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Aayushma Rana was awarded the ‘Ratna Devi Covid Hero Award’ in 2021 by The Zonta Club in Kathmandu. Rana, who is a mother of two, worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide essential items and other necessary things like sanitary pads and such to those who needed them during the Covid-19 lockdowns, focusing mainly on new mothers and infants. 

She lost her husband during the second wave of Covid but that didn’t stop her from helping others. In fact, she felt she had to do even more after his death, to honor him and in some ways to forget the pain, albeit momentarily. 

Today, Rana who is 39, runs her own social organization the Maya Mamata Foundation. She also has an event management company, Aaravi Events. When she was a child, she looked up to Mother Teresa and would often tell her mother that she wished to be just like her when she grew up. Despite her father’s objections, she pursued her passion for social work and earned a degree in social work from St. Xavier’s College in Maitighar, Kathmandu. 

 Before establishing the Maya Mamata Foundation, she was a teacher. She had started working right after finishing high school. For a decade, she worked with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) where she assisted Bhutanese refugees and those affected by earthquakes.

 After working in humanitarian service for a long time, she always dreamed of starting her own NGO. She spent a part of her earnings to give food and other supplies to people. She started with a hundred people and then went on to help more on a regular basis. When the pandemic hit, she decided to start her own foundation so that she could help those who were suffering. 

 During the initial days, her organization functioned at random. She would come to the aid of those on the streets without a plan of action. The management was still finding its feet, she says. After she lost her husband, she became intent on helping women and children. “As a widow and a mother, I could feel their pain and wanted to do whatever I could to ease it a little,” she says. She even used the funeral fund to help others, proving that even in tough times, kindness finds a way.

 “I’m worried about widows, new moms, adolescent girls, and infants. I want to make sure they have proper sanitation and access to nutritious food,” says Rana. The name of her foundation ‘Maya Mamata’, translates to motherly love and care, and that is what Rana has been providing to women who have nowhere to turn to in times of need. 

 Even the profits she makes from hosting events under the banner of her event management company get funneled into the Maya Mamata Foundation. She is also focusing on the skill development of widowed women as well as teaching children. Apart from providing essentials to new mothers and infants, Rana also distributes clothes during winter. One of her favorite things to do is give socks to children. “It’s a small thing but it makes them so happy,” she says, adding children’s faces light up when she gives them these lovely, warm socks. 

The Maya Mamata Foundation is still in its nascent stage so, Rana confesses, they can’t organize big workshops. But she does plan to train as many women as possible and increase the number in the future. As of now, they haven’t collaborated with other organizations, choosing to stick with individual donors who want to help others but don’t know where to begin. 

“When I started, friends and family helped with small contributions and that is still largely the case,” she says. In recent times, the foundation sent relief materials for the victims of the Jajarkot earthquake. She is also teaming up with the Karma Yog Foundation to create makeshift schools. 

There is no denying that Rana is passionate about the work she does. She is always more than willing to lend a helping hand. Her family thinks of it as both her virtue and her vice. She confesses she can sometimes be consumed by it all. But her work adds value to her life, she says. It gives her a purpose. It redefines what she knows of love on so many different levels. 

“After being together for 19 years, I lost my partner. I don’t think I will ever be the same but doing what I love makes life bearable,” she says, adding she not only intends to be strong for her children but also inspire them to be the best versions of themselves. 

 Rana is on a mission to help women and infants by talking about it, acting on it, and doing whatever is possible to uplift them so that they can fend for themselves.  Understanding the challenges faced by some widowed mothers who choose prostitution for survival, she’s spreading awareness as well as trying to provide better alternatives and opportunities. Also, she’s making a difference in the lives of 30 children by providing for their education as well as giving them nutritious food. 

 The Maya Mamata Foundation, she says, is her third baby and she has many plans for it. Whether they will materialize remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure, Rana will continue helping people in whatever capacity she can. “It is what drives me and I can’t and won’t stop,” she says. 

The Lumbini Development Trust has entered into an agreement with a private company, bypassing the public procurement regulations, for the excavation and construction of a stupa within Gautam Buddha’s ossuary mausoleum in the Nawalparasi Ramagrama area. 

The agreement includes the acquisition of 116 bighas of private land and a 99-year lease on 120 bighas. 

Lharkyal Lama, the Vice-chairperson of the trust, initiated the process despite reservations from the Department of Archaeology, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Finance.

According to the terms of the agreement, the excavation of the ossuary and the construction of the stupa, Buddhist monasteries and other structures representing different countries will take place in Ramagrama. 

“To facilitate this, approximately 116 bighas of private land, 75  kathas of the land owned by the trust, and 10 kathas of land owned by the Department of Archaeology will be integrated and leased to the private company,” the trust says.

According to the agreement, the trust will be responsible for acquiring the land from locals, while the Moksha Foundation will unify it, and the Promised Land Pvt Ltd will manage it. 

The agreement was finalized without a competitive process among companies. The Moksha Foundation, reported to have an office in Singapore, is identified as the primary investor. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 7bn.

Nikesh Adhikari, the owner of the Promised Land, is the son of Sharada Prasad Adhikari, the landlord of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s Khumaltar-based residence.

It is said though the project was in the pipeline for some years, progress was hindered due to a lack of transparency in investment. The project was greenlit after Lama assumed the position of Vice-chair of the trust on 6 Aug 2023.

Lama is a controversial figure who in the past has been charged with various crimes, such as illegal possession of firearms, possession of dual citizenship and passport, and accumulation of illegal wealth. He is also a former lawmaker of the CPN (Maoist Center). 

On 12 Dec 2023, Prime Minister Dahal himself had laid the foundation stone for the stupa construction and excavation project at Ramagrama. The event, co-organized by the Promised Land and Ramagrama Municipality, saw the prime minister pledging to restore, conserve and develop the Ramagrama Stupa area.

Recent revelations indicate that the project is being initiated without following due procedure.

As per the agreement, the land in the Ramagrama area is leased until the year 2179 BS. Despite this, the agreement lacks clarity on how public land will be acquired and what preconditions will be set. This raises concerns about the transparency and legitimacy of the project.

In transactions involving public financial administration, obtaining prior consent from the Ministry of Finance is mandatory. For this project, the ministry expressed disagreement, citing the absence of a clear proposal regarding the investment reliability and background of the involved companies.

Additionally, the Department of Archaeology conveyed a letter to the Trust, emphasizing that no agreement should be made concerning heritage excavation and the construction of physical structures. As the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Archaeology expressed reservations, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation also advised the Trust against proceeding with the project. 

Gyanin Rai, the trust’s spokesperson, did not respond to the ApEx request for comment. Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati was also out of reach. 

Lama issued a statement late Monday, defending his involvement in the project. The statement reads, “Neither the Trust has the authority to acquire private lands, nor does the Trust have the funds to do so. No steps have been initiated regarding this project since I assumed the Office.” However, Lama did not respond to the ApEx request for comment.

Moksha Foundation had submitted a proposal on 21 April 2023 saying that they will partner with the Promised Land to invest in the project. The Promised Land also committed to guarantee the investment in a letter dated 30 April 2023.

According to Suresh Suras Shrestha, the head of the Culture Division at the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the current situation warrants a halt in the process. 

“There were numerous issues in the proposal, and both the Department of Archaeology and the Ministry of Finance have advised against moving forward,” he says. “The ministry and the archaeology department will now engage in discussions to determine the next step.”

A mountain flight has begun from Nepalgunj to Kailash Mansarovar at the initiative of tourism entrepreneurs' associations.

Although the flight was scheduled to begin last Saturday, thick fog weakened visibility, resulting in a two day delay.

Tourism entrepreneur Keshav Neupane said the mountain flight would help recover declining business and help identify tourism destinations for Indian tourists. "At least one flight for Indian tourists in the season will contribute to boost tourism activities," he believed, adding that the view of the Kailash Mansarovar is an alluring site indeed.

Another tourism entrepreneur Dr Om Mishra, expressing happiness over the successful conduct of mountain flight after a long struggle on Monday. Even Nepalgunj city is being established as a tourist destination, he claimed.

Moreover, Banke chapter Chairman of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA), Shreeram Sigdel, shared that the new initiative is also linked to Nepalgunj's future in terms of financial upliftment. He also stressed making effective Nepalgunj-Pokhara air connectivity to boost tourism.

Indian tourists who reached Kailash Mansarovar in a mountain flight from Nepalgung felt happy.

A hotelier in Nepalgunj, Punam Bhusal, said, "It certainly helps augment the tourism industry."

The Kailash Mansarovar, located in Tibet, is a common holy site of Hindu and Buddhist people. It is visited largely by the Hindus from Nepal and India.

The Martyr Day is being celebrated by organizing various programs across the country today. The Day is observed in memory of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country and people.

At different times of history, many people fought for liberty, freedoms and democracy and got martyrdom in Nepal. In commemoration and tribute to them, week-long programs are organized from Magh 10 to 16 every year.

In 2012BS, then Kathmandu Municipality began coordinating the programs organized in honor of the martyrs. It has continued till date.

In response to the demand of democracy, civic rights and liberty, Shukra Raj Shastri was executed by then autocratic Rana regime at Pachali, Kathmandu on Magh 10, 1997; Dharma Bhakta Mathema at Siphal, Kathmandu on Magh 13 and Ganga Lal Shrestha and Dasharath Chanda at Shova Bhagawati, Kathmandu on Magh 15 the same year.

A morning rally is being organized from Shanti Batika, Ratnapark to Lainchaur. Kathmandu Metropolis has informed that the event would be attended by the Prime Minister, ministers, high level officials of Nepal government, along with march-past from security bodies. The known and unknown martyrs would be paid tribute at the martyrs' monument, Lainchaur.

However, there is public concern that the dream of martyrs is not fulfilled.