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Ramlal (name changed) was born to a farming family in Dhanusha. He was about ten when he realized he was different from the other boys of his age. He had feminine traits and took pleasure in grooming himself to look pretty.

“I enjoyed wearing lipstick and bangles. Playing with girls brought me joy,” he says. 

Ramlal’s girly interests invited bullying and harassment not just from his contemporaries but also adults in his neighborhoods. They hurled derogatory terms like ‘chhakka’, ‘hijra’, and ‘mangmehra’ at him. Even his family members harbored feelings of embarrassment because he identified as a girl. Out of shame, his father refused to send him to school. 

“My father cursed me, often expressing regret for my birth. My younger siblings also didn’t accept me for who I was. They were resentful because they felt that I had tarnished our family’s image.” 

The only person who supported Ramlal was his mother, though she insisted on him getting married to a girl. “She thought that marriage would fix me,” says Ramlal. “Time and again, she would suggest that I get married.” 

At the time, Ramlal felt that he was the only one in the world. He tried and failed to fit in to become “normal”.  Eventually, he met some people from the LGBTIQA+ community who advised him that it was okay to get married. Ramlal agreed to this advice and got married. 

Little did he know about the problems that were coming his way. His marital life blew up after his wife learned about him. Provoked by villagers, his wife would abuse and berate him.

“The villagers used to ask my wife how she could bear a child from a transgender husband. They would even spread rumors about her having affairs,” says Ramlal. 

Out of societal pressure and taunts, Ramlal and his wife had two children, a son and a daughter. But having children didn’t stop the rumors and insults. The villagers started taunting Ramlal’s children.

“My children were told to expel me out of my home, labeling me useless due to my transgender status,” says Ramlal.

His home life was never peaceful. He and his wife used to fight constantly. His relationship with his parents was also deteriorating. All his savings were in his wife’s bank account, and his parents had transferred his inheritance under his wife’s name. 

Ramlal says he felt alone and unwanted, and even contemplated ending his life. Fortunately, he was rescued by a man from his neighboring village. He couldn’t live in the village anymore, so he decided to leave for India. 

When he reached Janakpur, Ramlal encountered someone from his village who worked at an Antiretroviral Therapy Center. Aware of his suffering, he guided Ramlal to the office of Blue Diamond Society, an LGBTIQA+ rights organization. 

Ramlal spent a week at the society office, receiving counseling and hearing about the stories of other people who had gone through similar experiences as him.

“Their empathy helped me understand that everyone in our community faces struggles, but most persist, fight against the odds and live a dignified life,” says Ramlal. 

He eventually moved to India and found himself a job at a general store. Ramlal has left his past behind, and he is happy that he did.  

“Janakpurdham’s Blue Diamond Society is my home now, and its people are my family,” he says. 

Ramlal’s family has also forgotten him, it seems. When his mother passed away three months ago, no one tried to contact him. Despite being the eldest son, he could not participate in the funeral rituals of his mother. He learned about his mother’s passing from a friend who was visiting Janakpur.

“What I have gone through I wouldn’t even wish upon my worst enemy,” says Ramlal.

Pradip Yadav, program coordinator at Blue Diamond Society, Janakpurdham, says, the real problem for most LGBTIQA+ persons starts at their homes in the forms of abuse, ignorance and non-acceptance. 

“Little has changed over the years. LGBTIQA+ individuals endure humiliation at home and they are denied education, resources, and job opportunities.” 

Even though Nepal has legally recognized LGBTIQA+ community and their rights, Yadav says the community members still face many challenges. It has been observed that the implementation of various government orders has been fragmented and lacking in tangible progress. Legal and government orders have been inconsistent and incomplete, indicating a need for more comprehensive and effective implementation strategies. 

“The core reason for their lagging behind is the denial of education, leading to failures across sectors,” says Yadav. “Majority of the LGBTIQA+ persons lack access to education; only a few reach primary or secondary levels, and a handful secure promising careers.” 

Despite our attempts, academic challenges persist for the LGBTIQA+ individuals. He says there was a resistance from Private and Boarding School's Organization Nepal  (PABSON) and National Private and Boarding Schools’ Association (NPABSON) when he requested for LGBTIQA+ representation in school committees. 

“PABSON and NPABSON were worried about society’s readiness for such an inclusion.” 

He added that advocacy for the LGBTIQA+ community faces a significant obstacle due to their political exclusion, hindering their representation in policy making spheres. The crux lies in the necessity for advocates who intimately understand the community’s struggles, particularly those grappling with their identities. 

To justify and effectively drive this advocacy, it’s imperative that individuals who have navigated similar challenges are part of the political landscape. Their presence ensures a more comprehensive and authentic approach to policy making, essential in securing the long-denied rights of the LGBTIQA+ community.

“Multiple laws were drafted in our favor. But sadly, their implementation has fallen short,” says Yadav. “The contemporary definition of minorities, for instance, excludes the LGBTIQA+ community. While Dalit, Muslim, women, and Madheshi are seen as minorities, our identity is overlooked.” 

Moreover , despite ongoing discourse about political representation, political parties often fall short in practicing inclusive policies effectively. Yadav’s personal experience of being offered a ticket from Nepali Congress under the condition of not publicly revealing his sexual orientation and identifying as male highlights the persistent challenges faced by LGBTIQA+ individuals in accessing political opportunities. 

“The ultimate solution lies in political inclusion. Without representatives from our community, advocacy for our rights remains futile,” says Yadav. “We’re just like everyone else. We’re part of this world too. Consider us as a part of the society and that will be enough for us.”

Cooking meals every day can sometimes feel as burdensome as having to do the laundry by hand because the washing machine has decided to stop spinning. If you have children and need to cook multiple meals in a day, it might feel like you spend more time in the kitchen than you do in any other room of the house. While we can’t provide you with the (house)help you need, we can give you some simple hacks that will make cooking a little less (soul-sucking and) time-consuming.

Cut your veggies

Admit it, you go out grocery shopping and come home and shove everything in the fridge or the freezer. Most of us tend to shop in bulk and then put them away till we need them. It’s a great idea to take a few minutes to sort through your veggies, chop them up, put them in resealable bags or plastic bags, and then store them in the fridge. It’s an idea we got from one of our mothers who takes mere minutes to whip up a dish because everything is chopped and ready. You just have to toss everything in the pot over a flame to cook a meal when you have readied your veggies. You will thank us for this one.

Get your spices ready

Nepali food is full of condiments and spices. You need onion, ginger, garlic, chilies, etc. to cook most, if not all, of your meals. Set aside 20 minutes, once a week, and get your masala mix ready. Wash and puree some tomatoes. Peel and chop onions, coriander, garlic, and ginger, and keep them in airtight containers in the fridge. You can also make a puree of onion, ginger, and garlic and use this paste when cooking. Trust us, this one trick will cut your cooking time by half. Not only does this tip save time, it will also keep your counters clean while cooking.

Meal prep once a week

If you plan what you want to eat, say, for a week, it will save valuable time. You don’t have to decide what to make when it’s time for lunch or dinner. So, get out a notepad, or better still buy a weekly planner and plan out your meals. Write what you will be having on which day and for which meal. Once you have that down, get the basic ingredients ready—chopped and all. Pack it in separate containers and put it in the fridge or freezer. When it’s time for a meal, all you have to do is pull out the designated box and cook what’s in it. Alternatively, you can also batch-cook your meals and freeze them.

Have some handy recipes ready

It helps to have an arsenal of simple recipes that you can rely on when you are too lazy to cook an elaborate meal. Write them down on index cards and keep them in a box on the kitchen counter or write recipes out on an A4 paper and put it up on the fridge. It helps if you can see what you can whip up in minutes. Google some simple snacks or one-pot meals and write down their recipes. BuzzFeed Tasty and YouTube also have a lot of under-15-minute recipes.

Try some tricks

Chopping, peeling, mincing, and all can take a lot of time and make cooking tedious. Use a cooling rack to quickly dice hard-boiled eggs and avocados. Put the rack over a large bowl and use a large flat metal spatula to push the food through. To peel garlic, break the head into cloves, and place them all in a metal bowl. Cover with a second bowl and shake vigorously and the garlic skins will come right off. Use tongs to juice a lemon. Slice potatoes with an apple slicer. Keep a wooden spatula over the pot while boiling pasta to keep the water from spilling over. There are many such neat tricks that you can use to make your cooking experience simpler and shorter.

A team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found an investment-friendly environment in the energy infrastructure sector in Nepal albeit various challenges in the country's economy.

The IMF staff team, led by Tidiane Kinda, conducted a staff visit to Nepal from February 5-12, 2024, to discuss recent macroeconomic developments and the implementation of the Fund-supported program.

“Nepal’s external position continues to strengthen on the back of buoyant remittances, increasing tourism activity, subdued imports, and inflation is decreasing. Weak domestic demand, large outward migration, and low credit growth despite monetary relaxation continue to weigh on near-term economic growth. Enhancing domestic revenue mobilization and accelerating the execution of capital expenditure will provide needed support to growth while securing fiscal sustainability. Increased vigilance on banks’ asset quality and stepped-up supervisory efforts are important to preserve financial stability in view of growing non-performing loans," team leader Kinda said in a press note issued at the conclusion of their visit on Monday.

The medium-term economic outlook remains favorable, as strategic investments in infrastructure, especially in the energy sector, are expected to support potential growth. The upcoming Investment Summit presents an opportunity to showcase Nepal’s economic potential. Timely reforms to durably improve the investment climate will help take full advantage of the Summit and pave the way to stronger growth in the future.

The authorities’ ongoing efforts in meeting key commitments under the Fund-supported program, with the support of IMF’s technical assistance, are welcome. Performance under the programme will be formally assessed in the context of the fourth review of the Extended Credit Facility, which is expected to take place in the middle of the year, states the press note.

Gulde-Wolf, Deputy Director in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, attended key meetings.

The IMF team held meetings with the Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, the Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari, the National Planning Commission Vice-Chairman Dr Min Bahadur Shrestha, and other senior government and central bank officials. The IMF team also met with representatives from the private sector and development partners.

Prashant Tamrakar has been turning heads in the fashion world for three decades. He isn’t just a model but also a choreographer, actor, and founder of Big Bell Edutainment and Fashion Network Nepal (FNN), which is an e-commerce and fashion business platform. Tamrakar is a trendsetter whose ingenious ideas continue to shape the fashion industry in Nepal. He is determined to make the fashion space a viable one for the younger generation.

“Fashion is a lifestyle. It’s not just about putting on nice clothes. It’s about expressing your desires, being inventive, and figuring out how to use what you have to your advantage. When basic needs turn into something luxurious, that’s when you’ve got fashion,” he says. Talking about his style, he says it reflects the confidence and ease he feels within.

Tamrakar was just 17 when he started modeling. It was a largely unexplored territory in Nepal back then. There were little to no opportunities. The decision to audition was a bold one, he confesses, one that he is now glad he took. But it wasn’t easy to make a name for himself. Connecting with the media, both national and international, was challenging. 

It also didn’t help that he didn’t have anyone to look up to during those early days. “We made lots of mistakes and learned things the hard way. I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m in a good place and I want my work to inspire the younger generation,” he says.  

In 1994, he made history by becoming the first male model to represent Nepal on the international stage at Manhunt International in Singapore and Graviera in India. The international exposure introduced him to various professions like makeup artistry, event management, and fashion design. His foray into fashion choreography, however, came as a detour when he was training as a model under a Norwegian choreographer. 

Leveraging these global experiences, he officially ventured into the event management business and choreography afterward. His company, he claims, was perhaps the first event management company to get registered in Nepal at that time.

Tamrakar says when he started, 30 years ago, the fashion industry was more like a small club. There weren’t many people involved in it. But now Tamrakar, who is in his 50s, says everything is big-scale now. It takes a village to put up a show. From makeup artists, choreographers, and event managers to stylists and fashion designers, a lot of people are involved in the making of a fashion extravaganza. He sees this change as a huge win in life. 

As an entrepreneur, he is determined to take things even further and make the fashion industry in Nepal a big, booming business. He says he wants to give a platform to those with the skills and talent to take fashion forward. 

But Tamrakar doesn’t believe in limiting himself to just one thing which is perhaps why he took up acting as well. During his modeling days, he was offered quite a few movies. But due to his focus on his business, he decided not to take them up. When things were a lot more settled, he decided to give it a shot. 

In 2017, he took up the role of the villain in the movie ‘Aishwarya’. The movie was a hit and people took notice of Tamrakar. He could act and act well. That much was evident. Following that, he bagged roles in other movies like ‘Captain’ and ‘Ranveer’. As of now, he’s working on a few South Indian projects, including one titled ‘Hitman’, which will be out soon. 

The versatile actor, model, and choreographer is also busy with his reality show projects like Nepali Beauty Star and Nepal Fashion Festival. He is also the official choreographer of Miss Universe Nepal. “I focus on teaching good habits, building a strong work ethic, and emphasizing the importance of dedication,” he says. Working with his team, he aims to bring out the best in each young individual, emphasizing their uniqueness. 

Tamrakar also champions a few causes like cancer awareness, environment conservation, skill development, and education through his company that he founded 18 years ago. He is involved with a few social organizations and businesses as well. He has a lot on his plate and though juggling it all can sometimes be taxing, he says he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Tamrakar says he is on a mission to give the fashion industry a makeover. He dreams of having a fashion council in Nepal to take industry issues to the policy level for investment and budget decisions. “We’ve got great talent, but we need a platform for the industry to grow,” he says.

As a staunch supporter of sustainable fashion, he says Nepal needs a fresh business approach that’s economically viable. This, he says, will ensure sustainability and stability in the market. He believes that investment in the textile, handlooms, and handicraft industries can boost the fashion market and thus the economy of the country. “Our old-school trends can integrate with the new fashion and tech trends to boost production,” he says.