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The Buddha Purnima is over but peace and bliss is very much in the air in the studios of Nepal Art Gallery (the venue of the exhibition titled Deities of Nepal-II, which started on May 21 and will remain open till June 10) drowned in a stream of mellifluous music in the midst of a cacophonous concrete jungle.

 Two lion-like, friendly-looking creatures (Sharduls?) welcome you as you enter the modern building that, frankly speaking, does not have much to offer in terms of traditional architecture of Nepal. But then it will be wrong to judge the council by its building as it has done quite a lot since its establishment in 1962 to promote Nepal’s art and craft.

 As you enter the building and turn right, a spacious gallery draws you. There, next to a beautiful idol of Ganesh, the divine remover of obstacles, Tsering Phonjo Gurung`s monastery (medium: Canvas), adorned with colorful windows and prayer flags, appears to rise with the clouds, unlike the modern-day centers of faith that rise on the lap of Mother Nature, obscuring Nature herself, particularly one of her finest creations, the lush-green woods. 

 Close by, gently rises Priyanka Karn´s Patan Krishna Mandir in Mithila style (medium: canvas), with ‘Hare Krishna’ in a yellow background, bringing a generous touch of Mithilanchal. Karn appears to bring Mithila finesse and fertility to the ruggedness of the mountains that the Shikhar (mountain-like) style seems to represent. 

 In a large canvas titled Snapshot(s) of Lalitpur`s Heritage(s) (acrylic & oil color), Raju Chitrakar offers glimpses of the archaeological heritages of Lalitpur, the city of fine arts. 

In a background of Ashtamangal (eight auspicious symbols), he presents in broad strokes shrines and the presiding deities of those shrines. 

 Among other heritages, the canvas sports the Kumari Chhen and the living goddess, Matsyendranath and his abode in Patan,  Shakyamuni Buddha in his lotus posture and his stupas at Lagankhel and Pulchowk. 

Gushing with water, traditional stone spouts of the Kathmandu valley come to life in Rabita Kisi`s artwork, which is part of her Dhungedhara series VII. While a plastic vessel is quenching thirst, another eagerly awaits, symbolizing, perhaps, a parched urban jungle`s eternal quest and thirst for water. 

 Bishal Maharjan`s Makara (acrylic on canvas) presides over a corner with its coiled snout, leaving a powerful impression that a finely executed piece of artwork never fails to do. 

 Close by, Naresh Sundar Sainju`s piece of art titled Bramhayani Shakti Pith-Treasures of Ancient Panauti (medium: acrylic on canvas) perhaps offers a glimpse of our ancient heritages slipping into oblivion because of our collective neglect. 

Mixed perhaps with the artist´s sad mood at a poor state of affairs vis-a-vis the preservation of our history, it seeks to send a powerful message to the rich and the powerful, who would do well to wake up before it’s a little too late. 

 Jyoti Prakash`s 108 Ganesha (mix media) stands out, both in terms of size and price. The remover of obstacles, by the way, has a formidable presence also in the form of Sushma Rajbhandari´s Ashok Vinayak (acrylic color), one of Kathmandu Valley’s four principal Vinayaks. 

 Other vignettes of the valley’s socio-religious-spiritual-cultural milieu are all there, in the form of royal palace squares, Lokeshwars, Lakhe dance, shrines in the midst of busy thoroughfares  and ancient temples bathed in modern street lights. 

At the center of all this stands Chandra Shyam Dangol’s Bauddhanath stupa carved in stone, with Buddha’s all-seeing eyes looking in every imaginable direction in the form of universal consciousness. Indeed, there’s no escaping his all-seeing eyes. 

While trying to read into the artworks on display, this scribbler had almost forgotten to notice the gallery wall displaying what appeared like a complex web of nerves. He was already quite tired and chances of him getting lost into the web were pretty high. 

 A marathon tour

Then and there came Amish Joshi, an amicable guide and a BFA (first year) student. Showing the way through wide and narrow roads and alleyways of the valley, Joshiji explained that the web of nerves was, in fact, the interwoven network of roads connecting the valley and the idea behind this exhibition was to offer people glimpses of the valley’s architectural heritages, including the major shrines located along the arteries. 

Only then did this scribbler come to know the reason behind his exhaustion: An hour-long, marathon visit of major heritages in the valley had taken its toll, leaving him with no energy to move further. After catching a breath, as this scribbler hit the road again, the sweet music from the art studio drowned and cacophony prevailed, making him wonder how on Earth artists find the peace of mind to create works of art in the midst of chaos. 

 Safety of artworks

Summing up, a piece of art is simply invaluable and Nepal is home to art lovers, who have high regard for artists and their works of art. Still, there are elements around the world, who even seek to desecrate works of art. Nepal’s art fraternity, including artists, art studios and relevant government authorities, should leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety and security of artworks.

Nepal are locking their horns against the Netherlands in their first match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup today.

Nepal, which are in Group D, will play against the Netherlands at 9:15 pm Nepali time at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, USA.

Along with Nepal, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa are in Group D.

Nepal will play their second match against Sri Lanka on June 11, third against South Africa on June 14 and fourth against Bangladesh on June 16.

Nepal are playing in the World Cup after a decade.

It is necessary for Nepal, which are aiming to make into Super Eight, to register a victory in the first match.

So far, out of 12 T20I matches, Nepal have won five matches, lost six matches and made one match draw.

Nepal and the Netherlands are competing for the first time in the World Cup.

Nepali team

Rohit Paudel (team captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Asif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Sah, Dipendra Singh Airee, Kushal Malla, Lalit Rajbansi, Karan KC, Gulsan Jha, Sompal Kami, Pratik GC, Sandeep Jora, Abhinas Bohara, Sagar Dhakal and Kamal Singh Airee.

The Nepal Bar Association (NBA) is an important force in advancing justice and reshaping the country’s legal system. Founded in 1956, this umbrella organization for all bar units across the country plays a critical role in maintaining judicial independence, strengthening ties between the bar and the bench, and promoting human rights. ​Creating fora for legal professionals to debate and confront urgent legal system challenges is one of NBA’s most important responsibilities. Events like the yearly All-Nepal Lawyers National Conference give attorneys a forum to discuss and suggest changes. The 2024 conference, for example, had themes like ‘Competent Lawyers, Dignified Bar’ and ‘Restructuring of the Judiciary’, demonstrating NBA’s dedication to boosting public trust in the legal profession and promoting judicial independence.​ With the ability to navigate many important areas of influence and responsibility, NBA is well-positioned to play a significant role in Nepal's legal and judicial environment.

Judicial freedom

The NBA has been a vocal supporter of an independent judiciary. To make sure that political influence and corruption do not make inroads into the judicial system, the group frequently participates in discussions and agreements about judicial appointments and reorganization of the judiciary. This involves raising concerns about the Judicial Council’s makeup and the hierarchy of judges, especially in view of the process governing judges’ nominations that has sparked controversies. 

Helping future attorneys

Supporting new generations of attorneys is one of the NBA’s major responsibilities. Many young attorneys struggle to start their practices and feel cut off from more experienced members of the bar. To ease the transition from academic studies to professional practice, NBA is aiming to promote mentoring programs and create a more inclusive atmosphere. This involves offering forums for experienced attorneys and novices to collaborate and share expertise.​

Reforms and public trust

In an effort to boost public trust in the legal system, NBA is actively engaged in more extensive legal changes. This entails promoting legislation that improves judicial efficiency and transparency as well as pressing for constitutional modifications. The association plays a key role in making laws by helping with the formulation of the Integrated Legal Aid Policy, which attempts to increase underprivileged populations’ access to the legal system.​

Political influence and law

Although political affiliations are inevitable for lawyers, NBA works to strike a balance where legal practice takes precedence over political activity. While recognizing that politics has an impact on the legal community, it stresses that legal advocacy, professional competency and judicial accountability should continue to be its key priorities.​

Access to justice

Working together with global partners like the UNDP and the Norwegian government, NBA has been developing initiatives to improve access to justice. The initiatives include the provision of free legal services, with a focus on women and vulnerable groups, and the assistance of local judicial committees in strengthening their ability to administer justice. NBA’s participation in these initiatives demonstrates its dedication to making justice available to all segments of the society.

Prospective courses

Looking ahead, NBA intends to keep up its efforts to preserve the independence and integrity of the judiciary, create opportunities for professional development of its members and implement legal changes. By tackling both internal obstacles within the legal fraternity and more general systemic problems, NBA hopes to fortify Nepal’s legal system and advance equity for everyone.​

A key player in Nepal’s legal system, NBA takes on a variety of roles, including promoting judicial independence, mentoring aspiring attorneys and expanding access to justice via international partnerships and legislative changes. It plays a variety of roles, including advocating for judicial changes, making sure attorneys are represented in judge nominations and offering vital legal services to marginalized groups. The integrity and accessibility of Nepal’s judicial system depend heavily on their ongoing efforts. NBA is a major contributor to maintaining Nepal’s independent, equitable, and open legal system in addition to standing out for the rights and interests of attorneys.​ The integrity and advancement of the legal profession in Nepal are greatly dependent on NBA as it keeps working to enhance the legal profession, the legal education system and the judicial system as a whole. The NBA’s work is essential to guaranteeing that Nepal’s judicial system is impartial, autonomous and competent to preserve democracy and justice. NBA remains a pillar in the fight for a strong and effective legal system in Nepal by attending to the interests of its members and pushing for structural changes.

The current coalition government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal may not collapse in the near future, though Prime Minister Dahal himself seems less certain. Political analysts and leaders agree that as long as the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, the first and second largest parties respectively, do not join forces to form a new government, Dahal will continue to exploit the situation. However, the complexity of Nepal’s political parties makes it challenging for analysts to make definitive predictions. Few anticipated that Dahal would expel the Nepali Congress from the government on March 4 and ally with his rival, KP Sharma Oli of UML. 

For over a year, Dahal has remained in power somehow, securing the vote of confidence three times, highlighting his government’s fragility. Since the beginning, even Dahal has appeared uncertain about the government’s longevity. He often tells his colleagues that despite predictions he wouldn't last a couple of months, he has managed to stay in power for over a year. His remarks in public also indicate his doubts about the government's survival. There are several factors that are feeding Dahal’s doubt, including the possibility that coalition partners, mainly CPN (Unified Socialist), could withdraw support anytime. 

This uncertainty has also made Dahal desperate to cling on to power. To bolster his position, Dahal facilitated a split in the Janata Samajbadi Party led by Upendra Yadav, creating a new party of seven lawmakers who now support his government. Dahal was worried after reports that Yadav was planning to pull out its support from the coalition and join forces with Congress, the main opposition, in a bid to form a new government.    

Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center) has just 32 seats in the House of Representatives, which makes it a distant third largest party after the UML and NC. Yet, Dahal managed to become prime minister after the 2022 general elections, which took much negotiations, political maneuverings, and making and breaking of alliances.    

Dahal’s guile and cunning has kept him at the helm so far, but he has yet to (and he may never) shake off the specter of one of the coalition partners turning against him, reducing his government into a minority status.  

With Yadav’s Janata Samajbadi Party out of the picture, Prime Minister Dahal is now concerned that CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal might withdraw support to the coalition due to his growing closeness with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. While this might not immediately topple the government, it would definitely force Dahal to reaffirm his majority, further weakening his political standing. Additionally, Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhane, also the minister for home affairs, faces the allegation of embezzling cooperative funds, and Dahal fears a court order might force Lamichhane to resign, prompting RSP to leave the government.

Political parties have finally agreed to form a parliamentary committee to probe the misuse of funds by multiple cooperatives across the country. Had Lamichhane’s name been included in the probe committee’s terms of reference, he might have resigned. But to prevent this, Prime Minister Dahal successfully convinced NC President Deuba to adopt a more flexible stance. It was NC that first raised the demand for a parliamentary panel to probe the financial scandals in various cooperatives, including the one linked with Home Minister Lamichhane.  

Dahal’s visit to Deuba’s residence before the budget session suggests a possible agreement between the two leaders. After forming a new  ruling coalition in March by breaking the alliance with the Congress, Dahal feels external forces might attempt to remove him from power. This explains his attempt at appeasing India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which is likely to get a historic third term as several exit polls indicate.

After parting ways with the NC, Dahal has faced increasing difficulties. Relegated to the opposition bench, the NC has been creating obstacles in the Parliament and has even initiated street protests, aiming to topple the government. There are also reports about the NC holding back-channel negotiations with the UML to form a new coalition, the one that is stable and strong.   

Within the UML, opinions are divided: some leaders believe a coalition with NC would ensure stability, while others argue that as key electoral competitors, the two parties should not ally. Nonetheless, it won’t be surprising if they come together. Some NC leaders want to join the government, fearing that the current home administration under Lamichhane might target them in corruption scandals.

At this juncture, it is difficult to gauge Oli's intentions. The UML leader has been saying that the internal and external environment is not conducive for him to become prime minister, which is why he is currently supporting Dahal and focusing on strengthening his party. 

Oli aims to make UML the largest party by inducting lawmakers from fringe parties. But at the same time he has not completely ruled out the possibility of forming an alliance with the Congress. Some leaders say Oli’s preferred option is to ally with the Maoists and ultimately seek to merge the two parties, with UML leaders in dominant positions. Oli might even try to secure the position of president after the 2027 elections, while his current targets remain NC and RSP, seeing the former as a key electoral competitor and the latter as a formidable threat to all major parties. 

With both ruling and opposition parties expending significant energy either to maintain or disrupt the coalition, governance, economy, and development are taking a hit.