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Few parts of the hilly areas in the country are likely to receive light rainfall coupled with thunderbolts on Tuesday with the weather becoming generally cloudy, said the Meteorological Forecasting Division. Light snowfall is likely in one or two parts of the high hilly and mountainous areas, said the Division. The rest of the areas of the country will have clear weather in general. The Westerly wind has its general impact while there is still the influence of the local wind in the hilly areas, leading to this condition of the weather, it has been said. Similarly, the weather in hilly areas will be partly cloudy tonight, and the other parts of the country will have fair weather in general. One or two hilly and mountainous parts of Province 1, Gandaki and Karnali Provinces are likely to witness light snowfall. In view of the condition of the weather, the Division has urged people of the vulnerable parts to adopt caution.

Rajan Mukarung is a renowned Nepali writer and novelist. He was awarded the Madan Puraskar for ‘Damini Bhir’ in 2012. He is also one of the initiators of ‘Srijanshil Arajakta’ a literary movement to make Nepali literature more inclusive of ethnic identities. Slesha Adhikari from ApEx talks to Mukarung to find out more about his love for writing and literature. What made you want to write and tell stories?  When I was in the fifth grade, I came across a children’s book called ‘Chamkila Rato Tara’. My wish was to be like one of the characters in the book. For someone who was always into writing from a young age, the book was quite influential. After that, I realized I had to do something for myself too, which is when I started jotting down all my emotions to set them free. Writing was my way of expressing and, in time, that way of expression became my career. Did you always want to become a writer? None of this was planned, although when I think about it, it was quite obvious that I wanted to be a writer. I started reading voraciously when I was in the ninth grade. Whenever I read books or poems, I always thought about what it would be like to be a published author. I was already into writing, so it seemed like an achievable dream. But my interest was not just limited to that. I also wanted to become a singer and a theater artist. I was involved in the Nepali music industry for a while too. But, after coming to Kathmandu, music sort of took a backseat, and I pursued writing as a career. Where do you get your inspiration?  I’m very observant. So, most of my writings are inspired from what I see in Nepali society. Every individual has his/her own story to tell, and a lot of them are still struggling to make a living. They have their own ups and downs in life and stories that might include war, love, fear and sorrow. Being a diverse country, there are so many languages, caste, culture, and tradition I can draw my inspiration from for a book. I feel like I have been given a platform to bring those hidden stories to the forefront and that inspires me to write. You were awarded the Madan Puraskar for Damini Bhir. How do you feel about it?  Damini Bhir was my way of making people aware about the kind of suffering that still exists in Nepali society, especially for ones who belong to marginalized communities. For many, their struggles are unimaginable. They suffered the most, especially during the civil war, which is briefly explained in the book. I believe their stories deserve to be heard. The whole purpose of the book was to uplift the marginalized community and make people empathize with what the community has had to go through. The main reason for writing Damini Bhir was to give a voice to the voiceless and I’m happy to have achieved that to a certain extent. What books top your list of favorites?  There are a lot of beautifully written Nepali books. Every book has its own uniqueness. But since I’m more into the ones that highlight the changes happening in our society, my first pick would be ‘Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti’ by Ghanashyam Bhusal. It’s a political book, so it might not be for everybody but it’s definitely worth a read. I also really like ‘Understanding the Maoist Movement of Nepal’. It’s a collection of stories during the Maoist insurgency that shed light on some of the facets of Nepal’s internal conflict. Another great read is ‘Maile Dekheko Nepal’ by Harka Gurung. All these books are really good if you want to develop a deeper understanding of why the Nepali society is the way it is and how it functions. What’s your take on the Nepali literary scene? What improvements would you like to see?  With everything going digital, Nepali literature has, for a very long time, been slightly overshadowed. There are many authors with a lot of talent, but they haven’t received much attention. Our society is slowly shifting away from Nepali literature, so we need to work on increasing reader engagement. I also believe writers need to understand what readers are looking for. Most people, in my opinion, want books to tell stories from different corners of Nepal, stories that are usually hidden. I wish for more characters that readers can identify and empathize with. If you think about it, those are the kinds of books that have gained a lot of popularity too. So, we must tell stories that are important, ones that jostle the readers a little. Mukarung’s picks  Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti ‘Aaja ko Marxbad ra Nepali Kranti’ by Ghanashyam Bhusal is a book that relates Nepali revolution and political changes with Marxism. It’s a book for the ones who want to have a better understanding of the second people’s movement in the year 2007. Understanding the Maoist Movement of Nepal This is yet another book that highlights the political shift that Nepal has witnessed during the Maoist insurgency. It’s a collection of writings taken from various sources, providing a wide range of perspectives on the Maoist insurrection to inform readers of the many facets of Nepal's internal conflict. It analyzes and explains the failure of the state to meet the aspirations of a people emerging from an authoritarian regime. Maile Dekheko Nepal ‘Maile Dekheko Nepal’ by Harka Gurung, which reads like a travel memoir, is a book that reflects on culture and tradition of various parts of Nepal, making it an important literature for anyone willing to know more about the Nepali society. Divided into twenty chapters, this book contains travel experiences of Gurung himself and socio-culture characteristics of several districts, especially the ones located in the Himalayan region.  

Three persons died and 12 others were injured when two vehicles collided with each other at Kanchanrup Municipality in Saptari district on Tuesday. The deceased have been identified as Sanjaya Chaudhary, Raj Kumari Chaudhary and Hareram Sah of Duhabi Municipality-3 in Sunsari district. Police said that the trio died on the spot when the vehicles (Pra 2-02-001 Cha 0746 and Ba 18 Cha 6617) collided head on near Bishnumandir area of Kanchanrup along the East-West Highway this morning. The injured have been taken to Biratnagar for treatment.  

Santiago A. Canton, a distinguished Argentine jurist with decades long experience of fighting for the advancement of human rights and the rule of law, is set to take up the post of Secretary-General of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on March 1, 2023. Appointed by the ICJ Executive Committee for a five-year term, Santiago A. Canton brings to this role a wealth of wisdom and practical experience at the national, regional and global levels, serving in governmental, intergovernmental and civil society capacities, read a state issued by the International Commission of Jurists. He was Executive Secretary of the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights from 2001 to 2012, and served as the Commission’s Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression from 1998 to 2001. He was also Executive Director of the human rights program of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. He served as Chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and has worked closely with the African Commission of Human Rights and People’s Rights. From 2016 to 2019, Santiago A. Canton was the Secretary of Human Rights for the Province of Buenos Aires (Argentina). Canton will be charged with continuing and developing the ICJ’s innovative efforts in progressively developing international law and standards, advocating for the entrenchment of the rule of law and the fair administration of justice around the world, and working to ensure accountability and access to justice for all without discrimination, the statement read. The ICJ salutes the outstanding contribution of its outgoing Secretary-General, Sam Zarifi, who served the organization with distinction during his six-year tenure (2017-23). During his tenure, the ICJ overcame numerous challenges, including the restrictions of work brought on by the COVID pandemic, engaging in critical work in such diverse areas as accountability for human rights crimes, public health emergencies, human rights in the digital age and defending the rule of law and justice systems in countries in all parts of the world. The ICJ is an international non-governmental organization established in 1952, consisting of 60 distinguished jurists from all regions of the world. The ICJ works to advance the rule of law and the legal protection of human rights. The headquarters of the ICJ Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and it has field presences in the Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Middle East and North Africa regions.