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Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was fully confident that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would hand over the power to him in 2025. So he was treading cautiously to keep the current coalition intact, extra careful not to upset Dahal. 

In Deuba’s own words, he refused to meet the opposition leader, KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML, despite the latter’s repeated requests. He even turned down Oli’s premiership offer, because he didn’t want to betray Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center). But little did Deuba know that Oli’s UML had also been making overtures to Prime Minister Dahal to break the Maoist-NC coalition and form a left alliance. 

While it is true that the relationship between Dahal and Deuba was fraught with disagreements and misunderstandings, Deuba never thought they were serious enough to break the alliance.
According to NC leaders, the current situation resonates with the incident of 2017 when the Maoist party while being in the NC-led government forged an electoral alliance with the UML. Consequently, the NC faced a historic drubbing in the general elections, while the Maoists and UML went on to unify to become the largest communist party that the country had ever seen. The unified communist party, however, split to their old forms following a power tussle between Dahal and Oli.  

Now the two communist parties are together again and the Nepali Congress, which emerged as the largest political party through the 2022 parliamentary elections, has been relegated to the opposition’s role. Deuba’s party has also been stripped of power in the provinces. The NC has been in this same situation before. Soon after the 2022 general elections, the NC had taken a firm stance of forming a government under its leadership. This led the Maoists to switch sides and make an alliance with the UML to form a government. But once again, there was a power tussle between Dahal and Oli, and the Maoist-UML coalition fell through. 

The NC returned to power after agreeing to Dahal’s condition that he should be allowed to lead the government for two years. As per the agreement, Deuba would lead the coalition government for the final two years of the five-year term, and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) would helm the government for one year after the end of Dahal’s term.  

With everything that had occurred between the Maoists and UML, with all the bad blood between Dahal and Oli, there was no reason for Deuba to suspect that something was amiss. How wrong was he! 

In Monday’s office-bearers meeting, Deuba called Dahal a betrayer for secretly aligning with the UML without any solid reason. While Deuba and his supporters have taken it as a major loss to the NC, leaders like Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa are of the view that it will be beneficial to the party in the long-run. 

Koirala said break-up and formation of alliances is a normal affair in politics, even though Prime Minister Dahal abandoned the NC in an abrupt and abnormal manner. 

He added that the NC should be careful about forging such an alliance in the future.

For a long time, Koirala was against the NC-Maoist alliance. The party’s general secretary duo Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma also held contradictory views regarding the alliance with the Maoist party. Even though the Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel was elected the President with the support of the Maoists, Thapa, Sharma, Koirala and other NC leaders were concerned that the alliance with the Maoist party was compromising the party’s ideology and eroding the support base. 

In the recently concluded Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, Thapa and his team took a firm position that the party should make an official stance that it will not forge any electoral alliance in the next general elections. So the party endorsed the proposal to not form a pre-poll alliance while also committing to give continuity to the NC-Maoist coalition until the next elections. 

It was a reason enough for Prime Minister Dahal to sever ties with the NC. Dahal was also unhappy with the performance of the NC ministers. Some leaders say the prime minister was also being pressured by the NC not to investigate high-profile corruption scandals involving politicians and businesspersons.

The NC was allegedly putting pressure on Prime Minister Dahal to remove Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, claiming that Shrestha was targeting NC leaders by opening investigations into past corruption cases. 
The NC is currently discussing their future course of action. So far it is not clear whether the party will remain in opposition and prepare for the 2027 general elections, or start making efforts to dismantle the Maoist-UML coalition all over again. 

Youth leaders of the party are of the view that the party should remain in the opposition and focus on party building, but the decision rests upon Deuba, who holds a major sway in the party. Koirala said the NC should learn a lesson from this episode, but it is really Deuba who should.  

Nepal is aspiring for a stable government and prosperous developmental initiation and progress. When we start the confab about development, environment appears simultaneously. However, more often than not, environment and development are mistaken as two sides of the same coin, which cannot come together. This is contrary to the global understanding.

Global development discourse, through a series of adaptive learning, has reached the general consensus that the achievements made on the development arena cannot be sustainable without proper integration of environmental aspects. The same has been the central idea behind Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which is the blueprint for peace and prosperity across the globe. Nepal must make some serious efforts to join hands on this global development discourse. The question is not about written commitments, as Nepal is party to a majority of multilateral environmental agreement, it is about implementation.

Environment and development

Environment Protection Act and Environmental Protection Rules (EPR) of Nepal mandate the proponent of development activities to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) before initiating development works. The proposals (policies, programs or projects) can have both positive and negative impacts on the physical, social or economic environment. EA was originally initiated to minimize or avoid negative consequences of development projects and their alternatives while amplifying the positive impacts. However, some of the factors have undermined the potentiality of EA in meeting stipulated objectives in the case of our country. 

First, development activists take the investment in environmental sectors as unnecessary liabilities. However, we need to take that investment to be analogous to insurance. Investing three to five percent of the total budget of the project in environmental issues can assure that your investment will provide a sustainable benefit. This means the cost-benefit ratio of investment in the environmental sector can be greater than 20. 

Godawari marble factory (Godavari, Lalitpur) and Himal cement factory (Chobhar, Kathmandu), among others, were terminated because of their failure to acknowledge environmental impact. 

The situation could have been different with identification of environmental aspects and adoption of mitigation measures from the first phase itself.

Secondly, EAs in Nepal are generally ill-timed. In case of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the study is initiated after preparation and approval of the Detailed Project Report (DPR). The scenario is worse in the case of Initial Environmental Examination (IEE). A majority of IEEs are carried out after the start of project works, restricting the ability of environmental assessment studies to properly explore the alternatives, which is very crucial for EA, to assist in the decision-making process. 

Third, EA requires an interdisciplinary approach. So, after initiating EA in Nepal to fulfill the commitment made on the global agenda, especially at the Rio convention (Earth Summit 1992), the government introduced Environmental Science at the Tribhuvan University (TU). The main motive was to produce skillful human capital for conducting EAs. The subject was designed focusing on the need of EA as it requires an interdisciplinary approach. Absurdly, even when there are sufficient environmental science graduates, untrained persons with backgrounds other than environmental science are getting the opportunity to conduct EAs in most of the cases. This makes the EA study liability instead of insurance. 

Fourth, even the students of environmental science lack adequate training. Most of the environmental graduates in Nepal are from TU. The Department of Environmental Science of constituent colleges of TU itself does not have adequate academic resources. The facilities are not adequate. The situation is even worse for other universities. 

The government has to make investments for raising the capacity of human resources. Furthermore, training the human resources through real field experiences in monitoring and evaluation work as a third-party monitoring body could provide the students with the real field experience of EA.  

Fifth, a majority of decision-making bodies lack the human resources with understanding of EIA. Most of the comments made to experts during the defense of the assessment report are either related to social aspects of the proposal or are related to the forest. Other aspects are often overlooked as support staff with administrative backgrounds and a scant understanding of technical issues often get to comment on EIAs prepared by subject experts. In the past, when the report was prepared in English, they used to make comments only on the executive summary section. As the reports are drafted in Nepali these days, a majority of comments are on grammatical errors, often at the expense of other critical issues. 

Sixth, the report cannot ensure sustainable development on its own. Environmental monitoring and auditing is the heart of an effective EA. If proper monitoring is done while undertaking development projects as stipulated in the assessment report, we can customize and address the issues that are often overlooked during the report preparation phase. In fact, the responsibility of monitoring has not been adequately assigned in the existing laws. Government has hired some Environmental Graduates as Environmental Inspectors. However, most of them have been posted in the Environment Division. Relevant ministries tasked with approving IEE reports lack human resources capable of understanding the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. 

Seventh, the Department of Environment (DoEnv) is often bypassed during the EA approval process. Though some of the officers get involved in the process, the department itself is bypassed. The Biodiversity Section approves the EIA while MoFE shows reluctance to pass on the authority to DoEnv, which is hard to understand. 

Finally, policy documents related to EA in Nepal focus only on project level assessment. Other tools such as cumulative impact assessment, sectoral impact assessment and strategic impact assessment need to be introduced to expand the horizon of impact assessment beyond the project level. Among other things, strategic environmental assessment is the utmost urgent need for Nepal. 

What next?

Government should prioritize the environmental sector, as they are crucial for national prosperity. Strengthening environmental issues by creating a platform for environmental science graduates at each level of the government will be a tactful decision. Those graduates can assist local bodies in devising and executing the plan based on local contexts. This will also enable local bodies to properly monitor environmental impact of developmental activities carried out within their jurisdiction. Currently, some local and provincial authorities have the authority to evaluate and approve IEE and brief environmental study (BES) reports. However, as they do not have qualified human resources, the government should think about appointing at least one environment expert for each local body. At the central level, strengthening the Department of Environment and allocating authorities related to environmental assessment should be a priority action. We also need to start discussing and implementing cumulative impact assessment, sectoral environmental assessment and strategic environmental impact assessment. 

Beside these, restructuring the course of Environmental Science at the Bachelor level as a stand-alone subject (BSc CSIT model), establishment of well-functioning governing bodies (Equivalent to that of Medical Council/Engineering Council) to take examination and issue licenses for EA and compulsion of license for passing assessment reports are also equally vital. 

The author is an assistant professor at the Department of Environmental Science, Padma Kanya Multiple Campus

China has said that it is ready to work with the new government in Kathmandu to advance the China-Nepal Strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity, and to deliver more benefits to the people of the two countries.

On March 8, four parties– CPN(Maoist), CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party- formed a new left government. Speaking in a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Mao Ning said: China noted that Nepal has formed a new government coalition and reshuffled the cabinet recently. We sincerely hope that relevant parties of Nepal will work together in solidarity, advance the work related to the formation of the new government in a smooth manner, and realize political stability, economic growth and improvement of people’s livelihood.”

She further said that  as a friendly neighbor and cooperation partner, China highly values its relations with Nepal. We would like to work with the new government to uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, deepen our traditional friendship, and strengthen practical cooperation. China has become the first country to make an official comment about the formation of a new alliance in Kathmandu. For the long time, China is motivating Nepal’s communist parties to form an alliance and government. China prefers a communist government in Kathmandu in order to fulfill its interests.  

When the South Korean film “Parasite” made history by winning four Academy Awards, including the award for the Best Picture, people started wondering if they have been missing out on some good foreign films that would undeniably enrich their cinematic experience.

Why was “Parasite” an achievement?

Bong Joon Ho, the director of  “Parasite” drew further attention to this matter by cleverly stating: “Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

The general consensus is that people have an aversion to subtitles because they draw the attention to the wrong part of the screen and are generally distracting and take away from the visual storytelling and experience. Therein lies that barrier.

But the issue goes even deeper. One could argue that the concept of subtitles couldn’t possibly be associated with politics. This would be wrong. The underlying issues such as racism, omnipresent prejudice and cultural differences are key aspects that fuel the general public’s dislike towards foreign films and, by default, subtitles. Despite winning numerous accolades, “Parasite” still struggled to make a complete breakthrough and earn recognition among the English-speaking audience. People argued that they enjoy watching a movie, not reading it. Some even wondered why the director chose an all Korean cast and why the director did the film in Korean instead of English.

It wasn’t until “Parasite” won the Academy Award for the Best Picture, when people had no choice but to give it the recognition it deserved. It can be concluded that, in order to get recognition in the entertainment business, a movie should be made in English.

Foreign films vs Hollywood

Foreign films often have smaller budgets than their Hollywood counterparts; therefore, the quality of production, costumes, special effects, marketing, etc. is not as mega costly as it’s often the case with Hollywood movies. The former simply can’t compete with the latter—production wise. But that is not to say that great budget equals great quality.

Certainly there are expectations the audience has from Hollywood productions and when a foreign movie falls short of the same expectations, the audience often generalizes the quality of all foreign cinemas. Some foreign movies are far superior and engaging than their Hollywood counterparts, but they are rarely watched due to the preconceived bias that foreign cinemas are bad. Such an attitude perpetuates prejudice towards foreign films, categorizing them as sub-par or low quality and therein lies an even greater barrier.

In fact, foreign films show and teach us obscure aspects of life and culture, making up for budget shortcomings in an innovative and creative way. Therefore, one could argue that the role of subtitles is necessary and a vital part of cinematic experience, enhancing understanding, not only of a language but of culture as well. That is why, for the people who don’t speak the language, subtitles don’t represent a barrier, but a tool, a form of aid that allows them to understand the dialogue and actually get a chance to fully experience the film.

The issue with subtitles

The mechanism of subtitles is a complex one. It requires the accuracy of a translation that successfully and effortlessly shifts from source language to target language, without losing or omitting the original idea and, as such, are crucial in delivering the nuances and hidden, as well as obvious, meanings that a director wishes to convey to foreign audience.

What role can the subtitles play?

Subtitles are crucial in the success of a movie, because badly translated or inaccurate subtitles limit and hamper the message a movie is trying to deliver. To further illustrate the importance of subtitles, we can have as an example of the persons who are deaf or hard-of hearing. For them, subtitles are a tool that removes whatever limitations they may have and that may hinder their enjoyment and are of vital significance in making movie content accessible and inclusive.

On a more technical note, subtitles also serve as visual cues that allow a viewer to focus on what’s being said, if we take into account background noise, a variety of accents and voice levels or even ambient dialogue, without missing visual information. They are a physical manifestation of auditory information, which constitutes a rather important part of a film. Furthermore, subtitles aid in learning language and improve reading abilities, which is often an underrated effect. 

Are subtitles necessary?

It’s always useful to be reminded that movies are not limited or exclusive to Hollywood. Keeping an open mind is necessary in every aspect of life and having an open mind makes a foreign movie more enjoyable. This exposes a person to a myriad of different styles of cinematography and talented directors and actors. It is inspiring as it is useful.

Pleasing everybody all the time is not possible but we must strive to understand one another, without jumping to conclusions and relying on prejudice when we are met with something that is unfamiliar. When “Parasite” won the Academy Award for the Best Picture, it broke the barriers and erased the boundaries imposed on motion pictures. It made the audience strive to understand the foreign culture. It truly made history. The cinema won that night, and cinema is not exclusive to a country, language or culture.

There are a lot of gifted filmmakers in so many countries, presenting us with outstanding films. It would be a waste to miss out on those amazing films just because they come with subtitles.

Subtitles have the ability to transcend, by means of making a part of a culture that is embodied in a visual storytelling accessible to everyone, therefore broadening the experience, which certainly demonstrates the resonance and power of that “one-inch-tall barrier.”

The writer is a Nepali subtitle translator and runs a Nepali translation company, Wordinvent