Posts

The glamour-A short story

Image
Image:ChatGPT/Concept:LB Thapa   The glamour, a short story By LB Thapa The acting bug had stung Diwakar when he was in his early teens. After completing his +2 education, Diwakar decided to pursue his dream. His dream was to become a popular cinema star in Nepali cinema. But his parents were against his idea. They told him that he should take up acting as a pastime hobby but not as a career. Captain Padam Bahadur, Diwakar’s father, had already made it clear that he should complete a master’s degree and a PhD before joining a college in Palpa. Outwardly, Diwakar agreed with his father, but deep down in his heart, he sincerely apologized to his father for not being able to fulfill his dream.  Diwakar was sent to Kathmandu for higher education, where he rented an apartment at Jawlakhel. After getting admission to a college, Diwakar gave all his attention to making a career in the field of cinema. He started visiting different filmmakers, directors, and producers and asking t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The silent crisis: Medical waste management in Nepal

Image
Photo: Mumtahina Tanni  The silent crisis: Medical waste management in Nepal By LB Thapa Nepal’s healthcare system has expanded significantly over the past two decades, with increased numbers of hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic centers in both urban and rural areas. However, this progress has brought an unintended consequence: a dramatic rise in medical waste. From used syringes and contaminated bandages to expired pharmaceuticals and pathological remains, medical waste has become a silent environmental and public health crisis.   Although the government has issued strict warnings time and again and insists on following prescribed guidelines, the current situation has not improved so much. Due to lack of infrastructure and coupled with negligence by hospitals and municipalities, the situation has only turned bad to worse in recent years.     Current situation of medical waste management in Nepal   In practice, medical waste management in Ne...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

The sanctity of the House of Representatives

Image
Image:ChatGPT/Concept: LBThapa   The sanctity of the House of Representatives By LB Thapa There’s a certain sense of respect and dignity inside the House of Representatives. How the House behaves matters—it shapes how the world sees Nepal’s democracy. It’s not just about fancy walls or a nice hall. This place is meant to be the heart of democracy, a mirror of the nation’s soul, where the hopes and fears of 30 million Nepalis—from the hills of Humla to the plains of Jhapa—are supposed to be heard.   In the past, the House was known for its passionate but respectful debates. Leaders like B.P. Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh showed that even the Prime Minister had to listen to the Speaker’s gavel. Back then, words were the only weapons, and the enemy was an argument, not a person.   An honorable Member of Parliament (MP) is expected to act in a way that respects this legacy. They’re not activists or street protesters inside the House. They’re lawmakers, trusted with peo...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

The unraveling of a rebel: How Harka Sampang lost his way

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa The unraveling of a rebel: How Harka Sampang lost his wa y By LB Thapa Not too long ago, if you mentioned Harka Sampang in Dharan, people’s faces would light up. Here was a man who came out of nowhere—an activist, a social worker, someone who actually seemed to care—and built the Shram Sanskriti Party from scratch. It wasn’t flashy. It was about labor rights, about culture, about ordinary people finally having a voice. And when he won the mayor’s seat in Dharan, it felt like a small miracle.   He became even more ambitious. He wanted to fight an election to become the voice of Dharane people. He was right. The people of Dharan extended their support and Harka Sampang’s Shram Sanskriti Party won a few seats in the present election. It is of course not a bad start at all. For a moment, now he became the face of a new kind of Nepali politics.   But somewhere along the way, something shifted. And honestly, it’s been painful to watch.  ...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

The imperative for a redefinition of Nepal-India relations

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa The imperative for a redefinition of Nepal-India relations By LB Thapa The relationship between Nepal and India is often cited as a unique example of bilateral ties, defined by deep-rooted cultural affinity, an open border, and pervasive economic interdependence. Legally institutionalized by the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, this "special relationship" grants citizens of both nations reciprocal rights to reside, work, and trade without visas.   Even after decades, the trend is continued as not much has changed in the course of political landscape. The open border and free entry of the people have definitely consolidated social and economic ties between India and Nepal.       However, beneath the surface of fraternity lies a complex narrative of power asymmetry. For many in Nepal, the historical trajectory suggests that India has seldom viewed a fully independent, economically self-sustained Nepal as being in its strategic ...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

BEYOND ROTE LEARNING: A need for a sea change in the SEE examination

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa   BEYOND ROTE LEARNING A need for a sea change in the SEE examination By LB Thapa The Secondary Education Examination (SEE) is an important moment for millions of Nepali students. In this context, the government deserves a brief but sincere appreciation for its commendable efficiency in publishing the SEE results within a single month of the examinations’ conclusion. This promptness not only alleviates the anxiety of students and parents but also provides a crucial window for students to plan their higher secondary pathways without disruptive delays. Thus, the determination shown by the present government is no doubt a welcome step toward transparency and accountability in Nepal’s public education system.   A brief glance at this year’s results compared to previous ones reveals a familiar yet troubling pattern. While the overall pass percentage has seen minor fluctuations—occasionally sustained by grace marks or lenient checking—the consisten...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

The Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura dispute: A Himalayan impasse

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa The Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura dispute: A Himalayan impasse By LB Thapa The map of South Asia, drawn and redrawn by the hands of empire, diplomacy, and war, contains few border disputes as intricate and persistently challenging as the one between India and Nepal over the high-altitude trijunction of Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura. What appears on some maps as a mere sliver of land in the shadow of the Himalayas represents a clash of legal interpretations, national pride, and strategic interests. As India and China move forward with the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the Lipulekh Pass without Kathmandu’s formal consent, a century-old disagreement has once again flared into a modern diplomatic crisis, testing the limits of the unique "Roti-Beti" relationship between New Delhi and Kathmandu.   The genesis of the dispute lies in the Treaty of Sugauli of 1816, signed between the Gorkha Kingdom and the British East India Company following the Ang...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

RSP: Connecting politics with career and professionalism

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa   RSP Connecting politics with career and professionalism By LB Thapa Are you planning to contest elections on a Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) ticket? If so, you now need to prove your ability by completing a course at the Leadership Academy. In RSP, getting a ticket no longer depends on money—you need to pass an exam.  For years, we have witnessed the chaos outside leaders’ doorsteps in the months leading up to elections: briefcases exchanged for tickets and the deep-rooted practices of nepotism and favoritism. This bitter reality of Nepali politics has long been suffered by the people. Now, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has introduced a decision that could shake the very foundation of how election tickets are distributed in Nepal. But what exactly is this Candidate Club and Leadership Academy? What does the Academy teach? And how does RSP intend to stop the broker system and the setting of ticket distribution?  In the upcoming loca...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more

INDIA: A land of warmth and warning for the female traveler

Image
Image: ChatGPT/Concept: LB Thapa   INDIA A land of warmth and warning for the female traveler By LB Thapa India is a country of profound contradictions. For the female traveler, it can be both enchanting and unnerving. On one hand, the subcontinent offers mysterious ancient temples, vibrant festivals, and legendary hospitality. On the other, headlines about brutal rapes, harassment, and theft involving foreign tourists have stained its global image. The question is not whether India is absolutely safe or unsafe — the truth lies in the gray space between fear and reality.  To deny the problem would be disingenuous. India has witnessed high-profile cases that rightfully alarm the world. In 2014, a 52-year-old Danish tourist was robbed and gang-raped in New Delhi’s Paharganj area, a popular backpacker hub. In 2019, a 28-year-old Brazilian national reported being gang-raped by seven men in the same city. These are not isolated whispers but documented tragedies. Foreign female trav...
Post a Comment
Location: Pokhara, Nepal
Read more