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A neurosurgeon from the 15th batch of China’s medical aid team to Nepal is helping strengthen the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities for brain tumor patients in Nepal. Dr Yang, who is affiliated with the Neurosurgery Department at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, is not just a renowned medical professional but also a passionate ambassador of health and friendship between China and Nepal. 

Working closely with his counterpart, Dr Benju, at the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Dr Yang Jiankai has helped redefine the neurosurgical medicine landscape in Nepal. His dedication to both his field of expertise and the larger cause of international cooperation is truly commendable. As a neurosurgeon, he possesses extensive knowledge and skills in treating a wide range of neurological conditions. His surgical expertise and clinical acumen have saved countless lives and improved the quality of life for many patients. 

The seasoned Chinese neurosurgeon’s stay in Nepal has been a testament to his dedication, not just to his medical expertise but to his understanding that elevating the standards of diagnosis and treatment for brain tumor patients necessitates not just technical exchanges but also cultural and ideological integrations. Through a multifaceted approach, he has empowered local medical professionals with advanced knowledge and skills.

He frequently invites neurosurgeons from China and organizes seminars where health professionals from the two countries hold discussions on the latest advancements in brain tumor diagnosis and treatment. Dr Yang’s hands-on guidance during surgical procedures and patient consultations has provided invaluable opportunities for Nepali doctors to witness and appreciate the Chinese neurosurgical techniques firsthand. His vision extends beyond the confines of the operating room. He has facilitated opportunities for Nepali doctors to visit health facilities in China, fostering stronger bonds of friendship and collaboration. 

In September last year, Dr Benju who was participating in intellectual exchanges in Shandong, China, expressed keen interest in observing neurosurgical procedures in Chinese hospitals. Recognizing this as a valuable opportunity to enhance Dr Benju’s understanding of Chinese medical technology, Dr Yang reached out to Principal Li Gang and Neurosurgery Director Ni Shilei of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. He arranged for Dr Benju to observe several neurosurgical surgeries. 

Commenting on the visit, Dr Benju said he was astounded by China’s rapid progress in neurosurgery. “Many of the neurosurgical procedures were entirely novel to me. I realized there is a vast array of neurosurgical techniques to master, and I sincerely hope for more opportunities to engage in exchanges and learning at Chinese hospitals,” he added. Moreover, Dr Yang has also been leading joint scientific research endeavors on neurosurgery between China and Nepal.  

Through his multidimensional approach, Dr Yang has not only enhanced the diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of Nepalese doctors in treating brain tumor patients but has also enriched himself with invaluable experiences and insights from his Nepali counterparts. Dr Yang’s vision is even broader. He believes that health is a shared concern of all nations, and cooperation in this field can greatly strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between countries. With this belief, he has made significant contributions to promoting health cooperation between China and Nepal. 

He has participated in numerous medical missions and exchange programs with Nepal, sharing his expertise and learning from his Nepalese colleagues. He has also advocated for increased cooperation in areas such as training, research, and patient care, helping to bridge the gap in medical resources and capabilities between the two countries. His interactions with Nepali doctors, patients, and community members have not only strengthened his professional network but also deepened his understanding and appreciation of Nepalis culture and society.

National politics is becoming increasingly unpredictable, with doubts arising about the stability of the five-party coalition government. A significant blow came with the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal experiencing a split, as seven lawmakers and 30 central committee members formed a new party under Ashok Rai.

The Election Commission on Monday issued a certificate of political party to the Rai faction of JSP as per the Political Party Act. However, there are no clear legal provisions regarding the party formation process in case an existing party splits. 

In 2021, the government led by the Nepali Congress had issued an ordinance to amend the Act to ease the split of political parties. Based on that ordinance Madhav Kumar Nepal and Mahantha Thakur formed new parties, the CPN (Unified Socialist) and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, after splitting from the UML and JSP, respectively. The ordinance has since been repealed. 

The establishment faction of the JSP led by Upendra Yadav has argued that since the ordinance is no longer in effect, the new party under Rai cannot be legitimate.

Meanwhile, those lawmakers who have broken away from JSP claim that their actions were prompted by the intention to preserve the current coalition, as party Chairman Yadav, also the deputy prime minister and health minister, was considering withdrawing support from the government to form a new one. 

The latest development signifies the beginning of further rifts within both large and small parties, either to maintain or challenge the current government. The situation echoes the turbulence of the early 1990s, characterized by party splits, political maneuvering, and the manipulation of lawmakers. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and his primary coalition partner KP Sharma Oli of CPN-UML are focused on retaining power or engineering government changes. 

JSP leaders say Prime Minister Dahal and CPN-UML KP Sharma Oli played significant roles in orchestrating the split to prevent the current coalition from slipping into a minority position in Parliament. Even if Yadav were to withdraw support, the current coalition is likely to retain a comfortable majority, with the assurance of the Rai-led JSP to support the Dahal-led government.

Another coalition partner, CPN (Unified Socialist), has also expressed discontent with the current arrangement, with its Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal publicly stating concerns about the government's stability. His recent remarks about certain leaders' reluctance to see him as prime minister hint at underlying tensions within this coalition. Nepal's dissatisfaction with provincial-level governance and appointments also suggests a deeper rift within the coalition.  

With a split in JSP, the Unified Socialist faces the challenge of keeping the party intact. There are suspicions that to prevent the current coalition from slipping into minority, Dahal and Oli could try to divide the Unified Socialist as well. 

The initial formation of the current coalition on March 4 saw Prime Minister Dahal sever ties with the NC in favor of incorporating UML and RSP. Within months of its formation, another specter of coalition split looms large.  The future remains uncertain, with no clear indication of how many more changes in government will precede the 2027 national elections. 

Nepal and Yadav are said to be in talks with the main opposition, Nepali Congress, to form a new government. There are reports that NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Yadav, and Nepal have reached an agreement to lead a new government on a rotational basis until the next elections. 

The Nepali Congress, particularly Deuba and his supporters, are actively seeking to dismantle the Dahal-led government, proposing Unified Socialist Chairman Nepal as a potential prime ministerial candidate. However, opinions within the Nepali Congress vary regarding the formation of a new coalition, with some advocating for an alliance with JSP, RSP, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and other fringe parties.

Deuba and his supporters were working to secure 138 seats (NC-88, RPP-14, JSP-12, CPN Unified Socialist-10, Janatmat-6, Nagarik Unmukti-4 and Loktantrik Samajbadi-4) required to form a new coalition. But with the JSP split, the NC is not in the position to secure the majority votes. 

Efforts to stabilize the government are also ongoing, with discussions between NC senior leader Shekhar Koirala and UML Chairman Oli about a potential collaboration between the two largest parties. However, opinions within UML are divided on this matter, with many opposing cooperation with the NC, their main competitor.

While Dahal and Oli may succeed in preserving the coalition, there is still risk of it falling into minority. Home Minister and RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichaane is under pressure to resign and facilitate the investigation against him for his alleged involvement in embezzlement of cooperatives money. If the government agrees to form a parliamentary probe panel as demanded by the NC, Lamichhane will have to resign. In that context, it is not certain whether the RSP will remain in the government. Calls within RSP to exit the government are growing, particularly following disappointing results in the Ilam-2 by-elections. 

The upcoming budget session of the House of Representatives, scheduled for May 10, adds further uncertainty. The NC has threatened to obstruct parliamentary proceedings unless a panel is formed to investigate cooperative scandals, potentially complicating the government's ability to present the budget. 

Simrik Air, a private-sector helicopter company, has announced its commitment to providing extensive support for combating forest fires across the country.

The company’s General Manager, Muralidhar Joshi, stated that Simrik Air is ready to deploy helicopters to fight fires if requested by the government. “Our helicopters are equipped to assist in fire control operations,” he explained.

Joshi mentioned that Simrik Air uses the ‘Bambi Bucket’ system to tackle forest fires, which involves deploying water from the air to extinguish flames. He highlighted that the company had previously used this system to control fires in Pathibhara, Lukla, Tanahun, Shivapuri in Kathmandu, the Balaju industrial area, and several other locations.

Additionally, General Manager Joshi emphasized that Simrik Air has a history of contributing to firefighting efforts as part of its corporate social responsibility. He encouraged municipalities across the country to ensure the availability of water resources to facilitate aerial firefighting.

Founded in 2001, Simrik Air is a leading helicopter company in Nepal with a strong reputation for high-altitude rescues. The company employs experienced pilots and rescue specialists trained in the United States and Switzerland.

Simrik Air is also hosting a press conference and an interaction program on fire prevention and aerial firefighting on Monday to further discuss its firefighting capabilities and the importance of proactive measures to prevent forest fires.

“How holy is Sagarmatha, Yuyu,” distinguished German photographer Andreas Stimm asked me as he returned from his seven-week trek in the Everest region. “And how precious silence of the mighty glaciers.”

Two decades ago, we had successfully collaborated on Nepal Trilogy, a 900-page poetry/panoramic photography book in b/w that captured the landscape of Everest, Helambu and Annapurna. Andreas spent a week at my residence, enjoyed Shreejana’s Dal Bhat, (‘a delicious poem’) and left for Helambu. A chance meeting him at the Frankfurt book fair in 2003 has turned into a lifelong friendship that celebrates the Himalayas in an exceptional way.

He took a Pathao cab to Kopan monastery, walked up and through the Shivapuri sanctuary, moved to Chisapani and entered Helambu. He reached Tarkegyang, went up the Ama Yangri Hill but couldn’t go any further to Langtang. Massive snow had covered the Ganja La Pass. He sent me photos of meeting the people we had featured in our Trilogy. “Everything has changed dramatically in two decades.” He thought even my poems on Helambu such as “The Roads are coming” have taken on a prophetic ring. The roads have actually arrived in the pristine valleys and brought with them a maelstrom of civilization—concrete, smoke, noise and greed:

The Himalayan cuckoo

Stops its song eternal, Khapal Pakyo!

And begins anew, changing its timeless refrain

Khapal Pakyo! Khapal Pakyo!

“The fruit has ripened!

The fruit has ripened! ripened…”

“The roads are coming!

The roads are coming! coming…”

(Nepal Trilogy, ‘Milarepa’s Bones’)

Trilogy content has turned into an archival artifact of mere historical relevance. “I can hardly recognize the areas I filmed then,” he lamented.

Laced with a tent, he walked on foot seven weeks 500 kilometers to revive his memories of Nepal he once knew. After Ama Yangri Hill, he walked around holy Panch Pokhari and went down into the Sun Kosi. Further eastward bound, he climbed over the hills from Gauri Shakar Himal, trudged down to Singati in the Tama Koshi valley. Then he walked east to reach Jiri, the former starting point of the classical Everest trek route. He followed the 3-pass route—Deurali, Lamjura La and Taksindu La down to the Everest Dudh Kosi and up to Namche Bazar which seemed as busy as Thamel in Kathmandu. His trek around the Everest loop with the 3 high passes, all over 5000 m altitude (Kongma La, Cho La & Renjo La)  was the culmination of his trek. Over Namche Bazar, he walked out to Kari La pass, where nowadays it's possible to catch a jeep back to Kathmandu.

Andreas seemed shocked. “It’s very very busy,” he said, “and the citadels of silence have been smashed by the advent of roads.” The rocks are being exploded with dynamite to build roads. Giant caterpillars are busy all over, doing the nasty work for the greed of mankind.

“Scores of houses like you see here in Kathmandu have erupted,” he pointed to a cluster of concrete houses in Koteshwor. He believed Sagarmatha region looks more of a fun park than a national park. It’s not the famed way to ABC but a cluster of shanty settlements taking shape along the classical trek route. It’s more of an imitation of the Alps style of climbing infrastructure without any reasonable concern for ecology. Wide concrete passages with fancy railings have been constructed for people to come and walk confidently on the ego trip to the highest mountain in the world. This human ego, (that it’s there) is the most notorious thing one can imagine causing havoc on the world’s most delicate terrain.

“Material that has gone into Everest with the roads is very sensitive,” he discerned. Plastic windows, ceiling material that can stay there forever, plastic is running all over the area and there’s no treatment plant to control waste. In fact, in Europe, the traditional Nepali way of building mountain houses is becoming a popular practice. But sadly, the old style of building houses without the use of concrete and steel is getting outdated in Nepal. At higher altitude, the ultra violet rays are extreme. They destroy plastic that spreads with the intensity of a malady, polluting air and water. Himalayan silence is at stake as the advent of the internet has added its own senseless clamor in the quiet canyons.  It gets worse with helicopters coming in and out of basecamp all the time.

“You can book a helicopter in a national park like you can book a taxi in Kathmandu is horrifying. Its instant booking details can be found in most of the Lodge menus. In a European national park, this sort would be unacceptable.”

“How holy, after all, is Sagarmatha, Yuyu? And how precious silence of the mighty glaciers.”

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