Submit your Article

Birth: 2 July 1929, Bara
Death: 17 December 2021, Kathmandu

Playwright Prachanda Malla, who recently passed away at the age of 92, was one of the pioneers of theater in Nepal, who dedicated his life to boosting the local theater scene.

Growing up in Barewa, Bara, Malla always had a little theater artist in him. He used to spend hours in front of the mirror repeating dialogues to later showcase before his friends and family. A part of him knew that this was his calling even if, at that time, there were not many viable ‘jobs’ in this sector.

The artist in him started to truly blossom when in 1952, the 23-year-old Malla found himself performing in front of the great dramatist Bal Krishna Sama. He got to play three characters in Sama’s ‘Amar Singh’. Sama inspired him to keep moving forward; perhaps that was the reason he held Sama’s handwritten notebooks close to his heart all his life.

The same year, under Sama’s influence, Malla’s journey as a playwright also began. His first play was a simplified version of Sama’s ‘Amar Singh’ for a yearly program for the Royal Nepal Army headquarters. Sama soon became his first audience and a father figure in the literary world.

Also read: Dr Rajesh Pradhanang obituary: A socially responsible homeopathic doctor 

His pen then started writing what have since become some of the greatest historical plays. In 1961, his play ‘Nitriyabhinaya’ was first published in Gorkhapatra, followed by other works in different newspapers and literary magazines. Recognizing his contribution to Nepali drama, in 1964 he was appointed drama and music specialist at the department of drama and music, Royal Nepal Academy.

His work took him to Moscow where he trained on scholarship at the State Institute of Theater, Moscow, in 1966. When he returned, he infused Nepali theater with new enthusiasm. He was soon promoted as chief drama and music manager in the academy’s department of drama and music.

His first book on the history of Nepali theater ‘Nepali Rangmanch’ was published in 1980. Some of his other well-known works are ‘Tilganga’ (a collection of historical short plays), ‘Tathanga’, ‘Balbhadra Kunwar', ‘Kantipur ko Rangmanch', ‘Bhatriprem’ and ‘Paschatap’. In 2010, Malla resigned from the academy and was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama.

In his life dedicated to acting, writing, and directing, Malla found his niche in direction, which he considered the most challenging among the three. So he directed over 300 plays in his lifetime for programs for the army, police, schools, colleges, and other organizations.

Malla had been suffering from respiratory problems when he passed away on 17 December 2021 at Civil Hospital, New Baneshwor. He is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Awards:

‘Indra Rajyalaxmi Pragya Puraskar’ (1991)
Aarohan Samman (1990) 
Sarwanaam Samman (1991)
Bal Krishna Sama Samman (2001)

Shy and introverted, Shilpa Maskey transforms into a confident and expressive version of herself every time she steps onto the stage to dance. 

Maskey first found herself dancing as she watched her mother groove to the tunes on the radio. When she was five, she was already awing the audience with her performances. 

Born in Biratnagar to a nurse and a development worker, Maskey traveled with her family to different parts of Nepal, wherever her father worked. Until she was eight, she had spent most of her time in Khandbari, Sankhuwasabha. 

It was here that the now 30-year-old started dreaming of becoming a choreographer one day. “My mom always pushed me to take part in stage programs and festivals that were held in our village,” she shares. “I was known for my dancing in school and my love for it only grew with age.” 

When she was around nine, her family moved to Kathmandu, where she completed her schooling. After holding herself back from her hobby for a while in the new environment, she started dancing and winning competitions again. 

As an eighth-grader, Maskey already knew she wanted to become a classical dancer. 

After her 10th grade, she again took a contemporary dance class while she was applying to study in the UK. But then she decided to pursue a career in chartered accounting. The demanding curricula meant her dancing got lost between college and working at a restaurant. 

“I let go of my dream of becoming a choreographer for some time as I couldn’t afford dance classes,” she shares. “At least until I realized that studying CA didn’t make me happy”. She switched subjects and finished her three-year diploma in Business Management in the UK. 

Later, she had to return to Nepal where she would continue with her studies. She started modeling and did her first cover shoot for a magazine. In 2016, she got an audition opportunity for a dancing role in the short movie ‘Shooting an Elephant’ , and she wasted no time in applying. She was over the moon when she got selected. Little did she know that this would be a life-changing experience. 

“I hadn’t danced for four or five years at that point in my life,” she shares. “But the moves were always there with me, and with the sound of music, the magic just happened.” It was her first time on a film-set. The part of her that always held on to her love for dancing started falling for the world of films too. 

While trying to juggle between dancing and films, she went back to the UK. There she auditioned for a Bollywood company called Bollyflex that recruited dancers for movies. When she got selected as one of the 25 dancers she enrolled in a six-month-long training. “Stepping into the industry among all the professional classical dancers, there were so many instances I felt low, like I was not good enough,” Maskey shares. “But the thought of being able to dance on such a big stage kept me going.” 

Also read: Nimsdai: The man who went beyond the possible 

Bigger doors opened for her and she got the chance to work on many films as a side character. Being able to experience the industry up close, she got to learn from many people, to familiarize herself with the technical side of filmmaking and to keep dreaming. Her life was transformed again when she got a small role in the Marvel movie Dr Strange (2016), and the once-timid Shilpa suddenly became more confident and outgoing. 

She then joined an acting school. Maskey was learning Kathak and Odyssey dances on the side—all while working at a clothing store. 

It was a hectic life and London never felt like home. She soon came back to Nepal and landed her first lead roles in  ‘The Break up’ and ‘Kagaz Patra’, both of which came out in 2019. “Stepping into the world of acting helped me escape my comfort zone and discover an entirely new part that found beauty in vulnerability,” Maskey says. “It brought me closer to myself.” 

Her latest projects are ‘Kathputali’ and ‘Devi’, two soon-to-be-released movies. ‘Love Sutra’, a romantic-comedy web series, is also in the offing.   

Questioned about the roots of her versatility, Maskey answers: “My body is an instrument, I just need to feel it to play the strings.” 

Shreya, now 19 and a resident of Sanepa, was only nine when, at a family gathering, her teenage cousin decided to sleep next to her and take advantage of her. Mina, now 22 and a Bagdol resident, was 12 when she stopped going to the neighborhood shop after the shopkeeper molested her.

I was seven when it happened to me. The house helper my family hired and trusted convinced me to go to the guest bedroom with him to please himself. I didn’t know that it was wrong. I thought every girl had to go through this, that at least all of my friends did.

As the UN marks 16 days of activism against gender-based violence from 25 November to 10 December 2021 under the global theme “Orange the World: End Violence against women now!”, I ask myself, what did we know?

There is a thin line between what one learns and what he or she understands from it. Research shows that worldwide one in three women have been sexually violated at least once in their lives. But only one in ten come forth about it.

But have you ever thought about how close these abused women are to you? Maybe it’s the girl who sat next to you in class, the woman you say ‘hi!’ to every morning on your way out, or the person who you share lunch with during your lunch break at work.

One day, news of a brutal rape makes it to the headlines of every newspaper, most Instagram stories share the news and it trends on Twitter, and then the issue disappers—until the next reported case.

Also read: Opinion | Dangerous morning walks 

“The state isn’t paying enough attention to sexual violence in Nepal,” says Bishnu Bashyal, a lawyer at the Supreme Court and a partner at Supravat Kanuni Sewa Sadan. “With the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of such cases has only increased.”

Sudima, another resident of Kathmandu who is now 28, used to work late shifts at a hotel when one night a higher-level employee forced her into engaging with him sexually; she was 21, and he was 43. She decided to leave work and not tell anyone until seven years later. Arati, now 18, was 14 when a teacher in her school ‘mistakenly’ lifted her skirt’ and then blamed it on his ‘friendly nature’.

Many still haven’t understood the meaning of ‘my body, my right’. For centuries, men have controlled the female body.

When I ask myself why it happened, the saddest part is that it did, for a reason I’ll never know. Why did no one help me? Because I never told anyone. Why didn’t I tell anyone? Because I didn’t know how to. Because I didn’t know if I should. Because, for 10 years after it happened, I didn’t know that things shouldn’t have happened that way. I am also among that one in three women.

Times are changing and more people are sharing their stories. But societal perception and victim-blaming haven’t changed. The state is not being held accountable for this, shares Bashyal, who has worked on cases of gender-based sexual violence for over 28 years.

“Am I a victim?” I used to think every time I watched my classmates read the newspaper, pointing right at ‘10-year-old girl raped in the fields of Sindhupalchowk’ on the front page. Am I a victim too? And if so, why me? Why her?

Also read: Opinion | The world ain’t Squid Game 

There is no security, no environment to speak out because the consequences are almost as worse. How can we expect more people to share their stories when what comes after still doesn’t provide them safety?

It took me 10 years to share my story with a close friend; 10 years after replaying the image in my head every time I closed my eyes, remembering that smell. It finally felt comfortable to share my experience as she shared her story with me too. She had a story too. That’s when I thought, maybe this does happen to a lot of people. That’s when I realized that it shouldn’t.

Sexual violence is not just another topic of conversation. It is a reality, a trauma that thousands and thousands of women and men live with and accept just to avoid humiliation and negative attention.

There are now laws and policies to ‘prevent and protect’, but they haven't changed the social mindset. There is much that needs to be addressed. What can the law do if people’s mindset is warped, and the mainstream society is structured to indirectly take their side? Before blaming the victim, think about the hundreds of times she has blamed herself and found no reason why it’s her fault.

Not just 16, there should be a 365-day movement to speak out about why it is wrong and why it needs to be stopped. Every voice does its bit to change that mindset. How many more until no more? That’s up to us.

(Some names have been changed to protect the informants’ privacy) 

As the first e-commerce company to become a part of the mainstream in Nepal, Daraz has come a long way. It has built a platform for buyers and sellers from across the country to connect online by making products accessible to more people, especially during the lockdown.

What started as a start-up in 2018 has grown by 1,500 percent in the past three years. Today, Daraz’s 700 employees and 1,200 sellers cater to more than 1.5 million customers living in 47 different cities across Nepal. It also contributes to the economy with growing employment opportunities, investment in logistics, and payment partnerships.

“E-commerce was almost an entirely new topic for most people in the beginning”, says Lino Ahlering, managing director at Daraz, “But with time, more people are trusting online shopping sites and apps.”

Also read: Sonam Subba Limbu: Design with conscience 

With the lockdown, as well, Daraz adapted to being more efficient and serving people what they needed in times of crisis. Despite having to reduce its assortment to 20,000 essential products from more than 500,00 during the time of the pandemic, more people started turning to this app for its convenience and accessibility.

“We played our part in convincing the government that e-commerce can be a great help for the country’s economy,” adds Ahlering, “And our alert and agile nature helped more people realize how useful online shopping can be.”

Daraz started as a Pakistan-based online fashion retailer owned by Rocket Internet, a German company. The company focused on creating e-commerce models all around the world. Daraz then spread across other countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The company, which used to manage sales for one seller, is now a platform for thousands of buyers and sellers based in Nepal.

To increase its impact and become one of the first professionalized and wide scaled online shopping platforms, it also started training sellers and building infrastructures for other businesses to flutter as well.

It is a sector that doesn’t make a lot of profit but requires tons of investment in the long run. Daraz managed to start from scratch in terms of the infrastructure it needed to grow in Nepal. It is creating an atmosphere to show that this is a very promising market that requires patience. “Our focus was to take something existing, professionalize it and scale it up to make something much bigger,” says Ahlering, “This massive growth shows how e-commerce picked up in Nepal.”

Focused on young people looking for jobs, Daraz has been providing full and part-time employment to around 1,500 people in different parts of the country. With a local team devoted to giving out the best customer experience to the people, it has adopted an entirely new working module in a short time. Yet, their biggest investments every year go into logistics, building infrastructure, and establishing a system. “At present, after laying a foundation, we are focusing on teaching people about e-commerce,” adds Ahlering.

Daraz is on the verge of becoming a household name. There are more interesting features in the pipeline to enhance the customer experience and make it even more accessible with the feedback it has received. They are also expanding their offices in rural Nepal and bringing in more sellers to reach and promote more local businesses.

Reaching a state of trust was a journey as Daraz was eventually gaining popularity among the people. An accountable team, reassuring products, user-friendly, and promising delivery services won the hearts of many. The connection customers had with the market sparked a desire to keep coming back. Recently, Daraz Livestream was started for young influencers to represent Daraz to showcase what they do. With that, Daraz also holds yearly campaigns with extreme discount offers and vouchers that amplify the dialogue and give the customer an experience they don’t want to miss out on.

Lino Ahlering, Managing director, Daraz

The yearly 11/11 sales have become like a festival. It is one day full of product price discounts, grand sales, banking discounts, and payment partner discounts on all kinds of products. Not just for customers, but this grand sale has also been helping many sellers to come back up after being hugely impacted by the pandemic. “We acknowledge our buyers for their trust and loyalty, and we want to give them something special in return”, says Ahlering. During this time, around 1,500 employees are at work to make the grand sale possible.

Despite the uncertain times, Ahlering, representing the entire team, stands optimistic and looks forward to brighter years for growth. “The pandemic has shown me the power of teamwork,” he shares, “It was a rollercoaster ride and I’ve learned that in times like this, a strong, resilient and motivated team is needed, and we are grateful to have that.

The upcoming 12/12 sale on December 12 is again another grand cherry on top sale for the winter shopping season. Ahlering acknowledges it as, “a perfect way to round up the year.”

“We want to thank our customers for their trust and wrap this year up recapping the journey and celebrating its end.”

Birth: 1982, Jhapa
Death: 23 October 2021, Tokha

Dr Subash Lohani dedicated his life to learning about the human body, biologically and spiritually. As a surgeon, he saved people’s lives, and as a wanderer, explored human consciousness. 

Born in a remote village in Jhapa district, Lohani grew up traveling to different places with his father. Perhaps this is why he had a sensitive heart that was fascinated by everything he saw in the world around him. 

After studying biology at St Xavier’s College, he joined the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, and finished his MBBS in 2007. In his time at the medical school, he met Dr Upendra Devkota, the man who pioneered neurosurgery in Nepal, and an inspired Lohani was determined to follow in his footsteps. 

His dedication took Lohani to world-renowned institutions such as Harvard and All India Institute of Medical Sciences. In 2010, he received a fellowship to train at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. Later, he was chosen a neurosurgery research fellow there. 

Also read: Ram Prasad Banjade obituary: The popular Maoist leader 

At AIIMS, he pursued his MS in general surgery, which he completed in 2016. He later completed his neurosurgery Mch (Magister of Chirurgiae) from Kathmandu University, and started working at the Upendra Devkota Memorial Neuro Hospital, Bansbari, Kathmandu first as a neurosurgery medical officer and later as neurosurgery registrar.

He was also a spiritual person who used to meditate and contemplate the universe and the human mind. His mind loved traveling, riding on cosmic waves of consciousness, as he used to say, questioning the physiological state of humanity's existence. He believed his life would be incomplete without his spiritual adventures. Humans are like bees in a beehive, Lohani used to wonder, and our consciousness is being traded like honey.

He described himself as a centrist who believed in the cyclical nature of the human mind and the ever-changing nature of social behavior. Lohani also had an immense love for nature. He loved studying trees, and he used to celebrate different occasions in his life by planting a tree. He also loved singing to the tunes of harmonium and the piano. 

A young man with so much light still left in his life, Lohani left this world too soon. Police say he had tested positive for Covid-19 only a week ago before he was found unconscious in his house. Later, investigators found he had overdosed on anaesthetics. He was only 39 when he passed away. He is survived by his wife and his little daughter. 

A new variant of coronavirus, the Omicron, has been spreading around the world, leading many countries to reintroduce travel curbs. The Omicron variant was first reported in South Africa on 24 November, and the number of infections is increasing quickly. Nepal is at high risk of the spread of this new variant, according to experts. Priyanjali Karn of ApEx talked to Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, chief of Clinical Research Unit at Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, to know more about the Omicron variant and how it can affect Nepal. 

How has the WHO responded to the new coronavirus variant?

The WHO labeled the new variant Omicron, and declared it a ‘variant of concern’. Until we know more, we need to be careful as we don’t know how dangerous it can be. The WHO recommends everyone to continue taking precautions. 

How is the Omicron variant different from previous ones?

When a mutation occurs in a virus, a new, different virus is born. It is a natural process, and it keeps happening in nature. With the mutation, some characteristics of the virus change—it gets weaker or stronger. It is a matter of concern if it gets stronger. 

Also read: Time has come for a ‘neutral zone of peace’ idea 

How will it affect the vaccinated?

We still don’t know much about this variant to jump to conclusions. Vaccines prevent the spike protein of the virus from attaching itself to the human body. I am worried that if there is mutation in the spike protein, making it potentially stronger, it can enter the human body more easily. But as with the Delta variant, it might not seriously affect the vaccinated. Still, nothing is for sure and we are still waiting for more research. 

Is Nepal under the risk of a third wave from the new variant?

I doubt we will face something as devastating as the second wave. I am hopeful things won’t worsen the way they did during the second wave as more and more people are getting vaccinated. Again, we cannot assume much at this point.

How concerned should we be then?

We need to be prepared and continue applying preventive measures at all times to protect ourselves and the people around us. We don’t know how threatening this variant is going to be, and the best we can do is take precautions and prevent its spread. Right now, the number of reported Covid-19 cases in Nepal is declining, but the risk is still there. Taking preventive measures should be the priority of every individual. 

Dr Garima Shrestha, founder of She Nepal, a volunteer organization working for women’s health and empowerment, always knew her life would be different to the lives of most of her friends. 

The 26-year-old, who has been fascinated by the human body ever since she was a child, spent many of her childhood days wondering how the human brain worked. Yet there was also a part of her that yearned to help other people. 

“Whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always said a doctor and social activist,” she says. “I didn’t know how, but I had to do both the things.”   

As an introverted kid, she naturally focused on her studies to make her childhood dreams come true, inside her own little world filled with dedication. Years later, she found herself studying MBBS at Manipal College of Medical Studies in Pokhara. 

She interned at the same hospital and got the chance to meet people from villages around the city who came there seeking treatment. She used to listen to their stories up close. It was there that she met a 16-year-old girl who was in labor with her second child. The girl shared her period stories from back home and how she was a victim of chhaupadi (“menstrual huts”). 

Shrestha had now come face to face with the hard issues she had until then only read in textbooks. “I was heartbroken just listening to her,” she shares. “And, as a doctor, I came to realize that I needed to do a lot more than just treat my patients. I also needed to work on preventing suffering.” 

After completing her MBBS, Shrestha returned home to Kathmandu to start an organization that would work to raise awareness about women and their reproductive health. Shrestha, with the support of her parents, started ‘She Nepal’. They started organizing campaigns in rural parts of the valley such as Panauti, Kavre, Jhor where the practice of chhaupadi persists. 

Also read: Satyajit Pradhan: A worldly musician 

Dedicated to fighting taboos around menstruation and women’s health, She Nepal also decided to provide them income-generating opportunities. They trained women on making reusable sanitary pads, and distributed the final product among women and menstruating individuals. 

Shrestha then spread her work to Upper Dolpa, Accham, Pyuthan, and Taplejung. “We were trying to reach as many people as we could,” she says. Many women, after being introduced to reusable sanitary pads, even started making and selling pads on their own. 

Moreover, She Nepal’s presence grew on social media and people started supporting the cause. With their help, around 10,000 reusable sanitary pads were distributed among quarantined menstruating individuals after the start of the covid pandemic. 

After working with donors and sponsors in the beginning, She Nepal now works independently as it empowers women to make and sell bags and masks. 

Shrestha is also currently doing her MD Residency at Army Hospital, Maharajgunj. She aims to become a medical microbiologist and then to continue working in both fields of her interest. 

“Every day, the people I meet and the stories I hear help me create a vision of what I want to accomplish, and I want to keep working to give more to the people,” she shares. To achieve her awareness goals, she is planning to write a booklet on menstrual health awareness for children, hoping to make it a part of school curricula. 

She also wants to open a diagnostic center of her own. With this income coupled with revenues generated via She Nepal, Shrestha will then help women with sexually transmitted infections (STIs). 

“My goal is to normalize the conversation around menstruation and reproductive health and to make sanitary pads easily accessible, especially in rural Nepal,” she shares. 

Birth: 20 July 1934, Lalitpur
Death: 20 November 2021, Lalitpur

Prof Dr Janak Lal Vaidya was a scholar dedicated to preserving Nepali heritage by lighting up the depths of the Nepal Bhasha. Born and raised in Lalitpur, Vaidya earned his Master’s degree in Nepali in 1961. Then, in 1984, he became the first person to complete a PhD in Nepal Bhasha Kavya from Tribhuvan University.

Vaidya penned numerous books during his career. He authored Newar Language History, Newar Language Literature, and Nepali Culture Research Study. He also published Satyavati Bibechana, a criticism of Poet Siddhidas Amatya’s short epic (1967), Nepal Bhasha Prachin Kavya Sirjana Prabriti (1986), and then Asha Saphu Kuthiya Abhilekh Granthaya Varnanatmak Dhalah’ in Nepal Bhasha (1991).

Vaidya wrote stories and plays too, including Kalyani (1967), a full-act play and Swoya Chongu Mikha while (1982).

A lover of literature and history, Vaidya researched literary works of Malla kings and queens. He devoted his research to exploring the importance of Nepal Bhasha, digging through significant periods of Nepali history.

Also read: Vijay Bajimaya obituary: Legendary litterateur from lake-city 

He also had quite an appetite for Newari poetry and songs, and hence his fame as the ‘dev’ of modern poetry in Nepal Bhasha. An important figure of the forgotten Newari poetry culture in the modern world, Vaidya cleverly incorporated humor and satire in his works published in numerous journals and newspapers through the years.

His love for Nepal Bhasha didn’t end there. To pass on the rich artistry of the language, Vaidya started teaching in different schools and colleges. He later joined government service as a lecturer at Durbar College, Tahachal in 1962. In 1963, he transferred to teach Nepal Bhasha at Tri Chandra College.

Throughout his life, he won several awards for his contributions to Nepal Bhasha: the Honourable C Class medal (1975), the Dirgha Sewa Padak (1996), Maya Devi Prajna Puraskar (1996), and Pragya Puraskar (1998).

Among the inspirations of this inspiring figure in himself were celebrated literary figures like Dharmaditya Dharmacharya, Chittadhar Hridaya, Prem Bahadur Kasa, Dr Kamal Prakash Malla and Swayambhu Lal Shrestha.

Vaidya became the editor of Bahubhasik Sayamatri around 2000 with the purpose of disseminating the invaluable Nepali heritage to the world through Nepal Bhasha.

Vaidya passed away on 20 November 2021 at the age of 87.