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The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) was established 18 years ago with the motto ‘For Nepali, By Nepali’. Right now, it has national coordination councils in 82 countries. Nepalis living outside the Saarc region or people of Nepali origin with foreign nationality are considered NRNs, according to the Non-Resident Nepali Act 2064.

Although the association was established to promote the use of knowledge and resources of NRNs for their home country’s benefit, critics argue that politics now dominates the organization. Its council meetings are often marked by fisticuffs and acrimonious exchanges, and NRNA leaders are often accused of using their resources to buy support to get to the top.

Pratik Ghimire of ApEx spoke to DB Chhetri, NRNA spokesperson, about the association’s plans and image.

What is the association’s focus right now?

Since last year, all our focus has been on Covid-19 pandemic. We are keen to help the Nepali diaspora with a suitable relief package by coordinating with respective national coordination councils. Also, we made some investments and carried out organizational restructuring. We have received complaints that the association has failed to transform its leadership. So, each coordination council is organizing its convention by October, following a proper restructured framework, legislations, methods, and laws. Besides, we have been putting pressure on the Nepal government and working with it to rescue Nepalis stranded abroad.

Is it mandatory for association members to fight during its gatherings?

As we know, Nepalis have a habit of celebrating election victories as festivals and wherever they go, they are driven with the same mentality. Because of this unnecessary hype surrounding the elections, unfortunately, we have to deal with various disrespectful acts. We will prepare directives to avoid these things in the coming days.

This story also has another side. We have grown into a massive organization and now, almost all political parties want to establish their dominance over the NRNA. But these are problems related to some individuals rather than organizational drawbacks.

Why don’t you bar miscreants from your organization?

Like I said, most of these disputes are the result of a handful of individual reasons. As an organization, we are not facing an ideological or organizational crisis. Yes, so we are working to forbid politically motivated people from joining our organization. Further, the association is determined to conduct its elections online, backed by strong laws, so that there are fewer instances of disputes. The NRNA wants to be the voice of over five million Nepalis living abroad. We are against those who use their money rather than their vision to claim leadership.

Can we imagine an NRNA that is completely free of political influence?

Politics is what helps make society aware of contemporary issues. We can’t avoid politically literate people, but NRNA never welcomes politically affiliated masses. When the mainstream political parties stop treating us like their sister organizations, only then can we implement our policies legitimately. We partner with the Nepal government in every task and they should also take necessary steps not to let the association come into dispute.

Politicians and bureaucrats should not treat us as rich investors. We are just stakeholders of Nepalis living abroad. The NRNA produces social activists, not politicians.

Candidates contesting NRNA elections are spending a lot of money and are reportedly even resorting to immoral acts to secure victories.

We are unaware of these kinds of conduct. If we find someone involved in such activities, we will immediately punish the related person. What I want to say to our members is, report illegal activities. If you don’t, you are defaming our glorified organization just for your benefit. No one has to spend money or resort to immoral means to win NRNA elections. All it takes is a proper agenda.

The media has also played some role in defaming the association. I request the fourth state to refrain from biased coverage.

Anger seems to be the dominant emotion in Nepal this monsoon. Prime Minister KP Oli is livid with the Nepal-Khanal faction for declining to withdraw its support for the premiership of Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The disgruntled faction in turn is not ready to believe anything CPN-UML chairman Oli says anymore. Although they continue to talk to find a collective way out, the two sets of leaders mostly talk past one another; a quick end of the internecine intra-party dispute appears unlikely.

The society is as riled up, most recently over the Rupa Sunar case, with the media-person denied a flat by a Newar landlady for no other reason than that she is a Dalit.  The dispute quickly snowballed into an ugly Newar-Dalit fight on social media. The Supreme Court has thrown out a case Sunar had filed against the landlady but the war of words is far from over. The Nepali society is so bitterly divided that it will only take another tiny spark to ignite an inferno.

Following the case, the landlords and tenants in Kathmandu valley are for the first time seriously thinking of signing rent agreements so that neither can act in bad faith. Formalization of landlord-tenant contracts in all cases will help sort many of the thorny issues that routinely crop between them. But it will arguably also mark a moment when that natural trust between people was broken.

If the political and social climate in the country is heating up, it is no less so outside. Xi Jinping is looking to consolidate the cooperation of BRI countries, most recently through a virtual summit, even as Joe Biden pushes ahead with his new ‘Build Back Better World’ (B3W) agenda, aimed squarely at challenging China’s primacy in Asia. More and more, countries like Nepal find themselves having to pick sides. Yet doing so would be a disaster as the country has been able to maintain its independence all these years only through delicate balancing.  

As the country continues to be ravaged by Covid-19, and with vaccines still in short supply, the summer of rage and blame-games, we are afraid, is far from over.

The All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), the CPN (Maoist Center) student wing, along with the student outfits of four other opposition parties, have allied to protest against Prime Minister KP Oli’s ‘unconstitutional’ House dissolution.

But their protests haven’t been effective. Moreover, critics argue, the unions lack the autonomy to do anything on their own without their mother party’s directive.

Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talked to ANNISU(R) chairman Ranjit Tamang about the relevance of student politics in Nepal.

How do you respond to those who say today’s student politics in Nepal is purposeless?

In my view, in light of the current constitutional crisis, student wings are the only forces capable of challenging government wrongdoings. The parliament’s absence has added to our responsibilities. As students are at the forefront of anti-government protests against corruption, inflation, and unconstitutional moves, the government of the day fears us. So, I can assure you that we are still very much relevant.

We have never seen a student union take decisions independently of their mother party. Why so?

There was a time when political parties could not protest against the autocratic government, and their student wings were the ones to take the lead. Today also, we are always the first to speak against the government, whosoever is running it. We speak up on every social, internal, and geopolitical matter. Often, we have taken up more progressive and revolutionary issues than have our mother political party. But as we are affiliated to our mother party, it is only natural we take their ideological lead. This is how things work around the world.

Why aren’t student unions keen on broader educational rights and reforms?

We have always pressured the concerned bodies to provide free education at every level. We have also regularly requested universities to stop doling out affiliation to private colleges. When appointments were being made for office bearers of universities, ANNISU (R) had demanded that the process be based on open competition. Further, to bring drastic changes to our academic system, we appeal to the government to prepare an Education Act based on the recent report by a group of scholars in this field.

Perhaps because of its association with the erstwhile Young Communist League, ANNISU (R)’s image has been rather poor in the public eye. What are you doing to improve your image?

Our major focus has been on the health and education sectors. We demand free health and education for all. The government should allocate enough budget in these areas, and implement its plan to provide loans to students by keeping their degree certificates as collateral. Also, we want an end to the privatization of education institutions and pitch for open competition in the selection of their office-bearers. We want to make ANNISU (R) a representative voice of all students.

Any plans for organization restructuring?

Following our firm commitment to democratic process, we have decided to conduct ANNISU(R)’s 22nd national convention from September 24-26. Also, through ApEx, I want to announce that, following this national convention, I plan to start my journey in national politics. I will be handing over ANNISU (R) to a more knowledgeable, capable, and organized leadership.

The Nepali Congress rank and file have been talking about the party’s 14th general convention for a long time. The party postponed the event time and again for various reasons, including the corona scourge. This time, however, the NC looks determined to hold the gathering of its biggest decision-making body from September 1-4, even amid the pandemic.

Party leaders are divided on almost every issue, especially after PM KP Oli’s second House dissolution. This is why the general convention has become a necessity to settle the issues of party leadership, ideology and organization.

ApEx’s Pratik Ghimire talked to party spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

Where do new generation leaders find themselves ahead of the general convention?

More new generation leaders are getting elected as representatives in successive general conventions. This time, as we have doubled the number of representatives attending the convention, we will see more youths take up decision-making positions. In addition, the proportion of youths is also significantly higher in the overall active membership of the party.

Going into the 14th general convention, what is the guiding ideology of Nepali Congress?

We believe the vision Nepali Congress carries has a huge impact on overall Nepali politics. Congress follows the path of D&D: Democracy and Development. This time too, the new leadership will remain committed to democracy, federalism, inclusive participation, and liberal economy with gradual development of every sector. We will create a suitable environment for coordination between the state and the corporate and private sectors.

How will you tackle the issue of Hindu state that seems to have at least some backing inside Nepali Congress?

Our constitution is a result of hard work and dedication of many people. Yet certain provisions in it might not be to everyone’s taste. The constitutional provisions can be worked upon to reflect public will. But, right now, we have not even completed a decade under the new constitution. So instead of trying to make substantive changes to it, we should rather think of its implementation. Nepali Congress is thus committed to implementing the constitution in its letter and spirit. 

There seem to be many contenders for party leadership. How will you settle it?

I have also heard people say Nepali Congress doesn’t have a consensus candidate for party president. But we are in a democracy and the beauty of democracy is that there is competition. More the number of contenders for the post, the better it will be for democracy. We will pick the best candidate to run the party.

How do you evaluate the judiciary’s current involvement in national politics?

Let me explain with an example. If a person is healthy, he won’t visit the doctor often. But if they fall sick regularly, they have to visit the doctor time and again. We can’t say the doctor is interfering with their health. Similarly, if our politics doesn’t follow the legal path, the Supreme Court will ask the government to correct its course. It is a part of the principle of check and balance.

Also, we can imagine the situation had the elections been held in May, as had been originally planned. We could have seen over 1,000 Covid-19-related deaths a day during election campaigns and, of course, the election would have had to be canceled, forcing the country into more political turmoil.

No other national football player has represented Nepal more often than Biraj Maharjan. The 30-year-old, who made 73 international appearances for Nepal in his defending career spanning 13 years, debuted against Pakistan in 2008. Mahrajan was in the national squad that won gold at the 2016 South Asian Games and took home the trophies at the Bangabandhu Gold Cup (2016), AFC Solidarity Cup (2016), and Three Nations Cup (2021).

On the domestic front, Maharjan debuted with Sankata Boys SC in 2006. Further on, he has played for New Road Team (NRT), Three Star Club, Manang Marshyangdi Club, Machhindra FC, and Butwal-Lumbini FC. The veteran footballer has three Martyrs Memorial A-Division League titles under his belt—one each with Three Star (2012-13), Manang Marshyangdi (2018-19), and Machhindra (2019-20).

One of the most decorated Nepali footballers in recent times, Maharjan retired from national duties in 2021, the March 29 final of the Three Nations Cup against Bangladesh being his last appearance in red and blue. Coinciding with the ongoing Euro and Copa America tournaments, Pratik Ghimire caught up with Maharjan to talk about his post-retirement life and state of Nepali football.

How does it feel to hang up your national boots?

As I am still playing at the club-level, I don’t feel like I have retired. The previous month went well as we participated in the Nepal Super League (NSL). Right now, I am enjoying quality time with my family. Of course, I miss the national jersey, but we must accept that every beginning also has an end.

Biraj Maharjan thanks the supporters after Nepal beats Bangladesh 2-1 in Three Nations Cup final on March 29. It was also his last match in national jersey | Sunita Dangol

I will play a couple more seasons in the domestic league and then see what lies ahead for me. Even then, I am certain that I will be involved with football. I can’t think of life outside it.

Has a time come when Nepali players can survive solely by playing football?

Survival comes with recognition and recognition with opportunities. Earlier, we only had limited opportunities to prove ourselves. But now, it is much more convenient. Those playing for the national squad and the clubs are more financially stable, though aspiring players can still struggle.

The corporate sector should invest more in our young lads. Similarly, the government should categorize players and look after their well-being. They should be free from all forms of tension so that they can give their best on the field.

What kind of an impact will tournaments like NSL have on the national squad?

In my opinion, NSL or a similar league should have been in place at least half a decade ago. If that had happened Nepali football would have reached new heights by now. For instance, we can see how the Indian Super League helped the Indian squad. Besides the growth of good teams, these kinds of franchise-based leagues help boost the confidence of individual players. This in turn directly takes the national team forward.

Having said that, NSL still has a long way to go. I hope the organizers will resolve issues that surfaced in the inaugural edition. The league hasn’t been recognized by FIFA or AFC. The organizers should plan to get the recognition needed for the league to go international. 

The national squad recently got Abdullah Al Mutairi as the new coach. What do you think of his approach to the team?

Coach Abdullah Al Mutairi could have chosen a better team to coach, but he chose Nepal’s national team, considering its potential. Before taking charge, he had studied each player and their position. He has energized the squad with young players. That’s the best part of his approach. We may not have seen great results immediately, but Al Mutairi is preparing our team for a long and glorious run.

I had time to chat with him and found that he has a strong, positive spirit. We had seen his impact on the team within a few games—the attitude, mindset, and confidence level of players is high. I appreciate his efforts.

It’s often said the average height of Nepali players lets them down in international matches. They also appear physically weak.

For a player to deliver excellent performance, he must be physically, mentally, and tactically strong. We have always struggled with physical fitness, but these days we are much better. The national team as well as every club these days have qualified physiotherapists and they help maintain strength. After corporate investment in Nepali football, we have implemented essential diet plans and workouts and accordingly, performance has also improved. Besides, players have also realized it’s a necessity to spend quality time in the gym.

We can’t say it all boils down to it, but yes, the height disadvantage has contributed to many of our losses. In 2010, when we were playing Afghanistan during the SAF championship in Delhi, an Afghan player had jumped right over one of our defenders.

How have things changed after the infamous ‘match fixing’ scandal in 2015?

Those were the ‘black days’ of our football history and everyone—players, staff, and officials—was confused about the future. After the news broke, we were devastated, and it took a few months for us to recover. In between, we lost to Sri Lanka for the first time. Nothing was going well. But then coach Patrick Aussems entered the scene and helped revive the national team. Similar to what Al Mutairi is doing now, he refreshed the squad, provided exposure to young talents, and exuded a positive mentality, which we needed the most at that time.

For me, this was a turning point in our football. Every sector supported and helped us and soon, we won the Bangabandhu Gold Cup and the gold at the SAG. Our team has never looked back since.

For a long time, the SAF championship has been the gold standard for Nepal. When do you think the team can look for titles beyond this?

The SAF championship is like the World Cup to us. But I also think now is the time to aim for greater heights. We are in the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers this time and hopefully, our team will stage a good performance there.

Japan is one of the strongest teams in Asia and they have the goal of winning the World Cup in the next 50 years. We could also set a timeline to qualify for the World Cup. This timeline could be a couple of decades long. If all sectors work together, this dream is not so far-fetched. Nepali football team is always thankful for the immense support from spectators and we know they will always root for us. This will motivate our team to do better in every match.

In his budget speech for the fiscal year 2018/19, then finance minister Yubaraj Khatiwada had announced plans to provide a loan of up to Rs. 0.7 million to aspiring entrepreneurs by accepting their degree certificates as collateral. Since then, every year, speculations over the plan peak for a while during the budget period. Yet only a handful of people have benefitted from the scheme so far.

During the Panchayat period, then Prime Minister Kirti Nidhi Bista had first announced a plan to provide loans to educated but unemployed youths against their degree certificates to help them set up businesses. But the plan never took off. When Prakash Chandra Lohani, one of the key Panchayat figures, became finance minister in 2003, he resuscitated the idea. But his plans too were limited to paper.

In his budget speech for 2021/22, Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel once again announced loans of up to Rs. 2.5 million to aspiring entrepreneurs by accepting their university degree certificates as collateral.

Following Khatiwada’s announcement last year, Nepal Rastra Bank had issued a directive to banks to allow this kind of loan. According to the central bank, 142 project leads have taken out loans against their graduate certificates so far. “The loan amount has also increased from Rs. 0.7 million to Rs. 2.5 million,” says NRB Spokesperson Dev Kumar Dhakal. The NRB is now coming up with a new directive to implement Finance Minister Paudel’s program, says Dhakal

Any unemployed individual with a Bachelor’s degree can apply for a loan, officials say. If a bank trusts the business plan, it can issue the loan. Dhakal adds, “The bank should be convinced that the business plan is promising.”

That only a handful of people have benefitted from the project shows that the scheme is problematic, says former Finance Secretary Rameshore Khanal. In addition to the complicated directives from the central bank, Nepali banks don’t have human resources to assess the feasibility of business plans. If someone comes with an idea and submits a proposal to a bank, the proposal cannot be properly accessed. “Without proper infrastructures and human resources, we can’t expect any such scheme to succeed,” he adds.

Even for those selected under the scheme, the banks offer them loans in installments rather than a lump sum. “Just as you get installments to complete your home affected by the quake, you get installments from the bank only after you show the bank your project’s progress,” says Dhakal.

Bank representatives inspect the project periodically to decide whether to issue the next installment. Also, the bank may also choose to issue the payment to the concerned business instead of the individual loan-taker so that the fund is not misused.

In other countries where such programs have been implemented, if a skilled person asks for a loan against their academic credentials, the bank helps them prepare a proposal. The banks themselves provide alternative startup plans, if required. For instance, PayPal was a startup proposal financed by a commercial bank. “We don’t see the same spirit and system in Nepal,” adds Khanal.

“Not a single Nepali bank has the mechanism to investigate the future of a project or a startup,” he says, adding the only thing our banks do is evaluate physical collateral and issue loans accordingly.

Govinda Aryal, a resident of Butwal, has a strange experience to share regarding the loan. In 2019, when he approached Nepal Bank Limited for a loan against his certificates, the manager told him that he could get the loan only against something valuable. Acharya explains, “This might have happened as the loan quota may already have been exhausted.”

NRB has provided a quota of 500 and 300 to commercial and development banks respectively for this kind of loan. But banks are still reluctant as they are far from assured they can recover their money if the business fails. “To make every concerned body comfortable, we are working on a new directive,” Acharya tells ApEx.

Most people think this loan system will only benefit political workers, and Khanal is one of the skeptics. “To get a loan against educational certificates in Nepal, either you have to be rich or you should have political backing,” he says.

As the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit Nepal, governments at all levels were under pressure to make quick decisions to save lives. Perhaps local government representatives who are directly in contact with people day to day were under most pressure to help the infected and save terminally ill patients. While some mayors made tall promises and failed to deliver, others led from the front to fight the pandemic. ApEx talked to the heads of nine local bodies asking about their experience managing the crisis.      

Bidur Kumar Karki
Bardibas Municipality

When the second wave of Covid-19 infections hit Nepal and the supply of oxygen needed for treatment was scarce, Bardibas Municipality didn’t have any oxygen plants. As patient numbers began shooting up, the town faced another scarcity: that of trained human resources and medical equipment. 

But Mayor Bidur Kumar Karki didn’t give up hope. His team fought the pandemic making the most of available resources. Karki’s most effective program has been ‘Ghar Gharma Swasthakarmi’ through which a team of medical officers visited every house informing people about the disease. 

Free swab collection for Covid-19 testing at Bardibas Municipality

When the total positive cases hit 98, the city also enforced a tough lockdown--most citizens abided by it. Karki is thankful to every citizen of his city following prohibitory orders. Thanks to the measures, the number of Covid cases in the town has gone down significantly.

But that doesn’t mean the town should let its guard down, says Karki. “We need to prepare for another wave,” he says. “We realized that If we had a hall in every ward, we would have done much better,” Karki says. “So, our municipality has proposed a plan to construct multi-purpose halls in every ward in the coming fiscal year.” 

Bhim Neupane
Panauti Municipality 

Because of its proximity to Dhulikhel and Banepa hospitals, Panauti Municipality never felt the need to set up its own hospital. But this pandemic has taught them a lesson. 

“We will immediately build a hospital in our area,” says Mayor Bhim Neupane, whose team has worked relentlessly to help save lives at the local level.

He rues not getting any assistance from the provincial or central government. “Our municipality and citizens feel left out,” he says, due to the sheer negligence of the authorities who should be acting like our parents. Yet with the help of civil society and non-profits, we are doing our best, he adds.

Neupane and his team built an isolation center in the town so that patients could get basic treatment. Provisions were also made to rush terminally ill patients to Dhulikhel or Banepa. 

“We have enough isolation centers,” Neupane says with confidence as the municipality prepares to fight a possible new wave.

Dilip Kumar Agrawal
Rangeli Municipality

Rangeli municipality didn’t have money to fund its campaign against Covid-19 when the second wave struck. 

The city under Dilip Kumar Agrawal stopped all its development works and funneled the money to combating Covid-19. He faced a lot of criticism for making such a bold move.

“We can build roads later,” Agrawal says. “But right now we need to save people’s lives.” There was a small hospital in their district and a new emergency ward was being constructed when the first wave hit. Agrawal and his team turned that emergency building into a treatment center for infected patients. 

As they didn’t have enough doctors, the city hired more doctors from nearby districts. The municipality brought in oxygen cylinders and PCR test kits from all over the country. 

“Those pieces of equipment were expensive but we didn’t get a dime from the federal government throughout the second wave,” Agrawal says. Budget relocation is going to hurt the municipality’s development but the mayor sees no other option.

Khadga Bahadur Khatri
Kamalamai Municipality

For Kamalamai Municipality, the biggest difficulty was finding a place to isolate sick people. Lack of preparation hurt the town badly and it took time for everyone to come together and build a place for the patients to isolate themselves.

“Finding an appropriate place to set up an isolation center was difficult,” says Mayor Khadga Bahadur Khatri. He and his team allocated a budget for a proper place to keep the patients and a new hospital to treat Covid-19 patients was also built. In addition to the hospital, a total of 47 isolation centres have been set up across town.

Khadga Bahadur Khatri, mayor of Kamalamai Municipality, inquiring about the health of home-isolating people

Following the construction of the new hospital, the city has also installed an oxygen plant to overcome the problem of oxygen shortage. 

As only a small number of vaccine doses have been distributed by the federal government to outlying districts, Khatri has ensured that only eligible people get them. The pandemic’s situation has greatly improved in the municipality and Khatri is confident he and his team are better prepared for another wave.

Laxmi Narsing Bade Shrestha
Banepa Municipality

When the pandemic was at its peak in Banepa, says Mayor Laxmi Narsing Bade Shrestha, they didn’t receive any help from the federal government to manage the crisis.

But that didn’t stop Shrestha from taking action. The municipality’s officials raised funds by diverting the money set aside for the people’s representatives’ allowances. Similarly, budgets for other activities were also diverted. Almost Rs 10.5 million has now been allocated for the health sector.

“A separate hospital for Covid-19 patients has been built,” Shrestha shares. “It has the resources we didn’t have six months ago. We weren’t prepared when the first wave hit. But now that we’ve seen how the worst consequences can be averted, I believe we’re a lot more prepared for action if another wave were to come.”

A group of experts and first-responders has been formed to coordinate efforts against the virus and prepare for future waves.

Nar Bahadur Thapa Magar
Ramechhap Municipality 

Managing quarantine centers for people coming from Kathmandu and other parts of the country was one of the biggest challenges Mayor Nar Bahadur Thapa Magar and his team faced during the second wave of Covid-19. In addition, conducting PCR tests and contact tracing were also difficult due to the shortage of test kits.

Ramechhap Municipality established an Emergency and Disaster Management Fund and designated a committee of experts to run it. Committee members included representatives of the municipality, head of police, CDO, civil society representatives and hospital officials. The committee set up isolation centers in different parts of the city and made provisions for antigen tests to isolate people infected with Covid-19.

When the city faced an oxygen shortage, Magar worked closely with the district hospital to secure supplies. 

Nirsal Sah
Malangwa Municipality 

When the second wave of Covid-19 infections emerged in Malangawa, the city was faced with an acute shortage of oxygen. 

It was then that Mayor Nirsal Sah understood the importance of setting up an oxygen plant at the municipality. The city has now awarded the contract to do so. 

“The oxygen plant that is being installed will come into operation soon,” says Sah, who is disappointed with the federal government for not supporting local officials to manage the Covid-19 crisis. 

But that hasn’t stopped Sah from proactively trying to save lives. Despite the challenges, the city has arranged oxygen and ventilators for the ill. It also has plans to build an isolation center by collaborating with neighboring municipalities. Plus, the mayor has plans to rope in more doctors, experts, and medical personnel to work in his area.

Sah is happy with the help and support from civil society, citizens, NGOs, and donors. “They come to the meeting with suggestions and innovative ideas,” he says.

Rita Kumari Mishra
Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City

When the government enforced a lockdown last year to contain the spread of Covid-19, Deputy Mayor of Janakpurdham Rita Kumari Mishra and her team organized a campaign to make people aware of the effects of the disease and to encourage them to stay home. 

“In addition to running TV ads and radio programs, we opened isolation wards for the sick as soon as positive cases started coming in,” says Mishra.

When the case-load started growing, the municipality encouraged people to isolate themselves. In emergency cases, they were provided with oxygen cylinders and other necessities rather than having their family members going around searching for them.

Officials of Janakpur Sub-Metropolitan City inspecting a local isolation center

“When someone tested positive, we shared medical experts and doctor’s phone numbers with them so that they could call them for guidance or information on their symptoms,” Mishra continues. “This quelled their paranoia and also created space in hospitals for patients who actually needed critical care.”

The local government has created a community to battle the virus. The community is divided into five teams, each visiting different wards and collecting information on which families have been infected, how many need assistance, what medical equipment they need and if they need to be shifted to isolation wards.

The second lockdown, however, hasn’t been as effective as the first one. “Daily wage earners are struggling to stay still as they have families to feed,” she shares. Most frontline and daily wage workers are using precautions to stay safe, so the municipality isn’t arguing with them, she adds.

Vaccine dissemination hasn’t been that good either. Frontline workers and a few older citizens have received the first dose but other than that, the majority is still at risk. The municipality is working to get more vaccines into the region so they can reopen again.

Vijay Kumar Sarawagi
Birgunj Metropolitan City

Birgunj is one of the biggest industrial and economic hubs of the country. This status became a curse for the city during the pandemic as it is home to the biggest border crossing between Nepal and India, the epicenter of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Mayor Sarawagi and his team had learned their lesson during the first wave. Lack of testing at the border had allowed infection to spread like wildfire in the city. This time, the city was determined to do something about it.

“We established help desks and health desks at all entry points,” Sarawagi says. The city conducted antigen tests on returnees mobilizing its own resources.

Neither the central government nor provincial authorities helped Birgunj Metropolitan City directly, Sarawagi complains. The government only assisted hospitals and the district administration office. 

But Sarawagi is satisfied with the help the city got from the civil society, district administration, police, doctors, and everyone involved. The mayor is now lobbying with the government to provide vaccines to his citizens.

“The only way to save lives is to vaccinate people,” he concludes.

Birth: 1967, Patan
Death: 5 June 2021, Pulchowk

Raj Kumar Shakya’s family had been into traditional artwork ever since the latter days of the Malla dynasty (13th-18th century). 

The eldest son in the family, Shakya was already into the family profession by the time he was seven. Despite starting so early, Shakya was comfortable working with older artists and taking on large-scale projects. They taught him valuable lessons on perseverance and patience, which in turn would serve him well throughout his career.

By the time he was in his early 20s, Shakya, who embraced repousse (metalwork that involves hammering into relief from the reverse side), had begun working on independent projects. He improved on traditional techniques with the help of modern and scientific methods.  

Shakya was one of only a handful of Nepali sculptors to follow this dying technique, which requires precision and patience to accomplish grand-scale projects. He would eventually be known, not just in Nepal, but around the world for his grand repousse works. Some even compare him to Arniko, the artist who introduced Nepali architecture in China.

Shakya was best known for the 155 ft tall repousse statue of Guru Padhmasambhava, revered by the Bhutanese as the ‘Second Buddha’, who spread the teachings of the Buddha all over the country.  He was commissioned in 2010. The masterpiece fusion work of contemporary and traditional art took almost two years just to sketch. Made of 70,000 kg of copper weighing about 300 tons, Bhutan revealed the repousse statue to the world in 2014.

Shakya also played an instrumental role in showcasing Nepali repousse work on the global stage. His works include the 12 ft tall mask of Shwet Bhairav, 76 feet tall Swayambhu Stupa for the World Expo in Germany 2000, 40 ft tall Tibetan Stupa at Kapan Monastery, 100 ft towering Swayambhu for the Nepal Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010, and a 50 ft tall Little Buddha at Lumbini.

Shakya had recently been working on a 72-ft tall Bhairav mask. Unfortunately, the masterpiece has been orphaned as he passed away from covid-related complications at the age of 54. He is survived by a wife and two sons.