WITHOUT F EAR OR FAVOUR

Nepal’s largest selling English daily Vol XXIX No. 29 | 12 pages | Rs.5 O O Printed simultaneously in Kathmandu, , Bharatpur and Nepalgunj 34.4 C 2.5 C Friday, March 19, 2021 | 06-12-2077 Nepalgunj Jumla Vaccines from , which are under probe, are Chinese, officials say ’s drug regulator says it is consulting with foreign and health ministries, as the issue is not just technical but also concerns bilateral ties and diplomacy.

ARJUN POUDEL Sinopharm’s BBIBP-CorV but not to KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 Sinovac’s CoronaVac. Nepal, however, has not rolled out A report on an investigation into Sinopharm vaccines yet. The Oxford- how 2,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca vaccine was the first to were brought to Nepal by a Bahraini get emergency use authorisation in prince was to be submitted on Nepal. The vaccine, manufactured by Thursday evening. the Serum Institute of under the But officials on Thursday afternoon brand name of Covishield, is current- said that the vaccines were Chinese, ly being used in Nepal. not AstraZeneca as claimed before. Sheikh Mohamed Hamad Mohamed At least two officials at the Health al-Khalifa, the Bahraini prince, and Ministry, who did not wish to be his team landed in Kathmandu on named, said that the vaccines from Monday on an Everest mission. Bahrain are Chinese and developed The Nepali embassy in Bahrain on by Sinovac Biotech, for which Nepal Monday said in a statement that the has not granted emergency use prince’s team would be carrying 2,000 authorisation. doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, which A Drug Administration Department will be administered to the locals of official, however, said the Samagaun of Tsum Nubri Rural POST PHOTO: ELITE JOSHI Bahraini prince had brought Municipality in Gorkha district. The A woman weaves carpet at a workshop in Chyasal, Lalitpur on Thursday. Sinopharm. “The vaccines they team will stay in Nepal for 80 days, [the Bahraini team] brought according to the statement. here are from the Beijing The team was in Nepal in October Institute of Biological Product, last year to climb Lobuche and which means it’s Sinopharm,” Manaslu mountains. Santosh KC, spokesperson for Officials told the Post on Tuesday INSIDE UML vs UML the Department of Drug that though the vaccines were brought Administration, told the Post. in good faith, the process failed to The Nepal-Khanal faction plans to revive all party Which company manufac- comply with the rules stipulated by Officials bent on granting tured the vaccine holds a lot of the country’s drug regulator for committees to counter KP Sharma Oli while significance, as Nepal has grant- importing such items. affiliation to B&C college ed emergency use approval to >> Continued on page 2 despite controversy the latter appears firm on bulldozing decisions. KATHMANDU: Kathmandu University has recommended the Medical Education Commission grant affilia- tion to the Jhapa-based B&C medical college to run MBBS courses, despite controversies surrounding its opera- tions. A senate meeting of the univer- sity, allegedly under pressure from Minister for Education Krishna Gopal Shrestha, on February 24 decided to pave the way for the col- lege to acquire affiliation. “We have received a letter from Kathmandu University,” Semant Koirala, spokes- person for the commission, told Post. “The commission’s board meeting is authorised to decide on the matter.” The commission’s board is led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli while Shrestha and Minister for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi are its co-chairs. The commission’s board meeting hasn’t been convened yet. However, it is likely to be convened PHOTO COURTESY: SURYA THAPA/TWITTER Since their Dhumbarahi meet failed, the two factions of ruling party are drifting further apart. soon, officials said. (Details on Pg 5) TIKA R PRADHAN are held following the due procedure.” India and Pakistan suffer KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 Leaders from the Nepal-Khanal fac- tion group want to up the ante against new Covid-19 surge The CPN-UML fight is on–and it’s Oli but they also fear losing their law- MUMBAI/ISLAMABAD: India and escalating by the day. maker positions. Pakistan reported a big jump in new The Madhav Kumar Nepal-Jhala The Parliamentary Party meeting coronavirus infections on Thursday, Nath Khanal faction of the UML has held at Baluwatar on Thursday decid- driven by a resurgence in cases in decided to launch a nationwide cam- ed to direct lawmakers of the Khanal- their richest states. While authorities paign to revive and reorganise all Nepal faction to return with “self-real- in India have mainly blamed crowd- the party committees in the stage isation” or else face action. ing and an overall reluctance to wear they were some three years ago—prior According to Shanta Chaudhary, masks for its spike, Pakistan says the to its merger with the Communist the party’s whip, the meeting decided UK variant of the virus found in the Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). that the party will take necessary country could also be a factor. The Nepal-Khanal group’s move is legal action against those who violate Maharashtra state, home to India’s aimed at attacking the faction led by the party’s directions. commercial capital Mumbai, reported party chair and Prime Minister KP Addressing the national gathering 23,179 of the country’s 35,871 new Sharma Oli. organised by his faction, Nepal said cases in the past 24 hours, and the Oli, on the other hand, is threaten- that some lawmakers attended the fast-spreading contagion in major ing action against leaders of the Parliamentary Party meeting at industrial areas raised risks of com- Nepal-Khanal group. Baluwatar because of a communica- panies’ production being disrupted. On Thursday, Oli called a meeting tion gap. With the worst rise in infections of the Parliamentary Party and decid- “But the way they were humiliated since early December, India’s total ed to form a Parliamentary Board shows Oli’s intentions are not good,” cases stood at 11.47 million, the high- with 24 members, including Nepal and said Nepal. “Oli is vindictive and est after the United States and Brazil. Khanal. signs are not good.” Deaths rose by 172 to 159,216, accord- Though parliamentarians of the Oli has called a Central Committee ing to health ministry data on Nepal-Khanal faction were supposed meeting on Sunday, but the Nepal- Thursday. (Details on Pg 6) to attend the meeting, most of them Khanal faction has refused to attend, did not. Some, however, attended the saying that Oli must withdraw the meeting. decisions he had taken through the Bhairahawa hotels reopen as Insiders say Oli appears to be clear March 12 Central Committee meeting. domestic tourists come back in his strategy—proving his strength On March 12, Oli amended the and dangling the threat of action party statute and inducted as many TILOTTAMA: Hotels in Bhairahawa are against his opponents. as 23 Maoist members into the reopening as domestic tourists begin The Nepal-Khanal faction at this Central Committee. Oli also relieved to emerge out of their coronavirus time finds itself in a tight spot. The leaders close to Nepal of their respon- hibernation, encouraged by signs March 7 court order reviving the UML sibilities. that the pandemic is on the wane. All and the Maoist Centre came as a bitter Leaders from the Nepal-Khanal fac- hotels, lodges, guest houses and pill to swallow for the group as it was tion say Oli is making all attempts, resorts were forced to shut down after left with no option than to return to legal or illegal, to exact revenge on the federal government imposed a the UML fold. them. Those from Oli’s orbit say the lockdown in March last year. And The two-day national gathering of Nepal-Khanal faction does deserve even after the stay-home order was the Nepal-Khanal group, which con- punishment, for until the court withdrawn in July, they continued to cluded on Thursday, decided that they revived the UML and the Maoist remain closed as provincial govern- will continue their internal struggle Centre, they were making all attempts ments enforced their own restric- and face the challenges ahead. to unseat Oli. tions. Hundreds of employees suf- “We are for the unity of the CPN- Nepal in particular has been Oli’s fered layoffs when the hotels went UML. So we will continue our struggle arch-rival in the UML. The merger to offline. In Bhairahawa, hotel owners by being within the party. We don’t form the used the prolonged downtime to have any plans to announce a split,” (NCP) in May 2018 had helped Oli expand their properties and upgrade said Yogesh Bhattarai after the fac- emerge as a powerful leader. Oli’s the facilities. New hotels were also tion’s national gathering. “We, howev- high-handedness had irked Nepal no built. More than 20 big hotels came er, won’t attend the Central Committee end, as he was once relegated to the up in Rupandehi district during the meeting. But we may attend fourth rank in the party. pandemic. (Details on Pg 8) Parliamentary Party meetings if they >> Continued on page 2

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 02 NATIONAL Simara residents padlock warehouse of steel foundry over pollution issue The conflict has escalated as more people are now living close to the industrial area, industrialists say.

SHANKAR ACHARYA should adopt scientific methods in PARSA, MARCH 18 order to lower their pollution levels. “They should begin by at least On Wednesday, the local residents of replacing old machines. Both business Simara in Bara padlocked the ware- entrepreneurs and local authorities house of Jagdamba Steels. According should take initiatives to control pol- to them, there is a small plant lution,” he said. within the warehouse facility that Bhim Kanta Paudel, assistant chief causes incessant noise and vibration district officer of Parsa, says legal disturbance. action can be taken against the indus- “The disturbance is unbearable. tries in question if the local residents Houses that are closer to the ware- file an official complaint. house have developed cracks because “So far we have not received any of the tremor caused by large official complaints against the indus- machines operating inside,” said Hira tries,” he said. POST PHOTO: BEEJU MAHARJAN Basnet, a local man. “Earlier, the place Currently, there are over 1,000 A woman herds goats at Khokana in Lalitpur on Thursday. used to be a storage but now it has small, medium and large scale indus- turned into a full-fledged factory.” tries operating in the Parsa-Bara Resham Tiwari, another resident Industrial Corridor, which spans from the area, said they have been about 25 km from Birgunj to requesting the local authorities to Pathalaiya. control the noise pollution level, but The industry operators have been Ten years on, Kamala bridge yet to come into operation without any success. demanding that the government offi- “None of the authorities has paid cially declare the area an industrial Roads linked to the bridge have been washed away by floodwaters, delaying the opening of the bridge. attention to our concerns. We have to corridor. resort to protest and padlock the facil- According to Subodh Kumar Gupta, ity because we see no other option,” chairman of Birgunj Chamber of SANTOSH SINGH Highway Directorate Project Office in said Tiwari. Commerce and Industry, the industri- DHANUSHA, MARCH 18 . Jagdamba Steels, meanwhile, al corridor is not supposed to have The bridge project was awarded to claims that the company has taken human settlements. The construction of a 470-metre long Pappu Constructions in June 2011. As necessary measures to control pollu- When the corridor was set up bridge across Kamala River that con- per the contract agreement, the build- tion levels at its facilities. around 40 years ago, he said there nects Dhanusha and Siraha districts er was expected to complete the bridge “We have installed equipment to were settlements only in Jitpur, started some 10 years ago. During the within three years. control pollution in our industrial Simara, Parwanipur, Pathalaiya and same period, two road sections were Due to the construction company’s area. The local people are wrong in Chhatapipra. built on both ends of the under-con- delay in completing the bridge, author- claiming that we are causing pollu- “Now more people are moving into struction bridge to link it to the Postal ities awarded the contract to Lumbini tion,” said Jagdamba CEO Anurag the industrial area, leading to con- Highway. Builders two years ago. Sharma. “Our steel industry employs frontations between the settlers and Around 90 percent of the bridge “The river has been changing its over 3,200 labourers. The protest by the industries. The area is not meant construction work has been completed course frequently in the last decade. It the locals has made the working envi- for residential purpose,” said Gupta. but the bridge won’t be open to the has grown wider. The length of the ronment unfavourable.” The Birgunj Chamber of Commerce public any time soon since the roads bridge should be extended and There are other industries in the and Industry has long been urging the leading to the bridge have been embankments should also be con- Parsa-Bara Industrial Corridor that government authorities to formally washed away by floodwaters in the structed on both sides to keep floodwa- have been facing obstruction from declare the Parsa-Bara Industrial river. ters from washing away the roads,” locals from time to time. Corridor as an industrial area. Currently, there are no roads linked said Yadav. Around five years ago, local resi- Gopal Kedia, former chairman of to the bridge since road stretches on According to Jayanath Yadav, a site dents of Parwanipur staged a demon- the chamber, said that the business either side were washed away by the engineer of the Postal Highway stration against environmental pollu- organisations have repeatedly made river which can swell up to 1,200 Directorate Project Office, works are tion caused by Narayani Oil and the request to the government but to metres wide during monsoon, say POST PHOTO: SANTOSH SINGH being carried out to direct the course Trishakti Cement Industry. Following no avail. “It will be enough if only the local residents. The bridge is expected to open by mid-April, project officials say. of the river towards the bridge area. the protest, the company installed a government made the declaration and Last year, a 600-metre stretch of the “A 500-metre-long channel is being plant to control pollution. prohibited construction of residential blacktopped road, linking the western Kamala campaign, said that the bridge almost complete now but we will constructed to direct the flow of the Jas Pal Singh, an environmentalist buildings close to the industrial area,” part of the bridge to Dhanusha, was cannot be used as there’s a risk of not be able to use it since there is no river towards the bridge area,” he based in Birgunj, says industries said Kedia. swept away by the floodwaters. erosion during monsoon floods. road connection,” said Krishna said. “The bridge will come into oper- Bikram Yadav, coordinator of the Save “The construction of the bridge is Kumar Mahato, chief at the Postal ation by mid-April.” UML vs UML >> Continued from page 1 those who violate the directives of the Central Committee has 201 members Gurung. “Khanal and Nepal’s absence Nepal hence gradually sided with Parliamentary Party. including 44 alternative members. in the Central Committee meeting Pushpa Kamal Dahal who held the “The root cause of the conflict in Prithvi Subba Gurung, the party won’t mean much.” chair’s post in the Nepal Communist the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) secretary who is close to Oli, said had Political analysts say the Nepal- Party (NCP) alongside Oli. The Dahal- was Oli’s attempt to corner Nepal’s the Nepal faction controlled the major- Khanal faction’s struggle against Oli Nepal alliance at one point became so group siding with Dahal,” said ity, it would have called the Central could lead the party towards more strong that Oli saw them as a massive Beduram Bhusal, a Standing Committee meeting. confrontation. “It was because of Oli’s threat and to stay afloat, he dissolved Committee member representing “It does not matter if they don’t working style the Nepal Communist the House on December 20. Khanal-Nepal faction. “Now in the attend the Central Committee meeting Party was in a disarray. The UML is Though the Supreme Court over- revived UML, Oli is making similar scheduled for March 20,” Gurung told now in a crisis,” said Rajendra turned Oli’s December decision on attempts to finish those off who do not the Post. “The party now will start Maharjan, a political analyst. “If you February 23, what the Dahal-Nepal agree with him.” taking actions against those who vio- don’t give respectable space to leaders, hailed as their own victory, the March On March 12 Oli held two separate late the party’s whip. The divisions are inevitable.” 7 court decision, hours before the meetings of the UML’s Central Parliamentary Party meeting held at Leaders from the Nepal-Khanal fac- meeting of the reinstated House, in Committee at Baluwatar without Baluwatar today has already decided tion also believe that the conflict will essence, brought a split in the Dahal- informing any of the central members to form a 24-member parliamentary escalate in the coming days as Oli has Nepal faction. belonging to the Khanal-Nepal faction board.” shown no remorse for his actions. Now Oli is in a bid to use the newly and amended the party statute to According to Gurung, the Nepal- “Both factions now will try to woo formed parliamentary board to initi- incorporate 23 central members from Khanal faction is confused and it lacks leaders and cadres,” said Surendra ate actions against whoever comes on the Maoist Centre. clarity on what it actually wants. Pandey, a Standing Committee mem- his way. The Oli faction appears to be firm “Members who are said to be close ber close to Nepal. “The divisions will The party’s statute envisions such a on holding the Central Committee to them today will gradually fall in be seen throughout all levels of the board which can make recommenda- meeting on March 20, as it believes it line, as they will realise what the UML party across the country. Confrontation POST PHOTO tions on initiating actions against controls the majority. The UML’s actually means for them,” said has begun.” Factories on the Parsa-Bara Industrial Corridor have long been accused of causing pollution. Vaccines from Bahrain, which are under probe, are Chinese ...

>> Continued from page 1 cine issue. well as storage guarantee of Bahraini prince flying into Nepal with embassy in Bahrain has written to failure to do so could hurt bilateral “The Department of Drug “It is a highly sensitive issue and cold chain maintenance and 2,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs relations. Many Nepalis go to Bahrain Administration has the right to confis- also of diplomatic concern,” Bharat expiry dates must be provided to the “had all the required paperwork”. to confirm the issue and to apologise for work. According to the Nepali cate any vaccine or medicine that is Bhattarai, director general at the drug regulator. “To clarify, the Bahraini team arriv- for any confusion within the Nepali embassy in Manama, around 25,000 brought into the country without per- department, told the Post on Thursday According to KC, spokesperson for ing in Nepal had full approval to enter government, and subsequent media Nepalis are currently staying in mission or if such items are not afternoon. “We are waiting for some the Department of Drug the country with a shipment of 2,000 reports on the matter. Bahrain. allowed in the country,” Dr Roshan directives from the Health Ministry.” Administration, anyone importing vaccine doses,” the nationalnews.com The online news portal also said the The agency that is managing the Pokhrel, chief specialist at the The department had launched a any medicine or vaccine into Nepal quoted a government spokesperson. vaccines that the prince planned to Bahraini team’s Everest mission told Ministry of Health and Population, probe into how the Bahrain must fulfil necessary legal procedures “This approval was received before donate to a village in Nepal were the Post on Tuesday that the Nepali told the Post. prince carried 2,000 doses of Covid-19 stipulated by the country. flying to Nepal from the Nepali ambas- developed by AstraZeneca. embassy in Bahrain had requested Officials said some more unusual vaccines to Nepal without a prior However, nationalnews.com, a sador to Bahrain.” Santosh KC, spokesperson for the around 1,000 doses of vaccine. events too have come to light—that the approval. -based news According to the government offi- Department of Drug Administration, “The 1,000 doses of vaccine were vaccines were quickly loaded onto an The drug inspectors deployed for portal, said on Thursday that the cial, reported the paper, the Nepali said that his office has been coordinat- requested by the Nepali embassy itself ambulance and taken to a private hos- investigation were given until ing with the foreign and health minis- and another 1,000 doses were given by pital in Kathmandu, only to be taken Thursday evening to furnish their tries to resolve the issue. Bahrain on its own,” an official at the back to the airport warehouse for stor- report. “We are in regular touch with the Seven Summit Treks, the agency han- age later. “We can say more only after we concerned agencies under the Health dling the prince’s Everest expedition, Deo Chandra Lal Karna, spokesper- receive a report from our drug inspec- Ministry and the Foreign Affairs told the Post on Tuesday. “As per the son for the Tribhuvan International tors,’’ Bhattarai told the Post on Ministry,” KC told the Post earlier on plan, the team was expected to see the Airport, said they do have cold storage Thursday afternoon. The Post’s Thursday. Health Ministry officials at the air- facilities where vaccines can be stored attempts to contact him later in the In the statement issued on Tuesday, port to take the vaccine and store in both import and export sections. evening for updates failed, as his Padam Sundas, Nepal’s ambassador to them.” So far, all the vaccines imported by phone was switched off. Bahrain, expressed his happiness Public health experts said the government of Nepal and those A communication mix-up was about Bahrain’s interest in mountain the authorities concerned should supplied under the COVAX facility are blamed for the arrival of climbing in Nepal and said that it has resolve the issue diplomatically. moved directly to the storage facility vaccines from Bahrain, as officials helped strengthen Nepal-Bahrain rela- “There seems to be no ill-intention of the Department of Health Services. told the Post on Tuesday that the tions. He also thanked the government in bringing the vaccines. The Bahraini A Health Ministry official said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in the of Bahrain for providing the Covid-19 team brought the vaccines as a gift, in vaccines now will be handed over to know about the Bahraini prince bring- vaccines. a gesture of goodwill,” Dr Baburam the Department of Drug ing the vaccines but the Health The Post’s attempts on Thursday to Marasini, former director general of Administration. Ministry was not. talk to Sundas also failed, as his phone the Epidemiology and Disease Control Officials from the department said The Nepali drug regulator also said was switched off too. Division, said. “It’s our government that they have been waiting for the no prior approval was taken. Officials said they are trying to agencies that have made the matter directive from the Health Ministry on To import any medicine or vaccine POST COURTESY: SEVEN SUMMIT TREKS resolve the issue of vaccines unnecessarily complicated. It looks like the ways to resolve the Bahrain vac- into Nepal, relevant documents as The vaccines brought from Bahrain have not been authorised in Nepal yet. from Bahrain at the earliest as the a clear case of communication mix-up.”

C M Y K 03 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 04 OPINION EDITORIAL Nepal’s road to

Moment of truth The two countries’ The leadership should leave no stone unturned relations in the future to manage the vaccine shortage. will be guided by their past. For Nepalis, the first glimmer of hope amid the ongoing pan- demic arrived with a million doses as a grant from India, enabling the government to launch the first phase of the AMISH RAJ MULMI vaccine rollout to frontline workers and select professions. But owing to the massive disparity in global demand and production capacity, the government, which still awaits the supply of a million doses that it has procured from the Serum Institute of India, had to quickly change the original plan of vaccinating everyone above 55 to ensure there were enough A few years ago, I was in Jyatha, second doses for those vaccinated in the first phase and a Thamel, at the New Chong Qing Wei botched second phase. restaurant. The Sichuan restaurant is The hard truth is that this situation was inevitable, and as run by Ramesh Bishwokarma, also cases surge in India for the first time in three months, known as San-Dai (and who I’ve pro- Nepal is in a precarious position. The government’s plan to filed separately), who speaks Chinese with flourish but has never been to the procure an additional 5 million doses has hit a wall since country. The signages in Jyatha had the manufacturer has refused to sell them directly to the gov- begun to change; most now advertised ernment. Although the government has now roped in the to the Chinese tourist. I could see private sector to procure the scarce Covishield, global groups of Chinese tourists walking demand continues to soar as more countries approve its use past in their fluorescent-neon glows. Some held up their phones, video-chat- and battle to secure the precious doses. The shortage ting with friends back home; others has even affected the World Health Organisation’s COVAX were hunched over curios inside jewel- facility, under which Nepal qualifies to receive the vaccines lery and handicraft shops. San-Dai’s under grant assistance, but uncertainty looms as supply restaurant was crowded with Chinese is insufficient. travellers; the waft of Sichuan pepper was ripe in the air. As frustrating as the truth is, we have to understand All of this was new to me. Thamel that the pandemic will only prolong our fragile situation has always catered to the tourist, but without a robust procurement and distribution strategy. there seemed to be a newfound focus on Next week marks a year into the coronavirus pandemic that the Chinese visitor. Chinese investors now saw Nepal as a suitable destina- has claimed 3,015 lives and infected 275,625 people as of tion, and Nepalis were setting up busi- Thursday, but we have to be wary that the situation can nesses targeting Chinese tourists. quickly spiral out of hand if we let our guard down. Chinese leaders were visiting Nepal It cannot be business as usual unless everyone is vaccinated, regularly, and vice-versa. New projects and the responsibility to ensure jabs for everyone is of the were being announced with Chinese PHOTO CREDIT: AMISH RAJ MULMI assistance regularly, including in Tourists walking around the mini China Town in Jyatha. government, which has to now explore options beyond , where I come from, and where Covishield and activate diplomatic channels to pursue the international airport project final- documented many times by now; how- nections between the many communi- and today the symbol of how China can any possibilities. Baluwatar must prioritise where it lags ly moved ahead because of China. It ever, very few have written about the ties of Nepal and Tibet rode—from the transform Nepali dreams and and work to speed up the vaccination drive and win the pub- seemed like relations between our two other side of the story, about how devel- Newar traders of the Valley to the ambitions; here, China and its compa- lic’s confidence. countries were at an all-time high. oping countries like ours have come to trans-Himalayan traders of Khumbu, nies are building a dry port, a two-lane But the truth was, no one really view the new superpower in our midst. Mustang and Humla. Ethnic connec- highway, a hydropower project and a Extraordinary situations require extraordinary measures. knew how this had come about. Walking past that Thamel lane under tions helped; trade between these two border bridge—all in a stretch of 24 The leadership, for once, needs to take the Covid-19 situation It is easy to dismiss China’s rise in the glow of Mandarin characters, that regions was often intimate. The advent kilometres. seriously and leave no stone unturned to manage the short- Nepal as an outcome of the 2015 ‘unof- is where my book, All Roads Lead of modern borders, and China’s need to I met with Newar traders who lived age in vaccine supplies, and this it must do at the earliest ficial’ Indian blockade, but that is far North, began: as an attempt to tell the secure its Himalayan frontier in the for years at a stretch in Lhasa and trad- because science is clear on the pace of inoculation and a from reality. Nepal has always viewed story of China in Nepal. But first, I face of the Tibetan uprising and con- ed on the Silk Road, and with Chinese China as an alternative to the needed to explore Nepal’s intimate his- flict with India, turned this millen- farmers who had adopted Nepali names successful vaccination campaign. We had a great start with often-overbearing Indian political and torical connections with the north, nia-old contact into a thing of the past and farmed in Pokhara. And apart the vaccines arriving earlier than expected, but a supply defi- economic hold over the country, but in starting from Tibet. (combined with other factors such as from the politicians, the journalists, cit has now brought the immunisation drive to a halt, to the the past, Chinese infrastructure limita- the import of subsidised iodised salt). the bureaucrats, I also met with farm- extent that the Health Ministry doesn’t even have a new tions in Tibet and the Himalaya had not Across the Himalaya Then the Cold War arrived, and with ers whose lives had changed because of schedule. With some 700,000 doses in stock and wastage esti- allowed it to be so. But in the 21st centu- Tibet has always been Nepal’s window that, Nepal became sandwiched the Chinese capacity to consume, and ry, with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to the north, starting from the time between great powers, as the Himalaya with students who will shape Nepal’s mates unavailable, jabs are enough only for those who have (QTR) making its way to Lhasa and Tang general Wang Xuance arrived in turned into a site of anti-Communist future with China. taken the first dose. Shigatse, Nepali dreams were once Nepal valley via Kerung pass in the 7th movements. A hundred thousand words later, my Bluntly put, a vaccine shortage puts our lives at risk, espe- again reawakened. Combined with the century, and eventually led a combined If I was to write a book on Nepal’s story of Nepal’s turn to China is finally cially the vulnerable population above 55 years of age and overt Indian political (mis)manage- army of Tibetans and Nepalis against history with China, I realised, I needed ready. My book explores these stories, those with comorbidities. The dearth of vaccines is a ment of the post-conflict transition the king Arunasva, who had usurped to tell the story of our Himalayan and much more, in a quest to describe period, it seemed Kathmandu had the throne of Magadha after the death regions too. So I travelled to Mustang, how we as Nepalis—beyond the corri- dire reality that should guide our goal of inoculating found a willing partner in Beijing to of Harshavardhana and imprisoned where armed Tibetan guerrillas dors of power, beyond the boardrooms everyone eligible by September. Thus, the government needs negate Delhi’s influence. And nowhere Wang’s retinue. Once Buddhism flour- launched a war in the Himalaya, and to of Kathmandu’s elite—have viewed, to draw a revised plan based on accurate supply was this clearer in that Jyatha lane, ished in the plateau, the connections Limi valley in Humla, where the interacted and shaped our history with forecasts, vis-a-vis the target population before launching the speaking to a Nepali entrepreneur between Tibet, Nepal and China deep- trans-Himalayan traders of yore have Tibet and China. In doing so, I ask, third phase of the vaccination drive. There should be no whose business was made possible ened, as Nepal became a centre for evolved and kept up with the demands what does the future hold? For, although because of the rising number of Buddhist arts and learning. of the modern economy, despite the the road to the north has been built; it room for hasty attempts, as we witnessed in the first and sec- Chinese tourists. But while Buddhism was the locus, challenges. I went to Rasuwa, once the is now up to us to decide how smooth ond phases. The story of China’s rise has been trade became the wave on which con- site of a war between Nepal and China, the ride will be.

Paradigm shift to the menstrual cup

bamboo) which may remain in sani- talists like me. A 2019 Life Cycle This budding product tary pads and tampons, leading to a Assessment of the product showed carcinogenic effect. that cups have less than 1.5 percent is far better than environmental impact and 10 percent Menstrual cup of the cost for a year. They are recycla- other menstrual There is one budding product that is ble and help in achieving minimalist far better than other products, this is living. Amidst a water shortage, cups products. the menstrual cup. The history of the are beneficial as they reduce the water menstrual cup dates back to 1930, but footprint during different stages of medical silicone was introduced in the cotton, wood pulp, soft tissue paper KRIBINA PATHAK early 21st century. The cup is inserted production and processing. They into the vagina to collect the menstru- decrease the need for washing the al blood. It comes in different sizes hands and private parts frequently as according to fertility status, and can the blood gets trapped inside for many be reused for more than five years. hours. It cuts water demand in a water Although it has weaknesses, the cup stress country like ours. At times of was found to be one of the most viable disaster, cups are handy for transpor- options for managing the monthly tation unlike sanitary pads which Menstruation to a woman is both a blood flow by experts. A Guide to occupy a large storage space during boon and a bane. A boon for being able Menstrual Hygiene Management relief distribution, and disposal will to create a life-form, and a bane Materials published by the United not be an issue. because of the hormonal fluctuation, Nations International Children’s cramps, and above all, the menstrual Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in 2019 Promotion of the cup rule attached to the bleeding days: states that the cup is one of the Despite the visible benefits, menstrual Blood flow to be taken care of in seclu- most wonderful options compared to cups are being ignored. Except for a sion. A menstruating woman has to go other products. few, non-governmental organisations, through many steps of physiological, Having used a menstrual cup for international non-governmental biological and cultural restriction more than four months now, I have organisations, local units and govern- when she bleeds. Furthermore, the come to analyse a few other benefits in ment agencies all focus on promoting menstrual products which are most our social context. In Nepal, 10.9 mil- one or the other form of sanitary nap- commonly preferred raise several lion people are without access to kins. Distributing sanitary napkins issues during those days. improved sanitation facilities. will further create dependence on the Conventional disposable sanitary Moreover, the situation in the coun- regular market or schools. Such poli- pads, tampons and clothes might have try’s schools is just dreadful. A men- cies and programmes at times of a few advantages while they have strual cup that can hold the blood for emergencies like the coronavirus pan- numerous shortcomings. Firstly, 6-12 hours decreases demand for sani- demic will have an intensified effect excluding clothes, they are highly tation facilities. It can contribute to on menstrual health. commercial products that are far preventing girls from skipping school Indeed, the menstrual cup will beyond the purchasing capacity of during their menstrual days. In addi- bring a transformational change in many women, especially rural women. tion, the never-ending Chhaupadi sys- menstrual hygiene management in Unable to buy expensive products, tem which is associated with possible Nepal. Policies and programmes they are forced to use reusable cloth. animal attacks can be eliminated with should be designed with an inclusive By using old rags, a woman becomes the use of this product. The smell of and integrated approach. vulnerable to different kinds of dis- menstrual blood attracts animals, and Furthermore, active awareness of eases like reproductive tract cancer the cup prevents the odour from escap- such products through the curriculum and sexually transmitted diseases. ing. For urban girls who commute by at the school level should be ensured. Secondly, sanitary pads and tam- two-wheeler, the cup is better than Exploration of the best products for pons come with a huge environmental sanitary pads. The pressure exerted oneself can be left to individual burden; A sanitary pad takes 500 to 800 on sanitary pads while sitting on the choice. However, more sustainable years to decompose. A sanitary nap- seat sometimes wets the outfit, and products from the economical, envi- kin contains 2.4 grams of plastic: SHUTTERSTOCK this can be avoided by using a men- ronmental and health aspects should One woman in her active menstrual mind-boggling in North America the low-density polyethylene used in they retain moisture for a long strual cup. They are also far more be given more importance. period disposes of 11,000 menstrual where 20 billion sanitary napkins are tampons has the largest impact on time. Also, the chemical used to make economical, as one cup which can be products; that is a total of 26.4 kg of disposed of on an annual basis. global warming. them odourless creates other risks. A bought for less than Rs1,000 lasts at Pathak is a knowledge management plastic. In India alone, 121 million Besides the ecological impacts, the Thirdly, the use of sanitary pads high amount of pesticides are applied least five years. and research officer at the Nepal Water females produce 21,780 million used Royal Institute of Technology in has health implication like pelvic during the production of plant prod- Moreover, these cups provide a Conservation Foundation for pads annually. The figures are Stockholm identified that processing infection and vaginal pH changes as ucts (like cotton, fabrics, jute and great sense of relief to environmen- Academic Research.

C M Y K 05 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 NATIONAL

BRIEFING Official held for taking bribe KANCHANPUR: An employee at the Land Revenue Office in Kanchanpur has been arrested in a bribery case. Lokraj Joshi, section officer, was caught red-handed on Thursday while receiving Rs 24,000 bribe from a ser- vice seeker, an official from the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority said.

Ponds built in forests TANAHUN: The Division Forest Office in Tanahun has constructed 14 ponds in the community forest area of Bhanu Municipality to minimise the incidents of human-wildlife conflicts. The office hopes the ponds will mini- mise the cases of wild animals stray- ing into human settlements in search of water, Komalraj Kafle, division for- est officer, said.

Scrap collectors felicitated CHITWAN: Bharatpur Metropolitan City felicitated scrap collectors in Bharatpur, Chitwan on Thursday. Renu Dahal, the city’s mayor, felicitat- ed the local scrap collectors amid a programme organised to observe World Recycle Day. The city produces more than 60 tonnes of solid waste daily. The city’s scrap collectors have been playing a crucial role in waste management.

Tarai outfit warns protest BHAIRAHAWA: The Tarai Madhes Janata Party (Tigers), an armed group that entered peaceful politics three years ago, has accused the gov- ernment of not fully implementing the agreement reached with them in 2018. The group has, warned of pro- test if the government did not imple- ment the 11-point peace agreement by POST PHOTO: BEEJU MAHARJAN mid-April. Women cut plastic items into pieces at a recycling plant in Khokana. The recycled plastic is used to make pipes. Officials bent on Conservationists accuse Pashupati trust of gross granting affiliation negligence in post-quake reconstruction They say the trust is doing more harm than good by using concrete and altering structures of monuments. to B&C college ANUP OJHA tion requires authorisation from the According to the trust, the 2015 main shrine amid the criticism from KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 Department of Archaeology. earthquake damaged 93 monuments locals, heritage conservationists and “But the trust doesn’t listen to any- on the premises and 42 of the monu- priests. In a bid to halt the “concretisation” of one. It has never consulted experts. In ments are yet to be reconstructed or “The trust used concrete to reno- various structures on Pashupatinath the name of development, it is destroy- renovated. vate Jaya Bageshwori temple, despite controversy premises, a group of conservation ing tangible and intangible heritage “The trust has carried out recon- Bishorupa Temple and the demolished activists and local residents submitted on the Pashupati premises,” said struction work just for the sake of it,” travellers’ rests on the premises. a memorandum to the Pashupati Area Narotam Baidya, former treasurer of said youth heritage activist Ganapati Numerous ongoing activities are The government will remove all barriers to grant affiliation Development Trust on Thursday. the trust, member of Province-3 Lal Shrestha. “It has used concrete against the spirit of the Monument In the memorandum, they also list- assembly and one of the petitioners. everywhere and not abided by the Act and UNESCO heritage norms,” to the college soon, education minister says. ed fifteen alleged actions that illus- “The trust started working on post- court’s decision.” said Shrestha. trate irresponsible behaviour on the quake reconstruction without prepar- The memorandum comes as the “There has been so much negli- BINOD GHIMIRE orandum of understanding to facili- part of the trust while working on ing a complete master plan,” said trust, only last month, forcefully gence in the name of reconstruction... KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 tate granting the affiliation to the UNESCO world heritage site, the Baidya, also a resident of the area. installed a 96 kg golden jalahari in the concrete has been used everywhere,” college. activists and local residents said. said Sanjay Adhikari, a law student Kathmandu University has recom- Oli and Shrestha have publicly been “The government handed over the and youth activist. “The trust is not mended the Medical Education claiming that the medical college management of the temple to the serious about preserving the authen- Commission grant affiliation to the which got a letter of intent from the trust, the Department of Archeology ticity and integrity for these monu- Jhapa-based B&C medical college to Education Ministry five years ago and Guthi Sansthan to maintain its ments which have both religious and run MBBS courses, despite controver- must get an affiliation as it has already historical, religious, cultural, natural archeological value.” sies surrounding its operations. developed infrastructure it needs. and archaeological value and In their memorandum, the conser- A senate meeting of the university, The college is owned by Durga Prasai hand it over to the next generation,” vationists have demanded that the allegedly under pressure from who reportedly maintains close ties read the memorandum. “But the trust take action against contractors Minister for Education Krishna Gopal with Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal, trust is destroying historical, reli- who use concrete. They have threat- Shrestha, on February 24 decided to chair of the CPN (Maoist Centre). gious, cultural, ecological and ened to move court if their demand is pave the way for the college to acquire Prasai has long been lobbying to archaeological aspects of the monu- not met. affiliation. secure affiliation for his medical col- ments on the premises in the name of The trust’s Executive Director “We have received a letter from lege. His efforts, however, have been development.” Ghanashyam Khatiwada told the peti- Kathmandu University,” Semant thwarted due to opposition from KC The petitioners say that the trust tioners that his office will respond to Koirala, spokesperson for the commis- and his supporters. Officials at the hasn’t complied with various court the memorandum in writing. “The sion, told Post. “The commission’s Education Ministry said the govern- orders in the past with regard to devel- POST FILE PHOTO trust will give written statements, and board meeting is authorised to decide ment might turn the institute into a opment works on the temple premises. The petitioners say that the trust hasn’t complied with various court orders in the past with we will also look at the issues raised in on the matter.” university to ease the affiliation Accusign the trust of using concrete regard to development works on the temple premises. the memorandum,” said Khatiwada. The commission’s board is led by process. for reconstruction work, a group of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli while The senate meeting of BP Koirala activists filed a writ petition at the Shrestha and Minister for Health and Institute of Health Sciences in Supreme Court on January 29, 2019 Population Hridayesh Tripathi are its September 2019 had decided to turn demanding an order to halt such co-chairs. The commission’s board the institute into a university. The activities. meeting hasn’t been convened yet. government needs a separate Act or In their memorandum, the activists However, it is likely to be convened an amendment to the existing law to have pointed out how the trust used soon, officials said. convert it into a university. concrete in ongoing reconstruction Shrestha said the government is KC has already announced that he work in Guheshwori. They have also committed to providing affiliation to will go on a hunger strike if the gov- expressed concern over the trust’s the college and is not worried about ernment takes any step towards pro- demolition of the Shree Bambai possible criticism. Talking to the Post viding affiliation to B&C. Dhukuti (where expensive ornaments on Thursday, he said that either Similarly, 10 former vice-chancel- of the shrine were kept) without the Kathmandu University or BP Koirala lors from different universities have involvement of stakeholders. They Institute of Health Sciences will grant voiced their reservation about provid- have accused the trust of not doing affiliation to the medical college ing affiliation to the medical college enough to stop the encroachment of soon—despite legal provisions bar- against the existing law. the temple’s land at ankali and spend- ring the institute from granting affili- “We request all stakeholders to cor- ing money on unnecessary beautifica- ations. rect their decision to provide the affil- tion of the compound. “Students will get to study MBBS at iation,” the former vice-chancellors The court on February 6 passed a the B&C College very soon,” he told had said in a joint statement last week. verdict in the case ordering the trust the Post. “All necessary preconditions Despite the controversies, Kathmandu to comply with the provisions of the will be met without delay.” University in 2014 authorised Ancient Monument Preservation Act Shrestha said if there are any legal Morang’s Birat Medical College and 2013, which state that, structures over complications, the government will Rupandehi’s Devdaha Medical College 100 years old must be preserved in resolve them. The National Medical to conduct MBBS courses. their original form, and any modifica- Education Act-2019 has set tough criteria to grant affil- iations to medical colleges to check malpractices in the medical education sector. The law was endorsed by Parliament to address con- cerns raised by Dr Govinda KC, an orthopaedic sur- geon who has been demand- ing reforms in the coun- try’s medical education sector. Kathmandu University has already granted affilia- tion to 10 medical colleges. Koirala said there are legal complications for Kathmandu University to provide more affiliations. Only last week, the Kathmandu University and the institute signed a mem-

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 06 WORLD

BRIEFING Myanmar’s

Passenger train ‘rolls Suu Kyi faces backwards for 35 km’ NEW DELHI: An Indian passenger train new corruption rolled backwards for 35 kilometres (20 miles), reports said on Thursday, in an alarming but injury-free incident charges caught in a video that went viral on social media. The “mechanical fail- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE ure” hit service from New Delhi to YANGON, MARCH 18 Tanakpur, Uttarakhand state, after the driver slammed on the brakes to Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader avoid hitting an animal on the tracks, Aung San Suu Kyi faces fresh corrup- the NDTV channel reported. The rail tion charges from the ruling junta that company later said the animal in her lawyer said on Thursday were question was a cow. Reports said the “groundless” but could ensure she out-of-control train reversed almost would never be able to return to 35 kilometres, but the railways minis- politics. try did not immediately confirm the The February 1 coup that removed distance. Fatal accidents are common Suu Kyi’s government has brought on India’s vast but often dilapidated hundreds of thousands of Burmese railway network, although in onto the streets to confront the Wednesday’s incident there were no generals, who have responded with a injuries or deaths. A tight-lipped brutal crackdown that has left at least statement from North Eastern 200 dead. Railway said only that an “incident” The new military regime has on Wednesday occurred “due to cattle already issued several criminal charg- run over”. It did not elaborate on how es against the Nobel laureate since she the train was brought under control. was detained alongside top political “Train stopped just short of Khatima allies, including owning unlicensed yard safely. There was no derailment walkie-talkies and violating coronavi- and all passengers were transported rus restrictions. to Tanakpur safely,” it said, adding On Wednesday night, military that the driver and the guard had broadcaster Myawady aired a video of been suspended. a Myanmar businessman confessing AP/RSS to giving her a total of $550,000 over A woman twirls a flag at a public park in Beijing on Thursday. several years. US House poised to pass Maung Weik said he had donated immigrant protections law money to senior government figures WASHINGTON: Young “Dreamer” immi- for the good of his business. grants living illegally in the United “Aung San Suu Kyi committed cor- States would be placed on a path to ruption and (authorities) are prepar- citizenship under a bill to be voted ing to charge her according to anti-cor- India, Pakistan suffer new Covid-19 surge ruption law,” an announcer said dur- upon in the House of Representatives on Thursday, as Democrats try to ing the broadcast. reverse former President Donald REUTERS This is not the first time corruption Trump’s hard-line immigration poli- MUMBAI/ ISLAMABAD, MARCH 18 allegations have been lodged cies. A second measure would shield Reinfection rare, against her. about 1 million immigrant farm India and Pakistan reported a big Last week a junta spokesman said a workers from deportation with the jump in new coronavirus infections now-detained chief minister had goal of also granting them citizen- on Thursday, driven by a resurgence except in older admitted to giving her $600,000 and ship eventually. The measures coin- in cases in their richest states. more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cide with Democratic President Joe While authorities in India have people, study says gold bars. Biden’s efforts to contain a surge of mainly blamed crowding and an over- “Those accusations are ground- undocumented immigrants arriving all reluctance to wear masks for its less,” Suu Kyi’s lawyer Khin Maung at the US-Mexico border, many of spike, Pakistan says the UK variant of LONDON: The majority of people who Zaw told AFP. them fleeing dangerous conditions in the virus found in the country could have had Covid-19 are protected from “Aung San Suu Kyi may have her Central American countries. The also be a factor. getting it again for at least six months, defects... but bribery and corruption southwest border situation has hard- Maharashtra state, home to India’s a study published on Wednesday are not her traits,” he said, adding ened Republican opposition to help- commercial capital Mumbai, reported showed, but older people are more that most people in Myanmar will not ing Dreamers—around 1.8 million 23,179 of the country’s 35,871 new prone to reinfection than younger believe the allegations. young immigrants who entered the cases in the past 24 hours, and the people. However a conviction for bribery in United States as children. They made fast-spreading contagion in major The study, appearing in the Lancet a case against her “personal charac- the dangerous journey on their own, industrial areas raised risks of com- medical journal, found that just 0.65 ter” could see Suu Kyi “prohibited with parents or hired hands, often to panies’ production being disrupted. percent of patients tested positive a from taking part in political activi- escape gang violence in Honduras, With the worst rise in infections second time for Covid-19 after previ- ties,” Zaw told AFP. , El Salvador and other since early December, India’s total ously being infected during ’s A state-run newspaper also report- countries. Many have spent most of cases stood at 11.47 million, the high- AP/RSS first and second waves. ed Thursday a charity foundation, their lives in the United States and est after the United States and Brazil. A girl reacts while having a nasal swab sample taken by a health worker at a Covid-19 testing That was much lower than the 3.27 named after Suu Kyi’s mother, is also have been educated in United States Deaths rose by 172 to 159,216, accord- facility at a hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. percent who were positive for the under investigation and is accused of schools. ing to health ministry data on virus using highly accurate PCR tests not paying enough fees on land it uses Thursday. after initially being negative. that is owned by the state. In Pakistan, 3,495 people tested pos- However, the study found that peo- “Further extensive investigation is Four killed in bombing of itive in the past 24 hours, the most WHO backs AstraZeneca’s vaccine again ple over the age of 65 had only 47 per- being conducted into Daw Khin Kyi daily infections since early December. cent protection against repeat infec- Foundation’s cash flow, expenditure Afghan government bus Total cases rose past 615,000. Deaths LONDON: The benefits of AstraZeneca’s benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine tion, compared to 80 percent protec- and savings,” the Global New Light of KABUL: Four people were killed and rose by 61 to 13,717. Covid-19 vaccine far outweigh any far outwei gh its risks – and its use tion for younger people. Myanmar said. nine wounded when a roadside bomb Most of the new cases came from risks and countries in Europe should should continue, to save lives.” Our study confirms what a number Government soldiers and police ter- hit a bus carrying Afghan govern- Pakistan’s largest and richest prov- continue to use it to help save lives, The European Medicines Agency of others appeared to suggest: reinfec- rorised several battle-scarred Yangon ment employees in Kabul on ince, Punjab. the WHO’s European director said. (EMA) has said so far said it has found tion with Covid-19 is rare in younger, neighbourhoods Wednesday night, as Thursday, while nine Afghan security Pakistani minister Asad Umar said Hans Kluge noted that Europe’s no causal link between the vaccine healthy people, but the elderly are at a mobile data blockade combined with force members died in a helicopter on Twitter that hospital beds were medicines regulators are investigat- and any clotting or blood coagulation greater risk of catching it again,” said an internet shutdown pushed scared crash late on Wednesday, officials filling fast, warning of stricter curbs ing a small number of cases of blood reports. Steen Ethelberg of Denmark’s Statens residents further into an information said. The blast hit a bus which was if rules were not followed. clots in the region that have prompted Despite these reassurances, at least Serum Institut. blackout. rented by the Afghan Ministry of “The new strain spreads faster around a dozen EU governments to 13 EU member states, including “Since older people are also more “Security forces threatened to Information and Technology to trans- and is more deadly,” he said on suspend us of the AstraZeneca shot. Germany, France and Italy, have sus- likely to experience severe disease shoot” residents if they did not port employees, said Abdul Samad Twitter, referring to the United “As of now, we do not know whether pended use of the shot pending the symptoms, and sadly die, our findings remove the barricades that demon- Hamid Poya, a ministry adviser. No Kingdom variant. some or all of the conditions have outcome a fuller EMA investigation-- make clear how important it is to strators have built across the commer- one claimed immediate responsibility India’s first wave peaked in been caused by the vaccine or by other expected to be completed on Thursday. implement policies to protect the cial capital as they battle authorities, for the blast, but the Afghan govern- September at nearly 100,000 cases a coincidental factors,” he said, adding: Kluge said gaining and maintaining elderly during the pandemic,” added according to a doctor from the South ment has blamed Taliban insurgents day, with daily infections hitting a low “At this point in time, however, the public trust was “crucial”. (Reuters) Ethelberg. (Reuters) Okkalapa township. for recent attacks targeting govern- of just over 9,000 early last month. They also raided homes and arrest- ment employees, civil society figures India and Pakistan have a combined ed at least 10 people, he told AFP. and journalists. The Taliban has population of 1.57 billion, a fifth of ordered a fresh lockdown in some dis- Aurangabad, Nashik and Nagpur, authorised to talk to the media. “Most In neighbouring Thingangyun denied involvement in the campaign. humanity. tricts and put curbs on cinemas, hotels home to car, pharmaceutical and tex- of the information technology compa- township, one man said he had heard The bombing comes on the day the Cases have been rising in and restaurants until the end of the tile factories. nies have allowed their employees to continuous gunfire for 30 minutes Afghan government, Taliban and key Maharashtra since the reopening of month after infections rose to a mul- “We have asked industries there to work from home.” before midnight, adding he had put countries, including the US and most economic activity in February. ti-month high earlier this week operate with minimum manpower as Hospital beds and special Covid-19 cotton buds in the ears of his two sons Russia, gather in Moscow to push for Mumbai’s suburban trains, which New cases have more than doubled much possible,” said a senior facilities were filling up fast, especial- so they could fall asleep. a reduction in violence to propel the carry millions daily, also resumed. in the past two weeks in Maharashtra’s Maharashtra government official, ly in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, said Even going out to buy food has peace process forward. (AGENCIES) The state of 112 million people industrial towns such as Pune, declining to be named as he was not another state official. become a terrifying ordeal he said Asian Americans grieve, organise in wake of Atlanta attacks

ASSOCIATED PRESS not classifying the attack as a hate crime will and lead them,” Reid said. WASHINGTON, MARCH 18 “absolutely discourage others from coming For the past several weeks, Asian Americans forward and seeking help.” have questioned how to deal with a recent wave Asian Americans were already worn down by a She also cringed at the comments of a sher- of assaults—many on the elderly—that have year of pandemic-fuelled racist attacks when a iff ’s captain who said of the gunman, “It was a coincided with the pandemic. The virus was white gunman was charged with attacking really bad day for him.” first identified in China, and former President three Atlanta-area massage parlours and kill- The remark “appeared to be trying to explain Donald Trump and others have used racial ing eight people, most of them Asian women. and justify” the suspect’s actions. “Hopefully it terms to describe it. Hundreds of Asian Americans and Pacific was a misstatement,” Huang said. Numerous Asian American organisations Islanders turned to social media to air their Mahmood said Asian American business say Trump’s rhetoric has emboldened people to anger, sadness, fear and hopelessness. The owners in the Atlanta area were already fear- express anti-Asian or anti-immigrant views. hashtag #StopAsianHate was a top trending ful because of incidents like graffiti and break- Nearly 3,800 incidents have been reported to topic on Twitter hours after the shootings that ins. The shootings will raise that worry to new Stop AAPI Hate, a California-based reporting happened on Tuesday evening. heights. center for Asian American Pacific Islanders, “I think the reason why people are feeling so “A lot of Asian American business owners in and its partner groups, since March 2020. hopeless is because Asian Americans have the beauty parlour industry and food service— Nationally, women reported hate crimes 2.3 been ringing the bell on this issue for so long ... these are often the most visible front-line faces times more than men. We’ve been raising the red flag,” said Aisha in the community,” Mahmood said. Following the release Wednesday of a report Yaqoob Mahmood, executive director of the Her organisation is partnering with other showing a surge in white supremacist propa- Atlanta-based Asian American Advocacy groups such as the Atlanta chapter of Asian ganda in 2020, the Anti-Defamation League told Fund, which does political and advocacy work Americans Advancing Justice to offer resourc- The Associated Press that a significant amount across Georgia. es in multiple languages, including mental of the propaganda included anti-immigrant Many were also outraged that the suspect, health assistance, self-defence training and rhetoric. 21-year-old Robert Aaron Long, was not imme- bystander training. The anti-hate group said 10 percent of prop- diately charged with hate crimes. Authorities Meanwhile, from Phoenix to Philadelphia, aganda descriptions in its inventory contained said Long told police the attack was not racial- Asian American organisations nationwide negative references to immigration, multicul- ly motivated, and he claimed that he targeted organised events aimed at showing unity. turalism or diversity. the spas because of a “sex addiction.” Six Asian Americans United, the Asian Pacific The 522 physical flyers, stickers or banners of the seven slain women were identified Islander Political Alliance and several other AP/RSS included the use of words such as “invasion, as Asian. partner groups held a vigil Wednesday Women to lay flowers bouquets at a makeshift memorial outside of the Gold Spa in Atlanta. deport, disease, illegal, infection and virus,” Law enforcement needs “some training afternoon in Philadelphia’s Chinatown the ADL said. understanding what a hate crime is. This man neighbourhood. Seshadri said, the shootings also mark a the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, which has a high There were also seven propaganda incidents identified targets owned by Asians,” said “After the month and year we had, we knew flashpoint. concentration of Asian American-owned with direct anti-China references to Covid-19. Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the our folks needed the time to come together “Our folks are pissed off and ready to fight,” shops and restaurants. He thinks the slayings Meanwhile, Asian Americans are thankfully Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks safely just to grieve and heal and mourn and Seshadri said. “The way we get through this is have galvanised the local community to go getting support from many non-Asian allies, hate groups. The gunman “was very clearly speak to what’s happening,” said Mohan together by organising our people and feeling beyond vigils. Mahmood said. going after a targeted group of people.” Seshadri, Asian Pacific Islander Political solidarity.” “I think there is this whole outlet of this “The path forward for us is really just stand- Being Asian American herself, Huang said Alliance co-executive director. Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce CEO younger generation who’s passionate and has ing together and making sure we don’t let these the shootings felt personal. She is worried that As much despair as Asian Americans feel, Vicente Reid is planning a vigil next week in the energy. They just need someone to step up types of tragedies divide our communities.”

C M Y K 07 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 08 MONEY

FOREX

US Dollar 116.36 Bhairahawa hotels reopen as domestic tourists return Euro 138.95

Pound Sterling 162.56 Many owners used the pandemic downtime to expand their properties and upgrade the facilities.

Japanese Yen 10.67 SANJU POUDEL said Sudhir Dubedi, public relations Chinese Yuan 17.90 TILOTTAMA, MARCH 18 officer at the hotel. He said that hotels could operate by Qatari Riyal 31.95 Hotels in Bhairahawa are reopening fully following safety protocols, but Australian Dollar 90.89 as domestic tourists begin to emerge tourists are not being allowed to come out of their coronavirus hibernation, to the country. The Bodhi Redson was Malaysian Ringit 28.30 encouraged by signs that the pandem- built at a great cost encouraged by the ic is on the wane. construction of an international air- Saudi Arab Riyal 31.03 All hotels, lodges, guest houses and port in Bhairahawa, but an entire year Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank resorts were forced to shut down after has gone by with no tourists, he said. the federal government imposed a More than 1,100 hotels are currently lockdown in March last year. And even in operation in Rupandehi district, Shares after the stay-home order was with- according to hotel related organisa- drawn in July, they continued to tions. Besides these properties, there Nepse 2,475.09pts 1.77% remain closed as provincial govern- are more than 600 other hotels that are ments enforced their own restrictions. not members of any hotel association. HIGHEST GAINERS Hundreds of employees suffered The Maurya Paschiman, a three- GLH UMRH CGH NBB SSHL NABBC 10% 10% 9.96% 9.75% 7.03% 6.48% layoffs when the hotels went offline. In star hotel located at Naya Sadak in Bhairahawa, hotel owners used the Bhairahawa, has opened with the MODERATE GAINERS SHIVM CIT NIBLPF RADHI GBLBS RBCLPO prolonged downtime to expand their objective of earning a name as a mod- 6.3% 6.11% 6.04% 5.77% 5.48% 5.34% properties and upgrade the facilities. ern hotel in the western region.

MODERATE LOSERS New hotels were also built. More Owner Ram Bahadur Koiri has spent BNT OHL NRN UPCL PMHPL GHL than 20 big hotels came up in Rs500 million to build the hotel which -2.15% -2.46% -2.57% -2.67% -3.63% -4.05% Rupandehi district during the pan- is six stories tall and offers 10 suites HIGHEST LOSERS demic. There was a flurry of new and 43 super deluxe rooms. UNHPL RRHP KKHC DHPL AKJCL JOSHI constructions in Lumbini, “We are waiting for tourists by -4.41% -4.55% -5% -5.34% -6.33% -6.85% Bhairahawa, Butwal and Devadaha. offering them pick and drop facili- A three-star property the Hotel De ties,” Koiri said. “The business Flamingo came into operation last has grown a little compared to week at Yogikuti, Rupandehi. Spread before. There is no alternative but to PRICE PER TOLA over 10 katthas, entrepreneur Dilip wait for tourists from India and BULLION Gauchan and Shyam Sherchan have other countries.” invested Rs200 million in the hotel. The Dreamland Gold Resort in Fine Gold Rs 87,200 The Hotel De Flamingo offers 39 Tilottama has been keeping busy by guest rooms, two restaurants and a PHOTO COURTESY: LUMBINI PALACE RESORT hosting local events. Operator Gopal Silver Rs 1,290 swimming pool, said Gauchan. “We More than 1,100 hotels are currently in operation in Rupandehi district, according to hotel related organisations. Rana said that programmes of differ- brought it into operation while still ent organisations were being regular- SOURCE: FENEGOSIDA under construction due to the pres- ed Indian tourists and travellers pass- the border transit point will be eased coming to visit Lumbini, and we ly held after the lockdown. sure of well-wishers and friends,” he ing through Gautam Buddha compared to before, he said. “We are expect arrivals to swell as the flow of “However, since the airport has not said. “Even though the tourism sector International Airport. also providing package services to domestic visitors is continuing.” come into operation and the border is GASOLINE WATCH was badly hit by the pandemic, we are “The Hidden Palace offers 34 Lumbini, Pokhara and Kathmandu as He said they did not think the still closed, we have the same prob- providing services to attract domestic well-appointed rooms, including two per the choice of tourists and the facil- Covid-19 pandemic would last for such lems as during the lockdown,” he said. tourists,” he added. At present, 40 peo- deluxe junior suites, nine queen beds ity has become effective,” Khanal said. a long time, and that there was no A few programmes are being held in ple are employed in the hotel. and 23 twin-beds,” he said. “We are He said three groups had taken the alternative but to wait and watch. the day time, he added. With the rise Hotel Madani and Restaurant moving towards completing the con- package tours after Covid-19. Haluwai is confident that the hotel in temperature, Rana expects an opened in mid-November last year. struction of an all-day dining restau- Pawan Palace, the first five-star will have full occupancy once tourists increase in the arrival of tourists Located between Butwal and rant, seminar hall, 360-degree view hotel in the international tourist des- start arriving with the opening of the coming to enjoy the swimming pool. Bhairahawa, it was constructed with tower, dome house, swimming pool tination of Lumbini, is now in opera- international airport. The hotel build- Hotel Nansc, which has been operat- an investment of Rs900 million. “We and bakery,” he said. tion. Spread over 3.5 bighas in ing is built to reflect Nepali originali- ing as a three-star hotel since its are providing services that are suita- The hotel was slated to open in time Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality-9, ty, while the interior design is from inception, is now preparing to upgrade ble for both domestic and internation- for Visit Nepal Year 2020, but it the posh property was built by Pawan . to a four-star property. al tourists. We have affordable packag- launched by hosting domestic tourists Haluwai and Rajiv Beriwal at a cost of The four-star Hotel Nirvana in CP Shrestha, operator of the hotel es for domestic tourists,” said Maina as the promotion campaign was can- Rs2 billion. Bhairahawa has added 25 new rooms and president of the Siddhartha Hotel Subedi, proprietor of the hotel. celled due to the virus, Khanal said. “A The construction of the seven-sto- for domestic tourists. Association, said that final prepara- “The 16 rooms have been catego- health club, gym house and fun park rey hotel and other structures was “The expectation of the hotel is to tions were being made to make the rised into super deluxe, deluxe and will be constructed so there will be completed in four years. Haluwai, host foreign tourists because it is diffi- hotel more convenient. standard rooms,” she said. new facilities for guests to enjoy dur- operator of the hotel, said 70 out of its cult to operate a hotel with domestic “Our business would have flour- Another hotel that has opened in ing the Nepali New Year,” he added. 147 rooms and a restaurant were ready. tourists only,” said Sunil Shrestha. ished if the construction of the air- the Bhairahawa-Butwal region is the The Hotel Hidden Palace provided The construction of a swimming pool Domestic tourists are provided with port was completed on time, and the Hotel Hidden Palace. Operator direct employment to 37 people and is now being completed, he said. reduced rates, he added. restrictions at the border were Bhuvan Sharma Khanal said the will create 100 new jobs when it goes “The investment is increasing and The Bodhi Redson, a well-known removed,” he said. “We are eager to hotel, which also features a confer- into full-fledged operation. we are incurring losses as the tourists four-star hotel in Siddharthnagar, is get back to the old rhythm. We have ence hall and restaurant, was built at Khanal said that the hotel would have not come back to Lumbini,” he getting bookings for its conference been trying to shift from being hope- a cost of Rs170 million. It is located at prioritise Nepali produced goods. The said. “The hotel was constructed with hall to hold local events. “No foreign less to hopeful as there has been no Bhalwari, Tilottama-7 and has target- movement of Indian tourists through an eye on the airport and pilgrims tourists have come after Covid-19,” work for one year,” he said. Airline consolidation set China slams US plan to expel phone India, UAE vow to strengthen back five years: IATA chief carriers in technology clash energy cooperation, REUTERS targets and tying would-be buyers’ PARIS, MARCH 18 hands. EU rules bar recipients such as ASSOCIATED PRESS Lufthansa and Air France-KLM BEIJING, MARCH 18 minister says The large-scale government interven- from making acquisitions until bail- tion in airlines triggered by the coro- outs are repaid. China’s government on Thursday REUTERS navirus crisis will hold back sector The IATA head, who hands over called on Washington to drop efforts to NEW DELHI, MARCH 18 consolidation for up to five years, the next month to IAG veteran Willie expel three state-owned Chinese head of global industry body IATA Walsh, also urged governments that phone companies from the United India and the UAE on Wednesday dis- predicted on Wednesday. have already provided $225 billion States in a new clash over technology cussed ways to strengthen energy Alexandre de Juniac, the in sector aid to support a travel and security. cooperation, India’s oil minister International Air Transport recovery through new air ticket and The Federal Communications Dharmendra Pradhan said, despite Association’s outgoing director gener- route subsidies. Commission voted on Wednesday to the South Asian nation asking its al, made the comments in an inter- Australia last week announced begin revoking the companies’ US refiners to reduce their reliance on view with Reuters as the organisation plans to subsidise 800,000 domestic licences. It said they are security risks Middle Eastern oil. called for a new round of subsidies to flights as part of a A$1.2 billion ($925 controlled by the communist Beijing “[We] discussed about new areas of weather the Covid-19 pandemic. million) travel revival package. government. cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector “Governments have taken big “We’ve already seen some plans by The foreign ministry accused and beyond, and agreed to remain stakes in many of their national air- governments to subsidise tickets, Washington of misusing security committed despite the challenges lines, so it will be difficult for them to routes and domestic journeys,” complaints to hurt Chinese commer- presented by Covid pandemic,” sell this asset to any foreign actor and de Juniac said during a media cial competitors. Pradhan said on Twitter after a virtu- explain that to the taxpayer,” De briefing later on Wednesday. “I urge The United States should “stop the al meeting with Sultan Al Jaber, the Juniac said. “It will be a factor that governments to consider stimulus wrong practice of generalizing chief executive of Abu Dhabi National will prevent consolidation in the com- measures.” the concept of national security and Oil Co (ADNOC). ing three to five years.” After a year of partial shutdown, politicizing economic issues” and AP/RSS Airline tie-ups already faced obsta- many airlines say they now need a “stop abusing state power to unrea- A file photo shows people from the telecom firm China Unicom at an expo in Beijing. cles before the crisis, including significant rebound within months sonably suppress Chinese enterpris- The UAE is the fifth ownership rules linked to bilateral to survive - let alone to fund invest- es,” said a ministry spokesman, Zhao wants a better relations with Beijing face meeting between the two sides aviation treaties. ment in cleaner aircraft and fuel Lijian. but has given no indication he will roll since Biden took office in January. biggest oil supplier That has not prevented the emer- technologies. The decision adds to mounting back sanctions imposed by his prede- Zhao said Beijing will “take neces- gence of multinationals such as IAG, Global airlines are discussing more US-Chinese conflict over the ruling cessor, Donald Trump, that limit sary measures to safeguard the legiti- to India which itself Lufthansa and Air France-KLM that ambitious climate goals than their Communist Party’s industrial plans, Chinese access to US technology and mate rights and interests of Chinese preserve national carriers within existing pledge to halve net carbon access to American technology and financial markets. enterprises” but gave no details. is the world’s third their group structures. emissions by 2050, de Juniac said, con- accusations of computer attacks and The latest announcement came as Officials have issued similar warn- Aid has further raised the hurdles firming earlier comments to the theft of business secrets. US and Chinese envoys were flying to ings in the past but those usually have biggest oil importer. by piling up debts, shielding potential Financial Times. President Joe Biden has said he Alaska for the highest-level face-to- resulted in no action.

UAE is a key oil supplier to India and a partner in an Indian joint ven- ture that plans to build a 1.2 million barrels per day (bpd) refinery and Will work from home outlast virus? Ford’s move suggests yes petrochemical complex on the coun- try’s west coast. Last month, the UAE was the fifth ASSOCIATED PRESS and encouraging the adoption of tech- where they had clustered in the dec- biggest oil supplier to India, which DETROIT, MARCH 18 nology that enables it. Broader evi- ade after the Great Recession, to more itself is the world’s third biggest oil dence about the post-pandemic work- affordable cities or small towns. importer and consumer. It’s a question occupying the minds of place suggests that what was long Downtown offices could shrink and Pradhan said he also discussed with millions of employees who have called tele-commuting will remain far exist mainly for collaborative work. Jaber ways of strengthening and “pro- worked from home the past year: Will more common than it was a year ago. The tax revenue of large cities viding momentum to [the] bilateral they still be allowed to work remote- A report this week from the employ- could tumble as fewer workers patron- strategic energy partnership” between ly—at least some days—once the pan- ment website Indeed says postings for ize downtown bars, restaurants and the countries. demic has faded? jobs that mention “remote work” have coffee shops. India imports more than 80 percent On Wednesday, one of America’s more than doubled since the pandem- “The pandemic has broken the of its oil needs, a significant amount corporate titans, Ford Motor Co, sup- ic began. social and cultural norms for how we of which comes from the Middle East. plied its own answer: It told about Such job postings are still increas- work,” said Timothy Golden, a profes- New Delhi has, however, asked 30,000 of its employees worldwide who ing even while vaccinations are accel- sor of management at Rensselaer refiners to gradually reduce oil have worked from home that they can erating and the pace of new confirmed Polytechnic Institute. “Remote work imports from the Middle East and continue to do so indefinitely, with Covid cases is declining. has become much more accepted.” diversify supplies, after the flexible hours approved by their man- “If job postings are a guide, employ- Ford is just the latest company to Organization of the Petroleum agers. Their schedules will become a ers are increasingly open to remote allow more work from home after the Exporting Countries and its allies, work-office “hybrid”: They’ll com- work, even as some employees return pandemic. Salesforce, Facebook, known as OPEC+, decided to extend mute to work mainly for group meet- to the workplace,” said Jed Kolko, Google and other tech firms have said most curbs into April. ings and projects best-suited for face- chief economist at Indeed. they’ll continue work-from-home poli- India has been hit hard by rising oil to-face interaction. Such shifts could, in turn, trigger cies indefinitely. Target Corp will prices, due to which minister Ford’s announcement sent one of changes in where people live and leave one of four downtown Pradhan has repeatedly called on the clearest signals to date that the affect the varying economic health of Minneapolis office locations because OPEC+ to ease supply curbs and has pandemic has hastened a cultural metro areas. it’s moving to a hybrid model for blamed Saudi Arabia’s voluntary shift in Americans’ work lives by eras- Some highly skilled workers could 3,500 workers. It will keep other cuts for contributing to a spike in glob- ing any stigma around remote work migrate from high-cost coastal cities, downtown offices. al oil prices.

C M Y K 09 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 SPORTS BRIEFING Chelsea have sights set on Champions League final Inter Milan’s match against Sassuolo postponed The Blues, unbeaten in 13 games since Tuchel replaced Lampard, advance into quarters with a comfortable 3-0 aggregate win over Atletico Madrid. MILAN: Inter Milan’s Serie A match at home to Sassuolo on Saturday has AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE been postponed and their players will LONDON, MARCH 18 be pulled out of international duty after two more positive Covid-19 cases Thomas Tuchel said “super hungry” at the club, Inter said in a statement Chelsea have their sights set on reach- on Thursday. Stefan de Vrij and ing the Champions League final after Matias Vecino tested positive for the Hakim Ziyech ended his goal drought novel coronavirus on Thursday, join- to inspire a 2-0 win against Atletico ing captain Samir Handanovic and Madrid in the last-16 second leg on Danilo D’Ambrosio in quarantine at Wednesday. home. “Having been informed of the Morocco forward Ziyech grabbed new positive cases, the ATS of Milan his first goal since October to put the (health authority) has decided on the hosts ahead in the first half at immediate suspension of any type of Stamford Bridge. Emerson came off team activity for four days, including the bench to score the late goal that Sunday 21 March,” said an Inter sealed a comfortable 3-0 aggregate vic- statement. “Inter v Sassuolo, sched- tory over the lacklustre lead- uled for Saturday 20 March 2021, is to ers. Adding to Atletico’s misery, Stefan be postponed and players are prohib- Savic was sent off in the closing stag- ited from fulfilling any call-ups to es for elbowing Antonio Rudiger in their respective national teams.” the stomach. While Chelsea were the superior side for long periods, Atletico could Postponed Copa de Rey final to justifiably claim they should have had penalty for Cesar Azpilicueta’s chal- be held behind closed doors lenge on Yannick Carrasco when the MADRID: The postponed 2019-20 Copa score was still 0-0. Tuchel admitted it del Rey final will be held behind could have been a penalty, saying: closed doors, the Spanish FA (RFEF) “Azpi got a bit frightened because his said on Thursday. It had been hoped ball was short, I was a bit frightened that delaying the game, which sees as well.” Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao and But Atletico boss Diego Simeone clash, until April 3 added: “We are not looking for excus- would allow the return of fans follow- es. We were beaten by a better team. ing the Covid-19 pandemic. Spanish We tried to press them up the field, but radio station Cadena SER reported on couldn’t attack the way we like.” Wednesday that the RFEF planned to That was the only major scare for allow the Cartuja Stadium in Seville Chelsea as they extended their unbeat- to operate at 20-25% of its 60,000 en run to 13 matches since Tuchel capacity. However, ’s Health replaced the sacked Frank Lampard Minister Carolina Darias said the in January. Tuchel boasts the longest government would block the move, ever unbeaten start by a Chelsea boss adding that it was “not opportune” to after moving past Luiz Felipe Scolari. have fans returning to stadiums so Revitalised by Tuchel, Chelsea have soon. There was no mention of conceded just two goals in his brief whether this season’s Copa final, reign and are on a run of six consecu- between Barcelona and Athletic, tive clean sheets in all competitions. scheduled for April 17 would also be “A very good performance, unbe- played without fans under the same lievable effort. I could feel we totally restrictions. wanted it,” Tuchel said. “We enjoyed the battle. The guys were totally on and sharp. We were super hungry to Torino grab first home win go through.” MILAN: scored twice, Leading Chelsea into the last eight including a dramatic late winner, as for the first time since 2014 is another Torino came from two goals down to feather in Tuchel’s cap as the German beat Sassuolo 3-2 on Wednesday and eyes a return to the Champions AFP/RSS secure their first home Serie A victo- League final following his defeat with Chelsea’s $200 million trio Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech (in picture) combined to lead Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea into their first Champions League quarter-final in seven years. ry of the season. Domenico Berardi Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern scored twice in the first half for Munich last season. troversially rejected by referee flank. Werner accelerated away from Holders Bayern Munich also confidently, even if it wasn’t a bril- eighth-placed Sassuolo, the Italian Chelsea, Champions League win- Daniele Orsato, with VAR bizarrely the out-of-position Atletico defence cruised into the Champions League liant performance and it was annoy- forward lashing home from ners for the only time in 2012, had opting not to intervene. before clipping a perfectly-weighted quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio ing to concede a goal.” Francesco Caputo’s knock-down on been eliminated in the first knockout Simeone’s anger only increased as pass into Ziyech’s path. Unmarked 10 in the last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 Their passage into the last eight six minutes and adding a second just stage in their last four appearances. Chelsea made the most of their good yards from goal, Ziyech finished aggregate victory. takes Bayern past Barcelona’s tally of before the break. But Zaza came off But they never looked in danger of fortune to take the lead in the 34th Chelsea’s thrust with a clinical strike. Robert Lewandowski converted a 18 Champions League quarter-final the bench in the 72nd minute to losing the 1-0 lead given to them by minute. Savic’s frustration boiled over in penalty before a deft chip from his appearances since the competition inspire struggling Torino to their Olivier Giroud’s overhead kick in the Timo Werner now has just two goals the 81st minute as he was dismissed second-half replacement Eric Maxim was rebranded from the European first home win since July, finding the first leg in Bucharest. in his last 27 appearances for Chelsea. for a needless elbow that drew a theat- Choupo-Moting doubled the advan- Cup. net five minutes later by drilling in Crucially, Azpilicueta escaped with- But Tuchel backed Werner to come rical fall from Rudiger. With Chelsea’s tage on the night. Lazio grabbed a They extended their unbeaten run after Antonio Sanabria nodded the out punishment when the defender’s good this week and the Germany for- injured defender Thiago Silva roaring consolation when Marco Parolo was in the Champions League to 19 games ball on. Juventus loanee Rolando under-hit back-pass allowed Carrasco ward repaid his manager’s faith with on Emerson from the stands, the left- left unmarked to head in a late free- over two years. Mandragora pulled the hosts level to nip ahead of him in the penalty a strong performance capped by the back blasted home from Christian kick from close range. “We needed a good performance and with three minutes to go, bundling in area. key contribution to Ziyech’s opener. Pulisic’s pass in stoppage-time, spark- “The win is very important to us. we bow out of the competition with a a rebound, with Zaza nodding in to Azpilicueta responded with a pan- Breaking at pace after Werner ing a wild celebration that encapsulat- It’s in our DNA that we want to win positive game,” Lazio coach Simone complete the comeback two minutes icked tug that sent Carrasco tumbling blocked Kieran Trippier’s cross, Kai ed the feel-good factor fuelling the every game,” Bayern midfielder Inzaghi told Sky. “Some teams are into injury time. (AGENCIES) but Atletico’s penalty appeal was con- Havertz fed his team-mate on the left Blues at present. Joshua Kimmich told Sky. “We played unplayable: Bayern are one of them.” Athletes anticipate duller Tokyo Olympics Barcelona gain speed, but still with a glint of gold Atletico Madrid slump

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE home favourite Thiago Braz, ASSOCIATED PRESS League despite playing well in the LAUSANNE, MARCH 18 said he had learned to compete with- MADRID, MARCH 18 second leg a week ago. Atletico were out fans. ousted by Chelsea on Wednesday after An Olympics under the dark cloud of “We’ve had a whole season behind How quickly things changed for the losing both legs. Covid-19 may not be the experience closed doors,” he said. “It won’t have top two clubs fighting for the Spanish “Our fans must be upset and disap- athletes had hoped for, but they are the same flavour but... when you put league title. pointed,” Atletico coach Diego still eager to grab their chance to 10 people on the start line, everyone It wasn’t long ago that everything Simeone said. “But we have to reset shine, be there fans or not. wants to win, whether there is an seemed to go Atletico Madrid’s way. and think about what’s ahead for us. With the postponed Olympics set to audience or not.” They were the team to beat and they We have to learn and improve and start on July 22, the organisers are Germany’s brightest medal hope in held a comfortable lead at the top. continue with the same dedication still wrestling with the issue of how swimming, 1,500m freestyle and 10km There were no signs they could be and enthusiasm.” many spectators they can safely allow open water world champion Florian caught. Simeone on Wednesday had to in venues. A decision on whether any Wellbrock said he is “definitely in Barcelona, meanwhile, were strug- answer questions about Luis Suarez, foreign visitors will be allowed into favour” of the Games going ahead, gling on and off the field, enduring who had been leading the team after the country to see the spectacle is albeit in front of empty seats. political turmoil and experiencing joining from Barcelona this season expected before the torch relay begins, “The fact that athletes can show in lacklustre results. There were no but was upset after being substituted without any spectators because of races what they have fought and signs they could return to the top. But early in the second half in London. coronavirus restrictions, on March 25. worked for all their lives is and, the clubs enter the final stretch of the “It’s normal that he wanted to keep AFP asked athletes what they remains for me, the most important season in contrasting situations, with playing,” Simeone said. “We felt that thought of the prospect of a Games in meaning of the Olympic Games,” the Atletico slumping and Barcelona gain- we could improve the dynamic of the front of small crowds or even without 23-year-old swimmer told the German ing momentum. attack so we made the change.” any spectators at all. swimming federation’s magazine. Atletico’s struggles coincided with American middle-distance runner Some competitors in less popular some Covid-19 cases within the team Craig Engels could have expected to sports see stadiums half full rather Barcelona have and the absences of some players race in front of 68,000 spectators in the than half empty. because of injuries and suspensions. rebuilt National Stadium in Tokyo. “Most of us don’t compete in front moved within four Simeone was forced to experiment “It kind of sucks not having friends of crowds,” Bronwen Knox, an with different tactical formations and and family there because any time I’ve Australian water polo legend who won points of leaders the team didn’t adapt quickly. Their ever imagined finishing my final race bronzes at the 2008 Beijing and London usually stout defence faltered and at at an Olympics, I imagine running up Olympics, told the Sydney Daily Atletico Madrid. one point the team endured their to the stands and hugging my par- Telegraph. worst streak conceding goals since ents,” said Engels, who beat Olympic Both Engels and Brown lamented Simeone took over nearly a decade champion Matthew Centrowitz Jr to the impact of likely health rules Both teams were eliminated in the ago. The league is the only title win the US title in 2019. on the experience of the 11,000 round of 16 of the Champions League, Atletico can still win this season, “I think I’ll still be running in 2024 competitors. but Barcelona have won four in a row while Barcelona are still competing in so at least my whole dream of the “You hear about how fun the in the league while Atletico have only the Copa del Rey, where they will face Olympic experience isn’t shot,” said Olympic village is, all the stories two wins in their last six matches. Athletic Bilbao in the April 17 the 26-year-old. “But it sucks for those about meeting new people,” Brown The Catalan club have moved with- final. Barcelona last season went with- athletes who are retiring this year.” said. in four points of Atletico ahead of the out a title for the first time since One of those is 38-year-old Indian AFP/RSS “So part of the excitement of the weekend matches, when Atletico host 2007-08. boxer Mary Kom, who is a six-time Indian boxer Mary Kom expects small crowds or empty stadium at the postponed Tokyo Olympics is the experience of being relegation-threatened Alaves on Real Madrid are coming off two world champion but whose best Olympics but has her eye on winning the game and realising her long-cherished dream. an Olympic athlete that you’re think- Sunday and Barcelona later visit fifth- consecutive 1-1 draws in the league— Olympic performance was a bronze in ing about, as well as competing and place Real Sociedad. Defending cham- at Atletico and against Sociedad—but London in 2012. the 200m silver medallist at the World like ‘Gosh, I really wanted to share training. It’s disheartening that we pions Real Madrid are six points off the team coached by Zinedine Zidane “We are in a situation that is beyond Championships in Doha, said no fans this moment’.” won’t have that, but I’m sure there will the lead and remain in contention, enter their Saturday match against our control and against our wishes. would be “disappointing because this Other track and field athletes agree be other experiences.” although their focus will be divided Celta Vigo boosted by their return to Therefore we have to accept the reali- is every four years”. they will miss the crowds. Engels agreed. with the Champions League. the Champions League quarter-finals ty,” said the mother-of-three. “The “The Olympics is also a celebration. “It won’t be as euphoric, but we’ll “Obviously I need to make sure I There will be 10 league games left after two consecutive eliminations in empty or full stadium wouldn’t affect So knowing that your family and deal with it,” said French world record make the team first,” Engels said. for each team after the weekend, with the round of 16. They defeated my bout and my performance though friends can’t be there is dishearten- holder Kevin Mayer, who won the “But it will suck not being able to Atletico seeking their first title since Atalanta 3-1 on Tuesday to advance 4-1 crowds and supporters make it inter- ing,” she said. decathlon in Rio in 2016. socialise as much in the Olympic vil- 2014 and Barcelona their third in four on aggregate. esting and thrilling. To me, the only “At the same time it’s encouraging French pole vaulter Renaud lage. I was really looking forward to seasons. The Catalan club will host Fourth-place Sevilla, sitting three thing that will be in my mind is to win because you know that the organisers Lavillenie, who won the gold medal in going to basketball games and seeing Atletico in May. points behind Madrid, visit Valladolid the game and realise the long-cher- are taking proper precautions. It’s a London and silver in Rio—where he all the other athletes. Barcelona, with a new president in on Saturday. Sevilla have nine-point ished dream. The environment out- weird dichotomy—you’re happy infamously broke down in tears at “So it kind of sucks that that is not place after several months of political gap to Sociedad in the final Champions side the ring is secondary.” because they are prioritising safety, what he called the crowd’s biased sup- going to happen this year—but there’s turmoil, were eliminated by Paris League qualification spot after they American sprinter Brittany Brown, but also disappointed because you’re port for eventual gold medallist and always Paris.” Saint-Germain in the Champions beat Elche 2-0 on Wednesday.

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 10 SPORTS | MEDLEY BRIEFING Nagarkoti wins Surya Nepal Central Open Golf Kuthu and Dhimal unveiled as marquee players The Nepal number one pro registers a one-stroke victory over amateur Subash Tamang to clinch the title of the season opening event under golf tour. KATHMANDU: National team goalkeep- SPORTS BUREAU tively with total scores of 296, 297 and er Bikesh Kuthu and defender Ranjit KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 298. The trio shared Rs35,000, Rs32,000 Dhimal were unveiled as the marquee and Rs30,000. The tenth position went players of Kathmandu Rayzrs and Bhuwan Nagarkoti registered a one- to Jayaram Shrestha who played one- Biratnagar City FC respectively on stroke victory over amateur Subash over 73 for a final round total of 299. Thursday for the franchise-based Tamang to claim the Surya Nepal He pocketed Rs28,000. Nepal Super League football tourna- Central Open golf championship at Winner Nagarkoti carded two-over ment. Rayzrs owned by Chiranjeevi the par-72 Gokarna Golf Club in 38 on front nine. He bogeyed on the Shah, the chief executive of MAW Kathmandu on Thursday. second and sixth holes and double Yamaha, inked the deal with Kuthu at Number 1 pro Nagarkoti, who went bogeyed on the eighth. He played bird- a function on Thursday. Kuthu is also on top of the leaderboard after the ies on the fourth and ninth holes. the goalkeeper of Tribhuvan Army very first round and opened the final After taking the turn he played even- Club. Rayzrs have signed national round with two stroke advantage, par 36 with a birdie on the 12th hole team coach Bal Gopal Maharjan as carded two-over 74 to finish 72-hole against bogey on the 15th. their coach. At a seperate function, total at seven-under 281. Amateur Tamang dropped a shot on Dhimal was signed by Biratnagar Amateur Tamang, the twin gold the third hole and birdied on the sev- City as their marquee player. The medallist of the 13th South Asian enth for an even-par score of 36 on the NSL is the first franchise-based foot- Games (SAG), played the final round first half. He started the back nine ball tournament set to be held at the one-under 71 for the total score of dropping two shots before amending Dasharath Stadium from April 24 to six-under 282. Sukra Bahadur Rai, his mistakes with birdies on the 12th, May 8 featuring seven teams. The who started the final round at second 15th and 18th holes. players’ auction will take place on position and just two-stroke behind Rai started the day with a birdie but March 19 under four categories. (SB) Nagarkoti, played his worst round of bogeyed on the second and the fourth the championship with five-over 77 for holes for a front nine score of one-over Three injured national players a total of two-under 286. Sanjay 37. After taking the turn, he dropped a Lama carded two-over 74 to finish the shot each on 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th receive financial support campaign third with the score two- holes for a total of four-over 40. Third KATHMANDU: Three injured national over 290. placed Lama carded even-par 36 on the players of as many games were given Nagarkoti bagged a purse of front nine with birdies on the third financial support on Thursday from Rs130,000 and the winner’s trophy. and fourth holes against bogies on the the players’ welfare fund set up by the Overall second place finisher Tamang sixth and ninth holes. At the back National Sports Council. Badminton’s was not eligible to collect cash prize nine, he dropped shots on the 11th and Bishna Bista collected Rs100,000, due to his amateur status. He was 14th holes to finish with two-over 38. hockey’s Nara Bahadur Chanda and awarded with amateur’s trophy. Rai Altogether 61 golfers including 44 athletics’ Rameshwari Mahato got collected the runner up prize amount pros and 17 amateurs took part in the Rs50,000 each. NSC Member of Rs84,000 while third place finisher event organised by Nepal Professional Secretary Ramesh Kumar Silwal Lama bagged Rs60,000. Golfers Association (NPGA) under the handed over the amount. The council Amateurs Ajit BK and Vijay sponsorship of Surya Nepal Pvt Ltd. has been supporting injured and ail- Shrestha Einhaus finished fifth and POST PHOTO: HEMANTA SHRESTHA Surya Nepal vice-president ing national players financially. sixth. BK played even-par 72 for a total Bhuwan Nagarkoti carded two-over 74 to finish 72-hole total at seven-under 281 at the Gokarna Golf Club in Kathmandu on Thursday. (marketing) Dipra Lahiri, NPGA pres- Earlier this year, it provided financial of three-over 291 and Shrestha ident Rabindra Man Shrestha and support to seven players including Einhaus carded three-over on the final Rabi Khadka finished fourth with a Shrestha Pradhan (76) and Deepak received Rs39,750 each. Rame Magar Nepal Golf Association president volleyball star Pratibha Mali and bad- day to wrap up the campaign with card of three-over 75 for the final-day Magar (69) finished jointly in fifth (78), Niraj Tamang (74) and Bal Bhadra Tashi Ghale distributed prizes to the minton player Sita Rai. (SB) four-over 292. total of six-over 294. Rajendra position at seven-over 295. The duo Rai (76) came seventh to ninth respec- winners. Bangladesh arrive for tri-series Slapstick errors have cost Liverpool, says Klopp

SPORTS BUREAU Kiran Rai told a news conference on Thursday. REUTERS “The opponent usually doesn’t need a lot KATHMANDU, MARCH 18 According to Rai, the Kyrgyz team will land LIVERPOOL, MARCH 18 of chances against us because we make big in Kathmandu on Sunday. Custodian Kiran mistakes, insane ones that can almost be Bangladesh national team arrived in Limbu and youth forward Abhishek Rijal, who Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said “slap- described as slapstick,” he said. Kathmandu on Thursday for the Tri-Series currently play professional football from stick” mistakes had undermined Liverpool’s “On the other hand, we create a lot of Football Tournament set to be held from March I-League sides Punjab FC and Aizwal FC defence of their Premier League title and chances, in the ‘expected goals’ we are still 23 to 29 at the Dasharath Stadium in respectively, would join the team. made it almost impossible for them to finish second behind City in the Premier League, Tripureshwar. “Nepali team were already under training in the top four. but far from them in the ones we actually The tournament featuring three teams— for the joint qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup Liverpool cruised to the Premier League scored. This problem has been going on hosts Nepal, Bangladesh and Kyrgyzstan and AFC Asian Cup before Nepal’s home title last season but are sixth in the current throughout.” U-23—will be played in the round robin format. matches were shifted to a centralised venue. campaign on 46 points, five points behind Liverpool are still in with a chance of Teams finishing on top of the table will play for We will have the same team for the tournament fourth-placed Chelsea with nine matches winning this year’s Champions League and the title. and we are ready to go,” said Rai. remaining. are in the draw for the quarter-finals after According to the All Nepal Football ANFA is planning to sell tickets for 12,000 “I like to be an optimist, but in the league brushing aside RB Leipzig in the last-16. Association (ANFA), Kyrgyzstan U-23 team will spectators at the 15,000-seater stadium. The it is almost impossible to qualify in the com- Missing out on Europe’s elite club compe- vie against Bangladesh in the opening match ticket price has been fixed at Rs1,500 for VIP petition for the Champions League places tition would be a huge blow but Klopp said on March 23 while Nepal will take on stand and Rs700 for general stand. The winners that we have,” Klopp told German newspa- he was not worried about his future. Kyrgyzstan two days later before hosts Nepal and runners-up will bag prizes of $5,000 and per Bild. “It would mean a huge financial loss. In and Bangladesh vie in the final group match on $3,000 while the best player would receive $500. “At Tottenham Hotspur, Gareth Bale is almost all clubs, I would be questioned in a March 25. The final will be played on March 27. The man-of-the-match of each game would get now playing again, and they are also in the situation like this,” he said. “This is nor- The football governing body ANFA on $250. running. (Manchester) City and United, mal, I accept that. Our owners, sports direc- Thursday announced that almost all prepara- While the estimated cost of the tournament who are far away, Chelsea on the rise. tor nobody doubts anyone here. We have tions for the tournament were over. “We are is Rs10million, ANFA expects to earn a revenue Reaching Champions League through the accepted the situation and fight our way hopeful that the tournament will help bring of Rs15 million. “Ticket sale, sponsorship league will be difficult.” through.” AP/RSS Nepali football back to normal following a long amount and broadcasting rights are the main Klopp said his side had paid the price for Liverpool next visit Arsenal after the Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool lie sixth in the Premier League break due to Covid-19,” ANFA spokesperson sources of income,” said Rai. uncharacteristic errors. international break on April 4. table on 46 points, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

HOROSCOPE ARIES (March 21-April 19) **** CANCER (June 22-July 22) *** LIBRA (September 23-October 22) *** CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) **** Don’t expect to sit still under Friday’s skies, Aries. You need space to privately mull things over today, You’re feeling a fresh burst of energy emerge under Friday’s skies are supportive of your natural desire You need movement, stimulating exchanges, and an Cancer. The moon glides through reflective Gemini Friday’s skies, Libra. Don’t keep yourself cooped to be productive and efficient, Capricorn. The moon outlet for the whirlwind of thoughts in your mind and spends the day alongside energetic-but-irritable up... instead, let yourself act on your desire for spon- glides through hyper-active Gemini all day, forming today. Mars. taneity and new environments! supportive links to energetic Mars.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) *** LEO (July 23-August 22) *** SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) *** AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) *** You’re ready to put your plans into action, Taurus. You’re primed and ready to take actions towards your As a Scorpio, you can rarely stomach surface-level You’re not likely to be in the mood for labor today, The logical Gemini moon merges with self-motivated long-term goals today, Leo. The moon marches interactions and small talk. Friday’s skies turn that Aquarius. Rather, you’re looking to reconnect with Mars on her course today, helping you pour energy through quick-thinking Gemini, spending the day feeling all the way up, as the moon treks through those activities in life that bring you a sense of joy into activating your talents in a productive fashion. with motivated Mars and self-disciplined Saturn. reflective Gemini. and creative fulfillment.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) **** VIRGO (August 23-September 22) **** SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) *** PISCES (February 19-March 20) *** It’s as if you’re buzzing with energy under Friday’s As a Virgo, your proclivity for hard work is one of Your relationships are requiring more energy and As a Pisces, you often find yourself half in a dream skies, Gemini. You’re likely to feel a strong need for your hallmark qualities. Friday’s skies kick you into attention than you’re used to providing today, world and half on Earth. You’re designed to be a freedom, movement, and action today—as the moon high gear and prime you for productive action. Sagittarius. The moon floats through your opposite dreamer, so there’s no fault there! Yet, Friday’s skies plows through your sign and merges with assertive sign of logical Gemini, spending the day merged are looking to ground you back down to your roots Mars. with war-mongering Mars. and reconnect you with your reality. CROSSWORD SUDOKU

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

C M Y K 11 | FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021

C M Y K FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021 | 12 CULTURE & LIFESTYLE (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 They first documented stupas, now they restore them Restoring a monument takes more than just wishful thinking—it demands hard work and resilience. And Chiva Chaitya is showing people how it’s done right.

SRIZU BAJRACHARYA ly the ward office. Then they managed all KATHMANDU resources and brought together the con- cerned people of the shrine to work on hree years back, Bharat Shahi restoring the chaitya. remembers every day being a The restoration cost came to be around whirlwind of confusion. He Rs85,000, says Tuladhar. But at Dallu, was trying to restore a worn where they had to dismantle the chaitya, out chiva chaitya in front of replace parts and build the foundation of his house at Dallu Chowk and the shrine, the cost was more. This days would always be busy. For the “The cost depends on how much of the restoration process, he had to regularly go chaitya needs to be restored and how. And back and forth from the Department of with that the size of the chaitya, the work- Archeology’s office to the ward office and force needed, and the logistics required,” to the community’s people, trying to col- says Tuladhar. “For these operations, we lect more voices for the restoration. usually collect money from our friends As days went by, he was exhausted and and benefactors. But oftentimes, the com- saw almost no hope that the monument he munity people have stepped in to contrib- worshipped every day would be put back ute to the restoration. It happened in Dallu to its glory. He ultimately gave up entirely. and even at Dhoka-tole near Hanuman “The stupa was dissipating, chunks of its Dhoka Durbar Square,” he said. body were severely cracked, and the In the past five months, the group has layers of asphalt buried its foundation restored about five chaityas, and they plan underneath, and for long nobody did to cover at least six more this year. Just a anything,” he says. week back at Dhalko Ward No. 17, next to The shrine, which locals believe dates the Indrayani temple, the organisation back centuries, was one of the highlights restored a terracotta chaitya which they of the neighbourhood and a major part of believe to be over hundreds of years old. the daily rituals of the community. How “A tree was growing from underneath the the monument became forsaken is a long chaitya, and in the process was tearing story, he says, one of how time works. apart the chaitya’s structure, so we had to “The family’s elders passed away and dismantle the parts and take out the tree,” their family moved out of the area and said Tuladhar. they didn’t know the condition of the With each restoration, Tuladhar and his shrine. While the community people still team have been gathering a lot of praise offer pujas and revere the shrine, nobody and support from people. Last year, they had the ownership to repair it and no one were also funded by the World Monument really cared enough to initiate its conser- Fund that had also enlisted ‘chiva vation, not even the community’s repre- POST PHOTO: BEEJU MAHARJAN and chaityas’ of Kathmandu on their sentatives,” he said. Chiva Chaitya’s restoration project started when the country was beginning to recover from the lockdowns induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. watchlist of 2020. But all that has changed now. The once The group that was initiated by five half-buried and filmed in a layer of dust book ‘Chiva Chaitya’. And the people of For the organisation, as they restore friends—Prabodh Kasa, Prabin Shakya, and grime stupa today stands tall in its the Valley for long have built chaityas chaityas in the valley, confronting the Suban Tuladhar, Ashish Manandhar and renewed grandeur through the initiative wherever they have lived. In the past five indifference of the people and seeing how Amar Tuladhar—has come a long way of a social organisation Chiva Chaitya. The shrines are worshipped on a day to months, the group has the government has not considered the from just discussing the importance of the And with the restoration work, footfall has day basis by different ethnic groups on importance of the chaityas has been frus- shrines to actually restoring them. Today, increased multifold. And the milieu of the different occasions representing the vari- restored about five trating. But in each of their restoration they understand that more than wishful place has found a facelift, say the locals ous phases of life, such as ‘Janko’, which projects to date, they have made it a point thinking, one needs to take action to make there. It has become chahakilo, bright in is celebrated when an elderly person chaityas, and they plan to work closely with the local ward office, way for the change they want to see. English, says Shahi. reaches a certain age, or death anniversa- community people and the private owners “We started talking in 2012-13 about how “The people in Chiva Chaitya are doing ries. Chaityas are a significant part of all to cover at least six of the monuments. these chaityas are mostly overlooked by great work of conserving the uniqueness the rituals. “We believe if we are to protect these the state and the people. We wanted to of the Valley and re-strengthening peo- Chaityas are also an ode to the dead, more this year. chaityas, we need to establish owner- make people aware of how these shrines ple’s relationship with the shrines that made in remembrance of someone ship—only then, will people question and are important both culturally and have surrounded us,” he said. “These endeared. And in Buddhism, chaityas are make more effort in the preservation of socio-economically. We believe it can shrines are an important part of also regarded as a three dimensional rep- Bajracharya. And even today, the culture the chaityas and their culture,” said attract more tourists too,” said Shakya. Kathmandu’s inheritance and culture, one resentation of the mandal that embodies of building chivas has continued in the Prabin Shakya, the vice-president of the Then, they were a social group that was that needs to be preserved,” said Shahi. the principle of life. They are also one of Newa Buddhist community. organisation. recording and documenting chaityas in Chiva Chaitya’s chiva restoration pro- the distinctive highlights of baha and However, over the years, chiva chaityas, Their first restoration project started in the Valley, trying to create an inventory ject started as the country prepared to bahi monasteries. which are pieces of heritage and history, Swayambhu, where two chivas (chaitya in through images, and their history. break from the lockdown of the Covid-19 “Chaityas have a long history. They have been undermined and overlooked. Nepalbhasa) had been damaged when a Alongside, they also promoted chaityas pandemic. Amid the gloom of an econom- existed even before Buddha’s time and the “In terms of conservation and protecting tall tree had fallen over them. The chivas through community and school interac- ic collapse across the country, where the term initially was referred to as a place of what we have, people have not understood parts were stored in the office of tions, chaitya tours, cultural tourism tourism industry suffered the most, the resting or meditation, later it was referred what these stone monuments mean in our Swayambhu Bikash Kosh for quite some conservation programmes and cleaning group found themselves determined to to the idea of using, ‘chiti’ (ash) of the culture—even archaeologically speaking,” time and nobody knew the whereabouts of activities. They registered as an work on the protection of heritage to fos- deceased to make a stupa in their memo- said Amar Tuladhar, a board member and the chiva chaityas, said Tuladhar. “The organisation in 2019. ter the distinct identity of the Valley’s ry,” said Bajracharya. the treasurer of Chiva Chaitya. owners of the chaityas had also filed a And as an organisation, these days they culture and tourism and people’s relation- “The concept of chaitya has evolved These shrines have been damaged, shift- police complaint, but we were told they are also working to establish GPS loca- ship with tangible inheritance. with Buddhism. At first it was just ed, demolished without properly under- were unable to find it and then we went tions of chaityas in the valley. Till date, Chaityas, or stupas, are a significant made with earth, without the Pancha standing their value, said Bajracharya and and searched in the Kosh’s store and we they have recorded over 1,300 chaityas, but part of Kathmandu’s heritage and culture Buddhas or the gajur (pinnacle), but today Tuladhar, even more with the road con- found the pieces—they were severely dam- they estimate the count of chaityas in the that goes beyond the Gregorian calendar, we see all kinds of them, and in many struction projects underway. At Dallu, the aged,” he said. Valley to be over 4,000, excluding well- says Sumati Bajracharya, a 77-year-old ways their existence attributes to the layers of asphalt used haphazardly to make Within a few days, their group dispersed known chaityas like Swayawambhu, Buddhist intellect and the author of the uniqueness of our culture,” said roads had buried half of its structure. to get permission from authorities, main- Khasti, Namobuddha, Dhando chaityas. Although their work still mostly remains hidden in the larger conversation of heritage conservation, the group’s role has been crucial to start off ground-level mobilisation and motivation and to bring attention to the chaityas that we see in almost every neighbourhood of the Valley. “This is just the beginning for us, and we believe this journey will continue and expand with people taking their first steps to be aware and then to making steps to protect monuments that already exist around us,” said Shakya, the vice-president. Anjir Man Baniya, the site manager of the group, has also witnessed this opti- mism. He has seen the concern of people grow with their attempt to restore the monuments in their community. “A lot of people come asking what we are doing, and if we are doing the restoration in the right way,” he said. At Dallu, he saw about 13 local clubs come together to pull up the chaitya and restore its structure. Today, the process for him and the team has been heartwarming. “When you first see what you have to fix, it feels like an unimaginable attempt with so much to do, but as the chaitya comes together, nothing beats the peace you find at the end,” he said. “It’s gratifying to see how you are able to bring everyone together for a cause. The triumph for the team has been PHOTOS: BEEJU MAHARJAN/ CHIVA CHAITYA in raising concerns of a community in Before and after pictures of a terracotta chaitya that was restored by the organisation in Dhalko, near the Indrayani temple, in Kathmandu. A tree was growing from underneath the chaitya which was tearing apart their ownership of the monuments they the chaitya’s structure (pictured in the inset photo). have lived with.”

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