Dear Readers,
It has been more than 100 days since landless squatters were forcefully removed from their informal settlement, yet the government has still to provide them with shelter. On August 3, they staged a protest at Maitighar, demanding a permanent solution to their problems. Earlier, the government had pledged to resettle them within 100 days.
The March 5 elections wiped out several fringe political parties, which are now trying to rebuild their strength through new alliances. Leaders such as C.K. Raut, Janardan Sharma, Upendra Yadav, and Prabhu Sah, among others, are preparing to declare a coalition, though it is unlikely to have a major impact on national politics. Meanwhile, two communist parties—led by K.P. Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal—have already begun collaborating to form provincial governments. Madhav Kumar Nepal, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal, stated that talks are also underway to forge a broader Left alliance.
Although the situation in Terai-Madhes has returned to normal, underlying tensions remain. The Nepali Congress has demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the communal violence that originated in Sunsari before spreading to other districts.
In legal news, the court has ordered the release of medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai, who was detained by police on August 2 for making provocative statements. Police had requested authorization to detain him for seven days. Over the past few years, successive governments have repeatedly detained Prasai for delivering provocative statements and spreading unverified information.
Meanwhile, Nepal–India border checkpoints have been tightened following the outbreaks of communal violence in Sunsari and other parts of the country. Security forces from both nations are currently conducting joint patrols along the border.
Nepal’s cooking gas distribution and management system continues to expose serious structural flaws. Although the supply of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) imported from India has increased, local markets are suffering from shortages, leaving citizens scrambling to secure fuel. Despite India providing LPG as requested, government authorities have failed to ensure smooth distribution. Although the government claims to be improving governance, public service delivery continues to face major hurdles.
The Nepal Teachers’ Association has announced plans to hit the streets to pressure the government into fulfilling its demands. Teacher-led demonstrations have a long history in Nepal, with successive governments repeatedly promising to resolve their grievances. Following major protests in 2018, 2021, 2023, and last year, the next wave of demonstrations is set to begin in mid-August. This will likely pose a major challenge for the government. Ever since Nepal adopted a federal structure, little has been done to address systemic issues in the education sector—with teachers' demands being a primary example.
Turning to tourism, a vital pillar of Nepal’s economy, there is encouraging news. In July, Nepal welcomed 71,775 international tourists, a 2.3 percent increase compared to the same period last year. India was the largest source market, accounting for 23,490 visitors, followed by China with 11,099. Although Chinese tourist arrivals dropped significantly following last year's GenZ movement, numbers are rebounding as both Nepal and China conduct joint promotional activities to attract Chinese travelers. The United States ranked third.
Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Editor
