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What movie made you laugh the hardest in 2020? 

“Jatrai Jatra”, “Holidate”, and “Enola Holmes”.

What business idea do you think would be super-profitable but you would never want to pursue?

I would never be a land-broker.

Would you rather be a tiger or a hummingbird?

I would rather be a hummingbird for the freedom it enjoys. 

If you could change something about the way you were raised, what would it be?

I wish I would have been taught about body shaming and misconceptions on mensuration. I would have led a more confident and comfortable life. 

A zombie apocalypse is coming. Who are the three people you want on your team?

OMG! I actually felt the zombie-like situation during the pandemic. So the names… Anuprathsa Thapa (Nephew), Prabha Thapa (Sister) and Monica GC (Best Friend).

You have your own late-night talk show. Who do you invite as your first guest?

It would be none other than Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan.

What was the worst job you ever had?

I think I haven't done anything that would fall in this category.

You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life. What would it be?

Certainly an internet connection. I can't do without it. 

Would you rather be the funniest or the smartest person in the room?

I would rather be the smartest person because the smartest person would always know when or where to be funny. 

What is the last TV show that you binge-watched?

“Just Add Magic”.

Started as Rana Prime Minister Juddha Samsher’s private zoo in 1932, Jawal­akhel’s Central Zoo has stood the test of time. The zoo came under government ownership after the 1950 political change and its management was overseen by many government departments before it was handed over to the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) in December 1995. The trust management celebrated its silver jubilee this week.

The zoo, spread over six hectares, is now home to over 1,000 animals of 110 different species, including rare and endangered animals. The Central Zoo closed down in March as the Covid-19 lockdown kicked in. It was almost nine months before the zoo reopened to public on December 10. With the reopening and introduction of safety measures, zoo management says they regularly get 800+ visitors on weekdays and 2,700+ visitors on weekends. This is a considerable drop from over 5,000 week­end visitors before the pandemic. With the picnic area and boating closed, the zoo has lost other attractions besides the animals.

The pandemic also took a toll on the zoo management as the 75-strong staff was cut to 56 to reduce expenses.

Current ticket prices are Rs 150 per per­son for adults, Rs 90 for students and Rs 50 for children aged 4-12. For those from SAARC countries, prices are Rs 350 for adults and Rs 150 for children. For visitors from other countries, it is Rs 750 for adults and Rs 350 for children. Children below four and disabled people do not have to buy tickets.

In the early hours of January 6, in what were surreal scenes even in an era dominated by Donald Trump, the American clown of a president, potentially thousands of pro-Trump supporters barged into United States Capitol, the federal legislature. Four people were killed in the melee. US Senators and Congressmen were seen scrambling for cover. The march on Capitol followed exhortations by Trump to his supporters that they “would never take back our country with weakness”. The occasion that had drawn these people together was the legislative confirmation of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.

The American democratic system has been a frequent butt of jokes the world around following Trump’s election as the US President in 2016. It became a laughing stock on January 6. The dictatorship of Venezuela issued a statement, expressing its concern over the violence in Washington DC. “The United States is suffering the same thing that it has generated in other countries with its policies of aggression,” it read. The foreign ministry of Turkey, another enemy of Trump’s America, said it believed “the US will overcome this internal political crisis in a mature manner”. Both the countries were mocking previous US statements on their domestic affairs.  

It is easy to ridicule the Trump-era American democratic process, not to mention the country’s ‘imperial’ interventions abroad. Yet what transpired on January 6 was also, in a way, a sign of the resilience of American democracy. Biden’s victory was confirmed despite every effort by Trump to discredit the US electoral system. On the same day, a Black man was elected as US senator, for the first time in the history of the state of Georgia. In the process, the Democrats also took control of the Senate— the US House of Representatives was already in their bag—in what was yet another instance of popular rejection of Trumpianism.

A similar sequence of events in other democratic presidential systems, for instance in Turkey or Russia, could very well have culminated in successful coups by their all-powerful executives. Democracies around the world now find themselves in crisis, partly as a result of the ultra-nationalist right-wing populism unleased by the likes of Trump, Bolsonaro and Modi. The final act of Trump’s repudiation by the American electorate and its democratic institutions on January 6 will, hopefully, make other potential dictators and Trump idolizers pause before they think of bending the democratic process to their will.

Who is your favorite superhero and why?

Batman. He has no superpowers yet is a superhero. And he’s got some serious leadership skills.

Tell us about one of your weird quirks.

I think I'm a good conversationalist.

First celebrity crush?

My first and only celebrity crush is VJ Jyoti Shrestha.

Do you ever post inspirational quotes on social media?

Yes, pretty much.

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

I'd play for my school football team, which I couldn't back then as SLC loomed.

If you were stranded on a tropical island, what two things would you want with you?

Food and satellite telephone.

What’s the hardest part about working virtually for you? And what’s the easy bit?

Hardest: Lack of personal connection. Easy: Saves time and my life from Covid-19

You have to sing karaoke, what song do you pick?

“Take it easy” – The Eagles

If you had to delete all but three apps from your smartphone, which ones would you keep?

Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

Would you rather always be slightly late or super early?

Super early

The year 2020 was a forgettable one, for the whole world. In some ways, it was worse for Nepal. Like most other countries, it was battered by the Covid-19 pandemic, with nearly 2,000 lives lost to the virus as of this writing. Many more barely survived. The year, declared a ‘Visit Nepal Year’, ended up decimating Nepali tourism. Then, near the year-end, Prime Minister KP Oli unceremoniously dissolved the federal lower house and called for mid-term elections. The poor focus on covid-prevention was made worse.

The start of a brand new year might be the perfect time to take stock of what went wrong in Nepali politics, and devise ways to mitigate the damage. The formation of big political parties is something to be celebrated in countries where political instability is the norm. So most Nepalis supported the Maoist-UML merger, including with their votes, with the belief that if nothing else a strong, single-party government would deliver much-needed stability. This in turn would pave the path for prosperity and development.    

This proved to be misplaced dream. Now as they bid farewell to 2020, the least people hope for is that Nepali politics will soon get a definite direction. Both the NCP factions, each of which is now functioning as a de facto political party, have said that they are not averse to reunification, if not immediately. More than that—and whatever the Supreme Court verdict on House dissolution—the country has now well and truly entered election mode.

Even if the dissolved House is restored, it is hard to see a stable government formed from its floor. The national polity bitterly divided, more likely is a repeat of 2011 when Nepali Congress’s Ram Chandra Poudel had to withdraw his candidacy for prime minister after his bid was defeated in parliament for 16 times. This way, too, there is no alternative to getting a fresh mandate.

As it is, the country is not ready for a quick election. The timeline the prime minister has set—late April—is unrealistic. It will be a herculean task for the Election Commission to hold a nationwide election in such a short time. April elections will also deprive millions of people who have just entered voting age from casting their ballots. Thus the best 2021 gift Nepali political actors can give to their people is a clear and mutually-agreed timetable for fresh elections. But, again, it cannot be a unilateral decision.  

What is your go-to outfit?

Casual jeans and t-shirt.

If you could have coffee with one Nepali celebrity, who would it be?

Shrinkhala Khatiwada as I get that strong intellectual vibe from her.

If you could change something in the world, what would you change?

Less hatred and negativity; more positivity.

A quote to live by?

Always pray to have eyes that see the best in people, a heart that forgives the worst, a mind that forgets the bad and a soul that never loses faith in God.

A question you wish more people would ask you?

If I needed anything :p

If you had only one day to live, what would you do on that day?

I would spend time with my loved ones, speak my heart out and give them the last precious memories.

If you could dis-invent one thing? 

Nothing, because every invention has helped us in one way or the other.

What would be your fancy dress costume of choice? 

Something from the 50’s because I like the fashion from back then.

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

The fact that I started accepting that every situation in life is temporary.

Name one fashion faux pas you regularly commit.

Probably not ironing my clothes because I am super lazy!

A democratic culture is not something you develop overnight. Nor is it a given that it will materialize. The responsibility for its flourishing largely falls on the shoulders of the country’s top political leaders. To do so, they must abide by legal norms, realize the importance of check and balance, and commit to building strong institutions. As important is a periodic transfer of power. As in any other discipline, the competent ones need to be promoted, and the old generation paves the way for the next generation. Nepal’s current political leadership is deficient in all these fronts. 

Be it Nepal Communist Party’s KP Oli, Nepali Congress’s Sher Bahadur Deuba, the ex-Maoist supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal, or Baburam Bhattarai—they have all at one time or other been complicit as prime ministers in playing fast and loose with democratic norms and values. Across the board, what we see is top leaders using every dirty trick to remain in positions of power and to sabotage their political rivals. They thus become ready to dissolve parliament on fictional constitutional grounds, to politically interfere in the national army, to install a sitting chief justice as the chief executive, and to plot against their party colleagues: there really is no limit to what they can do. 

What we don’t see is a party leader who loses an election quit active politics or to at least vacate the top position. We don’t see them groom successors. This is why the same cast of characters who have been repeatedly tried and been found wanting have been running Nepali politics since the 1990 change. They want to forever remain in power, literally, until their last breath. 

Prime Minister Oli’s unconstitutional house dissolution is thus hardly a surprise. Like most of his predecessors as prime minister, rather than have the guts to realize his weaknesses and see the failures of his government, he smashed the government machinery that was being taken away from him. Again, this is not to imply that his (former) party colleagues in Dahal or Madhav Nepal have in the past proven themselves to be better leaders, either of their party or their country. Yet past mistakes cannot be an excuse for present failures. The wise rather learn from past mistakes and apply the lessons in the present. Unfortunately, our incumbent all-knowing prime minister is not taking any lesson from anyone. 

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