Ever Wondered What Life in Taplejung Is Like?

If you’ve ever wondered what life is like beyond the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu then a show you need to subscribe on YouTube is BBC Sajha Sawal! The debate program raises different issues and takes place all over Nepal. On a recent episode, the Sajha Sawal team travelled to Taplejung to showcase what life is like in the district.

The episode features politician Bhupendra Thebe, journalist Narayan Wagle and poet Nibha Shah and has been presented by Bidhya Chapagain. If your family/heritage is from Taplejung or you take a keen interest in the place then you will learn a lot about how people live there, what they do for a living, the challenges they are facing and the good that has happened recently.

My parents come from the village of Sinam and Sablakhu in Taplejung but it was only in 2014 that I visited the district HQ Fungling Bazar. I thought the roads to Fungling were pretty incredible and the location of Suketar airport was another highlight, however the issue with power was a major disappointment. I remember that where my cousin was renting his room, he only received 1-2 hours of power in a day. The amusing thing was, at gau in Sablakhu where most households now have one or even two solar panels; they are able to charge their phones throughout the day and many homes even have televisions. These points have been raised and communicated in the video as well.

I definitely believe that regular flights to and from Suketar, managing the power issue of the district and promoting Kanchengjunga Trekking Route and the Pathibhara Pilgrimage would do wonders for (I believe they already are, especially the Pathibhara tours) Fungling Bazaar and consequently, Taplejung District would thrive on a different level.

PS. I was watching Sajha Sawal after long! Do recommend me any episodes you think makes an amazing watch.

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