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Six NSU leaders arrested for staging protest outside Chinese Embassy

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28

Six student leaders of Nepal Student Union, the student wing of major opposition Nepali Congress, were arrested today for staging a protest outside the Chinese Embassy at Baluwatar against the alleged border encroachment by the Chinese side in Humla district.

The NSU leaders today morning protested outside the embassy displaying placards and chanting slogans such as, ‘Stop Chinese Intervention’, ‘Stop Border Encroachment.’ The police, who arrived late at the protest site, had arrested them while the protesters were returning from the protest site, according to NSU leaders.

Some of protesters, who were arrested are campaigners of ‘Chinau Simana, Jogaun Mato’ (Lets identify border, save soil). They have been raising their voice against border encroachment.

Former NSU president Kundan Raj Kafle, who is leading protests against the alleged border encroachment, said that the incumbent communist government had turned a deaf ear to the issue of border encroachment by the communist rulers of China. “The government is not raising voice against the Chinese government mainly because they share similar ideologies. But, we cannot sit quiet if they encroach our border. We will organise stringent protest programmes against the illegal act in the coming days,” Kafle said.

Kafle, citing their lawmakers and local leaders of the area, said the Chinese side had encroached around 1.5 kilometres of land in the past 10 years.

Media outlets had quoted local people and NC lawmakers of the area saying China had encroached Nepali land by constructing 11 buildings in Lapcha Limi Area of Namkha Rural Municipality of Humla district.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had on September 23, refuted the allegation that China had constructed buildings within Nepali territory.

Following this, the major opposition NC had criticised the government’s move and suggested that the government should have heard the voices of local authorities before speaking anything on the sensitive border issue.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 28

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect not only on Nepal but also on the global economy, including the tourism industry. The global tourism industry at present is facing insurmountable losses as the coronavirus is a communicable disease and maintaining social distance is one of the major precautions to prevent infection. This literally means that there is no scope for people coming in close contact until the virus is fully contained and tourism basically entails people gathering in various destinations.

It is said that the tourism sector will take at least two years to recover. Amid this, stakeholders in Nepal have sensed that domestic tourism is the only way out to revive their business.

Those involved in the tourism business have also been requesting the government to bring plans and policies to promote domestic tourism for the survival of the industry.

Meanwhile, the government has also taken several initiatives to promote domestic tourism. Celebrating the 41st World Tourism Day on Sunday, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai also mentioned that domestic tourism is the only way out in current scenario.

In recent years, Nepalis have started developing a trend of travelling to various new places.

Trekking, hiking and short trips have now become popular in the country. As a result, stakeholders’ perception towards domestic tourism is changing, said Achyut Guragain, president of Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents.

“We committed a grave mistake in the past by not prioritising domestic tourism,” he said. “Previously, we were so busy thinking about ways to earn foreign currency we didn’t bother about promoting tourism among our people. It is only after the impact of COVID-19 that our eyes opened up to the immense potential that domestic tourism has,” added Guragain.

Meanwhile, Binayak Shah, first vice-president of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), said that domestic tourism has been steadily flourishing in the last four to five years. “Nepalis have developed the trend to travel and the good news is that a large number are waiting to travel now,” he said. “We are getting inquiries from domestic tourists for tours during the festive season.”

Inquiries for Pokhara, Chitwan and Lumbini are high compared to other destinations.

Meanwhile, beyond the regular destinations domestic tourists are also exploring new destinations. “Considering the increasing travel trend among Nepalis, we are pretty sure that domestic tourism will help us survive,” Shah opined.

Changing perception

In recent years, the perception that tourism stakeholders had regarding domestic tourists is changing. “Earlier, locals were not considered tourists and to this day there are some regions which do not value domestic tourists. However, we must say that in recent years the way that domestic tourists are being treated is changing for the better,” said Sharki Sherpa, general secretary of Trekking Guide Association of Nepal.

Most of the hoteliers along the trekking routes in rural areas do not like to accommodate domestic tourists, he revealed, adding that in the Everest region domestic tourists still do not get the type of services that foreigners get. “The hoteliers there presume that domestic tourists spend less money and do not have the manners to stay in hotels,” Sherpa said.

Sharing his travel experience, Vivek Maharjan from Kathmandu who is a professional wedding photographer, said that he has witnessed a change in the behaviour of hoteliers.

“I remember during a trek in the Mustang area about sixyears back we were not given any rooms because we are Nepalis,” he said, adding that his group of six friends had to sleep in the kitchen of a hotel.

“But last year when we went there for a wedding photo shoot we saw that the hoteliers there were more respectful towards domestic tourists,” said Maharjan. “In fact, we even got a discount.”

Sherpa said that usually after downing a few drinks Nepalis have the habit of making a ruckus and at times even picking a fight. “This is why hoteliers are a bit apprehensive to give rooms to domestic tourists,” he says. However, that perception is gradually changing and hoteliers have realised that Nepalis spend more money than the foreigners, he added.

According to Sherpa, on an average domestic tourists spend Rs 5,000 per person per night while foreign tourists spend Rs 2,000 per person per night. “Recent incidents in the industry have taught everybody that we have to welcome both domestic and foreign tourists equally,” he added.

All kinds of domestic tourists

Nepal is especially famous for its religious and adventure tourism in the international market. HAN First Vice-President Shah said that there are all types of domestic tourists in Nepal.

“Most family trips are related with religion whereby the people visit different religious sites with family members.

But we also have adventurous domestic tourists,” he said.

“The young generation is more interested in trekking these days.”

There is also another segment of domestic tourists who like to travel to destinations that are close to their homes for relaxation, he says.

He further explained that if the government introduces a policy of giving two days of leave in a week to civil servants then it will help boost domestic tourism.

Travel packages

Considering the importance of domestic tourism, the private sector and government are jointly preparing different travel packages for domestic tourists.

According to Shah, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Department of Tourism and Nepal Tourism Board in cooperation with various tourism associations are preparing travel packages that include different types of short and long trips for domestic tourists.

Besides, recently domestic airline companies like Yeti Airlines and Buddha Air have also introduced travel packages especially for domestic tourists.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Nepal govt issues protocol for mountaineering and trekking activities

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has issued guidelines for foreign tourists to follow in order to minimise the possible spread of coronavirus infection while conducting trekking and mountaineering activities.

The foremost condition laid out by the Tourism Ministry is that the tourists must secure an entry-visa, or an entry-permit in absence of visa-provision in their countries in co-ordination with respective agencies.

Likewise, the travelers must carry with themselves a PCR test report conducted not more that 72 hours ago, attesting that the person has tested negative for Covid-19. Along with the report, the traveler must have booking-documents for the hotel wherein they will stay for at least seven days in quarantine.

Furthermore, the person must provide papers proving they have an insurance of USD 5,000.

In addition to the above mentioned conditions, the traveler must also undergo a PCR test at their own expense on the fifth day of being quarantined. They may proceed for the purported activity at the end of quarantine period only on testing negative for the disease. If the test results in a positive, the person must stay in quarantine for as long as they do not test negative.

The Ministry also states that the trekking or mountaineering agency must insure travelers from Nepal against coronavirus for a sum of Rs 100,000 prior to applying for permit.

Travel enthusiasts must also abide by all the protocols laid out by the Ministry of Health of Nepal.

Meanwhile, eight-time everest summiteer Pemba Sherpa criticised new protocols saying there will be no trekkers and mountaineers in the upcoming season.

“They won’t come here to stay at a hotel for a week even after having a negative PCR report,” Sherpa who is also chairman at Adventure Ascent said. He further asked the government to review its decision.

The guideline:

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Girls’ education

Generally, education is the key to bringing positive transformations in the lives of individuals, societies and countries.

It leads to better health, economic growth and democratic societies. Education equips girls with life skills to prepare them for different stages of life.

Ensuring proper access to education for girls helps communities and countries reduce poverty. Therefore, girls’ education should be a priority to increase economic growth and human welfare.

In Nepal, girls, especially from the underprivileged backgrounds, have not been able to realise their potential for lack of education. Actually, educating girls is even more effective because when we educate them, the benefits are felt across the community, country and generation.

Still now, girls from poor families do not go to school because they have to help their parents in the field and in household chores. In some communities, people are still ignorant about the value of education.

Lack of a safe environment in schools also hinders girls from going to school. Most girls, especially in remote villages, do not go to school during their periods due to lack of proper toilets.

In reality, educating girls means ensuring that they feel safe while in schools and compete in the global market.

Therefore, apart from knowing whether they are getting a safe learning environment and adequate resources, they should be ensured with a good schooling system with modern learning methods, such as multimedia, which has been used in an educational context to describe the mix of video and audio cassettes, printed texts and handbooks, which traditionally makeup distance learning.

Although multimedia is still at an early stage in many schools, the teachers have felt the need to use them in their classroom situations. In some countries, learners of all ages find multimedia software interesting and enjoyable to use. In the schools of these countries, multimedia has been found to be so popular that the lessons on the CD Rom have been used as a reward for good behaviour.

Apart from the above-mentioned facts, girls should be equipped with relevant skills to make them self-reliant in the future. Our education system should not only focus on educating girls but also on empowering them. In addition, boys should also be taught about women’s empowerment. This will undoubtedly help to bring transformative changes in families and communities, thereby leading to overall development of the country.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Ayurvedic literature: Delving into its history

The travelogue of Chinese pilgrim Faxian was the earliest testimony to describe the healthcare system in ancient South Asia. It is close to the description by the earliest Ayurvedic compendium, Charaka Samhita

Ayurveda has become a buzzword in the contemporary setting of medicine in the era of COVID-19. There are many discussions on Ayurvedic approaches towards enjoying a healthy life. However, there is hardly any discussion on the historical landscape of Ayurveda. How do we understand Ayurveda in a historical setting? What are the major textual interventions of the formation of this medical system? In the early 5th century of the Common Era (CE), the Chinese Buddhist monk and translator, Faxian, travelled on foot to South Asia and Southeast Asia. In Pataliputra, modern-day Patna, he saw the city’s astounding beauty and well-managed healthcare infrastructure where senior citizens and children were well taken care of. The city dwellers were affluent, and the business people supported the pharmacy in distributing medicines to the patients.

Furthermore, the city administrators supported every aspect of the patients in hospital.

The travelogue of Faxian was the earliest testimony to describe how healthcare was managed in ancient South Asia. The healthcare setting that the Chinese pilgrim discussed is amply proximate to the description by the earliest Ayurvedic compendium, Charaka Samhita.

Ayurveda is the science of longevity. Ayurveda is a healthcare system based on nature, daily regimen, activities related to the seasons.

It does include a wide range of surgical procedures also. The Ayurvedic compendia describe a broader range of topics from moral and ethical aspects to the pathological, medical and broader medical setting. Ayurveda encompasses all aspects of human healthcare. One of the most important clusters of ideas in the Ayurvedic tradition is that which relates together the humors (dosha), body tissues (dhatu) and waste products (mala). The three-humoral theory is based on the wind (vata), bile (pitta) and phlegm (kapha or shleshman).

This theory seems to be similar to the ancient Greek health theory propounded and enriched by medical philosophers like Hippocrates and Galen and others.

There are three major Ayurvedic compendia in classical Ayurvedic studies.

The Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtangahridaya Samhita.

Among them, the Charaka Samhita is the earliest one, dating from the third or second centuries BCE.

The other important treatise of the Ayurvedic medical system is Sushruta Samhita, dating from about 500 CE. One of the prominent scholars of Ayurvedic studies, Meulenbeld, says that the treatise has several historical layers, and the earliest layer might have been composed in the last centuries BCE. This treatise is particularly notable since it systematically talks about surgery in detail. The types of surgical instruments to be used and diseases that require surgery are dealt with in the text in addition to other medical procedures.

This is the earliest text that describes surgery at such length in the world.

One of the earliest dated handwritten manuscripts of this text is preserved in the Kaiser Library in Kathmandu.

The other important treatise is the Ashtangahridaya Samhita. This text was composed by Vagbhata, possibly from Sind, from modern-day Pakistan. This treatise describes concisely the significant issues discussed by the two previous compendia, Charaka and Sushruta. This text is the most famous treatise that is taught in the Ayurvedic colleges of Nepal and India.

There is not much information about the composer of the text. Scholars like Meulenbeld states that Vagbhata is from the early decade of the seventh century CE, a Sind resident and a follower of Buddhism.

Scholars like Dominik Wujastyk mention that the work of Vagbhata in South Asia is like that of Galen and Avicenna in Europe and the Middle East. The wisdom manifest in the treatise has not been surmounted by anyone in Ayurvedic literature.

Other major contributing Ayurvedic treatises are the Madhava Nidana, Kashyapa Samhita and Bhela Samhita, composed before 10th century CE.

They became a milestone in the development of Ayurvedic literature. The Kashyapa Samhita is particularly significant in the treatment of children’s diseases.

This text also discusses demonology. The treatise also deals with questions about how children suffer from demons and how those problems could be overcome.

A fascinating medical event took place in 12th century CE when the broader use of mercury was mentioned in Ayurvedic treatises. Since then, alchemical literature has pervaded in Ayurvedic literature.

Some scholars like Meulenbeld and Prafulla Chandra Ray argue that the extended use of alchemical procedures took a significant presence in South Asian medical tradition by the influence of Arabic-Persian medical tradition. The alchemical literature talks about gold, mercury and other metals in the treatment of patients. Similarly, alchemical literature discusses the methodology of achieving immortality using the elixir. In this same era, Ayurvedic literature introduced pulse testing. Later in the 16th century, pulse tests became widespread in medical literature, a technique still used widely by Ayurvedic physicians today.

Like every medical tradition, Ayurveda also has its limitations. No medical system is perfect, neither the modern nor Ayurveda.

We need an approach that could integrate both Ayurveda and other established medical systems.

Rimal has been researching the history of science in South Asia in Sanskrit

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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