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Nothing tests a political leader’s mettle more than a national crisis. And without a doubt, this is a time of an unprecedented crisis. The coronavirus has the country firmly in its grip, and is expected to get worse. With its half-hearted response, the government of KP Sharma Oli has, rather predictably, been unable to halt its spread. Instead, he has ordered the construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Ram at Thori, near Birgunj, without a shred of evidence to support his claim that Ram was born there. It’s a curious case of a communist prime minister ordering the building of a Hindu temple.

Our southern neighbor is also being ravaged by the coronavirus, its economy is tanking, and it finds itself helpless against Chinese aggression. So what does its chief executive do? Why, inaugurate a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the ‘real’ birthplace of Ram according to his Hindutva acolytes. Narendra Modi, who became prime minister by peddling an openly anti-Muslim pitch, sure knows how to appeal to people’s religious sentiments. Most devout Hindus are apparently willing to forgive all his other sins if he only covers himself in saffron. Oli is taking a page out of his book.

We hear religious politics has no future in Nepal. Tell that to PM Oli. As he fails on nearly every domestic front, he too is using religion as a political tool in this Hindu-majority country; and if such a move riles Modi’s India, so much the better. He has wasted his two-thirds mandate and is trying to cover his mistakes by using these diversionary tactics.

In doing so, he is undermining the country’s constitutionally protected secular character. Oli is also showing that he won’t stop short of anything to cement his hold on power—and frankly, that is all he seems to care about these days. As people no longer trust his government, they are not ready to heed its otherwise vital anti-corona message. In this time of crisis, Nepal needed a strong and trustworthy leader. But here we have a prime minister who has given up all pretense of governing and who has stooped to openly pander Nepal’s Hindu majority. Unfortunately, Lord Ram is not coming to rescue his country from the dreaded virus and, on current form, neither will the prime minister.    

One piece of gear you’d never want to part with? 

My Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm 1.4 lens.

Something on your wishlist you can afford but will probably never buy?

Ursa Mini Pro 12k.

Something on your wishlist you know you can never afford?

The entire kit of ALEXA Mini LF.

While walking: Music or Podcasts?

Podcasts. Currently I listen to “Talk is Jericho” and “JRE.”

If everyone in the world had to get married when they reached a certain age, what would that age be?

Never get married, brother. Why share your cheese when you can enjoy it for life?

What would you do on Mars for fun?

Get on a weighing machine and yell “I lost 62 kg today.”

What is your biggest addiction?

A cup of well-brewed coffee.

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

The way she talks.

What is the song you listen to most often?

‘Judas’ by Fozzy; ‘Hey Jude’ by The Beatles

Which is better: being organized or attention to details?

If you’re more organized, you will automatically pay attention to details. Even though it’s a bit annoying, being organized, always.

In his August 4th meeting with opposition leaders and health experts, Prime Minister KP Oli expressed his dissatisfaction over the criticism of his government’s handling of the corona crisis. He accused his critics of being quick to blame the government for its shortcomings, while ignoring its achievements in controlling the spread of the virus. We are sorry to say, but there isn’t much it has gotten right. It’s sudden decision to lift the nationwide lockdown, the abrupt reduction in the number of PCR tests despite a steady increase in contagion, and its visible failure to screen those entering Nepal from India—all were egregious failures. 

The experts he consulted on August 4th advised him to re-impose the nationwide lockdown, partially if not completely, and a calibrated lockdown has in fact been imposed. But this is only the first step in effective corona-control. There is now enough evidence, from multiple places, of community spread in Nepal. Health experts were already warning that the country would be headed down this road when the government lifted the nationwide lockdown on July 21st. There is reason to believe concern over public health was not the prime motivator behind that decision. 

The re-imposition of lockdown measures has to be coupled with widespread testing, something the government failed to do during the previous nationwide lockdown. In the absence of such measures, restrictions like confining people to their homes for months on end make little sense. It will only delaying the inevitable. The speed with which the virus has spread of late also has a whiff of inevitability. Thankfully, more people are now being tested, and public booths have been set up to test likely suspects. Yet, even this may not be enough. 

The time may have come to randomly test people in communities to get a fair assessment of the spread. In cities like New Delhi and Mumbai, such random tests have yielded troubling results, and we can expect something similar here. All our actions from hereon have to be taken assuming the worst. This might mean further hardships for people, especially the daily-wage earners. The government thus has to work out a mechanism to provide for them, through direct cash transfers if need be. Having gotten so much wrong thus far, any more mistakes in handling this growing crisis could prove catastrophically costly. 

Google is adding a new, compact-sized Pixel 4a to its smartphone portfolio. The good news is that Pixel 4a won’t hurt your wallet, as the phone starts at $349 in the US, making it the cheapest Pixel-branded smartphone ever.

The Pixel 4a is aimed at budget-conscious consumers who don’t have the money to buy Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, Google’s latest flagship devices. For the price, the Pixel 4a is a compelling purchase—at least for those who do not want features like multiple cameras and higher refresh rate displays in a smartphone.

The company informs that the Pixel 4a is built on the same idea as the last year’s Pixel 3a, and the idea is to bring the “best of Google hardware, software and AI” to more consumers at an accessible price point. But this time, the Pixel 4a is launching at a time when consumers are hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. With most people cutting down discretionary spending, the $349 price tag of Pixel 4a might just convince them to upgrade to a new smartphone. It’s the same tactic Apple recently applied with the second-generation iPhone SE, which starts at $399.

Many would think that Google has made compromises to launch the Pixel 4a at a low price, but that’s not true. Google took the best out of Pixel 4 and cut features on Pixel 4a. The new low-cost phone has a 5.8-inch FHD+ OLED screen with minimum top and bottom bezels. Google says the screen size is increased by 4.5 per cent compared to the Pixel 3a, while the overall device size is decreased by 5.8 per cent. The 5.8-inch screen is neither too small nor too big for a modern-day smartphone. The Pixel 4a is not a small phone, but compact enough to use one-handed. At the same time, Google has managed to fit a faster Snapdragon 730G processor, meaning the phone will run all the games and apps that many expensive Android smartphones do.

The price of Pixel 4a, though, is its strongest selling point. However, the Pixel 4a faces tough competition from the iPhone SE, which has been well received by consumers.

In fact, Apple saw iPhone sales increased in Q3 2020, largely due to the “very successful” release of the low-cost iPhone SE in April. It remains to be seen how well the Pixel 4a is received, in US and internationally, with a price that already dramatically undercuts Apple’s iPhone SE. The Pixel 4a is expected to officially arrive in South East Asian markets by October.

(Agencies)

Google is adding a new, compact-sized Pixel 4a to its smartphone portfolio. The good news is that Pixel 4a won’t hurt your wallet, as the phone starts at $349 in the US, making it the cheapest Pixel-branded smartphone ever.

The Pixel 4a is aimed at budget-conscious consumers who don’t have the money to buy Pixel 4 or Pixel 4 XL, Google’s latest flagship devices. For the price, the Pixel 4a is a compelling purchase—at least for those who do not want features like multiple cameras and higher refresh rate displays in a smartphone.

The company informs that the Pixel 4a is built on the same idea as the last year’s Pixel 3a, and the idea is to bring the “best of Google hardware, software and AI” to more consumers at an accessible price point. But this time, the Pixel 4a is launching at a time when consumers are hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. With most people cutting down discretionary spending, the $349 price tag of Pixel 4a might just convince them to upgrade to a new smartphone. It’s the same tactic Apple recently applied with the second-generation iPhone SE, which starts at $399.

Many would think that Google has made compromises to launch the Pixel 4a at a low price, but that’s not true. Google took the best out of Pixel 4 and cut features on Pixel 4a. The new low-cost phone has a 5.8-inch FHD+ OLED screen with minimum top and bottom bezels. Google says the screen size is increased by 4.5 per cent compared to the Pixel 3a, while the overall device size is decreased by 5.8 per cent. The 5.8-inch screen is neither too small nor too big for a modern-day smartphone. The Pixel 4a is not a small phone, but compact enough to use one-handed. At the same time, Google has managed to fit a faster Snapdragon 730G processor, meaning the phone will run all the games and apps that many expensive Android smartphones do.

The price of Pixel 4a, though, is its strongest selling point. However, the Pixel 4a faces tough competition from the iPhone SE, which has been well received by consumers.

In fact, Apple saw iPhone sales increased in Q3 2020, largely due to the “very successful” release of the low-cost iPhone SE in April. It remains to be seen how well the Pixel 4a is received, in US and internationally, with a price that already dramatically undercuts Apple’s iPhone SE. The Pixel 4a is expected to officially arrive in South East Asian markets by October.

(Agencies)

What is your proudest accomplishment so far?

- To have received so much love for my first official song, "Udi Jau Na".

Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?

- I would rather drive a car.

What would you sing at Karaoke night?

- “Rock Me Right” by Susan Tedeschi. Love the energy of that song!

 If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?

- I wouldn’t change a thing! 

Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion?

- Wide legged pants and turtleneck tees.

What celebrity would you like to meet at Himalayan Java for a cup of coffee?

- Saruk Tamrakar

A Nepali musician you'd love to collaborate with?

- Rajesh Nepali

If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

- Where do all  my missing socks go?

What would you do with your “15 minutes” of fame?

- I would express my appreciation, and then give back whatever minutes are remaining.

What fashion trend do you just not get?

- Oooh! The fake tattoo cloth sleeves. Just don’t get it!

Community-level transmission of Covid-19 is now likely in all major population clusters of Nepal. Biratnagar and Birgunj, the country’s fourth and fifth most populous cities, have re-imposed near complete lockdowns. Syangja district of Gandaki province has also witnessed a troubling spurt in infections. On July 28, Kathmandu valley reported 53 new cases, the highest single-day jump to date. Even as the corona menace grows, the number of tests has decreased, from nearly 10,000 a day a month ago to under 4,000 a day today. The federal government says it is planning a significant ramp-up in testing. People are justifiably skeptical. 

Why was testing curtailed at a time India, which shares an open border with Nepal, was breaking records in its daily corona-positive and death tallies? The reduction in testing seems intended to keep a lid on the number of detected corona-positives, reducing criticism of the government and preventing the public from panicking. This is warped logic. When the media raised questions about the questionable handling of the pandemic, Health Minister Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal accused government critics, who were incapable of seeing its good works, of being blinded by cataract.

Meanwhile, the infighting in the ruling Nepal Communist Party is taking the attention away from the corona crisis. KP Oli’s in-party critics are on the mark when they accuse the prime minister of bungling the corona response, among its other signature governance failures. They want Oli to step down from both the posts. But the late-sexagenarian is in no mood to bow out easily. Nor are his party colleagues willing to give up their dogged stand to unseat the prime minister. Oli is rightly faulted for his cavalier handing of the corona crisis. But were they not so focused on their own political calculations, Oli’s party colleagues could have actually forced the prime minister to come clean on his coronavirus mishandling—something the weak opposition parties have not been able to do.

The government messaging when it announced the lifting of the nationwide lockdown on July 21 was poor too. It failed to convey the gravity of the risks people still face. In fact, it increasingly looks like the government lifted the lockdown to honor a Supreme Court ruling on tax collection rather than to ease public suffering. The country has been put on a dangerous corona course. A wrong turn here or there could lead to a catastrophic accident.