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Perched on the edge of Phewa Lake, boasting greenery and picturesque surroundings, is the spacious Basundhara Park, a refuge for the people of Pokhara, especially those close to Lakeside. The park can be seen just below the road as one walks along his way to Barahi Ghat, where Taal Barahi is located. Right after walking past the slope of Baidam, one can feel that he has completely entered new territory. In a way, Lakeside epitomizes the city’s elegance. To say Lakeside has made Pokhara a grand place would be an understatement. Phewa Lake is an instrumental addition to Pokhara, making the city stand out among others. And in the heart of this cosmopolitan Lakeside is a lush park bearing the name ‘Basundhara Park’ that sees hundreds of visitors daily. 

Rammaya Gurung, 37, carries a basket on her back and walks toward Basundhara Park to settle on the edge of the park with the aim of selling chatpate, her modest business opening only after sunset every day. “It is only after 5 that people start to stream in,” says Gurung, opening a packet of noodles to mix up. A 7-year-old Binita clings to her mother’s kurta as the mother asks her customer about their spice preferences. A shy girl only smiles, refusing to answer the questions posed by customers. “My husband is working in the Gulf, and it is how I supplement his income,” says Gurung with a smile. 

A few meters away from Gurung’s junction is a Madhesi woman involved in the same business. However, her story is different. She looks down as she recalls how she lost her husband to the coronavirus pandemic. After the untimely demise of her husband, she couldn’t tolerate the harassment of her in-laws, so she took her belongings from her home district Saptari and followed her sister’s family to Pokhara, who has been running a juice shop in Malepatan for over seven years. Talking about the venue where she sets up her business day after day, she says, “At first, I was puzzled about where I should set up my chatpate stall, but once my sister showed me around this park, I decided this would be the perfect venue with the flow of so many visitors.” However, business, be it big or small, the woman says, is all about perseverance and patience. For women like her, the park has opened up the opportunity to earn and stand on their own feet.

One doesn’t need to pay rent while setting up such a business in the free spaces, so the lesser expenses mean that they can save up a good amount of money with low investment. Items they sell on streets and in parks, however, deteriorate one’s health if consumed regularly. Though the public is well aware that the consumption of chatpate is not good for health, the charm of such stalls in Basundhara Park is apparent. The best thing about these small business owners is that they have kept dustbins around the stalls to avoid people from throwing away papers and plastics. As a result, the sidewalks of Basundhara Park are spotless. 

Recently, a circular trail has been built inside the park, and this development has spurred mixed opinions among the general public. Jivan Pokhrel, a regular visitor to the park, says that the concrete trail has tarnished the greenery, making the park look dull and less natural. The trail is always occupied with joggers of all ages. The benefit of having a concrete trail is that joggers don’t have to suffer from muddy patches during the monsoon season. 

The park has changed a lot from what it used to be. Not many years ago, the park was plain, but now there are uneven surfaces all across the park, mostly in the southeast direction. Once, a dozer had intervened for construction work, and it affected the aesthetic beauty of the park. Since then, the southeast area of the park has been deserted, with the majority of people occupying the remaining spaces for picnics and gatherings. Schoolkids, families, and other informal groups often come to the park with home-cooked and packaged foods. While the sidewalks of the park are neat, the core area in the middle is always littered with wrappers, plastic plates, and bottles. “People have become educated, but they still can’t manage the waste they have produced. Basundhara Park is a pride of Lakeside, so waste management must be top-notch in order to preserve its beauty,” says Sanju Shrestha, who owns a beauty parlor near Basundhara Park. 

For Subash Poudel, Basundhara Park is more than a place to chill out, as he has been clicking photographs of his clients for some years in the park. Especially newlyweds promptly agree to a photoshoot at this venue, says Poudel. The landscape offered by the park has inspired photographers to come and capture photos against the breathtaking backdrop of Phewa Lake. 

Like Poudel, many people from different professions have chosen Basundhara Park as an unofficial workplace. The park authorities have shown flexibility by allowing people to utilize the space as they like. It is understandable that public parks are made accessible for the general public, but freedom must not come at the cost of the park’s sanitation. 

The present condition of the toilet in Basundhara Park speaks volumes about the authorities’ insouciance. Although the toilet looks large from the outside, it is not in a usable state. It’s high time that the authorities started focusing on the park’s sanitation by either revamping the old toilet or building a new one. 

Lately, a large number of youth groups have made Basundhara Park their playground, which must be urgently discouraged, and the authorities must impose restrictions on intense sports activities, allowing only light activities such as jogging and stretching. As the park is often crammed with people doing different activities for refreshment, there is a high chance that sports activities might injure people involved in their own recreations. The metropolitan area, along with the local government, must build an alternative ground around Lakeside to prevent people from playing at Basundhara Park. It should be clearly circulated that the park is only built for refreshment, and people from Pokhara should be mindful of the fact that Basundhara Park is associated with the tourism of Lakeside. The onus is on Pokhara residents to take care of Basundhara Park, which is one of the key attractions for the tourists coming to visit Pokhara.

In the Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index 2023, 15 countries, including Japan, Russia, Australia and South Korea, are classified as middle powers, while Nepal along with nine other countries are categorized as 'minor powers.' The foreign policy discourse in Kathmandu is dominated by the three major powers—India, China, and the United States. There is a lack of deliberation about Nepal's engagement with these middle powers which have been our long-standing development partners. 

Unlike the major powers, middle powers seemingly have fewer strategic interests in Nepal, making it easier to attract more investment and development assistance from them. Of late, these countries have shown a greater interest in engaging with Nepal across multiple areas. It is, therefore, time to explore how Nepal can maximize benefits from them. 

Many middle powers are increasing their partnership with Nepal, and they do not want to be seen as aligning with major powers, at least publicly. However, there is a convergence between the US and other middle powers on issues like democracy, human rights, and, more importantly, containing China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region. These middle powers often work through loose networks on several issues, and the US is working to empower their capacity while seeking their support to counter China.

In Nepal, these middle powers are trying to distance themselves from geopolitical ambitions but they are also concerned about Nepal’s position on key regional and international issues. 

For instance, during Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko's recent visit to South Asia, including Nepal and Sri Lanka, discussions focused on global and regional issues like the situation in the Middle East, the Russia-Ukraine war, and other South Asian regional matters.

Over the past few years, Japan has been investing in infrastructure development in South Asia in close collaboration with India. Its main priority is enhancing connectivity between South Asia and Southeast Asia, and for this purpose, Japan is investing in infrastructure in Northeast India. In this context, Japan considers Nepal an important position and is already investing in Nepal's infrastructure development. Japan is also concerned about the growing Chinese loans in South Asian countries, which could be a reason for the Japanese foreign minister’s visit to Nepal and Sri Lanka. Kamikawa conveyed the message that Japan is ready to step up its cooperation with Nepal, and to work closely with South Asian countries on regional and global issues.

The United Kingdom is also one of Nepal's oldest friends. The two countries established diplomatic ties in 1816. The Treaty of Friendship that the two countries signed in 1923 further formalized bilateral relations and helped Nepal claim UN membership, and reiterate its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The UK has consistently been one of Nepal's top development partners. Still, there is a perception in Nepal that the UK has maintained a low profile or has been quieter about its diplomatic engagement over the past decade.

Recently, the UK has shown a greater interest in Nepal, with increased grants and a keenness to bring foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country. In February 2023, UK Minister of State (Development and Africa) Andrew Mitchell launched a new £400m UK-Nepal development portfolio, aimed at mobilizing vital private sector funding for development and creating 13,500 jobs in Nepal.

Let’s talk about South Korea now. Seoul is gradually enhancing its cooperation and engagement with Nepal. Last year, South Korea sent President Yoon Suk-Yeol's special envoy Jang Sung Min to Nepal for discussions on bilateral and other issues. The two countries are currently discussing a wide range of bilateral issues, and high-level visits are on the agenda. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is preparing for an official visit to South Korea soon.

The trade volume between South Korea and Nepal has significantly increased from $100,000 in 1970 to $37m in 2023. Between 1987 and 2022, South Korea provided Nepal with $282.4m in Official Development Assistance (ODA) in areas like health, water, sanitation, education, rural development and energy. The private sector of South Korea has also shown interest in investing in various sectors in Nepal. This week, South Korea’s Ambassador to Nepal Park Tae-Young said they are willing to step up cooperation with Nepal. 

All these three countries—Japan, the UK and South Korea—have strong ties with the US and are often taken as junior partners of the superpower. The Indo-Pacific outlook unveiled by these countries are very similar in content to the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. All of these countries have stepped up strategic partnerships with India, which has a huge influence in Nepal. Along with these, other countries like Australia and France are also increasing their engagement with Nepal. Europe’s major power Germany is also keen to invest more in Nepal. 

While Nepal is preoccupied with dealing with the three major powers, the time has come to comprehensively engage with these middle powers to bridge the investment gap that the country is currently facing. These countries have clearly shown their interest in investing in Nepal if a conducive investment climate is created. It is easier to deal with these powers because they are publicly stating that their support for Nepal is guided by deep people-to-people relations and geopolitical factors do not prominently figure into their engagement. In a recent interaction, a diplomat said: Our support in Nepal is guided by a long history of people-to-people connections and we do not have much geopolitical interests in Nepal, although there is a lot of geopolitics in Nepal.

One immediate opportunity is the high chance of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). After the 2024 Nepal Investment Summit, these middle powers are encouraged by the government's amendments to laws as demanded by international investors and the all-party consensus on these issues. If some of their remaining issues are resolved, Nepal can attract more investment. For instance, during the investment summit, the UK conveyed that many UK investors are ready to invest in Nepal if issues related to tax and the safe repatriation of profits are eased.

Therefore, the government, think tanks and civil society should pay greater attention to stepping up engagement with these middle powers, along with the major powers vying for influence in Kathmandu. It is time for Nepal to seize this opportunity and tap into the potential of these middle powers for its development.

India and Nepal on Wednesday concluded their first-ever bilateral meeting between their probe agencies tasked to combat money laundering and discussed ways to check the crime taking place through the porous border between the two neighbors. A visiting delegation of Nepal's department of money laundering investigation (DMLI), led by its Director General Pushpa Raj Shahi, attended the two-day meet with the officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"This was the first head of the agency level meeting between the two anti-money laundering agencies of India and Nepal. The meeting was aimed at developing mutual cooperation and strengthening capacity building in the areas of money laundering and asset recovery between India and Nepal," an official statement issued by the ED said. The Indian side was led by ED Director (in-charge) Rahul Navin and both the sides had officials from their respective embassies in Delhi and Kathmandu apart from the Indian external affairs ministry.

During the meeting, both sides presented an overview of their respective anti-money laundering legislations and exchanged ideas for combating the menace of money laundering, it said. Both the sides also presented case studies and discussed common modus of money laundering schemes, as per the statement.

The ED, it said, explained in detail about various tools of investigation, analytical software and forensic tools/equipment used during the money laundering investigations. "Emphasis was placed upon on the fact that money laundering is a global problem that not only threatens security, but also compromises the stability, transparency and efficiency of financial systems, thus undermining economic prosperity.

"Therefore, both the sides expressed their concern towards money laundering risks through the porous border between India and Nepal," the statement said. The two agencies also "agreed" to continue strengthening cooperation in anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism efforts, through increased information sharing and coordination, including expeditious sharing of evidence and information for money laundering and terrorism financing investigations, as and when necessary, it said.

The importance of fighting financial crimes and on the effective implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards to protect abuse of financial systems was agreed upon, as per the ED. The Nepalese delegation "requested assistance" to set up forensic labs like the one ED has, and to arrange capacity building and training for DMLI officers.

ED expressed its "willingness" on this request and to strengthen agency-to-agency cooperation through informal channels in the areas of money laundering and asset recovery. "As a step closer, a draft MoU between ED and DMLI for enhancing mutual cooperation in the investigation of money laundering offenses was discussed and the same would be signed in due course after obtaining the necessary approvals from their respective competent authorities," the statement said.

Earlier this week, on May 5, the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal, led by Upendra Yadav, underwent a sudden split. Out of its 12 lawmakers in the House of Representatives, seven members led by Ashok Rai filed an application with the Election Commission seeking the registration of a new party. The following day, despite legal ambiguity, the election body, perceived to be influenced by parties in power, registered the new party, Janata Samajbadi Party and issued a certificate of political party to the Rai-led panel.

Yadav, also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health, was in the US when the split occurred. Upon hearing the news, he cut short his trip and returned to Nepal, but there was little he could do to persuade the dissident leaders to undo their action. What might have caused the split within Samajbadi party? There's a prevalent belief among top politicians that Yadav and Madhav Kumar Nepal, chair of CPN (Unified Socialist), were plotting to withdraw support from the current coalition government simultaneously, potentially to topple it.

Media reports suggest that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli got wind of this plan and orchestrated the split to salvage the coalition. Rai and his supporters publicly endorsed this narrative, claiming they felt compelled to part ways with the mother party due to Yadav's alleged intention to withdraw support from the current coalition. Days after the party split, Prime Minister Dahal on Thursday stated his determination to maintain the coalition by any means necessary. 

Following Samajbadi’s split, there were rumors that senior Unified Socialist leader Jhala Nath Khanal may also split the party if its chairman, Nepal, decides to withdraw from the Dahal-led government. However, Khanal has refuted the rumors. Upon his return from the US, Yadav met with Prime Minister Dahal to assert his commitment to the coalition and clarify any misinformation. Despite the split, Yadav expressed his intention to remain in the government, though much depends on the prime minister, who appears to favor the Rai-led faction for their role in preserving the coalition. Even if Yadav walks out of the government, Dahal will technically have majority support in the Parliament to continue his government.

The Unified Socialist has also publicly declared its intent to stay in the government, despite its Chairman Nepal voicing doubts about this coalition’s longevity. While reports suggest that the main opposition, Nepali Congress, was in discussions with Nepal of Unified Socialist and Yadav of Samajbadi Party about forming a new coalition, there were reportedly no significant talks between NC and Yadav.

A senior NC leader indicated readiness to accept Nepal as prime minister if the coalition collapses, but denied willingness to support Yadav for the position. Meanwhile, Yadav's camp has expressed willingness to form a new coalition only if offered the prime ministerial position. The NC itself is a divided house when it comes to forming a coalition with the Samajbadi and Unified Socialist. While leaders close to Deuba want to form a new coalition sans UML, its senior leader Shekhar Koirala is in talks with the UML to forge a coalition between the two largest parties. 

However, according to some UML leaders, the party chair, Oli, is in no rush to break the current coalition. They say he is aiming for a long game with the sole purpose of making the UML the largest party through the general elections of 2027. It appears Oli is in no hurry to become prime minister.   With the Samajbadi party split in two, it is now up to Prime Minister Dahal to decide whether to keep both Yadav and Rai factions in the coalition. He is already under pressure from the Rai camp to throw out the Yadav faction. Rai has clearly stated that the prime minister should choose between him and Yadav.

The events that unfolded over the past few days reveal that the split within JSP was not solely driven by coalition issues; intra-party conflicts also played a significant role. Before leaving for the US, Yadav issued an intra-party circular outlining the formation of an election committee for the upcoming general convention. Rai claimed Yadav favored his supporters as convention representatives, sidelining other senior party members. Yadav was also accused of attempting to transform the party into a regional entity centered on Madhes, despite its national scope. Rai acknowledged that aside from coalition concerns, intra-party disputes fueled their rebellion against Yadav.  Despite multiple splits over the years, Yadav continues to retain leadership of the party due to his strong base in Madhes. He hopes to do the same this time as well.