WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 316 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 26.4 C -4.5 C Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | 29-09-2077 Dipayal Jumla

ANALYSIS Has Oli killed two birds with one stone —or two interviews for that matter He has earned praise for a nationalist stance, but some say he managed to distract Nepalis from ongoing crisis while sending a message to Delhi he is ready to play along.

ANIL GIRI that he was referring to some Indian KATHMANDU, JAN 12 elements and quarters. In response to a question regarding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, whose his statement that “Indian virus was contempt for the Nepali media has more lethal than the Chinese one”, Oli been no secret, on Monday evening said he was referring to the open bor- appeared on two Indian news chan- der between Nepal and India, which nels, giving extensive interviews. allowed the coronavirus more easily The WION (World is One News) chan- into Nepal. nel anchor, during an introductory Responding to the Chinese activism remark, said that Oli had agreed for a in Nepal recently and after the split in 30-minute interview but “spoke for 100”. his Nepal Communist Party, Oli said The same evening, Oli spoke with that “‘we love our independence… Zee News—in Hindi—for about 45 freedom... we do not follow instruc- minutes. tions by others… we independently Both news channels are under the decide on our matters”. Zee Group. In his interview with Zee News, Oli POST PHOTO: BEEJU MAHARJAN The grandstanding, in both inter- was even more candid, going at length A flash mob of women protests with placards during an event organised against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s decision to dissolve the House on the Nepal Academy premises at Kamaladi, views, from Oli was in full display. to talk about history, religion and colo- Kathmandu on Tuesday. At the programme attended by civil society members and the general public, poems, plays and paintings were presented to oppose what they called a regressive move. Nepalis on social media on Tuesday nialism, while asserting that in today’s morning were quick to react, pointing world order “no one is a big brother”. at the confidence Oli exuded and how Oli did override the anchor’s conde- he responded in a befitting manner to scending style to put forth his points, the channels—and for that matter earning praise from many Nepalis for India. his preparation for the interview. Nepal Communist Party has been cleaved in two, but a “The year 2021 will be a year when Some described Oli’s fluency in we can declare that between Nepal Hindi as “waxing eloquent”, while oth- and India, there are no problems at ers said even though they do not agree all,” said Oli. with many of his policies, his firm formal—legal—split seems to be heading to stalemate Oli minced no words in saying stand on nationalism deserved praise. that Kalapani, Lipulkekh and Oli, who has been under attack for Limpiyadhura belong to Nepal and his move of dissolving the House of The Election Commission says neither the Oli faction nor the Dahal-Nepal camp has presented the necessary that “that’s the only small problem” Representatives, suddenly on Tuesday between Nepal and India. emerged as a true nationalist leader paperwork for it to be recognised as the legitimate party. And neither seems to want to take the blame for split. He said that Nepal and India ties are who can “stand up to India” and pres- “very good”. ent his views explicitly “even if it PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA After Prime Minister KP Sharma neither has the faction led by Oli made The Dahal-Nepal faction, on the “Far better than before,” said Oli. comes to India”. KATHMANDU, JAN 12 Oli recommended the dissolution of any claim for legitimacy by following other hand, declared Madhav Kumar To the question “before when?”, Oli The interviews received more the House of Representatives on the due procedure. “Nobody has Nepal as a party chair and informed was prompt to say: “always.” attention also because relations with The Nepal Communist Party has been December 20, the two factions of the claimed the legitimacy arguing that the Election Commission that Oli had Asked about his statement that the India during Oli’s tenure had hit a practically cleaved in two—but techni- party—one led by Oli and the other by they are splitting,” said Chief Election been removed. Indian embassy was trying to unseat rock bottom. cally, it is still one. Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya. “So Even these decisions of the two fac- him, Oli said that he did not say so and >> Continued on page 2 It is the Election Commission that Kumar Nepal—have been claiming far both sides have only claimed that tions have not been recognised by the has the final say on a political party that theirs is the legitimate party. certain leaders have been removed Election Commission, arguing that splitting up based on its interpreta- Both factions have been given the from certain responsibilities.” decisions taken by both factions have tion of Political Parties Act-2017. But deadline of Wednesday, to stake their Two days after the House was dis- not followed due procedure as provi- the commission says the law has not claim to legitimacy with the necessary solved, both the factions on December sioned in the statute of the party. been followed for a formal split. paperwork. As per Section 44 (1) of the 22 held meetings of the Central On January 7, the commission Political Parties Act-2017, the faction Committee of their factions. reminded the Oli faction that its that claims to be the legitimate Instead of making claims for legiti- expansion of the central committee one must substantiate the claim macy by following the due procedure, goes against the party’s statute which with, among other things, signa- both factions submitted the details of allows the party’s Central Committee tures of at least 40 percent of the the decisions taken by the party’s to nominate a maximum of 10 percent members of the Central ‘Central Committee’ meetings without of its total strength as new members. Committee within 30 days of the the presence of the leaders from the Before the present dispute arose, its dispute in the party. other faction. Central Committee had 445 members. Even though the Dahal-Nepal The Oli faction soon after the disso- If the party is to nominate more faction wrote to the commission lution announcement informed the members to its Central Committee the demanding legitimacy of repre- Election Commission that the Central party statute has to be amended and senting the party, the commis- Committee had been expanded and that can only be done with a two- sion has said that it failed to fol- now had 1,199 members, adding 556 thirds majority of the Central low the due procedure. members and with the provision of Committee. PHOTO COURTESY: WION WEBSITE According to the commission, adding another 197 more in future. >> Continued on page 2 Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in an interview with WION news channel.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Has Oli killed two birds with one stone ... Cold weather affects life in >> Continued from page 1 Independence Day. Affairs, said that “we have noted the After a flurry of visits from Delhi— Officials and leaders familiar with recent political developments in of the foreign spy chief, the Indian the development had told the Post Nepal”. army chief and foreign secretary, ties then that multiple backchannels had “These are internal matters for seem to be back on track. been used to materialise a phone con- Nepal to decide as per its democratic several Tarai districts Oli returned to power in 2018 riding versation between Oli and Indian processes,” added Srivastava. “As a on a nationalistic plank. His Nepal Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The neighbour and well-wisher, India will Daily wage earners, children and senior citizens are hardest hit. Communist Party’s unprecedented official release said Oli congratulated continue to support Nepal and its peo- engagements with the Communist Modi, India and its people on their ple in moving forward on the path of LUMBINI PROVINCE BUREAU Party of China were not hidden to Independence Day. peace, prosperity and development.” BHAIRAHAWA, JAN 12 Delhi. When his Nepal Communist According to multiple sources, both Oli’s interviews attracted huge Party faced a crisis, Beijing had overt- sides had activated various channels attention in Nepal, and there was more Tulasa Chaudhary, 56, of Butwal Sub- ly tried to fix things up. But Oli caught to establish informal dialogue. Talks praise than criticism, if social media metropolitan City Ward No. 17 in Beijing by surprise by dissolving the at the formal level began in October responses were anything to go by. Rupandehi has been housebound for House on December 20, resulting in when Samant Goel, the chief of “PM Oli gave quite befitting answers the past four days due to a plunge in the split in the Nepal Communist India’s Research & Analysis Wing, to the “prejudiced” questions asked by temperatures. A vegetable seller, she Party. made a dash for Kathmandu and held Zee TV journalist,” Surya Raj moves around the city selling the pro- Many say Beijing felt betrayed, as a meeting with Oli. In November, Acharya, an infrastructure expert and duce from her field. Oli started making overtures to Delhi. Indian Army chief MM Naravane and former leader of Bibeksheel Sajha “The past few days have been very So did Oli really take on Delhi in Indian Foreign Secretary Harsha Party, wrote on Twitter. “PM’s difficult for me. The cold wave has both of his interviews with the Indian Vardhan Shringla visited Kathmandu, unmatched presentation is highly made it difficult for me to go about my channels? raising concerns among the Chinese. praiseworthy because he clearly high- daily work,” she said. Insiders from the Oli faction say Two days after Shringla’ visit, lighted our non-aligned foreign policy, Hawkers generally go from street to that the interviews were part of his Beijing sent its Defence Minister Wei Nepal’s dignity and our goodwill for street in the morning to sell vegeta- strategic move and he managed to hit Fenghe. Before that, it had sent an both our neighbors.” bles but the streets have been empty two birds with one stone. advance team to Kathmandu. “On the whole, @kpsharmaoli pre- of hawkers in Butwal of late due to While he managed to pander to a But when Beijing rushed a delega- sented himself & Nepal well in this the cold wave. section of the domestic population by tion led by a vice minister in the interview,” wrote Kul Chandra Rupandehi, a Tarai district in ratcheting up his old nationalistic Chinese Communist Party on Gautam, a former UN assistant secre- Lumbini Province, has not received rhetoric, Oli also subtly passed a mes- December 27 , it was already late. Oli tary general, on Twitter. “His self-con- sunshine for the past four days, sage that he is keen to work with Delhi had already dissolved the House and fidence and self-righteousness were according to local residents. Human POST PHOTO: BHARAT JARGHAMAGAR and that he does not have issues with the Nepal Communist Party had split. impressive if we disregard his tenden- movement in the marketplaces and Tuesday was the coldest day in Kapilvastu this year, with the minimum temperature recorded India. “In general, I liked the interview cy to occasionally mix up some facts even the traffic flow in the streets have at 8 degrees Celsius. “It’s part of a well-thought-out strat- because he tried to justify our ties with fiction!” significantly decreased. egy to bring ties with India back on with India from all aspects,” said During his interview with Zee The cold wave has affected everyone no alternate source of income.” cold-related diseases like pneumonia track,” said a central committee mem- Lokraj Baral, a former Nepali ambas- News, Oli talked at length about histo- but it’s the daily wage earners like Various district administrations and viral fever. ber from Oli’s faction of Nepal sador to India. “Some of the points he ry and religion, taking time to explain Chaudhary who have been hit the and local units have started distribut- “In cold weather, the chances of Communist Party who spoke on condi- made are valid. Oli asked [India] to the discovery of gravity and burning hardest. ing warm clothes and firewoods to the infants below five years catching tion of anonymity. “It went rather abandon the old school of thought of Nalanda scriptures. Cold wave is a weather condition impoverished people. The district pneumonia are very high. Special care smoothly and quickly, as for quite when it comes to their Nepal policy.” His reference to the leader of “the with a rapid fall in temperature due to administration office in Baridaya has should be provided to senior citizens some time some Indian news channels Baral, however, also sees the mes- other religion” saying he ordered to a lack of sunshine, dense fog and cold distributed 50 blankets to elderly peo- and people with chronic diseases,” had shown interest to do an interview sage that Oli obliquely conveyed that burn down the scriptures because he wind. Districts across Tarai are affect- ple and postpartum mothers. Chief said Dr Dinesh Shrestha, the deputy with the prime minister.” most of Nepal’s engagements are with feared “his religion” would not be able ed by the cold wave every year. District Officer Liladhar Adhikari director at Nepalgunj Medical College. According to the central committee India due to close geographical, civili- to advance when such advanced learn- Patients with special medical needs said the district administration Dharan in Province 1 witnessed member, parts of what Oli said were sational and cultural reasons. ing ground at Nalanda existed came as are also hit hard by the increasingly released Rs 1 million budget as disas- dense fog for the first time in 12 years for domestic consumption—for the “So Oli’s message is clear that both just what the anchor, Sudhir cold weather in the area. ter management to eight local units in and visibility was reduced to 50 metres Nepali audience—and some answers Nepal and India need each other,” Chaudhary, wanted to hear. “I have to provide special care to my light of this year’s cold wave. on Tuesday morning, according to were a clear indication that he was Baral told the Post. Chaudhary, the editor-in-chief of Zee elderly father-in-law, an asthma In Kapilvastu, marketplaces and Akhalesh Chaurasiya, an assistant with Delhi and he needed the support On most of the occasions, Oli par- News, is known for his pro-Modi and patient. The cold is cruel to patients government offices on Tuesday wore a meteorologist in the Dharan-based as he has declared elections. ried questions on China. pro-Hindu tilt in his news reports, like him,” said Dharmikala deserted look due to the biting cold. Meteorological Forecasting Division. After dissolving the House, Oli has Oli’s interviews on Monday night earning him the sobriquet of the ring Chaudhary of Kohalpur-2 in Banke. According to Ramu Regmi, an officer According to him, the minimum called for snap polls on April 30 and came also at a very crucial time. leader of Godi media, a name given to In Nepalgunj, business activities at Ramnagar field unit of the temperature was recorded at 14.4 May 10. Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali the cabal of Indian media for being have come to a standstill, which has Department of Hydrology and degrees Celsius in Dharan on Tuesday. Oli, his loyalists and his ministers is travelling to Delhi on Thursday. servile to Modi. pushed many wage earners into diffi- Meteorology, Tuesday was the coldest Day-to-day life in Province 2 has have not given two hoots about the fact This is the first high-level visit from On one occasion, Chaudhary said cult times. day in Kapilvastu this year. also been affected due to the cold wave. that his House dissolution move is sub Kathmandu since November 2019, there should be a debate on historical “I haven’t been able to find any “The minimum temperature was But authorities have done nothing for judice in the Supreme Court. If the when India published its map placing issues and that Oli should participate. work in the past two days,” said recorded at 8 degrees Celsius on impoverished families who are facing court restores the House, there won’t Kalapani within Indian borders lead- “Maybe JNU can organise,” said Jogendra Khatri, who ekes out a living Tuesday,” said Regmi. extreme cold weather conditions. be elections, but the Oli camp seems to ing the bilateral ties to sour. The visit Oli, as Chaudhary, who has in his var- as a porter in BP Chowk, Nepalgunj. Medical professionals advise people be in a poll campaign mode. holds much significance, as it is tak- ious reports shown much contempt “So many of us have been jobless with to stay indoors to avoid catching (With inputs from local correspondents) Some were quick to call Oli’s inter- ing place immediately after Oli’s for the university, listened. views a bid to detract the public from House dissolution move. Hari Roka, a Jawaharlal University his failures and misadventures. Officials so far have said procuring product who has closely followed “…. takeaways from Oli’s interview: Covid-19 vaccines will be high on the Nepal’s politics, especially the leftist This is an attempt to distract the pub- agenda. Gyawali is likely to hold dia- politics, said it looks like the Indian lic from governance failures and NCP logue with the political leadership in news channels came to Nepal to res- Nepal Communist Party has been cleaved ... internal crisis,” wrote a Twitter user. Delhi and try to see how they view the cue Oli. “[Oli is] publicly clarifying to India, political developments in Nepal. “Nepal’s mainstream media, politi- >> Continued from page 1 sion could have given recognition to amended statute be recognised by the addressing their suspicion around New Delhi so far has just one state- cal parties and civil society have been The commission has also raised the faction that could show majority commission.” Chinese influence. Having lost China ment on Oli’s House dissolution move, quite critical of Oli’s unconstitutional questions with the Dahal-Nepal fac- in the central committee. The official- Even though the Dahal-Nepal fac- to PKD+MKN, Oli needs Delhi’s back- that it is an “internal matter” of and undemocratic move,” Roka told tion about its removal of Oli as the ly recognised faction is entitled to stay tion has claimed the support of two- ing.” Nepal.” the Post. “The interviews come at a chair and appointment of Nepal in his as the parent party while the other thirds majority in the Central After months of hostility, Oli’s rap- Four days after Oli dissolved the time when Oli is sending his foreign place. As per the party’s statute, a two- faction can register a new party, Committee, it has not used this prochement with Delhi began on House, Anurag Srivastava, spokesper- minister to Delhi. It’s Oli’s image thirds majority of the relevant com- according to Section 44 (6) of the strength to amend the statute yet. August 15—when India observes its son for India’s Ministry of External makeover bid.” mittee or commission of the party is Parties Act. “If any faction fails to amend the needed to appoint someone in the The commission last week asked regulation first, one faction has to vacant post of officer-bearer. both factions to submit details con- approach the commission with the The Election Commission has also firming that the decisions they made aim of splitting the party,” said the asked whether the due process was were in conformity with the constitu- legal expert. followed while taking action against tion, laws and regulations and the But neither faction seems to want to office-bearers for indiscipline. As party statute as per the provision 25 take that step and be seen as the cause per the statute, a party member sub- (4) of regulations of the Political of the split as per the section 44 (1) of jected to action should be given time Parties Act-2017. the Political Parties Act-2017 even for clarification. This provision was Subas Nembang, a Standing though both sides are running parallel not followed, according to the Committee member from the Oli fac- activities as if they are already sepa- commission. tion, said his faction would submit the rate parties. Even more difficult for any faction details the Election Commission has A Standing Committee member of to claim to have acted as per the party asked for on Wednesday. the Oli faction told the Post that his statute is the provision that signa- Only if the commission is satisfied faction legitimately represents the tures of the two co-chairs are required with the submission of detail will it party because the faction led by the in any official letter of circular as per recognise and update the changes that first chair and general secretary the party statute or the signature of it has been notified of. If not, as per should be recognised as the legitimate only one chair if any decision is made provision 25 (6) of the Political one. through mutual consent. Parties Regulations, the commission “No meeting can be held without “The commission cannot update will recognise the existing details of the first chair’s instruction and the any notification given by rival fac- the party. general secretary’s call as per our stat- tions if they have not followed the due This means the commission will not ute,” the leader said on condition of procedure as provisioned in the par- recognise any faction as the legitimate anonymity. ty’s statute,” a legal expert, who has one, prolonging the stalemate in the But Surendra Pandey, a Standing worked at the commission, told the Nepal Communist Party. Committee member from Dahal-Nepal Post. “Considering the provision of “It is very difficult for both factions faction, said theirs is the legitimate statute of the Nepal Communist Party, to follow the party statute to claim faction of the Nepal Communist Party it is very difficult for the commission legitimacy,” said the legal expert. “If because it has the support of nearly 70 to give legitimacy to any faction until any faction has the two-thirds majori- percent of Central Committee mem- one faction takes a decisive step to ty in the Central Committee, it can bers. split the party.” first amend the statute and submit the “As per the statute of our party, any Had any faction had made claims of amended statute to the commission. decision is taken by a majority of the legitimacy as per section 44 (1) of the Only after getting a nod to the amend- Central Committee,” Pandey told the Political Parties Act-2017, the commis- ment will decisions taken based on the Post. “Therefore, whatever decision that has been taken by the majority is the official deci- sion of the party.” The commission may be seeking details but it needs to make a decision, he said. “There is no alternative for the commission other than recognising us as the faction to legitimately represent the party,” Pandey said. But legal observers said that the commission taking any decision with regard to legitimacy of one faction is remote. “Most probably the Election Commission will wait for the verdict of the Supreme Court regarding the dissolution of the House of Representatives which will create another environ- ment,” said Senior Advocate Srihari Aryal. “The commission had the option to recognise one faction by verifying the sig- natures of Central Committee members submit- ted by both factions. But instead it has focussed on the process rather than the essence regarding the implementation of Article 44 (1) of the Act and that has complicated the split pro- cess. This is not helping Dahal-Nepal’s cause.”

C M Y K 03 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 NATIONAL Gyawali to fly to India on Thursday for a three-day visit

POST PHOTO Pradeep Kumar Gyawali

POST REPORT KATHMANDU, JAN 12

Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali will visit India from January 14-16 for the sixth meeting of the Nepal-India Joint Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday. A team of senior officials led by Yagya Bahadur Hamal, joint secretary and head of the South Asia and India Division, is visiting New Delhi on Wednesday, a day prior to the minis- ter’s three-day visit, to finalise the final text and minute of the meeting, POST PHOTO: ANISH REGMI said a senior foreign ministry official. With the increase in population of Kathmandu Valley, its outskirts with agricultural fields and brick kilns are being used to build houses on. In Harisiddhi, Lalitpur brick kilns are surrounded by newly-built houses but no But India’s Ministry of External steps have been taken to remove the kilns which are considered a public health hazard for the pollution they cause. Affairs has not announced the visit yet. The meeting of the joint commis- sion will discuss the whole gamut of Nepal-India bilateral relations, includ- ing trade, transit, energy, boundary, BRIEFING Covid-19 cooperation, infrastructure, Supreme Court finally issues verdict in connectivity, investment, agriculture, tourism, culture, among others, the Bhutanese refugee dies in fire ministry said in a statement. BIRTAMOD: An elderly Bhutanese refu- Besides regular issues, Nepal is gee man died when his hut caught favour of new curricula for grade 11 expected to raise the issue of the fire at the Beldangi refugee camp in boundary dispute between the two Jhapa on Monday evening. Police countries, submission of the report identified the victim as Deshman Rai, While private schools had been sticking to the old curriculum, public ones had adopted the new one. prepared by the Eminent Persons’ 60, of sector D-4, hut No 325. The vic- Group on Nepal-India relations among tim, a paralytic patient, was asleep in BINOD GHIMIRE Examinations (SEE) on August 17. others. the hut when the incident took place. KATHMANDU, JAN 12 Among the 482,986 students who “One of the major focuses of the The hut was completely razed by the had registered for the grade 10 nation- visit is the procurement of Covid-19 fire, said police. Ending months of confusion, the al exams this year, 472,078 were pro- vaccine from India and we are also Supreme Court on Tuesday opened moted to grade 11 based on an internal expecting a separate grant from the the door for the government to imple- evaluation, as the SEE could not take government of India,” the senior for- Rural municipality to manage ment the new curricula for grade 11. place due to the pandemic. eign ministry official said. “We are A division bench of Justices Tej The interim order had obstructed expecting some breakthrough on it, blood for patients Bahadur KC and Prakash Dhungana classes, mainly in public schools that and therefore the health secretary is MYAGDI: Raghuganga Rural quashed a writ petition filed by had already adopted the new curricu- also travelling with us.” Municipality in Myagdi district is Bhagwata Aryal, a member of the la. A majority of the private schools, During his Nepal visit at the end of going to bear the expenses of patients Mathematics Concern Group, demand- however, had been sticking with the November, Indian Foreign Secretary seeking blood transfusion at Beni ing that the government be ordered to old curricula. Harsh Vardhan Shringla had extended Hospital. Bhawa Bahadur Bhandari, not implement the new curricula. Months of disruption caused by the an invitation to Gyawali on the behalf chairman of the rural municipality, The group is a loose network of pandemic has led the government to of External Affairs Minister of India said, “We have decided to bear people dissatisfied with the truncate the academic year. It is one S Jaishanker to participate in the expenses needed to purchase blood Curriculum Development Centre’s of the reasons why private schools are meeting. But due to the political situ- after many patients from Raghuganga decision to treat mathematics as an reluctant to adopt the new curricula ation inside the ruling Nepal required treatments that need blood optional subject in grades 11 and 12. that has increased the number of sub- Communist Party, the meeting had transfusion. We have created a fund “The bench has quashed the peti- jects from five to six. become uncertain. of Rs 100,000 for the campaign for fis- tion against the implementation of Lok Bahadur Bhandari, general sec- While in New Delhi, the foreign cal year.” the new curricula,” Kishor Poudel, POST FILE PHOTO retary of Higher Institutions and minister will also meet with high-level communications expert at the The court has authorised the government to decide whether mathematics is to be Secondary Schools’ Association dignitaries of India. Sources said that Supreme Court, told the Post. “It has, incorporated into the curriculum or not. Nepal, said they are not satisfied with Gyawali will meet Indian Prime ATM burglar arrested however, directed the Ministry of the verdict. “We still believe this is not Minister Narendra Modi, Defence SUNSARI: Twenty-three-year-old Suvan Education and the Curriculum in the case. 12 from the system of four disciplines the right time to switch to the new Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Mansuri of Koshi Rural Municipality Development Centre to review its deci- According to the new curricula, stu- where students after passing grade 10 curricula,” he told the Post. “However, Minister Amit Shah and National Ward No. 3, Sunsari, was arrested on sion to treat mathematics as an option- dents will have to study six subjects chose Science, Management, we will respect the court’s verdict.” Security Adviser Ajit Doval among charge of stealing money from an al subject, after consultations with each in grades 11 and 12 instead of the Humanities or Education stream. The association had been lobbying others. ATM of NIC Asia Bank in local governments and experts within five they have been doing. Three of Hearing on the case had resumed on for the postponement of the imple- Gyawali will also deliver a public Mahendrapath, Dharan. According to a year.” these are compulsory — English, Monday, around three months after mentation of the new curriculum. lecture on Friday jointly organised by police, Mansuri had tried to withdraw The court, according to Poudel, has Nepali, and Social Studies in grade 11 the interim order was issued, even as But, Giriraj Mani Pokharel, the Vivekananda Foundation and money by vandalising the bank’s authorised the government to decide and Life Skills Education in grade 12 thousands of students continued their then-education minister, was adamant Kathmandu-based think tank Asian ATM on Sunday. Gyanendra Basnet, whether the subject is to be incorpo- — and three other elective subjects. academic year. The verdict was issued about adopting the new curriculum. Institute of Diplomacy and deputy superintendant at Area Police rated into the curricula or not. Mathematics is one of the 80 optional on Tuesday after two days of continu- In order to integrate courses offered International Affairs. Office in Dharan, said Mansuri was Responding to the writ filed by subjects the students can choose from ous hearing. from grades 9 to 12, the Ministry of The Nepali delegation will also arrested on Tuesday on the premises Aryal on October 14, the Supreme The new curricula, according to the Schools started classes for grade 11 Education had decided to replace the include the foreign secretary, the of the BP Koirala Institute of Health Court on October 26 issued an interim Curriculum Development Centre, has classes a month after the National previous curriculum with a new one health secretary, the Nepali ambassa- Sciences, Dharan. An investigation is order halting the implementation of been designed to switch to the sin- Examination Board published the in January last year, officials have dor to India and other senior officials, underway. the new curricula until a final verdict gle-track curricula for grades 11 and results of the Secondary Education maintained. ministry sources said. Rani Pokhari is covered with algae, but there aren’t concrete plans to clean it Conservationists say problem arose as the pond does not have an outlet. They suggest use of natural methods such as introduction of fish to remove the algae naturally.

ANUP OJHA tion work, the Cabinet in January there,” said Shrestha. He said the best KATHMANDU, JAN 12 2018, handed over the reconstruction way to get rid of algae is to introduce work of Rani Pokhari, Balgopaleshowr grass carp, silver carp, and other Until October last year, the iconic Temple, and other structures to the kinds of fish that eat algae. Rani Pokhari, spread over 7.7 acres at National Reconstruction Authority. When the Post contacted the NRA to the heart of Kathmandu, didn’t have The authority said it has cleaned inquire about the pond, officials said any water in it. the pond three times, and each time the pond is yet to be handed over to the But later in the month, water was spent around Rs70,000. But algae have Kathmandu Metropolitan City. replenished using water from the grown back every time. “Regarding the algae, we are trying Bagmati and rainwater harvesting, The sorry state of the historic pond to remove them using natural process- just before the reconstructed pond has worried heritage conservationists es such as aeration. We are not going was inaugurated by President Bidya and campaigners. It was due to their to use any chemicals that may harm Devi Bhandari. continuous protest and lobbying that aquatic life,” said Raju Man The completion of the pond’s resto- the Balgopaleshwor temple, situated Manandhar, a person assigned by the ration was seen as a great achieve- at the middle of the pond, was con- authority to oversee the restoration t. ment for both conservationists and structed in the Shikhara style--the He said the NRA is planning to mon- local residents who relentlessly raised way King Pratap Malla had construct- itor the Ph level of water in Rani their voice against the Kathmandu ed it in 1670 AD. Pokhari. “If we can reduce the Ph Metropolitan City’s earlier decision to “They are misusing the public’s level to 6.8-7, it will become suitable concretise the pond. hard-earned money. Before the pond for aquatic life. We are going to use a But two months after the restora- was inaugurated, we had reminded Japanese wastewater treatment tech- tion of the pond constructed by Pratap the NRA about keeping the pond clean nology,” said Manandhar. But he Malla, officials are indifferent towards and requested it to consult experts didn’t not give details on when the the sustainable preservation of the before making a big announcement technology was going to be used. historical monument. The pond’s about its restoration,” said Sanjay Manandhar said rain in the past few clear water is now covered with algae. Adhikari, a campaigner advocating days also proliferated the algae in the “When President Bhandari inaugu- for the restoration of Rani Pokhari in pond. The NRA had added 18.5 million rated Rani Pokhari, it looked clean, its original form. litres of water from the Bagmati to the but now it is covered with green Sushil Shrestha, president of pond before its inauguration. algae,” said Surya Mani Paudel, who Traditional Hiti and Pond Manandhar said that NRA was will- runs a bookstore at Bhota Hiti. Conservation Organisation, said algae ing to hand over the task to the KMC a “After the pond was reconstructed, I grows in the pond as it lacks an outlet. month ago, but Mayor Bidya Sundar had started going to the overhead “It’s very obvious that when water is Shakya said the city would take over bridge nearby, to look at the pond, stagnant, algae will grow,” Shrestha. only after the whole project was com- which was really beautiful,” he said. He gave examples of two recently pleted. Work on the beautification of “I would do a round of the pond for restored ponds in Purnachandi and Shanti Batika in the southwest corner my morning walk. But I don’t feel like Pimbahal to explain. “Come and see of the Ranipokhari and the develop- doing it now,” said Paudel, 43. these two ponds in Lalitpur, they are POST PHOTO: KABIN ADHIKARI ment of open space to the north of the After the Kathmandu Metropolitan free of algae because we have water Two months after the restoration of the landmark pond constructed by Pratap Malla, officials are indifferent towards the sustainable pond is yet to be completed, according City failed to complete the reconstruc- outlets and we have introduced fish preservation of the historical monument. The pond’s clear water is now covered with algae. to Manandhar.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL Despite rhetoric of nationalism, Oli more Welfare cheque dependent on foreign forces Social security schemes should be equitable and sustainable. When political leaders

The number of beneficiaries receiving cash transfers under lack concrete ideology, the country’s social security schemes has nearly doubled in the last decade, which has increased the burden on the state coffers they often take recourse and cast doubt on the sustainability of social protection. to ideas of stability. Officials at the Department of National ID and Civil Registration say the number of beneficiaries reached 3.06 million during the last fiscal year compared to 1.56 million in 2010-11. AJAYA BHADRA KHANAL Along with the massive growth in the number of beneficiar- ies, government expenditure on social security has also increased. According to the department, cash transfers to ben- eficiaries alone amounted to Rs66.16 billion in the last fiscal year. Besides, the spending on health insurance for citizens, retirement benefits, financial assistance for natural disaster victims, and scholarships also incur additional social security After announcing elections for April 30 expenditure amid faltering economic growth. and May 10, Prime Minister KP Oli has launched a new political group. With According to the department’s recent report, annual govern- looming uncertainty about the fate of ment expenditure on social security has been increasing by Rs3 his new initiative, Oli is already trying to 4 billion, which will be a massive challenge for its economy. to balance nationalism with foreign While the current number of beneficiaries account for around relations in order to secure political 10 percent of the country’s total population, the government, leverage and deliver development. It is difficult to predict how the prime over the years, has expanded the scope of beneficiaries and is minister’s new adventure will fare or yet to include several groups on the list of beneficiaries as per whether he will lead a sustainable the Social Security Act 2018. political force. However, there are sev- Given the rate at which the numbers of beneficiaries are eral factors that could shape the politi- doubling every decade, beneficiaries could soon account for cal future of Oli’s new political group almost 30 percent of the population. This trend is unsustaina- as well as the future of the country. Oli’s immediate future politics ble and needs effective policy interventions to fix an already depends on his opaque relations with broken economy and safeguard individuals and communities foreign powers, Sher Bahadur Deuba from rising uncertainties. and constitutional bodies as well as his According to the Ministry of Finance, Nepal’s average eco- ability to forge a new constituency. The nomic growth has stood at just 4.6 percent in the last decade. long-term future, however, is uncer- tain. Caught off-guard by the pandemic, the economy is projected to have grown by only 2.7 percent against the overly ambitious Driven by ego and unrealistic target of 8.5 percent in the last fiscal year, Oli’s new political platform has three according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. Last week, the fundamental pillars: nationalism, POST FILE PHOTO World Bank projected that Nepal’s economy would grow by just development, and personal ego. His rationale for dissolving the While he blames Dahal and Nepal for his ego. In this regard, other parties Nepali political leaders have with for- 0.6 percent in the current fiscal year, followed by 2.5 percent in House and forming a new party also their corruption and ambition, con- like Nepali Congress and Nepal eign powers. He has cast the dissolu- the next fiscal year 2021-22. focuses on his individual personality. cerned solely about benefitting their Communist Party (NCP) are not really tion of the House as an attempt to stabi- The country’s revenue streams are sagging and shrinking Contrary to fact, he acts as if he was family and friends, he portrays himself different. lise the country by preventing domestic while funding for the ever-expanding social security schemes directly elected to the prime ministeri- as working for the people. He appears Oli continues to pit himself against actors from becoming pawns at the has been a perennial liability for the state. To the extent that al berth. As is well known, he cites to be going through a crisis regarding the ideas of regionalism and indige- hands of foreign forces. He has labelled obstruction of governance and the who his supporters are and who his nous nationalism (jatiyata). He seeks to Dahal and Nepal as corrupt traitors last year, to reduce social security costs, the government even desire to prevent instability as key rea- party will represent. portray Nepal as a common garden, in who work under the instruction of for- attempted to discontinue social security provisions by issuing sons for dissolving the House. But the In addition to the existing political much the same way the founder of eign powers. a social security regulation. But following protests from the next step in his logic is that, since elites, the intermediate class, left-lean- modern Nepal, Prithvi Narayan Furthermore, his image as a success- beneficiaries and political camps, the government backtracked nobody can now change the prime min- ing nationalists and beneficiaries at Shah, did. ful leader depends on relations with from the decision and even introduced an ordinance to ensure ister, Nepal is in a state of stability. the constituency level are likely to be Prime Minister Oli is still intent on India, China, and the United States. beneficiaries’ rights. Oli is right in claiming that extreme- Oli’s new supporters. The political using nationalism and his stand The most significant of his achieve- ly unhealthy practices in the ruling elites are those who are directly bene- against India as political tools. In his ments are projects being developed Announcing social security schemes or increasing the allow- party were causing political instability. fitting from the theft and extraction of speeches, he makes frequent use of his with the assistance of India, China and ances may help achieve political math; but without economic But for him, instability is all about state resources and abuse of power. stance against India, including issuing international financial institutions. growth and improved revenue sources, it will only increase our whether his opponents are able to The intermediate classes are the of a new map and expansion of border These include development works in liabilities and make social security unsustainable and unim- remove him or not. It is never about the groups patronised by the political elites observation posts. Since nationalism is the Mahakali region, railway plementable, defeating the purpose of the welfare plan which is country or the constitution. and those who enjoy the trickle-down one of the few tools left to him he will agreements with China, and KP Oli is struggling to sell his per- of benefits and resources. It will be continue to make use of them in public projects conducted through the assis- a fundamental right of Nepalis. sonality as a leader of the communist difficult for Oli to widen this group in when the occasion arises. tance of the World Bank and Social security expenditure will undoubtedly increase with movement to his potential constitu- the next several years, by which time When individuals aspiring to become Asian Development Bank. Therefore, pension payments and other social assistance programmes to ents. After dissolving Parliament, he other political parties may falter and political leaders lack ideology, constitu- foreign countries and institutions are the most vulnerable individuals and communities. The govern- has been launching focused attacks lose their ideological and political iden- ents and political beliefs, they often key to his image. His dependence on ment must strategise financing mechanisms to fund social against Pushpa Kamal Dahal and tity. take recourse to ideas of development, foreign countries and institutions have Madhav Kumar Nepal. He’s been using stability, and service to the people; Oli grown. security schemes and negotiate social security agreements for jokes and humour to belittle his politi- Geopolitics and nationalism is one such person. Prime Minister Oli is still trying to migrant workers in major destination countries. The political cal opponents. His speeches recently Now that he has dissolved the House, Another major factor is geopolitics, sell the idea of nationalism and leadership needs to work with the private sector and the infor- try to portray himself as a communist Oli claims he will take responsibility which is not going to go away from taking a stand against India. The mal economy to introduce sweeping reforms in the labour leader who has contributed more to for leading the nation and delivering Nepali politics. In his several speeches difference between his hidden market, and formulate a systematic policy framework to fill Nepali politics than the other two lead- development. The new political party in the last few weeks, Oli has been negotiations with India and China this enormous gap and ensure that social security schemes are ers. He has also been flaunting the and movement are all about Oli and his insisting, again and again, that the and his public postures are likely to notion of seniority to convince his personality. The new party will be all source of the current political instabil- cause a significant tectonic shock in equitable and sustainable. communist constituents. about Oli and satisfying the needs of ity is the ‘unhealthy’ relationship that the future. Political instability as usual

was promulgated with none of the ultra-left and pro-monarchist forces is The best among the parties wholeheartedly embracing the foreseeable as they will also seek to be charter. The kingpins of the major accommodated in the power-sharing worst choices is to seek political parties, including the erst- arrangement or wield pressure to while CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist integrate their agenda. a fresh mandate by Centre), and Nepali Congress, and the In both scenarios, the election is bureaucracy unwillingly accepted sec- unlikely to happen in April-May as holding an election. ularism and federalism while a major- scheduled mainly for three reasons: ity of identity-based groups resented The case is under judicial considera- the hasty and contentious process by tion and by the time the court pro- AJAY DAS which the statute was unilaterally nounces its verdict, the Election adopted by the largest parties. The Commission will have little time to constitution frustrated the aspira- make preparations; the major parties tions of the Madhesi, Janajati, Tharu will lobby for a delayed election until and Dalit communities as they doubt- they think they can win a majority of ed that the charter would redress the the seats; some people will be hesitant deeply entrenched historical and to go to the polling stations in the structural discriminations. midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Five years after the promulgation of Following the dissolution of the the constitution, which Nepalis House, the Nepali people are com- Potential violence believed would put Nepal on the way pletely baffled about the course the The third scenario envisions the to political stability, the country has country will take. While all eyes are absence of the House of again encountered instability. Prime on the Supreme Court to see how it Representatives and a deferred elec- Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s abrupt will respond to Oli’s move, a small tion for an indefinite period. If the dissolution of the House of section of society believe that street parties remain unable to reach a con- Representatives has pushed the coun- protests may compel him to reverse sensus on holding the election or try into chaos even before there was a his move. While waiting to see which restoring the House, caretaker proper settlement of the long-drawn way the wind blows, there appear to be arrangements will be in place for a transition from a monarchy-led uni- three major scenarios that could long time. Constant power struggles tary state to a federal republic. In a unfold over the next one to two years. between the parties could see the culmination of the series of salvos First, Oli’s move to dissolve the country embark on a worse confronta- that Oli fired at the constitution, he House has been challenged in court. tional course. The protracted status shoved four hard-earned achieve- The case is sub-judice with little possi- quo will provoke the radicalisation of ments—federalism, republicanism, bility that the Supreme Court will the main political actors. The ultra- secularism and proportional rep- overturn Oli’s decision. A reinstated left, pro-monarchist and pro-Hindu resentation—into a serious crisis Parliament will see a shift in the bal- forces will challenge the legitimacy of before they were institutionalised. ance of power with oscillating politi- the constitution, causing major dis- There are several reasons, apart from cal alliances. Neither of the two fac- ruptions in society. Subsequently, the the deep-seated rancour between the tions of the fragmented Nepal country will land in protracted politi- two rival factions in the ruling Nepal Communist Party nor any other sin- cal disorder and potential violence in Communist Party, behind the turn of gle party possesses a clear majority to the face of a constitutional vacuity. events. Oli’s move to consolidate power form a new government. The Oli-led Amid an unsettling mix of uncer- and undermine the constitution with government in its current form will SHUTTERSTOCK tainty and frustration, the best among ill-timed ordinances are widely seen as not continue unless it wins a vote of Party to get them reunited. Oli’s grow- rule in favour of holding a mid-term Nepal Communist Party are unlikely the worst choices for the country is to evidence of his penchant to run a qua- confidence in the reinstated House. ing ambition has raised a few eyebrows election with or without a definite to accept an Oli-led caretaker govern- seek a fresh mandate by holding a free, si-authoritarian rule. He plainly refused Shifting alliances and re-alliances in Delhi, hence they would like to see a date. The key question underlying this ment to hold the election. fair and timely election. Further dest- to accommodate top party leaders will result in short-lived governments weakened Nepal Communist Party in scenario is who will lead the govern- There are two variants of this sce- abilisation of the beleaguered consti- including Pushpa Kamal Dahal and and thus prolonged instability. Our the electoral fray. India will thus throw ment to hold the polls. Owing to nario. One, demand for an interim tution, combined with a breakdown in Madhav Kumar Nepal who later chose neighbours in the north and south, as its weight behind a Nepali Congress- inter-party mistrust, there is a prece- government led by an apolitical and political engagement, could lead to an to part ways. usual, are likely to jump into the scene Janata Samajwadi Party coalition gov- dent of political parties delaying widely accepted figure or a civil serv- irreparable political and constitution- to ‘resolve the imminent crisis in the ernment. reaching a consensus to lead an elec- ant-led transitional government with al void and violence. Three scenarios neighbourhood’. Beijing will obviously The second scenario envisions that toral government. The Nepali the sole task of holding the election. The political fault lines were already try for a renewed dialogue between the the Supreme Court will uphold Oli’s Congress, Janata Samajwadi Party Two, an all-party election govern- Das is a programme management wide and clear when the constitution two factions of the Nepal Communist decision to dissolve Parliament and and the Dahal-Nepal faction of the ment. A rise to the radicalisation of specialist.

C M Y K 05 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 MONEY

FOREX German US 117.52 Tourism Ministry begins search for Euro 142.94 investigators Pound 159.84 Japanese 11.28 a partner to run Bhairahawa airport shut down Chinese 18.19 Qatari 32.27 The facility is envisaged to become the gateway to the international pilgrimage destination of Lumbini. big darknet Australian 90.93 SANGAM PRASAIN Malaysian 28.96 KATHMANDU, JAN 12 marketplace Saudi 31.32 The Tourism Ministry has begun look- ASSOCIATED PRESS Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank ing for a foreign management partner BERLIN, JAN 12 to run Bhairahawa international air- port as it is nearing completion. The German prosecutors said on Tuesday Shares successful candidate will be selected that they have taken down what they through open competition. believe was the biggest illegal market- Nepse 2,267.73pts 1.26% The completion date is still uncer- place on the darknet and arrested its tain as the second package of the con- suspected operator. HIGHEST GAINERS struction work has not started because The site, known as DarkMarket, IGI ACLBSL CORBL UFL UPPER PLI 10% 9.98% 9.93% 9.90% 9.89% 9.78% the coronavirus has prevented the was shut down on Monday, prosecu- contractor from coming to Nepal. This tors in the southwestern city of MODERATE GAINERS FMDBL SLICL GLICL KRBL CFCL SLBSL task will take at least six months, offi- Koblenz said. All sorts of drugs, forged 2.93% 2.92% 2.86% 2.86% 2.79% 2.70% cials said. money, stolen or forged credit cards,

MODERATE LOSERS Nepal saw rapid growth in passen- anonymous mobile phone SIM cards SBL PCBL KLBSL CHCL HDL GIMES1 ger and aircraft movement in the last and malware were among the things -0.24% -0.23% -0.17% -0.17% -0.12% -0.08% two decades, and the resulting disar- offered for sale there, they added. HIGHEST LOSERS ray has highlighted the country’s German investigators were assisted NHDL PIC CLBSL NMB50 SLICLP EICPO inadequate aviation infrastructure in their months-long probe by US -3.78% -2.29% -2.22% -1.86% -1.74% -1.69% and the incompetence of Nepali offi- authorities and by Australian, British, cials in managing its sole internation- Danish, Swiss, Ukrainian and al airport. Moldovan police. Tourism Joint Secretary Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane told the Post BULLION PRICE PER TOLA that after ending the process of The marketplace appointing Germany’s Munich Fine Gold Rs 92,800 Airport as the operator of Gautam had nearly 500,000 Buddha International Airport POST FILE PHOTO Silver Rs 1,250 through a government-to-government The completion date is still uncertain as the second package of construction has not started because the pandemic has prevented the users and more than deal, they have begun a fresh process contractor from coming to Nepal. SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA to find another partner. 2,400 vendors. “We will study the appropriate airport has been developed under the The earlier process to appoint But before Munich Airport could modality—the management, financial Asian Development Bank’s South Asia Munich Airport for the operation of submit its detailed plan, including the GASOLINE WATCH and other aspects,” he said. Tourism Infrastructure Development Gautam Buddha International Airport operation modality, fees and revenue The marketplace had nearly 500,000 Since the government has given the Project. It is envisaged to become the ended abruptly after a government sharing system, the Covid-19 pandem- users and more than 2,400 vendors, lucrative ground handling job at the gateway to the international pilgrim- committee stated that a number of ic came up. prosecutors said. They added that it new airport to Nepal Airlines, the age destination of Lumbini, the birth- projects planned under govern- Questions over transparency have processed more than 320,000 transac- operation modality of the terminal place of Gautam Buddha. ment-to-government deals had been raised regarding a number of tions, and Bitcoin and Monero crypto- could be different as it may have to The financier has also requested sparked controversy over lack of G2G projects such as the setting up of currency to the value of more than 140 fund the new management in the ini- the government to allow a foreign transparency. a security printing press and procure- million euros were exchanged. tial phase, according to officials. management partner to operate the The government is under heavy ment of machine-readable passports, The darknet is a part of the web Rajan Pokhrel, director general of airport. pressure to improve the efficiency of satellite and medical equipment. Most accessible only with specialised iden- the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Almost all the civil works at Gautam the sole international airport in of the projects were eventually can- tity-cloaking tools. said that the airport may not see as Buddha International Airport, which Kathmandu that is managed by the celled. The latest controversy being The suspected operator, a 34-year- many passengers as expected in the has a 3,000-metre-long and 45-metre- Civil Aviation Authority. the procurement of six Chinese-made old Australian man, was arrested beginning, and the government may wide runway, have been completed. In June 2019, the cabinet had given planes for Nepal Airlines. near the German-Danish border. have to pay its managing partner. The installation of communica- its ‘in principle’ approval to the Construction work at Gautam Prosecutors said a judge has ordered “The airport taxes that passengers tions, navigation and surveillance Tourism Ministry’s proposal to Buddha International Airport began him held in custody pending possible pay will be a major source of income equipment, including the meteorologi- appoint foreign firms through a gov- in January 2015. The Civil Aviation formal charges, and he hasn’t given for the company that will manage cal instruments, is being held up due ernment-to-government deal. Authority awarded the Rs6.22-billion any information to investigators. the airport,” he said, adding that the to Covid-19. Subsequently, in November 2019, contract to China’s Northwest Civil More than 20 servers in Moldova modality will determine the financial The Thai company contracted to the government formed a six-member Aviation Airport Construction Group and Ukraine were seized, German and operational aspects of the con- install the equipment is not ready to team to negotiate with the German in November 2013. prosecutors said. They hope to find tract. The ministry has received the come to Nepal immediately because of airport after it expressed interest in The airport was initially slated to information on those servers about go-ahead from the cabinet to induct infection risks. operating the facility in Bhairahawa be ready in December 2017. But the other participants in the marketplace. a foreign management partner for the According to officials at the avia- in January. The Tourism Ministry had project encountered multiple hurdles Prosecutors said the move originat- airport. tion authority, it may be another year also asked the company to submit a that pushed back the completion dead- ed in an investigation of a data pro- Located in south central Nepal, the before the airport is ready. detailed plan. line repeatedly. cessing centre. Pandemic restrictions a business UK supermarkets insist on face coverings REUTERS supermarkets and other food stores. Asda issued a similar statement. It LONDON, JAN 12 “To protect our customers and col- said if customers had forgotten a face boon for some Iraqi women leagues, we won’t let anyone into our covering, it would continue to offer Tesco, Asda and Waitrose will not let stores who is not wearing a face cover- them one free of charge. shoppers into their stores if they are ing, unless they are exempt in line “But should a customer refuse to work, according to the United Nations. not wearing a face covering, the with government guidance,” market wear a covering without a valid medi- Tamara Amir, who manages a British supermarket groups said on leader Tesco said in a statement. cal reason and be in any way challeng- Facebook page to educate Iraqi women Tuesday, joining rivals Sainsbury’s “Our colleagues are working hard ing to our colleagues about doing so - about their rights, said she receives and Morrisons which made the policy in difficult circumstances to make our security colleagues will refuse dozens of calls each day from women change a day earlier. sure everyone can get what they need, their entry,” it said. facing sexual harassment at work. With Covid-19 infection numbers and we’d ask everyone to please be The John Lewis Partnership also Often, they report feeling they have to rising sharply, the UK government has kind, patient and respectful as we all said face coverings would be mandato- give their male boss “something in expressed concern about the spread of work to keep each other safe.” ry at its Waitrose supermarkets. return” to get a job or advancement. the virus in supermarkets, with some Tesco said it was also asking cus- The British Retail Consortium, Ali’s parents have been supportive people breaching rules by not wearing tomers to shop alone, unless they are a which represents more than 170 major of her home-based business, which masks while shopping. carer or with children. retailers including the big supermar- she says is more secure and means she Non-essential retail, restaurants It has also put in additional security ket groups, said on Monday it was the does not have to go outside and mix and bars are shut across Britain, lead- in stores to manage the change in police’s responsibility to enforce face with people. Her mother helps her ing to a high level of demand for stance. coverings and called for their support. prepare her products, and Ali teamed up with a popular delivery app. At first, she received two orders a week maximum. Now she can barely keep up with the multiple orders she gets every day. Jabs equal jobs? Fed sees possible Mariam Khzarjian, a 31-year-old Iraqi-Armenian, worked as an execu- tive assistant in an engineering com- pany for seven years. She quit in late economic boom if vaccine gets on track 2018, feeling her career was going nowhere, and started her own home REUTERS business selling handmade accesso- WASHINGTON, JAN 12 ries inspired by her ancestors, who used to work as carpenters. One US Federal Reserve official says She called her business Khzar— there is now a “clearer focus” about AP/RSS Armenian for the art of cutting met- the economy’s path forward and a A takeaway cheese-plate that Fatima Ali sells making a small but steady income, in Baghdad. als and woods—with the slogan “wear horizon for a fuller recovery. Another a story,” since Khzar designs are says the pandemic’s “endgame” is ASSOCIATED PRESS On a recent day in her kitchen, Ali based on telling stories and building here. A third predicts 2021 will prove BAGHDAD, JAN 12 cut up and arranged cheeses, dried emotional communication with the “impressive.” fruit and nuts as she talked about her clients. After a catastrophic spell when eco- Fatima Ali was in her final year stud- further dreams. She wants to go to She got off to a slow start. nomic conditions were so confounded ying to become a medical analysis culinary school abroad and one day Distractions got in the way. But the by the coronavirus that the Fed specialist when Iraq imposed a full open a school in Iraq for those “who pandemic forced her to focus, working stopped making projections altogeth- lockdown in March. Forced by a rag- have passion for cooking, like me.” on new designs and techniques during er, US central bankers now like what ing pandemic to stay home, she spent “This is just the beginning. I’m still curfews. The move toward online they see. her days on social media, looking for developing myself,” she said. The slo- shopping helped her business take off Even as they concede the riots by something to do with her time. gan on her purple T-shirt declared, in a way she could not have imagined. supporters of President Donald Then an idea came to her: Six years “You Have to Love Yourself.” “Online became the only way to Trump that shut down Congress last ago, visiting America on a young lead- Rawan Al-Zubaidi, a business part- reach clients, and they in turn became week and concerns about continued ers exchange program, she and other ner at an Iraqi NGO that supports more loyal and more confident violence pose a risk, officials say the students toured a Vermont cheese fac- start-ups and young entrepreneurs, about my art, because they are buying transition to a new administration on tory where aged cheese platters were said there’s been a noticeable increase something without trying it,” Jan. 20 and a likely accelerating vac- REUTERS displayed on wooden boards so invit- in home-based businesses since the Khzarjian said. cine rollout have left them optimistic. A vial, sryinge and small toy figures are seen in front of a US flag in this January 11 illustration. ing they looked like paintings. pandemic’s start, including women “Corona is terrible, but for those The incoming administration of “I liked it … I said to myself, why making food deliveries, sweets, acces- able to take advantage of the internet President-elect Joe Biden has said it Even those arguing policy will like- focus,” with vaccines likely leading to not be the first to do it in Baghdad?” sories, crocheting and embroidering. and build connections with custom- plans to speed vaccine distribution, ly remain on hold point to consumers’ a fuller reopening by midyear. She took a free online business course “It represents a solution to obsta- ers, it had its positive side,” she said. and outgoing Trump administration still-amply-stuffed war chests from Since the Fed last met in mid-De- and researched cheeses and wooden cles that Iraqi women face when try- Sara al-Nedawi, 23, studied business officials may move as soon as last year’s federal relief efforts, cember, there has been a whipsaw plates available in the Iraqi capital. ing to find a job,” she said, citing administration and has tried to find a today to recommend on its own that including a $900 billion re-topping of sequence of events around both Months later, 22-year-old Ali is suc- women whose husbands or fathers job for months. age limits be lowered and other rules aid approved just before year end. the pandemic and US governance, cessfully marketing her cheese boards, won’t let them work, unsupportive “One day I sent my CV to a compa- be loosened so more people can get “We have a trillion [dollars] in matters both critical to the economy’s making a small but steady income and male colleagues, discrimination and ny, and they texted me to ask if I was shots now. excess savings. We have checks com- performance. garnering over 2,000 Instagram follow- lack of career growth opportunities. pretty and whether I wear the hijab or For the Fed, even though the coun- ing in the mailbox. There will be A massive surge in coronavirus ers. A growing number of Iraqi “Some Iraqi women can’t find a job not,” she said, referring to the head- try’s short term political and health enough demand” from consumers to cases has been offset by optimism over women are using pandemic restric- because conservative families or hus- scarf worn by some Muslim women. risks seem great, they have focused on keep the recovery on track, Fed Vice the initial distribution of two vac- tions to establish home-based busi- bands consider that women talking Someone from another company she the more positive prospects of the Chair Richard Clarida said last week cines. Confirmation of the Democratic nesses. It’s a way to bypass discrimi- directly with other men on the job will applied to called her to get more infor- medium term—with some even sug- in forecasting an “impressive” 2021. Party’s control of both the executive nation and harassment that often bring shame on them,” Rawan said. mation, then told her she has a lovely gesting the strength of the ensuing If 2020 was when shutdowns and and legislative branches was offset by come with working in Iraq’s male-dom- Women’s labour force participation voice and asked for a photo. recovery may even accelerate their disease took the economy to “new and outgoing President Donald Trump’s inated, conservative society—and in Iraq is particularly low. As of 2018, Now she is trying to start a home- plans to pull on some of the steps unfamiliar places,” Richmond Fed effort to subvert the electoral out- bring in extra income as the economy only 12.3 percent of women of work- based food-catering business but lacks taken this year to battle the coronavi- President Thomas Barkin said, “the come, reaching a crescendo in last worsens. ing age were employed or looking for the capital. rus recession. future has finally come into clearer Wednesday’s assault on the Capitol.

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 | 06 WORLD BRIEFING India delivers Covid-19 shots to prepare India says trust with India’s top court orders stay China ‘profoundly on new farm laws disturbed’, US ties NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court on for ‘world’s biggest vaccination drive’ Tuesday ordered an indefinite stay on the implementation of new agricul- on upswing tural laws that have triggered wide- spread protest from farmers, saying it First to get the vaccine will be 30 million frontline workers, followed by 270 million older than 50 or deemed at high-risk. REUTERS wanted to protect farmers and would NEW DELHI, JAN 12 hear their objections. For more than doses only to the government of India a month, tens of thousands of on their request,” Adar Poonawalla, India’s Foreign Minister farmers have camped on the outskirts the firm’s chief executive, told Reuters Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on of New Delhi, the capital, to protest television’s India partner ANI. Tuesday that trust with China had against reform measures that they The price represented a gesture been deeply impaired after last sum- say benefit large private buyers and of support for the common man, mer’s border clash which resulted in harm growers. Chief Justice Sharad those who are poor and vulnerable, and the first combat deaths in 45 years. Bobde told a hearing the Supreme healthcare workers, he said, adding, Ties with the United States, on the Court would set up a panel to hear “After that we’ll be selling it at 1,000 other hand, were converging and were the farmers’ grievances. Indian rupees in private markets.” likely to expand under the new admin- While AstraZeneca has said it istration in Washington, India’s top would not profit from the vaccine dur- diplomat told the Reuters Next Leading human rights group ing the pandemic, neighbouring conference. calls Israel an ‘apartheid’ state Bangladesh is expected to pay about $4 Tensions with China erupted in JERUSALEM: A leading Israeli human a dose, and pricing in Britain is as yet June, when 20 Indian soldiers were rights group has begun describing unknown. killed in brutal hand-to-hand fighting, both Israel and its control of the Health authorities in eastern while China suffered an unspecified Palestinian territories as a single and western states said they would number of casualties in the clash on a “apartheid” regime, using an explo- make use of experience gained disputed section of the border in the sive term that the country’s leaders from running regular child immuni- western Himalayas. and their supporters vehemently sation programmes for polio to Both sides have deployed heavily in reject. In a report released on ensure full coverage in what they the contested area, and the escalation Tuesday, B’Tselem says that while called the world’s biggest vaccination poses the most serious military crisis Palestinians live under different drive. between the nuclear-armed neigh- forms of Israeli control in the occu- But creaking transport networks bours for decades. pied West Bank, blockaded Gaza, and a crumbling healthcare system “After 45 years, you’ve actually had annexed east Jerusalem and within add an enormous layer of complexity, bloodshed on the border. And that’s Israel itself, they have fewer rights they said. had a huge impact on public opinion than Jews in the entire area between India’s tally of close to 10.5 million and politically. ...really the impact of the Mediterranean Sea and the infections is the world’s second high- trust and confidence in India where Jordan River. est after the United States, although China and their relationship is con- the rate of increase has been slowing. cerned. That has been profoundly dis- On Tuesday, India added 12,584 turbed,” Jaishankar said. Twitter suspends 70,000 REUTERS cases, for its lowest daily increase in The two countries fought a border A police officer performs prayers in front of a truck carrying first consignment of COVISHIELD, a coronavirus disease vaccine developed by several months, while the death toll war in 1962, but until last summer accounts linked to pro-Trump AstraZeneca and Oxford University, before it leaves from Serum Bio-Pharma Park of Serum Institute of India, in Pune, India, on Tuesday. exceeds 151,000. they had largely kept a lid on tensions QAnon conspiracy along the Line of Actual Control, the SAN FRANCISCO: Twitter announced REUTERS various cities, Aviation Minister de facto border, while expanding com- on Monday it has suspended “more NEW DELHI/BENGALURU, JAN 12 Hardeep Singh Puri said on Twitter. India’s Bharat Biotech to supply vaccine to Brazil mercial ties. than 70,000 accounts” linked to the Officials in Prime Minister “Now last year, for reasons which QAnon conspiracy theory following Indian airlines started delivering Narendra Modi’s western home state REUTERS But health experts and are not clear to us, the Chinese really the attack on the US Capitol. The batches of Covid-19 vaccines nation- of Gujarat said vaccine distribution NEW DELHI, JAN 12 opposition lawmakers have brought an enormous military force to social network began its purge on wide on Tuesday, preparing for was their top priority. criticised approval of COVAXIN one part of the border. And then at the Friday, shortly after it had the launch of a campaign to offer “These vaccines will be taken to the India’s Bharat Biotech has signed due to a lack of efficacy data. Line of Actual Control, obviously we permanently suspended Trump’s shots to 1.3 billion people, in what offi- cold storage from the airport and an agreement with a medicine Bharat Biotech said it has signed moved up when we saw them coming account for language that could cials call the world’s biggest vaccina- swiftly delivered to vaccination distributor to supply its Covid-19 an agreement with a Brazil-based and that has sort of created, friction incite violence. “Since Friday, tion drive. booths,” said Nitin Patel, the state’s vaccine to Brazil, it said on Tuesday, pharmaceutical seller, Precisa points along the Line of Actual more than 70,000 accounts have been Vaccinations are set to begin on deputy chief minister. even as the shot’s emergency use Medicamentos, to supply COVAXIN. Control,” Jaishankar said. suspended as a result of our efforts, Saturday in an effort that authorities Modi’s government signed purchase approval in its home country has Criticism of India’s approval of Several rounds of military and dip- with many instances of a single indi- hope will see 300 million high-risk pacts on Monday with vaccine maker faced criticism. the vaccine has grown after news lomatic negotiations have taken place vidual operating numerous people inoculated over the next six to Serum Institute of India (SII), based India’s drug regulator has given that a regulatory panel approved but there has been no pullback of accounts,” Twitter said in a blog post. eight months. in the western city of Pune, for its emergency use approval to Bharat the shot just one day after asking forces from the frontline. India expects “These accounts were engaged in First to get the vaccine will be 30 Covishield shot, more than a week Biotech’s COVAXIN, as well as to the vaccine maker for more the talks to lead to an amicable solu- sharing harmful QAnon-associated million health and other frontline after approving the vaccine developed AstraZeneca and Oxford evidence it would work. tion, the Indian army chief Manoj content at scale and were primarily workers, followed by about 270 million by Britain’s AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s Covidshield vaccine, Brazil has registered over 8 Mukund Narvane said on Tuesday. dedicated to the propagation of older than 50 or deemed high-risk. University. which is being produced by the million infections and over 203,000 Jaishankar said relations with the this conspiracy theory across the Airlines were due to deliver 5.65 “We’ve given a special price of 200 Serum Institute of India. deaths since the pandemic began. United States were on the upswing service.” (AGENCIES) million vaccine doses on Tuesday to rupees ($2.73) for the first 100 million and he was confident about its direc- tion under the incoming Biden administration. “When I look at many of the chal- lenges we face, the US is going to be much more open looking for partners Democratic drive to and I’m confident about where we are going with the relationship. India has built close defence ties with Washington, buying more than impeach Trump after $20 billion of weapons over the last 15 years, as it diversifies away from tra- ditional supplier Russia. Together with US allies Japan and Capitol siege speeds up Australia, it has participated in naval exercises in the Indian Ocean which REUTERS ers to march to the famous domed security analysts say is part of WASHINGTON, JAN 12 building where Congress was working attempts to balance China’s assertive to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s actions in the region. Democrats will give President Donald Nov. 3 election victory. “Structurally the relationship with Trump one last chance to leave office “The president’s threat to America the US is very very sound, it has very days before his term expires or face an is urgent, and so too will be our unique elements, there is political unprecedented second impeachment action,” said Pelosi. convergence, growing security and over his supporters’ deadly January 6 With only eight days left in Trump’s defence convergence,” Jaishankar assault on the US Capitol. term, chances the Democratic drive said. The Democratic-led House of will result in his removal appear On trade though, the two countries Representatives plans to vote as soon remote. got bogged down in details and lost the as Wednesday on formal charges of Impeachment triggers a trial in the “wood for the trees”, he said. misconduct, known as articles of Republican-controlled Senate, which Negotiators have been working toward impeachment, unless Trump resigns is in recess and not scheduled to a mini trade pact for months without or Vice President Mike Pence moves to return to Washington until January making headway. oust him under a provision in the US 19, the day before Biden is to be Jaishankar said India would Constitution. sworn in. respond positively to any offer or invi- The House is due to vote on Tuesday A Senate conviction requires a two- AP/RSS tation from the Biden administration on a resolution calling on Pence, a thirds vote, which means at least 17 Thai classical dancers wearing face shields to help curb the spread of the coronavirus perform at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, Thailand, on to restart some kind of free-trade Republican, to invoke within a day the Republicans would have to break with Tuesday. Thailand’s government announced new measures, including partial lockdowns with strict travel restrictions in some areas. talks. 25th Amendment, a never-before used a president who has maintained an law that allows a majority of the iron grip over his party for four years. Cabinet to strip the president of power Democrats will take control of the if he or she is unable to discharge the Senate once the two winners of last office’s duties. week’s runoff elections in Georgia are Pence advisers say he is opposed to seated later this month, creating a Divers recover ‘black box’ from crashed Indonesia plane the idea. 50-50 split and giving Vice The violence at the Capitol caused a President-elect Kamala Harris the ASSOCIATED PRESS National Transportation Safety Board serious rift between Trump and Pence, tie-breaking vote. JAKARTA, JAN 12 will join in investigating the crash. and the two men did not speak for An impeachment trial could pro- The NTSC chairman, Soerjanto days, although they did meet at the ceed even after Trump leaves office. Indonesian navy divers searching the Tjahjono, ruled out a possible midair White House on Monday. A senior Some Democrats have expressed con- ocean floor on Tuesday recovered the breakup after seeing the condition of administration official said they dis- cern that a trial could hamper Biden’s flight data recorder from a Sriwijaya the wreckage found by searchers. He cussed the riot. agenda, slowing down confirmation Air jet that crashed into the Java Sea said the jet was intact until it struck “The two had a good conversation, of his appointees and distracting from with 62 people on board. the water, concentrating the debris discussing the week ahead and reflect- legislative priorities such as a new The device is expected to help inves- field, rather than spreading it out over ing on the last four years of the admin- coronavirus relief package. tigators determine what caused the a large area as would be seen with a istration’s work and accomplish- Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Boeing 737-500 plane to nosedive into midair event. ments,” the official added. Democrat, told Fox News on Monday the ocean in heavy rain shortly after The disaster has reignited concerns If Trump has not stepped down and he viewed the impeachment drive as taking off from Jakarta on Saturday. about safety in Indonesia’s aviation Pence has not taken action by “ill-advised” given how unlikely con- TV stations showed divers on an industry, which grew fast after the Wednesday, Democratic leaders said viction appears to be. inflatable vessel with a large white economy was opened following the fall they will bring his impeachment to If an impeachment trial is held, container containing the device head- of dictator Suharto in the late 1990s. the House floor, one week after the riot Biden said on Monday he hoped the ing to a Jakarta port. The United States had banned that forced lawmakers into hiding for Senate would be able to conduct nor- Military chief Air Chief Marshal Indonesian carriers from operating in hours and left behind five dead, mal business at the same time, per- Hadi Tjahjanto said the plane’s other the country in 2007, lifting the action including a police officer. haps by splitting its hours in half. “black box,” the cockpit voice record- in 2016, citing improvements in com- Meanwhile, US Representative Tom Trump, who initially praised his er, was likely to be found soon because pliance with international aviation Reed, a moderate Republican, wrote in supporters even after the violence its beacon was being emitted in the standards. The European Union lifted a New York Times op-ed that he and unfolded, delivered an uncharacteris- same area. a similar ban in 2018. House colleagues would introduce a tically subdued video statement on The devices were buried in seabed AP/RSS In the past year, Indonesian avia- censure resolution against Trump on Thursday denouncing the attack and mud under tons of sharp objects in Indonesian Navy divers position their boats near marker buoys as they continue the search tion was affected significantly by the Tuesday as an alternative to a “rushed, vowing a smooth transition of power. the plane’s wreckage, navy Chief for the wreckage of the crashed Sriwijaya Air passenger jet continues in the Java Sea, near coronavirus pandemic that caused divisive” impeachment. He did not, however, concede defeat Adm. Yudo Margono said. He said at Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday. travel restrictions and a slump in But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in the election. least 160 divers were deployed Tuesday demand among travellers. the top congressional Democrat, told Trump has not been seen in public in the search. Monday said they had identified their Anguished family members have Sriwijaya Air has had only minor Democratic members on a conference since the day of the Capitol siege, More than 3,600 rescue personnel, first victim, 29-year-old flight atten- been providing samples for DNA tests safety incidents in the past, though a call on Monday that a censure “would although he plans to travel to Texas on 13 helicopters, 54 large ships and 20 dant Okky Bisma. and police say results are expected in farmer was killed in 2008 when a plane be an abdication of our responsibili- Tuesday to visit a section of the small boats are searching the area just His wife, Aldha Refa, who is also a 4-8 days. went off the runway while landing ty,” according to a source familiar US-Mexico border wall. north of Jakarta where Flight 182 flight attendant for Sriwijaya Air, National Police spokesman Rusdi due to a hydraulic issue. with the call. Trump’s favourite means of crashed and have found parts of the shared her grief in a series of posts on Hartono said about 53 samples for In 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet oper- Democratic lawmakers introduced communication was cut off last plane and human remains in the social media. DNA testing have been collected but ated by Lion Air crashed, killing 189 one article of impeachment on week when Twitter suspended his water at a depth of 23 meters (75 feet). “My husband is a loving, devout and more are still needed, especially from people. An automated flight-control Monday, accusing Trump of inciting a account permanently, saying it was So far, the searchers have sent 74 super kind man,” she wrote on parents and children of victims. system played a role in that crash, but violent insurrection with a fiery concerned he could use it to incite body bags containing human remains Instagram. “Heaven is your place, Indonesia’s National Transportation the Sriwijaya Air jet did not have that speech exhorting thousands of follow- further mayhem. to police identification experts who on dear ... be peaceful there.” Safety Committee said the U.S. system on board.

C M Y K 07 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 SPORTS | MEDLEY BRIEFING Manday Kaji and Gaurika big winners at Sports Award Man United and Liverpool to meet in FA Cup 4th round The 13th SAG double gold medallist Shrestha was named male player of the year and winner of four gold medals Singh won female player of the year award. LONDON: Manchester United were drawn to host Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup, pitting English football’s two biggest teams against each other. It means the fierce rivals Para-athlete will meet on successive weekends, with Liverpool hosting United in the Premier League on January 17, fol- Chemjong honoured lowed by their FA Cup match at the Old Trafford on January 23 or 24. SPORTS BUREAU They are currently the top two in the KATHMANDU, JAN 12 Premier League. Between them they have won 19 FA Cups. Another high- Multi-disciplinary wheelchair athlete light of Monday’s FA Cup draw was Digam Singh Chemjong was honoured sixth-tier Chorley, which stunned sec- at the annual NSJF Pulsar Sports ond-tier Derby in the third round on Award. Saturday, getting a home match Chemjong was restricted to wheel- against Wolverhampton Wanderers chair after he suffered a road accident of the Premier League. Manchester in Qatar in 2008 while he was there for City and Tottenham were also given abroad employment. away matches against fourth-tier He says he was inspired to become a Cheltenham and Wycombe para-athlete after seeing a person with respectively. a similar condition like him at the hospital speeding on his wheelchair. “The very scene shaped my future John Isner skips Australian and I was determined to become a para-athlete when I returned home in Open over Covid protocols 2009,” said Chemjong. DELRAY BEACH: American John Isner A year after he returned home after said on Monday he will not travel to his treatment, he took part in a swim- Melbourne for next month’s ming competition and won. Since that Australian Open due to strict Covid- win, he never looked back. 19 health protocols. Players are set to Now Chemjong is one of the star begin arriving in Melbourne this wheelchair athletes of Nepal. He has week for the Grand Slam event and played almost all wheelchair games in Victoria’s state government has the country. He has excelled in cricket, said it is imposing the strongest basketball, table tennis and swim- restrictions for the February 8-21 ming. He is also the first professional Open. Players and staff have to iso- wheelchair cricketer of the country late for two weeks before they take POST PHOTO: KESHAV THAPA who played for Karachi Eagles in the part in warmup events at the Winners of the NSJF Pulsar Sports Award pose with Sports Minister Dawa Tamang (fifth right) and National Sports Council Member Secretary Ramesh Silwal at Satdobato, Lalitpur. Pakistani cricket league. Melbourne Park from January 31. “I Chemjong is the allrounder of the always had visions of being able to SPORTS BUREAU Swimmer Singh who won the female exploits that included record 12 gold national wheelchair cricket team that travel with my family,” the 35-year-old KATHMANDU, JAN 12 player of the year award had secured NSJF PULSAR SPORTS AWARD medals, six silver and 11 bronze medals. competed in the Asian Wheelchair said. “Of course, that wouldn’t be four gold medals, two silver and three AWARD WINNER “The credit of achievement in the Cricket last year in Nepal. He also the case for Australia this year. It Karateka Manday Kaji Shrestha and bronze at the 13th SAG. She achieved SAG goes to fellow coaches, hardwork- secured a silver medal in the para-ta- really was just a situation where I swimmer Gaurika Singh won the top finishes in 100m, 200m and 400m Player of the year male Manday Kaji Shrestha (Karate) ing players and taekwondo family,” ble tennis tournament held last year didn’t want to be away from my highest sports accolade at the annual freestyle besides podium finish in Player of the year female Gaurika Singh (Swimming) said Shrestha. in Pokhara. family for that long. I decided NSJF Pulsar Sports Award held at the 200m backstroke. Player of the year youth Subash Tamang (Golf) He finished ahead of karate chief “My ambition is to play in the to stay home.” Karate Hall in Satdobato, Lalitpur, on “I thank NSJF for honouring me coach Madan Upreti, wushu coach Special Olympics,” said Chemjong. Tuesday. with this award,” said Singh in a live Player of the year coach Nabin Shrestha (Taekwondo) Amar Kumar Thing, boxing coach Shrestha won the male player of the video message from London. Peoples’ choice award Aruna Shahi (Volleyball) Prakash Thapa Magar and swimming Alaves, Huesca fire coaches year while teenage swimmer Singh Taekwondo’s double gold medal coach Shankar Karki to win the said Shakya. “I want to dedicate the Para-athlete honour Digam Singh Chemjong MADRID: Struggling La Liga clubs won the award in the female player winner Ayasha Shakya, karate’s Anu award. award to all mothers who dare to Alaves and Huesca have sacked their category. Adhikari, athlete Santoshi Shrestha Special award Ayasha Shakya (Taekwondo) National women’s volleyball teams dream.” coaches in a bid to boost their chanc- Karateka Shrestha had secured and triathlete Soni Gurung were the Special award Santoshi Shrestha (Athletics) were honoured with the team of the The other special award winner es of avoiding relegation. Basement twin gold medals in the 13th South other nominees in the category. All of year award. The women’s team had Shrestha was honoured for setting a Lifetime achievement award Geeta Chhetri and Sijerin Shah club Huesca decided to part ways Asian Games (SAG) held last year them had won at least one gold each in secured historic gold in the AVC new record in Nepali athletics by with Michel in the early hours of from December 1 to 10, making him the SAG. Team of the year National women’s volleyball team Central Zone Women’s Volleyball securing a middle distance gold for Monday, shortly after losing 2-0 at the frontrunner for the male player of Volleyball captain Aruna Shahi Asian sports journalist award Ahmad Khawari Isa (Malaysia) Championship last year. Apart from the first time, which he had won by ten home to Real Betis. They had only the year award. won the peoples’ choice award beating that, the national game of the country milliseconds. one victory from 18 games this season “It is like a dream come true to win swimmer Singh, basketball star had also won silver in the SAG. Shrestha who won the 10,000m race since earning promotion in their first a prize in the biggest award ceremony Sadina Shrestha, footballer Sabitra sports started as a ball boy, had won Taekwondo player Ayasha Shakya is the first non-departmental player to campaign under Michel, who also got of the country that carries signifi- Bhandari and karateka Shrestha. the men’s individual and team event and athlete Santoshi Shrestha were win South Asian Gold besides legend- his previous club Rayo Vallecano pro- cance of national award. I would like The people’s choice award was gold at the SAG. He had also won the revealed as the winners of the special ary runner Baikuntha Manandhar. moted to the top flight only to lose his to thank the organisers for the cere- decided on the basis of eSewa votes, Surya Nepal Golf Championship award for their special achievements Former table tennis players Gita job the next season. Alaves, mean- mony and motivating players for their Facebook likes and points allocated by despite playing as an amateur. in the SAG. Chhetri and Sijerin Shah were hon- while, announced the sacking of effort,” the 36-year-old said after win- sports journalists and chief coaches “I would not have been here without Shakya, who claimed two gold med- oured with lifetime achievement Pablo Machin on Tuesday after a 3-1 ning the award. of sports associations. the support of Nepal Golf Association als on the opening day of the SAG, was awards. defeat at Cadiz left them 16th in the He finished ahead of four other “The Sports Award is a great plat- and its president Tashi Ghale. I thank the first female player to win two golds The duo had won team event gold in standings on 18 points, two above the nominees—golfer Subash Tamang, form for us. I thank everyone for sup- them for this achievement,” said at the South Asian sports spectacle. the 1991 Colombo SAG. It was the first relegation zone. Machin had taken athlete Gopi Chandra Parki, footballer porting me in the vote,” said Shahi, Tamang after winning the award. The mother of two secured top finish- occasion that any Nepali female ath- charge of Alaves at the start of the Bikesh Kuthu and taekwondo’s Kamal dedicating her award to Nepal Tamang was nominated along with es in the individual and pair poomsae lete had won gold in SAG. The duo season and earned a stunning away Shrestha. While Tamang had won two Volleyball Association, her team mem- weightlifter Sanju Chaudhary, judoka category of taekwondo and has been retired from active playing after 1995. win at champions Real Madrid plus a gold medals in the sub-continental bers and coaches. Punam Shrestha, taekwondo’s Sina active as a player for one and a Shah, who represents the golden gen- home draw with Barcelona, but could sports meet, all three other players Teenage golfer Subash Tamang won Limbu Maden and Bhupen Shrestha. half-decade. eration of Nepali tennis players, has ultimately not convince the club were gold medallists from their the youth player of the year award. Nabin Shrestha won the coach of the “I had not expected to win the award won eight international medals and hierarchy. (AGENCIES) respective games. The 18-year-old, whose journey in year award for his impressive SAG and after winning it I feel special,” Chhetri six. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** Getting into a blue mood is nothing that you need to An issue might pop up at home today, and you should Does it feel like while you’ve been taking things at a Emotionally speaking, this day will be partly cloudy. worry about. It’s something you should respect. A drop everything to address it. Skip the socialising leisurely pace? Are you convinced that you’re not But don’t get too hung up on this chance of showers. downward mood swing isn’t the end of the world. It’s and head for home. With so much going on, it can be where you should be in terms of your job, your love If the rain hits, you might be able to make the clouds just your mind telling you that you need to slow easy to overlook the needs of the people who just love life, or your personal development? Perhaps it is part faster if you share your deep feelings with some- down a bit. you for you, but this is a mistake. time to think things through. one you trust.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** You are starting a contemplative phase of life right Listen to others when they suggest you do something. Your imagination is an unpredictable thing. Your deep feelings about a controversial issue might now, but you don’t have to worry that it will negative- Their objectivity enables them to see this as a grow- Sometimes it creates an idea for your future that is not be well received by the company you keep today, ly affect your social life. Luckily, one or two of your ing opportunity for you, and it’s one you could really possible and positive. And sometimes it comes up so try to avoid bringing it up.. Right now you don’t closest friends are also feeling homebound, but they benefit from. You have nothing to lose, and the expe- with darker, worst-case scenarios. Obviously, that really want to get into heavy details about things with certainly wouldn’t mind hearing from you. rience will be empowering in the end. thinking gets you nowhere. You have to act on it. people who won’t understand.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** If you’re feeling indecisive about your feelings for The problems of other people don’t interest you too You’re feeling open and generous today. You won’t be Someone’s life is going to stop being so entertaining someone right now, you should give yourself more much right now, and even juicy gossip doesn’t thrill expected to give up much of what you have, but the and start becoming pretty annoying. Their emotion- time to figure it all out. You can’t move forward in you the way it used to. Right now you’re much more act of giving will make you feel good inside, and it al upheaval is getting to be too much to handle. The any type of relationship unless you feel comfortable self-involved, which is quite a switch for you. will help you grow closer to anyone you’re sharing good news is that you have no responsibility whatso- that you know who you’re dealing with. something with. ever for handling it. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2021 | 08 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 Gothams give virtual start to Oscar season, ‘Nomadland’ wins The first prominent award show to go forward during the pandemic, the Gotham Awards took a trial-and-error approach to mounting a show that couldn’t include the usual trappings of the annual film awards.

JAKE COYLE NEW YORK The show was treaming from an empty livestreamed on banquet hall and with acceptance speeches Facebook, with made from living rooms, the 30th Gotham Awards invitees placed gave a very strange Oscar digitally at tables. Sseason a virtual start Monday in a largely digital ceremony that crowned Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” the best film of with a tribute award, as was his 2020. “Ma Rainey” co-star Viola Davis. As the first prominent award The Gothams, which can steer show to go forward during the momentum in the Oscar race, gave pandemic, the Gotham Awards out a litany of tribute awards in took a trial-and-error approach taped presentations, including for to mounting a show that couldn’t Steve McQueen (“Small Axe”), the include the usual trappings of the ensemble of Aaron Sorkin’s “The annual independent film awards: Trial of the Chicago 7,” Ryan a flashy red carpet, free-flowing Murphy (“The Prom”) and Jeffrey cocktails, standing ovations. Wright. The Gothams nevertheless Simone Ledward Boseman, went ahead with a ceremony from Chadwick’s widow, accepted its usual home of Wall Street his award in an emotional taped Cipriani’s in downtown message. Manhattan, albeit without an “Chad, thank you,” she said. “I in-person audience and with only love you. I am so proud of you. a handful of presenters. Keep shining your light on us.” Opening the show, Jeffrey AP/RSS Other awards included best Sharp, executive director of the This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Frances McDormand in a scene from the film ‘Nomadland’ by Chloe Zhao. The film won best feature at the Gotham Awards. screenplay for both Radha Blank Gotham Film & Media Institute, (“The Forty-Year-Old Version”) predicted that there would be ble. Winners, appearing by video- audience awaited her speech. and Toronto film festivals, along said Zhao. “A strong community is and Dan Sallitt (“Fourteen”); “glitches and gremlins” through- conference, were sometimes “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear any- with best picture from the brought together by our love for breakthrough director for Andrew out the event. The show was lives- befuddled. thing. What’s going on?” said Diaz, National Society of Film Critics. cinema.” Patterson (“The Vast of Night”); treamed on Facebook, with “I think I’m supposed to be who then learned that she had “Nomadland” won both best fea- Other awards were more sur- and “Identifying Features” for invitees placed digitally at tables speaking right now but I hear so won. “Oh, I did?” she said. ture and the Gothams’ audience prising. Nicole Behaire won best best international film. via a poker program that Gotham many different people talking, I’m But the Gothams, which had award on Monday. All of the films actress for “Miss Juneteenth.” Bradley, accepting the shared organizers retooled to simulate not really sure what’s going on,” been postponed by about two nominated for best feature were “Oh, my God,” she mouthed while documentary award for “Time,” being seated at the gala. said breakthrough actor winner months to coincide with the directed by women, including still on mute. Turning her audio lamented that she couldn’t take “While we’re the first, we’re Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night in delayed Academy Awards calen- lead-nominee getter “First Cow,” on, she said it again: “Oh, my the stage with her collaborators, definitely not the last award show Miami”) from a hotel room in dar, fell into a kind of rhythm and by Kelly Reichardt. Zhao, whose God.” and the subjects of her film, Sibil exploring new ways to come London. a predictable winner. Zhao’s “The Rider” won best feature at The best actor category includ- “Fox” and Rob Richardson. together,” said Sharp. Ramona S Diaz, director of the “Nomadland,” starring Frances the Gothams two years ago, ed a posthumous nomination for “If this were in real space, there The results weren’t always Maria Ressa profile, “A Thousand McDormand as an itinerant thanked the festivals that, like the Chadwick Boseman’s performance would be so many more people up smooth, but they were typical of Cuts,” learned that she had won widow living in her van, was the Gothams, carried on despite the in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” here right now,” said Bradley. “But a pandemic that has made any best documentary, in a tie with sensation of a similarly pandem- trying circumstances. but the award went to Riz Ahmed, we’re living in two dimensions large gatherings—let alone glitzy Garrett Bradley’s incarceration ic-marred film festival season, “They truly showed us and for “Sound of Metal.” right now.” ones like the Gothams—impossi- tale “Time,” while the livestream winning top honors at the Venice reminded us that we’re not alone,” Boseman was still honoured —Associated Press In 2020, TV and film still Children learn Spain’s deadly couldn’t get abortion right Hollywood tends to dramatically exaggerate the art of bullfighting medical risks associated with abortion while Bullfighting has barely come back since the lockdown, with large outdoor events still not downplaying real barriers to access. allowed. But a teacher in Madrid is still teaching children the tradition—with safety measures.

STEPHANIE HEROLD & GRETCHEN SISSON abortions and cite their need to care for their MANU FERNÁNDEZ NEW YORK children as a reason for an abortion. Yet, only MADRID one character who got an abortion on televi- ccording to decades of sion in 2020 was raising a child. olding the red cape out- research, abortion is an Finally, despite the nearly insurmountable stretched, one boy prac- incredibly common and safe barriers many face to getting an abortion, tices making an elegant medical procedure. only five plot lines portrayed characters swivel as his fellow pupil But if you learned about struggling to access abortion care. slowly sweeps past with abortion only from movies and We did not, for example, see characters a pair of bull horns held TV,A that’s not the story you’d see. For the last have to repeatedly reschedule appointments Hin front. eight years, we’ve been studying onscreen because they could not take days off of work They are students of the Bullfighting depictions of abortion. We’ve found that or school or could not find child care. Nor did School at the Las Ventas bullring in Hollywood tends to dramatically exaggerate we see characters grapple with the devastat- Madrid, where children as young as the medical risks associated with abortion ing effects of the Hyde Amendment, a provi- nine can begin learning this deadly while downplaying real barriers to access. sion that denies the use of federal funds for dance of human and beast so closely Aside from a few exceptions, 2020’s paying for abortions. It essentially denies associated with Spanish identity. onscreen content continued to reflect pat- coverage of abortion for people who receive The school was closed from March to terns we’d identified in previous years. health insurance through the government— August when Spain went into one of the many of whom are already struggling to world’s strictest lockdowns to stem the Missing from the narratives make ends meet. spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Overall, we tracked 31 television storylines These are just a few of the many onerous Bullfighting, whose decline in Spain and 13 movie plot lines about abortion in obstacles that the majority of US abortion corresponds with a rise in an interest 2020. They include titles like the American patients face in the United States. Yet they for animal rights, has barely come release of the French film “Portrait of a Lady remain virtually absent onscreen. back since the lockdown, with the pub- on Fire”; HBO’s “Unpregnant” and “Never lic still not allowed into large outdoor Rarely Sometimes Always”; Hulu’s “Little The outliers events including professional sporting Fires Everywhere” and “Mrs. America”; and Still, there was some content that made strides. events. the independent film “Saint Frances.” In “Unpregnant” and “Never Rarely But teacher Miguel Rodríguez, a for- Thirty-one of them featured a character Sometimes Always,” barriers to access were mer torero, said his school has adapted having or disclosing an abortion. This is central to the plots. Each starred white, teen- like the rest of society to the pandemic more than we’ve seen in previous years. In age girls who road-trip with a friend to abor- era. Face masks and hand disinfectant the past, more characters changed their tion clinics in states that don’t have laws are mandatory inside the school’s minds, had miscarriages or didn’t even con- mandating parental consent. The films go to indoor workout room. When training sider having an abortion when faced with an great lengths to portray the logistical and outdoors in the sand-covered ring, financial hurdles to accessing care, and the masks are optional but social distanc- emotional fortitude and social support need- ing is respected. ed to make it possible. “Considering that this world was AP/RSS Entertainment media And although characters of colour had already being hard-hit before (the pan- Pupils Nicolas Sanz Luna, 10, right, performs holding plastic bull horns with Daniel at the have the power to shape their abortion stories told less frequently demic), the excitement that the boys Bullfighting School at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid, Spain. than in 2019, the few that did were notable: have brought back after the lockdown is what people know and The film “The Surrogate” tells the story of a incredible,” Rodríguez said. popular from supporting what many young Black woman acting as a gestational When students arrive for afternoon still consider a key part of Spain’s cul- how they feel about carrier for a gay couple. An episode of “Vida” classes after their regular school, they Face masks and tural patrimony. portrays Emma, a queer Latina, having a all address Rodríguez and the other hand disinfectant Las Ventas is one of the most prized social issues. medication abortion and learning that her teachers with a deferential “Good after- venues in bullfighting, and a privileged sister has had one, too. noon, maestro.” are mandatory inside place for its pupils to learn. It is the In “I May Destroy You,” Arabella, a young They exercise in a small gym, run- biggest ring in Spain with a capacity for unplanned pregnancy. Other patterns, how- Black writer, divulges a past abortion to her ning outside for long stretches with and the school’s indoor more than 23,000 spectators and the ever, remained remarkably consistent. As in therapist, who’s trying to help her heal from without the cape to build endurance third largest in the world. previous years, 74 percent of this year’s abor- a sexual assault. While not revolutionary in and agility with the equipment. They workout room. That helps draw students from all tion plot lines featured white characters. No and of themselves, taken together, these par- train in the techniques of facing down over Spain and from as far abroad as characters were parenting at the time of ticular plot lines suggest how abortion and the bull with the poise sought by aficio- France and South America. The school their abortion, and the majority of them other reproductive experiences can be subtly nados and the precision that is key to requires pupils to maintain good grades currently has around 70 students, faced few, if any, legislative, financial or or overtly affected by race and class, narra- emerging unscathed. in school and their teachers want them including four girls. logistical barriers to accessing an abortion. tives that are rarely explored onscreen. They break into pairs, one acting as to take away “a series of values: respect, At the age of 14, aspiring matadores This is inconsistent with what we know Entertainment media have the power to the bullfighter, the other as the bull. a work ethic, and sacrifice.” can face bulls of up to 2 years old in a about real-life people who get abortions. For shape what people know and how they feel The child playing the bull holds two bull Yet bullfighting has fallen out of bullring without spectators. At age 16, example, in the US, abortion patients are about social and medical issues. While the horns mounted on a plastic frame they favour with a large section of Spanish they can turn professional—if they most often people of colour. After seeing an taboo of telling abortion stories on film and can easily manoeuvre to mimic the society, particularly the urban young. have the right stuff. “It is very difficult increase in characters of colour obtaining TV has long been broken—the first film fea- runs the animal takes at the bullfighter. Northeastern Catalonia banned bull- to become a professional,” Rodríguez abortion onscreen in 2019, we had hoped that turing an abortion premiered in 1916, and the They move as if in slow motion, focus- fighting in 2010, even though a court said. “You have to be very gifted and this trend might continue. In fact, the num- first television plot line aired in 1962—we’re ing on learning the smooth movements later overturned the regional law. Other work very hard. Of 100 boys, maybe 5 or ber and proportion decreased. still waiting for an onscreen world that reflects of a bull pass through a cape. regions have followed suit. 6 will become bullfighters. A true great Similarly, the majority of US abortion the realities of abortion in American life. For Rodríguez, the mission of the But that has not stopped schools from only comes once in a decade.” patients are parenting at the time of their — Associated Press school goes beyond the ring. He said it operating and regions where it is still — Associated Press

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