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The House of Representatives, State Affairs and Good Governance Committee has directed the government to investigate the role of Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala and the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security in connection with the incident that took place at Balkumari, Lalitpur last Friday. 

Two youths were killed and Minister Jwala's vehicle was torched in the clash between demonstrators and police.

The Committee at its meeting today also instructed all sides concerned to remain alert and responsible so that such incidents do not recur in the coming days.

Birendra Shah of Chaurpati Rural Municipality-1, Achham and Sujan Raut of Mahabu Rural Municipality-6, Dailekh district died in course of the demonstration over filling up examination forms for the Employment Permit System (EPS) at the EPS Korea Branch Office at Balkumari, Lalitpur. The demonstrators had set the office vehicle used by Minister Jwala on fire in the course of the demonstration.

The government has formed a three-member investigation commission to conduct a fair and objective investigation into the incident. Former High Court former judge Shekhar Poudel heads the probe commission.

Committee president Ramhari Khadka said that the meeting has directed the government to provide additional economic relief and employment opportunities to the families of the deceased.

Similarly, the Committee has instructed the government to provide adequate resources to the security bodies.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Inspector General of Police Basanta Kunwar, Inspector General of the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal, Raju Aryal, and the Chief of the National Investigation Department, among other officials, were present in the meeting.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 8. 75 points to close at 2,060. 15 points on Monday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 0. 37 points to close at 385. 07 points.

A total of 11,892,559-unit shares of 306 companies were traded for Rs 4. 48 billion.

Meanwhile, CEDB Hydropower Development Company Limited and Chirkhwa Hydropower Limited were the top gainers today with their price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Molung Hydropower Company Limited was the top loser with its price dropped by 8. 09 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 20 trillion.

The government which has announced reforms in all the state apparatuses from today on cut down on the snack expenditures of the meeting of Council of Ministers.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal informed the meeting of the Council of Ministers held at Singha Durbar this morning that the expenditure on snacks served in the meetings of the Council of Ministers has been cut down, saying the reforms should be initiated from small topics, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

The PM Office stated that approximately Rs 60 thousand was spent on snacks in each meeting of the Council of Ministers. It is said the Council of Ministers meets more than 100 times in a year. Govinda Acharya, the Press Advisor to the Prime Minister, said that around Rs 6 million is saved annually with the cut down on the snack expenses in the meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Normal snacks will be served in the meeting of the Council of Ministers from now on, the PM Secretariat said. Acharya said PM Dahal has started reforms from his own office as minor topics are also considered significant in good governance and reforms.

He added that works related to good governance and improvement would be consistently pursued ahead.

Prime Minister Dahal, who has announced to change the working style of the government, has been reaching the Prime Minister's Office at Singha Durbar at 10 am daily, except on public holidays.  He has been taking daily briefings from various ministries and initiatives for resolving the problems seen in development projects, including the national pride projects, from the Singha Durbar.

Meanwhile, the government's decision to use the Nepal Sambat calendar in all the government documents has been implemented. Acharya, the PM's press advisor, said the Nepal Sambat date has started to be used in the messages of best wishes that the PM has been issuing on various occasions.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha acknowledged weaknesses in three areas regarding the Balkumari incident that occurred on Friday, resulting in two casualties and physical losses.

During a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee in the House of Representatives today, the Minister said that the initial conclusion on the incident highlighted the EPS Office Chief's role was not positive, the failure of the security officials assigned to the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport in fulfilling their responsibilities, and a weakness on the part of the field commander of the Nepal Police. The individuals responsible have been suspended until the investigation into the matter concludes.

According to the Minister, the Chief District Officer of Lalitpur has been temporarily transferred to the Ministry, and the District Police Chief to the Police Headquarters to facilitate the investigation process. "One million rupees each has been announced for the families of the victims, with efforts underway to provide them additional relief from the EPS Fund and the Foreign Employment Board."

DPM Shrestha said that the Ministry recognized a weakness in the incident, leading to the formation of a probe committee. A circular has been issued, urging the avoidance of resorting to firing to control the situation as much as possible.

Before taking any actions, it is necessary to assess the serious damage to the lives, government, and private property of the citizens, and it is advised to minimize the use of bullets, he stated.

He also informed the meeting that a three-member Commission, chaired by former High Court judge Shekhar Poudel, has been formed to conduct an impartial and objective inquiry into the incident.

The gold is being traded at Rs 120, 500 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 119, 900 per tola.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,455 per tola today.  

The government has formed a probe commission to investigate the Balkurami incident. 

A three-member probe commission has been formed under the chairmanship of former judge of the High Court, Shekhar Poudel.

A Cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar today formed the commission under chairmanship of former judge Poudel where former Additional Inspector General of Police Arun BC and Joint-Secretary of Home Ministry, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai are the members, said Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma.

The commission has been directed to study and analyze the physical and human loss in the incident, reason behind the incident and security management at the incident site and security plan and finding out the weaknesses.

Minister Sharma mentioned that the commission would study about the role of individuals, office bearers and bodies related to the Balkumari incident, recommend action against the guilty and give necessary suggestions to curb such types of incidents in coming days.

The commission has got a one-month deadline for the same. The commission would present the facts along with suggestions and the government would implement the suggestions, she added.

Birendra Shah of Achham and Sujan Raut of Dailekh lost their lives on Friday in course of protest launched at Balkumari by youths, who failed the Korean language test for job towards shipbuilding sector, demanding they should be able to fill the language test form for manufacturing sector as well.

Lawmaker Rajendra Rai has demanded resignation of Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

During a meeting of the parliamentary committee called to discuss the death of two youths in police firing on Monday morning, he demanded the resignation of the Home Minister in front of Shrestha.

After Home Minister Shrestha said that a Cabinet meeting held this morning has formed a high-level committee under the headship of former high court judge Shekhar Paudel in accordance with Section 3 (2) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act-1969, Rai said, “The committee cannot investigate the incident until the Home Minister tender his resignation.”

“Why are you suspending the minister’s PSO, DSP and CDO? First, you resign today itself. Do not take action against the employees only,” he said, adding, “The PSO’s duty is to follow the order of the minister. Why are you taking action against him?”

Rai suggested that he resign by organizing a press conference today itself.

Sujan Raut of Dailekh and Birendra Shahi of Achham had died in police firing at Balkumari on Friday.

“Good morning Nani!” A high-pitched voice behind her door can always be heard during the early mornings of Spring. The morning wishes to feel like a reminder to her every day. This a reminder about how she can seize the day with optimum energy to accelerate productivity. 

A day where she is encouraged to quench her thirst for knowledge by plunging into the world of books and learning resources. Some days she is occupied with the wonders of the outside world and a few days she emerges to reflect her inner self. 

Her curiosity about life keeps her engaged throughout the day. Once she gets submerged into the depths of her understanding and thoughts, she imagines. An imagination that takes her to a topsy-turvy world. It unhinges her. 

On a calm Spring morning, she woke up to the sound of her father’s morning wish as usual. The sun was setting above the horizon and the Kathmandu valley was getting warmer and the sky clearer. A ray of golden light entered through the big windows into her study table. The table was full of her current readings from Carmine Gallo to Michael J Gelb. There were colorful sticky notes all over her wall which read about affirmations and mantras. 

Her vision board echoed the triumph of achievements she has envisioned for herself in the coming years. A graduation photo of her mother hung right below the flag of her dream country, Germany. As she stood in front of the mirror, a reflection of her teen self-appeared. A girl who is full of dreams and enthusiasm to conquer the world of possibilities. With a smile on her face, she does a big “hi 5”. 

After drinking a cup of water, she ties her hair up and sits down on her study table to write a to-study list for the day. A list that consists of several topics to read, learn, watch, and listen to. The sound of the cuckoo is a call for her to go upstairs on the terrace for some serene time alone. She catches a deep breath of the fresh air and the cool breeze flips her long hair. The hills on the southern side catch her attention and she feels calm and at ease. The hill isn’t as steep as a cliff but steep enough to run out of breath if a trekking trail is there. Many houses and buildings were visible from afar where the Kathmandu valley could be seen in its form.

Once she turns around to see the beautiful landscape of the valley, a glimpse of her childhood memories flashes in the blink of an eye. She saw a shy girl who was afraid of people. People’s faces. Faces that reminded her of an unforgettable incident that crippled her down to angst. Her heart suddenly feels cold and uneasy. She tries to divert her mind by recalling all the greatest lessons she has learned in her life so far. She reminds herself of her potential and worth. 

A reminder that keeps knocking her mind to make a comeback from all those setbacks. There she was already visualizing herself on the stage. The stage where she can share her story. The stage which fulfills her dreams in her mind is just a terrace at the moment. The limelight of the sun which she thinks is the spotlight for her makes her feel euphoric. And there she is. 

Talking to thousands of people. She can hear the audience clapping. The audience which are the houses and buildings at the moment. A moment that she rehearses in her mind to get the feeling of ultimate satisfaction. 

She stays longer than enough in the state of mind which frees her mind from those angst and fear of people. After attaining serendipity, she opens her heart to pour her feelings into the journal. The clarity in her vision of life she is building allows her to become more confident in the process. By writing, she gets to de-clutter her mind and understand herself. She writes: 

“There comes a point,

A point where you want to dream, 

Dream about every possibility,

Possibility of hope.”

In a brief moment, she pens a letter to her future self about how she has to keep going despite the obstacles and hurdles on her way. A letter that she seals with all her promises and dreams of achieving one day. Her style of articulating her thoughts and feelings made the letter sophisticated. There is a file of her letter collection which she has kept safely to open soon. Letters she wrote by collecting all her thoughts together to make sense of the “why” in her life. Long writings where she expressed her gratitude for life. A life that is full of quests and exploration.  

A notebook that was inside a pile of books caught her eye. It was sewed with a white thread on the side to keep the papers intact and brown tape to secure it neatly. She took the notebook in her hand and gently turned on the first page which wrote “1989, Kathmandu Valley” with a familiar-looking signature that caught her attention. The next page of the notebook would change her perception of many things in life. Once she started scanning the writings and the information in the notebook which was written with a type-writer handwriting almost to perfection, it amazed her. With a racing heart and curiosity in her mind, she started searching for more of the notebooks from other years.

There it was. A pile of several notebooks was organized based on the year. All the front pages read, “Curiosità”.

With a willingness to dive deeper into the world of thoughts, she spends an entire afternoon connecting the dots. The dots which is a point for her introspection consisting of her muse and contemplation. A cup of cold coffee keeps her up until evening as she plays Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” on the Bluetooth speaker. Through her big windows, she can see a bed of clouds covering the honey-dew sky. She gasps for a few seconds and looks outside the window to feel the cozy evening warmth while munching on freshly baked cookies from her cousin. 

“Beep beep…” 

The phone ring catches her attention. It was a call that informed her about a delivery package in a few minutes. The package was wrapped in Lokta paper which had no information about the sender. A unique stamp piqued her attention. With gentle care, she unwraps the package and finds six similar-looking notebooks which were written in the year 2000 in the same handwriting. She assumes it to become a chronological order of writings with the content of a cathartic release of the writer.

When she opened the first notebook written in 2000, it read “The first wealth is health.” Her prolonged inquisitiveness made her adrenaline rush. She turned into the second notebook of 2001 which had the title “The Art of Being Happy.” While turning the page of the 2002’s notebook, she found a family photo and the title wrote,” Family is the heart of home.” 

While being inundated by the people of the family photo, she noticed the date at the back of the photo which was taken in 1990 by Panavision Panaflex Gold II. This took her to another notebook’s title “No pressure, no diamond.” The sequence of the title’s content was a matter of conjecture. She took a breath of relief before taking a glimpse of the other two notebooks. 

“Knock knock.”

The door is swiftly opened by her notorious brother just to barge in. Her focus diverts into the realm of friendly banter with many giggles and shared eye gaze. With an astonished look, he glances at the notebooks and tells her that the cover pages look familiar. 

On the spur of the moment, he rushes toward the storeroom and picks up a rustic brown wooden box that has metal brackets in the corner. He hands over the box to her and the first thing that she notices is the carving which is similar to the stamp in all the notebooks. 

Once they unlock the box, a photo of an old man sitting on this reading table is captured along with the same notebooks. 

It was a moment of awestruck infinity.  

Animon Rapacha 

BBM VI Semester, United College, Lalitpur