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Vol XXVI No 329 | 12+4 Pages N E PA L’ S L A R G E S T S E L L I N G E N G L I S H D A I LY Saturday, January 19, 2019 (05-10-2075)

How rice became a staple—and

why that’s unsustainable
Nepal’s reliance on rice over traditional nutrient-rich grains is costing the country
billions every year, and making people unhealthier
Tsering Ngodup Lama staple in regions where people have

U
ntil a decade ago, in
the remote village of
Lo Manthang in
Upper Mustang, the
village fields would
be lush with barley
and wheat in the
months of July and August. Red flow-
ers of buckwheat would blossom and
blanket large swaths of fields.
The three grains were the village’s
staple: from barley, people made tsam-
pa, usually eaten for breakfast. For
lunch and dinner, it was usually dhin-
do or roti made out of buckwheat or
wheat.
“It used to be a beautiful sight,”
says Indra Dhara Bista, a 49-year old
resident from the village. “The entire
village used to eat these grains.”
But not anymore. Today, the same
fields, once luxuriant with local
crops, are now mostly barren—and
the villagers’ diet has been replaced
by rice.
“As a child, I remember eating rice
only during Lhosar, our most impor-
tant festival,” Bista says. “Today, the
majority of the villagers eat rice.”
It is not just the residents of Lo
Manthang for whom rice has become
the new staple food. Over the last 20
years, rice—white rice in particu-
lar—has increasingly become the
entire country’s dominant grain,
n On the left is long-grain rice, which is mostly imported from India, and on the right is short-grain rice, produced in Nepal. 
eclipsing all other major crops, both
in production and consumption. This
dependence on rice has been particu-
larly alarming for the country’s mid
and upper hilly and mountainous
regions, where rice doesn’t grow, or
even if it does, grows in limited quan-
tities. As a result, local residents in
these parts of the country are
Post Photo: Prakash CHandra TimilsEna
increasingly reliant on a staple food
that is not native to their region.
But how and why did rice become a
thrived on local grains for centuries,
and what does it mean for the coun-
try?
Dal-bhat power, 24-hour
In Nepal, rice has always been more
than just a grain—it is an indicator
of social status.
“Rice was the most expensive of all
grains, and in places like Kathmandu,
it was the preferred choice of grain
for the ruling class of Ranas and
Thakuris,” says Yogendra Kumar
Karki, joint secretary at the Ministry
of Agricultural and Livestock
Development. “In the villages, the
only people who could afford rice
were village heads and landowners.
That’s how this whole notion of rice
as a ‘superior’ grain got ingrained in
our society, and it became a grain
that everybody aspired to eat but only
a select few could afford to.”
“As much of the population in the
hills and mountains was economical-
ly backward, rice was out of their
reach. And rice consumption was
concentrated mainly in the Tarai
region, where it grew in plenty, and
in the then urban areas like
Kathmandu,” says Karki. Grains like
buckwheat, millet, and barley that
were consumed daily by the majority
of the population, were considered
inferior.
>> Continued on page 5

PM’s Office directs Government

mulls ending
probe into Nepalis contract with
Melamchi
with offshore builder
investments
CHANDAN KUMAR MANDAL
KATHMANDU, JAN 18

The government has moved a step closer

to terminating the contract with the

Finance minister says Non-Resident Nepali
Act, Income Tax Act and Double Taxation
Avoidance Agreement could be amended
PRITHVI MAN SHRESTHA
KATHMANDU, JAN 18
The Prime Minister’s Office has directed
the Financial Information Unit under the
Nepal Rastra Bank to expedite probe into
businesses and businesspeople following
media reports of their involvement in
establishing companies in tax haven
countries and bringing in foreign direct
investment from there.
The government swung into action fol-
lowing the Centre for Investigative
Journalism-Nepal’s report NepaLeaks
2019, which showed that more than 50
Nepalis have invested in offshore compa-
nies.
While no committee has been formed
to launch a comprehensive probe, both
the prime minister and the finance minis-
ter said they are serious about the issue.
Addressing Parliament on Friday, Prime
Minister KP Sharma Oli said investiga-
tions will be carried out as provisioned in
the laws.
Responding to the queries of lawmak-
ers at the parliamentary Finance
Committee, Finance Minister Yubaraj
Khatiwada said there is the need to
amend the Non-Resident Nepali Act,
Income Tax Act and the Double Taxation
CIJ-Nepal
Avoidance Agreement.
Given the names of Non-resident
Nepalis in the NepaLeaks report for
maintaining offshore accounts and bring-
ing in investments from tax havens,
Khatiwada hinted that legal loopholes
will be plugged to discourage this trend.
“While the NRN Act allows non-resi-
dent Nepalis to invest in Nepal and repat-
riate the profit, we’ve seen misuse of this
provision,” said Khatiwada.
Despite the government’s pledge, past
experiences don’t give much hope. When
the Panama Papers leaked by the
International Consortium of
Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed
the names of more than 20 Nepalis park-
ing their wealth in a number of tax haven
countries and territories, the government
of the day had promised comprehensive
investigation.
A team headed by deputy director gen-
eral of the Department of Money
Laundering Investigation (DoMLI),
which represented officials from the
Financial Information Unit (FIU) and the
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of
Nepal Police, was tasked with conducting
an investigation. However, there has not
been a breakthrough in the last two years.
>> Continued on page 2
main contractor of the Melamchi Water
Supply Project after it failed to turn up to
resume work even after weeks.
Rajendra Raj Panta, a senior division-
al engineer and spokesperson for the
Melamchi Water Supply Development
Board, said the government was at the
final stage of terminating the contract
with the Italian contractor Cooperativa
Muratori e Cementisti di Ravenna.
“We are discussing the matter
internally. We will soon notify the CMC
headquarters in Italy regarding the
termination of the contract,” Panta told
the Post. “The contractor abandoned the
project site on December 15 which gives
us the right to terminate the contract
immediately.”
The CMC staffers, who had left for
their respective countries to celebrate
Christmas and New Year, have not
returned yet, leaving the project in the
lurch. The CMC side, however, denies
that they have abandoned the project.
Before leaving the country, the CMC
had committed that they would return to
work and also withdraw their project
termination letter they had submitted to
the government following a financial
dispute.
The CMC, on the other hand, has sent
a list of demands including some
pre-conditions which the government
must meet for its staffers to return and
resume work.
The Italian builder wanted an assur-
ance from the government that pass-
ports of its team members would not be
seized and that they will not be blacklist-
ed at the immigration.
According to Surya Raj Kadel, execu-
tive director with the board, many of the
contractor’s demands--which included
holding a meeting in a third country--are
unacceptable to the government.
“The government is interested in dia-
logue. We are not holding peace talks
which should be organised in a third
country. If they are concerned about
their safety, we assure them foolproof
security here,” Kadel told the Post.
In response, the government sent
a letter to the CMC on Tuesday, offering
to pay the disputed amount of Rs350
million as decided by the Dispute
Adjudication Board (DAB) and also to
clear the dues if it came up with the bill.
>> Continued on page 2

C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019
n Nepal Army personnel take water pipe along with steel cables across the Marshyangdi River. 
PM to leave for Davos tomorrow
ANIL GIRI
KATHMANDU, JAN 18
Prime Minister KP Sharma
Oli is leaving for Davos,
Switzerland, on Sunday to par-
ticipate in the World Economic
Forum.
This will be Nepal’s first
presence in Davos at the prime
minister’s level. Oli is leading
a 19-member delegation to the
forum. He will be accompa-
nied by Foreign Minister
Pradeep Gyawali, two advisers
Government
mulls
ending
contract ...
>> Continued from page 1
“That’s the best possible
offer we could put on the
table,” Kadel said, blaming
the CMC for resorting to tan-
trums instead of resuming
the work. “They are not in a
position to return to Nepal
and resume the work because
of their own financial issues.
The company is facing bank-
ruptcy serious crisis that
they have money to pay local
sub-contractors and suppli-
ers nor can work on their
own due to shortage of
money, so they have come up
with these demands which
are nothing but excuses,”
Kadel said.
In the letter, the govern-
ment has given the Italian
company until Friday to
decide whether it would
resume the work or not.
The government officials
approached by the Post con-
cluded that unless the con-
tractor responds in time, the
government authority “has
made up its mind to termi-
nate the contract as the gov-
ernment cannot wait for the
contractor forever”.
“We will wait until Friday
night. If they don’t reply by
then, we will terminate the
contract and notify them
about our decision on
Sunday,” said Kadel. “This
time it will be us [the Nepal
government] who will be ter-
minating contract.”
and senior officials.
The prime minister told
Parliament on Friday that
Nepal’s participation in the
forum demonstrates the
world’s growing concern
towards the country. “The
world community has taken
positively the way we man-
aged our conflict,” said Oli.
The Nepali delegation will
participate in three different
segments in Davos on the
themes including “Shaping
the Future of the Democracy”
Murder charge filed against
ruling party leader in Dolakha
RAJENDRA MANANDHAR
DOLAKHA, JAN 18
A leader of the ruling Nepal
Communist Party has been
charged with murder that was
committed nearly two decades
ago. The District Attorney’s
Office registered a case
against Shankar Lama in the
Dolakha District Court on
January 13 over the murder of
Chakra Bahadur Budhathoki
of Fasku on January 15, 1999.
According to the legal provi-
sions, a murder case should be
registered in the court within
20 years of the incident.
The case was not highlight-
ed when Lama was the candi-
Four men held on rape charge
PRATIKSHYA KAFLE
SYANGJA, JAN 18
Police arrested four persons
for their alleged involvement
in the rape of a 16-year-old girl
in Syangja on Friday.
The suspects have been
identified as Prasanta Thapa,
Bijay Shrestha and Anjan
Shrestha of Shuklagandaki-4
in Tanahun district, and
Bikram Rai of Pipalmadi
Rural Municipality-3 in
Sindhuli district.
According to a preliminary
investigation, the suspects
called the minor to Cheudanda
in Biruwa Rural
and “Beyond the GDP”. On
January 22, Oli will address a
high-level segment on
“Strategic Outlook on South
Asia”. Nepal’s ambassador to
Geneva and vice-chairman of
the National Planning
Commission have participated
in the forum earlier.
Oli is one of the key speak-
ers alongside leaders from the
G-20 countries. On the side-
lines of the summit, Oli will
meet the prime ministers of
Vietnam and Israel.
date of Dolakha-2 from the
then UCPN (Maoist) in 2013.
The District Police Office had
handed over the case to the
District Attorney Office based
on the complaint filed by the
victim’s family.
In the charge sheet, the fam-
ily has claimed that Lama had
murdered Chakra Bahadur at
his home on the night of
January 15, 1999. Chakra
Bahadur was attacked with a
khukuri while he was asleep.
The case drew the public
attention only when the
Shailung Police Post was
issued with a warrant to
arrest Lama. The District
Attorney registers murder
14-year-old girl assaulted in Syangja
Syangja: Police arrested a
man on the charge of raping
a 14-year-old girl at Chapakot
in Syangja. Gaire Sarki had
been repeatedly raping the
minor at his home, said
police. Sarki was arrested
after the girl’s family regis-
tered a complaint at the
police office. Meanwhile, the
main suspect of a Dang gang
Municipality-5 on the day of
Maghe Sankranti and raped
her. The men, who were on the
news
In his address to the House
on Friday, Oli said the world
community has taken positive-
ly Nepal’s political and eco-
nomic transformation. “Now
Nepal will not remain as a
backward country—one that
the global community does not
pay attention to,” he remarked.
About the forum that dis-
cusses global economic and
political issues and trends, the
prime minister said Nepal
would tell the world about its
priorities. “The forum will
cases in the court on the basis
of police investigation.
Though police had collected
inquiry deeds of the incident
initially, the case had gone
cold.
According to Information
Officer of the District Police
Office Madhav Kafle, such
cases should go under the reg-
istration process even though
the prevailing law remains
silent on murder incidents of
the war era. “Other old cases
are also being registered in
the court, but few draw as
much public attention,” said
Kafle.
On January 16, 1999, Guna
Bahadur Budhathoki, had
rape at Bijauri in Tulasipur
Sub Metropolis-18, which
took place 10 years ago, was
arrested on Thursday. On
March 13, 2016, the Apex
Court had given a nine-year
jail term and a fine of Rs
50,000 to 31-year-old Bishnu
Chaudhary. Chaudhary was
at large after the Court’s
order. Police said Chaudhary
run after the incident, were
arrested by police from differ-
ent places of the district.
PM’s Office directs probe into ...
>> Continued from page 1
The FIU is Nepal’s financial
intelligence unit, responsible
for receiving, processing, ana-
lysing and disseminating
financial information and
intelligence on suspected
money laundering and terror-
ist financing activities to
other law enforcement agen-
cies. The CIJ-Nepal revelation
puts pressure on the govern-
ment since it comes ahead of
an investment summit and
Nepal’s third mutual evalua-
tion report by Financial
Action Task Force, the global
anti-money laundering watch-
dog, is due in 2020.
Mutual evaluation is a thor-
ough and intensive peer
review of an FATF member to
assess its level of implementa-
tion of the recommendations.
Economists said the Oli
government must show strong
Post Photo
help us seek investment,” said
Rajan Bhattarai, Oli’s foreign
relations adviser, during an
interaction in the Capital on
Friday. “The prime minister
will share the economic policy
of his government with the
world leaders as well as top
executives and corporate lead-
ers,” said Bhattarai. “We have
political stability now. In his
address, the prime minister
will call on the global business
community to invest in
Nepal.”
filed a written complaint
against Lama after his brother
was murdered in Fasku.
According to the recorded
statements of the deceased’s
wife and neighbours, Lama is
the main kingpin in Chakra
Bahadur’s murder. Three
other people who were
involved in the incident
remain unidentified.
Lama, who had gone under-
ground during Maoist insur-
gency, has been active in poli-
tics of late. But he went into
hiding after District Joint
Attorney Rajan Hamal
filed the case in the court
demanding life imprisonment
against him.
was sent to Ghorahi Prison
by the District Court after
the arrest. On March 28,
2009, 17-year-old Kalpana
Khanal of Gadhwa was gang
raped while she was on her
way to her relatives’ place in
Tulasipur. Khanal died while
undergoing treatment
around three months after
the incident. (PR)
Police also impounded the
bikes (Ga 4 Pa 4395 and Ga 4 Pa
7907) used by the suspects.
commitment to preventing
money laundering if it wants
to make the investment sum-
mit a success. “The govern-
ment must expedite a compre-
hensive probe to give a clear
message that Nepal honours
the international anti-money
laundering regime,” said
Sujeev Shakya.
According to the CIJ-
Nepal’s report, around 45 per-
cent of the money that came
into Nepal in the form of FDI
in the last two decades was
from the British Virgin
Islands, a Caribbean tax haven
used by the world’s most pow-
erful to park and transfer
their illicit wealth.
The revelation, according to
multiple officials at the
Finance Ministry and the cen-
tral bank, is a clarion call for
Nepal. “The CIJ-Nepal report
clearly established gaping
the kathmandu post 02
Ruling party
MPs and Health
Ministry disagree
on health courses
NAYAK PAUDEL
KATHMANDU, JAN 18
While the ruling party law-
makers have been against
phasing out health courses
under the Council for
Technical Education and
Vocational Training in the
Medical Education Bill, the
Health Ministry remains
opposed to the idea and is
holding discussions on mak-
ing technical positions redun-
dant in the next five years.
The Kedar Bhakta
Mathema-led panel in its
report had suggested phasing
out courses of Auxiliary
Health Workers (AHW),
Auxiliary Nurse Midwife
(ANM) and Community
Medical Auxiliary (CMA),
arguing that many institutes
have been passing out stu-
dents without proper educa-
tion and training which have
led to lack of quality health
personnel.
“From now onwards, no
institutes should be granted
affiliation and those running
should be phased-out in the
next five years,” suggested the
report. The Medical Education
Bill had incorporated the
Mathema panel report with
the provision of phasing out
the CTEVT courses.
However, NCP lawmakers
amended this provision even
Mahato denies
taking wealth
to foreign
countries
Anuj Kumar Adhikari
Kathmandu, JAN 18
Businessmen Upendra
Mahato has denied having
invested in offshore compa-
nies and bringing investment
into Nepal from tax havens
as a foreigner.
“Recent reports based on
the findings of the Centre for
Investigative Journalism cre-
ate an illusion by alleging me
of financial wrongdoing,”
Mahato, the former president
of the Non-resident Nepali
Association, said in a state-
ment on Friday.
Mahato stated that he had
been abroad for the last four
decades for education, and
business expansion with
investments in foreign com-
panies. “It is disheartening
to see the names of my fami-
ly members dragged into
unnecessary controversy,”
he stated.
A CIJ-Nepal report on
Wednesday said Mahato and
his brother, with a nexus of
foreign nationals and politi-
cians, set up offshore compa-
nies and used the country’s
major mobile network opera-
tor Ncell to launder black
money under foreign direct
investment while taking the
profit to foreign countries.
Refuting the report,
Mahato said: “Whatever
investments that I have made
in Nepal were as a Nepali. I
have not invested in any pro-
jects in Nepal as a foreigner.”
holes in our financial regula-
tion and in implementing the
anti-money laundering laws,”
said an official on the condi-
tion of anonymity.
“The highest political office
must step in to strengthen the
regulatory and supervisory
laws if Nepal wants to avoid
FATF blacklisting.”
Officials said the political
will displayed during the 2011-
14 period to avoid FATF black-
listing was not visible in
recent times. “Frequent
changes in the DoMLI leader-
ship and the Special Court
exonerating politically con-
nected dons from money laun-
dering charge doesn’t give the
global anti-money laundering
watchdogs a good impres-
sion,” said a senior official at
the Finance Ministry.
Nepal had avoided being
blacklisted by the Financial
as the bill has been discussed
at the parliamentary
Education and Health
Committee. The bill, which is
currently at Parliament,
states health courses under
the CTEVT will not be discon-
tinued.
The NCP lawmaker’s move
has also gone against the
demands of fasting surgeon
Dr Govinda KC. KC has been
demanding the phase-out of
CTEVT courses in his previ-
ous and recent hunger strike.
Former health minister and
Nepali Congress lawmaker
Gagan Thapa has thrown his
weight behind KC for phasing
out of these courses. “The
CTEVT courses were of great
help in the beginning but now
it should be phased out and
replaced by staff nurses and
health assistants courses
across the country for more
quality health personnel,”
Thapa said during a press con-
ference on Thursday.
The debate—whether to
retain or phase out CTEVT
health courses—has even left
the Health Ministry and the
Education Ministry at bitter
odds. Education Minister
Giriraj Mani Pokhrel is in
favour of continuing the
courses, while senior officials
at the Health Ministry are
keen to retire the posts such as
Auxiliary Health Workers
Delhi accepts envoy
nominee Acharya
Anil Giri
KATHMANDU, JAN 18
New Delhi has accepted
Nilamber Acharya as Nepal’s
ambassador to India, more
than two months after the gov-
ernment nominated him.
“We received his agreemo
on Thursday,” confirmed a
senior Foreign Ministry offi-
cial. President Bidya Devi
Bhandari will make an
announcement about it soon,
the official said.
Nepali officials were said to
be lobbying with Indian offi-
cials to send the approval
soon. Acharya was an interim
minister after the political
change of 1990. He later
became the ambassador to Sri
Lanka. Before setting out to
take up his second diplomatic
assignment, Acharya has to
take the oath from Prime
452 ideas at urban
technology challenge
ANUP OJHA
KATHMANDU, JAN 18
The Smart Urban Technology
Challenge-2018 has received
452 ideas from four different
categories to identify and
solve problems related to
urban development in the
metropolis.
The Kathmandu Metropolitan
City on December 13 had
launched the Challenge to
give a platform to over 100
Action Task Force in 2014
after it fulfilled all the 15 com-
mitments made to the FATF.
The country endorsed five
major laws—Anti-Money
Laundering Act, Mutual Legal
Assistance Act, Proceed of
Crimes Act, Extradition Act
and Organised Crime Control
Act—and established a depart-
ment to execute them.
Despite having institution-
al and legal frameworks
against money laundering,
officials say, progress on regu-
latory and supervisory reform
is lacking. They said Nepal
must get its act together ahead
of the FATF’s third mutual
evaluation on Nepal.
“FATF’s perception of
Nepal is still not positive,
given our shortcomings on
financial governance and
transparency,” said a senior
NRB official.
(AHW), Auxiliary Nurse
Midwife (ANM) and
Community Medical
Auxiliary (CMA) in the next
five years.
KC has accused Pokhrel of
playing a dubious role in
amending the provision on
phasing-out the CTEVT cours-
es. In his previous press con-
ference, KC had charged
Pokhrel of blackmailing him
regarding the CTEVT courses
in return for endorsing the
Medical Education Bill.
Although Pokhrel denies
KC’s accusations that he was
interested in retaining the
CTEVT affiliation, the educa-
tion minister is said to have
played a key role in amending
the provision before the bill
was tabled at Parliament.
If this uncertainty persists,
officials warn, the
CTEVT will continuously
dogged by controversy for
long. “The ministry is cur-
rently in discussions and will
make a final call soon,” said
Mahendra Prasad Shrestha,
spokesperson for the
ministry.
Shrestha, while they are for
not allocating new jobs under
this category after five years,
those who’ve already been
working will be allowed to
continue their responsibility
at the respective health insti-
tutions.
Minister KP Sharma Oli
under a new arrangement.
Acharya and other ambas-
sadorial nominees will under-
go a weeklong training at the
Institute of Foreign Affairs
on various aspects of diplo-
matic conduct, protocol, glob-
al trends and Nepal’s priori-
ties. On November 11 last
year, the Cabinet decided to
appoint him as the ambassa-
dor to India. The post has
been vacant since Deep
Kumar Upadhyay resigned
ahead of the November 2017
elections.
To head its Delhi mission,
the government had been
looking for a candidate with
democratic credentials who is
well versed on Nepal-India
relations and international
affairs while being
supportive of the communist
administration.
innovative ideas where the
participants had to come up
with creative ideas to sort out
the problems faced by the
metropolis.
The submission date closed
on January 14. The commis-
sion plans to reveal the best
100 ideas on www.kathman-
duchallenge.org on Monday.
“We have assigned 12 experts
to choose the best 100 ideas,”
said Saroj Basnet, coordinator
at the commission.
Environment
Act endorsed
RASTRIYA SAMACHAR SAMITI
KAVRE, JAN 18
The Paanchkhal
Municipality in Kavre dis-
trict has endorsed the
Environment Act after the
majority of brick kilns in the
district were found not meet-
ing the environmental stand-
ards.
The municipality’s Town
Assembly passed the Act
named Panchkhal
Municipality Environmental
Conservation Act-2075 this
week. According to Mayor
Mahesh Kharel, the munici-
pality decided to shut down
all the brick kilns that do not
meet the environmental
standard as they adversely
affect human health and
agricultural produces.
C M Y K
03 the kathmandu post Saturday, January 19, 2019

C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019 variety the kathmandu post 04
AstralReflections
ARIES [March 21-April 19]
You will love the week ahead, Aries. Your confidence, determi-
nation will be high. A wish can come true, perhaps a major
wish. Your popularity, optimism and happiness will float you
down a river of contentment. Protect your health, eat, and
dress sensibly. Things might grow more contentious, disrup-
tive or disappointing. Just remember to be patient and diplo-
matic. If single, you might start a powerful, meaningful affair. If B
not, let your love grow. Make some compromises for your own
good. i
TAURUS [April 20-May 20]
Your ambitions will be in focus for next week, Taurus. So will g
your relations with authorities and higher-ups. You’ll pass or
win any test. For the same duration, your management skills
shine brighter than usual. Aim yourself accordingly.
S
Institutions, big businesses, will be quick to respond to your
proposals. But commit no crimes, jail certain. Lovely, fortu- c
nate things can happen here. Though your emotions want
to push you in one direction, that direction is unknown, or
deceptive. Tackle chores and protect your health.
r
GEMINI [May 21-June 20] e
You’ll love the month ahead, Gemini. If single, true love could
develop or appear. You’ll be socially optimistic. Your thoughts
turn to international questions, intellectual or cultural pursuits
e
and luck holds your hand in these! Your path isn’t smooth, but
1. The Upside
it isn’t bad, either. Some disruption, perhaps an upsetting n
message might come but your underpinnings, your family, will 2. Aquaman
stay intact. Be curious, ask questions. Your world is opening to
new worlds! Conditions are deceptive, disruptive. Start noth-
T
ing, sign nothing. 3. A Dog’s Way Home
o
CANCER [June 21-July 22] S
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spi-
The depths of life burst to the surface for the week ahead,
p
Cancer. Financial decisions and commitments, secrets and T
investigations, potential medical procedures and lifestyle der-Verse
changes are slated. You’ll begin to speak and write of these p
things, in a confidential way. You remain ambitious and deter- R
mined. Your work scene remains pleasant, affectionate. Yes,
e 5. Escape Room
commitment can be good. Face homeward. Don’t even hope I
about romance—leave it for next week. Errands, paperwork,
trips, communications and easy chores slated. Expect some r 6. Mary Poppins Returns
surprises, lost address and misunderstood directions. P
s 7. Bumblebee
LEO [July 23-August 22]
Your energy and charm rise powerfully. You’re the star of the
S
show, and good luck abounds! But realise in the big picture, 8. On the Basis of Sex
someone else is the star this whole month. So use your cheer-
ful charm right now to attract and bond with someone. You’ll
be admired, approached! Pursue both money and bargains. 9. The Mule
Good bargains are hard to find, maybe even misrepresented.
But your work and wage are strong and fruitful. Dig into this
angle for success. Pursue both money and bargains. Send
10. Vice
bills, and pay them. But proceed with some caution.
(Source: IMDb)
VIRGO [August 23-September 22]
Expect a lot of work now, Virgo. You’re happy, social, fulfilled.
Retreat, rest, and recover. Ponder, plan, contact civil servants,
institutional or corporate admin workers, therapists, agents
and advisors. All goes well—you’ll receive true-blue informa-
tion, aid, even permission. Avoid competitions. Your energy
surges, your charms surface. Start significant projects, be a
leader, ask favors, make new contacts, see and be seen. You
might discover a grand home or property bargain. But don’t
even hope about romance—leave it for next week. This week,
just go with the flow.
LIBRA [September 23-October 22] A
Creative efforts, speculative risks, raising or teaching kids,
beauty and pleasure are the big theme. Deal with home, family
—and problems therein, however small it is. Popularity, wish
i
fulfillment, optimism and flirtations bless you. Withdraw, lie
low, rest, ponder and plan. Use your increased clout to tackle r
home problems. Sudden attraction or sudden rejection might
be in your way. Domestic and home matters go well, good time w 1. Sunflower (Spider-Man: Into
for repairs, even for seeking government aid. Not a good love
period. Staying single for a while would be a better idea than
The Spider-Verse) by Post
to jump in. a Malone & Swae Lee
SCORPIO [October 23-November 21]
The weeks ahead shine the spotlight on your home, kids, gar-
v 2. Without Me by Halsey
den, security, and your foundations, including the effects of 3. Thank U, Next by Ariana
any childhood drama. This zone will fare a lot better than it did. e Grande
Get lots of rest, improve your diet, and hug the kids. Work is
going to be intense. Take safety precautions at work—careless
5:00 Shuvarambha/ Samachar 17:00 Headline News 00:00 Non Stop Nepali 07:30 Manavataka 15:00 Kantipur Dairy T 4. Sicko Mode by Travis Scott
words or driving can cause problems. After this, your career
and worldly standing or reputation may get a huge boost, K K 5. High Hopes by Panic! At The
especially if you promote yourself.
A
Bhaktisur 10:30 VMAG 17:05 Call Kantipur
A Adhunik Songs Lagi Hatemalo 15:15 The Game Show o Disco
5:30 Radhe Radhe 11:00 Headline News 18:00 Kantipur News 01:00 Non Stop Nepali 08:05 The Good Morning 16:00 Quick Fix
Sagittarius [November 22-December 21] N 6:00 Jeevan Bigyan 11:05 Samkon 18:30 Nirbachan Sarokar
N p 6. Happier by Marshmello &
The weeks ahead emphasise easy but swift tasks—errands,
paperwork, communications and travel. Be curious, ask ques- T 6:30 Jyotish Manthan 12:00 Kantipur 19:00 Kantipur T pop songs Show 17:05 Music Lounge
Bastille
tions, and peruse the media. You might visit a place you’ll
I 02:00 Non Stop Hindi 09:00 Kantipur Dairy 18:00 Bhanchin Aama p
move to three years from now. Chores and health, both are I 6:40 Sky Shop Samachar Samachar 7. Girls Like You by Maroon 5
under a bit of a cloud. Words don’t reflect your meaning. A wish
P 7:00 Kantipur 12:30 Harke Haldar 19:30 Info Plus P Songs 09:10 Traffic Updates 18:30 Kantipur Dairy e featuring Cardi B
could come true, Sage. Popularity, social delights, flirtations,
entertainment and optimism lift you on their breeze. Romance
U Samachar 13:00 Headline News 20:00 Kantipur U 04:00 Non Stop Bhajan 09:15 Ghumne Mech 19:00 Nep Hop 8. Drip Too Hard by Lil Baby &
could explode—this could be the one. r
8:00 Kantipur News 13:05 Quiz Mania Samachar R Songs 10:05 Games Poeple 20:05 Abhimat- The Gunna
R s
CAPRICORN [December 22-January 19] 8:30 Rise N Shine 14:00 Headline News 21:00 Ditha Sab F 05:00 BHAKTI Play Verdict 9. Eastside by Benny Blanco,
Begin a mid-level money project now and during the weeks
T
ahead. Money wishes, as long as they’re realistic, can come 9:00 Headline News 14:05 Nepali Movie 21:30 Pulsar Dareventure M ANUSTHAN/ 11:05 Hit List 21:00 Kantipur Dairy Halsey & Khalid
true. You don’t like where you are but soon enough life will
shower you with benefits and open doors in financial, investi-
V 9:05 Surshala Idol 15:00 Headline News 22:30 Kantipur News 10. Zeze by Kodak Black
Achyut 12:00 Kantipur Dairy 21.30 Rumpum Hello
gative and medical areas. Your dealings with important people Junior 15:05 Nepali Movie 23:00 Kantipur
come to the fore. The only thing that can stop you is some- featuring Travis Scott
06:30 Kantipur Dairy 12:10 Celibrity Hour Mithila
thing domestic, or a lack of preparation. If you’re buying or 9:30 Ukali Orali 16:00 Headline News Samachar
(Source: Billboard)
improving real estate, government aid might be more accessi- 07:00 Bigyan Prabhidi 13:05 Top Ten 23:00 Eleventh Hour
10:00 Kantipur 16:05 Headline News 23:30 Info Plus
ble than usual.

AQUARIUS [January 20-February 18]

Simmba QFX LABIM Mall: 12:30
Your energy, charm, clout and effectiveness, sense of timing, QFX Chhaya Center:
all rise to a yearly high during the weeks ahead. Start impor- 12:00/18:30 Garud Puran
QFX LABIM Mall: 15:00/17:00 QFX Kumari:
tant projects. Could involve love, home, a legal, and education- 08:45/14:45/18:30
al or travel matter. Continue to avoid gossip. Exciting meet- QFX Civil Mall: 15:30/17:00 QFX Jai Nepal:
QFX Kumari: 12:00 09:00/12:00/18:00
ings, opportunities, public recognition, relocation ideas, nego-
tiations and agreements are touched with a wand of good F Uri: The Surgical QFX Civil Mall:
Strike 09:15/12:15/19:00
luck! Approach someone, accept someone’s approach. QFX Chhaya Center:
Ordinary communications might break down. Go intense. I QFX Civil Mall: 12:00/18:15
QFX LABIM Mall: 11:15 09:00/15:30
QFX Kumari: 15:30 Why Cheat India
QFX Chhaya Center: 16:00
PISCES [February 19-March 20] L Mary Poppins
QFX LABIM Mall:
09:00/14:15/19:00
It’s time to retreat, dream, visit psychics and other counselors, QFX Kumari: 09:00/11:45/18:15
Returns QFX Civil Mall: 08:30/15:00
interface with civil servants and management workers. Be
restful, ponder and plan. Money should not be a problem for M QFX LABIM Mall: 09:30/15:30 QFX Chhaya Center: 12:15
QFX Chhaya Center: 12:45 QFX Jai Nepal: 15:00
you. The pursuits of sports or self-expression fill your heart
now, but obstacles, deception and fantasy urge you to play S Bumblebee
QFX LABIM Mall: 12:00
Glass
QFX LABIM Mall:
with caution. You can take great strides forward in career, QFX Civil Mall: 14:15 08:15/18:45/20:30
prestige zones, and earnings. Avoid criminal temptations. If in QFX Chhaya Center: 19:00 QFX Chhaya Center:
doubt, ask for that raise and promotion. You could get both. 09:15/15:45/19:15
Spider-Man: Into QFX Civil Mall: 09:00/11:30
the Spider-Verse

Savour the cardamom and saffron spice,
slow-cooked kebabs and kormas at Indian
restaurant serving Awadhi cuisine.
contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
E
Krishnarpan—a specialty Nepali Restaurant China Garden offers delectable dishes from
V at Dwarika’s, 6 courses to 22 courses Nepali
meal served. Opening Time: 6 pm-11 pm. Prior
across Asia, including Japanese, Korean,
Vietnamese and Chinese. Timings: Lunch:
reservations required, contact: 4479448 1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs,
E contact: 427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
The Italian restaurant serves authentic
N Italian cuisines in an elegant ambience for
Garden Terrace offers an authentic world
cuisine, providing diners with the unique
both lunch and dinner. Timings: Lunch: experience of observing their selected dish-
T 1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs, es being prepared by chefs. Contact:
Contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza 427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza
O Every Friday evening enjoy Starry Night
Kaiser Cafe Restaurant & Bar at The
BBQ from 7 pm onwards at Shambala Garden of Dreams, opening time: 9 am till 9
G Garden Café at Hotel Shangri La with live pm, offers an international cafe menu serv-
musical performance by Ciney Gurung. ing breakfast, lunch, dinner, specialty tea’s,
R Contact: 4412999 coffees and pastries, contact: 4425341
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A Enjoy Bubbly Brunch every Saturday from 11
am to 3 pm at Shambala Gardena and Club tion and glory is happy to announce
Sundhara. Contact: 4412999 Happy Hours every 6-7pm. It will be
P hosting a Barbeque night every Friday from
6:30-9:30pm
H Experience The Last Resort, the perfect
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Special packages for residents. Contact:
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info@thelastresort.com.np
Dining Park Restaurant & Lounge bar with
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Mako’s offers traditional Japanese food
served. Don’t miss out on Mako’s special
Tempuras, and green tea ice cream, Time: 11:
30-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, contact: 4479448
Manny’s Eatery and bar introduces a spe-
cial lunch package that is affordable, tasty,
nutritious and quick enough to fit your lunch
break, Jawalakhel, Shaligram complex,
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The Toran, an ideal location for all day loung-
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Weekends brunch @ Hyatt Regency—treat
yourself with a lavish buffet lunch, splash by
the swimming pool or laze around outdoor,
Jacuzzi, all for just Rs 2300 plus taxes per
person. Contact: 4491234
We serve nothing but the finest Arabica
coffees at great value prices at Barista
Lavazza Coffee Restaurant, Lazimpat,
Contact: 4005123/4005124
Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg is open for
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Enjoy a Barbecue Buffet at the Radisson
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a delicious dessert buffet at a rate of Rs. 1,350
plus taxes per person. Contact: 4411818
Latin—Gypsy Jazz at The Corner Bar,
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Sandwich and Crepes: Taste the sandwich-
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Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop,
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Out-of-Africa Lunch amid rural splendor:
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Make your weekend more exciting with
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Hyatt Regency, at 4491234
The most delightfully awesome chicken
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Every Friday BBQ from 7:00 pm at Fusion
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1600/ includes BBQ dinner and a can of beer
or a soft drink. Contact: 4479448
Hotel Narayani Complex, Pulchowk, Lalitpur
presents Shabnam & Cannabiz Band every
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Starry Night BBQ—every Friday Evening from
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Shangri~La only @ Rs 1799 net per person
and live performance by Ciney Gurung.
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Garden, Hotel Shangri~la only @ Nrs.1700
Nett per person and Nrs.3000 Nett for cou-
ple. For more details and reservation:
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Enjoy live DJ nights, on every Sunday chill out/
ambient, Wednesday tech/ funk house & Friday
psy/ proggy/ full on from 6:00 pm to 10 pm at
garden and 7:00 pm onwards at club at Funky
Buddha Resturant & Bar, contact: 4700091
Set within the historic Garden of Dreams, the
Kaiser Cafe Restaurant and Bar, Thamel, offers
a continental menu and serves as an atmospheric
venue for anything from a quiet coffee or intimate
meal. Contact: 442534
Trisara offers food and drinks along
with good music and great times. Sunday- Live
Music by Barbeque Night, Monday, Wednesday-
by Positive vibes, Tuesday, Saturday-By Jyovan
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Revolution Cafe, AmritMarg, Thamel, away
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Salon. Contact: 4491234

C M Y K
 onsaturday
n Sacks of rice are piled high at the Nepal Food Corporation in Thapathali, to be dispatched to ‘food insecure’ districts like Humla and Dolpa. 
>> Continued from page 1
Up until the 80s, the domestic
demand for rice was so low that the
majority of rice produced in Nepal
was exported. In fact, rice was the
country’s largest agricultural export.
But from the mid-90s through the
early 2000s, the demand for rice
began to soar. From the mid-2000s,
demand ballooned.
For Madan Rai, a development
activist, this surge in the demand for
rice is intricately linked with the rise
of foreign employment and increas-
ing road access (see infographic).
“The money that Nepali workers
sent home to their families provided
many with a steady income, increas-
ing people’s purchasing power. The
country’s road network too was
expanding, reaching hills and moun-
tains, which made it possible for rice
traders to transport rice to villages in
the hills and mountains,” says Rai.
“So many people started buying rice,
the superior grain, and made it a part
of their diet. This goes on to show
how deeply ingrained this whole feu-
dal mindset is in our country.”
But it is not just the hegemony of a
feudal culture that has led to an
unhealthy dependence on rice—the
Nepal government and aid agencies
have also played major roles, espe-
cially in the far west regions like
Karnali.
“The government, at the beginning
of the Panchayat, started airlifting
rice to Karnali to tackle ‘food scarci-
ty’. The truth is, people in the Karnali
region have survived on local grains
for centuries, and the region never
reeled under food scarcity,” says Rai.
“What the government called food
scarcity was actually rice scarcity.”
Activists like Rai point to a vicious
cycle of dependence where many
farmers stopped growing local grains
after receiving subsidised rice from
the Nepal Food Corporation and the
World Food Programme (WFP), lead-
ing to more ‘scarcities’.
From 1996 to 2010, WFP implement-
ed ‘Food for Work’ programmes in
seven districts in the country’s far
west and five districts in the midwest.
Under the programme, workers were
paid in rice. From 2006 to 2012, WFP
airlifted mass quantities of rice to
‘drought-affected’ regions, but this
only further aggravated the situa-
tion.
“If you go to the hills and moun-
tainous regions of the country, you
will see tracts of land that once used
Carbohydrates 72.8 g 77.7 g 71.5 g 80 g
Dietary Fiber 8.5 g 15.6 g 10 g 1.3 g
Magnesium 114 mg 79 mg 231 mg 25 mg
Calcium 8 mg 29 mg 18 mg 28 mg
Illustration: dipendra karna
Niacin 4.72 mg 4.604 mg 7.02 mg 1.6 mg
Iron 3 mg 2.5 mg 2.2 mg 0.8 mg
Nutritional value per 100 gm (raw)
The price of rice
to be arable, where local grains were
grown,” says Rai. “They are now bar-
ren or overgrown with vegetation.
Many farmers have stopped growing
local grains altogether or have signif-
icantly reduced production.”
Paying a high price
This wholesale shift towards rice in
the hills and mountains is costing the
government millions every year. The
Nepal Food Corporation (NFC)—the
government organisation tasked
with sending and distributing rice to
remote districts in the country—has
already sent 15,239 metric tonnes of
rice to different parts of the country,
so far this fiscal year. This cost the
government Rs 440 million in trans-
portation alone—out of which, Rs
174.52 million, nearly 40 percent of
the total, was spent on Humla. The
district, which has a population of
just 50,858 people according to the
2011 census, received 1,540 metric
tonnes of rice, which comes down to
30.4 kgs of rice per person. As per
data from the ministry, rice con-
sumption per capita was recorded at
87.75 kg in 2011-13.
The rice that’s transported to
Humla is not enough for the people
there, as whatever little rice the dis-
trict gets is not equally distributed.
“People with connections end up
withdrawing quintals of rice,” says
Rajesh Rokaya, a local from Simikot,
Humla. In a remote region like
Humla, a 30kg sack of rice costs Rs
1,800 at the NFC depot; the same sack
costs Rs 5,000 at non-governmental
outlets. “The difference is a lot of
money in a region where jobs are
scarce and the cash economy is next
to non-existent. Stories of people sell-
ing household items, barley meant
for their mules, to buy rice are com-
mon,” says Rokaya.
In Humla’s neighbouring district
of Dolpa, the government has already
spent Rs 43.49 million to transport
1,200 metric tonnes of rice this fiscal
year. Dolpa has a population of just
36,700, according to 2011 statistics,
which, again, is 32.69 kgs of rice per
person.
“This is an unwise use of govern-
ment funds. For example, in Humla,
had the government spent just Rs 100
million on programmes and subsi-
dies targeted to increasing the pro-
ductivity of highly nutritious local
grains like buckwheat, foxtail millet,
marsi, and local beans that grow in
plenty in Humla—and on awareness
MILLET BARLEY
page 5 | Saturday, January 19, 2019 (05-10-2075)
campaigns on the health benefits of
consuming these local grains—the
impact would’ve been more far-reach-
ing and better than its short-term
and expensive airlifting pro-
grammes,” says Rai.
On the national level, the govern-
ment’s approach to solving the coun-
try’s soaring rice demand has been
one dimensional—to increase paddy
production. Even though the coun-
try’s overall production has
increased, the growth has been negli-
gible—from 4.29 million metric
tonnes in the 2007/08 fiscal year to
5.15 million metric tonnes in 2017/18.
During this period, Nepal’s rice
import increased. According to the
Nepal Rastra Bank, Nepal imported
rice worth Rs 28.91 billion from India
in the 2017/18 fiscal year, stretching
the country’s already widening trade
deficit.
“For too long the Government of
Nepal believed that the solution to
the growing rice demand was to
increase rice production. But we have
realised that we need to take a differ-
ent approach,” says Karki. “We are
now encouraging growth and the con-
sumption of local grains, along with
programmes to spread awareness
about the nutritional value of these
grains and promoting recipes for dif-
ferent dishes that could be prepared.”
Agriculture experts affirm the gov-
ernment’s new stance but say it has
been late in coming. “If only our
ministry officials actually went to the
villages, observed and researched
their field of work,” says Rai.
Nutritionally low
Not only is Nepal’s rice dependency
widening our trade deficit and forc-
ing people in the remote regions of
the country to depend on an unsus-
tainable grain, it is also contributing
to a poorer diet.
Compared with traditionally-con-
sumed grains like buckwheat, millet
and barley, rice has the least amount
of nutrients. Millet is a great source
of iron and magnesium, and is
packed with B vitamins and a host of
other nutrients that are known to
improve heart health by reducing
blood pressure. Barley is an excellent
source of fiber, which helps in lower-
ing blood cholesterol. Buckwheat,
another widely consumed grain, has
high amounts of magnesium and nia-
cin, a B vitamin. The grain is also
widely known to keep Type 2 diabetes
in check and is good for the heart.
BUCKWHEAT WHITE RICE
Rice, on the other hand, has a high
glycemic index (GI) of 73. Foods with
high GI spike blood sugar levels, and
regular consumption of high GI
foods increases the risk of Type 2
diabetes (see infographic). According
to a 2016 World Health Organisation
report, the top three countries in the
world with diabetes are Indonesia,
China and India. These three coun-
tries are the world’s largest consum-
ers of rice.
“Unlike twenty years ago, our life-
style has gotten very sedentary and
to consume the amount of rice that
we Nepalis do is to expose oneself to
a range of non-communicable diseas-
es,” says Dr Aruna Uprety, a public
health specialist. “Rice dependency
among people from the hills and
mountains is actually nonsensical
when you have all these local grains
that are packed with micro and
macro nutrients, making them a
much healthier alternative.”
A long-grain fascination
Eating rice alone hasn’t been
enough—it is long-grain, basmati
rice that’s now the prefered choice of
the upper and middle class.
“Consuming long-grain rice is the
country’s new social indicator,” says
Rai.
The problem with our fascination
with long-grain rice is that Nepal
From 2016 to
2017, remittance
increased by
4.78%
REMITTANCE
INFLOW
source: world bank
kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
produces only negligible amounts of
long-grain rice, and that is forcing
the country to rely heavily on imports
to meet local demands. According to
data provided by the International
Rice Research Institute-Nepal (IRRI-
Nepal), the country imported 600,000
tonnes of rice in 2017. That means,
the amount of rice imported by Nepal
in 2017 was enough to feed just 20.2
percent of the current population of
Nepal. Agriculture experts say that
the majority of our rice import is fine
aromatic/long grain rice. With the
burgeoning middle class, this demand
is bound to increase, forcing the
country to import more, adding to a
massively lopsided trade deficit.
Long grain rice has lower yield
than short- and medium-grain rice,
and this is the prime reason why
Nepali rice farmers prefer to not
grow it. Another reason that’s keep-
ing Nepali farmers from growing
long-grain rice is competition from
India, where agriculture is heavily
subsidised.
“For local rice traders, it’s cheaper
to import long-grain rice from India
than to buy it here,”says the MoAD’s
Karki. “Seeing the growing demand
in long-grain rice, the government, in
collaboration with IRRI-Nepal, has
started growing improved variety of
long-grain rice in Tarai. The chal-
lenge now is to keep the price of the
YEAR amount Fiscal YEAR
US$ billion
2008 2.727 08/09
2009 2.983 09/10
2010 3.464 10/11
2011 4.217 11/12
2012 4.793 12/13
2013 5.589 13/14 12764.8
2014 5.889 14/15 15612.6
2015 6.73 15/16 21863.2
2016 6.612 16/17 23600.9
2017 6.928 17/18
POST PHOTO: ANISH REGMI
local long-grain rice at par with
Indian counterparts.”
Nepal’s current rice dependency
started due to centuries-old socio-cul-
tural notions surrounding rice, and
this dependence has been costing the
country billions in imports, threaten-
ing the country’s food security and
risking people’s health.
In villages of Humla, Dolpa and
Mustang, this dependence on rice has
trapped people in a cycle of depend-
ence with a non-native grain and has
marginalised other local grains.
In an email response to The Post,
WFP—which itself has airlifted
tonnes of rice to these very districts
over the years—admitted that rice
dependence is very high “in general”
in the hilly regions of the country,
and that high consumption of rice
was preventing the diversification of
diets. The organisation’s Mother
Child Health and Nutrition
Programme is now working to train
and educate people on the impor-
tance of diversifying diets.
“To overturn centuries of thinking
hinged upon rice as a ‘supreme’ grain
is a difficult task,” says Madan Rai.
“But we’ve got to start somewhere,
and the best option that we have is to
inform people that traditional grains
are more nutritious, and convince
people to start consuming and grow-
ing local grains all over again.” v
From fiscal
years 16/17 to
17/18, imports
increased by
22.49%
RICE IMPORTS
FROM INDIA
amount in Million NRs.
1134.3
1256.5
1954.3
4267
8455.8
illustration: dipendra karna
28910
source: Nepal Rastra Bank
C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019 the arts the kathmandu post 06
Mekh Limbu’s art needs little elaboration. It speaks

Life and art are inextricably the truth, laid out for all to see and reflect on. It’s real;
it’s quiet, keening and sharp. Take his installation ‘How

blended into each other I Forgot My Mother Tongue’, for instance, which was
part of the Opposite Dreams exhibition displayed during
the Photo Kathmandu festival last year. The work fea-
tured historical documents collected by the artist,
including four copies of Nepal’s constitutions, the books
the artist studied as a child, and the question papers,
notes and diaries kept by the artist’s father. All these
documents, which were highlighted and modified,
served as instruments to display how Nepal’s indigenous
communities have been historically ostracised and
marginalised. Limbu is among a crop of prominent
Nepali artists who’re tackling tackle head on the momen-
tous socio-political changes that Nepal has been going
through. As part of the artist collective ArTree, Limbu
has tackled marginalization and identity ‘How I Forgot
My Mother Tongue’ while works such as Silent Portraits
in Qatar and Kathmandu speak to the migrant labour
experience. Timothy Aryal recently caught up with
Limbu to talk about his inspirations, the motifs he
employs, and the father-son dynamic that is so pro-
nounced in his works. Excerpts:

How did you initially get into art?
I am not sure if I would say I ‘got into
art’. Like all children, I was an artist
before I even knew anything about
art. I grew up in rural Dhankuta and
went to a public school. Back then,
we were taught with textbooks that
were colourful and had images of
various kinds. I would try to imitate
them in my own notebooks and
that’s how it started. Later, I studied
n Mekh Limbu’s mixed-media ‘Nothing will come about dwelling here, you too leave.’ piece displays a queue migrant workers alongside job vacancy advertisements. art formally after I dropped out of
PCL and started high school at Lalit
Kala Campus, where I currently
teach part-time.
A majority of your work is person-
al and even autobiographical. I
would hardly call it ‘imaginative’,
to put it bluntly. What’s behind
your affinity to your own life and
circumstances?
We are living through momentous
times. So many political changes
have been happening in our country
over the past couple of decades. Of
course, they have influenced my life
significantly. I can’t remain
untouched, none of us can. So I try to
create something out of that, imbu-
ing my art with my personal recol-
lections and reflections. Contrary to
what many believe, art is not some-
thing that is detached from oneself.
Art and life are inextricably linked. I
work on my emotional landscapes,
on what I go through on a daily basis.
has worked in and the changes in
Nepal. The changes in Qatar and the
changes here in Nepal were juxta-
posed in animated time-lapse videos.
But this is not only the story of my
father’s life. It is what a majority of
families in Nepal can relate to. Then
there’s another work, also a video
installation work, which features
portraits of a number of migrant
workers I interacted with there. It
was a heartening experience.
While a portion of your work deals
with migrant workers, another
part of your work is about margin-
alisation and the ostracisation of
your language and culture from
Nepal’s mainstream historical
narrative. How do you go about
these two frames of mind and
how do you compare them?
As I’ve said, both are issues I can’t
escape from. The realisation of both
haunts me every day. While I come
from a Limbu community, I didn’t
get to study in my language and over
the years, I have forgotten my own
language. It’s a bitter truth. And now,
none of my family members are in
the land where we were based. So
both of these modes of work are
what define my work and life. For
me, life and art are not separate enti-
ties but one, inextricably blended
into each other. v

Last year, you travelled to Qatar

where your father works and doc-
umented the changes in his life
and in the lives of other migrant
workers as well. Can you talk
about your relationship with your
father and what inspired you to
come up with the work?

My father left for Qatar 21 years ago

and this event left an indelible mark
on my mind. It brought me closer to
the realisation of the brutal aspects
of life. When I went to Qatar for a
workshop, I caught up with him
and went to his residence and
where he works. I docu-
n An acrylic on canvas comic book rendition of the “parallel life of a Nepali migrant worker and his family in Nepal”. mented all the places he

Boys from
scouts don’t want to hear about trou-
ble with the police. Green allows us to
grasp the irony that in wanting a
security guard’s job, Manny is audi-
Brooklyn street corner, he takes out searched by cops who are, interest- smartphones with cameras are as
his phone and films something very ingly, mollified by the information threatening as guns.
incriminating, and then is confront- that he is on his way back from base- Dennis is a cop who must frequent-
ed by the reality of police officers ball practice—not basketball, a sport ly suffer the humiliation of being

the hood take

tioning to be a kind of police officer. who are quite willing to frame Manny that the police clearly associate with pulled over in his car by other white
He has to wear a suit and sit behind in revenge. anti-authority and black defiance. officers when he’s off duty. The film
the front desk in the building’s lobby. As for Zee, he is stopped and Again, Green creates a nauseous conveys his swallowed disgust, as the
He has to learn the police officer’s irony: the cops didn’t find a certain loud music Dennis had been cheerful-

a stand on the street
technique of asking people who they
are, what they want, and gauge their
behaviour. Most importantly and
ironically, he has to master surveil-
lance. Visitors to the building have to
look into a camera to have their face
recorded. So perhaps it is no surprise
Reinaldo Marcus Green’s tough drama that when he sees a friend of his
being harassed by police on a
follows the fortunes of three young
4/5
something that Zee actually had on
him. In all their racism and arro-
gance, it looks as if they have scared
Monsters and Men Zee straight. But he can’t forgive
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green them. When he reached into his pock-
Starring: John David Washington,Anthony Ramos,Jasmine et, jittery cops asked what he was
doing. But the information that it’s
Cephas Jones
Genre: Drama just a cellphone he’s getting out did
not calm them. The point is that
ly playing has had to be snapped off
as he waits for the officer to approach,
to be replaced by the eerie heartbeat
of his dashboard’s ticking. And the
officers are not immediately appeased
by Dennis producing his own badge:
they have to check if one has been
stolen. Yet, despite his fury at the
racism inside his profession, Dennis
is blindsided by emotion when two of
his fellow officers are killed on the

African-American men who find their job, and he is moved by the impromp-
tu prayer in the station house fol-

loyalties divided—and their futures in peril lowed by the big public funeral.
Doesn’t he owe the police his trust?
Isn’t this the larger issue?
The strange resonances and con-
PETER BRADSHAW to keep their heads down and make tradictions echo back and forth

R
age, fear and a wrenching sad-
ness hang over this tough pic-
ture by first-timer Reinaldo
Marcus Green. It’s a drama
Film review
their way in this compromised world. between these three characters, one
These are the futures desperately of whom is disturbingly withdrawn
wished for them by their careworn from the action, never to return. We
parents’ generation, futures that simply never find out his ending. As
could so easily be capsized by the well as all this, Green is able to tilt

inspired by, among other
cases, that of Eric Garner, the
black man in New York who in
2014 resisted arrest for selling single
cigarettes for loose change on a street
corner, and died in a police officer’s
chokehold as an onlooker filmed the
event on his phone.
Green imagines a triptych of
young African-American men, all
affected in various ways by an inci-
dent like this and all caught in a fun-
damental crisis of loyalty—a loyalty
to their community and opposing loy-
alty to their own terrifyingly precari-
ous futures, in which they had hoped
tiniest bit of boat-rocking. the tone of his movie towards
John David Washington (from humour and gentleness.
Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman) plays I laughed when Dennis hosts a din-
New York detective Dennis Williams, ner party and one of his guests
who is up for promotion. Anthony reveals that they have a new cat,
Ramos (who played Lady Gaga’s best Simba, named after The Lion King.
friend in A Star Is Born) is Manny, a Instantly, Dennis raises his glass and
nice guy from the neighbourhood proposes a toast: “All that the light
with a partner and baby, involved in a touches!” And for a moment, every-
little wrongdoing but on the verge of one’s adult sadnesses vanish,
turning things around by getting a replaced by happy memories of child-
job as a security guard. Kelvin hood. There is humanity and com-
Harrison Jr is Zyrick, or Zee, a hard- plexity in this welcome movie, as well
working high-school kid with a won- as muscular power and unreconciled
derful talent for baseball that could anger. v
be his ticket to glory. But the talent —©2019 The Guardian

C M Y K
07 the kathmandu post expression
n The raw lokta is boiled for two hours.
n The bark of the lokta shrub (two species of Daphne evergreen shrubs) is soaked in water overnight. Lokta is found in 22 districts of the country. At present, various local level
industries in these districts are involved in processing lokta paper. n Lokta pulp is obtained after beating with a wooden hammer or in a machine.
n The lokta pulp is again mixed with water. Then, it is filtered, which marks the beginning of
the Nepali paper-making process. n Water is squeezed out with a Japanese machine. n The lokta paper is coloured to make them more attractive.
The paper trail
Text and Photos :
Prakash Chandra Timilsena
I
n 1995, 50-year-old Nima
Sherpa moved from Dolakha
to Kathmandu with a plan—
he was going to take tradition-
al Nepali lokta paper to the
world. Sherpa had realised
that products made of lokta,
which were easily available in
his village, could make it big in
the international market.
Long before 1995, families like
Sherpa’s would come to
Kathmandu with raw materials
to sell. But the payoff was small,
rarely enough to pay for trans-
portation expenses, let alone to
take care of the family and make
a profit.
After struggling for years,
Sherpa has now managed to
establish himself as a major
exporter of lokta products.
The same paper products that he
once had difficulty bringing to
Kathmandu have now reached 20
n The colourful lokta paper is dried in the sun.
n Workers dry the paper before processing it into products. n Nima Sherpa checks the quality of the drying paper. n The paper is stored in a warehouse.
n The paper is then sliced as required into various sizes. n Workers then work the paper into colourful patterns and shapes. n A finishing touch is added to the final product.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
different countries, including
the United States, Germany,
Japan and Canada.
Sherpa’s company, located in
Kapan, makes thousands of
handcrafted lokta products,
including stationery, photo
albums, photo frames, decora-
tive items, gift wraps and boxes.
Besides, his company also
exports raw paper, which is used
in manufacturing abroad.
The price of his products
range from Rs 5 to Rs 10,000, but
their demand is so high in the
international market that he is
barely able to sell his products
locally. His enterprise, Tibetan
Handicraft and Paper, sold prod-
ucts worth Rs 78.4 million last
year alone. Out of which, just Rs
100,000 was made in the Nepali
market.
Sherpa has managed to take
lokta paper to the world and in
the process, provided employ-
ment to nearly 100 workers, most
of whom are women. v
C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019 as it is the kathmandu post 08

My time with Tootle

heads and tales

Break up song
How a journalist drove part-time for a ride-sharing company and connected with people If Mishra and his Sajha Party and Thapa and
his Bibeksheel Party want to run this country
someday then they must understand that they
need money and muscles
Guffadi Oli, who actually opposed Nepal becom-

I
t’s sad to hear that Bibeksheel Sajha
(BS) Party folks have decided to split
up. Our political parties are good at
breaking up and then making up and
breaking up again to fulfill the interest
of a bunch of so-called leaders and I
guess Bibeksheel Sajha has met the same
fate. So that means we can actually call
the BS wallahs a true political party
from now onwards.
Rabindra Mishra dai decided to quit
his job with BBC and not make six lakhs
a month, so that he could start a political
party and help Nepal finally become
peaceful and prosperous. It is rare for
someone like Mishra, who holds a lucra-
tive professional job, to quit and join
politics. The majority of our politicians
have either never worked in their lives or
have only worked for a few years before
deciding that politics is better than a
9-to-5 job.
When you have a 9-to-5 job, you get a
decent salary at the end of the month.
It’s not enough to buy everything, only
enough for dal bhat and sometimes a kilo
of maasu or two. But in politics, you tend
to suffer a lot at first, maybe for decades
as you go hungry because you have no
money and you have to go into hiding
because the police wallahs are looking
for you. But if you are lucky, then you get
to be a millionaire, even a billionaire,
overnight if you hit the jackpot. Look at
Oli. He spent 14 years in jail and after
decades and decades of suffering, he is
now enjoying his time in Baluwatar.
Look at our Emperor today. A dec-
ade-long insurgency, thousands of lives
lost and the man hid in India most of the
time. Today, we blame him for everything.
We accuse him of amassing billions of
rupees in ill-gotten wealth with invest-
post photo: keshav thapa
ing a federal republic, are running the
show.
So if Mishra and his Sajha Party and
Thapa and his Bibeksheel Party want to
run this country someday then they
must understand that they need money
and muscles. So my best advice to any-
one who wants to form a new political
party and take us to the promised land is:
please be patient. Learn from our
Emperor and Oli. It took our Maoists a
decade to get where they are today. It
took Oli two. So it takes time, most prob-
ably a decade before your political party
can win seats and be a national party. Of
course, people like Mishra and Thapa
are not going to the jungle and do not
have the courage to extort from byaparis
like Biplab dai.
So a new political party should first
get as many folks as possible to become a
paid up members of the party and then
go on a fundraising drive by visiting all
the byapari sanghs in all the districts in
the country. You cannot fight a national
election unless you have at least a hun-
dred crore in your party’s bank account.
Yes, forget the provinces because our
bureaucrats and those in power have
made it so that our Chief Ministers have
less than power than a CDO of a district.
National is the way to go and if you can
win big in the federal parliament then
you get to run the show like Oli and
Prachanda gets to do it for now.
And for now and maybe until another
decade or two, you also need muscles to
sometimes show your strength. But that
doesn’t mean you need to hire mundreys
but your paid up members need to be
experts in martial arts so that when you
are carrying out andolans, your cadres
have the skills to protect themselves
from cadres of other parties and our

ments in media, marts, hydro, cooking
gas and other stuff. But we should not be
jealous of this man. He is just one lucky
person who made it big and has managed
to make a quick buck in such a short
period of time that he makes the Shree
Tin Rana uncles, the Pancheys and even
ANUP OJHA icant amount of funds for the they had faced any kind of har- to my effort to release my second the so-called Congressis look like small-
cops as well. When they come down with
laathis and boots then you need some
skills to defend yourself. Why not ask the
Israeli Embassy for a few hundred Krav
Maga specialists. During the Panchey
days, most of the muscles were provided
by those involved in martial arts sports
in the national level. After that, we had

I
first heard of Tootle about
seven months ago during a
casual conversation with my
friends. They said it was one of
the easiest ways to commute
around Kathmandu, but as the
owner of a motorbike, I didn’t pay
it any mind. A few months later, I
became a part of Tootle—not as a
customer but as a rider.
On September 25 last year, I
went to the Tootle office in
Jawalakhel with my driving
licence and citizenship certifi-
cate. The formalities were mini-
mal—an employee asked me a few
questions, mostly regarding my
driving proficiency. A thorough
look into my driving licence to
check whether the traffic police
had punched a hole—a penalty for
drunk-driving—and I was all
clear to become a Tootle rider.
After a small briefing on their
rules and regulations, I hit the
road.
I had no interest in becoming a
full-time rider—in fact, I am a full-
time journalist. So, I reserved rid-
ing for Tootle after eight in the
evening, after work. This wasn’t
just a social experiment; I had two
primary reasons for choosing to
ride for Tootle part-time.
First, I needed to save around
Rs 40,000 to record my second
song. Yes, I dabble in music—as a
singer, songwriter and composer.
Last year, I had released my first
music video and I needed a signif-
second.
But it wasn’t just money that
attracted me to Tootle, which
leads to the second reason—to
meet a diverse range of people.
This can be attributed to my jour-
nalistic instinct.
So, every evening, after filing
my story for the day, I would open
up the Tootle app on my cell
phone and go for a ride. When I
first started, I kept it a secret from
my coworkers, as I assumed they
wouldn’t take it seriously. My plan
was to come clean once I had suc-
cessfully completed my project.
But I didn’t have to wait very long,
partly because of the encourage-
ment and respect I received from
my clients.
From the very first day, I met a
great many interesting people—
from Gandip Sherchan, a mid-
dle-aged man who had returned
from India six months ago after
quitting his job in an automobile
company to start his own busi-
ness, to René Jøhnke, a Danish
man who had recently married a
Nepali woman and was on his
way to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs for registration.
During my rides, I would try to
make small talk with my clients. I
shared my reasons behind becom-
ing a Tootle rider and many were
very appreciative of my efforts. I
made an effort to ask them ques-
tions regarding their profession,
hobbies and Tootle experiences. I
asked my female clients whether
assment from male riders and
although most had few com-
plaints, many objected to the
aggressive driving and speeding
of a number of male riders.
It wasn’t always a one-way con-
versation, as many of my clients
would also ask me how long I had
been working as a Tootle rider,
how much I earned, and who I
lived with. My conversations
ranged from the increasing level
of pollution in Kathmandu, or the
massive traffic jams to our favour-
ite music, movies and books.
I made it a point to be as friend-
ly as possible. Even before I picked
up my clients through the app, I
tried to get their name correct. I
learned that when we pronounce
a person’s name correctly, there is
a higher chance of having a good
conversation.
One of my most memorable
rides was with Fursang Lama, a
guy in his early twenties. I picked
him up from New Plaza at 8:15pm.
On the way to Shantinagar, where
I was dropping him off, I told him
about my plan to release a second
music video. He then asked me
about my first music video and as
I was giving him the details about
my first song and its music video,
which had crossed 1.6 million
views on YouTube, he was taken
by surprise. He told me that he
had watched the video multiple
times and liked the song as well.
He got so excited mid-conversa-
tion that he was ready to pitch in
video. “Dai, I want to help you and
I’m sure my friends will help as
well,” he said. His words encour-
aged me and it was interesting to
find a person, albeit a stranger,
who was so excited about my pas-
sion project.
Apart from small talk, my cli-
ents also appreciated Tootle as a
faster, economical and more punc-
tual ride, especially when com-
pared to taxicabs. During my
three-month stint as a Tootle
rider, I conducted over 70 rides. It
has been nearly a month since I
stopped being a Tootle rider, as I
was successful in collecting 50
percent of the amount I was plan-
ning to save. I have put those
funds in a small piggy bank in my
room.
My Tootle rides took me to a
number of nooks and crannies
around the Kathmandu Valley.
Mostly at night, I would venture
into strange roads and gullies
before I came back home after
midnight.
Many of my riders appreciated
what I did. A few would ask me
with surprise why I was driving
for Tootle despite being a journal-
ist for such a big media house. My
answer was that I wanted to be in
touch with people from different
walks of life, to hear from them,
and share my experiences. Tootle
brought me in touch with these
people and they’ve all motivated
me. My time with Tootle will stay
with me for life. v
time pickpockets. mostly toley gundas turning into mun-
Ujwal Thapa and his friends started drey gundas who were politically affiliat-
the Bibeksheel thing so that young folks ed with our netas. But folks like
in the country could finally come togeth- Bibeksheel and Sajha should organise
er and be politically active and make self-defense workshops for their own cad-
Nepal peaceful and prosperous. But what res because the national political scene
Thapa and his friends must understand is filled with criminals who would not
is that just Facebooking and standing on hesitate to use force to scare others.
Bagmati Bridge, Maitighar or in front of Anyways, let us hope that both
the PM’s residence is not going to change Bibeksheel and Sajha will do their best
things in this country. Yes, they decided to win the hearts and minds of the young
to be involved politically but when it and old, progressive and experienced,
comes to elections, winning thousands and make it big in national politics some-
of votes and coming in second or third or day, and finally get to run the show and
last is the same as losing. make our land peaceful and prosperous
Look at our comrades, they won left for real. Jai hos! v
and right and today, they have a two-
thirds majority after getting some of our Guffadi is a grumpy old man who blogs
Madhesi parties on board and they still at guffadi.blogspot.com. You may contact
can’t get it right. Yes, politics is not only him at maguffadi@gmail.com
a dirty game but it’s a
tough one as well.
Things won’t change
overnight and just
because you have the
mandate to rule for
the next five years
doesn’t mean you can
do whatever you like.
Our comrades should
read some history
books. Even the pow-
erful Rana clan had
to close down shop
and leave the build-
ing. Even the
Pancheys had to
move aside for mul-
ti-party democracy.
Today, even folks like
illustration: abin shrestha

On identity
In Nepal, a woman’s identity is still tied to their male kinfolk—first father, then husband
BIBHU LUITEL renting rooms. So people tend to done with the interview once he’d man- male kinfolk—first fathers then hus-

I
n 2015, when I appeared for a job
interview at a popular Kathmandu
school, the very first question the
principal asked me was, “Are you a
Newar?”
I wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the
first time I had been asked that same
question.
My nose is not pierced and apparent-
ly there are still many who assume that
girls with noses unpierced belong to the
Newar community. But this is not the
only reason why I’m constantly asked
if I’m a Newar. I also happen to live in
Kirtipur, a Newar stronghold.
“No, I am a Brahmin,” I remember
answering the principal.
He looked over my resume and said,
“You must be a student living in that
photo courtesy: Noah Buscher
assume that all non-Newars who live in
Kirtipur are university students, tem-
porary residents.
“No, I live with my parents and we
have our own home,” I replied.
I knew the next question he would
ask me. This is a script I have followed
countless times in the past. As expect-
ed, he asked again, “Where is your
pahaad ko ghar?”
My father comes from Tehrathum, a
district in the far-east of Nepal while
my mother is a typical kaathe, a term
used to define people who’ve been liv-
ing in the Kathmandu Valley for so long
their origins are murky.
On learning this, many people call
me a purbeli—someone who hails from
the eastern part of the country. So did
the principal.
aged to trace my roots. After three days,
he asked me to join his school as a
teacher. I declined.
People like this principal are every-
where, leading me to constantly ponder
my identity. Even in my current work-
place, there are colleagues who ask me
about my roots when they find out I
come from Kirtipur.
“You need to stop calling Kathmandu
your home,” one colleague said to me.
“You belong where your father comes
from, until you get married. And when
you get married, your husband’s home
district becomes yours.”
My mother, too, has experienced sim-
ilar situations. Whenever she’s asked
where she comes from, her answer is
always Koteshwor, where she was born
and raised. “How can you expect me to
bands.
I was once helping the grandmother
of a guy I was dating put all her legal
documents into a clear bag so the old
lady wouldn’t misplace them.
“You come from Parsa?” I asked, see-
ing the permanent address on her citi-
zenship certificate.
She shook her head, “I actually come
from Makwanpur but my husband is
from Birgunj, Parsa.” She said she
belonged to Parsa once she’d gotten
married. As she began to tell me the
story of how they’d met, fell in love and
gotten married, I couldn’t get over the
fact that she’d said the identity of her
husband had now become hers.
Society tells me that I have no identi-
ty of my own. My identity comes from
either my father or husband (if I get

area.”
Since the establishment of
Tribhuvan University, Nepal’s first uni-
versity, in 1959 in Kirtipur, the city and
its outskirts, including Tyanglaphant,
Panga and Nagaun, have hosted a grow-
ing number of university students
But does my father being a purbeli
make me one too? I have never been to
where he was born. My citizenship
certificate, along with all my legal doc-
uments, read Kirtipur. This is where I
was born and raised.
The principal, however, was only
say I belong to Tehrathum? I have never
been there and I don’t even know my
husband’s side of family properly,” she
answers to those who don’t stop ques-
tioning.
In Nepal, it appears women’s identi-
ties are still intricately tied to their
married someday). It appears that peo-
ple still believe in coverture.
But despite all of this, I could never
call myself a Tehrathume, or a Newar,
just because you think I look like a
Newar or because I live in Kirtipur. v
The writer tweets @LuitelBibhu

C M Y K
09 the kathmandu post books Saturday, January 19, 2019

Fact or fiction
Raamesh Koirala’s book about Charles Sobhraj is confused, leaving the reader unsure of whether this is a memoir or a novel
PRANAYA SJB RANA the dilemma the former faces over book attests in an embarrassing typo:

R
aamesh Koirala’s new book
about the notorious serial kill-
er Charles Sobhraj is a strange
animal. Although ostensibly
presented as a non-fiction
memoir written by the cardiac
surgeon who operated on
Sobhraj’s heart, the copyright page
of the book asserts that “This is a
work of fiction.” Perhaps this was an
(glaring) oversight on the part of the
publisher, but given the manner in
which the book unfolds, it might be
an accurate characterisation.
Peppered throughout the narrative
of how Koirala came to operate on
Sobhraj and the minute detailing of
Charles Sobhraj:
Inside the heart of the Bikini Killer
Author: Raamesh Koirala
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Pages: 204
Price: Rs 800
saving the life of a murderer are fic-
tional, almost surreal sections where
he imagines how Sobhraj might have
conducted his murders. The first
time Koirala ventures into this terri-
tory, it is jarring and unexpected. But
I assumed that this is how the book
would play out—non-fictional
accounts alongside a fictional reima-
gining of Sobhraj’s murders. I was
wrong. The fiction interludes are spo-
radic and later, morph into a bizarre
fictional television ‘interview’ that
Koirala is holding with Sobhraj. This
fictional section has been reproduced
in a number of newspapers as an
excerpt, although I fear many readers
might be labouring under the misap-
prehension that this is a non-fiction
retelling.
It is thus difficult to take Koirala at
his word. The success of a memoir
lies in the fact of its happening-that
this narrative, however unbelievable,
actually happened to someone. So, in
the wake of the James Frey episode,
it is perhaps safer to characterise a
‘memoir’ such as this one as fiction.
Once fiction intervenes, the entire
memoir becomes suspect. Did
Sobhraj really talk to Koirala that
way? How does Koirala recall exactly
what Sobhraj said? Did Sobhraj actu-
ally give Koirala permission to write
the book? If yes, why does Koirala
provide a disclaimer at the end which
states, “Since Charles Sobhraj was a
proven murderer in my country, I
possessed the right to talk about him,
write about him, and discuss his
character, even without taking his
consent.”
And most importantly, did Koirala
actually suffer through the moral
dilemma he presents, or did he dwell
on it after the fact?
All consternation aside, the book
makes for a fairly engaging read. The
writing is clear and lucid, although
hackneyed at times. The book moves
at a fair clip, never staggering or
n French serial killer Charles Sobhraj after his arrest in Kathmandu in September 2003. 
stalling. It’s a straightforward narra-
tive, telling the story as it unfolds.
The historical asides and fictional
interludes don’t ruin the flow of the
novel, even if they don’t necessarily
serve the larger purpose of the book.
That said, the book tends to navel-
gaze. The good doctor does spend an
inordinate amount of time dwelling
on whether he should or should not
operate on Sobhraj, who has asked
specifically for him. Throughout the
book, Koirala takes us on a journey
detailing Sobhraj’s many crimes,
most of which seem to have been
culled from the numerous books and
documentaries on the killer known
as The Serpent. There is little that is
new here, except for Sobhraj’s inter-
actions with Koirala and a particular-
ly damning indictment of the French
Embassy’s indulgence of a convicted
serial killer (They bring him flowers
and food and are overly concerned
with his well-being and good health).
The narrative arc of the book is
fairly simple and obvious—the doctor
takes pains to first characterise
Sobhraj as an evil, merciless murder-
er and concludes with the fact that
he is delusional and narcissistic
but also a frail old man, afraid of
AFP/RSS
dying. This comes as no surprise to
anyone.
The narrative framing of the book,
which begins and ends with a hike
into the mountains, is particularly
strange. A hike to Jhigrana is where
Koirala first gets the call asking him
to operate on Sobhraj but the later
obsession with a trek to Thorong La
feels forced, as if it were an attempt
to close the book neatly, ending it as it
began. This poetry is lost due to its
forced nature.
Raamesh Koirala is well-known in
Nepal, as a surgeon, a writer and a
commentator, as the jacket of his
“He is known for his sharp views on
current issues, primarily in public
health and politics, which he writes
about in op-ends of leading newspa-
pers.” The book is thus peppered
with commentary on current affairs,
although there is never enough time
to dwell on them. Koirala makes a
point of stating domestic political
happenings as if they would interest
the world, but I doubt anyone outside
of Nepal cares about how Ncell was
evading its capital gains tax. This
kind of op-ed adds a semblance of
substance to a weak narrative but it
remains just that, a semblance.
When I picked up this book, I was
hoping for a doctoral musing the
likes of those written by Oliver Sacks
or Paul Kalanithi. The inordinate
amount of respect that society con-
fers on doctors is perhaps well
deserved. After all, doctors do save
lives. That alone provides them with
access to a range of human emotions
that most of us encounter only fleet-
ingly. A sensitive doctor, attuned to
the rhythms of human consciousness
and being, can tell fantastic stories
and in a manner that illuminates and
enlightens. You only have to pick up
an Oliver Sacks book to see how this
plays out.
Dr Koirala is possibly a great sur-
geon, and he appears to be a sensitive
man. But in writing about Sobhraj, I
wonder if Koirala is writing more
about himself. Although the subject
of the book is The Serpent, it is
Koirala’s dilemma over whether or
not to uphold the Hippocratic Oath
that drives the narrative. But that is a
foregone conclusion, there is no
doubt in any reader’s mind of what
he did. After all, Koirala himself
tweeted out a photo with his arm
around Sobhraj just before they went
into surgery. The dilemma here is
thus not much of a dilemma at all. It
makes for a good story, but one to be
told quickly and succinctly. v

‘A Plan of Economic Development for India’,

NEW BOOKS

The Line of Control aka the Bombay Plan, written in two parts Educated: A Memoir
Author: Happymon Jacob and published in 1944 and 1945, generated Author: Tara Westover
Publisher: Penguin Random House global widespread interest at the time of its Publisher: Penguin Random House
Price: NRs 798 publication. Its authors J.R.D Tata, G.D Birla, Price: NRs 798
Pages: 288 Purushottamdas Thakurdas, Kasturbhai Pages: 334
Lalbhai, Ardeshir Dala, Lala Sri Ram, John
Mathai, and A.D. Shroff- are business leaders
Happymon Jacob was given unprecedented and technocrats of repute. The Plan is unique Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot
access by the Indian and Pakistani armies to in the history of post-colonial development. in a classroom. Her family was so isolated from
explore how the border is seen-both in the popu- Nowhere in the developing world have busi- mainstream society that there was no one to
lar imagination and by those who exist in its ness leaders assembled to articulate a com- ensure the children received an education. Then,
shadow. He travelled with the armies of both prehensive vision for national development lacking any formal education, Tara began to edu-
countries and could study what is effectively the that simultaneously promoted their own class cate herself. She taught herself enough mathe-
ground zero-the location where entrenched ani- interests. The Bombay Plan brings back to matics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham
mosities as well as sudden surges of comrade- focus a historic document that has been all Young University. Educated is an account of the
ship are enacted. Jacob’s vividly told fast-paced but forgotten despite its many path-breaking struggle for self-invention. Westover has crafted
narrative brings the border area to life. He ideas. a universal coming-of-age story of what an edu-
chronicles the lives of civilians and soldiers, cation is and what it offers: multiple perspectives
their courage and resilience in the face of con- of life and the will to change it.
stant danger and the extraordinary similarities The Bombay Plan: Blueprint for
between the two sides. Economic Resurgence
Editors: Sanjaya Baru and Meghnad Desai
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Price: NRs 1278
Pages: 260

Mary Oliver, poet of the natural world, dies

Margalit Fox ings, conspired to give Ms. Oliver, but predictably good,” adding: would study briefly at Ohio State
Best-seller List

M
ary Oliver, a Pulitzer Prize-
winning poet whose work,
Hardcover fiction with its plain language and
minute attention to the natu-
ral world, drew a wide follow-
1. The Fox by ing while dividing critics,
died on Thursday at her home in
Frederick Forsyth Hobe Sound, Fla. She was 83.
2. Girl, Wash you Her literary executor, Bill
Reichblum, confirmed the death. Ms.
Face by Rachel Oliver had been treated for lympho-
ma, which was first diagnosed in
Hollis 2015.
3. The Duchess by A prolific writer with more than 20
volumes of verse to her credit, Ms.
Danielle Steel Oliver received a Pulitzer Prize in
1984 for her collection “American
4. Lullaby by Leila
Primitive,” published by Little,
Slimani Brown & Company. She won a
National Book Award in 1992 for
5. The Hate U Give “New and Selected Poems,” pub-
lished by Beacon Press.
by Angie Thomas
Ms. Oliver, whose work appeared
often in The New Yorker and other
magazines, was a phenomenon: a
poet whose work sold strongly. Her
Hardcover nonFiction books frequently appeared on the
best-seller list of the Poetry
Foundation, which uses data from
1. Sikkim: Dawn of Nielsen BookScan, a service that
Democracy by tracks book sales, putting her on a
par with Billy Collins, the former
GBS Sidhu poet laureate of the United States, as
2. South Asia-China one of the best-selling poets in the
country.
Geo-economics by
Her poems, which are built of una-
Yubraj Sangroula dorned language and accessible
3. Barudmathi Udda imagery, have a pedagogical, almost
homiletic quality. It was this, com-
by Rameshwor bined with their relative brevity, that
Thapa seemed to endear her work to a broad
public, including clerics, who quoted
4. The Future of it in their sermons; poetry therapists,
Capitalism by Paul who found its uplifting sensibility
well suited to their work; composers,
Collier like Ronald Perera and Augusta Read
5. The 5 A M Club by Thomas, who set it to music; and
celebrities like Laura Bush and
Robin Sharma
Maria Shriver.
Source: Mandala Book Point All this, combined with the throngs
that turned out for her public read-
fairly late in life, the aura of a reluc-
tant, bookish rock star.
Throughout her work, Ms. Oliver
was occupied with intimate observa-
tions of flora and fauna, as many of
her titles—“Mushrooms,” “Egrets,”
“The Swan,” “The Rabbit,” “The
Waterfall”—attest. Read on one level,
these poems are sensualist still lifes:
Often set in and around the woods,
marshes and tide pools of
Provincetown, Mass., where she lived
for more than 40 years, they offer
impeccable descriptions of the land
and its nonhuman tenants in a spare,
formally conservative, conversation-
al style.
In “Spring,” here in its entirety,
she wrote:
I lift my face to the pale flowers
of the rain. They’re soft as linen,
clean as holy water. Meanwhile
my dog runs off, noses down packed
leaves
into damp, mysterious tunnels.
He says the smells are rising now
stiff and lively; he says the beasts
are waking up now full of oil,
sleep sweat, tag-ends of dreams. The
rain
rubs its shining hands all over me.
My dog returns and barks fiercely, he
says
each secret body is the richest advisor,
deep in the black earth such fuming
nuggets of joy!
For her abiding communion with
nature, Ms. Oliver was often com-
pared to Walt Whitman and Robert
Frost. For her quiet, measured obser-
vations, and for her fiercely private
personal mien (she gave many read-
ings but few interviews, saying she
wanted her work to speak for itself),
she was likened to Emily Dickinson.
Ms. Oliver often described her
vocation as the observation of life,
and it is clear from her texts that she
considered the vocation a quasi-reli-
gious one. Her poems—those about
nature as well as those on other sub-
jects—are suffused with a pulsating,
almost mystical spirituality, as in the
work of the American
Transcendentalists or English poets
like William Blake and Gerard
Manley Hopkins.
Readers were also drawn to Ms.
Oliver’s poems by their quality of
confiding intimacy; to read one is to
accompany her on one of her many
walks through the woods or by the
shore. Poems often came to her on
these walks, and she prepared for
this eventuality by secreting pencils
in the woods near her home .
Throughout Ms. Oliver’s career,
critical reception of her work was
mixed. Some reviewers were put off
by the surface simplicity of her
poems and, in later years, by her pop-
ulist reach. Reviewing her first col-
lection, “No Voyage,” in The New
York Times Book Review in 1965,
James Dickey wrote, “She is good,
“She never seems quite to be in her
poems, as adroit as some of them are,
but is always outside them, putting
them together from the available lit-
erary elements.”
More recently, David Orr, the poet-
ry columnist for The New York Times
Book Review, was even more dismiss-
ive. In 2011, he referred to Ms. Oliver
as a writer “about whose poetry one
can only say that no animals appear
to have been harmed in the making
of it.” (That comment drew a retort
from Ruth Franklin of The New
Yorker, who wrote in an admiring
article about Ms. Oliver in 2017, “The
joke falls flat, considering how much
of Oliver’s work revolves around the
violence of the natural world.”)
Ms. Oliver’s champions argued
that what lay beneath her work’s
seemingly unruffled surface was a
dark, brooding undertow, which
together with the surface constituted
a cleareyed exploration of the indi-
vidual’s place in the cosmos.
“Her corpus is deceptively elemen-
tary,” the writer Alice Gregory says
in an essay on the website of the
Poetry Foundation. “But you miss a
lot by allowing the large language to
overshadow the more muted connec-
tive tissue. Paying such crude atten-
tion will not grant you the fortifying
effects Oliver has to offer.”
Mary Oliver was born on Sept. 10,
1935, in Cleveland to Edward and
Helen (Vlasak) Oliver, and grew up in
Maple Heights, Ohio, a suburb of
Cleveland. Her father was a teacher
and her mother a secretary at an ele-
mentary school.
In one of her rare interviews, with
Ms. Shriver in O: The Oprah
Magazine in 2011, Ms. Oliver spoke of
having been sexually abused as a
child, though she did not elaborate.
“I had a very dysfunctional family,
and a very hard childhood,” she told
Ms. Shriver. “So I made a world out of
words. And it was my salvation.”
Leaving home as a teenager—she
University and Vassar College but
took no degree—Ms. Oliver spontane-
ously drove to Steepletop, Edna St.
Vincent Millay’s former home in
Austerlitz, N.Y., near the
Massachusetts border. Ms. Oliver
lived at Steepletop for the next
half-dozen years, helping Millay’s sis-
ter Norma organize her papers.
In the late 1950s, on a return visit
to Steepletop, Ms. Oliver met Molly
Malone Cook , a photographer, who
became her life partner and literary
agent. Ms. Cook died in 2005. No
immediate family members survive.
Ms. Oliver taught at Bennington
College and elsewhere. Her other
poetry collections include “The River
Styx, Ohio” (1972), “House of Light”
(1990), “The Leaf and the Cloud”
(2000), “Evidence” (2009), “Blue
Horses” (2014) and “Felicity” (2015).
Her prose books include two about
the craft of poetry, “Rules for the
Dance” (1998) and “A Poetry
Handbook” (1994), and “Long Life:
Essays and Other Writings” (2004).
Given its seeming contradiction—
shallow and profound, uplifting and
elegiac—Ms. Oliver’s verse is per-
haps best read as poetic portman-
teau, one that binds up both the pri-
mal joy and the primal melancholy of
being alive.
For her, each had at its core a simi-
lar wild ecstasy. In one of her best-
known poems, “When Death Comes,”
she wrote:
When it’s over, I want to say: all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the
world into my arms.
When it’s over, I don’t want to wonder
if I have made of my life something
particular, and real.
I don’t want to find myself sighing
and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don’t want to end up simply having
visited this world. v
— © 2019 The New York Times

C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019 world the kathmandu post 10

Modi’s pre-election handouts to cost

India billions, breach fiscal targets
Aftab Ahmed, Krishna N. Das SIMILAR TO CONGRESS

A
series of vote-catching meas-
ures planned by Indian
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi as he braces for a diffi-
cult general election may
cost more than 1 trillion
rupees ($14 billion), two
sources with direct knowledge of the
matter said.
Much of the cost of the extra
spending or revenue losses would
have to be borne by the government
that will take charge after the elec-
tion due by May. The spending is also
likely to delay plans to reduce the
government’s budget deficit, a key
indicator of the nation’s economic
health.
Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) lost three major state elections
at the end of last year, largely due to
anger in rural India in the face of low
crop prices and rising costs. Modi
remains the front-runner for the gen-
eral election, according to opinion
polls, but his once-invincible image
has been dealt a heavy blow.
The government is expected to
unveil handouts mostly aimed at
farmers in an interim budget to be
presented on Feb 1, said the sources,
both government officials. While no
final decisions have been taken, the
measures could include direct trans-
fers of funds into farmers’ bank
accounts and interest-free loans for
them.
The giveaways will come on top of
tax sops, job reservations and poli-
cies favouring local businesses that
have already been made public. The
new measures have to be announced
before election dates are finalised by
the Election Commission, possibly in
March or April, after which there
will be curbs on policies that could
influence voting.
A spokesman for the Ministry of
Finance did not respond to an e-mail
seeking comment.
The BJP’s economic affairs spokes-
man, Gopal Krishna Agarwal, told
n (Right) An Indian rupee note is seen in this illustration photo. (Left) A farmer spreads fertiliser mixed with potash in his paddy field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India.
Reuters this week that the party
favoured an expansionary economic
policy that would give space to
growth-boosting measures as infla-
tion stays low.
The BJP also does not consider the
finance ministry’s plan to keep the
fiscal deficit to 3.3 percent of gross
domestic product in the current April-
March fiscal year as “sacrosanct”, he
said, comments which pushed bond
yields higher and hurt the rupee.
“Addressing farmer distress is the
most important thing,” Agarwal told
Reuters. “You need an expansionary
policy. You chase growth in the econ-
omy, you do not chase these parame-
ters like fiscal deficit.”
India’s federal fiscal deficit was 5.9
trillion rupees, or 3.5 percent of GDP,
in the 2017-18 fiscal year.
PANIC-STRICKEN
Since the state election losses,
Modi’s government has exempted
many small businesses from paying
taxes under a unified goods and
services tax (GST), and is consider-
ing raising the income level at
which people need to pay personal
tax.
The government also plans to
spend millions of dollars to add new
seats in colleges and universities to
accommodate a 10 percent quota
announced recently for the less well-
off among upper caste Hindus and
people from other religions.
The Congress party, the main oppo-
sition, called it the reaction of a
“panic-stricken” administration.
“Fearing an impending loss in the
election, the government wants to
bandage this crisis situation by giv-
ing interest-free loans and
income-support schemes,” said
Gourav Vallabh, a Congress spokes-
man. “Like all other schemes, this is
a hurriedly prepared scheme by a
panic-stricken Modi government.”
He said the countryside was in the
throes of the “worst agrarian crisis
in 20 years”, because of Modi’s shock
ban on then existing high-denomina-
tion bank notes in 2016 and a chaotic
implementation of the GST in 2017.
TAX BREAKS, HANDOUTS
The interest-free loans for farmers, to
be given by state banks who would be
compensated by the government,
could cost 120 billion rupees a year,
the government sources told Reuters,
declining to be identified as the dis-
cussions are not public.
“But this alone will not be enough,”
said one of the sources. “We will need
another 400 billion for various
schemes that we need to top that
with.”
They said the personal and com-
mercial tax concessions could lead to
a revenue loss of up to 250 billion
rupees. This would include a pro-
posed GST rate cut for cement to 18
percent from 28 percent that would
lead to an annual revenue loss of 130
billion rupees.
The sources also said giving 2,000-
4,000 rupees per hectare to land-own-
ing farmers was another option being
considered, which would be “costly
but effective”.
That alone could cost more than 1
trillion rupees, they said, but if
implemented, the government may
not go for other measures like inter-
est-free loans.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is
likely to pay the government a divi-
dend of up to 400 billion rupees by
March, Reuters reported earlier this
month citing sources, but that will
far from make up the difference.
Moody’s Investors Service has
already said India’s federal fiscal
deficit target could slip to about 3.4
percent of GDP in the current fiscal
year because of revenue shortfalls
from GST collections, lower excise
duty and below-target government
asset sales.
Many Indian states have also let
their financial discipline slip, espe-
cially around the time of elections,
economists say.
Moody’s said India’s combined fed-
eral and state government fiscal defi-
cit was about 6.6 percent of GDP in
the last fiscal year, significantly higher
than the median of 2.6 percent for
countries that have India’s Baa rating.
“Increased expenditure on income
transfers, farm loan waivers or other
forms of subsidies would weigh fur-
ther on government finances,” said
William Foster, a vice president at
Moody’s.
The government’s stated commit-
ment is to bring down the fiscal defi-
cit to 3.1 percent of GDP by the end of
March 2020, and to 3 percent by
March 2021. Those targets could now
be delayed, the sources said.
Long seen as a Hindu nationalist
party of the middle-class and traders,
the BJP is increasingly adopting poli-
cies more associated with the left-of-
centre Congress.
Congress has ruled India for most
of the more than 71 years since inde-
pendence, and has been known for its
subsidies, rural employment guaran-
tee programmes and a cheap food
distribution scheme.
Since defeating the BJP in the
heartland states of Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh late last
year, Congress has announced farm
loan waivers in those states and has
promised to do something similar
across the country if voted back to
power in the general election.
It has also announced free housing
and free food allowances for the poor,
among other measures, in these
states.
One of the government sources
said the biggest financial impact of
the federal government’s planned
extra spending would be seen in the
next fiscal year, which could mean
missing the short-term fiscal deficit
target of 3 percent of GDP by 2021.
But he said the government was
not unduly worried about such a slip-
page given that its financial disci-
pline has been very good over the
past five years.
This person added that the govern-
ment was also expecting a Reserve
Bank of India panel, led by former
Governor Bimal Jalan, to recom-
mend a less-conservative
contingency reserve for the central
bank, which could free up trillions of
rupees for government use in the
next 2-3 years beginning next fiscal
year. Jalan last week declined to com-
ment on his panel’s planned recom-
mendations.
“We can delay the medium-term
fiscal targets since we have credibili-
ty with the target by a year or two and
I don’t think markets should see this
adversely,” the source said. v
—© 2019 Reuters

Trump stamp: how have his first two years

marked five key policy areas?
The Guardian will see whether his (and the world’s) less against Trump’s determination don’t believe it,” he said.

I
f there has been one defining trait
in the foreign policy of the Trump
era, it is confusion—not only in
the frequent gaps between the
paths taken by the president and
his own administration, but also
in the morass of contradictions
and U-turns in his own impulses.
Trump has insisted on bringing
back US troops from Syria and
Afghanistan, but has at times shocked
his advisers with a bellicosity,
towards Iran in particular, that risks
starting new wars.
While demonising the government
in Tehran, Trump has decided not to
directly contest Iranian influence in
Syria with US troops. He threatened
“fire and fury” against North Korea,
but has since claimed to have “fallen
in love” with Kim Jong-un, although
the young dictator has yet to show
any inclination to dismantle his
nuclear arsenal.
He is reluctant to criticise Vladimir
Putin, boosting suspicions that he is
under the sway of the Kremlin. But
his administration has arguably
taken a tougher line against Russia
than its predecessor, piling on more
sanctions and supplying lethal weap-
onry to Ukraine.
There are some themes, however,
that make foreign policy in the age of
Trump quite different in character
from any previous administration.
One of them is the personalisation of
relations with foreign governments.
Trump evidently trusts his gut
instincts more than the advice of the
US foreign policy and security estab-
lishment, and those instincts have
drawn him towards autocrats and
away from traditional democratic
allies, whom he often views as free-
loaders, taking advantage of US
might.
Another constant in the Trumpian
approach to the world is the drive to
erase the legacy of Barack Obama
and his other predecessors. Almost
everything Obama was for, Trump
has been overwhelmingly against,
from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran
to trade deals in the Pacific or with
Europe, or the Paris climate accord.
The distrust of multilateral agree-
ments and institutions is a third per-
sistent theme. Trump’s template for
making deals is two powerful men
facing off across a table. Round tables
with a variety of voices frustrate
him, forcing him to listen to foreign-
ers with less power or with different
points of view. He chose John Bolton
as national security adviser primari-
ly to build a bonfire of US interna-
tional obligations.
Trump has yet to be tested by an
international crisis not of his own
making. In the two years to come, we
luck will continue to hold.
Economy
“This is the greatest economy in the
history of our country,” Donald
Trump told reporters last year. Two
years into his presidency he has plen-
ty to brag about but also some big
problems. Many of his own making.
Unemployment is close to levels
unseen since the first moon landing.
It ticked up last month but even that
rise came as more workers came off
the sidelines and started looking for
work. So far about 5m jobs have been
created under Trump.
It is pretty dubious to claim presi-
dents “create” jobs but they all take
the credit when things are good;
unsurprisingly Trump is no excep-
tion. The current recovery clearly
began under the previous president,
Barack Obama. Even with the unar-
guably impressive improvements
under Trump, he has a way to go
before he can fulfil his promise of
being “the greatest jobs president
that God ever created”.
Bill Clinton holds the record for
largest numeric increase in the work-
force, 23m jobs over his two terms.
Obama, who was elected in the teeth
of the worst recession in living mem-
ory, added 10m jobs over his two
terms.
Trump is off to a great start, but
it’s just that. The US has experienced
99 months of consecutive jobs growth
and a slowdown seems inevitable.
Trump does, however, already have
one over on Obama. Wage growth is
finally picking up—a bit—after years
of stagnation.
In other areas, Trump’s economic
record is more discordant.
Trump’s single biggest policy
achievement is the $1.5tn tax cut he
pushed through in November 2017.
Slammed by critics on the left and
right as a giveaway for corporations
and the 1 percent, it helped Democrats
win in November’s midterm elec-
tions.
And then, of course, there’s
Trump’s other most notable econom-
ic policy—trade wars. Trump has
effectively torn up decades of trade
agreements and antagonised his larg-
est trading partners. The impact of
the rancor he has sown is still being
assessed but it has already triggered
dramatic sell-offs on stock markets
and may have contributed to a slow-
down in the Chinese economy. Apple
issued its first profits warning since
2002 earlier this month, blaming
slowing business in China. There
will be more warnings to come.
Trump’s economic populism helped
get him elected. Whether he gets a
second term will probably depend on
whether he can keep the promises he
n Donald Trump’s foreign policy, in particular, has been a morass of contradictions,
one of the few constants being that almost everything Barack Obama was for, Trump
has been against. 
made in the first, or whether the
moves he made in the last two years
come back to haunt him.
Judiciary
Call it Operation Patriarchy. Old
white men are fighting a losing battle
against changing demographics in
the United States, but the 72-year-old
president and 76-year-old Senate lead-
er, Mitch McConnell, are doing their
utmost to safeguard the supremacy
of white men in American courts.
For two years, they have been pack-
ing the courts with predominantly
white male conservative judges,
whose lifetime appointments will
mean the federal benches look a lot
less like the country they preside
over.
That may sound like business as
usual for a party in power but it is
actually the product of McConnell’s
long-term strategy. He blocked doz-
ens of Obama nominees for the feder-
al courts by refusing to hold Senate
votes, gambling that in 2016 a
Republican might win the presidency
and present a roster of more conserv-
ative judges.
After the 2016 death of the supreme
court justice Antonin Scalia,
McConnell used his control of the
Senate to keep the seat vacant for 293
days by refusing a hearing for
Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland.
For white evangelical Christians, a
vacant seat on the supreme court was
the most compelling reason to vote
for Trump, the thrice-married serial
adulterer and self-described sexual
predator.
After winning the presidency,
Trump nominated a conservative in
Neil Gorsuch.
In 2018, Brett Kavanaugh’s
supreme court nomination was
forced through after a vitriolic and
incomplete examination of past sexual
assault allegations, which he denied.
Trump and McConnell delivered a
conservative majority on the court,
which could now last decades and
gives hopes of of overturning the the
1973 Roe v Wade decision, which
enshrined the right to abortion.
McConnell and Trump have also
been moving rapidly to shift the
appeal and district courts to the
right. So far, 85 judges have been
appointed by Trump—two to the
supreme court, 30 for the US courts
of appeal and 53 to district courts.
That is a faster pace than Obama
who, in eight years, appointed two
supreme court justices, 55 appeal
judges and 268 district judges.
Trump has 70 more nominations in
the pipeline which can be approved
by a simple majority vote in the
Senate, where Republicans hold a
53-47 advantage. Dominated by white
men, many under 50, Trump’s
appointments are already the least
diverse crop of new judges for a gen-
eration. The House, newly controlled
by the Democrats under the leader-
ship of Nancy Pelosi, can stop
Republican legislation. But
Democrats on Capitol Hill are help-
to install as many judges as possible.
Environment
Trump’s stewardship of the environ-
ment is perhaps best known for the
president’s dismissal of climate
change as a Chinese hoax, or the alle-
gations of flamboyant levels of cor-
ruption by Scott Pruitt and Ryan
Zinke, the now former heads of the
Environmental Protection Agency and
interior department, respectively.
But it’s the more mundane
unspooling of arcane regulations by
the administration that is most likely
to leave a tangible mark on the health
of Americans and the world around
them. This work is ploddingly tena-
cious. For example, during the som-
nambulant period between Christmas
and the New Year, the EPA decided
that rules curbing emissions of mer-
cury, linked to neurological disor-
ders, heart and lung problems and
compromised immune systems, are
too onerous on coal plants and should
be scrapped.
The proposed reversal is just the
latest in a list of about 80 environ-
mental rules either dismantled or
slated for abolition by the Trump
administration. They include the
destruction of the main Obama-era
policy to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from energy, the halting of
a planned ban of a pesticide deemed
harmful to infants’ development and
a weakening of fuel efficiency stand-
ards for cars.
The new vehicles regime sets up a
bitter fight with California, which
has stricter pollution rules for cars
and trucks than the federal stand-
ards. A cavalcade of legal action on
other issues is also expected to play
out this year as environmental
groups attempt to strike down the
Trumpian rollbacks.
However, unlike many other areas
of life, any sort of delay is almost as
harmful as active worsening, with
the world’s climate swiftly heating up
to an unbearable point for many
Americans, who already face increas-
ingly punishing hurricanes, rising
seas and apocalyptic wildfires.
In October, a landmark report by
UN Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change warned there is only
a dozen years left to prevent global
temperatures tipping beyond a point
where droughts, floods, extreme heat
and poverty become horrendously
worse. In response, Trump claimed to
have a “natural instinct for science”
because his uncle, John Trump, was a
professor of engineering at the
Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. The president added that
the climate “goes back and forth,
back and forth” before delivering his
verdict on the IPCC report itself. “I
Immigration
It took global condemnation and sus-
tained bipartisan criticism at home
for Donald Trump to show he had
limits on how much suffering immi-
grants should endure for his own
political gain.
For three months in 2018 Trump
admitted forcibly separated migrant
children from their families, provok-
ing scenes of desperation in border
courtrooms and detention centres as
mothers and fathers begged to have
their children returned. In fact it had
been separating thousands of chil-
dren since 2017.
Trump’s daughter and senior
adviser Ivanka described those
months as “a low point” for the
administration, which formally
abandoned the policy in June.
And yet, a single U-turn aside, the
administration continues to pursue
an extremist agenda on immigration,
keeping families separated in differ-
ent, more insidious, ways.
Trump’s travel ban, targeting a
number of Muslim-majority coun-
tries, has stopped family members in
some of the world’s most unstable
regions from visiting their loved ones
in America. Most recently a woman
from Yemen was temporarily pre-
vented from visiting her terminally
ill two-year-old son, an American cit-
izen.
The administration, having super-
charged the powers immigration
enforcement agents’ power, continues
to drive up the number of arrests and
deportations of undocumented peo-
ple - most with no serious criminal
history. Now a record 44,000 people
are held in immigration detention as
the immigration court backlog swells
to a record high. Thousands of those
facing deportation have lived in
America for decades, building fami-
lies and new lives here.
Meanwhile the administration has
cut the number of refugees allowed
into the country to a record low of
30,000. It has slashed the number of
successful green card applications.
And Trump has personally threat-
ened to try to end birthright citizen-
ship.
Of course, there is also Trump’s
infamous campaign pledge to build a
wall along the US’s southern border,
which he concedes will not now be
funded by Mexico, or made of con-
crete. Despite a government shut-
down over wall funding crippling
parts of the federal government, it is
those most vulnerable, namely asy-
lum seekers forced to languish just
outside the US, who endure the most
as a consequence of Trump’s relent-
less pursuit of an ineffective solution
to a complex problem on the border. v

C M Y K

Nepal enter first final in 12 years APF pip Birgunj 1-0
n Hammer Indonesia by 92 runs n Rana Magar, Chhetri shine n To play Thailand in title showdown today
n Nepali cricketers celebrate after defeating Indonesia in their Thailand Women’s Twenty20 Smash semi-final match in Bangkok on Friday. 
Adarsha Dhakal
Kathmandu, Jan 18
Nepal reached first ever final
of any international tourna-
ment in 12 years crushing
Indonesia by 92 runs in a
record-breaking victory of
the Thailand Women’s
Twenty20 Smash in Bangkok
on Friday.
Put in to bat first, a fine
batting display from the top
order steered Nepal to an
imposing 119-3 in 20 overs.
Skipper Rubina Chhetry then
wreaked havoc in the middle
order to bundle out Indonesia
for a paltry 27 in just 11.1
overs. Nepal will now meet
familiar foes Thailand in the
final on Saturday.
Sandy strikes but
MM Cup One Day National
Armymen set up APF Sixers still lose
title showdown
Bedraj Poudel
Inaruwa, Jan 18
Tribhuvan Army Club (TAC)
set a mouth-watering title
clash against Nepal Police
Club (NPC) easing to a
six-wicket victory over
Province 1 in the Manmohan
Memorial Cup One Day
National cricket tournament
on Friday.
Electing to field first, four
wickets from Hari Bahadur
Chauhan helped TAC squeeze
out Province 1 for just 109
runs in 25.4 overs. The
Armymen did lose four wick-
ets with just 25 runs on board
but Rohit Kumar Paudel and
Rajesh Pulami took them to
111 in 19.2 overs without fur-
ther damage. Monday’s final
will be an all-departmental
duel as TAC look to topple
n Rohit Kumar Paudel of Tribhuvan Army Club plays a shot against Province 1 during their MM Cup One
Day National cricket tournament match in Inaruwa on Friday. 
Pacquiao ready for Broner fight
Manny Pacquiao is aiming to offer fresh evidence
that life begins at 40 when the Filipino veteran takes
on Adrien Broner on Saturday in his first fight in Las
Vegas for more than two years. Pacquiao, who cele-
brated his 40th birthday last month with a lavish
birthday party in the Philippines, defends his WBA
regular welterweight crown against Broner.
Thailand Women’s Twenty20 Smash
The final entry is Nepal’s
first in over a decade after
they played the 2007 ACC
Women’s Championship title
match against now a Test
team Bangladesh in their
debut international event.
The semi-final win comes at a
time when women’s cricket is
struggling at home in the
absence of domestic cricket
thanks to the suspension of
cricket governing body.
Nepal themselves were
playing an international tour-
nament in 13 months after
competing in the 2017 ICC
Women’s World Twenty20
Qualifying Series Asia
Region. Coach Binod Das was
NPC, who had hammered
Province 7 by 200 runs in the
first semi-final on Thursday.
TAC had a disastrous start
losing openers Kushal Malla
(four) and Binod Bhandari
(four) along with Raju Rijal
(five) and Bhim Sharki (four)
cheaply. Paudel and Pulami
then put an unbroken 86-run
stand for the fifth wicket to
sail the team home. Paudel
struck seven boundaries and
three sixes in his 44-ball 58
and Pulami made a patient 23
off 43 balls with one bounda-
ry. Manoj Mandal took two
wickets for Province 1.
Earlier, seamers Bikram
Sob and Jitendra Mukhiya
took a wicket each to reduce
Province 1 to 19-2 in 5.2 overs.
Ravi Roy and Mukunda Yadav
offered a brief resistance
before spinner Sahab Alam
sports
Gattuso gets touchline ban
AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso was on Thursday
handed a one-game touchline ban for angrily confront-
ing the referee after his side’s Italian Super Cup final
loss to Juventus in Saudi Arabia midweek. Gattuso, 41,
angrily confronted officials for not awarding a penalty
for a foul by Juventus’s German midfielder Emre Can
on Andrea Conti late in his side’s 1-0 defeat in Jeddah.
glad to put the team in the
final. “It really feels great,
especially to see the girls
enjoying their time on the
field. We have earned some
respect on this tour and would
like to take it further ahead,”
Das said from Bangkok.
With the Indonesian team
against whom they had never
played before, Nepal put an
upper hand after opener Sita
Rana Magar and Indu Barma
put on a half century stand to
lay the foundation for a big
total. Rana Magar started
with a modest 31-run stand for
the first wicket with Kajal
Shrestha (14) before Barma
joined her in the middle.
broke the 30-run stand with
the dismissal of former. Roy
top scored for Province 1 with
22 off 27 balls.
Yadav (17) added another 33
runs for the fourth wicket
with skipper Pushpa Thapa
before a run out from Paudel
triggered a terrible Province
1 collapse. Paudel sent back
Province 1’s second best scor-
er Thapa for a 16-ball 19.
Thapa struck two fours and a
six. With the dismissal of
Thapa, Province went on to
lose their last seven wickets
for just 27 runs after Chauhan
picked up four middle and
lower middle order wickets.
Man-of-the-match Chauhan
returned with the figures of
4-9 from five overs. Kushal
Malla and Paudel also picked
up a wicket each for the
Armymen.
Post Photo: Bedraj Poudel
kathmandu post
the
PG 11 Saturday, January 19, 2019
Rana Magar and Barma
added 70 runs for the second
wicket as Nepal crossed triple
figures, for the second time in
the tournament having previ-
ously chased 106 runs against
the United Arab Emirates.
Rana Magar made a patient 48
off 62 deliveries before run-
ning herself out. Barma con-
tributed 37 not out from 33
balls with two boundaries.
Former captain Nary
Thapa and Kabita Kunwar
gave Nepal the early break-
through removing openers
Yulia Anggraeni (13) and
Kadek Winda Prastini (two)
but Indonesia were still in the
game at 19-2 in 4.3 overs.
n Sandeep Lamichhane
Sports Bureau
Kathmandu, January 18
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane
gave another decent perfor-
mance for Sylhet Sixers but
couldn’t avert his team’s
six-wicket defeat against
Dhaka Dynamites in the
Bangladesh Premier League
on Friday.
Lamichhane, who had
played a crucial role in hand-
ing Sixers’ victory over
Rangpur Riders on
Wednesday with tight bowl-
ing figures of 1-18, took 1-27
against league leaders
Dynamites who scampered to
victory in just 17 overs in a
chase of 159 reaching 163-4.
While Dynamites remained
solid at the top of the table
with 10 points from six
matches, Sixers are unmoved
at sixth with four points.
Skipper Shakib Al Hasan set
the tone in Dynamites’ victo-
ry making a 61-ball 41 not out
with eight fours and two
sixes. Andre Russell chipped
in 40 off 21 with four sixes
and two boundaries.
Introduced in the fifth over,
Lamichhane had a dream
kathmandupost.ekantipur.com
Captain Chhetri then trig-
gered the collapse with two
run-outs in a single over as
Indonesia kept losing wickets
at regular intervals.
Player-of-the-match Chhetri
continued to impress picking
up four wickets that folded
Indonesia with 53 balls to
spare. Chhetri took 4-2 off 3.1
overs. Rana Magar and Sarita
Magar also took a wicket
each. Das was all praise of her
girls for the allround display.
“It was one of those games
where everything fell into its
place. We had a decent start in
batting that helped us reach a
good total. Indonesia had a
potent attack but our girls,
start in the match after he
bowled Rony Talukdar and
conceded just three runs. He
conceded eight runs in the
second but was hammered for
three boundaries by Shakib
in his third in which he
leaked 12 runs. His fourth
over went for just four runs.
Despite being hammered,
Lamichhane still returned
with the best economy among
Sixers bowlers.
Lamichhane so far has
taken four wickets in the
tournament with the 2-16
against Comilla Victorians
being his best bowling fig-
ures. Earlier in the day, skip-
per David Warner’s second
consecutive half century had
lifted Sixers to 158-8 in 20
overs. Warner made 63 off 43
with eight fours and a six.
Sixers’ next match is
against Rangpur Riders on
Saturday. Lamichhane can
play two more matches in the
BPL before joining national
team for the upcoming One
Day International and
Twenty20 International
Series against the United
Arab Emirates scheduled for
January 25 to February 3.
Casilla leaves Real for Leeds
Real Madrid confirmed the sale of their third-choice
goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to Leeds on Thursday. Casilla
has fallen down the pecking order at Real following the
arrival of Thibaut Courtois last summer, with Keylor
Navas already at the club. After coming through the
ranks at Real, Casilla spent eight years at Espanyol
before returning to his former team in 2015.
Photo Courtesy: Steve L Roberts
specially Sita and Indu batted
brilliantly. The bowling also
came good and that was why
we managed to put up a clini-
cal performance,” Das said.
To win their first ever
international title at senior
level, Nepal now must give a
performance of their lifetime
against a Thai side who began
the international journey
together but moved far ahead
in women’s cricket. Das, how-
ever, wants to remain positive.
“I think we have a very good
team and we can only go
upwards from here if the girls
are looked after well. I think
we are very close to Thailand
and I won’t be surprised if
these girls create an upset
tomorrow,” the coach said.
ANFA president refutes
claims of irregularites
Ritesh Rijal
Lalitpur, Jan 18
All Nepal Football
Association (ANFA) presi-
dent Karma Tsering Sherpa
on Friday categorically refut-
ed district FAs’ corruption/
misconduct allegations
against the football govern-
ing body.
Speaking during a pro-
gramme to announce ANFA’s
progress report, Sherpa said
corruption was a thing of
past now that the new leader-
ship was at the helm of
ANFA. “We have zero toler-
ance on corruption and wel-
come any probe,” said
Sherpa. “There is no real
substance in the allegations
that were brought against us
by some FAs,” added the
ANFA President.
The anti-establishment fac-
tion led by Kathmandu
Football Association (FA)
president Birat Jung Shahi,
Bhaktapur FA president
Gautam Sujakhu, Dhading
president Dipak Khatiwada
and Lalitpur president
Purusottam Thapa on
December 31 last year out-
lined a 14-point irregularities
since Sherpa took reins of
ANFA in May last year.
Among the major allega-
tions made were the murky
dealing in the sales of 2018
FIFA World Cup tickets, hap-
hazardly distributing allow-
ances and irregularities in
renovation and reconstruc-
tion of ANFA office. The FAs
also alleged ANFA of mis-
leading the Asian Football
Confederation (AFC) by
demanding more budget than
actually required while con-
Simara Gold Cup
Pawan Yadav
Simara, Jan 18
Nepal Armed Police Force
(APF) Club beat Bishal
Memorial Foundation of
Birgunj 1-0 to enter the quar-
ter-finals of the Simara Gold
Cup football tournament on
Friday.
Ashish Lama scored the
winning goal in the 36 min-
ute. Lama capitalized on a
short pass inside the area
from teammate Santosh
Lama to score the all-import
goal. APF resorted to protect-
ing their lead and succeeded
in doing so despite repeated
attempts from their oppo-
nents. Ram Kumar Kumal
and Sudeep Shikrakar came
close to adding to the APF
only to see their close-range
attempt sail wide.
Birgunj coach Sulabh Jung
n Action from the match between APF Club and Bishal Memorial
Foundation of Birgunj during their Simara Gold Cup football
tournament match in Simara on Friday.
on the defence
n Karma Tsering Sherpa
ducting the AFC tournament
(AFC U-16 Women
Championship Qualifier).
The FAs on December 27
had also made public audio
recording of “misconduct”
during the lead up to the May
5 election. The audio tape
consists of conversation of
the honorary president Tashi
Ghale, who was on Thursday
relieved of his post, with var-
ious ANFA office-bearers
where they are heard to be
talking about “illicit” finan-
cial dealings.
“I have every detail of tick-
ets sales and anyone can
check that with us,” said
Sherpa adding that it was
just an attempt to tarnish the
image of the current leader-
ship. “As for the anomalies in
the hotel costs while hosting
the international tournament
in concerned, it is obvious
that it differs from AFC event
to that of the SAFF tourna-
ments. For instance, we
accommodate upto three indi-
viduals in a room for the
SAFF event, while we gener-
ally allow single room for
each player in the AFC event.
I urge all to check the facts
before making any accusa-
tions.”
Rana rued on the missed
opportunities. “I am happy to
give a tough fight against the
top team like APF. It was
unfortunate that we squan-
dered three good scoring
chances. Credits to them for
using the space we left for
scoring the goal,: said Rana.
Despite the victory, APF
coach Ratnajit Maharjan was
unhappy with the perfor-
mance of his team. “We were
below par in all respect. This
was our first game and hope-
fully we will improve in the
next game. We had to sustain
a huge pressure in the last 10
minutes to protect the lead,”
said Maharjan.
Goal-scorer Lama was
adjudged man-of-the-match
and received Rs 10,000 for his
effort. Saraswoti Youth Club
will take on Sankata Club on
Saturday.
Post Photo: pawan Yadav
Sherpa said there was no
substance in the tape record-
ing that the four FAs made
public. “Moreover it’s tam-
pered. You can easily see
that,” added Sherpa. Sherpa
clearly indicated that Ghale
was the ones to provide the
audio recordings to the rivals
and was therefore relieved of
his post for trying to smear
the image of ANFA. Sherpa
said the four FAs will be
asked to furnish the details
of their allegations and if
found guilty of attempted
misconduct “required
action” will be taken in due
course.
On a different note, the
ANFA President said that the
current leadership is investi-
gating into some of the
murky dealings of the previ-
ous body including the trans-
action with Spanish sports-
wear company Kelme, spon-
sor of the national football
teams. “We are also looking
into details as to why the-
then ANFA leadership depos-
ited Rs 1.5 million to one
Bangladesh FA president and
Rs 123,000 to one Mongolia
FA president. More alarming-
ly, it was deposited by some-
one named Rajesh Shrestha,”
said Sherpa without elaborat-
ing on the details.
As for the Kelme dealings,
Sherpa said ANFA document
shows the transaction of Rs
5.5 millions with the sports-
wear company but they only
found Rs 1.5 million worth of
sportsgear making its way to
ANFA. Sherpa also revealed
that several individuals in
the past had yet to clear their
advance payment amounting
to Rs 30 million.
C M Y K
Saturday, January 19, 2019 sports (C.R.P.D.) - 3/052/053 the kathmandu post 12

Sharapova stuns holder Wozniacki Mickelson

Agence France-Presse
MELBOURNE, Jan 18
Maria Sharapova stunned
defending champion Caroline
Wozniacki to sweep into the
Australian Open last 16 Friday
and join ice men Rafael Nadal
and Roger Federer, who clini-
cally disposed of their oppo-
nents.
The Russian five-time
Grand Slam winner, who has
struggled since returning
from a drugs ban in 2017, was
at full throttle in ending the
Dane’s dream of a second
major title. Sharapova won
6-4, 4-6, 6-3 with the roof closed
on Rod Laver Arena and will
next play in-form local hope
Ashleigh Barty, who bounced
Greece’s Maria Sakkari, for a
berth in the quarter-finals.
“I thought the level was
quite high. I knew it would be
a tough match,” said the 2008
champion, who has been in
sizzling form at the tourna-
ment as she chases her first
Slam title since Roland Garros
in 2014. “These types of
matches are what I train for
and it was really rewarding to
win that last point,” added the
30th seed.
Second seed Nadal called
young Australian Alex de
Minaur “one of the best in the
world” ahead of their evening
clash, then proceeded to hand
him a tennis lesson, disman-
tling the teenager 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
“I hit a good serve and played
a solid game,” said the 2009
champion who is searching
for an 18th Grand Slam title.
He paid tribute to De Minaur,
who saved six match points.
“He’s a big fighter and super
quick. Alex has an amazing
future.” Nadal’s reward is a
meeting with Tomas Berdych,
who rallied to beat Argentine
n Russia’s Maria Sharapova makes a forehand return against Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki during their Australian Open third round match at the Melbourne Park on Friday.
18th seed Diego Schwartzman
5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. The Czech vet-
eran reached the semi-finals
in 2014 and 2015 but is unseed-
ed this year as he returns
from a back injury that
almost forced his retirement
last year.
Swiss great Federer was
also on fire in taming big-serv-
ing American Taylor Fritz 6-2,
7-5, 6-2 to stay on track for a
third successive title at
Melbourne Park and a 21st
Grand Slam crown. On a
rain-affected day that delayed
play on outside courts, the
37-year-old showed no mercy
to the 21-year-old in his 100th
match on the centre court in
Melbourne. “I had a really
good feeling out here today
against someone who can be
dangerous,” said Federer
after reaching the Melbourne
fourth round for the 17th
time—more than anyone else
ever. “Taylor played really
well. He is going to have many
more years on tour playing at
this level.”
The double defending
champion is gunning for a
record seventh Australian
title. If he goes on to win
the tournament, he will
become the first man ever to
claim seven or more crowns at
two Slams, having already
won eight Wimbledons. Next
Results
Men’s singles
S Tsitsipas (GRE x14) bt N Basilashvili
(GEO x19) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4; T
Berdych (CZE) bt D Schwartzman (ARG
x18) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; R Federer (SUI x3)
bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2; G
Dimitrov (BUL x20) bt T Fabbiano (ITA)
7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4; F Tiafoe (USA) bt A
Seppi (ITA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3;
R Agut (ESP x22) bt K Khachanov (RUS
x10) 6-4, 7-5, 6-4; R Nadal (ESP x2) bt
Alex De Minaur (AUS x27) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4
up for him is fiery Greek 14th
seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who
beat Georgia’s 19th seed
Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 3-6,
7-6 (9/7), 6-4.
Women’s singles
A Barty (AUS x15) bt M Sakkari (GRE)
7-5, 6-1; A Anisimova (USA) bt A
Sabalenka (BLR x11) 6-3, 6-2; A
Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt A Sasnovich
(BLR) 6-0, 6-3; M Sharapova (RUS x30)
bt C Wozniacki (DEN x3) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; S
Stephens (USA x5) bt P Martic (CRO
x31) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5); P Kvitova
(CZE x8) bt B Bencic (SUI) 6-1, 6-4; D
Collins (USA) bt C Garcia
(FRA x19) 6-3, 6-2
Barty beat Greece’s Sakkari
7-5, 6-1, with the 15th seed yet
to drop a set in her best per-
formance at Melbourne Park.
She has won seven of eight
matches this month to back
up a title victory in Zhuhai
late last year to shape up as a
dangerous opponent for
Sharapova. “It’s getting to the
point now where I’m feeling
more and more comfortable
on the court and can play my
brand of tennis, which when I
execute I know it works
against the best in the world,”
said a confident Barty.
Second seed Angelique
Kerber received a gift ride
into the fourth round for her
31st birthday when she over-
powered local wildcard
Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 6-0. The
German Wimbledon champi-
on swept world No 240 Birrell
AP/RSS
aside in just 58 minutes to set
up a last 16 clash with unseed-
ed American Danielle Collins.
Meanwhile, unseeded
American Amanda Anisimova
continued her dream run,
ousting 11th seed Aryna
Sabalenka in straight sets.
The 17-year-old, who models
herself on Sharapova, will
play eighth seed Petra Kvitova
for a place in the quarter-fi-
nals. Russia’s Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova also
advanced, crushing
Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-0, 6-3
for a last 16 showdown with
fifth seed Sloane Stephens,
who beat Petra Martic in
straight sets.
flirts with 59
at Desert
Classic
Agence France-Presse
LOS ANGELES, Jan 18
Five-time major champion-
ship winner Phil Mickelson
flirted with a 59 in the open-
ing round of the US PGA
Tour’s Desert Classic on
Thursday, settling for the
third round of 60 in his sto-
ried career.
Mickelson rolled in 10
birdies and an eagle en route
to a 12-under 60 to become
the first player in PGA Tour
history to post three scores
of 60 or better. His other
rounds of 60 came at the par-
71 Phoenix Open where he
went on to win the both
titles. “It was kind of a lucky
day for me in the sense that I
did not feel sharp heading
in,” said Mickelson, who is
in his 28th year on the Tour.
The 48-year-old Mickelson
took advantage of the easier
La Quinta course to build a
three-shot lead over second
place Adam Long—and
record the lowest round in
relation to par in his career.
Long fired a nine-under 63,
while Australia’s Curtis
Luck is in third with a 64.
Trey Mullinax, Adam
Hadwin, Wyndham Clark
and Martin Laird all shot 65
and are tied for fourth.
The only other players to
shoot more than one round
of 60 or better are Jim Furyk
and Zach Johnson. Furyk
owns the Tour record with a
58. Canada’s Hadwin shot a
59 on the La Quinta course
two years ago.
World No 1 Justin Rose
shot a four-under 68 on the
more difficult Stadium
Course. Rose is the first
world No 1 to take part in the
event. Defending champion
Jon Rahm is in a large group
of 10 players at 66, six shots
adrift of Mickelson.
The Desert Classic is a
Pro-Am event, with players
rotating among La Quinta,
the Nicklaus Tournament
Course and the Stadium
Course over the first three
rounds. Sunday’s final day is
played at Stadium Course.

Australia-India ODI Series

Barcelona triumph but risk expulsion
Indians complete rare Agence France-Presse
BARCELONA, Jan 18
Espanyol in the last eight of a tourna-
ment they won, as well as La Liga, last

double Down Under

Agence France-Presse
MELBOURNE, Jan 18
Master finisher Mahendra
Singh Dhoni eased India to a
seven-wicket victory to clinch
their one-day international
(ODI) series against Australia
in Melbourne on Friday.
The unflappable veteran
wicketkeeper hit his third
half-century of the three-
game series to again prove
the difference after his
match-winning knock in the
second game in Adelaide.
The 37-year-old wicketkeep-
er-batsman kept his usual
cool during an unbeaten 87
off 114 balls as India chased
down Australia’s 230 with
four balls to spare at the
Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG). It consummated a
hugely-successful tour of
Australia where Virat Kohli’s
team also claimed an historic
first-ever 2-1 Test series win
down under.
Barcelona overturned a first leg defeat
to beat Levante in the Copa del Rey on
Thursday but could yet be thrown out
of the competition after being accused
of fielding an ineligible player.
Barca won 3-0 at the Nou Camp,
with Lionel Messi setting up two
Ousmane Dembele goals and then
scoring himself to seal a 4-2 victory on
aggregate. Their place in the quar-
ter-finals, however, is under threat
after Levante president Francisco
Javier Catalan confirmed shortly
before kick off that the club would
lodge a complaint to the Spanish
Football Federation on Friday.
Levante claim Barcelona defender
Juan Brandariz ‘Chumi’ played ille-
gally in the first leg as he should have
been serving a suspension. “Whatever
happens on the field of play today,
Levante are going to take this situa-
tion to the Federation tomorrow,”
Catalan said earlier on Thursday. “We
feel that there is a solid enough prece-
dent to back up the club’s decision.”
Chumi was banned after he received
a yellow card playing for Barcelona’s B
team in the B division. Barcelona,
n India’s MS Dhoni bats during their third and final ODI match against however, insist a change in the rules in
Australia in Melbourne on Friday. AP/RSS
Summary 14. Shaun Marsh and Usman
n Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (right) shoots to score against Levante during their Copa del
Rey match at the Camp Nou Stadium on Thursday.
November means the suspension does
not carry over into the Copa del Rey.
“There were never any doubts about
Chumi, none,” Barca
coach Er nesto
Valverde said. “We
Copa del Rey
did everything right. Tomorrow we
will be in the draw, we have no doubts.”
Levante may feel precedent is on their
side after Real Madrid were disquali-
fied from the Copa del Rey in 2015 for
E n g l i s h P r e m i e r Le a g u e
fielding Denis Cheryshev, despite the
player being suspended. Real had over-
looked Cheryshev receiving three yel-
low cards while play-
ing for Villarreal in
the competition the
previous season.
Barcelona were certainly worthy
winners on the pitch and, as it stands,
will join Real Madrid, Sevilla, Real
Betis, Valencia, Girona, Getafe and
year. That domestic double arguably
took its toll in Europe, however, and
Valverde has been under pressure to
afford his key players more rest this
season. Barca play Lyon in the
Champions League last 16 next month.
Messi started, along with fellow reg-
ulars like Jordi Alba, Clement Lenglet,
Ivan Rakitic and Arthur. Luis Suarez,
Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets and
Marc Andre ter Stegen all began on
the bench. Barcelona were dominant
from the outset, as a curling Messi
freekick was pushed wide and Philippe
Coutinho, excellent again, shot over.
Messi and Arturo Vidal both went
close and finally in the 30th minute,
Dembele made the breakthrough,
latching onto Messi’s pass before bun-
dling the ball into the net. A minute
later, the Frenchman had a second.
Coutinho found Messi on the break
and he slipped free the sprinting
Dembele, who ran round Aitor
Fernandez and scuffed the ball home
off the goalkeeper’s outstretched leg.
Levante were still only a goal away
from extra-time but Messi ended any
hopes of a comeback. Dembele freed
Nelson Semedo down the right and he
found the Argentinian in the middle.

Chelsea clash vital for Arsenal ambitions

Dhoni was given tremen-
dous support from Kedar
Jadhav with a belligerent
unbeaten 61 from 57 balls in a
match-winning 121-run stand.
India wrapped up the ODI
series after losing the opening
match in Sydney by 34 runs
before levelling with a
six-wicket win in Adelaide to
set up the decider in
Melbourne. Dhoni, a much-
loved sporting hero back
home, captained India to a
World Cup win in 2011. He
quit Tests in 2014, and stepped
down as the limited-overs
skipper three years later.
Kohli looked set for anoth-
er big score before he was
caught behind off Jhye
Richardson for 46 off 62 balls
in the 30th over leaving his
side at 113-3. Dhoni and
Jadhav took up where Kohli
left off guiding their team to a
convincing victory.
India le g-spinner
Yuzvendra Chahal earlier
captured the best figures by
any bowler in one-day cricket
in Australia to restrict the
home side to just 230. Chahal,
playing in his first match in
the series after coming in for
Test wrist-spinner Kuldeep
Yadav, mesmerised the
India 234-3 in 49.2 overs (MS Dhoni
87*, K Yadav 61*; J Richardson 1-27, P
Siddle 1-56) beat Australia 230 in
48.4 overs (P Handscomb 58, S Marsh
39; Y Chahal 6-42, B Kumar 2-28, M
Shami 2-47) by seven wickets
Man-of-the-match: Y Chahal
Man-of-the-series: MS Dhoni
Australians with his 6-42.
Chahal shares the record
with fellow Indian Ajit
Agarkar, who claimed the
same figures against
Australia at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground in 2004.
Only Peter Handscomb
showed any appreciable fight
for Australia with his 58 off 63
balls before he became one of
Chahal’s victims. It was an
underwhelming batting per-
formance by the Australians,
who managed just 17 bounda-
ries before they were bowled
out with eight balls left.
Australia’s openers again
failed to get a start and Alex
Carey was out in the third
over when he got a nick off
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and
was taken by Kohli at second
slip for five. His partner
Aaron Finch followed six
overs later again to Kumar
trapped leg before wicket for
Khawaja steadied the innings
before Adelaide centurion
Marsh was smartly stumped
by Dhoni off a wide down the
leg-side from Chahal for 39.
Khawaja followed three balls
later when he got a thick lead-
ing edge and offered Chahal a
return catch for 34.
Marcus Stoinis lasted 20
balls before he became
Chahal’s third victim, caught
at slip by Rohit Sharma for 10,
leaving Australia rocking at
123-5 in the 30th over. Glenn
Maxwell hit a breezy 26 off 19
balls before Mohammed
Shami enticed him to pull
with a short-pitched delivery
to Kumar sprinting in from
deep to take a diving catch.
Richardson played against
the spin and chipped the ball
to short midwicket where
Jadhav took the chance for 16
giving Chahal his fourth
wicket. Handscomb was
trapped plumb in front of his
stumps by Chahal in the 46th
over and Australia’s innings
rattled to a quick close. Adam
Zampa charged down the
wicket to Chahal and holed
out to Vijay Shankar at
long-on for eight and Billy
Stanlake was bowled by
Shami for a duck.
Agence France-Presse
LONDON, Jan 18
The need for the riches as
much as the prestige of a
return to Champions League
football leaves Arsenal little
room for error when Chelsea
visit the Emirates on
Saturday.
A run of three defeats in
their last six Premier League
games has left the fifth-placed
Gunners six points adrift of
their London rivals in the
battle for a top-four finish.
However, it is Chelsea and
not Arsenal who are reinforc-
ing in the January transfer
window to ensure they are
not forced to cope with the
consolation prize of the
Europa League for a second
consecutive season.
Chelsea boss Maurizio
Sarri seems set to finally get
the striker he wanted in
Gonzalo Higuain on a loan
deal from Juventus having
worked with the Argentine
international during a
prolific 38-goal season at
Napoli in 2015-16.
Arsenal’s problems are at
the other end of the field. No
side in the top half of the
table have conceded more
than the 32 goals Unai
Emery’s men have in 22
Premier League games.
However, Emery has revealed
that Arsenal do not have the
funds to make signings this
month unless they are on
loan. Arsenal ranked sixth in
Deloitte’s latest Football
Money League ahead of the
likes of Paris Saint-Germain,
Chelsea and Liverpool with a
near 500-million-euro ($570
million) income.
However, while Premier
League leaders Liverpool
spent big on marquee sign-
ings Alisson Becker and
Virgil van Dijk to transform
their defensive record,
Arsenal are paying a heavy
price for a series of costly
contracts and an imbalanced
squad. The club’s highest
earner Mesut Ozil penned a
new three-and-a-half contract
worth a reported $450,000 a
Fixtures
Wolverhampton vs Leicester (1815 NST)
Bournemouth vs West Ham (2045 NST)
Liverpool vs Palace (2045 NST)
Man United vs Brighton (2045 NST)
Newcastle vs Cardiff (2045 NST)
Southampton vs Everton (2045 NST)
Watford vs Burnley (2045 NST)
Arsenal vs Chelsea (2315 NST)
(All matches on Saturday)
week last January as Arsenal
feared losing one of their
prized assets for free.
Just days earlier to get
some return for Alexis
Sanchez, who also wound his
contract down into its final
months, Arsenal agreed an
exchange deal to sign
Henrikh Mkhitaryan from
Manchester United on a deal
worth a reported £200,000 a
week until 2021.
However, neither player
can count on the confidence
of Emery. The two creative
midfielders have started
together just four times in
the league this season and
Ozil was dropped from the
squad entirely for last week-
end’s defeat at West Ham.
The deadline-day signing
of Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang last January
has proved far more success-
ful. The Gabon international
is tied with Mohamed Salah
and Harry Kane as the
Premier League’s top scorer
with 14 goals this season. But
the £56 million paid for
Aubameyang broke a club-re-
cord transfer fee set by the
signing of another striker
Alexandre Lacazette just six
months earlier.
Emery has also struggled
to get both into his starting
lineup with Lacazette grow-
ing increasingly frustrated at
playing second fiddle. With so
much spent on strengthening
the forward areas, a limited
budget when looking for a
new goalkeeper in Bernd
Leno and ageing defenders
Sokratis Papastathopoulos
and Stephan Lichtsteiner in
the summer has been
exposed.
To make matters worse,
head of recruitment Seven
Mislintat, the man hired to
get Arsenal better value in
the transfer market just 14
months ago due to a sterling
reputation earned at
Dortmund, is reportedly set
to leave the club after recent-
ly seeing his influence dimin-
ished. The one obvious way
to ease the economic strain is
a return to the Champions
League after a two-year
absence, making victory this
weekend imperative.
“We have time to achieve
that this season,” insisted
Emery this week, but the
Spaniard believes he will be
afforded time given the
restraints put upon him.
“We knew there were going
to be difficulties in this pro-
cess. The most important
thing is to be aware that the
difficulties will come, and at
that moment still be able to
make progress. That is the
idea. The idea is to get
Arsenal back to where the
club deserves to be, but it
needs time.”

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