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One activity you’re doing the most in the lockdown?

Watering the flowers

The best film/series you suggest for the lockdown?

“The Next Outbreak? We are not ready” – Bill Gates (TED Talks) 

Have you read anything good lately?

‘Handbook of Public Pedagogy’ by J.A Sandlin, B.D Schultz, J. Burdick.

I would suggest this to all the teachers, students, journalists, and artists. 

Best music to listen to? 

Lately, Montreaux Jazz Festival has offered over 50 Festival concerts available to stream for free, including performances by Ray Charles, Wu-Tang Clan, Johnny Cash, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Carlos Santana, and many more.

How do you workout during lockdown?

Watching Chinese Kung Fu movies and imagining imitating them while walking up and down the stairs to get beers from Curilo Cafe downstairs.

How long do you think the lockdown will last?

At least two more weeks.

What is the first thing you’ll do when the lockdown is over?

Get together with my band members, play some music, then head down to the nearest pub and have some beer with my friends.

If not at home, where would you prefer being locked down?

I would not prefer being locked down ANYWHERE. 

If you were to be locked down with a Nepali celebrity for 21 days, who would it be? 

Does not matter. Keep social distance. KEEP DISTANCE!

One dish you wouldn’t mind eating everyday during the lockdown?

It’s not about minding or not when you have Dal Bhat everyday, lockdown or no lockdown!!  

The homeless people in Biratnagar Metropolitan City are struggling to ­­make their ends meet during the novel coronavirus lockdown. For the people in the Musahar settlement at Bakhari, Biratnagar-12, the lockdown has been tantamount to a famine. They survive on daily wages, which has stopped since March 24.

A few lucky ones are borrowing from friends and relatives to buy rations. But most of the others do not have anyone who would lend them money or rations.

Bedananda Rishidev, a resident of Bakhari, says his family is trying hard just to survive. “There is no food at home. I don’t know whom should I ask for help,” he says. He used to work as a mason and earned Rs 600 in daily wages. He and his wife have to look after three children. “I don’t have any saving. Nobody will even trust me with a loan.”

Such is also the story of Ashok Rishidev. “I used to work at a few places. But nobody will lend me any money. How am I supposed to look after my family?” He is the sole earner in the family of eight. “I asked for some rice at one place I worked. But they just ignored me,” he says.

Kamali Risidev, a single woman, tried getting help from the ward chairman and local leaders. “But they refused even to meet me. They gave masks to some people,” says Kamali. “I’ve heard we need to wash hands. But there is no soap. And no rice to eat. I fear I will die just like this.”

Another woman in the settlement, Rajkumari, complained that the police come and force them to stay indoors. “But how can I stay indoors? I am hungry,” she says. “We don't have a farm either. How do we feed our children?”

“Some leaders came and met the landowners. But they don’t come to this area,” she adds.

The Musahar people have never seen any elected representative visit their settlement. The last time they met party leaders was when they campaigned for elections. “Before elections, they had promised us they would solve the problems of the homeless and give us lalpurja [land-ownership certificates]. Forget that, they don’t even listen to us when we ask for food during the lockdown,” says Saraswati Rishidev. “Neither the winning nor the losing party leaders have come to our home after elections.”

The Musahars have been living on public land for four generations without land ownership certificates. They live under constant fear that authorities will come to remove them from the place.

“The one who promised us lalpurja has become a minister. But he has never set his foot in this area after elections,” says Bhagalu Rishidev. “They sat on our beds and listened to us before elections. But now we know they are big liars.” There are four Musahar settlements at Bakhari with 260 families. Drinking water pipes don’t go their houses. Nor do they have any toilet in the settlement.

Spending the lockdown at home and also have a guitar, but never have had the time to learn anything handy? Here is your chance to channel the inner musician in you. Social distancing won’t let you hire a real tutor and you may also not want to splurge on expensive online lessons. But good-old YouTube has got you covered. There are many channels offering beginners to advanced guitar lessons on the famous video platform. For your convenience, we compile a list of some of the very best guitar lesson channels.

JamPlay 

Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/user/JamPlayDotCom

Youtube subscriber count: 270,553

JamPlay is actually a website that offers paid, structured lessons for students of all levels. But its YouTube channel also has free lessons. It’s surprising how a channel with such good lessons has only 270k subscribers. JamPlay covers all levels of guitar lessons, including guitar guides for beginners to follow along with, as well as challenge lessons for expert guitarists, mixed in with song tutorials and playing styles broken down into simple steps.

GuitarJamz 

Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/user/martyzsongs

Youtube subscriber count: 2,103,760

GuitarJamz on YouTube is where you get to see Marty, the guitar tutor adored by more than two million subscribers and many more visitors. Marty is one of the most patient and thorough guitar teachers on YouTube and runs all of his lessons at the perfect pace for beginners. There are also guest videos, where famous guitarists explain various techniques for players of all levels.

Ben Eller Guitars  

YouTube Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/user/BenEllerGuitars

YouTube subscriber count: 183,259

Now this channel is for the more experienced or for beginners who’re at least acquainted with the basics. Ben Eller Guitars will not teach you another chord progression chart or a guitar cover of a pop song; it’ll give you an idea of what you’re doing wrong with the instrument and how you can make it right.

The channel has a series called ‘This Is Why You Suck at Guitar’, which covers the basics to help you improve your guitar skills and correct the bad habits that are slowing down your progress.

The Taiwan-based multinational brand Asus is here in Nepal, offering with a wide range of products. A company that started with manufacturing motherboards for computers, Asus now has among the most technologically advanced products in the computing world.

Here’s a list of three most attractive Asus products available in Nepal.

Asus ZenBook Flip UM462 (Price: Rs 89,000) 

The ZenBook Flip is a two-in-one beast that runs on the powerful AMD Ryzen 5 3,500U processor and has 8 GB RAM to speed up your computing. You can use it as a laptop or a tablet as per your convenience. Asus is offering a dedicated pen with the unit, which also has the unique feature called NumberPad—generic number pad characters embedded on the touchpad.

ZenBook Duo UX481 (Price: Rs 195,000) 

With the ZenBook Duo UX481, Asus brings the innovation to another level. Running on Intel Core i7-10510U processor with 16 GB RAM and 1TB PCle SSD hard drive, this sophisticated beast comes with the fortified version of the ScreenPad—the ScreenPad Plus—which gives you not only the most convenient typing experience, but helps with the cooling and enhancement of the audio quality of the unit.

ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 (Price: Rs 359,000) 

Your search for the ultimate super machine ends here. Driven by the powerful i7-9750H processor and a dedicated gaming-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card, the ZenBook Pro Duo has lightening fast storage with its 32 GB RAM and 1TB PCle SSD. With the ScreenPad Plus working like magic, the ZenBook Pro Duo is the ultimate tool for photographers, video editors, professional gamers, and programmers.

Established as a relatively unknown Facebook group in February 2016, the Daari Gang has now won many hearts through its social welfare works via the digital platform.

The Facebook group initially posted photos of men with beards and shared tips on beard grooming. One day, in the company of some of his friends Jagdish Bhandari, who is a student of history, was visiting historian and culture expert Satyamohan Joshi. Soon as he saw the group enter his house, Joshi blurted out: ‘Daari Gang.’

“The name was catchy and we decided to start a Facebook group with it,” says Bhandari, one of the Daari Gang founders.

After its establishment, the network has steadily widened and other daariwals and non-daariwals have embraced it with enthusiasm. The group first met in Pokhara in June 2016. The outcome of that meeting was the “Itahari Jaau Paani Puri Khaau” initiative, which was organized to help children suffering from cancer. After that the Daari Gang has been engaged in many other social initiatives.

It volunteered in the finale of Nepal Idol season 1 as well as in the Voice of Nepal season 1. It distributed relief materials in the tornado-hit Bara district.

The gang supports the Dhurmus Suntali Foundation, and always steps whether in organizing cleanliness programs, charity shows, or in medical treatment of the poor. 

“We have a presence in 30 districts and we do welfare works outside the country as well,” says Bhandari. With over 100,000 members, Daari Gang is open not just to the bearded ones; anyone who loves beard and wants to contribute to the society can join.

But how does the group arrange funds for its social causes? Each district chapter conducts a regular monthly meeting that not only discusses current and future programs but also collects money, mostly by selling the group’s t-shirts and badges. If larger funds are needed, charity shows are organized.

“Funds are no hindrance to do good work. We are supported by countless kind-hearted people,” says Bhandari. Recently the group registered with the government, making it easier to manage funds and other requisites.

The group is determined to change the bad social perception of bearded people. Many gang members now say they no longer face pressure from their family members and relatives to trim their beards, all thanks to the activities of the Daari Gang.

It is fascinating to hear the many tales connected with the Daari Gang. At Bhandari’s engagement, a relative couldn’t recognize his son-in-law as all men present there were bearded. On a more serious note, many have also lost their jobs because of their beard. Others report feeling annoyed at being called ‘big brothers’ and ‘uncles’ even by those who are much older than them. But that, as Daari Gang members say, is part of the gang job description.

Even though its government has announced an all-out effort to stop the spread of Covid-19, the Karnali Province is facing an acute shortage of doctors and medicines. People in the province are going back to villages from urban centers, hoping to save themselves from infection. But they get more worried when they get to the villages and find that even basic medical facilities are missing.

Historically, even a simple disease routinely becomes an epidemic in far-flung regions of Nepal. In 2014, almost 200 people died from diarrhea in Jajarkot of western Nepal as its villages lacked even basic medicines and health workers. Last year, flu killed 12 in two weeks in Humla district.

Forget specialist doctors, even general practitioners are not available in the remote mountainous districts of Karnali. While the district headquarters has some medicinal supplies, remote villages are without even basic drugs such as paracetamol. The provincial government has centered its anti-coronavirus efforts in the provincial capital Birendranagar. Although there are plenty of awareness programs, both the provincial and local governments have failed in arranging medicines and doctors. 

Even the district hospitals—the biggest in the districts—don’t have doctors to fill the vacant positions. Dolpa District Hospital has positions for four specialist doctors and five nurses. But only one doctor (under temporary contract) and two nurses are currently serving there. 

Such is also the case of Mugu District Hospital where 10 doctors including four specialists have been provisioned. But all four specialist positions are vacant. “There are some medicines in the drugstore, but we don’t have a single specialist doctor. What little medicines we have will not be enough if the pandemic spreads here,” says Dr. Nirmal Nagarkoti, chief of the District Public Health Office. 

The situation in Kalikot and Jajarkot is no better. People in remote areas of these districts do not get paracetamol if they get a fever. “As many as 200 people come for treatment for seasonal ailments every day. But treating them is a single doctor, instead of the eight provided on paper,” says Dr. Bhisma Pokharel, chief of Kalikot District Hospital. Jajarkot, which has time and again hit by epidemics, also lacks doctors. Most health institutions in the province are run by employees under temporary contracts. 

The Provincial Hospital in Birendranagar is no better. “Of the 50 positions for specialist doctors, only seven have been filled,” says Binod Adhikari, information officer of the hospital. “Of the 25 positions for resident doctors, there is only one.” 

Likewise, Dailekh District Hospital employs one doctor while there are seven positions for specialist doctors. All five resident doctors’ positions lay vacant. 

Although the district hospitals have set aside isolation rooms, they lack basic equipment to identify and treat Covid-19 patients. However, the provincial government keeps promising it will arrange for necessary drugs and doctors. “We are serious about sending medicines and doctors to rural areas. We have asked for medicines from Kathmandu also,” says Rita Bhandari, chief of the Provincial Health Directorate. 

A 58 MW Vision Hydro­power Project plant is being developed at Lahachhewar in the northern part of Ramech­hap. Access road and other structures are being built, in addition to a powerhouse near Umatirtha of the district.

Likewise, 77 MW Likhu-1 has reached the last phase of construction, with the injection of funds from Prime Bank, among six other banks. The Dugar Group has the largest shares (30 per­cent) in the project whose estimated cost of production is Rs 180 million per mega­watt. The project will be com­pleted this August, according to Rajan Chhetri, an official with the Group.

Water coming out of the project is utilized for another project, 55 MW Likhu-2, with Machhapuchhare Bank as the largest investor. A third project, 29.4 MW Likhu-3, is being simultaneously devel­oped downstream. It was also supposed to start generating electricity by August. Works on tunnels, powerhouse, and transmission lines are underway in all three proj­ects. The generated elec­tricity will be connected to the national grid at Garjan sub-station at Chuchure of Ramechhap district.

Meanwhile, about 30 per­cent work of 52.2 MW Likhu-4 has been completed. The project site lies between Khi­jidemba of Okhaldhunga and Umakunda of Ramechhap and the powerhouse will be built at Limti of Okhaldhunga. Similarly, Lower Likhu proj­ect is under construction at Dhande along the border of Okhaldhunga and Ramechhap districts. About 50 percent work on the 28.1 MW project has been completed.

The projects will directly benefit two rural municipali­ties each in Okhaldhunga and Ramechhap. Locals are happy to see the seven projects being developed simultaneously.

“Likhu River is becoming a hydro hub. We are happy that roads, drinking water sup­plies, and other infrastructure are being built in our area,” says Mawar Sunuwar, coun­cil member of Likhu Rural Municipality. “The entire area will soon see a facelift.”

“Crucial infrastructure will be built in the villages with the seven projects,” says Lila Sunuwar, a social activist of Khijidemba Rural Municipal­ity. “Locals of the affected area will get compensations, and the entire area will be developed. Moreover, locals will have shares in the hydro­power projects, which in turn will help improve their eco­nomic conditions.”

“There is also a possibil­ity of water-tourism in Khi­jidemba and Likhu areas,” Sunuwar adds.

Says Chandrakanta Sunuwar, public relations officer of Likhu Rural Munic­ipality: “Locals hugely benefit from the projects’ by-prod­ucts, which include infra­structures for health, edu­cation, drinking water, and transport”. 

We don’t cheat, but are cheated upon

Most taxi users in Kathmandu complain of taxi drivers cheating them on fare. Either these taxies have a tampered meter, or they don’t want to go by the meter. Passengers claim taxi drivers often ask for exorbitant fares. They also complain that taxi drivers decline to go if the destination is close. The taxi drivers’ version, on the other hand, is rarely heard. This week, APEX caught up with 12 taxi drivers on the streets of Kathmandu and asked what they made of the cheating allegations against them.

Ram Sharan Negi, 51

I have been in this occupation for 30 years. I respect the will of passengers. I am okay whether they want to go by the meter or negotiate a price beforehand. But not all taxi drivers are so respecting of the passenger’s wishes.

Kumar Niraula, 40

Actually, taxi drivers don’t cheat but are cheated upon. Salary rises in other jobs, but the taxi fare has remained the same, year after year. We have been compelled to seek a little extra fare.

Sambhu Thami, 30

No one snatches money from the passengers. People ride taxi after negotiating. They can complain to the traffic police in the event of cheating. I go by the meter even if I am at loss.

Kamal Bahadur Dahal, 45

I usually go by the meter. But sometimes passengers reject the meter and negotiate a price. Whatever I earn is inadequate. Only an increase in official fares can solve our problems.

Yalambar Chaudhary, 21

I started driving taxi two years ago. I ask passengers to add a little to on-the-meter fare so that I earn enough to sustain my livelihood. We don’t cheat.

Dil Bahadur Magar, 39

I don’t mind going by the meter but there should be a scientific fare. In other countries, meter rates are fair. Also, the passengers who refuse to go by the meter are also cheats. Why only vilify us?

Arjun Kumar Shrestha, 40

Even if some taxi drivers cheat, cheating is not universal. But you also have to bear in mind that the meter rate hasn’t been revised since 2012. Taxes and maintenance expenses have gone up. I strongly demand an adjustment in fares.

Nima Dorjey Tamang, 29

As a taxi stand or parking space is hard to find, I have to keep driving even without passengers. That takes up petrol. Moreover, online ride bookings have created problems for us. So we have to charge a little extra to survive.

Dhan Bahadur Magar, 36

Passengers try to avoid going by the meter as it keeps running even during traffic jams. On the other hand, petrol prices continue to rise. Taxi drivers like me suffer as a result. And not all passengers are friendly and understanding.

Raj Kumar Tamang, 29

The meter fare is unfair. In other countries, petrol is much cheaper. Whatever we earn is spent on petrol, maintenance, taxes, and our day-to-day survival. So driving a taxi in Kathmandu is not easy.

Kishore Rai, 35

Yes, not all taxi drivers are honest. But I go by the meter unless the passengers ask otherwise. See, I am without passengers today. The meter fare is too low, and not enough for us to survive.

Saroj Lama, 32

The fixed taxi fares are way too old and inadequate. If you don’t own a taxi, you are obliged to ask for a little extra from passengers as you also pay for the rental. More than the passengers, it is the taxi drivers who suffer.