Bikalpa organized an excursion program with Bikalpa Fellow Members. The event was scheduled to engage, network, and bring Bikalpa fellows and volunteers close to each other. The hiking from Chatara Koshi Bridge to Barahaksetra. Barahachhetra is a famous pilgrimage site inside the Barahakshetra Municipality of Sunsari district. The place is located about 5 km Northwest from Dharan. This temple displays both cultural and natural heritage. Many visitors indulge in the spiritual and serene environment of the temple. Situated in front of the river and surrounded by the beautiful lush green forests and hills, it provides the temple with uniqueness and stunning natural beauty.
Bikalpa an Alternative organized the last hiking event of the year 2079 from Chatara Koshi Bridge to Barahaksetra on 25th March 2023. The participants included students and young professionals and attendees of earlier events of Bikalpa, including fellows from Bikalpa fellowship. An application for the hiking was opened, which received overwhelming response with close to 70 applications that included participants from earlier events like Bikalpa fellowship participants and supporters. 63 youths from various cities of Province 1 participated in the event, as the team departed for Chatara Koshi Bridge from Biratnagar early in the morning at 7:30 am.
During a journey hour, We had a short stopover at Chatara Koshi Bridge for morning breakfast which lasted for an hour. This allowed the participants to enjoy the scenario of the nearby hills and witness the majestic Scenes. In that period, participants also had the opportunity to watch the documentary “The Hong Konger,” which tells the story of Hong Kong political activist Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai is a prominent Hong Kong businessman and pro-democracy activist who founded the media company Next Digital Limited. The screening was followed by a discussion moderated by Mr. Sarwagya Raj Pandey, which focused on the importance of individual freedom, political freedom, and the role of civil society organizations in checking state power and holding government officials accountable.
The discussion also revolved around how the Chinese government is curbing Hong kong people rights over their political rights. Participants also discussed the prevalence of individual freedom, which is necessary for every human and must be utilized best to extract maximum benefits. One of the Participant argued that excessive power to the state always leads to the seized the civil rights. Some participants put the point of their view that Civil society organizations must have essential roles to keep a check on how the state is functioning, scrutinize state actions, and hold government officials accountable for their actions. This helps to prevent abuse of power by state officials. The discussion program was thought-provoking, as participants engaged in meaningful discussions. The documentary got screened for 35 minutes.
After watching the documentary and taking a group photo, the hiking team began their journey crossing Koshi river and seeing a mesmerizing natural view of Chatara. Since the weather was hot and the road of the hiking trail was muddy and rocky. So, it took nearly 1.5 hours to reach the destination, Barahachhetra temple. Upon reaching their destination, the team spent 2 hours in the temple premise, koshi river taking pictures, interacting, and networking with each other.
The hiking team finally made their way back through the Koshi River basin and after a short snack at local Market in Barahachhetra, the team headed back and reach Biratnagar around 7:30 pm. The Hiking event created an opportunity for young people to come together and learn from each other while also exploring their country’s natural and cultural heritage. The program also helped to create visibility of the organization.
