The Talcha Airport: My Travel Memoir

OCT 22 -

Maheshwor Rijal 

This was an unforgettable travel experience I had in Mugu, one of the remotest places in the world. Here, life is difficult as there is no regular transportation expect the rare flight from Talcha Airport situated on the high Himalayan foothills near Rara National Park. Since this was a festive time, there were many people at the airport which is a two-hour uphill walk from Gamgadi, the district headquarters of Mugu. Many people from outside the district were also there to return to their homes. So the hotel near the airport was filled with government officers, NGO and INGO staff, teachers and local people. But it was not easy getting a ticket on the flight. You needed power and you had to pay extra over the normal airfare.

There was no system as the airlines only flew passengers they favoured. Only the people who had close connections with the airline staff would get flight permission. The others were compelled to pay a high amount as per the demand of the airline agents. It was really difficult for me to get a ticket despite several attempts. I realised that this was the kind of suffering you had to endure in a remote place where there is no transportation.

I saw a woman in her late 30s with a wrinkled face at the airport. She was suffering from uterine prolapse and had reached there after walking for three days from Kimri, the remotest village development committee in the northern part of the district. She wanted to go to Nepalgunj for her treatment, but it was impossible to get on the flight since she could not afford the extra charges and she knew nobody there. Meanwhile, I saw government officials getting tickets only hours after arriving when other people had been waiting for more than a week. Who cared for the pain of these marginalised and vulnerable people who could not get access to medical treatment?    

I finally got a ticket by paying extra. This was the best time for airline agents to earn money due to the Dashain festival rush. The airlines do not issue air tickets and boarding passes to passengers. I asked an airline agent at Talcha and he replied, “If you do not want to go, it’s your choice.” Where are the concerned authorities? It is really difficult for the people of Mugu since there is no means of transportation even if a road connecting the district headquarters was built two years ago. Despite the great challenge and struggle, I arrived at my birthplace Sindhupalchok to celebrate Dashain, and it was one unforgettable experience.

Every year, a huge amount of money is invested for the construction and repair of Talcha Airport, but its condition remains the same. I urge the government and concerned authorities to ensure a systematic mechanism and good governance to eradicate the horrendous problems there so that people’s lives could be easier.

Posted on: 2014-10-23 08:49

(published in The Kathmandu Post  http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/10/22/oped/postplatform--leaving-on-a-plane/268842.html) 

Letter of Concern

Dear political leaders,

I am writing to this letter of concern to you that what happening in our country in these days as the news of injustice; crime and corruption have been increasing!  The news of progress and prosperity are now being gradually decreased. Firstly, I would like to ask our honorable prime-minister, what did you do for drafting the constitution after you take oath of office and secrecy of premiership? I would not be wrong in saying that you did nothing except visiting abroad for your health checkup and recruit a person of your favor in the decision making level of government. Please, put your hand in heart and think for a while to reflect yourself.

Dear leaders, why are you still reluctant to go ahead for the constitution drafting process?  As first four years journey to draft constitution  through Constitutional Assembly (CA) was  a failure  and the great lesson already learned,  now, its second chance to you that people gave  you mandate for  constitution drafting. It's really a reprehensible reality that parliament house has been a place of earning money but not the ideal place of addressing people' mandate. Don’t you have shame to ignore mandate of people!!  Please, hurry up to make new Nepal through constitution respecting the people's mandate.

What would be frustration than this that every day we are encountering the news of crime, injustice, and corruption? Such kind of negative wash-back and catastrophic figures of Nepalese society are never appreciable for the progressive changes and transformation.  Why are political leaders now busy in advocating for the notorious criminals and gangsters?  Instead of throwing such stigma of society forever some of the comrades are doing politics keeping backside to these criminal and this is proved by recent crossfire case of Chari.

Dear leader, please do work for victims doing immediate rescue of oppressed people in Sunkosi Landslide. Hope, sympathy and courage are the need of this time, but these are lacking. You need treatment for your diseases in Europe and American hospitals while majority of oppressed remote people are fighting for a tablet of para-citamol. Have you ever realized the pain of poor women in Karnali who died of not having treatment on time? 

On a separate note, the news of violence against women has been increasing seriously in home and foreign land. Women and girls have been unsecured in family and in society.  There is no protection and security. It was shocking news to everyone that gang rapes, blame of witch, sexual harassment, domestic violence have been occurred frequently.  What would be worse than this that a woman went for work in Arabian land recently sentenced to death, without having any diplomatic correspondence from government?

Now, it’s the alarming time to act wisely for the sake of nation but not for  personal benefits. It’s the time to throw injustice, crime and corruption forever and ensure justice, equality, and good governance in the society.  Most importantly, dear leaders please do work on drafting constitution, we are here to support you, and it's time to show our dignity in the international community.

Eliminate Chhupadi Now

Maheshwor Rijal 

JUL 16 -

It was really sad to hear that recently a woman sleeping in a Chhau shed was sexually assaulted in Karkiwada village development committee of Mugu district. Women have been struggling to get rid of the Chaupadi system which requires them to live alone in a secluded shed during their menstruation. But this has not been successful due to traditional and deeply rooted patriarchal norms and values. I am puzzled how to explore this reprehensible reality of Karnali as the Supreme Court has abolished Chaupadi, and enormous attempts have been made by NGOs and INGOs to combat such a vicious practice. Living in a Chhau shed is very dangerous as there is no security, good blanket and food. What’s worse, there is a high risk of snake bites, animal attacks and rape. Women live in fear and are treated as an impure and untouchable being.

It is a matter of curiosity for me why Chaupadi still prevails in far western Nepal. I have visited a majority of village development committees in Mugu district and got an opportunity to study its society from a phenomenological and ethnographic standpoint. I have come to the conclusion that the rigid culture and mindset of the people and the domination of traditional healers are the main barriers. Consequently, eliminating Chaupadi remains one of the challenging tasks for the organisations working in the sector of women empowerment in Mugu. I have met women who want to leave this odious practice, but it is impossible to do that immediately due to the patriarchal norms and values and the restrictions set by a conservative society.

Breaking the Chaupadi system in Mugu is considered to be going against the divine. It is a matter of surprise for me. Let’s take an example of the goddesses Saraswati, Durga and Laxmi who, according to Hinduism, are supposed to be symbols of knowledge, power and prosperity respectively. I don’t think they are being ostracised and forced to live separately during their period. Then why are people still following the system? The time has come to abolish the system forever to ensure a gender-friendly society.

As women are physically week during menstruation, they need proper care. But women are obliged to do heavy work here. Where is quality life? I have found that a majority of the very poor women look older than their age with wrinkled faces. Anyone can guess what will be the condition their children. This is a serious concern and needs to be understood by their male counterparts in society. Let’s throw out the criminal-like system of Chaupadi forever. It is urgent to promote empowerment of vulnerable and marginalised women and ensure their basic rights. I urge women activists and political leaders to please do something to improve the minimum living standard of poor women in Karnali. Let’s join hands to make Karnali a Chaupadi-free zone.

Posted on: 2014-07-17 08:57

(published in Kathmandu Post http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/07/16/oped/postplatform--eliminate-chaupadi-now)

Travelogue Karnali: Realistic Experiences

Maheshwor Rijal 

15 April, 2014

My first journey to the mountainous countryside of Karnali was adventurous crossing the worn path, where I had to walk danger to life. And, I immediately realized that my pain was not a pain seeing the real oppression of marginalized and vulnerable women associated with struggle for existence and livelihood. No food, shelter properly, let’s imagine how difficult the life is. This is the real trial and tribulation that voiceless women of Karnali region encountering innocently without any options to escape.

I started my visiting with Project Coordinator from the Kalai cluster, Mugu district, on 29 March 2014 and returned from Shreenagar cluster, Humla district  participating in the monthly meeting and discussed with different agendas like finalization of best practices, Women Advocacy Development Groups (WDAG’s) proposals, matching grant and its process, reporting requirement, achievement of literacy class and  Monitoring and  Evaluation ( M & E) data collection. When I asked to women of our Women Advocacy Development Groups (WDAGs), it is found that their living standards have been changed.  As per the interaction and discussion with women, they explored the situation two years back, and they replied that women are double subjugated within family and in society. The situation was reprehensive as there was no space of synergic stimulation for women to be empowered in this deeply rooted system of patriarchy.  This is the real voices WDAGs during my short ethnographic staying in the community. And, this was because of increasing cases of domestic violence, gender discrimination against women even if male and female are supposed to be the two wheels of a same cart. The life of women was undoubtly under pressure since they have to do every activity like taking care of children, livestock’s, farming works.

It is a progress from the project  I Have a Voice: Women Advocating for Development in Nepal funded by PATC, as living standard of women has been changed, Now, women are able to read, write and operate simple mathematics needed for daily life. Women are able to advocate and fight for their rights.

Despite of having such kinds of heavy work load stripping babies to their back, women are not still paid in comparison with male counterparts. This is the one of the problems, needs to be addressed soon for creating the equitable and inclusive society so far.  When I asked with women of WDAGs regarding the system of Chaupadi, they replied that the system of Chaupadi has been minimized and women started to live inside home rather but not in cattle. The situation of Sothern belts of Humla has been overlooked from the government stakeholder.  I observed that WDAGs members representing Shreenagar, Jaira, and Kalika VDC. This was the impact of the project as the reached in the level of self-empowerment. And, this is proved by their delegation to the district level concerned authority including District Agriculture Office (DADO), District Development Office (DAO), and District Health Office (DHO). And, district level concerned assured the urgent need of establishing Health Camp soon to check diseases regarding the women reproductive organs.

Last but not a least, my reflective understanding symbolizes the fact that we have done significant things for social changes and transformations. It was interesting to see the all women including Dalit, and non-Dalit, women with disability, and single women sit together, and discussed the agendas for social changes and transformation for empowering women.

Living Fully......!!!

Thank you.

Revisiting Research Practices in Nepal: My Reflection

Maheshwor Rijal 

There are several issues related to testing and evaluation in our education system in Nepalese context. Some of those include carelessness in marking systems, delay in examination results, abolishment of entrance exams, habit of reading guess- papers and designing question papers. As a student of Kathmandu University, I accomplished different practical assignments. The educational standards of Kathmandu University (KU) have broadened my horizon of thinking, particularly in terms of almost all the aspects of testing and evaluation including general principle of testing, evaluating test item, designing and conducting test, alternative approaches to students’ evaluation and so forth. However, there are some issues related to testing and evaluation which touched my heart and I have made an attempt to explore current realities of testing particularly research assessment through this blog entry. I believe that my reflective understanding will be one of the lessons for improving and minimizing aforementioned issue allowing conducive environment for learning.

A couple of months ago, while I was busy in finalizing the first draft of my research proposal for my supervisor, one of my friends came into my study room. Observing my hard work and time I was putting into my research proposal endeavor, he was amazed to see piles of reference books on educational researches and EFL pedagogy. We had a long tea-talk until I came to know my friend’s secret suggestion to purchase a ready-made thesis paper. “Oh my God, What a terrific and shameful crime!” I replied to his suggestion. On hearing that, all of my enthusiasms and vigor were gradually going down and down.

Some days later, while I was on my way to Tribhuvan University to search for reference materials in the library, I saw an advertisement of thesis writing services, which was an utter surprise to me. The ad was pasted in the electric pools and walls with contact address and phone numbers of the service provider. It read;

“Available!! Available!!! Thesis of M.A. M.Ed. only for 7000 rupees”

The fact that was more astonishing to me was the contact number of the advertiser explicitly printed on the ad. I moved with my camera and captured the photos of those ads hanging on the electric-posts. I could realize the disgraceful and pitiable fate that is waiting ahead of us. Who is responsible for this? Where is law and order to stop this kind of sinful business? Then, what is the value of testing and evaluation? Such kinds of questions are roaming in my mind even now.

In Kathmandu University, I learned that a research should aim at transforming a society towards further progress. If so, can this type of activity really contribute to the debunking of the existing myth of the society? It is difficult to believe how education can be an efficient instrument for reshaping the quality of the individual, society, and nation at large. I was overwhelmed and stressed even though I am carrying out on my research activities very seriously. Based on my observation and experience, I have found there is no reading habit developed among the youths. Majority of them nowadays hardly go to libraries since majority of them are habituated to pass exams without rigorous studies.

Making educational and intellectual exercises profit oriented cottage industries like selling the thesis is undoubtedly a criminal act. These kinds of crimes should be identified as sharp indicators of overall social degradation, particularly among intellectual circle of the society. Such activities will have negative backwash in teaching and learning. There will certainly be no value of testing and evaluation in terms of dissertation writing and other types of examinations. Unless these heinous and deplorable activities are stopped, there will be no efficiency, validity and reliability of testing, assessment, and evaluation. It will generally affect entire education system.

The famous leader Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which can use to change the world”. Does such issue of testing and evaluation prevailing in our education system be the powerful or destructive weapon to change our society?

It is high time the concerning authorities need pay attention to the prevailing issue or it will adversely affect the whole education system; input, process and output at large.

 ( published in Nepal English Language Teachers' Association (NELTA) online journal http://neltachoutari.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/revisiting-research-practices-in-nepal-my-reflection/)

Karnali Views

JUN 05 -

Maheshwor Rijal

The quality of education in the Karnali region is in bad shape. Despite the huge amount of money invested by the government, INGOs and NGOs, promoting access to quality education for vulnerable and marginalised groups remains one of the challenging tasks. The academic year has already started, but teachers from districts outside Karnali have not yet returned to their respective schools from the holidays. And teachers belonging to the home districts are engaged in alternative businesses and seasonal occupations like collecting and marketing different non-timber forest products. Consequently, the ultra-poor mass of children have been deprived of their right to education.  Most of the schools are presently closed because a majority of children are forced to go collect herbs like ‘yarsagumba’ for their livelihood.

Progress has been little even if researches have been conducted and strategies have been made for ensuring a conducive academic scenario. There are countless problems in the overall education mechanism from the early childhood development level to the higher secondary level like poor academic and administrative management and leadership of schools and lack of ownership of education related stakeholders including parents, teachers and other line agencies. These consequently transform the schooling culture towards the direction of a de-schooling culture because of the irregularities of teachers and students, less monitoring and evaluation, inactive role of school management committees, geographical difficulties and seasonal migration of children.

More importantly, child and gender friendly teaching is rarely practiced even though teachers are trained to follow a learner-centred model of instruction. How is it possible to meet a 100 percent net enrolment rate at the primary level and achieve the global commitment of education for all by 2015 in this situation? This has been the reprehensible reality of Karnali since the Interim Constitution has guaranteed the right to free education up to the secondary level to every citizen in accordance with the provisions made in the law by the state.

I would not be wrong in saying that the overall education of Karnali has been quantity-oriented in terms of statistical and mathematical analysis as some of schools have enrolled fake children to get the per child fund and other facilities. Now, it’s time to revisit the current pedagogical practices by formulating Karnali-friendly educational plans and policies and by addressing the capacity building of school management committees, the massive absenteeism rate of teachers, parental education for raising awareness, result-oriented monitoring and evaluation. Then the day will come soon for all the ultra-poor and vulnerable children to get educational opportunities on an equitable basis.

Posted on: 2014-06-06 09:13

(Published in The Kathmandu Post on 2014-06-06  http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/06/05/editorial/postplatform--karnali-views/263619.html )

Lives of Women in Karnali