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It was a day in Falgun 2079 when goats returned to Acharya Agriculture Farm after grazing from the nearby jungle (Sundarnicha Jhoda community forest) at about 4 pm. After a couple of hours, they began showing symptoms such as loss of regurgitation, which was soon accompanied with swelling of the stomach. 

They then started to bleat and it seemed they were going through immense pain. After struggling for a few hours, goats on the animal farm belonging to Sushila Acharya and her family began dying one after another from 8 pm the same night. After a few hours of their death, a greenish frothy bloat was observed around their mouth. 

Within 24 hours, the farm lost 28 goats, including kids, wethers and she-goats. They did whatever was needed to protect the animals, heeding advice from other neighbors and local veterinarians. Dumbfounded as well as perplexed by the sudden and mysterious deaths, they took their dead livestock for post-mortems, which revealed that poisoning was the the cause of death. To be precise, the livestock had died after consuming “ultakande”, which is quite similar to commonly found “Lajjawati Jhar” (touch me not).

This revelation shocked the Acharyas and their neighbors, who had previously lost their livestock due to unknown causes, only to find later that the weed was the culprit. This realization prompted them to take a difficult decision to avoid grazing their goats freely in the forest. When unavoidable, they now securely peg their animals to prevent access to the weed. Despite several efforts to protect their livestock, local people have lost more than 50 of them till now, most of them due to the consumption of the weed at its young stage, says the owner of the farm, Prem Prasad Acharya. 

This is one of the tragic events that occurred in the small village of Garamani, approximately 16 km from Chandragadhi Airport in Jhapa. Sushila Acharya and her family have been struck by this devastating financial loss. The once-thriving livestock farm, which sustained them for years, has suffered significant economic losses due to an unexpected menace—Mimosa diplotricha, an invasive plant species—that came to the notice of the Acharyas and their neighbors approximately a decade ago. Initially, the weed seemed harmless and the locals were least bothered. However, its impact has now unfolded, leaving them to deal with its negative consequences.

Mimosa diplotricha is one of the invasive species, reported from Nepal in the year 2019 by Forest Action researchers along with invasive species expert Dr Bharat Babu Shrestha. Commonly known as “Aarakande”, “Ultakaanda” or “Lahare Lajjawati”, it is a leguminous thorny subshrub of neotropical origin that now has been invasive in more than 45 countries, including Nepal. Known to cause several negative impacts on agriculture, livestock, biodiversity and livelihoods in its introduced range, this species has been reported abundantly in Jhapa and Morang districts of south-eastern Nepal. 

For a family entirely dependent on the livestock farm, the loss of 28 goats in a single day had a significant impact on their income and sustainability. Since the economic effects have been quite severe, the Acharyas had to reconsider their farming methods and look for new strategies to protect their animals. Like the Acharyas, several other families from Jhapa and Morang districts have suffered the consequences of this weed, either knowingly or unknowingly, most of which are not reported. Local people, unaware as to how this species got introduced in this region, say it has been thriving in this area for about 30 years and has begun spreading in the vicinity as well through various means. 

Lending credence to the locals’ account, a research team from Forest Action Nepal has reported the presence of the weed in Sunsari district as well. 

According to Lila Nath Sharma, a researcher at Forest Action Nepal, the weed introduced in Nepal in the mid-1990s has been spreading rapidly. Despite the Acharyas’ initiative to report the issue to the municipality, their plea for financial assistance has gone unheard. This disappointing response emphasizes the critical need for support mechanisms to aid farmers grappling with the devastating impact of the invasive plant. 

Experts warn that if immediate action is not taken, the future impact of Mimosa diplotricha could be catastrophic. As the plant continues to thrive, more livelihoods will be at risk, further jeopardizing the rural economy.

The Acharya family’s experience serves as a wake-up call for both farmers as well as policymakers. The implications go far beyond individual families, encompassing entire communities reliant on agriculture and livestock for sustenance. The battle against this destructive weed requires comprehensive awareness campaigns, agricultural guidance and collaboration between farmers as well as local authorities. Together with agricultural experts and community leaders, the local government must launch comprehensive awareness campaigns and allocate resources to mitigate the crisis. 

Thirty-eight-year-old Dawa Lama is known as the silver man. He has been standing as a statue at Buddha Park in Swayambhu, Pashupati Nath, and other areas of Kathmandu for the past three years. He changes into his gear and puts on makeup near the performance site, in a narrow street where he tries to make sure no one can spot him.

Earlier, he used to wear a silver-colored suit and hence he was known as the silver man. But since most people are attracted to the golden color, he has now transitioned into wearing a golden suit. He uses chemical-free golden makeup for his face.

Born in Sindhuli in Bagmati Province, Lama lives alone in a rented room in Lalitpur. His wife and three children are back in Sindhuli, with Lama’s parents. He uses ride-sharing apps to travel to his desired location. During festivals, he has taken his act to various parts of Nepal. He plans to perform at the Sali Nadi festival before thousands of people.

“I was fascinated by this act after I saw videos of people doing it in China and other countries,” he says. However, it wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. He couldn’t stand for long. One and a half hours were the longest he could manage. Now, he can stand without moving an inch for up to five hours. The locals of his regular places have given him many names. He is the ‘sun manche’, ‘golden man’, and ‘dummy’, among other things.

There have been some scary incidents during his act as well. “Once, in Dang, these two girls thought I was a dummy and started taking pictures with him. As a joke, I moved a little to surprise the lady. She was so shocked that she fainted,” he says, adding he now refrains from giving the impression that he is an actual statue but he boasts that he can easily trick people if he wants to.

Lama is happy that he can take care of his family. And he loves what he does. He can also afford to part with a small fraction of his earnings to feed those in need. That is more than enough, he says.

Kathmandu: Nepal has requested Russia not to recruit Nepali youths in the Russian Army.

Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud made this request in the meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Vershinin, on the margins of the 19th NAM Summit that took place in Uganda.

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says: "Foreign minister raised the issues related to Nepali nationals in the Russian Army, including the request not to recruit Nepali nationals, release those who are already recruited, repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased and compensation.”

The Russian deputy minister stated that efforts will be made to resolve the issues raised by the Nepali side.  There are no bilateral provisions on recruitment in the Russian forces, but reports suggest that Nepalis are serving alongside the Russians and fighters from several other countries lured by certain ‘incentives’.

Moscow has not responded to Nepal’s repeated requests for information about the Nepalis in the Russian army, though the government has said that hundreds of Nepalis have been serving the Russians, more than 100 have gone missing and 11 Nepalis have died in the war so far.

According to Saud, 115 families of Nepali youths, who have joined the Russian army, have submitted a request to the ministry calling for their early repatriation. We have asked Russia to repatriate the Nepalis serving its army and compensate the families of those killed in action, he said.

Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula is looking to make a political comeback by securing a National Assembly seat. Having lost two consecutive general elections of 2017 and 2022, the former home minister seems eager to wear the parliamentarian’s tag. 

The election for 19 new upper house members is set to take place next week and Sitaula’s victory is almost certain, thanks to a strategic electoral alliance within the ruling coalition. Sitaula, whose influence in national as well as party politics has been waning of late, managed to clinch the NA candidacy due to his closeness with the NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

Despite differing opinions within the NC on the election candidates, consensus among top leaders of the ruling parties solidified Sitaula’s position in the upper house. Even Deuba’s rivals in the Congress party, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Shekhar Koirala, are rallying behind Sitaula, hailing it as an exceptional decision. Earlier, Thapa and Koirala were critical of Sitaula’s candidacy. They were in favor of fielding new faces, preferably experts on some fields, to honor the spirit of the NA as envisioned by the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.  

The buzz is that Sitaula’s entry into the federal parliament is not just a personal victory; it’s a strategic move made by the NC leadership to fortify the constitution against mounting challenges from royalist and anti-federal forces.

Whispers of Sitaula taking the reins as the chair of the upper house are also getting louder. Sources say that both CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have thrown their support behind Sitaula, putting an end to their claims for the coveted position. The term of incumbent NA chairman, Ganesh Prasad Timalsina, is ending in April.

Sitaula’s bid to enter the national assembly despite previous election setbacks has piqued the interest of many. After losing the 2017 and 2022 general elections to Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden from Jhapa constituency 3, Sitaula was relegated to the margins of national politics. Though he enjoyed the title of a senior leader within the Congress party, his role and influence were limited.

Afraid that he could completely lose his relevance inside the party and national politics, Sitaula, who once harbored the ambition of leading the NC, got close to the party president, Deuba. In the meantime, he continued to maintain a good rapport with the top leaders of other major parties, mainly Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Center. 

According to Sitaula, his candidacy is all about ensuring the complete implementation of the new constitution and safeguarding the rights of the people. 

Starting as a low-profile figure in the party after the restoration of democracy in 1990, Sitaula emerged as a key player during the peace negotiations with Maoist rebels. His alliance with then NC President Girija Prasad Koirala catapulted him into the national political arena, eventually leading to roles as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.

Sitaula’s moment to shine came as one of the chief negotiators of peace with the Maoist rebel group. His role in bringing the Maoists into mainstream politics was widely praised.  

After the success of Janaandolan-2, Koirala appointed Sitaula as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs which further elevated his profile in national politics and inside the party. This also increased his political ambition and started projecting himself as the Koirala’s successor, ahead of other senior leaders including Deuba, Sushil Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel. He even contested for the position of party president, only to lose the election with a huge margin.

It is no secret that Situala, who has lost his influence and supporters in the party, has only managed to maintain his relevance with Deuba’s support. Now Deuba’s support is set to land him the post of the upper house chair.