A foreign teacher whose name is given simply as Eric dreamed up an unusual punishment for 17 students who had not turned in their homework at Amrit Boarding Secondary School in Baglung. He lined them up and cut their hair in irregular patterns, leaving them looking "ugly" and "disfigured." Parents did not respond well to this disciplinary measure, and brought Eric before the police. "Later, he apologized to the students, bowing to their feet, and said he will never give such punishment in future." (Kathmandu Post, November 13)
The Russians have a plan for cleaning up Mt. Everest. "There are an estimated 20 tonnes of litter left behind by previous climbers," says Olag Federov, who has arrived in Nepal with a team of ecologists and "experts" with the purpose of cleaning up the highest mountain on earth. "Besides, there are dead bodies of Sherpas which needs to be cleaned up too." The Russian plan involves the use of a ropeway to carry garbage from the South Col to Camp 3, there to be carried on human backs to base camp. They will dispose of the waste in a large pit "somewhere on the slopes of Mt. Pumori," whose site they will select with the help of a satellite. Dirt from the excavated pit will be "separated according to its type, then sterilized and put in a plastic container to ward off bio- chemical reactions." The government has not yet granted permission for the project. (The Independent, December 6)
Nava Raj Ghimire and his wife would lie in wait in the jungle for moneyed people to pass, or accost them "at different points in the map" and offer them creamed biscuits. The biscuits, which had been mixed with a narcotic, would render the victims unconscious, at which point the couple would make off with their money and valuables. They were apprehended trying to steal the property of a lady whose appetite for the biscuits was more modest than most and who did not lose consciousness. They are now in police custody. (Kathmandu Post,November 29)
The purpose of Kathmandu's Laughing Club is to create an atmosphere where people can get together and laugh freely. It is not necessary to be able to make others laugh, says its president (who is a professor at Tribhuvan University), yet "people who can get everyone into the mood of laughter will be invited." (The Independent, November 8)