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When an APEX team visited Shukraraj Tropical & Infectious Disease Hospital at Teku, Kathmandu on the morning of September 9, there was a huge crowd inside its premises. Even those suffering from minor fever and throat problems seemed worried about possibly contracting the dreaded dengue and had thronged to the only tropical and infectious diseases hospital in the capital. They were lined up in long queues waiting to consult the doctors. Among the doctors they wanted to see was the hospital’s Chief Consultant and Spokesperson Dr. Anup Bastola. This morning he was busy checking patient reports and counselling people not to panic but to consume plenty of liquid (and medicines, when needed). Kamal Dev Bhattarai and Dinesh Gautam had caught up with Dr Bastola before the start of his busy shift to learn about the recent outbreak of dengue fever, preparations for its control, and possible precautionary steps.

Why has the dengue fever that had before been confined to some Tarai districts spread over Kathmandu and other hilly districts?

The mosquitoes which transmits dengue were prevalent in Kathmandu valley for many years, as was the case in Pokhara and other parts of the country. Dengue is spread through the bite of Aedes female mosquitos. When a mosquito bites a person who has dengue virus in blood, the mosquito gets infected. Later the inspected mosquito can transmit the virus to a healthy people. Similarly, mosquitoes that comes from eggs of infected mosquitoes can transmit dengue to people. Now, the temperature of Kathmandu is right for the growth of mosquitoes as well. Last year, we had identified some dengue-infected folks in Khusibu area who had gotten the virus via the dengue-infected people outside the valley.

Mosquitos then bit those Khusibu residents and the virus spread in other areas of Kathmandu. This year, too, the outbreak of denuge began from Khusibu, Thulo Bharyang and Balaju areas of Kathmandu valley and the number of infected is increasing by the day. It is spreading due to the travel of infected people from one place to another. As far as the hilly areas are concerned, there is rapid urbanization and development. Several goods and materials are transmitted there from Tarai/Madhes areas. The mosquitos also travel from Tarai along with humans and various means of transport.

Is it because of climate change and urbanization that dengue is spreading fast even in hilly areas?

Yes, dengue is spreading due to rapid urbanization. Even our hilly districts these days have the temperature and humidity suitable for the growth of mosquitoes. Human migration is a major reason for its spread. Dengue would not have spread in Kathmandu valley had infected people not travelled here. For example, during Dashain, people from Tarai/Madhes and even abroad visit Kathmandu, bringing the virus with them. It is not only in Nepal, dengue is fast spreading in other South East Asian and South Asian countries as well. Even the mountainous country of Bhutan is not immune. Dengue is spreading in the hilly areas of India too. Human migration, rising temperature due to climate change and urbanization are the major culprits.

Was such a rapid spread of dengue anticipated?

This year, there have been some unusual developments. In the past, there was an outbreak at the end of the monsoon season. So we expected dengue to appear during this Dashain season as well. But this year it started to appear in April-May. First, there was an outbreak in eastern parts such as Dharan and Morang. If you see our immediate history, there was a big outbreak of dengue in Tarai in 2009, then in 2013-2014, in 2017, and now. The numbers are already large this year. This will further increase in coming weeks and months.

Are we prepared to fight dengue?

The Epidemiology and Disease Control Division under the Department of Health has already taken some measures. Now, we have three tiers of government and we have allocated budget for all levels to fight dengue. We have purchased necessary kits. Similar, the division has launched training programs, inviting representatives from the concerned provincial and local level departments as well as health officers. But possible areas of dengue outbreak are always unpredictable. For example, on the basis of this year’s outbreak, we make preparations for next year but we may be wrong. What we lack is strategic planning.

There is a need to map out possible areas of dengue outbreak for successful prevention. But the government does not appear serious about it.

We make plan for next year on the basis of current outbreak. This approach is not flawless. After the outbreak in Khusibu last year, we had discussed the possibility of outbreak in other areas but we failed to come out with the right policy and planning. When it comes to controlling the dengue outbreak, the efforts of Ministry of Health and Population is insufficient. There is a need for integrated planning and intervention. There is a need for behavioral change at the individual level. Now, we have a strong government at the grass-root level and they can play vital role in controlling dengue. We need a systematic campaign to search and kill mosquito larvae. We can control it if every ward launches a campaign to search and kill the larvae. When it comes to long-term planning and policy, all line ministries should sit together. The government has to think seriously and all government bodies should be engaged. In the past, we used to think the outbreak would be confined to Tarai. We were wrong. There is possibility of a pandemic in coming years if we don’t start preparing now.

What kind of policy interventions can there be in controlling dengue?

Other countries have strong legislation. In Singapore, if government authorities find mosquitoes breeding in the houses of common people, they would be subjected to a fine of $200. In June, dengue larvae were found in the houses of 900 households in Singapore and they were punished. So only government efforts are insufficient. Now, we are in a very primitive stage. We have to start thinking long-term. Every social organization should be involved. In India, state governments are promulgating several laws. In Kathmandu, there are abandoned tires, mismanaged flower pots, unruly bushes everywhere. These are perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Along with laws, what is needed is a mega-campaign of people to control dengue.

What is the status of facilities and manpower at local level to fight dengue?

The staff adjustment process is underway. So there is lack of doctors in some places. Similarly, local governments are yet to manage the required human resources. We need to ensure manpower at local level who can identify the symptoms of dengue to prevent possible deaths. Now dengue has spread over 44 districts and Province no. 3 is highly vulnerable.

There are some misconceptions about dengue. Some say people would be infected only if mosquitoes bite during the day while others say morning and evening are the risky times.

You could be bitten round the clock. For example, if you go in the jungle or to a park in the day, such mosquitoes can bite you and you may develop dengue fever. But these mosquitoes will be more active in mornings and evenings. So it is better to stay at home in the evening and take precautionary measures. In broad daylight, the mosquitoes will be less active.  

What are the dengue symptoms? And how can it be cured?

The main thing to understand is that we can see symptoms only in 10 percent of infected people. For example, if 10,000 are infected, there will be clear symptoms only in 1,000 people. Of them, 500 show the symptoms of viral fever and remaining 500 show symptoms of dengue fever. But with proper medical care, only around 1 percent of those with dengue fever will die. This dengue fever is dangerous. Its symptoms are sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and vomiting, among others. You may see red rashes in the body. People suffering from dengue should consume plenty of liquid and use only paracetamol, not other medicines. Only those people who suffer from repeated vomiting, pain in stomach and respiratory problems should be admitted to hospital.

Who are most vulnerable groups?

Infants, pregnant women, fat people, and people having other diseases such as blood pressure and diabetes are vulnerable. If these people contract dengue, they need to be admitted to a hospital as they are likely to see more complications.

What lesson can we learn from the current spread of dengue?

First, we have to think about safety measures to stay save. Our priority should be searching the larvae and killing them everywhere. For example, just like the Bagmati clean-up campaign, we need another mega-campaign. People and all institutions should come together for this. We have to decrease the density of mosquitoes. At the individual level, we have to change our behavior. It should be no less than a national agenda.

Tens of thousands of Nepali speakers in India’s north-eastern state of Assam feel let down by the upgraded National Register of Citizens (NRC) of India that was published on August 31. (Assam is the first Indian state to upgrade its NRC compo­nent.) As many as 80,000 Nepali speakers have been excluded from this NRC list and they are worried about being stateless. But Ganga Poudel, vice-pres­ident of the Gorkha Develop­ment Council, says all hope is not lost. Anyone excluded from the final list has 120 days to appeal against the decision through a foreigner’s tribunal. Poudel says he would do all he can to help those whose names did not appear on the list.

A total of around 31.1 million people in the state had applied to have their names listed, but about 1.9 million people were excluded. Most of them are people who migrated to Assam from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Poudel says those people whose citizen­ship is questionable or whose surnames differ from those of their parents or children have been left out.

As many as 2.5 million Nepali-speaking people live in Assam. About 25 percent of them were missing from an earlier draft list. “We were confident that these names would appear on the final list, but that did not happen,” says Poudel. He adds that some may be rendered stateless if they are not able to submit certain documents to prove residency.

Indian media have men­tioned that if the victims do not get justice in international courts, they can knock on the doors of the Indian High Court and Supreme Court. Many independent bodies claim that although this option is available, as many as 25,000 Nepali-speakers would still not make it to the list. Those whose names did not appear on the list could be arrested and detained. But Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal says that just because their names are not on the list does not mean they will be taken into custody.

Assam shares borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is considered a sensitive state. The Indian government claims that there is illegal trafficking of humans and animals into the state. It says the list was updated in order to check ille­gal immigrants from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. Secu­rity in Assam has been beefed up since the publication of the list.

There are Nepalis in every district of Assam. The major­ity of residents in Surajpur district are Nepalis, and there is a big group of people from western Nepal in Kamrup metropolis.

The All Assam Gorkha Stu­dent Union has asked for a thorough investigation as it believes the list is flawed. Pres­ident Prem Tamang has been protesting the process of cre­ating this list from the start, claiming that it discriminates against Nepali speakers.

According to the 2011 population census, there are about 31.1 million people in the 33 districts of Assam.

   Q. What is the most difficult part of your job?

A. Less ‘me’ time.

Q. Your makeup (style) icon?

A. Huda Beauty and Bobbi Brown. The story of them building their empire is inspirational.

Q. Favorite makeup brand?

A. No brand in particular but few things from every brand!

Q. What is the biggest project you’ve been a part of?

A. The Beauty Bar and its three branches.

Q. What is a makeup trend that you hope goes away and never comes back?

A. I love all makeup looks but perhaps the weird squiggly eyebrows.

Q. What are you proud of but never have an excuse to talk about?

A. That I came back to my country.

Q. What’s an opinion you hold that most people wouldn’t agree with?

A. Veganism.

Q. What’s one superpower you would not want?

      A. I wouldn’t want to know everyone’s thoughts... that would make life so sad.

Better sense prevailed and the nearly month-long standoff in the federal lower house over the twin ‘extra-judicial killings’ in Sarlahi ended after a deal between the ruling and opposition parties. Earlier, the Nepali Congress and the RJPN, the two opposition parties, had been stalling the house, asking for a parliamentary probe into the police shootings of Kumar Poudel, a leader of the underground Netra Bikram Chand Biplob-led CPN, and Saroj Narayan Singh, an RJPN cadre. Eventually, the opposition parties agreed that there was no point in running a parallel parliamentary probe when the National Human Rights Commission was already investigating the incidents.

Instead, a seven-member cross-party parliamentary panel has been formed under senior NCP leader Subhas Chandra Nembang to ensure that such incidents are not repeated. The panel is to submit its report to the parliament in a month. The resumption of parliamentary proceedings is great news. But it would be a travesty of justice if any attempt is made to quietly bury the twin incidents in Sarlahi. Now the onus is on the NHRC to unearth the truth. According to preliminary investigations by two other rights bodies, the Advocacy Forum Nepal and the Informal Sector Service Center, there is strong evidence to suggest that Poudel was not killed in crossfire, unlike what the police has been claiming.

They noted some peculiar activities in the lead up to Poudel’s death that made them doubt the official government version. The rights bodies found that locals had been barred from walking in the vicinity of the incident site from early in the morning of June 20, the day the CPN leader was supposedly killed. Also, no local they talked to said they had heard a gunshot throughout the day. The local police were also curiously kept in the dark about the whole affair. These are disconcerting findings.

The conclusion of the two rights bodies that there has of late been a disturbing increase in the number of ‘fake encounters’ is not reassuring. It suggests that the federal government is intent on taking the law into its own hands. Whether or not the government wants to sit down for talks with the Biplob outfit, there can be no justification for killing its cadres in cold blood. If it does so, public sympathy for the banned outfit is bound to grow, which will be a troubling development. It will also seriously undercut the legitimacy of perhaps the strongest government in Nepal’s democratic history, an even more worrisome consequence

Q. Three words you would use to describe yourself?

A. Persistent, genuine, realist.

Q. One quality of yours you would like to work on?

A. I have a habit of getting anxious in certain situations. I would like to work on remaining calm.

Q. An actor you would want to do a film with?

A. Shahrukh Khan.

Q. Who inspires you the most in the entertainment industry?

A. Aishwarya Rai and Dipika Padukone.

Q. What is that one thing you enjoy the most about your profession?

A. I get to travel!

Q. What superpower would you like to have?

A. Being able to teleport.

Q. If you had only one day left to live, what would you do?

A. I would spend that day with my family and my boyfriend.

Q. If you could wish for anything, what would it be?

A. To see more genuineness in this generation.

Q. What would you like to say to your fans?

     A. It is not necessary to go to a foreign country to earn money. There are many problems in Nepal but then it is important to create opportunities in           Nepal.

We’ve read hundreds of arti­cles describing the miserable condition of the Maoist guerillas, the state security personnel, and ordinary citizens alike. But not much has been written about the journalists who were tortured, disappeared or brutally murdered during the war, and even less about their families who continue to live with the wounds that may never heal. Children of the slain journalists not only lost a parent but also an opportunity for a hap­py childhood.

With the government paying little attention to these children, an unnamed organization under The Asian Journalist Association has been financing their education since the war ended with the help of funds from the Australian Press Association.

We tried to interview some of these children to find out their current situation and their aspi­rations for the future, but most of them chose to stay mum because of security concerns. Only two were willing to speak on record.

Dev Kumar Acharya and Navraj Sharma were two of the journal­ists murdered during the war. Their children who, despite hav­ing to overcome trauma since a tender age, are still fighting for justice for their families.

Born in Jhapa, Trishna Acharya is the second daughter of Dev Kumar Acharya, who worked in several newspapers like ‘Janaastha’, ‘Janad­isha’, and ‘Swadhin Samwad’. Acha­rya was abducted on 23 July 2002 on the accusation of being a Maoist and his corpse was delivered to the family the following day. “When we got his dead body, his thumbs were mutilated and it was clear that he was hung upside down and tortured for an entire day,” says Trishna. Then began the struggle for her family as they had to face social ostracism and even rape threats. A small cottage industry of light snacks on which the family depended was also seized. Trishna left the village with a traumatized brother, an agonized mother, and a confused elder sister.

Trishna then came in contact with the organization under the Asian Journalist Association which assisted her financially to pursue her studies. She recently com­pleted her Masters of Arts degree from Tribhuvan University with a gold medal. “My father dreamt of becoming a gold medalist and was working on his Master’s thesis just prior to his murder, so I dedicated my medal to him,” says Trishna.

Her case was filed with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in September 2014 with the assistance of the organization itself.

“My family members—and even my nephew—still get threats. All I want now is to regain the identi­ty and dignity that my family lost years ago. I want to be the last girl with a tragic story like mine,” says Trishna.

Born in Kalikot, Sangita is the second daughter of Navraj Sharma, who is considered the first journalist killed during the insurgency. He was the editor of a weekly named ‘Kadam’ and also worked at a radio station. Sharma was well liked in the community and his murder came as a complete shock.

“There was a program in my village from where lots of men including my father were abducted. All were released except my father,” says Sangi­ta. What makes the case more disturbing is the fact that the reason behind the abduction and murder of her father is still unknown. After the passing away of her mother a few years later, Sangita came in contact with the organization which then helped her pursue her studies.

She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in business management and is in her sec­ond year. She wants to work in the banking sector, but is also considering a career in the civil service. Her two siblings have been taken under the wings of the SOS Children Village at San­othimi where they are pursuing their studies.

Sangita’s case has also been registered with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, but justice has proved elusive so far.

Besides Trishna and Sangita, the organization currently sup­ports 24 other children of con­flict victims. But with the fund­ing from the Australian Press Association coming to an end in 2020, the children’s future is far from secure. “Even when the funding stops, we’ve decided to personally contribute to edu­cate these children,” says one of the two chairmen of the orga­nization, who prefers to work quietly and remain anonymous.

But the question of how long these children can depend on an NGO remains unanswered. The state has a responsibility to take care of these children who have already suffered so much O

The integration and rehabilitation of Maoist combatants were major parts of Nepal’s peace process that started in 2006. Of around 19,000 Maoist combatants eligible for integration, around 1,300 were integrated into the Nepal Army. But many child soldiers who went through the verification process were disqualified for integration and for rehabilitation packages.
In January 2010, 3,000 young ex-combatants who were under 18 at the time of the ceasefire were let go as minors. They were assured of formal schooling, vocational training, and help with setting up small businesses. Lenin Bista, a child solider who had joined the Maoist insurgency at the age of 12, was among those disqualified because of his age. In the past few years he has been fighting for justice for minor Maoist soldiers and other disqualified personnel.
He has sought to internationalize the issue of the use of child soldiers in Nepal, a war crime. He currently serves as the President of Peace Envisioners, an NGO. Bista talked to Biswas Baral and Kamal Dev Bhattarai about his campaign.

In 2010 the Madhav Kumar Nepal-led government had decid­ed to discharge minor soldiers in the Maoist ranks with some kind of compensation. What did you get?

At that time, the state had assured us jobs and education. There was a tripartite agreement between the government, the Maoist party and the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) on our issues. But they did nothing for us. They made commit­ments but did not keep them. We were discharged with no more than Rs 10,000 in cash.

You mean there was no follow-up from the state after you were discharged?

Yes, there was no follow-up. We waited for six or seven months before we organized ourselves and formally made our demands. First, we urged the Maoist leaders to settle our issues. Later, we tried to draw the government’s attention by sub­mitting a Memorandum of Under­standing, but again to no avail.

How many of you were disqual­ified as minor soldiers in the UNMIN verification process?

Around 4,000 were discharged after being labelled ‘disqualified’. Of them, 2,973 were child soldiers and the remaining were late recruits. There were also more than 10,000 minors who had served as child soldiers during the insurgency but were not part of the verification process. Many child soldiers were killed. The first Maoist cadre killed by the police was Dil Bahadur Ram­tel, who was 12 when he was shot dead. After their discharge from the cantonments, eight of our friends committed suicide as they faced social humiliation due to the ‘dis­qualified’ tag.

Similarly, there were no jobs, and there was the question of live­lihood. Many of our friends, fearing humiliation and harassment, did not return to their original homes and stayed in other places to hide their identity.

We had joined the Maoist move­ment to change the society but we ended up being tagged ‘disquali­fied’. It was not easy to adjust in the society. Around 25 percent of child soldiers went to Gulf countries and India in search of jobs. Around 15-20 percent have joined the Biplav-led Maoist party believing that the objec­tives of Maoist movement remain unfulfilled.

But child soldiers were offered either continuation of educa­tion or vocational training. Why didn’t you take them?

That was not the case. I am a witness. After the peace process began, I completed my Plus Two studies from inside the canton­ment. In a meeting at the UN, I expressed my desire to pursue a Bachelor’s degree. They said they could not help me with that. No one was given such an option. We had been told we would be part of the national army. With that mind­set, we could not accept training to become mechanics and cooks. Such trainings were a humiliation. We had been told that verification was just a show for foreigners and we would all be integrated into the national army.

Now you are raising the issue of child soldiers in international forums. What are your demands?

The first thing is responsibility for and justification of the Mao­ist war. Another is accountability. Many people were killed and several child soldiers were used but who is accountable for that? We also want a guarantee that child soldiers will never be used in Nepal again. We should also get some kind of a package that’s enough to support our lives.

Some in the government say international organizations are using you to wreck the peace process.

It is the responsibility of state agencies to find out who is using us. I would welcome such an inves­tigation.

You threaten to register cases against former Maoist leaders in international courts. On what basis?

First we should be clear that the issue of child soliders relates to war crimes. In this case, international law can be invoked because Nepal is a signatory to several international treaties and conventions. We want­ed to resolve these issues through national mechanisms but they closed all doors for us. At the same time, the issue of human rights does not have borders. No one can pre­vent us from filing cases in interna­tional courts. If we settle this issue, we can set an example for the rest of the world.

You have been making many for­eign trips of late. Why?

My purpose is to raise the issue of child soldiers. The Nepali state and political parties wanted to wipe out the history of the use of child soldiers, which amounts to erasing our contributions. So I informed the International Criminal Court, the European Union, the German Parliament and other several organi­zations of the same. Now, the world knows the issue of child soldiers is alive in Nepal.

What did you learn on those trips?

Some in Nepal are saying that the cases of rights violations during the war cannot be taken to interna­tional courts. But that is not true. Even the cases of Iraq and Myanmar have reached international courts. First, the UN Security Council can take such cases to the ICC. Second, some state party can take such cas­es to international courts. Third, the victims themselves can register such cases. This last option has been concealed in Nepal. But we want to settle the case within the country, and we child soldiers want high-level security trainings.

What type of high-level training do you want?

We could opt for various trainings such as fire-control, industrial secu­rity, forest security and hydropower security. Our friends have knowl­edge and expertise in these fields. We cannot be taxi drivers and bar­bers. We need training in keeping with our abilities.

Have you given the Nepali gov­ernment a deadline to fulfil your demands?

We have given it three months to meet our demands. The Acts relat­ing to the Truth and Reconcilia­tion Commission and the Commis­sion of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons should be amended to incorporate the provi­sion of child soldiers. We want to settle the issue domestically. There should be a political consensus on it. If they are reluctant, we will reg­ister our case in the International Criminal Court.

What kind of resistance are you facing?

It is all about political will. They do not want to resolve this issue.

Why didn’t you lodge your com­plaints with the TRC?

We have objected to the TRC pro­cess right from the start. The Act does not address the issue of child soldiers. We submitted a memoran­dum but our voices were not heard. On the other hand, appointments to the TRC were based on political consensus. The commissioners can­not act against political leaders who appoint them.

EXPLORE ANCIENT KALASH IN KATHMANDU
Kalash (Gha) is a traditional Newar ‘material culture’ that dates back at least to the Licchhavi period. What can be better than a walking tour of Kathmandu valley to catch a glimpse of the rich ancient heritage of Kalash, and explore its connection with the people of old Kathmandu? As this free walking tour is conducted in Nepali, it may not be relevant for people who do not understand the language. The SherpaShah Heritage fund-facilitated tour that happens every Wednesday starts at 2:30 pm from Sigal and ends at 4 pm near Basantapur, Kathmandu. Call 9843241490 for details.

RISE HORSE RIDE IN POKHARA
Horse riding is a great way to explore the beauty of the Pokhara valley. If you wish to go to World Peace Stupa or Sarangkot, you may want to travel on a horse. The Pokhara Horse Riding Tour starts from Lakeside and ends at Sarangkot or World Peace Stupa, as per your choice. ‘Pokhara Tour, Pokhara Sightseeing & Adventure Activities’ organizes these tours every morning starting 7 am. The tour is for 6 hours and costs around Rs 10,000. To book, call 9802014557.

LEARN TO PLAY SARANGI IN LALITPUR
Project Sarangi Center has opened registrations for Sarangi classes for its July intake. Located at the Arun Thapa Chowk in Sanepa, this music lesson and instruction school has been providing formal classes to promote the melody of the handmade Nepali Sarangis. The school also organizes various “Sarangi Bhela” musical nights for the purpose of awareness and recreation through the mesmerizing traditional music. The project is ideal for students with an interest in traditional Nepali music, specifically the “Sarangi”. Classes run from 10 am to 6 pm on workdays. For details, contact 015553511.