We Are Nepali Wherever We Live

Nepalese Lady: High flyers

(Ref: nepalitimes.com)

Through rain and overcast skies this week, a Buddha Air ATR-42 is on its final approach to Kathmandu. The aircraft parks in the domestic apron, and passengers make their way out. Following the cabin crew, the last person to alight is Captain Sunita Dhital.

“I had back to back flights to Pokhara and there was quite a bit of turbulence today,” she says, “but we arrived on time and had a smooth landing.” Dhital has been flying with Buddha Air since 2009 and recently got her captain’s stripe.

Since Sony Rana became Nepal’s first woman pilot in 1988, more women have opted for careers in the cockpit making the profession less male-dominated than before but still much needs to done. Out of Buddha Air’s total cockpit crew of 59, there are only four female captains and four co-pilots. Nepal Airlines has only two female captains whereas Yeti Airlineshas four female captains and 13 co-pilots.

“I was flying to Bhairawa with Capt Yasodhara Thapa and one of the passengers was shocked to see that both pilots in the cockpit were women. But after the flight he came to us and thanked us,” Dhital recalls.

With stereotypes eroding, there is increasing support from family for women to fly. Ashna Acharya, co-pilot with Buddha Air since 2010 wanted to become a pilot since she was 11-years old, and was encouraged by her father. “While my relatives were initially nervous, they have supported me,” says Acharya.

Both Dhital and Acharya say flying alongside a female pilot is not much different, since once inside the cockpit it is all about professionalism and following procedures. “I don’t think I am breaking gender stereotypes as a pilot. It is becoming more of a norm now as more women join the workforce,” Acharya adds.

While female pilots have become common, the gender gap among aeronautical engineers and technicians is still heavily skewed in favour of men. In a hangar full of male technicians, Shinza Upadhyay is the only female engineer working with Buddha Air.

“I am used to being the only woman in male-dominated environments,” says Upadhyay, “when I studied Mechanical Engineering at Kathmandu University, there were 50 boys and only two girls in the class.”

Inspired by her engineer father, Upadhyay always knew she would be an engineer and is currently responsible for planning maintenance and inspections at Buddha Air. As the only woman engineer, she doesn’t face any discrimination but admits she has experienced people questioning her about her career choice.

She adds: “When I first started working it involved  a lot of heavy lifting and climbing ladders. Some colleagues would ask me why wouldn’t I just stick to a desk job. But once they got to know me, the questions stopped.”

Govt to release relief fund

(Ref: The Kathmandu Post)

The government is preparing to release compensation amount and deposit the promised fund in the name of Ganga Maya Adhikari , widow of Nanda Prasad Adhikari who died while staging fast-unto-death in September last year.

Last month, the government had decided to provide Rs 2 million as compensation to the family and deposit Rs 10 million in a bank, the interest of which Ganga Maya will be receiving in a monthly basis.

Khum Raj Punjali, secretary at the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, on Sunday met Ganga Maya at Bir Hospital, where she is recuperating, to convey the government decision. “We are working closely with implementing agencies to deliver on the promises,” he told Ganga Maya, who ended a year-long hunger strike after the government promised to book the murderers of her son. Besides, the government had offered a special relief package that includes security for family members and free accommodation and health care for her throughout her life.

Ganga Maya has been insisting that the government punish the murderer of her son first and then she would allow the government to perform the last rites of her deceased husband. The body of her husband remains unclaimed at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj.

Her 18-year-old son Krishna Prasad was allegedly murdered after abduction by then Maoists rebels from his home in Fujel of Gorkha in 2004. The main culprit Rudra Acharya is believed to be living in Ireland. Interpol has already issued a Red Corner Notice to book him.

“We are in constant touch with the family members, who wish to take decision on conducting final ritual of the deceased after the case is heard at a court in Hetauda,” said Sudip Pathak, commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission.

The government has been saying that it would carry out the last rites of the deceased once it receives consent of the family. “We came here to see Ganga Maya to tell her that we are also with her in the fight for justice,” said Charan Prasai, a human rights defender.

Legislature-Parliament will formally begin

(Ref:  nepalnews.com)

CPN-UML has officially declared that January 13, 2015 would be the last date for cross-party consensus and the Legislature-Parliament will formally begin the constitution-making process on the same day.

Organizing a press meet at its party headquarters at Madan Nagar, Balkhu, Kathmandu on Saturday, January 10, 2015, UML said that opposition parties have to reach a consensus by Tuesday; otherwise, time will not wait for them.

“The Constitutional-Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (CPDCC) has been once again given the opportunity to forge consensus. If the bid fails, the constitution building process must begin this Tuesday,” said a statement released by the UML in the press meet.

Nepal is a country of 125 ethnic groups and 123 languages, the UML said. “It is unjustifiable to form provinces of merely seven / eight ethnic groups. It will only negatively provoke other ethnic groups to seek their own provinces.”

On the question of Terai and Madhes, UML’s top leadership urged all to understand that all plain land is not Madhes and it is wrong to think that plain land should be kept separate from the hilly areas while federating the country.

“It will only keep the Madhesi people always under poverty and deprivation. It also represents the thought of fulfilling unfair political interest of certain political leaders in the name of Madhes.”

Indicating towards some Madhes-centric leaders, the UML has said that provocation and the feeling of agitation will not help create an environment of consensus.

UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli said he has no hurry to become the Prime Minister. “Instead, I am in a hurry to bring a constitution even through a process.”

“In the name of consensus, we cannot be flexible to the extent that it appears as the bargaining of purchasing potato or onion. It is the matter of nation and people. There can never be give and take on these matters,” UML Chair Oli added.