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This newspaper had supported the ban on the Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplob’-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) after the group orchestrated a couple of blasts in the national capital at the start of 2019. The outfit was behaving less like a political party and more like a terror group. Its political existence should be recognized and formal negotiations for its mainstreaming should begin only when it unconditionally laid down arms, we had argued. The government seemed to agree. Today, the party is still to formally renounce violence and yet the same government that banned the outfit has started talking to it.

Whatever our earlier reservations, we would be happy if these talks led to a peaceful settlement of the CPN’s misguided armed revolt against the state. And in politics you can never rule out any outcome. Yet the timing of the current talks suggests the KP Oli-led government reached out to the armed group as the Nepal Communist Party faction Oli leads was running out of options. The Supreme Court put paid to Oli’s plans for snap polls. Now he is looking to shore up political support from anywhere he can get it, including from the radical left and the radical right.  

The NCP’s Oli faction has sent feelers to the pro-royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party as the prime minister seeks to project himself as a savior of all Hindus in Nepal. The faction, meanwhile, is also courting disqualified Maoist fighters and now Chand’s outfit. If Oli wants to join hands with these forces under the status quo, he risks putting the country’s recent progressive gains in jeopardy. His government must also explain why it banned Chand in the first place if talks were to be later held with no change in the CPN’s violent modus operandi. 

If the armed comrades want to join peaceful politics, they should be welcomed with open arms. After all, the long and bloody Maoist insurgency would not have ended had the then insurgents not been given a space in mainstream politics. Yet right now many suspect Oli’s goal could simply be to use the muscle-power of Chand’s militia to hound and harass the leaders and cadres of the NCP’s rival Dahal-Nepal faction. If so, the already worrying state of criminalization of Nepali politics could get worse, and even as the victims of the Maoist war await justice, the use of violence will once again be legitimized.  

What’s something you’d like to talk about but no one asks?

May be about my long-lost hobby, i.e. indoor gardening.

Where would you travel if you knew you would have to stay there for up to a year?

New Zealand. After watching Falling in Love (1984), I am so tempted to experience its rural lifestyle.

In one word, what is the greatest challenge you have faced in your career?

Undermined.

Do you like surprises?

Of course I like surprises but only pleasant ones. Who doesn’t like momentary excitement?

Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island?

Obviously with my daughter.

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

I won’t. I own all my imperfection and mistakes. They have helped me be a better person.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love?

Giving up sleep...

If you were the ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would make?

Free health care access for every citizen.

What is the favorite part about your career?

Meeting people from diverse walks of life and learning from them.

If you could win an Olympic medal for a sport, real or imaginary, what would it be?

I donno. I can’t think of real games but if there were medals for marathon talking, I can bag at least a bronze.

These are nearly hopeless times. Our lives have been thrown asunder by the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic and health crises. Perhaps millions of Nepalis have lost their jobs or are making do with a fraction of their pre-Covid pay. There is uncertainty and misgivings about vaccines: are all the real and rumored side-effects worth the trouble? In these otherwise gloomy times, the Supreme Court verdict on the evening of Feb 23 restoring the dissolved lower house of the federal parliament provides a rare ray of hope.

The verdict suggests at least one of the three main organs of the state is still functional and above partisanship. More than that, the verdict has prevented the country from plunging into a serious constitutional crisis. Had the apex court vetted the decision to dissolve the parliament on dubious constitutional grounds, the country’s rulers would have been given a carte blanche to abuse the national charter; and the barely five-year-old constitution would have lost most of its legitimacy.

The current government has done precious little to institutionalize federalism, the bedrock of the new constitution. Instead, the focus has been on centralizing powers by impinging on the jurisdictions of provincial and local-level governments. Appointments to top constitutional bodies were made arbitrarily. A culture of demonizing political opponents was recklessly promoted. Meanwhile, civil liberties were progressively curtailed. Things only got worse without a parliament to check government excesses.

The Supreme Court has put the derailed political and democratic process back on track. The five judges who issued the verdict on Feb 23 must be lauded for upholding rule of law. But wasn’t it their job? It was. Yet their brave, principled stand must be lauded in these partisan times when nearly every state organ has been thoroughly politicized.  

Due process must now be restored and the next course of action left to the sovereign parliament. We already hear rumors of dirty horse-trading as the jockeying to form the next government has started. Complicating the picture will be the uncertainty of the NCP’s status as a single party. Yet we can all take heart from the restoration of Nepali people’s supreme representative body, and from the message that no one, however powerful, is above the law.

Getting people to take Covid-19 seriously has been tough right around the world, and it’s no different in Nepal. Even during the four months of rather strict lockdown from March to June 2020, you could spot plenty of people milling about as if things were perfectly fine. Not only did they abjure masks, they crowded public places and spat with impunity.

Things have only gotten worse following the end of the official lockdown. Most government, business and education establishments have reopened, as have public transport services. With every passing day, fewer and fewer people can be seen in masks, even as our public buses and microbuses are again brimful with passengers.

Perhaps the availability of vaccines makes them doubly complacent. But then as of this writing under five percent of the country’s population had gotten the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, of around 500,000 registered vehicles in Kathmandu valley, most are back on the road. Social distancing and masks are mandatory on public transport and yet hardly anyone seems to be following these anti-corona norms.
In this photo story, we try to capture the unruly and crowded state of Kathmandu valley’s public transport, which is perhaps the biggest spreader of the virus.

Sher Bahadur Deuba espies an opportunity to hang on to his Nepali Congress Presidency. Even better, he reckons he might be the next prime minister. KP Oli’s dissolution of the federal lower house has been a blessing in disguise for the 74-year-old, four-time prime minister. In normal course, Deuba would be under intense pressure to promptly hold the party’s much-delayed general convention, its supreme decision-making body that also picks its leader. He has already been party president for five years, a year over the original mandate, thanks to the covid pandemic. 

By all accounts, Deuba’s four years as president have been a failure. The party under his leadership was trounced in the 2017 general elections. Since the formation of the communist government, his voice as the leader of the main opposition has also been very weak. Hounded by his critics, and perhaps aware that he might not win party presidency from the general convention floor again, Deuba has looked to pack party committees with cronies and has repeatedly postponed the convention.

Now the party’s Central Working Committee has proposed to hold the convention on August 23-26, in around six months’ time. But it’s easier said than done, with the fate of the dissolved house still hanging in the balance as the Supreme Court hears the case. If the house is restored, there will be an immediate prospect of Deuba becoming prime minister, in which case he will again seek to buy influence in the party. If the house is not restored, the Congress party will be in on election-mode, which in turn will result in as yet unpredictable circumstances that Deuba can use to his advantage. 

Again, for the Nepali Congress, the problem is not so much the country’s current state of flux as the power-centric mindset of its top leaders, especially Deuba. The incumbent NC president has been ready to bend rules and subvert internal democracy to hang on. So far the intra-party opposition to Deuba has been weak, again due to other political leaders’ own calculations on distribution of power and privileges. Entirely missing is any kind of ideological discussion on the party’s future course. Given such petty and self-serving calculations inside the main opposition party, it is hard to see how a future Congress government will be any better than the current, much-reviled one under the divided NCP.  

If you could do just one thing for the whole day, what would it be?
I would spend my whole day under water. I love the underwater world.

What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
Cricket.

What’s one thing you’re excited about that’s coming up in 2021?
Getting back to normal life and performing in front of live audiences.

If you could spend a day in someone else’s shoes, whose would they be? Why?
I would love to spend a day as a monk to get a feel of how they cope with the chaos around them.

If you could instantly become an expert at something, what would it be?
Music, of course.

First celebrity crush?
Melina Manandhar :)

Facebook or Twitter?
Twitter.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?
Weed Curry

If you were the ruler of your country what would be the first law you would introduce?
Death sentence for corrupt bureaucrats and politicians.

If you could join any past or current music group?
It would be Mekaal Hasan Band.

Although the Tokha Urban Farm is yet to officially open and there is still work to be done, the place is already filling up with customers, especially at weekends. Located at Chandeshwari, Tokha, the farm started becoming popular during the lockdown period, as soon as it began posting on social media about its ongoing construction. Now, the business seems to be thriving with more and more Kathmanduites coming for a mini-getaway at the beautiful location, without having to travel much.

The most appealing thing about the Tokha Urban Farm is its outdoor seating arrangement amid the lush fields of Chandeshwari and the organic food it offers. Also, the menu is different from what one would get at a typical city restaurant. You don’t see turkey and quail on the menu at every other venue!

Designed and conceptualized by Samel Shahi, who is also one of the owners, the farm was established mainly to farm vegetables and livestock. But the management wants to develop the place as a hub for Kathmandu residents, who will also get to learn farming and livestock-keeping at the farm. “We will be mixing hi-tech with a local touch,” Shahi says. “We are currently building 11 individual traditional-looking huts but with all modern amenities.” The concept is rather new in Nepal, Shahi says, adding that he has seen similar farms abroad.

Besides the outdoor dining and organic restaurant menu, the family-friendly farm currently offers horse-riding on weekends as well as an open playground for children. Also planned are a Newari restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, two-bedroom huts and a mini-zip line for children.

Contact: 9849290542

Texting or talking?

Talking. There’s so much you can tell with the voice modulations. 

What is one word with which you would describe your career?

Passion. My passion for music was so incredibly strong, I turned it into a career. 

If you could change your name, what would it be?

It'd be something incredibly cool, like a spy name. I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you! 

What is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to someone?

I’ve often been mean and stupid and hurtful. And I’d like to say sorry to those I hurt.

What compliment do people give you the most?

People tell me I have a lot of energy. I love it! 

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

Our choices make us who we are. You make a choice and stick by it. 

If you could share a meal with any four individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

John Mayer, Albert Einstein, Michelle Obama, and my mom. 

Knowing what you do now, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

You're going to make mistakes and you’re going to come out of it stronger. 

What is better: being organized or attention to details?

Attention to details is better as it shows conviction. 

If you didn’t have to sleep, what would you do with the extra time?

I would just keep making music and read a thousand books!