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Every year, in the run up to the International Women’s Day (March 8), local bodies organize various programs centered around women empowerment, inclusion, and representation. There are several women groups, such as Aama Samuha, Tole Vikas Sanstha, Mahila Samiti, and Women Vikas Sanjal, that take up women’s issues. Meanwhile, local governments do their part by allocating a certain amount of funds for the upliftment of targeted groups, including women, children, marginalized communities, and senior citizens. Lal Subba Gurung, Vice-chairperson of Rupa Rural Municipality, says while the conditions of rights and representation of women have improved over the years, there are still many challenges—from budget allocation to policy making to better representation—that need to be overcomed. Smita Adhikari of ApEx spoke with Gurung on the challenges faced by women and the works being done by Rupa Rural Municipality to address them.

Tell us what your rural municipality is doing for the local women?

We have been carrying out several programs to empower targeted women groups by providing them training, orientations, and resources, as well as providing them with social and legal consultations. For this, we have been reaching out in the community to ask local women about their needs, especially in regard to implementing the programs designed for targeted groups. We have also been increasing the size of our budget for women.  

What changes have you observed regarding the condition of women in your area over the years?

In the initial days, women here faced immense challenges because of traditional perception held by men towards women. Gathering women in one place for an event or a program was very difficult. It turned out that many women weren’t allowed by their family members to attend the program. We also found that some women choose not to attend the program because they were too caught up with their household chores. As a result, we were unable to teach them about their rights and responsibilities. The situation has improved a lot over the years, but we are yet to make the desired progress.

What are the consequences of women staying passive and not seeking their role in local development?

First of all, when women are passive about their rights and roles in local development,  there is a risk of the budget allocated to the target women groups getting frozen. We have experienced this in our municipality, which has led to limited allocation in the women development sector. In such a case, the local government will be powerless when it comes to coming up with better programs and policies for women. The women’s population in most parts of the country is higher than that of men, so logically it is the women who should be given the first priority in terms of developing ownership. But that is not happening. To increase women’s participation and engagement in development works, we have enhanced community outreach to pull the attention of local women. Conventional perception of society towards women and financial dependency are the major problems as to why women in rural areas are not able to make their voices heard. So we are trying to address these problems through various programs, such as skill development and social counseling.  

What is the current status of women in villages?

If you compare the situation of women now and a couple of years back, you can see that today there are many committees focused on women development. Most of these committees are registered with the municipal offices as Aama Samuha, Mahila Sanjal, Mahila Adhikar Dabab Samuha, and so on. Similarly, Many Tole Vikash Sanstha (Neighborhood Development Organization) actively work in local areas, and they have seen increased participation of women over the years. Obviously, it indicates a silver lining of hope for women’s development in rural Nepal. But again, there are lots of improvements left to be desired. 

What do you expect from local women groups? 

Only forming groups and carrying out minor programs is not enough to meet the goal of inclusion and equity. Local women should actively seek their role in development works and governance. We want to empower women groups and enable them to participate actively in planning and execution of development programs.

The CPN-UML has concluded the seventh meeting of its central committee with 22-point declarations and programs of action on a host of intra-party and national political issues. 

The meeting has decided to focus on party building rather than making efforts to change the government. The party has recognized several intra-party issues that need to be addressed to keep the party united. 

Soon after the 2022 general elections, the UML launched ‘Mission Grassroots’ and ‘Sankalpa Yatra’ (Resolution March) aimed at enhancing the party’s strength. But according to party leaders, the two programs did not bring the desired results. 

The conclusions, drawn by nine groups of the UML central committee, were presented at the meeting. Kashi Nath Adhikari presented the suggestions on behalf of the party’s standing committee, Ghanashyam Khatiwada from Koshi, Chandreshwar Mandal from Madhes, Kailash Dhungel from Bagmati, Navaraj Sharma from Gandaki, Radhakrishna Kandel from Lumbini, Gulanjung Shah from Karnali, Krishna Prasad Jaisi from Sudurpashchim, and Pema Lama from the department, valley, liaison, and diaspora group.

In their suggestions, the groups said that the general public is disaffected with the current government for its governance deficiencies, economic failures, corruption, insecurity, and inflation. On the party front, they emphasized the need to promote discipline, financial transparency, and moral conduct.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the meeting, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli urged the central committee members to put in all efforts to ensure a UML-led majority government after the 2027 general elections.

General Secretary Shankar Pokharel responded to the questions raised by party leaders. He said that the UML was executing the annual action plan, renewing party membership, ensuring the systematic operation of the party school, and collaborating with the party’s people’s representatives for their effective performance.

The UML central committee has concluded that due to unsuited individuals governing the state, the republic system was facing various challenges, with national interests taking a back seat and foreign relations becoming immature and imbalanced.

The party has resolved to utilize all its strength to bolster the democratic republic system, foster the idea of prosperous Nepal, fulfill the national aspirations of contented Nepalis, safeguard national interests and dignity, and ensure a bright future for the country.

Stating that the government has failed to expedite capital spending and that tax revenue is falling short of covering government expenses, and delays in releasing payments to contractors for completed projects have hampered the implementation of development initiatives, the UML has pledged to take meaningful action to address these issues. 

The central committee has also called for the resignation implicated in various scandals, including the deaths of two youths in the Balkumari area of Lalitpur on 29 Dec 2023.  

Highlighting the plight of loan shark victims marched all the way to Kathmandu to demand for justice, the UML has demanded that the government take strong action against greedy usurers and deliver justice to the victims. The party has also expressed sympathy towards the protests of the victims of cooperatives and microcredit institutions, and called on the government to safeguard the deposits of ordinary people. 

Stating that dairy farmers, who faced significant losses due to a lumpy skin outbreak, have been unable to receive payments totaling more than Rs 6bn from dairy producers, the UML has urged the government to demonstrate a serious commitment to supporting farmers. According to the party, the government has reduced subsidies based on production and ceased subsidizing farm insurance premiums, promoting the import of powdered milk, instead of boosting domestic production. The party has called on the government to address long-term land issues, implement a system for distributing identification cards after identifying and categorizing farmers, and allocate grants and subsidies to incentivize farming. 

The UML has urged the government to take needful measures to ensure a stable market for farm products, eradicate middlemen, and safeguard citizens from the impacts of climate change. It has also urged the government to control inflation and ensure the smooth supply of daily necessities.

The UML central committee has demanded that the government promptly release the grant funds for quake-affected families to construct temporary homes, and immediately bring plans for their reconstruction and rehabilitation without delay. Thirty-eight survivors of the Jajarkot earthquake have died due to the cold winter because of government indifference, the party said.

The UML has urged the government to devise concrete strategies to stop political meddling in the higher education sector. The party has also demanded action against the perpetrators who attacked 16 members of its student wing at Lamjung Agriculture and Livestock Campus.

The UML has criticized the diplomatic failure on the part of the government to secure the release of Bipin Joshi, who has been held hostage by Hamas since the attack on Israel by Hamas in October last year. The party has called for a lasting peace in the Middle East and advocated for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as proposed by the United Nations. 

The party has also called out the government’s ineffectiveness to bring back the Nepali youths working for the Russian army. 

Regarding the power trade agreement with India, the UML has expressed concerns that certain provisions go against the national interest. Instead of resolving issues related to long-pending projects like Pancheshwar and Upper Karnali, the UML said that the government awarded key projects such as West Seti, Seti-6, and Phukot Karnali to Indian developers without the competitive bidding process. The UML has demanded that the government make public all agreements, understandings, and arrangements made for energy production and trade to safeguard Nepal’s national interests in natural resources and to ensure competitive arrangements in energy production and distribution.

The party has also expressed its concerns regarding the activities of some groups to disrupt social harmony by stoking social and religious tensions. The UML has claimed that some individuals within the government are involved in such activities. Thep party has called upon people of all languages, castes, religions, and cultures to remain vigilant against any actions that undermine social harmony, to identify those responsible for such acts, and to contribute to strengthening social harmony and national unity.

The UML has also raised objections to the release of individuals involved in the death of its activist Chetan Aidy, who was killed by Nepali Congress workers during the 2022 general elections, under the political pressure and influence. Such incidents undermine the rule of law, erode public confidence in the judiciary, and perpetuate impunity, the party has said.

Black-bellied tern (Sterna acuticauda) is a globally endangered bird species that belongs to the family Laridae and is locally known as “Utkroshi Phyalphyale” in Nepal. The species, once abundant throughout its distribution range, is vanishing silently. This calls for a heightened conservation attention from stakeholders.

Native to countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, China and other Southeast Asian countries, this species is found near water bodies like rivers, ponds, lakes and marshes. Once found abundantly on the lowlands of Nepal at the elevation range of 75-730 meters, the species seems to have vanished, literally, these days.

Characterized by a distinctive black belly, deeply forked and long tail and slender orange bill, black-bellied tern is a small waterbird measuring 32-35 cm in length. Its diet includes fishes and insects. The bird is quick when diving for fish and skims over the surface of water and land to catch its prey. Nesting and breeding take place from February to April.

This bird is solitary during nesting, nests on sand and gravel islands in water bodies. It shares its habitat with other bird species, so conservation of one species helps other bird species as well. 

In the Bengali region, this bird is considered sacred and is associated with wealth and prosperity. The species is known for its unique appearance and a major ecological role, mainly as a predator to small fishes and insects. The conservation of this species is important to maintain a healthy ecosystem and biodiversity.

Globally, the population of this geographically-restricted species, like several other waterbird species, is declining, with an estimated population of less than 10,000 individuals at present, including merely 10-20 individuals in Nepal. 

Habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, overexploitation of resources and climate change are some of the threats facing the species. Anthropogenic activities such as hunting of the species for meat and foraging for eggs, and use of catapults have impacted the species directly. Invasive plant species in lakes and rivers, overfishing, sand and stone mining and extraction, dam and other water regulatory bodies, recreational activities (picnics near their habitats, boating, etc), agriculture and aquaculture have impacted the species indirectly.  

The threats to the species native to the Tarai region are multiplying, thanks to a number of factors like massive migration of people after the eradication of malaria from the region in 1950s’ and 60s’ in search of fertile farmlands and better infrastructure. Industrial development, rampant extraction of construction materials like sand, stones and boulders from riverbeds, ‘transformation’ of many wetlands turned into settlements and agricultural land, this species and several other flora and fauna are facing an increased threat. Combined, these threats can lead to local extinction of the species. 

What next?

As we have a limited understanding of the ecology of the species in Nepal, including information on its distribution, our first priority should be on addressing the knowledge void. 

What is shocking in this regard is a recent study that recorded just two individuals at the Koshi Tappu Region, considered a prime habitat for the species, pointing toward serious threats facing the species.

Deploying bird watching groups as citizen scientists can be fruitful in this matter. Conservation measures should be carried out side by side as we cannot wait till the ample evidence is collected for devising conservation measures. Raising awareness in local communities particularly those whose livelihood is directly dependent on the rivers and wetland is must.  Sensitization of other stakeholders, including local people, schoolchildren and government representatives are also essential.

Monitoring of the nesting sites to avoid egg collection, prohibition on collection of river bed materials during the breeding season and regulation of the use of heavy machinery in potential habitats are also equally necessary. Also important is the livelihood diversification of fishing communities to reduce their dependence on wetlands. Dams have drawn criticism for their negative impact on many species, but for this species, dams are a habitat. So, we might think of constructing dams in some areas as they provide a perfect habitat for this species and also protect its food habitat.

Conclusion

Black-bellied terns, whose population has suffered a drastic decline in Nepal, need serious conservation intervention. As we lack information on the ecology of the species, there’s a need to carry out research and conservation works side by side. Working together, we can create a better future for black-bellied terns and other waterbirds.

The author is a conservation associate at Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC)

I have three copies of ‘The Palace of Illusions’ by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni on my bookshelf. Every time someone borrowed my copy of the book, I bought another one because I would want to read it again and it wouldn’t have been returned. Now that all the borrowed books have made their way back to me, I have multiple copies. But I don’t mind it at all. I like looking at the forest-green spines with yellow letters and because there are three of them, it stands out.

I recently gave away quite a few books but I didn’t want to give away a single copy of The Palace of Illusions because I know I will eventually recommend it to someone and they will want to borrow it. It’s a book that brings back happy memories as I grew up watching Mahabharat on TV.  This is Panchaali’s Mahabharat. Narrated by Draupadi, the wife of the Pandava brothers, The Palace of Illusions gives a woman’s perspective on an epic that has largely been shown through the eyes of men.

Mahabharat focuses on the Pandava brothers and how they grew up. Divakaruni’s version tells us about Panchali—her birth, upbringing, her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna, and her secret attraction to her husband’s most dangerous enemy. Some conversations and stories would perhaps not have seen the light of day hadn’t it been for this reimaging. There are a lot of important events of the Mahabharat in the book but it’s the quieter moments, of introspection and affection, that stand out. The peaceful years after marriage, and moments after the battle of Kurukshetra shine light on the essence of life. It makes for an insightful read.

Most of us have watched or read some version of the Mahabharat. But the story will still enchant you as you will see a completely different side to it. You will also come to view Karna, whom we know as Arjuna’s archnemesis, in a renewed light. One of my friends said The Palace of Illusions did what her parents couldn’t during her childhood. It got her interested in Mahabharat. And the book is indeed fascinating. It’s a fresh take on an ancient tale. You get to know the women much more intimately than you do in the original epic. Here, the women are the heroes. And you couldn’t cheer for them any louder if you tried.

Mythology

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1774836.The_Palace_of_Illusions 

The Palace of Illusions

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Published: 2008

Publisher: Picador

Pages: 360, Paperback