Trouble in Paradise

It’s a beautiful day.  Not too hot, not too cold… pleasant breeze.

This morning

Who wouldn’t want to enjoy it, maybe go outside, get some work done?

The morning's normal rural-urban life in Kathmandu

Well, these people, I suppose:

Part of a wave of Maoists that started heading up the street mid-morning

Many of the Maoists carried sharpened sticks

There were a lot of them

For us, the bandh has been very quiet.  We’ve stayed at home, reading the news or watching the television, doing housework.  But this morning we kept looking out windows to find the source of the shouting, then dashing up to the roof to take pictures of the people marching down the street.  Several hundred must have passed, in at least three different waves.  They disappeared to the north, toward Budhanilkantha.

A section of one of the crowds

Soon after, the media outlets lit up with the news from Budhanilkantha, with video on the TV and articles online.

Capital Tense as Maoists, Locals Clash in Several Places
“Tension escalated in several places of the capital after the local youth leaders of the ruling parties took to demonstrations against the Maoists on Thursday”

General Strike Turns Violent; Clashes in Various Places
“Situation is tense in Budhanilkantha, too. There were clashes between locals and Maoist cadres this morning. At least three persons including a minor were injured in the incident. Police fired six rounds of tear gas shells to take the situation in control. “

Meanwhile I was watching the sky.  The breeze had kicked up; it whipped my clothes around me and made it harder to hold the camera.  I watched the lowering clouds descending from the barrier of hills at the edge of Shivapuri National Park.  They rolled over Budhanilkantha first.

It started to get darker

Clouds engulfed the hills just north of Budhanilkantha, then rolled south

I think the gods are crying

Nepali of the Day:

baadal lagyo:  it’s cloudy

paani paryo:  it’s raining

malaii dukha lagyo:  I’m sad