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The year 2020 was disruptive, but there is yet hope for Nepal in the future.

A friend, who is an international investor, asked me last week of the three satisfying moments I hope to be looking back at the end of 2021. The following three moments came to mind. First, the world would have overcome a good part of the challenges posed by the pandemic. Vaccines would have reached a good part of the world and global travel industry would be on the path to revival. Second, in the region, there would be no major skirmishes and the conflict between our neighbours would have scaled-down. Third, for Nepal, we would have sorted out the political challenges, as we have done in the past, and that this government in its current form will not be ruling Nepal.

The year 2020 globally has been a challenging year. It was also an equaliser, as countries that had acquired amazing military power and perceived economic power did poorly when it came to handling the pandemic. While many blame governments and their leaders for not being able to handle the situation well, one thing is clear—governments can only manage to a certain extent. The rest is dependent on the citizens.

From the US to parts of Europe, from India to Nepal, we witnessed how citizen behaviour helped accelerate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Some governments could intervene and some could not. The responses are also based on localised behaviour as the spread of the pandemic in parts of India were different than in other parts. We also learnt how people do not want to hear rational analysis; but, with the spread of messages over social media, they will hear what they like to hear. A superstitious person could hardly be convinced of the science behind the virus. At the same time, there were countries that successfully tackled public health management with a rational mindset, proper laws and citizen cooperation.

The year also disrupted our lives to a large extent, but we learnt the joys of going back and understanding each other. We learnt to connect with new people in novel ways. New ways of buying products and services, as well as paying for them, emerged. The entrepreneurial spirit was tested, but the folks willing to change their mindset and recalibrate themselves benefited the most.

Politicians took advantage of the situation and quasi-authoritarian rule backed by populism emerged not only in countries like Nepal but also in the world’s oldest and largest democracies. Many countries were forced to look inward as they had to deal with the pandemic. Therefore, there is little known about what happened in some countries, particularly China. Nepal’s northern neighbour as a country tried to get back to normal as soon as possible, and it is difficult to understand what is happening there with the spread of the virus and its direct consequences. But investors are bullish about this country and trade seems to have normalised.

China has gained the most out of the pandemic both in terms of the economy and in soft power. While global media outlets downplay its success, attending localised events in Southeast Asia or Africa or Latin America, China’s image has gone through a major transformation. However, in 2020, despite popular perceptions, Nepal has distanced itself from China a lot as we realised that Nepali citizen and government behaviour will always be closer to India than a forward-thinking China.

On a personal note, the year began with the launch of my book Unleashing the Vajra, where I talk about how essential it is to have a societal transformation to sustain economic growth. This was a big departure from the core theme of my earlier book, where I talked about how more investments and better management can transform economics. It is not just degree-led education that will bring about transformation, but knowledge of civic sense and self-discipline. Most people who blame the successive governments for failing the nation cannot themselves honestly claim that they follow the rules.

Wealth does not matter if one has a rent-seeking mindset. What happened in December in politics is bad, but it is reflective of the culture in most households, businesses, academic institutions, social service organisations and Nepali life in general. A society where such irrational behaviour is acceptable mainstreams such culture. The current fiasco is not the first time Nepali politics has suffered.

There is always hope when thinking long term. This hope ignites the possibility that archaic systems, processes and people will be replaced in every walk of life as Nepal’s demographic dividend pays off. That will then reflect in the politics, as we will see unheard names from far-flung areas of Nepal become ambitious enough to take on the mantle of key political leadership. Nepal still remains geopolitically important in the calculus of the regional economy and trade in the Asia Pacific. Nepal may yet be at the centre of Asia in the future. Hope 2021 will push us one a few steps in the right direction, and that we will be able to sort out short term problems. 

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Helped by out-migration and changing food habits, the many cuisines of Nepal are finally being recognised all over.

For the last fortnight, Santosh Shah, a UK based Nepali chef, has been in the news for featuring in a renowned UK reality cooking show for professionals. His progress through the show has not only made Nepalis around the world proud but has also made many introspect on the great food heritage we inherit. The growth of migration in the past three decades has also spread Nepali food to the places the diaspora resides in. One can find many Indian restaurants owned and operated by Nepalis in the US East Coast. And, even in cities like Seychelles, the number of Nepali owned and operated restaurants will surprise people. The ubiquitous momo has come to represent Nepal everywhere, even if its origin lies elsewhere. But through all strides the cuisines of Nepal have made, the rise of Nepali food can be traced to a few particular aspects.

When Nepal opened its doors to the world in the early 50s, the tourists brought with them a vibrant café culture. The members of the then royal family opened hotels and restaurants and provided other establishments with their patronage. This gave many Nepalis an opportunity to learn how to master global dishes. A Russian dish like the Chicken A La Kiev is still made to perfection in many small restaurants in Nepal, and this skill is what the people took to the world. Whenever I travel, it is amusing to meet my former colleagues at the Soaltee Hotel managing very high-end restaurants with the staff they would have taken from the workplace. In the opening of the floodgates of migration in the 1990s, the people in the food and beverage sector were the ones that got better jobs and started the first wave of migration. Many of them have now made it big like Chef Santosh Shah.

Further, when we talk about Nepali food and Nepali identity, it goes beyond the country of Nepal. In the many Indian restaurants operating in Thailand especially in Bangkok and Phuket, one will find the staff and managers chatting in Nepali, only to realise they are Burmese Nepali. Similarly, the thousands of Bhutanese refugees settled in the US are Nepalis as far as food is concerned, and they find comfort in that too. It is very difficult for third-generation Assamese Nepalis to explain their origin, the Indian citizenship that they gave up and their identity as Americans, but they are included in the larger Nepali identity whenever their kitchen or food comes into play. A Tibetan refugee from Bylakuppe or Dharamshala in India is more comfortable not to fight on the origins of the word momo in the US and do not mind calling the barbecued meat in their food menu as sekuwa. They get engulfed in the pan Himalayan Nepali identity. The spread of Buddhism in the west also pushed this Himalayan cuisine identified with Nepal more than any other country specifically.

Food has been the biggest tool of globalisation and since time immemorial the most peaceful way of overtaking cultures and communities without waging a war. When Thaksin Shinawatra took over as Prime Minister in Thailand, he called for all global cities to have Thai restaurants and every kitchen in the world to cook Thai food. This soft diplomacy strategy has been very successful; in any corner of the world, it is very difficult to find people who have not tasted Thai food.

Moreover, there has been a change in the food habits of people back home which has perhaps influenced the cuisines of Nepal in a way. Previously, there were many psychological restrictions when it came to the food habits of Nepalis. Some people, questioning the caste of the people cooking the food in highway eateries and restaurants, used to shun such establishments. Some people equated meat with wealth, which did disservice many superb vegetarian ingredients and dishes. Now, people are less bothered with caste questions when it comes to food, which translates to more Nepalis promoting Nepali food globally. Also, with the international influences of vegan food, health-conscious eating and calorie counting, a variety of Nepali legumes, vegetables and herbs have begun to be rediscovered.

Nettle and buckwheat, which were associated with poverty, now are expensive superfoods. Vegetables like the lauka (bottle gourd) and karela (bitter gourd) have become sought-after health foods. Avocados are as popular and as expensive as meat in the Kathmandu Valley. I have continued to argue that the pictures of fruits and vegetables in an Instagram post looks much better than the pictures of a dead goat.

There will be more to write as globalisation moves from markets to kitchens. 

The new year rituals of the Newa community can be promoted as a pan-Nepali event as well as a tourist attraction.

Tihar, known as Swonti to the Newa community, is a very important festival for many groups in Nepal. The Newa community, in particular, celebrates the New Year according to the Nepal Sambat calendar at this time. The Nepal Sambat was used as the official calendar in Nepal until 1903, when it was replaced by the Bikram Sambat calendar (which was introduced by then prime minister Chandra Shumsher Rana). The Gujaratis also celebrate their New Year on the same day during Tihar.

Icon of identity

People of the Newa community all over Nepal, who were denied the right to their language and culture during the Rana regime and later on during Panchayat rule, took this day as an opportunity to demonstrate their presence. The iconic Patan Dhoka used to be painted afresh each year. My student day memories in Kalimpong was to receive the Nepal Era calendar that was published along with many publications that used to be published in the Newa language by various groups. That was perhaps the only written material in Newa language we got to read. I remember the Newa magazine Dharmodaya saw a brief revival being published from Kalimpong since it was a challenge to publish and distribute in Nepal.

In the Kathmandu Valley, the honking of the motorbikes and the rally during the day marked the celebrations and bhintuna greetings were only some of the words that younger Newas could speak in their mother tongue. After 1990, the celebrations became a bit more prominent and the establishment of a statue of Sankhadhar Sakhwa, who is linked to the starting of the Nepal Era, suddenly rekindled the discussions around Nepal Sambat being the official calendar. During the ethnicity and identity politics of the Maoist insurgency, the Newa community used celebrations of the Nepal Sambat New Year as a mascot representing their culture. Baburam Bhattarai during his tenure as prime minister made many promises of making it the national calendar, and the discussions have continued.

Cultural carnivals

One unique part of the celebrations is doing the Mha Puja—a worship of the self. It is a sense of gratitude one offers to oneself, wishing a healthy and hearty life till the next year. Recently, there have been instances of Mha Puja being performed en masse at Basantapur Durbar Square. It presents itself as a unique way for tourists, expatriates and non-Newa Nepalis to understand and appreciate Newa culture. In this way, such open rituals can be used as major tourist attractions, akin to carnivals.

The weather during Tihar is generally good. The clear blue skies, the views of the mountains and the nip in the air in the evenings all add to the experience. Before tourism became a year-round affair, the tourist season in Nepal provided few opportunities for exploration—besides the usual hotspots of Thamel, Sauraha and the Lakeside in Pokhara.

But with the Mha Puja, Nepalis can push the event to the same popularity as many of the festivals celebrated around the world. Perhaps, like Christmas and New Year menu experiences in hotels, there could be hotels that could host their own Mha Puja celebrations, giving tourists an unforgettable experience.

With a large Nepali diaspora that has ageing relatives back home, such cultural festivals can cater to Nepali vacationers who want to come back home to celebrate moments with the family—without being burdened by housework. Families here can avail of digital services such as Airbnb to open their homes to vacationers, creating additional income while adding more festive cheer.

Many may worry about preserving the sensitivities of the rituals. Many more will worry if they are doing the rituals as authentically as possible. For those who are concerned about what is the best ritual and how best to do it, there will always be audio-visual content to help one learn. What matters is that the culture and essence of the rituals aren’t lost. Recently, Nepalis have embraced baby showers. Many have begun to make rangolis during Tihar. Wedding cakes are becoming an all too common feature in all celebrations, from birthdays to becoming a part of wedding saipatas. Similarly, many versions of the Mha Puja can be performed—as long as it is fun and it is about understanding the significance of the culture.

This can be an all-Nepali event that can become community agnostic, much like many other festivals that all communities like to celebrate. To make this a pan Nepali celebration at the earliest, we must begin in haste. After all, they say that the best aila—a beverage that is integral to the Mha Puja—needs to be brewed beginning in December-January.

The big lesson from Covid-19: money isn’t always the answer.

Tihar is going to be different this year, with Goddess Laxmi arguably facing her biggest challenge yet in the form of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19 has taken the world by storm and people with deep pockets, an immense amount of wealth and the best of things that the money can buy are battling with the same problems that are also hounding the poor. News reports from the West continue to tell the world that you can be wealthy but still be in deep trouble if you have leadership and citizens that do not want to believe in science.

In my apartment room in Kigali, Rwanda, from where I write this column, I witness how science and rationality have kept countries like this one and Singapore shielded from the spread of the virus. Compare this with Nepal, where the correct dosage of turmeric water was believed to cure this illness before things really got out of hand. In neighbouring China, where the coronavirus originated, the discipline of the citizen and the push of the government ensured that the virus outbreak has been relatively contained for the past few months. Countries with lots of money have suffered despite having the financial resources to manage the situation.

What is wealth for?

Two years ago, in one of my columns during Tihar, I had written about Nepalis needing to think ‘Beyond Lakshmi’. We are so obsessed with Lakshmi—the goddess of wealth—that we forget the two deities next to her—Ganesh (the god that removes impediments) and Saraswati (the goddess of knowledge). We have been obsessed with money, and during Tihar, we create superhighways for the goddess of wealth to enter our homes. If we would give the same amount of attention to other issues as we give to this goddess, a lot of pressing issues would have been resolved. Money and wealth do not resolve everything; Nepalis need to be especially aware of that.

In Kathmandu, I have numerous acquaintances who own many residences, yet they would rent the best three and perhaps live in the smallest house with the least amenities. Similarly, we see people during the pandemic with lots of assets, especially land, complain a lot. They talk about their fortunes being ruined. What is the use of all the wealth one has accumulated—all the money in the bank—when one cannot use it during these difficult times. When people who run successful professional organisations with staff working for them for 20 plus years start to think of retrenching these folks, it makes me wonder whether they actually have made plans to take all their accumulated wealth into the afterlife. Many professionals that I respected came to me seeking advice on matters such as layoffs and furloughs, which is disappointing.

New world order

As scientists race to come up with a viable treatment or vaccine for Covid-19, we shall see just how much money will reign in the world after the disease is kept at bay. But one thing comes out clearly: prosperity is not going to be the major criteria by which to judge countries.

When I travelled to remote Rwanda and asked the residents there why they were keen on wearing masks and washing hands, they told me that they do not want to be embarrassed with a rising number of cases. They want to be the bearers of progress in Africa—with the least number of infections and death—something that they have been able to do so well to date. On May 17, 2020, Rwanda had 292 positive cases and Nepal 295. Where the total number of cases in Rwanda has just now crossed 5,000, Nepal continues to get over 2,000 cases on average a day (and it’s slowly going to be an average of 3000 and over). It is about how citizens think about their responsibilities towards each other before caring for individual rights.

In the new world order, effective management of all spheres of life will be a key driver for growth. Countries like Vietnam and Rwanda will capture global investments, while countries like New Zealand—with a smaller population than the Kathmandu Valley—will lead the global political agenda of change.

For Nepal, much like India, which messed up by supporting an autocratic top-down approach and questioned the use of science, pragmatism and rationality, the only role that it will take in the world stage is that of being the laughing stock. One can have a large economy, with deep reserves and a great tax collection system, but the mistakes and negligence can be dear. Therefore, it is important to think of the new world order based on the societal response, the sense of responsibility and willingness to change the status quo. 

Dashain, irrespective of ethnoreligious alignment, has always been a time to celebrate. This year, it’s different.

Festivals can mean something different for different people. In Nepal, Dashain is the only festival that unifies a variety of people—even though every group has its own way of celebrating. When I was young, the grandmothers would talk of Dashain as being a festival of joy, of the arrival of harvest and the surety of food for the next year. The festival was linked to fulfilment and the power of the different forms of the goddess Durga bestowing their blessings.

Dashain was made a national festival during the Shah and Rana rule, and even people who were not really Hindus began treating it as the biggest festival of the year. Only after the abolition of the monarchy and feudal rule have various other ethnoreligious festivals come into the spotlight. Being brought up in a family where celebrating Swonti, or Tihar, with the Mha Puja heralding the arrival of the new year under the Nepal Era, Mohani (or Dashain) was just another event that had to be ticked off.

If one was a vegetarian, and gambling was not something one enjoyed, this festival would be a bit boring. The discussion around animal sacrifice was taboo. Only recently have people begun to be open about criticising the act of killing animals to receive blessings. When messaging costs started to become cheaper and were used as a means of sending greetings, wishing people a sacrifice-free Dashain was something that people were not very happy to receive.

In large offices, sacrificing animals while performing rituals on company vehicles was an easy way for employees to claim free meat. When I was in South India travelling during this period, I posted pictures of a melon-like fruit being offered instead of living animals. When I started to talk about how the culture of animal sacrifice may have made society accept the culture of violence during the insurgency, many eyebrows were raised. But it was amusing to see Nepalis claiming the Buddha as their own while refusing to renounce animal sacrifice. It is good to see groups emerge questioning this practice, and I do hope a sacrifice-free Dashain will be a reality in the near future.

Travelling during Dashain also has become popular, as more Nepalis live around the world and nuclear families develop. Even in large, conservative families, the need to slog during Dashain has made travel immensely popular. The emergence of budget airlines and hotels being offered on bargain prices has also greatly contributed to this phenomenon. In the last decade, many younger Nepalis have taken this time to trek and discover their own country.

For us as a family, this is a break we really look forward to each year. For working couples with young children in school, this is the only time you can all take off at the same time. So, travelling through Nepal, or crossing the border to India, this time of the year was always fun. Getting to Thailand was also fun, as they celebrate their vegetarian festival around this time. In Cambodia, this period marks the end of the rains and the Pchum Ben (festival coinciding with the Hindu sorah shraddha). In Singapore, the city starts to be decked up for Diwali. India provides many different options. Bengal, and Kolkata in particular, is a riot of colours and music, as visiting pandals offer experiences one can never forget in life. The south and the west offer up vastly different moments to treasure. We have some fond memories of the Dashain period at the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Auroville in Pondicherry, where there are no major celebrations during these times, but they carry a different vibe.

This year, Dashain will be different. Many will not be celebrating, as they will have lost someone near or dear to them—be it relatives or friends. There are people who are still struggling in hospitals. People have been hit economically; even if you want to spend, there are restrictions on what you can purchase. Travel and tourism are major impacted sectors. Nepalis living abroad who usually made it a point to visit during Dashain to be with the family cannot do so. With the borders closed with India and flights not yet resumed, there are thousands who cannot go to the other side this Dashain. Perhaps this Dashain, many of us will be reflecting on the past—of celebrating together with family. This will be a different Dashain, the tales of which we will be told for many centuries to come. 

A problem—be it an earthquake, blockade or pandemic—in Nepal is only recognised when it hits the capital.

Many have asked me as to why in my book Unleashing Nepal there is a chapter titled ‘Isolation’ and it is always very easy to explain, at least in regards to the Kathmandu Valley. The Valley’s residents seem to live in a bubble. Even after the many centuries of integration with the rest of Nepal, Kathmandu does not notice the problems in other regions. The devastation caused by floods and other natural disasters in the Tarai or in the North or the West seem to be occurring worlds away, when in fact the nearest recent disaster occurred not even 70 kilometres away from the Valley.

Even just a century ago, Nepalis conducted strict purification rituals for those who crossed the seas. We did not want to learn about other cultures, countries or people and were happy to be one with our own extended family, tribe or ethnic group. While Nepalis have in the past three decades spread around the world at a great pace, they live in isolation. The usual get-togethers among Nepalis—with a fair bit of drinking and gambling among the men while the women are in the kitchens—over the weekends are no different in any part of the world than what they would have looked like back home. I have met many Nepalis in many countries who have never shared a meal with a non-Nepali. There are some who will tell you they hang out with some other South Asians, but it’s a closed tribe mindset.

Politics reflect the tribe mindset

We currently have a bunch of communists at the helm of affairs. And, they are dealing with the infighting within the ruling party, keeping the disgruntled happy and covering up for the favourites. The communists are busy deciding how to divvy up their allegedly ill-gotten gains. They are busy deciding which child of which leader will get which part of the pie and which child is too naughty to get anything. The durbar-like setup in Baluwatar is the current favourite hangout of the ruling elite. There are courts and courtiers. Sycophants are busy adding layers of carpet to the already existing layers of carpet. The opposition, a different tribe that believes in the same things as the ruling party, is nowhere to be found.

The pandemic has made people push the tribe mindset more—it means you can hang out with your extended families, political cartels and other groups and you will be spared from being infected. So one can go and attend the hush-hush parties, go to hospitals to see the ill or attend funerals. They are not bothered about what is happening outside their own world. As infections have increased in the Valley, people have finally begun to realise that Covid-19 actually exists.

The need to wake up

The current government has great support from a section of people who have the means to silence critics. They ensure the domestic equations are well maintained in return for plump positions and political protection. They do not care whether Nepal’s relations with India are at rock bottom and Chinese investors complain of the same problems as other investors. With the US, they threw out the Millenium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact, unofficially telling the international community that Nepal does not want to connect with the world. There are other problems that make Nepal unappealing for outside investors. Nepalis like their physical meetings so much that many have not been able to connect virtually. My firm has been representing a global company, and we have directly been told that the Nepal government does not believe in virtual meetings and that people need to come in person to present any case for official masters. They are least bothered about what is happening in other parts of the world, and do not care whether their own citizens live or die.

The post-World War II and post-colonial Asia created Singapore, which then became a dominant global economic hub. The oil crisis brought about Dubai as a new hub in the Middle East. The 2008 financial crisis brought on changes for countries like Estonia and Latvia to emerge as hubs of interest. As the world will recover in a year or two from this setback, there are going to be new go-to places. New Zealand is definitely a contender, Vietnam is strongly emerging in Asia and in Africa, with good control on the pandemic, Rwanda is getting ready with ambition plans on tourism and investment.

Nepal needs to wake up to the reality that it is part of the global ecosystem; it will only benefit from this ecosystem if it is an active participant. The country’s image as a tourist destination has been hit by the way the government has handled the pandemic. But there is still time to wake up, though the window may close soon if Nepal doesn’t act.