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A research project that was to excavate some areas in Mustang district to look for human remains has been halted due to protests from residents.

The research team has decided to halt the excavation, mapping, photography, and documentation work in Lomanthang for now, says Subhadra Bhattarai, undersecretary at the Department of Archaeology.

The decision comes after a meeting between the officials, local representatives and the residents of the area failed to make headway on the issue, says Bhattarai. The residents believe that their gods will get angry if the area is excavated and for this reason, they don’t want us to continue the project, she adds. The official says whatever materials were recovered from the area have been handed over to the local government and all the dug pits have been refilled.

During the meeting, local residents said that the mound that was being excavated was home to their gods and if the gods became angry, the area could face hailstorms that in turn could damage crops.

A team of local and international experts arrived in Lomanthang earlier this month after receiving the necessary permits from the department, the Ministry of Home Affairs and local police. They dug the area for 10 days.

But the local government representatives say that they weren’t informed about the excavation work.

Nepal Teen Leaders, a group of teenagers, has performed a flash mob—‘Mahinawariko Mulya’—against the ‘luxury tax’ on mensturational products at Basantapur, Kathmandu on October 6. The street show included theme-related songs, dances, and drama.

“The one-hour program was successfully conducted as there were more spectators than we expected”, says Bishal KC, coordinator of the event.

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Since the Nepali market has unofficially hiked the price of sanitary pads, different groups and activists are requesting the government to waive off the taxes on mensturational products.

Different other organizations—Career Point Education Pvt. Ltd., We Newars, Little Sisters Fund, Lions Club of Kathmandu Matribhumi, and Leo Club of Kathmandu Matribhum supported the event.

Four years ago, when the poster of the ‘Rudane: Bidroha ko Nepali nam’ was made public, it was highly appreciated, not only because it would be a movie based on the life of Rup Chandra Bista, the promoter of the Thaha movement, but also because of actor Divyadev’s looks.

But the film got stuck for various reasons and could not start its shooting on time. Meanwhile, there were rumors that film production would not be completed. After four years, the film’s teaser has been made public, and like the poster, it has gotten a lot of attention. 

The movie is co-written and directed by Amit Kishor Subedi and Vikas Dhakal. Alongside Divyadev, Namrata Shrestha, Ravi Giri, Subhash Gajurel and Amar Subedi are in the lead roles.

Janakpurdham: Provincial leaders of the Janta Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSPN) are misusing Province-2’s agriculture modernization scheme, under which farmers get subsidized tractors and solar pumps. The tractors and solar pumps distributed by the Ministry of Land Management and Cooperatives have supposedly been given to party leaders and cadres. Opposition party leaders and some members of the civil society have accused the state government of rolling out the scheme just to please the ruling party cadres.

Leaders and cadres of JSPN, and not the real farmers, are reaping the benefits of the tractors and the solar pumps distributed by the ministry, at 50 percent subsidy, for agriculture-promotion in the province.

While Minister of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives Shailendra Prasad Sah distributed 20 tractors in Saptari, Minister of State Yagendra Raya Yadav distributed 18 tractors in Rautahat and 10 more in other districts of the province.

Sujana Devi Koiri, Ram Chandra Yadav, Ram Prakash Yadav, Radheshyam Goit, Mahendra Chaudhary, Gyan Kumar Yadav, Bhogendra Prasad Yadav, Rajkumari Debi, Kisan Multipurpose Farmers Group, Mithila Agriculture and Dairy Industry and Dinesh Yadav are among the recipients of subsidized tractors in Dhanusha district.

Ram Prakash Yadav is the father of Raj Kumar Yadav, ward chairman of JSP’s Kamala Municipality-1 unit. He is also a relative of Pashupati Yadav, district chairman of JSP. Gyan Kumar Yadav was a JSPN mayoral candidate for Dhanushadham Municipality.

Similarly, Ram Chandra Yadav’s name was recommended by the then Minister of Internal Affairs Gyanendra Kumar Yadav. The multi-purpose farmer group belongs to Vaidyanath Rai, the city chairman of JSPN.

Also read: Rana Tharus agitate for recognition of their language

Right to information activist Saroj Kumar Mishra alleges that few real farmers have benefited from the government grant. According to Mishra, the government only plans schemes and distributes benefits to party workers and relatives of those in power.

Such is also the case with a solar pump scheme under which farmers bear only 15 percent of the cost while the government covers the rest.

The ministry distributed 232 solar pumps to farmers in all eight districts of the province two years ago, prioritizing vegetable farmers. But most of the people who received the solar pumps were Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal cadres as well.

Most solar pumps (48) were distributed in Saptari, the home district of the Minister of Agriculture. The fewest (11) went to Mahottari, according to the ministry. Similarly, 45 pumps were distributed in Dhanusha, 44 in Sarlahi, 26 in Siraha, 23 in Bara, 21 in Parsa and 14 in Rautahat.