Nepal turmoil exploited

Ecstasy turned into agony for Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) leader Gokarna Bista when he was attacked outside his Kathmandu residence on Monday soon after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal included him and 11 others in his cabinet.

Updated on: Apr 13, 2011, 01:20:21 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Ecstasy turned into agony for Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) leader Gokarna Bista when he was attacked outside his Kathmandu residence on Monday soon after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal included him and 11 others in his cabinet.

Bista was lucky. He escaped with injuries.

But Anjani Kumar Chachan, a Marwari businessman from Rajasthan who had been residing in Kathmandu for two decades, was not. He was shot dead inside his garment warehouse on Sunday evening.

Both incidents are indicative of rising lawlessness in Nepal’s capital as well as in other parts where kidnappings for ransom and extortion have become commonplace.

Last month, an Indian criminal fired shots at Yunus Ansari, a Nepali politician-cum-businessman.

“Law and order situation in Nepal is in a shambles. People are terrorized and attacks on ministers raise doubts whether a government is in place or not,” said Nepali Congress leader Gopal Man Shrestha.

A flustered Khanal announced on Tuesday that those responsible for the attack on Bista would be brought to book soon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
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.Read More

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