Thinking Citizen — Nepal — What Should Every Thinking Citizen Know?
Thinking Citizen — Monday is Foreign Policy Day
Today’s Topic: Nepal — what should every thinking citizen know?
Neighboring Bhutan has a population of 791,524. Nepal has a population of 29.65 million.
That’s bigger than Australia (26.4 million) and Venezuela (28 million) and almost as big as Saudi Arabia (32 million). In terms of US states, it’s on a par with Texas (29 million).
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. The nominal GDP per capita of Nepal is $1,381. That compares to $90,674 in Singapore. $32,475 in Japan, $7,345 in Thailand, $2.696 in India, $1,359 in Myanmar, and $413 in Yemen.
Nepal is 81% Hindu, 9% Buddhist, but officially a secular country.
What do you know about Nepal that the rest of us may not but would delight to learn?
Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
EIGHT OF THE WORLD’S TEN TALLEST MOUNTAINS ARE IN NEPAL
1. Nepal borders China to the north and India to the west, east and south.
2. Nepal is separated from Bhutan by the Indian state of Sikkim. And is separated from Bangladesh by the Siliguri Corridor in the state of
West Bengal, India.
KATMANDU IS THE CAPITAL — the metro population is about 4 million, the city proper is about 900,000. Below: the Patsupatinath Temple.
1. “Patsupatinath Temple: A sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located on the banks of the Bagmati River, it is an important pilgrimage site. Non-Hindus can view the temple from across the river, observing cremation rituals that take place there.”
2. “Boudhanath Stupa: One of the largest stupas in the world, it is a significant Buddhist pilgrimage site. Its massive white dome and serene atmosphere attract many visitors. It’s a focal point for Tibetan Buddhism outside of Tibet.
3. “Kathmandu Durbar Square: A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s a historic plaza that was once the royal palace of the Malla Kings. It showcases traditional Newari architecture and is a vibrant hub for cultural events and festivals.”
A QUICK SURVEY OF THE HISTORY OF NEPAL SINCE THE 18TH CENTURY
Below: Maoist insurgents during the Nepalese Civil War of 1996 to 2006
1. “By the 18th century, the Gorka achieved the unification of Nepal. The Shah dynasty established the Kingdom of Nepal and later formed an alliance with the British Empire under its Rana dynasty of premiers.”
2. “The country was never colonized but served as a buffer state between Imperial China and British India.”
3. “Parliamentary democracy was introduced in 1951 but was twice suspended by Nepalese monarchs, in 1960 and 2005. The Nepalese Civil War in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in the establishment of a secular republic in 2008, ending the world’s last Hindu monarchy.”
NB: The Royal Massacre of 2001: “Nine members of the royal family, including King Birendra nd Queen Aishwarya, were killed in a mass shooting during a gathering of the royal family at the palace. A government-appointed inquiry team named Crown Prince Dipendra as the perpetrator of the massacre. Dipendra slipped into a coma after shooting himself in the head.” The full story of the massacre is still shrouded in mystery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalese_Civil_War
Nepalese royal massacre — Wikipedia
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My spin — then periodically review, re-rank, and exchange your list with those you love. I call this the “Orion Exchange” because seven is about as many as any human can digest at a time. Game?
LAST FOUR YEARS OF POSTS ORGANIZED THEMATICALLY
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IP5ATbqCWPv0WKC4dCDgAiidbFVOaqR_
#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).
#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, (11/17/20)
NB: Palestine Orion (Decision) — let’s exchange Orions, let’s find Rumi’s field (“Beyond all ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. Meet me there” Rumi, 13 century Persian Sufi mystic)
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned in the last week related to educationor education policy. Or the coolest thought however half-baked you had.
Or the coolest, most important thing you learned in your life related to education or education policy that the rest of us may have missed.
Or just some random education-related fact that blew you away.
This is your chance to make someone’s day. Or to cement in your own mind something that you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something that is dear to your heart.
