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Are there witches in this world?

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Due to illiteracy and superstition, many women are blamed for being witches in the country. Photo: The Kathmandu Post (right) and Nepalkhabar.com (right)    Are there witches in this world? By Chhabi Subedi This world is full of grievances, sorrows, and conflicts. Trouble awaits at every single step to test the tolerance of humankind. It seems that there is no end of miseries. Nevertheless, to end such miseries and develop the nation, more efforts are required. Without such efforts, no development can ever be conceivable.  When we discuss sorrow, joy, happiness, problems, and even development, the presence of a woman is always there. A woman does play several roles so that a society functions smoothly. However, it is extremely unpleasant to see the women of our society sidelined, beaten, and humiliated.  Over the years, Nepal has made tremendous progress in the fields of education, communication, and transportation. Still, the mindsets of many people are backward...

Assault on Mother Nature

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 Assault on Mother Nature By Chhabi Subedi Oh, my dear mother. Being a 72-year-old man and still carrying a frail body all along, but my love for you has not died down at all. However, thank you very much for sustaining our lives with utmost grace and abundance. In contrast, your children exploit you, pollute you, and hurt you the most, but you endure most of their misconduct. You seem unhappy, and your face is pale and solemn. I call you repeatedly, but still you don’t respond. It has made me anxious, my dear Mother Nature.  Our mother nature is weeping profusely, and tears roll down from her cheeks unabatedly. Dear mother, you look weak, and your body is in poor health. On top of that, natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes, infernos, hurricanes, and famines have inflicted much pain on you.  I can’t overlook or ignore the agony of my mother nature anymore. I am forced to make my own observation to understand the pain and anguish of my mother. I found that Mo...

I'm the richest person in the world

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  I am the richest person in the world By Chhabi Subedi, Vijayee My mind is abuzz with all kinds of questions. I put every possible effort into finding their answers within my best capacity. Let me begin with a humble lesson of life that I would like to share with my esteemed readers.  First thing first, I should immediately stop blaming others for all the awful things they are doing to me. I might sound crazy at first, but yes, one should stop blaming others. Once you stop blaming others, things will start happening differently. Stopping to blame others is the panacea for all troubles in life. Believe me, I am not exaggerating at all.  Sometimes, I ask myself what the purpose of my birth on this earth is. Why, particularly this beautiful country, Nepal? I just ask myself. How long am I destined to live, eat, and work? When the end of this life is dead sure, I am aware of my final journey—the path to heaven.  I strive hard to find the answers to these questions...

HARI DEVI KOIRALA: The legend lives on

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THE QUEEN OF TEEJ SONGS HARI DEVI KOIRALA: The legend lives on By LB Thapa Pokhara has always been renowned for being a center of innovation and dissemination due to its rich heritage of art, culture, and literature, which has been patronized by its kings throughout history. A very popular old Nepalese saying is "Go to Gorkha if justice is denied; go to Kaski to pursue education." As far as women are concerned, very few ever made a noticeable impact on the development of Pokhareli literature. One who did is Hari Devi Koirala. Photo: provided by Haridevi Koirala Hari Devi Koirala is a woman of few words, unassuming, and yet a genius with many talents. She has been doing her utmost to promote the folk-songs belonging to different tribes. Apart from collecting folk-songs she has a keen interst in poetry. Today she has succeeded in attaining a highly respected place in the field of Nepalese folk-songs. She was born in Baidam, Pokhara, in 1959 and from a very early age (not yet ...

DR. NARAYAN PRASAD ADHIKARI: A prolific author and translator of merit

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  DR. NARAYAN PRASAD ADHIKARI A prolific author and translator of merit By LB Thapa A dedicated academician and the master of Nepali linguistics, Dr. Narayan Pd. Adhikari has made his mark in the domain of Nepali education and literature. His contribution to upholding Nepali education by writing several Nepali linguistic books for schools, colleges, and universities has simply put him in the highest stature of recognition.  Dr. Narayan Pd. Adhikari received his master’s degree in Nepali literature. He did also obtain yet another master’s degree in Eastern Philosophy from Agra University, India. Finally, he received a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy from Lumbini Buddhist University, Nepal.  “Ever since my childhood, I was deeply inclined to read books. Throughout my teaching and writing career, I was known for my wit, erudition, and dedication to academia. Now I am a retired professor from active teaching, but that does not mean I am retired from literary activities. Af...

SOUL OF THE SOIL

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  SOUL OF THE SOIL Dr. Yam Bdr. Kshetry Writing essays is an art. But art is not always for art’s sake. It is for the sake of human life. So, it should be so contrived as to create certain impressions about human life. In the modern world, essays should offer something valuable to readers. They need to be the sources of some sort of knowledge about science, plant life, the animal world, and the human world.    Mr. Chhabi Subedi, writing essays in his mother tongue Nepali, partly fulfills the above objectives. In some of his essays, he pleads with the rich to offer a handful of rice or corn every day so that the poor would find relief; such ideas may be romantic but not realistic. Though he is basically a writer, making the readers aware of their weaknesses, he advises them to reap the benefits of modern science and technology and avoid the demerits that are likely to result from them.   Here is an essay in which he ponders over the process of birth and reb...

Is Poetry Only Academic?

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  Is Poetry Only Academic? By Sushant Thapa “On our earth, before writing was invented, before the printing press was invented, poetry flourished. That is why we know that poetry is like bread; it should be shared by all, by scholars and by peasants, by all our vast, incredible, extraordinary family of humanity.” This is a quote by the poet Pablo Neruda. I have always felt that the purpose of poetry is not academic. Poetry should be for the common masses.  One can try to learn poetry inside the classroom, but the origin of poetry is subjective. Poets tend to reflect the world they see and understand. The elites might use reason and logic, but poetry springs from day-to-day living. Apart from mere tools and literary devices, poetry should delight the masses. The technicality of the poems should go hand in hand with the social depiction. No theory or academic lens should curtail the freedom of poetry.  We have the insanity of Edgar Allan Poe, who became a part of our st...