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Nepal is much better than it was three decades ago when democracy was restored. Poverty has substantially gone down, there is road access in remote regions, health system has improved, people live longer and healthier, and the quality of education has become better.

But over the past few years, the sense of pessimism among the people has increased. Many people, mostly the youth, believe that the things in the country will not change or become worse 10-20 years down the line. There aren't many optimists around. Even the wealthy folks, those with stable, well-paying jobs and businesses are glum. 

A few days back, a preeminent social worker and businessman said: “What surprises me is that even those people who have sufficient wealth and good career are pessimistic and leaving the country. It is hard to find any young people who are optimistic about their future these days. Most people do not want to stay in the country. Youths do not think about what will happen once they go abroad, they just want to leave this country.”

Nepali media are filled with the news stories of Nepalis illegally entering America through Panama Jungle, paying up to Rs 6m to manpower agents. There are also disturbing reports about Nepali men entering Russia on visit visas and joining the army to fight in the war against Ukraine. The government is now struggling to bring back the Nepalis serving in the Russian army, those held hostage by Ukraine and those killed in the war. According to the government's official figure, approximately 2,000 youths leave the country which does not include the people with visit visas.

Today if you meet college students, you can sense their disillusionment and frustration regarding the country and their future. Even those who are holding good jobs are disaffected. Scores of people who are in the civil service are leaving their job midway to go abroad. As for the professionals who are in their forties or fifties, they seem regretful for not leaving the country when they were young. Some of them are ready to go abroad, provided they get a good opportunity. Take one example of an established businessman in his fifties, who recently said: "My father is 93 years old, he recently suggested that I advise my children to go abroad so that I can also settle there later.”  It is not just the youths, even senior citizens do not see the future in this country.

So how did we get here? Political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta says those who are in their early twenties are the ones who feel most insecure and do not see better prospects in this country. 

“The collective insecurity has become a defining attribute of our young generation,” he says. “This sense of negativity among our youngsters has been building up for quite some time.”

He adds: “Many factors, including the politics of the country, should be held responsible for this. We have reached the point where every third person is waiting to board the next flight. Nepal is going through what scholars call a ‘polycrisis’. The permanent nature of such a crisis may push the country into ‘permacrisis’ or permanent state of crisis. This is the type of state and politics we have developed during the last couple of decades.” 

The reasons for unhappiness among Nepali citizens are innumerable. Since the 1990s, Nepal’s economic conditions have not been satisfactory. The country has come to a standstill with regard to job creation. Absence of production-based economy has increased Nepal’s dependency towards outside. 

“With more than 25 percent of national GDP, remittances have become the national lifeline. Remittances certainly have played a crucial role in reducing poverty in Nepal, but the stark reality that it produces is such that Nepal’s survival is connected with the global labor market,” says Bhatta.

Corruption is another big reason as to why Nepal and its citizens are not faring well. In fact, corruption runs so deep, from the center to the grassroots, that it is hard to imagine a government agency providing the simplest of services to a citizen without bribe money. Political parties and their loyalists have taken over high level government jobs, and their corrupt practices mostly go unpunished.

Only those who are close to the halls of power are getting job opportunities, while the rest are forced to leave the country to feed their families. “Nearly half of the population is associated with some political parties so that they can get opportunities to earn money. These people are content with the current situation of Nepal. The rest of the population do not see the future in the country,” says Bhatta.

At the heart of all these problems is a lack of political stability. Frequent government changes, and building and dismantling of coalitions among political parties have left ordinary Nepalis convinced that the country’s politics is never going to be stable enough to ensure development and economic prosperity. Political parties and their leaders are still engaged in petty power struggles and have not taken any measures to improve governance and economy.  

Growing pessimism, particularly among the youth population, is also posing a serious threat to democracy. They are gradually losing their faith in the power of vote and political parties. 

Ramesh Parajuli, a sociologist affiliated with the research institution, Martin Chautari, says the nature of pessimism runs at both individual and societal level. “Both privileged and underprivileged groups are agitated in this country. It is obvious for the underprivileged to be agitated, but the privileged group is also feeling the same way,” he says.

Nepal’s politics, Parajuli says, is in a quagmire that has failed to chart a clear course of action. 

“Politics has not taken a clear direction partially due to the electoral system we have adopted. The same set of parties and politicians are in power for decades and continue to take privileges. They are heavily involved in corruption, and this has hampered the economic growth and opportunities, thereby creating pessimism,” he adds.  

It has been revealed that Min Bahadur Ghale, who was arrested with 14 kg gold from the Tribhuvan International Airport on December 7, used to smuggle gold into Nepal by contacting Ankit Agrawal of Dubai.

The probe committee formed by the Customs Office of the TIA to investigate the gold smuggling case concluded that Min Bahadur Ghale, Chandra Ghale and Krishna Kumar Shrestha smuggled a total of 138 kg  gold into Nepal.

The committee submitted the investigation report to Tekraj Pandey, Chief Customs Administrator of the TIA Customs Office, on Sunday.

A six-member probe committee was formed under the headship of Customs Office of the TIA Customs Office Maniram Paudel after Min Bahadur was arrested with 14 kg gold from the TIA on December 7.

Out of 138 gold smuggled into Nepal, police have managed to recover only 14 kg gold, the committee said.

According to the report, the TIA staffers were also found to have been involved in taking out the gold from the airport.

The committee said that AC mechanic Radkha Krishna Shrestha of Civil Aviation Office, Gauchar, office assistant Lek Bahadur Tamang, Ramesh Deula, working on contract, assistance Anil Shrestha and plumber Sher Bahadur Basnet had played an important role to take the gold out of the airport.

Once the gold was taken out of the airport, Ramesh Deuba, Radha Krishna Shrestha and Anil Shrestha delivered the precious yellow metal to the house of DB Gurung at Suryadarshan Height in Baniyatar, Tokha Municipality.

It has also been revealed that Min Bahadur Ghale and his friend Jeevan Gurung aka John take the gold to the place mentioned by Ankit Agrawal.

DSP Surya Prakash Subedi of Nepal Police, customs officers of the airport Customs Office Prakash Niraula, Dillu Prasad Sharma, Manju Thapa and Lok Raj Dhungana are the members of the committee.

Jaleswari Shrestha, a 76-year-old author and storyteller from Kathmandu, has gained widespread recognition for her literary contributions. Her notable works for children include ‘Pari ko Ghar’, ‘Pinky Ra Putali Haru’, a Braille book for visually impaired students, and anthologies like ‘Lava Ka Baaf Haru’, ‘Maun Bidroha’, ‘Phool Phoolaune Gamala’ and ‘Marriage Anniversary’. She published a novel ‘Niyati Chakra’ in 2012 which focuses on women’s empowerment. 

The feminist writer serves as the chairperson of ‘Gunjan Nari Sahitya Sanstha’ and is actively engaged in literary initiatives and programs. She was awarded the ‘Nawaranga Sahitya Bisesh Kadar’ in 2003, ‘Bal Sahitya Pratisthan Samman’ in 2006, ‘International Shaan Award’ in 2010, and ‘Bishwa Nari Nepali Sahitya Padak’ in 2014 among others. In an interview with Babita Shrestha from ApEx, the author spoke about her literary journey and the books she has written.

Can you tell us about your writing journey?

My journey as a writer began with a deep love for reading. I read  Mahabharata and Ramayana which later helped me express myself through writing, initially in Nepal Bhasa. Despite being a full-time homemaker after marriage, I later found solace in writing. I used to publish them in newspapers. 

Growing up, I saw a lot of gender bias, polygamy, and women being suppressed. Even the educational opportunities were different for boys and girls. It got to me and every time I spoke up about it, I was told to keep quiet. There were moments when I wished I was born a boy just so I didn’t have to face those challenges. Then, my children needed their father’s permit for something in Darjeeling. But my husband was out of the country. My authorization letter was rejected. An uncle had to step in. That hit hard because I was restricted from doing a simple motherly duty. Later, that frustration found its way into my debut book, ‘Lava Ka Baff Haru. It has 21 stories and was published in 2001. 

Since then, I’ve been on this writing journey, putting together story collections, children’s books, and novels. My writing is all about sharing my experiences and shedding light on social issues, especially those related to gender and family dynamics.

What compelled you to tell the kind of stories you do?

I ended up writing the kind of stories I do because back in the day, the idea of women leading independent lives in our conventional society was a far-fetched dream. Polygamy was the norm, and divorces weren’t as common as they are now. But for widowed women, life was a whole different struggle. And let’s not even get started on the unfair consequences women had to face even when they were victims of violence.

 The whole gender bias and the patriarchal setup used to drive me crazy, and I needed an outlet. So, I started pouring all those emotions and my take on these issues into my stories. It’s like a reflection of the three generations I’ve seen—me, my daughter, and now my granddaughters. The fight against gender discrimination is still on and I feel this strong urge to bring those harsh realities to light, which is what I’m currently working on. There’s also the joy of writing about nature and creating children’s stories. It’s my way of exploring different aspects of life and bringing some diversity into my writing.

 How do you write a story? Where do you find the inspiration from?

When I’m working on characters that people can connect with, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Women in Nepal are driven by a patriarchal mindset and that’s something I often delve into in my stories. Take ‘Phool Phoolaune Gamala Haru’ for instance. It’s about discrimination and nature. I have compared our life to the life of plants. Writing is about finding relatable angles.

 In ‘Niyati Chakra’ I’ve dug into the wild side of women, exploring freedom and shining a light on the harsh realities we face. I’m all about empowering women through my writing. When I’m sketching out characters and weaving the plot, it’s a mix of digging into my memories and throwing in a splash of imagination to make sure the storyline does justice to reality.

 What are the challenges of being a writer and how do you overcome them?

There were many hurdles. But the support I got kept me going. When I decided to dive into more explicit themes in ‘Lava Ka Baff Haru’ with all those complex love affairs and relationships, my sister and friends were genuinely worried for me. They thought I might be stirring up too much trouble. But my husband was my rock through it all and he had my back.

 Despite the raised eyebrows and concerns, I still published the book. I was on a mission to shake up that patriarchal and male chauvinist mindset. I wasn’t going to back down. Surprisingly, I got a lot of praise for how I delved into the inner workings of a woman’s heart. I consider it to be my first step in making people have an open mind about sexuality and gender equality.

 Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

You must approach writing with dedication and a sense of responsibility. Don’t allow others’ opinions to hinder your imagination. Writing should feel unrestricted and effortless, like a conversation. So don’t hesitate to express your creativity freely. Don’t be scared of people judging you and enjoy sharing your stories.

Automated cause-list management system has been launched at the high courts throughout the country from today.

Chief Justice Bishwombhar Prasad Shrestha inaugurated the system amidst a program held at the Patan High Court. There are 18 high courts, including one high court in each province and the temporary benches. The cause list would be determined through this automated system at all these courts from today. 

On the occasion, Chief Justice Shrestha said the service-recipients would be able to access services in an easy manner and the quality, transparency and credibility of the service would be enhanced when the courts are fully made technology-friendly.

"We have started the system of determining the cause-list at high courts also through the automated machine after it was a success at the Supreme Court. It is transparent, credible and ensures quality. It is not done on the basis of one's special request. This system is initiated in high courts for the first time in the judiciary's history," the Chief Justice said.

According to him, this system has been possible from the human resources available at the IT Division of the Supreme Court alone and a study is ongoing for starting this service at district courts in the coming days.

"There is no discrimination in determining the cause-list through this system. Works in which the court and the bar have to carry out together are done in an effective manner. We are making a study regarding managing a system of registering cases at the Supreme Court from own law firm in the near future. This work has reached the final stage," he further added.

Stating that preparations are being made to create a situation in which one will not have to go to the court to take court date, Chief Justice Shrestha said arrangements are being made to conduct hearings via online at the Supreme Court and high courts as well.

He also shared on the occasion that preparation is being made to conduct online hearing at the remaining high, special and labor courts and at the foreign employment tribunal as well.