It often feels as if Nepal lurches from one crisis to another. Sure, I could post images of happy little leopard cubs all day long but that would be denying the reality. My reality is that for five days now I have not been able to get to an important meeting because political activists have banned road use. Cars, buses, jeeps risk being stoned, burned, badly damaged. There is no compensation so people cannot afford to take risks. The police and military have made many arrests of strike enforcers but a damaged vehicle is a major blow here.
The current situation is a legacy of the civil war which lasted ten years until 2006. It is still very fresh in people's minds as strikes (known as bandas) were a major part of that period when thousands lost their lives. At this moment tension is building as the long awaited Constitution is once again under threat of not been written.
Life here is difficult enough due to the strong hand of nature in one of the most challenging landscapes in the world. A fragmented society only makes things harder. From a humanitarian and conservation standpoint the barriers have major consequences. The effort required to keep projects on track becomes more draining, one can feel very isolated in these circumstances.
