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Nepali mercenaries are fighting for Russia in Ukraine, lured to kill far from their Himalayan homeland by promises of a passport and cash, but wounded returnees warn anyone tempted to join the war: “Do not come.”

While Nepali soldiers-for-hire can bank in a month nearly double what they could earn in a year back home, conditionsare brutal and many have been killed or wounded.

 “I watched my friends die in front of me,” said Surya Sharma, who asked to use a pseudonym for legal reasons.

 “Nepalis going probably cannot even imagine how horrific the war is.”

 Shortly after the 24-year-old underwent basic training with Russian forces, his unit was attacked on their way to a frontline in eastern Ukraine.

 “When the bombs and bullets were raining, I thought my life was ending, that was it,” he said. “I was there to die.”

 Combining tough Himalayan terrain with grinding poverty, Nepal has long been a source of ferocious soldiers to fight others’ wars, with the British army’s Gurkhas the best-known example.

 But it is only legal for Nepalis to sign up for combat with a foreign military if there is a government agreement in place—which only applies to Britain and India.

 From early on in its war in Ukraine, Russia has used mercenaries, including the paramilitary group Wagner, before its aborted mutiny last June.

 Neither Russia nor Ukraine will provide figures for how many foreign fighters are in their militaries, nor the number they are holding as prisoners of war.

 But the Nepali government says more than 200 of the country's citizens have enlisted in the Russian army since it invaded Ukraine two years ago.

 Sharma believes there could be 10 times as many, including students, ex-soldiers and even former Maoist combatants.

 “We were among the early ones to join, but now there are many Nepalis, there must be 2,500 to 3,000,” he said.

 At least 12 Nepalis have been killed and another five are prisoners of war in Ukraine, the foreign ministry in Kathmandu said.

 Returnees say the true number of dead is also much higher, and according to local media Nepalis have fought for Ukraine too.

 To attract fighters, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered Russian citizenship—which allows recipients to work—on top of monthly salaries as high as $2,200.

 That tempts some in a country with a GDP per capita of little more than $1,300, according to the World Bank—one of the lowest in Asia.

 ‘Like a movie’

Videos by Nepali recruits undergoing military training in Russia started to surface on TikTok last year, prompting one former veteran to enlist in July.

 “It is a war, and we are taking a risk,” the 39-year-old told AFP, asking not to be named because of the illegality of his actions.

 The man, who had served for more than a decade in Nepal’s army before working for the police in Dubai, accumulated about $15,000 in six months before being wounded and having to return to Nepal, and is using it to build a house.

 “If there were good employment opportunities in Nepal, no one would go,” he added.

 Sharma, the 24-year-old, suffers searing pain every step he takes from the metal fragments buried in his legs.

He says he was duped by a Nepali agent.

 Every year, hundreds of thousands of Nepalis seek employment abroad—400,000 officially, many others illicitly—and many pay agents thousands of dollars to facilitate their journeys.

 Sharma borrowed money to go to Russia on a student visa but discovered he was not allowed to work, and the only job he found was to fight.

 “I had loans to pay at home and couldn't send money,” he said in his rented room in Kathmandu.

 Despite having no prior military experience, he “chose to join the army because I had heard that the money was good. It was not because I wanted to, but my situation forced me to.”

 He underwent a medical check-up before two months of basic training.

 “I was employed with the government, but I’ve heard there are Nepalis fighting in private forces too,” he said.

 The recruits—15 of them Nepalis—woke at six to start the drills.

 “We learnt firing positions, how to make bunkers and how to target drones,” he said.

 But “the language is also a problem,” he added. “We cannot understand the instructions they give, and in the battleground that can be dangerous.”

 Sent to the frontlines in Ukraine, Sharma’s unit—mostly Russian, with six Nepalis—was ambushed even before they reached Kupiansk in the east.

 Explosions killed several of Sharma’s comrades and he was wounded in the legs and hand.

 “Sometimes it felt like a movie.”

 He spent months in hospital before deserting as he neared recovery to seek help from Nepal’s embassy in Moscow.

 “I just couldn’t return” to the front, he said. “So, I took a risk to return to Nepal, thinking I will either go to jail or home.”

 ‘Do not come’

Nepal has banned its citizens from working in Russia or Ukraine in any capacity, to try to prevent their recruitment.

 At least 12 people have been arrested in Nepal for sending people to fight for Russia.

 The men are often taken via India or the United Arab Emirates and taught elaborate lies to dupe authorities, say police.

 “Nepal is a country that believes in non-alignment and in peace,” Nepal’s Foreign Minister NP Saud told AFP.

 “We do not have an agreement with Russia and have requested immediate return of those people.”

 The Russian embassy in Kathmandu did not respond to requests for comment.

 Speaking to AFP by phone from his Russian hospital bed, one wounded Nepali warned his countrymen to resist the lure.

 “No matter how much you prepare, it does not work when the bombs fall and the drones attack,” said the 27-year-old.

 “I request others—do not come.”

I watched Spy × Family on Netflix a year ago. I wanted to read the books first as I had heard great things about Tatusuya Endo’s artwork but I couldn’t find the manga anywhere in Kathmandu. The online bookstores, which generally have titles I can’t find anywhere, didn’t have the books either. I was contemplating asking a friend who lives in Japan to get the book series for me when, lo and behold, Bookverse stocked them. I bought six volumes in one go. The manga series has 12 books. I’m hoping the bookstore will bring the rest soon.

The manga series has great artwork. You can get lost in a page for several minutes. The expressions of the characters will blow your mind, and make you laugh out loud. Though the story is simple and engaging, you will want to take your time with it as it’s entertaining and each page has something or the other you will want to look at for a while. For those of you who are new to manga, it might take some getting used to as you have to read it from right to left—the reverse of English which is read from left to right.

The plot is convoluted, crazy, over-the-top, and so much fun. Twilight is a spy. He works alone and he is great at his job. But for his next mission, he has to create a family as he has to infiltrate a school. So, he needs a wife and a child. Enter Yor and Anya. They are meek and thus the perfect candidates. But Twilight doesn’t know that Yor moonlights as an assassin and Anya can read minds. The fake family now consists of a spy, an assassin, and a mind reader, all of whom are keeping their real identities a secret from one another.

Then there’s the issue of Twilight (or Anya) still having to pass a rigorous interview process at the school to gain access to another student whose father is his target. For that, he must train his fake/temporary wife and daughter how to act like the perfect family. All of it leads to some hilarious and heartwarming moments. Twilight, Yor, and Anya are strong and lovable characters, each with backstories of their own. You will identify with at least one of them.

Spy × Family is a laugh riot. It’s also a wonderful tale of a found family. There’s a lot of suspense and intrigue to keep you hooked. The Netflix adaptation has two seasons with a total of 37 episodes. Each episode is 23 minutes long. It’s as good as the manga series. The characters come alive before you and it’s such a pleasure to watch. Read it or watch it, the choice is yours. But don’t miss it. Better yet, do both. You won’t regret it.

Manga/Graphic Novel

https://www.goodreads.com/series/265020-spy-family  

Spy × Family

Story & Art by: Tatsuya Endo

Translation: Casey Loe

Published: 2020

Publisher: VIZ Media, LLC

Pages: 12 book series, Paperback

In Hinduism, red vermillion is a sign of valor, energy, and prosperity and is commonly used in worshiping gods, festivals, marriage ceremonies. The red vermillion mainly contains highly toxic Mercury sulfide (HgS) and sometimes Lead tetraoxide, which can cause carcinogenesis, leukoderma and multiple organ failures. Even though HgS is non-poisonous and can be stored and transported without any problems, it can release pure mercury in presence of heat and oxygen. In addition, after ingestion, the HgS is converted to toxic methylmercury by the intestinal microbiota such as bacteria and algae, which accumulates in the body leading to toxic levels. To provide red color to vermillion, red lead (Pb3O4) used in the powder has toxic effects on nervous, hematological, renal, and reproductive systems, which results in anemia, encephalopathy, kidney impairments and other nervous symptoms. 

A majority of Hindu people offer flowers and worship statues of gods and goddesses with red vermillion to appease deities. It is a common ritual in almost all Hindu temples of Nepal. However, the health, safety and potential toxicity of this commonly used vermillion to temple pigeons has not been explored yet. Despite having done little research on the toxicity of vermilion, its effect on temple pigeons has not been studied yet. 

A few reports  of temple pigeons falling ill and dying have been reported in some temples of Nepal such as Maisthan temple, Ilam, Barahakshetra Temple, Sunsari and Bhimeshwar  temple, Dolakha. Some local people and priests of temples have observed some pigeons falling ill and dying after consuming red vermillion mixed rice grains (Akshata) that is sprayed while worshiping gods and goddesses. 

Thus, it is important to explore the potential causes of death and identify an underlying specific cause. The practice of spraying mixed rice grains and red vermillion is common in the temples of Nepal, which increases the risk of metal toxicity such as mercury and lead. This spraying of mixed vermillion and rice grains on the temple contaminates the soil, drinking water, and surrounding air. This contamination may lead to health problems in temple pigeons from eating contaminated foodstuffs and contaminated drinking water. Furthermore, mercury and lead may accumulate on feathers and other vital body organs such as kidney, liver, spleen, brain and bone tissues. Apart from these temple pigeons, people who visit the temples are also at high risk of heavy metal poisoning due to the inhalation of dust particles contaminated with heavy metals. 

Thus, it is high time to explore what percentage of pigeons that consume Akshata died of either mercury or lead poisoning or if it is just a correlation between Akshata feeding and pigeon mortality. It has been observed that a low level of mercury and lead does not cause instant deaths; however, continuous accumulation of these compounds in the body leads to serious health issues associated with damage to the brain, liver, lungs, kidneys and ultimately death. 

This concern of ill health and mortality of pigeons and public health consequences of such heavy metals is a grave concern. 

The current practices of using red vermillion while worshiping gods and goddesses need reconsideration and we need changes in cultural practices to promote animal and human health. This change in cultural practices needs an innovative transformative approach involving the question of why to change, how to change, and change to other less toxic alternatives to red vermillion.The government of Nepal has an opportunity to change its cultural attitude. For this, awareness programs may be developed targeting religious groups and religious leaders, who can effectively impart that knowledge and awareness to the general public. 

The author is a veterinary officer at the Department of Livestock Services

If you have visited the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the past year, you might have come across a lovely park. Built on an area of 50,800 square meters, this garden boasts over 150 varieties of plants, trees, herbs, etc. The scientific name of each plant is written on little placard-like tags next to it. A stroll through the garden can be peaceful, relaxing, and educational at the same time.

Before the park was revamped and inaugurated on the New Year of the Hindu calendar (1 Baisakh 2080), it was a dumping site of sorts and also a place where people gathered to partake in illegal activities like drug use, etc. Now, it’s turned into a spiritual haven of sorts. It has seven major spiritual structures that each tell different stories of ancient Hindu texts, including the Vedas, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and other Sanskrit epics.

You have to buy a ticket to enter the park. It costs Rs 50. I bought one and was offered a guide. He led me through all the main sections, explaining the importance and theme of each segment of the park. There weren’t many people and the place had a calming ambiance. It’s an ideal place for those who prefer to spend some time alone. It’s also a good place to meditate. I will go again and I recommend you to visit it too. It’s an oasis of calm in the heart of the city.