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The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police recorded the statements of former prime minister duo Baburam Bhattarai and Madhav Kumar Nepal in connection with the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

The statements of the former prime ministers were recorded at a time there were rumors that the CIB was preparing to submit the investigation report without interrogating Bhattarai and Nepal.

Meanwhile, taking to Facebook, Bhattarai said that he informed the CIB about the truth after various questions were raised regarding the decision taken by his cabinet.

“I have fulfilled my duty by giving truthful information to the CIB as per my public commitment regarding the questions related to the decision taken by his Cabinet in the Lalita Niwas land scam during my tenure,” he said.

He expressed his belief that this case will be a milestone to end all types of corruption and irregularities.

The Bhattarai’s Secretariat said that Bhattarai responded to all the questions against him by calling the CIB officials at his house.

Four years ago, a case was filed against the then prime ministers Madhav Nepal and Baburam Bhattarai in the Lalita Niwas land grab case.

The hearing of the case has not been held yet.

ALSO READ: ApEx Explainer: Everything you need to know about Lalita Niwas scam

During the Madhav Kumar Nepal government, Bijay Kumar Gachhadar of the Nepali Congress served as a Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Deep Basnyat was the secretary at the ministry. It was during their tenure that they decided to fraudulently register plots of land in the names of numerous individuals and fake tenants.

The Nepal Cabinet had made a decision to expand the prime minister’s residence and construct a road within Lalita Niwas by compensating individuals who had illegally occupied the land. This agenda was brought by Gachhadar in the Cabinet. It has been found that the Nepal Cabinet made three different decisions in three separate meetings, providing an opportunity for the accused parties to engage in the scam.

All of the decisions were against the law. Several members in the Nepal Cabinet have stated that Lalita Niwas-related matters were never discussed during meetings, indicating the potential direct involvement of former prime minister Nepal.

The probe committee identifies Shova Kanta Dhakal and Ram Kumar Subedi as key individuals involved in the scam, labeling them as ‘land mafias’. From the early stages of the scam, these individuals have been implicated, as they still hold over 15 ropanis of Lalita Niwas land in their names, even after selling 30 ropanis of land to others.

The proprietor of Bhatbhateni Supermarket, Min Bahadur Gurung, and his family are owners of more than 29 ropanis of Lalita Niwas land. They acquired the land from Dhakal and Subedi. Furthermore, the duo also sold approximately five ropanis of land to former election commissioner Sudhir Kumar Shah.

When Bhattarai was prime minister, his Cabinet decided to transfer around three ropanis of land of Nepal government to ‘Pashupati Tinkinchha Guthi’ but the Trital-led committee had been unable to find about this Guthi. Neither the ministry officials nor the Guthi stakeholders know about the existence of this Guthi, raising suspicion against Bhattarai in the land grab case.

The gold is being traded at Rs 110, 300 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 109, 750 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,390 per tola today.  

The Socialist Front, comprising four political parties, has decided to hold meetings in all the seven provinces starting August 25.

A meeting of the Front held on Monday morning at the central office of CPN (Unified Socialist) Party in Baneshwar decided to hold meetings in all the seven provinces, said CPN (US) Vice-Chairman Pramesh Hamal.

The first provincial meeting of the Front will be held in Birgunj of Madhes Province on August 25, Butwal of Lumbini Province on August 29, Dhangadhi of Sudurpaschim Province on August 30, Surkhet in Karnali Province on August 31, Pokhara in Gandaki Province on September 1, Hetauda of Bagmati Province on September 9 and Biratnagar of Koshi Province September 11.

Hamal said that it was decided to form the provincial front through the same provincial meetings.

Today's meeting also reviewed the government's performance, contemporary political developments, and discussed ways to garner support for the anti-corruption campaign launched by the current government.

The Front consists of CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajbadi Party, CPN (Unified Socialist) and Biplav-led CPN.

The Nagpanchami festival is being celebrated today by worshiping the Naga or serpent god, with many pasting pictures of a Naga on the front door of the house as per Hindu tradition.

This festival is celebrated every year on the fifth day of Shrawan Shukla as per the Lunar calendar.

There is a religious belief that by hanging a picture of a serpent in the house will avoid harm from snakes and scorpions, as well as from the incidents of fire and lightning, according to Prof Dr Debmani Bhattarai, a theologian and a member of the Nepal Calendar Determination Committee.

The practice of Naga worship is believed to have started from the Vedic period. According to Vedic beliefs, Naga is considered the king of snakes.

Naga temples in Kathmandu valley at Nagpokhari, Taudaha and Nagdaha are thronged with devotees on this day.

The decision of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to seek clarification over news published in a daily is an attack on freedoms of speech and expression, so it is condemnable. 

On Aug 18, CAAN sought clarification from Simrik Air Chairman Capt Rameshwar Thapa, who also chairs the Annapurna Media Network (AMN), regarding news materials published by AMN outlets, including the Nepali daily Annapurna Post.

While CAAN’s concern for flight safety is justifiable, the manner in which it has engaged with the media raises important questions about the compatibility of regulatory authority with the principles of press freedom and democratic governance. It also goes against the principle of editorial freedom. It is imperative that the principles of press freedom, enshrined in Nepal’s Constitution, are upheld.

The 2015 Constitution guarantees every Nepali citizen the freedom of expression and thought. Article 17 of the Constitution explicitly protects the press’ right to function independently, question authority, and ensure a transparent democratic society.

While CAAN’s concerns may be rooted in the well-being of air travel, the approach taken to seek clarification has raised concerns about overreach and potential violations of press freedom. The constitutionally-guaranteed rights of freedom of the press should not be overridden by any regulatory body’s actions. 

The CAAN move of seeking clarification seems to be a clear violation of these rights and could be perceived as an attempt to stifle media criticism and accountability. Questions arise whether there exists a legal basis to restrict the publication of opinions, comments, and reports concerning policy errors related to air services. While dissatisfaction with media coverage is a legitimate concern, there are established legal avenues such as the press council and courts for seeking redress.

The media’s role as the fourth estate within the democratic system is to ensure transparency, accountability, and checks and balances. It is not only the watchdog of executive, legislative, and judicial actions, but also a platform for citizens to question government decisions and policies. Thus, the media's ability to question the activities of bodies like CAAN should be safeguarded, especially when matters of public safety and accountability are at stake. If CAAN has any objection to the news content, it should approach Press Council Nepal and other regulatory bodies. 

It is essential to recognize that the editorial discretion for finalizing content rests with the editor. Moreover, it’s noteworthy that not only Annapurna Post but also other prominent national and international media outlets, including the BBC, have reported on the adverse impact experienced by citizens living in remote regions of Nepal due to CAAN’s directives. Regulatory agencies must recognize the role of the media in upholding democratic values, promoting accountability, and fostering public discourse. 

To maintain a delicate equilibrium between regulatory authority and press freedom, open communication, adherence to democratic norms, and a commitment to transparency are essential. In a thriving democracy, the actions of regulatory bodies should withstand public scrutiny without suppressing the media’s right to question and criticize. It is through such respectful engagement that Nepal can uphold democratic principles.

There exists clear evidence in society today to show that the way people live their lives is changing and this includes the major aspect of human life—gender identity. It can be argued that gender identity is a social construct as more and more people begin to question the norms and roles humanity has almost always thought we must play based on our body’s biological structure. There are two main topics when it comes to discussing the change in gender identity, ie the feminine identity and the masculine identity, however, as more and more people in the USA and Europe are beginning to identify as “non-binary”, the world sees the dawn of a new era. A world full of transgender and transsexual identities, a society that is becoming more accepting of homosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, demisexuality, asexuality and aromanticism.

The female gender identity is arguably one that is the most recognizable change within the pages of humanity’s history. In recent decades women in many societies have gained the right to vote and employment, they have gained reproductive rights which have given them access to contraception after fighting for them through protests. There are countless social media movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp.  Sharpe (1990) and Wilkinson (1994) observe that women experience greater educational and employment opportunities in modern capitalist societies and there is evidence that women’s economic power has increased.  Walter (1999), Banyard (2011), and Redfern and Aune (2013) all point out that girls are more likely than their mothers and grandmothers to aspire to educational success and professional careers after careful sociological research and study. Previously male-dominated fields like psychology are now heavily dominated by females. It is clear that women are starting to gain more recognition in the world and getting more opportunities for better education and employment after decades of strikes and protests. 

Although women have gained more cultural and economic power, it is probably still only a fraction of what men possess. Reproductive rights of women had just recently been a massive topic of debate in which women were denied any abortion rights even if they were victims of rape or minors in the USA. The controversial changes in women’s rights and the feminine gender identity are one of the biggest topics of discussion today and even stand to be recognized by the UN general assembly when discussing sustainable development of the world as the world still faces a crisis of improper representation. Women are still the minority in STEM and countless voices are being ignored even today. An example of this can be seen in Iran, where women who do not wear a hijab may be imprisoned for ten days to two months, and/or required to pay fines from Rls. The police have used tear gas to disperse crowds of up to 1,000 people in rallies in cities including Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan and Shiraz just recently on 21 Sept 2022. Thousands are being silenced for protesting, and change concerning females born into Islam is a topic that barely reaches the ears of the masses and yet is still prevalent in society today- they are still not treated with equal rights.

With the rise of identities such as the “new man” and the metrosexual man, the world is seeing a change in not just female gender identities, but also male. A noteworthy sociological study done by Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan et al. (2017) shows that more men are likely to attend the birth of their children and are more likely to be emotionally involved with their children than their fathers or grandfathers. Jaclyn Friedman (2017) talks about how the patriarchy’s “Toxic Masculinity” has a tendency to be harmful to the mental health of men in society even today as they are forced to suppress emotions that make them seem “weak”  and Mairtin Mac an Ghaill (2004) adds onto this theory in his “Crisis of Masculinity”.  Research by Malgorzata Matlack (2014) suggests that many men feel that their masculinity is undermined when they fail to find a job and cannot perform what they see as their most important gender role—providing for their families. While hegemonic masculinity is still very persistent even in postmodern society, it is slowly evolving and starting to see change. 

The USA and Europe have seen a significant rise in the number of people who identify as non-binary, i.e. neither entirely male nor female and the rise in surgical procedures/medication available for those who wish to change their gender. countries like Nepal, Germany, Australia and Pakistan officially recognise that there now exist more than two gender categories and offer a third gender option on official forms. In India, there have always been men who identify as Hijra, i.e. eunuchs who are neither male nor female and in Albania, there exist “sworn virgins”- cis-females who vow to practice celibacy for the rest of their lives, dressing up as men, taking on a male name, doing male work such as policing and act as the heads of their households, they are regarded as the equals of cis-men. Connell points out that postmodern societies are beginning to accept homosexual identities. It is still a criminal offense in 72 countries worldwide to be in a homosexual relationship. 

Gender identity is changing through social media, as more and more people are able to find comfort and connect to people like them on the internet and are protected by its granted anonymity. There are more social movements starting every day and more people are starting to become aware of the various gender identities thanks to apps like Tiktok and Youtube, they’re becoming more accepting. There are many celebrities that have come out as homosexual or bisexual and there are just as many transgender icons making waves online like Cavetown. The representations of gender have changed in the media with the rise of identities like “femboy”, where boys cross-dress, wearing skirts and dressing in a particular subcultural fashion but still identify as males. There has also been a rise in women choosing to wear suits instead of dresses from Coco Chanel first decided to wear pants to formal occasions in the past to today where countless women are hailed to be more attractive wearing suits and displaying “masculine” features or characteristics on the internet. This is clear evidence that social media has changed the way we look at gender as a whole. 

There also exists a more biological and genetic argument on the topic of gender roles. It can be argued that females are more passive than men and men are more likely to be aggressive than women. The nature side of the nature-nurture debate suggests that certain characteristics displayed by both genders are inherently biological. A study done by Bandura et al. that explores aggressive behavior in children found that boys were more likely than girls to display acts of aggressiveness. The results of this study show that gender identities can be influenced by our biological genders- our body’s physical structure. 

While traditional gender identities and stereotypes still persist in modern society and influence how we may behave, legal changes and technological advances that have helped increase awareness and connect people all around the world, the statement that gender identity is changing stands to be truer than ever before. 

Anuricca Giri

Grade XII

The British School, Sanepa

Street vendors staged a demonstration in the Capital on Sunday.

They staged a protest after the Kathmandu Metropolitan City removed the street vendors and small traders without giving them an alternative.

Saying that the street vendors were oppressed, they staged the demonstration in front of the National Assembly Hall in Bhrikutimandap.

They have demanded that the metropolis manage an alternative to carry out business.

During the demonstration, the street vendors carried placards and banners with various slogans like strict laws only to the poor, how to teach children? We are facing difficulties to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence among others.

They also displayed pamphlets comparing the street business of Bangkok and Kathmandu.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 21. 91 points to close at 2,011.22 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 3. 25 points to close at 384. 12 points.

A total of 4,459,459-unit shares of 269 companies were traded for Rs 1. 44 billion.

Meanwhile, Forward Microfinance Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited was the top gainer today with its price surging by 4. 57 percent.

Likewise, 10.35% Agricultural Bank Debenture 2083 was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 01 trillion.