News of the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya swept India last week, and also sent ripples across the border here in Janakpur where Lord Ram’s consort Sita was born.&nbsp; The inauguration of the shrine by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/janakpur-to-janakpur">Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> was controversial because the temple was built on the space where the 16th century Babri Masjid once stood, and which was razed by a Hindu mob in 1992. But last week’s temple inauguration was celebrated in Janakpur as well because it is the birthplace of Sita, 500km away from Ayodhya. Indeed, the Janaki Temple dedicated to Sita here is itself a holy site for Hindus from Nepal, India and across the world. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_ed08353ab53dbe6e85ee0721239f2aef9554b19f91faa012e20d67d5eec699b2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024020216020_ed08353ab53dbe6e85ee0721239f2aef9554b19f91faa012e20d67d5eec699b2" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>The inner sanctum of Janaki Mandir, which houses deities from the Ramayana.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_094e274b164e8c728550a747876845c4592d9ca7fb00a1ef77905115af2868ce.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2024020216020_094e274b164e8c728550a747876845c4592d9ca7fb00a1ef77905115af2868ce" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Idols of Janak, Sunaina, Ram and Sita at Janaki Mandir that is dedicated to Lord Ram's consort.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_518c843b985d3651ea106b390f22d7a55aa099f9594a256065acf19ddd163aa7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2024020216020_518c843b985d3651ea106b390f22d7a55aa099f9594a256065acf19ddd163aa7" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>A pilgrim on his way inside the temple to offer prayers. SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>  Janakpur is the capital of Madhes Province and the erstwhile seat of the Mithila Kingdom once ruled by King Janak, the father of Sita who features in the Hindu epic, Ramayana.&nbsp; The city near the Indian border is often overshadowed by Pashupati in Kathmandu and more popular pilgrimage sites in India, but has its own unique and rich cultural heritage and historical significance. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020301024_2aa535a25e86055fbb36428480aff6b0ecbca54489b271e2eec56cfbe8461040.png" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="2024020301024_2aa535a25e86055fbb36428480aff6b0ecbca54489b271e2eec56cfbe8461040" data-rendition-name="original" width="830" height="605" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita-Ram corridor NT"> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_df6ca98da633ab978ea7a11dbf4d5178d32da522290cbd732834da072dca6163.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="2024020216020_df6ca98da633ab978ea7a11dbf4d5178d32da522290cbd732834da072dca6163" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Less imposing than Janaki Mandir, the temple dedicated to Lord Ram dates back at least to 1782.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>  Besides the Janaki Temple few know that Janakpur also has its own Ram Mandir, as well as numerous historic ponds and ashram that have now been meticulously restored. All this makes Janakpur an epicentre of faith and spiritualism in Nepal’s southern plains. The Janaki Temple was built as recently as 1910 by Queen Brishbhanu of Tikamgarh in India, and imitates the Mughal architecture prevalent at the time. But this structure was built over the ruins of previous temples, including one erected by Sur Kishor Das, a sadhu from India who came here in the 17th century and established a temple dedicated to Sita, also revered as a goddess.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_0260b84896a419fa025672a9ed19109790efb2da44a64482db74fb6b6881a5d3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="2024020216020_0260b84896a419fa025672a9ed19109790efb2da44a64482db74fb6b6881a5d3" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>People carry a stack of clothes at Janakpur Railway Station.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_1a22545086bb358edf6a01484c23446060cf302b5bf15b017a3c171a5e55e958.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="2024020216020_1a22545086bb358edf6a01484c23446060cf302b5bf15b017a3c171a5e55e958" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Sadhus from India travel to Janakpur via the Jayanagar-Janakpur Railway.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_aa837888a5b22b08c552eb3d6ac25b6a72ec1eff0e8ddeee63ce7e8847a489ae.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="2024020216020_aa837888a5b22b08c552eb3d6ac25b6a72ec1eff0e8ddeee63ce7e8847a489ae" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>People wash clothes in the Angaraj Sar near Janaki Temple.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>  Sita herself is believed to have had an immaculate conception and born from a furrow in the earth. She was later adopted by King Janak and is now a prominent figure in Hinduism because of her role in the Ramayana in which she was abducted by Ravana and spirited away to Lanka, only to be rescued by Lord Ram’s monkey army led by the intrepid Hanuman. Just like Lord Buddha, who was also <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/buddha-s-birthday-in-his-birthplace">born in what is now Nepal</a>, Sita has been recognised as a national luminary of Nepal. Today, Janakpur where Ram and Sita were married is celebrated as the symbol of divine love, virtue, and loyalty. The temple is also frequented by newlyweds to make offerings for a happy marriage.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_94a654fea8a32e30c14159b14228042e650aad374cbc3e2ebae98c3e3a903268.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="2024020216020_94a654fea8a32e30c14159b14228042e650aad374cbc3e2ebae98c3e3a903268" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Sadhus smoke inside the premises of Ram Mandir.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_5191d485847a6efc7f325cd9b392916af0630b4e5c022ac0e4e0e792bd6d00a5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_11" data-image-id="2024020216020_5191d485847a6efc7f325cd9b392916af0630b4e5c022ac0e4e0e792bd6d00a5" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>A vendor in front of Janaki Temple sells tika powder and other materials used to perform puja.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_f491c60c89113c6be846f55db861c5f20b677eccc3dd3cfc06d6f5db2a888447.jpg" data-media-id="editor_12" data-image-id="2024020216020_f491c60c89113c6be846f55db861c5f20b677eccc3dd3cfc06d6f5db2a888447" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>A vendor sells puja paraphernalia in Dashrath Sagar.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>  Just half a kilometre away from Janaki Mandir is the temple dedicated to Lord Ram built by Chaturbhuj Giri in the 17th century, and later rebuilt by Gen Amar Singh Thapa in 1782. The temple houses an idol of Ram, including those of Panchayan, Lakshminarayan, Vishnu Dashavatar, and Surya residing on a seven-horse chariot. Legend has it that there were once more than 52 ashrams and 72 sacred ponds in Janakpur, some of which are still intact. The holy sites are visited by many <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/a-thousand-sadhus-and-a-hanuman">sadhus</a> in saffron robes who represent the city’s roots in Vaishnavism.&nbsp; Mornings and evenings, Janakpur is alive with bhajan chants. Each day begins with the singing of Ramacharitramanas, and the sunset prayers at the Ganga Sagar pond in the evening is a spectacle for tourists and pilgrims alike exuding a unique feeling of harmony and devotion.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_58d1926f3a73957d796ad29f634eb09c5e1a375175afad0902f367b6b36655e0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="2024020216020_58d1926f3a73957d796ad29f634eb09c5e1a375175afad0902f367b6b36655e0" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Saffron-clad women sing devotional songs at Ram Mandir.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_8dde569b14c3fe720c356289281fe323c3e8744983166606cb6a557a0df8b28a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="2024020216020_8dde569b14c3fe720c356289281fe323c3e8744983166606cb6a557a0df8b28a" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>Hindu hymns are heard all day long in all parts of Janakpur.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024020216020_a3f5b996949fb5b95e6e175141c6495194088167aca97cbc6359f32ae21cf5ec.jpg" data-media-id="editor_16" data-image-id="2024020216020_a3f5b996949fb5b95e6e175141c6495194088167aca97cbc6359f32ae21cf5ec" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1335" loading="lazy" alt="Janakpur Sita Ram corridor NT"> <figcaption>The Ganga Aarati is held every evening at Ganga Sagar.SWORUP IMAGES</figcaption> </figure>  Intricate and exquisite <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/vibrant-mithila-art-thrives-in-nepal">Mithila art</a> adorn walls and buildings throughout the city. The origin of this art form can be traced back to the wedding of Ram and Sita, and has since become a visual expression of local lifestyle and culture. Initially, it was practiced as a way of life and the paintings and clay reliefs created by women were confined to homes, but over the years has gained immense popularity worldwide. Janakpur’s identity as the home of Sita, and its growth as the capital of Madhes can be the catalyst for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-geopolitics-of-pilgrimage">boosting religious tourism in Nepal</a>, and bring in both domestic and Indian pilgrims to the city. Janakpur already has a railway (Nepal’s only) connecting it to the Indian border that will soon be extended to Bardibas on the East-West Highway. There are a dozen daily flights to Kathmandu, and a flight to Ayodhya and other Indian cities are also planned. Janakpur is already a stopover for Indian pilgrims going to Pashupati in Kathmandu at Shivaratri and on to Muktinath, the two other important Hindu sites.&nbsp;

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The Sita-Ram corridor

Bijay Prakash Netuwa, 40, has been to Saudi Arabia twice. But all the money he earned was not enough to pay off his debts, and build a house for his family of six or prevent his wife and daughter from continuing their ancestral occupation of begging. The Netuwa people are nomadic people who roamed across northern India and are now settled in Lumbini and Madhes Provinces in Nepal’s Tarai plains. Some 56 families have made Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality here their home, a 45-minute drive from the Buddha’s nativity site. Legally, Netuwa people do not own land but here they have built thatched huts in an area allocated by the government. But they still roam the surrounding villages with their families, striking camp to perform music and dance in return for rice and money. Afterwards, the children go to school. “We have no land, no property, but what’s the point of raising children and educating them if they are going to end up begging like us,” points out Mantola Netuwa, 38, wife of Bijay Prakash. “Even the clothes we wear are hand me downs.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020144_ed08c4ecf6cf2a5ad90c695592d90233b5b6e4a99f9bbb8804befbcf1bd11c02.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240106020144_ed08c4ecf6cf2a5ad90c695592d90233b5b6e4a99f9bbb8804befbcf1bd11c02" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>The Netuwa people set up camps. They still roam surrounding villages to perform music and dance in return for rice and money.</figcaption> </figure>  Bijay Prakash takes every day labour job he comes across, but is not enough to make ends meet. He does not yet have a voter ID. He has built a one room house, but it does not even have a real door and or windows yet. It is dark inside, the kitchen’s mud stove is outside with a makeshift roof. There is no toilet, no running water.&nbsp; Just across from the Netuwa home is a more prosperous looking concrete house. Sati Prasad Yadav, 47, and Deepa Bhurtel, 40, have a toilet, running water, cable tv and even wifi. They vote in elections, and plan to add a fridge in the kitchen. The couple has a son in India who sends money home to his parents regularly, and makes video calls on their smartphone. They rely on Facebook and YouTube for news. Deepa is educated enough not to want to change her surname after she had an inter-ethnic marriage with Sati Prasad. The Netuwa and Yadav-Bhurtel families are just separated by a path, but they represent the layers of marginalisation within Nepali families living in the periphery. They are coexisting, but are worlds apart. Much of the rest of this village is made up of 200 of the 1,300 Netuwa people in Kapilvastu and Rupandehi districts bordering India. They speak Avadhi and Hindi but the younger school-going generation now also speak Nepali.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020144_c9d16df043def265f4e9628490c89ba2bdc920bb75f3a18faeafda0f2c96c56f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240106020144_c9d16df043def265f4e9628490c89ba2bdc920bb75f3a18faeafda0f2c96c56f" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>Bijay Prakash Netuwa and Mantola Netuwa with their daughter.</figcaption> </figure>  At present, the government recognises Netuwa as Madhesi Dalits and the last census put their number at 2,896. But that number also includes populations in Bara, Parsa, Sarlahi and Nawalparasi who, interestingly, have identified themselves as Muslim. The community has pinned its hopes on being listed as one of Nepal government’s endangered indigenous communities, which they believe will make them eligible for government grants and facilities. Netuwas are doubly marginalised since they are also ostracised for their ‘begging’ tradition. The community is trying to move away from its ancestral occupation, and some are playing music at weddings and festivals instead to make a living. Others harvest wild honey or have become experts at rescuing snakes.&nbsp; “For as long as I remember, for all of our six generations, we have been begging. But for the first time my son got a job as a teacher under quota system, only to be fired three years later,” says Prahlad Netuwa of Mayadevi Municipality. “We have no voice, we have no jobs and the government in Kathmandu, K P Oli, Prachanda, they only want votes. They do not care for people on the margins like us.”&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020144_39afdffc4496130a8bee72db2aec480e151bf9a661a6fca7e3fe9526f7f904d0.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240106020144_39afdffc4496130a8bee72db2aec480e151bf9a661a6fca7e3fe9526f7f904d0" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>The Netuwa and Yadav-Bhurtel families are just separated by a path.</figcaption> </figure>  Krishna Netuwa, 17, completed his Grade 10 but was not able to get a certificate because he did not even have Rs3,000 for the fee. Krishna had been begging most of his life, but also does occasional construction jobs, making about Rs500 on such days. His parents do not have jobs, and he takes care of six younger sisters and a small brother.&nbsp; “People curse at us, ask us why we have reduced ourselves to begging when we can work, &nbsp;but only we know the pain of having to beg despite being educated, it is killing us internally,” he says. “But we have no support system, least of all not from this uncaring government.” Elsewhere in the neighbouring villages of Motibhar and Ganariya, almost every family has someone in the Gulf, Malaysia or India. Most of the houses here are concrete and freshly painted, some with perimeter walls and black metal gates. Amrik Kumar, 27, is preparing to go to Qatar as a plumber, and has taken Rs300,000 to afford an air ticket and pay the recruiter. He worked in a furniture company in Malaysia for seven years previously. “I bought some land with the money I earned in Malaysia and built a nice home for my family,” says Kumar who is now a father of a daughter and two sons as he takes us to his new house, a one-storey concrete structure. Next to the building lies a thatched roof where his elderly parents still live.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020148_6469a1bd0c041e26ae5e36ca5de96547be1e5c07ed0d0becea9ec5b2b968389a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240106020148_6469a1bd0c041e26ae5e36ca5de96547be1e5c07ed0d0becea9ec5b2b968389a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1333" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>Amrik Kumar wants to go to Qatar as a plumber.</figcaption> </figure>  Kumar’s oldest brother passed away due to a sudden heart attack a couple of years ago forcing his young sons to grow up early. Both of them are now working in India. The rest of Kumar’s brothers are also in the Gulf or Malaysia. Remittance money has also allowed families here in this Chamar and Harijan Dalit communities to afford boarding schools for their sons that cost Rs1,100 per month. Girls are also educated and even outspoken, they tell visitors frankly about the lack of teachers in their colleges. They say they are getting their lessons on YouTube instead. Most want to pursue higher studies but child marriage is still prevalent. The boys mostly drop out of school for jobs abroad. “We still face discrimination for being Dalit, even in school, although not as visible as it was back then,” says 18-year-old Mamata Harijan. “But as girls, we are discriminated against in our own home, boys are sent to private boarding schools. We aren’t.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020144_d3b05c3736a7c1f305ebb390464865303e82b762a33a72caa9e15aa1f8ea28aa.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240106020144_d3b05c3736a7c1f305ebb390464865303e82b762a33a72caa9e15aa1f8ea28aa" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>Mina Harijan, 20, with her three-year-old daughter. Her husband, also 20, is unemployed and alcoholic. Child marriage is still prevalent in these parts of Madhes.</figcaption> </figure>  Unlike Netuwa, Chamars are not landless but they cannot cultivate their land because of a chronic water shortage. The water in the wells is not sufficient even for daily household use, let alone irrigation. They know this is happening because those with pumps are overusing the ground water.&nbsp; Villages here have been demanding for quality education in public schools and colleges, employment for women, irrigation and quality healthcare as alternatives to labour migration at high-interest loans but the government has ignored their voices, they say. Because the nearby health post and even the hospital do not have anything more than basic drugs, locals also have to go to India and spend a fortune on medical treatment. &nbsp; Says retired teacher Ram Prasad Baran: “This country has had so many governments, several constitutions but have they ever been for us? This is a country run by upper caste people for their own interests.” <h2>Dalits and Muslims bear the brunt of statelessness</h2> Their forefathers were dacoits, now this is a village full of migrant workers. Jhijha village 17km away from the Indian border in Nepal’s southern plains is going through perhaps its most dramatic demographic shift in its history.&nbsp; Too much water in the monsoon and too little in the dry season has made agriculture less vaiable for a majority of farming families here. Wages for daily labour is too little, and there are no other jobs going.&nbsp; Many have migrated to India, and those who can pay recruiters have gone to the Gulf or Malaysia. But for the largely uneducated Dalits and Muslims at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder it is a struggle. “At the very least if the flooding in the area could be controlled, we can till our own lands and increase productivity. Maybe an embankment or irrigation,” says local Dalit leader Jay Prakash Paswan. “We have been left to our own devices, the government hasn’t given us anything, they just built us a temple. If anyone has built anything here it is because of their earning from abroad.” Social ostracisation and discrimination make matters worse, especially for the community’s women. Child marriage is common. Parents fear that exposure to social media will lead their daughters to elope, so they marry them off early. Underage couples are unable to register their marriage and births of children, which means they cannot get citizenship papers and jobs. The nearest hospital is quite a distance away, most women give birth at home.&nbsp; For most of the young men here, labour migration is the only option they see to uplift their standard of living. But even then, they do not have money of their own to afford to go abroad. They borrow from local loan sharks who charge them very high interest rates. “We need to pay Rs400,000 to manpower people for an overseas jobs, but we don’t make that kind of money here, and we do not have skills,” says Biswonath Paswan. “Even when migrant workers come back they are still paying interest. So we end up going to India for menial jobs.” Rabi Paswan, 20, has finished high school but sees no prospect for himself in the village and wants to go to India to make something of himself. He says: “I have no job, nothing. Most of my friends have left, or are planning to.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020144_e2a1db39ab50bf3620a2456a881d23566b12d578b2407bb058c87c38cfa4b57e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240106020144_e2a1db39ab50bf3620a2456a881d23566b12d578b2407bb058c87c38cfa4b57e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="2000" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>Rabi Paswan has finished high school and wants to go to India to earn money.</figcaption> </figure>  Tarai is not geographically remote like Karnali or Far West but what holds the Madhes Province back is gender discrimination and an entrenched caste system. Female literacy is also lowest in the whole of Nepal. Jhijha is made up of 85 Dalit and 20 Mahara families coexisting together. Many people in the bordering towns of Nepal’s Tarai still do not have citizenship. In Lohan, a predominantly Muslim community, a local explained with tears in his eyes how district bureaucrats demanded Rs20,000 for citizenship papers. “I’m a farmer, I barely make enough to meet my family’s demands. How could I pay that much for something that should have been my birthright?” asks Mohammad Kalam , 43. “They said I can get a citizenship card in two days if I paid that amount. A Nepali has to pay for his own citizenship, what kind of country are we living in?”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240106020148_f4e39654f81f7f61fa0687ab7fee9a4ef0d56424170a0831f4889bfe609ed64a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240106020148_f4e39654f81f7f61fa0687ab7fee9a4ef0d56424170a0831f4889bfe609ed64a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1333" loading="lazy" alt="The marginalised on the margins NT"> <figcaption>The increasing influence of Hindutva has increased tension between Hindu and Muslim communities in the Tarai.</figcaption> </figure>  Across Nepal, the voice for a Hindu state is gaining momentum with increasing influence from across the border in India where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is contesting the 2024 general election on the Hindutva platform. The effect of that is already palpable here in the border region. Leaders in Nepal have further inflamed the situation, leading to a volatile mixture of religion and politics, and in turn, increased tension between Hindu and Muslim communities in the Tarai.&nbsp; “Never before had we faced communal discrimination, for as long as we remember Hindus and Muslims have coexisted harmoniously but now we fear for our safety,” says Mohammad Mubarak Hussain, adding that easy access to India makes it also easier to bring in pro-Hindutva elements from across the border. He adds: “There are extremists in both religions making things worse. But this is when we really need our government to calm things down, not to take political benefit from stoking religious tensions.”&nbsp; Sonia Awale in Janakpur

The marginalised on the margins

<figure><img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203f89c7e80680e0b2837jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>All photos: MITHILA WILDLIFE TRUST</figcaption></figure>Imagine living next to a tiny forest the size of a tennis court right in the middle of Kathmandu, which makes the whole neighbourhood look clean and green. The forest is dense and layered with several different species of indigenous trees, shrubs, fruits and herbs. Butterflies, bees and birds return to the vibrant ecosystem.This is not fantasy, but an actual possibility for an over-urbanised city where there are very few open spaces left.First developed 40 years ago by a <a href="http://akiramiyawaki.com">Japanese botanist</a>, the ‘Miyawaki method’ of reforesting allows densely packed carefully selected trees to grow in tiny plots of land in urban centres like Kathmandu, or even in household backyards.The result is a self-sustaining forest rich in biodiversity in a few short years that can serve as a network of new lungs for a polluted city. In <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/empowering-nepalis-during-covid-19-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dhanusa district</a>, the Mithila Wildlife Trust has become the first to successfully implement the Miyawaki method in Nepal. “These are high density forests which act as natural air conditioners, and they can bring down the ambient temperature by 2-3°C. And the ecosystem is so diverse that it also allows plants, insects and birds to thrive,” says Dev Narayan Mandal of the Trust.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-can-up-forest-cover-to-45-by-2030/">Nepal can up forest cover to 45% by 2030</a>, Nepali Times <img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203fb9c7e80680e0b2838jpeg.jpg" alt="">Mithila Wildlife Trust last month planted trees in 2,580 square feet of land in Janakpur using this technique, and there are already calls from forestry offices in Mahottari and Makwanpur who want to implement the technique in their districts.  “I even got calls from a few individuals in Kathmandu who want to use the method in their compounds,” says a visibly-enthused Mandal, a recent recipient of the International Environment Warrior and World Neem Warrior awards. Unlike traditional reforestation where trees of the same species are planted in bulk at a distance of 3-4m, Miyawaki prioritises native varieties and those most suitable to the specific climate of the area. The saplings are also packed densely together at a distance of 60cm from each other.This means the trees are densely packed, and quickly grow into forests that serve as oxygen generators for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/breathing-can-kill-you/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cities with dirty air</a>. They also help revive indigenous plants, and since the canopy is multi-layered, it means the trees do not all mature at once.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous/">Tree-mendous</a>, Peter Gill <img width="960" height="540" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637203fe9c7e80680e0b2839jpeg.jpg" alt="">Mandal says the forests can grow 10 times faster and are at least 20 times more diverse and 30 times denser than traditional replanted forests. But the real attraction is that they do not need large tracts of land, but can grow in small plots only 30m x 30m in city cores.Nepal is an international model for a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/who-now-owns-nepals-forests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">successful community forestry </a> program that saw the country’s tree cover double in the last 25 years to nearly 40%, but in the cities the greenery has been replaced by concrete jungles.  Trees have been cut to make way for hard, dry surfaces like roads, sidewalks, pavement, buildings and parking lots, all of which <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/preparing-for-kathmandus-heat-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">absorb and retain heat in ‘urban heat islands’</a>. And when residents rely on air conditioners to cool their homes, it becomes a vicious cycle as the outside temperature goes up even more.  What little is left of public land in Kathmandu and other major cities are being built over.  Communities rallying to turn open spaces into leafy parks are opposed by municipalities whose idea of a park is to have fountains, concrete pavements and shops.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/will-nepal-ever-be-paid-for-saving-trees/">Will Nepal ever be paid for saving trees?</a>, Mukesh Pokharel <figure><img width="960" height="640" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111410110/637204029c7e80680e0b283ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Mandal sees immense possibilities for Kathmandu to replicate his pilot plot in Janakpur: “It can be replicated along the Bagmati, and other empty spaces. Government offices and corporate compounds can also use the Miyawaki model.”Following Mithila Wildlife Trust’s Miyawaki experiment in Janakpur, the team is preparing another 100mx100m abandoned plot nearby to plant with 30 types of native plants. After the initial investment to source saplings, fertilise the soil with compost and cow dung, the forest grows to be maintenance-free within two years.“In the long term, the Miyawaki method is more cost effective because it results in high yield layered forest as well as revive indigenous plants at the time of climate crisis with 100% survival rate,” says Mandal.The solution to air pollution, solid waste disposal and shrinking open spaces lies in urban reforestation, which in turn can beautify and clean up our cities.A simple cost-effective technology, the Mikawaki method needs support from communities and local governments – both of which Dev Narayan Mandal has garnered in Janakpur.  He says, “The best thing about Miyawaki is that it can turn urban wastelands quickly into lush forests.” Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/protecting-forests-is-crucial-to-cure-pandemics/"> Protecting forests is crucial to cure pandemics</a>, Melissa Vida

Sonia Awale

Mini forests to make Kathmandu more liveable

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05c49c7e80680e0a5f27jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1142" height="640"/><figcaption>Photos: SAGLO SAMAJ</figcaption></figure>Janakpur, the birthplace of Sita and the cradle of the Mithila civilisation, is seeing a revival of its heritage, culture and traditional art.The origin of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8294#.YN_dOy8w3u1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mithila art</a> is rooted in the legend of King Janak ordering his subjects to paint walls of homes to welcome Lord Ram when he came to ask for his daughter Sita’s hand in marriage.Mithila paintings then were done at weddings, festivals and feasts using flour, clay, and cowdung. The artists were mostly the women of the family, who bore the decorative responsibility in their homes. As the art evolved, the paintings became more than a way to beautify homes — they provided women with a creative outlet to tell the stories of their lives.This centuries-old art form has now gone commercial, enabling <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/colour-play-mithila-art-janakpur,796" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">female artists</a> to hone skills passed down from one generation of mothers to the next generation of their daughters. This now gives them financial independence, recognition and respect within Nepal and, increasingly, across the world.<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nation-bhaktapur,597">Bhaktapur’s Mithila influence</a>, Bhaskar Koirala<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05c69c7e80680e0a5f28jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1440" height="807">Madhumala Mandal was born and raised in Kuwa village near here, where Mithila culture is as ingrained into young girls as household duties and responsibilities. Guided by her grandmother and mother, Mandal would paint pictures of deities to decorate the doors and walls of her house.But her interest in the traditional draughtsmanship soon stretched beyond the walls of her home, she would make shapes out of clay and paint idols on trips to the village mela. <figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05c99c7e80680e0a5f29jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“Even while I was out herding cattle and doing farm work, I was always drawing idols and shapes on the ground,” she recalls.Mandal would eventually have a family of her own, but she retained her passion for Mithila art. She now works at the Women's Development Centre in Janakpur where she creates Mithila paintings on canvas.“It took many years for me to convince family and friends that I was doing the right thing,” she explains.Mandal’s four brothers went to school, but as the sole daughter in the family, she was excluded. Having learnt to be independent from a young age and now with income of her own, she supports her own daughter’s education."The income and respect I earned through my artwork gave me the courage and the means to support my daughter,” she says. “This is the greatest achievement of my life.”Her days of drawing shapes in the mud long behind her, Mandal’s art now stays with traditional motifs but is almost impressionistic. Her work has been exhibited in the US and Hong Kong, and accent the walls of many homes across the world.The ancient Mithila kingdom spanned territory that now lies on both sides of the India Nepal border. Recently, there has been a renaissance of Mithila literature, dance forms and art.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05cc9c7e80680e0a5f2ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1440" height="804"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Acclaimed Mithila artist Mithileshwari Devi Karna was born and raised in Bihar’s Madhubani district and settled in Janakpur after marriage, grew up learning the Mithila art form from her mother in India.Karna used to train artists at the Women's Development Centre and faced similar experiences of societal pressure as many other women like Mandal in the Tarai who have chosen to become artists.Her community expressed disapproval when she prepared to travel overseas for an exhibition of her art. “People are always going to judge and make comments,” she says dismissively, “but I stood my ground, and went to Japan.”The steadfast pursuit of her art has earned her respect, financial security, and most importantly, self-satisfaction. Now, the 65, Karna was recently honoured by the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts and now only paints as a hobby. Even so, she is never without a paintbrush and canvas within reach.The popularity of Mithila art and handicrafts spread across the world after the 1980s due to Professor Rajendra Bimal and American artist Claire Burkert, who meticulously documented all the existing Mithila murals in Janakpur.Together, they established the Women's Development Center here in 1992 and trained women in Mithila art for the first time in Nepal, making sure that artists were financially independent through their art, and the techniques were preserved.As a result, the women who have received training and worked in the Centre have played a role in making Mithila art famous not only within Nepal but all over the world.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/modern-mithila-art-that-bares-injustice/">Modern Mithila art that bares injustice</a>, Nunuta RaiSunaina Thakur is among those who institutionalised and promoted Mithila art internationally. Thakur organised Mithila art exhibitions in India, Japan, and the US, and now runs her own art gallery in Janakpur where she employs and trains 30 female artists in the techniques as well as in running an art business.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05cf9c7e80680e0a5f2bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1440" height="800"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05d29c7e80680e0a5f2cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“I have been constantly trying to mobilise unrecognised talent to empower artists and encourage gender equality, both through recruitment efforts and through the art itself,” says Thakur, “I now want to pass on what I know to the next generation of women.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05d59c7e80680e0a5f2djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Among the artists employed at Thakur’s gallery is Binita Devi Sah, who recently earned her first-ever paycheque through her own Mithila paintings. Family obligations and responsibilities towards her children had confined Sah at home for almost three decades, but when her sons completed their education. It opened the door for her to finally pursue her own interests.“I stepped out of my house 26 years after getting married and earned Rs12,000 through my work. I have not stopped sharing my happiness with other people even as my sons continue to tease me about it,” smiles a proud Sah. “We never thought that this art, which we learned to make as children, could be a means for earning a livelihood.”The Mithila museum at the Janaki temple has also played an important role in documenting and conserving Mithila art. The museum, established under the leadership of Mahant Ramat Peshwar Das, houses Mithila paintings, sculptures, murals, decorative items as well as Maithili music and hymns that showcase the rich history of the art form.Satish Shah, director of the Women's Development Centre, agrees that Mithila art in Nepal has not been able to evolve as much as it has in India where there are more well-equipped institutions. Moreover, the is Center is not as influential as it once was, and has become a cause for concern about the future of Mithila art and artists. The pandemic has made working conditions worse in the last two years, and it is difficult to pay the 40 artists employed.Yet, even as they hope for support from the local and state governments, Shah and Karna both acknowledge that elected officials in Janakpur and Kathmandu do not understand the importance of Mithila art and culture."The government must invest in preserving this institution as well as Mithila art,” says Shah, adding that leaders could start by displaying the paintings in their offices.Mithila art featured heavily during weddings, festivals and celebrations, and even in items of daily use in Janakpur city until two decades ago. The artwork decorating the streets of the city included depictions of ancient earthen houses, artistic interpretations of the traditional jhizhiya dance, daily household items, and vibrantly painted birds. But with modern life, the practice is slowly fading.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/review/mithila-representations-of-kathmandus-metamorphosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">S C Suman</a>, former head of the Department of the Folk Arts at the Nepal Academy of Fine Arts, says the reason is that cement houses have replaced the clay walls where the paintings were done. Nepali galleries now import Indian Mithila paintings and pass them off as originals.“While commercialisation to a certain extent is necessary, hyper-commercialisation can also make it difficult to preserve Mithila art,” he says. “Nepali art is incomplete without Mithila art.”_________________<h2>Crossborder Mithila civilisation</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05d89c7e80680e0a5f2ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720">Mithila art is the cultural heritage of the entire Mithila region, which was a single kingdom before being divided after the 1816 Sugauli Treaty. And while Colonial India got a bigger chunk of the state, Nepal retained 25% of the territory, including the capital of Mithila in Janakpur where the art form originated.When the state of Mithila was divided, the art form began to be referred to as Madhubani art in India. But Mithila and Madhubani art are one and the same, explains Sunaina Thakur.“As in Mithila art, Madhubani art, too, depicts the marriage of Sita and Ram, and the two art forms have the same style,” she adds. “The difference is that Madhubani art is more well known internationally than Mithila art.”Mithila art conservationist and campaigner Sudarshan Lal Karna says that the art form has not developed, or been promoted in Nepal to the extent that it has been in India, where it was first propagated in 1966.The then Union Minister of Bihar, Lalit Narayan Mishra, who was familiar with the art form, introduced his foreign guests to Mithila paintings. They in turn were amazed how similar they were to Picasso’s paintings.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05db9c7e80680e0a5f2fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“That marked the beginning of the institutional development of Madhubani art in India,” says Karna, while there was no progress in Janakpur. The Women's Development Centre is one of very ew Nepali organisations that actively works to promote and nurture Mithila art.“But although the evolution of the art in Nepal is slower, the quality of the talent with the two nations are at par with each other,” notes Karna, who would like Mithila art to be included in the school curriculum, and not just in Province 2.

Vibrant Mithila art thrives in Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b850f9c7e80680e0677d1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>In early April, the coronavirus cases were at an all-time low and we were reporting from Janakpur, and the surrounding border region for two episodes of Himalmedia’s Saglo Samaj weekly tv magazine program.But we did not know that the surge in India was already <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/this-is-war/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">beginning to affect the Tarai</a>. After we returned to Kathmandu, we found out that our fixer in Janakpur had tested positive for Covid-19. All of us at Saglo Samaj on that trip quarantined for a week.None of us showed any symptoms, so we got back to work, this time to report on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/we-knew-the-tsunami-was-approaching/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the second wave</a> that had by then started to affect Kathmandu Valley. The number of cases was doubling every three days, and the number of fatalities nationwide was shooting up.A day before the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/lockdown-2-0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lockdown</a> was to go into effect on 29 April in Kathmandu Valley, we made a round of hospitals to film long queues of people who had either come in for a PCR test or the VeroCell vaccine. From the way they were crowding, it looked like they had forgotten about physical distancing.Next, we went to the capital’s main bus park (pictured). It was filled with people thronging the ticket booths to get home before public transport stopped. Alas, it looked as if half of them would be taking the virus with them to the remotest corners of Nepal.Several people in the ticket queues had no masks, or if they did were wearing them around their chins. Some had their masks dangling from one ear lobe, as if it was an amulet to protect them from the disease. This reminded me of my time in Janankpur where people were also not the least bit concerned about <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/how-nepal-can-survive-2nd-covid-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">following safety measures</a>.https://youtu.be/qMsyRZEOstYI had followed all safety measures, wearing masks and even a face visors when we were in crowded areas. I never left my room without my sanitiser. So I was a bit surprised when I started feeling fatigue and got a slight fever. I tested positive.On the fifth day, my body started swelling up, I lost all sense of smell or taste. I had an unfamiliar cough, and it kept me from sleeping. My chest hurt like someone was pinching me.I measured my blood oxygen level obsessively. I looked at the potted jade and money plant in my room and it was reassuring that they were supplying me with additional oxygen. Alone in my room, I tried to keep my spirit up.My editor told me to rest, and told me I could finish my report after I got better. One part of me wanted to just rest, but another goaded me to work since there was no risk. After all, I thought, I am down, not out.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b85139c7e80680e0677d2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1466" height="814"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>I am feeling better now, and writing my report helps me forget about <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/microcosms-of-a-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19</a> and let my antibodies get on with the job of defeating the virus. Work has also helped keep my morale high, since I am communicating about the risk and impact of the pandemic.I hope to meet you all soon in another episode of Saglo Samaj.

Anita Bhetwal

I’m down, but not out

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66419c7e80680e05996fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1046"/><figcaption>Photo: NEPAL LITERATURE FESTIVAL</figcaption></figure>The <a href="http://nepalliteraturefestival.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal Literature Festival</a> (NLF) has expanded in scope and content since it started eight years ago, and the 2019 edition this weekend will bring even more <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2016/02/02/getting-to-the-heart-of-the-story/comment-page-1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">international authors</a> to Pokhara.Over 35 sessions feature more than 70 writers and public personalities, who will discuss a host of issues, from writing and regional literature to conservation and gender. Since 2011 the festival has hosted international writers like Muhamed Haneef and Shobhaa De along with the entire spectrum of literature in Nepali and indigenous languages.As the space for literary and artistic expression and critical commentary shrinks across South Asia, Nepal remains a bastion of free speech. This year, civil society activist Devendra Raj Pandey will deliver a keynote on Democratic Development and Public Accountability.The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/2019-shortlist-announced-for-dsc-prize/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prestigious DSC Prize</a>, awarded for fiction from South Asia, will be announced at NLF this year. (See box) Some of the shortlisted authors and jury members of the DSC will also participate in panel discussions, at a time of growing regional tensions and intolerance towards free expression."This year we were particular about giving space to new and unheard of voices. We are excited about the diverse topics and list of people that we were able to line up," says <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Nepal-literature-festival-pokhara,2819">festival director Ajit Baral</a>.NLF also offers plenty of commentaries on current social issues. Sportswomen <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/homemaker-and-bodybuilder,3445" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nanita Maharjan</a> and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/mira-rai-racing-to-help-other-runners/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mira Rai</a> will be reflecting on Nepal's recent successes at the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/south-asian-games-recap-10-december/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">South Asian Games</a>, in the context of the rise of women in sports. Dalit activist Aahuti will present a commentary on Nepal's social structure, while <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/miss-nepals-mission/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miss Nepal Shrinkhala Khatiwada</a> will portray her vision of a dream Nepal in a discussion on menstrual taboos with journalist Menuka Dhungana from Achham and Mohna Ansari.Besides social issues, the festival also features literary topics, including the essay, the poem, the short story, jail literature and children's literature. Populism versus art in folk songs is also in the spotlight.The festival also includes lighthearted entertainment with a session of ghazal recitations, and ends with a spiritual and philosophical lecture by Saurabh about Nepal's rich civilisations.IME Nepal Literature FestivalTal Barahi Chok, Lakeside, Pokhara13-16 December<h2>DSC Prize Announcement</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66449c7e80680e059970jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3762" height="2700">The $25,000 <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/dsc-prize-in-pokhara-on-16-december/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DSC Prize for South Asian Literature</a> is awarded to one novel about South Asia, and is presented in a different city every year. This year, six writers are on the shortlist, four of Indian and one each of Pakistani and Afghan origin. The prize announcement will conclude the festival.5-6PM, 16 Dec<h2>Notable sessions for international audiences</h2><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151120/636a66469c7e80680e059971jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1796" height="887">Gunpowder in the airWith Manoranjan ByapariThe pioneer Bengali writer Manoranjan Byapari became a sensation because of his working-class background and lack of formal education. Scholar Dinesh Kafle will talk to the dalit activist and former rickshaw puller about caste and privilege, and how these inform writing in South Asia.Kabi Shiromani Lekhnathh Hall3-4PM, 14 DecWriting home and the homelandWith Jamil Jan KochaiJamil Jan Kochai, an American of Afghan origin, was born in a refugee camp. He writes about the turbulent times that Afghanistan has gone through. Poet Itisha Giri will chat with Kochai about using the homeland in a novel.Ali Miya Hall4-5PM, 14 DecPowering sustainablyWith Kulman Ghising, Soma Dutta, Priyantha WijayatungaAs Nepal’s energy needs grow and the climate crisis deepens, how do we balance the two? Journalist Rupak Sharma will engage panellists Kulman Ghising of the Nepal Electricity Authority and energy experts Soma Dutta and Priyantha Wijayatunga.Kabi Shiromani Lekhnathh Hall11-12AM, 15 DecTranslating South AsiaWith Arunava Sinha, Rifat Munim, Carmen WickramagamageMost South Asian authors still write in regional languages, but awards, recognition and sales happen in English. Writer Amish Mulmi will discuss these issues with translators Arunava Sinha, Rifat Munim and Carmen Wickramagamage.Ali Miya Hall2-3PM, 15 DecWriting in the age of populismIs literary writing getting lost in the age of click-bait? Writer Anagha Neelkantan will discuss with writers Jeremy Tambling, Harish Nambiar and Jamil Jan Kochai how to keep the literary spirit up, against market demands of saleable content.Kabi Shiromani Lekhnathh Hall4-5PM, 15 DecNepal in the international mediaWith Sumnina Udas, Deepak Adhikari, Rajneesh BhandariWith the rise of Nepali journalists in international media, Nepal is no longer seen only through the western lens. How does this define Nepal today? AFP journalist Paavan Mathema talks to former CNN journalist Sumnima Udas and freelance reporters Deepak Adhikari and Rajneesh Bhandari.Paavan MathemaKabi Shiromani Lekhnathh hall12-1PM, 16 DecEnglish and vernacular literatures in South AsiaThough writing in English brings more worldwide recognition to South Asian writers, it also comes at the expense of vernacular literatures. Writer and literature teacher Sanjeev Uprety discusses this dilemma with teacher and literature theorist Harish Trivedi, also a jury member of DSC this year.Kabi Shiromani Lekhnathh hall1-2PM, 16 DecWriting the pastThe themes of Amitabha Bagchi's novels about India's recent past echo around South Asia. Writer Ajapa Sharma talks to Bagchi about the common heritage of South Asians and how to go about excavating the past in literature.Ali Miya hall2-3PM, 16 Dec

Nepal (and international) Literature Festival

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f39c7e80680e0598acjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Photos: BIKRAM RAI AND RSS</figcaption></figure>The second day of the 13th South Asian Games saw Nepali athletes dominate the arena, with most wins in taekwondo and karate.Mandekaji Shrestha became the first to win gold for Nepal in the on-going games when he defeated Pakistani’s Niamatullah in men’s individual Karate Kata. Meanwhile in women’s side, Chanchala Danuwar won a silver medal after losing to Pakistani rival Shahida in the final. Nepal however, was victorious in both women’s and men’s group kata category final defeating Pakistani and Sri Lankan team respectively.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f69c7e80680e0598adjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"><figcaption>Mandekaji Shrestha</figcaption></figure>In Pokhara, Sonia Gurung emerged victorious in women’s triathlon, whereas Basanta Thapa finished third in the men’s category. Gurung completed the triathlon in one hour 13 minutes and 45 seconds to clinch the gold.Elsewhere Kamal Shrestha beat India's Rahul Jain to secure gold for Nepal in men’s poomsae in 23-29 category. Sri Lankan player Nishashankase Asinge bagged the bronze. Sina Maden of Nepal bagged another gold in taekwondo winning women's individual Taekwondo poomsae 27-23 category.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63f99c7e80680e0598aejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1293" height="1000">Nepal made a victorious start in the women cricket held today in Pokhara. The host nation pulled a 10 wickets win against the Maldives. Anjali Chand, who took six wickets in two maidens in 2.1 overs made history in T20 cricket for the best bowling figures and became the first bowler to take six wickets for no run in any international matches.Back in martial arts, Laxman Tamang clinched gold in 55kg category of Kumite by defeating Mohammad Mustafa of Bangladesh. Diwash Shrestha however, fell to Pakistani player in 84kg category and had to contend with the silver. Biplav Lal Shrestha won gold in men’s above 84kg Kumite by overcoming Pakistan’s Muhammad Baz.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63fb9c7e80680e0598afjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a63fe9c7e80680e0598b0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64029c7e80680e0598b1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64059c7e80680e0598b2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427">Nepal's Parbati Gurung defeated Sri Lanka’s ThilakShika Jayawweera in 23-29 age category of Taekwondo Poomsae to win gold. Ayasha Shakya overpowered Indian opponent also to win gold in Taekwondo poomsae above 29 category.In badminton, both men’s and women’s team had to contend with bronze medals. But Nepal won another gold from the reliable pair of Ayesha Shakya and Sanjib Kumar Ojha who were victorious in above 29 years category of pair poomsae.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a64089c7e80680e0598b3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000">In group event, a team of Nita Gurung, Prashansa Chhetri and Sushila Rai won gold in above 23 catgory in women’s poomsae. Similarly, Nepal’s Nisha Darnal, Swastika Tamang and Sanjila Timilsina also won in 17-29 age group event.In volleyball, Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh to win bronze in men’s category. India and Pakistan will battle it out for gold in the match to be held on Tuesday. On women’s side, the much-awaited finals between the host Nepal and defending champion India will be held at 2PM on Tuesday.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108151112/636a640b9c7e80680e0598b4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2108" height="1000"><figcaption>Soni Gurung</figcaption></figure>As of now Nepal stands at the top of medal tally with 15 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. India and Sri Lanka has each won three gold meals each with Pakistani and Bangladesh winning two each.

South Asian Games Recap 2 December

<figure><img width="1500" height="926" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108181148/636a96c89c7e80680e05dc89jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Rinadevi Mahara from Dhanusha, abandoned at Godavari Modern Hospital in Janakpur for lack of money to pay hospital charges</figcaption></figure>Ajaya Anuragi in Himal Khabarpatrika, 24-30 NovemberBrutality against women exists in families across Nepal, but nowhere more so than in Province 2, police figures show. What is not so clear is whether gender-based violence is becoming more common in this plains province, or that better educated women are now taking complaints to the police.The number of complaints of violence against women in the eight districts of Province 2 surged dramatically from 602 three years ago to 10,243 in the past year. Most of the complaints involved dowry-related violence, polygamy, physical domestic violence against women, trafficking, rape and attempted rape. There were 125 murders of women in the past three years, mostly by drunk husbands or in-laws.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/using-numbers-to-fight-gender-based-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Using numbers to fight gender-based violence</a>, Lisa HonanProvince 2 police statistics show women are more unsafe outside of homes than inside. In the past five months, 50 women who were driven out of their homes due to domestic violence sought refuge in a shelter run by the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC) in Janakpur. “Women are unsafe everywhere, but the statistics for Province 2 look alarming,” says Gyankumar Mahato of the provincial police office. However, DIG Pradyumna Karki, chief of Province 2 police, thinks the number of crimes has increased because more people are reporting them. “Previously, people used to try and hush up crimes like rapes. But now more people are aware of the presence of the police, and we get all sorts of complaints,” Karki says. Advocate Rekha Jha agrees: “Women have tried to hide these incidents in the past but are now coming forward with their testimonies. That is the reason the numbers look higher.”Others, however, say that while there may be an increase in complaints, the number of incidents has also shot up because of new factors like the spread of social media, unregulated sale of alcohol, drugs and entrenched patriarchy in the still largely conservative region.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/Here-We-Go/2013-jun-21-here-we-go-gender-violence,122" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#Genderviolence</a>, Trishna Rana “The misuse of social media is contributing to violence against women,” says Rekha Dutt of the National Human Rights Council, Janakpur Office. “Weak implementation of laws further encourages criminal tendencies. When perpetrators go free because of political pressure, it raises the confidence of those who prey on women.”Yagya Prasad Acharya of the district court in Dhanusha district has a different take on the problem: “Now, men also have the right to file for divorce. In the past when only women could file for divorce, men hesitated to commit violence. Now that fear is gone.” Court records show that abuse of social media was a cause in increasing numbers of violence against women in the province. With the rise in female literacy, young women are now also more assertive, refusing to get married early, or if they do, brides are not as submissive towards in-laws as in the past.Another reason for the rise in violence against women is mismatched marriages, activists say. Poor families still try to marry their daughters into rich families by offering dowry, even by incurring large debts. Dowry-related violence against young women is still a major cause of domestic violence -- police records show that the number of incidents rose from 3,609 last year to 4,671 this year. Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/corrosive-conduct/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Corrosive Conduct</a>, EditorialIn the past three years the highest number of complaints about gender-based violence was from Bara and Parsa districts, and rape cases were most prevalent in Siraha, Saptari and Sarlahi.  Politicians at all three levels of government underline that ending violence against women and establishing gender equality is their priority. Province 2 Chief Minister Lalbabu Raut had even announced the ‘Chief Minister Educate Daughter, Save Daughter’ campaign amidst much fanfare. Padam Prasad Pokharel, information officer in the province’s cabinet office, says the campaign is mainly focused on education. “The campaign aims to end child marriage through education -- it is also working on women's safety,” he says. The province's Ministry of Social Development is imparting self-defence training to girl students of public schools, aiming to protect them from abuse, violence, and rape. “The schools wrote to us saying the program was effective, so we are continuing it this year,” Pokharel says. In the past year the ministry spent Rs11 million on self-defence training at schools, but it has taken no other initiative to reduce violence and crimes against women. At the provincial level, the ministry of internal affairs and law is in charge of these matters. “We are drafting a bill about controlling domestic violence and violence against women,” says Surendra Mahato of the ministry.  Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/four-fold-increase-in-reported-rape-in-10-years/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four-fold increase in reported rape in 10 years,</a> Sewa Bhattarai		
			<h2>Violence against women in Province 2</h2>		
		<ul><li>Usha Devi Das of Janakpur has been enduring torture and abuse from her in-laws for not delivering enough dowry when she got married. She complained to the police twice, but law enforcement only forced the couple to sign a pledge and sent them home. The abuse did not stop. Das complained again, but her in-laws got a stay order from the district court. </li></ul><ul><li>Rita Devi Yadav of Bhangaha of Mahottari district registered a complaint against her husband and his family at the District Police Office, Dhanusha on 4 September, accusing them of physical and mental torture and of throwing her out of the house. Yadav then started living with her parents. She accuses her father-in-law and brothers-in-law of mistreatment. Yadav's husband has gone into hiding after the complaint was filed. The couple has a 21/2 –year-old son. </li></ul><ul><li>Shyam Mahara of Shahidnagar of Dhanusha beat his pregnant wife Rinadevi until she fainted, and left her alone at the provincial hospital in Janakpur. Mahara filed a complaint against her husband 5 days later on 8 September. Her father-in-law then took her home a week later. Mahara was again admitted to the hospital this month when her baby was due. The baby was delivered with a caesarean section, but was in poor health. Her in-laws disappeared after they admitted her, leaving her with Rs1,700 in hospital charges per day. She begs for food from other patients.</li></ul>Read also: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/rape-rulings-in-nepal-follow-letter-not-spirit-of-the-law/">Rape rulings in Nepal follow letter, not spirit of the law</a>, Sewa Bhattarai

Alarming rise in violence against women

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107141112/6369045e9c7e80680e037d1djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3000" height="2000"/><figcaption>(Left to right) Soniya Kumary Sada eloped when 16 after her Grade 10 exam, but her husband is away at work in India and she is prevented from studying by her in-laws. Sudesh Rishidev from the Musar community was married at 18, at a time when he had no idea what a husband’s responsibilities were. Navin Rishidev is Sudesh’s friend and was married when he was 18 and his wife was 14 because his parents wanted someone to help with the cooking.</figcaption></figure>Given Nepal’s poor record in enforcement and implementation, it is a given that here, passing laws are not enough. This is glaringly evident in the average age of marriage, which is stuck at 18 despite law raising the minimum marriage age to 20.Data shows that <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/ending-child-marriage-in-Nepal,3864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">37% of girls in Nepal marry before the age of 18</a>, and 10% are still married by the age of 15. This is the third highest rate of child marriage in South Asia after Bangladesh and India. Despite the rise in female literacy child marriage has not gone down significantly. This is taken as a proof that education is slow to reform deep-rooted patriarchy.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/child-marriage-in-Nepal,3863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Child marriage</a> is highest in districts with low female literacy and the Tarai districts have a particularly high rate. Experts say that even if marriage age can be deferred to 16 for boys and girls in the Tarai, it will be an achievement. This has thrown the government’s target to eradicate child marriage by 2030 in doubt.At a Girl Summit for the youth of Province 1 and 2 here last month, local government officials, lawmakers all made the right noises, expressing commitment to meet the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/on-air-radio-ro-deter-child-marriage,4185" target="_blank" rel="noopener">zero child marriage goal by educating, empowering and employing girls</a>. They heard from adults who were married when they were children, and were informed of pressures in male-dominated society from family and the influence of the Internet in encouraging early relationships lately. The Summit's motto was: ‘Educate Girls To Save Girls’.Sudesh Rishidev from a Musar community in Rangeli of Morang was 18 when he was married and did not know a husband’s responsibilities. “I knew I had to look after my family, but did not know how,” recalls Rishidev, now a 26-year-old anti-child marriage campaigner.Navin Rishidev is Sudesh’s friend and is now 28, but he was married when he was 18 and his wife was 14. His parents had five other children, and wanted him married only so they could have a daughter-in-law to help with the household chores. Today Navin is a well-known Maitihili singer and uses his musical talent to raise awareness against child marriages.Soniya Kumari Sada from Chandranagar eloped with Indrajit Sada when she was 16, just after her Grade 10 exam. However, with her husband working in India, her in-laws refused to let her study and banished her back to her parent’s home. She is now worried about her future.Pooja Shah, 18, from Janakpur had to take care of her mother and three siblings after her father died. Relenting to pressure from her mother to get married, she wedded 21-year-old Sarkar Shah, but says: “I did this for my mother, who was facing financial pressure to raise the family.” She is sad about dropping out of school, but understands why her mother forced her to do it.Rani Mahato is now 37 and an active member of a political party, but was married when she was 11. “I was not even aware that I had been married,” recalls Mahato, who is now district vice-chair of her party. She is glad the average age of marriage has climbed to 17, even though it is still low.Ajay Kumar Rishidev, from Morang is now 23 and in Grade 12. He is under pressure from family to get married but has evolved a clever strategy to deal with it: he brings his friends to talk to his parents, or he disappears from his home when he hears that prospective bride families are visiting.This has helped him to stay single till now, an he is involved in performing street dramas to show the Musar communities reasons on why child marriage deprives women of opportunities in life.Saroj K Patel, ward Chair of Jeetu Simra Sub Municipality in Province 2, is with the Rastriya Janata Party, but says the campaign against child marriage crosses party lines. But he adds that banning registration of marriage below 20 is depriving many young married women of their rights.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/mr-province-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chief Minister of Province 2 Lal Babu Raut</a> is convinced that increasing female literacy is the first order of business to fight patriarchy and caste system that lie at the high rate of child marriages in the Tarai. He is trying to amend the relevant clauses in the Civil Laws, and impose a 50% quota in the provincial police.Raut seems to know what he is talking about when he says: “Women are less corrupt than men, so if they are educated and employed, they will also benefit along with their families and the community.”namrata1964@yahoo.comRead also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/child-marriage-in-Nepal,3863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Far too young</a>, Sonia Awale<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/on-air-radio-ro-deter-child-marriage,4185" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On air to deter child marriage</a>, Shipra Jha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/ending-child-marriage-in-Nepal,3864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Not just a social problem, but an economic one</a>, Elizabeth Hanna Satow

Can Nepal end child marriage by 2030?

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d63f9c7e80680e031472jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1020"/><figcaption>Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri sends off India PM Narendra Modi, who was in a two-day state visit to Nepal, at Kathmandu Airport on Saturday. Pic: RSS</figcaption></figure>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his two-day whirlwind visit to Nepal on Saturday, flying from the plains to the mountains, worshipping at famous shrines, meeting politicians, and giving four rousing speeches. But observers said the visit was high on symbolism, but not much on substance.By offering prayers at the Janaki temple, Muktinath and Pashupati, Modi has been able to woo Hindu voters ahead of India’s general elections next year. He has also sent across a message to critics at home that his ‘neighbourhood first’ policy is not failing.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/campaigning-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Campaigning in Nepal</a>, Editorial<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/a-political-pilgrim/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A political pilgrim</a>, Om Astha RaiModi was campaigning in Nepal — to woo voters at home, and also to restore Nepal-India relations badly bruised by the Blockade.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d6429c7e80680e031473jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3600" height="2400"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But what did Oli gain? He perhaps got Modi’s promise that New Delhi will not create trouble for his government, and will support him even if Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal parts ways. He has also established himself as a national leader in Province 2 where he was widely despised.However, observers note, Oli has lost much of the political capital he had made out of standing up to India. He has lost the nationalist credentials he garnered during the Blockade and elections. Oli is a Modi-fied man.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/modis-himalayan-marathon/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Modi's Himalayan marathon</a>, Om Astha RaiModi’s visit to a shrine near the China border was a message to Beijing: Kathmandu is still within New Delhi’s sphere of influence. Modi also persuaded Oli to felicitate him on behalf of Nepalis in Janakpur and Kathmandu despite widespread resentment among most Nepalis for the blockade.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d6459c7e80680e031474jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Early this week, a group of civil society members met with Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Gyawali, urging the government to felicitate Modi only on the government’s behalf. Bibeksheel Sajha party put up black banners at its headquarters, saying Nepalis have not forgotten the blockade yet. On social media, Nepalis asked Modi to apologise for what they say was a crime against humanity.But neither Modi nor Oli paid any attention to what Nepalis were saying and went ahead with the program. Instead, police tore down banners at Bibeksheel Sajha and arrested students staging a hunger strike to put pressure on Modi to say sorry to Nepal.After two days of political meetings and pilgrimages, Modi has been able to send across multiple messages: he cares for Hindus, is loved by not just Indians but also Nepalis, Kathmandu is closer to New Delhi than to China and Nepal-India ties have been reset.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d6489c7e80680e031475jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="814" height="528"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>However, except a reiteration of commitment to push forward Kathmandu-Birganj railway, inland waterway and agriculture and a few token grants, Modi’s Nepal visit has yielded no substantial results.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/dam-it-its-all-about-the-water/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dam it, it's all about the water</a>, Om Astha Rai<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/oli-modi-launch-arun-iii/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oli-Modi launch Arun III</a>When Foreign Affairs Minister Gyawali was in Janakpur early this week to take stock of preparations for Modi’s visit, he told journalists that railway, waterway and agriculture agreements will be signed in Kathmandu. But there was just another understanding on these issues, but not a single agreement. The two PMs did lay the foundation stone of Arun III by switching on a remote in Kathmandu, but that project has been struggling to get going for ten years.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d64b9c7e80680e031476jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="900"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Modi began his second day by flying to Muktinath, a sacred Hindu-Buddhist shrine at an altitude 3,710m. Clad in a red downjacket, he performed a special puja at the holy site,  where he is believed to have meditated as a young pilgrim in 1979.Trekkers were barred from going up to and descending from Thorung La, a popular pass for hikers, for security reasons. Modi wanted to visit this temple near the China border and  Janakpur where he arrived on a direct flight from New Delhi on Friday.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d64e9c7e80680e031477jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>This was his third visit to Nepal in four years, and he had wanted to do this pilgrimage during the 2014 SAARC Summit. But the Nepali Congress government at the time had refused to allow Modi to make the side trip, fearing that it would polarise Nepalis at a time when the country was gearing up to promulgate the new Constitution.Analysts say Modi took that rejection as a personal affront, and tried to prevent Nepali leaders from pushing through the Constitution in September 2015 citing Madhesi resentment. He also imposed a five-month blockade on Nepal, which was devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.In the wake of the Indian blockade, Prime Minister K P Oli had played the nationalism card to the hilt, signing a trade and transit treaty with China reducing Nepal’s dependence on India. An alliance between his UML party and the Maoists won a near two-third majority, riding the nationalism wave.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d6509c7e80680e031478jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But Modi seems to have been able to charm Oli out of China’s embrace, inviting him to New Delhi last month, and visited Nepal at Oli’s invitation just five weeks later.Modi was not expected to apologise directly for the hardships created by the blockade. But in every speech he made in the past two days he praised the Nepali people for their resilience after the earthquake, and for conducting three elections last year to set a new federal democratic structure in place. Modi left with many soundbites: “I am not a Prime Minister, I am a Pilgrim Minister.” Or “Nepal and India are not just two countries, they are two democracies.”Only time will tell if his charm offensive this time has worked, like it did in his 2014 address to Parliament.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107101156/6368d6539c7e80680e031479jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1080" height="743"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>

janakpur