Likhu Khola. Ramechhap district on this side of the river, Okhaldhunga district on that side of the river.

On way to Sanghutaar from Manthali. The road is recently built and is in operation during winter only

4-7 February 2013 Peter and I went to two hilly districts east of Kathmandu. Dolakha and Ramechhap. Business trip. One has to cross five rivers- Indrawati, Balephi, Sunkoshi, Tamakoshi (three times) and Khimti Khola- to reach Manthali, the district headquarter of Ramechhap. It Khandichaur, we paddled at Sunkoshi river for about 20 mins.

From Manthali, we drove to a place called Sanghutaar (sanghu= bridge, taar=a chunk of plain land) in a recently built, unpaved, super dusty and winter-only road. Sanghutaar is a 70-year-old small bazaar located right at the bank of Likhu Khola that separates Ramechhap from Okhaldhunga.

I was visiting this place after about 24 years. I was born and grew up in a village not very far from here (about five hours of walk). I have known Likhu Khola since my childhood days. I have seen the Khola in its good times and bad times- swollen, brown, wild and scary in monsoon and slim, white and feeble in winter. Once I swam across the river. (It was more walking than actual swimming.)

Near Manthali, district headquarters of Ramechhap district. Tamakoshi river.

Today I was touching the Likhu Khola water after many years. I was rafting on its water.

My earliest memories of Sanghutaar are that of a busy town on a Saturday. Sanghutaar used to host a haat bazaar on Saturdays (I think the tradition continues to this day). Sanghutaar, back then, felt like a huge town with a lot of commercial activities. This time around the place looked like a small sleepy town with a few dozen mud and stone houses. I was there on a weekday. So no haatbazaar.

A big group of curious kids and a few adult onlookers gathered at the bank and on a suspension bridge as we unpacked a raft and went into the water of Likhu. It felt like half of the town had gathered to watch us paddle. It felt good to have a satisfying number of audience. Fifteen minutes of paddling in Sunkoshi the other day had instilled some confidence in me. Likhu is smaller than Sunkoshi. It was easy and it went well.

Doramba village of Ramechhap- beautiful and touristy place infamous for 2003 massacre of Maoist guerillas by Nepal Army soldiers.

We returned to Kathmandu via Sailung hill that lies between Ramechap and Dolakha districts. We also passed by a hill opposite to the famous Doramba village. Doramba is a beautiful and clean settlement that sits above terraced fields. In August 2003 the village came to the national consciousness as it witnessed a cold-blooded massacre of 17 Maoist guerillas and cadres and two non-Maoist civilian father and son by Nepal Army soldiers. Today the village is trying to attract both domestic and international tourists. Doramba offers visitors an opportunity to experience the village by staying in some homes whose owners are trained in hospitality.

Peter and I looked at the village from afar- from a hilltop covered by rhododendron trees. We were standing only a few meters away from the massacre site which is about 5kms away from the village. Those people were arrested, blindfolded, handcuffed and made to walk to this point to be shot dead. The Maoists later built a memorial park at the site. The park now looked deserted.

In October 2011 Suraj and I had gone to Doramba to spend a night there and talk to villagers about the massacre. That trip was part of our motorcycle adventure that took us to several villages in Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Dolakha and Kavrepalanchwok (where we went to home of Maina Sunar, a 15-year-old girl, who was captured and killed by soldiers in an army barrack near her home). That was also part of my trip of conflict affected areas like Rolpa and Rukum.

Sailung hill- prayer flags

Sailung hill- a view of the Himalayas

Not far from Doramba village is Sailung hill. A 20 minutes hike from the road and you are at the hilltop (3146 meters). This time we were lucky to have an excellent view of the Himalayas from atop the hill. Last time Suraj and I were not so lucky as clouds had covered the Sailung hill. We could barely see each other from a distane of about 200 meters. (A photo from that trip, just below Sailung hill.)

Here’s Peter’s entry: PACKRAFTING NEPAL: THE LUNCH HOUR SESSIONS

I noticed the last one in Delhi in this trip. The autowallah stopped the auto I was in for a few seconds to let the car go ahead of him. He commented: “Delhi toh bahut dhani ho gaya hai. Ferrari vi aagaya ab.” [Delhi has become very rich. Now Ferrari has come here too]. I hadn’t spotted Ferrari when I lived in the city for two years (2008-11).

The roads of Old, one the other hand, are dominated by rickshaws and carts- both pulled by people. Varieties of activities. Very busy atmosphere. People are sweaty and shouting. The tension is clearly visible. Not that New is tension free but that’s hidden inside the tinted car windows.

This album has only one photo from New Delhi. No prize for guessing. That’s where we spotted the Ferrari.

Past entries:
1. Hustle and Bustle of Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi
2. Street Food of Delhi (and India)

Dinesh Wagle at Parthasarathy Rocks in JNU. December 2008.

17th and 20th March 2013 When I was living in Delhi as a correspondent for Kantipur, PSR was my favorite place in the city. That, according to me, is also the most beautiful place in the whole of Delhi. I would spend hours at the Parthasarathy Rocks, located inside the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus chatting with friends and, when with Satish, strangers. The dhabas in the Uni during late evenings are great place to be. But nothing beats the experience of sitting over one of the main two rocks at PSR in late afternoon and watch planes fly and, if lucky, peacocks dance in the jungle that surrounds the rocks. I went there this time as well to spent a couple of hours along with Satish and Ishwari. Beautiful flowers of JNU campus deserve a separate entry- but for now I’ll limit myself to posting photos only.

One year into my stay in Delhi in 2009 I was full of praise for PSR and the “PSR experience”:

Back in Delhi, I am a grown up man with a responsibility to fulfill. It’s a blessing to me that my work not just involves sitting in front of computer with browsers open but also traveling and meeting new people. Listening to disheartening stories of poor, unfortunate and deprived Nepalis in Delhi is one of the darkest experiences.

Exploring the city, having dahi valla in Chandni Chowk and standing at the Parthasarathi Rocks of JNU have been some of the most fulfilling experiences. I would say being at the top of PSR, seeing peacocks singing and dancing and airplanes flying, is the best thing I have experienced in this city this year. That particular moment when I was photographed (by a camera!) at PSR was the best of all. I cherish that moment.

From  A Year in Delhi, India (6 Nov 2009)

Previous articles/entries on JNU:
1. Happy Holi India! (and JNU Chaat Festival)
2. Winter Flagbearers: Delhi Cold and JNU Food Festival
3. India, Universities and World Ambitions

मसुरी डाँडोमा भारतभरीका र संसारकै मान्छे पुग्छन् । तिनीहरु कुन देश या भारतीय राज्यका हुन् खुट्टयाउन हत्तपत्त सकिन्न । तर खुम्चिएको ढाका टोपी लगाएका, काँधमा नाम्लो भिरेका र यहाँका साघुरा गल्लीमा भारी बोकेर या त्यसै भौतारिइरहेका जुनै पनि मलिन अनुहारलाई सहजै चिन्न सकिन्छ । परिचय विनाकै पहिलो प्रश्न (‘कताबाट हो दाजू ?’) ले तत्कालै उत्तर पाइ हाल्छ– ‘कालिकोट’ ।

एक हिसावले पुरै मसुरी शहर कालिकोटेहरुको थाप्लामा अडिएको छ ।

केही मिनेट असिना बर्सिएपछि चिसिएको हालैको एक साँझ एक हुल कालीकोटेहरु मसुरीको केन्द्रमा रहेको घन्टाघर नजिकै सडक किनारमा आगो तापिरहेका थिए । दिउसो एकपटकमा डेढ क्विन्टलसम्म बोक्दाको थकान मेटाउन केहीले मदिराको सहयोग लिएका थिए जो गफमा प्रष्ट झल्किन्थ्यो ।

‘लौ लेख्नुस्, हामी कालिकोटका,’ ५९ बर्षे धनु विकले लरबरिएको लवजमा भने– ‘आफ्नो देशमा काम नपाएर अर्काकोमा कुकुरको जिन्दगी विताइरहेका छौं । यही हो हाम्रो खवर ।’

थाप्लोमा मसुरी (फेब्रुअरी २००९) बाँकी यहाँ छ .

Nepali porters in Mussoorie, India. February 2009.

22/23 March 2013 For the first time in a long time I was traveling as a tourist with no possible story ideas storming at the back of my mind. This was a strange feeling and also a relief. I didn’t have to do a story when I was seeing one in front of me. I didn’t have to approach and talk to people the way a reporter in me normally would have. I didn’t have to organize the voices in a structured story. I was just a tourist, not a reporter looking for stories. Not that I hated doing all that but this time I was not a reporter, I was just a tourist.

Approaching people, talking to them and composing a story- that all takes effort. Words have to reflect, as accurately as possible, feeling of the people involved in the story. They have to portray pictures of people in such a way that this portrayal properly supplements the photos of the same people that are often printed alongside the story.

I hadn’t expected to bump into a group of Nepali porters in Shimla. However, when I did I wasn’t surprised. I had seen a similar group of people from Kalikot in Mussoorie four years back doing exactly the same thing. I had detailed the Mussoorie encounter and conversations that I had with Kalikotes in a story that I wrote for Koseli (Kantipur). This time, the Nepali men in Shimla were from another hilly and backward district: Rolpa.

The district from where the Maoist “People’s War” began in 1996 (It ended, sort of, in Kathmandu in 2006).

Seven years after the end of the “People’s War” and two Maoist-led governments later, one would be forgiven to think that the life-standard of Rolpalis has improved. But the reality is disappointing.

As I noted in a story that I wrote for Kantipur (रुकुम-रोल्पा एक्स्प्रेस- शान्तिकालमा गाउँले जनताको जीवनीका केही झलकहरू) in October 2011, the district Rolpa and the people Rolpalis have ‘a distinct’ image in Nepali imagination. They are the ‘fighters’, ‘terrorists’ or ‘jungalis’ depending who you are (More about this here: @ Rolpa [Libang] photos and journal from my October trip #Nepal). Excerpt:

जीतमान घर्तीलाई सबैभन्दा चिन्ता आफ्ना गधाहरूको लाग्छ । पाँच वर्षअघि देश शान्ति प्रक्रियामा छिरेलगत्तै बन्दुक छाडेर खच्चरका पछाडि दौडिन थालेका यी रूकुमेली अधबैंसेको दैनिक गुजारा अहिले यिनै चौपायाले चलाएका छन् ।
…….
माओवादीले ‘महान् जनयुद्ध’ र अन्यले ‘हिंसात्मक’ भन्ने सशस्त्र आन्दोलन सुरु भएका दुई जिल्ला रोल्पा र रूकुमले नेपाली मानसिकतामा त्यस्तो छवि बनाएका छन् जो अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय स्तरमा हालैका वर्षहरूमा युद्धको चपेटामा परेका अफगानिस्तान र इराकको जस्तै छ ।

(विस्तृतमा यहाँ)

Therefore I was a bit surprised when I learned that they were from Rolpa. And that they were carrying load from one corner of Shimla to another to make a living. There must be some truth in these whispers in Kathmandu and elsewhere in Nepal that some smart people cleverly used Rolpa and the Rolpalis as a launchpad to propel themselves to the national political scene, international fame and a really good life. The people of Rolpa, on the other hand, continue to struggle as they did before the janayuddha. It just so happened that they suffered the most during the civil war.

So in Shimla I was taking photos of the town. Suddenly I heard people talking in Nepali. Then I directed my camera towards them. They thought I was a tourist. They talked about me thinking that I didn’t understand their language. A man stood at a staircase a few steps below the crowd. He was listening to a Nepali song in his cell phone (Jasle Mutu Chudera Lagyo by Anjana Gurung). I started recording him. Then, after a minute or so, I decided to surprise him by asking a question in Nepali: where are you from, bhai? He was surprised but didn’t waste time to show that he was. We talked for about a minute. His friend joined in the conversation briefly before a man speaking in Hindi interrupted us. This guy must have hired these Nepali porters for this afternoon to bring stuffs to his shop from a few hundred meters below. 

They walked down. I followed them to take more photographs. This time they smiled for me.

I didn’t interview them. Therefore I don’t know much about them. But I briefly overheard them talking to each other. I also recall my conversation with the Kalikotes of Mussoorie. On that basis I can say that these people, from Pakhapani and neighboring villages of Rolpa, were brought here by the same Nepali social compulsions that had forced the people from Kalikot to go to Mussoorie. Unemployment, lack of opportunities in villages and disappointment with the political class that has failed to meet peoples’ expectations.

Reblogged from Wagle Street Journal:

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‘दुबई जाने चक्करमा छु हो सर,’ केही क्षण अघिसम्म उल्लासमय लवजमा गफिएको यामले अलि निराश स्वरमा अचानक त्यसो भन्दा मलाई कताकता चसक्क गरेजस्तो भएको थियो।

‘यो देशमा टिक्न नसकिने भइयो,’ प्रश्न सोध्नै नपाई उसले भनेको थियो।

केही बाध्यताले, बाँकी आफ्नै लापार्वाहीले २६ बर्षे याम रिनमा चुर्लुम्म डुबेको थियो जसबाट उत्रिन उसलाई विदेशिनुको विकल्प थिएन।

जिउदै छु प्रिय यतै भौतारिदै छु

Read more… 346 more words

At the British Embassy yesterday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest. Pic by Peter

Nepal and the world of mountaineering celebrated 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) yesterday. I attended one celebratory reception at the British Embassy in Kathmandu (pic above by Peter Allen). Reinhold Messner and Lydia Bradey cut a cake in the shape of Sagarmatha. (Read more about the event here which is interesting). Friend Deepak Adhikari, who interviewed Messner at the event, said he loved the way an article that I wrote about Messner years back began. I couldn’t remember the story he was referring to. In the evening I Googled and found a few articles that I had written for Kantipur on mountaineering, the Sherpas and the world’s tallest mountains (Everest, Cho Oyu). I found one on Messner (written nine years ago) but I don’t think that’s the one Deepak was talking about.

चोयु महोत्सवमा पर्वतीय पर्यटन प्रबर्द्धनको चासो

‘नेपालले अब ८ हजार मिटर बाहेकका हिमालको डटेर प्रबर्द्धन गर्नुपर्छ,’ २० वर्षघि चोयु चढेका विख्यात आरोही रेनहोल्ड मेस्नर भन्छन् । ८ हजार मिटर अग्ला सबै हिमालको टुप्पामा पुगेका यी इटालेली आरोहीले मंगलबार काठमाडौंमा आयोजित ‘नेपाली हिमाल- दिगो नेपाली पर्यटनका स्रोत’ विषयक सम्मेलनमा भने ।

मेस्नर ८ हजार मिटरभन्दा होचा हिमालहरूको पर््रबर्द्धन गर्नुपर्नेमा जोड दिँदै गर्दा अर्को सर्न्दर्भ पनि छुटाउन चाहदैनन् । ‘हिमालमा जति धेरै मान्छे चढे, त्यसको छवि त्यति नै घट्छ,’ कृत्रिम अक्सिजनबिना सगरमाथा पुगेका मेस्नर सुझाउँछन् । ८ हजार मिटरको साटो होचा हिमालतिर आरोहीहरूलाई लोभ्याएमा आम्दानी बढाउन र छवि पनि जोगाइराख्न सकिने उनको सोचाइ छ । उनी भन्छन्- ‘हिमाली आरोहीहरूमात्रै आम्दानीका लागि पर्याप्त हुने छैनन् । पदयात्रीहरूको संख्या बढाउन अभियान चलाउनु पर्छ  ।’ बाँकी

शेर्पा, सम्मान र सगरमाथा

दिनेश वाग्ले/सुरज कुँवर

काठमाडौ- अंग्रेजी शब्दकोषहरूमा ‘शेर्पा’ शब्दका प्रायः दुईवटा अर्थ भेट्टाइन्छन् । पहिलोले जनाउँछ नेपालका हाम्रा शेर्पा दाजुभाइ/दिदीबहिनीलाई । अंग्रेजी भाषाको आधिकारिक मानिने शब्दकोष ‘अक्स्फोर्ड’ले ‘शेर्पा’लाई यसरी अथ्र्याउँछ, ‘नेपाल-तिब्बत सीमानामा बस्ने हिमाली जनसमुदायका सदस्य जो पर्वतारोहण क्षमताका लागि ख्यातिप्राप्त छन् ।’

लगत्तै अर्को ‘अनौपचारिक’ भन्दै शेर्पाको अर्थ यस्तो उल्लेख गर्छ अक्स्फोर्ड, ‘एक सरकारी अधिकारी या कूटनीतिज्ञ जसले शिखर (सगरमाथा होइन है !) सम्मेलनभन्दा केही अगाडि त्यसको तयारी कार्यभार बहन गर्छ ।’

गत वर्ष जी-८ र जी-२० शिखर बैठकहरू भन्दा केही अगाडि ती बैठकमा अमेरिकी सहभागिताबारे तयारी गर्ने अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति बराक ओबामाका उपराष्ट्रिय सुरक्षा सल्लाहकार माइकल फ्रोम्यानको व्यक्तित्व चित्रण गर्दै तयार पारेको लेखको शीर्षक विजनेस विक पत्रिकाले यस्तो राख्यो, ‘माइकल फ्रोम्यान, ओबामाका शिखर ‘शेर्पा’।’

सत्य हो, नेपालभन्दा बढी सगरमाथा र शेर्पाबारे विश्वले सुनेको छ । नेपालबारे नसुन्नेहरूले पनि त्यो सर्वोच्च शिखर र त्यसैको सेरोफेरोमा बस्ने एउटा नेपाली जात समुदायलाई विश्वले चिनेको छ । त्यसैले कतिपय नेपालीहरूलाई अमेरिका या युरोपमा ‘शेर्पा हौ ?’ भनी सोध्छन् । केहीले चाहिँ ‘सगरमाथा चढेका छौ ?’ भन्छन् मानौं सगरमाथा फुल्चोकी डाँडो जस्तै हो । त्यस्तै प्रश्नले आजित भएर होला अमेरिकामा बसेर ‘वासिंटन पोस्ट’मा काम गर्ने एक जना पत्रकार अनुप काफ्लेले केही अघि आफ्नो टि्वटर परिचयमा लेखेका थिए, ‘नेपालबाट आएको हुँ तर म शेर्पा होइन ।’ बाँकी

१७ पटक सगरमाथा आप्पा होई !

आङछिरिङ शेर्पा/दिनेश वाग्ले

काठमाडौं, जेष्ठ १० – ‘यी शेर्पा किन सगरमाथा चढ्छन्?’ आप्पा शेर्पाबारे दुइ वर्ष अगाडि न्युयोर्क टाइम्सको समाचार शीर्षकले त्यो प्रश्नलगत्तै उत्तर दिएको थियो- ‘किन कि यो जागिर हो ।’

‘परिवार पाल्न’ र ‘देशको नाम राख्न’ हिमाली चुचुरामा पुग्ने बताउने आप्पाले त्यतिबेला आप्पाले १४ पटक सगरमाथा चढेका थिए र बर्सेनी उनको बढुवा भइरहेको छ । एक साताअघि आर्श्चर्यजनक १७ औंपटक शिखरमा पुगेका शेर्पाले यसपालि जागिरका रूपमा सगरमाथा चढेका थिएनन् ।

‘आफ्नै लागि चढे,’ लुक्लाबाट बुधबार राजधानी ओर्लेपछि स्वागतका खादाले छोपिएका आप्पाले भने- ‘नेपाल र शेर्पाहरूका लागि चढें ।’

चन्द्र-सूर्य फहराएको खुला टोयोटा ट्रकबाट सडकका यात्रुलाई हात हल्लाउँदै विमानस्थलदेखि याक एन्ड यति होटल पुगेका विख्यात शेर्पा अहिले लाउन्जमा बसेर विशेष सगरमाथा अभियानबारे कान्तिपुरसँग कुरा गरिरहेका छन् । बाँकी

थप शीर्षकहरू

सगरमाथा शिखरमै प्रयोगशाला (बर्सेनि थरीथरीका रेकर्ड राखिने सगरमाथा शिखरमा आगामी मार्चमा बेलायती वैज्ञानिकहरूले यसअघि कसैले नगरेको काम गर्ने तयारी गरिरहेका छन् ।)

केटुबाट सगरमाथा हेर्दा (“दुइटी उत्तिकै सुन्दर महिला तपाईं कसरी तुलना गर्न सक्नुहुन्छ,” सबिर नाजिरले प्रश्न गरे र उत्तर दिए- ‘दुवै उत्तिकै अब्बल, सुन्दर र तीक्ष्ण छन् । प्राविधिक हिसाबले उत्तिकै खतरनाक पनि ।’)

I have seen monkeys in many places- in the village where I was born and grew up, in many other villages of Nepal that I have visited, and in jungles where my trail passed through. Have seen them in cities as well- many places of Kathmandu and Delhi (Have written an entire column about the unfriendly monkeys of Delhi that sneaked into my apartment to steal things- Humans and monkeys struggle for space in the Indian capital). But I’ll put the monkeys of Shimla at the top of the list of the most agressive monkeys that I have ever seen.

Gokul and I went to the hilltop in a taxi abandoning our initial plan to hike up to the temple to see the Hanuman statue that overlooks Shimla town. At 108 feet tall, this is the world’s tallest- Hanuman- statue constructed fairly recently, according to this TOI report. I got off the taxi and moved a few steps to the edge of the road to have a better view of the town below. At that instance the view of the town got blurred. Then I realized I had lost my spectacles.

A moment later I saw a monkey clutching specs, running towards a tree and climbing over it. All in less than five seconds. I was stunned. I didn’t know how to react. As I quickly thought of me wandering around Shimla with blurred vision (not that bad but certainly not the best without glasses) for the next several hours, I couldn’t help but appreciate the flawless manner in which the monkey had taken the glasses off my nose. I didn’t even notice it. The monkey had jumped from over a tree that was behind me. S/he had taken my glasses off my nose without touching me- not my nose and not my ears. If I felt anything during that process, it was just a brush of air. Or, something similar.

The thief was now sitting at a branch with my eyeglasses on his/her hand. S/he was in no mood to return that to the rightful owner. Somebody suggested to give the monkey something to eat so that s/he would be happy and return my spectacles. A guy was selling packets of gram nearby. He also rented canes (to chase monkeys away).

“Give me gram worth rupees five, please,” I asked.

“Arre bhaiya, what can Rs. 5 buy these days?” he said. “Not even a cup of tea. The smallest packet costs Rs. 10.”

That’s a good way of doing business, I thought and quickly handed him a ten rupees note.

I couldn’t convince the monkey to come down to swap my eyeglasses with a packet of gram. The guy who sold gram to me came after I requested him. He threw the packet aiming at the monkey which was caught. The monkey then threw my glasses down. Thankfully, they didn’t break.

We then walked up to the temple a couple of hundred meters further up.

At the temple close to the Hanuman statue I saw monkeys stealing shoes that were not kept at the shoe house. There too they threw back shoes to owners after they were given packets of edibles. As we were descending back to town I overheard a boy complaining loudly: “The monkey took my glasses away.”  He didn’t have them back.

Suddenly I felt fortunate. (23 March 2013)

No prize for spotting me. Pic by Gokul Dahal

Shimla is a town of Monkeys who behave like Monkeys. But I will keep this album free of monkeys. I present here the atmosphere of the town- crowds and buildings- as I saw it.

During my two-year stay in Delhi as a reporter I traveled to most of the famous ‘hill stations’ in north India. Here’s the list: Darjeeling, Shillong, Mussoorie, Manali and Gangtok. Somehow I hadn’t found time to go to Shimla. I had imagined the place to be not drastically different from other hilly Indian towns. But some descriptions that I had come across (can’t remember the exact one at the moment) had put this place slightly ahead of others in the beauty contest of ‘queens of hills’. May be some political events (like the Shimla Agreement) provided some importance (and glamour) to the place. I also wanted to experience the toy train of Shimla (and wanted to compared it with similar one in Darjeeling).

For those reasons, and also because of its relative proximity to Delhi, I wanted to take a few days off to go to Shimla when I went to the Indian capital recently for business. Gokul, friend who did Masters in Computer Applications from Delhi’s JNU and is now based in Noida, agreed to tag along. We left the Old Delhi railway station in midnight to catch a toy train that left Kalka for Shimla in the morning.

My impression of the town? Just another hilly town filled with loads of newly constructed concrete houses that overshadow a few remaining colonial-style and better looking buildings. Very commercialized but not in a good way. Congested. The only good thing about the place is its central road (surprisingly not named after Mahatma Gandhi) where an evening walk can be relaxing. 24 March 2013

Next: A monkey stole my glasses.

At the Shimla train station we were surprised by the sight of a train motor- it was just a single train car. Total passengers traveling: 11 including us (me and Gokul), the ‘train’ driver and a kid. At the Barog station from where the longest tunnel of the Kalka-Shimla route ends (or starts, depending upon where you are coming from) we chatted with the driver. Hari Singh from Uttar Pradesh state of India has been driving trains on this route for the past 30 years. He said BBC has made a film over him which is available in YouTube.  24 March 2013

Past entries on Indian trains:

1. The Great Indian Railway Bazaar
2. Indian Level Crossing
3. A Trip to Taj Mahal (Part I- Indian Railways)
4. Rajdhani Express 4
5. Toy Train 3 

Reblogged from Wagle Street Journal:

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Today I crossed a river. Twice. On a packraft. By myself of course. It was fun. A bit scary. But it was all okay. Crossing back was challenging. But I did it. Considering it was one of Nepal's big rivers, I feel my performance, first ever, was not that bad. A video of my little adventure sometime at the end of this week.

Read more… 84 more words

Bhaskar Adhikari who works at the Royal Botanical Gardens as a researcher gave me a near-detailed tour of the beautiful Gardens. Pic by Amit Gautam.

Here’s my Edinburgh entry (now with photos).

It was Amit’s idea. He knew someone who worked there. That someone, I later came to know, was Bhaskar Adhikari (PhD from University of Edinburgh). Bhaskar worked as a researcher at the “Flora of Nepal” section of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. He had agreed to give us a tour of the Gardens. Fantastic. Thank you Bhaskar ji.

We were at the reception, collecting our visitor’s passes and chatting with Bhaskar someone hugged us from behind. This was Mark Watson (PhD) who headed the flora section and edited the Flora of Nepal (“the first comprehensive account of Nepal’s vascular plants.” Three of the Flora’s 10 volumes were published in September 2011.) “With about 7000 species of vascular plants,” the section’s webpage states, “Nepal is a globally important biodiversity hot-spot.” A few months back, I was indirectly involved in organising program in Kathmandu that also involved Watson. But we hadn’t met. I had completely forgotten that he worked here at the RBG.

सानो (माइक्रो) बस चढेर ठूलो साझा बसको फेरी थालिएको सेवाको गाडी चढेर उद्घाटन गर्न पुगेका मुख्य सचिव लिलामणी पौडेलसँग हात मिलाउदै बसका अध्यक्ष कनकमणी दीक्षित । तस्बिर राजेश केसी ।

उनन्सत्तरीमा सबैभन्दा जनपयोगी काम काठमान्डूमा बर्षको अन्तिम दिनमा भए जस्तो लाग्यो । शहरमा सार्वजनिक बस सेवा साझा यातायातको पुन थालियो । अहिलेलाइ १६ वटा बसले दुइवटा रूटमा सेवा दिने भनिएको छ । तर आशा गर्न सकिन्छ सेवाको विस्तार हुन्छ- शहरभरी, देशैभरी र विदेशसम्म पनि । सञ्चालकहरूले पनि त्यो सबै प्रतिज्ञा गरेका छन् । साझा यातायातको सेवा विस्तारबाट भन्दा ठूलो आशा मैले यो प्रयासले नेपालमा रही आएको नीजि यातायात सेवालाई ‘राम्रो हुन’ प्रेरणा र दवाव दिने छ भन्ने हो । एनसेलको आगमनले एनटीसीलाई कसरी प्रेरणा र सकारात्मक दवाव मिलेको छ भन्नेकुरा शहरमा हालै खुलेका एनटीसीका सेवा केन्द्रहरूले प्रष्ट्रयाउछन् ।

काठमान्डूमा सार्वजनिक यातायातको दुर्दशाको चित्रण/बर्णन गरी के साध्ये । निकै अगाडीको एउटा लेख र केही अगिको एउटा ब्लग इन्ट्रीमा मैले त्यो प्रयास गरिसकेकोले अहिले दोहोर्याउदिन । त्यो दुर्दशाबाट अलिकति भएपनि मुक्ति पाइएला भन्ने आशा भएकैले अहिले यति लेख्न जागर चलेको हो ।

हाम्रो देशमा अहिले सबैभन्दा ठूलो समस्या भनेको प्रबन्धनको हो । स्रोत, साधन, जनशक्ति र ज्ञान नभएको हैन । तर उचित प्रबन्धनको क्षमता अलि कम भएको देखिएको छ । माइतीघर-तीनकुने सडक विस्तार हुनथालेको महिनौं भइसक्यो । पैसा नभएर काममा ढिलाइ भएको हो ? कि बेरोजगारीहरूले िभत्ता रंगाएको यो सहरमा त्यो सडकखण्डमा काम गर्ने मानिसको कमी भएर ? यसअघिका प्रमले प्राथमिकतामा राखेको सडक विस्तार कार्यको सबैभन्दा सुरूवाती प्रयास यति धीमा गतिमा चल्नुमा प्रबन्धन क्षमतामा कमजोरी देख्छु ।

अपेक्षा के हो भने साझाको व्यवस्थापन र प्रबन्धन कुशल र चुस्त छ अनि त्यसले साझा बसमात्र चलाउदैन नेपाली सार्वजनिक यातायातको सुधारमा प्रेरणा, दवाव र योगदान दिने छ । हिजोको कान्तिपुर को लेखमा साझा सहकारी यातायातका अध्यक्ष कनकमणी दीक्षितले पनि त्यस्तै गर्ने योजना रहेको उल्लेख गरेका छन् ।

दीक्षितको प्रसंग आइहाल्यो अबको भाग उनकै बारेमा ।

थुप्रै नेपाली र नेपाललाई नजिकबाट चिनेका विदेशीले समेत उनलाई पत्रकारकारूमा चिन्छन् । साझाप्रति मेरो यति धेरै उत्साह र अपेक्षाको मुख्य कारण त्यो प्रयासको नेतृत्वमा यी पत्रकार (पत्रकार) को सहभागिता नै हो । हुन पनि कुन बससेवाका प्रमुख कोलम्बियाका ग्य्रयाजुएट छन् ? हो काठमान्डूमा बसचलाउन आइभी लिग डिग्रीले खासै अर्थ राख्दैन र दीक्षित काठमान्डूका सार्वजनिक बसहरूका यात्रुपनि होइनन् । हुन त गरिवी निवारण गर्न गरिवै हुनुपर्ने पनि हैन । त्यसैले म बसमात्रै चलाउदिन शहरको सार्वजनिक यातायात प्रणालीमा सुधार ल्याउछु भन्ने लक्ष्य राख्नुले केही न केही अर्थ राख्छ ।

मैले उनीसँग र उनले सम्पादन/प्रकाशन गर्ने कुनै पनि पत्रिकामा काम गरेको छैन (एकपटक उनले सम्पादन गर्ने हिमाल साउथएसिएनमा उत्तरपूर्वी भारतका नेपालीभाषी भारतीय र नेपाली आप्रवासी कामदारबारेको एउटा लेख र कान्तिपुरमा उनको बालसाहित्यिक किताबबारे दुइ टुक्रा (एक, दुइ) लेख्ने बाहेक) । तर मैले उनका कतिपय सार्वजनिक गतिविधिहरू यदाकदा नियालेको छु, तिनकाबारे सुनेको छु । ती सबै गतिविधिले के दर्शाउछन् भने उनी एक असाधारण क्षमता, शक्ति (इनर्जी), संजाल, र पहुँच भएका व्यक्ति हुन् । र, त्यो भन्दा महत्वपूर्ण ती सबैकुरालाइ उनले सकारात्मक काममा प्रयोग गरेको देखिएको छ । यद्यपी उनका आलोचकहरूका लागि दीक्षित सामन्ति सोचका सामन्त बाहुन र, एकजना पूर्व प्रमका शब्दमा, डलरमणी हुन् जसले, केही क्रान्तिकारीहरूका अनुसार, ती सबैकुरालाइ शान्ति प्रकृया भाड्नदेखि बान की मुनलाइ नेपाल आउन नदिने अभियान चलाउन उपयोग गरेकाले पत्रिकाको आवरणमै उनलाई जनदुश्मन घोषणा गर्नुपरेको हो ।

एउटा मान्छेका लागि कतिधेरै विशेषण ! त्यो किन भनि थाहा पाउन यो प्रश्नको उत्तर पनि जान्नु पर्ला । एउटा मान्छेले जिन्दगीमा कति सम्म या मात्र गर्न सक्छ? न्युजरूममा रिपोर्टरहरूलाइ आकास मुनी र माथिका समेत विषयबारे उत्तिकै सूसुचित ढंगमा स्टोरी आइडिया दिनेदेखि विदेशी उर्दू कविहरूका सिर्जनामाथि बहस गराउने, दक्षिण एसियाली बृत्तचित्र महोत्सव काठमान्डूमा गराएर मुलुकमै त्यो माध्यमबारे चेतना फैलाउने, सर्वोच्चले अपराधी ठहर्याएका हत्यारालाइ जेल सजाय हुनुपर्यो भन्दै मानवअधिकारबादी अभियान चलाउने, अनि न्याय माग्दै दैलेख पनि पुग्न भ्याइहाल्ने, नेपालको एउटा प्रमुख म्यागेजिन निकाल्ने, दक्षिण एसियामै सम्मानित अर्को म्यागेजिन सम्पादन गर्ने, काठमान्डुकै उत्कृष्ठ मध्येको एउटा स्कुल खोल्ने, नेपाली समाज र राजनीतिबारे कितावहरू अनि राष्ट्रिय र अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय पत्रिकाहरूमा लेख लेखिरहने, नेपालका प्रधानमन्त्रीले विदेशी राजधानीमा दिने औपचारिक भाषण ड्राफ्ट गर्नेदेखि र ब्लगहरू पढेर तिनमा प्रतिकृया पनि दिन भ्याउने, दक्षिण एसियाली सहरहरूबीच च्यारीटी कार यात्रा पनि गरिहाल्ने । अनि अब आएर बससेवा पनि चलाउने । यी त मैले उनलाइ टाढाबाट हेर्दा देखिएका र उनीसँग काम गर्नेहरूले पत्रकार सहकर्मीहरूले सुनाएका अनुसारका विवरण मात्रै हुन् । भनिसके मलाइ उनकोबारेमा खासै धेरै जानकारी छैन ।

सन् २००१ अगस्टमा लमजुङको एउटा भीरबाट खसेर मर्स्याङदीमाथिको अक्करे पहरोमा अड्किएका र थुप्रैदिन पछि लगभग मरेको अवस्थामा फेला परेका यी मान्छेले सद्दे भएपछि गरेका कामहरूको मात्रै लेखाजोखा गर्ने हो भने पनि त्यो थुप्रै मान्छेहरूले उनीहरूको जिन्दगीभर गरेका कामहरू भन्दा धेरै, बढी समाजोपयोगी र प्रभावशाली ठहरिन्छ ।

पदयात्रा दुर्घटनाबाट पुनर्जीवन पाएपछि उनले आफ्नो क्षमता, प्रभाव र पहुँच सबै प्रयोग गरेर एउटा अस्पताल खोले (स्पाइनल इन्जुरी पुनर्स्थापना केन्द्र) जसले अहिले थुप्रै गरिव नेपालीलाई सहज सेवा दिइरहेको छ । क्रान्तिकारीहरूलाई मन नपर्ला तर दीक्षितले देशमा वितेको एकदशकमा नेपालमा चलेका लोकतान्त्रिक र मानवअधिकार आन्दोलनमा खेलेको नेतृत्वदायी भूमिका कुनैपनि ठूलो पार्टीका प्रमुख नेताहरू भन्दा कम छैन ।

त्यसैले मलाइ लाग्छ काठमान्डूमा साझाको पुनरोदय हुनु जति महत्वपुर्ण छ त्यति नै छ एउटा व्यक्तिकारूपमा कनक दीक्षितको उपस्थिति- विशेषत यो अभियानमा र सामान्यत नेपाली समाजमा । पक्कै साझाको पुनरोदय उनकैमात्र प्रयासमा भएको होइन र बसहरू उनैले चलाउने पनि हैन । तर मैले माथि उल्लेख गरे अहिले हामीलाई नेतृत्वको खाँचो छ । सवल नेतृत्व दिएकैले त भगवान कोइरालाको हामीले जय गाएको ।

पुनश्च:

१. यो टुक्रा साझा पुनरोदयको पहिलो र उनन्सत्तरीको अन्तिम दिन बेलुका लेखिया हो ।
२. सत्तरीको दोस्रो दिन आज मैले पहिलोपटक साझाको वेबसाइट भेट्टाएँ जसमा कनक दीक्षितको परिचय रैछ । थाहा पाए उनी आर्काइभिङ र जनावरको हितमूलक काममा पनि संलग्न रैछन् ।
३. साझाको पुनरोदयको पहिलो दिनबारे थप जान्ने भए गिरीशजीको यो सुन्दर सेतोपाटी स्टोरी र यी दुइ (एक, दुइ) अन्तर्वार्ता सिफारिस गर्छु ।
४. त्यो दिनका केही सम्बन्धित ट्वीटहरू:

'किलिन्डरले १५ रूको टिकट काट्दछ'
साझा यातायात उद्घाटनमा मह जोडी टिकट काट्दै http://t.co/yS4RDympDw—
PHALANO™ (@phalano) April 13, 2013

@Finlip साझा बसका दुईवटा रुट। रुट १ लगनखेलबाट नयां बसपार्क र रुट २ कलंकीबाट एअरपोर्ट। #sajhabus http://t.co/oj9B5HYPaY—
  (@jitendraraut) April 13, 2013

साझाबसका असली खम्बा।चालक(सुन्तले)२५,परिचालक(हरियो)३२,८ महिला।सबै अर्कै कम्पनी"सुविधासेवा"को करारका कर्मचारी।#sajhabus http://t.co/ArwBX2KeZ6—
  (@jitendraraut) April 13, 2013

लौ है गयो साझा बस एअरपोर्ट भित्र। अब हवाई यात्रुले महंगो ट्याक्सी भाडा तिर्नु नपर्ने आशा गर्ने ठाउं बन्ला? #sajhabus http://t.co/xd0RBhHZoJ—
  (@jitendraraut) April 13, 2013

*conductor |kənˈdəktər|
noun
1 a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir: he was appointed principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
2 a person in charge of a train, streetcar, or other public conveyance, who collects fares and sells tickets.
3 Physics a material or device that conducts or transmits heat, electricity, or sound, esp. when regarded in terms of its capacity to do this : graphite is a reasonably good conductor of electricity.
• another term for lightning rod .

The man in the middle had brought a list that he said police had prepared and contained many ethnic groups/nationalities including Nepali of the world. He argued that those on the upper part (white Europeans) received favorable treatment from police than those that are at the lower part of the list. James (not seen) believed the man was wrong. About 10 minutes later I saw the man on left chatting with James and, at one point, he tried to include me into their conversation about international banking asking what I felt about it.

So the Speakers’ Corner hasn’t been deserted after all. After I posted an entry on the place portraying it as an empty place James (call him Sir James or James Chambuwan ) suggested me to go there on a Sunday afternoon. That’s what I did and, lo and behold, there was another James, slightly taller than the one who suggested me to go there, I must admit, talking animatedly about various crises in the world but mainly focusing his lecture to European affairs. A few middle-aged men surrounded him as he continuously spoke, leaving little chance for others to interrupt, moving both hands and his whole body furiously and occasionally jumping a few inches from the ground (or may be just raising is both ankles) to make a particularly important point. Some of his listeners were trying their best to interrupt him, correct him and to counter and add their own views to what he was saying.

James the Speaker of the Imperial College, London (a student of Chemistry who plans to go into finance and politics- finance more likely than politics, he admitted- in future and thinks it’s good to be grounded in pure science while making career in one of the aforementioned areas) was one of about seven speakers who were

1) struggling to make their points to their listeners who were taking no chance to interrupt them;
2) competing with each other to gain more audience.

Then there were several other strangers who were having their own conversations- just that everyone was talking so loudly that it was difficult to identify who was talking to whom and about what. And there were so many different accents.

The man from Scotland, right, makes his point as James, left, says he likes Scotland to remain as a part of the UK.

Quite a few religious advocates were spreading their God’s message. They were arguing that their religion or sect was better than others. More intense were the arguments that claimed Christianity was better than Islam or Islam was better than everything else. I am happy to note that no one physically assaulted the other agitated person though at one point I felt a clash could break any moment between a bearded man advocating Islam and the other guy arguing on behalf of Jesus.

For me it was fascinating to find the place almost exactly as I had imagined it to be. My imagination was partly based on Taranath Sharma’s Belayattira Baralinda. But what I saw there was no different from what I had seen in Kathmandu’s Ratna Park several years ago. Here’s what I had written about the gathering and animated conversations under a tree in Ratna Park in Kantipur in 2008:

डडुवा-६, रामेछापका हिमबहादुर रानामगरलाई अगाडी राखेर जोशिदै र हात फैलाउँदै गफिएका कमल थापा

उनी हुन् कमल थापा । ‘राजासहितको प्रजातन्त्र’को वकालत गर्दै चुनाव लड्दा मकवानपुरमा जमानत गुमाएका राप्रपा नेपालका नेतासँग उनको नाममात्रै मिलेको हो, विचार ठ्याक्कै उल्टो छ । ठूला अंग्रेजी अक्षरमा ‘एभ्री गार्मेन्ट’ लेखेको सेतो सफा टी-र्सटलाई कालो पाइन्ट भित्र घुसारेर टिमिक्क बेल्ट बाधेका यी २७ बर्षो कमल थापा खासमा चन्दनपुर, संखुवासभाका हुन् । चुनाव अघि गाऊ पुगेका उनले भोट काठमान्डू-१ मा खसाए । अहिले,

घामले टट्टीएको यो मध्यान्हमा, उनी रत्नपार्कमा छन्- जहाँ उनी अपरिचित तर राजनीतिमा गहिरो चासो राख्ने र नेपालका विभिन्न भागबाट पुगेकासँग खुलेर गफिइरहेका छन् ।

पार्कको अघिल्लो भागमा ठडिएका दुइ रुख मुनी उभिएर या बाटो छेउका बारमा बसेर गफिने व्यक्तिहरुको समूह पहिलोपटक देख्दा मैले ठानेको थिए- त्यहा कुनै क्लव या त्यस्तै कुनै समुहको बैठक भइरहेको छ । कुरा राजनीतिक थिए, सहभागीले जमेर तर्क र अनुमान गरिरहेका थिए, कोही यस्तै हुनुपर्छ या हुन्छ भनेर ठोकुवा गर्दथे । केही मिनेटमै थाहा भयो- आपसमा गफिएका उनीहरुले एकले अर्कालाई चिनेका छैनन्, चिन्नेहरुको चिनाजानी पनि त्यही भएको हो ।

कमल थापा सहितको समुह संविधान सभा बनोट र आगामी सरकारको नेतृत्वबारे गफिइरहदा एक मिटर पर्तिर एउटा अर्को झुन्डले घेरिएका ३३ बर्षे बालकृष्ण गिरी र ७० बर्षे खवीराज कोइराला आफ्नै तालमा व्यस्त थिए । बालकृष्ण घाटिको नसा फुल्नेगरी चिच्याउदै तर्क गरिरहेका थिए भने खवीराज चाहि सानो स्वरमा ‘हैन, हैन’, ‘अँ अँ’ भन्दै र बेलाबेलामा तर्कयुक्त प्रश्न गर्दै वादविवाद गरिरहेका थिए । टाढाबाट सुन्दा बालकृष्णले खवीराजलाई कुटिपो हाल्नेहुन् कि जस्तो भान पार्ने उनीहरुको वादविवादका स्रोता बेलाबेलामा खित्का छाडेर हासिरहेका थिए ।                                          (रुखमुनी रत्नपार्क 2008/04/26)

I saw many similarities between Rukhmuni Ratna Park and Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner (except for the religious propagandas of SP). In both places, random people who didn’t know each other were talking about random issues that they though were important to them as well as to the rest of the world. The intensity of involvement and the way arguments were presented are also same. In Speakers’ Corner people who didn’t like what the speaker standing on an elevated chair was saying tried to playfully annoy him/her, disturb him/her.

I didn’t see that in Rukhmuni Ratna Park but I think I liked that. Even heckling is okay if that doesn’t involved physical attack and the heckler disappears after a couple of shouts. I haven’t gone back to Rukhmuni Ratna Park since I went there to report for the article but I hope animated conversations that Kamal Thapa and others were having at that time continue these days as well through other random people. This is what I call democracy in action. People need to speak up even if, as it is mostly the case in Nepal, their voices are not always heard.