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I sought my way through a crumbling wall,

Watched the markets rise and fall,

Smoke of nations silenced the air,

The weight of greed is too vast to bear.

’29, the year Hoover rose,

The end of history drawing close,

Rumors of Hoover whispered and spread,

While the poor still begged for bread.

Tariffs rising, boiling fast,

Hoover’s choices far too vast,

Millionaires once walked with pride,

Now in the shadows, forced to hide.

Countries fall to a shattering fate,

America stalls, too slow to debate,

They stole from Germany each little spark,

To feed a furnace still burning dark.

The US weeps, peasants despair,

Europe stumbles, too weak to repair,

A man whispers a bold, daring plan

Can his New Deal revive this land?

Sourish Pokharel 

Grade 8

In mid-Feb 2025, Pokhara, the tourism capital of Nepal, announced a ‘Pokhara Visit Year 2025’ with the goal of welcoming 2m tourists to the country in 2025. At that time, Pokhara had announced the target to draw in 1.5m tourists to the bustling metropolis alone. Recent estimates suggest that around 40 percent of tourists visiting Nepal also visit Pokhara. For 2025, the target was to increase this figure to 60 percent. The tourism capital is developing different packages to achieve this goal by attracting tourists, Indian tourists in particular.

This Visit Year program, initiated by the provincial government with support from the Nepal Tourism Board, aims to promote Pokhara’s unique natural beauty, thrilling adventure activities, and rich cultural experiences, and to further establish the image of Pokhara at the international level.

At present, domestic tourism in Nepal is gaining momentum. A culture of traveling during holidays is gradually developing, which is a positive sign for tourism. Social media platforms such as Facebook and X are playing a major role in attracting tourists. Despite various challenges facing Nepal’s tourism sector, there has been a noticeable revival of activity. The arrival of tourists to Pokhara and other major cities during Dashain and Tihar has created renewed enthusiasm in this sector.

According to 2024 statistics, France received the highest number of tourists (102m), followed by Spain (93.8m), the United States (72.4m), China (64.9m), and Turkey (60.6m). In the same year, India received 18.8m tourists, while Nepal welcomed 1.147m tourists.

France’s Eiffel Tower and Dune of Pilat paragliding attract tourists, while the desert nation Dubai draws visitors from around the world through manmade infrastructures such as Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, and Dubai Miracle Garden. Compared to these countries, Nepal enjoys an excellent climate and extraordinary natural sites. If Nepal can invest even modestly in infrastructure and promotion, it can get attractive dividends from the tourism sector. Nepal has numerous rivers comparable to France’s Gorges du Verdon. Nepal shares many comparable geographical advantages with France and several other countries that have a thriving tourism industry.

Most tourists visiting Nepal come for religious purposes, visiting sites such as Pashupatinath, Janaki Mandir, Muktinath, and Lumbini. Other tourists make it to destinations such as the Sagarmatha region, Chitwan and Bardiya National Parks as well as Pokhara.

In recent years, China has achieved remarkable progress in information technology and infrastructure, surprising even powerful nations like the United States. From the Great Wall to the Forbidden City and cities like Shanghai’s Bund, China has attracted millions of tourists. Just as China developed tourist destinations like the Li River and Yellow Mountain, Nepal too has immense potential to attract tourists by promoting its diverse locations.

The average stay of tourists visiting Nepal is 12 days. By improving infrastructure, increasing tourist numbers, and extending their length of stay, millions of unemployed Nepalis can find employment or self-employment, playing a vital role in economic development. Tourism does not benefit only tourism businesses; it impacts the entire economy, including agriculture, industry, and banking and financial institutions, positively. Increased tourist arrivals and longer stays raise demand for human resources in tourism, generating direct employment, while increased demand for food and vegetables boosts agriculture and generates indirect employment and positive growth.

Nepal’s hotels are capable of providing international-standard services, but many food items—meat, vegetables, and other ingredients—still need to be imported. If international tourists could be served Nepal-produced meat, fish, and local dishes, and developed a taste for Nepali cuisine, food tourism could significantly support the tourism industry, increase demand for domestic products, create jobs, and positively impact the national economy.

France leads the world in food tourism; people travel there from all over the globe to enjoy local cuisine and wine. Countries such as Ireland, the Philippines, and Canada place special emphasis on attracting tourists through local food, while major cities like London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Rome have achieved strong tourism growth through culinary tourism.

According to recent studies, the world’s most visited tourist attractions include the Eiffel Tower (France), the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal (India), the Colosseum (Italy), Machu Picchu (Peru), the Sydney Opera House (Australia), Santorini (Greece), Petra (Jordan), and Niagara Falls (USA).

In 2024, Japan achieved a 47 percent increase in tourist arrivals, driven by currency devaluation that made travel packages cheaper, expansion of air routes to improve access from different countries, and simplified visa and administrative procedures. Saudi Arabia achieved a very impressive 73 percent growth by prioritizing tourism and diversifying away from an oil-based economy through various initiatives. In earlier years, Paraguay and Tajikistan also significantly increased tourist arrivals by prioritizing tourism.

Paraguay, whose GDP growth rate was negative until 2011–2012, has now achieved more than five percent economic growth, with tourism playing a key role. Favorable weather, clean roads, strong security arrangements, comfortable transportation, and cultural programs during travel have helped attract tourists.

Saudi Arabia attracts millions of religious tourists during Ramadan, just as India draws millions to its religious sites. Likewise, South Korea and Sri Lanka attract millions of religious tourists annually, making a major contribution to their economies.

Nepal, with its large Hindu population and as the birthplace of Gautaam Buddha, holds immense potential for religious tourism. Just as Muslims aspire to visit Mecca at least once in their lifetime, religious tourism programs can inspire Hindus to visit Pashupatinath, Muktinath, Vyas and other sacred shrines, while attracting Buddhists from around the world to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha. By doing so, tourism could promote, and significantly help the nation’s economic growth. For this, it is essential that all stakeholders focus on the conservation and promotion of Nepal’s heritage to attract tourists.

Every Nepali should develop a positive mindset toward tourism, and Pokhara must play a key role in this endeavor. Tourism is not just a sector; it is the hope of the nation and the people. Therefore, let us promote this sector with the theme: Tourism that leads, planting future seeds.

As Nepal gears up for the next general election, one political figure has begun to draw attention not only within her party but across the national political landscape: Khusbu Oli. Once considered a peripheral figure in the royalist party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Oli has rapidly emerged as the party’s leading face, energizing supporters and challenging entrenched political narratives with her vocal advocacy and dynamic campaigning.

In the 2022 elections, the RPP made a surprising breakthrough, emerging as the fifth-largest party in the federal House of Representatives. While it did not secure a dominant position, the result lent credibility to the party’s long-standing call to revisit Nepal’s republican identity. Over the last three years, the RPP has been at the center of public activism—organizing protests, issuing demands, and promoting ideological frameworks aimed at restoring the monarchy in a ceremonial form.

Amid these developments, the RPP’s campaign has remained a contentious subject in Nepali politics. Critics deride the party as reactionary, while supporters portray it as a guardian of tradition and national unity. At the heart of the party’s electioneering now stands a leader whose appeal transcends party rhetoric and taps into a broader sense of political possibility—Khusbu Oli.

Despite internal fractures and leadership tussles, Oli has emerged as the central face of the RPP’s electoral efforts, particularly in the party’s Proportional Representation (PR) list, where she is a leading candidate. Her journey reflects a nuanced blend of charisma, intellect, and youthful energy that many within and beyond the party find compelling.

In a political environment traditionally dominated by senior leaders and established dynasties, Oli’s rise has been remarkable. Senior figures within the RPP have largely remained passive, overshadowed by infighting and factional rivalry. The party’s reunification with the long-separated faction led by Kamal Thapa was intended to consolidate royalist forces and strengthen electoral prospects. Instead, internal tensions have persisted, particularly with figures such as Dhawal Shumsher Rana, whose faction remains largely disengaged from the mainstream campaign.

Into this leadership vacuum has stepped Oli—articulate, confident, and visibly active. While senior party stalwarts sit on the sidelines, she travels relentlessly from east to west, appearing at rallies, addressing gatherings, and injecting new life into a campaign that might otherwise have drifted into irrelevance.

Her campaign stops attract enthusiastic crowds, with youth activists and seasoned party workers alike eager to hear her speak. Across the country, party candidates invite Oli to their constituencies, keen to harness the energy and attention she brings. In many ways, she has become the face of the RPP’s renewed electoral ambition.

At the core of Oli’s rising popularity is her strong appeal among Nepal’s youth. In a nation where young voters increasingly influence electoral outcomes, the ability to connect with this demographic offers a significant political advantage. Oli’s speeches resonate with young activists who feel politically marginalized and eager for change.

She speaks not only about traditional conservative values but also about issues that matter to younger generations: education reform, healthcare accessibility, economic opportunity, and Nepal’s role on the global stage. 

In a political landscape often dominated by men, particularly within conservative parties, Khusbu Oli’s emergence is especially noteworthy. Her presence challenges traditional expectations and introduces a new dimension to the RPP’s political narrative. Her campaign events frequently highlight gender empowerment and youth participation—issues that have sometimes been underemphasized within the party’s broader ideological platform.

Supporters describe her as a bridge-builder, someone capable of attracting not only conservative loyalists but also moderate voters disillusioned with mainstream parties. Political commentators note that while Oli’s personal appeal may help the RPP overcome some internal and public skepticism, the party’s broader success will ultimately depend on its ability to expand its message without alienating its core supporters.

If past practices are anything to go by, the judiciary has delivered a plethora of landmark rulings in defense of the people’s cause. It has dispensed justice without discrimination, welcomed public grievances, and issued judgments consistent with established legal principles and human rights, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of aggrieved parties.

Article 133 of the Constitution of Nepal confers broad powers on the Supreme Court to issue appropriate orders and writs in the name of the State and concerned parties. This provision may be regarded as the “appropriate proceeding clause” of the Constitution. In this respect, the apex court exercises extraordinary jurisdiction to advance justice through various writs and orders.

Landmark rulings 

In Sunil Babu Pant v Government of Nepal and Others (2007), the Supreme Court (SC), while considering a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), recognized transgender and LGBTIQA+ individuals as a “third gender,” ensuring their legal identity and access to services, education, and voting. The Court also directed the government to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and held the State accountable for past abuses. Through this decision, the apex court protected the human rights of sexual minorities and advanced the principle of equality. This case illustrates how PIL can empower citizens and drive a nationwide social change.

Another landmark example is Meera Kumari Dhungana v His Majesty’s Government [NKP 2052, Issue 6, Decision No 6013] which addressed gender equality in inheritance rights. The SC issued a directive to the government to draft and present a bill to Parliament ensuring equal rights for women to parental property.

Similarly, Surya Prasad Dhungel v Godavari Marble Industries highlighted the connection between the right to life and the right to a clean and healthy environment, reinforcing environmental protection as a constitutional concern. Environmental conservation was one of the objectives of the applicant, so the applicant had locus standi for the prevention of the environmental degradation, ruled the court.

These cases illustrate how PILs have become a powerful instrument for promoting justice, equality, and environmental sustainability in Nepal.

In Advocate Radhey Shyam Adhikari v Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and Others (NKP 2048, Decision Number 4430), the SC held that Petitioners need to have meaningful relations and substantial interest in the subject matter to file a PIL.

Global precedent

The first notable PIL case in India was Hussainara Khatoon v State of Bihar (1979), which highlighted the inhumane conditions in prisons and resulted in the release of over 40,000 undertrial prisoners, establishing the right to speedy justice as a fundamental right.

Gideon v Wainwright, 372 US 335 (1963), is a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that significantly expanded the right to legal representation and is often cited in discussions of public interest litigation and access to justice. The US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in Gideon's favor, holding that: “The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to legal counsel, and this right is fundamental and essential to a fair trial. Therefore, states are required under the Fourteenth Amendment to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who cannot afford one.”

Professor Abram Chayes coined the term “public law litigation” in the US context in 1976.

Way forward 

A PIL refers to a legal proceeding initiated in a court to protect or enforce the rights or interests of the public or a particular section of society. It involves matters where the public or a segment of the community has a legal interest that affects their rights or obligations. Unlike typical lawsuits, a PIL is not filed for personal gain but to seek justice on behalf of the public. It should not be misconstrued as “publicity interest litigation.” A PIL must genuinely serve the public interest, not private interests.

So, it is high time we adopt institutions and mechanisms to ensure the effective implementation of court verdicts. Without such measures, judicial decisions risk becoming toothless and merely cosmetic. As a democracy, Nepal must uphold court rulings in both letter and spirit, for the state is founded on the rule of law and constitutionalism.

Nitika Chaudhary

BBA LLB 

Manmohan Technical University (MTU), Biratnagar