Fear of losing his long tresses to Nepal Police scissors kept Bigyesh Nepal, a 24-year old musician, inside the confines of his Kathmandu home for the past four days.
Fear of losing his long tresses to Nepal Police scissors kept Bigyesh Nepal, a 24-year old musician, inside the confines of his Kathmandu home for the past four days.
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But on Saturday morning he stepped out and joined hundreds of other Kathmanduites in a musical protest opposing police campaign against those with long hair, tattoos and earrings.
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Bigyesh and others were angry at a police drive when it rounded up 711 youths with long hair and/or body piercings on Monday in a bid to reduce cases of thefts and loot in Nepal’s capital.
“It’s time for youths to stand up against the police who instead of focusing on their duty are crushing our personal liberty,” he said during the protest at Basantapur Darbar Square.
Justifying the action, police detained the youths for several hours, took their photos and other identity details. They were released later with a warning and without their locks.
Angry at the campaign that dubbed the youths as hooligans without any basis, many of Nepal’s top musicians voiced their musical protest on Saturday by singing to an enthusiastic crowd.
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“I read our constitution recently and found there’s no mention of long hair, earrings or tattoos,” said Robin Tamang, lead vocalist of Robin and the New Revolution, as the protesters cheered.
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“I read our constitution recently and found there’s no mention of long hair, earrings or tattoos,” said Robin Tamang, lead vocalist of Robin and the New Revolution, as the protesters cheered.
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Abhaya Subba Weise, lead vocalist of Abhaya and the Steam Injuns, said the police high-handedness had no legal basis and violated basic rights of citizens over their own bodies.
The protest ended with a signature campaign where protesters signed a memorandum addressed to Nepal Police chief Kuber Singh Rana urging him not to repeat such campaign.
As others left the scene, relieved to have their locks intact Bigyesh and his friends Ramesh, Saran, Sarvesh and Dipesh (all with long hair) happily posed for shutterbugs.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
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