children’s Day able children and guide the response. tamin A supplementation programmes. UNICEF warned in a new re- While children can transmit 65countries reported a de- port of significant and growing conse- the virus to each other and to older age crease in home visits by social work-

NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 34 ers in September 2020, com- pared to the same time last year. More alarming data from 8848.86M: Nepal, China Jointly Announce the report include: As of Novem- ber 2020, 572 million students are New Height Of Mount Everest affected across 30 country-wide school closures – 33 per cent of the enrolled students worldwide. Nepal and China jointly announced overcome all kinds of difficulties, sol- An estimated 2 mil- lion additional child deaths and the new height of Mt. Qomolangma or idly carried out their work, and finally 200,000 additional stillbirths Mt. Everest or Sagamatha in Nepali. reached a conclusion on the snow-cov- could occur over a 12-month pe- Minister for Foreign Af- ered height based on the International riod with severe interruptions to fairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali an- Height Reference System, he said. services and rising malnutrition. nounced that the ‘new height’ Calling Mount Qomol- An additional 6 to 7 million of the peak is 8848.86 meters. angma “an important symbol of the children under the age of 5 will suffer Mt. Everest’s revised height China-Nepal traditional friendship,” from wasting or acute malnutrition in was officially announced by Ne- Xi said it is agreed by both coun- 2020, a 14 per cent rise that will trans- pali and Chinese officials, virtually. tries as the boundary peak and the late into more than 10,000 additional Minister Gyawali and “Peak of China-Nepal Friendship.” child deaths per month – mostly in his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi Xi said the joint announce- sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. were present at the virtual program, ment of the new height of Mount Qo- Globally, the number of who read out the letters written by molangma with his Nepali counterpart children living in multidimensional their respective heads-of-the-state is of great significance in carrying for- poverty – without access to educa- — President Bidya Devi Bhandari ward the undertakings of the prede- tion, health, housing, nutrition, sani- and Chinese President Xi Jinping. cessors to the future, and showcasing tation or water – is estimated to have Also present at the pro- the high level of the continuous de- soared by 15 per cent, or an additional gram was Minister for Land Man- 150 million children by mid-2020. agement, Cooperatives and Poverty velopment of China-Nepal relations. To respond to this cri- Alleviation Padma Kumari Aryal. China is willing to join sis, UNICEF is calling on gov- hands with Nepal to actively pro- ernments and partners to: En- The announcement came as Chinese President Xi Jinping mote the cooperation in ecologi- sure all children learn, including cal and environmental protection by closing the digital divide. and his Nepali counterpart Bidya and scientific research, and better Guarantee access to Devi Bhandari exchanged let- safeguard the precious wealth and nutrition and health servic- ters jointly announcing the height. es and make vaccines afforda- Xi said in his letter that home of both peoples, Xi said. ble and available to every child. China and Nepal reached consen- Mount Qomolangma Support and protect sus last year on the joint announce- straddles the China-Nepal bor- the mental health of children ment of the new height of the peak. der, with its northern part locat- and young people and bring an For more than a year, the ed in Xigaze of southwest Chi- end to abuse, gender-based vio- two countries’ survey teams have na’s Tibet Autonomous Region. lence and neglect in childhood. Increase access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hy- giene and address environmental degradation and climate change. Reverse the rise in child poverty and ensure an inclusive re- covery for all. Redouble efforts to protect and support children and their families living through con- flict, disaster and displacement. “This World Children’s Day, we are asking governments, partners and the private sector to listen to chil- dren and prioritize their needs,” Fore said. “As we all reimagine the future and look ahead toward a post-pandem- ic world, children must come first.” NEW SPOTLIGHT | Dec. 11. 2020 | 35 ARITICLE Ram Rajya Or Utopia?

Though all organisms on this earth, at the time of concerned with the welfare of humanity is being their birth had an equal right for survival, in prac- implemented. Plans for creating rifts in countries tice it has not been so. We have had over the years of the East namely Asia seems to be on the cards – heard or read about Ram Rajya or Utopia but this almost a warmongering effort! This after all is the state has not ever been attained. It is those who BY: HEMANG DIXIT practice of neo colonial powers towards the smaller are the top, who enjoy the fruits of being in power. countries of the third world. After all it is as they say in Nepal: Afnu Haath Jagannath. Surprisingly the present leader of US, now reject- One can do whatever one wants to and get away with it. ed by the people of his native land i.e. which goes for the To start at the beginning; groups of people - some united states has put into action many steps with a view to small, some large were living apart from each other and stay in power. This is, in fact a blatant exhibition by the so the concept of the ruling over others did not arise. This leader to the rest of the world that those in authority, even came about later as the population increased. However, for limited terms of power are not subject to the laws of the though we read of the conflict of Ram over Ravan the con- land. When a leader of the so called ‘Free World’ refuses to cept of Ram Rajya came into being after that. act as per the wishes of the people he represents, does this After this period, at the time of Christ, it is stated land have the right to claim and teach about Democracy to that he and his twelve disciples with their living and sharing others? The statue of Liberty, a gift of the people of France, together were the first group of people living as a commu- if living would certainly be ashamed! nity / commune where all are equal. This lasted until Christ There is a saying that ‘Power tends to corrupt was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. and absolute power corrupts absolutely’! Before the end In the subsequent years we have had a host of of 1990 it was accepted that the USA and the USSR were leaders who have had over the centuries attempted to rule the two world powers. The USSR in the subsequent years part of the world or the regions around them. These range became Russia and is said to not be a world power as such. from Attila the Hun, Ashok, Alexander, Julius Caesar, the Has this resulted for such behaviour by the sole world pow- Pharaohs, Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Napoleon, Queen er? In this process of working it has alienated many of its Isabella of Spain, Kings of Belgium, Holland plus Portu- well-wishers. Unless drastic steps are taken by the new gal, and finally the British Monarchs whose realm was ‘One coming head of state the situation is going to a point of no where the sun never set’! return. What must also be remembered is that many other As a result of this, we have had in the last few cen- satraps in other parts of the world will think that holding on turies, the oppression of various groups of people around to power by whatever means one can employ is possible in the world by Britain, Belgium, China, France, Japan, Portu- a leading country such as the USA, then why not elsewhere gal, Russia, Spain and Turkey. Those were the times when in Europe, Asia, South America and Oceania? the riches were ransacked, villages pillaged, slaves taken It remains to be seen as to how much the author- and many killed. The story of all the victors was similar ity the State Governments of US have. Can the Federal irrespective of whether they were white, black or ethnics. Government overrule the state authorities? In India it is the You may as well ask as to why I am dwelling on question of the Central Government and the thirty-three all these historical events of the past? This reaction has state governments and the powers that they have. As far come about as a result of the events that have been unfold- as we in Nepal are concerned it is power struggle between ing in the US following the election of 3rd November this the PM’s Office in Singha Durbar and that of the Provin- year. The rest of the world was given to understand that this cial Heads at the seven Pradesh capitals. Looking at what is country was a beacon of democracy in our midst. This coun- happening in Washington and USA, is there a lesson for us try, it has been claimed, is one in which every individual, ir- to learn? Or should we ascribe to the dictum, ‘East is East respective of ethnicity; colour or sex would be an American and West is West and the twain shall never meet’? once given the ‘Green card’ and citizenship. True, but there We are currently claiming that Ram was born in is a history of both white and black beings, the mulattos and Parsa of Nepal. Does that qualify us to demand Ram Rajya? the ethnics who then were labelled redskins and are now Is our present almost 2/3rd majority government capable or a minority who have different tales regarding treatment in likely to do that? Cannot we in this age of Covid-19 hope the land of hope and glory. The point now is that the US for better life for us Nepalis? Or is the Utopia that we are which has played a large part in world affairs during this thinking about just a will-o’-the-wisp? last century and was thought to be a Beacon of Democracy The author is a retired medical doctor and writes fiction under the pen is not really that, at heart. Withdrawal from organisations name of Mani Dixit also. Website: www.hdixit.org.np. Twitter: @manidixithd

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