१६ वैशाख, काठमाडौं । कालीमाटी फलफूल तथा तरकारी बजार विकास समितिले आजका लागि कृषिउपजको थोक मूल्य निर्धारण गरेको छ । समितिका अनुसार तरकारी र फलफूलको अधिकतम थोक मूल्य निर्धारण गरिएको हो ।
गोलभेँडा ठूलो (नेपाली) प्रतिकिलो ४०, गोलभेँडा ठूलो (भारतीय) प्रतिकिलो ६०, गोलभेँडा सानो (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो २५, गोलभेँडा सानो (तराई) प्रतिकिलो ३०, आलु रातो प्रतिकिलो ३४, आलु रातो (भारतीय) प्रतिकिलो ३२, प्याज सुकेको (भारतीय) प्रतिकिलो ३८, गाजर (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो ४०, गाजर (तराई) प्रतिकिलो २५ रुपैयाँ रहेको छ ।
बन्दा (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो १५, बन्दा (नरिवल) प्रतिकिलो २०, काउली (स्थानीय) प्रतिकिलो ३०, मूला रातो प्रतिकिलो ४५, मूला सेतो (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो २०, सेतो मूला (हाइब्रिड) प्रतिकिलो ३५, भन्टा लाम्चो प्रतिकिलो ३०, भन्टा डल्लो प्रतिकिलो ५०, तने बोडीको मूल्य प्रतिकिलो ८० कायम गरिएको छ ।
यसैगरी, मटरकोसा प्रतिकिलो १२०, घिउ सिमी (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो ९०, घिउ सिमी (हाइब्रिड) प्रतिकिलो ९०, टाटे सिमी प्रतिकिलो ९०, भटमास कोसा प्रतिकिलो २००, तितो करेला प्रतिकिलो ७०, लौका प्रतिकिलो २०, परबर (लोकल) प्रतिकिलो ९०, परबर (तराई) प्रतिकिलो ९०, चिचिण्डो प्रतिकिलो ५०, घिरौला प्रतिकिलो ३०, झिगुनी प्रतिकिलो ८०, फर्सी पाकेको प्रतिकिलो ५०, फर्सी हरियो (लाम्चो) प्रतिकिलो ४०, हरियो फर्सी (डल्लो) प्रतिकिलो ३०, भिण्डी प्रतिकिलो ७० कायम गरिएको छ ।
Asylum seekers will be denied the right to stay in the UK if they have been convicted of sexual offences, the government has announced.
Terrorists, war criminals and any other criminals whose offences carry a sentence of one year or more can already be refused asylum under the Refugee Convention.
Under the changes, this will be extended to anyone convicted in the UK of a crime which places them on the sex offenders register, regardless of the length of their sentence.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said this would “ensure these appalling crimes are taken seriously” but the Conservatives said the measures were “too little, too late”.
The changes will be introduced through an amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament.
It is not clear how many cases the change could affect.
However, a Home Office source said ministers would be hoping to tackle instances like that of Abdul Ezedi, who was granted asylum despite being a convicted sex offender.
Ezedi killed himself within hours after he was suspected of dousing his ex-girlfriend with a corrosive liquid when he attacked her and her children in south London in January last year.
He was already on the sex offenders register, after pleading guilty to charges of sexual assault and exposure in 2018, when he was granted asylum in 2020 following two failed attempts.
The amendment will also set a 24-week target for appeal decisions on whether asylum seekers who are foreign offenders or are in government-funded accommodation have the right to remain in the UK or not, in a bid to cut the asylum backlog.
The home secretary said: “Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK.
“Nor should asylum seekers be stuck in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense during lengthy legal battles.
“That is why we are changing the law to help clear the backlog, end the use of asylum hotels and save billions of pounds for the taxpayer.”
The Home Office said that harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for processing asylum claims could also save up to an hour per case by summarising interview transcripts and accessing country advice.
A range of measures to reform the asylum system are being introduced, including new powers for the Immigration Advice Authority to issue fines of up to £15,000 for anyone involved in advising fraudulent claims or posing as an immigration lawyer who is not registered.
There will also be restrictions on foreign offenders living in the community, including mandatory electronic tags, strict night-time curfews and enforced exclusion zones.
Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, welcomed efforts to resolve asylum cases quickly, but warned the use of AI could “backfire” if it produced flawed decisions that end up in the courts.
The Law Society of England and Wales also raised concerns that the target for appeal decisions would be “unworkable” in practice as the justice system is already struggling to cope with current demand.
Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips said the action would complement the government’s pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
“Foreign criminals pose a danger to British citizens and must be removed, but so often this is frustrated by spurious legal claims based on human rights claims, not asylum claims,” he said.
“The Conservatives had already tabled tough, clear reforms to remove all foreign criminals and to disapply the Human Rights Act so activists and lawyers cannot block deportations.
“But Labour voted against our measures – they are not serious about controlling our borders.”
Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV is launching soon in Nepal. Laxmi E Mobility is bringing the compact SUV to Nepal in May 2025. But we already have some information about it. So, in this article, we share the official Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV price in Nepal, specifications, and other key details.
Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV specifications
The Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV comes with a 99 kw motor and 340 Nm of torque. The car is claimed to provide 400 km of range on a full charge. It also comes with a panoramic sunroof, which offers freshness, sunlight, and a sense of spaciousness.
The compact SUV measures 4600 x 1860 x 1680 mm in measurements.
Likewise, the car can hit a top speed of 180 kmph. It’s got a lithium-ion phosphate battery of 4.4 kWh capacity. It charges completely with an 11kW AC charger in under 5.5 hours. Likewise, a DC fast charger of 120 kWh can charge it from 3% to 80% in 35 minutes.
The car features two digital screens inside, of 10.25-inch one for the instrument cluster and entertainment. Other notable features include a 360-degree camera, electric seat memory, electric tailgate, ventilated front seat, etc. The car gets leather seating, which provides a premium feel and durability.
For safety, the compact SUV features a suite of features. It includes 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, HBA, automatic parking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, automatic unlock in collision, etc.
Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV Price in Nepal
Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV price in Nepal is Rs 56.96 lakh for the luxury variant and Rs 62.96 lakh for the Exclusive variant. Both power trains come with the same battery capacity and hence range promise.
Dongfeng Forthing Friday EV
Price In Nepal (Official)
Luxury
Rs 56.96 lakh
Exclusive
Rs 62.96 lakh
The SUV is currently Nepal-bound and will be unveiled soon, where it will compete with the likes of BYD Atto 3, Omoda 5 EV, Leapmotor C10 EV, etc.
Police tell travellers that Madrid’s Atocha train station is closed due to the outage
A sweeping power outage left millions of people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France without electricity on Monday, leading to chaotic scenes and widespread disruption.
A problem with the power connection between France and Spain was a contributing factor to the outage, the head of a trade body that represents Europe’s power industry said.
Kristian Ruby, of Eurelectric, told the BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight a “specific incident with an interconnector between France and Spain” occurred on Monday.
Mr Ruby said this “meant the Spanish grid was disconnected from the broader European grid”.
He added that the interconnector incident was unlikely to have caused the outage on its own and that there were “likely to have been other elements in this equation”.
A day of widespread disruption saw trains cancelled and evacuated in some regions, and traffic lights stop working as delays mounted at airports.
As of Monday evening, 11 trains remained stranded, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said.
With shops, homes and restaurants plunged into darkness – and some people stuck in lifts – Spain’s electricity network said by mid-afternoon that restoring power could take several hours.
By Monday night, 50% of power had been restored across Spain, according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. While Portuguese energy provider REN said electricity had been restored to 750,000 customers.
But a state of emergency remained in place, with regions able to request the special status.
Sánchez said the cause of the outage was still being investigated and warned against speculation, while Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said there was “no indication” of a cyber attack.
When did the outage begin?
The first reports of an outagebegan around midday (10:00 GMT) on Monday and its impact quickly escalated.
As the scale of the disruption became clear, residents of Madrid were warned to stay put, keep off the roads and not to call emergency services unless “truly urgent”.
A Spanish operator said power restoration would take up to 10 hours, while Portugal’s power firm REN said getting back to full power could take up to a week.
Getty Images
Police enforced order as the power cut affected public transport in Madrid
Queues formed at cash machines as card payments were affected by the outage, and there were reports that some petrol stations are closed.
When the blackout hit the Madrid metro station network, commuters were left confused and panicking. One resident, Sarah Jovovich, described the sense of confusion underground when the lights went off in a metro station.
People were “hysterical” and “panicking”, she told the BBC. “It was quite chaotic really.”
Mobile phones had stopped working and nobody had any information, she said.
When she left the metro station and emerged into the streets, she found the roads gridlocked with heavy traffic. “No-one understood anything. Businesses were closed and buses were full,” she said.
The outage also left a number of people stuck in lifts.
Emergency workers were called to 286 buildings to free people trapped inside elevators in the Madrid region, the head of the regional government, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, told the television station Antena 3.
Spanish media reported that some hospitals had implemented emergency plans, including halting routine work, news agencies reported.
By early evening and after several hours of blackouts, residents in some parts of the country reported the lights were back on.
Power was being restored “in several areas of the north, south and west of the [Iberian] peninsula”, the Spanish grid operator said.
Getty Images
Working in the dark quickly became the norm for workers at this store in Burgos, Spain
The authorities in Spain and Portugal were on Monday night still trying to work out what caused the power cuts.
“There are no indications of any cyberattack” at this point, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, said.
As panic spread earlier in the day, residents of Madrid were warned to stay off the roads.
In a video on social media, the mayor of the Spanish capital, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, told residents to “keep their movements to an absolute minimum and, if at all possible, to remain where they are. We want to keep all roads clear.”
People should only call emergency services if it is “truly urgent”, he said.
“If emergency calls go unanswered, go to the police and the fire stations in person, where they will try to deal with all the emergencies.”
What has been the impact?
The country’s nuclear power plants automatically stopped when the blackout hit, and the Spanish oil company Moeve said it halted operations at its oil refineries.
People were left stranded on trains in difficult to access areas, with Transport Minister Puente saying there were issues with coupling locomotives.
Speaking to the BBC, Gabriela Chavez said she had been travelling between Seville and Madrid via train when the power went out and the AC and toilets stopped working.
“They have let everyone off the train but we have no idea how long we will have to wait for,” she told the BBC on Monday. “People at the top of the hill have flagged down cars who have dropped off water and crisps for us, which is kind [and] people from the village have come to drop off supplies for us.”
Flights were also impacted, with delays and cancellations at some airports. EasyJet said it was experiencing some disruption to operations at Lisbon and Madrid. It said the situation was “fluid” and told customers to check local advice.
As of Monday evening, aviation data company Cirium said 96 flights departing from Portugal – and 45 from Spain – had been cancelled.
Businesses have been severely affected. Some Ikea branches in Spain switched to backup generators and stopped customers from entering its stores.
The Madrid Open Tennis organisers have decided to cancel Monday’s event.
Elsewhere, Andorra and parts of France were also hit, but the Balearic and Canary Islands were not affected.
उच्च अदालत पाटनले महेश सिंह नेतृत्वको ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघलाई वैधानिक मान्यता दिएको छ। न्यायाधीशद्वय टंकप्रसाद गुरुङ र दिल्लीरत्न श्रेष्ठको संयुक्त इजलासले आइतबार सिंह अध्यक्ष रहेको ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघलाई वैधानिक मान्यता दिएको हो। उक्त इजलासले अन्तरकालीन अन्तरिम आदेशलाई निरन्तरता दिएको छ।
ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघको गत वर्ष असार १५ गते सम्पन्न चौथो अधिवेशनले सिंहको नेतृत्वमा चार वर्षका लागि १३ सदस्यीय कार्यसमिति गठन गरेको थियो। नेपाल बक्सिङ संघको स्वीकृति र ललितपुर जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समितिको प्रतिनिधित्वसहित उक्त अधिवेशन भएको थियो। तर, ललितपुर जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समितिले १० महिना नै नबित्दै अर्को जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघ खडा गरेपछि सिंह नेतृत्व अदालतमा पुगेको हो।
जिल्ला खेलकुदले नै राजनीति पूर्वाग्रह राख्दै गत चैत ९ गते फेरि पाँचौं साधारणसभा भन्दै ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ खडा गरेको हो। ओमनारायण श्रेष्ठको अध्यक्षमा ११ सदस्यीय अर्को ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघ गठन भएको थियो। ललितपुर जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समितिका अध्यक्ष विनोद महर्जनकै प्रमुख आतिथ्यमा अर्को समिति गठन भएको हो।
त्यसअघि जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समितिका अध्यक्ष विनोदकै प्रमुख आतिथ्यमा पनि महेश सिंह नेतृत्वको जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघ गठन भएको थियो। ललितपुर जिल्लाकै खेल निकायले त्यस्तो कार्य गरेपछि अदालतसम्म मुद्दा पुगेको हो। ललितपुर जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समितिले ओमनारायण श्रेष्ठको अध्यक्षतामा रहेको बक्सिङ संघलाई चैत ११ गते प्रमाणपत्र प्रदान गरेको थियो। साथै यसको बोधार्थ बागमती प्रदेश खेलकुद विकास परिषद्मा पठाएको थियो।
त्यसपछि आफूलाई वैधानिक भन्दै उक्त ओमनारायण श्रेष्ठ नेतृत्वको संघ क्रियाशील हुन पुगेको थियो। तर, सिंह नेतृत्वको बक्सिङ संघले नै वैधानिकता पाउनुपर्ने भन्दै ललितपुर जिल्ला बक्सिङ संघका सचिव श्यामकाजी अवालेले गत चैत २७ गते मुद्दा दायर गरेका थिए। त्यसको भोलिपल्ट नै कुनै पनि कामकारबाही नगर्नू नगराउनू भन्दै जिल्ला खेलकुद विकास समिति ललितपुर र बागमती प्रदेश खेलकुद परिषद्लाई विपक्षी बनाई अन्तरकालीन अन्तरिम आदेश दिएको थियो। आइतबार नै उच्च अदालत पाटनका न्यायाधीशद्वय टंकप्रसाद गुरुङ र दिल्लीरत्न श्रेष्ठको संयुक्त इजलासले त्यो आदेशलाई निरन्तरता दिएको हो।
Ken Doherty, the 1997 world champion, played against the ‘Class of 92’ throughout his career and felt this match was “the tie of the round”.
“They’ve been at the top of the game since 1992, 33 years, and are still at the top and still producing,” the Irishman said.
“As you get older it becomes a lot more difficult as players like me, Stephen Hendry, Alan McManus, Peter Ebdon have all found out. It’s hard to cope in terms of tension, intensity and also to be able to devote your life to the game.
“You become a father, a family man and it’s hard to dedicate themselves to the game but they still have the appetite, willingness and hunger and that’s an incredible talent as well.
“I’ve been logging heads with them for 30 years. I’ve beaten them all but also lost to them all in big finals. I just had great times playing them and you used to relish it as it was a great test of your own game.”
Doherty, who is part of the BBC TV team for the competition, felt the atmosphere would be electric.
“When you see them coming into the Crucible for their match they will get a standing ovation as they did in the Masters,” he added. “We might not see the kind of these three again so we have to enjoy them while we can. They’ve given the sport great entertainment, great matches and are still delivering.”
Shaun Murphy tipped Judd Trump, who beat him 13-10 on Monday, to win the title but thought the Williams-Higgins clash would be “fabulous for the sport”.
He added: “The Class of 92 are three of the best players we’ve ever seen and it’s wonderful we still get to watch them.
“None of them would be here if they didn’t want to be, they obviously love it enough to put themselves through it.”
केही समय पहिले मात्र बितेको महिना (फागुन २०८१) देखि एउटा थप नयाँ पुस्तक बजारमा देखा पर्यो , ‘आश्रय, सुरक्षा र सम्पर्कका सारथि भुइँमान्छे’ । झट्ट शीर्षक पढ्दा समाजशास्त्रीय गैर–आख्यान जस्तो महसुस हुने भए पनि खासमा विन्दा पाण्डेले लेखेको यस किताबले मनग्गे राजनीति बोलेको छ (त्यस कारण यो राजनीतिक किताब हो) ।
यसभित्र नेपाल कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (एकीकृत मार्क्सवादी–लेनिनवादी) –नेकपा (एमाले)– को स्थापना, पृष्ठभूमि, भूमिगत काल, विकासक्रम, आदि तमाम पक्ष हुँदै वर्तमानसम्मका प्रमुख घटना–विवरणहरूबारे मूलभूत तथ्यहरू पढ्न सकिन्छ ।
कुन कुन पार्टी कहिले र के कस्तो अवस्थामा एकीकृत हुँदै अहिलेको विशाल नेकपा (एमाले) बन्यो भन्ने पनि यस किताबमा पढ्न पाइन्छ । यद्यपि यति धेरै तथ्य–पक्षहरू पस्किएको भए पनि एमालेसँग जोडिएर बाहिरिएका अनेकानेक विवादहरूबारे भने किताब मौन छ (शायद किताब लेखकको उद्देश्य त्यो होइन पनि होला) ।
किताब छापिएर बजारमा आएपछि जति खुसी लेखक विन्दा पाण्डे छन्, त्यत्तिकै प्रसन्न ती आम मानिसहरू पनि भएका छन्, जसले हिजोको दलविहीन अवस्थामा भूमिगत कार्यरत कम्युनिस्ट नेता–कार्यकर्ताहरूलाई सम्पूर्ण रूपले आश्रय दिए, र जसलाई लेखक पाण्डेले ‘भुइँमान्छे’ भनेर पुकारेकी छन् ।
एउटा रोचक र उल्लेख गर्नै पर्ने तथ्य पनि छ किताबमा– यो किताब छापिएर आउँदा सम्बन्धित सर्वसाधारण जनहरू त खुसी छन्, आफ्नो वा आफूसँगै भूमिगतकालमा काम गरेका साथी र सहयोगीहरूको पनि कम्तिमा नाम त इतिहासले सम्झिने भयो ! तर ती कुनै पनि ‘भुइँमान्छे’ले सत्तासीन हुन पुगेको त्यही आफ्नै पार्टी वा पार्टीको नेतृत्वप्रति भने केवल असन्तुष्टि, निराशा, गुनासा, दुःखेसा र उदेक मात्र व्यक्त गरेका छन् ।
विगतमा हाइस्कूल पढिरहेकै बेलादेखि पञ्चायती व्यवस्थाविरोधी राष्ट्रिय विद्यार्थी राजनीतिमा लागेर हुर्के–बढेकी नुवाकोटे विदुषी विन्दा पाण्डे लामो समयदेखिको सोच, भ्रमण, अध्ययन, अनुसन्धान र विस्तृत संवादजन्य भेटघाट आदि सबैको एकमुष्ट नतिजाका रूपमा आफ्नो यो नयाँ पुस्तक सार्वजनिक गर्न सफल भएकी हुन् ।
किताबको सन्दर्भमा भए गरेका भेटघाट र कुराकानीको समय सीमा हेर्दा पछिल्ला चार वर्ष (वि.सं.२०७७–०८१) अलि बढी व्यस्त देखिए पनि यो सिलसिला वि.सं.२०७० देखि नै शुरु भइसकेको देखिन्छ । अर्थात, यो किताब लेखनको बीजाङ्कुरण विन्दाको मस्तिष्कमा एक दशकभन्दा पनि पहिलेदेखि नै भएको थाहा हुन्छ । अर्को अर्थमा, यो किताब विन्दाको ‘ड्रीम प्रोजेक्ट’ जस्तो छ ।
जयदेव गौतम
किताबको शुरू अध्यायतिरै पाण्डेले एउटा सन्दर्भ उल्लेख गरेकी छन्, ‘लामो आन्दोलनबाट मुलुकमा लोकतन्त्र, गणतन्त्र र स्वतन्त्रता आयो त भनियो तर यो गरिबको गाउँबस्तीसम्म पुग्न सकेको छैन । जुन गरिब बस्तीमा बसेर पार्टी निर्माण भयो र पटक पटक सरकारमा पनि पुग्यो, ती गरिब परिवारले अझै पनि घर र जमिनको लालपुर्जा पाउन सकेका छैनन् । गाउँमा नजिकै विद्यालय छैन । कचुरीका बालबालिका पल्लो गाउँको विद्यालय जाँदा कक्षामै जातीय छुवाछूत र विभेदको व्यवहार गरिन्छ । यस कारण बालबालिका विद्यालय जान मान्दैनन् । यस्तो अवस्थामा पनि न विभेद गर्नेलाई राज्यले सजायको दायरामा ल्याउँछ, न त दलित बस्तीमा विद्यालयको व्यवस्था गर्छ ।’ (पृ.८७)।
यो सन्दर्भ धनुषा जिल्लाको एउटा दूर–दराजको गाउँ ‘ठेरा कचुरी’ का बासिन्दाहरूको हो, जुन गाउँका दलितबहुल चरम अभावग्रस्त गाउँलेहरूले पञ्चायतकालमा अहिलेको एमाले दलका तत्कालीन शीर्ष भूमिगत नेताहरूलाई खाने, बस्ने र पूर्णसुरक्षा दिएर राखेका थिए ।
अनि स्थानीयदेखि केन्द्रीय स्तरका महत्वपूर्ण बैठक, भेला र सम्मेलनहरूको आयोजना एवं व्यवस्थापन समेत गरेका थिए । तर अहिले गणतन्त्र नै आइसकेको समयमा पनि गाउँ र गाउँलेहरूको अवस्था उनीहरूकै मुखबाट निस्केका शब्दहरूमा किताबमा पढ्न सकिन्छ, जबकि उनीहरूले आफूलाई बिर्सेर सबैथोक न्यौछावर गर्दै सहयोग पुर्याएका नेताहरू महलमा बस्ने भएका छन् र सबै किसिमका सुख–सुविधा उपभोग गरिरहेका छन् । तर ती गाउँ र गाउँबासीहरूतिर फर्केर हेर्न पनि आफ्नो अपमान हुने जस्तो गर्छन् !
यस्तै–यस्तै सन्दर्भ र प्रसङ्गहरूले किताब भरिएको छ । पुष्पलाल श्रेष्ठको अगुवाइमा वि.सं.२००६ सालमा नेपाल कम्युनिस्ट पार्टीको स्थापना भएदेखि विभिन्न विवाद र टुटफुट ब्यहोर्दै विविध एकीकरण गर्दै–हुँदै अहिलेको एमाले पार्टी बन्ने सिलसिलामा लामो समय भूमिगत बसेका सन्दर्भहरू, विभिन्न स्थानमा जमिनदारविरुद्ध भएका किसान विद्रोहहरू, भूमिगतकालमा दलहरू प्रतिबन्धित अवस्थामा रहेको भए पनि विद्यार्थीदेखि मजदुर–किसान–महिला–चिकित्सक–शिक्षक–प्राध्यापक–वकिल–नर्स–लेखक–गायन कलाकार–युवा आदि समाजका हर तह र तप्कामा वर्गीय संगठनहरूको निर्माण गर्दै व्यापक जनस्तरमा विस्तारित र बलियोसँग स्थापित हुन सकेका प्रसङ्गहरू किताबमा पढ्न पाइन्छ ।
किताबमै एक ठाउँमा लेखक विन्दा आफ्नै अनुभव र बुझाइ राख्दै भन्छिन्, ‘अप्ठ्यारो अवस्थामा यसरी आन्दोलन, घर र परिवार सबै धान्न सक्ने महिलाहरूलाई स्थिति साम्य हुँदै जाँदा जब पद, सेवा र सुविधाको कुरा आउँछ, अनि पार्टी, समाज र घरपरिवार समेतले अयोग्य र अक्षम ठान्न थाल्छ ।
छयालीस साल चैतमा तीस वर्ष लामो निर्दलीय पञ्चायती व्यवस्था निर्णायक तवरले ढल्नु पहिलेसम्म पार्टीमा लागेका र कुनै पनि तहमा रहेर (वा, नरहेरै पनि) पार्टीको काम गर्ने या पार्टीलाई एक वा अर्को किसिमले सहयोग गर्ने मानिस (भुइँमान्छे) हरूमा अनौठो जुनून थियो, जसले गर्दा भूमिगत कम्युनिस्ट नेता र पार्टीका गतिविधिहरूको सुरक्षाका लागि ती भुइँमान्छेहरू चरम जोखिमलाई हाँक दिन्थे, जमिनदार वा उसका लठैतहरूको यातना सहन्थे, प्रहरी र मण्डलेहरूको हप्की–दप्की–प्रताडना ब्यहोर्थे, आफूहरू र आफ्ना चिचिला बालबच्चा समेतलाई भोकै राखेर भए पनि भूमिगत नेताहरूका लागि खाने व्यवस्था मिलाउँथे, ज्यालादारी वा बेठबेगारीमा काम गर्न गएको बेला आफूलाई दिइएको खाजा जोगाएर ल्याएरै भए पनि नेताहरूलाई खुवाउँथे, आफूले च्यातिएका कपडा लगाएर पनि नेताहरूलाई सफा र नच्यातिएका कपडा लगाउन समेत दिन्थे आदिआदि भन्ने जस्ता अनेक तथ्य पनि किताबले छर्लङ्ग पार्दछ ।
जिन्दगीका धेरै वर्ष नेकपा (एमाले) को विद्यार्थी सङ्गठन अनेरास्ववियुमा रहेर राजनीति गर्दै आएकी विन्दाले महाविद्यालयीय अध्ययन सकिएपछि उस्तै गरी थुप्रै वर्ष पार्टीको मजदुर सङ्गठन नेपाल ट्रेड यूनियन महासंघ (जिफन्ट) को नेतृत्वमा रहेर काम गरिन् । जिफन्टको कामको सिलसिलामा केही वर्ष हङकङ पनि बसिन् । लामै समय थाइल्याण्ड बसेर उच्चस्तरीय अध्ययन गरिन्, र, समयक्रममा विद्यावारिधि (पीएचडी) पनि हासिल गरिन् ।
अरू धेरै देश–देशावरमा पनि भ्रमण गर्ने, लामो वा छोटो अवधि बस्नु पर्ने, त्यत्तिकै धेरै पढ्नु पर्ने र त्यसभन्दा बढी त मजदुर–विषयक विविध पक्षहरूमाथि कार्यपत्र आदि लेख्नुपर्ने गर्दा–गर्दै उनमा तीव्र लेखन–रुचि विकसित हुँदै गयो । जिफन्टसँगै उनी पार्टीको महिला फाँट अखिल नेपाल महिला संघमा पनि सक्रिय भइरहिन् । स्वयं पार्टीभित्र पनि उनी केन्द्रीय नेता हुन पुगिन्, र, एक कार्यकाल (वि.सं.२०७४–२०७९) संघीय (समानुपातिक) सांसद भएर पनि समयको सदुपयोग गर्न भ्याइन् ।
(एउटा चाखलाग्दो तथ्य के पनि हो भने वि.सं.२०८१ मा भाटभटेनी डिपार्टमेन्ट स्टोर चेनका स्वामी मीनबहादुर गुरुङले कीर्तिपुरमा एक अर्ब रुपैयाँभन्दा बढी लगानी हुने गरी चौध रोपनी जग्गा दान गर्दै केन्द्रीय कार्यालय भवन समेत निर्माण गरीदिने भनी ‘दान दिएको’ सन्दर्भ बाहिरिएपछि र पार्टी अध्यक्ष खड्गप्रसाद ओलीको एकल निर्णयबाट कार्यालय भवनको शिलन्यास समेत भएपछि विन्दाले सामाजिक सञ्जालमा लेखेर आफ्नो असहमसति र असन्तुष्टि पोखेकी थिइन् ।
त्यसकै फलस्वरूप उनलाई एक अक्षर बोल्न नदिई पहिले स्पष्टीकरण मागिएको थियो र लगत्तै पछि त्यो स्पष्टीकरण चित्तबुझ्दो नभएको भन्दै उनलाई (उषाकिरण तिमल्सिनालाई पनि) पार्टीको सम्पूर्ण पदीय जिम्मेवारीबाट छ महिनाका लागि निलम्बन गरिएको थियो ! त्यही प्रकरणमा एमालेका दिग्गज नेता भीम रावललाई पार्टीबाटै निकाला गरिएको थियो ! उता, ‘एमालेको पार्टी राजनीतिका अतिरिक्त अन्य केही काम नजानेकी’ विन्दाले यो अप्रत्याशित, अकल्पनीय एवं स्तब्धकारी कारवाहीको समयमा आफूलाई अवसाद वा डिप्रेशनको भुमरीमा पर्न दिइनन् बरु त्यसलाई अझ शानदार सदुपयोग गर्दै गज्जबको किताब निकाल्ने कार्यलाई निर्णायक रुवरूप दिन प्रयोग गरिन् ।
विन्दाको अध्ययन, कार्यक्षेत्र र सम्पर्क व्यापक हुँदै गयो । अनि लेखनका लागि पनि उनको फलक ठूलो र फराकिलो बन्दै आयो । फलस्वरूप उनी एकपछि अर्को किताब लेख्न अग्रसर भइन्, र ‘समानताका पाइला’, ‘धर्तीमाथिको दावी’, ‘संसदीय राजनीतिमा लैङ्गिक सहभागिता’ आदि किताब छपाइन् पनि । अझ उनको एउटा किताब ‘वीमिन इन नेपाली पोलिटिक्स’ त अङ्गेजी भाषामा पनि छापियो । यही अग्रसरताकै पछिल्लो कडी हो यो पुस्तक, ‘भुइँमान्छे’ ।
‘पूर्वाधार’, ‘सन्दर्भ–सामग्री’ र ‘अनुसूचीहरू’ गरी तीन सहायक शीर्षकका अतिरिक्त यस किताबमा पाँच भाग छन् । तीमध्ये पहिलो भाग शीर्षक ‘नेकपा स्थापना : विकास र विस्तार’ अन्तर्गत उनन्तीस उप–शीर्षक, दोस्रो भाग शीर्षक ‘पुनर्गठन प्रक्रियामा कम्युनिस्ट आन्दोलन’ अन्तर्गत दुई ओटा उप–शीर्षक, तेस्रो भाग शीर्षक ‘नेकपा (माले) गठन र विकास’ अन्तर्गत अठार उप–शीर्षक, चौथो भाग शीर्षक ‘पार्टी निर्माणको जगमा केही भुइँमान्छे’ अन्तर्गत यही एक मात्र शीर्षक र पाँचौं भाग शीर्षक ‘पार्टीसँग जोडिएका केही अनुभव, केही अनुभूति’ अन्तर्गत आठ उप–शीर्षक समेत जम्मा अन्ठाउन्न उप–शीर्षक समेटेर समग्र किताब जम्मा २२+४०४=४२६ पृष्ठमा विस्तारित छ ।
साङ्ग्रिला मिडिया ग्रुप प्रा.लि., काठमाडौंले प्रकाशन गरेको यस पुस्तकलाई होम भट्टराईले सम्पादन गरेका छन् । बिक्री मूल्य ८५० रुपैयाँ रहेको यस किताबमा भएका सात ओटा अनुसूची क्रमशः ‘२०३३ चैत १२ गते नक्खु जेलबे्रक गरी निस्किएका राजबन्दी’, ‘पहिलो आमनिर्वाचन (२०१५) मा नेकपाका उम्मेदवार’, ‘राष्ट्रिय पञ्चायतको निर्वाचन (२०४३) मा जनपक्षीय उम्मेदवारको उपलब्ध सूची’, ‘स्थानीय पञ्चायतको निर्वाचन (२०४३) मा निर्वाचित जिल्ला पञ्चायतका जनपक्षीय सभापति÷उपसभापति’, ‘२०४३ सालमा गाउँ–नगर पञ्चायतमा निर्वाचित जनपक्षीय प्रधानपञ्च÷उपप्रधानपञ्चहरूको उपलब्ध सूची’, ‘२०२८ देखि २०४६ सम्म कोके हुँदै नेकपा (माले) निर्माणका सन्दर्भमा पूर्णकालीन भूमिगत भएका नेता–कार्यकर्ताको उपलब्ध सूची’, र, ‘नेपाल अधिराज्यको संविधान, २०४७ माथि नेकपा (माले) द्वारा प्रस्तुत आलोचनाका सत्ताइस बुँदा’ आदिले आफैँमा राजनीतिक इतिहासको एउटा–एउटा महत्वपूर्ण अध्याय बोकेका छन् ।
यससँगै पार्टीमा महिला सहभागिताको सन्दर्भ पनि उनले उठाउँदै अगाडि बढेकी छन् । कम्युनिस्ट पार्टीको शीर्ष नेतृत्व तहमा महिला पुगेको भनेकै वि.सं.२०४७ पुस २७ गते तत्कालीन नेकपा (माले) र नेकपा (मार्क्सवादी) बीच एकीकरण भएर नयाँ पार्टी नेकपा (एमाले) बनेपछि गठित त्यसको पोलिट ब्यूरो सदस्यमा तत्कालीन वाममोर्चाकी अध्यक्ष सहाना प्रधानको चयन हुनु हो ।
अर्थात्, वि.सं.२००६ मा स्थापना भएको नेकपाको केन्द्रीय नेतृत्वमा एक जना भए पनि पुग्न महिलाले चालीस वर्ष कुर्नु परेको थियो ! विडम्बना, त्यसपछि पनि (अहिले वर्ष वि.सं.२०८२ चलिरहँदा) बितेका चौवालीस वर्षमा नेकपा (एमाले) को नेतृत्वमा महिला उपस्थिति नगण्य मात्र छ, त्यही पनि अध्यक्ष र महासचिव जस्तो महत्वपूर्ण पदमा कहिले पुग्ने हो भन्ने सवाल त अनुत्तरित नै छ ।
किताबमै एक ठाउँमा लेखक विन्दा आफ्नै अनुभव र बुझाइ राख्दै भन्छिन्, ‘अप्ठ्यारो अवस्थामा यसरी आन्दोलन, घर र परिवार सबै धान्न सक्ने महिलाहरूलाई स्थिति साम्य हुँदै जाँदा जब पद, सेवा र सुविधाको कुरा आउँछ, अनि पार्टी, समाज र घरपरिवार समेतले अयोग्य र अक्षम ठान्न थाल्छ । वि.सं.२०१७ सालमा पञ्चायतको शुरुवातदेखि २०४६ सालको जनआन्दोलनसम्म पार्टी निर्माणमा हरतरहले योग्य र सक्षम महिलाहरू आन्दोलनको सफलतापछि राज्यसत्ता र पार्टीसत्ताका विभिन्न पद, सेवा र सुविधाका लागि अवसर आउँदा क्रमशः अयोग्य र अक्षम ठानिए ।’ (पृ.२३१) ।
किताब ‘भुइँमान्छे’ भित्रकै कुरा गर्दा, नुवाकोटबाट बसाइँ सरी हेटौंडा पुगेर भूमिगतकालीन समयदेखि नै पार्टी काममा क्रियाशील चौरासी वर्षीय कृष्णप्रसाद नेपालको उल्लेख छ । उनले लेखक पाण्डेसँग आफ्नो अनुभूति पोख्दै भनेका छन्, ‘दुःखद् कुरा, बहुदल आएपछि भौतिक पूर्वाधार त केही विकास भयो तर मानवता हराउँदै गयो । हिजोका दिनमा तय गरिएको लक्ष्य अनुसार पार्टी सञ्चालन भइरहेको छैन । अराजकता बढ्यो । नेतृत्वको प्रवृत्ति पनि ठीक भएन । पार्टीमा गरीखानेको भन्दा ठगीखानेको वर्चस्व हुन थाल्यो । हुँदा खाने बढारिए, हुनेखानेलाई मात्र अवसर दिन थालियो । पटक पटक आफ्नै पार्टीको सरकार बन्दा पनि गर्वका साथ छाती पिटेर राम्रो काम गर्यो भन्न पाइएन । खै यो कसरी सुध्रिएला ?’ (प.१०९) ।
त्यसै गरी अर्को एक सन्दर्भमा, महोत्तरीको कालापानी क्षेत्रका जनसाधारणको अनुभवमा, ‘तर, उपल्लो तहमा रहनुभएका र भूमिगत कालमा यो भूमिले जोगाएका नेताहरू अहिले भेट्न जाँदा समेत तर्कन खोज्नुहुन्छ । यो सबैभन्दा दुःखको कुरा हो । हामीले व्यक्तिगत रूपमा केही मागेका छैनौं । भूमिगत कालमा त्यत्रो दुःख गर्ने मानकुमारी दिदीको नाममा एउटा सामुदायिक स्मृति भवन बनाइदिन आग्रह गर्दा समेत नपाउनु पार्टी निर्माणका पक्षमा विगतमा यस क्षेत्रले गरेको त्यो योगदान र लगानीको पनि अपमान हो भन्ने हामीलाई अनुभूत भएको छ ।’ (पृ.१७५) ।
महोत्तरीकै अर्की एक जना आश्रयदाता तुला लायो मगरले लेखकलाई भनिन्, ‘त्यतिखेर नेताहरू ‘नेता बिग्रन सक्छन् तर नीति बिग्रँदैन कमरेड’ भन्नुहुन्थ्यो । अहिले भोगिँदै छ । त्यति दुःख गरेर बनाएको पार्टी सत्तामा पुगेपछि नेताहरूकै स्वार्थमा पटक पटक टुक्रियो । यसले चित्त दुःखेको छ । ‘गरीबको दिन ल्याउँछौं’ भनेर आशा बाँड्नुभयो । आफ्नो गास काटेर खुवायौं । सन्तानको आङ नाङ्गो हुँदा पनि ज्याला गरेको पैसा उठाएर पहिला नेताका आङ ढाक्न कपडा किनिदिन्थ्यौं । आफ्ना साना नानीलाई भन्दा बढी नेतालाई मायाले राख्यौं । उनीहरूका लागि के मात्र गरेनौं ? तर नेता साँच्चै बिग्रँदा रहेछन् । आज जनता र पार्टीमाथि घात भएको छ । निजी स्वार्थका लागि जनतामाथि विश्वासघात गर्ने नेताहरूलाई धिक्कार भन्नु भन्दा के गर्न सकिन्छ र !’ (पृ.१७५) ।
‘पार्टी निर्माणको जगमा केही भुइँमान्छे’ शीर्षक अध्यायमा लेखकले आजको नेकपा (एमाले) धेरै भुइँमान्छेको श्रम, साधनस्रोत, समय र सपनाले सिञ्चित भएको औंल्याउँदै पार्टीका केन्द्रीय स्तरका बैठक र भेला गर्ने स्थान, भूमिगत नेता–कार्यकर्ताका लागि आश्रयस्थल मात्र नभएर लाउने, खाने र सुरक्षाको जिम्मेवारी निर्वाह गरेका ती अनगन्ती आश्रयदातामध्ये केही प्रतिनिधि पात्रबारे उल्लेख गरेकी छन् ।
यस्ता पात्रहरूमा झापाकी हरिमाया बराल, छायादेवी र इन्दिरा चापागाईं, चितवनकी सुकमाया दराई, धादिङकी बालकुमारी थपलिया, कास्कीकोटकी हरिकला सुबेदी, नवलपरासीकी विष्णुमाया सुबेदी, रुपन्देहीकी शकुन्तला चमार, सावित्री न्यौपाने, सुशीला न्यौपाने, मकवानपुर फाखेलकी ठूली बल र सानुकान्छा लामा, इलामकी पिङ्गलादेवी बराल, मकवानपुर हटियाकी बालकुमारी थापा, विष्णुकुमारी राई, मोरङका भक्तबहादुर आले ‘मनोहर’, धनुषाको मुढिवाका जगदेव र रामदेव गोहीवार लगायत रामआशीष पासवान, अशेश्वर मण्डल, दुःखी ठाकुर आदि समेत दर्जनौं सर्वसाधारण जन, धनुषाकै पुलकित ठाकुर, मोरङका टेकबहादुर राई, कास्कीका सूर्य अधिकारी र उनको परिवार, बाराकी समरियादेवी महरा (नानी), इटहरीकी लक्ष्मीदेवी निरौला, स्याङ्जा गोलादीकी नर्मदा खराल, महोत्तरी कालापानीकी मानकुमारी बलामी, अर्घाखाँचीकी चुमकला बन्जाडे, काभ्रेको भैंसेपाटीका उद्धव केसी, सोलुखुम्बुकी लालमाया राई आदि छन् ।
किताबमा यी पात्रसमेत अनेक जनका योगदान र विविध अनुभवबारे पढ्न पाउँदा रोमाञ्चक अनुभव हुन्छ । एउटा अनुभव, जुन चुमकला बन्जाडेसित घटेको छ, अत्यन्त दारुण छ । उनको भनाइ छ, ‘हाम्रो सामान्य श्रमजीवी परिवार भएकाले कुखुराको अन्डा बेचेर नुन, तेल, मसला गर्नुपथ्र्यो । एक दिन म कुखुराको अन्डा लिएर बजार जान लागेकी थिएँ । सानो छोराले एउटा अन्डा खान माग्यो । ‘बजारबाट सामान ल्याउन पुग्दैन, कहाँ तिमीलाई दिनु’ भन्दै म सबै अन्डा बोकेर बजार हिँडें । बजारबाट फर्कंदा त्यो अबोध बालक अन्डा पार्ने बेलामा कुखुरा बस्ने टोकरीमा बसिरहेको रहेछ । ‘किन त्यहाँ बसेको ?’ भनेर सोध्दा उनले भने, ‘तपाईंले अन्डा दिनुभएन । अब म आफैँ पार्छु, आफैँ खान्छु ।’ बच्चाको मनोविज्ञान– पराल राखेको टोकरीमा बसेपछि अन्डा पर्छ । त्यो देख्दा मन कटक्क खायो । तर, मेरो बाध्यता, परिवारको खानपान र आएका नेता–कार्यकर्तालाई खुवाउने दायित्व काँधमा थियो ।’ (पृ.३०८) ।
किताबमा अहिलेका प्रधानमन्त्री तथा पार्टी अध्यक्ष खड्गप्रसाद ओलीको प्रसङ्ग दुई–तीन ठाउँ मात्र आउँछ, त्यो पनि निकै थोरै मात्र । एक ठाउँ उल्लेख भए अनुसार, कुनै पूर्वेली तराई जिल्लामा अत्यन्त गोप्य ढङ्गमा सबै शीर्ष नेताहरूको सहभागितामा पार्टीको महत्वपूर्ण केन्द्रीय भेला हुन गइरहेको थियो । सबै जना भित्र भेलास्थलमा शान्तसँग बसिरहेका थिए तर ‘छुकछुके स्वभाव भएका’ भनेर चिनिने खड्गप्रसाद भित्र–बाहिर गरिरहेका थिए । अन्य सबैले त्यसो नगर्न र थपक्क भित्र बस्न भनिरहँदा उनले मानिरहेका थिएनन् । तर नेता मदन भण्डारीले एक पटक ‘तपाईं धेरै नहिँड्नोस् त’ भनेर भन्ने बित्तिकै उनले त्यसरी भित्र–बाहिर गर्न छाडेर अन्य नेता–कार्यकर्ताहरूसँगै भित्र भेलास्थलमा बसेका थिए । (पृ.२१४) ।
योसँगै किताबले दिवंगत नेता मदन भण्डारीलाई ‘असाधारण व्यक्तित्व’ का रूपमा चित्रण गरेको छ । भण्डारीमा सम्पूर्ण नेतृत्व क्षमता रहेको र उनी पार्टीभित्र मूल पार्टी नीतिसित सहमत असहमत हुने जोसुकैलाई मिलाएर लैजान सक्ने, गज्जबका वक्ता (पब्लिक ओरेटर), उम्दा संगठक र युगीन विचारक भएको अनुभूत गर्न सकिन्छ । अहिले नेकपा (एमाले) पार्टीले आफ्नो नीति भनेर पार्टी दस्तावेजहरू र चुनावी घोषणापत्रमा लेख्ने गरेका ‘जनताको बहुदलीय जनवाद’ का प्रवत्र्तक वा सूत्रधार उनै भण्डारी हुन् ।
यसै गरी ‘भुइँमान्छे’ किताबमा नेकपा (माले) का संस्थापक महासचिव सी.पी. मैनालीबारे पनि प्रशस्त पढ्न, जान्न र बुझ्न पाइन्छ । ‘वान एरिया, वान स्क्वाड, वान एक्शन’ भन्दै वि.सं.२०२९ मा शुरु भएर करीब डेढ वर्ष चल्दा सात जना जमिनदार मारेको झापा अभियानको समयदेखि लगभग एक दशकसम्म नेपाली कम्युनिस्ट आन्दोलनमा सी.पी.मैनालीको नाम बडो चर्चित एवं सम्मानित थियो ।
स्थिति यस्तो भए पनि उनमा आफ्नो विचार नै सबैले मान्नु पर्ने तर उनले अरूका विचार नमान्ने अथवा अरूका विचारसँग असहमत रहने प्रवृत्ति हावी रहेको तथ्य पनि ‘भुइँमान्छे’ किताबले प्रस्ट पार्दछ । पोलिट ब्यूरो वा केन्द्रीय कमिटीमा छलफल भएर त्यहाँ आफ्नो भन्दा फरक विचार ग्रहण भयो वा जारी भयो भने पनि पार्टी नीति विपरीत गएरै पनि आफ्नो अल्पमतको विचार आफू नजिकका वा आफूले प्रभाव पार्न सक्ने नेता–कार्यकर्ताहरूलाई भन्ने (शेयर गर्ने) स्वभाव सी.पी.मा देखिन्छ । पार्टीभित्रको चर्चित र पार्टीभित्र अत्यन्तै नकारात्मक प्रभाव पारेको ‘पार्टी स्वतन्त्रता’ या ‘राजनीतिक स्वतन्त्रता’ भन्ने ‘महाविवाद’ पछि वैचारिक आधारमा नभै पार्टी अनुशासन विपरीत गतिविधि सञ्चालन गरेको हुँदा उनीमाथि ‘पार्टी कारवाही’ भएको थियो र उनलाई महासचिव पदबाट हटाएर प्रवासको पार्टी गतिविधि हेर्न खटाइएको थियो ।
जेहोस्, उल्लिखित प्रसङ्गहरू ‘भुइँमान्छे’ किताब पढ्दै जाँदा देखिने–थाहा पाइने पक्षहरू हुन् । यसमा भूमिगत पार्टीका केन्द्रीय कमिटी बैठक वा केन्द्रीय भेला वा सम्मेलन आदि भएका खासखास ठाउँहरू र ती ठाउँमा पार्टीलाई आश्रय समेत तमाम व्यवस्थापन गर्दै सघाउने अभावग्रस्त सर्वसाधारण जनहरूबारे, त्यसमा पनि प्रतिनिधिमूलक पात्रहरू, बारे बताइएको छ । सबै आश्रयदाता सहयोगीहरूबारे लेख्ने हो भने त मोहनविक्रम सिंहको ‘कमरेड जलजला’ उपन्यासभन्दा दोब्बर ठूलो किताब तयार हुनेमा दुई मत होवोइन ।
तापनि, लेखक विन्दा पाण्डे अहिले चाँडै नै यही ‘भुइँमान्छे’ किताबकै अर्को संस्करण निकाल्न उत्साहपूर्वक लागिरहेको समाचार सार्वजनिक भएको छ । त्यसो गर्दा लेखकले पहिलो संस्करणमा भएका भाषिक शुद्धाशुद्धि र कतिपय शब्दहरूको शुद्ध प्रयोग गर्नेतिर विचार पुर्याउनु पर्छ भन्ने महसुस भइरहन्छ । भने, उनी अर्को चरणमा भूमिगतकालमा पार्टीलाई आश्रय दिने समेत विभिन्न किसिमले दिलोज्यान दिएर सघाउने दर्जनौं महिलाहरूको जीवनकथाको सँगालो छपाउने तयारीमा छन् भन्ने सङ्केत यही किताबभित्र पनि दिएकी छन् ।
किताबमा कमी भन्नु भन्दा पनि सुझावका रूपमा केही भन्दा बेस हुने देखिन्छ । लेखक विन्दाले यस किताबमा लेखेकी छन्, ‘राणा शासन विरुद्ध सङ्गठित आवाजको पहल गर्ने पहिलो व्यक्ति बलदेव शाही (बाकावीर) थिए, जसको मृत्यु १९०६ मा भयो । पछि यही आवाजको नेतृत्व लखन थापाले गरे । त्यही कारण १९३२ सालमा उनी लगायत उनका थुप्रै सहयोगी र समर्थकहरूलाई गिरफ्तार गरियो । लखन थापालाई मनकामना मन्दिर अगाडि झुण्ड्याएर मारियो भने धेरैलाई जेल पठाइयो । यसरी लखन थापा नेपाली जनमुक्ति आन्दोलनका प्रथम शहीद बने ।’ (पृ.१) ।
तर उनले यति लेखेर मात्र पुग्दैन, बाकावीर को थिए र उनले वि.सं.१९०३ मा शुरु भएको राणा शासन विरुद्ध के किन र कसरी विद्रोहको आवाज बुलन्द गरेका थिए भन्ने बारे छोटकरीमै प्रस्ट हुने गरी कम्तीमा एक प्याराग्राफ लेखेर स्पष्ट पार्दा आम पाठकले पनि बाकावीरबारे राम्ररी जान्न पाउनेछन् ।
त्यसै गरी लखन थापाको सन्दर्भमा उनले के कस्तो विद्रोह कसरी सञ्चालन गरे, उनलाई को कस्ता कति मानिसले साथ सहयोग दिए र उनको नेतृत्वको विद्रोह कति लामो चल्यो, अनि उनलाई किन र कसरी ‘नेपाली जनमुक्ति आन्दोलनका प्रथम शहीद’ मानिनु, भन्नु पर्छ भन्ने बारे संक्षिप्तमै भए पनि स्पष्ट लेख्न सके सुन्दर हुने देखिन्छ ।
यसै गरी लेखक विन्दाले पार्टी कामका लागि २०४१ जेठमा दाङबाट पहाडतिर हिँडेर बेपत्ता भएका नेत्रलाल अभागीको रहस्यमयी मृत्यु (पृ.९०) बारे भने केही ठोस सत्य–तथ्य दिएकी छैनन् । यी कवि नेता के कसरी मरे वा मारिएका थिए भनेर पाठकले स्पष्ट बुझ्ने गरी त्यही अध्यायमा केही पंक्ति थपी दिने हो भने त्यसबाट पाठक वर्ग राम्ररी सुसूचित हुन पाउने थिए ।
समग्रमा विन्दा पाण्डेको ‘भुइँमान्छे’ किताब केवल हिजो भूमिगत राजनीति गरेका वा भूमिगत राजनीति गर्नेहरूलाई सघाएका वा त्यस अवधिमा खुलेर या देखिएर काम गरेका वा अद्र्ध–भूमिगत बनेर काम गरेका वा काममा सघाएकाहरूका लागि मात्र होइन, बरु यो किताब त नेपालमा एक महत्वपूर्ण राजनीतिक शक्तिका रूपमा बलियो गरी स्थापित कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी कसरी शुरु भयो, कसरी हुर्कियो, कसरी टुक्रियो, कसरी जोडियो, कसरी फैलियो र कसरी जनस्तरमा सर्वाधिक धेरै संगठित भयो भनेर जान्न चाहने कम्युनिस्ट वा गैर–कम्युनिस्ट सबैले पढ्नु पर्ने किताब हो ।
मुलुकका लागि कम्युनिस्ट राजनीति कति ठीक छ र कति बेठीक छ, स्थापना भएर अहिलेको समय वि.सं.२०८२ आइपुग्दासम्म कम्युनिस्ट पार्टीले देश र देशवासीका लागि के कति गर्यो गरे वा गर्न खोजेर अनि चाहेर पनि गर्न पाएन वा सकेन, अनि, यतिका वर्षहरूमा देशमा छ जना कम्युनिस्ट प्रधानमन्त्री बनिसकेका छन् भने देश र देशवासीले गर्व गर्न लायक के कस्ता उपलब्धि कम्युनिस्ट सरकारले दिन सक्यो वा सकेको छ ? यावत सवालहरू पनि सोच्न यो किताबले सचेत पाठकलाई कम्तीमा एक बाजी त झक्झक्याउँछ नै।
सिद्धान्त र व्यवहार, कार्यक्रम र कार्यान्वयन, प्रतिबद्धता र समर्पण, अनि भाषण र जनमानसबीच प्रेमिल एवं सादर उपस्थिति– हो, यी त्यस्ता तथ्य हुन् जसलाई हिजोको भूमिगत जीवन बिताएर अहिले सत्ता–सुख भोगिरहेका वा भोग्ने पंक्तिमा भएका सारा नेता–कार्यकर्ताले हृदयङ्गम गर्नु पर्ने छ । किताब ‘भुइँमान्छे’ को सबैभन्दा ठूलो शिक्षा यही हो ।
The first sign of trouble Peter Hughes noticed was when his train to Madrid started to slow down.
Then the TV monitor and lights went off. Emergency lights switched on, but did not last, and the locomotive ground to a halt.
Four hours later, Mr Hughes was still stuck on the train 200 kilometres (124 miles) outside of Spain’s capital. He had food and water, but the toilets were not working.
“It will be getting dark soon and we could be stuck here for hours,” he told the BBC.
The massive power cut that stranded Mr Hughes triggered chaos across Spain and Portugal, and also impacted Andorra and parts of France, from about midday local time (10:00 GMT).
Traffic lights shut off. Metros closed. Businesses shuttered and people joined queues to get cash as card payments did not work.
Jonathan Emery was on a different train halfway between Seville and Madrid when the cuts hit.
For an hour, he sat on the train, the doors closed, until people could pry them open to let in ventilation. Half an hour later, passengers left, only to find themselves stranded.
That was when people from local villages started coming and dropping off supplies – water, bread, fruit.
“Nobody is charging for anything, and word must be getting around in the local town because people just keep coming,” he said.
Jonathan Emery
Mr Emery described the generosity of locals after his train stopped moving
Commuters in Madrid were left confused in the dark when the blackout hit the city’s metro station network. One resident, Sarah Jovovich, was getting off the train when the lights went out.
People were “hysterical” and “panicking”, she told the BBC. “It was quite chaotic really.”
Mobile phones had stopped working and nobody had any information. Once out of the metro station, she found the roads gridlocked with heavy traffic.
“No-one understood anything. Businesses were closed and buses were full,” she said.
Hannah Lowney was halfway through scanning her grocery shopping at Aldi when the power went out in the Spanish capital.
People were coming out of their offices and walking home because they could not tell when the buses were coming, Ms Lowney said in a voice message sent to BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It’s a bit disconcerting that it’s the whole country, I’ve never experienced this before,” she said.
Mark England was eating lunch in the restaurant of the hotel where he is staying on holiday in Benidorm when “everything went off and the fire alarm started going off and the fire doors started closing”.
In an international school in Lisbon, the electricity flickered on and off for a while, then gave up, teacher Emily Thorowgood said.
She kept teaching in the dark, the children in good spirits, but lots of parents were taking their children out of school, she said.
Watch: Traffic chaos as Spain and Portugal face power outages
Will David, a Brit living in Lisbon, was having a haircut and beard trim in the basement of a barber when the power went down. The barber found him a spot by the window upstairs to finish the cut with scissors.
“The walk home felt very strange, both with the lack of traffic lights meaning a complete free-for-all for vehicles and pedestrians on the roads – as well as so many people milling around outside their places of work with nothing to do,” he said.
Initially, mobile phone networks also went down for some, leaving many scrambling for information.
Curtis Gladden, who is in La Vall D’Uixo, about 30 miles from Valencia, said it was “scary” as he struggled to get updates about what was happening.
Eloise Edgington, who could not do any work as a copywriter in Barcelona, said she was only receiving occasional messages, could not load web pages on her phone and was trying to conserve her battery.
Mark England
No lights: Traffic signals remained blank in Benidorm and elsewhere
An hour and a half after the power went out, one resident of Fortuna, in south-east Spain, said her husband was driving around, trying to find a petrol station that could supply fuel to run a generator and keep their fridge powered.
“We are worried about food, water, cash and petrol in case this goes on for a couple of days,” said Lesley, a Brit who has been living in Spain for 11 years.
Locals “have more to worry about” than the Madrid Open tennis tournament being suspended, she said, adding there is “very little news about what’s happened”.
Mr England said walking down the street in Benidorm, a “majority of shops are in darkness and shuttered or have people on the entrances saying you can’t come in. There’s no cash machines, no traffic lights so it’s strange.”
Mark England
Mark England (on left) was on holiday with his partner, Jonnie Smith, when the power cut hit
After Mr Gladden’s phone signal returned after about two hours, he and others ventured out to cafes, but found “nothing is working – we came to get some food and a drink but they can’t cook without electricity”.
Within two hours, Spanish power grid operator Red Electrica said it was beginning to recover power in the north and south of the country.
But two-and-a-half hours after the cuts, Madrid’s mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida still urged all residents to “keep their movements to an absolute minimum and, if at all possible, to remain where they are”, in a video recorded from the city’s integrated emergency security centre.
At 15:00 local time, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pulled together an “extraordinary” meeting of Spain’s national security council.
Red Electrica CEO Eduardo Prieto said at a news conference shortly afterwards that it could take “between six and ten hours” to restore power.
Just before 16:00, electricity flicked back on in Malaga. By 17:00, the grid operator said power was being restored “in several areas of the north, south and west of the [Iberian] peninsula”.
Portugal’s power firm REN gave a more dire prediction, saying that it could “take up to a week” before the network was back to normal.
A state of emergency was later declared across Spain, with regions able to request special measures.
But by Monday evening, Sanchez said 50% of power had been restored across Spain, while REN said electricity had been restored to 750,000 customers. Many, however, remain without power.
‘No plan for where to stay’
Knock on effects continue: Back-up generators at airports kicked on, allowing most flights to leave on time, but some have been unable to operate.
Tom McGilloway, on holiday in Lisbon, was due to return to London on Monday night, but as of early evening did not know what would happen.
He said for the time being people were getting drinks and food – but vendors told him they would only be able to keep working until the batteries ran out on their payment terminals.
“If I need to book a hotel if the plane is cancelled, I don’t know how I can do it if payments are down,” he added.
“My partner’s parents are trying to get petrol so they can pick us up to take us back to Alentejo but many petrol stations are closed or not taking payment. We might be stuck with no plan for where to stay tonight.”
Spanish violinist Isaac Bifet went to a rehearsal in the morning at the symphony orchestra in Madrid. But the building was all dark and most of the other orchestra players hadn’t turned up because they were stranded with no transport.
People without cash were particularly stuck, he told the BBC, because online payments systems were down.
The day without power was “strange” and “a little medieval”, Mr Bifet said. But “the atmosphere was actually pretty nice.”
And with the electricity still out in his apartment, he spent the evening drinking beers with friends by candlelight.
Isaac Bifet
Isaac Bifet spent the evening drinking by candlelight in his apartment
Additional reporting and research by Andree Massiah, Kris Bramwell, James Kelly, Bernadette McCague and Josh Parry
Chinese EV brand Nio has launched its ambitious hatchback car, the Nio Firefly EV, in China. It comes in a unique lighting design, 105kW motor, and 42.1kWh battery pack, among other key specifications. The car is expected to be launched in Nepal soon, so here we provide you with detailed information about it, including its expected price.
Nio Firefly EV Specifications
The Noi Firefly EV features a rear-wheel drive motor of a 105 kW capacity, which produces power of up to 141 hp. Its peak torque goes up to 200 Nm.
Likewise, it gets a 42.1 kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, which promises up to 420 km of CLTC range. This translates to roughly 340 km in the WLTP range standards. Either way, it’s plenty enough if your commute is around a city from home to work.
The car is said to reach a top speed of 150 kmph and is said to reach 0 to 100 kmph in just 8.2 seconds.
Firefly EV features a unique lighting design that consists of 3 small circles forming headlamps on both front and rear parts. The Firefly logo rests in the middle.
The inside has a good space for drivers and passengers. There’s a 6-inch screen behind the steering wheel that displays all the information about the ride. It’s further complemented with a large 13.2-inch infotainment display. For a versatile entertainment system, the car gets a wholesome 7.1 Dolby sound system with 14 speakers.
Nio Firefly EV price in Nepal
Nio Firefly EV is priced at USD16,770, so that could translate to 45.99 lakh in Nepal for the base variant. The premium variant, which has a more sophisticated interior, is priced at USD17,600, which could mean 50.99 lakh in Nepal.
Nio Firefly EV
Price in Nepal (Expected)
Base Variant
Rs 45.99 lakh
Top Variant
50.99 lakh
The car could as well come with a swappable battery system,m aka Battery As A Service (BAAS).
In Nepal, the Firefly EV could compete with the BYD Dolphin, Tata Punch EV, etc. Paramount Motors is expected to launch the hatchback EV soon in Nepal.
Oleksandr Usyk says Daniel Dubois showed “weakness” by pushing him during their face-off as they promoted their rematch to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion at London’s Wembley Stadium on 19 July.
Briton Dubois is the IBF champion, with Ukraine’s Usyk holding the WBA (Super), WBO and WBC belts.
Usyk is undefeated in 23 fights and beat Dubois, 27, via a ninth-round stoppage in August 2023.
A day after their fight was confirmed, the pair posed for pictures on the pitch at Wembley on Monday when Dubois shoved 38-year-old Usyk in the chest.
Security stepped in between the pair before Usyk turned away and began laughing.
When asked if Dubois had improved since their last fight two years ago, Usyk told BBC Sport: “I think he has, Daniel wins the IBF belt, has beaten three good fighters. He is a world champion, a hard man, a dangerous man.”
Asked if the Englishman had changed mentally, Usyk replied: “Mentally no, push is a weakness.”
Explaining why he pushed Usyk, Dubois said: “It’s a new me, the fear of acting in a particular way is not there any more, now I need to just do what I need to do, this is the fight game, this is boxing.”
There was controversy the last time they fought when Usyk was floored in the fifth round but the punch was declared a low blow by the referee.
Promoter Frank Warren lost an appeal to the WBA for Dubois’ loss to Usyk to be ruled a no contest and that a rematch be ordered.
Dubois said Usyk caused him “a lot of pain and frustration” but it “helped me to reach even further”
He added: “It will feel even better when it’s done, when I have knocked him out and won. Put the demons to bed and put right what went wrong.”
उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन गर्दै पूरा समय खेले पनि नेपालकी देवकीमाया श्रेष्ठ थाइल्याण्डमा भएको एसियाली जुडो च्याम्पियनसिपमा पराजित भएकी छन्। थाइल्याण्डको बैंककमा सम्पन्न च्याम्पियनसिपमा महिला ५२ केजीमुनि देवकी बलियो प्रतिद्वन्द्वी मंगोलियाकी नान्दिन इर्दिने म्यागमारसुरेनसँग पराजित भएकी हुन्।
उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन गरे पनि देवकी गोल्डेन स्कोरमा पराजित भएको प्रशिक्षक मोहन सुनुवारले जानकारी दिए। नान्दिन विश्व च्याम्पियनसिपकी कांस्य विजेतासमेत हुन्। बन्दी सहायता नियोग (पाम) की उत्पादन देवकी विश्व वरीयतामा ३०४औं तथा नान्दिन ७५औं स्थानमा छन्। बैंककमा भएको च्याम्पियनसिपमा देवकीसहित नेपालबाट ६ खेलाडीले चुनौती दिएका थिए। महिला ५७ केजीमुनि ओलम्पियन मनीता श्रेष्ठ प्रधानको यात्रा पनि दोस्रो चरणमा नै समाप्त भयो।
उनी दोस्रो चरणमा काजाकिस्तानकी खेलाडीसँग पराजित भइन्। त्यसअघि पहिलो चरणमा भने मनिताले फिलिपिन्सकी खेलाडीलाई हराएकी थिइन्। महिला ७० केजीमुनि पनि रञ्जना खड्का भारतीय खेलाडीसँग पराजित भइन्।
पुरुष ६० केजीमुनि विकास विक दोस्रो चरणबाट माथि उठ्न सकेनन्। उनी दोस्रो चरणमा बहराइनका खेलाडीसँग पछि परे। त्यसअघि उनले तुर्कमिनिस्तानका खेलाडीलाई हराएका थिए। पुरुष ६६ केजीमुनि विशेष विक तुर्कमिनिस्तान र ९० केजीमुनि विपिन तामाङ भियतनामका खेलाडीसँग पराजित भए।
Young people have told the BBC they are finding it harder than ever to get a job, with some graduates frustrated at being turned down for roles at supermarkets.
The government says getting more young people into work is a priority but UK job vacancies are at their lowest level in nearly four years.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents supermarkets, told the BBC young people would be hit hardest as firms cut back on hiring because of rising employer costs and forthcoming changes to workers’ rights.
Faisa Ali Tarabi, 24, from Bolton said she had gone through Aldi’s recruitment process only to be told there was no suitable vacancy.
She has a degree in accounting and finance from the University of Salford and a masters in management from Manchester Metropolitan University
Looking for work since she finished her masters in January 2024, she estimates she has applied for around 2,000 roles.
“I’ve been without work for 15 months now, and to be honest, I’m not just looking for work with my degrees now. I’m trying to get whatever I can for the time being.”
Faisa says she applied for a job at an Aldi warehouse in March 2024 but she showed the BBC an email from the store’s recruitment team saying: “You’ve done really well so far, however we do not currently have a vacancy that fully meets your requirements.”
It said “all is not lost though” and said recruiters would be back in touch if a potential vacancy came up in the next 12 months. She says she has not heard anything since. The BBC has asked Aldi for a comment.
In February we reported that more 16-24 year-olds were not in work, education or training at the end of 2024 than at any point in the past 11 years.
That is 13.4%, or almost one out of every seven people in that age range, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Faisa was one of hundreds of people who commented on this report on BBC News TikTok saying their unemployment was not for want of trying.
“I check every day, there are no jobs,” one user said.
Another said: “Finished my uni degree and can’t find one job within the field I studied for.”
A third user posted: “Young people aren’t fussy we literally can’t even get hired cleaning toilets.”
The number of jobs on offer in the UK fell to 781,000 in the first three months of the year, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Some experts believe the rising cost of employing people is making businesses hold back on hiring new staff.
In April the rate of employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) went up and so did minimum wages across different age groups.
The biggest concern among retail HR directors is that this risks making it much harder to offer people part-time jobs, according to a BRC survey.
It surveyed HR directors at 30 businesses, together employing 585,000 retail workers.
Just over half said the law change would result in a reduction in staff numbers in their business, while 61% said the new law would reduce flexibility in job offerings.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Almost 250,000 jobs have been lost in retail over the last five years and many major retailers have already announced further job cuts on the back of increased costs of employment which kicked in in April.”
She said part-time roles were down by 200,000 since 2017.
“These roles, which provide vital entry points into work for students, carers and returners, are set to be hardest hit,” she said.
“In its current form the Employment Rights Bill could backfire, putting the brakes on hiring, or worse still, putting retail job numbers further into reverse.”
Amy Wilkes
Amy says not hearing back about job applications can feel “impossible” but says you must not give up
In November we spoke to Amy Wilkes, 23, from Coventry who was struggling to find a job after getting a degree in criminology, policing and investigation.
She says she applied for supermarket roles but did not get a response.
“It was feeling impossible,” she says. “What really hurt me was the not hearing back because you don’t get any feedback to tell you where you’re going wrong.”
After seven months Amy secured a job as a support worker, which she will start in July.
“It was a surreal moment when I found out. I was in absolute shock, quite emotional but very thrilled,” she says.
Her biggest piece of advice to others looking for work is “don’t give up”.
“I know it’s really hard but there is a job out there for you,” she says.
“Think about what you can offer – that helped my confidence to think about myself and knowing my value and what I could bring to a company.”
A government spokesperson said its new “youth guarantee” was “providing every 18-21-year-old in England with access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job”.
It said its decisions, including to raise employer NICs, were necessary to “stabilise the public finances” to fund services like the NHS.
They added that business could claim employer NICs relief for some eligible staff including those aged under 21 and for apprentices under the age of 25.
Six expert tips for finding work
1. Search beyond a 40-mile radius – Remote, hybrid and flexible working open up opportunities further away.
2. Use key words in your searches – Online algorithms will pick up on daily searches and send you more of the same.
3. Don’t wait for a job to be advertised – Contact a manager at a business that you like the look of as you never know what opportunities might be coming up.
4. Sell your skills – Use social media sites like LinkedIn which showcase your skills and experience. Other platforms like X and Instagram can prove useful when touting yourself out to potential employers as well.
5. Get learning – While you’re on the hunt for a job see if there are ways to fill gaps in your CV with free courses, volunteering or shadowing.
6. Celebrate the small wins – Set personal targets, like a certain number of jobs to apply for in a week or a number of cold emails to send, and acknowledge the little wins along the way to keep your spirits up.
You can read tips from careers experts in full here.
१६ वैशाख, काठमाडौं । नागरिक उन्मुक्ति पार्टी (नाउपा)सँग पार्टी एकताको तयारीमा रहेको जनमत पार्टीको केन्द्रीय कार्यकारिणी समितिको बैठक आज बस्दै छ । बैठक मंगलबार साँझ ६ बजे बोलाइएको हो ।
जनमत र नाउपाबीच वैशाख १७ गते काठमाडौंमा पार्टी एकता घोषणा सभा हुँदैछ । जनमतका प्रवक्ता डा. शरदसिंह यादवका अनुसार १७ गते बुधबार बिहान ११ बजे कमलादीस्थित नेपाल प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठानको हलमा एकीकरण घोषणा हुनेछ ।
केही समयदेखि पार्टी एकीकरणको प्रयास गरिरहेका दुई दलले त्यसलाई १७ गते औपचारिकता दिन लागेका हुन् ।
घोषणा कार्यक्रममा जनमतले पार्टीका केन्द्रीय सदस्य, भ्रातृ संस्था र संगठनका सबै सदस्यलाई उपस्थित हुन भनेको छ ।
घोषणाको अघिल्लो दिन बोलाइएको केन्द्रीय कार्यकारिणी समितिको बैठकमा पनि जनमतले समिति सदस्यहरुलाई अनिवार्य उपस्थित हुन भनेको छ ।
A first-of-its-kind satellite due to launch on Tuesday will be able to see through clouds and leafy canopies to assess how they are protecting the planet from climate change.
The Biomass satellite, from the European Space Agency, will “weigh” the Earth’s forests, revealing how much planet-warming carbon is being stored within trees and therefore kept out of the atmosphere.
Until now the amount of carbon stored by the 1.5 trillion trees in the planet’s rainforests has been impossible to calculate.
Led by British company Airbus, the project hopes to help scientists more accurately model climate change and track rates of deforestation.
It has been affectionately named “space brolly” for its giant 12m diameter antenna which expands outwards.
The antenna will use radar with a very long wavelength – allowing it to see deeper inside forests and reveal branches and trunks obscured by the canopy.
“Most radars that we have in space today take wonderful images of icebergs, but when they look at forests they see the tops of the forest, the little twigs, the little leaves, they don’t penetrate down into the forests,” explained Dr Ralph Cordey, head of geosciences at Airbus.
“But what we found was that by using a much longer radar wavelength, we could see down into the depths of trees and forests,” he said.
The 1.2-tonne satellite will use an approach not dissimilar to that used in a CT scan, and analyse slices through the trees on repeat passes to build up a picture of how much woody material is present.
It is this material that can be used as a proxy for the amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide stored.
Currently scientists have been measuring individual trees and trying to extrapolate, but this presents a “huge challenge” said Prof Mat Disney, professor of remote sensing, at University College London.
“Our current understanding is really patchy, because it’s really, really difficult to measure,” he said. “Essentially, what we’re talking about is trying to weigh the amount of carbon that’s stored in one and a half trillion trees across the tropics.
“Satellites are really the only way you can do that consistently.”
On the ground measurements will continue to take place after the satellite is launched to verify the data it is sending back.
ESA-CNES-ARIANESPACE
Artwork: The 1.2-tonne Biomass satellite will deploy an umbrella-like reflector antenna
Despite years of testing, the launch will not be straightforward.
“Certain things on the satellite are big, that includes its big 12-metre, deployable antenna. It’s a bit like deploying an umbrella in space, only a very big one, so we will be looking for that to happen smoothly,” said Dr Cordey.
Airbus brought in engineers from the American company L3Harris Technologies to their site in Stevenage to oversee the construction of the antenna-reflector.
L3Harris are specialists in these large, unfurlable systems – expertise which is not currently possessed in Europe.
L3 Harris Technologies
Europe has bought in American expertise in large reflector-antennas
If the launch is successful, the team is hoping to produce the first maps within six months, and will then continue to gather data for the next five years.
These annual maps will not only show how much carbon is stored but how much is being lost through deforestation.
“The kind of observations that we’ve had for 50 years from [other] satellites like Landsat are affected very heavily by clouds. And in tropical regions, we have clouds a lot of the time, so you may not see a chunk of tropical forest,” said Prof Disney.
Another advantage of the longer wavelength of the Biomass satellite is that it can penetrate clouds giving a consistent, comparable view of a forest from one year to the next.
It is this outcome which has motivated the scientists who have worked on the project for more than 20 years.
“It’s exciting, because it’s going to tell us about how something that we perhaps take for granted,” said Dr Cordey. “Our forests, our trees, how they are contributing to the processes which govern our planet, and in particular, the processes behind climate change which are so important to us today and for the future.”
JSW MG Motor India’s long-anticipated electric ‘CUV’ car, Windsor EV, will soon launch in Nepal. The “crossover utility vehicle “affordable” car starts at INR 13,49,800, including the battery cost. It’s built on the ‘Pure EV Platform’ and comes in three variants: Excite, Exclusive, and Essence with BaaS (Battery as a Service). Windsor EV could also debut in Nepal via MG’s Authorized Distributor, Paramount Motors, so we will let you know its features, specifications, and price in Nepal.
Windsor EV is a CUV, and you may be wondering what it means. So, first, let’s start with a slight description of what it is.
A major difference is in how it’s built. A CUV, also called a crossover utility vehicle, uses a unibody frame of a car chassis, while an SUV is built in a body-on-frame design. Due to their unibody frame, CUV cars are lighter and slimmer, so they are more efficient in saving energy and delivering more output. However, it can be less spacious and less perfect for fitting in extra luggage compared to traditional CUVs.
The Windsor EV likewise combines the feel of both SUV and sedan in that it has the utility and purposes of an SUV and the comfort of a sedan.
MG cars are fastly gaining prominence in Nepal with ZS EV, MG4, mini car Comet, and other exciting lineups such as the possibly incoming S5 EV. So, the latest Windsor EV could be another hot prospect for the Nepali auto market. Here are the details:
MG Windsor EV Overview
Design
The Windsor features an upright face with a high-set bonnet. The headlamp assembly has a vertically split architecture, while it has a similar rounded profile for the taillamps, with a connecting light bar. Overall, the design is rounded and contemporary. Also, I can’t emphasize enough the “Illuminated Front MG Logo,” which elevates the front look of the car, and the flush door handles amplify its sleek look.
It’s got a high-set bonnet and headlamps, while the taillight has a connecting light bar. Additionally, the DRL gives it a modern and contemporary look. The car comes with a boot space of 604 liters, setting another standard in its category and price range.
Another notable feature of the EV is its 2,700 mm wheelbase, which makes way for a spacious cabin. The interior gets a bubbled leather finish, which provides comfort. The seats can be reclined back to 135 degrees, offering a panoramic view. The car also comes with an Infinity View Glass sunroof that adds to the comfort and relaxation inside.
Likewise, a 15.6-inch touchscreen display mounted on the dashboard serves as a diverse infotainment system. The car also gets a 9-speaker audio system consisting of 4 speakers, 4 tweeters, and one subwoofer to enhance the car’s entertainment features.
Performance
The affordable CUV is powered by an IP67-certified single electric PMS motor set on the front axle. It features a 100kW motor that produces a maximum power of 136 PS and 200 Nm of torque. So far, MG Motor hasn’t shared the car’s top speed. The car offers four different driving modes: Eco+, Eco, Normal, and Sport.
The car can be driven in four drive modes- Eco, Eco+, Normal, and Sport. The Windsor EV is claimed to give a range of 331 km (ARAI). The decent ground clearance of 186 mm should also give confidence and convenience to the driver and passengers on board.
MG Windsor falls into the category of budget cars in terms of its price. Here, we have a list of top mini cars that may also fit your budget.
Battery charging and Battery As A Service
The CUV comes with a 38 kWh LFP battery with prismatic cells, and charging has multiple options. It’s also certified with IP67 ingress protection. A 3.3 kW CCS2 charging takes around 13.8 hours to replenish the battery, while a 7.4 kW charging could do the same in about 6.5 hours. However, a DC fast charger can charge the battery up to 80% in just 55 minutes.
MG Motor India has introduced a payment scheme for the battery. Buyers need to pay INR 3.50 per km for the battery, a move devised to make Windsor EV relatable to SUVs in terms of costs. MG Motor believes that offering batteries on a payment basis helps users save up to 40% of the costs spent on fuel-powered vehicles. But now, the vehicle is available with full battery ownership as well. You can check the price below for the specifics.
MG has given a suite of safety features for the Windsor EV. The CUV comes with 6 airbags, hill start-to-assist control, hill descent control, and rain-sensing wipers. Additionally, the car also has 3-point seat belts, ISOFIX, auto headlamps, rear parking sensors, etc., to maximize safety for all.
Safety features: 6 Airbags, hill start-to-assist control, hill descent control, ISOFIX, auto headlamps, rear parking sensors, etc.
Suspension Setup: McPherson Strut (front) and Torsion Beam (rear)
Seating Capacity: 5-Seater
Ground Clearance: 186 mm
Kerb Weight: N/A
Colors: Turquoise Green | Pearl White | Clear Beige | Starburst Black
MG Windsor EV price in Nepal: Rs 38.50 – 42.50 lakh (expected)
MG Windsor EV Price in Nepal and availability
MG Windsor EV comes in three variants- Excite, Exclusive, and Essence. In terms of the cost, the Excite variant costs NRS 13,49,800 in India. The Exclusive and Essence cost INR 14,49,800 and INR 15,49,800, respectively. Well, that means the MG Windsor EV price in Nepal could start at Rs 38,50,000. Similarly, the Exclusive and Essence variants may cost Rs 40,50,000 and Rs 42,50,000, respectively. These prices include the battery as well.
MG Windsor EV Variants
Price in India (official)
Price in Nepal (expected)
Excite
INR 13,49,800
Rs 38,50,000
Exclusive
INR 14,49,800
Rs 40,50,000
Essence
INR 15,49,800
Rs 42,50,000
The car is cost-friendly in comparison with the top-end cars in the country and also benefits from the latest EV tax in Nepal.
The vehicle comes in Turquoise Green, Pearl White, Clear Beige, and Starburst Black. It will be interesting to see if MG Motor decides to bring all the iterations to Nepal. We can fancy the car’s launch around the approaching festive time. If it launches, it will compete with Tata Punch EV, Nammi 01 EV, and might also challenge Tata Tiago and MG4.
Our initial verdict
MG Windsor EV is an affordable CUV car with industry-leading characteristics such as wheelbase and stunning design rendition. While the car remains a standout in its own right, the affordability also elevates its appeal among buyers. So, if Paramount launches the car in Nepal, it will serve as an exceptional option for the customers to look up to.
Male health workers should be allowed to perform breast screening examinations to help relieve staff shortages, say experts.
X-rays called mammograms are offered to women between the age of 50 and 71 every three years to check for signs of cancer, but can currently only be performed by female staff.
The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has called for a change in policy due to “critical” staff shortages among radiographers who specialise in this area.
Sally Reed, 67, who had two mastectomies after mammograms revealed breast cancer, told the BBC that “if something can save your life you should go for it” – whether it’s administered by a woman or man.
But Sally also admits women who already don’t want to go for breast screening “would definitely be turned off by a man”.
Breast X-rays, which look for cancers that are too small to see or feel, are only permitted to be undertaken by female health workers. Mammography is the only health examination carried out exclusively by female staff.
According to radiographers, the vacancy rate among mammographers who specialise in breast exams is 17.5%.
Among mammographers who assess women who have found a lump in their breast or have a family history of breast cancer, the figure is 20%.
Changes to staffing were being discussed at the annual SoR conference, with discussions also taking place over whether transgender men should be included in the NHS breast screening programme.
Sue Johnson, who represents the SoR, told the BBC: “The role of the radiographer has developed and evolved and there is a much broader scope to the job role than simply taking the images.
“It’s a very desirable and enjoyable career and men are saying ‘we would like to access that same career and we could help deliver the service'”.
Johnson said she believes this could help the recruitment of more radiographers and open up the job to more qualified people because “mammography doesn’t get as much publicity” as other health professions.
The prospect of men performing mammograms has been explored unsuccessfully in the past, but Johnson believes “the world has changed” and that “the time is right” to start reconsidering the role.
Sally Reed said having two mammograms 15 years apart were responsible for “saving” her life.
She’s now had two mastectomies after two separate breast cancer diagnoses.
Because of what she’s gone through, having a male radiographer “wouldn’t bother me at all”, she says.
बेलायतवासी नेपाली समुदायको सहयोगमा हरिवनस्थित शान्ति बाल आश्रममा विशेष सहयोग हस्तान्तरण गरिएको छ।
नेपालब्रिटेन डट कमको १७औं वार्षिकोत्सवको अवसरमा, लण्डनस्थित रिभर एकेडेमीमा अध्ययनरत छात्रा टिया आचार्यको सक्रियतामा संकलित आर्थिक सहयोगबाट प्राप्त शैक्षिक सामग्रीहरू आइतबार आयोजित एक कार्यक्रममा हस्तान्तरण गरिएको हो।
अनाथालयमा आयोजित उक्त कार्यक्रममा नेपालब्रिटेन डट कमका अध्यक्ष चिरन्जीवी ढकालले शान्ति वाल आश्रमका बोर्ड अफ डाइरेक्टर मनिष बराललाई अनाथ बालबालिकाका लागि आवश्यक शैक्षिक सामग्रीहरू हस्तान्तरण गरे।
जिल्ला प्रहरी प्रमुख रविन्द्रबहादुर सिंहले बालबालिकालाई अध्ययनसँगै सामाजिक सेवामा लाग्न प्रेरणा प्रदान गर्दै विदेशमा रहेर गरिएको सानो सहयोगले पनि नेपालमा ठूलो प्रभाव पार्न सक्ने बताए।
गैरआवासीय नेपाली संघ (एनआरएनए) का सहकोषाध्यक्ष कृष्ण तिमल्सिनाले आश्रममा रहेका बालबालिकाको उज्ज्वल भविष्यको कामना व्यक्त गरे।
कार्यक्रमको सभापतित्व गर्दै बोर्ड अफ डाइरेक्टर मनिष बरालले आश्रमप्रति बेलायतवासी नेपालीहरूको माया र योगदानप्रति आभार व्यक्त गरे। वडा अध्यक्ष कोकिलानन्द उप्रेतीले देशको माटो सम्झेर सात समुद्रपारिबाट सहयोग गरेको भन्दै नेपालब्रिटेन डट कमलाई धन्यवाद ज्ञापन गरे।
गत वर्ष अगस्टमा लण्डनस्थित स्ट्यानवेल टाउन हलमा आयोजित नेपालब्रिटेन डट कमको कार्यक्रममा संकलित आर्थिक सहयोगबाट पुस्तक, कापी, लत्ता कपडा, जुत्ता, मोजा, टावल, स्ट्यान फ्यान, खेलकुद सामग्री, ट्युटोरियल सामाग्री, हाउसकिपिङ्ग सामाग्री तथा खाद्य सामग्रीहरू प्रदान गरिएको हो।
कार्यक्रममा सर्भिस फर पिस बालगृहका संयोजक चेतन रिजाल, सशस्त्र प्रहरीका डीएसपी एकराज बुल्लाकोटी, प्रहरी निरीक्षक किशोर तामाङ तथा समाजसेवी कुमार लुइँटेल र शान्ता पाण्डेको विशेष उपस्थिति रहेको थियो।
The sugar tax applied to fizzy drinks is set to be extended to milkshakes and other milk-based drinks under new government plans.
The government is consulting on proposals to end the exemption from the tax for dairy-based drinks, as well as non-dairy substitutes such as oats or rice.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her autumn budget last year that the government was considering widening the levy.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride labelled the move a “sucker punch” to households when Labour had “already pushed up the cost of living for families”.
The sugar tax, known formally as the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL), applies to manufacturers and was introduced by the Conservative government in April 2018 as a means to tackle obesity.
On Monday, the Treasury also confirmed proposals to reduce the maximum amount of sugar allowed in drinks before they become subject to the levy from 5g to 4g per 100ml.
Some 203 pre-packed milk-based drinks on the market, which make up 93% of sales within the category, will be hit with the tax unless their sugar content is reduced in accordance with the proposals, government analysis says.
The exemption for milk-based drinks was included because of concerns about calcium consumption, particularly among children.
The Treasury said that young people only get 3.5% of their calcium intake from such drinks, meaning “it is also likely that the health benefits do not justify the harms from excess sugar”.
“By bringing milk-based drinks and milk substitute drinks into the SDIL, the government would introduce a tax incentive for manufacturers of these drinks to build on existing progress and further reduce sugar in their recipes,” the Treasury said.
The government estimates that 89% of soft drinks sold in the UK are not subject to the tax because of widespread reformulation by manufacturers since 2018.
But it added that the levy had effectively created a “target” of just below the 5g threshold, and products had clustered below 5g as a result.
The government consultation will run from Monday until 21 July.
The SDIL has raised a total of £1.9 billion since its introduction in 2018, according to government statistics released last September. Revenue for HMRC for the 2023-24 financial year was £338 million.
Opponents of the levy in recent years include the soft drinks industry, pubs and off licences. Some argue the levy disproportionately affects lower-income families and does little to tackle obesity.
On the latest plans, industry body the Food and Drink Federation said it welcomed the chance to share its views in the consultation.
It said “significant progress” had already been made and “many years of investment in research and development” had reduced sugar in soft drinks by 46% in the last five years, with a 30% sugar reduction in pre-packed milk-based drinks in the last three years.
It added that food and drink manufacturers were facing a series of inflationary pressures and called on the government to “continue to create the right conditions for businesses to innovate and also be clear about their long-term goals to promote business confidence”.