Nepal

Kathmandu, June 29

Thousands of locals of Kathmandu valley today organised a motorcycle rally in a bid to exert pressure on the government to form an all powerful commission for drafting a new Guthi Bill.

People, especially from the Newar community, participating in the rally warned the government against any attempt to reintroduce the controversial bill in the future.

They have also demanded that the government should incorporate the views shared by locals, stakeholders, cultural experts and guthiyaars (trustees) while drafting the new bill.

The rally that started from Basantapur area passed through Baneshwor, Koteshwor, Thimi and reached Bhaktapur. From Bhaktapur the rally headed towards Kirtipur, where it converged into a corner meeting.

Hundreds of motorbikes and some mini-buses were used for the rally.

Following widespread criticism from the locals of Kathmandu, the government, on June 25, had withdrawn the controversial Guthi Bill from the Federal Parliament.

Ganapati Lal Shrestha, who is the coordinator of the National Identity Protection Joint Struggle Committee, said, &We were never happy with the work of Guthi Sansthan.

We now have an opportunity to correct it. We urge the government to form an all powerful committee which will particularly understand and address the problems facing the guthis.&

The locals have been demanding that the controversial bill be scrapped, as according to them, it aims to change the operational modality and ownership structure of existing guthis.

Many people are of the view that if the controversial bill ispassed, it will pave the way for land mafias to make hay.

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Kathmandu, June 29

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said he was confident that the report of the Nepal-India Eminent Persons Group, which was ready, would be submitted to both governments soon.

Inaugurating an interaction on ‘national dialogue on foreign policy& organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here today, PM Oli said once the report was submitted, it would be discussed between the two countries and implemented.

PM Oli said all political parties and individuals of the country should be one on foreign policy issues.

He said Nepalrelations with neighbours had deepened in recent years. &As far as our relations with other countries are concerned, we have reviewed many aspects. Our relations with our neighbours should be grounded on truth, justice and the world system,& he said and added that Nepalobjective was to maintain friendly relations with all countries with enmity towards none.

&We are pursuing our foreign policies to spur development in all fields and I am confident that we will be able to lift our country out of poverty soon,& he said and added that the government needed to focus on economic diplomacy, not just on political diplomacy.

The PM said there should not be extra activism in diplomacy.

He further said that his government would take positive initiatives to hold the next SAARC Summit.

&I recognise the roles of those people who contributed to nation-building, unification of the country and protection of sovereignty,& the PM added.

Co-chair of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that in the past, governments tended to favour a particular country, but that should end now and the government should pursue only pro-Nepal policy.

He also said that Nepalrelations with India and China stood on their own merits and there should not be any tendency to play one neighbour against another.

He further added that all the parties which joined hands together to promulgate the new constitution should work in the same spirit now to develop the countrycommon foreign policies.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said foreign policies were the extended form of a countrydomestic policies. He said the government was pursuing its foreign policies to protect and promote national interest. He added that Nepalrelations were continuously growing with the countries of the world. &Given our geopolitics, we need to handle our foreign relations carefully,& he said and added that the government was sensitive about the sensitivities of neighbours.

Deputy Prime Minister and Health and Population Minister Upendra Yadav said SAARC was established with high hopes and expectations, but now it was not moving ahead due to some issues between some counties.

He also said that Nepal should play its role to promote understanding within the SAARC so that its activities could be put back on track.

Co-general Secretary of Nepali Congress Prakash Sharan Mahat said the governmentforeign policies had deviated in recent months, but the government should pursue the countryforeign policies keeping national interests at the centre.

Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leader Rajkishor Yadav said Nepalforeign policies should focus on economic diplomacy so that the country could gain economic benefits. He also said the Madhes region, which shares a long border with India, should not be overlooked in our dialogue with India on foreign policy issues.

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&I kissed a girl and I liked it…..&

&My brother is gay and thatokay.&

The first pride parade taking place in the pride month of June in the country witnessed participants swaying their bodies to a diverse range of pride anthems in Maitighar (Fibwa-Khya) today.

Hundreds of participants with decorative face paintings (being done on the spot by some participants themselves), colourful umbrellas, and vibrant clothes flooded the Mandala area in anticipation of the parade. Performers danced in the square while the crowd waved large pride flags in excitement.

A participant paints the face of another participant while taking part in Nepalfirst pride parade during the pride month, in Kathmandu, on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Photo: Ankit Khadgi/THT Online

The high-spirits, positive vibes and encouraging smiles welcomed everyone making the first pride parade more a celebration of diversity and intersectionality. The combination of people of various nationalities, ethnicities, sexual identities, and individuals with disabilities was a vital part of the parade.

The parade organised by Queer Youth Group (QYG) and Queer Rights Collective in collaboration with various organisations rallied from Maitighar (Fibwa-Khya) to New Baneshwar (Khuntoo).

Rukshana Kapali, a transgender social activist and a member of QYG was overwhelmed with emotions seeing the community come together to celebrate love and each other.

Rukshana Kapali, a transgender social activist and a member of QYG, stands with other participants holding a banner in Nepalfirst pride parade during the pride month, in Kathmandu, on Saturday, June 29, 2019. Photo: Ankit Khadgi/THT Online

When asked why Marginalised Orientations, Gender identities, And Intersex: MOGAI (pronounced: muggy), a new acronym for gender minorities was used for the parade, Kapali shared that they were looking for a term that included identities beyond just what the acronym &LGBTIQ& stands for.

This parade differed from the Pride March organised annually by the Blue Diamond Society that takes place during the festival of Gaijatra. Kapali explained the reason for organising a pride parade in June is to increase the visibility of the community and to provide a separate platform for members to celebrate their sexualities.

&While the support for the LGBT community is growing, there is a lack of awareness about the various sexualities like asexuals, pansexuals, bisexuals, and gender fluid,& shared Kim Thakuri, a participant who identifies as a non-binary pansexual.

One of the main aims of the parade was to shed light on the specific gender identities by holding placards that defined the wide range of sexual orientations, in not just Nepali and English, but multiple ethnic languages.

The parade also saw support from straight and heterosexual individuals who identify as allies of the community. &I am extremely happy to be a part of the parade and itamazing that my straight and cisgender friends are here to support me,& said Thakuri.

&Loving someone is not wrong. Everyone should be allowed to love whoever they want,& answered Praju Dotel an ally when asked why she was attending the event. While the urban areas are becoming more inclusive of the LGBT community, she expressed the need to spread awareness about the issue in remote areas of the country as well.

Although Nepal legalised homosexuality in 2007 AD as a result of the Sunil Babu Pant and Other vs Nepal Government court case, the LGBT community still struggles for equal participation and representation in various walks of life.

The new Nepali Civil and Criminal Code (Muluki Ain) that went into effect in August 2018 fails to recognise same-sex marriage and defines marriage as being a union between two people of the opposite gender — creating a hostile environment for LGBT couples.

&There has always been a romanticisation of Nepal as being one of the more tolerant countries in Asia; however, the ground reality is very different. The laws are not actually implemented making it more difficult for our community,& said Kapali.

She also discussed the importance of including topics surrounding the LGBT community in the Nepali curriculum to not just make students familiar with the concept but also make students within the community more comfortable in their school surrounding. Looking at definitions of ‘family& beyond just a heteronormative lens might be a good first step, Kapali pointed out.

&I feel like these are my people. I know they won&t judge me and I can fully be myself here,& said an enthusiastic participant, Jyoti Shrestha, who identifies as gender fluid.

Talking about the stigmatisation of the LGBT community, Shrestha highlighted the prevalent gender-roles in our community that hinder the movement of Nepali society away from inclusivity of gender minorities.

&People here don&t know the specific terms used and although they know we exist, there is still taboo surrounding this topic,& continued Shrestha.

The pride month also marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, that acted as a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.

The first of its kind, this pride parade boasted large youth participation and successfully delivered the message of equality, diversity and intersectionality in the Nepali context.

&Gradually people are becoming more aware and now I can connect with other people from the community more openly. So, I don&t feel like I am alone anymore,& said Shrestha, happily embracing their sexuality through their new buzzed hair-cut.

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Kathmandu, June 28

Govinda KC, a senior orthopaedic surgeon at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, issued a press statement today expressing concern about allocation of more seats to foreign students for MD and MS programmes at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan.

He warned of starting a fresh protest if the agreement signed by the government with him was not implemented. The medical colleges can&t allocate more than one-third of the total seats to foreign students as per the National Medical Education Act.

The BPKIHS has been accused of allocating three out of five quotas each, in general medicine and paediatrics and four out of six quotas in surgery, for foreign students.

Junior Resident Welfare Society, a society of junior resident doctors at BPKIHS, has padlocked the offices of Vice-chancellor Dr Raj Kumar Rauniyar and Rector Dr Guru Khanaloffice since Thursday protesting the enrolment of foreigner students exceeding the quotas allocated for them. The BPKIHS has claimed that it has allocated only 26 out of 123 seats in MD and MS programmes for foreign students. The agitating doctors have demanded that the quota rule be implemented properly.

• BPKIHS padlocked over foreign student quota
• Quota rule for foreign medical students not violated: BPKIHS

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