Nepal has been official declared peace for many years back. But
Somehow the tension in the country is still present. Old royalist that won’t step
down from army post, constants strikes and protest in the capital. Some regions with an ethnic majority have been starting to question the Maoist and Nepal’s control and striving after their own state and independence.

In the outskirts of Katmandu is Koteshwor, a big dusty crossroad between Katmandu and Bhaktapur. Next to Koteshwor flows the river Jadibuti and on each side of the river lies two small stone mills. The workers in the stone factories live in small metal shacks located on the grounds of the factory. They crush big blocks of stones to grit for construction. The daily wages various from 70 to 150 NRP, which equals 0.60 to 1.40 €. The factory normally runs from dawn till dusk.

The unstable political situation in Nepal has had a major impact on the infrastructure of its society. This image’s portrays the great diversity between rich and poor, victim and perpetrator. But most of all, it reveals an old country on the doorstep for rapid transformation.