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Indra Chaudhary, 31, is a folk story writer from Kanchanpur. He is currently teaching in Makwanpur. Before this, he was involved in theater. He performed in several dramas and radio plays. He has also acted in a Tharu movie ‘Bhura Bhura Rahar’ which will be released soon. Nowadays, he focuses on writing folk stories that explore culture, language, and community rituals.

He has published two books, ‘Rana Tharu Ma Prachalit Lok Katha Tatha Mithak’ and ‘Tip Tip’ which was introduced at the 8th Tharu Literature Festival in Sunsari this year. He also writes children’s stories. ‘Dhola Farkiyo ta?’, ‘Naya Ban Paley’, and ‘Kapash Ko Ghoda’ have all been inspired by folk tales. In a conversation with Babita Shrestha from ApEx, Chaudhary spoke about his goal of preserving our heritage through cultural writing.

What inspired you to pursue writing as a career?

When I came to Kathmandu to pursue an M.Phil. degree, I got involved in theater. I got to work with different artists. I’m from the Tharu community and while I was there, I realized that there wasn’t much documentation of our folk tales and culture. I decided to do some research for my academic writing. My professors and friends liked my work and encouraged me to write more for Nepali literature. I wrote my first story, ‘Bhumika’ which got published in the Tharu Literary Quarterly. Since then, I’ve been writing with the aim of sharing stories about our culture.

Could you run us through your writing process?

Before I start writing stories, I talk to people from the specific culture I’m exploring. I pay attention to how they talk, their language, and all the little details of their lifestyle. Sometimes, people want to know why I’m doing all that. I explain  that I want to document our culture, traditions, and art to preserve our identity. I learn about their culture and then try to weave those insights into my writing. Right now, I’m researching about the Chepang community. I’m gathering myths and stories for my next project. 

How would you describe your writing style?

When I write stories, I try to capture the actual words and phrases spoken by the native community. This not only adds a personal touch but also keeps the stories authentic. I also include translated statements in Nepali so that everyone, even those who aren’t Tharu, can understand it. I want to make my work lively and interesting so that readers won’t get bored. I want them to feel like they’re listening to these folk stories. I keep the plot engaging and informative to make readers curious. Take, for instance, my book ‘Tip Tip’, a collection of 18 stories published by Maya Publication, which focuses on the Rana Tharu community. It’s full of folk stories I wrote to grab the reader’s attention, each with a captivating climax and a powerful message. I have employed a funny tone to convey a deeper psychological message and symbol. 

Have you faced any significant challenges during your writing journey?

One of the main challenges I have faced in cultural writing is that people often aren’t interested in reading books written in a native language. I noticed this at literature festivals where people hesitated to buy books written in Tharu because they couldn’t understand the language. To tackle this issue, I started including Nepali translations within the lines of my writing to reach a wider audience. Another challenge is raising awareness among locals about reviving fading cultures. Many have lost hope. That is why I feel it’s my duty to preserve our cultural heritage.

Are there any authors that have had a significant impact on your writing?

When I started reading folk literature, I got passionate about working with folk stories. Govinda Acharya’s ‘Tharu Jati ko Lok Geet Ra Lok Sangeet’ has been a huge inspiration. It’s about the eastern Tharu community. That’s when I decided to write about the Rana Tharu community in Kailali and Kanchanpur. Cultural writing became my focus after that. I also want to acknowledge Krishna Raj Sarbahari who guided me on how to proceed with cultural writing. He was the one who told me that it was possible to publish a book in my mother tongue through Pragya Pratisthan.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I believe cultural writing has a bright future as it’s all about people and their identities, which is important for civilization. So to those thinking of taking up writing, I want to say it’s very important to study and understand your culture and spread awareness about it in any way you can.

The government is likely to miss revenue targets yet again.

Data released by the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO) shows the government has mobilized Rs 661bn in revenue in the first eight months of the fiscal year 2023/24. Although the collection is 7.13 percent higher compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year, it is only 41 percent of the revenue target for the current fiscal year.

The government initially set a revenue target of Rs 1,422bn for the current fiscal year through the annual budget announced on May 28 last year. It, however, lowered the revenue target to Rs 1,202bn through the mid-term review of the budget since revenue collection was not picking up as expected.

To meet the revised revenue target, the government needs to raise Rs 541bn in the remaining four months of the fiscal year which is unlikely as the government had mobilized Rs 393bn in the last four months of the previous fiscal year. This means the government needs to collect 38 percent more revenue compared to the last months of 2022/23 to meet the revenue target. Even if the revenue collection in the last four months of the current fiscal year follows the trend of the first eight months, total revenue collection will still be below Rs 1,100bn.

Although the government has managed to mobilize only Rs 661bn over the first eight months of the current fiscal year, it has spent Rs 801bn in the review period, according to FCGO. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, such spending was Rs 779bn.

Of the total spending, Rs 582bn is in recurrent expenditure and Rs 81.21bn is in capital expenditure, while Rs 138bn is toward financial management. In the first eight months of the previous fiscal year, the government had spent Rs 600.8bn toward recurrent expenditure, Rs 84.25bn toward capital expenditure, and Rs 86.12bn toward financial management.

According to the Financial Comptroller General Office (FCGO), the government has mobilized Rs 578m from tax revenue and Rs 60.37bn from non-tax revenue in the eight-month period.

The government had mobilized Rs 500.18bn from tax revenue, Rs 56.8bn from non-tax revenue, and Rs 35.3bn from other sources in the first eight months of fiscal year 2022/23.

The Nepali football team has been forced to relocate their joint FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifying match to the opposing country due to deteriorating conditions at Dashrath Stadium. Originally scheduled to be held at home, the match against Bahrain will now take place in Bahrain itself, owing to subpar field conditions at Dashrath Stadium. This change in venue could potentially influence the outcome of the game. The negligence of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) in improving the condition of Dashrath Stadium has contributed to this situation. Such mismanagement in football has led players to seek opportunities abroad for a better future.

Furthermore, despite their unnecessary presence, 10 ANFA officials have accompanied the Nepali team currently in Malaysia. Their inclusion with the team serves no practical purpose and appears to be solely for their personal enjoyment, reflecting further mismanagement within the association.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports has raised objections to the foreign travel of the 10 ANFA officials, directing the National Sports Council (NSC) to take action against ANFA for their unauthorized trip abroad. 

There is optimism among athletes, fans, and the Nepali populace regarding the actions of the newly appointed Minister of Youth and Sports, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, particularly his decision to address issues within ANFA. However, Minister Shrestha faces significant challenges ahead. The state of Nepali sports, not just in football but across various sectors, is concerning. 

Athletes are facing payment issues, sports leagues lack consistency, and there’s a notable absence of a proper scouting system. These factors are prompting emerging players to consider opportunities abroad. It falls upon the new minister to rectify these shortcomings within the sports fraternity.

The shortage of sports facilities is a pressing issue, exacerbated by the inadequate functioning of existing ones. Frustrated and disillusioned with the government’s inaction, individuals have taken it upon themselves to fund sports centers. Recently, Binod Kunwar, a cricket enthusiast and entrepreneur, independently financed the construction of a multipurpose stadium in Tilottama municipality of Rupandehi by investing Rs 400m. This significant investment by the private sector serves as a clear indictment of the government’s failure to address the issue. The new minister faces the challenge of increasing the number of government-owned stadiums and improving the conditions of existing ones to ensure that Nepali teams do not have to resort to playing their home games on foreign soil.

General secretary of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), Paras Khadka, exemplifies how effective leadership can positively impact the sports fraternity. Since his election to the position, there has been a notable increase in cricketers’ salaries and the organization of regular cricket matches. It is crucial for Minister Shrestha to uphold the expectations of the people and ensure that these positive changes continue.

The Nepali Army has launched an advanced course on national security at its Shivapuri-based Command and Staff College. The training that began on Wednesday (March 13) includes 30 participants from various ministries, constitutional bodies, universities, governmental and non-governmental organizations, media outlets as well as representatives from the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department. This ninth iteration of the training, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Defense and the Nepali Army, is scheduled to continue until March 29.

During the inauguration of the training event, Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma expressed confidence that the training would aid in formulating and implementing crucial policies to safeguard national interests. He emphasized the importance of studying and analyzing both external and internal security environments.

Furthermore, CoAS Sharma highlighted the escalating conflicts and wars on the international stage, which are exacerbating polarization among powerful nations, raising concerns over an impending new cold war. He underscored the additional challenge facing small nations in maintaining their existence. “In the context of Nepal,” he noted, “Sensitive geopolitics, open borders and competing interests of various powerful nations pose significant national security challenges.” CoAS Sharma also addressed the growing internal religious and communal disputes, along with the activities of dormant separatist groups, which he identified as other threats to national security.

“Labor migration, youth migration and the involvement of Nepalis in the armies of various conflicting nations, coupled with the escalating impacts of climate change such as excessive rainfall, droughts, and depletion of water resources, as well as the repercussions on the Tarai region due to deforestation and its adverse effects on our food security highlight crucial issues from the perspective of human security,” stated CoAS Sharma. He emphasized that the development of technology, particularly in the realms of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI), poses new challenges to the security sector, necessitating a redefinition of military strategy and theory. 

He requested the participants to identify and analyze the traditional and non-traditional security challenges along with the importance of such factors in national security in a subtle and in-depth manner.

Addressing the attendees, Defense Secretary Kiran Raj Sharma underscored the critical importance and necessity of high-level national security training. He emphasized its utility in fostering a shared perception and comprehension of national security among high-ranking officials, acquainting them with key issues and dimensions of the external security environment that could impact the nation. Sharma said, “It is only through an integrated and coordinated approach to confronting various internal and external challenges that threaten our nation’s security that we can effectively enhance our overall defense capacity, border management, disaster control, national unity, and regional and international relations and diplomacy.”

Since its inception in 2016, the course has provided training to 193 individuals.