HELLO NEPAL

Zero Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours It was wonderful to know that nobody died of Covid 19 in the last 24 hours in Nepal since August 2020. Although the number of deaths due to infection came down to zero, it doesn’t mean that no one will die due to the disease from now on as more than 200 people are still testing positive every day. Nepal reported its first Covid-19 death on May 16 last year. The disease has so far claimed 2,020 people throughout the country. Experts say that the major reason for the decline in the number of people testing positive for the virus is that the government has stopped providing free tests to asymptomatic people and the number of polymerase chain reaction tests conducted each day has declined significantly.    Nepal launched out its Covid-19 vaccination drive on Wednesday, a little over a year after the country confirmed its first coronavirus case on January 24, 2020. At present, there are 3,203 active cases throughout the country. ...

The Himalayan Times 28 January 2021   Another political stunt? PM Oli has made another big headline in the news media by visiting Pashupatinath temple yesterday amidst a controversial decision he had made a month ago "Prime Minister Oli performs special pooja at Pashupatinath" (THT Online, Jan 26). That was his abrupt decision to dissolve the House of Representatives. There seems to be many speculations and arguments about his visit to the Pashupatinath Temple. Some of his critics opine that his visit to a temple was nothing but simply to garner sympathy votes from pro-Hindu and pro-monarchist voters, who are vehemently demanding restoration of the Hindu state and monarchy in the recent days. Other argue that his visit to a temple was an attack on the constitution which made Nepal a secular republic. Oli is the first communist prime minister to visit the Pashupatinath temple for a puja. Other communist prime ministers like Manmohan Adhikari, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Pushpa Kamal...

  Many congrats to the government Finally, the Covid 19 vaccination programme started in Nepal from today. (January 27, 2021),Wednesday. The government of India had donated 1 million Covishield vaccines last week. According to officials, around 430,000 frontline workers–health workers, supporting staffers at health facilities, female community health volunteers, security personnel, sanitation workers, elderly people living in care homes, and prisoners–will be inoculated in 65 districts across the country. Over 600 health workers have been trained to run the immunisation campaign. Booths with the capacity to immunise 200 people have been set up at the inoculation centres. In Kathmandu Valley, shots will be administered from 17 hospitals–Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, Bir Hospital, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Patan Hospital, KIST Medical College, Civil Hospital, National Ayurveda Research and Training Center, Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hos...

  Grand salute to our mountaineering heroes What a splendid and heart-touching news to listen, read and watch over news media about scaling the world’s second highest peak — Pakistan’s K2 — in the winter season by a Nepalese mountaineering team led by Nirmal Parja, MBE, on last Saturday. K2 is the only mountain in the world that had remained unclimbed in the winter. At 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), K2 is the most prominent peak on the Pakistani side of the Himalayan range, and the world’s second highest after Mount Everest. They managed to make the impossible a possible with their endless effort and firm determination. My millions of thanks to the government and people of Pakistan for extending their valuable support to our mountaineering team. Long live Nepal-Pakistan friendship. NEPALI POLITICS   The Himalayan Times January 23, 2021 Nepali climbers who scaled K2 in Pakistan recount success ISLAMABAD: Nepali climbers who last week made history by scaling the world’s ...

  Embarrassing seeing government begging for buying Covid vaccine I am wondering why our government is making the people nervous when it talks about its financial inability to buy required dozes of Covid 19 vaccine. Time and again, the government concerned officials are publicly saying that the government is requesting donor organizations to help it buying vaccines for its citizens. Is not it embarrassing? Some of the donor communities have already pledged to provide financial support to the government for purchasing Covid 19 vaccines. However, it would still be much better for the government to do some homework to find out exactly how much money it really requires and then only urge business enterprises, philanthropic organisations and foreign aid agencies, if needed. My conservative calculation comes to be around NRs 14 billion not NRs 48 billion as claimed by the government as per the following calculations. For this, I do not see any reasons for the government to be panic...

Instigating the people to come out in the streets? It seems these days that there is nothing for the common people to concern about besides listening, watching and reading about the NCP’s two factions’ senior leaders blaming each other for the on-going political fiasco and claiming the rightful ownership of party’s symbol and flag. PM Oli continues to defend his decision of dissolution of HoR on one side and Prachanda-Madhal Nepal faction, on the other hand, continue to be more aggressive blaming Oli for his decision. They claim that his move was unconstitutional and against the will of the people. The people are in dilemma and wondering which faction is right and puzzled to see the main opposition NC, so-called civil society members, artists and other groups out in the streets protesting against the HoR dissolution. Unless the Supreme Court gives its final verdict, does it make any sense to both the factions, the main opposition, NC and other fringe parties and groups protesting o...

 Shouldn't they wait for the SC’s verdict Following the dissolution of HoR two weeks ago, several protests for and against this PM’s move are frequently being seen in the streets of major cities. Among these groups, PM Oli’s rival comrades Prachand-Nepal group seem to be vigorously attacking and blaming him for this unfortunate political situation in the country and have been untiringly claiming for the restoration of dissolved HoR. They are instigating people to come out to the streets for objecting Oli’s move. In the meantime, so-called civil society groups, artists and other fringe individual groups are also seen in the streets asking Oli to reverse his decision. The case is under review at the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. It is not so sure how long the SC will take to give its final verdict. Is it appropriate for Prachanda-Nepal group, main opposition party and the other groups to come out to the streets asking for restoration of dissolved HoR when the case is...

Who are these so-called civil society members? I am still wondering who were or are so-called prominent civil society members (CSM). Are they honoured by the people or self-proclaimed CSM? Are these people neutral or biased with any political parties? Where were they when Madhesi and Janajati people came out to the streets protesting the promulgation of incomplete new constitution in 2015? Where were they when Dr. Govind K.C staged 19 times hunger strike for the improvement in the medical education system? Where were they when Nirmala Pant’s parents were desperately begging for justice? Where were they when the 12 point agreement was signed between the then seven party alliance and Maoist which has been now said to be the crux of the current political mess in the country? What they were doing when wide body scandal, Omni group scandal and other billion rupees corruption scandal were the talk of the town? What is the problem with these so called prominent CSM when the government (...

The Himalayan Times 7 January 2021 Political assumptions I am still wondering what could be the political situation in the country if PM Oli had not dissolved the HoR. Why he was cornered by his fellow senior comrades after he managed to get HoR endorsement for claiming over Nepal’s Lipulek and Limpiyadhura illegally being encroached by the southern neighbour and publishing new map seemed to be nothing but an excuse for his rival comrades to go after him. After his bold move of HoR dissolution “Oli was forced to dissolve HoR: DPM” (THT, Jan 5, Page 4), Dahal-Madhav faction seemed to be desperate and frustrated for not being able to materialize their hidden agenda.   Following are my assumptions on what would happen if PM Oli had not dissolved the HoR based on the growing political feud in the ruling party for the last 9 months. 1. NCP would take disciplinary action upon Oli. 2. Oli would be relieved from the positions of both PM and NCP Chairperson. 3. Prachanda would be no...

  The Himalayan Times   24 December 2020 Political reconciliation The sudden dissolution of the federal parliament three days ago was the end result of the Nepal Communist Party’s internal feud, which had been going on for the last eight/nine months. It was especially between the two factions, one led by PM Oli and the other by Prachand-Nepal. This never-ending internal political feud was nothing but simply a political power sharing tussle between the two chairs which had completely underlined and over-shadowed the burning issues of the country and hardships faced by the general public during the corona pandemic. Finally, these two factions of their own political principles and philosophy decided to take their own political paths “NCP splits after 31 months merfer” (THT, Dec 23, Page 1).   It seems that time has now come for the major political parties to be serious towards taking bold but corrective steps for leading the country towards long lasting peace and pr...