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Born in Thame village of the mountainous Solukhumbu district of Nepal, Mingma Sherpa was only 18 when he first reached Camp IV of the Everest region as a porter in 1998. The next year, aged 19, he got to the peak of the highest mountain in the world. Then, in the following 17-odd years, Sherpa would become a mountain guide and a climber who has by now conquered Everest 10 times, apart from peaking a host of other famous Nepali peaks. 

Sherpa’s glorious mountaineering career came to a halt due to his father’s untimely demise in the 2014 Everest disaster. Sherpa’s father—a cook at Camp II—was among the 16 who died in an ice avalanche at the Khumbu Icefall. “My family was worried for me after that. So I quit climbing in 2016,” Sherpa says. He still makes a livelihood from the mountains though. His entrepreneurial venture Climbalaya that he started with a friend in 2015 takes tourists up to the mountains and helps them ascend Nepali peaks. 

But without a proper tourist season for the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sherpa’s life has drastically changed and so have the lives of thousands of people from his region who relied on tourism activities for their livelihood. “Almost 70 percent of the Sherpa people depend on tourism,” he says. “We have suffered heavy losses starting from the 2015 earthquake. We were just recovering when the pandemic hit.” 

With no alternative means of survival, the Sherpa community has been suffering from lack of basic resources, Sherpa says. In times like these, he has stepped up to organize relief for his community in the mountains. “I was in the US right after the 2015 earthquake and was planning to settle there. Then I thought I still had a lot to do in the country while I was quite young and came back,” Sherpa says.

Sherpa’s career as a social worker began after that. He has been organizing relief packages as well as scholarship opportunities for the people of his community. Recently, after the climbing season took a hit following the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2020, Sherpa provided six months’ essential ration to around 450 households in wards four and five of the Khumbu Pasanglhamu rural municipality. The relief worth Rs 17 million was supplied with the support of the Tenzin Norgay Sherpa Foundation. 

“I come from a very poor background and I know what monsoon or a low climbing season does to people in our region,” says Sherpa. “I have thus set out to help the people of the mountains in whatever way possible.” Sherpa’s support for the community does not end with relief packages. He believes education is most important for the community’s betterment. So he has also organized higher education scholarships in Kathmandu for post-SEE students from his community. There are currently six students under the scholarship and Sherpa plans on further increasing the number. 

“Due to my family’s status, I could not study beyond grade nine. Actually, I chose to start working very early in life and educate my three sisters instead,” Sherpa says. “Now I want to educate as many young people from the community as possible.” The scholarships Sherpa offers provide students full funding to complete their Bachelors in the subjects of their choice. While the scholarships are merit-based and completely sponsored, Sherpa also signs a contract with the students where they pledge to go back to their communities after their studies and share their knowledge among their people to inspire another generation of students. 

Along with education, Sherpa is also focusing on promoting the Thame village and the surrounding region. “The Thame village has given the world some of the most renowned climbers in history. The likes of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, Ang Rita Sherpa, Kami Rita Sherpa, Apa Sherpa and Pasanga Lhamu Sherpa, all come from our village,” Sherpa explains. “Still I feel the country as well as the world overlooks our legacy. My goal is to let the world know of our village.” 

If the Covid-19 does not play spoilsport, Sherpa plans to organize the “Ice and Rock” festival at Thame in January-February 2022. The almost three-week-long festival will have both local and international participation and feature a 14-day climbing training as well as various competitions. The project is currently under discussion with related ministries and Sherpa expects the approval to come soon. “We already have the approval to build the Tenzing Norgay memorial park in Thame. Now if we can go ahead with this festival, I am sure we can bring many more tourists to the region.”

Actor Anmol KC has signed for the upcoming action thriller movie ‘X9’ which is to be directed by Mukunda Bhatta, best known for his direction of ‘Lappan Chhappan.’ The actor had been talking to the team for months.

The Golden Hills Pictures’ film will go into production from January and will be shot at multiple locations including in Canada, the UAE and Europe. Along with KC, the audience will also see Saugat Malla, Pushpa Khadka, Anoop Bikram Shahi and Raj Katuwal on the big screen.

If you’re a regular TikTok scroller, you must have come across the videos of Mamta Siwakoti. Usually clad in formal attire and dark shades, the 25-year-old lawyer welcomes you with a ‘Namaskar!’ Then she proceeds to give information on Nepal’s constitution and raise awareness on the country’s legal system.

It was boredom that first pushed Siwakoti, also popularly known as The Digital Lawyer, to step into the video-sharing platform. The first Covid-19 lockdown took its toll on her and she found solace in singing and dancing on the platform and watching content by both national and international creators.

During one of these scrolling sessions the lawyer came across a foreign doctor who was talking about his experience in medicine and giving advice. By then, Siwakoti had already passed her bar exams and gotten a license to practice law.

The lockdown had put the brakes on her plans. But she still wanted to use her free time to share her knowledge. “I thought I would put my education to good use,” she says. “But I never expected the kind of feedback I eventually got.”

She began with a ‘How to be a lawyer in Nepal’ video, which garnered over 330,000 views. After the video’s success, and the sudden realization that law was an area of interest for many Nepalis, Siwakoti decided to make more videos.

As her content got traction, people started commenting on the clips, often presenting hypothetical situations to understand how the law works. Today, the lawyer makes videos on everything from family law and property distribution, to adoption and Nepal’s constitutional history.

Growing up, Siwakoti got the first peek into law from her lawyer father, who always encouraged his daughter to ask questions. However, it was when she started getting seemingly self-evident questions from masses that she realized how most Nepalis were uninformed of their country’s laws.

“I even had people ask me the legal age of marriage in Nepal,” she says. While the subject of law is vast and can often seem exhausting to learn, it’s also something that governs our lifestyle. This is why Siwakoti has a small segment on her TikTok called ‘Know your laws’ where she talks about people’s right to education, safety, food, and against discrimination.

Since TikTok has a three-minute limit, Siwakoti has shifted to YouTube for longer videos and her channel there now has over 2,900 subscribers. However, her biggest audience is still on Tiktok, where she has more than 124,000 followers.

With such a massive following, Siwakoti has received her share of hate and controversy. After she made videos on laws against domestic abuse and property partition after divorce, Siwakoti was, for instance, accused of promoting divorce.

“I don’t mind being criticized over my content,” Siwakoti tells ApEx. She wants to keep improving and constructive feedback always helps. But when she receives personal attacks from strangers, it does get to her. “Our society is still largely patriarchal and there are many comments on my posts which stem from deep-rooted misogyny,” she says. In some severe cases, she’s also had to disable the comment section.

But these setbacks haven’t deterred Siwakoti from pursuing her love for law. Gone is the young girl who got 90 percent in SLC exams and pursued science in +2 because that was what was expected of her. Today, Siwakoti is determined to change people’s perception of law.

Siwakoti is right now working to establish a website for The Digital Lawyer with the help of different academic researches. She’s also an advisor at National Law College, freelancing as a legal report writer and taking law cases. In between, she makes Tiktok videos.

“What I’ve learned is that patience is the key,” she says. “When one door closes, another opens. You mustn’t lose hope.”

It has been almost 14 years since Nepal became a secular state but discussions on the country’s secular status have not stopped. This time, Rabindra Mishra, president of Bibeksheel Sajha Party, which was widely hailed as an ‘alternative force’ in Nepali politics, has formally proposed a referendum on secularism. Pratik Ghimire of ApEx talked to 10 public intellectuals on this rather controversial issue.

Vox Pop 

Abdus Miya, Bibeksheel Sajha Party

Gauging by the level of public support for Mishra’s political proposal, you can easily assume that a sizable number of people are disappointed with the country’s secular status. Restoration of the Hindu state does not mean establishing a theocracy. It is only honoring the feelings of the majority. A referendum would be an ideal way to settle this issue, one way or the other.  

Tell me, can there ever be sustainable peace in the country by ignoring public demand? I support secularism, yet I think the public should be allowed to decide.

Chandika Timalsina, Bibeksheel Sajha Party

This is the time to update the 2015 constitution, but a referendum on secularism is uncalled for. This is not a good idea as it will fragment the society and potentially lead to communal violence. Secularism has helped minorities come forward and speak up. If a state embraces a single religion, people-to-people relations will be severely affected.

Instead of discussing political ideologies, political leaders are creating controversy about religions and taking the country towards conflict. The country cannot be pushed back decades.

Ghanshyam Khatiwada, Executive Director, Pashupati Area Development Trust

Hindu philosophy directs us towards wellbeing, a healthy lifestyle, and spiritual development. Nepal is a place where we can find Hindu temples at every step. It is thus uneasy for us to accept Nepal as a secular state.

I accept that there were a few problems in our religious practices but now we have solved them. Hinduism respects everyone and is the focal point to unite all religions. From ancient times, the world has known Nepal as a Hindu state and the majority want its restoration—we should not let this spirit die.

JB Biswokarma, Writer and researcher

Anyone is free to ask for a referendum on any issue. But on a sensitive one like this, the vote does not matter. The main objective of secularism is to allow citizens to choose their own religion and treat every religion equally, regardless of the number of its followers. Nepal is a secular country yet minorities feel that the Hindus still dominate every aspect of life.

When the follower of every religion has an equal right, why bring up this controversial issue again? Let’s respect each other because we are equal. How will a Buddhist person feel if someone tells him,“You live in a Hindu state?” This is a disgrace and an open call for rioting. We should not take this path—never. 

Manavi Paudel, Newspaper columnist 

How can you call yourself a ‘social activist’ if you bar others from expressing their opinion? How can you become a member of ‘civil society’ when you are the reason for social conflict? We are in a democracy and we are all free to imagine our country as we see fit. The people should decide whether they want a secular or a Hindu state.

Democracy can’t be defined according to the will of so-called progressive people. Understanding people’s opinions is the proper way to celebrate democracy. But frankly, I care little about a secular or a Hindu state. What I think is that federalism needs to be reconsidered.

Nirga Nabin, Political activist 

The state doesn’t have a religion and no one should try to force the inclusion of a particular religion in the constitution. Religion is based on individualist beliefs. For this reason, we should preserve secularism. The current issue of Hindu state is nothing new. It has come up now because of the influence of ultra-Hinduist Narendra Modi.

A state should be governed by modern and scientific modalities, not a certain religious mindset. I think political ideology should be religion-free. Else, you are only performing a stunt to get votes as you don’t have a strong political agenda. No one can achieve progress through ideas like these.

KB Rokaya, President, Nepal Intellectuals’ Forum

Nepal is a country established by monarchs and Nepal Army, so we should not forget our origin. What the predecessor sets, the successor must follow. I am a Christian pastor but I never felt the Hindu state ever stopped us from performing any religious task. They rather helped us in establishing our church, schools, and organizations. 

Above all, we are Nepalis and amid the geopolitical tensions and other risk factors, our patriotic spirit can be preserved only with the restoration of Hindu state. Most Nepalis think the same, whether they are Buddhists, Muslims, or Kirats. Referendum is a must, there is no other option.

Rita Pariyar, Civil society member

We should not give religion-related stuff such high priority. Having come this far, we should be thinking of progressing further. Instead, we are thinking of going back to the Hindu state.

Definitely not! Our recent achievements are the result of countless struggles. If the minorities are not cared for, where should they go? If the Hindu state is restored, other religions, like before, would again have to live under suppression.

I hear the advocates of Hinduism say that no one was unhappy when Nepal was a Hindu state. But who are they to say so? Elites will never understand the pain of the suppressed groups. When the minorities are quiet, people think there is peace and harmony in society, but when they raise their voice, Hindus try to shut them down.

Trailokya Raj Aryal, Writer

The practice of liberal Hinduism is what makes us Nepalis. Prithivi Narayan Shah had brought Muslims to repair his arms and ammunition. Till today Nepal Army has assured their jobs. Ali Miya of Pokhara had received Pragya Puraskar. Christians established schools in the 1950s.

Hindus worship Lord Buddha and vice-versa. Then where is the discrimination? Nepal is not a caste-based society. It has instead become a class-based society and discrimination is our reality. We can’t abolish it politically or at gunpoint. Society will revise itself slowly over time.

Lawmakers promulgated the constitution enshrining secularism during the crisis of the 2015 earthquake. Secularism doesn’t respect the feelings of Nepalis. To restore harmony, a referendum is a must.

Tula Narayan Shah, Political analyst 

Ten years of Maoist insurgency and the 2006 people’s movement were the turning points in Nepali political history. The idea of a secular state was born out of these movements. Today, if someone wants the Hindu state restored, it is undoubtedly a regressive idea, and it will be against the norms and values of the second people’s movement.

What I think is, this issue was hyped because the proposal-maker, who is supposed to be the harbinger of alternative politics, has an enormous fan-base. Else, these kinds of issues don’t make sense. We should also not consider them seriously.