As the lights of Tihar dimmed and families across Nepal bid farewell to the five-day festival of joy, this week asked us fundamental questions about who we are and who gets to belong. From heated debates over Tashi Lhazom’s “Nepali-ness” exposing the ugly fault lines of ethnic nationalism, to desperate migrants spending millions only to face deportation at America’s gates, to our athletes claiming silver medals on Spanish mountains and cricket victories that stunned the world—this edition captures a nation caught between fading festival lights and harsh political realities, between economic turbulence and infrastructure triumphs, between celebration and tragic loss. As Prime Minister Karki navigates fractured politics toward March elections, one truth emerges: Nepal’s resilience isn’t found in any single definition of identity, but in the collective strength of all its people, whether they’re running mountain trails, building bridges, or lighting butter lamps and hoping for better days ahead.

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