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When I was a child, I would watch my maa flip roti on the hot pan with her bare hands

I would stand there, spatula in hand, stunned. ‘Doesn’t that burn your hands?’

She would always laugh. ‘It used to, but I don’t feel it anymore.’

Now I wonder how many hot pans

She has encountered in her life,

And how much she has endured.

When did she realize it no longer hurt? Or is that something one decides one day?

I question if I will ever be half the woman she is, or if I will always rely on the spatula. 

Was I meant to endure the heat of hot pans?

Reetika Yadav

Grade XII

Pentagon International College

“Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,

But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind …”

This line from Wilfred Owen’s ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’ captures the brutal reality of war. It compels one to ask: what is war? The answer may vary from one person to the next. For some, it may be destructive, but for others it means surviving through treacherous conditions. This sentiment resonates with the theme in Victor E Frankl’s ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Victor E Frankl, which sheds light to the horrors of Nazi concentration camps during World War II and a man’s pursuit to find meaning amid it all.

The book is written from Frankl’s perspective as he spent three years in Auschwitz, Dachau, and other concentration camps. The book provides insight into the power of hope during dark times. Frankl tells us that many people died from the lack of hope, rather than starvation. 

This book is divided into two major parts. The first details the harrowing experiences in a concentration camp, presenting the unimaginable hardship faced by the prisoners. The second part tells readers about the idea of logotherapy. It focuses on the man’s search for meaning, with three main motives: the creation of work, the experiencing of something, and most poignantly suffering itself. Through his book, Frankl primarily points out that suffering can be a great tool for growth and finding opportunities. 

As I turned each page, my heart ached. The description of hardship, starvation, despair and suicide is harrowing. Yet amid all the sufferings, Frankl conveys a deeper purpose: to endure everything with undiminished hope and love. 

Frankl introduces a moment of emotional connection through the description of his wife, ‘Her look was more luminous than the sun which was beginning to rise,” a mesmerizing description that allows readers to explore the deep form of purity of the love between the author and his beloved. The calm blue cover of his mind recalls memories of her, clinging to the gossamer threads of the echoing memories. Although he knew nothing of her during his time in the camp, Frankl shares the idea of love that transcends distance, portraying love as strong as death. 

In another moving passage, Frankl describes the prisoners’ fleeting encounter with nature while being transferred from Auschwitz to the Bavarian camp. During the journey, they see the sun setting in the distance. This is when they realize, if only for the briefest of moments, how beautiful the world is (and can be), a beauty that they had long been denied. 

The art of living in the concentration camp was vastly different for the writer, as he presents the vision that suffering is the main reason for existence — without it, there is no motive. There is some sort of freedom in suffering, Frankl argues. He declares that in the bleakest of conditions, it is untainted hope that gives a person the power to endure, to survive.    

“Live as if you were living for the second time and have acted as strongly the first time as you are about to act now.” This line serves as a daily reminder for me to approach life with a great purpose. Life lies where the suffering is; without suffering, life holds no meaning. 

Frankl’s philosophy has profoundly shifted my perspective on life. It inspired me to live my life with intention, knowing that finding meaning and moving forward in the face of hardship is crucial. In the face of life’s inevitable challenges, Frankl’s work offers a beacon of hope, proving that resilience and the search for meaning can transform even the harshest realities into profound opportunities for growth.

Prakriti Thapa

BA IInd Year

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar

The year 2024 marked a significant electoral season across major nations, including the UK, the USA, Russia and India. However, global attention was particularly focused on the US presidential election.

Republican Party candidate Donald Trump made a stunning comeback to the White House, defeating Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice-president Kamala Harris. Trump, who lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden after serving his first term (2017-2021), began his 2024 campaign the day his defeat was confirmed. With years of preparation and relentless effort, his strategy paid off.  

Trump secured 312 electoral votes and 50 percent of the popular vote, surpassing the required 270 electoral votes to win leaving Harris with 226 electoral votes and 48.3 percent of the popular vote.

This election was of global importance also because it occurred amid significant global conflicts, notably the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, with Iran and Lebanon's involvement, and the Russia-Ukraine war surpassing 1,000 days. The United States played a pivotal role in these conflicts, both directly and indirectly.

These wars have had profound global repercussions, including soaring inflation rates, environmental degradation and widespread human suffering. The Democratic Party and President Joe Biden's strategies in addressing these crises have come under scrutiny, raising concerns among the American populace.

The American intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency

(CIA), may have made miscalculations in assessing certain global situations. Amid these crises, the United States found itself in a precarious position, facing internal and external challenges. The repercussions of these failures were not only felt domestically but also reverberated across the globe, highlighting America’s struggles on the international stage. And these things did not go unnoticed among the Americans regardless of their political affiliations.

The American people not only elected Trump as president but also gave the Republican Party a majority in both the Senate and the House. This shift in power may reflect a desire among Americans for the US to step back from its involvement in ongoing wars. With Trump now in office, the world watches closely, hoping his first move will be to bring an end to these conflicts and restore peace.

During his election campaign, Trump clarified that he was not against immigrants but opposed illegal immigration, a stance that resonated with many. He also criticized the Democratic Party’s inability to control inflation, which had negatively impacted everyday Americans. Trump promised to tackle inflation by keeping production costs low, including pledging not to raise taxes on industrialists. Additionally, he vowed to restore America to a ‘golden age’ of prosperity. These appealing proposals during his campaign struck a chord with the American public, contributing to his victory.

It was clear that removing America from the ongoing wars would be a difficult task without Republican leadership, and even many Democratic supporters likely recognized this reality.  

Another challenge for the US comes from BRICS, the alliance of global leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. With new members continuing to join, there are growing discussions about creating a potentially gold-backed currency to compete with the US dollar. This proposed BRICS currency could help these nations assert their economic independence and challenge the dominance of the dollar, which currently accounts for about 90 percent of global currency trade. This emerging shift poses a significant headache for the US, and many speculate that Trump may take steps to counter BRICS’ growing influence.

Harris faced significant challenges in her campaign, particularly due to the limited time between her announcement for presidency and the election day. This short window left her with little opportunity to build momentum for her campaign by reaching out to the voters. Additionally, her light personality did not seem to convey the strong leadership needed to tackle the pressing global challenges. However, after her defeat, Harris delivered an extraordinary speech that showcased her grace and respect as a leader. Her acceptance of defeat, alongside her heartfelt congratulations to Trump, demonstrated her integrity. She also reaffirmed her commitment to the US citizens, the Constitution and the promises she made during her campaign, further solidifying her stature as a respected figure in American politics.

The elite class in the US played a significant role in helping Trump win the election, but there is hope that his administration will not solely represent the interests of the wealthy. People around the world, who view the US as a global guardian, hope that this perception will not be lost. Rhetorics aside, Trump may continue America’s support for the United Nations’ agencies and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as this is something the world desires as well.  

As a Nepali citizen, I extend my congratulations to Trump and hope that he will continue to uphold the hopes of people around the world.

The author is a member of the Supreme Court Bar and has been practicing corporate law for around three decades

On Nov 15, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balendra Shah’s Facebook post laid bare the frustrations of managing Kathmandu’s waste crisis. “We talked a lot about Kathmandu’s garbage before the election. We told you about our plan,” he wrote, detailing the exhaustive search for solutions. His words resonated with a city drowning in its own waste, searching for a sustainable path forward.

The scale of this crisis is staggering. Every day, Kathmandu generates over 1,200 metric tons of waste, with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) alone contributing about 500 metric tons. Even more concerning, approximately 15 percent of this waste remains uncollected, littering our streets and waterways. Our rivers—once sacred lifelines of the valley—have become convenient dumping grounds. The Bagmati, Bishnumati, and Tukucha bear silent testimony to our collective failure.

Kathmandu’s Landfill Crisis

The situation at our landfill sites tells a story of poor planning and mounting challenges. The Sisdol landfill, operational since 2005, was meant to be a temporary solution but has been overburdened for 17 years. Its successor, the Banchare Danda landfill, opened in Sept 2021 with a capacity of holding three million cubic meters of waste, but already faces significant challenges. Designed to handle only residual waste (25-30 percent), it currently receives around 60-65 percent of total municipal solid waste due to inadequate treatment and recycling facilities.

Meanwhile, residents near these landfills bear the brunt of our negligence, their ‘paradise turned into hell’ by our waste. They’ve repeatedly protested, demanding promised amenities like a 50-bed hospital, free ambulance services, and job opportunities. Their struggle highlights the human cost of Kathmandu’s waste crisis.

The Indore model

Amidst this crisis, the Indore model emerges as a beacon of hope. This central Indian city’s transformation offers more than inspiration—it provides a practical blueprint for urban waste management. With a population of approximately 2.5m and daily waste generation of 1,115 metric tons (remarkably similar to Kathmandu’s figures), Indore achieved what many deemed impossible. Through systematic implementation of a six-category waste segregation system, the city now processes 100 percent of its waste with zero landfill dependency.

The cornerstone of Indore’s success lies in its comprehensive approach to infrastructure development. The city deployed 850 GPS-equipped waste collection vehicles, each designed with segregated compartments to maintain waste separation from source to processing. Strategic transfer stations were established across the city, ensuring efficient waste movement from collection points to processing facilities. Most importantly, these facilities were fully operational before the city began enforcing strict segregation rules, ensuring a smooth transition to the new system.

Enforcement and incentives formed the second pillar of Indore’s transformation. The city implemented a strict non-collection policy for unsegregated waste, coupled with modest fines starting from just Rs 100 for non-compliance. However, the focus wasn’t just on punishment—neighborhoods achieving 100 percent segregation received public recognition and priority for development projects, creating a positive competitive spirit among communities.

Perhaps most crucial was the cultural transformation driven by the ‘Swachhata Didis’ (cleanliness sisters) program. These trained waste workers became community educators, conducting door-to-door visits to demonstrate proper segregation techniques and explain the environmental impact of mixed waste. Through regular community meetings, school programs, and extensive social media engagement, waste management became a matter of civic pride rather than a mere obligation. This shift in mindset was perhaps the most important aspect that made it all possible.

The economic benefits of this transformation have been remarkable. Today, Indore powers 15 city buses daily with biogas generated from waste. Plastic waste finds new life in road construction, while composting operations generate revenue and create employment opportunities. What was once a financial burden has become a source of sustainable income for the city.

Adapting the model for Kathmandu

While Indore’s success inspires, implementing their model in Kathmandu requires careful adaptation to our unique context. Our city’s topography poses challenges for waste collection logistics, while coordination among multiple municipalities adds administrative complexity. The need for sustainable funding mechanisms and integration of the existing informal waste sector presents additional hurdles.

Yet these challenges aren’t insurmountable. The path forward begins with pilot projects in select wards where good access and strong community engagement provide fertile ground for success. Ward committees can be transformed into waste management cells, while waste workers can be elevated to the status of community educators, following Indore’s successful model.

The path forward

This is where the #FohorAbaMero movement becomes crucial. It should represent more than a social media campaign—it should be a fundamental shift in how we view our relationship with waste. Every household in Kathmandu must embrace waste segregation and take responsibility for their waste generation. Bringing the Indore model to Kathmandu does not mean setting up expensive factories or GPS-based trucks, but a shift—a crucial one—in our mindset. The Indore model’s success is derived from the ideology it holds. When we see illegal dumping, we must speak up. When our community organizes a cleanup, we must participate. When our neighbors seek guidance on waste segregation, we must become their teachers

The transformation of Kathmandu begins with individual action but succeeds through collective impact. Each piece of waste we generate is our responsibility. Mayor Shah’s vision can succeed, but only if we, the residents of Kathmandu, decide to change. Every small action contributes to the larger goal of a cleaner, healthier city.

A call to action

The choice before us is clear. Will we continue to be part of the problem, or will we join a movement of responsible citizens saying #FohorAbaMero? Kathmandu’s future hangs in the balance, and our next action could tip the scales.

Let’s make ‘FohorAbaMero’ our way of life. Because ultimately, the transformation of Kathmandu doesn’t depend on Mayor Shah, the federal government, or private companies. It depends on each of us accepting that every piece of waste we generate is our responsibility. Together, we can turn the tide. Together, we can make Kathmandu clean again.