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Two persons died on the spot when a jeep they were traveling in met with an accident at Thuldhunga in Kathekhola Rural Municipality-5 of Baglung on Wednesday. The identities of the deceased are yet to be established, Madan KC, Information Officer of the District Police Office, said. The jeep fell some 500 meters down the road. A team of police has reached the accident site to carry out rescue operations.

The International Yoga Day is being observed in Nepal by organizing several programs on Wednesday. The International Yoga Day has been celebrated by organizing different public awareness creating programs on June 21 every year. The International Yoga Day has been marked since 21 June 2015 as per the decision of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2014. It may be noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the 69th UNGA, had put forth a proposal calling for the declaration of June 21 as the International Yoga Day arguing Yoga was necessary for all people all time. The UN permanent member nations and the European Union had also endorsed the proposal after Nepal's then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala first seconded the Indian PM's call for Yoga Day declaration. The draft resolution establishing the International Yoga Day was endorsed by 177 countries. It was a record high support the draft resolution received in 90 days of the proclamation. The International Yoga Day has been observed across the globe since June 21, 2016. On the proposal of the then Peace and Reconstruction Minister Narahari Acharya, the Council of Ministers declared January 1 as National Yoga Day. Earlier, from the year 2036, World Yoga Day was celebrated after Uttarayan Day with the participation of organizations working in the field of Yoga in Nepal. A six-month Yoga and natural science course is being taught in the Nepal Sanskrit University. Nepal started marking the day since 1980 on the active involvement of the organizations in this field under the leadership of Dr Hari Prasad Pokharel. In the Vedic period, yoga taught by sages in the lap of the Himalayas became extinct in Nepal. The work of public awareness has been started by declaring Renaissance Day from this area. In ancient times mental peace and stability and health were achieved through yoga, meditation and Ayurveda. The Nepals, who had quickly forgotten it due to the influence of the modern era, were drawn to yoga after it was increasingly used for healing and peace in Europe and America.

Shreeom Shrestha ‘Rodan’ is a 61-year-old essayist, journalist, and a senior writer. He has authored seven essay collections, two travelogs, and collections of short stories and poems, ‘Arthaheen Arthaharu’, ‘Sambedanaka Swarharu’ and ‘Abhiwandha’ are some of his notable works. Additionally, he has edited 15 books. He is a former editor-in-chief of Gorkhapatra Daily and also served as the editor of Madhuparka Monthly at Gorkhapatra Corporation for 22 years. He is currently the chairman of Nepal Sanstha Samaj. Babita Shrestha from ApEx talked to Shrestha about his career as an essayist. What inspires you to write essays? I suppose my source of inspiration for writing is my impulsive vehemence and love for writing. When I was a teenager, I used to write a lot to convey my rage, joy, and sadness. This hasn’t changed. When I’m affected by some traumatic and triggering situations, or any writings, I immediately feel the need to offer my viewpoint on the issue. Then, I ponder over that specific topic and start writing. Could you please tell us a bit about your work? When I first began writing, I published poem collections like ‘Lalita’ and ‘Sargam’, as well as several story collections like ‘Bhram Marga’ and ‘Ankhi Jhyal’. Then I published my first essay ‘Arthaheen Arthaharu’ in 1997. In the following year, this book was honored with ‘Uttam Shanti Puraskar’. My other essay collections include ‘Sambedanaka Swarharu’, ‘Samayaka Sambhavanaharu’, ‘Bhanaunki Nabhanaun’ and ‘Abhiwandha’, which was released two years ago. In this collection, I have expressed my opinion on different essayists. It was awarded the ‘Ganga Shilpa Samman’ along with a cash prize of Rs 50,000. It’s one of my most celebrated books since it’s a bit different from what I have written in the past. How do you develop ideas for an essay?  For an essay, it’s necessary to conduct subjective research before sitting down to write. Without research, writing isn’t worthwhile. So, the first thing I do is carefully search for other literature and references in order to make my essay more creative and emotional. Do you share personal experiences or stories in your work? That happens quite often since the main goal of an essay is to contextualize events with sentiments. Once, I was traveling to Belgium for a literary event and my flight got delayed. I spent 23 hours waiting at the airport in Istanbul, Turkey. I took this experience and creatively expressed the feelings and philosophical ideas I had while waiting in my essay called ‘Kaha Dekhnu Afailai’. How do you ensure readers can relate to your point of view? It’s not easy to build a link between readers and writers. It’s only possible if the writer is able to capture people’s feelings and sentiments. I try to engage my readers by connecting my ideas to human emotions so that my book becomes their companion. While writing an essay, do you actively seek out differing opinions, or do you mainly focus on presenting your own arguments? I visited the Taj Mahal 45 years ago. Many consider the Taj Mahal to be a symbol of eternal love. But for me it was different. So I composed my essay highlighting disturbing details concerning the Taj Mahal’s construction using multiple historical references. Contrary to what it symbolizes, my essay was released under the title ‘Prem Mahal Hoina Taj Mahal’ in ‘Arthaheen Arthaharu’. So, it’s safe to say that I actively seek opposing viewpoints and present my arguments accordingly. What are some things that one must keep in mind while writing an essay? Without careful consideration, research, and multiple revisions, an essay will be dull and unoriginal. So, I believe that the quality of an essay is determined by the logic of the study, real-life instances, and the writer’s feelings. Also, writing is more than just capturing surficial details. The author must be able to express the underlying ideologies and perspectives on the subject. What advice would you give to aspiring essayists who are just starting their writing journey? Writing an essay is a challenging task. It takes a lot of research, time, and concentration. It differs from other formats like stories, poems, and travelogs. Those who desire to write essays must develop their own distinctive writing style. Shrestha’s picks: Abstract Chintan: Pyaj by Shankar Lamichhane It’s a Nepali essay collection by Shankar Lamichhane which was published in 1967. The collection was awarded with Madan Puraskar the same year. Laxmi Nibandha Sangraha by Laxmi Prasad Devkota This is a masterpiece written by Laxmi Prasad Devkota which was published in 2015 by Sajha Prakashan. It’s a must read for those who like essays.

Two persons, who were critically injured when a jeep carrying Prithvi Bahadur Singh, Internal Affairs and Law Minister of Sudurpaschim government, met with an accident, breathed their last during the course of treatment. The deceased have been identified as Minister Singh’s wife Amrita Singh and his sister-in-law Jayadevi Singh. They died in the course of treatment at the Rayal Primary Health Center in Kedarsyun Rural Municipality, Kedarsyun Rural Municipality Chairman Kedar Bohara said. The jeep (Supapra 01001 Jha 480) was heading towards Chainpur from Dadeldhura when the incident occurred at around 1:30 pm today. Seriously injured in the incident, Minister Singh, driver Dharma Raj Joshi and PSO Constable Deepak Bhandari have been airlifted to Nepalgunj on a Nepal Army chopper for further treatment. Four including Minister Singh injured in Bajhang jeep accident Four persons including Prithvi Bahadur Singh, Internal Affairs and Law Minister of Sudurpaschim government, were injured when a jeep they were traveling in met with an accident at Dharchada in Kedarsyun Rural Municipality of Bajhang on Tuesday. The jeep (Supapra 01001 Jha 480) was heading towards Chainpur from Dadeldhura when the incident occurred this afternoon. The four-wheeler fell some 50 meters down the road. Minister Singh sustained injuries on his legs and face. He is receiving treatment at the Deura-based Ritu Polyclinic in Kedarsyun Rural Municipality-1. Other three are undergoing medical treatment at the Rayal Primary Health Center. Details about the incident are awaited.