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Just two weeks ago, a palpable tension existed between Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal. However, they have now begun to align in defense of the 2015 constitution, citing an increasing threat from pro-monarchy forces. Despite this newfound unity, critics argue that the poor governance and misrule under Dahal’s leadership have inadvertently strengthened the monarchy's resurgence. In response, both ruling and opposition parties are joining forces to counter the growing influence of pro-monarchy factions. Prime Minister Oli and Dahal have adopted a more conciliatory approach toward each other in light of these developments.

As pro-monarchy forces work to establish a unified front to mobilize supporters, mainstream political parties are preparing to rally their own cadres to safeguard the current federal republican system. Leaders from major political parties, with the exception of the Nepali Congress (NC), have publicly accused former King Gyanendra Shah of attempting a comeback with external backing, though they have not provided detailed evidence to support these claims.

During a recent CPN-UML internal meeting, senior leaders expressed concerns that Shah is engaging in destabilizing activities under the influence of certain powers. They emphasized the need for republican forces to unite despite their differences. Some leaders have even proposed the idea of a national unity government—a vaguely defined concept that has remained unrealized since 2008—to counter potential protests by royalist forces. While leaders from the NC and Maoist Center have discussed this possibility, it is unlikely to materialize soon. Maoist Chairman Dahal has publicly denied any ongoing discussions about his party joining the government, stating that while they are prepared to offer solutions in the event of a crisis, no such talks are currently taking place.

Both pro-monarchy forces and mainstream political parties are gearing up for potential street protests, signaling that Kathmandu may soon witness significant demonstrations. The government is expected to face challenges in managing the situation. The Samajbadi Morcha (Socialist Front), a coalition of communist parties including the Maoist Center, CPN (Unified Socialist) and two smaller factions, is planning a mass demonstration on March 19. Similarly, the ruling UML is preparing to mobilize millions of its cadres to defend the republican system.

Pro-monarchy groups have been staging protests for some time, but recent efforts suggest a push for greater unity. Navaraj Subedi, a leader from the Panchayat era, has launched a campaign titled the “People’s Movement Committee for the Restoration of Monarchy.” Former King Shah has reportedly chosen Subedi as a unifying figure to bridge divides among pro-monarchist factions. However, it remains uncertain whether parties like the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal will fully unite under this banner. RPP Chair Rajendra Lingden has asserted that his party should lead the movement, given its longstanding advocacy for the monarchy. Subedi has issued a public appeal for support, outlining three key demands: the restoration of the monarchy, the reinstatement of Nepal as a Hindu state and the abolition of federal structures.

Despite these efforts, Shah faces challenges in uniting all pro-monarchy supporters under a single command. For instance, while RPP Chair Lingden has expressed support for pro-monarchy campaigns, he has distanced his party from the Subedi-led committee. Nevertheless, senior RPP members Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shumsher Rana have joined the mobilization committee.

Leaders close to the former king describe this as a critical moment and possibly his final attempt to gauge public support for a return to the throne. Unlike previous fragmented efforts, this marks the first time Shah has taken a proactive role in forming a unified structure under Subedi's leadership. According to sources close to the former king, he believes this is an opportune time to rally public backing, as future opportunities may be limited. However, the success of this endeavor remains uncertain, given the internal divisions among pro-monarchy factions and the broader political landscape.

With proper investment in infrastructure and athletes, Nepal can become a strong contender on the global stage. The support for athletes of every sport and enthusiastic cricket fan base indicate a promising future for Nepal to use sports as a tool for enhancing its global profile and soft power.

Sports transcend borders, cultures, ideologies and bring people together. It has long been a source of unity and competition among nations. Sports and athletic events provide a platform to foster international relations, promote peace, and build cultural exchanges between nations. Diplomacy in sports began in ancient Greece in 776 BC, where the Olympic Truce ensured the safety of athletes and spectators coming from different parts of the world by laying down their weapons during the Olympic Games.

Harvard University International Relations theorist Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” in the 1990s. According to Nye, soft power is ‘the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion’. The elements of soft power include diplomacy, foreign aid, democracy, culture, institutions, cinema, the internet, sports, etc.

Sports are not only an element of soft power but also a tool of public diplomacy. Sports can figure in all areas of public diplomacy. Soft power has gained a reputation in international relations in the modern world, where sports play a highly significant role as it serves as a non-political bridge between nations to enhance cultural exchange, promote peace and people to people relations. Hosting international sporting events tempts every country with the capacity to host, as the hosts can brand events to spread any particular message to the world. 

In addition to that, winning at a major event can raise or maintain the profile of an actor. Sports is one area in which Palestinians can attempt to achieve international standing and appear in the role of an independent country. The quest for national prestige is a primary driving force behind every country’s participation in international sporting events. 

Nepal has a unique geopolitical existence positioned between two emerging superpowers. It doesn’t figure prominently on the global map in terms of economic and military prowess or in terms of hard power. As a relatively small state with noticeable diversity in culture, tradition, religion and geography, Nepal has various soft power assets at its disposal to enhance its global recognition.

However, there is a significant asymmetry between Nepal and its neighbors and other globally impactful countries in terms of population, resources, influence in global politics and the economy. In that context, leveraging soft power becomes invaluable for Nepal to enhance its global prestige and among its various options, sports can be a powerful tool. Sports have been a major means of strengthening national unity and establishing national identity in the international arena. Developing and expanding sports would create healthy, competent, and disciplined citizens and establish Nepal’s identity while increasing its respect in the global stage. 

Nepal’s official foreign policy document also mentions sport as a medium to promote its soft power. Nepal participated in an international sporting event for the first time at the Asian games held in New Delhi in 1951. Nepal has participated in every Olympic game since its first participation in 1964, except in the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games. Bidhan Lama won Nepal’s first Olympic bronze in the demonstration event of Taekwondo in the Olympics (1988), but was not officially recognized. Palesha Govardhan won a bronze medal in the recently held Paris Paralympics in 2024 in the 57 kg Taekwondo event. Sabitra Bhandari, aka ‘Samba,’ Nepal’s women football icon is currently playing for the French women’s first division club EV Avant Guingamp. 

The world was surprised to learn about the huge fan following of Nepal cricket in the recently held ICC T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was posting and sharing the content, including posts about Nepal, time and again acknowledging the Nepali fan base. A famous cricket commentator, Ian Bishop, also praised the Nepali crowd as they had painted the whole Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas in a sea of red and blue with Nepal’s beautiful jersey. 

Logan Van Beek, the Dutch medium pacer in the same game was unsure whether the game was being held in Nepal or Dallas because the crowd was so loud cheering for Nepal. These fans went to support Nepal with Nepali flags, ‘Panche Baja’, wearing ‘Dhaka Topi’, posters showing Buddha and Sagarmatha. This portrays sports can not only be a source of soft power but also a medium to promote other soft power elements and garner attention of the world community. These events highlight Nepal’s potential to gain international recognition through sports. With proper investment in infrastructure and athletes, Nepal can become a strong contender on the global stage. The support for athletes of every sport and enthusiastic cricket fan base indicate a promising future for Nepal to use sports as a tool for enhancing its global profile and soft power.

The Cricket Association of Nepal’s logo has one horned rhinoceros in an effort to promote the iconic animal and to attract tourists to Nepal. Nepali ‘Dhaka Topi’ is quite famous these days in the associate cricket world, thanks to our very own Andrew Leonard ‘Taklu Dai’, an Irish cricket commentator who mostly covers associate cricket commentary. European countries like Croatia, Denmark which are smaller in size and population than Nepal are regularly participating in FIFA world cup which have positively impacted their tourism industry. Nepal can do the same via sports by participating or hosting such events. While hosting global sports events like the FIFA World Cup, Olympic, Cricket World Cup might seem far from reality as of now, we can host regional events and other events unique to us such as Elephant Polo and Himalayan-based sports like cycling and marathon in the hills, etc. to promote our culture, natural beauty and hospitality. Such events not only promote tourism but also enhance our prestige. 

Recognition also aids in cultural diplomacy. Which will have a significant positive impact on our economic growth. Climate change has affected Nepal to a large extent. Organizing sporting events based on hills and mountains provide a good platform to share our story with the world and advocate for addressing such consequences of climate change.

When Nepal plays an international game, whether it is at Tribhuvan University cricket ground, Dasarath Stadium, or anywhere else in the world, it brings all the Nepalis together and unites them as one people forgetting their ethnicity, religion, culture, ideology, or geography. Their common identity becomes that of Nepali. With a significant portion of the youth population interested in sports in Nepal, if local leagues with improved training facilities are developed, sports can play a pivotal role in our soft power arsenal, generate significant goodwill towards Nepal, shape others’ perceptions of our country and enhance Nepal’s image on the global stage.

Climate change has been an unprecedented challenge of the global community, imposing a threat to the well-being of the present and the future generations. While it affects everyone, some groups based on their social, economic and cultural status face even greater risks. UN Resolution 77/276 has requested the International Court of Justice to render an advisory opinion regarding the obligations of the state and the legal consequences on the issue of climate change. In the statement before the International Court of Justice, Nepal pointed out its negligible contribution of 0.027 percent to the global emission of greenhouse gases, and render the need of principle of common but differentiated responsibility and international equity, while also asking for the specific consideration to even more vulnerable groups, namely, women, persons with disabilities, minorities and indigenous people. The words are bold and loud, Nepal seeks for environmental justice.

Poverty and environment

Environment cannot be preserved or promoted in the conditions of poverty. According to the Fourth Nepal Living Standards Survey 2022-23, 20.27 percent of the population lived under the poverty line in 2023 in Nepal. This sheer condition reflects the need for more development, industrialization, infrastructures and resources. Nepal has even more challenges than the developed countries to improve the conditions of the life of people including food, shelter and housing without despoiling the nature and the beauty of the environment. Additionally, climate change has been “the payment we are making for a bad ‘karma’, we did not create”. The harsh environmental conditions have only added to the woes to the poor, thanks to the drought, flood, landslides and other natural calamities leading to the decline in food production, dried up water resources, damaged infrastructure, decimated ecosystems, destroyed lands and livestock. The crises of climate change have been only the burden to Nepal, already struggling to uplift the living conditions of the people. Thus, there must be more equitable sharing of environmental costs and greater international interest in the sustainable development, environmental protection and meeting the requisite of the people.

Equity and justice

While taking the voice of the vulnerable groups to the global forum, the behavior of the state to achieve fairness, equity and the elimination of discrimination in environmental benefits and burden is crucial. Infrastructure and significant development projects in Nepal are often carried out without meaningful consultation of the affected indigenous communities or minorities. The participation of women, people with disabilities and minorities are often undermined in the decision making processes related to environmental policies, regulations and projects. One of the prominent examples is the recent Pathibhara Cable Car Project which sparked heavy protest as it threatened the destruction of indigenous land, trees, vegetation and animals of ‘Mukkumlung’, undermining the Limbu Culture and the sovereignty of the local people. Many scholars even raised the question over the necessity of the project. 

The women, indigenous communities, and ancient Nepalese culture have always been near to the environment and its protection in its lifestyle and way of life. The harms caused by the developmental projects on the natural and cultural resources are long-term, and cannot be just weighed in the narrow financial terms. So, Nepal itself has the obligation to make sure its laws, plans and policies do not adversely affect the indigenous and other vulnerable groups, and their environment. After all, everyone is liable to the vulnerability and oppression of the minorities unless their rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Development projects are cardinal in order to ensure that everyone acquires all the means of the basic needs required for the sustenance and well-being. It can be possible only if the state is concerned enough to adapt the co-existence in harmony with nature, utilizing the natural resources without exploiting and destroying them haphazardly, based on equitable and egalitarian approach, and most importantly, not limited to the shining black letters.

Paradigm shift in the environmental justice

It cannot be forgotten that, in any kind of justice, equality is not enough, and liberty is also essential for the attainment of any goal including environmental protection and sustainable development. Enablement is a certain illusionary system and mechanism to keep people living in injustice leaving them totally dependent for their existence and ultimately grinding them down their self-worth and self-respect. Differentiating it with the mechanism that helps an individual lift out of poverty and their condition, and become a full independent person is utmost necessary. Nepal’s laws, plans and policies must go beyond the vicious cycle of dependency to development of the capacity with the realization of rights, potential and freedom. 

The most difficult part about having a home is not remembering to pay the bills and taxes or the annual maintenance but the day-to-day chore of keeping it clean. With so much dust and pollution and the chaos of everyday life, your home is bound to get dirty and unkempt if you neglect to clean it regularly. While a good wipe down often does the trick to tackle dust on tabletops and counters, a home collects grime in neglected corners like window sills and frequently used items like appliances and if it’s left for too long, it can not only be difficult to clean but also emanate strange smells and make your home seem off. But a thorough cleaning isn’t possible every day so what do you do? We are here to help. Here are some simple ideas and remedies to keep your home fresh and clean day after day with minimal effort.

Schedule weekly tasks

One of the easiest ways to tackle build up and grime in forgotten corners like for example behind the microwave and fridge, and the topmost shelves in your living space is to create a schedule to decide when you will clean these hard to reach places and stick to this plan. You can assign each member of your family a specific task so that the burden doesn’t fall on any one particular person. You can also schedule one difficult task every day. For example, on Monday, you clean the hard to reach places like behind the fridge and dresser, on Tuesday, you tackle the coffee maker and microwave, and so on. The idea is to break it down into simple weekly jobs so that you aren’t overlooking anything.

Keep your home smelling nice

Oftentimes, we only dust and clean and forget about the murky smell lurking in our homes. And no, we don’t just mean the bathroom. Your home has to smell nice to have a freshness to it. Fragrances can also help keep insects and pests at bay. There are different ways to keep your home smelling nice. The simplest way is to boil water on the stove, add orange peel and some cloves to it and let it simmer for an hour. The fragrance that will waft through your house will be invigorating as well as help keep common house pests like ants and spiders away. Another way is to dry flowers and herbs from your garden and sprinkle them with some essential oils like lavender or night jasmine and keep little sachets of these in various corners around the house.

Vacuum the upholstery and curtains

All of us only vacuum the carpets and neglect to attend to the curtains and upholstery but these fabrics also tend to gather dust and become grimy over time. It’s a good idea to run the hoover through these as well when you are cleaning the carpets.You can also use an iron to steam these from a distance after you are done vacuuming them to freshen them up. Alternatively, sprinkle some baking soda on the sofas and cushions and let it sit for a few minutes before vacuuming them. This will also freshen up your upholstery and give it a clean finish. Use a wet toothbrush to clean the nooks and crannies of the sofa by simply running it through them. You’ll be surprised to see how much hair and dust will have collected in these spaces without you having noticed a thing.

Declutter regularly

An oft-overlooked part of keeping a clean home is definitely decluttering. Most of us have way too much stuff that we need and we keep buying and bringing things into our home without having used so many things that we already own. Multiple notebooks, multiple flower vases, multiple extension cords, and multiples of almost everything, that is the situation of most homes. Over time, you will not only run out of space but all these items will gather dust while being useless and give your home a cluttered and cramped feel. Regular decluttering and getting rid of what you don’t use by choosing to donate things that are in working condition is a good way to keep your house organized. Get into the habit of putting things back in their place once you are done with them and take a few minutes at the end of the day to tidy up frequently used areas like the kitchen and living room.