left handers day 2025

People's hands, whether they move right or left, should move with the ease of life's rhythm. Yet, for the small number of people in the world who are left-handed for a specific reason, today is a special day. Congratulations.

#lefthandersday

माथिको फोटो र लेखोट आजको मेरो फेसबुक पोस्ट हो। पत्रकारका लागि खास प्रकारका दिवस रिपोर्टिङका लागि उत्तम विषयमा पर्छ। सम्बद्ध विषयमा सरकारले कहाँ हेर्नुपर्छ, हेरेको छ/छैन, हेरेन भने किन? हेरेको हो भने आखिर भयो के? हुनुपर्ने के? धेरैथोक समेटिन सक्छ। जस्तै : धान दिवस।

कृषि प्रधान देशमा बर्सेनि धान आयात बढेको डरलाग्दो तथ्यांक देखाएर सरकारलाई कर्तव्य स्मरण गराउनु नेपाली सञ्चारकर्ममा परम्परा जस्तै छ। तर, आजको विषय त्यस्तो छैन र यो प्लेटफार्म कसैलाई गाली गर्ने ठाउँ पनि होइन। आफू देब्रे हात चल्ने मनुवा। थोरबहुत गन्थन पहिल्यै लेखेको छु।

आज लेख्न मन छैन। यसो सिनेमाको पोस्टर फेरेजसरी पोस्ट अघि बढाउने चाहना मात्रै हो। तलको विवरणमा पुग्न अघि तपाइँ यो ब्लग पढिरहनुभएकाका लागि एउटा स्मरणीय क्षण कहन्छु

संसदीय निर्वाचनको सिलसिला चलिरहेको थियो। म त्यस बेला पोखरामा थिएँ। कान्तिपुर पत्रिकाको पोखरा ब्युरो संयोजक थिएँ। मतदानका दिन नआउन्जेलका लागि रिपोर्टिङका विषय थरी थरीका थिए। कान्तिपुरले बिगत जसरी नै त्यो निर्वाचनको रिपोर्टिङ गहकिलो गराउन सबै क्षेत्र/प्रदेश प्रदेशमा काठमाडौंबाट वरिष्ठ साथीहरुलाई खटायो। गण्डकी आइपुगे साथी दुर्गा खनाल।

म लेख्ने र फोटो खिच्ने दुवै गर्ने भएकाले अन्त जसरी गण्डकीका लागि अफिसले छुट्टै फोटोपत्रकार साथी पठाएन। म खनालजीका साथ लागेँ। रिपोर्टिङमा जिल्ला जिल्ला गइयो। बागलुङ पुगियो। त्यहाँ हामीले जिल्ला संवाददाता साथी प्रकाश बराललाई साथ लगायौँ। 

बागलुङ बजार। गल्कोट। गल्कोटको हटियामा बास बसियो। एउटा बिहान चित्रबहादुर केसीको टुंगोमा पुगियो। भेटघाट-संवाद। फर्केपछि बागलुङ। त्यहाँ हामी खाजा खान एउटा पसलमा पुग्यौँ, जहाँ साथी प्रकाशले पुर्‍याएका थिए। पसले लेफ्ट ह्यान्डर रहिछन्। 

मैले भनेँ- ओहो ! मेरो पनि देब्रे हात चल्छ नि ।

पसले मुस्काइन। 

अनि दुर्गाजी बोले - अचम्म नै भयो। एकै ठाउँ हामी धेरै जना भेला भएछौं। गजबको संयोग भयो।

साँच्चै गज्जप संयोग थियो त्यो दिन। किनभने म, दुर्गाजी, प्रकाशजी देब्रे हाते नै थियौं। काम गर्न देब्रे हात अघि सर्छ। देब्रे हातले लेख्छ। 

कथा सकियो। मान्छेका हात दायाँ चलोस् की बायाँ, खासमा जोकसैको जीवन सुख र सहजतापूर्वक चल्नुपर्छ। हामी सबैलाई त्यही लाग्छ। तैपनि महिला दिवस छन्, पुरुष दिवस छन्। जो महिला वा पुरुषको वर्गका होइनौ भन्छन्, उनीहरुका लागि झन् खास दिवस छन्। दिवसहरु ती मानिसलाई सबल बनाउनका लागि हुन्। उनीहरुलाई जीवनमा खुसी र सुखी अनुभव दिलाउनका लागि हुन्। उद्देश्यमा जेजे बखान गरे पनि अधिकारका सवालमा बहुसंख्यक वा जिम्मेवारहरुको ध्यानाकर्षणका लागि हुन्।

प्रकृतिले धेरै जनाको हात दायाँ चल्ने बनाएको छ। यहीँ थोरैलाई बायाँ चल्ने पनि बनाइदिएको छ। हिजोआज लेफ्ट ह्यान्डर्स भेट्दा अनौठो मान्नेहरु नगण्य नै भेटिन्छन्। कारण हो, धेरैलाई थाहा भइसक्यो - यो उदेकलाग्ने विषय होइन।  

मनमा लाग्यो यस विषयमा एआइले के भन्छ ? भन्न त उसले सोचेर के नै भन्ने हो ! इन्टरनेटका साइटहरुमा भेटिने जानकारी पढेर, संग्रह गरेर ती सन्दर्भ सामग्री नै हामीलाई देखाउने हो। तैपनि जिज्ञासा त मेट्नै परो। 

अब तलको गन्थन चाहिँ मैले गुगल जेमिनीलाई प्रम्ट दिएँ - 'left handers का विषयमा  जानकारीमूलक एउटा रमाइलो लेख तयार गर ।' केहीबेर लाएर उत्तरमा उसले जे दियो त्यो तल छ, जस्ताको तस्तै-

***

धेरै मानिसहरू दायाँ हात प्रयोग गर्छन्। त्यसैले, दायाँ हात चलाउने मानिसहरूलाई 'दायाँ हाते' (Right-Handed) भनिन्छ। तर, विश्वमा करिब १०% मानिसहरू बाँया हात चलाउँछन्। उनीहरूलाई 'बाँया हाते' (Left-Handed) भनिन्छ।

धेरै मानिसहरूलाई बाँया हाते हुनु भनेको कुनै रोग हो भन्ने लाग्छ। तर, यो कुनै रोग होइन, एउटा विशिष्टता हो। इतिहासदेखि नै बाँया हाते मानिसहरूलाई फरक तरिकाले हेरिन्थ्यो।

इतिहासको पानामा बाँया हाते

पुरानो समयमा, बाँया हात चलाउने मानिसहरूलाई अशुभ र नकारात्मक शक्तिको प्रतीक मानिन्थ्यो। ल्याटिन भाषामा 'बाँया' शब्दलाई 'सिनिस्टर' (sinister) भनिन्छ, जसको अर्थ 'खराब' वा 'दुष्ट' हुन्छ। युरोपमा मध्ययुगको समयमा, बाँया हातले काम गर्ने मानिसहरूलाई बोक्सी (witch) भनेर हेर्ने गरिन्थ्यो।

नेपाल र भारत जस्ता देशहरूमा पनि, बाँया हातले खाना खानु, पैसा दिनु वा ठूला मानिसहरूलाई सम्मान गर्नुलाई गलत मानिन्छ। यसै कारणले गर्दा, कतिपय परिवारमा साना बच्चाहरूले बाँया हात प्रयोग गर्दा उनीहरूलाई बारम्बार दायाँ हात चलाउन बाध्य पारिन्थ्यो।

वैज्ञानिक तथ्य: किन हुन्छन् मानिसहरू बाँया हाते?

मानिसहरू बाँया हाते हुने पछाडि मुख्य कारण मस्तिष्कको संरचना र वंशाणुगत गुणहरू हुन्। मानव मस्तिष्कलाई दुई भागमा विभाजन गरिएको हुन्छ: दायाँ र बाँया गोलार्ध (hemisphere)। मस्तिष्कको दायाँ भागले शरीरको बाँया भागलाई नियन्त्रण गर्छ र बाँया भागले शरीरको दायाँ भागलाई नियन्त्रण गर्छ।

धेरैजसो मानिसहरूमा, मस्तिष्कको बाँया भाग भाषा, तर्क र गणितीय कौशलका लागि बढी जिम्मेवार हुन्छ। तर, बाँया हाते मानिसहरूमा मस्तिष्कको दायाँ भाग बढी सक्रिय हुन्छ, जसले सिर्जनशीलता, कला र दृश्य-स्थानिक सोच (visual-spatial thinking) लाई बढावा दिन्छ।

वैज्ञानिकहरूले पत्ता लगाएअनुसार, बाँया हाते हुनुको पछाडि एउटा विशेष जीनको पनि भूमिका हुन्छ। यदि आमा-बुबा दुवै बाँया हाते छन् भने, उनीहरूको बच्चा बाँया हाते हुने सम्भावना धेरै हुन्छ।

के बाँया हाते मानिसहरू अरूभन्दा फरक हुन्छन्?

बाँया हाते मानिसहरूमा केही खास विशेषताहरू देख्न सकिन्छ। उनीहरूमा सिर्जनशीलता र अभिनव सोच (innovative thinking) बढी हुन्छ। यसैले, लियोनार्डो दा भिन्ची, माइकल एन्जेलो, पिकासो जस्ता विश्वका महान् कलाकारहरू बाँया हाते थिए।

बाँया हाते मानिसहरूले दायाँ हाते संसारमा बाँच्नका लागि धेरै चुनौतीहरूको सामना गर्नुपर्छ। कैंची, क्यान ओपनर, गितार, खेलकुदका सामानहरू जस्ता धेरैजसो उपकरणहरू दायाँ हाते मानिसहरूका लागि बनाइएका हुन्छन्। यस कारण, बाँया हाते मानिसहरूले यी उपकरणहरू प्रयोग गर्नका लागि विशेष तरिका अपनाउनुपर्ने हुन्छ। यो अभ्यासले उनीहरूको मस्तिष्कलाई थप क्रियाशील बनाउँछ र समस्या समाधान गर्ने (problem-solving) क्षमता बढाउँछ।

केही रोचक तथ्यहरू

• बराक ओबामा, बिल गेट्स, अल्बर्ट आइन्स्टाइन र महारानी एलिजाबेथ द्वितीय जस्ता धेरै चर्चित व्यक्तित्वहरू बाँया हाते थिए।

• एउटा अनुसन्धानअनुसार, बाँया हाते मानिसहरूमा एलर्जी र माइग्रेनको सम्भावना बढी हुन्छ। तर, यो वैज्ञानिक रूपमा पूर्ण रूपमा प्रमाणित भएको छैन।

• कतिपय खेलकुदहरूमा, बाँया हाते खेलाडीहरूलाई फाइदा हुन्छ। जस्तै: टेनिस, बक्सिङ र बेसबल। किनकि, उनीहरूको चाल र तरिका दायाँ हाते खेलाडीहरूका लागि अप्रत्याशित हुन्छ।

सत्य कथा : एक बाँया हाते मानिसको अनुभव

मेरो एक साथी, जसको नाम राहुल हो, बाँया हाते छ। सानो छँदा, उसको हजुरबुबाले उसलाई बाँया हातले नलेख्न भन्नुहुन्थ्यो। कहिलेकाहीँ त, उसलाई दायाँ हातले लेख्न लगाउन बलसमेत गर्नुहुन्थ्यो। यसले गर्दा ऊ धेरै दुःखी हुन्थ्यो।

स्कूलमा पनि, कक्षामा शिक्षकहरूले उसलाई दायाँ हातले लेख्ने अभ्यास गर्न भन्थे। तर, राहुलका लागि बाँया हात प्रयोग गर्नु एकदमै सहज थियो। उसले जतिसुकै प्रयास गरे पनि दायाँ हातबाट राम्रोसँग लेख्न सक्दैनथ्यो।

आज, राहुल एक सफल आर्किटेक्ट (वास्तुकलाविद्) हो। उसले आफ्नो सिर्जनशीलता र दृश्य-स्थानिक सोचको प्रयोग गरेर धेरै उत्कृष्ट डिजाइनहरू बनाएको छ। उसलाई लाग्छ कि उसको बाँया हाते हुनु नै उसको सफलताको एक कारण हो। किनकि, यो संसारलाई उसले फरक तरिकाले हेर्छ र सोच्छ।

अन्तमा, बाँया हाते हुनु कुनै कमी होइन, बरु एउटा अद्वितीय गुण हो। यो एउटा यस्तो विशेषता हो जसले मानिसलाई फरक दृष्टिकोण र विशेष क्षमता दिन्छ। त्यसैले, यो संसारमा बाँया हाते हुनुलाई सम्मान गर्नुपर्छ र उनीहरूको विशिष्टतालाई स्वीकार गर्नुपर्छ।

Dhole in the Camera Trap

 

The Ramayana characters are Ramchandra, Sita, and Laxman. They were on a 14-year exile. Some dogs from the palace accompanied them. The dogs got lost. Ram and Laxman searched for them as much as they could but couldn't find them. Finally, Ram gave them a boon: 'May you be able to survive on your own. Eat everything you find except humans. No matter where you are, live by your own efforts.' When 70-year-old Devi Bishta from Furumbuk, Taplejung, was narrating this legend, the young man Ambika Prasad Khatiwada, who was returning from a search for dogs, was astonished. He realized that the subject he was researching was also connected to a mythological tale.

After he returned, he didn't feel like eating. He felt weak. Bishta, who was busy with rituals and exorcisms, didn't stop there. 'That Milke was a real menace,' he said. 'It probably would have killed me, thank God I survived.' A pack of wild dogs had killed one of his goats when he was at the shed. He saw them immediately and hurled a piece of firewood at them. It hit a cub, and the force of the blow ended the cub's life. The pack of dogs got angry and surrounded him. He crawled on all fours into the herd of goats and shouted, 'Help, help, the dogs are going to kill me! Help!' When the other herders arrived, the pack of dogs fled. The slightly hunched, dark-skinned Bishta, with a wrinkled face, said, 'I survived back then. I was a young man. After that, I never encountered them again.'

***

The writings of Bishta's legends, who had come to Khatiwada's house in Phungling to perform a ritual, are not found anywhere. Pandit Krishna Prasad Guragain, a teacher at Gayatri Sanskrit School in Biratnagar, says, 'There is no mention in Valmiki's Ramayana that dogs accompanied Ram during his exile.' It's not that domestic and wild animals are never connected with humans in mythological stories. 'The Ramayana read in Nepal and India has been translated into many languages. There are 121 languages,' he says. 'The Ramayanas read in China, Cambodia, and Indonesia have some different episodes than ours.' Guragain claims that based on his knowledge of all current studies, there is no mention of dogs accompanying Ram during his exile.

A legend does not need a credible basis. But the subject of 29-year-old Ambika's search in various villages of Taplejung is the animal known by locals as 'Van Kukur' (wild dog), 'Thadakane' (pointy-eared), 'Milke,' and in English, 'Dhole' or 'Asiatic Wild Dog.' Born in Nangkhongyang, a northern hilly district of Mechi zone, this young man came back to the rugged slopes and forests above his own house, out of sight, to complete his studies. He chose this subject for his final year master's thesis at the Institute of Forestry in Pokhara.

'My son just came home and said he wanted to go to the forest, I was so worried,' says his 54-year-old mother, Sushila, recalling those days. 'People were getting kidnapped, robbed, and the radio kept saying people were being killed, so wouldn't I be scared?' Ambika had not been completely open with his mother about his thesis topic initially. Three years ago when he came home, he had said he was interested in studying tigers. 'It's the month of Saun, it's constantly raining, there are landslides everywhere, and the rivers are swollen,' she adds. 'Who would want their child to suffer to achieve something? I didn't think it was a good idea for him to go.'

Khatiwada's father is a teacher by profession. Devinath, who retired after teaching for 23 years at a primary school in Nangkhongyang, says, 'What can we do in front of his insistence! It's a matter of his career.' Only after his parents agreed did preparations for Ambika's journey begin at home. Corn was roasted and ground into Sattu (a flour). With pre-made lemon pickle, Gundruk, and Sattu, 30 kg of rice, some packets of biscuits, and noodles were also packed from the market. For the trip, Ambika had arranged a GPS, one autofocus camera, and 16 camera traps (automatic cameras) a few days earlier. The camera traps were provided by the Biodiversity Conservation Center in Sauraha, Chitwan, through the initiative of the National Trust for Nature Conservation to help him with his study. With two porters leading the way, his journey went through Suketar, Deurali, Phawakhola, and reached Kadebhanjyang in Sikaicha. The journey, which started at 8 a.m. on July 11, ended at 7 p.m. when they reached the settlement where travelers rest for the night.

The team, heading for Yamphudin, consisted of Ambika, his environmental studies friend Rajesh Jha, Resham Limbu, a porter from Tapethok VDC, and another person. The second day's journey, ascending and descending, went through Tellok, Pedang, Phumphedada, and reached near Laxmi Secondary School in Mamankhe. Mamankhe, located at an altitude of 1797 meters, is a small village that experiences snow in the winter. 'There was a cold wind blowing, and it started to drizzle,' says Ambika. 'It was the second day. I felt very tired and hungry.'

The porters quenched their thirst with tongba (millet beer). For the two students, green corn was roasted and eaten. After a six-hour journey on the third day, the team reached Yamphudin-8. There, they met Tarsadeep Gurung, the nursery manager of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. Since they had informed him beforehand, they found a lead related to the 'Milke' there. Gurung, being a member of the Snow Leopard Conservation Committee, was accustomed to taking notes on wildlife incidents. The livestock insurance program run by the committee provides compensation based on the nature of the damage if a snow leopard kills or damages a domestic animal. That same week, a local named Tashi Lama had filed an application for compensation, claiming that a wild animal had killed his mother cow and a yak calf.

'Tashi's cow and yak calf were killed by a Milke,' Gurung narrated. 'Tashi had seen its paw prints, and that's why he filed the application.' Kumar Mabo, the principal of the local Kanchenjunga Secondary School, supported Gurung's statement. He said, 'In this area, incidents of wild dogs killing livestock are more common than snow leopards.' After finding a lead, the team spent the day discussing and gathering information from the villagers. Rajesh decided to stay there to study climate change.

From there, both porters returned to Phungling. For the higher-altitude journey in the Himalayan cold, the team members changed. Now, Tarsadeep, Tashi Lama, Lakpa Sherpa, and two new porters were with Ambika. The team stopped for two days in the Bhote village, 45 minutes further up. The next leg of the journey reached Yangmungkharka after a day of walking. The following morning, Ambika unpacked his bag, took out the camera traps, and placed them in different spots, one or two kilometers apart. 'We first identified the paths where the wild dogs walk,' says Ambika. 'Then we fitted the cameras and moved on.' The rain did not stop. Shielding themselves with umbrellas and getting wet, they moved forward, and now only Tashi and Lakpa were with him.

The student, who was walking, staying in sheds, and tracking the Milke's droppings, often surprised the Himalayan villagers, Lakpa and Tashi. 'Why are you searching for this?' Tashi asked. 'Does such a study exist, searching through the jungle?' Ambika explained as much as they could understand. The search for the wild dog is new to Nepal. This animal doesn't come near people. It is more cunning than domestic animals and constantly changes its habitat in the jungle. Its global population is less than 2,500. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed it as an endangered species.

The minds of the simple villagers in the Himalayas didn't comprehend much. It was a place that was cold all year round. People living in sheds, dealing with rain and snow, and earning a living from yaks, sheep, cows, and goats, only understood that animals should be safe.

After the team finished placing camera traps from Samewa Deurali to the New Jhoydani ridge and decided to return, the path was frightening. Ambika recounts, 'The landslide at Lhase was dangerous. It was night when we returned. It was difficult to find the way forward.' After finishing the camera installation, we tracked the wild dog's feces and reached Pemadin via Helkharka. The return path was different. They reached Lhase via Radhafok, Chairam, Saisar, Andhaphedi, and Torandin, where they stayed in a shed. 'Even though we had food, we got wet in the rain and fell. We got sick,' he said. 'It took a long time to find a shed. I was very tired.'

Ambika and Lakpa were in a similar state in the shed. Dilkumar, the shed owner, cooked food and made arrangements for them to eat. They did not have the courage to venture outside the shed that day. Twenty days had passed on the journey. Ambika recalls, 'From there, we started returning, and we removed the camera traps.' All the cameras had 2 GB cards. As he took them out and reviewed them on his own camera, he found that many photos of birds and yaks had been captured. Finally, when he saw that camera trap number 12 had captured a wild dog, he breathed a sigh of relief. This place was Samewa Deurali, at an altitude of 3752 meters. The camera, which was fixed to the ground at a crossroads with a stake, had been there for 18 days. Only 124 MB of memory space had been used. Out of the captured images, only three were of the wild dog, taken within a 5-minute period starting at 1:59 p.m.

'Only one camera trap found a wild dog,' says Ambika. 'Even though I didn't see it with my own eyes, the photo was clear. It worked.' According to him, the camera captured a group of three wild dogs. These are the same camera traps that are also used for tiger census from time to time. He did not want to prioritize other wild animals that were captured apart from his subject. But the automatic camera, which takes photos based on footsteps, also captured many species of birds, yaks, and martens. Now, in the final stages of his thesis, he believes that wildlife is also found outside protected areas and that they should be studied and conserved.

The head of the Bird Conservation Association, Dr. Hum Bahadur Gurung, has a similar opinion. He says, 'The birds and animals found outside the declared protected areas are in the national forests and community forests.' When people protect the forests for fodder and firewood, it has a positive effect on wildlife as well. But he believes that special plans are needed among community forest workers to protect them. He has observed that the potential for the nation and the concerned community to benefit from the information gathered by those who study the diversity of wildlife and the environment is not being utilized. Gurung says, 'Only when the locals know the importance of what is being studied in their area will it help our natural balance to be maintained.'

***

(Published in Kantipur Koseli on October23, 2010) Repost @ blog, after translation in English.

Empty nest

A boy who had tied up a dove-like bird ('kuthurke'- Blue-throated Barbet) said, 'I thought it was a parrot, so I caught it.' What's so new about a teenager catching a bird? The age for carrying a slingshot is also around 10 to 17/18. I explained, 'Brother, this isn't a parrot. Let it go. Let it fly away.' He agreed and let it go. A 'focus out' short story ends here.

The next day, I spent two hours around the coconut tree where he had pointed out catching the bird. Seeing a man standing in the strong sun with a camera, the warehouse guard came closer. He said, 'Look, brother, I chase away mischievous boys whenever I see them. I worry they'll take advantage when I'm not here. My job isn't to guard birds, after all. What can I do?' The birds took shelter in a vegetable patch near the warehouse he was guarding on College Road, Biratnagar.

Following the 'Blue-throated Barbet' led me to a new sight. A pair of parrots (Rose-ringed parakeet) also lived there, in a larger hole just above the pair of barbet's nest-like burrow. Seeing me, the parrots didn't enter their nest for a long time. A flock of Jungle Babblers came making noise. They announced the presence of a human-shaped enemy. The parrot squawked, the 'barbet' also squawked. After a while, a Rufous Treepie and a crow also gathered. It was as if they were scolding me, 'What are you doing here? Go away.' The guard called me over. In his small office room, he asked me to sit.

'This is the second time,' the guard, whose last name was Rai, told me. 'Last year, a parrot raised its chicks and they flew away. This time it's back again.' He was suspicious that someone might catch and take the parrots away. Among the half-dozen coconut trees, the one where the birds nested was old and dry, without a top.

After noting down my name and number, the guard said, 'I'll call you if something suitable for a picture happens. I have to work in two places. I'll remember when I'm at this warehouse.' His station was right next to a busy road with hundreds of people. The people who came inside were either there to drop off or pick up goods, drivers, assistants, rickshaw pullers, or warehouse staff or owners. The birds who had been sheltering there for years didn't catch many people's attention. So my inquiry was a strange event for him. He said, 'I must be fifty, and I've only ever seen people raising parrots at home. I'm seeing them nesting and raising chicks here for the first time.'

Some birds that sit on their eggs have strange habits. They eat what the male brings. If the male is hunted by a slingshot, a gun, or caught in a snare, the female's life ends right in the nest. And if pairs with offspring are caught or killed by hunters, the chicks die of starvation.

On the third day, Rai was not at the warehouse gate. Maybe his duty was somewhere else. There was another younger guard in uniform, a little thin and dark-skinned. Rai must have told him about me, so he let me in easily. My subject for the photograph was the same dried-up coconut stump near the north wall of the warehouse compound.

It was noisy, just like the last time I came. The birds were squawking. When I got closer, I saw a white-spotted tabby cat sitting below. Seeing me aim the camera, it hid in the bushes. My intention was not to chase it away. But when I tried to take its picture again, it ran away and didn't reappear.

Nature has balanced the life cycle for all creatures. One becomes food for another. But in this rule, the predators cannot completely wipe out the prey's species. Those who can survive increase their numbers. Human interference can be like that of a common predator in nature for birds. But if the extent of interference increases, the food source of the hunting animals is snatched away, and the birds that try to increase their lineage reach the brink of complete extinction.

P. Gupta from Delhi, India, immediately commented, 'This is against the rules. Delete the photo.' The picture was of a parrot chick peeking out of its nest in a Facebook group for bird lovers called 'Indian Birds,' where he had commented. I didn't argue. I immediately deleted the picture. Then I wrote him an email, 'Pankaj ji, I'm also sensitive about birds. This picture was taken from a distance of about 60 meters. The bird did not know I was there when I took the picture. I took it without disturbing it.' He didn't reply.

The group of bird lovers on social media currently has 7,945 members. A member can post a maximum of two photos per day. There are some specific rules for members. The photo must be taken without a flash, it must show the bird in a wild or free state, not in captivity or under human control, it must be taken by the member themselves, and it must not show a nest, chicks without a mother, or birds in a breeding state, etc. 

These are also special rules that those who take pictures of birds must follow. Hundreds of pictures are uploaded daily in the group. Dozens of comments are written on each picture. The group has also created an open discussion forum for those who do not know the behavior and scientific names of birds. People from various South Asian countries who enjoy taking pictures of birds, despite having other professions, share their pictures here. Many birds do not tolerate human interference. 

They may not retaliate, but if they feel disturbed in their nest, they leave. It is impossible for just anyone to raise small chicks and protect eggs. I had not disturbed the parrot. I had captured its activities from a distant, high-rise balcony. I flipped through a book. The bird I had photographed was a 'Rose-ringed Parakeet.' The male has a black-pink ring around its neck, while the female does not. The Helm Fields Guides book mentions that seven types of parrots are found in Nepal. Parrots that like to eat corn bother farmers in hilly village development committees. According to Animal World.com, parrots are found in countries all over the world. So far, 120 species and as many subspecies have been found. Due to their social nature, ability to mimic human voices, and attractive appearance, those who raise them have increased the market for this bird.

Three weeks passed. In the meantime, I also went to Kathmandu for four days and came back. Due to other daily tasks, I got a chance to peek at the parrot's nest much later. I spent another hour standing where the nest was visible. There was no sign of the parrot pair or the chicks.

A nearby tea seller told me that the same boy who had caught the 'kuthurke' had climbed the tree and taken the chicks. After that, the parrots never came back. I asked for the boy's address. There was no definite address; he was said to be living somewhere in Itahari. He had taken them saying he would raise them. The tea seller didn't know for sure whether he raised them or sold them. This bird is not in the protected category. When I took the picture, I remembered the strict rules made by my bird group. 

And it occurred to me that those bird parents must have felt as if their small children had been kidnapped. They don't have any authority to file a complaint. It was clear that while some people follow the rules for taking pictures, these rules don't apply to hunters. These days, whenever I pass by, I look at that nest again. The pair has not been seen again. The nest is empty.

(Published in Kantipur Koseli on Saturday, 23rd Asar, 2069)