‘खुकुलो लकडाउन’, ट्राफीक प्रहरीको मनोमानी

मिति २०७७ साल जेष्ठ महिनाको २८ गते रातीको समयमा, नेपाल सरकार मन्त्री परिषद्ले लगभग साढे दुई महिनादेखि चल्दै आएको लकडाउनलाई चरणबद्ध रुपमा खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय गर्यो। त्यस निर्णय अन्तरगत विगतमा बन्द रहँदै आएका व्यावार-व्यसाय तथा सेवा सुविधाको प्रवाहालाई आवश्यक सावधानी अपनाएर सुचारु गर्न बाधाअवरोध नगर्ने निर्णय गर्यो। सोहि निर्णय अन्तरगत निजी सवारी साधनहरुलाई जोर-विजोर प्रणालीमा सञ्चालन गर्नदिने निर्णय समेत गर्यो।

लकडाउन अवधि भरि सार्वजनिक सडकमा आमजनताको सुरक्षा तथा लकडाउनको कार्यान्वयन तथा परिपालना गराउनका निम्ति ठूलो संख्यामा सुरक्षा निकायका कर्मचारीहरु तैनाथ भए। लकडाउनको समयमा अहोरात्र खटिएर, भोक-प्यासको पर्वाह नगरी तैनाथ रहेका प्रहरी कर्मचारीहरुले कोहिकसै अनावश्यक रुपमा, अत्यावश्य काम बिना आफ्नो बासस्थानबाट बाहिर निस्किएको अवस्थामा आवश्यक कारवाही गर्ने गरे-गर्थिए। सायद लकडाउनको अवधिमा लागेको यहि बानीले गर्दाहोला, सरकारले लकडाउन खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय गरेको भोलिपल्ट (आजको दिन) पनि प्रहरी कर्मचारीहरुले बाटोमा आफ्नो सवारी साधनका साथ नस्किएका जनसाधरणलाई रोकेर कारवाही गर्न छाडेनन्।

म स्वयम् पनि आज विहान आफ्नो मोटर साईकलमा आवश्यक खाद्यान्न किनमेल गर्न निस्किएको थिएँ। लकडाउन खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय भएसँगै, धेरै पछि म आफूले नियमित रुपमा किनमेल गर्ने ठाउँ भन्दा अलि टाढा सम्म गएर किनमेल गर्न अघि सरे। मुल सडकमा निस्कन पाउँदा नपाउँदै मेरो यात्रा सहायक निरीक्षकको नेतृत्वमा खटेको प्रहरी टोलीद्वारा अवरुद्ध गरियो। मलाई तुरन्तै आफ्नो मोटरसाईकलबाट उत्रन भनियो, मैले आदेश भए बमोजिम मेरो मोटरसाईकल रोकेँ र मलाई रोक्न निर्देशन दिनुहुने प्रहरी कर्मचारीलाई सोधेँ, (यस पश्चात प्रहरी कर्मचारीहरुसँग भएको संवादको अंश)

“सर, मेरो मोटरसाईकल त विजोर छ त! किन रोक्नु भयो?”

“कहाँ जान लाग्नु भयो?”

“खाद्यान्न किनमेल गर्न।“

“आफ्नै घर वरपर नकिनि किन मुल सडक आउनु भयो खाद्यान्न किन्न? जोर-विजोर सँग सरोकार नै भएन नि! आफ्नो नाम टिपाउनुस् अनि साँझ ७ बजे मोटरसाईकल लिन आउनुस्”

“(आफ्नो नाम र नम्बर टिपाउँदै) सर, हिजो राति मन्त्री परिषद्ले लकडाउन खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय गरेको थियो त! विहान पत्रिकामा समेत समाचार आइसक्यो! मलाई किन यसरी रोक्नु हुँदैछ तपाईँहरु? अनावश्क काम होईन, खाद्यान्न पो किनमेल गर्न जान आँटेको हुँ त!”

“तपाईँ ठूलो कुरा नगर्नुस्, त्यस्तो निर्णय भएपनि हामीलाई माथिबाट कारबाहि नरोक्नु भन्ने निर्देशन छ! खुरुक्क बाईक छोडेर आफ्नो बाटो लाग्नुस् साँझ लिनआउनुस्!”

केहि समय माथिल्लो दर्जाका प्रहरी कर्मचारी (निरीक्षक) सँग संवाद भएपछि जताबाट आएको त्यतै फर्किने सर्तमा मलाई आफ्नो मोटरसाईकल सहित जान दिइयो। त्यस ठाउँमा (जहाँ मलाई रोकिएको थियो) म जस्तै अरु १५-२० जना व्यक्तिहरुलाई आफ्नो गन्तव्यमा जान नदिइ रोकेर राखिएको थियो। म त्यहाँ करीब ३० मिनेट रोकिनु परेको थियो, अन्य व्यक्तिहरुले १-२ घण्टादेखि रोकिएको भनेर गुनासो पोख्दै थिए। त्यँहा रोकिएर बसेका व्यक्तिहरु अतिरिक्त करीब २०-२५ वटा अन्य मोटरसाईकलहरु समेत रोकेर राखिएको थियो।

मसँग घटेको घटना त प्रतिनिधि घटना मात्र हो, यो लेख लेख्दा सम्म आज दिउँसो मात्र हजारौँको संख्यामा सवारीसाधन समातिएको समाचार आइसकेको छ। प्रस्तुत विषयलाई नेपालमा विद्यमान कानूनी व्यवस्थाको चश्मा लगाएर हेर्ने हो भने निम्न बमोजिमको परिदृश्य देख्न सक्छौँ,

प्रहरीले लकडाउनको समयमा सवारीसाधन तथा बटुवाहरुलाई गर्ने गरेको कारवाहि कानूनी रुपमा फौजदारी कानून अन्तरगत गरिएको दण्डसजाय हो। लकडाउन उल्लङ्घन गरेकोमा सजाय स्वरुप फौजदारी दायित्तव अन्तरगत सवारीसाधनलाई रोकेर राख्ने तथा निश्चित समय पश्चात मात्र कारवाहि फुकुवा गर्ने गरिएको थियो। तर मन्त्री परिषद्बाट लकडाउनलाई खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय भएपश्चात पनि सवारीसाधनहरुलाई ‘माथिबाट निर्देशन आएको छ’ भनि दण्डसजायलाई नियमितता दिनु भनेको, प्रहरी प्रशासनबाट विद्यमान कानूनी अवधारणाको घोर उल्लङ्घन हो। हाल प्रचलित ‘नेपाल कानून व्याख्या सम्बन्धी ऐन, २०१०’ को दफा ३(च) को प्रतिबन्धात्मक वाक्यांशमा ‘कसैले कानून बनिसकेको तर त्यस कानून राजपत्रमा प्रकाशन भईनसेको अवस्थामा साविकको कानूनले दण्डनीय मानेको तर नयाँ बनेको कानूनले दण्डनीय नमानेको कार्य गरे तापनि त्यस्तो कार्यलाई लिएर कुनै दण्ड सजाय दिईने छैन’ भन्ने तात्पर्य रहेको प्रावधान हामी पाउन सक्छौँ।

त्यस कारण प्रहरीबाट सवारीसाधनहरु विरुद्ध आज भइरहेको कारवाही सामान्य दृष्टिबाट हेर्दा त अव्यवहारीक छँदै छ, कानूनी दृष्टिबाट हेर्दा समेत गैरकानूनी छ। लकडाउनलाई खुकुलो पार्ने निर्णय भइसक्दा समेत कथित ‘माथिको निर्देशन’ लाई देखाउँदै जनतालाई अनावश्यक असुविधा हुने कार्य गर्नु अन्यायपूर्ण हो। लकडाउनको समयमा अहोरात्र खटेर हाम्रो सेवा गरेकोमा हामीले प्रहरी प्रशासन तथा प्रहरी क्मचारीहरुलाई धेरै धन्यवाद दियौँ, अब भने हामीलाई अनावश्य रुपमा दु:ख नदिने पलो प्रहरी प्रशासनको हो।

अद्वैत बराल

२०७७ साल जेष्ठ महिना २९ गते बिहिबार

छाउनी, काठमाण्डौँ

An aspirant to the truth

An aspirant to the truth

That, what is not false is the truth. With fallacies tainting every breath of air, the quest for grasping the truth becomes as much challenging as sneezing with our eyes shut. The time is such that subjects cannot even speak the truth to themselves. Fallacies have been anchored into the earth so deep with truth crushed under it. In the midst of the mist of fallacies, walks a girl who aims to establish truth. She is in a hunt for reality, with which she aims to blow away the mist of fallacies.

The aspirant to truth, she is. The girl knows no magic of changing the weather, she did try to shine away the mist of fallacies but the dampness of fallacies overwhelmed the heat of her truthful effort. Everyone she interacted with seemed to have forgotten what truth feels like, worse they seemed not to uphold the concept of truth; fallacies seemed as though it pumped into every veins of their body with every palpitation of their heart.

There was a time when she illustrated truth before people who were infected of fallacies, the illustration was of little help because they had already been programmed by fallacies to reject what is true. She has come across fallacies in different shapes and sizes, there were some fallacies that was spread by very powerful people who debuted fallacies in the air, there also were people who had been around the former people so much that they had scavenged fallacies and now they are generating their own fallacies. The sad thing is these preachers of fallacies can be seen fraudulently representing themselves as prophets of truth.

The girl has no intention of giving up her quest to truth, she is all prepared to fight fallacies to establish truth. She knows what it is, she believes in it and she is guided by it, the truth. There were times when her immunity was dueled by fallacies, the result as expected, the truth in her and the truth she believed in stabbed the hostile fallacy on its chest and came out victorious.

She had heard that believing in fallacies had made people powerful. She does want to be powerful but she does not want the power that makes people preachers of fallacies. She wants to command truth but at the same time she does not want to do it with a 'mask of truth' over her face, like those preachers of fallacies, she wants to shape her face into acquainting people with the face of an aspirant to truth.

The aspirant to truth has remained uncharred from the wildfire of fallacies, she has protected herself with the best repellent, the suit of truth. She is in no minds to take off the suit of truth, not today and not until her last day. She is in search for an environment where she does not need to keep her 'suit of truth' on, for she is in wait of the situation where it will rain truth and flood away fallacies. An aspirant to truth she is.    

Expressing my opinions

"Listen to me! If you are defending what they are doing, you will face consequences"

"Have I said that I am defending them?"

"What you are expressing, tells that you are defending them?"

"Am I not entitled to express my opinion? Do I not have the freedom to speak what I believe? Do I need to ask for a permission to present my views?"

"What they are doing will not benefit to our union, it will set negative impression among students. You should not be supporting them"

"So when you speak it is the union's decree and when I speak, I'd be cracking a joke? Is my opinion not an opinion at all? I also have faith in the same union as you do"

My dear friend went away, babbling curse words [probably against me] meanwhile I stood where I was telling myself that the person whom I just had an argument with, who identifies himself as a student leader might someday reach an authoritative position [probably through political appointment] just because 'he knows some people' and behave with other people in just the way he did with me some moments ago. The level of intolerance and insecurity in my friend extended to the level where he felt a prospective program that was to be organized by a dozen of undergraduate students from my college posed a threat to 'status quo of his union'. Later I came to know that him along with some other friends of mine had a meeting [over tea] to prevent the said prospective program from being organized.

Instances like these worries me, it makes me delusional and get visions of future where we Nepalese are ruled by a bunch of folks who do not have the faintest idea that the citizenry who they [might] rule also might have an opinion of themselves and that opinion might not corroborate with theirs; such a system which would be more horrific than the state of Oceania from George Orwell's 1984 which would have more strict LEA than the 'thought police' and scarier intelligence collection method than the 'telescreen', meant solely for the purpose of monitoring and penalizing 'differences in opinion'.

My friend and I both having been law students did not make him have a soft spot for the opinion I had which was not similar to that of his. Law students like ourselves who have the knowledge of rights, freedom and liberty seem not to be sculpted in the manner as to what we have learnt, we have no respect for each other's opinion. This makes me question, where is the problem? Is it in the model of education that we are the part of? Or is it in ourselves for we cannot be tolerant enough to recognize ideas which are not identical to that of ours?

I Lawve Law School

Criminal Law with a hint at Torts

"Hello there, sucker!, with a hand gesture people in their right minds would find offensive, my friend greeted me on a chilly Sunday morning, to which I replied "I will get you on defamation, slander added" with a fat smile on my face. We shook our hands, this is when I had a musing "well, what I just said could be real you know? All I need is my friend's address and his phone number, there'd be no chance the court not entertaining my complaint..." the very thought made me day dream. What you will read further are recollection of my day dream.

The experiences you've had to a great extent gives shape to how you are. If what I have learnt in the past four years at the law school is to be interpreted as experiences I have had, I tell you it has shaped me into a being who weighs every breath taken, figuratively of course. Shake hand with a person, but make sure you shake it well whatsoever their sex be, for sexual harassment provisions applies to both men and women equally in principle, crack a funny joke that involves your bodily organs, the same problem. When you are chatting and visiting a dirty website at the same time, be supper cautions before you click any links for section 47 of Electronic Transaction Act can greet you with a hefty fine, prison sentence added. 

Every sip of the cup of tea you drink at 'dai's pasal' you hardly can think of any other thing than the provisions relating to Tortious liability on the newly enacted Muluki Civil Code, for the tea never satisfies your tongue, sometimes it's hot (these times worse for you remember the hot coffee case where the court decided around 3 million in compensation to a burn victim who spilled coffee on her crotch) and sometimes its cold or without sugar.

Dealing with a break up, being a male (emphasis added) is a nightmare; it's obvious that couples today indulge in a physical act or two once they are in a relationship, which turns out to be a trap the reason being one, pessimistic attitude of human beings and the next, limitation of most forms of sexual offences is a year; furthermore, 'The Honorable Supreme Court' has established a ratio that 'penetration alone is not the only ground for rape'. Belonging to the third gender doesn't help either (if you are thinking of it), because there is another ratio, 'a female can rape another female'.

Getting into physical brawl over an issue with your arch enemy form the law school is limited to your dreams, 'moral turpitude', 'medical expenses', '35 days in detention' and thoughts as such occupies you before you can raise your hand to strike, by then you'd already have become best friends with your enemy. Don't even think about carrying a weapon to the college, for the first thing being 'fear of expulsion from the university' and the other 'being prosecuted for unauthorized possession of weaponry'. Not being parts of brawl doesn't help either, for leaving crimes unreported makes you a secondary offender punishable by lesser degree of punishments.

Whatsoever, there are always better parts too. Say you get accused of a mischief, you can drop the 'burden of proof' bomb at times like those. You can always shut the one adjudicating your mischief up with 'audi alteram partem', a Latin scrap for fair trial. Real legal issues are less a problem also, because most at the law school can draft a writ of habeus corpus or threaten the cops of doing so, which gets you out of minor trouble in no time, making law more fun to study.   

Inception of Federal Parliament: Women Weapon

Nepal, nearing the end to a nearly two decades long political transition has been successful in holding the First General Election of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal; but the politico-legal hurdle in the creation of federal parliament seems to have created a crisis at this moment, and the author opines that women are being used as weapon to further intensify the said crisis.  

‘National Assembly followed by new government or new government followed by national assembly?’ this debate has kept the Nepalese political cosmos busy for quite a while now. The ‘government to be’ has been strongly presenting its opinion that it is strongly against cropping up any such unnecessary argument that is meant for intentionally delaying the transition of the power to the newly declared people’s mandate. Whilst the care taker government is claiming that the executive power will only be transferred after the legal and constitutional hurdles are solved. This debate although at first sight seems to have created an unexpected political obstruction, it was not unpredictable. The constitution was drafted in such a restless manner that its drafters themselves became unable to foresee the political problems and difficulties that its contents would bring in the days that would follow after its implementation.

A crisis was encountered also when an attempt to topple down the government chaired by KP Oli was made. The unclear and incomplete provisions in the constitution had instigated a heated debate amongst the politico-legal community back then as well; the issue then was addressed by removal of difficulty by the president pursuant to article 305 of the constitution. Looking as these instances seems as though we Nepalese are very good at making mountain out of a molehill, in political and constitutional matters.

The formation National Assembly dispute at the current time has been shaped as an arena of a war for politics based on numbers and lust for power. The blame cannot be rested upon a one single party here, both the care taker government and the ‘government to be’ have equal role in intensification of this dispute where the former is gasping for securing some number of seats in the federal parliament in light of the ill results of the general elections on its side and the latter is very impatient for creation of new government under its leadership. The author in regards to this dispute is of the opinion that, politics has gotten shamefully sexist by spinning around in whirlpool of chaos by exploiting the constitutional provision of women representation in the federal parliament of the country.

Nepalese constitution has for the very first time incorporated such provision which constitutionally guarantees the presence of one third of women law makers from each of the political parties present in the federal parliament. Article 84, clause 8 of the constitution has provided for such a provision as account to which in case women are not elected so as to constitute one third of the elected members of any individual political party under direct election to House of Representatives i.e. election to 165 members and election to 56 elected members of the National Assembly, then such political party are required to ensure the women representation by filling the posts through seats obtained in the Proportional Representation election. But the political parties at this moment are mischievously making the use of this provision to create confusion regarding the formation of the national assembly and the new government.

The aforementioned provision in fact must have been incorporated in the constitution so as to secure the proper representation of women in the law making authority of the country by ending decade long underrepresentation of women.  The provision with such a pragmatic purpose, at this moment has been wrongly used to keep hold of the power that has actually expired as presented by the fresh mandate of the people. But the ‘government to be’ is also not exempted from blames about this issue, the ‘government to be’ looks like it is in such a hurry to get hold of power that it seems to have been apathetic towards the constitutional and legal provisions.

The message that is trying to be conveyed by the author here is that the deviation from the true purpose of article 84(8) i.e. constitutional provision guaranteeing representation of women in the federal parliament would not be productive in any way. Explosives can be used to drill through mountains to build roads and the same explosives can also be misused to cause harm to life and property of people; both the parties i.e. the care taker government and the government to be must understand what they are supposed to, from this analogy. Women are not weapon, the use of women to keep hold of power that has been snatched away from the current government cannot be justified. Also, the apathy of the party that come victorious in the general election, towards the provision of women representation in the federal parliament is a grave irresponsibility. The issue of women representation must not be made a wager to gain political power.

The country and the people need both the national assembly and new government; due process of law and compliance with constitution in the course to resolve this political chaos is essential. No social groups should be used as a weapon or a shield for the purpose of political gain. The concerned parties should not splatter the people’s yearn to witness proper political culture by intensifying disputes instead of solving difference through dialogues. 

Adwait

Class Consciousness, words of a Young Leftist

Be it between a teacher and the students, landlord and the tenants, party cadres and party leaders, the power holder and the general public, everywhere I see I find the theory of Marx applicable to explain the situation. I find the practical implication of Marx’s idea of ‘class struggle’ true to its roots when I see the oppression done over the weak faction of the society by the oppressors, the power holders. It’s true that the human society has advanced a lot form the initial agrarian state of the society. Back then oppression was limited to land owners over the peasants, but now the oppression of human beings has reached newer dimensions, whatsoever Marx’s ideas of ‘conflict’ and ‘struggle’ have not withered away, it can still be applied to understand the society and I am certain that it will be kept on being applied if youth like us ceaselessly keep on advocating about the ideas of Marx.

Inequality will not end from our society unless we are to educate people about the social construct of the society. Only if the Leftist intellects play the role of teachers of ‘class consciousness’ then can we spark the idea of ‘class struggle’ amongst the people, only then can the people start fighting for equality and creation of society with no discrimination and exploitation. If the people are to achieve the final goals of social ownership and equal responsibility among the dwellers of the human society, the dissemination of knowledge of Socialism and leftism is a must.

I having been a part of the leftist society of my country, believe that the social construct of my society is such that leftist philosophy and policy needs to be primarily brought into effect to terminate the differences that rests amongst the people which has resulted in concentration of power in a small group of individuals. For the very cause I have been working from my side to enlighten whoever I can about ideas of Marx and what can be done from the side of general public to establish a fair and just society.

                                                                                                            Adwait 'COMRED'

Why are there columns of Yellow tiles in the side walk?

For the visually impaired

All the new sidewalks that are being constructed in Kathmandu these days show a series of distinctly colored yellow tiles running through the middle of them. It made me wonder what they were. At a point I even started cursing the government in my head, assuming that the tiles were simply objects of decoration, another case of redundant expenditure so characteristic of public projects.

When I saw a group of workers digging along the middle of sidewalk passing in front of my college, I was certain that they were in the process adding those same yellow tiles. It was too much for me, and found myself agitated every time I walked the sidewalk.

Coincidentally, I was surfing the internet one day when I recalled those yellow tiles. On Google I typed ‘Odd yellow tiles on the sidewalk’. Instantly trusty Google displayed answers on the screen. I felt a fat smile form on my face as I read. Immediately I was praising Nepalese policymakers.

The yellow tiles were being laid as part of tactile paving, a special paving used as warning indicator for people who are blind or have partial visual impairment. The tiles come with a distinct texture which the blind people can feel via their cane or shoes and that way they could follow the sidewalk with ease. But this is not the only purpose tactile paving serves.

I also learned that Japan was the pioneer in introducing tactile paving and that the tiles are used as early warning mechanism as well. Change in the texture of the tiles would suggest things like turning ahead, stairs ahead, slope ahead, crossing ahead etc. The primary purpose although remains a medium of directional guidance. In addition, there is a clever reason for coloring the tiles yellow: a distinct yellow would create contrast from the sidewalk so those with partial blindness could see distinguish it.

This was very rejuvenating revelation for me. I am seriously pleased with the government for taking commendable initiative to ease commute for people with visual impairment. I suggest the concerned authority to add tactile paving at all places in the urban centers. 

Comred

Published in Setopati, on June 6, 2016

http://setopati.net/readers-column/14527/For-the-visually-impaired/

Smoking Debut (Short Story)

Smoking Debut

“Smoking causes cancer; Smoking kills; Smoke at your own risk” Sahil could see the words and a disturbing picture of a pair of lungs all decayed and black. He held the pack in his hands, cautiously he unwrapped the seal of the pack. He could now see them, lines of sticks; cotton like material in the top. All of a sudden, “You don’t smoke boy, do you?” a hoarse voice spoke. Sahil was almost out of his breath. Scared he looked back at the voice. It was Sahil’s uncle whom he’d been staying at since the day earlier.

Shail was taken by surprise when he found the pack of cigarettes in his uncle’s study table, for Sahil had no idea that his uncle smoked. Sahil had no intentions of lighting the sticks and trying out smoking, when he picked up the pack. Most of his class mates were smokers, he’d stayed with his friends together when they smoked but he’d never tried out smoking for himself. It was not that Sahil didn’t want to smoke, he wanted to smoke but he never had the courage to ask his friends for a puff. He’d held cigarette stick in his hand before, he’d even tried smelling how a stick smells like. He was aware that cigarette stick contained tobacco in them. The only thing was, Sahil knew quite a lot of things about cigarette but he’d never smoked one.

Sahil’s uncle approached Sahil, Sahil still awestruck watched his uncle right in the face. Uncle took hold of the pack from Sahil’s hand. He took out a stick and from one of the drawers of the study table, he took out a box of matches; Sahil watched speech less. [STRIKE] a flame, the matchstick was ablaze; Sahil was still motionlessly watching as his uncle lit the cigarette pressed in his lips. Cloud of smoke came out from uncle’s mouth as he exhaled the puff he’d taken. And came uncle’s voice, “You can try one if you want to, I’ll tell nobody… Here you go boy..” Uncle offered Sahil a stick from the pack. Sahil was hesitant at the beginning but he did take out a stick and pressed it in between his lips.

[STRIKE] Another match had been lit. Sahil’s uncle brought the match closer to Sahil’s lips. Sahil inhaled as his uncle lit the cigarette stick pressed in Sahil’s lips. Immediately after [COUGHS] ahmmm… ahmmmm… ahmmmm.. Sahil felt very intolerable, he could not keep the smoke inside himself, he coughed out all the puff he’d taken in. Sahil’s uncle smiled as Sahil restlessly coughed. But Sahil didn’t stop at that. He inhaled another puff in himself and this time he didn’t cough, he exhaled a gust of smoke out from his mouth like any other professional smoker would. Sahil and his uncle smoked together. Sahil painfully coughed a few times as he had still not learned how to inhale the smoke properly. With puff after puff, the cigarette stick got shorter and shorter, in no time the stick had diminished to the filter.

“Boy, stop inhaling, you’ve puffed in enough”, Sahil’s uncle said. And then came Sahil’s content smile. His uncle told him that he had no intentions to spoil Sahil and he’d offered him to smoke only because he felt like Sahil would want to at least try to feel how smoking feels like.

 He told his uncle, “I am never smoking again” but inside himself, Sahil was making plans about what he is going to do the next time he smoked.    

Yatra Karnali (Chapter Two)

Yatra Karnali (Chapter Two)

Soon as I came out of the airport I noticed I was in such a terrain which I'd not even seen in a dream. The headquarters of Jumla, Jumla Bazzar was surrounded by gigantic hills all around it. I kept on looking round and round time and again. And suddenly I happened to see my father as I looked around. He waved at me and called me to him. I greeted my father and with him I went to the staff quarters of his office. My father had been staying there in the staff quarters since he arrived to Jumla. The staff quarters was based in a single floored building made up of stone blocks. Almost each and every house there were made up of stone blocks, for I didn't noticed even a single structure made up of bricks.

There is an interesting thing I'd like to share, some of you might think it's rather disgusting than interesting; in Jumla it felt as if the mosquitoes which I had been so habituated with here in Kathmandu was replaced by flies. Yes, like mosquitoes here swarm around you, in Jumla flies used to swarm all around you. I knew not why there was so many flies there because the environment seemed quite clean and unlike I'd heard about Karnali region cleanliness was quite maintained amongst the people. It must have been the warm summer season that turned out to be heaven for flies. There were outrageous number of flies not only in Jumla but all round the Karnali region, or should I say places I went in the Karnali region. Even the thick forest and hills at high altitude (lekh) weren't fly less. It felt as if every inch of Karnali's land was the empire of flies and this isn't an exaggeration.

The same day I reached Jumla, me and my father went for a walk in the market place of Khalanga Bazzar. There I was amazed to see the rich stock of goods that comes in use in daily basis. Shops were well stocked with variety of goods ranging from sweets, cold drinks, chips, noodles and even electronic commodities like mobile phones and computers which I hadn't imagined to find in such a place like Jumla. I was completely amazed to see the Khalanga Bazzar's operation. You could compare it with the crowded streets of Ason in Kathmandu. There were also quite a few banks and hotels in Khalanga Bazzar. The life style of people there seemed quite similar to people here who dwell in so called the most urban place of Nepal, Kathmandu. Looking at this place of Jumla it was not possible to call than this place a remote place.

The only lack of facility that I found in Jumla was that there used to be frequent power cuts there. Although the place housed a small scale hydro power plant, there still was power cuts and the interesting reason for the power cut was that, the water meant for generating electricity was irrigated in the field's, as it was paddy plantation season. My father told me that at other times there is very less power cuts. There was plenty of water available for all purposes in Jumla. There wasn't any scarcity of drinking water unlike here in Kathmandu, where you wouldn't want to waste even a drop of water. And other important thing Jumla became the first district to provide 3G service in the Karnali region only some days before my arrival at Jumla. So, it was quite fun surfing the internet from a place believed to be so remote. Many of my relatives and friends got surprised to see me online for they had been assuming that internet was not available in Jumla. I was also among them until I surfed the net myself there at Jumla.

Market place at Khalanga Bazzar, Jumla

A street of Khalanga Bbazzar