Meeting the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister was making a public appearance and opening a Women's Forum building that DidiBahini (the organisation we are working with here in Nepal) helped make possible. We went along not knowing what to expect, and once we had found the place we were met with lots of Police. Every building had at least one officer on the roof with a gun in his hand.

Many ladies were dressed up in their finest clothes (see pic) for the occasion and were ready with garlands and flowers for the PM. They lined the street in preparation for his (and his wife's) arrival. Police in plains clothes kept shuffling them up and down the street with no obvious plan.

When he arrived it all kicked off. His car was surrounded by everyone (including me) and his many body guards held us off. As he made his way up the street he was covered in flowers and a few people were allowed in to give him a tikka on his forehead and a garland round his neck.

It was carnage really, with very little semblance of safety. But what do I know about protecting Prime Ministers?

Anyway, we went into a school's grounds and there were lots of speeches given and I was right at the front with the TV camera men taking photos. For some reason I wasn't treated in the same way to the majority of people and allowed this privilege (an invisible press pass?)...

It was all very exciting and after we spent a while taking photos of various groups, all in different traditional dress. Lovely.

Then it was back home for lunch overlooking the stupa and an evening at home.