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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.  

Two persons died after a landslide buried them at Gunadi in Myagde Rural Municipality-1 of Tanahun district on Monday evening. The deceased have been identified as Bhim Bhujel (33) of Shivasatakshi Municipality-1 in Jhapa district and Bal Bahadur Rai (40) of Katari Municipality-7 in Udaypur district, according to the District Police Office, Tanahun. The landslide buried them while they were constructing a wall on the road side along the Muglin-Pokhara road section. Bhim died in course of treatment at Damauli Hospital while Bal Bahadur in Pokhara, said DSP Mohan Bahadur Khand. Similarly, Krishna Lingden (45) of Shivasatakshi Municipality-7, who was injured in the incident, is receiving treatment at Ratnahari Hospital, Damauli and his condition is normal, said police.    

Search for those missing in a landslide at Mehele in Sidingba Rural municipality-6 of Taplejung on June 18 is underway. Locals and police personnel have been carrying out a search operation for the missing ones. The landslide that occurred on Saturday swept away four persons including three members of a single family. Of them, one was found dead on Sunday morning while three members of a single family—Bhagimaya Budha Chhetri (63), her daughter-in-law Sandhya (30) and grandson Prajjwal, (9), are still missing, according to spokesperson at the District Police office, Taplejung, Kushum Ram Karki. According to the District Police Office, Keshar Bahadur Rai (67) of Mehele and his son were found dead in a landslide on Sunday morning. Similarly, injured Raj Kumar Rai (45) has been airlifted to Neuro Hospital, Biratnagar, on a chopper of Nepali Army this morning for further treatment from Panchthar District Hospital, according to the District Disaster Management Committee.