WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXVIII No. 253 | 8 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in , , Bharatpur and 31.2 C -0.7 C Monday, November 09, 2020 | 24-07-2077 Biratnagar Jumla As winter sets in, faces double threat: Pollution and pandemic Studies around the world show the risk of Covid-19 fatality is higher with longer exposure to polluted air which engulfs the country as temperatures plummet.

ARJUN POUDEL Kathmandu, relative to other cities in KATHMANDU, NOV 8 respective countries. Prolonged exposure to air pollution Last week, a 15-year-old boy from has been linked to an increased risk of Kathmandu, who was suffering from dying from Covid-19, and for the first Covid-19, was rushed to Bir Hospital, time, a study has estimated the pro- after his condition started deteriorat- portion of deaths from the coronavi- ing. The boy, who was in home isola- rus that could be attributed to the tion after being infected, was first exacerbating effects of air pollution in admitted to the intensive care unit all countries around the world. and later placed on ventilator support. The study, published in “When his condition did not Cardiovascular Research, a journal of improve even after a week on a venti- European Society of Cardiology, esti- lator, we performed an influenza test. mated that about 15 percent of deaths The test came out positive,” Dr Ashesh worldwide from Covid-19 could be Dhungana, a pulmonologist, who is attributed to long-term exposure to air also a critical care physician at Bir pollution. In Europe, the proportion Hospital, told the Post. was about 19 percent, in North “The risk of co-infection of influenza America 17 percent, and in East Asia along with coronavirus has increased it was about 27 percent. with the decrease in temperatures and Another new study by researchers POST PHOTO: DEEPAK KC increase in pollution levels.” at Harvard University has shown that Swayambhu Stupa is clear of smog in this early morning view of Kathmandu Valley from Naikap. With the onset of winter, fog combines with smoke to make air pollution more severe. That polluted air worsens the spread people infected with Covid-19 who live and severity of Covid-19 has been estab- in areas with high levels of air pollu- lished by studies across the world. tion are more likely to die from the “Air pollution has a direct and illness than those who live in less pol- strong relation with the coronavirus,” luted regions. said Dhungana. “New cases of corona- The study based on Covid-19 data of Why the idea of alternative forces is still virus, severity and deaths will the United States showed that an increase if infected patients are increase in the level of PM2.5 by just exposed to air pollution.” one microgram per cubic metre can Cases of coronavirus infections are raise the risk of death due to the coro- failing to get traction in Nepal seen more in cities notorious for air navirus infection by 11 per cent. pollution like New Delhi and >> Continued on page 2 There’s scope for new parties in the country, but those wanting to be alternative forces must win people’s trust and have clear ideologies, analysts say.

POST FILE PHOTOS Bibeksheel Sajha Party and Naya Shakti Party wanted to establish themselves as alternatives to the established parties but the people rejected them in the provincial and federal elections of 2017. The forces are now reorganising themselves.

BINOD GHIMIRE party as a “new force”. Today, for decades. KATHMANDU, NOV 8 Bhattarai is a leader of the Janata “Those in alternative politics think Samajbadi Party Nepal. their success lies in the failure of the During the 2017 elections, the electoral The Naya Shakti Party first merged traditional forces. That’s not true,” battle between stal- with Samajbadi Party Nepal in May Surya Raj Acharya, who quit Sajha wart and 2019. Then a merger between Party in July this year, told the Post. Bibeksheel Sajha Party’s candidate Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya “They have to connect with the people journalist-turned-politician Rabindra Janata Party Nepal in April formed to earn their trust. Making comments Mishra in the prestigious Kathmandu Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal. on social media and issuing press Constituency 1 was neck in neck right The Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal statements as reactions won’t give till the finish. If Singh had been beat- too says that it wants to emerge as an anyone political momentum.” en that would have been a statement. alternative force that could counter Acharya’s assessment seems to ring But he prevailed. the traditional political parties. somewhat true. Bibeksheel Sajha was a newcomer However, the discourse on alterna- After the merger of the two big com- in Nepal’s political scene and had tive forces that got quite some traction munist forces—CPN-UML and CPN been formed only in July 2017 after the in the lead up to the 2017 elections and (Maoist Centre)—the Nepal merger of the Ujwal Thapa-led thereafter seems to be on the wane, if Communist Party was born. With a Bibeksheel Party, born out of a social it is not completely lost somewhere. strong mandate handed to it, the movement against price rise and cor- Establishing a political identity is (NCP) is cur- ruption and the -led not easy, as the newcomers found out, rently governing the country. The Sajha Party. according to analysts. A new party Nepali Congress is the main opposi- Since then it has virtually disap- first needs to win the people’s trust, tion. Both the ruling and opposition peared. The party even split. they say. parties have faced the charges of fail- Another party that made a foray “A party needs pro-people agenda ing on their fronts. into Nepal’s , with and a leadership with integrity to get Despite the failure of the two major big newspaper ads and a mass gather- established among the people,” said parties, often called traditional par- ing at Dashrath Stadium in Shyam Shrestha, a left-leaning politi- ties for their existence for decades, the Kathmandu, was Naya Shakti Party cal analyst. “I don’t see that in the discourse on alternative forces has Nepal. The party was formed by existing forces.” failed to gain traction. , a Maoist leader While Bhattarai himself was the According to Puranjan Acharya, a who quit the party just 11 days after sole Naya Shakti leader to secure a political analyst with close ties the promulgation of the constitution seat, Bibeksheel Sajha failed to make with the Nepali Congress, despite in 2015. As the name suggested, it to the House of Representatives. growing distrust among the younger Bhattarai wanted to establish his Bibeksheel Sajha Party had fought generation towards the traditional in 60 parliamentary seats across parties, those claiming to be the “new the country. To their credit, they forces” are failing to cash in on the won three seats in the Bagmati opportunity. provincial assembly. “There are a lot many agendas that There, however, was general the alternative forces can raise,” said understanding among a section Puranjan. “First and foremost, they of people, especially from need to interact more with the general urban centres, that both Naya populace.” Shakti and Bibeksheel Sajha According to Acharya, who also could at least be able to show served as an advisor to former prime their presence given the minister , those growing disenchantment among claiming to be alternative forces need people with the political parties to change their working style. that have governed the country >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 | 02 NATIONAL Sudurpaschim’s agriculture subsidy plan for returnees falls short Eighty thousand migrant workers have applied for the government grant prepared for only 5,000.

ARJUN SHAH on the applicant from his/her local , NOV 8 units. We also have to go through each proposal. This led to the delay. But An agriculture subsidy programme now all the districts are ready to targeted at returnee migrant workers implement the programme,” Awasthi in Sudurpaschim Province has said. received an overwhelming number of According to the ministry, many applications, so much so that the pro- applications have been registered for vincial government does not know beekeeping, goat keeping, pig keeping, how to shortlist the candidates. and poultry farming. According to the Ministry of Land “We plan to provide Rs 30,000 as Management, Agriculture and seed money for agro-businesses and a Cooperatives, it received 80,000 appli- maximum of Rs 60,000 for livestock cations for the programme that is sup- development,” said Awasthi. posed to benefit only 5,000 people. Maximum number of applicants The provincial government had are from Kailali district. sought applications through all nine According to the data of the district-based offices of the Ministry Ministry of Social Development, an of Land Management, Agriculture estimated 300,000-400,000 migrant and Cooperatives. The applications workers have returned to were collected from all 88 local units Sudurpaschim Province since the of the province. start of the pandemic. Among them, The call for application began in the over 150,000 are from alone. last week of August. On September 1, Officials say many people who had the provincial government had also applied for the subsidy programme issued a notice directing migrant have started returning to India with POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI workers not to return to India in no job prospects in the country. A shopkeeper stands outside his utensils store waiting for customers at Ason, Kathmandu on Sunday. People purchase new utensils for Laxmi Puja as a sign of good fortune and prosperity. search of jobs amid the coronavirus .“Ten to fifteen percent of the appli- pandemic. cants are now out of contact. We The ministry now finds itself in a believe they might have returned to fix with a large number of unem- India in search of jobs,” Min Prasad ployed youths trying to benefit from Jaishi, an official at Agriculture the programme. Dr Hemraj Awasthi, Knowledge Centre in Bajura district, Nepali Congress hands over the responsibility of spokesperson of the ministry, said said. that 80,000 individuals applied for the In Bajura, 1,072 individuals have agriculture subsidy citing plans to applied for the programme. resolving internal dispute to its two general secretaries start and operate agro-businesses in “The ministry has provided Rs 5 the province itself. million for the programme. We are “Around 70,000 individuals have planning to select 130 individuals applied for livestock development from among the applications. A major- Issues concerning the 14th general convention to be decided by the party’s Central Working Committee on Thursday. whereas the remaining 10,000 have ity of the applicants have filed appli- applied for agro-businesses,” he said. cations to start vegetable farming. ANIL GIRI ground on a 16-point memorandum several meetings to resolve the dis- of interim committees in districts but “The ministry has allocated Rs 150mil- The selected individuals will get Rs KATHMANDU, NOV 8 submitted by senior party leader pute, without any avail. due to the intervention by the Deuba lion for the programme.” 30,000 to start their business. This Poudel in September. During these meetings, Deuba had camp, formation of the interim com- “We have already handed over the amount can work as seed money to An informal meeting of senior Nepali In the memorandum, Poudel has made clear that while he was ready to mittees in fund to the district office of start the business,” said Jaishi. Congress leaders on Sunday decided alleged that party President Sher address some of Poudel’s concerns, he Province 2 could not be completed, Agriculture Knowledge Centre and Livestock Services Expert Centre in to hand over the responsibility of Bahadur Deuba went against the par- was not going to roll back his decision leaders from the Poudel faction say. Livestock Services Expert Centre to Bajura has also received Rs 8 million resolving the internal party dispute to ty’s charter and issued a series of to form the party departments. In Sunday’s meeting, the senior run the programme,” said Awasthi. budget from the ministry. its two general secretaries— decisions in order to influence the The main sore point is the distribu- Congress leaders also discussed the The fund, however, will benefit only “The centre has received 603 appli- Shashanka Koirala and Purna 14th general convention and demand- tion of active membership. Active prospect of deferring the upcoming 5,000 individuals. cations for the programme. We plan to Bahadur Khadka. ed that the party leadership roll back memberships were disproportionately general convention from February to “The number of applicants is too provide Rs 60,000 for buffalo farming, The two general secretaries will sit its controversial decisions. distributed at Deuba’s behest to the April/ May or later in August/ high and the selection won’t be easy. Rs 50,000 for pig keeping, Rs 40,000 for together, find a consensus and come As Deuba has refused to address newcomers in districts like September of 2021. We expect the programme to take off goat keeping and Rs 30,000 for poultry up with a common position paper some of the demands made by Poudel, Dadeldhura, Kailali, Rasuwa and Due to Covid-19 pandemic, there is by mid-December,” Awasthi said. farming,” said Jaishi. including concerns raised by senior the series of meetings have so far Sarlahi, according to the Poudel fac- strong opinion inside the party to The other challenge that has led to Dinesh Budha, one of the appli- leader , Gagan failed to make much headway, leaders tion. defer the general convention which the delay in the implementation of the cants from Ward No. 6 of Tribeni Thapa, a Central Working Committee from both the Deuba and the Poudel Mahesh Acharya, a leader close to was first proposed by senior leader programme is the identification pro- Municipality in Bajura, said he hoped member, told the Post. told the Post. the Poudel faction, said the central Sitaula. cess of genuine farmers. to be selected for the programme, or “This is a positive development Mahat, who belongs to the Poudel leadership was directly involved in “The general understanding among “It takes time to collect information else he would return to India. towards resolving the differences camp, said that they want the Nepali the distribution of active party mem- the leaders is that the party’s general inside the party.” Congress to function as per the party bership in some places. convention is unlikely to take place on Sunday’s meeting also agreed to charter. The Poudel faction has claimed that the scheduled date and thus it should defer the meeting of the party’s “No one should influence the gener- over 10,000 active memberships were be deferred by two to three months. Central Working Committee to al convention and any preparations doled out to influence the general con- The decision on this matter will be Thursday. The meeting was scheduled regarding the general convention vention in Deuba’s favour. taken by the CWC meeting,” Mahat to take place on Monday. should be transparent. We have yet to Another bone of contention in the said. “Since we are looking to resolve the resolve some differences, although party is the failure of the central General Secretary Khadka said differences, the scheduled meeting of some partial agreements have been leadership to set up interim issues concerning the general conven- the Central Working Committee has reached during recent meetings,” said structure of the party in all 77 dis- tion will be decided by Thursday’s been postponed to Thursday,” senior Mahat. tricts and local levels including at CWC meeting. leader Ram Sharan Mahat said. The Poudel faction has opposed ward committee. He said the informal meetings that Besides unresolved intra-party dis- Deuba’s unilateral decisions includ- As per the federal set-up, the were held to resolve the differences putes, the CWC meeting was also put ing the formation of over 20 party party has to form interim among senior party leaders, particu- off because party Vice President departments and uneven distribution committees in all 77 districts but it has larly concerning the 14th general con- and senior leader of active membership to influence the not done so in nine districts of vention, had concluded. Krishna Prasad Sitaula are currently general convention. Province 2 that was supposed to com- “We will prepare a paper agreed on POST PHOTO: ARJUN SHAH in home isolation after their security Since Poudel submitted his memo- plete by July 25. by both sides and present it at the An estimated 300,000 to 400,000 migrant workers have returned to Sudurpaschim Province guards tested positive for Covid-19. randum on September 28, the leaders The central elections committee Central Working Committee meeting since the start of the pandemic, according to the data of the Ministry of Social Development. Party leaders are seeking a common from the two rival factions have held was tasked to complete the formation on Thursday,” Khadka told the Post. Why the idea of alternative ... As winter sets in, Nepal faces double ...

>> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Party and the Nepali Congress, are more like reaction- >> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 air elsewhere.” Valley, according to the Ministry of “Leaders of these parties need to come out of their ary forces than the ones guided by politics. Air in Kathmandu Valley gets worse There are man-made reasons too for Health. comfort zone first if they want to get established in pol- At present the two parties are in a bid to unite again reaching unsafe levels once the winter the increase in air pollution in the dry Other than air pollution, the drop in itics,” Acharya told the Post. as an attempt to form “a strong alternative force”. sets in. season. temperatures is also expected to Today’s “alternative forces” are mired in bickering “Both parties have realised their mistakes from the The State of Global Air report “Human behaviour of burning waste increase the number of coronavirus and ego. past and are very positive toward forming a united force 2020 placed Nepal among the top 10 materials, brick kilns and construction cases. Besides, exacerbation of In January 2019 Bibeksheel Sajha Party split because again,” said Milan Pandey, chairperson of the Bibeksheel countries with the highest outdoor works also contribute to bad air,” said existing respiratory conditions, of differences over the working style of the party leader- Nepali. “The stronger the force, the easier it is to fight PM2.5 levels in 2019. With an annual Tuladhar. “The authorities should pre- coronavirus, which transmits via res- ship. against the conventional parties.” average emission of 83.1 micrograms vent burning of waste materials and piratory droplets produced when Janata Samajbadi Party is struggling to complete its They are eyeing local elections which will be held in per cubic meter (µg/m3) of PM2.5 in the strictly enforce pollution checks on infected people cough, breathe, sneeze unification because there are too many “senior” leaders about a year and a half. country, Nepal was placed only behind vehicles.” or talk, could spread more as winter who want “respectable” space in the party committees. Pandey said there is massive dissatisfaction among India. According to doctors, higher levels of approaches. Janata Samajbadi Party is the third largest force in the the general public towards the major political forces, PM2.5, or particulate matter pollution are also a factor for the Studies have shown that the corona- federal parliament with its major vote base in the south- which creates a good scope for new forces. less than 2.5 microns thick, are among increase in risk for those with virus survives more in cold and dry ern belt. It has some established and national level lead- Janata Samajbadi Party, which governs Province 2, the most dangerous pollutants pre-existing respiratory conditions, conditions. ers, who were previously either with the UML, or Nepali also has its own ambitions. that can get past the nose and as such people are more vulnerable The minimum temperature Congress. The party too expects to cash in on the people’s “We are working to set an example in our throat to penetrate the lungs and even to both coronavirus and influenza across the country has declined in frustration at the ruling and main opposition parties. functioning along with the transformation in the work- the bloodstream. Since PM2.5 particles attacks. recent days. Manish Suman, a member of the Janata Samajbadi ing style in the provincial and local governments,” said are small, they are also likely to remain “It will be more challenging for According to the Meteorological Party’s executive committee, said the merger of the two Suman. suspended in the air for longer, increas- those with pre-existing conditions Forecasting Division, the minimum parties was for a departure from conventional politics so But that will not be easy, by their own admission. ing the chances of people inhaling and to the authorities concerned, temperature of Kathmandu Valley that it can grow into an alternative political force. Both Pandey and Suman agree that it is necessary them. as it will be more difficult to was 8.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday It’s biggest challenge is to establish itself in the hill that they have a clear ideology and an ‘alternative’ polit- As per the report, PM2.5 pollution differentiate coronavirus cases from morning. and mountain regions. ical culture to gain the trust of the people. killed 17,900 Nepalis in 2019. In the year, non-coronavirus cases,” Dr Santa Further, doctors also worry that since According to Surya Raj Both Sajha Party and often face 42,100 deaths in Nepal were attributed Kumar Das, an expert on internal med- outdoor mobility of people will decline Acharya, the former Sajha allegations of lacking a clear political ideology. As far as to air pollution. icine, who also coordinates the Covid-19 during winter, chances of indoor expo- Party leader, three factors Janata Samajbadi Party is concerned, it’s a combination The end of the monsoon season also management team at Tribhuvan sure to the infected patients will are needed to develop a of three parties which had their own political ideologies means more pollution. University Teaching Hospital, told the increase. party as an alternative and the party appears to be confused as to what should Air pollution level increases more Post. “With the approach of winter, we force—its aim, which be its guiding principle. than threefold in the dry season, com- Besides, of late the number of Covid- should make the use of face includes agenda and value Nonetheless, with the ruling Nepal Communist Party pared to the monsoon season, due to 19 tests has gone down since a masks mandatory and strengthen different from the tradi- having failed to deliver and the Nepali Congress some natural reasons like lack of rain- Cabinet meeting on October 5 decided our health system by increasing tional forces, clarity in stuck in its own quagmire, the time is ripe for alterna- fall, wind flow and temperature inver- not to perform free tests and treatment beds, infrastructure and human ways to achieve them, and tive forces, analysts say. sion, according to environmentalist for all. resources to cope with the possible the means for it. “People are desperately looking for a reliable party as Bhusan Tuladhar. As of Sunday, 194,453 people through- challenges,” Dr Baburam Marasini, According to him, an alternative to the existing ruling and opposition par- “Winds also bring polluted air from out the country have tested positive for former director at the Epidemiology Bibeksheel Nepali and ties,” said Shrestha, the left-leaning political commenta- India every year,” said Tuladhar. the coronavirus. The country has and Disease Control Division, told the Sajha Party, which were tor. “The sooner the alternative forces become success- “Polluted air gets flushed naturally by reported 1,108 deaths so far due to Post. formed with the ambition ful in catering to the aspirations of the new generation, monsoon rain, which could not happen Covid-19. In the last 24 hours, of the “All should be aware that both chanc- to become an alternative the sooner they will take the dominant space in Nepali in the dry season and strong winds 12,311 samples, 2,817 people tested posi- es of co-infection and severity level will to the Nepal Communist politics.” don’t flow in winter to take the polluted tive, including 1,533 in Kathmandu increase in winter.”

C M Y K 03 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 SPONSORED CONTENT

C M Y K MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL Bourgeois environmentalism Protect jailbirds Electric cars will cut pollution The government cannot abscond from its duties of and gasoline imports, upholding human rights amidst Covid-19. but the other deeper problems will remain. Over the past few months, more than 200 inmates have been added to Nepal’s prison system every month. Official data shows that across the country, there were 24,525 jailbirds in the PRASHANTA KHANAL month of Shrawan and the number increased to 24,773 the fol- lowing month. The increment, officials say, is because Nepal Police have arrested absconding criminals. The ever-increas- ing number of inmates has stretched the country’s prison infrastructure which can only accommodate 16,000 inmates. And given the pandemic and new admissions, keeping inmates safe in overcrowded prisons has become a challenge. Last July, as the pandemic raged, the Nepal has a poor record of prison system management. The government unveiled a budget retract- Central Jail in Kathmandu, for instance, holds some 3,100 per- ing the low tax enjoyed by electric cars. sons against its capacity of 1,400 inmates. As such, the coun- Note that this did not apply to electric try’s prisons and jails could be hotbeds for infectious disease, buses. Environmentalists, planners, economists, public intellects and par- because physical distancing and self-isolation measures and liamentarians decried the tax hike crit- access to hygiene and health care are impossible and nonexist- icising the government for ignoring the ent. There have already been accounts of Covid-19 infections city’s air pollution. Almost all national and deaths amongst inmates. The inmates serving their terms media, from headlines to editorials, behind bars are more vulnerable to Covid-19. Both the govern- made the tax hike a major issue. Last ment and law enforcement agencies must vigilantly monitor month, the Cabinet reduced the tax. We the situation and come up with a meaningful and humane know that increasing car-dependency is wrecking our cities—worsening air response. While it is good that fugitives are getting arrested, it quality, spewing carbon, killing people is also the government’s responsibility to ensure that they are (in road crashes and by pollution), suf- protected from the disease. focating public transport, pushing Owing to the Covid-19 situation, the Supreme Court last aside pedestrians, seizing scarce public month directed the government to immediately release or spaces, and eviscerating neighbour- reduce jail terms of inmates living in vulnerable conditions in hoods. SHUTTERSTOCK various prisons across the country. The ruling stated that over- Air pollution in Nepali cities, espe- ways—more sustainable and equitable bourgeois environmentalism—a term tainability and equity. Yes, electric cars crowded prisons violate the right to health of the prison cially in Kathmandu, is a serious pub- ways—to address both the environment Indian sociologist Amita Baviskar should be favoured over fossil fuel cars, lic health concern. Nepal’s petroleum and the economy than promoting elec- defined as ‘an environmentalism for the but we can’t afford to tax them low, inmates and ordered authorities to seek alternative ways of import has more than doubled in the tric cars. The car culture, to the bour- privileged, upper-class elites’. Bourgeois definitely not subsidise them. When penalising those behind bars. The apex court also ordered the last 10 years, which is hurting the coun- geois class, seems inevitable. Blinded environmentalists justify electric cars buses, bicycles and other basic ameni- government to prioritise children, pregnant women, women try’s economy as well. In relation to by consumerism capitalism, they fail to by arguing that they will reduce the ties aren’t subsidised, why should elec- with newborns and people with underlying health conditions these, media attention and public dis- see beyond cars. Chillo sadak, chillo car city’s air pollution, benefiting everyone, tric cars—that only a few can afford— while releasing or reducing the jail terms of inmates. Earlier, course have focused on the electric car (wide road, luxury car) symbolises pro- but they ignore all other ills of cars that be subsidised? the Parliamentary Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee tax. But are electric cars the right solu- gress, social status and city pride. Cars marginalise the working class, kids and had also issued a directive to minimise the number of jailbirds tion? Should they be held as a topic of and motorbikes are often portrayed as women, and harm society as a whole. Accessible transport public interest that we should decry a necessity. Such bourgeois environmentalism Transport should be planned beyond through a policy decision to ensure proper management of the higher taxes? For decades, we focused—and still deepens social, economic and political cars and the strategies should address jails considering the possible outbreak of coronavirus. focus—on building and widening roads, inequality. both environmental concerns and Reducing overcrowding in prisons and jails is one of the best Same old problems designing our cities to accommodate Who benefits from a big tax break on social equity. But policymakers and ways to protect the inmates. Although some 1,000 inmates have Imagine we switched to electric cars cars. To make more room for cars, we electric cars? The privileged few who planners have continually prioritised already been released since an earlier Supreme Court order in from today. Electric cars help to reduce bulldozed houses, destroyed heritage can afford cars. At whose expense? The cars. Environment-friendly, affordable March, it is not enough. Nepal is also obligated under the inter- air pollution and also reduce the coun- sites, and encroached on public spaces city, the working-class people. Who and accessible transport for everyone— national human rights accords to ensure health care and safety try’s dependency on imported fossil and rivers. We crippled our public pays for its cost? Everyone. irrespective of class, age, gender, or of people in prisons and jails regardless of citizenship, nation- fuels; but all other problems associated transport, turned our streets into roads Who has the power to influence or physical ability—should be at the cen- with cars will remain. Traffic will still and highways, and converted our pub- shape policies? Who owns and has tre. Failing to put social equity at the ality, or migration status. The government must identify the choke our roads. Auto crashes and lic spaces into car parking. Electric access to the media to express interest centre of transport and city planning vulnerabilities of the inmates as well as the staff managing the fatality numbers will still remain high. cars—because of growing environmen- and discontent? Whose voices are creates more unequal and unjust cities. prisons and jails in view of the possibility that the outbreak Pedestrian and cyclist safety will still tal concerns—are a new desire of the heard? Definitely not the voice of This means we need to shift our pri- can also spread to the general public. It is thereby vital that the be on the line. Inequitable road infra- bourgeois, especially males. Electric pedestrians, cyclists or bus riders. Nor orities—policy and investment— government include prison management under its overall structure expenses will continue to cars have become a symbol of a clean that of the low-income class. towards electric public transportation, efforts to contain the pandemic because crowded prisons and rise. Inequity in mobility access will and green city. When the then finance The electric bus plan hasn’t moved safer streets and sidewalks, and jails are potentially catastrophic. continue to deepen. minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada increased an inch for the last three years. cycle lane networks. To do this The Jevons paradox explains that the electric car tax, this class poured Unfortunately, what shocks us the most requires a radical shift in how we per- Three weeks ago, Nepal was reelected to the United Nations energy-efficient private electric vehi- out their rage through the media. But is the electric car tax hike. Why was the ceive and plan our transport system. Human Rights Council for a second term. The government cles tend to further support adherence they failed to speak out against the Cabinet in such a rush to decide over- This pandemic further forces us to cannot abscond from its duties of upholding human rights in to car culture. Some believe that as government’s plans to widen the roads, night the electric car tax cut? For long, rethink our cities and our priorities. the country while championing the cause in the international electric cars remove environmental build flyovers, and build new cities (in the politics embraced by the rich and Our priority should be making cars arena. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the government to guilt, people will buy more electric cars the Kathmandu Valley), which will the elite has shaped public discourse, obsolete in the future. We can restrict ensure that all people have access to health care, especially and use them more, eventually contrib- have big repercussions on our society swayed priorities and shaped policies— new diesel SUVs and less fuel-efficient when it comes to protecting inmates’ physical and mental uting to unliveable cities. The low-in- and environment. They failed to criti- benefiting a few at the expense of the cars from the coming fiscal year, and health and well-being, as set out by the UN Standard Minimum come or working-class people, those cise the minister’s priorities. many, especially the working class. then phase out fossil fuel cars altogeth- who primarily rely on public transport, Yes, electric cars should be taxed less Electric cars benefit our air quality er starting 2025. Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. Pandemic or not, the walking or cycling, suffer the most than gasoline-powered cars, but they and climate. Cars might be required in fundamental rights of people behind bars must be protected by from car-centric policies. Car-centric should be prioritised last in the environ- some cases. But (electric or not) Khanal works on issues related to the government, and the government must act now and stop cities become hostile for those in the ment and transport policies. The priori- car-centred discourses and policies urban transportation, air quality putting incarcerated lives at risk. lower strata of society. There are better ty on electric cars is an example of compromise the bigger goals of sus- management and sustainable cities.

Putin’s flatlining economy

ter-in-place orders, Russians thus had Putin’s informational little choice but to continue work- ing—a fact borne out by Google mobil- autocracy will be swept ity data. Putin then ended the partial lockdown early, in order to hold the away by rising internet vote on amending the Russian consti- tution to remove presidential term penetration. limits, thereby ensuring that he would never have to leave office. The Kremlin’s soft-and-stingy SERGEI GURIEV approach to the pandemic saved the Russian state money. Despite lower oil prices, Russia’s rainy day National Welfare Fund stands at 12 percent of GDP—higher than at the start of the pandemic. But at what cost? It is impossible to know precisely, as Russia undercounts infections, mis- In recent weeks, macroeconomic fore- classifies deaths, and delays report- casters have presented new, more opti- ing. Yet the increase in mortality, com- mistic global predictions for 2020 and pared to past years, suggests that the 2021. Given the rising second wave of numbers are huge. Covid-19 infections and deaths in By this measure, Aleksei Raksha, a much of the world, grimmer forecasts former demographer at the Federal are likely to replace them soon. But Statistics Service, says official data even the relatively sanguine current are underestimating Covid-19 mortali- outlooks provide little hope for econo- ty by a factor of three. With around mies like Russia, which was stagnat- 115,000 excess deaths in April- ing well before the pandemic. September, Russia could have a higher To be sure, on September 30, per capita Covid-19 mortality rate Russia’s Ministry of Economy pub- than the United States or any other lished a relatively sanguine official European country. Given Russia’s rel- forecast: its baseline scenario is that ative isolation, this can be blamed GDP will contract by 3.9 percent in only on policy. 2020, but will average 3.2 percent These failures will have far-reach- annual growth in 2021-23. Yet the min- ing implications for Russians and the istry has a track record of being exces- world. With Putin’s regime unable to sively optimistic. secure public support based on quali- Russia’s Accounts Chamber— ty-of-life improvements, it will invest another government agency, led by more in censorship, propaganda, and former finance minister Alexei SHUTTERSTOCK foreign adventurism. The Kremlin Kudrin—criticised the Ministry of higher than the world average, there- share of the global economy—wheth- achievable: in 2019, Russia ranked 2018 were now shifted to 2030. Even will try to convince Russians that, Economy’s bright forecast. The by expanding Russia’s share of the er calculated in nominal terms or sixth in the world in PPP terms. No here, the Covid-19 crisis is a poor whatever his shortcomings, Putin is Accounts Chamber has a far more global economic pie. This is not a par- adjusted for purchasing power parity more. According to the IMF’s latest excuse. After all, it is not as if Russia by far their best option—not least to sombre outlook: a 4.5 percent decline ticularly ambitious target for a mid- (PPP)—will continue to shrink in the forecast, Russia will continue to lag has implemented strict nationwide confront external enemies. One can in GDP in 2020, and average annual dle-income country. But Russia has coming years. behind Germany—which currently lockdown measures, temporarily sac- only hope that Putin’s quintessential growth of only 2-2.2 percent in 2021-23. failed to achieve it—and not just This clearly precludes Putin’s other holds the fifth spot—in the coming rificing growth for the sake of public informational autocracy will be swept This is more closely aligned with the because of the Covid-19 crisis. much-hyped economic goal: to become years. health. Putin did announce a six-week away by rising Internet penetration International Monetary Fund’s expec- Well before the pandemic began, a one of the world’s top five economies. At this point, not even Putin can ‘non-working holiday’ last spring. But and distrust of official media, making tation of a 4.1 percent drop in 2020, broad consensus had emerged among In nominal terms, Russia remains the pretend that Russia has a chance of the state offered very limited econom- the official narrative increasingly dif- and 2.4 percent annual growth in 2021- Russia watchers that without institu- world’s 11th-largest economy, and is cracking the top five, and he dropped ic support for small businesses and ficult to sell. 23 (slowing down to 1.8 percent by tional reforms, annual GDP growth unlikely to break into the top 10 in the the goal in July, blaming the Covid-19 households during this quasi-lock- 2025). rates would remain stuck at around foreseeable future. So Putin has been crisis. Of course, the entire world is down. Totalling about 1 percent of Guriev, a former chief economist of the The reason for the discrepancy 1.5-2 percent—lower than global aiming to make Russia a top-five econ- confronting the same crisis, which GDP, Russia’s measures were an order European Bank for Reconstruction and among these forecasts is entirely polit- growth. Putin’s government was clear- omy in PPP terms—a metric common- implies that relative goals shouldn’t of magnitude less than what the Development and former rector of the ical. When President Vladimir Putin ly unwilling and unable to undertake ly used for evaluating living stand- be affected. United States and Europe provided. New Economic School in Moscow, is began his current term in May 2018, such reforms. As a result, IMF fore- ards, not an economy’s overall size. Putin also announced that the 2024 Unlike their Western counterparts Professor of Economics at Sciences Po. he promised a rate of GDP growth casters have made clear, Russia’s This goal would seem eminently deadlines for the targets he had set in when they faced lockdowns and shel- —Project Syndicate

C M Y K 05 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 MONEY

INTERVIEW Central bank delays making ‘As in other countries, pandemic mechanism for social media has helped e-commerce businesses advertisement payments accelerate in Nepal too’ If there’s one industry that has seen immense growth during the pandemic, it is the e-commerce industry. With social Advertising agencies say the central bank should regulate the payment system. distancing becoming the new norm and safety concerns over going shopping in person, e-commerce sites have been given a new-found importance. Daraz, one of Nepal’s leading e-commerce platforms, has not only seen its user base PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA KATHMANDU, NOV 8 increase but also a huge jump in the number of sellers signing up to sell on the platform. The Post’s Tsering Ngodup Lama had an email interview with Daraz Nepal’s managing director Lino Ahlering to learn about Nepal’s e-commerce Nepal Rastra Bank has given up on its plan to license companies to deal with landscape, the pandemic’s impact on the sector, and the company’s 11.11 plans, which the company dubs as the the payment of social media adver- world’s biggest online sale day and is held on November 11 every year. tisement for the time being as it is content with existing mechanisms. Early this year, the central bank had Daraz, previously known as Kaymu, regular training to our sellers, and we directed companies involved in send- started operations in Nepal 2014. have also delisted sellers who have not ing foreign currency abroad for adver- How has Nepal’s e-commerce land- performed up to the mark. In 2019, tisements on social media, to route all scape changed since then and how during our second edition of 11.11, we such payments through the local has Daraz adapted to it? hosted more than 350,000 users and banking channel. our 3,000 sellers sold more than 150,000 In a notice, it had stated that any When we started our operations in products. Our operations teams also payment outside the local banking Nepal in 2014, e-commerce wasn’t as ensured timely delivery, leading to a channel would be deemed illegal and common as it is today, and many much higher customer satisfaction. punishable as per the Foreign viewed e-commerce with a lot of scep- To ensure even faster delivery this Exchange Regulation Act. In response, ticism, which is common when some- year, we have been working very close- advertising agencies have demanded a thing is so new and so different. Like ly with our logistics partners to guar- specific policy on how to make pay- every other e-commerce site operating antee they can manage such massive ments for foreign services. During a in a new market, we had to work very loads of packages. We have been pre- discussion with advertising agencies, SHUTTERSTOCK hard to change the public’s scepti- paring for this year’s 11.11 for one the central bank had floated the idea foreign currency reserves. Currently, According to advertising agencies, cism. To do so, some of the key areas year and increased our team consider- of licensing companies that deal with the country’s foreign currency reserve most of them are making payments of we focused on and continue to ably with more than 900 additional the payment of foreign currency for is at a comfortable level thanks advertisements posted on social media do so are to have a wide assortment of people hired. social media advertising. to expectation-defying remittance such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter products with attractive pricing, “We had held discussions on the inflows and reduced import bills. and YouTube through foreign curren- fast and convenient delivery, and There’s already a lot of buzz possibility of issuing licenses to cer- According to the central bank, for- cy cards held by their relatives and resolving customer’s issue as quickly surrounding this year’s 11.11. What tain companies to provide payment eign currency reserves of the country friends abroad while reimbursing the as possible. can customers expect from this service for social media advertising,” stands at $12.2 billion as of mid-Sep- amount to the families of the card- And with each passing year, the year’s campaign? said Guru Prasad Poudel, director at tember which is sufficient to sustain holders back home. number of customers and sellers on the foreign currency management imports of goods and services for 14. 9 After the central bank warned of the platform has grown steadily. The To offer something special for shop- department. “But, we have not moved months. The concerns over the foreign legal action against those who make major inflection point for us was PHOTO COURTESY: DARAZ NEPAL pers across the country, we are bring- ahead towards that direction for the currency reserve was one of the rea- payments outside the banking chan- Alibaba Group’s acquisition of Daraz Daraz Nepal’s managing director Lino ing huge discounts with mega deals of time being as existing mechanisms sons that led the central bank to direct nel, advertising agencies had asked in 2018 which gave us the opportunity Ahlering. up to 60 percent discounts on products appears to be enough to ensure chan- firms and individuals against making the central bank to come up with the to become part of the largest and most from our pool of more than 6,000 sell- nelizing of payment of foreign curren- payment of social media advertise- plan that eases them to make pay- successful e-commerce company in al sale campaign. The campaign gener- ers. On top of that, we will be offering cy through the banking system.” ments outside the banking channel. ments. One of the options advertising the world. This was not only a major ated a lot of interest but the special vouchers and provide shop- As per the central bank’s circular, When the notice was issued, remit- agencies had suggested in response to push in confidence for our teams but company also faced a lot of criticism pers access to additional discounts up the country’s commercial banks can tance growth was slowing. the central bank’s notice is that they also for our consumers. Today, we from customers: products being over- to Rs 3,000 off on debit/credit card provide up to $3,000 for service Coronavirus pandemic posed further should be provided international have more than 1.7 million registered priced, incorrect deliveries and delays. payments through eleven partner imports against payment in Nepali risk to the foreign currency risk amid cards worth up to $5,000 to pay customers, 800,000 active monthly Looking back I can say we were simply banks. Lastly, how optimistic are you rupees. The banks can also provide the potential impact of the pandemic for social media advertisements. users, and 6,000 sellers. But we still not ready at that time. Our sales fore- about the future of Nepal’s e-com- between $3,000 and $10,000 for service on remittance inflow, the biggest However, the central bank failed to have big dreams. casts for the campaign exceeded mas- merce industry and why? With high imports, based on the recommenda- source of import financing. introduce any further measure to ease sively but our logistics infrastructure smartphone and internet penetration, tion of the regulator for the sector the But, according to Rabindra Kumar such payment. How has the pandemic impacted was not able to handle the load, leading Nepal has a solid foundation for the company is operating in. Rijal, president of the Advertising “The central bank should not have Nepal’s e-commerce landscape and to longer delivery timelines. As for development of e-commerce and digi- For making payments valued high- Association of Nepal, they have esti- backtracked from its promises of how has Daraz adapted? product pricing, we do not engage in tal businesses. Alibaba would have not er than $10,000, the central bank’s mated a payment of around Rs3 bil- establishing a system of making pay- price setting as we do not hold any made the move and invested in Nepal approval is mandatory. lion annually based on discussions ment for social media advertising,” In many countries, the pandemic has inventory ourselves. We have learned a if it didn’t believe in the potential of “It is not necessary to invest big for with the stakeholders. “There has said Rijal. “If you don’t give an easy helped e-commerce businesses accel- lot and our working culture is such this country. a social media advertisement one time been payment of around Rs1.5 billion way out, people make payment in erate, and it is no different in Nepal’s that we learn extremely quickly and We are here to stay and we and one can approach the central through advertising agencies and peo- whatever way possible.” case. To cater to the sudden increase rarely make mistakes. really see our role as an ecosystem bank to make bigger payments by col- ple have spent additional Rs1.5 billion He said that the central bank might in the number of people shopping builder. We do not only want to grow lecting several bills at a time,” Poudel on their own for social media advertis- have underestimated the scale of pay- online, many new e-commerce sites What has Daraz done since to Daraz but grow along with all the said. “Some companies have been ing,” he said. Amid the growing use of ment being made for social media entered the industry. Keeping this in improve user experience? stakeholders—from sellers, various approaching us regularly to make big- social media in the country, agencies advertising because its size has not mind, Daraz partnered with leading payment partners to our logistics com- ger payments.” are increasingly placing advertise- been much bigger. “There are adver- supermarket chain Big Mart, and this We cross-check seller pricing for cam- panies—on Daraz platform. We are He also said that one factor behind ments on social platforms to promote tising agencies and firms who may not allowed us to give our customers paign offers and compare them to very confident about the future of the central bank’s frozen idea of their clients’ products and services. want the foreign exchange payment to access to its more than 3,000 daily product prices before a particular e-commerce in Nepal and we are work- licensing certain companies for the Website developers also have to make be regulated,” he said. Advertisers essential products. Customer response campaign to spot any outliers. When it ing really hard to build more trust in job is that it could encourage an out- payments for purchasing space on the have the advantage of not sending has been phenomenal. comes to quality, we have already this new part of the economy. But we flow of more foreign currency which web and many of them are involved in money through the banking channel In 2018, Daraz conducted its first achieved major improvements in coor- can not do it alone; it has to be a collec- could have a detrimental effect on the boosting social media presence. as they can avoid paying taxes. ever 11.11, the platform’s biggest annu- dination with our sellers. We provide tive effort.

FOREX UK, EU to ‘redouble efforts’ on post-Brexit trade deal BIZLINE US Dollar 119.03 Euro 141.34 ASSOCIATED PRESS recent discussions. In a similar sound- Pound Sterling 156.62 LONDON, NOV 8 ing statement, Von der Leyen noted TCL launches P715 and P615 Japanese Yen 11.52 some progress as well as “large differ- 4K smart TVs in Nepal British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ences” in the trade talks, adding that Chinese Yuan 18.00 and the head of the European Union’s the negotiating teams will “continue KATHMANDU: TCL, a global television Qatari Riyal 32.50 executive arm agreed Saturday to stay working hard” to secure a deal. brand, has launched the P715 and Australian Dollar 86.39 in contact as their negotiating teams Both sides said the main issues at P615 4K Android TVs in Nepal. The mid-range television series from the Malaysian Ringit 28.83 step up efforts to conclude a post-Brex- hand related to a so-called “level play- it trade deal between the UK and the ing field” governing business regula- brand comes pre-installed with a Saudi Arab Riyal 31.74 European Union before time runs out. tions and fisheries. Though the UK left wide range of global and local apps Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank With less than two months to go the EU on January 31, it remains that bring unlimited on-demand con- before the UK exits the EU’s economic within the bloc’s tariff-free single mar- tent, states the press release issued by Shares orbit, a spokesman at Johnson’s ket and customs union until the end of the company. All models in the range Downing Street office said the negoti- the year. In order for a deal to pass the feature 4K resolution screens and Nepse 1,648.58pts 0.76% ating teams would “redouble efforts to necessary legislative hurdles, an Android TV software. The P715 is reach a deal” when talks resume in agreement has to be secured soon, available in a 75 inch screen size HIGHEST GAINERS London on Monday. potentially over the next week. while the P615 is available in 43 inch HDL STC DHPL MLBBL UPCL SGI and 50 inch screen sizes. The new 9.97% 9.95% 9.92% 9.9% 9.86% 9.84% The spokesman said Johnson told A trade deal would ensure there are European Commission President no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods models offer stunning viewing experi- MODERATE GAINERS Ursula von der Leyen during a between the two sides, but there would ence with 4K HDR with astonishing MHNL BARUN LUK KPCL HDHPC RRHP 8.46% 8% 7.69% 6.9% 6.85% 6.56% AP/RSS Saturday telephone call that “signifi- still be technical costs, partly associat- brightness, incomparable contrast, A file photo shows Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) greeting European cant differences” remain despite ed with customs checks and non-tariff captivating contrast and enhanced MODERATE LOSERS Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outside 10 Downing Street in London. detail retention. MLBBL AKPL PCBL NBF2 NICAP NSEWA “some progress” in the negotiators’ barriers on services. -1.35% -1.39% -1.42% -1.46% -1.47% -1.52%

HIGHEST LOSERS SMFBS SMFDB NIBPO GLBSL CLBSL NFS -1.62% -1.68% -2.12% -2.71% -2.76% -3.57% Investors celebrate Biden winning US presidency BULLION PRICE PER TOLA REUTERS check left-leaning impulses on taxes Reserve governor and former like unending tension as ballots were previously criticized Democrats said Fine Gold Rs 97,700 NEW YORK, NOV 8 or regulations that pinch companies, McKinsey consultant Lael Brainard’s counted through the week. he was pleased with the results. investors said. However, there are lin- name has been floated as a potential “Now is a time for unity,” JPMorgan “It’s a signal to the world that Silver Rs 1,275 Investors and financial executives gering risks to asset prices in the days Treasury Secretary, while Biden has Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie America has not changed its values,” took a big sigh of relief on Saturday and weeks ahead. already tapped former derivatives Dimon said in a statement. “We must said Cooperman, of Omega Family SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA after major networks declared Republicans have already filed sev- market regulator and Goldman Sachs respect the results of the US presiden- Office. “That’s a good thing in my Democrat Joe Biden winner of the US eral lawsuits over ballot counting and Group Inc banker Gary Gensler for tial election and, as we have with view.” Robert Wolf, a major Democratic presidential election, offering some Trump said his campaign will file advice on financial regulation. every election, honour the decision of donor and former UBS Group AG GASOLINE WATCH certainty after days of conflicting more. The litigation could drag out For the moment, investors and the voters and support a peaceful tran- executive who now runs 32 Advisors, reports about who might run the election proceedings. Investor focus prominent Wall Street figures said sition of power.” was enthusiastic: “I am ecstatic, White House next term. also now turns to the Senate, which they were happy with the election Leon Cooperman, a billionaire for- relieved and deeply hopeful for the Although current President Donald remains undecided ahead of two run- finally being called after what seemed mer hedge fund manager who had future of this country,” he said in a Trump said he would fight the results off elections in Georgia on January 5. text message. in court, Wall Streeters who offered The significance of those races, Billionaire investor Bill Ackman comments felt there was little doubt which could potentially end up with wrote on Twitter: “There comes a time Biden would ultimately succeed. the Democrats controlling all three of in the battle when one should fold the Election predictors including the the White House, Senate and House of tent,” and urged: “Concede graciously Associated Press, NBC, Fox News and Representatives, means January is and call for unity.” The financial Edison Research, upon which Reuters “the new November” in terms of elec- industry was not reacting in a bubble: relies, called the presidency for Biden. tion volatility risk, Michael Purves, major cities from New York to San “Biden is good news for the mar- founder and CEO of Tallbacken Francisco erupted in celebration on kets,” Christopher Stanton, chief Capital, said in a note to clients. Saturday. Though Trump undoubtedly investment officer at Sunrise Capital Purves said that was evident when has significant support throughout Partners, said on Saturday. “We’re all looking at contracts for the stockmar- the country, including on Wall Street, so tired of the whipsaw that came ket’s fear gauge, the VIX, stretching 2020 has been a difficult year for the with the Trump tweets.” out into the months ahead. United States. Major US stock indexes registered Beyond those battles, investors have The coronavirus pandemic has their biggest weekly gains since April been worried about the people Biden taken a huge toll on the country, kill- this week, as investors bet Biden might appoint to his Cabinet. Some of ing some 236,250 people so far, would win and Republicans would those officials would be negotiating while social unrest over the police hold onto the Senate. That scenario with Congress about a relief package killing of George Floyd, a Black man, would create a steadier hand in the and have extensive powers to craft REUTERS has only hardened divisions that Oval Office and a Congress that would Wall Street rules. Current US Federal Joe Biden speaks during his election rally in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. already existed.

C M Y K MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 | 06 WORLD

BRIEFING 4 Indian soldiers, 3 rebels killed in Fresh landslides halt search in buried Guatemalan hamlet Kashmir fighting GUATEMALA: Fresh landslides have halted Guatemalan rescue workers’ ASSOCIATED PRESS efforts to dig through mud as much SRINAGAR, NOV 8 as 50 ft deep to reach houses swamped by a devastating storm that has killed A fierce gunbattle on Sunday left four dozens of people across Central Indian soldiers and three insurgents America and southern Mexico. Storm dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir, an Eta’s torrential downpours toppled Indian army official said. trees, engorged swift-moving rivers, The fighting in Kupwara district and ripped down parts of a mountain- started at around 1 a.m. after the side above the village of Queja in the Indian paramilitary soldiers spotted central Guatemalan region of Alta the rebels around 3.5 kilometres (2 Verapaz, burying dozens of people in miles) into India’s side of the cease- their homes. The rains triggered fire line dividing Kashmir between more mudslides in Queja late on India and , said army spokes- Saturday, and the head of a local person Col. Rajesh Kalia. emergency worker team said rescue The army rushed troop reinforce- efforts had been called off, possibly ments in after the first three hours of permanently. exchange of gunfire killed one Indian paramilitary soldier and one rebel, Kalia said. Thai police use water cannons Fighting resumed after a lull of sev- on pro- protesters eral hours, killing three Indian army BANGKOK: Thai pro-democracy pro- soldiers and injuring another two, he testers were confronted by riot police said, adding that two more insurgents and sprayed by water cannons were killed before the firing subsided. Sunday as they tried to approach India accuses Pakistan of arming Bangkok’s Grand Palace to deliver and training insurgents to attack letters about their political grievanc- REUTERS Indian soldiers and other targets in es addressed to the country’s king. People wearing face masks wait to cast their ballots for the general election at a polling station in Yangon, Myanmar, on Sunday. the region, a charge Islamabad denies. The protesters had pushed aside a bus that was serving as a barrier to try to approach the palace, which houses the royal offices. The protest- ers had met earlier at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument and marched In escalating conflict, as darkness fell, pushing past World leaders hope for fresh an initial thin line of police. Azerbaijani leader: Forces seize people of Ethiopia’s Tigray key Nagorno-Karabakh city start after Biden win MOSCOW: Azerbaijani forces have While outspoken disappointment was scarce, several prominent leaders who risk displacement, UN says taken control of the strategically key city of Shushi in Nagorno- have maintained warm relations with Trump’s administration kept silent. REUTERS under Abiy, an ethnic Oromo, who Karabakh where fighting with ADDIS ABABA, NOV 8 ordered the arrest of dozens of former Armenia has raged for more than a ward to a “great partnership” with senior military and political officials month, the country’s president said Washington. He cited challenges Nine million people risk displacement from the TPLF in a crackdown on cor- Sunday. In a televised address to the including the coronavirus and from an escalating conflict in ruption. Last year, Abiy reorganised nation, President Ilham Aliyev said “ensuring a free and open” Ethiopia’s Tigray region, the United the ruling coalition into a single party “Shusha is ours—Karabakh is ours,” Indo-Pacific region, a reference to Nations said, warning that the gov- that the TPLF refused to join. using the Azerbaijani version of the China’s disputes with its neighbours ernment’s declaration of a state of Ethiopians should ensure Tigrayans city’s name. However, Armenian over control of vast tracts of ocean. emergency was blocking food and are not victimised “due to their identi- Defence Ministry spokesman Artsrun “American leadership is indispensa- other aid. ty”, Abiy wrote on Twitter on Sunday, Ovannisian said on Facebook after ble to meeting these challenges,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is calling the leaders of Tigray a “greedy Aliyev’s claim that “fighting in Morrison said. pressing ahead with a military cam- junta”. Experts and diplomats are Shushi is continuing; wait and Prime Minister Imran Khan of paign he announced on Wednesday, sounding alarms of a potential civil believe in our troops.” Shushi is of Pakistan said he looked forward to despite international pleas to pursue war that could destabilise the country significant military value because it working together to end illegal tax dialogue with the Tigray People’s of 110 million people and the strategic sits on heights about 10 km south of havens and on peacemaking in Liberation Front (TPLF) rather than Horn of Africa region. the region’s capital of Stepanakert Afghanistan. risk civil war. Tigrayans dominated The federal military’s biggest com- and lies along the main road Other leaders who sent Ethiopian politics for decades until mand, and the majority of its heavy connecting Nagorno-Karabakh congratulations included German Abiy took office in 2018 and are weapons, are stationed in Tigray. One with Armenia. (AGENCIES) Chancellor Angela Merkel, French fighting his efforts to remove their of the biggest risks is that the army President Emmanuel Macron and grip on power. will split along ethnic lines, with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Clashes between federal troops and Tigrayans defecting to their region’s el-Sissi. Tigrayan forces had broken out in own force. There are signs that is The election outcome drew mixed eight locations in the region, the UN already happening, analysts say. Belarus protests reviews in Iraq, where Biden is Office for the Coordination of Tigrayan forces number up to AP/RSS remembered as a champion of the US Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in 250,000 men and have their own signif- A screen shows a broadcast of President-elect Joe Biden speaking at the Shinjuku shopping invasion in 2003. Still, Iraqi President a report released Saturday. icant stocks of military hardware, kick off with district in Tokyo on Sunday. Barham Salih described Biden as a Six combatants were killed and experts say. “The fragmentation of friend and trusted partner. more than 60 wounded in fighting Ethiopia would be the largest state ASSOCIATED PRESS newspaper People’s Daily responded In Iran, senior Vice President Eshaq near the border between the Tigray collapse in modern history,” a group detentions, chases NEW YORK, NOV 8 on Twitter, “HaHa.” Jahangiri wrote on Facebook, “The and Amhara regions, with casualties of former United States diplomats President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan era of Trump and his warmongering on both sides, a humanitarian source said in a statement published by the REUTERS World leaders on Sunday cheered Joe expressed hope to “further our friend- and adventurist team is over.” told Reuters on Sunday. US Institute of Peace on Thursday. MOSCOW, NOV 8 Biden’s election as US president as a ship.” Biden had congratulated Tsai Congratulations also poured in The OCHA report said about 600,000 The escalation of the conflict would chance to enhance cooperation on cli- on her reelection in January, saying from leaders who got along with people in Tigray depend on food aid to also kill remaining hope for the demo- Security forces in Minsk detained 52 mate change, the coronavirus and Taiwan is “stronger because of your Trump but ignored his claims the elec- survive, while another 1 million cratic reforms Abiy has promised, the people on Sunday, a human rights other problems after four years of free and open society.” Washington tion wasn’t over. receive other forms of support, all of statement read. watch group said, ahead of anti-gov- President Donald Trump’s rejection has no formal relations with Taiwan. Philippines President Rodrigo which are disrupted. Abiy spoke on Saturday with UN ernment protests that have taken of international alliances. There also was no immediate reac- Duterte, who had said Filipino- Abiy won last year’s Nobel Peace Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, place every weekend since a Trump had yet to concede defeat, tion from Russian President Vladimir Americans would “get the best deal Prize for making peace with neigh- who “offered his good offices”. The UN disputed August election returned but Western and Asian allies Putin, who was friendly with Trump. with Trump,” expressed hope for bouring Eritrea after decades of hos- chief also spoke on Saturday to the Belarusian President Alexander expressed hoped for a fresh start fol- Most Western allies welcomed a enhanced ties based on “shared com- tility, including a 1998-2000 war that African Union chief Moussa Faki Lukashenko to power. lowing Trump’s “American First” fresh start with Washington. Many mitment to democracy, freedom and claimed more than 100,000 lives. Mahamat and to Sudanese Prime Videos shared by independent local trade policies, withdrawal from the have been dismayed at Trump’s criti- the rule of law.” His military campaign “aims to end Minister Abdalla Hamdok in his media showed members of the securi- Paris climate agreement and attacks cism of decades-old military and eco- Crown Prince Mohammed bin the impunity that has prevailed for far capacity as chair of the regional ty services armed with batons chasing on NATO and the World Health nomic alliances. Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab too long”, he said on Saturday. Africa group IGAD, according to the after some individuals in a public Organization. “We want to work in our coopera- Emirates, who was close to Trump’s Tigrayans complain of persecution UN spokesman. square, then rounding them up and In Asia, a region on edge about the tion for a new trans-Atlantic begin- son-in-law, Jared Kushner, extended putting them into vehicles. strategic ambitions of China’s ruling ning, a New Deal,” said German his best wishes to Biden and Harris The Viasna Human Rights Centre, Communist Party, the elected leaders Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on on Twitter. which is not registered in Belarus, of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan Twitter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra said 52 people had been detained. invoked “shared values” with Others expressed hope Biden might Modi, who has been known for public Russian news agency TASS cited a Washington and expressed hope for revive cooperation on health, climate displays of bonhomie with Trump, spokeswoman for the Minsk branch of close relations. and other issues following Trump’s shared a photo of himself with Biden the Belarus interior ministry, Natalya “I look forward to working with you rejection of the proposed Trans- and offered his congratulations “on Ganusevich, as saying that around 10 to further strengthen the Japan-US Pacific Partnership trade agreement your spectacular victory!” people had been detained. Alliance and ensure peace, freedom, and pressure on Canada, Mexico, British Prime Minister Boris As has become the norm in Minsk and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific South Korea and other partners to Johnson said he looked forward to ahead of protest days, mobile phone region and beyond,” said Japanese renegotiate trade terms. “working closely together on our internet services were disrupted, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on “I look forward to working with shared priorities, from climate change some main streets were closed and Twitter. President Moon Jae-in of President-elect Biden, Vice President- to trade and security.” several metro stations in the city cen- South Korea said he looked forward elect Harris, their administration, and Harris’s election inspired calls in tre were shut. On Sunday, this includ- to working together “for our shared the United States Congress as we tack- parts of Africa for more women in ed all four metro stations of a new line values.” le the world’s greatest challenges government. that had only opened on Saturday. There was no immediate official together,” Canadian Prime Minister “The time has also come to give our A few thousand people gathered by reaction from Beijing, which is Justin Trudeau, who was the target of women the chance to occupy such a a monument in central Minsk for the mired in conflicts with the Trump personal insults by Trump, said on high office in our country and even start of Sunday’s march, local media administration over trade, security Twitter. the number one position,” said a reported. The crowd was subsequent- and technology. After Trump said he Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Nigerian Cabinet minister, Festus REUTERS ly dispersed by police. won “by a lot,” the Communist Party Australia told reporters he looked for- Keyamo, on Twitter. A street in Mekelle, Tigray region of northern Ethiopia. Delhi fears the worst amid smog cloud and coronavirus wave AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal crackers and launched legal action to to live nearer pollution sources. NEW DELHI, NOV 8 said the intense annual smog from get private hospitals to set aside more With no respite in sight, Delhi doc- farm fires, cars and industry was wors- beds for Covid-19 patients. tors have little choice but to recom- A steady stream of patients is coming ening the pandemic crisis. The city has deployed smog guns, mend face masks and air purifiers at out of New Delhi’s brownish atmos- Kundra said he spots at least one which blast out clouds of water intend- home, though few in slums can afford phere for treatment at the Breathe coronavirus suspect a day in his small ed to bring pollution particles to the such luxuries. Better clinic, where lung specialist clinic and orders them to get tested. ground. But environmental activists Navjot Kaur, who had started riding Davinder Kundra is confronting what “Tiny microscopic pollutants act as such as Vimlendu Jha say the her scooter to her job as a lab techni- he calls the “double whammy” of dead- carriers for the virus and go deep into authorities are not serious about the cian to avoid public transport and the ly smog and the coronavirus. the lungs. So Delhi is facing a double problem, and have demanded suspen- risk of Covid-19, said taking to two Kundra is among a growing number whammy because of pollution and sions on construction and even some wheels had left her exposed to the of doctors who are worried as the capi- coronavirus cases,” he said. power stations. smog: “Now I get off and my eyes sting, tal’s notorious air again hits peak pol- “Patients who have chronic Every winter, Delhi residents care- I have to splash water on them.” lution levels while a new pandemic obstructive pulmonary disease and are fully scan pollution indexes, which “The pollution has come quicker this wave is battering hospitals. AFP/RSS exposed to increased pollution are measure tiny but deadly PM 2.5 parti- year and seems worse,” she said. Every winter pollution season, Smog blankets New Delhi. prone to have more severe forms of the cles, up to 2.5 microns in width. Other Delhi inhabitants such as demand for beds spikes in the world’s infection.” A Harvard University study released software engineer Naveen Malhotra, most polluted capital because of an say the figure could soon exceed 12,000. With more residents on the streets last month said an increase of just one who suffers from a respiratory increase in lung diseases and chronic India already has the world’s sec- ahead of India’s main holiday, Diwali— micron per cubic metre of PM 2.5 caus- condition, want to leave the city bronchitis. ond-highest number of cases—8.5 mil- the festival of light—on Saturday, doc- es an 11 percent jump in Covid-19 mor- altogether. Now the coronavirus has come back lion—behind the United States. tors fear dark days ahead for the city of tality. Other studies indicate the prob- He said: “I am just waiting for an after a lull, new cases reaching a record With studies strongly linking air pol- 20 million people. lem is particularly bad for poorer peo- opportunity to shift to a place where 7,000 a day. Some official predictions lution to increased coronavirus deaths, Kejriwal has banned Diwali fire- ple—such as slum dwellers—who tend there is less pollution.”

C M Y K 07 | MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 SPORTS | MEDLEY BRIEFING Kane strikes late as Tottenham beat West Brom 1-0 Depleted PSG beat Rennes 3-0 PARIS: Paris St Germain suffered Tottenham climb on top of the Premier League standings temporarily with 17 points from eight matches while the opponents are yet to win a game. more injury woes as they thrashed visitors Stade Rennes 3-0 on Saturday. REUTERS before halftime. Frank Lampard’s side Angel Di Maria scored twice after an WEST BROMWICH, NOV 8 bossed the second half and captain early opener from Italian striker Thiago Silva scored his first goal for Moise Kean, who joined a long list of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry the London club with a 77th-minute injured players, leaving coach Kane chalked off yet another mile- header before Timo Werner added a Thomas Tuchel without all of his stone as his 150th Premier League goal fourth. Moroccan international main forwards except the Argentine. earned his side a 1-0 win at struggling Hakim Ziyech, another of Chelsea’s Kean put the hosts ahead in the 11th West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. recent signings, claimed two assists in minute with a cross-shot after being It looked as though West Brom had a masterful performance. set up by Di Maria. PSG, already successfully stifled Tottenham’s for- Sheffield United are still looking for without injured Neymar, Kylian midable front trio of Kane, Gareth their first victory of the season and Mbappe, Presnel Kimpembe, Mauro Bale and Son Heung-min, starting have picked up only one point so far— Icardi, Marco Verratti, Julian together in the league for the first the joint-lowest total after eight games Draxler, Juan Bernat and Pablo time, but Kane headed home in the in Premier League history. Sarabia, suffered more woes when 88th minute. “I promise you I’m not At the Selhurst Park, Leeds United Idrissa Gueye limped off the pitch to bothered about Leicester versus suffered another heavy defeat with a be replaced by Rafinha one minute Wolves or City versus Liverpool. I just 4-1 reverse at Crystal Palace. Marcelo later. Di Maria then doubled their want us to win games and then we’ll Bielsa’s side were beaten by the same tally 10 minutes later with a delight- see where we are,” Spurs manager scoreline at home to Leicester City on ful lob for his 85th PSG goal before Jose Mourinho said. “West Brom’s Monday. fullback Thilo Kehrer was forced out performance made us play in the way Scott Dann headed Palace into a injured and replaced by Mitchel we did. They were very good defen- 12th minute lead with a thundering Bakker. Kean limped off the sively. We played safe.” header from an Eberi Eze corner. pitch shortly before the hour and Kane, like Son and Bale, was a sub- Palace doubled their lead with a bril- was substituted for defensive mid- dued figure on Sunday as a resolute liant free kick from Eze, his first goal fielder Danilo Pereira. Di Maria West Brom defended deeply, but he for the club, as he struck a 20-metre was at it again in the 73rd, capitalised on a moment of indecision shot into the top corner. adding the third. by home keeper Sam Johnstone to Bamford did score with a confident glance in Matt Doherty’s flighted ball drive after being set up by Polish mid- into the danger area. The England fielder Mateusz Klich’s headed pass Caicedo produces another striker scored his 200th Tottenham when he buried the ball in the bottom late show to deny Juventus goal in midweek in the Europa League corner for his seventh goal of the ROME: Lazio substitute Felipe Caicedo win over Ludogorets and now has 13 campaign. scored in stoppage-time for the sec- goals and 10 assists in 14 matches in But Palace restored their two-goal ond week running to earn his side a all competitions for his club this AP/RSS advantage just before the interval Tottenham striker Harry Kane scored his 150th Premier League goal against West Brom and seventh in eighth league appearance this season. 1-1 draw at home to Juventus in Serie season. when Helder Costa’s sliding tackle A on Sunday after Cristiano Ronaldo It had taken a sluggish Tottenham deflected a low cross from Wifried had given the champions a first-half almost an hour to have an effort on began to ramp up the pressure as the debut and the Brazilian almost their bench. Zaha inside the near post, confound- lead. The Ecuadorean, who grabbed a target, although Son did have a golden second half progressed and finally squeezed a shot inside the post, On Saturday, Chelsea hit back in ing Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier. 98th-minute winner at Torino last early opportunity but took too long began to test Johnstone. only for Johnstone to make a scram- impressive fashion after going behind Zaha also had a hand in Palace’s weekend and notched a late equaliser and his shot was blocked. West Brom Sergio Reguilon warmed his gloves bling save. to overwhelm bottom club Sheffield fourth, running at the Leeds defence in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at Zenit St had chances too. from long range, Bale could not con- West Brom appeared to have resist- United 4-1 at the Stamford Bridge. before slipping the ball to Jordan Petersburg, levelled in the 94th min- Karlan Grant headed Darnell nect with a dangerous Kane cross and ed the Spurs surge but Kane popped David McGoldrick’s neat flick gave Ayew who made no mistake. ute to end Juve’s resistance after Furlong’s superb cross wide in the substitute Giovani Lo Celso scuffed a up to continue Tottenham’s 100% the visitors a surprise ninth-minute Also, Tomas Soucek’s stoppage-time Lazio had dominated the second half. first half while Dara O’Shea missed shot wide. Carlos Vinicius came off record on the road this season lead but Chelsea responded with goals goal earned West Ham United a 1-0 Ronaldo had given the titleholders a the target with a header. Tottenham the bench for his Premier League and spark loud celebrations on by Tammy Abraham and Ben Chilwell win over Fulham. 15th-minute lead with his sixth league goal of the season. He also hit the post but was taken off in the sec- ond half after appearing to hurt his ankle. Juventus have 13 points from Kimmich injury overshadows seven games, three behind leaders AC Messi rescues Barcelona, Atletico win Milan who host Verona later on REUTERS Sunday. Lazio have 11 points. drawing 1-1 when Sanabria cancelled beyond doubt, smashing the ball into BARCELONA, NOV 8 out Dembele’s superb opening strike the top corner while Pedri struck fifth. Bayern’s win at Dortmund on the stroke of halftime. Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix Alexander Zverev beats Rafael AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Bayern earned their fourth straight Lionel Messi came off the bench to Messi was brought on at the start of played a starring role with two goals DORTMUND, NOV 8 win over Dortmund as Robert score twice and lead Barcelona to a 5-2 the second period and promptly pro- and an assist as they crushed visitors Nadal in Paris semi-final Lewandowski scored his 11th goal in home victory over Real Betis on duced a sublime dummy to allow Cadiz 4-0 to continue their rampant PARIS: Top seed Rafael Nadal’s bid for Bayern Munich face an anxious wait just six league games. After Marco Saturday, snapping a four-game win- Griezmann to tap into an unguarded run of domestic form. Club record a maiden Paris Masters title was halt- to discover the severity of Joshua Reus gave Dortmund the lead, David less streak in La Liga for the Catalans. net and put Barca back in front in the signing Felix put Atletico ahead in the ed on Saturday when the Spaniard Kimmich’s knee injury which cast a Alaba blasted home a free-kick to Antoine Griezmann, Pedri and 49th minute, the Frenchman finally eighth minute, heading a cross from was beaten 6-4 7-5 in the semi-finals shadow over their 3-2 win at Borussia make it 1-1 at the break before Ousmane Dembele also scored for making amends for missing four Marcos Llorente into an unguarded by German fourth seed Alexander Dortmund on Saturday. Lewandowski struck with a superb Barca while Antonio Sanabria and chances before the break including net after Cadiz goalkeeper Jeremias Zverev. The 20-time Grand Slam The Germany midfielder, who has header early in the second half. Loren Moron replied for Betis, who squandering a penalty. Barca’s all- Ledesma had fallen over as he tried to champion broke back after falling 4-2 been in great form recently, was Lewandowski could have finished had Aissa Mandi sent off on the time top scorer Messi then further catch a long punt into the box. behind in the second set but it was a helped off in obvious distress after with a hat-trick after the VAR ruled hour-mark. stretched their lead in the 61st by Llorente doubled Atleti’s advantage brief comeback as the 23-year-old twisting his knee in a first-half chal- out further efforts either side of half- Barca’s captain was surprisingly emphatically dispatching a penalty midway through the first half with a Zverev stole his serve again in the lenge. “He’ll fly home with us and be time. Leroy Sane came off the bench left out of the starting lineup by coach after Aissa Mandi was shown a finish inside the near post. Luis 11th game. He then served it out, examined - it’s too early to say the to grab Bayern’s third ten minutes Ronald Koeman, who later explained straight red card, following a VAR Suarez then combined with Felix to prevailing on his second match point extent of the injury,” said Bayern before the final whistle while Erling that Messi was feeling a little discom- review, for using his arm to block a put Atletico further on top early in the when Nadal’s forehand flew wide. coach Hansi Flick. Kimmich is also a Braut Haaland scored Dortmund’s fort after the 2-1 win over Dynamo shot from Dembele. second half, his goal being initially Zverev will look to claim his fourth concern for Germany ahead of the late second goal. Kyiv in mid-week and had agreed to Betis did manage to pull a goal back ruled out for offside then awarded fol- Masters title against Russian Daniil friendly against the Czech Republic on However, Flick admitted the poten- start on the bench. Koeman’s side with 10 men when Loren netted at the lowing a VAR review. Felix completed Medvedev, who qualified with a com- Wednesday before Nations League tial loss of midfield dynamo Kimmich played well in the first half without far post to make it 3-2 after a maraud- the rout in added time after a quick manding 6-4 7-6(4) victory against games against Spain and then Ukraine would be a blow for the European Messi but missed a slew of clear ing run down the left wing by Alex break involving substitutes Lucas Canadian Milos Raonic. (AGENCIES) in the following six days. champions. opportunities and found themselves Moreno. But Messi soon put the game Torreira and Angel Correa. HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** You might find that good energy is a bit hard to come Old things can be exciting for you right now. An old It looks like that worry you had was just a false You’ll get the greatest amount of satisfaction from by today. Everyone seems to be grumpy or holding a flame could come back on the scene and shake up alarm, and now you could finally get the green light. encountering unfamiliar topics today. You need nov- grudge that they just won’t let go of. Your first urge your world. An old photo might stir up some strange Rest easy and breathe a sigh of relief. You made it! elty in the ideas you process to feel like you’re mak- might be to try and cheer them up, but you should new feelings. Even an old song could send your imag- You won’t be hearing any more from that unsavory ing progress. Do whatever it takes to feed your brain resist it. ination off in a new direction. person (at least not for a while). some new input.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** Do you think that if you spend your energy trying to You’re feeling sensitive to the problems of other peo- Your expectations are growing too lofty right now. There have been more misunderstandings going on make other people happy that you’ll end up making ple. Your empathy is strong, and your thoughts could You’re aiming so high that you’re bound to be disap- in your circle lately, and this needs to come to a halt. yourself happy? That kind of logic won’t work today. be distracted by worry. This isn’t a comfortable feel- pointed when reality hits. You need to scale back It’s causing too much stress. Next time confusion If you want to be happy, you’ve got to make yourself ing, and this level of compassion for others might not your ambitions and believe that everything is hap- erupts, you need to get the interested parties in the happy. be too healthy for you. pening the way it needs to happen. same room together, even if it’s online.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** It’s going to take a lot of patience to deal with a friend It’s time for you to take your turn organising some You’re in a very open-minded phase in which you Even though you love them all dearly, your friends who seems hell-bent on spoiling your fun today. sort of outing. It doesn’t have to be major, and it could do something that isn’t necessarily good for are just not in sync with you right now. They’ve got Whether they’re miserly, irritable, or just plain doesn’t have to involve lots of people. Maybe it’s just you. Temptation could be strong now, so the best their own agendas and might not have time for you. grumpy, you don’t have to encourage it. Try to put a get-together with someone you haven’t seen in a way to avoid it, like spending too much, is to keep Try not to get frustrated if you have a hard time some distance between you and this person. long time. busy. communicating with them right now. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K MONDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2020 | 08 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 ‘Every film we do is a reflection of our personal stories’ Award-winning filmmakers Pooja Gurung and Bibhusan Basnet on their cinematic journey, their creative process, future projects and why they like to stay away from the limelight—even after achieving so much.

PHOTOS COURTESY: BIBHUSAN BASNET (Left) Pooja Gurung and Bibhusan Basnet behind the scenes of The Whole Timers, their first feature film which was picked at L’Atelier de la Cinéfondation at 2016’s Cannes Film Festival. The director-writer duo is currently working on the film.

ANKIT KHADGI we have been able to financially serve the purpose in the writing He’s furious, as he has lost his value of cameras. Cinema is not Korean filmmakers did, and look KATHMANDU sustain ourselves and create cine- and if the other person can con- family to the war and wants to just about writing. At the end of at the quality of South Korean ma all these years. nect to it. own a gun, to take revenge. the day, it’s a visual medium, and cinema now. ince the release of their Pooja: Yes, every project has However, instead of a gun, he has you need to understand the nit- first short film, The been an experience filled with All of your past projects were a Handycam, through which he ty-gritties of camera work. I feel Even after achieving so much, Contagious of struggles. Whenever we work on a screened, with some even bag- captures the war, his experiences that it’s okay for a director to not you guys are mostly low-key. Apparitions of Dambarey new project, it feels like we again ging awards, at many film festi- and his friends. know everything about writing, Why so? Dendrite, in 2013, Pooja have to face another uphill strug- vals. How has that helped shape but if you don’t know how the Gurung and Bibhusan gle. However, to be honest, these your craft? All of your previous movies fea- camera works and how to handle Pooja: It’s a mutual and conscious SBasnet have been on a creative struggles have been learning les- tured a personal story that reso- it, then you miss a lot. decision we took for our roll. Over the years, they have sons for us, as we believe that if Bibhusan: All of our experiences nated with the viewers. As a sto- It’s through the medium of cin- mental well-being and sanity. As swiftly moved from television to we didn’t endure these struggles, have been helpful and eye-open- ry-teller, what kind of stories are ematography that you set the tone filmmakers, we like entertaining advertising to music. Their cur- we wouldn’t have that hunger to ing, as we got to witness some you interested in telling? of the film, it’s pacing, mood and our inner voices more. There are rent medium of expression is cin- make movies and express what we amazing and experimental cinema build the world you want to show. many voices insides us which we ema. want to. that we usually were unaware of Pooja: We don’t like to make issue- That’s why we like to experiment want to focus on more. That’s why Currently working on their first or had no access to. based films. For us, whenever the with cinematography. For we have shifted from film circles feature film, The Whole Timers, You guys mostly work as a team We actually found producers for camera starts rolling, everything instance, in our latest short film and for us, it has been a good which was picked at L’Atelier de la and co-direct. How challenging our films through the festivals becomes personal. Dambarey The Big-Headed Boy we have choice. Cinéfondation at 2016’s Cannes is co-directing and how do you only, as we got to meet so many Dendrite was never a film about experimented by using an 8mm Film Festival and developed with- try to be on the same page so the film, even when it’s old and diffi- Making cinema in itself is a her- in the Jerusalem International vision of a movie won’t get cult. However, as filmmakers, we culean task. Then, there is a lack Film Lab, the duo have been regu- affected? believe in challenging ourselves of appreciation and film culture larly screening their work at pres- ‘We still haven’t made a good love story and experimenting with various in Nepal. Surely, that must be tigious festivals like Venice, Pooja: Honestly, for us, co-direct- mediums. demotivating at times. What Sundance, Toronto and Busan and ing has been really helpful and we or a horror story. I believe it has to then drives you to show up to others. don’t find it challenging at all. For The Nepali film industry is going work? Their second film, Dadyaa: The any duo, if they want balance, do with the fact that we have into two polar opposite direc- Woodpeckers of Rotha, grabbed there should be a fulcrum that normalised mediocrity.’ tions. There’s the ‘mainstream’ Bibhusan: For us, we don’t have the special jury award for cine- maintains the equilibrium. For us, cinema earning the big bucks any option except making movies. matography at the 2017 Sundance it’s movies. That’s why even before and there is independent cine- Our lives revolved around movies. Film Festival. Likewise, their we go to location for shooting or ma, which is limited within a We don’t know what fuels or drives recent short film, The Big-Headed we start writing, we discuss a lot talented people there, working to street children only for us. group. Why do you think we hav- us, but movies are everything for Boy: Shamans and Samurai, is beforehand. make movies. Likewise, Dadyaa wasn’t just a en’t found the right balance? us. also being screened at the I feel that co-directing has rath- Pooja: Attending film festivals movie about migrants who left When we had to stop our shoot International Amsterdam er helped us, as we complement has been a great way of experienc- their hometowns. Pooja: We don’t give priority to for The Whole Timers due to the Documentary Film Festival, each other. However, the way oth- ing mind-blowing films that made Everything we do, everything making films based on our roots lockdown, it was a sad experience which is going to be held from ers view our collaborative effort is us understand the power of sto- we create has to come deeply from and stories that are original to us. for us, as we had given five years November 16. something that I find awkward. It ry-telling. You get to meet wonder- our heart and is a reflection of our Most of our movies, especially the of our lives to the movie and when In an interview with the Post’s also makes me angry. Sometimes, I ful people and your horizon and personal stories. We can’t even commercial movies, are doing we had finally started shooting we Ankit Khadgi, the creative duo am seen less as a filmmaker or a worldviews get expanded. write the first sentence of the film nothing, except aping. There’s no had to stop. talk about their cinematic jour- ‘female’ filmmaker’, even when I We honestly live in a bubble, if we can’t make it personal. effort to tell genuine and rooted But we didn’t let the experience ney, their creative process, future have been equally involved in the and there are times when we need stories, which happened during affect us. We instead resumed our projects and why they like to stay film. to come out of it. For filmmakers, Your films are not only appreci- the Golden Age of television in work by editing the clips of the away from the limelight, even Bibhusan: There’s no lying that film festivals are such events, as it ated for their heartfelt story-tell- Nepal. feature as well as our latest short after achieving so much in their conflicts do arise when you work helps us to be humble and stay ing, but also for their impeccable We still haven’t made a good movie, The Big-Headed Boy. filmmaking careers. Excerpts: in a team. But we solve it by work- guarded as well. visuals. How important is cine- love story or a horror story. I Pooja: We don’t make movies ing together in every aspect, matography for you guys, as sto- believe it has to do with the fact just to sustain ourselves. It’s part The two of you have been part of whether it be writing scripts, Can you briefly tell us about rytellers? that we have normalised mediocri- of us. Our movies are not just us films for years now. How has the developing storyboards, or even what your upcoming The Whole ty as people hardly express their depicting our inspirations, sto- overall experience been like? having discussions with our crew. Timers is about? Bibhusan: For as long as we can dissatisfactions. I strongly feel we ries, and experiences. We are also We mostly write by giving space to remember, writing has been the need to speak the truth and say depicting the stories of the people Bibhusan: We have been working each other’s vision. For instance, Bibhusan: We have already shot 50 medium through which we have things that we don’t agree or like we interviewed and met during together for the past 10 years. Our when I start writing, I write non- percent of the film. However, we expressed ourselves. However, about movies. our filmmaking process, who overall journey has been filled stop. She does the same. But yes, had to stall shooting due to the coming from a writing back- Likewise, we, the filmmakers of opened up to us and shared with struggles, as it always has complications do arise when we lockdown. The duration is not ground did affect us in filmmak- the current generation, shouldn’t their dreams and experiences. been a hurdle to get financial write taking inspiration from our exactly fixed but it will be four ing, as we viewed cinema as some- give up. There will always be diffi- That’s why every morning we resources for our projects due to individual experiences, which hours long as we will cover the thing similar to the craft of writ- cult days. But that doesn’t mean wake up, we feel charged to fulfil which there have been difficult may be different from each other. last three years of the Civil War. ing. we give up. We have to work and our responsibility of telling the and exhausting times as well. However, we do think a lot about The film is about a 13-year-old But thanks to the company of strive continuously for the better- stories of people and us through Sometimes, we wonder about how whether our imagination or ideas boy who becomes part of the war. some friends, we understood the ment of movies. That’s what South our movies. Covid-19: ‘The Bitter End’ for nation’s live music venues? In the United States, independent music clubs all over the nation are shuttered. And owners fear for the future of their businesses and of a musical way of life.

KEVIN MCGILL selves a few more months. for good on October 5, Schaefer noted. Some venues are turning to lives- Club owners said in an online post treaming to help themselves and cre- that they’d hoped they could save the he venerable New Orleans ate work for musicians left jobless by decade-old venue. “But due to the pan- band Galactic pur- the pandemic. The Maple Leaf Bar, a demic, mounting operational costs that chased the historic music fixture in New Orleans’ Carrollton never paused even while we were closed, club Tipitina’s in late neighbourhood since the 1970s, recent- and no clear timeline for when clubs November 2018 and, ly kicked off a series of streaming like ours can safely reopen, we had no according to bassist concerts dubbed “The Viral Sessions,” choice recently but to make this heart- TRobert Mercurio, was making a go with Jon Cleary and his band. breaking decision.” of it. “It keeps musicians employed,” Cobb fears too many such closures “It’s a tight-margin business but we owner Hank Staples said. would mean loss of something irre- were making our notes and fulfilling “It keeps our brand out there and trievable in his beloved Nashville and our bills and whatnot. So, it was mov- we’ve made some much needed income elsewhere. ing along in a good direction,” he said. off of it as well.” “This is an organic ecosystem that That was before the coronavirus But even with that income—minus supports American music,” he said by pandemic forced shutdowns of public the expenses of mounting the produc- telephone. “Without this independent gatherings. tions—Staples isn’t sure how long he network, American music as we know Audiences last packed into Tipitina’s for a March 12 performance by the Stooges . Now, Mercurio is worried that Covid-19 Fundraising efforts and the possibility of could prove fatal to Tipitina’s, a New more federal help are keeping some Orleans cultural touchstone founded in the 1970s as the performance home owners hopeful that they can buy for the late Henry Roeland Byrd, bet- ter known as key- themselves a few more months. board genius Professor Longhair. For Mercurio, the problem is two- AP/RSS fold. Galactic is a band with nowhere An empty stairwell leading from the balcony is seen inside Tipitina’s music club, closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in New Orleans. can keep The Maple Leaf going. it would not exist. These are the ven- to tour and a business whose operat- “We can certainly go for another ues where the superstars got their ing model—packing hordes of people shuttered. And owners fear for the you have in midtown Manhattan and differences on the overall package month and a half or two months,” start. It’s where they honed their craft. in front of a stage for hours—doesn’t future of their businesses and of a no revenue?” between the chambers, there is no Staples said recently as he sat on the It’s where they built fan bases. It’s work in a pandemic. musical way of life. NIVA, which has 2,800 members clear end in sight to the pandemic Leaf ’s narrow stage, decorated with where they get better. Nobody plays “It’s terrifying,” he said. “It’s “There’s no amount of history or representing venues, promoters and closures. strings of tiny blue lights, vinyl the arena that didn’t spend time tour- extremely difficult to be a now-non- legendary status that will protect festivals, lobbied for congressional “The rent is the rent, and that’s the records repurposed as wall hangings ing the clubs.” working musician owning an you,” Audrey Fix Schaefer said. She is passage of what the organization calls problem,” says Chris Cobb, owner of and a cardboard cutout of a nearly In New York, The Bitter End unopened nightclub.” a spokesperson for the National the Save Our Stages Act. The aid pack- Nashville’s Exit/In. He said fixed naked James Booker, the flamboyant owner Paul Rizzo agrees. “Stephanie Such fears aren’t limited to New Independent Venue Association, age, Schaefer said, has bipartisan costs haven’t come down much at the piano prodigy who performed there Germanotta, when she played at The Orleans. Independent music clubs all which was formed in the wake of the backing and was included in a $2.2 nearly 50-year-old venue, while reve- regularly until his death in 1983. “But Bitter End, wasn’t Lady Gaga yet,” over the nation—pop culture icons pandemic to raise awareness and trillion relief plan passed earlier this nue is down 94 percent. Fundraising we need some way to generate income says Rizzo. “She had to play for a like the Troubadour in West money for the newly struggling clubs. year in the Democrat-controlled efforts, such as those by Nashville’s because the money I’ve squirrelled while. You have to get experiences to Hollywood; the Bluebird Cafe in She points to the iconic club House, and in a smaller relief package Music Venue Alliance, and the possi- away—it’s depleted severely.” become something that you are able to Nashville, Tennessee; The Bitter End Birdland in New York City. “Can you in the Republican-controlled Senate. bility of more federal help are keeping It’s already too late for some clubs. U become.” in New York’s Greenwich Village—are imagine having the type of rents that But with no imminent resolution of him hopeful that they can buy them- Street Music Hall in Washington closed —Associated Press

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