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Call it ‘Balen effect’ or ‘Sampang effect,’ many young and educated people have declared their independent candidacies for the November elections, and the old-established parties feel unsettled.  The groundswell of urban voters’ support to independent candidates in the May election has made parties realize they cannot risk fielding political stooges and placement in the upcoming polls.

Anthropologist Laya Prasad Uprety says the wave of independent candidacies in local and national elections is a sign that Nepali voters, mostly youths, are deeply disenchanted with the established political parties. “Since 1990, Nepali political parties have failed to work for the interest of people. And many of today’s young generation see these parties and their leaders as part of the problem,” says Uprety. “That is why we are seeing a rise in independent election candidates.” Political analyst Lok Raj Baral has a different thought regarding the rise in independent candidates.  

He says there is a significant difference between local and federal elections. “Yes, the effects of Balen and Sampang’s victory in the local elections might sway some voters to pick independent candidates, but it cannot make that much of a difference to hurt the established parties.”

Full story here.

On Aug 29, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said at a public function that his party was seeking candidates who could gain sentimental votes in the November 20 elections to the federal and provincial assemblies. “Balen won the same way,” he said, referring to the unprecedented victory of the incumbent Kathmandu mayor in the May 13 local polls.

The rapper turned independent mayoral candidate, Balendra Shah had defeated the candidates from major political parties. Following Dahal’s remarks, there was a rumor that the Maoist party was considering Kulman Ghising, managing director of Nepal Electricity Authority, who is credited for resolving the problem of perennial power cuts in the country, as one of its candidates for the November polls. Ghising has since refuted the rumor, but there is a deep significance to Dahal’s statement.

Call it ‘Balen effect’ or ‘Sampang effect,’ many young and educated people have declared their independent candidacies for the November elections, and the old-established parties feel unsettled. The groundswell of urban voters’ support to independent candidates in the May election has made parties realize they cannot risk fielding political stooges and placement in the upcoming polls.

Suman Sayami has declared his candidacy for a federal parliament seat from Kathmandu-8. He is a prominent Newa rights activist and heritage conservationist, who had also run as an independent mayoral candidate for Kathmandu Metropolitan City back in May. He says Nepali people want progressive, independent candidates who can establish rule of law and good governance.

“The victory of Balen and Sampang in the local polls reflects the desire of Nepali voters.” Sayami is also the coordinator of ‘Lauro Campaign’, a loose alliance of independent candidates who have been lobbying to get ‘Lauro’, the election symbol of Balen and Sampang, as their election symbol for the November polls. Pukar Bam, another independent candidate from Kathmandu-1, says the outcome of local elections in cities like Kathmandu and Dharan show that people are tired of traditional political parties.

“The local elections have encouraged many young people to contest in the federal elections as independent candidates,” he adds. Bam was a campaigner for the ‘Enough is Enough’ protest movement against the KP Oli government’s poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. He believes there is a good winning probability for independent candidates after they have agreed to form alliances in some constituencies. “Previously, there were over two dozen independent groups who were planning to contest the upcoming elections,” says Bam. “After we agreed to forge alliances, the number has come down to three.”  Sagar Dhakal is another hopeful independent candidate, who has declared his candidacy from Dadeldhura-1, the hometown of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Dhakal, who came to limelight after a heated exchange with Deuba on live TV in 2017, is a hydro-mechanical engineer by profession. He says Balen and Sampang have offered hope to Nepali people that all is not lost. “Every step of Balen and Sampang is being discussed by people in all corners of Nepal,” he says.

“This is entirely a new phenomenon and it gives hope and encouragement to independent candidates.” Political analyst Lok Raj Baral has a different thought regarding the rise in independent candidates.   He says there is a significant difference between local and federal elections.

“Yes, the effects of Balen and Sampang’s victory in the local elections might sway some voters to pick independent candidates, but it cannot make that much of a difference to hurt the established parties.” He believes that if someone is going to change Nepali political culture that is independent groups who are not affiliated to any established political parties. Aakarshan Pokharel, a civil engineer turned politician has already announced his candidacy in Kathmandu-4, against the general secretary of the Nepali Congress Gagan Thapa.

“Balen and Sampang gave Nepali people a hope, an alternative to traditional political parties,” says Pokharel. “These two mayors are being widely hailed by the public. The perception of voters towards independent candidates has changed.” Arnico Panday, an independent candidate from Lalitpur-3, also gives credit to Balen and Sampang for his decision to run in the November elections. “I had thought of contesting in parliamentary elections before, but I was hesitant then. The rise of independent candidates has given me confidence.” 

Panday is an expert on environmental science and public policy. It is important for Panday and his fellow candidates that Nepali people outvote the old, outdated political candidates. They want the candidates with a clear vision to win, not those with unnecessary political agendas. “Nepal needs people-centric leaders.” Balen and Sampang have also proved that election campaigning should not necessarily be an expensive affair. They believe that the most important thing is for the candidate to connect with the voters by visiting their homes and neighborhoods.   “I am not in favor of expensive election campaigns and promotion,” says Dhakal. “I am instead visiting the communities in my constituency and explaining my agendas to them.” Anthropologist Laya Prasad Uprety says the wave of independent candidacies in local and national elections is a sign that Nepali voters, mostly youths, are deeply disenchanted with the established political parties. “Since 1990, Nepali political parties have failed to work for the interest of people. And many of today’s young generation see these parties and their leaders as part of the problem,” says Uprety. “That is why we are seeing a rise in independent election candidates.”

Uprety, however, adds that the global historical precedence suggests that independent candidates could never become an alternative to established political parties. “At the moment, young Nepalis think voting for independent candidates is the way to go, which I wholly support, but in the long run, we need political parties.” Uprety says the voting pattern this time will be different than previous elections, as the result of local elections has projected few independent wins in federal polls. “The established political parties have already realized this. We have to see how they will pick their candidates.”

Manushi Yami Bhattarai, who has been lobbying for her candidacy from Kathmandu-7, is happy with emerging independent candidates. “This trend has rattled the major political parties, which is a good thing.” Bhattarai, who is the daughter of former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, believes if independent candidates were to win in the upcoming elections, political parties will be forced to improve. “I believe in a multi-party democracy, but I also support independent candidates,” she says. “It will help our democracy.” 

Ropeways are an ideal means of human and goods transport in Nepal, a country filled with rugged mountains and hills. In fact, installing ropeways are six times cheaper than building roads. Yet there has been little interest in their development. Studies suggest Nepal could have up to 2,000 ropeways and feasibility studies have been completed on 62 of them. So what accounts for the paucity of ropeway carriages zipping over our hills and valleys?

The lengthy bureaucratic process is one problem. For instance, for an investor to build a ropeway, he or she has to get permits from 21 different government agencies. Cable cars—of the kind we see in Manakamana and Chandragiri—are also a kind of ropeway. The Manakamana cable car was first established in 1998. Quickly, the economy and job prospects of the surrounding areas were transformed. There could be no clearer case of a high social return on investment. Yet it would be another two decades before another cable car company came into operation. Surprisingly the government has taken no initiative to expand the reach of ropeways and cable cars. Private companies are doing all the heavy lifting.  

This is a case of misplaced priorities. Politicians have forced people to see longer and wider roads as synonymous with development, despite the enormous environmental and financial costs incurred in the process. The cable car system could also be mighty useful in urban hubs. “Our politicians have been pitching for metro-rail and monorail to ease Kathmandu valley’s traffic congestion,” says Guna Raj Dhakal, chairperson of Ropeway Nepal Pvt Ltd. “But a cable car system could address the problem of urban mobility even better.” There is also ample scope, all around Nepal, for the ropeways that exclusively transport goods. Unlike the people-carrying cable cars, they don’t need that many permits to operate as well.

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Rudra Neupane, 44, comes from a farming family background in Sindhupalchok. His village was at a remote part of the district, where there were no schools until the 1980s.  Neupane went to school fairly late in his life and came to Kathmandu in 1994 for higher studies. In 1997, he was called back to his village to vote in the local elections, but he remained there for five years. 

“I had gone home to vote but I stayed there after I was offered a teaching job in the high school that I attended as a child,” says Neupane. “Later on, I quit teaching and started working at the District Development Committee as a social mobilization officer.” He got married in 2001 with his wife, who was also a teacher. Neupane says his wife didn’t didn’t like the teaching field and wanted him to find another line of work. His work as a social mobilization officer, though a government job, was a temporary one, so he wanted to find a good stable employment.

“But finding a job was challenging back then,” Neupane says. “The difficulty in finding a decent job made me realize that I should rather start my own business and create jobs for others.” The couple decided to start a business but they had no promising entrepreneurial idea. They analyzed the market and consulted with friends and relatives. Neupane’s maternal uncles were already in the trade business, but it was not what he wanted.  “I was more inclined into agriculture-related business because of my farming background.” The agriculture-based business never panned out. The couple instead started Run Shoes Industries, a footwear company, in 2012. Neupane says the idea for the company came to him while working with footwear wholesalers to support his family in Kathmandu.

“Had those footwear wholesalers not supported me technically and financially, I could not have started this company,” he says. “So all the thanks and gratitude go to them.”  Neupane started Run Shoes with an investment of Rs 20m and within a couple of years, expanded the company’s footwear market across Nepal. The company is now worth Rs 500m, according to Neupane’s own estimates.  The company owns two footwear factories in Bode, Bhaktapur, and in Mulpani, Kathmandu, and employs 250 workers.

In the early days, Run Shoes used to import soles for its footwear from China, Singapore and South Korea but today, the company itself produces the soles and other parts.  “The only thing we import is the raw materials to make soles,” says Neupane.  With the success of the footwear business, Neupane is also branching out to other areas of business. He has also started a garment factory and is involved in a couple of hydropower projects.

Besides, he is also working toward realizing his long-held dream of starting an agro-based company.  “The company will not be for profit. It will be there just to facilitate farmers and provide them with good tools and technologies.”

Five ropeways for human transport and almost a dozen gravity goods ropeways are in operation in Nepal. Ropeways are an ideal mode of human and goods transport for Nepal’s hill- and mountain-dominant terrains. Their potential, however, is yet to be fully realized. Reports suggest that the country could have ropeways in nearly 2,000 areas and feasibility studies have been conducted in 62 places. But to install a ropeway for people transport in Nepal, an investor has to get approval from 21 different government authorities.

“We’ll not attract investors unless our bureaucratic hurdles are simplified,” says Guna Raj Dhakal, chairperson of Ropeway Nepal Pvt Ltd.  Installing ropeways is six times cheaper than building roads and the maintenance cost is also low. The 42-km Hetauda-Kathmandu Ropeway, for instance, cost half as much as the Tribhuvan Highway on the same route to build. “Yet the government is still skeptical about ropeways,” adds Dhakal. “We don’t even have a dedicated ropeway department or policies for that matter.” When CPN (Maoist Center) joined mainstream politics after signing the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006, the party committed to installing around 50 government-run ropeways in its first election manifesto. The party has been in almost every government since, but the old promise is yet to be fulfilled. 

Haribol Gajurel, the party’s deputy general secretary, blames political instability for this state of affairs. “Our party led the government only twice and only for short durations,” he says. “We were unable to work on our plans.” He says ropeways are still on the list of his party’s priority projects.

Tulsi Gautam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, says the ministry is well aware of the ropeway’s potential in Nepal, and its suitability in terms of both cost and practicality. “However the government as of now has no plans to commission a ropeway project on its own.”  He says it is normal for a ropeway company to get approval from many government agencies. “Even the process of obtaining a citizenship requires several approvals and recommendations,” he adds, making the case for the rigmarole of ropeway project approval.  Manakamana cable car was the first of its kind in Nepal. Manakamana Temple and nearby villages, situated at the top of a hill in Gorkha district, were an isolated place until 1998. People had to walk for almost six hours from Aabukhaireni to reach the top. But things changed drastically after Manakamana Darshan Pvt Ltd started the cable car operation.  It transformed the Manakamana area by pulling in over a million tourists a year.

Businesses around the area flourished and many new jobs were created. “The benefits of the cable car system were not limited to people living in Manakamana area, but also touched the locals of Kurintar, Malekhu, Munglin, and even Naubise,” says Dilli Narayan Kayastha, the company’s managing director. “I have seen hotels nearby shut down when we closed for maintenance.” It took nearly two decades after Manakamana cable car for Nepal to get another ropeway transport service—Chandragiri Hills Pvt Ltd in Kathmandu, to be followed by Kalinchowk Darshan Ltd in Dolakha and Annapurna Cable Car in Kaski. All of them are privately funded projects.

Also read: Nepal’s most iconic ropeways—now abandoned

“Despite the hurdles, over two dozen cable car services are either in the process of commercial operation, construction or feasibility study,” says Dhakal of Ropeway Nepal.

IME Group, which built Chandragiri Cable Car under Chandragiri Hills Pvt. Ltd., is currently working on five additional cable car services. These include Gaidakot-Maulakalika (1.2km), Butwal Bazar-Basantapur (3km), Chisapani Highway-Rajkada (Kailali), Sikles-Kori (Kaski) and Ghantikhola-Swargadwari Temple in Pyuthan district.

Works are also afoot to start a cable car service in Pathivara Temple in Taplejung. Besides, private companies are conducting ropeway transport feasibility studies in Dakshinkali-Chaukhatdevi, Budhanilkantha-Shivapuri Hill and Bohoratar-Nagarjun Hill in Kathmandu; Godawari-Phulchowki Hill in Lalitpur; Ghorahi-Swargadwari Temple in Pyuthan; Ghyangphedi-Gosainkunda in Rasuwa; Lukla-Namche Bazar in Solukhumbu; Devghat-Moulakalika Temple in Chitwan; and Ranital-Maulakalika in Nawalparasi.  Nepal Investment Board is also facilitating the study for an 84-km cable car service from Birethanti-Kagbeni-Ranipauwa to Muktinath Temple in Mustang. If implemented, the project is expected to significantly boost tourism and improve the livelihood of local people.

Dhakal says though cable cars conjure up an image of a major pilgrimage site or tourist destination somewhere in a hill or mountain terrain, they could also help address the problem of traffic congestion in city areas. “Our politicians have been pitching for metro-rail and monorail to ease Kathmandu valley’s traffic congestion,” he adds. “But I believe that the cable car system could better address the problem of urban mobility.”  Ganesh Ram Sinkemana, an expert on gravity goods ropeways, has installed ropeways in various parts of Nepal, India, and Bhutan. He says gravity ropeways are perfect for transporting goods as they do not need external power to operate. “Two linked trolleys, on pulleys, run on separate wires suspended from towers. As the full trolley comes down, pulled by the weight of its load, it pulls the empty one up, ready for the next load,” says Sinkemana.

Unlike ropeways for transporting people, gravity goods ropeways do not require many approvals. Just the permit of the respective local government will do.  Sinkemana firmly believes that ropeway technology will maximize the use of locally available resources and manpower, creating jobs and business opportunities. “Yet we are not building them. Our politicians are more interested in having expensive roads and bridges.” 

When Kushma-Balewa Mechanical Bridge, a ropeway system, was constructed in 2013 to connect two hills of Kushma and Parbat separated by the Kaligandaki River, the four-hour journey between the two places was reduced to four minutes. Local businesspersons initiated the project after the government ignored their request to install a suspension bridge to ease the mobility of goods and people.   

“The government did not help us. So we took it upon ourselves and built this ropeway,” says Hom Narayan Shrestha, chairperson of Kushma Balewa Mechanical Bridge Company. Much like Kushma-Balewa Mechanical Bridge, Kotre-Punitar Mechanical Bridge was also built without government assistance in order to connect Tanahu and Kaski.

But it was shut down following the installation of a suspension bridge.  Ram Chandra Khanal, chairperson of Kotre Punitar Mechanical Bridge Company, says ropeway transport had to be shut even though many locals favored it over the suspension bridge. “If the government had supported us, we would have revived this technology as the locals are also in favor of Yantrik Pul instead of suspension bridge,” says Khanal.

Health officials have reported a dengue outbreak in Kathmandu and other parts of the country. According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), 70 districts across the country have reported a rise in the disease-incidence. Between January and July, there have been over 1,100 known dengue cases. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talks to Dr Baburam Marasini, public health expert and former EDCD director.

Can you briefly explain dengue’s history in Nepal?

Nepal saw a massive outbreak of malaria in 1958. To fight the disease, a program was launched to eradicate malaria with the assistance of the US. The situation had become largely normal by the 2000s but soon after the program was discontinued, the number of mosquito-borne diseases started to increase again. The first case of dengue in Nepal was reported in 2004 and since, we have been seeing the disease every year, particularly in the Tarai districts. In 2010, over 900 dengue cases and five deaths were reported, in what was Nepal’s first dengue epidemic. Dengue was classified as an epidemic in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 as well, with the disease stalking more than 60 districts.    

Dengue used to be common only in the Tarai. But lately, cases have been seen in Kathmandu and other hill regions. What is that the case?

Kathmandu’s weather was not suitable for the mosquitoes carrying dengue virus until a couple of years ago. But in recent years, Kathmandu has witnessed a rise in temperature. As a result, the mosquito species (Aedes aegypti) known to spread dengue and malaria started migrating to Kathmandu and other hill districts. Climate change has contributed to this situation. An infected mosquito lays 500 to 1,000 infected eggs in its lifespan of around 30 days and has a coverage area of 500 meters. So, it won’t take long for infection to spread.

What can we do to protect ourselves against dengue?

The most important thing is not to let mosquitoes breed in our surroundings. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, so people should maintain clean surroundings. Discarded tires are chiefly to blame for spreading dengue. They are ideal breeding grounds for dengue-causing mosquitoes. They should be properly disposed. The water in the air conditioner should also be regularly changed, so that the mosquitoes cannot breed there. It is also important to regularly clean our bathrooms and areas where water accumulates.  Installing wire mesh on doors and windows, wearing full-sleeve clothes and using mosquito repellent lotion are also effective solutions. 

Can there be policy-level interventions to eradicate dengue?

There must be strict laws. First, the government must regulate the way discarded tires are managed. They must be packed in plastic and should not contain water inside. For mosquitoes, tires are the best place to breed as the rubber does not absorb collected water.  Lots of tires were burned during protests in Tarai over the new constitution in 2015. This led to a significant decline in mosquito-borne diseases in the region around that time. So you can see how discarded tires can spread dengue and malaria.  Covering open drains and sewage systems is also important. Local governments must maintain them for the sake of public health. 

The local governments have used fogging to fight dengue. Is that a good way out?

No. Fogging only kills mosquitoes, it does not eradicate them. Our program must focus on destroying mosquito larvae. Besides, fogging also kills other insects like honey bees and butterflies. It is in fact harmful to public health as well. Authorities are launching mosquito-fogging drives just to show that they are doing something to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. They should stop this publicity stunt and do some real work.

Nepal Police recorded 13,716 cases of domestic violence against women in the fiscal year 2018/19. This figure dropped to 10,727 in 2019/20 before rising again to 12,832 in 2020/21. Many women rights organizations, including Women’s Rehabilitation Center Nepal (WOREC), believe the cases of domestic violence were grossly underreported during Covid-19 pandemic. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talks to Renu Adhikari, chairperson of WOREC.

Why do you think cases of domestic violence increased during the pandemic?

The main reason is that everyone was cooped up in their homes for a long time. In households with a history of domestic violence and abuse, women were not safe. They might have been abused and beaten by their husbands and partners but the reporting mechanism was weak during the lockdown. As a result, cases of violence against women were underreported.  

Did the cases decrease after the easing of the lockdown then?

Cases of domestic violence against women never decrease. Certainly, the reported case numbers fluctuate from one month to another, but that does not mean the incidents of domestic abuse and violence are going down. You can see this if you refer to WOREC’s monthly report. What we can deduce though is that cases drop during the festive holidays as the survivors do not report them. It was the same during the lockdown.  

Are our legal laws adequate to come to the help of domestic violence survivors?

They are. If you look at provisions for cases related to domestic violence (excluding sexual violence and others), they are progressive. Besides punishment to the abuser, our laws include the provisions of compensation, a safe house and counseling for the survivors. But what we lack is implementation. Those who are in charge of providing justice are simply unaware about these provisions. The way Nepali society treats its women is not helpful either. Our society further inflicts emotional and mental torture on the survivors. Take the recent case of Niharika Rajput, which again shows the general mindset of Nepali society towards a survivor of violence. Many people still don’t acknowledge the rights and identity of women. 

How would you rate the life of survivors who have reached out to your organization?

If the survivors return to their abuser’s house, it is only a matter of time before they are abused and mistreated again. WOREC has come across many cases where survivors have come back to our organization seeking safety, as their decision to return to their abusers didn’t go as expected. But those who started living alone or with relatives are doing well. They are working to sustain their life and living independently.

What problems do those survivors living in shelter homes face?

I can’t tell you about other shelter homes but only our own. Teen pregnancy is a serious concern for us. There are child rape survivors who become pregnant. Their belly do not start showing until the sixth month and by that time they are past the abortion cutoff period. I have been raising this concern with the authorities, to no avail. While adult survivors can live independently after support and counseling, the same is not the case for young girls and teenagers. The authorities should come up with a plan to address this issue.

Hotline numbers

Nepal Government: 1234

Armed Police Force: 1114

Nepal Police: 100, 1113 (for rescue)

Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare: 1618014200082

National Women Commission: 1145

Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Nepal: 16600102005

WOREC: 16600178910

Shakti Samuha: 16600111117

Barahi Hospitality & Leisure has been serving customers for almost four decades now. The business that started out with an ordinary lodge in Pokhara has today expanded into a group of four-star hotels and restaurants. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talks to Baibhav Paudel, the company director.

What attracted you to the hospitality business?

As Barahi is a business started by my father, I got to know about this sector from an early age. Also, I grew up in Pokhara’s Lakeside area, where my childhood was spent around tourists. I guess, that experience also drove me towards hospitality and tourism. I went to the US for my higher studies at 17. There, I learned more about hospitality and tourism. I did my master’s degree in International Business and I am currently doing my MBA in Tourism and Hospitality. Despite being a Green Card holder in America, my interest in this sector brought me back to Nepal to join my family business. Besides being the director of Barahi Hospitality & Leisure. I am also a board member of the Hotel Association as well as Restaurant Association Nepal. I am also serving as the president of Gandaki Toastmasters and have completed my tenure as the president of the Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs Forum. So I am closely tied to the hospitality and tourism industry of Nepal.

Tell us about your pandemic experience.

The tourism and hospitality sector was the first one to get hit and the last one to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Many businesses had to shut down. But we used the period focusing on renovation works of our hotels. We renovated all of our amenities, something we had been planning to do for a long time. We utilized the period perfectly.

What are the hotels that fall under Barahi Hospitality?

There are three in total. Hotel Barahi in Pokhara and Barahi Jungle Lodge in Chitwan are four-star properties. The other one is Sarangkot Mountain Lodge. Besides that, I have my startups too: Bobs Gym, Byanjan Restaurant, Bagaincha Wellness Resort and The Beach Bar and Lodge.

How is Barahi Hospitality & Leisure different from others?

We have a legacy that others don’t. In our 40 years of service, we have made ourselves a trusted brand. We also routinely upgrade and maintain our properties. Every five years, we do regular maintenance and renovations. We keep trying new designs and amenities in our hotels to satisfy our customers’ needs.

What changes did your leadership bring to the business?

I have focused on expanding our branches. Next month, we are planning to open Barahi Plaza in Kathmandu. In Pokhara, a new project, Barahi Sedi, is under construction and two more projects, Bastup Resort in Pokhara and Barahi Bodhi in Lumbini, are in the designing phase.

What is your advice to aspiring entrepreneurs?

I suggest them not to rush. Quite often, I have seen young entrepreneurs expecting profit right after the investment, but the business doesn’t work like that. You have to wait for years. Many aspiring entrepreneurs were skeptical about investing due to the pandemic but as things have eased now, I hope they will enter into business.