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What did my parents do during the Covid-19 lockdowns? They watched TikTok videos and shared them with half of their contact list on Viber. The endless loop of videos of people dancing and lip-syncing to Hindi movie songs and dialogues kept them entertained, engaged, and out of each other’s hair. The popularity of the free-for-all app for making and sharing short videos that was launched in 2016 has snowballed—and how. 

It became the most popular global app in 2019 and 2020 with 693m and 850m downloads respectively. As of 2021, TikTok had 1.1bn users worldwide. In Nepal, too, TikTok is a household name with people of all ages either watching or making content. Quite a few Nepali TikTok makers have a steadily increasing fan base and celebrity-like status. 

Shubham Shukla, founder of AS Dance Academy in Bhairahawa who has 4.2m followers on TikTok, says there was a time when he too didn’t understand the craze. His friend convinced him to make funny videos during the Covid-19 lockdown in April 2020. He did, posted the content on TikTok, and got an overwhelming response. “I got messages telling me to keep making these fun and light videos as they cheered people up during the lockdown. Some said it even helped them cope with the grim situation. It was very encouraging,” says Shubham who had 100 followers then. He gave himself a target of 10,000 followers within a month. At the end of the month, he had 100,000.

“I was motivated by the following I was getting and I made all kinds of videos—dance numbers, comedy skits, and other personal acts,” he says. He started by posting at least two videos a day (he still does) but during the lockdown, with so much time on his hands, he would post 10 to 15 videos in a day. With things returning to normal, it’s becoming difficult for Shubham to make regular content as he has other businesses to manage. Besides the dance studio, he also runs an advertising agency. But TikTok is his claim to fame and he’s not giving up easily. His strategy now is to film 14 videos on Saturdays and then ration them throughout the week.

But all’s not hunky-dory for TikTokers as they receive a fair amount of hate too. Asmi Bhandari, 19, from Parbat district, who got 50,000 views in 24 hours when she posted her first video on TikTok and currently has 2.5m followers, recalls the time India first banned the video sharing app in June 2020 and her relatives and friends rejoiced. They said it was over for her, that all she could do now was reminisce her short-lived glory. “It was heartbreaking to see people be so mean. They would write ‘RIP’ below my posts and photos,” she says. For a while, she was even afraid of stepping out of her home. The hate was palpable.

Manjil Basnet from Udayapur says it’s normal for people to judge and diss you on social media. Everyone will have an opinion, especially if you are doing well. The 24-year-old with 236,000 followers on TikTok says he saw his friend being bullied and trolled on Musical.ly and fear of negative comments made him put off posting content himself. But, over time, he has realized that people will judge you, no matter what. “What’s important is not to let it affect you. Brush it off as just another experience,” he says. 

Dmon Chhetri, 27, from Pokhara, with over 300,000 followers on TikTok, says Nepal has a lot of talent and TikTok has made it possible for them to showcase it with ease. Public acceptance and approval aren’t easy to get and those who want to make a name for themselves have to work hard, he says. “People are quick to pull you down. You have to ignore the negativity. There’s no way you’ll survive otherwise,” says Dmon. Also, if you don’t like something, don’t watch it. Selective content consumption is your right and you can train the AI on TikTok to only show you the kind of videos you like, adds Manjil. But to blame social media for the “ills it is perpetuating” by “making celebrities of millennials” is simply inane. 

With communities on fitness, fashion, literature (think BookTok where creators review and discuss books they have read), TikTok is also becoming a dominant source of news and networking. During the pandemic, US President Joe Biden’s administration recruited TikTok influencers to encourage people to get vaccinated. The same strategy was replicated in the White House’s attempt to help Ukraine fight the Russian invasion: 30 influential TikTok stars were asked to help the government ‘oppose misinformation’, thus preventing the possibility of a deadlier war. In December 2020, then Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli created an official TikTok account and posted a video talking about government work. 

But content creators agree that TikTok has gotten a bad rap because of the kind of trends it seems to promote. There’s also a repetitiveness that can be frustrating. Monasteries in Lumbini and many other places now have signs prohibiting people from making TikTok content there. Manjil, who was once consumed by TikTok and used to stay up till three in the morning making videos, says TikTokers must work on making their own content too. Else, the charm will soon be lost. “You can only do the same thing for so long and expect people to still love you,” he says.

But TikTok definitely gives a leg up to good content. Manjil, whose music video ‘Chunumunu’ has over two million views on YouTube, credits TikTok for promoting the song. Many people have discovered new artists and music because they were on TikTok. The same is true for books and authors and various other businesses. “I love music but I only listened to the likes of Nabin K Bhattarai and Sugam Pokharel. Snippets of songs on TikTok made me discover more Nepali music and there’s a lot of good stuff out there,” he says. 

Yet there is also no denying that TikTok thrives on trends and whether it will survive as the current audience outgrows the content depends on how it is used in the future. But, for now, it’s proving to be a boon for many. For Shubham, it just might be his ticket to Bollywood. Manjil makes TikTok for his own pleasure and it fuels his creative side. Dmon considers it a job of sorts with offers of paid promotions and opportunities for music videos coming his way. 

As for Asmi, being able to help some people in her village with their medical bills with her own money at a young age feels like the biggest blessing. And for many others like my parents, it’s bite-sized entertainment when they have a lot to do as well as something they can binge watch when they have absolutely nothing going on.

Despite the constitutional provisions guaranteeing the rights of the LGBTIQA+ community and despite the country’s pro-queer global image, members of the community still have to face all kinds of discriminations. This was also evident during a recent ApEx roundtable organized to bring the community’s issues out in the open.

Community members feel the government doesn’t care about them. Otherwise they would be better counted in the national census and there would be more jobs for them. They complain of still being judged based on their looks even as few people want to discuss their issues openly. Part of the problem is also their problematic portrayal in the movies and popular media where transgenders are mostly shown as sleazy and comic characters.

Then there are problems with their identification. Not everyone in the LGBTIQA+ community wants to be identified as ‘others’. But if a transwoman has to be identified as a woman, she first has to present a sex-change certificate, and not everyone can afford that.

These were some of the issues the LGBTIQA+ representatives flagged in the roundtable. They showed that while the country is progressive on paper, it has to do a lot more to make the community feel at home.

Full story here.

The constitution of Nepal has addressed the rights of LGBTIQA+ community in Articles 12, 18, and 42. Third gender has been legally recognized with its inclusion in voter rolls, immigration forms and the census. As the first South Asian country to recognize transgenders, Nepal has a progressive image. But the reality is different as the LGBTIQA+ community is still marginalized and faces discrimination of all kinds on a daily basis. ApEx organized a roundtable with a few representatives of the community to discuss how they are still victimized and what can (and should) be done about it. 

The government doesn’t care about us

Pinky Gurung, President, Blue Diamond Society

Everybody wants a dignified life. Nobody wants to be disrespected and humiliated. But the LGBTIQA+ community is treated as an outlier and has to deal with constant discrimination and mental abuse. We have been raising our voice and campaigning for equal rights for 22 years and though we have made some progress, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure even our basic rights. The government hasn’t addressed our issues because it doesn’t care about us. We are also under-represented data-wise and that puts us at a disadvantage. We had a lot of hopes pinned on the 2021 census but it has let us down.

Apart from identity crisis and societal acceptance, one of our main concerns is lack of work opportunities. This forces many people from our community into sex-work. Then again, sex-work is illegal in Nepal and we land up in problems frequently. So, what do we do to survive? Another issue is that there isn’t an understanding of the different kinds of sexual orientation and gender identities within our own community. When we are unable to understand ourselves, how can we expect other people to do so?

I believe the media has an important role and responsibility in bringing out our issues. Media can be a watchdog and make the government and other sectors accountable for their actions (and inactions). 

Transgenders are portrayed as sleazy or comic characters

Neelam Poudel, model, make-up artist and activist

We are never judged by our skills but on how we look and what we wear. It doesn’t matter how much hard work I put in, the moment someone finds out I’m a transwoman they will look down on me and think of me as a sex worker. There is this underlying bias that a transgender can only be a sex worker and nothing else. A doctor has let go of my hand and walked out the moment he realized I was a transgender, denying me a consultation. That incident still makes me nervous about going to the hospital.

Nobody wants to talk about our issues as we make people uncomfortable. The society, unfortunately, is still only used to male and female. There isn’t any room for anything that doesn’t fit those two boxes. The police give us a lot of suggestions but they won’t support us when we need them to. Our stories make it to the papers and television but we aren’t given important positions in those newsrooms. The LGBTIQA+ community is sidelined because we are thought of as incapable and inept.

I think a large part of the problem lies in how we are presented and how people thus perceive us. Transgenders are portrayed as sleazy or comic characters or shown as sex workers lined up on the streets of Thamel in Nepali movies. We need normal, if not positive, representation in stories which can be crucial in changing people’s mindset about us. 

Starting a family is next to impossible

Bhakti Shah, activist, Blue Diamond Society

The government doesn’t allocate a budget for our community. Even when it has a couple of times in the past, it hasn’t been dispensed. Where did it go? Why wasn’t it used to uplift our condition, to make life easier for us?

The constitution has granted our rights but there’s no practical implementation of that. As a transman, I should be able to get a citizenship identifying as a male. A transwoman should be able to get it as a female. Not everybody within the LGBTIQA+ community wants to be identified as ‘others’. But that’s the only provision available to us, unless we have a sex change certificate. The thing is not everybody can afford sex-change surgeries. They are expensive. They might not want one either since it’s risky.

Then there’s the issue of child adoption by couples within the LGBTIQA+ community. Starting a family is next to impossible. The government has a provision whereby a man and a woman who have been married for 10 years and don’t have children can adopt. It clearly says a man and a woman. So, two people of the same sex or unmarried couples can’t adopt. Many couples in our community go through a lot of mental turmoil because of that. There are legal loopholes preventing us from enjoying constitutionally guaranteed rights. 

People still don’t understand what LGBTIQA+ means

Swastika Nepali, province coordinator, Mitini Nepal

The LGBTIQA+ community is ostracized and harassed on a daily basis. People think we are different, a deviation, and we are discriminated on that basis. It doesn’t help that ours is largely a patriarchal society that values men above all else. We are also limited by our rigid mindsets. Many of us are unable to share our problems with our families and not having anybody to turn to is the main reason for mental health issues in the LGBTIQA+ community.  

When I came out as a lesbian, people started wondering if I was faking my periods. Many people thought gays and lesbians don’t have any sex organs. It’s appalling how people still don’t understand what LGBTIQA+ means. Unawareness and misunderstanding promote violence, abuse, and even suicide. A lesbian was raped by her father after she disclosed her sexual orientation. He thought she felt the way she did because she didn’t know what it was like to be with a man.  

There are many issues that need to be addressed by the government to ensure our desires and rights aren’t sidelined. One of the main ones is our right to have families of our own. Legal recognition of LGBTIQA+ relationships, including but not limited to same-sex marriages, could be the start of establishing a more gender-neutral society as well as guaranteeing those of the community their basic rights. 

Self-acceptance a huge issue in our community

Elyn Bhandari, activist, Blue Diamond Society

I look like a man but I have a uterus. I dread hospital visits. There have been times when I’ve visited gynecologists and they have outright refused to treat me, judging me by my appearance. I’ve received an ultrasound report with the size of the prostate gland, an organ I obviously don’t have, clearly written on it. The registration forms at hospitals only have the option of male and female and that in itself feels like harassment.

Many of us are undergoing hormone therapy but there are very few professionals who understand and are empathetic towards us. The health system should access our needs and create facilities according to our requirements. Health policies and plans aren’t LGBTIQA+ community friendly at the moment.

Self-acceptance is also a huge issue in our community and that stems from having nowhere to go. This leads to a lot of stress and we need counseling. But, again, there aren’t good counselors. We are always in a quandary about where to seek help and usually find all doors shut. Many people say they don’t know what LGBTIQA+ means but I don’t think in this day and age that should be used as an excuse for poor, discriminatory behavior anymore.

At the 21 license trial centers across Nepal, approximately 5,000 people appear for their driving test every single day. The Department of Transport Management, under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, introduced a new system last year whereby those applying for their licenses had to score 80 out of 100 points to be eligible for one. Before this, you would be failed for a single error. The new rules were made to ensure more people passed the test as only 25 percent got through in the previous system. This, driving school operators in Kathmandu valley say, has made it easier for people to get a license with minimal effort. So much so that they come to driving centers to prep themselves for the trial and not to learn how to drive.

Deepak Tamang, proprietor of Creation Driving School in Tinkune, Kathmandu and in Lokanthali, Bhaktapur, says 75 percent of the 100-plus people who come to them every month want a license. Learning to drive is secondary, something they will get around to after acquiring a license and driving on the roads for a few months. This kind of reckless attitude towards driving, he says, puts both the drivers and those around them at risk. As it is, there are already enough factors—bad roads, faulty engineering, flood and landslides—contributing to road accidents.

“You can learn to drive properly in a month or two with regular classes. But most people who come to us just want to pass the trial. They ask us to stick to the test format and teach them tricks to ace it,” says Tamang, who has been running a driving school for over a decade. Sanu Adhikari, who runs Adhikari Driving Training Center and has been driving for 30 years, says he recently got a group from Kalanki, Kathmandu, who wanted to learn how to pass the driving test. They didn’t know how to drive at all, he says.

Pushpa Maharjan, owner of Dev Driving Institute, says people often fill the license exams forms first and then come to the training center. They have 15 days or a month at the most to pass the exam and want to practice as much as they can in an open area, he says. When the instructors want to take them to the road to practice, they say they shouldn’t be wasting time on that now. “License aaucha ni? (‘Will I get a license?’) is a common question we get when people come to enroll in our driving classes,” says Maharjan.

Government data reveals that 2,500 people die every year in road accidents while thousands more are injured. A study by the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport found that 76 percent of highway accidents are caused by drivers not following traffic rules, or speeding. According to the WHO Global Status on Road Safety 2018, eight in 100,000 people die in highway and road accidents in developed countries, whereas in low-income countries like Nepal the number jumps to 27.5. In 2019, there were roughly 13,000 accidents in which 2,736 people lost their lives and 10,731 were injured. The numbers were slightly down in 2020 and 2021 due the Covid-19 lockdowns.

According to Suman Giri of Samyukta Driving School, driving in Kathmandu is a subjective thing. People simply aren’t aware of the rules as well as their blatant disregard for them. Everyone, he says, is doing his/her own thing on the road without a care for the repercussions of their actions. A taxi-driver ApEx questioned in Pulchowk, Lalitpur, said if he were to follow traffic rules he would never get anywhere. Another motorcyclist said it has never taken him more than 25 minutes in rush hour to reach his workplace in Sanepa, Lalitpur from Bansbari, Kathmandu as he is “quite talented in maneuvering his way through jams”.

Motor vehicle sales have been growing at an average annual rate of 32.1 percent from 2006 to 2019, according to CEIC. Every year, more and more people are taking to the roads. Without proper knowledge of traffic rules and driving skills, there will be even more chaos and accidents. Giri says traffic education should start at schools as knowledge of traffic rules and how you must behave on the roads whether you are walking or driving, should be ingrained early on. “Until that happens, we can start by getting driving schools to emphasize theoretical classes before letting anyone get behind the wheel. Even those who have a license don’t know the meaning of traffic signs or how to change a flat tire or check their vehicles’ engine oil. That kind of half-knowledge can be dangerous,” he says.

Agreeing with Giri, Tamang of Creation Driving School says driving instructors should also be trained. Currently, anyone who knows how to drive can open a driving school. But knowing how to drive and teaching the skill are two different things, he argues. A competent trainer, he says, will explain the concepts and techniques without getting frustrated, unlike what generally happens when your friend or relative tries to teach you.

Giri adds that a study they conducted found that 95 percent of road accidents were caused by those without any formal training. What mostly happens is one person in a family knows how to drive and he teaches another and the cycle continues. But just because someone knows how to drive doesn’t necessarily mean he will be able to teach well.

Raj Shah of Shah Motor Driving School thinks keeping a record of the driving certificates—mandatory while applying for a license—can instill a sense of obligation in those running driving schools. They are then likely to teach real driving as opposed to arming people with tricks to pass the trial. When you certify someone can drive and that certificate is considered a legal document you won’t give it to anybody, says Shah. “It’s not unusual for driving institutes to issue certificates for a couple of thousand rupees. This has to stop,” he adds.

Maharjan, on the other hand, thinks the government needs to come up with stricter rules for driving institutes. There should be a fixed learning system and proper monitoring to ensure the system is being implemented, he says. Giri says concerned government bodies, police, driving schools and media need to work together to shift the focus from getting a license to learning how to drive.   

Bishnu KC, spokesperson of Nepal Police, says there needs to be more studies to figure out a way to make license trials more effective so that by the time people sit for the exam, they have a good understanding of traffic rules and control over their vehicles. Apart from that, KC believes people need to be more aware of their road behavior. They are not only in a hurry but many think they do anything they want on the road.  “The problem isn’t that people don’t know how to drive properly. It is that they couldn’t care less,” he says.

‘Mari laijanu ke cha ra, euta tattoo ta ho!’ (“What will we take with us when we die, except our tattoos!”) is apparently the guiding mantra behind people getting inked these days. Many are choosing to get tattoos as they want a piece of something they hold dear (like their parents or children) or things that have meaning in their lives (mantras or symbols) to be an intrinsic part of them, say the artists ApEx spoke to. Whatever the reasons, tattoos, once controversial and a niche pursuit, are now a booming business with tattooists charging upward of Rs 4,000 an hour and a tattoo taking anywhere between a couple of hours to 10 hours to complete, with some even requiring multiple sessions.

Prashanna Man Pradhan, proprietor of Thamel Babu’s Tattoo and School, Nepal’s first tattoo studio opened in 1994, says earlier tattoos were limited to tribal prints and patterns but now the designs are elaborate, requiring hours of preparation. In 2017, when Donald Trump became the 45th US president, Pradhan drew his face on a Nepali man’s lower back. The man had lost a bet. But these kinds of random, impulsive tattoos are rare, he says. Most of his customers understand the implications of having a tattoo and are clear about what they want—and why.

“This change in how people see tattoos has been a boon to the artists,” says Abhishek Shakya of Tattoo Heritage in Thamel, Kathmandu. When customers know what they want, tattoo-artists can use their creativity to improve on that vision and create something meaningful and timeless. A student of fine arts specializing in Thangka painting and metal-carving, Shakya enjoys carving tattoos of traditional Nepali prints that have historical and cultural significance. “It’s not unusual for people to want a tattoo to mark a memory or keep a loved one close to their heart. Often, they are also reminders or amulets of sorts,” he says.

Tattooing has been practiced by different cultures for centuries. The oldest proof is a 5,300-year-old body of a man who remained frozen in a glacier in Italy, where it was discovered by two hikers in 1991. He had 61 geometric designs on his wrist, torso, lower back and legs. Ancient body art, dating back at least 3,000 years, has also been found in human remains in Chile, Egypt, China, and Russia. The ancient Greeks used tattoos to communicate among spies. The Romans marked criminals and slaves with tattoos. In Japan, too, a line was tattooed across criminals’ foreheads, with arches for each offense thereafter. The totality of three tattoos made the Japanese symbol for ‘dog’. Before going to war, some Europeans inked a cross on their hands or arms, which meant they wanted a Christian burial should they be killed.

In Nepal, too, tattooing has been a part of many communities, especially the Tharus. Their women have traditionally marked their bodies with lines, dots and crosses to enhance their beauty, like a permanent form of jewelry. Tattoos also had a protective purpose. In the bygone eras, it saved Tharu women from being kidnapped and kept as sex slaves by royals who apparently disliked tattoos of tribal and indigenous origin. Despite its cultural ties, tattoos get a bad rap as people associate them with drug addicts, goons, and prisoners. Shakya says one reason could be that previously tattoos were sloppily done and thus gave a ‘dirty’ impression. 

However, Kshitiz Shrestha of Tattoo Pasal in Jyatha, Thamel, says tattoos are widely accepted as art today. People use body art as a way to express themselves and to assert ownership of their bodies in a world that mandates conformity. It’s more or less an extension of their personalities. Shrestha says, as surprising as it might sound, youngsters are getting tattoos of gods and goddesses (albeit with a few tweaks). Older, god-fearing parents apparently find these images harder to object to. “You can say a tattoo is a talisman. I have seen it increase people’s confidence and foster body positivity,” he says.

But getting a tattoo is a major decision and the artists advise caution. Though tattoo removal is available, it’s a lengthy and painful process. Samyak Shakya, who runs a tattoo studio in Balkumari, Lalitpur, says youngsters often get tattooed on a whim. It’s also the artists’ job to counsel such clients and make them aware of what they are getting into. “You shouldn’t go by aesthetics alone. A tattoo has to look nice but that shouldn’t be the only reason you want one,” he says.

Even if you are sure about the kind of tattoo you want, it would be best to ensure the artist you go to gets your concept and will be able to execute it properly. “For that, you need to know what kind of art the tattooist or the studio you are going to specializes in. Some are good with traditional designs while others are good at modern art,” says Shrestha.

Anil Tamrakar, founder of Traditional Tattoo Nepal in Mangal Bazaar, Patan, says tattoos aren’t for everyone. Though it’s a personal choice, you shouldn’t get one because it’s trendy or you feel like it. In these fast-paced digital times where memories can be made and erased with ease, body art can be an indelible illustration of what’s important. But it’s also a lifelong commitment. “If you get a tattoo because the design symbolizes something you believe in or marks an occasion, you are less likely to regret it 10 years down the line when the novelty wears off,” Tamrakar says.

Juju Tamang, artist at Freak Street Tattoo in Basantapur, Kathmandu, who has made over 300 designs in his seven years in the business, says tattoo-placement is vital as well.

“Tattoos on the neck, wrist, and ribs are challenging for the artists as we have to be extremely careful in these delicate areas. But often these are the very places people want tattooed,” says Tamang. Shakya of Tattoo Heritage adds that he suggests his clients make tattoos in less noticeable places but inspired by their favorite Bollywood and Hollywood actors, people still want to tattoo their forearms and necks.

There have been instances of people having been asked to remove visible tattoos prior to medical tests that they had to undergo to be eligible to work in places like Qatar and the UAE. Although the stigma around tattoos has certainly gone down, most workplaces still frown on their open display. So making tattoos in easy-to-conceal places might be a better idea, counsel tattooists.  

Last year, Nepal’s Immigration Department proposed a rule that women under 40 needed written consent from a guardian or local government to travel abroad. Behind this absolutely brilliant idea was a board composed entirely of men. The proposal was shelved after a public outcry. This week, another such proposal emerged, with the same requirements. Additionally, traveling women now need to have a relative residing at the destination country. These regressive moves to restrict women’s rights are reminiscent of a culture that’s always been misogynist, where men have taken it upon themselves to make decisions for women.

Dr Aruna Uprety, public health specialist and women rights activist, says Nepali women are always under men. As a child, your father dictates your life. As an adult, your husband calls the shots. And when you are older, your son becomes the head of the family. A man can do as he pleases but a woman will need permission or ‘to consult’ the elders in her family. For women, free will is an alien concept.

“The worst thing is this sort of mental abuse comes in the guise of care and protection,” says Dr Uprety. You are always made to feel that you aren’t enough—not smart enough to make the right decisions for yourself, not strong enough to face life’s challenges, and definitely not capable enough to live on your own terms. An unmarried woman over the age of 30 or a divorced woman is considered a cultural deviation.

In his book ‘Sati’, historian Sujit Mainali shows how women have been oppressed through the ages and how the impact is still being felt. Apparently, we were only told half the story when they said there was a time women used to get on the funeral pyre when their husbands died. It was made to sound like a love story, a tale of devotion. But many women who were burnt alive with their husbands were beaten or sedated beforehand. Those who ‘willingly’ embraced Sati knew, without their husbands, the society would torment them, and chose the ‘easier way out’. 

“Women have faced centuries of cultural abuse for religious reasons. Women have always been devout and have given much importance to religion but religion is perhaps their biggest enemy,” says Mainali. There are no mentions of menstruation being impure in the Vedas (the only reference to it is related to the cursing of Lord Indra when he killed Vritrasur and part of the curse flowing as menstrual blood). But oppression continues to be justified in the name of religion. Chhaupadi, a tradition that confines young girls to mud huts or cow-sheds for the duration of their periods, routinely takes lives in western Nepal. Our society is still obsessed with having a male child. Dr Uprety brings up a recent case of a pregnant woman whose baby was breech, meaning the baby was lying bottom- or feet-first in the womb instead of the usual head-first position. In this case, she says, a cesarean is recommended to avoid complications. But, unknown to the woman, her family insisted on a normal delivery. They said they knew the child in the womb was a girl and were blinded by the myth that if the mother had a surgery the next child would also be a girl.

“The family didn’t want to ‘jeopardize’ their chances of having a son. They didn’t even care if the baby or the mother died during childbirth,” says Dr Uprety, adding that female feticide is still rampant in rural areas. Anuradha Koirala, CNN Hero and recipient of the Padma Shree, the fourth highest civilian award in India, says Nepali society largely favors men over women. Its consequences, she says, can be seen and felt in everyday life but they are often ignored as small things. Women let things slide to maintain peace but over time it has a cumulative effect on their mental health, she says.

From making household chores women’s sole preserve to buying and selling women into prostitution, there are covert and overt ways in which women are being exploited and treated as inferior to men, for men’s benefit, says Koirala, the founder of Maiti Nepal, an organization that rescues trafficked women. According to her, our upbringing is at fault. Parents don’t raise their sons and daughters in the same way. As much as many would like to pretend otherwise, there is a hidden bias.

Why else would there be thousands of supporters of Paul Shah, the actor accused of raping a 17-year-old girl? Many have raised questions about the girl’s character and even pointed fingers at her parents. The argument is that they should have been more protective. “When a woman is raped, we question her character. It’s not the rapist who faces societal scorn and stigma. It’s the victim. This goes to show our society’s predatory mindset towards women,” says Dr Uprety. 

Lily Thapa, social worker and founder of Women for Human Rights, which brings Nepalis widows together, says there have been a lot of policy-level changes, with women being granted fundamental rights and such. But the implementation of those laws is a different matter altogether. The fact is that those with decision-making authority are still beholden to patriarchal values. That’s the reason discriminatory policies aimed at limiting women’s agency are proposed now and then.

In her book, ‘The Second Sex’, French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir argues that man is considered the default while the woman is the ‘other’. She writes: “Humanity is male and man defines woman not in herself but as relative to him; she is not regarded as an autonomous being. She is the incidental, the inessential as opposed to the essential.” While one might argue that women have come a long way since the book was first published in 1949, the ‘progress’ is shameful if statistics on women employment, equal pay, and political representation are any indications. Women are still relegated to, at best, a sub-type of men, says Carolina Criado Perez, author of ‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’.

“In Nepal, there’s still a culture of kanyadaan. The Hindu ritual of the bride’s father giving her away during marriage signifies her place in society. She is always someone’s [almost always a man’s] ‘property’,” says Dr Uprety.

Back in 2011, the government had been looking into the possibility of a metro system in Kathmandu valley and carried out a feasibility study at five different places in core areas. Covering a distance of over 75km and including underground and elevated rail, the planned five lines, one of which was to run along the ring road, would connect most of the valley’s major nodes.

The government was even looking for possible donors and outside support. Fast-forward a decade and the development project is on the backburner. But experts insist increasing congestion in valley roads can be managed only by a mass transport system. Else, it will soon be impossible to commute in Kathmandu.

“If Kathmandu had a metro system, it would mean fewer vehicles on the roads and better connectivity. In places with high population density, the only way to increase mobility is through mass transport options,” says Padma Bahadur Shahi, president, Society of Transport Engineers Nepal. Shahi stresses the need for a Mass Rapid Transit, a mode of urban transport to carry large volumes of passengers quickly, for a thriving economy. He says more movement is vital for economic prosperity, for which fast travel is an imperative.

Kathmandu’s roads are choc-a-bloc with vehicles, garbage and construction materials. Road-expansion hasn’t done much to ease congestion. Without proper public transport, the number of private vehicles plying the roads keeps increasing each year. Nepal Motor Vehicles Sales recorded 21,805 sold units in 2019, way up from 1,400 in 2005. According to a report by the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, if all vehicles in Kathmandu valley were to be lined up, at 7.2 million feet, it would be longer than the total length of the valley roads (4.5 million feet). 

Poor public transport

Aman Chitrakar, senior divisional engineer and spokesperson at the Department of Railways under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, says Kathmandu valley urgently needs a railway system. The government had commissioned the detailed project report (DPR) for it but work has been on halt for some time. Chitrakar says Nepal is still dilly-dallying on the metro when it’s already too late. “Kathmandu’s floating population needs a metro service to ease congestion and provide people with an efficient mode of transport but we are still stuck in studies and preliminary activities,” he says.

Experts say every city needs good public transport—and it’s the government’s duty to ensure that. Nepal has failed to provide this essential service. It’s natural for major cities to face congestion but public transport should largely solve that. But there aren’t fitting government-run services to meet Kathmandu’s growing commuting needs.

The private buses aren’t reliable, as they don’t have fixed schedules and routes. Business-oriented as they are, their poor services (mainly unruly behaviors of drivers and conductors) and overcrowding have compelled many to save up and buy their own bikes or cars.

“With a metro service in the valley, people wouldn’t feel the need to buy vehicles. Kathmandu valley wouldn’t be so chaotic and polluted,” says Shahi, citing the examples of New York and Boston (in the US) and London, Manchester and Birmingham (in the UK) as cities with excellent public transport links. It’s not unusual for people there to ditch personal cars. Chitrakar says there is no alternative to a metro as nothing else can provide the same mass transport service: a standard metro can carry over 30,000 people an hour in a direction. 

The many challenges

But there are many constraints to developing a railway service in the valley. The Lalitpur Metropolitan City office apparently opposed the railway plan as the city sees a lot of jatras and authorities weren’t in favor of rail lines running above holy chariots. In areas where underground metro construction isn’t possible, overhead lines will narrow roads. Similarly, heritage sites in Kathmandu valley might obstruct railway paths. Another major challenge will be the valley’s uneven terrains. And then there is also the matter of railways ruining city aesthetics.

Not that having a metro in Kathmandu is an impossible dream. But there must be enough studies and research before committing to such an ambitious and important project. Roshan Devkota, civil engineer, feels Nepal needs to understand its transport requirements and work out a practical and sustainable solution. So far, it hasn’t been able to run effective bus services. Metro, Devkota says, will pose an even bigger challenge.

It’s also not just about building a metro system. The operation phase too should be planned in advance. “Having a metro is not enough, you should also be able to run it effectively. The government should work on making the metro service-oriented rather than not profit-driven,” he says.

Spokesperson Chitrakar emphasizes the need for more investment in public transport. There is no other way out. Madan Bandhu Regmi, urban transport development expert, says the current state of public transport in Kathmandu valley is appalling. First, it is primarily run by private companies, and that shouldn’t be the case. Second, it’s not enough or cheap. Many low-income families still have to think twice before using the bus on a daily basis. According to Regmi, public transport should run on government subsidies and people shouldn’t have to pay much. 

Exploring options

“Metro can help improve transport in Kathmandu valley. But it’s not the only option,” says Regmi, explaining that what is really needed is an integrated transport system. When they work in collaboration, various forms of public transport, like buses, tempos, and railways can brilliantly interlink people and places in Kathmandu valley where different areas have different infrastructures and requirements.

The focus should be on developing and using these modes of transport interchangeably. “The metro doesn’t need to connect all places in the valley. Where the metro can’t go, buses and tempos can fill the gaps. We need data and information to determine what is needed where. Then we need to work on developing a system accordingly,” he says.

Shahi says the government doesn’t have a framework of development. Its priority is ever-changing, prone to whims and fancies of those in power. Lack of foresight and unwillingness to conduct in-depth studies have always been the government’s weaknesses and the public ends up paying the price. There have been many studies on the valley’s public transport needs but the government has yet to endorse a single one, says Regmi. He says the way forward is to review all the studies till date to figure out how to create an interconnected multi-modal transport system.

That done, it can break the project down into sizable bits and get donor agencies and development partners involved. “The government takes so much development tax from us, year after year, but it isn’t able to spend. So, it actually has the financial means to build a metro in Nepal. It won’t even need outside help if it’s serious about it,” says Regmi.

Also, confusingly, there are different departments and ministries looking after urban transport in the valley. The Department of Railways, the Department of Roads, the Kathmandu Valley Development Authority and various metropolitan city offices are a few of the government bodies that deal with transport development. This, Regmi says, creates chaos and confusion and delays work.

Without coordination between these agencies, often there is no clarity on who is responsible for what. “We need a separate government department to deal with the various aspects of urban transport. It should be given all the authority required to create a system that works,” he says.

Sukhawati Store in Samakhusi, Kathmandu, which sells second-hand stuff at nominal prices, has recycled 40,000 kg of clothes since its 2014 launch. These clothes would have otherwise ended up in the Sisdol landfill that is already inundated with the valley’s trash. There are quite a few other second-hand stores in the valley and many more online accounts, especially on Facebook and Instagram, selling all kinds of pre-owned items, from clothes and accessories to gadgets and furniture. Thrifting—once a social taboo of sorts—is now considered a sustainable, eco-friendly option for shopping.

Samita Rana, program officer at Sukhawati, says when they started their main objective was to make good clothes accessible to low-income families. People who didn’t fall in that category hesitated to enter the store as the items there were all second-hand. But there has been a shift in that mindset in the past couple of years. Now their customers aren’t only those who can’t afford to shell out thousands of rupees for a dress or a sweater. Many youngsters also shop second-hand because they know it has a low impact on the environment and it has become trendy, too. Rana says the new generation, those between the ages of 20 to 35, seem to be especially keen on thrifting.

“People have a lot of stuff that they are looking to get rid of in an eco-friendly way. Social media has made it easier to sell those things by just posting a few pictures online,” says Rana. Hiroshi Khanal, who is soon launching the Instagram store Thrift Capital Nepal, testifies to that. He says he and his sister want to sell things they don’t need anymore. The money from it, Khanal says, will be donated to an orphanage they support. “Thrifting is a great way to make cash from your trash. We have finished collecting things we want to sell. Now, we will do a quick photoshoot and start uploading them,” he adds.

Rana believes buying things second hand is the only way to reduce consumption and eventually decrease production, putting a cap on fast fashion’s devastating carbon footprint: the fashion industry contributes an estimated 10 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions. According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, by 2030, emissions from textile manufacturing are projected to go up by 60 percent. Fast fashion is also labor- and resource-intensive. It takes 10,000 liters of water to produce a kilogram of cotton or approximately 3,000 liters of water for a single cotton shirt. There have also been numerous reports of forced and child labor in the fashion industry in Bangladesh, China, India, Philippines, Vietnam, and Brazil, among others—countries that make the clothes available in our market today.

In 2013, an eight-floor commercial building in Dhaka, Bangladesh named Rana Plaza collapsed, killing 1,134 workers and injuring more than 2,500. The building housed garment factories of American and European brands. A 2015 documentary, ‘The True Cost’, shows the events leading up to the incident. Apparently, right before the collapse of the Rana Plaza, the laborers had been forced into the factory despite a crack being seen in the walls. The documentary reveals more horrors of exploitation in what is a labor-dependent industry. According to director Andrew Morgan, employees are subjected to humiliation and live on low salaries besides working in toxic environments in unsafe buildings.

Buying previously-owned stuff keeps products in circulation for longer and that can eventually curb excess production and wastage. Manish Jung Thapa, founder of Antidote, says you extend an item’s life when you buy second-hand and with more and more people doing it, it can have a huge environmental and social impact. These days, in Nepal, it definitely isn’t just those without the financial means who are opting for second-hand items. Women who work in the development sector, well aware of the implications of their actions, seem to be more inclined to thrift. Then there are also those who want to save money. “When you can get something for Rs 500, nobody wants to spend four or five times that amount,” says Thapa, explaining the current allure of thrifting.

However, there needs to be strict quality control to ensure second-hand doesn’t literally mean rubbish. Else, people will quickly lose faith and hesitate to shop at thrift stores. Aavas Rajkarnikar, who deals in second-hand vintage electronics, says customers often ask many questions before making a purchase. This, he says, is because products don’t come with warranties. It’s not uncommon for thrift stores to have a no-return or exchange policy as well. Thapa of Antidote says they have a 100 percent money back guarantee if an item they sell isn’t as specified on their page. “This kind of approach to thrifting can make it risk-free and help popularize it even more,” he says.

Sunaina Shrestha, founder of Thriftmandu, says many thrift stores in Nepal sell quality stuff, including branded items and people really shouldn’t hesitate to make second-hand purchases. She thinks the problem is that many of these stores are limited to online platforms, and having physical outlets would make things easier. That way, she says, people can check an item before buying it and be assured of its good condition. Thapa, on the other hand, feels the media should talk more about thrifting and familiarize more people with the idea and its importance. Social media influencers and celebrities could also play a pivotal role in promoting this sustainable behavior, he says.

Thrifting has long been a popular culture in western countries with the likes of Oxfam, Goodwill, and Salvation Army running charity shops where people can buy a variety of things at affordable prices. In Nepal, books and furniture have always had good second-hand markets. Narayan Sapkota has been selling used books at Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu, for over 30 years. There are more like him in the area. Used-furniture stores are a dime a dozen in the valley.

Yet people are still skeptical about pre-owned clothes and other personal items like shoes and accessories. But reusing clothes can contribute to a circular economy like no other: the fashion industry, according to The World Economic Forum, produces 150 billion garments a year globally, nearly three fifths of which end up in the landfill within a few years. “People are slowly starting to realize that reusing and recycling clothes is kinder on the planet and starting to donate or sell their clothes instead of tossing them in the trash. But there are still far too many who don’t care,” says Rana.