NC,UML want CPN-M,MJF-N in

NC,UML want CPN-M,MJF-N in NC,UML want CPN-M,MJF-N in

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Nepal’s No. 1 English Daily www.thehimalayantimes.com Printed simultaneously from Kathmandu and Itahari Trekking before Trekking Page 7 US seeks to shore up relations with Pakistan Page 11 LPG bottlers seek more facilities Page 12 The Himalayan T I M E S Vol. XI No.306 • Kathmandu, Sunday, September 23, 2012, Ashwin 7, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1132 • SHORT TAKES AFP/RSS Competitors preparing to go on stage for the first edition of the European Beard and Moustache Championships in Wittersdorf, eastern France, on Saturday. NEPAL UCPN-Maoist leaders quit KATHMANDU:Three influential UCPN-M leaders of the Far-western region resigned demanding attention to the far-west. They expressed serious concern about the party leadership’s indifference and the gradual disintegration of the party. (Details on Page 5) CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs) SELLING (in Rs) Indian Rs 100 160.00 160.15 Chinese Yuan 1 13.56 13.65 US Dollar 1 85:48 86.08 Euro 1 111.03 111.81 Pound Sterling 1 138.93 139.90 Japanese Yen 10 10.94 11.01 The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, September 22 Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s (plan to operate electric vehicles in New Road area from today after declaring it a vehicle-free zone has been postponed for another day. Earlier, KMC had declared New road and Hanumandhoka Durbar Square areas vehicle-free zone from Sunday in a bid to preserve the UNESCO World Heritage Site. However. the plan was put on hold after some entrepreneurs in the area asked KMC not to be hasty in implementing the decision,” Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, executive chief of the civic body said. According to KMC sources, entrepreneurs were afraid that restricting vehicles could affect their business during the festival season. “However, we are committed to implementing the decision and a new date will be published soon after another round of discussion • CONSENSUS TALKS NC, UML want CPN-M, MJF-N in Himalayan News Service parties to launch a joint move- Kathmandu, September 22 ment if the Baburam Bhattarailed government did not step Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, down and clear the way for fresh who have been dealing with the polls, said Congress sources. ruling coalition of Unified CPN- CPN-M Spokesperson Pampha Maoist and United Democratic Bhusal said her party leaders held Madhesi Front (UDMF), want the talks with NC leaders regarding CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baid- involving her party in the fourhya and Madhesi Janaadhikar Foparty negotiations. “Consensus rum Nepal led by Upendra Yadav among the four parties cannot involved in any future deal be national consensus. All among major political forces. other forces must be involved in Baidhya and Yadav met Nepali any deal on national agendas,” Congress President Sushil Koirala she said. yesterday and today and urged NC and UML think the involve- him to involve them in the fourment of CPN-M, MJF-N and other party meetings to sort out prob- political forces, who do not suplems, said NC sources. They said port the ruling coalition, will that the four-party “syndicate” make their voice stronger while could not be accepted as “nation- dealing with the ruling coalition. al consensus”. “We should not ignore the Baidhya doubted UCPN-M CPN-M, MJF-N and other politi- commitment to hold fresh Concal forces if we want national constituent Assembly elections and sensus in the true sense. Our par- told Koirala that fresh polls could ty wants to involve them in future be held only if the four parties talks and it will raise the issue took the CPN-Maoist and other strongly in the four-party meeting political forces into confidence. tomorrow,” said UML secretary Baidhya told Koirala the UCPN- Bishnu Paudel. M did not want to hold polls as it UCPN-M spokesman Agni Sap- wanted to prolong its stay in the kota, said the four forces were yet government in the name of a to decide on involving the CPNpackage deal. “The UCPN-M M, MJF-N and other parties in wants to use other parties in a talks. “If they are interested, we strategic way to prolong its stay in will not exclude them. We are pos- government and it is not interestitive about involving them. Howed in holding polls until we jointly ever, we are yet to decide,” said pressure it,” he said. UCPN-M Spokesperson Agni Baidhya called on opposition Sapkota. Plan to make New Road vehicle free zone deferred with entrepreneurs,” Adhikari said without divulging details of the new date. According to KMC, vehicles will be barred in the area between 8:30 am to 7:30 pm. However, permanent residents will be issued entry passes. KMC has been holding discussions with all the stakeholders, including local clubs, entrepreneurs, local residents and other concerned parties about its plan. “We are also in touch with vehicle entrepreneurs to decide on operation of electric vehicles,” Adhikari said. KMC is likely to buy electric vehicles and operate them in the area, keeping the cost for commuters minimum, KMC sources said. If the private sector shows interest in operating electric vehicles at a reasonable fare, they can be allowed to operate, said Adhikari. KMC has three 14seater electric vehicles at present. “However, if a majority of people prefer to walk, there may not be any need to operate EVs,” he added. The stakeholders have shown concern about parking lots in New Road area for KMC operated electric vehicles. “We are planning to manage parking lots in a better way,” said Adhikari. “We will use the existing parking lots and develop new ones if the need arises,” he added. “We’ll develop footpaths and permanent road dividers and add greenery to the area,” he said. Weather: Partly cloudy Max: 29-31 o C Min: 18-20 o C Sunrise 05:53 Sunset 18:00 Capital ★ 16+8 pages Rs 3 Visitors wearing traditional Bavarian clothes raise their beers in a festival tent at the start of the Oktoberfest beer festival at the Theresienwiese in Munich, on Saturday. Agence France Presse Munich, September 22 The world’s largest beer festival opened with a pop today as the first keg was tapped at Munich’s Oktoberfest, a 16day extravaganza of lederhosen, oompah music and millions of ales. With the traditional cry of “O’zapft is” (“The keg is tapped”) at midday, Mayor Christian Ude cracked open the first barrel and handed a foamy “Mass” (litre-sized glass) to a grateful Horst See- UCPN-M to claim reins of new govt Rubbishes charge of irregularities in camps Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, September 22 Unified CPN-Maoist today reiterated its claim on the next government, which will hold fresh Constituent Assembly elections. “UCPN-M will lead the election government because NC’s claim is crumbling with the parties’ failure to reinstate the dissolved CA,” Agni Sapkota, UCPN-M spokesperson told a press meet. He said the latest political development had led his party to claim leadership of the election government since the basis for NC’s claim had fallen apart. He, however, said his party would continue discussions on the leadership of the new government. Asked about which leader from his party would lead the government, he said the party had not yet decided whether Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai would continue The NC’s claim is crumbling with their failure to reinstate the dissolved CA or Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal would take the reins. Sapkota said the NC already has the President, and if they are also given prime ministership, they could capture state power. “If that happens the politics of the country will plunge into a vicious cycle.” Regarding the charge of irregularities in Maoist cantonments, Sapkota on Saturday said the case filed at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) by Youth Association Nepal — the ‘The keg is tapped’ on world’s biggest beer fest youth wing of CPN-UML — accusing the UCPN-M leadership of corruption in the cantonments was nothing but propaganda. He said the complaint held no significance and the CIAA would not have any evidence to prove the accusation. “We can challenge the CIAA to find evidences,” he said. It should be recalled that during the recent seventh extended UCPN-M meeting at Bhrikuti Mandap, participants, especially the ex-combatants had raised the issue of irregularities in the PLA cantonments. They had even obstructed the meeting and hurled chairs at the top leaders, including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vicechairman Baburam Bhattarai. As promised by Chairman Dahal the party has formed an internal probe commission under the leadership of party secretary Post Bahadur Bogati, but the commission has not revealed any details yet. hofer, Bavaria’s state premier. A steady drizzle did not seem to put the party-goers off as long queues formed outside the bigger beer tents, two hours before the massive halls were to open and well before the suds began to flow. More than six million revellers from around the world were expected to attend this year’s festival and slurp between them around seven million litres of the amber nectar in one of the 35 giant beer tents stretching over 26 hectares. To wash it down, punters will gobble literally tens of thousands of giant soft pretzels, pork, dumplings and other traditional Bavarian delicacies. Last year, drinkers worked through 118 oxen and 53 calves. Bavarian pilot Andreas Maffey, 33, said he was proud to be a part of the festival. “We have the privilege and the luck to have the world’s biggest festival on our doorstep,” he said. “I reserve a table every day dur- AFP / RSS ing the Oktoberfest but I can’t come every day, my liver wouldn’t take it,” he joked, adding he expected nonetheless to consume “around eight” litre-sized glasses. Although the Oktoberfest started 202 years ago, this year’s event is the 179th edition as the party was cancelled during two world wars, two cholera outbreaks, Napoleon’s invasion of Bavaria and the hyperinflation of the 1920s. This year’s event runs until October 7.

bharkhar.com

Nepal’s No. 1

English Daily

www.thehimalayantimes.com

Printed simultaneously from

Kathmandu and Itahari

Trekking before Trekking Page 7 US seeks to shore up relations with Pakistan Page 11 LPG bottlers seek more facilities Page 12

The Himalayan

T I M E S

Vol. XI No.306 • Kathmandu, Sunday, September 23, 2012, Ashwin 7, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1132

• SHORT TAKES

AFP/RSS

Competitors preparing to go on stage for

the first edition of the European Beard and

Moustache Championships in Wittersdorf,

eastern France, on Saturday.

NEPAL

UCPN-Maoist leaders quit

KATHMANDU:Three influential UCPN-M

leaders of the Far-western region resigned

demanding attention to the far-west. They

expressed serious concern about the party

leadership’s indifference and the gradual disintegration

of the party. (Details on Page 5)

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs) SELLING (in Rs)

Indian Rs 100 160.00 160.15

Chinese Yuan 1 13.56 13.65

US Dollar 1 85:48 86.08

Euro 1 111.03 111.81

Pound Sterling 1 138.93 139.90

Japanese Yen 10 10.94 11.01

The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Kathmandu Metropolitan

City’s (plan to operate electric

vehicles in New Road

area from today after declaring

it a vehicle-free zone

has been postponed for another

day.

Earlier, KMC had declared

New road and Hanumandhoka

Durbar Square

areas vehicle-free zone from

Sunday in a bid to preserve

the UNESCO World Heritage

Site. However. the plan

was put on hold after some

entrepreneurs in the area

asked KMC not to be hasty

in implementing the decision,”

Kedar Bahadur Adhikari,

executive chief of the

civic body said.

According to KMC

sources, entrepreneurs were

afraid that restricting vehicles

could affect their business

during the festival season.

“However, we are committed

to implementing the

decision and a new date will

be published soon after another

round of discussion

• CONSENSUS TALKS

NC, UML want

CPN-M, MJF-N in

Himalayan News Service parties to launch a joint move-

Kathmandu, September 22

ment if the Baburam Bhattarailed

government did not step

Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, down and clear the way for fresh

who have been dealing with the polls, said Congress sources.

ruling coalition of Unified CPN- CPN-M Spokesperson Pampha

Maoist and United Democratic Bhusal said her party leaders held

Madhesi Front (UDMF), want the talks with NC leaders regarding

CPN-Maoist led by Mohan Baid- involving her party in the fourhya

and Madhesi Janaadhikar Foparty negotiations. “Consensus

rum Nepal led by Upendra Yadav among the four parties cannot

involved in any future deal be national consensus. All

among major political forces. other forces must be involved in

Baidhya and Yadav met Nepali any deal on national agendas,”

Congress President Sushil Koirala she said.

yesterday and today and urged NC and UML think the involve-

him to involve them in the fourment of CPN-M, MJF-N and other

party meetings to sort out prob- political forces, who do not suplems,

said NC sources. They said port the ruling coalition, will

that the four-party “syndicate” make their voice stronger while

could not be accepted as “nation- dealing with the ruling coalition.

al consensus”.

“We should not ignore the

Baidhya doubted UCPN-M CPN-M, MJF-N and other politi-

commitment to hold fresh Concal forces if we want national constituent

Assembly elections and sensus in the true sense. Our par-

told Koirala that fresh polls could ty wants to involve them in future

be held only if the four parties talks and it will raise the issue

took the CPN-Maoist and other strongly in the four-party meeting

political forces into confidence. tomorrow,” said UML secretary

Baidhya told Koirala the UCPN- Bishnu Paudel.

M did not want to hold polls as it UCPN-M spokesman Agni Sap-

wanted to prolong its stay in the kota, said the four forces were yet

government in the name of a to decide on involving the CPNpackage

deal. “The UCPN-M M, MJF-N and other parties in

wants to use other parties in a talks. “If they are interested, we

strategic way to prolong its stay in will not exclude them. We are pos-

government and it is not interestitive about involving them. Howed

in holding polls until we jointly ever, we are yet to decide,” said

pressure it,” he said.

UCPN-M Spokesperson Agni

Baidhya called on opposition Sapkota.

Plan to make New Road vehicle free zone deferred

with entrepreneurs,” Adhikari

said without divulging

details of the new

date. According to KMC, vehicles

will be barred in the

area between 8:30 am to

7:30 pm. However, permanent

residents will be issued

entry passes. KMC has been

holding discussions with all

the stakeholders, including

local clubs, entrepreneurs,

local residents and other

concerned parties about its

plan. “We are also in touch

with vehicle entrepreneurs

to decide on operation of

electric vehicles,” Adhikari

said.

KMC is likely to buy electric

vehicles and operate

them in the area, keeping

the cost for commuters

minimum, KMC sources

said. If the private sector

shows interest in operating

electric vehicles at a reasonable

fare, they can be allowed

to operate, said Adhikari.

KMC has three 14seater

electric vehicles at

present. “However, if a majority

of people prefer to

walk, there may not be any

need to operate EVs,” he

added.

The stakeholders have

shown concern about parking

lots in New Road area for

KMC operated electric vehicles.

“We are planning to

manage parking lots in a

better way,” said Adhikari.

“We will use the existing

parking lots and develop

new ones if the need arises,”

he added. “We’ll develop

footpaths and permanent

road dividers and add

greenery to the area,” he

said.

Weather: Partly cloudy

Max: 29-31 o

C Min: 18-20 o

C

Sunrise 05:53 Sunset 18:00

Capital ★ 16+8 pages Rs 3

Visitors wearing traditional Bavarian clothes raise their beers in a festival tent at the start of the Oktoberfest beer

festival at the Theresienwiese in Munich, on Saturday.

Agence France Presse

Munich, September 22

The world’s largest beer festival

opened with a pop today

as the first keg was tapped at

Munich’s Oktoberfest, a 16day

extravaganza of lederhosen,

oompah music and millions

of ales.

With the traditional cry of

“O’zapft is” (“The keg is

tapped”) at midday, Mayor

Christian Ude cracked open

the first barrel and handed a

foamy “Mass” (litre-sized

glass) to a grateful Horst See-

UCPN-M to claim reins of new govt

Rubbishes charge of irregularities in camps

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Unified CPN-Maoist today reiterated

its claim on the next government,

which will hold fresh

Constituent Assembly elections.

“UCPN-M will lead the election

government because NC’s

claim is crumbling with the

parties’ failure to reinstate the

dissolved CA,” Agni Sapkota,

UCPN-M spokesperson told a

press meet. He said the latest

political development had led

his party to claim leadership of

the election government since

the basis for NC’s claim had fallen

apart.

He, however, said his party

would continue discussions on

the leadership of the new government.

Asked about which

leader from his party would

lead the government, he said

the party had not yet decided

whether Prime Minister Baburam

Bhattarai would continue

The NC’s claim is

crumbling with their

failure to reinstate the

dissolved CA

or Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal

would take the reins.

Sapkota said the NC already

has the President, and if they

are also given prime ministership,

they could capture state

power. “If that happens the politics

of the country will plunge

into a vicious cycle.”

Regarding the charge of irregularities

in Maoist cantonments,

Sapkota on Saturday

said the case filed at the Commission

for the Investigation of

Abuse of Authority (CIAA) by

Youth Association Nepal — the

‘The keg is tapped’ on world’s biggest beer fest

youth wing of CPN-UML — accusing

the UCPN-M leadership

of corruption in the cantonments

was nothing but propaganda.

He said the complaint

held no significance and the

CIAA would not have any evidence

to prove the accusation.

“We can challenge the CIAA to

find evidences,” he said.

It should be recalled that during

the recent seventh extended

UCPN-M meeting at Bhrikuti

Mandap, participants, especially

the ex-combatants had raised

the issue of irregularities in the

PLA cantonments. They had

even obstructed the meeting

and hurled chairs at the top

leaders, including Chairman

Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vicechairman

Baburam Bhattarai.

As promised by Chairman

Dahal the party has formed an

internal probe commission under

the leadership of party secretary

Post Bahadur Bogati, but

the commission has not revealed

any details yet.

hofer, Bavaria’s state premier.

A steady drizzle did not

seem to put the party-goers

off as long queues formed

outside the bigger beer tents,

two hours before the massive

halls were to open and

well before the suds began to

flow. More than six million

revellers from around the

world were expected to attend

this year’s festival and

slurp between them around

seven million litres of the

amber nectar in one of the 35

giant beer tents stretching

over 26 hectares. To wash it

down, punters will gobble

literally tens of thousands of

giant soft pretzels, pork,

dumplings and other traditional

Bavarian delicacies.

Last year, drinkers worked

through 118 oxen and 53

calves.

Bavarian pilot Andreas

Maffey, 33, said he was

proud to be a part of the festival.

“We have the privilege

and the luck to have the

world’s biggest festival on

our doorstep,” he said. “I reserve

a table every day dur-

AFP / RSS

ing the Oktoberfest but I

can’t come every day, my liver

wouldn’t take it,” he joked,

adding he expected

nonetheless to consume

“around eight” litre-sized

glasses.

Although the Oktoberfest

started 202 years ago, this

year’s event is the 179th edition

as the party was cancelled

during two world

wars, two cholera outbreaks,

Napoleon’s invasion of

Bavaria and the hyperinflation

of the 1920s. This year’s

event runs until October 7.

PAGE 2 www.thehimalayantimes.com

CAPITAL

• IN BRIEF

Newar musicians clad in traditional

attire playing the flute at a street

festival in Bhaktapur on Saturday.

Social Service Day

THT

KATHMANDU : The 33rd Social Service

Day was observed in the Capital

on Saturday by organising various

programmes and felicitating social

workers. On the occasion, Social Welfare

Council held a special function

on its premises where Vice President

Paramananda Jha was the chief

guest. Jha suggested that the SWC

keep a tab on non-government organisations

operating from the country

in the wake of growing complaints

against their activities. He also gave

away letters of appreciation and

awards to various organisations and

individuals working for the welfare of

the society. As many as 35,837 nongovernment

and 250 international

non-government organisations have

been affiliated to SWC so far. — RSS

German hailed

KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan University’s

College of International Languages

marked the German Language

Day-2012 amidst a programme

here on Saturday. Inaugurating the

programme, deputy chief at the Embassy

of Germany, Henning Hanzen,

said German language is rich compared

to other world languages. He

lauded the college for promoting

German language in Nepal. Chief of

the college, Bamdev Adhikari, and director

at the Goethe Institute,

Michael Chand, said the demand for

people who can speak German is increasing

by the day. Chief of the Department

of German at the College,

Dr Manfred Troy, said Germany has

produced world renowned personalities

in the field of language, literature,

science and art. On the occasion, students

presented songs in German

language. A film was also screened on

the occasion. — RSS

Absconding prisoner held in City

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

The Central Investigation Bureau

of the Nepal Police today

nabbed a former soldier, who

had managed to sanction his release

from jail by submitting

forged military seals and documents

from Sundhara.

On August 27, Ganga Hari Neupane

(29) of Ranibas-2, Sindhuli,

had managed to outsmart

the jailer at the Central Jail by

producing a forged ‘release letter’

from the Nepali Army’s Military

Special Court.

Advanced

training on

trauma care

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

AO Foundation, a Switzerland-based nonprofit

organisation, hosted for the first

time a training course on Principles in Operative

Fracture Management. The foundation

is committed to enhance knowledge

of orthopaedic surgeons globally on

how to perfectly operate on trauma victims.

Forty-five junior orthopaedic surgeons

and students of orthopaedics from across

the country took part in the three-day

seminar at Nepali Medical College and

Teaching Hospital, Jorpati. Orthopaedic

surgeon Dr Ram Kewal Shah, Dr Ramesh

Prasad Singh, Mahesh Srivastav, Dr Dipak

Mahara, Dr Subhas B Sah imparted training

to the participants together with orthopaedic

surgeon Dr Dhawal Desai from

India and Dr Sura Pong from Thailand.

They had recently received advanced

training in Switzerland. Dr Ram Kewal

Shah said such trainings used to be held

only in the US and Europe in the past.

Now on, AO Foundation will annually

conduct such training in Nepal, he said,

expressing hope that the training would

enable Nepali orthopaedic surgeons to

perform flawless surgeries in Nepal.

Dr Shah, Asia representative of the

foundation, said even senior doctors were

not aware of advanced skills of trauma

management in the past. The foundation

has also been organising trauma management

training programmes for paramedical

staff in Nepal since 2005.

“Training for paramedical staff is also very

important as only a trained professional

can rightly manage the patients’ trauma

better and refer them to appropriate

health centres,” he added. Founded in

Switzerland in 1958 under the name of Arbeitsgemeinschaft

für Osteosynthesefragen

(Association for the Study of Internal

Fixation), the foundation today represents

the world’s leading knowledge organisation

in osteosynthesis.

He had been absconding

since and was picked up from

the Sundhara-based Chitwan

Guest House.

The Summary General Military

Court of the army had convicted

Neupane, an erstwhile

corporal, and sentenced him to

three years in jail in accordance

with the Military Act on May 24

for breaching military discipline

and acting against professional

conduct.

The May 24 ‘release letter’ addressed

to the Central Jail has a

fake seal of Military Special

Court and signature of Major

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

World Wildlife Fund, Nepal, today

felicitated five individuals and three

organisations with various awards

at a function in the Capital.

The awards recognised outstanding

feats in the field of conservation,

natural resource management, climate

change, freshwater, tourism,

sustainable livelihoods and journalism.

In a press release, WWF said the

‘Abraham Conservation Awards’

was conferred on DSP Praveen

General Nirendra Prasad Aryal.

It has requested the jail administration

to ‘release Neupane

with immediate effect as the

verdict of Summary General

Military Court was found erroneous’.

“The falsified letter looked

like authentic document and

made the jail administration to

release the ex-army man,” a police

investigator said.

An excerpt of the letter reads,

“The Appellate Special Committee,

after investigating into

the plaintiff’s appeal against the

verdict of Military Summary

General Court, has reached the

conclusion that the August 27

decision to sentence him is erroneous.

Therefore, the jail administration

is requested to release

the plaintiff and inform

thereof to this court as soon as

possible.”

CIB officials said a thorough

investigation was launched to

bust the forgery racket, who assisted

the soldier to falsify the

military seals and documents.

Neupane will face charges

under the ‘Forgery of Government

Seals and Signatures’

Chapter of the Civic Code.

Pokhrel from the Central Investigation

Bureau of the Nepal Police under

whose command CIB carried

out more than three dozen operations

throughout Nepal, arresting

hundreds of notorious poachers

and criminals.

Gyan Bahadur Shah from Kailali

received the honour for afforestation

and forest management activities,

and controlling illegal logging

and minimising poaching. While

Hingwa Tharu from Bardia got

awarded for his dedication towards

fighting wildlife crimes and for

playing an instrumental role in the

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Former corporal Ganga Hari Neupane, who was on the

run after outsmarting the jailer at Central Jail.

Awards given for nature conservation initiatives

arrest of a renowned rhino horn

smuggler as well as 15 other people

engaged in the trade of wildlife

parts.

In the organisation category, the

Abraham Conservation Award was

conferred on Nanda Box Battalion

for playing a crucial role in achieving

Zero Poaching Year for rhinos in

Nepal and being at the forefront of

capturing wildlife criminals for

more than a decade.

Kalika Community Forests User

Group was feted for establishing an

old-age home for Livestock in 2009

for conserving vultures and Lang-

tang Area Conservation Concern

Society for raising awareness on

bio-diversity and eco-tourism.

WWF Conservation Award in media

was conferred on Krishna Mani

Baral from Pokhara, for his insightful

and analytical reporting. Baral is

a reporter for The Himalayan Times.

The Special Conservation Award

went to Nanda Devi Kunwar from

Kailali in recognition of her bravery

to fight against forest encroaches.

This award was given to her with the

special recommendation from the

panel of judges involved in the selection

of the awardees.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai felicitating the Suklaphanta Sanchar Griha with a Press Council award in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Cops give special security plan ‘A’

4,127 held during month-long exercise,452 charged

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

The month-long Special

Security Operation,

launched in Kathmandu on

August 21, has paid off, City

police claimed today.

Making public a monthly

progress report of the operation

that Metropolitan Police

Range, Hanumandhoka

had initiated together

with the Kathmandu District

Administration Office

to fight burgeoning crimes

in Kathmandu and take

preventive measures, MPR

CPN-UML chair

off to India

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

CPN-UML chairman Jhala Nath

Khanal today left for India to inaugurate

a convention of the All India

Pravasi Nepali Sangh, a UML-aligned

association, slated to be held in

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Monday.

Surya Thapa, secretary of the

party’s publicity department, said the

UML chief had no plans to meet any

of the Indian leaders during his visit.

Khanal is slated to return home on

Wednesday. Thapa informed that the

chairman has appointed vice-chairman

Bamdev Gautam as acting chairman

of the party and added that

Gautam will lead the party in all bilateral

and multilateral talks with other

parties.

Thapa said talks with parties will

not be affected due to Khanal’s absence

as Friday’s meeting of UML

standing committee has come up

with stand on all political issues.

Three major parties and UDMF are

slated to hold another round of talks

tomorrow.

in-charge SSP Jaya Bahadur

Chand said they

recorded 311 criminal cases

in the city in August-September

(Bhadra) this year

compared to 407 in 2011,

374 in 2010 and 325 in 2009.

The cases include armed

robbery, murder, attempt

to murder, suicide, burglary,

theft, attempted

theft, fraud, forgery, banking

offence, trafficking of

drugs and small arms, kidnapping

and hostage taking,

attempted kidnapping,

polygamy, rape, attempted

rape, human trafficking,

Nepal Academy Chancellor Bairagi Kainla (left) and literatteur Dahal

Yagyanidhi at a function held in Kathmandu to honour Dahal.

Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Kathmandu, September 22

vehicle homicide, vehicle

maim, using of fake currency,

possession of explosives,

black marketing, cyber

crime and extortion.

“Reported cases in Kathmandu

fell this Bhadra

compared to corresponding

period in the last three

years, thanks to the special

security operation,” said

SSP Chand.

More importantly, the incidents

of crime declined

to 311 in Bhadra against

305 in Shrawan, and 324

each in Ashar and Jestha

this year. SSP Chand in-

Litterateur and mediaperson Dahal

Yagyanidhi was felicitated at a

function in the Capital today. Born

on Saun 4, 2010 BS in Khotang, litterateur

Dahal has been suffering

from kidney disease for long.

formed that police rounded

up a total of 4,127 suspects

during the operation.

“After investigation, we

filed charges against 452

people at the District Administration

Office and

Kathmandu District Court

and handed over 3,675

people to their kin with a

warning,” he said.

For effective implementation

of the short-term security

plan, city police had

divided the inner and outer

parts of Ring Road into five

sectors and mobilised

2,500 personnel.

Some 60 organisations honoured

Dahal, who earned popularity

with his radio programme

‘Sahitya Sansar’, for his contribution

to Nepali literature, media,

language, education, culture and

democratic movements.

Senior litterateur Maya Thakuri

provided handed over the felicita-

Treat ethnic

groups as

equals: PM

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Prime Minister Baburam

Bhattarai threw in a surprise

at the inaugural session of

the sixth national convention

of Newa Deya Daboo today.

Addressing the convention

in Newari, PM Bhattarai,

who had reached the convention

venue in Basantapur

with his wife Hisila Yami,

said since all the ethnic

groups in the country are

equal, they deserve equal

rights.

Bhattarai said his government

is committed to providing

equal rights to all ethnic

groups.

Noting that the nation

could not get a new constitution

due to political parties’

failure to come to an agreement,

Bhattarai said the parties

will soon end the political

crisis through consensus.

He also found time to

heap praise on the Newar

community, hailing it for its

significant role in the establishment

of the Communist

Party in Nepal and for the

success of People’s War as

well as People’s Movement in

2006.

Dahal Yagyanidhi feted for contribution to Nepali

THT

tion letter to Dahal.

A book titled Jadau, a biography

of Dahal and his works edited by

Ramesh Subhechhu, was released

on the occasion.

At the function, Chancellor of

Nepal Academy Bairagi Kainla expressed

happiness over the honour

bestowed to Yagyanidhi.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com

CAPITAL

• IN BRIEF

A contestant performing at a

talent show organised by

Xavier International College

in Kathmandu on Saturday.

49 held for ‘indecency’

KATHMANDU: Police on Saturday

raided hotels and restaurants in Bag

Bazaar, Sundhara, Balaju, Thamel,

Koteshwor, Baneshwor, Kalimati, Kamal

Pokhari and Gongabu, and arrested

49 people for indulging in ‘illegal

sex’. Hanumandhoka police informed

that 26 of the arrestees were

women and claimed that most couples

were caught in the act. Around

50 cops in civvies were mobilised for

the raids. — HNS

Robber caught

KATHMANDU: Police on Friday arrested

Raju Lama (50) of Phidim-3,

Ilam, while he was fleeing the scene

after robbing a pedestrian in Gaushala.

According to police, Lama had run

away after robbing Ajaya Chaurasiya

of Bara of Rs 2,000 by displaying a

khukuri at around 9.10 pm. On a tipoff,

a police team followed the suspect

leading to his arrest. He is in the

custody of the Metropolitan Police

Circle, Bouddha for further investigation.

— HNS

• DPM VISIT TO UNGA

Refugees, aid,

SAARC on agenda

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Deputy Prime Minister Narayan

Kaji Shrestha is going to raise the

issue of Bhutanese and Tibetan

refugees, call for an early meeting

of the Indo-Nepal Joint Commission

and convey the country’s proposal

to postpone the SAARC Summit,

during the 67th General Assembly

of the United Nations

(UNGA) in New York, and on the

sidelines.

Shrestha, who is also the Minister

for Foreign Affairs, will put forward

Nepal’s views on the Tibetan

refugee and foreign assistance is-

sues while addressing the UNGA.

On the sidelines, he is to call on

Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Y

Thinley to ask Thimpu to allow

refugees, who did not opt for thirdcountry

re-settlement, to return

home. “The refugee issue has long

eclipsed prospects of strengthening

Nepal-Bhutan relations in the

social and fronts,” Shrestha told

THT, before leaving for New York. A

source told this daily that the government

is expecting Thinley to request

Nepal for its help in its bid to

be a non-permanent member of

the Security Council, which will fall

vacant at the end of 2012 when India

completes her term under the

Asia Group.

Shrestha set out New York today,

leading a dozen delegates, including

Foreign Secretary Durga Prasad

Bhattarai and UN Division Chief at

MoFA Dipak Dhital. Some of his

delegates will join him from the

Permanent Mission of Nepal to the

UN in New York.

Foreign Minister Shrestha is likely

to hold a meeting with his Indian

counterpart SM Krishnan. If the

meeting is held, the Nepali side is

planning to call on New Delhi to

set a date for the long-due foreign

minister-level Joint Commission

meeting.

The highest-level

bilateral mechanism

has

not held its meeting since February

1991. A meeting was slated for

March this year, but it did not materialise.

While addressing the UNGA on

September 27, Shrestha will request

the international community

to assist in Nepal’s development

efforts. The minister will also request

to the world to take into account

Nepal’s sensitive position

while dealing with the Tibetan

refugee issue.

Nepal has been stating that it is

not a party to any international

convention on refugees and it has

been doing what it has been doing

only on moral and humanitarian

grounds.

During an informal meeting of

the SAARC Council of Ministers,

Shrestha will update his counterparts

on the political condition in

Nepal and buy time until September

2013 to host the 18th SAARC

Summit. The highest-level meeting

of the regional bloc was expected

to be held in early 2013.

Nepal will also lobby for its candidacy

to become a member of the

UN Economic and Social Council

— election to which will be held in

October-end. Foreign Secretary

Bhattarai is to stay in New York until

then to garner international

support for Nepal’s bid.

During his 10-day stay in the US,

Shreshta is also to call on Presidents

of Sri Lanka and Switzerland,

Prime Minister of Bangladesh and

Secretary-General of the United

Nations. Separate meetings with

foreign ministers of Australia,

Switzerland, Turkey,

and South Korea

are also on

schedule.

RSS THT

Minister for Science and Technology Keshav Man Shakya speaking at a programme in Kathmandu on Saturday.

Want healthy heart? Keep obesity at bay

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Don’t know how to keep

your heart healthy and prevent

heart diseases? Here’s a

medics’ advice: Keep obesity

at bay.

At a programme today,

cardiologist Dr Prakash Raj

Regmi said obesity and

coronary heart diseases are

directly linked. He said overweight

people are more at

risk of heart diseases than

those, who have maintained

a healthy body

mass index.

“Smoking, obesity, inadequate

intake of fruit and

vegetables, alcoholism and

physical inactivity remain

the major causes of heart

complications in the country,”

said Regmi and asked

the people to be more careful

with these risk factors to

protect the heart.

Addressing a programme

organised on the occasion

of the World Heart Day,

which is on September 29,

he pointed that high blood

pressure increases the risk

of heart attack, stroke and

kidney failure.

Hospital data show that

40 per cent of heart patients

are suffering from coronary

heart diseases, 27 per cent

from rheumatic heart diseases

and 29

per cent

from

high blood pressure, among

others. About 15 per cent of

the country’s population,

according to Dr Regmi, is

suffering from one or another

type of heart disease.

What’s more alarming is

that heart patients have increased

five times in course

of 10 years. Dr Jyoti Bhattarai,

diabetes specialist and

endocrinologist, said diabetes

is prevalent in the Indian

subcontinent and

Nepalis are at high risk. She

added that inactiveness, unreasonable

diet and high

stress are mainly to blame

for diabetes.

She said timely treatment

can prevent devastating

complications resulting

from diabetes like kidney

failure, blindness, stroke

and heart attack.

Dr Deewakar Sharma, senior

consultant cardiologist

at the Shahid Gangalal National

Heart Centre, said

PAGE 3

high blood pressure can

lead to heart attack, stroke,

heart failure, kidney failure,

eye damage and other risks.

He said proper treatment

can reduce the risks to some

extent.

In Nepal, 20-25 per cent of

the adult population above

18 years has hypertension

and it increases with age.

With more than half of heart

patients do not showing any

symptoms, heart diseases

are emerging as a silent

emergency.

The main reasons behind

hypertension are smoking,

heavy drinking, sedentary

lifestyle, obesity, high calorie

diet and increased salt

consumption, said Sharma.

He recommends low salt

diet, regular exercise, moderate

drinking, high fibre

food, fruits and vegetables

to maintain blood pressure

that can go a long way in

keeping the heart healthy.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Tika R Pradhan

Kathmandu, September 22

Three influential Unified CPN-

Maoist leaders of the Far-western

Region have recently resigned en

mass demanding adequate attention

to the region.

The leaders have also expressed

serious concern over the indifference

on the part of the leadership

and gradual disintegration of the

party.

Khagraj Bhatta, who is close to

party Vice-chairman Baburam

Bhattarai; former minister Bhim

Bahadur Kadayat, who is close to

Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal

and Jagat Parki, close to another

Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji

Shrestha had resigned en masse

from the member of the Seven National

Convention Organising

Committee.

According to Bhatta, they had

submitted their resignation to the

party Chairman Dahal five days

earlier. He said Dahal has been

urging them to withdraw their decision.

Bhatta said they have

raised three main issues as their

demands.

“Firstly, we have realised that

the party has been deviated from

its goal and ideology but the leadership

has remained indifferent to

it and hardly did anything to correct

the course,” he said. He said

that the party’s ideals have been

jettisoned.

Secondly, Bhatta said the Seti

Mahakali State Committee of the

party was always neglected from

the state. “We hoped that our party

will do some justice, but that remained

only a dream. Nothing has

been changed since our party-led

government was formed,” he

added.

Bhatta further said they have

demanded 20 per cent of the total

budget of the country must be allocated

to the far-western region.

The party remained indifferent

www.thehimalayantimes.com

NATIONAL

Three UCPN-M Far-west leaders quit party

Unity govt before

Dashain, says Oli

Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, September 22

CPN-UML leader KP Oli

today said that the country

would get a new government

led by a non-Maoist

Prome Minister before

Dashain government.

Speaking to mediapersons

in Biratnagar, Oli said

the UCPN-Maoist party

would have ministers in

the consensus government

but they will not be leading

it.

“The country will face

more challenges if the

UCPN-M led government

is allowed to continue on,”

he said adding the UCPN-

M’s reluctance to hand

over power was stalling th

formation of a new government.

On a different note,

Oli said if Prime Minister

Baburam Bhattarai does

not put in his papers, the

President will form a new

government under the

leadership of a non-Maoist

leader. The UML leader

clarified that the country

would suffer more if the

UCPN-M and the Prime

Minister do not show

readiness to forge consensus.

“The President has to be

made more active as he is

the protector of the nation

and the constitution. He

needs to take steps to save

the country.”

Oli further said that the

President must be pro-active

to form a new government

using Article 43 of the

Interim Constitution.

“The country is witnessing

a political crisis due to

the UCPN-M,” he said. Oli

informed that his party has

proposed that Nepali Congress

be given the opportunity

to lead the new government.

“UML could lead the

government if the conflict

arises in NC,” he added. He

said that he himself was capable

for the top post and

was one of his party’s candidates

for the post.

‘UCPN-M hell-bent

on capturing power’

Himalayan News Service

Pokhara, September 22

Nepali Congress central

leader Arjun Nur Singh KC

today alleged the Unified

CPN-Maoist was hell bent

on capturing the state.

Speaking at a press meet

organised by the Press

Union Kaski in Pokhara,

NC leader called on the opposition

parties to go for

street protest as Maoists

were not willing to abandon

the government without

easily.

“Maoist is hoodwinking

opposition parties to meet

its goal in the name of consensus,”

KC alleged.

Reiterating that UCPN-

Maoist would not quit the

government easily, KC

asked the opposition parties

to hit the street to overthrow

Prime Minister

Baburam Bhatatrai-led

government.

On the political standoff

facing the country, KC remarked

that consensus

was a must to resolve the

protracted political crisis.

He, however, charged that

UCPN-Maoist was en-

grossed in befuddling the

NC and CPN-UML.

Coming down heavily on

the incumbent government,

the NC leader said

that Maoist-led government

was unconstitutional.

He urged the Maoist to

demonstrate flexibility for

building national consensus.

“As consensus is a

must for political outlet,

UCPN-Maoists have to abjure

its rigidity,” KC added.

On a different note, KC

said that his party favours

election to the fresh Constituent

Assembly polls. He

went on to say that opposition

parties had foiled

Maoist design of reviving

the dissolved CA to take

unnecessary advantage.

He opined that his party

would not go for fresh polls

under the Maoist-led government.

On former king Gyanendra

Shah’s visit, NC leader

clarified that ex-royal had

the right to make a trip in

the democratic polity. “NC

does not and will not obstruct

ex-royal’s religious

tour to far-west,” KC

added.

RPP leader Thapa

takes parties to task

Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, September 22

Rastriya Janasakti Party

Chairperson Surya Bahadur

Thapa today said the

country is facing the risk of

a serious constitutional

crisis owing to the lack of

sincerity on the part of the

major political parties.

Speaking to journalists

at the Biratnagar Airport

here today, Thapa came

down heavily on the major-political

parties for

their failure to reach consensus.

“The so-called big parties

are locking horns, leaving

the country and the

people in the lurch,” the

RJP chief argued, adding,

“The country that is already

facing a constitutional

crisis will face the

worst of it should the parties

fail to form a consensus

government by mid-

October.

“In the absence of the

consensus government

any time soon the constitutional

bodies including

the election commission

will be vacant ending the

chances for the country to

seen elections in the future.”

Further, suggesting revival

of the dead constitutional

assembly even for a

short time as an option for

extricating the country

from the present deadlock,

Thapa also criticised Prime

Minister Dr Baburam

Bhattarai and his party the

Unified CPN-Maoist for

being a hurdle in ending

the present crisis.

“The prevailing crisis has

failed to end owing to the

UCPN-M chief and the

prime minister,” Thapa

averred, also calling for the

President’s role to end the

current crisis if need be.

even when the leaders of far-west

had been seriously raising such issues

many a times, he said.

Lastly, the three leaders have demanded

appropriate representation

of the leaders from the farwest

as far as responsibilities of

the party are concerned and also

in the government positions.

“Leaders from the far-west have

been neglected everywhere. They

are refrained from leadership both

within the party as well as in the

government,” he said.

Asked why only three leaders

had resigned, Bhatta said they

have the support from all the leaders

of the far-west and the people

have been showering congratulations

and best wishes for the step

they had taken for the welfare of

their place.

The leaders, however, are committed

to their demands and

claimed they would never compromise

unless their demands

were met. “We have been discussing

the demands that are to be

addressed right away and those

which could be addressed gradually,”

he said.

The central Maoist leaders of

the far-western region were very

disappointed after they were ignored

when the party selected the

leaders to join the government.

Bajura faces textbook shortage

BAJURA : Textbook shortage

has hit majority of the

schools in Bajura district.

Sources said that different

schools located in Bichhyaa,

PAGE 5

Rugin, Sapatta, Jukot, Bandhu,

Dahkot and Wai VDCs are

yet to get the textbooks even

after six months into the new

academic session. —HNS

PAGE 6

• ONCE-OVER

Former workers of the Birgunj

Sugar Mills that had been closed

for long showing journalists the

factory in Birgunj, on Saturday.

Road re-opened

THT

PYUTHANK: The Bhaluwang-Pyuthan

portion of the road obstructed

by landslide has come into operation

from Friday. The road was obstructed

by landslide triggered by rains near

Kundule of Dhungegadhi. Vehicles

began to ply as usual after the opening,

said the Sworgadwari Public

Transport Entrepreneurs Committee.

The obstruction had stranded long

and short routes vehicles of both

Pyuthan and Rolpa districts. The road

was cleared with the help of local police

and dozer, said the District Police

Office. More than five dozen buses,

trucks, jeeps and motorcycles had

been stranded. —RSS

Anthology released

JANAKPURDHAM: An anthology of

stories Somali written by press freedom

fighter and senior journalist

Rajeswor Nepali was released amid a

function here on Friday. While releasing

the book, chief guest and Chairman

of the International Maithili Literary

Council Dr Kamal Kant Jha said

that people knew Nepali as a journalist

but he is a multifaceted personality.

He also said he came to know at

the programme that he was also a

story writer and a historian. At the

programme presided over by litterateur

Dr Rewati Raman Lal, senior

journalist Nepali said he started writing

stories when he was arrested in

the bomb scandal of 2042 BS, but this

was his first book in Maithili. The

anthology Somali has 23 stories

and dwell on rural society. —RSS

Hospital sans toilet

SOLUKHUMBU: Hospitals are for

care and comfort of the sick people,

but what if a hospital is running without

a toilet? But this is what patients

have to face the situation at the District

Hospital in Solukhumbu. Patients

reaching the hospital for treatment

say their illness is further aggravated

in the hospital for lack of toilet.

Mithumaya Basnet of Salleri who is

being treated in the hospital bed, says

she has to stay in the hospital without

eating anything for fear of having to

go to toilet. The ill people have to go

to the nearest jungle behind the hospital

for relieving themselves as the

only toilet in the hospital was closed

for the past three months. —RSS

Himalayan News Service

Parbat, September 22

Former king Gyanendra Shah

today said the current political

scenario in the country and

‘waning nationalism’ has worried

like every other citizens.

Talking to mediapersons at a

local hotel in Baglung, Shah

said it was a misfortune that

the people complaining. “No

one is happy with the country’s

present situation and I am

worried like you all,” said the

former monarch, who is on a

‘religious tour’ of the western

region.

“During my visit, I have

heard lots of complaints from

the people. They all complained

about the bad political

scenario and said the spirit of

nationalism was in crisis. I respect

their feelings,” said Shah.

The former king met local

businessmen, social activists,

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-

Nepal cadres and representatives

from various organizations

in the course of his visit.

Shah, who paid homage to

Kalika Bhagawati shrine at

noon, has returned to Pokhara.

www.thehimalayantimes.com

NATIONAL

Ex-king speaks of crisis

RPP-N against

secularism: Thapa

Himalayan News Service

Lamjung, September 22

Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal Chairman Kamal

Thapa today said his party was against secularism,

republicanism and federalism.

Speaking at his party’s programme in Besisahar,

Lamjung, Thapa said that state was being weakened

in the name of secularism. He accused the

four major political forces of abolishing the

monarchy by cheating the people.

Thapa remarked that former king Gyanendra

Shah has every right to visit religious areas. The

royalist leader argued that political parties

protested Shah’s visit due to growing support for

the former monarch throughout the country.

On a different note, Thapa alleged the four major

political forces made the now dissolved Constituent

Assembly a rubber stamp and plunged

the country into crisis. “The country is facing a

political crisis due to the parties’ shortsightedness,”

Thapa blamed.

Noting that his party was for national integrity,

Hindu state, and constitutional monarchy,

Thapa held that country would never see an autocratic

rule.

Hundreds of supporters, who

chanted slogans calling on him

to play to role to resolve the

current crisis, had come to the

temple to receive the former

king.

He also visited the Gayatri

temple and Ananda Gumba of

Parbat. Earlier, hundreds of

motorcycle-borne supporters

from Parbat and Baglung

had escorted Shah from Nayapul

of Kaski.

Shah is scheduled to visit a

number of religious sites in

Kaski and Tanahun before returning

to the Capital.

FDRA to hold mass

rallies in five cities

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Federal Democratic Republic

Alliance today decided to organise

mass rallies in five major

cities of the country to build

public opinion in favour of national

consensus.

A meeting of the FDRA today

took a decision to hold mass

meetings in Biratnagar on October

3 and in Janakpur on October

5, said alliance’s Spokesperson

Prem Bahadur Singh.

Similarly, mass meetings

would also be organised on October

7, 9 and 12 in Nepalgunj,

Pokhara and Kathmandu respectively.

Singh said holding fresh Constituent

Assembly elections

were the alliance’s first priority,

however it was open to the revival

of the CA.

“Our first priority is holding

Nepali Army and police personnel cleaning a pond on the premises of Bhagawati Mandir in Rajbiraj on Saturday.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Finance Minister Barshaman Pun among others participating in a western regional

symposium on revenue leakage control in Butwal, on Saturday.

the fresh CA elections but we

are open to the idea of promulgating

a new constitution

through a revived CA because

voices for the same are growing

within the Nepali Congress and

the CPN-UML,” Singh maintained.

FDRA Chairman Pushpa Kamal

Dahal briefed the alliance

partners on the progress made

in the recent talks held with the

NC and the UML.

The FDRA also decided to

seek solution to all the issues including

formation of a national

consensus government, leadership

of the new government,

ways to conduct fresh elections,

term and strength of the CA and

ways to amend the Interim Constitution,

according to Singh.

The FDRA will soon form a

Management Committee to

hold mass meetings in major

cities of the country.

THT

Police make Khumbuwan

ex-central member public

Himalayan News Service

Khotang, September 22

Khotang District Police today

made public Birdhan Rai, former

Central member of Khumbhuwan

Rastriya Morcha popularly known

as Biswash Sampang Khumbu

today.

Khumbu was arrested on Thursday

with the weapons and explosive

materials at Bakshila-4 by a

team headed by the Regional Police

Office Biratnagar, DSP Bhim

Bahadur Dahal.

The police team seized one pistol,

10 round bullets, 15 pieces of

Gelatin, 36 detonators, one

Khukari, six pieces of bill pad,

one pad of the membership

letter of the Khumban Students

Morcha, the statute related to

Khumbuhan, proclamation letter,

working papers and 26 pieces

books and pamphlets, informed

police.

Himalayan News Service

Dhulikhel, September 22

Deputy Prime Minister and

Home Minister Bijaya Kumar

Gachhadar today suggested the

country could go for fresh election

under the present government by

forging consensus among the political

parties.

Speaking at a press meet following

the conclusion of the party

central committee meeting here

today, the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic

chief held political

parties could forge consensus

and go for the fresh polls under the

leadership of the present coalition

led by Prime Minister Baburam

Bhattarai.

Further, attributing the demise

of the Constituent Assembly to the

vested interests of the Nepali Congress,

CPN-UML, Unified CPN-

THT

Similarly, the police also seized a

diary where he mentioned the donation

taken from 30 different

schools of Khotang including

some future planning.

The police found that he had

taken the donation from the

teachers of the northern parts of

the district. It also found that

he had the secret plan to declare

the Rashtriya Janakranti Party and

attack the Area Police Post, Bakshila,

informed DSP Dahal.

Over 10 youths have actively

participated to execute their

plans, and 20 more were planning

to form the Janakrantikari volunteer

party, police said. Khumbu

will be punished under the Explosive

Materials Act, informed

Dahal.

He was fired from his party

for taking the donation without

the party’s knowledge, informed

the Khumbu Morcha Central

Committee.

MJF-D bats for fresh polls

Maoist and Madhesi Morcha, he,

however, held his party was ready

to accept the leadership of any

party if it was backed by consensus.

On a different note, he claimed

the country’s security situation

has improved a lot since he took

charge of the home ministry.

Meanwhile, the central committee

meeting of the Madhesi Janadhikar

Forum Democratic concluded

in Dhulikhel today, floating six

conditions for the Constituent Assembly

election.

As per a source, the meeting has

stressed the need of a fresh CA

election so as to promulgate the

statute. It has also called for the

necessary amendments in the

constitution prior to the election.

The two-day meeting had started

at a resort in Dhulikhel from

Friday.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com

Angelique van Leeuwen

Dhunche

Choosing Dhunche as starting

point for a trekking trip

is perfect when going to

Gosainkunda or Langtang

Valley. Less optimal in

monsoon time though. So it proved

for 34-year-old French traveller Florent

Avella, who went on a four-day

journey, starting September 1, to digitally

capture the famous Gosainkunda

lakes. Learning about the religious

significance in addition to the amazing

natural setting, this was a mustdestination

for him, being a professional

travel photographer. The journey

was interesting, but he never got

to see the lakes.

It seemed straightforward. He

booked the short hiking trip with an

office in Thamel. Clear instructions

given for the bus to Dhunche, permit

and accommodation arranged, and

the guide would be waiting for him.

The next morning, they would start to

walk from there, fresh and full of energy.

All handled in good order at a

competitive price. It would only take

a seven-hour bus trip to the starting

point. Normally it does. However, the

monsoon decided differently this

year.

The bus ride turned into a full-size

trekking adventure, matching the

hike he supposed to start the day after.

Hours into the journey the bus

stopped and it soon became clear

that everybody had to abandon it

with all their belongings. A landslide

made it impossible for the bus to continue.

Sure, a landslide is a common

occurrence during monsoon time,

but this one was one of larger scale.

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

The people of Nepal need

peace which ultimately

leads to progress. Giving a

similar message with people,

peace and progress in mind, the

first Nepal Music Festival was organised

on September 22 at

TheHimalayan

ON S U N D A Y

TREKKING

BEFORE TREKKING

Everybody had to walk for at least a

few kilometres, wading through newly

developed rivers and following narrow

mud paths, to a point where the

next bus was waiting for them. Part of

travel adventure. However, it felt less

adventurous when everybody had to

get off bus number 2 and hike for another

few kilometres, to get into waiting

bus number 3, and everybody felt

completely exhausted after another

long journey by foot, meeting up with

final bus number 4. This had turned

into serious unplanned hiking before

the planned hiking trip.

Did this damage happen

overnight? Nobody in Thamel

seemed to know about it, or failed to

mention it. Clearly it was not important

enough for the daily news. No

people died during the landslides.

Only road damage occurred, on a

large scale. Even local people did not

seem to be informed or they took it as

the usual burden that coincides with

monsoon season. Turning around is

not an option. Two people on motorbikes

did not even decide to return to

where they came from, but chose to

drag their bikes up the slippery and

narrow paths kindly helped by locals,

taking the same route as the bus passengers

had to take, oblivious to any

risks of personal injury or bike damage.

Clearly getting there was more

important, no matter what.

As for Avella, he cut his trip short,

knowing that two days later he had to

do this unplanned hike again on his

return to Kathmandu. Thinking of the

local people, let’s hope that they do

not have to embark on this journey

on a regular basis, as the landslides on

the route Kathmandu-Dhunche are

not likely to be cleared very soon. Nature

has done too much damage here.

Stay informed before visiting this region

at this time, or you might also be

trekking before trekking!

(The writer is a freelance writer /

journalist from The Netherlands)

PEACE THROUGH MUSIC

Jawalakhel Football Ground.

National and international

artistes came together where music

acted as a medium to spread the

message of peace and unity. This annual

festival also aims for sustainable

development.

Filling the air with peaceful instruments,

it was Sukarma that inaugurated

the festival. Sarangi play-

er Shyam Nepali of Sukarma believes

that “music brings positive

energy” and their classical music

without any hard beats did create a

tranquil ambience.

“The festival has brought national

and international artistes together

and we are performing one genre irrespective

of varieties of genre we

do,” he added.

Photos: THT

On a mission to entertain

the crowd at the

venue, artistes like

Swiss 1001 Ways, Resa

Fusion, Playing For

Change, Astha Tamang

Maskey, Robin and The

New Revolution, Cobwed,

Tumbleweed, Indian

Parinday Music of

Soul, Danish Soul Set,

Mukti and Revival and

1974 AD performed in

the festival.

After Robin and The

New Revolution on

stage, the crowd was

high on music, kicking

off to break their shell

to sway and rock.

Among the crowd,

supporting his musician

friend, festival DJ

Salim Akhtar was witnessing and

enjoying the festival. “They are

catering varieties of music which is

suitable for people from young to

old. It is also conveying positive

messages which is good,” he said

about the festival.

Indeed, the venue was one place

where many genres of music came

together — from traditional music

to world fusion to rock. Songs like

Namaste Namaste, Mercedes Benz,

Another Brick In Wall, It’s Gotta Be

Love to name a few were performed

by the artistes.

Down to the vision of the festival,

some of the performing artistes de-

livered notes on harmony and unity

through their songs as the festival is

tied with peace. 1001 Ways sang

about Gandhi, No More Wars, I Just

Hope, Born Free and Dream Come

True while Robin and The New Revolution

performed Mero Desh, Keta

Keta, Bhul Ma Bhulyo which told

about the present situation of

Nepal.

Moreover, Project Co-Director Tobias

Huber, also a member of 1001

Ways, portrayed Nepal Music Festival

as “an amazing opportunity to

heal the wounds of war with music

as universal language”.

He sees that the need of the festi-

PAGE 7

Photos: Courtesy Florent Avella

val in Nepal “to get together”.

“Work for peace putting down all

the borders and barriers,” he shares

this message that he wants to deliver

to people hoping that they would

get the message and that festival will

grow in the years to come.

Music is for entertainment for

some while it is for expression to

others — be it anything, music is

powerful. Here, music is being used

as medium in this festival. As per

Ranjan Ojha, Founder and Project

Director of the festival, “It doesn’t

matter how many audience gather

for the festival but what we are communicating

is important.”

PAGE 8 www.thehimalayantimes.com

Apartments

or otherwise,

choice depends on

individual preference

■ To purchase or construct a

house and apartment has its advantages

and disadvantages.

Nonetheless, apartment life is

more attractive for me. Apartment

life is more convenient in

this modern age with use of the

latest technology, designs and

materials. And you feel secured

against attack, danger and risk of

theft and robbery. Likewise, we

can take full advantage of the

mental, physical and financial

facilities in and out of the apartments.

For instance, free from

tension about unnecessary

things and its management of

small necessities. Similarly, gardens,

parking facility, lift and

pools are added advantages.

Moreover, management and

construction, infrastructure,

earthing make us feel safe from

earthquake destruction psychologically.

It provides high standard

comfort and quick service

with electricity supply and its

maintenance, water supply, sanitation,

central heating and operating

systems.

— Padam Bahadur Chhetri,

Baksila-04,Khotang

■ Home is where you come to

when you have nothing better to

do. Whether it is a magnificent

multi-storied apartment or a

simple countryside house, the

important thing is that you feel

comfortable. It entirely depends

upon the mind and mentality of

people on which type of residence

they think suits them the

most. All we can do is just sit

back and suggest through our

own ideas and perspectives although

we cannot say that one

option has more advantages

than its alternatives as both have

their own pros and cons.

Recently developed concept

clarifies that owning apartments

is more advantageous as it is

more convenient and cheaper.

To some extent apartments limit

the tension of ownership that often

serves as a burden after the

construction of one’s personal

house and comes as a package of

facilities. But people owning

apartments often are not content

with the “ready-made”

facilities.

On the other hand, constructing

a house according to one’s

personal choice can be quite

beneficial for living as it radiates

the rays of satisfaction in the

eyes of the customers. However,

purchasing a house can also

prove to be a wrong decision in

the present context if the area of

construction is not chosen wisely.

Complications related to the

matters like privacy, drinking

water, electricity, et cetera may

rise later.

— Sushant Shrestha

■ I think constructing a house is

a better option because the concept

of apartment does not reflect

the notion of sustainable

development.

Kathmandu is prone to earthquake

and huge apartments can

probably not be as safe as small

buildings. Also, apartments give

our city the appearance of concrete

jungle.

Similarly, the more apartments

we build the more resistance

capacity we try to build in

our city. This may create false

consciousness in government

about people’s need. The socalled

‘happy life in apartment’

can delude the government

away from decentralisation policy.

There are chances that state’s

resources will be concentrated

only in over-populated areas, instead

of utilising it for the overall

development of the country.

Nevertheless, the housing pattern

of our cities is also not less

dangerous. Congested buildings,

unlawful constructions and

rampant building of new houses

cannot be called safe and beneficial

living.

Hence, only providing license

to housing companies cannot be

a long-term solution. Instead,

the government should focus on

mobilising resources throughout

the country so that development

reaches every corner. This

will decentralise people, and

hence, people will be encouraged

to build their own and safe

houses, away from congested

cities, where they can live

comfortably.

— Adity Karkee

■ In recent years, most of the investment

is flowing to real estate

as people are finding it profitable.

Apartments are gaining

popularity. It has become a business

to build such tall, big and

sophisticated apartments. And

people are attracted towards it as

one can buy it paying a handful

of amount easily. They don’t

have to face any trouble and tension

of building a house. Also,

those people who have a busy

life and cannot spare time to

make their house can easily

choose the apartment of their

choice within a few hours. So,

due to such things people are attracted

towards buying apartment.

But, they are not affordable

to general people as it is

expensive.

Buying a land is also expensive

and in present context, it is hard

to find a suitable land. So, building

a big and large complex can

be a good alternative. But, in

Nepal’s context it doesn’t carry

much beauty as the infrastructure

is not developed well.

In my view, it is not that bad. It

is providing jobs to many people.

But, the government should

bring rules and regulations in

this sector and monitor well as

this is not much productive sector.

Investment should flow on

productive sector like hydropower

and manufacturing

sector.

— Sulochana Panta,

Kaverpalanchowk,

Birta Deurali-1

■ Construction of buildings is

growing rapidly in the urban sector.

The concept of apartment

for small family is quite beneficial,

but it has not been a keen

interest for common people.

People are attracted towards the

apartments but it is not comfortable

and reliable as we expect.

There is complexity of owning

an apartment because of complicated

rules and high interest

rate and people think of constructing

a new house but it is

not an easy task. Facilities provided

in the apartment are not

satisfactory. People who live in a

house or in an apartment must

feel secure and should be happy

with their property.

— Samman Baral,Masbar,

Pokhara-7

■ There is a recent trend — people

seeking to own apartments.

But the majority have keen interest

in constructing their own

house rather than apartment because

apartments are more expensive.

But, there are some

positive aspects of apartments

like they are managed properly,

have earthquake resistant standard

and security with various

facilities. Land space is properly

utilised in an apartment. If

everyone constructs/purchases

AGENDA

his/her own house, land space

will become less. So, I think

apartment life is better. But, a

question is — where will people

feel more comfortable in — a

house or an apartment?

— Rasbin Rijal,Biratnagar

■ Well neither of the options is

okay. It’s the matter of what’s

good for you. An extrovert might

prefer building a home and being

gregarious, whereas an introvert

might prefer being aloof by

living in an apartment.

It doesn’t mean that accommodating

in an apartment

means being apart from people

and staying aloof. There are examples

where people from different

apartments live like a single

family, but again these few

examples cannot speak for all.

And if it’s a matter of financial resource,

apartment is worth opting

for because the cost of buying

land and making a home is

exorbitant moreover nowadays

apartments with fair prices are

available. So, before making a

choice ask yourself what you really

want and then go for it.

— Anonymous

■ It is better to construct a house

rather than to own an apartment.

I find life in an apartment

bound by a chain where there is

lack of freedom. We cannot decorate

the apartment according

to our plan and desire. The owner

of the apartment also has to

be under the control of others.

The apartments are readymade

for us but the houses are

built from our own instruction

and ideas. I don’t think apartments

are built for the sake of

the people instead it is built for

the sake of estate agents.

Life in an apartment may be

luxurious, but is too expensive,

which is not affordable for common

people. In my case, I want

to have a small but beautiful

house surrounded by perennial

fruit trees in countryside.

— Pradip Pokharel,

Kohobara,Jhapa

■ People want to have a house

rather than an apartment, although

the apartment is not different

from a house in comfort.

One difference however is —

apartment is one flat that you

own whereas house is all yours.

In present context, specially, in a

city like Kathmandu, owning an

apartment is better than constructing

a house, because if

every new comer in the city

starts building a house, there will

no land left. And, obviously, construction

of a house causes deforestation,

water shortage, as

water wells will be owned by

each of the new houses built.

Building a house takes time

and in modern world, time is

money. So ultimately, you are

wasting your time and money by

building a house.

However, living environment

is better in a house, because,

you’ll have lots of neighbours

around and affinity with the

people will be more. It won’t be

the same in an apartment. Even

while playing music you have to

think twice, because the family

next door will get disturbed.

So to choose either an apartment

or a house depends on the

person’s way of living.

— Sugat Maharjan

■ If I’ve to make a choice then I

would own a house rather than

an apartment. As house is a personal

asset and one can do

everything and anything they

wish with it. But in apartment

one should follow many guidelines

as many families will be living

in the same building.

Owing a house gives a sense of

pride. If I want changes in its interior

and exterior then I can do

it easily but this option is not

available in apartments. Organising

parties, gathering friends

and enjoying to the fullest are

only possible in a house but in

an apartment, there are rules,

which have to be strictly followed.

Many compromises have

to be made while owing an

apartment. If I want to change

the colour of one room then I

can do it easily, without anyone’s

consent. If I wish then I can put a

swing and can dry clothes on the

terrace of a house and take a sun

bath for long hours, which is not

possible in an apartment.

— Moin Uddin,Ghattekulo,

Kathmandu

■ The concept of apartment life

has started in the big cities like

Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Butwal,

et cetera in of our country. Undoubtedly,

apartments have attracted

the people. Apartments

are peaceful and calm with adequate

facilities. People with nuclear

and small family find it advantageous.

For those opting

modern and western lifestyle

apartments are really good.

But, in our country, which is

influenced by eastern culture

and Aryan civilisation people

find advantageous to have own

house. People don’t feel the ownership

of the apartments as they

do for a house. In a family like

ours, where we celebrate many

festivals and frequently have

gatherings with the relatives,

apartments are not a feasible

choice.

Though, lack of space for construction

prevails, people often

select house to apartments. People

can enjoy the freedom in

house, which may be limited in

apartments. Despite the various

advantages of apartments, in

our context for a comfortable

and satisfactory life house is

beneficial.

— Dinesh Bhandari,

Sinamangal,Kathmandu

■ It is indeed true that the people

these days are attracted towards

owning the readymade

apartment rather constructing a

house after buying a piece of

land. First of all, it is all because

of decreasing land or paddy field

in the Kathmandu valley where

no piece of land is open for the

construction. It’s already packed

or soon it will be as purchasing

land is a booming business.

The apartment business has

been heightening since couple

of years because of the growth of

real estate business in the country.

So, it is very difficult to purchase

even a very small piece of

land even for affluent people. It

is all about how and where the

economic condition of the

country is heading.

So far, the best option among

the two choices is — it totally depends

on one’s interest, suitability

and willingness. Some people

may prefer buying a piece of

land and some prefer to buy a

small house of the particular

cost. The apartment business is

very expensive now. I think those

who prefer buying an apartment

is because they expect it to be

like the ones in the west.

Apartment business in Nepal

is a new and dependent business

on banks and financial institutions

so it’s difficult to achieve a

level of faith by the public.

Hence I choose to get a piece of

land and build a small house in a

lesser amount.

— Arjun Prasad Tiwari

■ It is a matter of taste and preference.

From my view of point, I

think houses are more comfortable

than apartment. To be very

frank, houses are classy, fancy

and impart the owner with pride

and prestige. A house is generally

owned, but it can also be rented.

The most remarkable feature

of a house is that it offers more

space and more privacy. The

floor, the yard, the roof and the

garage are all yours. A house is

the perfect accommodation for

those individuals who are introvert,

and do not appreciate interventions

by others.

When you own a house, you

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

PEOPLESPEAK

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

can decorate it as you please, listen

to music as loud as you want,

and not be bothered if neighbours

are indulged in any notorious

activity. Apartments can in

no way top houses in the privacy

arena. When you live in a house,

you have a home, not some

room that you’re renting from a

landlord. What’s the point of living

somewhere if that space

doesn’t actually belong to you?

Apartments are unhealthy and

cramped while houses give the

owner freedom and happiness.

Houses provide safety, privacy,

and a good family environment

that apartments simply cannot

match.

— Anamika Sharma Poudel

■ Owning apartments or constructing/purchasing

house depends

upon people’s choice. Yet

in recent days, people seem attracted

towards owning apartments

as it provides wide range

of facilities which enhance sophisticated

life. After all it is

ready-made, tension regarding

supervising the newly constructing

house, bargaining with

worker’s are absent.

In my opinion, constructing or

purchasing a house is the best

option as it has lots of advantages

over apartments. First, we

can design and make the house

as per our requirements which

are not possible in apartments.

Second, the foundation of house

is stronger which may not be in

apartments. Lots of money is not

needed to construct a house so

economically also it is beneficial.

Lastly constructing a house

means, giving it your time and

sweat and you will definitely be

attached to it.

— Pratibha Pandey

■ Well, in my opinion, constructing

one’s own house is better

than buying an apartment as

an individual must apply his

hard work which really sounds

good from social point of view.

Buying or owning apartments is

rather termed as a fashion with

the advent of globalisation as

mainly young generations are

seen to be attracted towards

such a task. If an individual

works hard, collects enough

money, follows housing laws and

starts construction of his house

that looks far better than owning

an apartment. For example, if we

are searching for an earthquakeproof

house, we might not get

that one. So, it is far effective to

construct one’s own house than

buying an apartment.

— Pratik Shrestha,

Buddhanagar,Baneshwor

With advancement in technology, new gadgets with advanced features are being introduced. And the

fascination for such gadgets is always high among the public. Among the gadgets introduced till date,

which is your favourite one? Why? Do you have a dream gadget that has not been invented yet? What

features would you want in it?

Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, September 28 by 2 pm to Features Department,

The Himalayan Times, e-mail: features@thehimalayantimes.com;

Log on to www.thehimalayantimes.com

Ratna Sagar Shrestha / THT

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com

WORDS

POTPOURRI SUNDAY

1 The Secret History of the World by Jonathan Black, paperback,

published by Quercus, pp 603, Rs 638

2 The Mammoth Book of Tattoos by Lal Hardy, paperback,

published by Robinson, pp 447, Rs 798

3 Beautiful Thing by Sonia Faleiro, hardbound, published by

Penguin Books, pp 216, Rs 720

4 The Story That Must Not Be Told by Kavery Nambisan,

hardbound, published by Penguin Viking, pp 272, Rs 798

5 Capital by John Lanchester, paperback, published by Faber

and Faber, pp 577, Rs 1118

EKTA BOOKS

Ekta Books, Thapathali, Kathmandu, 4245787, 4230729;

Ekta Educational Palace, Manbhawan, Lalitpur, 5533862

Ekta Books Pvt Ltd, Lamachaur, Pokhara, 061-440409

ektabook@mos.com.np

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

If you are sending your

children for tuition classes

but not paying the

fees, then think again —

your children might be

suffering from your irresponsible

behaviour.

The parents of Bhunte

(Bhawani Aryal- Gopal), Dalli

(Radha Shrestha) and another

student (Prakesh Sindhuliya)

have not paid tuition fees to the

teacher (Prabhakar Neupane).

As such, once they reach their

tuition class, they are forced to

clean the house, buy vegetables

and other household chores for

their teacher. Meanwhile, other

two students (Raju Aryal and

Sabina Badal) get love, preference

and attention from the

same teacher because their

parents pay the tuition fees on

time. The former two grow up

as dull and poor students while

the later two are clever and talented.

Meanwhile, these students

start mischief once the

teacher is away from sight.

This story is of Khairati Mas-

THT

The Secret ...

How will the world end?

Is the Antichrist coming

— or is he already here?

Jonathan Black considers

all these questions and

many more in this fascinating

new edition, which will

change the way you see the

world. From mystic revelations

to esoteric codes, here

is a history of the world

based upon the beliefs of

the secret societies — a radical

re-interpretation of human

existence and a view of

the world previously hidden

from us. The startling

revelations that form the

core of this book show the

world as deeply strange and

mysterious.

ART & CULTURE

...Tattoos

This stunningly produced

volume brings

together 80 leading tattoo

artists from the US, UK, and

Europe who have made a

name in body art. Over 500

photographs of tattoos cover

the full range of styles.

From bold tribal pieces to

delicate air-brushed designs,

all-over “body suits”

or individual motifs, here

are works as distinctive as

the bodies they adorn.

Among the internationally

acclaimed artists featured

are Hannah Aitchinson,

George Bone, Paul Booth,

Joe Capobianco, Hercoly,

Thomas Hooper, Corey

Miller, et cetera.

Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing, one of

most original works of

non-fiction from India in

years, is a vivid and intimate

portrait of one reporter’s

journey into the

dark, pulsating and ultimately

damaged soul of

Bombay. Sonia Faleiro was

a reporter in search of a story

when she met Leela, a

beautiful and charismatic

bar dancer with a story to

tell. Leela introduced Sonia

to the underworld of Bombay’s

dance bars: a world of

glamourous women, of

fierce love, sex and violence,

of customers and

gangsters, of police, prostitutes

and pimps.

The Story ...

Simon Jesukumar, an ageing

widower, aspires to

do something worthwhile

with what remains of his

circumscribed, frustratingly

blameless, cocooned

middle class life. His aspirations

are stirred by his nagging

guilt about the slum

next door — named ‘Sitara’.

The well-off residents of his

colony use the inhabitants

of Sitara for menial jobs but

ignore their real needs. As

the story plunges into the

heart of the slum, Simon

understands that good intentions

and acts of kindness

achieve little when

faced with the problems of

a stratum of humanity.

Capital

At forty, Roger Yount is

blessed with an expensive

life, a stalled marriage

and a job in the City. Smitty,

bad-boy provocateur of the

art world, is maintaining

the delicate balance of success

and anonymity. Sipping

a triple-shot cappuccino

in his Shoreditch workshop,

he considers his next

site-specific conceptual

piece. Elsewhere in the capital,

Zbigniew has come

from Warsaw to indulge the

affluent in their interior

decoration whims. Freddy,

teenage football sensation

has left a two-room shack

in Senagal to follow his

dream.

Serious message beneath the laughter

ter, a

play that is being staged at Sarwanam

Theatre, Kalikasthan

from September 20. The artistes

from Arambha, a group of

artistes, have enacted the drama

written by late litterateur

Hridaya Chandra Singh

Pradhan.

The play that seems to be a

satire on the present “boring”

teaching

methodology and the reflection

of a teacher “who does not give

quality works as he is not rewarded

for his works” is fun to

watch.

The actors deserve applause

for being able to reflect the reallife

school-students and teachers.

Watching Gopal perform

the gullible Bhunte and

Shrestha as Dalli, you will re-

member those innocent

students often

bullied by clever and

cunning friends.

Sindhuliya gives life

to the character of a

typical cunning guy

who always steals

other’s homework.

While Raju and

Badal are true representation

of students

who love to

be teacher’s pets.

Neupane as the

middle-aged

teacher who depends

upon the

students’ fee to

meet his expenses

is worth watching.

Meanwhile Manash Raj as

the money-lender has done an

okay job.

It is a comic and satirical play

that makes you laugh throughout

its staging of one hour. The

play gets quite boring in few

moments when scenes of similar

nature seems to be lengthened

which could be cut short.

But funny dialogues and actions,

cheerful music and inter-

THE WANT TO BELONG

KATHMANDU: Everyone

has a sense of belongingness

to the

place s/he lives in,

family and friends. But one remains

in pain if s/he does not

feel belonging to someone or

somewhere.

This search of belongingness

can be seen in the third solo

painting exhibition ‘Inheriting

Statelessness’ by artist Saroj Ba-

jracharya. In the exhibition that

started at Park Gallery, Pulchowk

from September 21, the

artist has portrayed his journey

from sense of non-belongingness

towards a sense of

belongingness.

His paintings are all figurative

with symbolic meanings in

them. The repetitive motifs like

shankha (conch shell), moon,

third eye of Lord Shiva denote

knowledge, spirituality and realisation

respectively. In some

of the backgrounds of the

paintings, one can see lines to

create map and the paintings of

map resemble the images taken

from aerial view.

Mukesh Malla, artist/art

writer at the exhibition shared,

“His artworks tend to have a

deep philosophic meaning —

that knowledge comes from

within after realisation — and it

can be seen in these works.”

Meanwhile, talking about his

works, the artist shared, “During

my childhood days I chose

to remain alone and I was not

able to express myself. Being an

introvert I didn’t like to play

with friends. I felt I didn’t have

my true expression and don’t

belong anywhere.”

This psychological aspect of

him and his search for belongingness

for example can be

seen in one of the series of three

paintings.

In the first painting, an astronaut

wearing a brick suit is trying

to see a conch-shell, but

“the truth is blocked by brick

which reflects confusion and

conch-shell means knowledge

and truth” as per the artist. In

the second one, the fire is flowing

down from a tap instead of

water — fire which as per the

artist is his “self-realisation that

every person belongs to the

other”. And the flow of fire

means “the pain caused because

of not being able to know

the truth that was just infront of

me”. Likewise in the last one,

the astronaut is looking in a

mirror where his eyes are reflected

and the brick-like suit

esting song that are performed

in between different scenes will

force you to overlook the

weaknesses.

The stage setting is simple —

the whole play takes place in

the teacher’s room that has a

carpet, a small table with few

books and a telephone and a

chair.

The play as per Gopal, President

of Arambha, is not directed

by one person. “It is a group

effort,” he informed further revealing,

“We wanted to work on

a play based on child psychology

and education.”

The play has messages to

cater. “A teacher forced to work

for free can’t give quality work

and students cannot enjoy our

existing boring teaching

method,” is what the play wants

to deliver to the audience, as

per him.

But you won’t feel the play

being didactic, instead you will

realise the “serious message

underlined within the plot of

the play while laughing”.

The play will be staged at

11:30 am and 1:30 pm on September

23.

doesn’t exist any more. “My

search for belongingness has

ended and I am able to see the

truth,” he related of the third

painting.

This psychological aspect

and his search of belongingness

are shown through his artwork

where he has come to a

point of belonging to his surroundings

due to the realisation

with time, as per Bajracharya.

The colours in his paintings

like purple, blue, pink, orange,

yellow and more are used in a

subtle way in a flat background

without any flashiness which as

per Bajracharya reflect the expression

that is calm, balanced

and sober.

On the same day, artist Puran

Khadka launched a book Future

of History — penned by Bajracharya

and Malla. The book

has documented a collaborative

art project conducted by

Art’s Network Asia.

The exhibition is on till

October 5. — HNS

PAGE 9

Eminent Indian artists

through Dr Sen’s eyes

KATHMANDU: With an initiation

to build an alternative

platform and space for

artists and creative

thinkers, Kathmandu Quartet presented

a new book — Your History

Gets In The Way Of My Memory Essays

On Indian Artists.

The book penned by Dr Geeti

Sen, Director of the Indian Cultural

Centre, was launched during the

closing ceremony ‘Evolving Within’,

the second art exhibition of

Kathmandu Quartet that took

place at Nepal Art Council,

Babarmahal on September 20.

Indian Ambassador Jayant

Prasad launched the book published

by Harper Collins Publishers,

New Delhi which has already

been launched in India.

Kurchi Dasgupta, one of the

members of the group shared,

“Our group has realised the need

to give space to as many writers

and artists as possible. And the

launch of Dr Sen’s book of essays

that explores the lives of India’s celebrated

contemporary artists is

our first attempt to provide such a

space to creative works.”

During the launch, the author

gave an insightful lecture on eight

eminent Indian artists that have

Photos: THT

THT

been included in her book through

power point presentation.

Ganesh Pyne, MF Hussain, Anupam

Sud, Nilima Sheikh, Manjit

Bawa, Meera Mukherjee, Zarina

Hashmi and SH Raza are the artists

that the book talks about. “I became

biased and selected these

particular artists only as I know

them well where there are four

male and four female artists,” Dr

Sen revealed about her selection of

artists.

She added, “I feel deeply enriched

to know them personally

and I am happy that I got the opportunity

to understand them,

their work and even watch them

working.”

It was after 1971 when she was

“working as an art critic for Times

of India and then India Today” she

first met these artists and she “was

able to witness dynamic changes

in the art vocabulary in India”.

Her writings on art and artists

since then has brought Dr Sen

“into close association with the

artists who have now became

iconic figures”. And after reading

this book, as per Dr Sen, “that is

easily accessible, one can understand

these artists and their

works.” — HNS

PAGE 10 www.thehimalayantimes.com

Heroine

Genre: Drama

Director: Madhur Bhandarkar

Cast: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun

Rampal, Randeep Hooda,

Shahana Goswami, Ranveer

Shorey, Govind Namdeo

Being screened at theatres

near you

MUMBAI: Somewhere

deep within

the corroding

flamboyance of

filmdom, there is a

tale of heartbreaking compromises

and immorality tucked away

from the naked, tearless eye. Madhur

Bhandarkar nearly gets to the

nerve centre of that world, and

then pulls back just before he’s really

gotten there.

Heroine lacks a centre, sometimes

even a focus as it tries to

cram in too many incidents,

episodes, scandals, controversies

and plain absurdities that are an

integral part of Bollywood, so

much so that the first hour or so

gets suffocatingly airtight.

And then you realise towards

the end, that the world of the superstar

Mahi Khanna traps the

star, makes her a puppet of success,

traps her in a web of deceit

and finally throws her into a whirlwind

of vapourous deceptions.

The closing moments have that

gut-wrenching element which

made Bhandarkar’s Chandni Bar,

Page 3 and Fashion among the

more sensitive dramas in recent

times.

Mahi is shattered forlorn and

bereft, trapped in a car surrounded

by merciless television journalists.

As the haunting background

score by Salim-Sulaiman builds up

to a shattering crescendo, Mahi’s

THT TALKIES

hands fold together in a plea of

mercy. In moments our hearts

bleed for Mahi.

Kareena Kapoor in the best performance

of her career so far, leads

Mahi’s character through the

murky labyrinth of ambition, rivalry

and self-destructive tricks of

survival in the rat race. Though her

character is inconsistent (suffering,

we are told, from bipolar disorder

or is it just the writer’s va-

Nilima Maden crowned first Miss Limbu

KATHMANDU: September

22 was a historic

day for the

Limbu community

of Nepal and outside as they

got their First Miss Limbu.

Outnumbering 27 participants,

Nilima Maden became

the first Miss Limbu after

she took the title of Spark

Miss Limbu 2012 at an event

held at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi.

Following Maden, Dr

Alisha Wanem took the first

runner-up title while Alina

Thalang was judged the second

runner-up.

In the last question and

answer round, the top seven

finalists were asked to give

their opinion on “Love

makes life prosperous at the

same time it destroys your

life. Do you agree with this?”

to which Maden answered,

“Love makes life blissful but

THT-DOKU-1210

SUDOKU-1400

also destroys it because love

evolves in selflessness. Love

is the essence of purity, innocence

and commitment, it

inspires to spread love and

motivates to stay alive without

selfishness. So, I believe

purity prepares my soul for

love and love chooses my

soul in purity.”

As the winner, Maden won

Rs 50,000 while Wanem won

Rs 25,000 and Thalang took

home Rs 15,000. There were

other prizes as well for the

three main winners along

with trophies and crowns.

Organised by Yakthung

Youth Association, the

pageant was judged by actor

Rajesh Hamal, choreographer

Jayan Subba, Academician

Amar Tumyang, former

Tourism Minister Yankila

Sherpa, among others.

The pageant began with an

garies?) Kapoor

furnishes the

heroine’s character

with a

rare vulnerability

and an exceptional

inner

life.

In the film’s

rawest moments

when

the star’s mask

peels off comp

l e t e l y ,

Kapoor’s face

shows that

stricken expression

of

naked panic and abject solitude

that one last saw in the performance

of Tabu in Mira Nair’s The

Namesake after her husband’s

sudden death.

Stardom kills you bit by bit.

Kapoor bravely undertakes Mahi’s

perilous journey from the top to

the bottom of the star-ladder. This

is Kapoor’s most fearless performance

to date.

Interestingly this is the second

film in three weeks where a des-

introduction round where

the participants showcased

their culture, language and

capabilities. Then the competition

came out to Top 15

from which the Top 7 finalists

were chosen. The audience

also got to witness fashion,

dances and song performances

in the competition.

With the announcement

of the winner, central member

of the organising team

Deo Kumar Limbu expressed,

“I am relieved now.

We were under so much

pressure.” As per him, Miss

Limbu was dreamt 12 years

ago. Now it has materialised

“to give platform and identity

to our women”.

“What could be better

than Miss Limbu when we

have our culture, language,

tradition, dress to showcase?”

asked Limbu. — HNS

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

HOW TO SOLVE THT-DOKU: Place numbers into the puzzle cells in such a

way that each row and column contains each of the digits from 1 up to 5.

Like a Sudoku puzzle, no number is repeated in any row or column. Each

bold-outlined group of cells contains a hint consisting of a number

and one of the mathematical symbols — + x - /. The number is the result

of applying the mathematical operation represented by the symbol

to the digits contained within the domain.

YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

HOW TO SOLVE: Every number from 1 to 9 must appear

in each of the 9 vertical columns, in each of the

9 horizontal rows and in each of the 9 boxes

THT

MIXED FARE

Another tale

of desperate

falling star

perate falling star resorts to the

dirtiest of measures to retrieve her

stardom. Raaz ki baat to yeh hai ki

Heroine sidesteps all the cliches of

the film industry even while

plonking the plot pat into those

predictable places.

So does Bhandarkar’s film exaggerate

the sham that underlines

the shindig of showbiz? The answer

is, yes. Heroine is guilty of

gross excesses. There are too many

unnecessary characters,specially

in the first-half bustling around in

clumsily staged ramp shows,

awards functions and filmy parties

claiming our attention.

Once Bhandarkar and his cowriters

Manoj Tyagi, Nilanjan

Iyenger and Anuradha Tiwary get

over their look-we-know-showbizin-and-out

fetish, the narrative finally

settles down to telling us

Mahi’s story vis-a-vis the two men

in her life, the star Aryan Khanna

(Arjun Rampal) and the cricketer

Angad Pal (Randeep Hooda).

Though Rampal’s character reminded

me of Arbaaz Khan in

Bhandarkar’s Fashion, both are

characters despite their uni-di-

mensional nature and are brought

to life by two of our most interesting

actors today.

At least three other stand-out

performances that burnish Bhandarkar’s

flawed but fabulous film

are those by Divya Dutt playing

Mahi’s ruthless business manager

who occasionally surprises herself

by feeling real emotions for the

fast-fading actress, Ranveer

Shorey as the eccentric egomaniacal

arthouse filmmaker from Bengal

and Shahana Goswami as

Mahi’s Bengali co-actor in one of

the film’s finest episodes when

Mahi, in a defiant attempt to show

she is star who can act, has a disastrous

trust with realistic cinema.

In fact, Goswami and Kapoor

share some of the film’s most special

moments. Bhandarkar overjuices

some of the film’s sensual

possibilities, under-develops

some of the more engrossing characters,

for example the yesteryear’s’

star played by Helen.

The love-making scenes are

done fitfully and hastily. And the

dialogues are spoken by the actors

in the tone of a radio play. The dialogues

could have been far more

powerful. Instead they try to shock

with a casual candour that fails to

ignite the scenes.

But Heroine still works, and

works wonderfully in some places.

There’s an inconsistency to the

storytelling that works effectively

in putting the protagonist’s flawed

and fractured character into a pulsating

perspective wherein we can

no longer distinguish between the

fatal flaws of the main character

and the action and reactions that

have been written to define her

flawed existence. The film is

flawed, but also bewildering, beguiling

and beautiful. — IANS

DIAMONDS

AND DRESSES

KATHMANDU: The ramp was set,

everybody was seated and eagerly

awaited to get one glimpse of

Zeenat Aman, those glorious diamond

jewelleries along with a good fashion

show at the Classic Diamond Jewelry

Fashion Show, 2012 and the programme

started ‘on time’ on September 21 at Hotel

Yak and Yeti.

The first sequence was Short Dresses.

Paired with with diamond, ruby and

emerald jewelleries, models looked stunning,

but below the neck, dresses were

disappointing. It was all the more disappointing

because you don’t expect such

designs from Vivek Upadhyaya. The bar

definitely rises when his name is attached.

There was nothing new in the collection,

the colours were black and white,

though Chanel has set a benchmark with

this combination, it didn’t quite work

here.

The second sequence was Cocktail,

again the jewelleries mesmerised everyone.

But out of all the pieces, the one with

pearl stood out — it looked timeless. You

perhaps saw your grandmother adorn it

and it still looks fashionable in this era.

Sticking to the sequence title, the dresses

were well fitted, cut right, flowy, but again

would you wear it, was a big question.

Materials used were georgette, chiffon,

Chinese silk satin, net and Indian silk velvet

with floral and animal prints (lots of

it). All the dresses were tube or one shoulder

or strings. The reason for it was “to

showcase the jewelleries the demand was

such,” says Upadhyaya.

Unfortunately, the velvet dresses

looked very gaudy. Yes, it is stretch velvet

and it accentuates the figure, but the Capital

may not be ready for this just yet. “Precisely

the reason why I used this material,

it hasn’t been used, but it is great. Besides

winter is approaching and

it’s a good material for the

season where you won’t

be worried about being

cold and look stylish.”

Finally it was time for

the last sequence —

Bridal Collection. Ethnic

wear being Upadhyaya’s

forte, this sequence was a

breath of fresh air. It was

loud, but there was elegance,

it was flamboyant,

but was chic and every

bride would want to give

anything to wear and own

at least one lehenga, sari

or sherwani from this collection.

Even the jewelleries

were grand and

looked royal with lots of

chokers — diamond studded

to go.

Upadhyaya again used

the velvet here, which was

something new and it

somehow worked well in

sari than in a dress. The

colour combination was

brown and pink, which

didn’t look bad and the

golden blouse was

something to flaunt —

beautiful.

This being the last sequence,

Aman’s entry was

evident, but when she

walked the ramp, she

Photos: THT

donned in Rehan Shah’s

design, the choreographer of the show

who is also a designer from India.

Does this bother you? Is a question that

had to be raised and Upadhyaya answered,

“No it doesn’t. It is an understanding

with Classic Diamond that the showstopper

will wear his design and I am fine

with it.”

Fashion show is about something innovative

and sometimes reinventing from

the old, which Upadhyaya and Classic Diamond

Jewellers brought forth and till the

next year we can only anticipate what will

happen. — HNS

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

YOUR LUCK

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This year you experience a lot of ups and downs. If

you can remain flexible, you will start to enjoy the ever-changing daily

life you experience. Do not resist the inevitable; instead, flow with it. If

you are single, you might not view a relationship as being long-term until

it has lasted for at least a year. Keep that in mind as time goes on. You

could meet one potential suitor after another. If you are attached, the two

of you perpetually renegotiate your needs, as your desires always are

changing. Accept rather than judge. Let go of rules and boundaries.

CAPRICORN can be a burden.

A baby born today has a Sun in Libra and a Moon in Capricorn all day.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Once more, you seem to be

called upon to handle a pivotal situation or meeting.You

could be surprised by someone’s reaction, but you’ll

choose to continue as you have been.You also might want

to let someone else step up to plate; there is nothing wrong with that.

Tonight: Get a head start on tomorrow.

This Week: You will think a lot about a friendship. ✹✹✹

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Reach out to a friend who

might be experiencing an unusual amount of tumultuousness.You

could decide that a trip is in order. Ultimately, it is

your decision. Clarify communication, whether it is to confirm

a meeting time or express your feelings.

Tonight: Catch up on email.

This Week: A lot of people are asking you to perform. ✹✹✹✹✹

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Take the time for one special

person in your life. Make sure your plans include them, if

possible.You will see your bond become stronger for this

effort.At the same time, clarify a misunderstanding.

Tonight: Togetherness works.

This Week: Keep smiling and say little, no matter how preposterous

someone becomes. ✹✹✹✹

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You might decide to revamp

your plans because of someone’s mood. Make this change

OK, because in the long run, both of you will be happier

without a collision. Clarify a misunderstanding. Explain

what you meant, but don’t make any accusations.

Tonight: Invite friends over for dinner.

This Week: If you want to get results, work with others directly. ✹✹✹✹

LEO (July 23-Aug 22): You might want to avoid social

events, as you’re a little tired and withdrawn.After reading

the Sunday paper, throw yourself into a favourite pastime.

Make sure you do for you right now, as you will be very

busy soon.

Tonight: Avoid complications.

This Week: Others want to take control. Take this opportunity to free

yourself up. ✹✹✹

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22): Be spontaneous, and you’ll discover

that a loved one will meet you halfway.Avoid a misunderstanding

by confirming what you have heard, especially

if it feels off. Use the intensity of the moment to bond

more closely with a child or loved one.

Tonight: Forget tomorrow; live now.

This Week: You are a sign about work and duty. You get to show off your

skills this week. ✹✹✹✹✹

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22): Invite a friend or family member

over.You like visiting others, but right now you are particularly

comfortable at home. Squeeze in a walk or fit in some

exercise in order to reduce stress. Share the current good

feelings.

Tonight: Order in.

This Week: Mix intellect with creativity. ✹✹✹✹

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): Reach out for a close relative,

especially if you have not spent time together or chatted

on the phone in a while.You love catching up on this person’s

news. Revamp your plans, as someone needs you

and clearly asks for your time.

Tonight: Swap weekend stories.

This Week: Stay close to home.You need to be easily found. ✹✹✹✹✹

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): You might want to check

on the total cost of a major purchase.The variation in the

prices and types of the object might force you to rethink

your original idea.The unexpected occurs with a family

member.

Tonight: Make it your treat

This Week: Telling it like it is means really telling it the way you see it.

Learn to accept other views. ✹✹✹✹

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): You are on top of your

game. Others seem to sense your inner strength and collectiveness.As

a result, they’ll seek you out. Revise your

schedule, as a more exciting offer heads your way. Follow

through on your heartfelt desires.

Tonight: As you like.

This Week: You always are careful with taking financial risks. Be even

more careful this week. ✹✹✹✹✹

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): Kick back and share more of

what you’re thinking — but only after the other person reveals

more of what is on his or her mind.You do not need

to make yourself unnecessarily vulnerable.A judgment

might be off, which you will discover later.

Tonight: Early to bed.

This Week: You hit your power days. Go for what you want. ✹✹✹

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Throw your hat in the ring.

Get together with friends for a ballgame or a movie.You’ll

discover how contagious someone’s mood is. Do not hesitate

to change your plans in order to accommodate a sudden

invitation.

Tonight: You could go on and on.

This Week: Hatch ideas rather than act on them ... at least until

Friday. ✹✹✹✹✹

BORN TODAY: Founder of Roman Empire Augustus Caesar (63 B.C.), founder of

the Yuan Dynasty Kublai Khan (1215), musician Ray Charles (1930)

By Jacqueline Bigar

Note: Bigar’s Stars is based on the degree of your sun at birth.The sign name

is simply a label astrologers put on a set of degrees for convenience.

For best results, readers should refer to the dates following each sign.

Balan, beau to marry in December

MUMBAI: Bollywood’s leading and the national

award-winning actress Vidya Balan has a steady

relationship with Siddharth Roy Kapur, UTV

CEO. Sources say, now it is all right with each other and

both have planned to take their relationship to the next

level. Balan and Kapur are planning for marriage by the

end of this year, most likely December. Balan is 34 and Kapur

is 38. Sources say that their family members wanted

the pair to marry soon, hence both have opted for December

wedding. But, there is no official announcement yet.

They have been dating since they met each other last year

on the sets of No one killed Jessica.

Balan publicly announced her bond with Kapur last

year; she confirmed her relationship with him saying that

she was dating him but nothing beyond that. — Agencies

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com

INTERNATIONAL

• THE WORLD OVER

The Space Shuttle Endeavour being

escorted by two F-18 jets as it passes

the Hollywood sign on the back of a

NASA 747 in Los Angeles on Friday.

Clean chit to Pak girl

Reuters

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani police official

says no incriminating evidence

has been found that a young Christian

girl desecrated Islam’s holy book.

But Munir Jaffery said his final report

filed with an Islamabad court on Saturday

showed there is indication that

the cleric of a nearby mosque tampered

with evidence by putting pages

of a Quran into a shopping bag the

girl had been carrying. The case

gained huge attention because of the

girl’s age and questions about her

mental capacity. It was also a rare instance

where someone was held responsible

for an apparently false accusation.

Officials arrested the imam,

and the girl was freed on bail. The final

police report backs earlier revelations

and will likely bolster the defence’s

plans to have the entire case

thrown out. — AP

Drone kills four

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani intelligence

officials say a US drone has fired two

missiles at a vehicle in northwest Pakistan,

killing four suspected militants.

The officials say the attack took place

Saturday in Mohammed Khel village

in the North Waziristan tribal region

bordering Afghanistan. They say the

identities and nationalities of the

slain men was not immediately

known and their agents are trying to

get more details. The two officials

spoke on condition of anonymity because

they were not authorised to

speak to reporters. The latest attack

comes despite Pakistani demands to

halt the missile strikes. It also comes

at a time when Pakistani Foreign

Minister Hina Rabbani Khar is visiting

Washington to discuss a range of

issues, including how to resolve differences

over US drone attacks in

Pakistan. — AP

Two UK soldiers die

LONDON: Britain’s defence ministry

says two soldiers have died in separate

incidents in southern

afghanistan. The ministry said on Friday

that neither incident is being

treated as a result of ‘hostile action’

and investigations into the circumstances

are ongoing. One soldier

from the 104 Force Support Battalion

was attached to 4 Close Support Battalion,

Royal Electrical and Mechanical

Engineers and died at Camp Bastion

in Helmand Province, according

to the defence ministry. — AP

Associated Press

Washington, September 22

The world’s leaders are

gathering in New York, but

President Barack Obama

has no plans to meet privately

with any of them.

He will make time for

The View, a freewheeling

TV talk show more likely to

reach voters than Obama

would with the diplomacy

he is skipping at the United

Nations.

Just six weeks until the

election, the realities and

priorities of campaign politics

hang prominently

over Obama’s final turn on

the world stage before facing

voters. Unlike his predecessors,

he is skipping

the face-to-face meetings

with counterparts where

much of the UN works gets

done, leaving Secretary of

State Hillary Rodham Clinton

to pick up more of

those sessions herself.

Obama’s itinerary on

Monday and Tuesday is

compressed so that he can

get back to campaigning in

some of the most contested

states such as Ohio and

Virginia. Obama’s address

to the UN General Assembly,

while avoiding any references

to Republican rival

Mitt Romney, will be

viewed in more of an election

context by many observers.

Those include the

more than 130 heads of

state and government who

are keenly interested in

who will be in the

White House next year.

Obama’s two worlds will

collide in his speech Tuesday.

He will have a chance

to distinguish his world vision

from Romney’s at a

time when foreign crises

have intruded in an

election focused primarily

on the economy.

Obama campaign officials

privately welcome the

imagery of the president

commanding the UN stage

and making his case about

a stronger US position in

the world. But the speech

is less anticipated this year,

seeming also to be

squeezed into a pursuit of

a second term built more

US seeks to shore up relations with Pakistan

Associated Press

Washington, September 22

The Obama administration

sought today to shore up already

tense US ties with Pakistan

amid massive, violent

anti-American protests in several

Pakistani cities over an

It is important for

responsible leaders,

responsible people

everywhere, to stand

Your condemnation

has given a strong

message that US has

absolutely no support

Protesters, cops clash in B’desh

Associated Press

Dhaka, September 22

Scores of people were injured

today in a clash in

anti-Islam film produced in

the United States.

With protests still smouldering

in some areas of Pakistan

and speak out against

violence

for such blasphemous

videos or content

Bangladesh’s capital between

police and hundreds of

demonstrators, as protests

continued in the Muslim

on a holiday specially created

world against a film produced

for peaceful demonstrations,

in the United States that deni-

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham

Clinton called on ‘responsible

leaders’ everywhere to ex-

Hillary Clinton

US Secretary of State

Hina Rabbani Khar

Pakistan Foreign Minister

grates Islam’s Prophet

Muhammad.

The film has sparked vioplicitly

condemn violence

lent protests throughout the

sparked by the video. But Pak- go a long way to ending the vi- advance their own extremist Muslim world that resulted in

istani Foreign Minister Hina olence on many streets on the ideologies,” Clinton said.

the deaths of dozens, includ-

Rabbani Khar, standing beside world,” she said, finishing her The State Department had ing the US ambassador to

Clinton at the State Department,

ignored the invitation.

Instead, Khar focused her remarks

entirely on the film,

remarks on the subject and

turning then to the broader

state of US-Pakistan relations.

Clinton, who spoke before

no immediate comment on

Khar’s remarks. Spokeswoman

Victoria Nuland had told reporters

before the meeting

Libya. In Bangladesh, police

fired tear gas and used batons

today to disperse the stonethrowing

protesters, who

AFP / RSS

A cop arresting a man protesting against an anti-Islam film

in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on Saturday.

which Muslims believe is blas- Khar, repeated her denuncia- that she believed Pakistani were from about a dozen Isphemous.

She thanked Presition of the film but made it President Asif Ali Zardari had lamic groups.

since yesterday, when more group — marched through Isdent

Barack Obama and Clin- clear she was looking for con- spoken against violence last The protesters burned sev- than 2,000 people marched lamabad’s streets and then

ton for speaking out against demnation of the violence week and that Khar would be eral vehicles, including a po- and burned an effigy of Presi- gathered near Parliament,

the video and making clear it which has wracked Pakistan making ‘public statements’ to lice van, witnesses said. dent Barack Obama.

chanting slogans against the

did not have the support of the for the past two days but not that effect with Clinton on Fri- Dozens of protesters were The protesters announced filmmaker and demanding

US government. But she avoid- yet resulted in any damage or day.

arrested at the demonstration a nationwide general strike stern punishment for him.

ed direct criticism of the vio- attacks on US diplomatic mis- In Pakistan, where more and inside the nearby Nation- tomorrow to protest the po- Thousands of people also

lence.sions

there, as has happened than 20 people died yesterday al Press Club, where particilice action.

protested today in Nigeria’s

“The condemnation of this in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and in clashes with police in cities pants took refuge, a Dhaka In Pakistan, protests con- largest city, Kano. The crowd

blasphemous video, which has Yemen.

throughout the country, a Cab- Metropolitan Police official tinued today, with more than marched from a mosque to

certainly stoked the sensitivi- “We found the video... offeninet minister offered a said on condition of 1,500 people, including the palace of the Emir of

ties of the Muslims, goes a long sive, disgusting and reprehen- $100,000 reward for the death anonymity in line with police women and children, rallying Kano, the region’s top spiritual

way,” Khar said. “Your consible, but that does not provide of the filmmaker.

policy. Police and witnesses in Pakistan’s capital. The leader for Muslims.

demnation has given a strong justification for violence, and Railways Minister Ghulam said scores of people were in- crowd was peaceful but angry About 200 students in Sri-

message that the United States therefore it is important for re- Ahmad Balor told The Associjured. over the release of the video nagar, the main city in Kash-

government not only consponsible leaders, indeed reated Press that he would pay The clash erupted when au- called Innocence of Muslims, mir, chanted ‘Down with

demns it, but has absolutely no sponsible people everywhere, the reward out of his own thorities attempted to halt the which portrays Prophet America’ and ‘Long live Islam’

support for such blasphemous to stand and speak out against pocket. He urged the Taliban demonstration, police said. Muhammad as a fraud, a in a peaceful protest. Some

videos or content anywhere.” violence and particularly and al-Qaeda to perform the Authorities have banned all womaniser and a child moles- carried a placard that read,

“I think that is a strong mes- against those who would ex- ‘sacred duty’ of helping locate protests near the city’s main ter. The protesters — from the ‘There is no God but Allah and

sage, and that message should ploit this difficult moment to and kill the filmmaker.

Baitul Mokarram mosque Minhaj-ul-Quran religious Muhammad is his messenger’

Dutch town Facebook

party turns to rioting

Associated Press

Amsterdam, September 22

Thousands of revellers descended

on a small Dutch

town sparking a riot after a

party invitation posted on

Facebook went viral, authorities

said today.

Prosecutor Hessel Schuth

said 34 people were arrested

were arrested yesterday night

and in the early hours of this

morning and would be prosecuted

for public order offences.

Several people were injured,

but none were believed

to be seriously hurt.

“Scum ran amok in our

town,” said Rob Bats, mayor of

Haren, 185 kilometres north of

Amsterdam. “An innocent invitation

on Facebook for a party

led to serious rioting, destruction,

plundering, arson and injuries

in the middle of Haren,”

Obama, in election mode,

tightens his UN diplomacy

AP / RSS

President Barack Obama swings with an imaginary

bat as he arrives on stage to speak at a campaign event

at G Richard Pfitzner Stadium on Friday.

on domestic concerns.

Obama is expected to

explain, explore and defend

US engagement in the

world as anti-American

rage has run high in many

nations, fueled by anti-

Muslim film that was made

in the United States but

unconnected to and denounced

by Obama’s administration.

At the UN, Obama will

try to differentiate himself

from Romney by projecting

a less aggressive tone

toward the world, while

also defending America

and not seeming like an

apologist, said Shibley Telhami,

a Middle East scholar

and senior fellow at the

Brookings Institution.

he said.

Bats said an initial analysis

showed a core group of rioters

‘were very violent and wellprepared

and deliberately

sought confrontation’ with

hundreds of police who had

been dispatched to the town

amid fears of trouble.

Dutch media reported that

the party originally was

planned as a small celebration

by a 16-year-old girl but her invitation

went viral when she

posted it on Facebook.

Some of the people arriving

in Haren yesterday wore Tshirts

emblazoned with ‘Project

X Haren’, a reference to the

film Project X that portrayed an

out-of-control party.

Today, another Facebook

group sprang up called Project

Clean-X Haren, urging people

to help clear up the debris littering

the town’s streets.

Libya killings

were terrorist

attack: Clinton

Associated Press

Washington, September 22

Secretary of State Hillary

Rodham Clinton says it was a

‘terrorist attack’ that killed

the American ambassador to

Libya and three others, and

she says the US will not rest

until those responsible are

brought to justice.

Clinton told reporters yesterday

at the State Department

that ‘what happened in

Benghazi was a terrorist attack’.

“The US would track

down the terrorists who

murdered four Americans.”

she said.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported

that an Islamist militia

was driven out of the city

of Benghazi early today in a

surge of protest against the

armed groups that control

large parts of Libya more

than a year after the overthrow

of Moammar Gadhafi.

A spokesman for Ansar al-

Sharia said the group had

evacuated its bases in Benghazi

‘to preserve security in

the city’. In a dramatic sign of

Libya’s fragility, after sweeping

through the base the

crowd went on to attack a

pro-government militia, believing

them to be Islamists,

triggering an armed response

in which at least 11

people were killed and more

than 60 wounded.

Ansar al-Sharia has been

linked to the attack on the

US consulate in Benghazi

last week.

Rebels down fighter jet in north Syria

Reuters

Amman, September 22

Rebel fighters trying to oust

President Bashar al-Assad

shot down a fighter jet as it

flew over the northern Syrian

town of Atarib in Idlib

province, a witness said.

The witness, an independent

journalist who asked to

remain anonymous, said

rebel fighters were attacking

a military base near the

town when the jet flew over

and rebels shot it down with

anti-aircraft guns.

Vastly outgunned, rebels

say they need surface-to-air

missiles to take down

planes and helicopters used

by the Syrian military to

bombard opposition

strongholds. Fighters use

outdated anti-aircraft machine

guns that are welded

to pickup trucks but they

are inaccurate and useless if

the military aircraft fly

above a certain altitude. Despite

calling for Assad to

step down, the West is wary

of arming rebel groups.

PAGE 11

PAGE 12 www.thehimalayantimes.com

Business

• BIZ BRIEFS

AceTravels expands

THT

KATHMANDU: AceTravels.com, a

travel brand of the country, has

opened 11 branches across the country.

It is the first time in Nepal that a

single travel agency owns a dozen

branches, it said. Former president of

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of

Commerce and Industry Kush Kumar

Joshi inaugurated the branches in Biratnagar,

Dharan, Birtamod, Banepa

outside the Kathmandu valley, and at

New Baneshwor, Pulchowk, Thamel,

Kalimati, Swayambhu, Tinkune and

Maharajgunj inside the valley at an

event in the capital. The company, established

on September 21, 2009, has

more than 50,000 satisfied customers

and 150 dedicated employees. It

plans to promote more destinations

inside the country targeting domestic

as well as outbound tourists in the

near future. — HNS

Saurabh’s scheme

KATHMANDU: Saurabh Photo International

that distributes international

and national brands including

Konka, Asano and well acknowledged

brand, Force in the domestic market

has launched a new scheme ‘Swatta

koryo, Phyatta Paryo’ targeting

Dashain and Tihar. Under the

scheme, the company will be giving a

scratch coupon on every purchase of

refrigerator, LED/CRT TV, washing

machine and de-freezer Konka,

Asano and Force brands. The customer

can win 19”, 22”, 24”, 32” and

42” LED TV, washing machine (semi

automatic), vacuum cleaner, woofer,

stand fan, rice cooker, Force

dry/steam iron, and cash prizes. — HNS

Tri-Nation Escape

KATHMANDU: Mahindra and

Mahindra and JK Tyre sponsored first

edition of ‘Tri-Nation Escape 2012’ ––

organised by Mahindra Adventure ––

that had flagged off on September 11

from Delhi has completed its adventure

in Nepal and India, and has now

headed towards Bhutan. The adventure,

participated by 27 expeditionready

vehicles, will conclude on Saturday

in Bagdogra, India. The expedition

covered the beautiful and mystical

land of Nepal and is now in

Bhutan, the land of the thunder dragon.

This ultimate test of endurance

for both man and machine gives participants

the chance to experience

magnificent landscapes, it said. –– HNS

Diplomatic fair

KATHMANDU: The Department of

International Relations and Cooperation

recently organised a Diplomatic

Fair in Union Building, Pretoria,

South Africa. The objectives of the

fair were to strengthen diplomatic relations

between South Africa and

other countries and also to educate

the South African society about different

cultures in the world. About 45

embassies and high commissions

participated in the fair including the

Nepali embassy. Among them nine

embassies participated with their

cultural groups. Inaugurating the fair,

deputy minister of international relations

and cooperation Ebrahim

Ebrahim said that the fair was not

only aimed at experiencing different

cultures, but also at bringing government,

diplomats and ordinary people

together. Ambassador of Nepal to

South Africa Arun Prasad Dhital presented

a souvenir to the deputy minister

when he visited the Nepal stall.

Nepali woollen carpets, woollen

shawls, handicraft goods, Nepali tea

and Nepal’s tourism promotion materials

were displayed at the fair. — HNS

• FOREX RATES

The foreign exchange rates for September 23 as fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank are as follows:

CURRENCY UNIT BUYING (in Rs.) SELLING (in Rs.)

Swiss Franc 1 91.65 92.29

Australian Dollar 1 89.49 90.12

Canadian Dollar 1 87.70 88.32

Singapore Dollar 1 69.87 70.36

Saudi Arab Riyal 1 22.79 22.95

Qatari Riyal 1 23.48 23.64

Thai Bhat 1 2.77 2.79

UAE Dihram 1 23.27 23.44

Malaysian Ringit 1 27.97 28.16

Swedish Krona 1 13.08

Danish Krona 1 14.89

Hong Kong Dollar 1 11.03

Note: Under the present system the open market exchange rates quoted by

different /commercial banks may differ.

LPG bottlers seek more facilities

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

A committee formed by the government

to study the current

commission structure of LPG

bottling plants is in a dilemma

due to the mounting pressure

from bottlers to increase commission

and other profits.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

(LPG) bottling plants have started

putting pressure on the government

to increase the existing

commission rate and other facilities

being provided, a member

of the committee said.

The nexus between bottling

• BRAND WATCH

plants, top bureaucrats and

politicians has created pressure

on the committee to raise the

existing commission rate, the

source added.

Preliminary calculation has

shown that the committee will

recommend the government to

raise the existing commission

rate under some headings, said

head of the committee and under

secretary at the Ministry of

Commerce and Supplies Nutaraj

Pokharel. However, he did not

disclose the details of the revision.

The committee will publish

the report soon, he said.

Earlier, the committee had

claimed that bottling plants

have been receiving expenses

from the government to distribute

salaries to employees,

change the valve of LPG cylinders,

and pay the interest of the

loan taken when setting up the

plant. “All the facilities being

provided to bottling plants are

irrational and the committee

will try to lower it,” a member of

the committee said.

Bottling plants have been

receiving expenses even to provide

bonus to their employees

and for other administrative

costs, the member said.

The government had formed

AFP / RSS

Apple Store employees creating a tunnel for customers as they are allowed into the shop

to buy the new iPhone 5 at Covent Garden in London, on Saturday.

Three new Ford vehicles roll in

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

GO Ford surprised everyone

with the unveiling of three

new vehicles — the all-new

Ranger from Thailand, and

Focus and Kuga from Germany

— from the international

Ford stable.

Following Ford’s worldwide

‘One Ford’ strategy and

new slogan ‘Go Further’,

world-class models like the

all-new Fiesta has already

been launched in Nepal.

Manufactured in Thailand,

the all-new Ranger is the latest

in a wave of global products

driven by the ‘One Ford’

strategy. Designed and engineered

and based on a new

global compact truck platform,

Ranger has been transformed

to assert true pick-up

truck leadership, it said,

claiming that totally new

from the ground up, the allnew

Ranger is designed to be

a segment defining vehicle

with proven durability, outstanding

capability, advanced

technologies and exceptional

fuel efficiency.

Its innovative interior offers

more room and practical

storage areas, besides being

equipped with a whole list of

smart technologies such as

Bluetooth®1 with Voice Control.

“Ranger Double Cab

model delivers best-in-class

leg room and knee clearance

in the second row,” it added.

It has high payload capacity

as its outstanding ground

clearance of up to 237mm

and class-leading waterwading

capability of 800mm

boost its off-road capability.

It delivers refined ride, confident

handling and interiors.

Similarly, manufactured in

Germany, the Ford Focus is

the world’s best-selling car of

2012. In the first half of 2012,

Ford Focus sold 489,616

units, besting Toyota Corolla.

The latest Focus is Ford’s bid

to produce a vehicle that

could be sold in its basic

form all around the world.

Following an unprecedented

global development

programme under the company’s

‘One Ford’ strategy,

Focus demonstrates how

Ford can scale to meet the

universal needs of worldwide

customers, while fine tuning

to suit regional preferences.

Distinguished by its sleek

and sporty design, Focus is

packed with affordable technologies

and features. It offers

high standards of quality

and craftsmanship and

class-leading fuel economy.

Manufactured in Germany,

Kuga, also dubbed by

Ford as the ‘Smarter Utility

Vehicle’ for its fuel economy,

versatility and new technology

that makes driving easier

and more fun, Kuga has a

sleek and modern design.

An innovative technology

that sets Kuga apart is its

hands-free automatic

tailgate that can be opened

and closed by sweeping a

foot under rear bumper. It is

a resounding proof of the

global ‘One Ford’ strategy

that maximises single-platform

commonality and

leverages global economies

of scale.

the committee following a strike

called by LP Gas Association

Nepal in the beginning of August

to put pressure on the government

to fulfill their 16-point demand.

The government and the

association had agreed to form

the committee to study whether

the government should raise the

commission rate along with

transportation cost.

Nepal Oil Corporation has

been providing Rs 105.81 for

transportation cost, Rs 1.39 for

technical loss, Rs 56 as dealer

commission, and Rs 50 as insurance

cost and technical loss on a

cylinder of cooking gas.

Govt proposes

handicraft village

at Kharipati

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

The government is finally gearing up to

develop a handicraft village in Kharipati,

Bhaktapur.

Handicraft industrialists had previously

wanted the handicraft village to be

developed in the Himal Cement Factory

area, but things did not work out due to

various issues. However, the government

later proposed the area occupied

by Nepal Electricity Authority in Kharipati,

Bhaktapur to develop the handicraft

village.

“We are delighted with the government’s

decision and we are also looking

forward to its future strategy regarding

the development of a handicraft village

in the proposed area,” said president of

Federation of Handicraft Associations of

Nepal (FHAN) Bikash Ratna Dhakwa.

“The government will form a committee

within a week, which will study on

how the handicraft village can be best

managed,” Dhakwa said. The committee

will also work in selecting partners

for the handicraft village under the

Public Private Partnership model.

Earlier, the government had formed a

three-member taskforce under the coordination

of joint secretary at the secretariat

of Council of Ministers, joint secretary

from the Ministry of Commerce

and Supplies, and a member of the Federation

of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce

and Industry.

Eco Park is a concept developed by

Nepal Business Forum to improve the

handicraft sector. Meanwhile, the private

sector has also proposed to develop

an international convention centre and

handicraft village with the reference of

the location and the estimated cost.

FHAN had earlier planned to develop

a handicraft village that would

have 12 products with one product having

one cluster and 20 enterprises. The

plan also mentioned that the clusters

would comprise of metal craft, handmade

paper, woollen and silk carpets,

gems and jewellery, gold and silver,

wood carving, thanka and modern

painting, potteries and ceramics, stone

carving, pashmina and handloom, traditional

garments made of natural fabric,

and an auxiliary factory for accessories

that are required to manufacture

handicraft products.

Nepal has direct handicraft exports of

Rs 3 billion and indirect exports worth

Rs 4 billion annually. To promote Nepali

handicraft in the Indian market, the association

is also planning to organise a

trade fair which will include India as its

country partner.

“To promote Nepali handicrafts, we

have plans to choose one international

partner each year and this year India will

be our country partner,” said Dhakwa,

adding that India can be a major market

for Nepali handicraft products.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

• WEEKLY GOLD

PRICES IN RUPEES PER TOLA (11.664 GRAM)

(Source: Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association)

• WEEKLY SILVER

PRICES IN RUPEES PER TOLA (11.664 GRAM)

(Source: Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association)

• WEEKLY DOLLAR RATE

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Consumers and activists

have urged the government

to focus on enforcing

the maximum retail

price (MRP). Market monitoring

should be MRPcentric

for a full-fledged

implementation of the relief

programme, they said.

The government had set

the MRP of 15 essential

consumer goods to control

skyrocketing prices on

September 13 amid severe

criticism from the private

sector — Federation of

Nepalese Chambers of

Commerce and Industry,

and Confederation of

Nepalese Industries. However,

trader groups —

Nepal Chamber of Commerce,

and Nepal Retailers’

Association — had

agreed to support the government’s

initiative.

MRP has already been

published in the Nepal

Gazette, so it must be implemented,

said consumer

rights activist Jyoti

Baniya. “Market monitoring

mechanism of Department

of Commerce and

Supply Management

should lay more emphasis

on it,” he said, adding that

IN RUPEES

(Source: Nepal Rastra Bank)

Consumers urge

action on MRP

blindly believing the

traders will not work.

The department, in its

circular to the media on

September 14, had mentioned

that it had started

MRP monitoring from the

same day. However, it has

not punished a single trader

in the last one week. According

to the department,

there has been no

MRP violation in the market

till date. “We will take

immediate action if consumers

complain about

it,” said director general at

the department Narayan

Prasad Bidari.

However, consumers

have not felt any change in

the market. There is no

change in price due to the

MRP, said Binita Karki, a

housewife shopping at

Mangal Bazar of Lalitpur

sub-metropolis. “I bought

jira masino rice for Rs 58

kg today,” she said. However,

the MRP of one kg

jira masino is Rs 55.

Consumers in New

Baneshwor, Kalimati and

Anamnagar echoed Karki.

They said setting MRP is

not enough. “Strict monitoring

is a must to implement

it,” said a college

graduate Hirdaya Sapkota

at Anamnagar.

Nepse upbeat as shareholders try to cash in on dividends

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

418.90 points on Sunday afternoon

reached 420.83 points by

the end of the day. It further

| WEEKLY SHARE UPDATE |

highest number of transactions

with 578 transactions.

Trading of blue chip stocks

Hotel and Oriental Hotels.

Others gained 5.87 points as

Nepal Telecom gained Rs six

The expectation of dividends went up the next two days

–– shares of class ‘A’ companies per unit share. Commercial

has driven a majority of in- reaching 425.47 points by

–– amounted to 43.59 per cent banks lost 0.63 points, while fivestors

to purchase shares Tuesday. In the next two days,

of the total trading amounting nance companies and devel-

which has led to the bench- the index slid reaching 420.45

to Rs 274.4 million. The sensiopment banks gained 0.96

mark index sustaining at above points by the end of the week.

tive index that measures the points and 3.78 points, respec-

420 points throughout the This week, the market wit-

performance of blue chip tively. Insurance companies

week –– September 16 to 20. nessed transactions of 3.52

stocks gained 0.19 points. The earned 7.84 points. Manufac-

As almost half of the listed million unit shares worth Rs

indicator of the performance turing subgroup lost 32.51

banks, major hydropower 629.5 million of 125 companies

of actual shares traded –– float points as Unilever lost Rs 631

companies, development in 7028 transactions. The

index –– lost 0.02 points to per unit share.

banks and finance companies transaction volume has in-

reach 31.44 points.

The top five performers of

have announced dividends creased by 70.17 per cent and

Chilime Hydropower gained the week were Machha-

from last fiscal year’s earnings, the number of shares traded

Rs 35 per unit share, and both puchchhre Bank (Rs 158.39

shareholders trying to cash in

on the dividends before book

has gone up by about 30 times,

in comparison to last week, es-

(Figures in points. Source: Nepse)

Butwal Power Company and million), Chilime Hydropower

Arun Valley also were able (Rs 91.10 million), Arun Valley

closure are bidding higher for pecially, due to Machha-

to register gains pushing Hydropower (Rs 42.17 mil-

shares. The index earned 1.55 puchchhre Bank Ltd (MBL)’s nessed the highest transaction lion unit shares worth Rs 158.4 hydropower subgroup up by lion), Kist Bank (Rs 39.25 mil-

points this week.

share transactions.

volume and number of shares million. Chilime Hydropower 23.31 points. Hotels gained lion) and Everest Bank (Rs

The market that opened at This week, MBL shares wit- traded with trading of 1.86 mil- was the forerunner in terms of 22.61 points due to Soaltee 33.26 million).

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 www.thehimalayantimes.com

THTshopping shopping

shopping

destination

Sangita Shrestha

Kathmandu

Even though one says s/he

likes modern dress and

feels comfortable in casual

clothing, there is always a corner

in one’s heart to get all

dressed up in embroidered

shimmering attire. If you are

thinking of gorgeously embroidered

saris, kurtis, gowns, sherwanis

and so on, or even without

the embroidery, then head

towards Kupondole to get that

perfect look for you.

Variety galore

The Bagmati bridge that

starts from Thapathali ends at

Kupondole and from the end

point of the bridge you will be

able to see many stores and

boutiques that deal with attires,

mostly for females but at some

stores you will get attires for all

age groups. The stores namely

The New Saaranz, Envy Fashion,

Silk Sequence, Yes Mam

and Fashion Boutique Dot Com

are some stores where you can

get the traditional attires while

the Kupondole area is lined up

with numerous stores dealing

with traditional attires as well as

modern and you can get clothing

as per your need.

At these stores you can get

normal casual traditional attires

to partywear where the partywear

have embroidered works.

Moreover, at Silk Sequence, Yes

Mam and Fashion Boutique Dot

Com you can get gowns with

heavy embroidered attractive

work on its neckline that can be

made according to your size, or

you can just get the readymade

ones.

At Yes Mam, you will get sherwanis

for men and children.

Shradha Pal

Kathmandu

Remember

trying to

ride a cycle

for the first

time? You

bruised yourself, fell

down and lost count

after the sixth time; you would

be petrified if your sibling let go

of the cycle while you were on

it. Despite all this, when you finally

learn to ride it, happiness

knows no bounds. For a few

months, you don’t let go and

one day all the excitement will

vanish and the cycle will be a

piece of junk.

Perhaps this would have

been true a few years ago, not

anymore. Now it’s not only

about learning to ride, it’s

about knowing everything

about the bike — making,

cost, popularity, function,

taking care of it and so forth.

It’s about the sport and

falling in love with it!

If you can relate to the

words, you are looking for a

place to buy that perfect

cycle.

Photos: THT

Your options

Stores like Nepal Moun-

Shine ’n shimmer for all

The store also has jewelleries

and clutches. Anup Tandukar,

staff at the store informs, “The

readymade kurta-salwars, kurtis

and gowns for ladies are

available from size 36 to 42

inches and for men the size for

sherwani is 38 to 46 inches.”

About the designs for the attire

Shila Shrestha, owner of Silk

Sequence says, “We can design

as per the customer’s sample or

we can help them while choosing

according to their body

type.” A good option when you

are confused.

tain Bike Tours at Thamel, Himalayan

Single Track at Thamel and

Epic Mountain Bike at Jhamshikhel

can be your three options. All these

stores sell bikes of different brands.

At Nepal Mountain Bike Tours,

you will get Trek brand cycle with

4300 model, where the brand has 20

different models. “If you want another

model, you can order and will

be made available in seven days,”

adds Ranjan Rajbhandari, owner of

the store. But you will have to pay

the shipping cost plus tax along with

the cost of the bike.

Other than Trek there are other

ranges of the brand available called

Fuel, Superfly, Slash and Remedy,

which are the expensive ranges

from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. “At present

we already have 2013 model

(4300) which costs Rs 58,000,” says

Rajbhandari.

So how can one know if the products

are original or not? “Log on to

trekbikes.com, whatever is mentioned

on this official website is

what you get,” answers Rajbhandari.

Services provided are cleaning the

bike twice for free after purchase

from the store and “if some parts get

spoilt it will be repaired or replaced

where price varies according to the

parts”.

Another brand sold at Himalayan

Single Track is Giant, “which is an

American company and the products

here come from Taiwan. This

Getting the right fit

As these stores also are boutiques

you can choose from a

range of fabrics, consult with

the designers, get the measurement

and within one week your

clothes are ready. About the

kinds of fabric available at The

New Saaranz, Sanju Manandhar

owner of the store informs, “You

can find more than 15 kinds of

materials like cotton, linen, brocade,

velvet, silk, raw silk, cotton

silk, crepe and so on.”

A customer here Joyti Basnet

expresses, “I am a regular customer

here and the collection is

good and I get lots of choices

and meet my criteria. I am satisfied

with their work.”

The popular saris are georgette,

net and chiffon and all the

materials are imported from India,

as per Manandhar.

Meanwhile at Envy Fashion

you can get materials like lycra,

silk, cotton and more according

to Shanti Shakya, owner of Envy

Fashion. About the selection of

prints and patterns Shakya explains,

“ Those who are heavy in

weight should choose materials

like silk and small prints while

for the light weight they should

choose big prints while any ma-

brand is the oldest to manufacture

cycles,” informs Santosh Rai, owner

of the store.

Different products are available

here like cross country, downfall et

cetera bike, “basically from basic

mountain bike to high quality ones”.

As for the services — three servicing

are free after purchase, you will

also get water bottle case and chain

guard for free. Not only that “we also

teach interested customers how to

work on gear, brake, puncture and

fix chain”.

Apart from this if you want any information

related to cycle or rides,

you can visit the store from 9:00 am

to 7:00 pm, which won’t cost a dime.

At Epic Mountain Bike the brands

are again completely different like

Commencal, French brand, Ells

Worth, American brand, Chain,

Nepali brand, Black Eye again

American brand and De Bomb, Taiwanese

brand. You also can buy accessories,

parts and bike clothing

here.

They also provide you with customised

bikes. “Mostly people with

knowledge about bike go for this op-

Riding lory

“... understand the feeling as

experience is vital, then buy the

cycle”

tion,

but others are also

welcome,” shares Rupesh Man

Shrestha, MD at the store.

The best aspect about customised

bikes are — everything from parts,

colours, size will be as per your

choice. “You know what’s going on

in the making. Moreover, we customise

the bike as per customer’s

choice and budget.”

However, when it comes to popularity,

Commencal is the one. There

terial is fine for them.”

In terms of colour the popular

choices are black, blue, red,

pink and green, where the designs

for kurta-salwar is

anarkali and churidars, as per

Rita Shakya, proprietor of Fashion

Boutique Dot Com.

About choosing her store

Shakya adds, “You will get good

finishing and that also in the exact

time that we have

promised.”

Agreeing with her Sabina

Ghale, a customer, shares, “I am

satisfied with the work and the

I am not

a shopaholic,

I am just helping

the economy

— Anonymous

are children’s bike, downhill, all

mountain, free ride and others

available here. Besides it is a

high end brand as it has won

may races worldwide. “Also

its parts are easily accessible

here.”

At the store general services

of servicing and repairing

is offered, but if

you buy a bike from here,

use it for six months and

don’t like it, “we will exchange

it with another

model plus additional

charges”.

Before

purchasing

You may want

to own a fancy

bike with gears

and all, but before

all this

you ought to

know the

right bike

for you,

which has

to be according to your

frame, height and length

of your legs. “If you don’t

adhere to this, you can

suffer from back, back,

shoulder and wrist pain,”

warns Rajbhandari and

adds “60 to 70 per cent

of the people don’t know

this fact”.

Another practical advice

is by Shrestha, who

stresses “rent the cycle

once or twice, understand

the feeling as experience

is vital, then

buy the cycle”.

You also have to

keep in mind the purpose

of the bike and

then opt for one.

Being a beginner

you can get confused

by various choices so

stick to the basic and

cheap ones at first

then gradually upgrade.

Taking care

Cycle at the end of the day is a machine

and it needs care.

• Every five to six months do the

full servicing

• Change suspension oil

• Use chain oil regularly “make

sure to use dry chain oil and wet

chain oil as per the season,” says

Rajbhandari

price is also reasonable as compared

to other stores. The

clothes are delivered at the exact

time we asked for.”

Discounts here

While looking forward to the

festive season, these stores are

giving discounts from10 to 35

per cent where most of the

stores have a fixed rate. And if

you want your clothes made urgently,

you can also get that service

without any extra charge at

Fashion Boutique Dot Com,

Envy Fashion and Silk Se-

cost

price

Nepal Mountain

Bike Tours

Rs 58,000 to Rs 3

lakhs

Ph: 4701701

quence. The New Saaranz

Sari: Rs 4,000 to Rs 30,000

Kurti: Rs 950 to Rs 2,000

Kurta-salwar: Rs 2,500 to Rs

9,000

Envy Fashion

Stitching: Rs 500 to Rs 2,200

(price varies according to the

design)

Sari: Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000

Kurti: Rs 400 and above

Silk Sequence

Kurta-salwar and gown: Rs

6,500 to Rs 11,000

Sari: Rs 6,000 to Rs 15,000

Yes Mam

Sari: Rs 1,200 to Rs 30,000

Kurta-salwar: Rs 2,000 to Rs

20,000

Kurtis: Rs 800 to Rs 3,000

Children’s sherwani: Rs 1,250

to Rs 3,200

Sherwani: Rs 4,200 to Rs

16,000

Gown: Rs 4,000 to Rs 8,000

Fashion Boutique Dot Com

One piece dress: Rs 8,000 to

Rs 45,000

Kurta-salwar: Rs 4,000 to Rs

8,000

PAGE 13

Himalayan Single

Track

Price on request

Website: www.himalayansingletrack.com

Ph: 9841090702

Epic Mountain Bike

Commencal: Rs

45,000 to Rs 3 lakhs

Ells Worth: Rs 3 lakhs

Chain: Rs 25,000 to

Rs 60,000

Black Eye: Rs 25,000

De Bomb: Rs 60,000

onwards

Ph: 5555021

PAGE 14 www.thehimalayantimes.com

�

Pink candle, priced at Rs 345,

available at Hallmark

Colourful candles, priced at Rs 175

per packet of 4, available at Hallmark

Aromatic

lighting

When load-shedding hours reign your

world, candles become your light. But

these candles not only give light, they

spread beautiful fragrance around your

house. Here are varieties of candles

available in the market to choose from

�

Northland of New Zealand is a

golden, green and blue

world of beaches, bays and

subtropical pleasures. The relaxed,

sunny lifestyle of Northland springs

from its subtropical climate and the

myriad of beautiful islands, bays

and beaches around the coastline.

Northland is the region to experience

authentic Maori culture, place

to learn about the history of New

Zealand, see giant ancient Kauri

trees, indulge in aquatic adventures

and the place to have a ‘real’ New

Zealand experience. Furthermore,

you can indulge in shopping to take

a break from all other activities.

Northland Shopping

Centre

This is a major shopping centre

boasting a strong retail mix, services

component and customer facilities,

all of which cement the centre’s

dominance within the trade area.

Major tenants include Myer, Kmart,

Coles Supermarket, Safeway Supermarket,

Toys R Us, Lincraft, Best

and Less, Pancake Parlour, Nandos,

and a Hoyts Cinema Complex featuring

14 theatres. There are many

clothing stores within the centre, including

Country Road, Esprit, Just

Jeans, Colorado, and Sportsgirl.

Other stores include Dick Smith

Electronics, Tandy, Vodafone, Optus,

Telstra Shop, Supre, Roger

David, Collins Booksellers, Hairhouse

Warehouse, The Reject Shop,

Priceline, HMV, EB Games, Strathfield,

Harvey World Travel and

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

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Pretty purple candles, priced at

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House. The centre is also home to

the Beach House Health and Fitness

Centre located near the cinemas.

Art and Craft

Explore the art and craft stores

and stalls in Northland for a range

of art prints, pottery, jewellery,

paintings, art supplies and Maori

arts and crafts. Discover a range of

clever kiwi arts and creations with

distinctive Kiwiana style. Find that

perfect gift or supplies for your own

craft projects in Northland.

Meanwhile, Northland tourist

shops offer a range of souvenirs,

gifts, products and other New

Zealand made items. If you are

looking for the treasures from the

past — visit Master Woodturner,

Rick Taylor’s studio. Be amazed at

the spectacular grains and colours

of the ancient Kauri Taylor uses for

his bowls, platters, hollows pot and

more. Taylor has been wood turning

for over 30 years and offers individ-

THTshopping shopping

Nestling in Northland

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Heart shaped candles,

priced at Rs 495 per

packet, available at

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Orange aromatic candle,

priced at Rs 300, available

at Bagmati Flora Pvt Ltd

ual wood turning tuition at his studio.

Ancient Kauri wood blanks,

blocks and slabs are also available

here. At Dargavill, you can also enjoy

the Kai Iwi Lakes, Waipoua Kauri

Forest, artist’s studios, cruise Northern

Wairoa River, see shipwrecks

and the Rainbow Warrior Masts and

so much more.

Outpost Hokianga

In the small township of Rawene

and on the site of one of New

Zealand’s first post offices, Outpost

Hokianga proudly continues the

tradition of communication and

trade. A general store for the 21st

century, the Outpost deals in quality

goods, limited editions and one

offs. All fashion, art, books, music

and fine foods are locally made or

specifically imported. Hokianga

Outpost strongly believes in supporting

independent artists, artisans

and small companies who

carve out a living on passion and

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Flowery blue candles, priced at

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Red aromatic

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Store Information:

Hallmark Cards and Gifts

Khichapokhari, Kathmandu

ph — 4218168

Bagmati Flora Pvt Ltd

Kathmandu Plaza, Kamaladi

ph — 4168600, 9851008963

poetry.

Tuatara

It is a unique store and gallery

space that aims to have the most diverse

and eclectic selection of the

most beautiful things in New

Zealand, especially those that reflect

Aotearoa and the Pacific. Focusing

predominantly on high

quality works, the shop is filled with

a mix of clothing, jewellery, artwork,

giftware and homewares. Traditional

taonga (Maori treasures) sit

alongside the best of contemporary

NZ art and design as well as a handpicked

selection of kiwiana kitsch

and classic souvenirs. The gallery

space opens on to a courtyard and

is especially supportive of contemporary

Maori artists. Various exhibitions

in the gallery are held

throughout the year, reflecting the

work of many local artists.

Keriblue Ceramics

A visit to Kerikeri isn’t complete

without a visit to the Keriblue Ceramics

studio shop. One of New

Zealand’s leading ceramic studios,

Keriblue Ceramics is a working studio

where you can watch the artists

at work. Renowned for their stylish

New Zealand inspired designs,

beautiful colours and shining finish,

Keriblue Ceramics are popular

with visitors wanting to take home

those special, hand painted gifts or

memento. As an added bonus, Keriblue

Ceramics are very practical,

being dishwasher, microwave and

oven proof. — Compiled

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

• TIME OUT

Everton’s Marouane Fellani (right)

vies for the ball with Swansea’s

Jonathan De Guzman during their

English Premier League match at

the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Hamilton on pole

Reuters

SINGAPORE: McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton

continued his surge in the second

half of the season by nailing down

pole position for the Formula One

Singapore Grand Prix with a stirring

drive around the Marina Bay Street

Circuit on Saturday. The Briton has

won two of the last three races to

close within 37 points of championship

leader Fernando Alonso with

seven rounds remaining. World

champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull

could only finish third in 1:46.905,

ahead of Hamilton’s McLaren team

mate Jenson Button. — Reuters

Seppi beats Monfils

METZ: Andreas Seppi of Italy fought

back to beat Gael Monfils of France 3-

6, 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday to reach the

Moselle Open final. The fifth-seeded

Seppi will play his third final of the

season against either top-seeded Jo-

Wilfried Tsonga or No 8 Nikolay

Davydenko in the final. “It’s always

tough against Gael, he is always fighting

until the end,” Seppi said. “It’s

never easy to close out the match, especially

a semifinal here in France

against him. But I played the right

points and waited for my chance.” — AP

Alaba back in camp

BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s versatile

leftback David Alaba returned to

training on Friday two months after

breaking a bone in his foot during a

friendly in July, the Bundesliga leaders

said. The 20-year-old Austrian

footballer of the year had a 20minute

individual training session

and is set to join team training, Bayern

said In a statement. They did not,

however, set a date for his return. — AP

Cole goal lifts

Blues over Stoke

Reuters

London, September 22

Chelsea needed a late winner

from Ashley Cole to

beat Stoke City 1-0 and

move three points clear at

the top of the English Premier

League table today.

The European champions,

without a win in their

last three matches in all

competitions, moved on to

13 points from five matches

to lead the standings

from Everton and West

Bromwich Albion. England

defender Cole, who had

not scored in the league for

over two years, struck with

five minutes to play when

he hammered the ball past

Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic

at Stamford Bridge.

Everton won 3-0 at

Swansea City with goals

from Victor Anichebe,

Kevin Mirallas and

Maroaune Fellaini lifting

them to second in the

table. Swansea, attempting

to find a way back after

conceding twice before

halftime, endured a miserable

90 minutes and were

reduced to 10 men when

halftime substitute Nathan

Dyer was sent off just 12

minutes after coming on.

West Bromwich Albion

moved into third place,

also with 10 points, after

Romelu Lukaku — on loan

from Chelsea — scored

what proved to be the winner

after 71 minutes

against promoted bottom

side Reading.

Southampton, who had

lost their first four matches

after winning promotion to

the top tier of English football,

came from behind to

beat Aston Villa 4-1 at

home to climb off the bottom

of the table.

Sunderland were close to

ending a run of 11 games

without a victory dating

back to last March when

they led West Ham United

for most of the match at

Upton Park with an early

Steven Fletcher goal.

But Kevin Nolan

equalised just before the

end to rescue a point for

the Hammers with Sunderland

now having drawn all

four of their league matches.

Fulham continued their

promising start to the season

with a 2-1 win at Wigan

Athletic with Hudo Rodallega

scoring the opener

against his former team.

On Sunday, Liverpool

host Manchester United at

Anfield and champions

Manchester City welcome

Arsenal in two games likely

to affect the positions at

the top. Sunday's other

games include Tottenham

Hotspur at home to

Queens Park Rangers and

Newcastle United against

Norwich City.

De Villiers leads

SA to victory

over Sri Lanka

Associated Press

Hambantota, September 22

South Africa captain AB de Villiers

hit a breezy 30 and his

seamers pinned down Sri Lanka’s

batsmen to produce a

comfortable 32-run win over

the hosts in a rain-shortened

World Twenty20 match today.

De Villiers faced 13 balls and

led from the front with a four

and two sixes in the Proteas

healthy 78-4 total after rain reduced

the last Group C match

to seven overs per side. Dale

Steyn (2-10) bowled well upfront

as the hosts finished at

46-5. The result did not stop

both teams from advancing to

the Super Eights after they

recorded victories over Zimbabwe.

Sri Lanka defeated the

African team by 82 runs while

South Africa won by 10 wickets.

Sri Lanka will be placed in

Group 1 of the Super Eights

while South Africa will be in

Group 2. “Beating Sri Lanka is

nice because they are one of

the best teams in the world,” de

Villiers said. “Now we are ready

to go for the Super Eights. We

didn’t take anything for granted

in this match.”

It was an anti-climax for a

sellout crowd of 35,000 at the

Mahinda Rajapaksa International

Cricket Stadium, who

waited for two and half hours

to see the contest among two

evenly matched teams.

Sri Lanka’s innings never

found any sort of momentum

with Tillakaratne Dilshan run

out without a ball being faced

and captain Mahela Jayawardene

holing out in the deep after

scoring just one boundary

to became one of two victims

for Steyn. Kumar Sangakkara

(13) was twice dropped but

could not capitalize on the

chances as all the South

African bowlers — including

spinner Johan Botha — bowled

to a perfect line and length and

never allowed Sri Lanka’s batsmen

to get going.

Earlier, after being sent in to

bat first, South Africa lost

Richard Levi (4) in the very first

over when Dilshan Munaweera

took a brilliant running catch

at wide mid wicket. Hashim

www.thehimalayantimes.com

Sports

Amla (13) hit three boundaries

before he was stumped by Sangakkara,

but the arrival of de

Villiers virtually silenced the

big crowd.

De Villiers lofted Rangana

Herath for a straight six and

then dispatched Lasith Malinga

over the mid wicket fence as

he added a rapid 38 runs off 18

balls together with Faf du

Plessis (13) by converting singles

into twos.

JP Dumminy hit a four and a

six off Thisara Perera’s last over

of the innings that gave the

Proteas enough runs to defend.

Sri Lanka also badly missed

star spinner Ajantha Mendis,

who didn’t play because of side

strain after returning figures of

6-8 against Zimbabwe. “It’s

tough in a rain-reduced match

and since we didn’t want to

take risk on Ajantha Mendis we

were one quality bowler short,”

Jayawardene said.

Aussies through

COLOMBO: Australia are

through to the Super Eight

phase of the World Twenty20

thanks to a 17-run

Duckworth/Lewis victory

over the West Indies at the

R Premadasa Stadium on

Saturday. Earlier, half-centuries

from Chris Gayle

and Marlon Samuels powered

the Windies to 191-8

after a slow start. But some

poor bowling and big hitting

from David Warner

and Shane Watson (41 not

out) helped Australia

surge to 100-1 off 9.1 overs

when rain ended play. The

West Indies will play Ireland

on Monday for the

second qualifying spot.

The heavy Colombo rain

denied spectators what

could have been the most

exciting finish of the tournament

so far. With nine

wickets in hand, Australia

were undoubtedly

favourites, but with 92

runs still needed off 65

balls there was still a

chance for the Windies to

triumph. — Agencies

South Africa’s AB de Villiers plays a shot during their ICC World Twenty20 match

against Sri Lanka at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota on Saturday.

Lazio face disciplinary action

Associated Press

London, September 22

Lazio is facing disciplinary

action for racist behavior

by its fans in a Europa

League at Tottenham after

UEFA opened a case

against the Italian club on

Friday.

Monkey chants were reportedly

directed at Tottenham

players Jermain

Defoe, Aaron Lennon and

Andros Townsend during

the 0-0 draw at White Hart

Reuters

Atlanta, September 22

Veteran Jim Furyk, hunting his

first PGA Tour victory in two

years, took advantage of a sizzling

start to grab a one-shot

lead in Friday’s second round

of the Tour Championship.

While tournament favourite

Rory McIlroy carded a twounder-par

68 to stay on track

for FedExCup playoff honours

and the mind-boggling bonus

of $10 million, Furyk birdied

seven of first 10 holes on the

way to a best-of-the week 64.

Lane on Thursday which

was attended by UEFA

President Michel Platini.

Lazio was charged after

UEFA received the reports

from referee Ovidiu Alin

Hategan and match delegate

Adonis Procopiou.

“UEFA has opened disciplinary

proceedings

against SS Lazio for the improper

conduct of the

club’s supporters (racist

behaviour),” European

football’s governing body

said. When the case is

American Furyk scorched

the front nine in six-under 29

with a stunning display of pinpoint

approach shots before

finding the going much

tougher after the turn. He offset

birdies at the 10th, 15th

and 17th with bogeys at the

13th, 16th and par-three last

to post a seven-under total of

133 in the PGA Tour’s fourth

and final playoff event.

Britain’s Justin Rose, coleader

overnight with twice

winner Tiger Woods in the

elite 30-man field after opening

with a 66, was alone in sec-

heard on October 18 by

UEFA’s control and disciplinary

body, Lazio could

be facing a fine.

On Friday, Bulgarian

club Levski Sofia said it has

been fined $39,000 by

UEFA for racist abuse by

their fans at a Europa

League match in July

against Bosnian team Sarajevo.

A report by British

legislators this week urged

football authorities to do

more to combat racism in

football.

Reuters

ond place after sinking a fivefoot

birdie putt at the last for a

68. Masters champion Bubba

Watson birdied two of the last

three holes for a 66 to finish at

five-under, level with fellow

American Bo Van Pelt (68) and

one ahead of Dustin Johnson

(67) and Matt Kuchar (69),

also of the United States.

Northern Irishman McIlroy

was a further stroke back at

three-under while Woods battled

to a 73 for a one-under total.

Furyk has not triumphed

on the PGA Tour since he

clinched the Tour Champi-

London, September 22

PAGE 15

Fergie asks fans

to stay calm

Manager Alex Ferguson has written

to Manchester United fans attending

Sunday’s match against Liverpool,

urging them not to let the rivalry turn

into “personal hatred”.

The Premier League match is the

first between the two fierce rivals

since the publication last week of an

independent report into the Hillsborough

stadium disaster which exonerated

Liverpool fans of any blame in

the 1989 tragedy that claimed 96 lives.

Sunday’s occasion is likely to be

highly emotional with players and

staff having urged fans all week to

show each other respect. In Ferguson’s

letter, which will be handed to

away fans entering Anfield, he says

United “stands with our great neighbours

Liverpool”.

“Our rivalry with Liverpool is based

on a determination to come out on

top — a wish to see us crowned the

best against a team that held that honour

for so long,” he adds. “It cannot

and should never be based on personal

hatred. Just 10 days ago we

heard the terrible, damning truth

about the deaths of 96 fans who went

to watch their team try and reach the

FA Cup final and never came back,”

said Ferguson.

“What happened to them should

wake the conscience of everyone

connected with the game.” An anti-

Liverpool chant of ‘it’s never your

fault, always the victims’ was heard

from some quarters at Old Trafford

last weekend in United’s 4-0 victory

over Wigan Athletic.

Some United fans said those

chants did not refer to Hillsborough

but to the fallout from the Luis

Suarez-Patrice Evra race row last season.

Liverpool forward Suarez was

banned for eight matches for racially

abusing United defender Evra at Anfield

in October.

Furyk takes lead at Tour Championship

onship and FedExCup honours

in 2010 and to complete

the ‘double’ this week he

needs a lot to go his way.

Among several requirements,

FedExCup points leader McIlroy

would have to finish 12th

or worse and second-ranked

Woods fifth or worse.

Any of the top five players in

the standings would secure

the playoff title by winning the

Tour Championship — and

that quintet comprises McIlroy

and Americans Woods,

Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson

and Brandt Snedeker.

PAGE 16

• TIME OUT

Players vie for the ball during the

Pathsala Cup second National Mini

Basketball Championships in

Kathmandu on Saturday.

Sangina honoured

KATHMANDU: The Trishuli-Kathmandu

Society on Saturday honoured

taekwondo ace Sangina Baidhya.

Expert on Culture Satya Mohan

Joshi feted the Olympian with Rs

20,000 for her contribution in sports.

Sangina is the first Nepali player to

earn Olympics berth through qualification

when she made it to the 2004

Athens Olympic Games. A gold

medallist in the 1996 Asian Taekwondo

Championship, Sangina has also

won eighth and ninth South Asian

Games gold medals. – HNS

‘C’ Division League

LALITPUR: Kalanki Navajyoti Club

and Khumaltar Youth Club won their

respective matches of the Martyrs

Memorial Red Bull ‘C’ Division

League football tournament here on

Saturday. Kalanki Navajyoti defeated

Boys Sports Club 4-2 on goals from

Sunil Subedi, Ujjwal Shrestha, Utsav

KC and Aashish Lama. Yaman Maharjan

struck twice for the losers. Khumaltar

cruised past Khalibari FC 2-0

after Rup Bahadur Lama and Anup

Bista scored. In the third match of the

day, Jhamshikhel Youth Club and

Gyan Bhariav played a 2-2 draw. Sunil

Shahi and Anush Jung Pandey scored

for Jhamshikhel, while Mohan Limbu

and Shailesh KC got into the score

sheet for Gyan Bhairav. – HNS

Tika Ram wins title

KATHMANDU: Tika Ram Thapa won

the first Kathmandu Open Triathlon

Championship here on Saturday. In

the sprint event of the discipline, Tika

Ram timed 11:22 minutes in 750km

swimming, 55:58 minutes in 20km

cycling and 25:06 minutes in 5km

running for the overall best timing of

1:32:26 hours. Chandra Thapa Magar

finished second clocking 1:34:48

hours overall where he timed 14:36

minutes in swimming, 56:28 in cycling

and 23:44 in running. Luke

Davis was third with the overall timing

1:34:48 hours. Persia Manandhar

was the lone participant in the

women’s section winning her event in

2 hours 37:13 minutes. The top three

finishers received Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000

and Rs 2,000 respectively. – HNS

Anupam bags trophy

KATHMANDU: Anupam Neupane

won the men’s singles final of the

Bishalnagar Library Open Badminton

Championships here on Saturday.

Anupam rallied from a set

down to beat Nir Bikram Devkota 21-

23, 21-18, 21-19. Man Bahadur Budhathoki

finished third. The duo of

Ramesh Dangol and Rakesh Singh

cruised past Khem Purja/Umesh Gurung

21-18, 21-18 for the men’s doubles

title. Ram Prasa Prajapati/Datta

Thapa ended up third. The gold, silver

and bronze medallists took home

Rs 15,000, Rs 7,500 and Rs 4,000 respectively.

– HNS

School Basketball

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu Unified

(KU) City College is organising the

first KU City Inter-school Senior Boys

Basketball Tournament here from

Monday. A total of eight teams are

participating in the five-day leaguecum-knockout

tournament with two

teams from two groups making it to

the semi-finals. – HNS

Pennwood triumph

KATHMANDU: Pennwood claimed

double title of the third PABSON Midregion

Cup Inter-school Basketball

Championships here on Saturday.

Deneb were the loser in both the

boys’ and girls’ section finals. In the

boys section, Pennwood won 41-24

riding on 16 points from Phurba

Sherpa, while Priya Lama’s 17 points

gave them a 32-2 victory in the girls’

final. Suryodaya and Kathmandu

English School won their respective

third place playoff matches. Phurba

and Alish Budhathoki of Pennwood

were adjudged the MVPs. – HNS

Five-a-Side Football

KATHMANDU: The third Buffalo Cup

Five-a-Side Football Tournament is

beginning in Handigaon from Sunday.

A total of 27 teams are taking part

in the tournament organised by Yi

Sahayogi Haat on the occasion of

Dashain festival. Jhi Newa will take

on hosts ‘A’ team in the inaugural

match. — HNS

www.thehimalayantimes.com

SPORTS

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Friends stun Three Star; Bouddha win

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Prakash Budhathoki scored a

solitary goal as NIBL Friends

Club stunned Three Star

Club 1-0 in the Ncell Cup

here at the Dasharath Stadium

today.

The loss meant Three Star

— who had played a 1-1

draw with newcomers Iceberg

Madhyapur Youth Association

on September 12 —

stayed at the bottom in the

four-team Group ‘A’ with one

point. Nepal Armed Police

Force (APF) Club, who are

tied on three points with

Friends, are atop. With just

mathematical chances remaining

to enter the last

eight, Three Star will have to

rely on other teams’ results

apart from winning their

next match against APF.

Prakash Budhathoki netted

the decider in the 39th

minute after Three Star skipper

and goalkeeper Kiran

Chemjong fumbled a shot

from Bishnu KC.

Bijay Gurung squandered

a chance for Three Star on

one-on-one encounter with

Friends goalkeeper Birendra

Bahadur Chand. Likewise,

Divas Gurung could not connect

Jagjeet Shrestha’s acute

cross for Friends in the 32nd

minute.

Friends were reduced to

10 men after their skipper

Sagar Thapa brought down

Santosh Sahukhala prompting

FIFA Referee Sudish

Pandey to give the marching

orders for double bookable

offense in the 87th minute.

Friends were one man

short for the last 12 minutes

— three minutes of regulation

time and nine-minute

injury time.

Friends Club coach Dil

Kaji Gurung was a happy

man after the victory and

praised his players. “It feels

really good to come up with

a win against a balanced side

like Three Star. I am proud of

the performance of my

boys,” said Gurung.

Three Star coach Megh Raj

KC, who promptly resigned

from his post after the loss,

lamented his team’s performance.

“We did not play as a

team today. We failed to create

even a single comeback

opportunity throughout the

entire match,” said KC

adding his players didn’t put

any effort and lacked the zeal

as well.

Earlier, substitute Govinda

Thapa converted a late

penalty as Bouddha Football

Club registered a 1-0 victory

over Samsung Jawalakhel

Youth Club (JYC) to make a

winning start in Group ‘D’.

Bouddha earned the spot

kick in the dying moments of

the three-minute injury time

after Nabin Gurung brought

down Suman Lama inside

the area. After a barren first

half, Bouddha created a

threatening move in the 54th

minute only for Suman

Lama to see his powerful

strike hit the post.

TODAY’S MATCH

MMC vs TAC @ 1500hrs

NIBL Friends Club players celebrate after Prakash Budhathoki (third from left) scored a goal against Three Star Club during their

Ncell Cup Football Tournament match at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.

KC steps down

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Megh Raj KC on Saturday

stepped down as Three Star

Club coach following a

poor run in the Ncell Cup

Football Tournament.

The former national

team assistant coach announced

his resignation after

their 1-0 loss at the

hands of NIBL Friends Club

at the Dasharath Stadium.

“I am quitting on moral

grounds as the team has

not been producing results

in the recent days,” said the

coach after the match.

“During my two-year

tenure at the club, we

worked as the members of a

family. I will put in my papers

to the club mentioning

the reasons behind my decision

to quit the job,” said

the coach. He also thanked

the club, players and wellwishers

for their wholehearted

support.

“It was a great opportunity

for me to handle a big

club like Three Star,” said

the emotional coach. KC

guided Three Star to three

major trophies — British

Gurkha Cup, Aaha Gold

Cup (Pokhara) and Budha

Subba Gold Cup (Dharan).

Under the guidance of

KC, the Lalitpur-based outfit

also won the Bhim

Narayan Gold Cup and

Udaypur Gold Cup titles

besides finishing second in

the Bharat Ratna Lokopriya

Bordoloi Trophy Football

Tournament in India.

Boys heading towards bigger stage with ‘intensity’

Adarsha Dhakal

Kathmandu, September 22

Nepal’s national cricket

coach Pubudu Dassanayake

had openly talked about his

team’s lack of intensity when

his side was outplayed by

Afghanistan in the ACC

Twenty20 Trophy semi-finals

in Kathmandu last year.

After three months of

hard work, Dassanayake

was a proud man when

Nepal finished seventh in

the 16-team ICC World

Twenty20 Qualifiers in

Dubai. Nepal’s impressive

display in Dubai came after

they qualified for the

event as a bottom ranked

team by virtue of finishing

fourth in the ACC Twenty20

Trophy on home soil.

Dassanayake was finally a

relieved man with Nepal’s

historic title triumph in

Malaysia in the ICC World

Cricket League Division-IV

earlier this month. The Division-IV

victory not only gave

Nepal a promotion to Division-III

but also kept them

alive in the race to 2015

Cricket World Cup – a place

where Dassanayake has always

wanted his team to be.

More than the success in

Malaysia, the coach along

• LOCAL BRIEFS

TIA enter final

KATHMANDU: Trungram International

Academy (TIA) and

Daffodil on Friday set the girls’

section title clash of the third

Bagmati Inter-school Basketball

Championships. TIA defeated

Valley Public 19-16 and

Daffodil eased past Bagmati 25-

19 in their respective semi-final

matches. Daffodil also made it

to the boys’ section final with a

40-31 victory over Valley Public.

They will meet NIMS – a 40-24

winner over Gyan Niketan – in

Sunday’s final. – HNS

Wilson lift trophy

KATHMANDU: Wilson Academy

won the title of the first Radiant

Inter-school Boys Basketball

Tournament here on Saturday.

In a high-scoring final

with his entire team is over

the moon after they came

out of their submissiveness

in the international stage.

Nepal were often criticised

for choking in crunch

matches with the team relying

on other teams’ results.

But, a different story unfolded

in Malaysia when

Nepal ended up as the only

unbeaten team with thumping

victories in all the six

matches they played. There

was no room for critics

when batsmen began talking

with the bat — centuries

match, Wilson edged RIBS 66-

60 with Amar Singh tossing in

18 points for the winners. Amar

was also adjudged the Most

Valuable Player, while Ratan

Bista of RIBS won the highest

scorer’s award. A total of 16

teams participated in the fiveday

tournament. – HNS

White House win

KATHMANDU: White House

College registered victory in the

Akhil Cup Men’s National Basketball

Tournament here on

Saturday. White House hammered

Global College 65-13 riding

on 10 points from Wisdom

Pandey. White House never

looked back after they took a

19-0 lead in the first quarter.

The prevailed in the remaining

three quarters 16-5, 17-4, 13-4.

On Sunday, Mahendra Campus,

from openers Subash

Khakurel and Anil Mandal

were just examples.

Binod Das — who impressed

with the new ball in

his comeback tournament

— knows the status of the

current team. “We used to

be a bit defensive in our

thinking process and approach.

We doubted ourselves

whether our plans

would work or not. Now we

have built as a different

team with huge amount of

winning attitude,” said the

former skipper while taking

Dharan will take on Reliance International

Academy and

Pasang Lhamu College play

against Pyramid International

College. – HNS

SWCC advance

KATHMANDU: Hosts South

Western Cricket Club (SWCC),

Glacier International College

and Red Cherry entered the

quarter-finals of the first South

Western Cricket Tournament

on Saturday. SWCC defeated

Unique Boys by 72 runs. Batting

first, SWCC were all out for 107

in 15.3 overs and their bowlers

did well to restrict Unique to 35

all out in seven overs. In other

matches, Glacier beat Rajan

Memorial Cricket Club by seven

wickets and Red Cherry pipped

Kathmandu University in Super

Over. – HNS

a short break from training

at the TU Stadium. Binod

also credited his coach for

changing the team’s attitude.

“He (Dassanayake) is

the one who stands behind

us and keeps on pushing

forward along with the captain,”

added Binod.

The coach himself said his

boys are instilled with huge

amount of intensity. “These

are the same boys when I

came here two years back.

The only thing that has

changed is their mindset,”

said Dassanayake who tast-

ed victory in his first 50-over

assignment with the senior

team. “There was a time

when we used to be nervous.

When we walked to

the ground, we didn’t know

what we were doing,” he recalled.

“But, now we have

crossed the boundary line.

We want to win every time,

no matter who ever our opponents

be,” said the coach.

Dassanayake has reasons

over team’s transformations.

“There are a lot of factors.

Senior players like Shakti

(Gauchan) and Binod have

done pretty well in their

comeback. Skipper Paras —

coming back from Canada

and backing the team with

huge amount of confidence

— has been crucial for us. To

add to the batting strength,

Subash alone has played

around 150 overs in the last

three months,” he added.

Skipper Paras, however,

warned the team not to be

buoyed by the achievement.

“The confidence at the moment

is sky high but the

thing is that we have just

started. We still have a long

way to go. We need to focus

on the areas to improve instead

of basking in the glory

of the feat,” said a circumspect

captain.

Double delight

for Brihaspati

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, September 22

Brihaspati Vidhya Sadan registered double

victory in the Pathsala Cup second

National Mini Basketball Championships

here today.

In their first match at the Pathsala

School court in New Baneshwor, Brihaspati

blanked defending champions Ullens

11-0.

They followed

the

resoundingvictory

with a

16-4 victory

over

Rato Bang

a l a .

Saugat

Gurung

scored six

points for

Brihaspati

in the first

match, while Prashant Pandey netted

eight points in the second.

In other matches on Saturday, Kanjirowa

hammered Premier 16-2 and

Nepal Police School ran riot over Pathsala

Nepal, Bagdol 14-0. Also, Gyan Niketan

inflicted Pathsala Nepal, New

Baneshwor a humiliating 40-2 loss. Likewise,

Subhatara sidelined Awareness International

Academy 18-13.

Published by: International Media Network Nepal (Pvt) Ltd, APCA House, Baidya Khana Road, Anamnagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, PO Box 11651 Phone: 4771489, Fax: 977-1-4770701 / 4771959, E-mail: editorial@thehimalayantimes.com Regd No 143/051/052 Postal Regd. 069-070 Printed at: Sama Printers (Pvt) Ltd, Sainbu VDC, Lalitpur. Editor: Ajaya Bhadra Khanal

Photos: THT

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Page 3 Industry Insight :

Showing cracks

Page 5

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

The Himalayan Times

PERSPECTIVES

NEPSE 420.44 ▼ 1.35 DOLLAR Rs 86.08 EURO Rs 111.81 YUAN Rs 13.65

GOLD Rs 52,300 OIL $ 92.96 ▲ 0.07

Still

waiting

to break

the glass

ceiling

Manjushree Adhikari

Kathmandu

The presence of women in the banking

sector, though significant, seems to

dwindle as they climb the corporate

ladder. This is perhaps most evident

by the fact that while there are 32

commercial banks in the country, all

bank CEOs happen to be men.

THE REASON WHY

The primary reasons cited for the disparity

is education and experience. Anil Shah,

CEO of Mega Bank Nepal Limited, says,

“When we started our career, there were

hardly any women in the sector. So, it’s only

normal that backed by our knowledge and

experience, we’re in this position.”

Barsha Shrestha, general manager of

Clean Energy Development Bank, says the

patriarchal system that looked down upon

working women is also to blame. “Most

Nepalis still have this conservative mentality

that women are responsible for the

household chores and men are the bread

earners in the family,” she highlights,

adding that the mindset affects every

aspect of society, with the banking sector

being no exception.

Euden Koirala, head of main branch and

manager service excellence at Laxmi Bank,

Hattisar, says, “I think when men entered

the banking industry 20 years ago, women

had not really stepped into the professional

world.” According to her, now women

are coming forward and many are at the

executive level and compete with men

in every task.

Raveena Desraj Shrestha, chief of consumer

banking and corporate affairs at

Mega Bank, says gender discrimination

still prevails. “While it’s readily accepted

when men advance in their careers, their

female counterparts are viewed with suspicions

when they show progress,” she says.

Since bank employees at the

lower level are the ones who

deal with customers on a

one-on-one basis, most banking

institutions are now hiring

women for such posts — there-

by increasing their numbers.

“Women are generally kind by

nature, and hence better

equipped to handle even the

most disgruntled customers,”

expains Raveena.

She says, however, often it

is women who tarnish the

image of women and engage

in leg-pulling. “Many women

hesitate to even perform to

their full potential because they

fear backbiting and spreading

of negativity and rumours

about them,” she asserts.

CHANGING SCENARIO

The good news is that things

are changing fast. The fact that

there are three personnel

holding parallel posts below the

CEO’s position in Mega Bank

and two of them are women

attests to this. “We have women

like Raveena and Anupama

Khunjeli, who is the chief

operating officer, at our bank

and they continuously demonstrate

that they aren’t inferior

to men in any way,” says Shah.

The allure of the banking sector

is undeniable and Raveena

attributes it to the stability and

reputability. “Women these

days value independence and

banking is often the first choice

for many because it is considered

to be a respectable profession,”

she says. She further

says that female workers are

more dedicated and efficient in

carrying out the tasks assigned

to them. Speaking from professional

experience, Barsha

also reiterates this and says,

Troika pauses

Greek talks

Page 6

“Perhaps it’s because they feel

the need to prove their worth

to themselves and others.”

LIVING EXAMPLES

Women like Barsha and

Raveena are setting the bar

high and paving the way for

hundreds of young women

entering the banking sector.

These women have very different

stories on how they landed

here, but they have many

commonalities that helped

them get to where they are.

Barsha was actually a medical

student, but not very enthused

about venturing into a

medical profession. “It was the

influence of my friends and encouragement

from my family

members that I decided to

change my field,” she recalls.

Her career took off as trainee

in Nabil Bank Pvt Ltd in 1984.

According to her, since it

was the first commercial bank

in the country, there was no

proper system and guidelines

Dell delights

Page 7

WHY ARE THERE NO FEMALE CEOS IN THE BANKING SECTOR?

from the central bank. “But we

learnt from our mistakes and

grew along with the bank,” says

Barsha, adding that she does

not see that kind of ownership

in new recruits.

She says, “The market today

is competitive, but one needs to

explore, manage time and not

let petty things like gender

come in the way of progress.”

Raveena, on the other hand,

started her career as a trainee

assistant at Standard Chartered

Bank 22 years ago. She

says she does not like to discuss

gender issues, which she claims

was never an issue for her. “My

accomplishments speak volumes

in terms of how far I’ve

come and I never let sexual category

hold me back,” she says.

THE WAY AHEAD

Blaming traditional mindset

for the prevalent gender inconsistency,

Ashoke Sumsher JB

Rana, president of the Nepal

Bankers’ Association, says,

“The change has to come from

the top and women have to be

given equal priority as men.”

In this, Shah adds that a

quota system should not be

introduced in the name of

maintaining gender balance.

“It might take some time, but I

wish to see women attaining

high positions based on their

calibre and through fair

competition. Women need our

support, not our sympathies,”

he says. Established in July

2010, Mega Bank currently

employs 279 staffs with a male

to female ratio at six to four.

According to Shah, a small step

like only hiring qualified people

rather than favouring kin

or relatives would minimise

the gender gap to a large extent.

Raveena, on the other hand,

believes that the first step

should be to empower and

educate women. “Women themselves

need to believe in their

kind and stop looking down

upon other women,” she says.

Barsha believes that women

should not be discouraged or

fear anyone dragging them

down. “I faced numerous challenges

in my two decades in

banking, but I never let it break

my spirit or deteriorate my performance

in any way,” she says.

Shah and Koirala are hopeful

about seeing the first female

CEO in a commercial bank

within three years. Barsha

and Raveena, however, believe

it might take at least five

more years before we get to

be so fortunate.

02

PERSPECTIVES

Sanam Chitrakar

Kathmandu

Many a time, we witness

leaders who defy conventional

leadership

traits and carve a new

path for their vision. Rabindra

Puri is one of the few

distinguished leaders who

inspire generations to come.

He translates his visions,

often in contrasting fields,

in a breathless fashion.

Puri is renowned as a cultural

preserver who bagged

the 2004 Asia Pacific Cultural

Heritage Award for his

Namuna Ghar or model

house. He is one of the few

people who turned his hobby

into a living. Astounded by

the great architecture of

Bhaktapur, he was dismayed

at every traditional house

that was torn down and

concrete building that took

its space. He dreamed of a

city with traditionally-built

houses. In an effort to realise

this dream, Puri is passionately

working to make

CORPORATE

Platform for agents

of change

ACKNOWLEDGING AND ENCOURAGING HIDDEN HEROES

Jason Shah / Anupama Shakya

Kathmandu

There are many ordinary

people doing extraordinary

work to create social, environmental

and economic

value that we are unaware

of. The Surya Nepal Asha

Social Entrepreneurship Award

(SNASEA) was thus initiated to

acknowledge such hidden heroes

for their achievements and

encourage others to follow their

examples. This year, it will

encompass three different events

— Three–day Social Entrepreneurship

Bazaar from October

4 to 6, seminar series in

November and the award

ceremony in December.

FOR TRANSACTION AND

TRANSFORMATION

The three–day Social Entrepreneurship

Bazaar will be

hosted at the picturesque

setting of Baber Mahal Revisited

Courtyard, which has also

hosted the night bazaars in the

past few months. Organised by

ChangeFusion Nepal (CFN),

supported by National Business

Initiative (NBI) and sponsored by

Surya Nepal Private Limited, the

event is an attempt to bring social

entrepreneurs from across Nepal

and their potential supporters

— their customers, investors,

advisers and mentors — to a platform

where they can exchange,

interact and learn.

The major objective of this

bazaar is to showcase Nepali

social entrepreneurs from different

sectors and regions and to

highlight their ventures and the

impact they have on their

communities. It will thus be a

marketplace for transaction and

transformation and differ from

other fairs and exhibitions, as the

major focus will be on social

entrepreneurs and the creation of

a network for them to expand

their ventures.

In addition to featuring already

established social ventures to

display their products and

Helping

services, this bazaar also

expects participation of aspiring

social entrepreneurs. They will

share their venture ideas with

potential clients, investors and

support organisations that

are promoting entrepreneurship

in Nepal by providing

different support systems

ranging from seed funding to

mentoring and networking.

socialenterpreneurship

Visionary leader

Profiting

The bazaar will feature around

20 exhibitors each day comprising

of social entrepreneurs

and support organisations. The

products featured will vary from

creative home décor to apparels

and accessories, handicrafts,

Learning

products or

services catering to energy

conservation, agro-based ventures,

and much more. In addition,

the bazaar shall also feature

a variety of culinary delights,

cultural performances and other

attractions for the visitors. For

more information, please visit

https://www.facebook.com/ celebratingsocialentrepreneurship.

GIVING DUE RECOGNITION

In addition to awarding the social

entrepreneurs, ‘Agent of

Change 2012’, which was introduced

by NBI, recognises businesses

that support enterprise development

and cultivate culture

of entrepreneurship in Nepal.

With the skyrocketing increase

in the discourse of entrepreneurship

in the country, budding entrepreneurs

need comprehensive

information about the existing

support-system that they can access

to kick-start their ventures;

leadershipleague

and the NBI Agent of Change is

an effort to discover those initiatives,

launched by for-profit institutions,

which provide assistance

to target entrepreneurs in several

capacities, including but not limited

to access to finance, value

chain incorporation, logistical

assistance, training or education,

and visibility or access to business

networks. Additionally, it

also considers the initiatives that

provide indirect assistance such

as media programmes on entrepreneurship

and both financial

and material support to

entrepreneur groups and

students.

The NBI Agent of

Change aims to provide

visibility to the selected

initiatives, and connect

the businesses

that have the proven

capacity to support

enterprises with the

entrepreneurs who

have the proven ability

to deliver market solutions.

While NBI Agent

of Change will only

officially recognise few

selected businesses for

their support efforts, all the

eligible initiatives shall be

profiled in publications at the

end of the identification process

and featured in different media

outreach programmes.

One of the major advantages

for partnership with SNASEA is

to bring together resourceful

businesses and social entrepreneurs

so that the possibilities

for large social enterprises

through economies of scale and

agglomeration can be groomed.

This recognition wants to demonstrate

the reality that businesses

have a huge role to play in developing

responsible entrepreneurship

and that there are profitable

market opportunities in

partnering with social entrepreneurs

to solve social and environmental

challenges. Applications

and nominations for the NBI

Agent of Change 2012 are

open till September 30 and

more information available at

http://asha2012.wordpress.com.

(Shah is working as a research

associate at NBI and can be

reached at jshah@uno.edu, while

Shakya is the programme

co-coordinator for social

entrepreneurship at CFN

and can be reached at

shakyaanu31@gmail.com)

Panauti a culturally preserved

model city by 2030. His

team has restored six houses

in the locality, including few

under private ownership. He

is also the man behind Sanga

Housing, which is again

on the traditional theme.

His community service

includes school buildings in

various parts of the country

using local materials and

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Reclaiming the fire

HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE CAN OVERCOME

BURNOUT

People erroneously believe that

once they have ‘made it’ in a

profession, their lives will be

perfect. In reality, it is often

psychologically destructive to attain

the highest level of achievement in

sports, business, science, entertainment,

or arts, and then realise that

you are expected to perform at that

same high level, forever.

The excitement of pursuit is over

but the pressure remains. Dr Steven

Berglas, a clinical psychologist who

currently teaches at UCLA and is an

adjunct faculty member at Harvard

Medical School, colourfully describes

this situation as ‘supernova burnout’

where successful people begin to

experience the daily requirements of

their work as ‘Sisyphean monotony’.

Dr Berglas notes that people expect

success to bring happiness, but few

are prepared for ‘success depression’,

the crippling sense of disappointment

that follows the experience of

RATHER THAN BLAMING OTHERS, NOTICE THE POSSIBILITIES WITHIN PROBLEMS

resources, thereby making it

safe, affordable and attractive.

He was also recently

elected as the president of Rotary

Club of Bhaktapur. How

can a single person handle all

these projects almost singlehandedly?

What makes him a

unique leader that defies

traditional leadership styles?

Puri’s visionary capacity

separates him from other

huge accomplishment.

Dr Berglas recommends several

strategies to prevent and recover

from job burnout:

• Nurture satisfying connection

with others.

• Mentor people who are the next

generation of achievers.

• Learn something new.

• Find a cause in which you believe

and dedicate yourself to it. If the

cause sparks a bit of righteous anger

for you, that is actually a good thing

to help you feel motivation again

and recover from burnout. — Agencies

Ncell's training on 'Personal Excellence' facilitated by Kabule — the Wise Leader

on September 21 at Hotel Marshyangdi

Mex talent search at Liberty College

theweekthatwas

The Week That Was is a picture gallery that celebrates business events, launch

programmes and cocktail functions of the business and diplomatic community in Nepal.

E-mail us the photographs along with a brief description of the event

and the names and designation of the people in the picture to

perspectives.tht@gmail.com or

call us at 2239991

CORPORATE MOVEMENT tracks new appointments, transfers and

movement of top and middle management. If you have new

appointments in your organisation, send us the details

with a picture of the appointed person to

perspectives.tht@gmail.com or

call us at 2239991

leaders. He sees possibilities

within problems that most

of us would dismiss as the

responsibility of others or

the government. But rather

than blaming the government

for not doing enough to

preserve priceless old buildings,

he left his high-paying

job to declare war against

conservative mindsets.

Moreover, his vision

strikes a fine balance

between profit and larger

benefit for society. He

executes his vision through

his subordinates and partners.

He inspires and injects

his visions into his team

mates, who execute it in

their own way, nevertheless

maintaining the underlying

superstructure of his vision.

(The author is the MD,

trainer and consultant of

Aadhar Development Pvt Ltd.

Also the founding member

and consultant of Catalyst

for Transformation Pvt Ltd,

he can be contacted at

sanamchitrakar@gmail.com)

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Koshish Acharya

Kathmandu

Every year the governmentsubsidises,

provides loans,

incurs bad debts

and hence manages

to save public enterprises

— covering the

losses from the taxes

that citizens pay of their

hard earned money.

But is it fair for the

people to bear the cost

of the failure of public

enterprises?

THE PRELUDE

The government of

Nepal has provided total

loan amounting to Rs

95.16 billion to public enterprises,

of which Rs

10.25 billion was granted

in the fiscal year 2010-11

alone. This amount

could have been better

utilised. According to

Independent Power Producers’

Association

Nepal, the production of

one MW of electricity

costs Rs 150 million,

which means 634.4 MW

of electricity could have

been produced with

95.16 billion, solving 70

per cent of power crisis

in the country. Similarly,

establishing a school

costs approximately Rs

10 million, which means

9,516 schools could have

been built in Nepal.

The government, however,

continues to pour

money into the 37 public

enterprises, of which 21

earned net profit, 14 incurred

net loss and

Nepal Engineering Consultancy

Service Centre

Ltd and Hydropower Investment

and Development

Company Ltd did

not have any business

transaction. The public

enterprises are categorised

under: manufacturing

(7), trade (6), service

(7) social (5) public

utility (3) and financial

(9). Out of these, only

service, public utility

and financial sectors

have been able to make a

net profit in the last

three years. The net

profit of all the public

enterprises dropped

down to Rs 6.38 billion in

2010-11 from Rs 10.56

billion the year earlier.

CURRENT

SCENARIO

Amongst all the public

enterprises, only Nepal

Telecom (NTC) has been

able to generate substantial

profit over the last

three years with the current

fiscal year’s profit

amounting to Rs 13.07

billion. The highest lost

incurring public enterprises

were Nepal Electricity

Authority (NEA)

and Nepal Oil Corporation

(NOC), with a total

loss of Rs 18.27 billion.

NEA is far from addressing

its problem and

yet the government continues

to provide loans

that have now amounted

to Rs 62.63 billion in total.

The loss could easily

have been reduced if

electricity prices were

raised in par with inflation

but because of political

reasons the price

hike has never been considered

as an alternative.

Similarly, NOC has

an outstanding debt of

Rs 16.52 billion that it

owes the government.

Another issue of concern

is overstaffing

in public enterprises

(32,383 employees in

37 enterprises). With a

total negative operating

profit amounting to Rs

613.7 million, the ratio

of operating profit per

employee comes to 0.19.

In this regard, the public

enterprises in financial

sector like Agriculture

Development Bank, Rastriya

Banijya Bank and

others have the operat-

PERSPECTIVES 03

MANAGEMENT

Who pays?

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE BEAR THE LOSSES OF PUBLIC ENTERPRISES?

ing profit per employee

ratio of 3.08. In contrast,

the public enterprises in

trading sector like NOC

have the operating profit

per employee ratio of

negative 21.92.

As public enterprises

do not function on the

principle of demand and

supply and are guided

by bureaucratic laws

and regulation, they

tend to be ineffective. In

fact, public enterprises

are established with taxpayers’

money, the products

and services they

provide are also consumed

by general public

and when these enterprises

do not function,

they are bailed out by

the government with

taxpayer’s money again.

Eventually, the general

public is being forced to

pay for the losses.

Other issues like

corruption, inefficiency,

low productivity, trade

union issues, political

appointments and political

manipulation in

the management of the

public enterprises have

hampered its progress.

WHAT CAN BE

DONE?

It is clear that NTC is

the only public enterprise

that has actually

made a substantial

amount of profit because

of proper management

and open competi-

3 ways to avoid

communication breakdowns

BE IN TUNE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES

Even though communication

is the lifeblood of an organisation,

it is difficult to

find a company that does

not have its momentary breakdowns

in that area. Here are

three ways to keep them

to a minimum:

Provide context: For

people to understand a message,

they have to know why

it is important. Therefore, give

them enough information so

they know where things fall on

the priority list.

Encourage questions: Do not

just ask if people have questions,

encourage them to raise

concerns. This type of interaction

helps people absorb information

manager’stoolkit

and understand messages so

they can pass them on.

Stay connected: People respond

to communications very differently,

even when they are hearing the

same information. By being in

tune with your employees, you

can anticipate their reactions

and better understand how to

deliver messages. — Agencies

Ratna Sagar Shrestha / THT

breakingviews

tion. On the other hand, NEA and NOC have

absolute monopoly in the market, making

them less productive and innovative.

One of the best possible solutions could

be to liquidate the enterprises that are running

in loss and shut them down completely.

Privatisation could be another solution but it

has to be coupled with policies to ensure transparency

and avoid disastrous consequences

like in Harisiddhi Brick and Tile Factory,

Bhrikuti Paper Mill and Biratnagar Jute Mill.

Another way to deal with this problem is

by handing over the management to private

management or firms requiring transparency

in competitive bidding procedure, accounts

details, audits and bureaucratic process.

Some pertinent questions are: Should the

government run public enterprises at all?

Why not leave it to the market which does not

use public money, ensures competition and is

constantly innovating to provide better quality

products and services at competitive prices?

Should the government rather not focus

on issues like rule of law, defence and

foreign policy — issues that market forces

cannot deal with?

In the name of subsidies, the taxpayers

eventually end up paying more than necessary

for products and services that are largely

monopolised by public enterprises. A win-win

situation may lie in having the general public

pay market prices for what they use without

promoting a culture of misuse of taxes.

(The author is a research assistant at

Samriddhi, The Prosperity Foundation and

can be reached at koshish@samriddhi.org)

Kalpana Arora

New Delhi

Customer facilitation is

the focus of all organisations

today since

delighted customers

result in long-term customer

relations, which are imperative

to maximise productivity

and profitability. It

is with this perspective that

most organisations have

set up call centres.

The advantage to the customer

is that he needs to call

on a single number which

may also be toll free for any

requirement he may have.

Since these call centres are

manned by large number of

executives, they are expected

to provide an easy and

speedy resolution to their

requirements and problems.

The question, however, is

that while these call centres

are meant to speed up

customer service, are they

really achieving the objective?

Do they really make

customers feel happy? Are

they really facilitating the

company to customer contact

in the right manner?

At the outset, getting

connected is a challenge for

most people. So while the

recorded message keeps

assuring the customer that

he is most important for the

organisation, the customer

keeps waiting endlessly to

be connected with someone

who would listen or attend

to him. Many customers

complain about being put

on hold for 20 to 30 minutes

just to get connected.

Then again, the system is

such that each time one calls

the centre, he gets to speak

to a new person. So in case a

managementmantra

Call centres —

boon or bane?

A GOOD INITIATIVE HAS TURNED

INTO ONE WHICH CUSTOMERS

NOW DREAD

problem was shared and discussed

and not resolved for

which a person is calling

again, he has to start all over

again since the person to

whom he is speaking now

has no inkling of the

problem! This can be really

frustrating for the customer.

In case the customer has

some questions or needs

clarifications, God help him!

This is because the executives

speak from a script and

cannot deviate from it. So

irrespective of the questions,

the answers would be

as per the script — even if

they are unrelated! The

script is surely required to

guide executives in terms of

what and how to speak —

however most of them deliver

it like robotic machines,

without any element of

personal touch or care.

Another difficulty is that

most of these call centres

are outsourced and are

manned by staff who have

no domain knowledge. They

have been trained on what

and how to say something,

but are unable to actually

help customers. Also,

customers can interact

only with these executives

and have no way of

getting across to their supervisors

or other people who

may have the requisite

knowledge or solution to

their problems.

Turn around time is critical

for these call centres.

Calls have to be disposed and

problems resolved within a

given time period. To maintain

this, people may be cut

short or their queries left

unanswered. There have

been instances where executives

have updated their

databases indicating that

the customer problem was

resolved when in reality it

was still outstanding!

The above problems have

turned a good initiative

into one which customers

now dread. Something

surely needs to be done if

it is to deliver what it was

envisioned for.

(The author is a learning

and development consultant

and the chief synergist of

Kiai Peoplez Solutions at

Delhi. She can be reached at

kalpanaarora@hotmail.com)

04

AUSTRALIA

PERSPECTIVES

worldthisweek - key news

USA

The former managing director of The Star

casino in Sydney was paid nearly USD

200,000 after being sacked for inappropriate

behaviour. Sid Vaikunta was stood down

in February by the casino’s owner Echo

Entertainment because of allegations of

sexual harassment involving a female

member of The Star’s staff. Vaikunta has

denied the allegations. Echo’s annual report

for the 2011-12 financial year shows Vaikunta

received a termination payment of USD

192,125. He was also paid a salary of just over

USD 470,000 up to the date of his sacking,

taking his total payments in the financial year

to USD 662,270. Vaikunta’s pay in the previous

year totalled USD 1.95 million.

Retailer Premier Investments has recorded

a 68 per cent profit rise on the back of a

cost cutting drive. The company, which owns

Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Peter Alexander and

stationery brand Smiggle, made a net profit

of USD 68.2 million in the year to July, up

from USD 40.5 million in the previous year.

Sales from Premier’s retail business fell 4.3

per cent to USD 829.1 million but the company

clawed USD 27.8 million back through

lower costs. The previous year’s result also

included more than USD 15 million costs

related to Premier’s strategy review which

resulted in a number of store closures and

an increased focus on the expansion of its

Peter Alexander and Smiggle brands.

BANGLADESH

Analysis: Romney can still win,

but it will not be easy

The last few weeks have been

ugly for Republican Presidential

Contender Mitt Romney. A

flat Republican convention, a

fumbled response to unrest in the

Middle East, reports of discord

within his campaign and a secretly

taped video of Romney deriding 47

per cent of US voters have left his

team reeling — and has many

Republicans fearing doom in the

November 6 election. Democratic

President Barack Obama has

Rough road ahead for Romney

opened a slight lead over Romney

in national polls, and new surveys

indicate that Obama has a significant

edge where it matters

most: in Ohio, Virginia and Florida,

the most coveted of nine politically

divided ‘swing’ states that are

crucial to cobbling together the

270 electoral votes needed to win

the White House.

US lifts ban on the New

Zealand warships

The United States has lifted a

ban on visits by New Zealand

warships to US defence and coast

guard bases around the world,

Sacked Star casino boss paid $ 200,000

The Bangladesh Association of International

Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA)

threatened to stop manpower export if the

government level agreement between

Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur was not scraped

immediately. Shah Jalal Mojumder, president

of the BAIRA gave the warning at a press

conference. While reading out a written

statement, the BAIRA chief also sought Prime

Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention in this

regard. On September 12, Dhaka and Kuala

Lumpur decided to go for state level arrange-

BAIRA threatens to stop manpower export

further thawing relations after

a 26 year stand-off on nuclear

issues. US Defence Secretary Leon

Panetta made the announcement

during a visit to New Zealand

on Friday. He said Washington

would lift restrictions on military

exercises and facilitate more talks

with New Zealand even though

Wellington maintains its long-held

nuclear-free stance. For the first

time since the suspension of the

ANZUS Treaty in 1986, Washington

will allow individual visits by Royal

New Zealand Navy ships to US

Department of Defence or Coast

Guard facilities in the United

States and around the world,

Panetta said in Auckland, New

Zealand’s largest city.

WORLD

Tensions high for day of

anti-Islam film protests

Security forces in several Muslim

countries are gearing up

for a day of fresh protests against

an anti-Islam film made in the US.

In Pakistan, the government has

declared a ‘special day of love’ for

the Prophet Muhammad. Washington

has paid for adverts on

Pakistani TV that show President

Barack Obama condemning the

film. Widespread unrest over the

amateur film Innocence of Muslims

has already claimed several

lives around the world. Although

the US has borne the brunt of

protests, anti-Western sentiment

has been stoked further by caricatures

of the Prophet Muhammad

ments for recruitment of Bangladeshi

workers by Malaysia, putting aside the

long involvement of private manpower

agencies and brokers in the process.

Six entrepreneurs have got nod to their

financing plan for investing USD 48.55

million foreign loan in six projects. Private

Sector Foreign Loan and Supplier’s Credit

Committee approved the loan in its 68th meeting

held at the Bangladesh Bank (BB) headquarters.

Of the total amount, USD 9.75 million

has been approved for NovoAir Limited, USD

0.5 million for RZ Power Limited, USD 7.5 million

for Esquire Knit Composite Limited, USD

nine million for SQ Celsius Limited and USD 20

million for KYCR Coils Limited. “More foreign

financing proposal is under processing and

close consideration for the approval,” a senior

government official said, adding that this type

of foreign financing will be helpful to keep the

country’s foreign exchange market stable.

CHINA

China’s Premier Wen Jiabao has urged the

EU to lift its arms embargo on Beijing at

his last EU-China summit before handing over

power this year. Speaking in Brussels, Wen

said, “The solution has been elusive over the

past 10 years. I deeply regret this.” The EU

embargo was imposed after the violent suppression

of the Tiananmen Square protests in

1989. EU sources, quoted ahead of the summit,

said, “We have agreed to disagree with

China on the issue.” Wen also mentioned the

EU’s refusal to treat China as a fully-fledged

market economy, which is preventing Brussels

from lifting its tariffs on Chinese goods.

His one-day talks in Brussels with senior EU

figures, including European Council President

Herman Van Rompuy and Foreign Policy Chief

Catherine Ashton, focused on a range of other

economic issues. China clinched a deal to

work with the EU to cut greenhouse gases and

move to a low-carbon economy, the European

Commission said in a statement.

China premier urges end to EU arms embargo

China Molybdenum Co Ltd, a major Chinese

producer of tungsten and molybdenum,

raised a much less-than-expected 600 million

yuan (USD 95 million) through a share offering

in Shanghai, reflecting slack demand for

resource-related firms amid a slowing

economy. China Molybdenum sold 200 million

shares at three yuan apiece, it said in a filing

to the Shanghai stock exchange late on Thursday.

It had said it was planning to raise 3.65

billion yuan by selling no more than 542

million shares to build new projects. The sluggish

performance of China’s stock market has

GLOBAL

Security forces ready for protests

published in a satirical French

magazine. Pakistan has urged

people to demonstrate peacefully,

but the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool in

Islamabad says the police are

prepared for trouble, with mobile

phone services cut across the

country to reduce security risks.

Syria uprising: Assad says

Arab Spring brought chaos

President Bashar al-Assad of

Syria has told an Egyptian

magazine that the Arab Spring

uprisings only brought chaos and

that the Syrian rebels cannot win.

The only solution to the crisis in

Syria was dialogue, he said,

speaking in a rare interview for

the weekly al-Ahram al-Arabi. He

insisted that his government

would not fall like that of the

late Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.

At least 20,000 people have

died in Syria’s conflict, the UN

estimates. On Thursday, a government

warplane attacked a petrol

station in the north-east of the

country, killing at least 30

people, opposition activists said.

Speaking from his office in the

capital Damascus, Assad said,

“Change cannot be achieved

through foreign intervention.”

dented investor appetite for new share issues,

forcing a number of companies including

China Communications Construction Co Ltd

and CITIC Heavy Industries Co to either

postpone offerings or downsize their deals.

EUROPE

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has

cut its growth forecast for South Korea

citing risks from further intensification of the

Euro Zone crisis. The fund said it expects a

growth of three per cent for this year, down

from its projection of 3.25 per cent in June. The

Euro Zone crisis has dented demand in the

region and hurt South Korea’s exports, which

account for nearly half of its economic output.

The IMF said that South Korea was well placed

to handle any further risks. “In the event of a

significant downside scenario, the economy

has sufficient policy space to respond,

especially on the fiscal side,” the IMF said in a

report on the Asian economy. According to

data released earlier this month, South

Korea’s economy grew less-than-forecast in

the April to June quarter, hurt by a slowdown

in exports and investment.

IMF cuts South Korea's GDP growth outlook

Spain is considering freezing pensions and

speeding up a planned rise in the retirement

age as it races to cut spending and meet

conditions of an expected international sovereign

aid package, sources with knowledge of

the matter said. The measures would save at

least four billion euros a year as well as fulfil

recommendations in a European Union document

released in May which senior Euro Zone

sources said was being used as a blueprint for

the terms of a sovereign aid programme. The

acceleration of the raising of retirement age

to 67 from 65, currently scheduled to take

place over 15 years, is a done deal, the

sources said. The elimination of an inflationlinked

annual pension hike is still being considered.

Spain, the new epicentre of the Euro

Zone debt crisis after Greece, Ireland and Portugal,

is hesitating to apply for external aid to

handle a high public deficit and soaring debt.

INDIA

Former Managing Director of sportswear

business Reebok India, Subhinder Singh

Prem, and Ex-chief Operating Officer, Vishnu

Bhagat, have been arrested in connection

with a fraud case. They have been alleged to

have indulged in fictitious sales and fudging

of company accounts. Reebok has claimed

that such activities had resulted in a loss of

almost IRs 8.7 billion for the firm. The two

former executives, who left the firm in March,

have denied the charges. Three other people

have also been arrested in connection with

the case. “We will seek police remand. All

these accomplices were not co-operating with

the police,” Gurgaon Police Commissioner

KK Sandhu was quoted as saying by the

Economic Times in India. The case come to

light after Adidas, the parent company of

Reebok, warned investors early this year that

commercial irregularities at its Reebok unit in

India could dent the firm’s profits.

Reebok's ex-MD, COO among five arrested

The Competition Commission of India (CCI)

has started an investigation against Coal

India Limited (CIL) for allegedly adopting

unfair trade practices and misusing its

dominant position while supplying coal. The

Maharatna firm is also accused of supplying a

huge quantity of stones and boulders along

with coal. The Maharashtra State Electricity

Board had filed a complaint against CIL and

some of its subsidiaries earlier this year,

following which the CCI started the probe. In

September, central power utilities NTPC and

DVC — two of the largest coal consumers in

the country — backed up the complaint. If the

charges are substantiated, the CIL might have

to pay a hefty fine, possibly as high as IRs 100

billion. The CCI had imposed a fine of IRs 60.34

billion on 11 cement companies earlier this

year for cartelisation. “If the allegations are

proven, CIL has to restate its financials,” an

NTPC official said.

JAPAN

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) has extended its

asset purchasing programme by 10 trillion

yen, following similar moves by the Federal

Reserve and the European Central Bank. The

move, aimed at boosting the economy,

increases the overall size of the stimulus

programme to 80 trillion yen. Although the

increase had been anticipated by some

analysts, many were surprised by the size of

it. Finance Minister Jun Azumi said, “The BoJ

took more action than we anticipated.” Under

the asset purchasing programme, the central

bank buys bonds in order to keep the

long-term cost of borrowing down. The BoJ

also left interest rates unchanged at

between zero and 0.1 per cent. Recent data

showed that Japan’s exports and industrial

output both slumped in July. The central

bank now expects economic activity in Japan

to level off more or less.

Japan’s exports and imports dipped in

August, raising fears about the impact of a

global slowdown on its economy. Exports fell

5.8 per cent from a year earlier, hurt by

slowing demand from the European Union

(EU) and China. Imports fell 5.4 per cent from

a year ago, indicating that domestic demand

continues to remain weak. The data comes

amid fears that Japan’s trade with China, its

biggest trading partner, may be hurt by the

continuing territorial dispute between them.

“It is going from bad to worse for the Japanese

export sector,” Martin Schulz of Fujitsu

Research Institute told the BBC, adding,

“Recovery in the US remains weak, the EU

crisis is far from over and now the dispute

with China could have a negative impact on

exports to the mainland in the near term.”

Japan Airlines (JAL) shares rose modestly on

its re-listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange,

more than two years after it filed for bankruptcy

in one of Japan’s biggest corporate

failures. JAL shares climbed one per cent,

trading at 3,830 yen up from 3,790 yen. The 663

billion yen initial public offering comes after

the airline was given a government-backed

bail out in 2010. It is the second biggest share

sale this year globally after Facebook. Japan

airlines were de-listed from the stock

exchanged after becoming insolvent. Since

then it has carried out huge restructuring,

cutting more than a third of its workforce,

cancelling unprofitable routes and replacing

older planes. In August, JAL announced that

net profit had doubled in the April to June period,

compared with the previous year. It was

even recently called the world’s most profitable

airline after record operating profits.

MALAYSIA

AirAsia may be expanding its wings to India

through a new start-up with an Indian

partner and also strengthening its presence in

the Philippines by acquiring a stake in Zest

Airways, newspapers reported in the two

countries. The Times of India reported on

Wednesday that AirAsia might be the first

carrier to invest in the aviation industry there

after India’s cabinet decided to allow foreign

investors to own up to a 49 per cent stake in

its airlines. The newspaper also reported that

Asia’s largest low-cost carrier was looking

at the possibility of a start-up with a strong

Indian partner instead of investing in an

existing airline. Replying to the Indian daily

through e-mail, AirAsia Group Chief Tan

Sri Tony Fernandes said, “We will make

statements in due course.”

AirAsia Eyes India, Zest Airways

The Malaysian Industrial Development

Authority (MIDA) approved 469 manufacturing

projects valued at 27.5 billion ringgit in

January to July this year, which are expected

to generate 46,137 jobs. The Ministry of

International Trade and Industry (MITI) said

that 69.3 per cent of the jobs would be in

the managerial, technical, supervisory and

skilled manpower categories. “Malaysia

continues to attract high-quality investments

in the manufacturing sector, reflecting the

country’s competitiveness as a location of

choice for high-tech investment in the

region,” MIDA said. MITI said most of the

projects approved in January to July 2012 were

new projects (279 projects) with investments

of 17.4 billion ringgit.

PAKISTAN

The government held a pre-bid conference

for prospective consultancy firms, which

may be hired to ensure transparent auction of

the third generation (3G) mobile telecommunications

technology spectrum. The event

marks the beginning of an auctioning process

expected to generate at least USD one billion

in revenues for the government. The Pakistan

Telecommunication Authority (PTA) had

earlier sought proposals from internationally

reputed consultants, companies or consortia,

aimed at assisting the PTA conduct the Mobile

Cellular Spectrum License Auction in Pakistan.

The successful culmination of the prebid

conference also marks the formal beginning

of the process of issuance of 3G licences,

which has been repeatedly haunted by allegations

of corruption. Apart from the accusations,

mishandling of the process has also

delayed the 3G auction by at least a year.

BoJ increases asset purchase programme Govt starts laying groundwork for 3G auction

The Planning Commission (PC) has

proposed that the 969-megawatt Neelum

Jhelum hydropower project can be registered

as a public limited company — a move that

will pave the way for floating its shares in the

open market to raise funds and complete the

project. The proposal comes in the face of a

sharp increase in project cost, which has

jumped 225 per cent to 274.8 billion Pakistani

rupees against earlier estimates of 84.5 billion

Pakistani rupees because of years of delay.

According to sources, the energy wing of PC

has given the suggestion that the Neelum

Jhelum project should be converted into a

public limited company for issuing its shares

in the open market. It also pointed out

that Pakistani rupee component of the

project could be arranged through a cash

development loan instead of grant from

the government.

RUSSIA

Russia agreed to write off nearly USD 500

million in debt due from Kyrgyzstan in

exchange for a package of deals that will extend

Moscow’s military and energy footprints

on the volatile fringes of the former Soviet

Union. As Kyrgyzstan confirmed plans to close

a US base used to fly troops in and out of

Afghanistan after Washington’s lease expires

in 2014, President Vladimir Putin secured a 15year

extension to Russia’s lease on its own

base in the country. The deals, which will see

Russian companies build hydro power plants

allowing them to mediate between conflicting

Russia writes off Kyrgyz debt

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

interests over water use, reinforce the

Kremlin’s influence in Central Asia as the

region guards against the possible spill over

of Islamist militancy from Afghanistan.

BP is in talks with Rosneft that may result in

the British oil major acquiring at least 12.5

per cent of the Russian state oil firm, the

Kommersant financial daily reported, citing

sources close to the two companies. BP’s acquisition

of Rosneft shares would take place

as part of a deal under discussion to sell BP’s

50 per cent stake in Anglo-Russian oil venture

TNK-BP Russia’s number three oil firm.

Rosneft is looking at buying 25 per cent of

TNK-BP’s shares for USD 10 to USD 15 billion in

cash, with another 25 per cent to be acquired

with Rosneft shares, Kommersant wrote.

THAILAND

APM Group, a leading consultancy, expects

its sales will almost double by 2015 from

300 million baht this year, thanks to rising

demand from corporate clients wishing to

enhance their competency and competitiveness

to cope with the formation of the Asean

Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. “We’ll

grow along with our clients, who are adjusting

to a new business environment. The AEC will

bring both threats and opportunities,” said

Managing Director Arinya Talerngsri. She said

many companies are willing to change, and

the changes cannot be done in only some

areas, the whole organisation must adapt,

and the first step is to adjust the mindset of

employees from management to junior staff.

“I think Thai companies should have a mindset

that they’re in the global market, not only

in Thailand or the AEC,” said Talerngsri.

The Stop Global Warming Association

(SGWA) vows to protest against any

efforts to set up or expand industrial estates if

the government and private sector fail to

tackle environmental problems at Map Ta

Phut. “If the Map Ta Phut issue is not resolved,

don’t hope for any expansion or setting up

other industrial estates in Thailand,” SGWA

President Srisuwan Janya said at a Community

Partnership Association forum, attended

by the chief executives of the five founding

members of the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate.

NGO vows deadlock if estates do not clean up

USA

Bank of America (BoA) Corp is speeding up

planned job cuts as revenue continues to

decline amid new regulations and a tepid

economy, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The second largest US bank intends to slash

16,000 jobs by year end, putting it a year

ahead of a plan to eliminate 30,000 under a

cost-cutting programme called Project New

BAC, the newspaper said, citing a document

given to top management. The bank began

cutting jobs last fall and had been expected

to complete the task by the end of 2013.

BoA has lagged rivals in recovering from

the financial crisis, largely due to mortgagerelated

losses. Total revenue has declined

for four straight quarters, raising investor

concerns about how it will boost earnings.

“Given the uncertainty in the economy,

expense savings and efficiencies are the

primary catalyst that they have for earnings

growth over the next year,” Guggenheim

Partners Analyst Marty Mosby said.

BoA speeds up plans to cut 16,000 jobs

Pennsylvania State University has hired a

high-profile law firm to try to settle suits

arising from the Jerry Sandusky child sex

scandal by the end of the year, the school said

on Thursday. The Washington law firm of

Feinberg Rozen has been hired to help

with potential out-of-court settlements, the

university said in a statement. Feinberg Rozen

received national attention for helping resolve

suits arising from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil

spill, the Virginia Tech mass shootings in 2007

and the September 11, 2001 attacks. “In

retaining Feinberg Rozen, we are seeking to

make sure we do the right thing in terms of

providing a just outcome for the victims,”

Penn State President Rodney Erickson said.

The law firm will be working to close claims

out of court over a concentrated, three-month

period and wrap them up by the end of the

year, the statement said.

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 PERSPECTIVES

BUSINESS

Showing cracks

Guneshwor Ojha

Kathmandu

Huge reserves of limestone in

Nepal cast a promising

future for the cement industry.

Prompted by remittance

propelled construction activities

in rural areas, new cement factories

are in the offing. However,

unfavourable environment due to

power crisis and social problems,

among others might engulf this

industry as well, fear industrialists.

While the country almost entirely

relied on imports a decade ago,

domestic production today meets

50 per cent of the total cement

requirement in Nepal. Emboldened

by construction activities taking

place in rural Nepal thanks to

remittance, some new cement

industries are set to enter Nepali

market, informs Pashupati Murarka,

an industrialist. “After six

months, domestic production will

Monish Bajracharya

Kathmandu

In the last column, we

discussed creating shared

value (CSV) as the

guiding principle for corporate

social responsibility

(CSR). Here, we try to present

one international and some

national examples of how

promoting entrepreneurship

as a CSR activity can

create shared social and

economic value for business

and community.

Despite the low official

unemployment rate of 2.1

per cent, the reality of unemployed

or underemployed

youth poses a huge challenge

for Nepal and might turn into

a bigger worry if it remains

unaddressed. Many ‘income

generating activities’ of unemployed

youth have been

correlated with societal ills

like crime and violent conflict

and young people are

easily dragged into unproductive

engagements. To

prevent youth from getting

onto the wrong path and to

unleash their productive

potential (as entrepreneurs,

substitute 90 per cent of cement imports,”

claims Murarka. Due to the

huge presence of limestone in the

hills of Nepal, industrialists see the

cement industry as an important

propeller of the national economy.

However, sluggish construction

work in urban area and poor power

supply, among other factors, have

adversely impacted the industry.

“Though the market witnessed a

growth of 10 to 15 per cent a few

years back, it has dwindled to a

mere five per cent in recent years,”

informs Bishnu Prasad Neupane,

general secretary of Cement Manufacturers’

Association of Nepal.

The country has over three dozen

cement factories and around

a dozen industries producing

clinkers, the main ingredient for

cement. Limestone forms the main

element of the industry, as clinker

is derived from it. Since clinker

produced domestically is insufficient

to meet the needs of local factories,

it is imported from India. “A

heavy duty imposed on import

of clinker and other

ingredients have bur-

industryinsight

income earners, tax payers, et

cetera), job creation has

huge societal values. Youths

engaged in economic activities

are youths absent

from calling bandhs, pelting

stones or carrying weapons.

Obviously, businesses in

general create jobs but there

dened us,” says Neupane.

Lack of access to lime,

erratic power supply, and

high interest rate are some

other factors plaguing the

industry. “In the absence of

government regulation

and mining areas politicised

by locals create hassles,

often disrupting

work,” complains Murarka adding,

“Rather than halting work in mines

if a company is found to be indulged

in any untoward activities,

concerned locals should seek

resolution through government authorities,

like the chief district officer’s

office,” he opines. Frequent

trouble by locals putting forth unnecessary

demands only harasses

industrialists to the point of

frustration, which may ultimately

lead to the closure of a

factory, states Murarka.

Industrialists demand

that the government

devise a mechanism so

that Nepal Rastriya

Bank provides them

loans at seven to eight

per cent against the current interest

rate of 13 to 14 per cent to

encourage them to set up factories.

Cartels by transport operators

have also hugely affected the industry.

“Transportation cost of cement

or its raw materials along the

700 km route from Calcutta, India to

Nepal’s border city, Birgunj is

around Rs 2,000 but from Birjung to

Kathmandu (250 km) it is around Rs

2,500,” Neupane says, insisting that

the government must break the

ill-practice of transport cartel.

Seeking licence to launch a new

factory is also a huge challenge,

as one has to frequent multiple

concerned bodies such as the

Ministry of Industry, Ministry

of Environment, Department of

Geology, District Development

Committee, et cetera, he laments.

“Since the industry requires uninterrupted

power supply, the government

should focus on increasing

hydro electricity capacity of the

country,” stresses Pradeep Jung

Pandey, another industrialist.

Industrialists see border states of

is more that can be done.

A township development

project in the South African

city Harrismith turned local

black youth into entrepreneurs

through a collaboration

with local contractors.

Encouraged by buy-back

guarantees, which are

provided by infrastructure

developers, previously unem-

ployedyoungsters now produce

quality

bricks and other

building materials.

The promotion

of entrepreneurship

through

local sourcing has

been strategically

used to advance economic

inclusion of

black youths. This

is a great example

of how to prevent

young people from destroying

infrastructure out of

frustration and lack of

perspectives, and instead

make them actually build it.

Nepal also has its homegrown

examples of private

entrepreneurship promotion.

One commercial bank

provides loans to economic

India that lack lime mines as potential

markets for Nepali cement. The

industrialists argue that fostering

of cement industries through

adequate power supply and easing

other social and red tape hassles

would boost export, thereby earn

foreign currency. However, if the

problems persists, the industry will

be inefficient to compete with

Indian cement and the country will

again revert to imports, they warn.

Sadly, industrialists themselves

differ on various issues of the

industry. While some believe the

government should tighten the

import of clinker to promote domestic

factories, others argue that

clinkers should be availed at low

cost to facilitate cement factories.

Moreover, government directive

requiring all cement companies in

the country to use laminated bag

citing health and environmental

concerns seems to have created

a rift. While industrialists like

Neupane appreciate the government’s

move, others call the

mandatory provision impractical.

Industrialists like Murarka and

Pandey argue that the directive

should be optional as it would

increase the cost of cement.

“Since laminated bag technology

is expensive, installation of the

machines by a single company

could result in monopoly. So, such

measures need to be implemented

gradually,” expresses Pandey.

However, laminated bags are not

only friendly to the labourers and

dealers, they also save the cost of

cement as consumers lose one kg of

cement during transportation. “My

company simply wants to follow the

best practice and already uses

laminated bags,” says Neupane.

youngguns

actors at

various levels of

agricultural value chains. It

gives micro loans to farmers

to cultivate sugarcane, small

loans to SMEs to run sugar

mills and finally enables

SMEs to integrate into the

supply chain of national

corporates. The bank not

only promotes access to

finance to rural farmers but

also ignites start-ups and

integrates infant businesses

Solar

solutions

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu

Prakash Acharya, an engineer

involved in clean energy

business, believes that the

idea of slow and steady wins

the race in any venture. Following

his desire to become an entrepreneur

and aided by likeminded

classmates, Acharya

founded Clean Concept Group

Pvt Ltd — a solar energy company

— in 2010 right after graduating

from an engineering campus

in Kathmandu. “We did project

work on renewable energy

during our course and decided to

start a company as a team,”

shares Acharya, who hails from

the touristic city Pokhara.

For fresh graduates with no

background in commerce or

business, starting up a venture

was challenging. Yet, Acharya

and his team entered business

trusting the adage ‘learning

by doing’. The team started the

office in a single room at

Acharya’s apartment. “We

weren’t very professional those

days — it was a very casual

environment,” reminiscences the

entrepreneur in his late 20s.

Though the initial plan was to

work on micro hydro projects

along with solar energy, the

company is only focusing on

CSV through entrepreneurship promotion

MANY ‘INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES’ OF UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

HAVE BEEN CORRELATED WITH SOCIETAL ILLS

responsiblebusiness

POWER CRISIS AND

SOCIAL PROBLEMS CAST

A DARK SPELL ON

THE CEMENT INDUSTRY

“IT MAY TAKE TIME, BUT IF

YOUR WORK IS GENUINE,

YOU ARE BOUND TO

PREVAIL AND FLOURISH”

into the value chains of

established companies.

Another barely known but

mutually beneficial initiative

comes from the Nepali IT

sector. The management of

one company allows its

employees to use company resources

to develop and experiment

new products and pilot

them in the market. This

might sound foolish to many

THT

05

solar power for now.

The company works on

street solar lights,

solar home systems

and in providing power

back up to institutions

and business houses

aided by solar power.

But there were challenges

and frustration

in the beginning. The

major problem was

funding, especially as

the equipments did not

function due to technical

errors. “Our other

classmates were making

Rs 40,000 to Rs

50,000 per month and

apparently led a hassle

free life either in Nepal

or abroad, while we

hardly had pocket

money and were

always tense because

of ceaseless complaints

from customers

when things went

wrong. Thus, we would

often mull over closing

down the business,”

shares Acharya.

The only thing that

kept the team together

and the company going

were frequent discussions.

“They served as

the medium of venting

out personal dissatisfaction

and stress,

and new plans filled

everybody with renewed hopes

and zeal,” reveals Acharya.

But as the number of projects,

grew, their work also gained

perfection. Besides, since the

members were involved in the

profession they were passionate

about, any accomplishment filled

them with a deep satisfaction.

Though not a big company, it

has now succeeded in creating a

solid image among its clients,

according to Acharya. “We’re

now working on branding of our

company,” he says.

Acharya is unhappy over

unhealthy competition in the

market. “People with no technical

know-how have entered

the business foreseeing an opportunity

in solar energy. They are

polluting the business environment

by selling substandard

materials to the gullible public

at lower prices,” he complains.

However, he is undeterred and

says, “It may take time, but if

your work is genuine, you are

bound to prevail and flourish.”

His company’s focus is on ecohouse

projects, where a house is

entirely dependent on solar

power system for all sorts of

energy needs. If the power supply

from national grid based on

hydro electricity remains dismal

for few more years, solar energy

will take over, he predicts.

a competition-fearing entrepreneur,

but it secures the

company a steady ‘supply’ of

highly motivated and entrepreneurial

applicants as well

as the opportunity to venture

into new markets with

trusted business partners.

There are many more

such examples where

businesses help create

other businesses and

mutual benefits.

The South African

contractor could have

bought bricks from any

other factory instead of

investing in local youth

entrepreneurs, the

Nepali bank could have

limited itself to ‘high value’

customers and the IT

company could have worried

about high staff turnovers

instead of facilitating its

employees’ innovations. But

by choosing the alternative

path, they made their communities

safer, accessed

previously untapped customers

and found a way to

create an entrepreneurial

ecosystem from which they

benefit as well. Beyond that,

they vindicate their purpose

of existence by adding social

to economic value creation.

(The author is a project

manager at NBI Nepal and

can be reached through

info@nbinepal.org.np)

06

PERSPECTIVES

legaleagle

Prudent decision

THE PUBLIC HAS CHANCE TO RETHINK

WHICH PARTY HAS BETTER AGENDA

Ananta Raj Luitel

Kathmandu

For the first time, the political

parties took a wise decision

to go for fresh elections and

give up their agenda to

revive the dissolved Constituent

Assembly (CA). Though they

took the decision three and a

half months after the expiry of

the constitution making body,

they took a prudent decision to

seek the mandate of the

people on the constitution

making process.

Since they surely

failed to deliver as

promised in drafting

the constitution during

the last four years after

the elections on April

10, 2008, it will not be

easy to face the public

and convince them to vote again.

However, with no other valid

option left, they had to choose

this path again.

Election is the best option in

democracy because it helps

foster the confidence of the

public on current matters and

also gain the knowledge about

their views on current matters,

which can help in making

decisions. Still, there is no easy

way for the parties to seek the

fresh mandate from the public

without amending the Interim

Constitution as the current constitution

does not give way for

holding any kind of election —

for the CA or parliament.

Because the CA is not a regular

phenomenon, the main law

of the land did not provision

holding the elections again and

again. Therefore, the politicians

and the entire intellectual sector

must take it as an opportunity to

acquire the views of the public

in resolving disputed matters

like federalism and decide on

the number of provinces, the

governance system, type of

judiciary and other matters.

There are numerous

groups that are still

demanding referendum

on the monarchy

and many other issues.

As the public had demanded

referendum

even during the tenure

of the CA for many

other issues, it is now

up to the parties and

the public to take proper

decision. Now, the public has opportunity

to rethink which party

has better agenda, the best

policies in ensuring fundamental

rights in the coming constitution

and top economic strategy

for making a prosperous Nepal.

“The political forces can use

the elections for taking the

disputed matters to the public

and take their stances,”

Krishna Jung Rayamajhi,

former Supreme Court justice

told THT Perspectives. “If the

parties fail to take a proper

decision again, the public

may start feeling frustrated

about the democracy,” he added.

ECONOMICS

Vivek Risal

Kathmandu

The Federal Reserve

announced the

launch of the eagerly-anticipatedQuantitative

Easing 3 (QE3)

which prompted a bullish

rally in risky assets. Most

of the market participants

had been expecting

Ben Bernanke to unleash

the stimulus package, but

were astonished by the

extent of the easing.

Bernanke stated that the

Federal Reserve will buy

USD 40 billion worth of

agency mortgage-backed

securities every month

until the job market in

the nation develops onto

greener pastures.

There can be no doubt

that the Federal Reserve’s

move is unprecedented

and it is astonish-

ing that the American

central bank is openly

debasing its currency!

More importantly, if

the US job market does

not improve soon, it is

probable that QE3 will

continue for several

months or even years! In

terms of morality, the

Federal Reserve’s latest

policy initiative is

questionable at best

because an open ended

QE will diminish the purchasing

power of money

and penalise savers.

Nonetheless, from an

investment perspective,

QE3 will probably trigger

a massive rally in global

stocks and commodities.

In the precious metals

arena, both gold and

silver are soaring and

this rally is likely to continue

until next spring.

Silver was the big benefi-

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Troika pauses Greek talks

NO DEAL YET ON AUSTERITY CUTS

Reuters

Athens

Greece and its international

lenders made progress on

hammering out a contentious

austerity package

but failed to clinch a deal

at the last round of talks before

visiting inspectors leave Athens

this weekend, officials said on

Friday. The talks — marred by

tension and disagreement over

public sector reform — are due to

resume in a week when inspectors

from the so-called troika of

European Commission (EU),

European Central Bank (ECB)

and International Monetary

Fund (IMF) return to Athens.

Near-bankrupt Greece needs the

troika’s blessing on the spending

cuts worth nearly 12 billion euros

to unlock its next tranche of

aid, without which it faces certain

default and a potential exit from

the Euro Zone.

“There has been progress... the

talks are continuing,” a Greek

finance ministry official told

reporters after talks between

the troika and the finance

ministry broke up. “We have

agreed on a number of measures

but more are needed.” The EU and

IMF also confirmed a ‘brief pause’

in talks, which it said had notched

up progress.

“The mission has had productive

discussions with the authorities

since early September and has

made good progress during this

period,” the EU and IMF said

in a statement.

The austerity package needs to

be finished by September 28, the

Greek official said. “We

need to have the package

ready by September 28 to

present it to the Euro

Working Group meeting.

Our time limit is until

then,” the official said.

“We must also have

a buffer of measures

in the event that we

miss targets.”

Prime Minister Antonis

Samaras’s government

has acknowledged

that the talks with

the troika have been ‘difficult’

with the inspectors

pressing Athens to

make deep cuts and

accept an end to its taboo

on firing civil servants.

So far, Greek officials

have said agreement on

9.5 billion euros of the

11.5 billion-euro package

of spending cuts had

been reached. That

includes 6.5 billion

euros in cuts to wages,

pensions and benefit

payments and a further

1.1 billion euros in

savings planned from

an increase in the

retirement age.

An additional 1.9

billion euros would

come in savings from

various modernisation

measures approved by

the troika, leaving the

two sides still wrangling

over some two billion

euros in proposed savings

in health, defence

and local government.

The deeply unpopular

cuts have put additional

strain on Samaras’s

already fragile conservative-led

coalition, which

has bickered for weeks

over plans to lay off

civil servants and

IMF CHIEF URGES EUROPE TO ACT

WASHINGTON: European policymakers

must move quickly to

coordinate and implement decisions

they have taken to move the Euro

Zone beyond its current debt crisis,

the head of the IMF said.

In an interview with an IMF

publication issued on Friday,

Managing Director Christine Lagarde

said the United States and

Japan should also roll out their

medium-term fiscal plans to anchor

expectations about economic policy.

She said action, and not just talk,

is needed among all countries to

help the world economy regain its

stride again, with emerging market

economies now clearly drawn into

the slowdown in global growth. “It’s

a question of really trying to move

beyond the crisis in the Euro Zone,

asserting a medium-term plan for

countries like the United States and

Japan, and making sure that some

of the issues that actually created

the crisis back five years ago are

really dealt with, not just half dealt

with,” Lagarde said. — Reuters

ciary and we believe

that over the following

months, silver will outperform

gold by a wide

margin. But the notion

is widely debated, given

the unpredictable nature

of the markets lately.

In the currencies

patch, the US dollar has

embarked on a new

downtrend and further

weakness is on the

cards. Given the fact that

the Federal Reserve is

debasing its currency,

the greenback should

depreciate significantly

against other forms of

paper money. In terms of

the technicalities, the

US dollar index has

slipped below the 200-day

moving average and

that line should now

act as a source of

major resistance.

Finally, QE3 is already

slash pensions.

Still, with Greece

facing a Euro Zone exit

— what Samaras called

a ‘nightmare’ and a

‘total disaster’ scenario

— without further

bailout funds, party leaders

in his coalition have

signalled they will reluctantly

back the package

in the end. Once all sides

agree a final deal on

the cuts, the troika is

expected to issue a

report on Greece’s

progress in meeting

the terms of its bailout

that will determine

whether the country gets

further bailout funds

to stay afloat.

EU officials and diplomats

earlier told Reuters

the EU and IMF report

looked set to be delayed

after the November 6

US elections because

policymakers want to

avoid any shock to

the global economy, but

the EU’s chief inspector

for Greece denied

the report.

Cometh of QE3: an overview

IT IS PROBABLE THAT LONG-TERM US INTEREST RATES WILL RISE

AND THE YIELD CURVE WILL STEEPEN

investosansar

having an impact on

bond yields and it is

probable that long-term

US interest rates will rise

and the yield curve

will steepen. Conversely,

bearing in mind the ongoing

rally in risk, we

believe that peripheral

European bond yields

will decline and high

yield corporate bonds

will also appreciate over

the following months.

Thus, this is the time to

liquidate US treasuries

and allocate capital to

high yield bonds. But this

is my opinion, which

could differ from yours!

(The author is the

senior assistant manager

at the research and

development department

of Mercantile Exchange

Nepal. He can be

contacted through

r&d@mexnepal.com)

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012 PERSPECTIVES

BRAND

Aashreeva KC

Kathmandu

Fifteen years ago, World

Distribution Nepal introduced

Dell in Nepal

with a vision to change

the way Nepalis connect

with the world. And indeed it

did, especially as people were

attracted to the value for

money that Dell offered

through its products. Ten

years later, Generation Next

Communications Pvt Ltd

(GNext) was set up to enhance

customer satisfaction

and acquired the authorised

distributorship for Dell in the

country.

“Through the years, Dell

has become a household

name in Nepal owing to its

unmatched quality and affordability,”

claims Aachal

Shrestha, service head

manager of GNext. Informing

that all the

products they supply

are imported directly

from the mother company

in Malaysia, she says

Dell enjoys about 60 per cent

of market share, thereby

making it the market leader.

The company is organising

a campaign titled ‘Be The

Face Of Dell’, where college

students are given an

opportunity to enhance

their sales skills and

earn themselves

a certificate

and letter of

appreciation

along with

other incentives.

The winners

will be awarded

a Dell Notebook, a Dell

printer and a Dell

monitor. The

c a m -

paign,

which

started

from August

20, will last till

October 5. According

to the company, over 100

students have registered

and won themselves exciting

gift hampers, movie and

bowling tickets.

GNext sells Dell laptops,

computers, notebooks, ultrabooks,

printers, projectors

and monitors. They also

provide spare parts for

laptops upon order. Whereas

retailers form majority of

Vibhor Kumar Singh

Kathmandu

Evolving with times is a

must for any brand and

the story of the brand

‘Amitabh Bachchan’ illustrates

this golden rule in a

very apt manner. Even though

there are a number of factors

that have shaped the man’s career,

it is interesting to note that

the superstar’s career graph is

directly linked to the ability of

Amitabh-the-brand to adapt to

the changing environment.

Bachchan was the undisputed

superstar of Indian cinema and

a global brand export from

India in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the closed economy era,

snake charmers and colourful

bollywood glitz was synonymous

with India and the man

who towered above all this was

Amitabh Bachchan. He was

among the few global brands

that India could boast of. He

came to represent an era and

a generation that had seen

independence as their birth

right and India as a nation was

clearly tilted towards socialist

aspirations. Capitalism was

frowned upon. The golden era of

capitalism symbolised by the

elitist roles of Rajesh Khanna

was over and India as a nation

was moving towards socialism.

Championing the cause of

the poor was the call of the

hour. Amitabh, or the ‘angry

young man’ Vijay was always

portrayed as a ‘have not’ with

the exception of few notable

roles in Sharaabi and Kabhee

their clients, they rarely deal

with direct customers.

“Although our presence in

the Nepali market has not

been for very long, we have

already proven our mettle

and received ‘The Most Valuable

Partner’ award from Dell

for two consecutive years,”

informs Shrestha. The GNext

store is located on the

second floor of Sherpa Mall,

Durbar Marg. It has also

opened its new concept

store at Glass

House, Putalisadak.

Their future plan

basically includes

the enhancement of

the concept store

along with improvement

of their

services.

Neoteric is another

player in the

market that is an authorised

distributor of Dell. Located

at the Heritage plaza,

Kamaladi, Neoteric is an

established name in terms of

quality. “While competition

is good, importing products

paralleling with other

distributors is quite challenging,”

says Pawan Pradhan,

product manager at Neoteric.

For the brand visibility,

Neoteric only focuses on

print media, but regularly organises

road shows, distributes

pamphlets, posters and

sponsors college events. According

to Pradhan, with the

festive season around, they

will be coming up with excit-

Adept Amitabh

THE UNTOLD STORY OF AN ADAPTABLE BRAND

Kabhee, in which money and

wealth anyways symbolised

downfall and tragedy. The poor

versus rich and the triumph of

the poor was a popular success

formula. And Bachchan, with

his hard-hitting dialogues and

physique fitted seamlessly into

the picture. By playing roles of

a coalmine labourer to a hotel

waiter, Amitabh was always

there to represent the aspirations

of the masses and brand

Amitabh became the poor

man’s champion. He was the

people’s brand and all his roles

connected with the masses on

this ‘filmy’ platform making the

brand an instant hit.

However, with the early 90s

opening up of the Indian

economy and the gradual shift

towards a capitalistic mindset,

the memorable character of the

downtrodden Vijay began to

lose its lustre and so did brand

Amitabh. Money was not evil

anymore, and the poor versus

rich stories no longer a hit. The

environment was changing and

brand Amitabh had to change

or perish. The growing disconnect

of the socialist brand

Amitabh with the people to portray

their new capitalist aspirations

eroded brand Amitabh.

The Rajesh Khanna brand

story was repeating itself.

The year 2000 saw the birth of

the ‘capitalistic’ media reign in

the form of the silver screen

Kaun Banega Crorepati series

and as fate would have it, it was

again brand Amitabh that was

championing a cause. Brand

Amitabh had finally caught up

ing offers soon. “We also plan

to introduce various tablets

as soon as Windows 8 arrives

in Nepal,” says Pradhan.

The price of Dell laptops

range from Rs 45,000 to Rs

145,000, while Dell printers

cost Rs 10,000 and above.

The price range of projectors

is from Rs 45,000 to Rs

93,000 and that of monitors

is from Rs 9,000 to Rs 19,000.

Dell Inc, bearing the

name of its founder, is

an American multinational

computer

technology corporation

based in

Texas, United

States. The

company

develops, sells and supports

computers and related

products and services. It is

one of the largest technological

corporations in the world,

employing more than 103,300

people worldwide. Listed at

number 41 in the Fortune

500 list, Dell is the third

with the changing times! And

for certain thereafter, brand

Amitabh clearly shifted its

positioning from representing

the poor section of society to

showcasing flamboyance and

extravagance. The new brand

Amitabh had clearly connected

with the masses once again.

This perspective on the story

of Amitabh Bachchan may

never be agreed upon, but like a

true Amitabh fan I personally

feel that what saved Amitabh

Bachchan from going into

oblivion, like many other 70

mm superstars, was the ability

of the brand Amitabh to adapt

to the changed environment.

(The author is associated

with the Chaudhary Group

and can be contacted at

vibhor.kumarsingh@gmail.com)

largest PC vendor in the

world after HP and Lenovo.

Dell computer was founded

as PC’s Limited in 1984 by

university student, Michael

Dell. The company was so

successful that within two

years of its inception, PC’s

Limited had distribution offices

in Europe, and changed

its grammatically incorrect

name to Dell Computer Corporation.

With much experience

in mail order telephone

sales, Dell was one of the first

companies to offer computers

for mail order via the

internet. The Dell coupon

programme made many

internet models cheaper than

other brands, and continues

to be popular to this day.

From unconventional PC

startup to global technology

leader, the single common

thread in Dell’s heritage is its

promise for the unwavering

commitment to the customer

for best services.

2006

DELL SOCIAL MEDIA TIMELINE

• Direct2Dell launched — Dell’s

first official presence in the

social web

2007

• StudioDell launched — a video

and podcast site, with helpful tips

and tricks

• IdeaStorm launched — a voting

based site allowing customers and

others to submit ideas for Dell

• Dell joins Twitter and launches

EmployeeStorm — internal blogs

launched for employees

• DellShares launched — the

first investor relations blog by a

public company

2008

• Dell aligns organisation

for success

• Accepted Solutions launched on

community — Dell France begins

Online Community Outreach

Dell delight

Dell delights

brandbasics

• Inside IT launched — a blog

focused on business customers

and cloud computing

• Dell Outlet achieves USD 0.5

million sales via Twitter

• Channel Blog launched

2009

• Over USD two million sales via

Twitter

• Dell Tech Centre set up

• Huffington Post Blog

2010

• Dell joins Seina Weibo in China

• Social Media Command Centre

launched

• Social Media and Communities

University launched — 5,000 team

members trained by the end of

the year

2011

• Dell named number one most

social brand

07

FROM UNCONVENTIONAL

PC STARTUP TO GLOBAL

TECHNOLOGY LEADER

08

PERSPECTIVES

businesscrossword

sudokuhighfive

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

workingitout

UNWIND

TEST YOUR BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE

ACROSS

1 Electrical and electronic giants (7)

5 ‘G’in AGM (7)

9 __ of Contract: the legal cancellation

of a contract (9)

10 Pine nut (5)

11 Japanese warrior (7)

12 ‘T’in ITDC (7)

13 Ceramic ware (9)

15 Lake Geneva resort (5)

17 Jobs or Wozniak of Apple computers (5)

19 The Furies of Greek mythology (9)

22 American ___: the US bank (7)

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

TOURIST-BASHING TURNS UGLY

IN BERLIN

BERLIN: Tourism to Berlin is booming as

never before and filling the debt-ridden

city’s coffers with much-needed cash, but

not all Berliners are cheering the influx of

visitors. Some blame tourists, especially

the young 20-something ‘Easyjet set’ who

ride the budget airline to party through

the night in the uber-cool, hedonistic

German capital, for a host of ills from rising

rents to noise pollution.

‘Noisy tourists go home!’ reads one

hostile sign in the eastern district of

Friedrichshain. ‘Berlin doesn’t love you,’

say stickers plastering traffic lights in

nearby Kreuzberg. A gallery in an area

known for its trendy bars featured for

months a scrawled sign in the window:

‘Sorry, no entry for hipsters from the US’.

“We’ve seen people insulted for looking

like tourists or get disparaging looks,” said

David Schuster, an activist for a local leftist

group that has launched a tourist-friendly

awareness drive. “There’s some resentment

that tourists party loudly or throw up on the

streets,” Schuster said, adding, “I think

many Berliners do too, but they feel entitled

to act that way.”

Berlin, now Europe’s third most visited

city after the more established magnets

London and Paris, can ill afford to scare

away the tourists. — Reuters

RYANAIR PLANE DISINFECTED

AFTER INSECT BITE COMPLAINTS

ROME: Irish low-cost airline Ryanair said it

took a plane out of service at the request

of Italian health authorities after passengers

complained of insect bites, and had it

disinfected before being

returned to service.

Ryanair said on Friday

two passengers who travelled

from Billund, Denmark

to Ciampino, Italy,

had made a complaint

while waiting in the terminal

to collect baggage.

“As the source of these

alleged insect bites was

unknown, Ryanair was

businessunusual

25 Tallinn is its capital (7)

26 An organic compound — ‘Dime I’change ? (5)

27 Like goods dispatched which are yet

to reach their destination (2,7)

28 ‘L’in PLC (7)

29 Direct or control; projects, businesses,

et cetera (7)

DOWN

1 ___ ___ late: burns midnight oil (5,2)

2 Business on the internet (1-8)

3 Confirm or approve usually by putting one’s

signature on a document (7)

4 Group of people or nationalised bank (9)

5 ‘G’of GE Shipping Ltd (5)

6 The planet eighth in order from the sun (7)

7 India’s cricket trophy (5)

8 Photographers (7)

14 Deputy CEO’s position (6,3)

16 OPEC member country (9)

17 S in IMF’s SDR (7)

18 Highest mountain (7)

20 Fertiliser type (7)

21 Space Needle city (7)

23 Geometric shape or optical device (5)

24 ___ away from: evaded or avoided (5)

happy to disinfect the aircraft overnight before

returning it to service on Friday September

7,” it said. News agency Ansa and

several Italian news outlets reported that

medics diagnosed tick bites, prompting airport

authorities to call pest control. — Reuters

FLORIDIANS ASKED TO STOP

CRASHING INTO POST OFFICES

FLORIDA: The US Postal Service (USPS)

has taken the unusual step of releasing a

set of helpful tips to help reduce the number

of drivers in Florida who have been crashing

their cars into post offices. This year

so far, eight drivers have crashed into post

offices in Central Florida alone.

Local ABC affiliate WWSB7 reports that

the tips include, ‘Avoid distracted driving’;

‘Proceed slowly and carefully when pulling

in, and backing out, of parking spaces’; ‘Visibly

check to see whether your foot is on the

gas or the brake pedal’, and ‘Visibly check to

see if the vehicle is in park, reverse or drive’.

The USPS says the two most common

causes of such accidents are when drivers

step on the gas instead of the brake pedal

and when the driver accelerates thinking

the vehicle is in reverse.

Florida is home to more than 15,000,000

drivers, of whom nearly a third, or about

four million are over the age of 60. — Agencies

ELEPHANTS PLAY TRUANT

FROM COPENHAGEN CIRCUS

COPENHAGEN: Two

elephants said goodbye

to the circus and

took a walk along

a Copenhagen street

packed with rushhour

traffic on Wednesday,

one following

teeingoff

Try to

maintain

the connection

between your chest

and both triceps

Many golfers suffer

from wayward tee

shots. When your

body and arms do

not coil properly, you

will certainly spray the ball

either to the right or left.

Most amateurs have flying

elbow on their backswing —

their right elbow separates as

they take their swing up, after

the waist height. There is a

real misconception amongst

many amateurs that if they

were to take a longer or higher

backswing, they would be able

to hit the ball harder at a

greater speed to achieve long

distance on shots.

Long time ago, I watched

Padraig Harrington on the

European tour event’s practice

round and he was taking

numerous practice swings

during the round having a

towel tucked in the armpit and

not letting it drop, I wondered

what this top golfer was trying

to achieve, but later realised

that he was trying to avoid a

flying elbow on the backswing.

What can you do to avoid a

flying elbow in your swing?

1. Turn your shoulders into

your backswing until your

hands are about waist high.

Your elbows should not bend

and you should not lift your

hands. Practice swinging the

club from one waist-high position

to the other. Try to maintain

the connection between

your chest and both triceps.

2. Stretch this short ‘takeaway

swing’ by letting your

right elbow bend on the

backswing; this bend will automatically

cause your wrists to

cock. You should be able to

the other with trunk

ninetofive linked to tail.

buzzword

Sonia, 31, and Vana

Mana, 41, star turns at

the Circus Benneweis,

strolled down the multi-lane

Borups Alle in

the Danish capital for

about 200 metres before

their trainer caught up with them.

“They were walking past the morning traffic trunk-totail,”

a police officer told Danish news agency Ritzau.

Police blocked the road so the tuskers could return to the

circus site unhurt. “Nobody was hurt, so it was just two

elephants out for a stroll,” the police officer said. — Reuters

with DEEPAK ACHARYA

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

Avoid flying elbow

on the backswing

lengthen this swing until your

left arm is nearly parallel to the

ground without losing the connection

between your right tricep

and chest. Your hands will

be just below shoulder level.

3. Swing the club from your

shoulder-high backswing position

to a shoulder-high finish

position. Your right elbow

remains bent until your hands

drop below waist level. At

that point it straightens and

remains straight for the rest of

your swing; your left elbow will

bend as you reach your shoul-

der-high finish. This mirrors

your backswing, just as you did

with the shorter swing. Again,

both triceps will remain connected

to your chest throughout

this three-quarter swing.

If you practice the above

drills, you will be creating a

one-piece takeaway, this will

help to keep your arms and

body together. This will not

only help you to hit the ball

straighter, with time and

practice, you will begin to use

bigger muscles on the swing.

This will eventually help you to

connect the ball with greater

speed and you will soon find

your ball not only going

straight but also long.

If you have flying elbow, use

the above drills few times on

the practice before going on the

course. If you do not have this

problem, keep the above drills

in mind so that bad habits

do not creep in!

(The author is a golf

instructor and golf director at

Gokarna Forest Golf Resort

& Spa, Kathmandu.

He can be contacted through

prodeepak@hotmail.com)

The Buzz Word is a substitution cipher in which one letter stands

for another. If you think that X equals O, it will equal O throughout

the puzzle. Single letters, short words and words using an apostrophe

give you clues to locating vowels. Solution is by trial and error.

Today’s clue: SYO equals JAG.

Ovxuo ev fvtw jvt y gytoq rvlbyup xh gxwq oqeexuo vu y etyxu. Ytq pvk

ovxuo hxmep lxgqh yu ivkt vt xh eiq etyxu ovxuo hxmep lxgqh yu ivkt yuc

pvk'tq skhe hxeexuo hexgg? — Sqyu Bykg Oqeep

Solution: Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going

sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you're just sitting still?

— Jean Paul Getty

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