UDMF mulling over severing ties with govt

Nepal’s No. 1 

English Daily 

Obama’s ball: No room to dance, but certainly a night to remember Page 7 Xi urges going after ‘flies’ in fight on graft Page 9 ‘LPG supply system needs change’ Page 13 

The Himalayan 

Weather: Mainly fair 

Max: 19-21 

T I M E S 

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www.thehimalayantimes.com 

Printed simultaneously from 

Kathmandu and Itahari 

Vol. XII No.62 • Kathmandu, Wednesday, January 23, 2013, Magh 10, 2069, Nepal Sambat 1133 

• SHORT TAKES 

Reuters 

Britain's Prince Harry racing out from the 

VHR (very high ready-ness) tent to 

scramble his Apache helicopter at Camp 

Bastion, southern Afghanistan in a photo 

taken November 3 and released on 

Monday. Harry is set to return home. 

INTERNATIONAL 

Ex-Haryana CM jailed 

NEW DELHI: Former Haryana Chief Minister 

Om Prakash Chautala and his son Ajay Chautala 

were on Tuesday awarded 10 years' jail 

term for corruption in a 

teachers' recruitment scam 

case. Brushing aside the violence 

outside the Rohini 

court complex by hundreds 

of supporters who threw 

petrol bombs and stones, 

Special CBI Judge Vinod 

Kumar refused to show le- 

Chautala 

niency in the sentencing 

saying the ‘enormity’ of the 

offences committed by the convicts was ‘enhance’ 

by the ‘brazenness’ with which constitutional 

rights were violated. The court sentenced 

78-year-old Chautala, his son 51year-old 

Ajay Chautala and 53 others, including 

two IAS officers, for various offences. The 

senior Chautala was not present in the court 

because of his hospitalisation after being taken 

into custody last week. — Agencies 

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

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U.S. Dollar 1 85.55 86.15 

Euro 1 113.70 114.49 

Pound Sterling 1 135.32 136.27 

Japanese Yen 10 9.64 9.71 

The foreign exchange rates are fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank 

UDMF mulling over 

severing ties with govt 

Leaders say ready to quit but won’t say when 

Ram Kumar Kamat 

Kathmandu, January 22 

The United Democratic 

Madhesi Front, a key ally of 

the Baburam Bhattarai government, 

has concluded that 

their role in implementing 

the four-point agreement 

has not been satisfactory 

and that they should now 

mount pressure on both the 

ruling Unified CPN-Maoist 

and opposition parties to 

forge consensus. 

UDMF leaders today met 

at Gokarna Resort in a bid to 

do a serious review of the incumbent 

government and 

chart a future political 

course to end the current political 

deadlock. UDMF is to 

take formal decisions on 

contemporary issues tomorrow. 

Santosh Kumar Mehta, 

Spokesperson for the Sadbhawana 

Party, said some 

leaders suggested that they 

should seek resolution of citizenship 

problems, implementation 

of multi-language 

programmes and inclusion 

of Madhesi youth in the national 

army within a certain 

time frame or else quit the 

government. Mehta said 

Tarai Madhes Democratic 

Party Chairman Mahantha 

Thakur, Madhesi Janaad- 

PM Bhattarai’s tweets spark off 

all-out feeding frenzy in Twitter 

Himalayan News Service 


Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai 

has fired up the twitterati 

within three days of his opening 

an account in the popular social 

media site. 

Responding to his maiden 

post in which he urged the 

youth to remain optimistic, one 

user Om Bhakta Uprety today 

wrote: “how long we should remain 

optimistic, change in Bihar 

is a story of about 5 year 

time.” 

PM replied: “Give me single 

party majority govt. for 5 yrs like 

in Bihar. If I don’t show results, 

you can shoot me, young 

friends.” 

“Shoot me…” in that response 

and the Prime Minister’s 

Twitter handle — @brb_laaldhwoj 

— is perhaps a window to 

where the head of government 

sees positioned himself, 17 

months since being at the helm 

of power: Caught up between a 

rebellious past and a responsible 

present. 

“Basically, it’s a fusion of the 

two,” explained Bhattarai’s personal 

aide, Bishwadeep Pandey. 

“While brb stands for peace and 

a democratic journey, laaldhwoj 

symbolises revolution and 

change.” No wonder, the prime 

minister decided on the handle 

himself. The tweet responding 

to Uprety today generated a 

chain reaction from several of 

Bhattarai’s 4,500 plus followers 

that the prime minister attracted 

in less than 72 hours since 

his foray into Twitter on January 

20. Journalist Rabindra Mishra, 

one of the first Nepalis to be followed 

by the PM, expressed astonishment 

over the choice of 

words. Prateek Pradhan, also 

being followed by Bhattarai, 

Agenda on table 

• Review of UDMF’s role in 

the government 

• UDMF’s role in implementing 

the four-point 

deal that it signed with 

the UCPN-M 

• Resolution of citizenship 

issues 

• Inclusion of Madhesi 

youth in the national 

army 

hikar Forum-Republican 

Chairman Rajkishor Yadav 

and SP Chairman Rajendra 

Mahato sent out an underlying 

message that the league 

of Madhesi parties should 

quit the government and hit 

the streets to force the national 

stakeholders to forge 

consensus and hold fresh 

Constitutional Assembly 

elections on time. 

A nine-point agenda, including 

review of the UCPN- 

M led-government, UDMF’s 

role in the government, implementation 

of the fourpoint 

deal, among others, 

was presented in the meeting, 

said Mehta. 

“Although we have not formally 

agreed on anything today, 

the majority view was 

however, suggested that ‘minor 

issues’ should be ignored. 

“…it’s big achvmnt that PM is 

coming into the social media 

and the people,” he replied to 

Mishra’s tweet. Bhattarai has 

succeeded in creating a buzz in 

the world of 140-characters; 

and none of his tweets appears 

to go unnoticed as his followers 

either comment, or retweet, or 

favourite his posts. 

Pandey, widely credited to be 

the brain behind Bhattarai’s social 

media campaign, monitors 

the posts and responses and 

hands out a printed version of 

the text to the prime minister in 

the evening. The PM takes a 

look at them and decides 

whether or not to respond or 

how to respond to them, 

Pandey told THT, adding, he 

tweets from his personal laptop 

while at the official residence 

and his iPad when away. He has 

that formation of a Nepali 

Congress-led government 

cannot be an alternative to 

the incumbent government, 

and the Madhesi parties 

should not continue in the 

government just because the 

NC is refusing to join,” 

Mehta added. 

Mahato said the Madhesi 

forces were not satisfied with 

their achievement and if the 

trend continued, the relevance 

of UDMF being in the 

government would end. He, 

however, declined to say 

when UDMF will quit the 

government. “We will not be 

quitting the government any 

time soon though,” he 

added. Mahato said UDMF 

leaders expressed their satisfaction 

at Madhesi forces’ 

emergence as the fourth 

force of the country but ‘that 

is not enough for the community’. 

“Nothing could 

happen without our consent. 

We have gained that 

recognition but that’s not 

enough,” Mahato said. 

A source said UDMF held 

that chances of forging a 

consensus to end the current 

deadlock were slim and that 

the front should devise fresh 

strategies to mount pressure 

on both the ruling Maoist 

and opposition parties to 

forge consensus. 

subscribed to Ncell wireless for 

internet connectivity as the premier 

considers the private operator 

more reliable than the 

state-controlled Nepal Telecom. 

PM’s Twitter account is an extension 

of his efforts to touch 

base and stay in contact with 

the people, according to 

Pandey. Through the social media, 

the prime minister intends 

to reach out to the younger generation. 

“Tweets are the best alternative 

since his Facebook account 

remains deactivated.” 

Soon, there will be a team of 

young professionals to assist 

and advise the PM, who wants 

to stay connected with the 

young and the energetic. And, 

the PM assures his intended audience 

that he is prepared for 

brickbats: “…I welcome objective 

criticism. But no baseless 

mudslinging, please!” 

C Min: 01-03 o 

C 

Sunrise 06:55 Sunset 17:36 

Capital ★ 16 pages Rs 3 

Students affiliated to eight student unions of opposition parties staging a protest rally against the 

Baburam Bhattarai-led government in Kathmandu on Tuesday. 

• OPPOSITION ON WARPATH 

Dailekh locals brace for curfew 


Dailekh, January 22 

Curfew is likely to be the order 

of the day in Dailekh in the wake 

of opposition parties’ protests 

after they announced a two-day 

bandh today in a bid to thwart 

the ruling Unified CPN-Maoist’s 

district conference. 

Chief District Officer Umesh 

Kumar Dhakal said security had 

been beefed up in the district 

and his office was preparing to 

get more security personnel 

from Surkhet. A meeting of the 

District Security Committee de- 

cided that curfew would be imposed 

in the region to avert any 

untoward incident. Six opposition 

parties that have launched 

their agitation from Dailekh enforced 

two-day general strike 

aiming to ‘disturb’ the ruling 

Maoists’ district conference 

scheduled to be held tomorrow 

at Kandachaur, Dailekhbazaar. 

The opposition’s show of 

force — and curfew as its likely 

fallout — has put the residents 

of Dailekh, otherwise usually a 

calm district, on tenterhooks. 

UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa 

Kamal Dahal, Vice-chairmen 

THT 

duo Baburam Bhattarai and 

Narayankaji Shrestha and other 

central leaders are scheduled to 

address the party function. 

The opposition parties enforced 

Dailekh bandh from 

2:00pm today and have announced 

the same tomorrow 

from 4:00pm. 

Sister organisations affiliated 

to the six political parties have 

blocked Dailekh-Surkhet road 

section and several places along 

the Karnali Highway. 

More than 500 activists have 

been mobilised to enforce the 

general strike.

PAGE 2 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 www.thehimalayantimes.com 

CAPITAL 

• IN BRIEF 

Drug peddler held 

THT 

Binod Chaulagain, an imposter 

who claims to be a journalist, 

demanding financial donation 

at the Baraha Jewellers in New Road 

in Kathmandu, on Tuesday. 

KATHMANDU: Sleuths of the Narcotic 

Drugs Control Bureau on Tuesday 

arrested Sangbu Sherpa, 32, of 

Listi, Sindhupalchowk, with 93 grams 

of heroin from Bouddha. Officials 

suspected him to have been involved 

in drug peddling for long. Sherpa was 

charged under the Narcotic Drugs 

(Control and Punishment) Act. He 

will face a jail sentence of up to 15 

years, if found guilty, said police. — HNS 

Two burglaries 

KATHMANDU: An unidentified gang 

broke into the house of Deep Gurung 

in Dhalku and made off with Rs 

1,00,000 and a desktop computer. 

Similarly, property worth around Rs 

1,28,000 was burgled from the rented 

room of Rekha Kafle of Nawalparasi 

in Saatdobato, Lalitpur. The culprits 

are at large. – HNS 

Man found dead 

KATHMANDU: Ramesh Dahal, 38, of 

Madesa, Sunsari, was found dead in 

his rented room in Pepsicola on Tuesday, 

police said. The body was sent to 

TU Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj 

for postmortem. — HNS 

Taxi drivers 

flay police 

crackdown 



With the recent crackdown 

against the taxi drivers 

for meter tampering, 

the monitoring team and 

the Nepal Meter Taxi Entrepreneurs’ 

Association 

(NMTEA) have been at 

loggerheads and flaying 

each other for the anomaly. 

Following complaints 

from commuters about 

being duped by taxi drivers 

in the Valley, authorities 

have recently started 

a drive against the cabbies 

fleecing commuters. 

Commuters have welcomed 

the crackdown, 

but taxi entrepreneurs 

and cabbies have been 

infuriated by the move alleging 

that the government 

is trying to take 

away their livelihood. 

Roshan Thapa, 32, a local 

jeweller at New 

Baneshwor usually hires 

taxi to travel to New Road 

for his day’s business, but 

to be cheated almost 

every day. Frustrated by 

the way cabbies charge 

him extra money, he said 

cabbies usually refuse to 

pick up passengers on 

fare-meter rate and prefer 

bargaining. “The government 

should do more 

to check the malpractice,” 

he said. 

A joint monitoring 

team of the Metropolitan 

Traffic Police Division 

(MTPD), Nepal Bureau of 

Standards & Metrology, 

the Kathmandu Metropolitan 

City and other 

stakeholders swung into 

action against taxis with 

tampered meters following 

commuters’ complaints. 

DSP Pawan Giri, 

MTPD spokesperson, 

said as many as 370 taxis 

were impounded during 

monitoring in the Valley 

in the past 10 days. Meter 

tampering cases have 

been referred to NBMS 

for legal proceedings 

while cabbies overcharging 

the passengers were 

fined by traffic police. 

• CONTEMPT CASE AGAINST PM, AG 

Bhattarai gets 

court notice 



Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai 

today received Supreme 

Court notice on contempt 

charges that directs him and Attorney 

General Mukti Narayan 

Pradhan to attend the apex court 

within seven days after receiving 

the court’s order. 

“After serious efforts, the Office 

of the Prime Minister and Council 

Ministers (OPMCM) today received 

the court’s notice,” Gopal 

Neupane, chief notice server, SC, 

told The Himalayan Times. Neupane 

had returned from Singha 

Durbar after officials of the OPM- 

CM declined to receive the notice. 

“The OPMCM received the notice 

and has promptly assigned 

legal officers to prepare written 

explanation with the coordination 

of government attorneys,” a 

source at the OPMCM told THT. 

“Now they will go to the Supreme 

Court within the deadline,” he 

added. 

Attorney General Pradhan had 

received the notice yesterday and 

immediately assigned Joint Government 

Attorney Dharma 

Paudel to prepare the written explanation 

of the AG so that he 

would meet the deadline. 

On January 18, a single bench 

of Justice Sushila Karki summoned 

both the prime minister 

and attorney general to be present 

in the Supreme Court to face 

contempt charges against them 

as to why they attempted in the 

obstruction of due process of investigation 

in the murder of 

Dailkeh-based journalist Dekendra 

Thapa. 

Earlier, advocate Kamal Prasad 

Itani and journalist Santosh Neupane 

representing the Democratic 

Lawyers’ Association and Nepal 

Press Union respectively had filed 

an application in the Supreme 

Court charging the prime minister 

and attorney general of obstructing 

the judicial process and 

misusing their authority against 

the investigation and prosecution 

of journalist Thapa’s murder accused. 

A convict may face up to one 

year jail sentence and a fine of up 

to Rs 10,000 or both, but the court 

can also pardon the sentence if 

the convict could satisfy the court 

of not repeating the same offence 

again as per Section 7 of the 

Supreme Court Act, 1991. 

Prime Minister Bhattarai has 

been facing multiple contempt 

charges while for Pradhan it is the 

first time that any AG is faced with 

such charges. 

Two years ago, the apex court 

had decided to bar contempt 

convict lawyers from holding the 

position of judges in Shakuntala 

Thapa and Nihita Biswas case. 

Anti-government protest intensifies 



Student unions affiliated to various 

political parties in opposition 

today staged demonstration 

in the city demanding action 

against the people involved 

in crime against humanity. 

Hundreds of students aligned 

to various political parties in- 

cluding the Nepali Congress 

and CPN-UML took out a rally 

chanting anti-government slogans 

from Bhrikuti Mandap 

and marched through Ratna 

Rajya Campus-Exhibition 

Road, Putalisadak, and Bagh 

Bazaar before converging at a 

corner meet at Ranta Park. 

Similarly, the local committees 

of different student unions 

AG humming UCPN-M tune: Legal experts 



Former attorney generals 

and lawyers today accused 

Attorney General Mukti 

Narayan Pradhan of humming 

the tune of the ruling 

Unified CPN-Maoist party 

rather than being the chief 

prosecutor of the country. 

Speaking at a programme 

on ‘Criminal Justice in Transitional 

Justice’ organised by 

the Constitutional Lawyers 

Forum, former AGs and 

lawyers criticised AG Pradhan 

for playing the role as a 



Judicial Council (JC) today 

nominated three judges for 

the Special Court which 

decides corruption cases. A 

meeting held at the official 

residence of Chief Justice 

Khil Raj Regmi this evening 

took the decision to the 

effect. 

Judges Kedar Prasad 

Chalise, Mohan Raman 

Bhattarai and Bhupendra 

Rai have been chosen as 

Special Court judges. 

“Now the government 

can appoint them,” Khem 

Narayan Dhungana, member, 

JC told The Himalayan 

Times. 

According to him, 

party cadre and not the first 

lawyer of the country. “This 

shows that a party cadre cannot 

be the AG,” Badri Bahadur 

Karki, former attorney 

general, said. 

“The chief legal advisor of 

the government should work 

responsibly for the sake of 

rule of law and constitution, 

simply because he is not 

only the lawyer of the government 

but he is also the 

main lawyer of the state,” 

Karki added. 

Similarly former AG Mahadev 

Yadav said taking 

sides of the perpetrators was 

JC picks three judges 

for Special Court 

staged demonstrations in the 

district headquarters across the 

country today. Addressing the 

corner meet, All Nepal National 

Free Students Union President 

Madhav Dhungel accused the 

government of doing nothing to 

punish the perpetrators of journalists 

and VAW victims. The 

government has never kept its 

promises, he added. 

Chalise has been promoted 

as chairman because he 

has been serving as a 

member of the Anti-Corruption 

Tribunal for the 

last few years and Bhattarai 

and Rai as members. 

Bhattarai currently holds 

a judge’s position in the Appellate 

Court, Ilam, while 

Rai is in the Appellate 

Court, Baglung. “We hope 

that they will maintain the 

working cadence as was 

started by retired chairman 

Judge Gauri Bahadur Karki,” 

Dhungana added. The 

meeting also decided to increase 

15 new positions of 

appellate court judges as 

currently there were 104 

judges in the16 appellate 

courts in the country. 

a serious mistake of AG Pradhan. 

Transitional justice is not 

different from the regular 

criminal justice system so 

the state should not differentiate 

the concept of justice 

into various parts during adjudication, 

said Yuba Raj 

Sangroula, another former 

attorney general. 

According to him, AG 

Pradhan has been facing 

charges that he failed to address 

the concerned to defend 

the victim. “Dekendra 

Thapa murder case shows 

that AG is not pleading on 

PAGE 3 

behalf of the victims, but he 

has also been protecting the 

perpetrators,” he added. The 

letter of the attorney general 

issued to the Dailekh District 

Attorney Office and the District 

Police Office through 

the Police Headquarters 

shows that AG Pradhan is 

not the lawyers of the victim 

but he has been defending 

the perpetrators. 

Stating that victims should 

get justice at any cost, former 

lawmaker and lawyer 

Ekraj Bhandari blamed the 

leaders for not working in 

favour of justice.

PAGE 4 

BLONDIE Dean Young and Denis Lebrun 

HAGAR Chris Browne 

BEETLE BAILEY Mort Walker 

BEAU PEEP Andrew Christine and Roger Kettle 

• ENGAGEMENTS 

EXHIBITION, CLASS AND WORKSHOP 

In a hot trend of stage programs Golden Event Management Society is organizing a talent 

hunt for the children between 8 to 12 years old. Title of the program is "Little Master/ 

Miss Manigal 2069. Venue: Jyapu Samaaj Bhawan, Date: 2069/10/20 Saturday, 

Time:10:00 A.M, For more details contact Bijendra Bajracharya Program coordinator 

9841181251 

jungle safari lodge, sauraha,chitwan christmas and new year offer, room from rs 1800 on 

bb plan, packages from rs 3500. upto 15% off on restaurant and bar for our in house 

guest. for more info, contact suman@ 9851116181 

Mind, body & spirit therapies, Benefit yourself and friends with yoga, meditation and therapies 

to heal your body, mind & spirit, and discover the right path towards the ultimate 

fulfillment of life. Every Saturday at 8am, Mind Body Library, Babarmahal, Ph 4102025, 

more info at www.fb.com/mindbodylibrary, Talk: Why is a pure heart necessary & how to 

develop it?January 26, 2013, 2:15pm, Venue: Mind Body Library, Babarmahal, south of 

Art Council, Registration obligatory in person before Friday Ph 4102025. 

FINE CUISINE 

TIRED OF BEING COLD?? Kilroy's has a warm dining room so enjoy a 10% discount on food 

by the fireplace. We have a generator and a excellent continental cuisine. Please bring 

this advertisement to get 10% discount. Offer valid all winter. Thamel 4250440/41. 

Escape the hustle & bustle of Kathmandu without having to travel too far and enjoy peace 

and tranquility, good food, cool breezes and fresh air at Shivapuri Heights Cottage. Rs 

3500.00 per person per night inclusive of dinner and breakfast or come up just for a 

walk and a lunch. Advance booking required. Contact Sohan: 9841371927, Steve: 

9802012245 or e-mail: info@shivapuricottage.com 

Enjoy Gyakok a hotpot Tibetian delicacy all the way from the roof of the world @ Shambala 

Garden only @ NPR 650 per person excluding applicable taxes. Contact: Hotel Shangri- 

La, Kathmandu at 4412999 Extn. 7520, 7515. 

Bubbly Brunch: Every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm @ Shambala Garden & Club Sundhara 

where you can enjoy Live Shawarma & Pasta only @ Rs.1100 Nett per person ( Includes 

a glass of Sparkling Wine). For further details call Hotel Shangri~La, Kathmandu at 

4412999 Extn. 7520,7515. 

Starry Night BBQ: Every Friday Evening from 7:00 pm onwards at Shambala Garden Café, 

Hotel Shangri~La only @ Rs.1299 Nett per person and live performance by Ciney Gurung. 

For more details and Reservation: 4412999 Extn. 7520,7515. 

Bar-Be-Que Brunch Bazaar: Make your gourmet journey memorable for lifetime with all live 

counters serving in one place. Every Saturday at poolside garden of Gokarna Forest Resort, 

Kathmandu from 12 noon to 2:30PM at NRs. 1999 NET per person. contact: 

4451212 

Event 

CHARIAMILO will be playing at DE LA SOUL, Thamel. Live Original Reggae. Date: Friday, 18th 

January 2013, Time 8:00pm, No Covers! All original Tunes, Rs. 200 

WHAT THE FUNK - WE ARE SOUL'D' OUT Presenting a mix of talent and experience with the 

funky boys of soul back by 2 lovely singers in this celebration of the music of good 

times. You'll be shaking along with Stevie, Kool and the Gang and even Queen. Come 

join us for a groovy night at Moksh. Members : Vocal : Prajwal Mukhiya; Keys : Yuvash 

Vaidya; Guitar : Dev Lama; BASS : Nirakar Yakthumba, DRums : Hemu Chettri; Backing 

Vocals : Anupama Shakya, Be There to witness the HOTTEST funk band in K-Town! Cover 

Enjoy our weekly event: 

• Sunday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

• Monday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

• Tuesday: Salsa Workshop with Riyaz Shrestha 

• Wednesday: Live Sufi music by Hemanta Rana 

• Thursday: Live Instrumental Piano By Sunil Singh 

• Friday: Live Acoustic performance by Dharmendra Sewan 

• Saturday: Live preformance by Hem Lama. 

Venue: Tamarind Restro and bar; Jamshikhel, Lalitpur; Damkal road; Opposite st 

Mary’s school, Ph -5522626 (for bookings) 

For listing in this column, mail your events to 

engagements@thehimalayantimes.com 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

8 9 10 

11 

12 13 14 

Across: 1 Collecting leaves - just as a 

gardener does ? (6) - 4 Inform on someone 

in slangy way (6) - 8 Like that wellventilated 

and open-windowed room during 

daytime - “insult” anagram ? (6) - 10 

Large wooden spoons of yore (6) - 11 

___ lazuli : bright blue gem ? (5) - 12 

Stray animal (4) - 14 Understanding or 

knowingness, usually in slang usage ? (5) 

- 15 Tiny island (5) - 17 Scottish port (4) 

- 19 Welsh boy’s name (4) - 20 ___ and 

raves: get very very angry ? (5) - 21 Fundamental 

unit of capacitance (5) - 23 

Old ___ : an elderly or confirmed spinster 

? (4) - 26 A type of flowering garden 

15 16 

17 18 19 

20 

21 22 23 24 

25 26 27 

28 29 

30 31 

Quick Clues 

• WHAT’S ON 

NTV 

0830 Sahakari Jagaran 

0905 Suseli 

0930 Lok Suseli 

1005 Hamro Kathmandu 

1030 Prahari Anurodh 

1130 Documentary 

1220 Songs 

1330 Songs 

1430 Hamro Swasthya 

1505 Prasanga 

1625 Samavesi Karyakram 

1705 Khusiko Sansar 

1730 Mumin 

1805 Jeevan Yatra 

1825 Hamro Kathmandu 

1925 Documentary 

2000 News 

2050 Sidha Prasna 

2130 Samarpan 

2200 Songs 

2230 News 

STARPLUS 

1645 Diya Aur Bati Hum 

1715 Saath Nibhaana 

Saathiya 

1745 Nach Baliye (5) 

1845 Veera: Ek Veer 

Ki Ardaas 


Saathiya 

1945 Mujhse Kuch 

Kehti...Yeh 

Khamoshiyan 

2015 Kaali: Ek Punar Avtar 

2045 Ek Hazaaron Mein 

Meri Behna Hain 

2115 Diya Aur Bati Hum 

2145 Yeh Rishta Kya 

Kehlata Hai 

2245 Veera: Ek Veer Ki Ardaas 


Saathiya 

STARWORLD 

1515 Homeland 

1615 Melissa & Joey 

1645 How I Met Your 

plant (5) - 28 Climbing device steps (6) - 

29 Oil-well emitting unpumped oil ? (6) - 

30 One who enjoys being cruel to others 

? (6) - 31 Hand from one to another ? 

(4,2). 

Down: 1 Fragrant timber ? (8) - 2 

Alaskan peninsula (5) - 3 Hit the ___ on 

the head : guess or explain precisely ? 

(4) - 5 African lake - “as any” anagram ? 

(5) - 6 Capital of Israel (3,4) - 7 A school 

subject in short - “this” anagram ? (4) - 9 

An assignment given or a request made 

that’s very difficult to carryout ? (4,5) - 

10 Heeding, lending an ear ? (9) - 13 By 

which a fish swims and steers (3) - 16 A 

gate for broiling food (8) - 18 Gave a 

Mother 

2015 Melissa & Joey 

2115 Packed to the Rafters 

2215 Grey’s Anatomy 

ZEE TV 

1545 Pavitra Rishta 

1645 Punar Vivaah 

1815 Hitler Didi 

1915 Housewife Hai...Sab 

Jaanti Hain 

1945 Sapne Suhane 

Ladakpan Ke 

2015 Rab Se Sona Ishq 

2145 Qubool Hai 

2215 Mrs. Kaushik Ki 

Paanch Bahuyein 

2315 Phir Subah Hogi 

TENSPORTS 

0845 WWE: Vintage 

1345 Motorsport Mundial 

1715 WWE: Bottom Line 


1915 Motorsport Mundial 

1945 FIM Speedway 2012: 

Italian 

2245 WWE: Bottom Line 


STARSPORTS 

1115 Cricket Extra: Pre 

Show 

1215 England Tour of India 

2130 ON CINEMAX 

2012: 4th ODI 

2015 Cricket Extra: Post 

Show 

2115 Score Tonight 

2145 Italian Serie A 

2012/13: Inter Milan 

vs. Pescara 

2245 Score Tonight 

2315 Hockey India League 

2013 H/ls 

2345 Australian Open 2013 

H/ls: Night 10 

SETMAX 

0715 Lahoo Ke Do Rang 

1050 Dhoom 2 

1420 Ram Avtar 

1800 Koyla 

2115 Bhawani The Tiger 

2400 Sabse Bada Dilwala 

HBO 

0715 Vanilla Sky 

0925 Catwoman 

1110 The Sunset Limited 

1245 Ocean’s Eleven 

1445 Wuthering Heights 

1625 Yogi Bear 

1745 Footloose 

1945 XXX: The Next Level 

2130 Boardwalk Empire 

S311: Two Imposters 

2235 Friends With Benefits 

CINEMAX 

0715 The Masque Of The 

Red Death 

0855 XIII S107: Undertow 

0940 XIII S108: 

Hunting Party 

1025 Red 

1215 Urban Legends: 

Bloody Mary 

1345 Winning 

1555 Spies Like Us 

1745 Mary Shelley’s 

Frankenstein 

1945 The Last Airbender 

2130 Cherry Falls 

2300 Bunraku 

www.thehimalayantimes.com 

POTPOURRI 

DENNIS Hank Ketcham 

HOCUS FOCUS Henry Boltinoff 

Himalayan Double Crossword — 5838 

prize or medal to (7) - 19 Any distinctive 

doctrine or practice (3) - 22 Mimics or 

copiers (5) - 24 One of Dumas’ musketeers 

(5) - 25 Measures of cloth (4) - 27 

Arizona city (4). 

Cryptic Clues 

Across: 1 Where AE had a frightful comeback 

(2,4) - 4 Jack gets in cars - they’re 

found on the Norwegian coast (6) - 8 This 

ring is impressive (6) - 10 Polish up 

study, which is a responsibility (6) - 11 

Split by environmental disaster at first 

(5) - 12 I’m in a new car (4) - 14 Moral 

principle held by the thick-skinned (5) - 

15 Handled Delta strike (5) - 17 Mobster 

corrupting American cop (4) - 19 A few 

bits by Lawrence ! (4) - 20 Source of denim 

very popular with island tropical dress 

(5) - 21 He may have news for people in 

town (5) - 23 The bit at the bottom (4) - 

26 Artist’s models who barely earn a living 

(5) - 28 Cardinal, one in touch with 

his feminine side? (6) - 29 We sent out 

the most up-to-date (6) - 30 Marsh seen 

on returning to a South American city (6) 

- 31 May one keep of dingoes originally 

in high-quality runs? (6). 

Down: 1 Some unfinished unit starting 

within 25.4 cm or to such a degree 

(2,2,4) - 2 Thief has silver wrapped in 5 

dollar bill (5) - 3 A clergyman tours 

around to make an emphatic statement 

(4) - 5 A small bird was found by Aunt 

Jayne initially (5) - 6 Lid Rudy broke in a 

wholesome manner, perhaps ? (7) - 7 

This way it is no good offering entertaining 

(4) - 9 Advice on how to leave a waiter 

just ten paise (3,3,3) - 10 Composed 

archduke accepting hot beet placed on 

top of oven (9) - 13 The language said at 

the altar ? (3) - 16 Watch TV programme’s 

second showing with hesitation 

(8) - 18 Topping Persian fairy to 

scold (7) - 19 It’s worn by some young 

imbibers ! (3) - 22 Decree, reversed, can 

be put in French and … (5) - 24 Correct a 

Frenchman getting close (5) - 25 A toff 

said “The Doors” were “where it was at.” 

(4) - 27 Some of these might amount to 

a half (4). 

Yesterday’s solution 

S E M I S P O R T E N T 

O O W I E X E 

M O R N I N G I N A N E 

E A G S O N L N 

H A L F P D O T I S 

O A L L U D E E 

W I N G I I A D A M 

A B E T T E R I 

S P R Y R Y C A N S 

T R P S I S L D 

O V O L O T O P H O L E 

I W L I U I E 

C A S T O R S D I N E D 

QUICK 

G A B O R C A R A M E L 

A R O A U E U 

G R O U S E R B O A R S 

S W Y P R Y N T 

T I N G E E L A O S 

E N O R E E N G 

R A H U O L M E A D 

I L I B I D O O 

S I C K C N W A R N 

H C M A C V M A 

A J U G A A R I D E S T 

R P R P A N E 

P U S H T O O L O D E S 

CRYPTIC 

• FLIGHT SCHEDULE 

INTERNATIONAL 

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Power outage 

likely to come 

down soon 

PM in his tweet message 

has assured load shedding 

will not exceed 12 hours 



After the restoration of 25 

MW electricity, the current 

power outage is expected 

to come down soon, said 

Nepal Electricity Authority 

(NEA) officials today. 

Nepal’s power woes had 

worsened after India had 

cut down power supply by 

30 MW since January 3. 

“The Load Dispatch 

Centre will bring the new 

schedule in one or two 

days,” said NEA’s 

Spokesperson Sher Singh 

Bhat. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister 

Baburam Bhattarai 

today claimed that the load 

shedding hours have been 

minimised by two hours 

effective from today via a 

tweet message. He has also 

promised not to exceed the 

limitation of 12 hours load 

shedding per day. 

PM has recently opened 

his twitter account to as- 

suage the youth on exceeding 

the daily power outage. 

In his latest tweet, he said 

attempts were afoot to import 

70 MW electricity 

from India. 

When asked about the 

possibility of importing 

more electricity from the 

southern neighbour, the 

NEA officials, however, 

said no formal decision has 

been made yet. 

PM has been criticised 

from all the corners after 

his pledge to limit load 

shedding hours had 

crossed 12 hours on Friday. 

Meanwhile, NEA officials 

said they were unsure 

about limiting the power 

outage to 10-12 hours 

against the increased energy 

demand in the dry 

months ahead. 

Decreased power import 

coupled with shrinkage of 

water level had pressed the 

LDC officials to cut down 

the power supply last 

week. 

Oppn parties declare 

protest programmes 


Biratnagar, January 22 

Nine opposition parties 

have announced 10-day 

protest programmes in Biratnagar 

today against 

Prime Minister Baburam 

Bhattarai starting from 

January 25. 

Organising a press conference, 

opposition parties 

declared protest programme 

to topple the 

Bhattarai-led government 

through street protests as 

he has been refusing to put 

in his papers. They have 

even formed the Protest 

Coordination Committee 

comprising district chiefs 

of all the nine parties. 

According to the protest 

programme schedule, they 

will stage joint protest rally 

and meet in Biratnagar’s 

Janaandolan Chowk on 

January 25. A motorcycle 

rally would be staged in 

front of stadium at 1 pm on 

January 29. Similarly, the 

political parties would organise 

horn rally on January 

31 and February 1. Finally, 

a public meeting 

with more than 50,000 participants 

will be held on 

February 20 in Biratnagar. 

The parties have even 

warned that if Bhattarai 

fails to resign by then, they 

would continue their 

protests on the same day 

on February 20. Speaking 

at a press meet, Congress’ 

Amod Prasad Upadhaya 


Chitwan, January 22 

Nepali Congress President 

Sushil Koirala today warned 

that those who go against 

spirits of democracy 

would destroy themselves. 

Speaking at a condolence 

meet on the demise 

of veteran leader Shyam 

Krishna Pradhan in Bharatpur, 

Chetrapur, Koirala 

clarified that the protest 

programmes are not intended 

for the PM chair 

but to get back the kidnapped 

democracy. 

Similarly, UML Morang 

chairperson Mahesh Regmi 

said the objective of the 

opposition was not only to 

make a way for the government 

but also to stop the illegal 

activities carried out 

by the government that are 

against peoples’ interest 

and to hold polls by institutionalising 

democracy. 

Rallies to be 

peaceful 

KATHMANDU: A meeting 

of the taskforce 

of opposition parties 

formed to manage the 


announced by them 

today decided to make 

the future protest programmes 

peaceful 

and effective. The 

meeting, held at the 

Nepali Congress headquarters 

in Sanepa, 

decided to make public 

the details of the future 


at 12:30 pm today 

in a press meet. The 

parties had already 

announced the first 

phase of protest programmes 

beginning 

from January 25. – HNS 

Won’t compromise on 

democracy: Koirala 

said, in reference to the 

UCPN-M and the government, 

“The ones who tried 

to attack the achievements 

of the 1950, 1960, 1989 and 

2006/7 protests have always 

been defeated. So the 

upcoming protest would 

destroy Maoists.” 

NC will not compromise 

on the tenets of democracy 

and is ready to sacrifice to 

any extent, he said. 

NATIONAL 

Unified CPN-Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam 

Bhattarai at the Sindhuli District Conference in Sindhulimadhi, on Tuesday. 

UCPN-M chairman won’t be PM: Bhattarai 


Taplejung, January 22 

Prime Minister and Unified 

CPN-Maoist Vice-chairman 

Baburam Bhattarai today 

made it clear that there was 

no possibility of his party’s 

Chairman Pushpa Kamal 

Dahal becoming the pre- 

mier of the country in the 

current situation. 

Inaugurating the party’s 

district conference in Gorkha, 

Bhattarai said Dahal did 

not mean what the newspapers 

had reported. Speaking 

to mediapersons in Taplegunj, 

Bhattarai who came 

here to inaugurate the dis- 

THT 

trict conference of his party, 

said being a major political 

party of the country Dahal 

might be the PM theoretically 

but it cannot be implemented 

practically. 

He further said the best 

alternative was to form a 

national consensus government 

and go for polls. 

• COMMENTARY 

Dahal’s selfish desire a hurdle 

Prakash Acharya 


The Nepali Congress in its 

latest salvo on Unified CPN- 

Maoist Chairman Pushpa 

Kamal Dahal said it was the 

latter’s greed for prime ministerial 

position that is precluding 

any possible power 

sharing consensus with the 

opposition political parties. 

The party says Dahal exposed 

his conspiracy himself 

through his recent pronouncements 

and proved the party’s 

autocratic line of 

thought. 

The UCPN-M chairman 

has time and again said publicly 

that parties were nearly 

close to the deal but the next 

day he changes the stand 

leaving the opposition parties 

in the bay. However, 

three recent pronouncements 

by Dahal have raised 

the curtain of his internal 

yearning that he would not 

let to make the change of 

guard until he or the person 

of his interest was given the 

chance of leading the government. 

First, Dahal, addressing a 

function in Kirtipur on Sunday, 

said, “Nepali Congress 

and UML have been asking 

me to serve food equally to 

everyone but have warned 

me against touching the 

spoon. How can I serve without 

touching the spoon?” 

Second, on Monday in 

Gorkha, he said, “The Congress 

leaders have been saying 

that Prachanda is the 

man who can be the successor 

of late Girija Prasad 

Koirala to give an outlet to 

the country’s problems. So, if 

the oppositions cannot accept 

Baburamjee, I propose 

lets hold consensus under 

Prachanda’s leadership.” 

However, after Nepali Congress 

President Sushil Koirala 

and UML leaders, instantly 

rejected Dahal as new PM, 

the UCPN-M chairman, on 

PAGE 5 

the third day today in Taplejung, 

said, “My statement 

that I would be the prime 

minister was just a joke. I was 

just kidding. I did not know 

media would report it.” 

Making same voice, PM 

Bhattarai also said there was 

no possibility of any other legal 

government except the 

incumbent one and the party 

chairman made that remark 

jokingly. “From what Dahal 

made public pronouncement 

in recent three days, I 

came to draw a conclusion 

that he would not let Prime 

Minister Baburam Bhattarai 

step down unless he gets to 

become PM himself,” said 

NC leader Minendra Rijal 

adding that the Congress 

would never accept Maoist 

leadership. 

“Rather the people’s uprising 

would oust the government 

heading towards imposing 

autocracy by closing 

all democratic ways and state 

mechanisms,” said Rijal.


NATIONAL 

Third gender to be 

issued citizenship 



Ministry of Home Affairs 

(MoHA) today issued a directive 

to all 75 District Administration 

Offices asking 

them to provide citizenship 

certificates to lesbians, 

gays, bisexuals and 

transgenders (LGBTs). 

Chief of Management 

Division at the MoHA 

Bhola Prasad Siwakoti said 

all DAOs were asked to issue 

citizenship certificates 

to LGBTs under the ‘Others’ 

category, upon the 

identification of gender of 

the prospective applicant. 

The process of issuing 

citizenship certificates to 

LGBTs was delayed as it required 

the government to 

make an amendment to 

Schedule-1 of the Nepal 

Citizenship Rules, 2006, 

which categorised sex as 

only male and female. 

Ministry of Law and Justice 

had recently amended 

Schedule-1 by adding 

‘Others’ category on the 

request of the MoHA. The 

decision was cheered by 

the LGBT activists, who 

were fighting for their 

identity as citizens of the 

country. 

Sunil Babu Pant, president 

of the Blue Diamond 

Society welcomed the de- 

cision and said they were 

waiting for this landmark 

decision for long. 

The Supreme Court in 

2007 had issued a verdict 

that LGBTs cannot be denied 

citizenship certificates. 

The national population 

census, 2011, for the 

first time had included a 

new category – for transgenders 

– officially recognising 

them as third sex in 

the country. 

LGBT activists had long 

accused the bureaucracy 

of being antagonistic towards 

them. According to 

BDS, there are more than 

50,000 LGBTs in the country. 

India grants Rs 54.5m 

for school buildings 



Indian Ambassador Jayant 

Prasad today inaugurated 

the newly constructed 

school buildings of 

Shree Pathariya Higher 

Secondary School and 

Shree Himali Higher Secondary 

School, which 

were built with Indian 

assistance of Rs 54.5 million. 

Pathariya Higher Secondary 

School was established 

in 1961 as a primary 

school and subsequently 

upgraded to higher secondary 

level in 2008. It is 

located at Pathariya VDC 

in Jhapa. 

The new building, built 

with an assistance of Rs 

26.5 million will provide 

better facilities to over 

1,100 students of the 

school, the Indian embassy 

said in a statement 

today. 

Likewise, Ambassador 

Prasad also inaugurated 

the newly constructed 

school building of Shree 

Himali Higher Secondary 

School. Established in 

1970 as a primary school 

and upgraded to higher 

secondary level in the 

2000, the school is located 

at Prithvinagar VDC in the 

district. 

The new school building, 

built with an aid of 

Rs 28 million will provide 

the much needed classroom 

space and create 

an improved learning environment, 

reads the 

statement. 



Experts and professionals on 

water resources have suggested 

the government to set its national 

priority agenda while 

dealing on water resources issues 

with India. 

They have also asked the 

government to make it clear 

whether it wants to make electricity 

or ‘use of water’ as its priority 

agenda in dealing with the 

Indian side. The suggestion 

were made at an interaction 

held in the Capital today, which 

was just couple of days before 

the sixth meeting of the Joint 

Commission on Water Resources 

(JCWR) between Nepal 

and India. 

The two-day JCWR between 

Nepal and India meeting is going 

to be held in Kathmandu 

THE HIMALAYAN TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2013 

Experts stress on fair water policy 

Nepal and India must find way out to problems 

on January 24-25. Energy Secretary 

Hari Ram Koirala is leading 

the Nepali side, whereas Indian 

side will be led by its Water 

Secretary. “During the earlier 

JCWR meetings, the Indian 

side has been water-focused, 

whereas the Nepali side has 

been focused on electricity,” 

said Dr YB Thapa, a former 

member of the National Planning 

Commission, while presenting 

his paper on ‘Alternative 

agenda for Nepal-India 

JCWR meet’. 

Thapa went on to add, “Given 

the Indian side’s focus on 

water-related matter, if we be 

assigned the Irrigation Secretary 

to lead the talks-team, our 

case will be more effective in 

the dealings.” He suggested the 

Nepali side should focus on 

getting maximum benefits of 

the water rather than touting 


Rukum, January 22 

Families of 32 conflict victims 

are yet to receive the 

state relief even three years 

after the submission of applications 

to the Peace 

Committee, Rukum. 

The relief distribution 

has been delayed due to 

dispute among political 

parties, said Nepali Congress 

Representative 

Khadga Dangi. He, however, 

claimed that they had 

already provided relief to 

the genuine victims. 

Most applications submitted 

in the second phase 

were related to Unified- 

CPN Maoists, he said. “The 

distribution process has 

been halted since they 

have been making false 

claims even for those who 

the issue of electricity. 

Similarly, former water resources 

minister and water expert 

Dipak Gyawali, said the 

Nepali side should be very clear 

that producing hydro-electricity 

was never India’s priority 

in Nepal. “The sooner we understand 

this the better for us,” 

he added. 

Professor Madan Dahal said 

the partial treatment was not 

enough while dealing on water-related 

issues to any party 

including India. “We need to 

connect it as a theory of economic 

development,” Dahaladded. 

He suggested both 

sides need to focus in finding 

problems and addressing it 

on the non-implementation 

issues, including the Pancheshwor 

Multipurpose Project 

and Naumure Hydroelectricity 

project. 

No relief yet to war victims 

did not die in the conflict,” 

he added. 

“We are taking initiatives 

to solve the problem as we 

don’t want fake victims to 

get any assistance,” he 

said, adding, they would 

start distributing the relief 

soon after they identified 

the actual deceased. 

According to the Peace 

Committee, most of the 

disputed cases were related 

to the Nepali Congress 

and Unified CPN-Maoist. 

Of the 885 families who 

had registered relief applications, 

668 have already 

received the relief. “However, 

some disputable cases 

are yet to be discussed,” 

said Keshav Budhathoki, 

secretary at the committee. 

As many as 1,647 persons 

have filled up the forms 

under property loss.


INTERNATIONAL 

Israel votes, 

set to re-elect 

Netanyahu 

Rueters 

Jerusalem, January 22 

Israelis voted today in an 

election that is expected to 

see Prime Minister Benjamin 

Netanyahu win a 

third term in office, pushing 

the Jewish state further 

to the right, away from 

peace with the Palestinians 

and towards a showdown 

with Iran. 

However, Netanyahu’s 

own Likud party, running 

alongside the ultra-nationalist 

Yisrael Beitenu group, 

looks set to have fewer 

seats than in the previous 

parliament, with opinion 

polls showing a surge in 

support for the far-right 

Jewish Home party. 

Political sources 

said Netanyahu, 

concerned by his 

apparent fall in 

popularity, might 

approach centreleft 

parties after 

the vote in an effort 

to broaden his 

coalition and present 

a more moderate 

face to Washington 

and other concerned 

allies. 

“We want Israel to succeed, 

we vote Likud-Beitenu 

... The bigger it is, the 

more Israel will succeed,” 

Netanyahu said after casting 

his ballot alongside his 

wife and two sons. 

Some 5.66 million Israelis 

are eligible to vote, 

with polling stations closing 

at 10:00pm (2000 

GMT). Full results are due 

by tomorrow morning, 

opening the way for coalition 

talks that could take 

several weeks. The lacklustre 

election campaign 

failed to focus on any single 

issue and with a Netanyahu 

victory predicted 

by every opinion poll, the 

two main political blocs 

seemed to spend more 

time on internal feuding 

than confronting each other. 

“There is a king sitting 

on the throne in Israel and 

I wanted to dethrone him, 

but it looks like that won’t 

happen,” said Yehudit 

Shimshi, a retired teacher 

voting in central Israel, on 

Syrian 

rebels 

clash with 

Kurds 

Reuters 

Beirut, January 22 

At least 56 people have 

been killed in a week of 

fighting in northeast Syria 

between anti-government 

rebels and members 

of the long-oppressed 

Kurdish minority 

who have seized on the 

civil war to try to secure 

self-rule, activists said today. 

The British-based Syrian 

Observatory for Human 

Rights, which collates 

reports on Syria’s violence 

from local activists, 

said on Tuesday 

that the anti-Damascus 

rebels were using tanks 

and mortars on Tuesday 

against Kurdish forces. 

In a separate incident, 

it said at least 42 people 

including women and 

children had been killed 

when a car bomb targeting 

a pro-government 

militia went off on Monday 

evening in the town 

of Salamiyah, east of the 

central city of Hama. 

On Tuesday, fighters of 

the Kurdish People’s Defence 

Units clashed with 

several rebel groups in 

the city of Ras al-Ain in 

Syria’s northern Hasaka 

province, the Syrian Observatory 

for Human 

Rights said. 

“The clashes erupted 

(last) Wednesday ... and 

(have) resulted in the 

deaths of at least 56 fighters,” 

the Observatory 

said. 

Netanyahu 

a bright, hot mid-winter 

morning. 

No Israeli party has ever 

secured an absolute majority, 

meaning that Netanyahu, 

who says that 

dealing with Iran’s nuclear 

ambitions is his top priority, 

will have to bring various 

allies onboard to control 

the 120-seat Knesset. 

The former commando 

has traditionally looked to 

religious, conservative parties 

for backing and is 

widely expected to seek 

out the surprise star of the 

campaign, self-made millionaire 

Naftali Bennett 

who heads the Jewish 

Home party. Bennett has 

ruled out any peace pact 

with the Palestinians and 

calls for the annexation 

of much 

of the occupied 

West Bank. His 

youthful dynamism 

has 

struck a chord 

amongst Israelis, 

most of whom no 

longer believe in 

the possibility of a 

Palestinian deal, 

and has eroded Netanyahu’s 

support base. 

The Likud has also shifted 

further right in recent 

months, with hardline candidates 

who reject the socalled 

two-state solution, 

dominating the top of the 

party list. Surveys suggest 

Bennett may take up to 14 

seats, many at the expense 

of Likud-Beitenu, which 

was projected to win 32 in 

the last round of opinion 

polls published on Friday 

— 10 less than the two parties 

won in 2009 when they 

ran separate lists. 

Acknowledging the 

threat, Netanyahu’s son 

Yair urged young Israelis 

not to abandon the old, established 

Likud. “Even if 

there are more trendy parties, 

there is one party that 

has a proven record,” he 

said today. Amongst the 

new parties standing for 

the first time in an election 

were Yesh Atid (There is a 

Future), a centrist group 

led by former television 

host Yair Lapid, seen winning 

13 seats. 

Obama’s ball: No room to dance, but 

certainly a night to remember 

Reuters 

Washington, January 22 

Whoever coined the term ‘to 

the victor goes the spoils’ 

did not have President 

Barack Obama’s official inauguration 

party in mind. 

They knocked on doors 

for him and helped him win 

Reuters 

US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle 

Obama dancing as singer Jennifer Hudson performs at 

the Inaugural Ball in Washington on Monday. 

re-election, but when Obama 

supporters put on their 

tuxedos and ball gowns to 

celebrate the start of his second 

term in office, they 

feasted on pretzels, peanuts 

and Cheez-its. 

“This is the food? I’m not 

too thrilled about it. It’s for 

the birds,” said Ben Shelly, 

Michelle’s desinger snubbed 

TAIPEI: Jason Wu may 

have won international 

recognition for twice designing 

inaugural gowns 

for US first lady Michelle 

Obama, but judges in his 

native Taiwan seem unimpressed. 

Taiwan’s Intellectual 

Property Court ruled 

on Monday that Wu’s new 

label “Miss Wu” could not 

be registered as a brand 

because it was not distinctive 

enough. Wu is one of 

only several dozen Chinese 

surnames and the 

who helped mobilise support 

for Obama on the 

Navajo reservation in Arizona. 

Dancing was also difficult: 

it was much too 

crowded in front of the stage 

to manage more than an 

easy shoulder roll when pop 

stars like Alicia Keys and 

Brad Paisley played their 

hits. 

But that did not stop Obama 

backers from partying 

with their president, and 

celebrating the brief moment 

when the rancor of the 

campaign has faded and the 

tough work of his second 

term has yet to begin. 

“I love the fact that we reelected 

the first African- 

American president against 

all of the odds of the economy,” 

said Vega Subramanian, 

an Indian immigrant 

who attended with her wife. 

“I want to do everything I 

can to support his views in 

favour of immigrant rights, 

in favour of gay rights, in 

favour of all of us.” 

Inaugural balls have been 

a Washington fixture since 

court upheld a government 

trademark agency 

decision that “Miss Wu” 

was too generic, despite 

Wu’s claim that it conjured 

up the hoot of an owl, depicted 

on its logo. He designed 

Michelle Obama’s 

white inaugural gown in 

2008. On Monday, she appeared 

in another of his 

creations, a shiny red 

gown with a halter top. Wu 

was born in Taiwan before 

moving to Canada at age 

9. — AP 

the city’s earliest days, when 

James Madison celebrated 

with a dance at a downtown 

hotel in 1809. Things got 

somewhat out of hand at Andrew 

Jackson’s inaugural 

party in 1829, when thousands 

of revellers crowded 

into the White House, breaking 

thousands of dollars 

worth of china and forcing 

the new president to flee to 

Virginia for the night. 

Staffers managed to bring 

the party to a close by dragging 

the vats of punch out on 

the lawn. James Buchanan’s 

1857 party featured 400 gallons 

of oysters, 75 hams and 

125 tongues. 

Bill Clinton set a record in 

1997 with 14 official balls, 

and Obama himself celebrated 

with 10 official events 

in 2009. 

This year, organisers 

scaled back to two events to 

try to strike a respectfully 

austere note at a time 

when the economy is still 

struggling. 

17 killed, dozens 

hurt in Iraq blasts 

Associated Press 

Baghdad, January 22 

A string of car bomb attacks 

in and around Baghdad killed 

17 people and wounded 

dozens today, deepening 

fears of an increase in violence 

as sectarian tensions 

simmer in Iraq. 

Although there was no immediate 

claim of responsibility, 

blame is likely to fall on 

Sunni insurgents such as al- 

Qaeda’s local franchise. The 

group often uses indiscriminate 

car bombs to sow fear 

among Iraq’s Shiite majority 

and undermine the government’s 

authority. 

The killing began in the 

morning when a parked car 

exploded in Mahmoudiya, 

about 30 kilometres south of 

the Iraqi capital, targeting a 

security checkpoint there. 

The explosion killed five, including 

two soldiers who 

were manning the check- 

PAGE 7 

point, and wounded 15 people, 

according to police. 

Then, a suicide car bomb 

struck near a checkpoint in 

the northern Baghdad suburb 

of Taji, killing seven people 

and wounding 26. 

A teacher who witnessed 

the attack, Nasseer Rahman, 

35, said he was sitting in a 

minibus waiting to pass the 

checkpoint when the attack 

happened about 120 metres 

(yards) away. “The useless 

checkpoint was the reason 

for the high casualties because 

dozens of cars were 

backed up in long lines before 

the checkpoint that got 

hit,” he said. “As soon as the 

blast struck, we got off the 

minibus and ran to the site of 

the explosion. We saw several 

cars on fire and pools of 

blood.” Later, another parked 

car loaded with explosives 

detonated in the northwestern 

neighborhood of Shula, 

killing five and wounding 15.


TheHimalayan 

T I M E S 

A THOUGHT FOR T ODAY 

I didn’t find my friends; 

the good Lord gave them to me. 

—Ralph Waldo Emerson 

The lost agenda 

The country is marred by poor governance. It is especially 

tragic that the local development process 

has been subverted by corrupt and vested interests. 

The government’s efforts at developing energy infrastructure 

are mired in controversy. The government’s 

attempt to increase capacity of upper Trishuli is not 

economically logical, and there is an equal amount of 

controversy surrounding the Prime Minister’s efforts 

to set up a diesel plant despite opposition from the 

Chief Secretary and experts. Now it appears that government 

inefficiency in setting up transmission lines 

appears to be the key reason that has prevented the 

country from buying electricity from India. 

The government’s record at ending impunity and 

enforcing rule of law is also appalling. Lately, the government’s 

disregard for rule of law was marked by the 

PM’s attempt to obstruct course of justice in the investigation 

of journalist Dekendra Thapa’s murder 

case. Citing as of yet uncertain Truth and Reconciliation 

Commission (TRC), the PM insisted that all wartime 

cases should be handled by the TRC and not by 

the regular criminal justice system. Following his cue, 

the Attorney General blatantly ordered the local administration 

to stop investigation and destroy all collected 

evidences. Despite repeated reminders by the 

Supreme Court not to arbitrarily withdraw cases, PM 

Bhattarai, has withdrawn 

It is urgent 

that political 

parties sit 

down and make 

arrangements for 

power sharing and 

facilitating a new 

election 

cases against 1358 individuals, 

many of whom 

are accused of serious 

crime, including murder. 

Many of these cases are 

supposed to be dealt by 

the TRC, but the ordinance 

is in limbo, partly 

due to political conflict 

among political parties 

and partly because it does 

not fulfill international 

requirements.The agen- 

da of fresh election for a new Constituent Assembly 

appears to have been put in the backburner. 

The President’s effort to open a new political course 

by invoking Article 38 (1) of the Interim Constitution 

also appears to have failed, given the resistance from 

the ruling alliance to find an alternative to PM Bhattarai. 

Political events since the dissolution of the CA 

in May 2012 indicates that the country’s political 

course is determined largely by the largest four political 

parties, and there is no mechanism through 

which the public can have a say or drive the political 

process. The opposition is also unable to put pressure 

on the government, especially at a time when 

there is no parliamentary oversight. Most of the oversight 

is through the media, civil society and the international 

community. 

The Maoist party’s internal affairs and internal 

competition prior to its general convention appears 

to be stalling national politics, and one can only hope 

that the political deadlock does not continue for too 

long. If there is no outlet to the current political stalemate, 

and if poor governance continues, then a 

slightest provocative incident can trigger social unrest. 

The public’s reactions to Thapa’s murder case, 

rape of Sita Rai by TIA authorities, and the murder of 

a woman in Palpa already indicate that people’s patience 

is wearing thin. It is, thus, urgent that political 

parties sit down and make arrangements for power 

sharing and facilitating a new election as it is the only 

way through which democratic decision-making 

process can be restored and people’s will exercised. 

Avert road mishaps 

The incidence of major traffic accidents on the 

highways is a matter of serious worry. It is with 

much trepidation that people venture out on long 

journeys. Not a day passes by without reports of accidents 

on the highways in which people are killed, injured 

and maimed. Although the cause of most of the 

accidents are attributed to the human factor, there is 

no denying that the roads are in a dilapidated condition 

and badly in need of repairs. Furthermore, most 

of the roads have not been built in a scientific manner 

according to the international standards. Most of 

the accidents appear to be taking place in particular 

sections of the roads. Therefore, those driving there 

should be extra careful in order to avert the accidents. 

There is also a need for highway patrols by the police 

to see to it that the vehicle drivers are fit to drive 

and also that the buses have not been overloaded 

with passengers. Overloading is also one of the major 

causes of accidents. Despite knowing this the bus operators 

overload their vehicles in order to make a fast 

buck. 

• LETTERS 

No justification 

I just returned from a trip to 

Chitwan, where I went on an 

elephant safari ride. I wish I 

hadn’t, as I am now one of the 

thousands of tourists who 

contribute to the suffering of 

this intelligent animal. The 

elephant ‘Champa’ was poked 

behind the ears with the feet 

of her trainer in a sensitive, 

painful spot throughout the 

whole walk, which lasted an 

hour and a half. If she slowed 

down to rest or tried to eat some 

leaves the trainer hit her really 

hard with a bamboo stick on 

the head, or poked her with the 

ankush. She had scars all over 

the top of her head, feet, body 

and trunk. She carried 4 people 

plus her trainer, and each 

elephant does this at least 4 

times a day, working from 7am 

to 5pm. 

I thought that the elephants 

get to relax at the end of the 

day, as the photos portray in 

‘elephant bathing’. However, 

this wasn’t the case, as I 

watched trainers repeatedly 

hit the elephants with the 

ankush during the bath. So 

these elephants are in pain 

all day long except when they 

are chained during rest hours. 

LEKHANATH PANDEY 

South Asia region is diverse 

in its cultural heritage, 

language and religion 

and its way of thinking 

about the outer world. 

Countries of this region 

have only one common 

platform: South Asian 

Association for Regional 

Cooperation (SAARC) to 

exchange their views and 

understandings for mutual 

harmony, peace and prosperity. 

If we agree to SAARC 

Secretary General, Ahmed 

Saleem, there is no alternative 

of this body to advocate 

shared benefits of the 

eight South Asian countries: 

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, 

Bhutan, India, Maldives, 

Nepal, Pakistan and Sri 

Lanka. 

SAARC, adopting its Charter 

on December 8, 1985, 

adhered to international 

principles and obligations 

envisioned in the UN Charter. 

The Charter stresses a 

common stand in matters 

beyond the regional border. 

It is what SAARC has been 

lacking the most. 

European Union is considered 

as the precursor and 

champion of regionalism. 

Many regional forums, including 

SAARC have never 

tired to praise EU’s success 

in brining as many as 27 

countries, formally quarreling 

ones, under one banner, 

• TOPICS 

South-East Asia aspires to be polio free 

DR.SAMLEE PLIANBANGCHANG 

On 13 January 2013 India observes 

another year without 

reporting a single case of wild 

poliovirus for the second time in 

history. This was possible in part 

due to great progress made in 

the polio eradication programme 

of India, which was until 

25 February 2012 the only polio 

endemic country among 11 

countries of WHO’s South-East 

Asia Region. An important factor 

which was recognized earlier 

this year during a meeting of 

WHO’s Sixty-fifth Regional Committee 

was the dedication and 

hard work of the health workers 

and volunteers, civil society and 

nongovernmental organizations 

involved in the intensive cam- 

I see no justification for causing 

this unnecessary pain. I request 

fellow tourists not to ride 

elephants until humane 

training and management as 

well as government monitored 

welfare standards have been 

introduced. 

Freya Chapman-Amey, 

Lakeside, Pokhara 

one belief and one opinion. 

Also, they have developed a 

framework for a common 

position regarding external 

matters by adopting the Lisbon 

Treaty in 2010. The document 

has provisions, including 

the creation of European 

External Action Service 

and position of High 

Representative for Common 

Foreign and Security 

Policy. Still we can see EU 

nations’ common standing 

in most crucial international 

developments, whether it 

was the issue of imposing 

No-Fly Zone in Libya in 

2011, or recently endorsing 

the French military action 

against the rebel force in 

Mali. We can view the same 

tone among EU nations to 

criticize prevalent impunity 

in Nepal or lobbying hard 

for international investigation 

regarding the genocide 

allegedly committed in 

northern Sri Lanka by the 

military right before the 

ending the country’s 

decades-long civil war in 

2009. We can even find 

shared lobbying among EU 

states just to sell a single aircraft 

manufactured by Airbus, 

a consortium of four 

EU partners. 

SAARC has been falling 

short in making a common 

view in such external affairs, 

which has undermined the 

prospect of this body’s 

shared recognition. As of 

paigns carried out in all countries 

year after year. Often working 

under difficult circumstances 

due to challenging terrains, 

extreme weather conditions 

and civil unrest, these 

workers even put their lives at 

risk to reach children with polio 

vaccination. 

One of the most important 

lessons learnt was the significance 

of establishing a strong 

accountability framework to ensure 

evidence-based data generated 

following the implementation 

of campaigns would get 

analysed and used for corrective 

action in future activities. 

Other important success factors 

were the introduction if 

more efficacious oral polio vaccines 

in specific environments 

• BLOG SURF • CARTOON 

Slow motion 

PRAWESH 

What if the speed of the world stands still 

for a couple of minutes? 

In a materialistic world where speed is synonymous 

to progress, this might be an unusual 

phenomenon to imagine. 

But a youth from South, Kim Pan, 21, is daring 

to revolutionize the world’s speed in his 

own pace. Pan claims that he is determined to 

change the world’s hastiness by walking rather 

slower than his passers-by. On a sweltering 

Wednesday afternoon, Pan was spotted heading 

to Basantapur Durbar Square through 

crowded Ason road flanked by his dozen 

Nepali counterparts. He was walking differently—deliberately 

strolling 10 times slower 

than other pedestrians. Expressing each of his 

slow movements to the people with his hands 

gesturing in air, he was responding to the inquisitiveness 

of many gathered around him. 

“Hey, it’s an amazing experience to walk in 

slow motion. I have wonderful feelings right 

now while reading curious faces beholding 

us,” he gushed with his friends. —prawesh.blogspot.com 

Shameful 

This is the reference to the news 

“15-year-old girl raped by father 

for six months” (THT, Jan 21, 

Page 5). It is shocking and a 

very shameful incident. This 

incident leads us to feel 

uncomfortable at the time of 

gathering with the family. For 

a girl to be raped by her father 

is an unacceptable and 

unbelievable crime in any 

society. Moreover, it is one 

of the heinous crimes which 

will impact the cultures 

adversely, relations and others 

social indicators. It makes 

the relations between 

fathers-daughters as well as 

with brothers-sisters less 

strong. Furthermore, the 

perpetrators of the 

gruesome crime must face 

strict legal action so that 

no one will commit such a base 

South Asian identity 

For common stand 

SAARC has been falling short in making a 

common view in external affairs, which has 

undermined the prospect of this body’s 

shared recognition. SAARC has been 

largely exposed to the outside world 

as an overpopulated region with poverty 

prevalent and under development 

now, SAARC has been largely 

exposed to the outside 

world as a overpopulated 

region, with poverty prevalent, 

under development, 

and as a epicenter of global 

terrorists. Despite over a 

quarter century’s collective 

efforts by and bargains 

among SAARC nations, such 

identifications are yet to be 

changed. South Asian leaders, 

in every successive 

SAARC Summit, have been 

where transmission was linked 

to certain environmental factors 

such as levels of hygiene and water 

and sanitation issues. 

As we prepare to celebrate the 

tremendous progress made over 

the past years in India as well as 

the Region, we need to remind 

ourselves the need to sustain 

these efforts for the near future 

at the same if not higher level of 

performance. 

All countries need to ensure 

high immunity levels against the 

virus are maintained throughout 

all populations. Surveillance 

needs to remain highly sensitive 

in order to detect any importation.The 

polio infrastructure, expertise 

and operational experience 

are being used to guarantee 

the gain made towards eradica- 

shameful crime. 

Krishna Prasad Sah, 

Golbazaar, Siraha 

Outrageous 

The power outages are indeed 

outrageous. There are no lights 

for more than half a day which 

is ridiculous. Imagine the 

hardships they caused to 

ordinary people who have 

no where to turn to for their 

predicament. Not only does 

the economy as a whole suffer, 

but people like students have 

to make do with studying under 

candle light. Still the authorities 

are least concerned about 

dealing with the load shedding. 

What they should be doing is 

constructing more hydel plants 

under war-footing. Instead the 

few hydro electricity plants are 

being obstructed in many 

reiterating to erase such image 

of the region, but have 

failed to translate it into action. 

Nihal Rodrigo, Former 

Secretary General of SAARC, 

stresses that the South 

Asian nations need to form 

a separate body to make 

and raise a common 

voice on pertinent and 

evolving global issues like 

human rights, terrorism, 

drug trafficking, inclusion, 

democracy etc. 

tion by strengthening routine 

immunization and improving 

integrated vaccine preventable 

disease surveillance. Lessons 

from polio eradication should be 

used to strengthen the existing 

health systems and provide a 

legacy for the decades of hard 

work. As India completes two 

years without any cases of wild 

poliovirus, WHO’s South-East 

Asia Region is firmly on-track for 

polio-free certification in early 

2014. The South-East Asia Region 

will be the fourth WHO Region 

to be certified as polio free, 

the first Region in more than 12 

year after the European Region 

was certified in 2002. 

Dr. Plianbangchang is 

Regional Director, 

WHO- South-East Asia region 

places. This leads to further 

shortfall in power supply. 

Although there is much 

possibility of tapping the rich 

hydro power resources, the 

climate for investment is not 

congenial, and many people 

and countries interested in 

investing in this sector are 

discouraged. The hydel 

plants should be provided with 

the necessary security for it is 

found that their construction 

and operation are frequently 

being hampered. Only then will 

investments in hydro-power 

plants be forthcoming. 

Dinesh Pradhan, 

Kathmandu 


SAARC has rarely taken a 

collective stand over external 

affairs; it is a different 

matter that all SAARC members 

individually condemned 

the al-Qaeda attack 

in New York and Washington 

in September 2001. 

Still, member-countries 

are at odds whether to list 

some regional outfits as terrorist 

groups or not. Cases 

have been seen of vote casting 

against one member 

country by another in UN 

like forums. 

As a sovereign nation, 

every country has full authority 

to decide for itself. It 

is, also, acceptable to deepen 

ties with any nation and 

group. In doing so, however, 

one needs to be equally prudent 

about its larger implication 

on regional commitment. 

Without India and 

Pakistan’s positive activism, 

SAARC cannot move forward. 

Therefore, as much as 

possible attention should be 

given by all member states 

to achieve South Asian regionalism 

and share benefits 

of it. 

Of the question of extraregional 

common standing, 

everyone needs to be cautious 

that the view should 

not be construed as interference 

in other’s internal 

affairs. It should be equally 

sound as per UN Charter, 

SAARC Charter, universal 

principles and commit- 

Letters to this column should be addressed to 

Letters C/o Edit Page Editor,The Himalayan Times, 

Post Box 11651,APCA House, 

Baidya Khana Road, Kathmandu, Nepal 

email: edit@thehimalayantimes.com, 

Fax 0977-1-4771959 

ments regarding human 

rights, rule of law and 

democracy. EU countries 

have plus-point in making 

common position on that 

basis immediately because 

all its members abide by 

these principles. If fact, 

without full commitment in 

basic principles of human 

rights, rule of law and 

democracy, no European 

country can acquire or 

maintain EU membership. 

SAARC’s case is different. 

Three out of seven to be 

SAARC members were under 

unelected leadership 

when it was set up. Thankfully, 

after 17 rounds of summits 

of Head of States/Governments, 

South Asian 

countries, through Addu 

Summit in November 2011, 

adopted Charter of Democracy 

to promote democratic 

norms and values in the region. 

However, it is also a 

bitter fact that almost every 

SAARC nation, in the past, 

has witnessed attacks on 

democracy, in the form of 

absolute monarchy to military 

dictatorship or emergency. 

If we all are fully committed 

in adhering to the 

principle of democracy and 

execute it into action that 

would be more helpful to 

find policy-coherence, clarity 

and position in matters 

beyond the region. Every 

member’s voice should be 

counted and heard equally. 

• THT 10 YEARS AGO 

IGP has plans to 

better community 

police force 


Kathmandu,January 22,2003 

Inspector general of police (IGP) Shyam 

Bhakta Thapa today said that he is 

preparing a “special working plan” with a 

view to develop a more effective and responsible 

police service. “The plan will 

emphasise on the empowerment and enlargement 

of community police services.” 

Thapa said that he was happy with 

the way community police services has 

helped to reduce social crimes with the 

cooperation and support from locals and 

local institutions. Speaking at a programme 

jointly organised by Bouddha 

community service centre, Bouddha 

community police service centre and 

Bouddha ward Police office,Thapa pointed 

out the need to boost police service. 

Danid Wood, chief of DAFID (UK) said 

that close and productive cooperation 

between Nepal police and people is 

needed in order to maintain peace and 

order in the society. “The country will 

then be independent to maintain peace 

and order in the society.” He also said 

that he foresaw a bright future for Nepal if 

the police force was successful in making 

some headway in community police activities.He 

stressed DAFID’s willingness 

to workwith Nepal police and provide 

‘added’ training for further empowerment 

and effectiveness.Norika Izume, 

representitive of UNICEF, opined that 

genuine cooperation and participation 

of community is needed by police, if the 

force is to meet the needs for a peaceful 

society.Binaya Jha, in-charge of community 

police Bouddha vouched for massive 

social support to maintain peace and order, 

and eradicate crime in society as 

laws were not enough for the purposes. 

Apex court continues 

ordering release 

of detainees 


Kathmandu,January 22,2003 

The Supreme Court today ordered the 

home ministry and police headquarters 

to release Bikram Maharjan and 

Rupa Dhakal who have been held in police 

custody on suspicion of being 

Maoists since nine and five months respectively.The 

joint bench comprising of 

justices Arabinda Nath Acharya and Min 

Bahadur Rayamajhi following the hearing 

issued directives to the government 

authorities to release Maharjan. While 

following a separate hearing, the joint 

bench of justices Hari Prasad Sharma 

and Chandra Prasad Parajuli ordered the 

government bodies to set free Dhakal. 

The court issuing its directives also ordered 

the institutions to release him in 

the presence of the administrative 

chief of the Kathmandu District Court. 

Maharjan was arrested nine months ago 

under the Terrorist and Desruptive (Prevention 

and Control) Act 2002. While 

Dhakal was detained five months ago 

from Jorpati in Kathmandu.


NEIGHBOURS 

• SNIPPETS 

Dalai atIndia lit fest 

JAIPUR: The Dalai Lama is set to 

headline India’s Jaipur Literature Festival 

to speak about faith with one of 

his biographers, Pico Iyer. The Tibetan 

spiritual leader will hold a session 

on the festival’s first day, Thursday, 

titled: Kinships of Faiths: Finding 

the Middle Way. Last year’s festival 

featured Oprah Winfrey and literary 

stars Michael Ondaatje and Tom 

Stoppard. Author Salman Rushdie 

had to cancel his appearance last 

year due to protests and threats 

linked to his book “The Satanic Verses,” 

which some Muslims consider 

blasphemous. This year’s festival will 

also feature author Zoe Heller and 

Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson. 

— AP 

UN help sought 

MANILA: The Philippines has asked 

an international tribunal to intervene 

in its long-standing South China Sea 

territorial dispute with China and declare 

that Beijing’s claims are invalid, 

the government said on Tuesday. 

Manila asked the tribunal of the UN 

Convention on the Law of the Sea 

(UNCLOS) to order a halt to China’s 

activities that the Philippines says violates 

the Southeast Asian nation’s 

sovereignty. China’s claims over islands, 

reefs and atolls in resourcerich 

waters off its south coast and to 

the east of mainland Southeast Asia 

set it directly against US allies Vietnam 

and the Philippines, while 

Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay 

claim to parts. — Reuters 

Pollution plan falls flat 

BEIJING: New plans to reduce air pollution 

in Beijing fell flat on Tuesday, 

judging by initial online reaction, as 

the capital’s mayor unveiled measures 

toease the chronic problem 

that has triggered growing public 

anger. The smoggy metropolis’ already 

notorious air pollution hit a 

record earlier this month, with pollution 

30-45 times above recommended 

safety levels, blanketing Beijing in 

a thick, noxious cloud that grounded 

flights and forced people indoors. 

The issue has caused widespread 

public outrage. — Reuters 

Reuters 

New Delhi, January 22 

Women in India’s capital are 

taking self-defence classes, 

snapping up pepper sprays, 

booking cabs with female 

drivers or leaving work early, 

all signs of growing insecurity 

following the brutal gang 

rape and murder of a student 

last month. 

The assault on the 23year-old 

- who was raped by 

six people and tortured with 

an iron bar on a bus, then left 

bleeding on a highway — 

stunned the nation and generated 

an unprecedented 

wave of protests calling for 

better security for women. 

In response to the public 

outrage, authorities have initiated 

several measures to 

instill confidence, but many 

women say they cannot rely 

on India’s often gender-insensitive 

and under-resourced 

police force to ensure 

their security. “It’s no secret 

that Delhi is unsafe for 

women. A lot of us have 

known it for a long time, but 

this case has brought things 

to light,” said Sunanda 

Jalote, 18, a psychology student, 

attending her first self- 

defence class with Invictus 

Survival Sciences in South 

Delhi. 

“It really has hit the confidence 

of women in the city. 

We don’t want to feel like 

that. We want to be able to go 

out wherever we want, at any 

time of day or night, and feel 

safe. So you have to learn 

how to defend yourself.” 

New Delhi, with a burgeoning 

population of 16 

million, has the unsavoury 

reputation of being the 

country’s ‘rape capital’, 

recording more rapes annually 

than any other Indian 

city. There were 706 rapes reported 

in 2012, a 23 percent 

rise from the previous year, 

according to the Delhi police, 

while molestation cases 

rose by 11 percent to 727. 

Private companies running 

self-defence classes in 

the capital say they have had 

a flurry of requests since the 

December 16 attack. 

“Since the incident happened, 

the number of inquiries 

and enrolments has 

shot up considerably ... by 

about 40 per cent,” said 

Ankur Sharma, senior instructor 

at Invictus, adding 

that most are from female 

Xi urges going 

after ‘flies’ in 

fight on graft 

Reuters 

Beijing, January 22 

Chinese president-in-waiting 

Xi Jinping today took his 

campaign against corruption 

to the petty bureaucracy 

and minor infractions of 

lowly officials who are the 

bane of many Chinese people 

and businessmen’s 

everyday lives. 

Xi, in comments 

carried by the official 

Xinhua news 

agency, said it was 

just as important to 

go after the ‘flies’, or 

lowly people, as it 

was to tackle the 

‘tigers’, or top officials, 

in 

the battle against 

graft. “We must uphold the 

fighting of tigers and flies at 

the same 

time, resolutely investigating 

law-breaking cases of 

leading officials and also 

earnestly resolving the unhealthy 

tendencies and corruption 

problems which 

happen all around people,” 

he said. 

Bureaucrats must not be 

allowed to get away with 

skirting rules and orders 

from above or choosing selectively 

which policies to 

follow, added Xi. “The style 

in which you work is no 

small matter, and if we don’t 

redress unhealthy tendencies 

and allow them to develop, 

it will be like putting up a 

wall between our party and 

the people, and we will lose 

our roots, our lifeblood and 

our strength,” Xi told a meeting 

of the party’s top antigraft 

body. 

Xi called for ‘a disciplinary, 

Xi Jinping 

Women in India take up self-defence, pepper spray 

students or professional 

women between the ages of 

18 and 35 years. 

Sharma added that many 

business process outsourcing 

companies, especially 

those that employ women 

working late shifts, have 

been booking week-long 

self-defence workshops for 

their employees. 

A survey conducted by the 

Associated Chambers of 

Commerce and Industry of 

India (ASSOCHAM) earlier 

this month found that 80 

percent of women working 

in Delhi’s BPO/IT sectors 

were leaving work earlier 

than usual, affecting work 

productivity. The poll, which 

questioned 2,500 women in 

the capital and its environs, 

said most women feared taking 

public transport such as 

buses, auto-rickshaws or the 

subway after sunset. 

This is reinforced by the 

surge in bookings of taxi operator 

‘Sakha Cab Services’, a 

women-only taxi service 

with female drivers, which 

says the number of cab 

bookings has increased by 35 

per cent over the last month. 

For those who cannot afford 

private taxis or self-de- 

prevention and guarantee 

mechanism’ to be set up to 

prevent corruption, Xinhua 

said, though Xi did not provide 

any details. Chinese bureaucrats 

have long had a 

poor reputation for laziness, 

a love of excessive paperwork 

and minor acts of 

corruption which infuriate 

the man on the street and 

add to growing mistrust 

of the party. 

Since taking over 

as Communist Party 

head in November 

from Hu Jintao, Xi 

has vowed to root 

out corruption no 

matter how high it 

is, warning the party’s 

survival is at risk 

if it does not take the 

problem seriously. 

But he has also made more 

populist moves, banning officials 

from making long, 

boring speeches or being 

given red carpet welcomes, 

and ordering the military to 

stop holding alcohol-fuelled 

banquets and staying in luxury 

hotels. 

However, without an independent 

judiciary, efforts to 

fight graft will almost certainly 

falter, and the controlobsessed 

party has shown no 

sign of embarking on this reform. 

Some Chinese Internet 

users were sceptical of Xi’s 

latest call to weed out corruption. 

“Give us a ballot and let 

the people supervise all of 

you,” one microblogger 

wrote. 

Xi takes over from Hu as 

president at the annual 

meeting of parliament in 

March. 

fence classes, pepper spray 

has been the answer. 

Grocery stores, chemists 

and even cosmetic shops in 

Delhi’s centrally located 

Connaught Place say the 

brightly coloured spray cans 

have been flying off shelves 

since the gang rape, selling 

up to five times more than 

usual. 

Authorities in Delhi have 

announced a raft of measures 

to help women feel 

safer on the city’s streets. 

These include a 24-hour 

helpline for women in distress, 

instructions to all BPOs 

to ensure female employees 

return home from work safely, 

more policing on the 

streets and a crackdown on 

drunk driving. 

But women like student 

Sunanda Jalote remain unconvinced. 

“Women have to learn to 

defend themselves,” she said 

in between learning how to 

kick her partner in the crotch 

at a self-defence class. “We 

don’t want to have to wear a 

burkha in order to go out and 

feel safe.” 

People walking past Chinese New Year decorations at a shopping mall to celebrate the Year of the Snake as the Chinese lunar 

New Year in Hong Kong on Tuesday.The Chinese lunar New Year starts on February 10. 

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi to reveal favourite records 

Agence France Presse 

London, January 22 

Myanmar opposition leader 

Aung San Suu Kyi will reveal her 

favourite records in the BBC radio 

show Desert Island Discs to 

be aired on Sunday, it was revealed 

today. On the show, the 

longest-running on British radio 

which celebrated its 70th 

birthday last year, guests are 

asked which eight songs they 

would like with them as a castaway 

on the mythical island. 

Presenter Kirsty Young travelled 

to the Myanmar capital 

Naypyidaw to record the programme. 

“Most of her choices 

are for family reasons: connections 

to her childhood, to her 

own children,” Young told Radio 

Times magazine. Suu Kyi 

spent much of the past two 

decades under house arrest in 

Myanmar after previously living 

in the English university 

city of Oxford. 

Ruling postponed on 

request to move trial 

Agence France Presse 

New Delhi, January 22 

India’s Supreme Court today 

postponed a ruling on 

whether the trial of five 

suspects for the fatal 

gang-rape of a student on 

a New Delhi bus should 

be moved out of the capital, 

officials said. Defence 

lawyer ML Sharma filed a 

petition on behalf of his 

client Mukesh Singh seeking 

the transfer of the case 

to ensure a fair trial. 

A ruling had been expected 

today. 

Sharma said a ‘ruckus’ 

caused by other lawyers 

in the court had led the 

three-judge bench in the 

Supreme Court hearing 

the petition to delay the 

start of proceedings until 

tomorrow. 

Court officials attrib- 

Ethnic groups to talk Kachin with govt 

YANGON: A federation of 

Myanmar ethnic groups said 

on Tuesday it had agreed to 

hold talks with the government 

to try to end the conflict 

in the northern state of 

Kachin.he United Nationalities 

Federal Council, which 

was formed by about a dozen 

ethnic groups, expects to 

hold talks with Myanmar 

peace negotiators by mid- 

February, possibly in Thailand, 

said UNFC spokesman 

Khun Okker. “The upcoming 

The 67-year-old’s British 

husband Michael Aris was refused 

a visa to visit her before 

he died of cancer in 1999. “She 

speaks very poignantly of the 

torment she went through. It 

was emotional torture for her, 

but she refuses to self-aggran- 

File photos of Sweety, 22, a student, at a self-defence class (left) and Shaswati Roy Chaoudhary, 23, with a bottle of pepper spray in a public park, in New Delhi. Sweety travels 

four hours every day from her village to the city to learn karate and taekwondo, whereas Shaswati works for an online fashion company. 

• DELHI GANG-RAPE AFTERMATH 

Reuters 

uted the delay to technical 

problems and said the 

hearing would resume at 

11:00 am tomorrow. 

The five suspects, 

whose trial started yesterday, 

face murder, rape, 

robbery, kidnapping and 

other charges, with prosecutors 

seeking the death 

penalty. A sixth suspect is 

being tried in a juvenile 

court. The December 16 

assault ignited street 

protests across India, particularly 

in New Delhi 

which has been dubbed 

the country’s ‘rape capital’ 

over the high incidence of 

such attacks. Though 

gang-rapes and sexual harassment 

are commonplace 

in India, the case 

has touched a nerve, leading 

to an outpouring of 

criticism about the treatment 

of women in India. 

meeting will focus on the 

Kachin situation because of 

the serious fighting there,” 

Khun Okker, chairman of the 

Pa-O National Liberation Organisation, 

told AFP by telephone. 

“The first meeting is 

likely to be held in Thailand,” 

he said. “The meeting could 

be before mid-February. KIO 

(Kachin Independence Organisation) 

leaders will be 

there and the Kachin issue 

will be discussed,” he added. 

— AFP 

dise and plays down her personal 

suffering,” said Young. 

“There are some people who 

rise above the throng. 

She’s been through hell and 

back and yet she remains a 

woman of humour, intellect 

and dignity. She’s a showstop- 

PAGE 9 

per.” 

It took six months of negotiations 

to get the 1991 Nobel 

Peace Prize winner to appear 

and the interview fell through a 

few times before it went ahead. 

The BBC Radio 4 station’s 

controller wrote to the chair of 

Suu Kyi’s National League for 

Democracy after hearing her 

say, while delivering her Nobel 

lecture in June, that she listened 

to “Desert Island Discs” 

while living in England. 

Young admitted she was 

overawed by Suu Kyi and said 

she had been ‘swotting for this 

interview like I was doing an 

exam’. 

“The experience was so intense 

and had such a surreal 

quality about it that I forgot to 

ask her which of the eight 

tracks she would save. “To get 

the Queen to appear is, perhaps, 

the only comparable 

guest on the ‘Desert Island 

Discs’ wish list.” 

Workers revolt over 

two-minute toilet 

breaks in China 


Beijing, January 22 

Hundreds of Chinese factory 

workers angry about 

strictly timed bathroom 

breaks and fines for starting 

work late held their 

Japanese and Chinese 

managers hostage for a day 

and a half before police 

broke up the strike. 

About 1,000 workers at 

Shanghai Shinmei Electric 

Company held the 10 

Japanese nationals and 

eight Chinese managers 

inside the factory in Shanghai 

starting Friday morning 

until 11:50pm Saturday, 

said a statement from the 

parent company, Shinmei 

Electric Co, released yesterday. 

It said the managers 

were released uninjured after 

300 police officers were 

called to the factory. 

A security guard at the 

Shanghai plant said today 

that workers had gone on 

strike to protest the company’s 

issuing of new work 

rules, including time limits 

on bathroom breaks and 

fines for being late. 

“The workers demanded 

the scrapping of the ridiculously 

strict requirements 

stipulating that workers 

only have two minutes to 

go to the toilet and workers 

AP / RSS 

will be fined 50 yuan ($8) if 

they are late once and fired 

if they are late twice,” said 

the security guard, surnamed 

Feng. “The managers 

were later freed when 

police intervened and 

when they agreed to reconsider 

the rules.” 

The plant makes electromagnetic 

coils and other 

electronic products. It was 

closed today, said a man 

who answered at the plant 

but refused to identify 

himself. He said no workers 

were on strike and staff 

would return to work tomorrow. 

Strikes have become 

commonplace in 

China, as factories operating 

in highly competitive 

markets try to get more 

productivity from their labor 

force and workers connected 

by mobile phones 

and the Internet become 

more aware of their rights. 

Shinmei Electric’s statement 

didn’t say specifically 

what the workers were 

protesting, but said management 

reforms and labor 

policies were believed to be 

a cause. 

A man who refused to 

give his name from the 

press office of the Shanghai 

police bureau said he had 

no information about the 

incident.


APPOINTMENTS 

APPOINTMENTSGrow with 

us 

10 phrases to ban from your résumé 

Team player? Self-motivated? So is everyone else 

Take a closer look at your 

résumé. Does it reflect 

your accomplishments 

and show your career 

progression — or hide 

the lack thereof? If you have 

been working with an older 

résumé, take a closer look at 

your language: How many 

clichés do you have in there? 

Here are 10 phrases you 

should ban from your 

résumé, and new, fresh ways 

to showcase your skills to 

put your résumé at the top of 

the applicant pile. 

1. I’m a team player 

This is one of the most 

over-used clichés, so try to 

find a way you can show that 

you are a team player. Did 

you collaborate with someone 

or with a department 

to meet an objective? Put 

that on your résumé instead 

of a vague, clichéd expression. 

Be detailed about 

your achievement. 

2. I have great 

communication skills 

Communication skills can 

mean so many things, which 

is why using this term on 

your résumé only makes you 

lose your recruiter’s interest. 

What communication skills 

did you use to contribute 

to your employer? Did you 

create a presentation, a press 

release or lead a conference 

call? State your specific 

achievement. 

3. I have a proven track 

record 

So prove it! What did you 

do to give you this track 

record? Be specific, and try 

to quantify your impact; 

“I brought in 10 new 

customers, adding Rs 

500,000 profit for 2012” 

sounds far more impressive 

than some vague 

statement, and will help 

you stand out among the 

dozens of résumés. 

4. I’m a problem solver 

Everybody loves a problem 

solver, which is why so 

many résumés state this 

skill with pride. But you 

can do better. Tell your 

prospective company what 

problem you solved. Did 

you optimise a troubling 

schedule, did you solve an 

employee dispute or did 

you iron out a problem 

with a customer? Again, be 

specific to be memorable. 

5. I assisted in X task 

Maybe you were not the 

lead on a particular project, 

but saying you ‘assisted’ is 

the kiss of death for your 

résumé. What was it that 

you did? Did you write a 

sales report or keep inventory? 

Write that on your 

résumé with pride, and 

lose the ‘assisted’ — you are 

better than that. 

6. I have a strong 

work ethic 

A strong work ethic — 

that sounds great, right? 

You are not the only one 

using this cliché, so freshen 

up your résumé by stating 

how you go that extra mile. 

Did you take a class to 

improve your skills? Did 

you meet some really tough 

deadline? Show the hiring 

official what makes you 

this person with a strong 

work ethic, instead of 

using another cliché like 

your fellow applicants. 

7. I’m bottom-line 

focused 

Another hollow term 

that is overused and now 

means nothing — so show 

what you did that added 

to the bottom line of 

your company. It is very 

important to quantify 

for this skill. List amounts 

of money, time, or resources 

you saved or added 

to the business. 

8. I’m responsible for X 

We are all responsible 

for something when we go 

to work, whether a janitor 

or a CEO. Drop this expression 

and just state what 

your job title is and what 

you added to the company’s 

success. Cutting these 

clutter words will make 

your résumé stronger and 

more to-the-point. 

9. I’m self-motivated 

What you are really trying 

to say is that you are 

not that slacker who clocks 

out at three o’clock every 

day, but this cliché is not 

going to help you get your 

point across. Find a way 

to show that you are 

self-motivated: Did you 

overhaul a broken inventory 

system or find a new 

way to expand your sales 

territory? Self-motivated 

employees find innovative 

ways to improve on what 

they have been handed — 

put what you actually did 

on your résumé. 

10. I’m accustomed to a 

fast-paced environment 

What does this mean, exactly? 

Fast-paced work environments 

are the norm 

these days, where most 

people do more work for 

less money. To be specific, 

look at one of your busiest 

days in your (former) job. 

What did you accomplish, 

and how did you adapt to 

the obstacles thrown your 

way? Put that achievement 

on your résumé to prove 

that you can adapt when 

challenged — a quality 

employers look for. 

Show, do not tell 

Avoid these clichés, because 

they are umbrella 

terms everyone uses, so 

your résumé gets lost in the 

shuffle. In this competitive 

job market, your résumé 

really needs to stand out 

and be memorable for you 

to get that interview. Find 

ways to be detailed about 

your achievements, and 

quantify how you have 

added to the company’s 

bottom line. Show who you 

are and what you have 

done — these details will 

make you stand out as 

the memorable candidate 

you are. — Agencies 


We must accept finite 

disappointment, 

but never lose infinite hope. 

— Martin Luther King,Jr 

You have more control 

over your job search 

than you think. Avoid 

these common misconceptions 

that can unnecessarily 

prolong your 

job hunt. 

Recruiters work on your 

behalf 

Recruiters and headhunters 

work for their 

client (the company paying 

them to fill a vacancy) 

rather than for job seekers. 

They are often hired to 

find a candidate with 

specialist skills, or very 

specific experience. 

If you are changing 

career, it is often more 

fruitful to source opportunities 

yourself. But if you 

have in-demand skills, 

recruiters working in your 

field should be an important 

element of your jobhunting 

strategy. Be clear 

what jobs or companies 

you are interested in, and 

take advice on how best to 

present your CV or 

prepare for an interview. 

Recruiters often have 

valuable inside knowledge 

of the companies and 

managers they work with. 

Do not hound recruiters 

with phone calls, and treat 

them as you would treat 

anyone in your network — 

by giving as well as asking. 

So rather than calling just 

The career 

that derail 

your job 

search 

Assuming employers 

will understand the 

relevance of your 

previous role is one 

of the common 

misconceptions 

to ask about suitable 

vacancies, pass along useful 

information, such as 

possible leads or names. 

Aim to build and maintain 

long-term relationships: a 

recruiter specialising in 

your industry may be able 

to place you at different 

times in your career. 

Employers will understand 

your previous job 

and how it is relevant 

High numbers of applications 

means that hiring 

managers scan CVs quickly 

to discard those not 

matching the requirements. 

Make sure yours is 

not excluded by analysing 

it from your reader’s 

perspective. 

If you are changing 

industry or role, use the 

right terminology, and (if 

necessary) learn how to 

refocus your skills and 

experience to make them 

relevant. Be clear what 

problems you solve, and 

what value you bring right 

from the beginning of your 

CV — do not bury your 

key selling points at the 

bottom of page two. 

Your referees will provide 

a glowing reference 

You do not need to 

provide references on your 

CV or to write ‘references 

available on request’. But 

prepare references for 

the interview stage. Find 

ex-managers or colleagues 

who can vouch credibly 

for your professional skills 

and attitude. Send them a 

copy of the job description 

and your CV, and then 

discuss questions they 

might be asked about your 

personality and job performance; 

why you left 

and whether they would 

employ you again. Priming 

your referees means 

they will be better 

prepared and more convincing, 

but it also means 

you can iron out any 

potential discrepancies. 

Interviews are all about 

the interviewer 

As you are already a 

serious contender for the 

role, act the part of a confident 

professional and 

treat your interview as a 

two-way meeting, rather 

than a one-sided grilling. 

Your aim should also be 

to find out if the job or 

company is a good match 

by asking thoughtful 

questions that show your 

desire to make the right 

career choices. You will be 

much more attractive than 

a candidate who seems 

desperate to take any 

available job. 

Do not assume the 

interviewer will know you 

are keen to get the job. 

Employers prefer candidates 

who are enthusiastic 

about them and the opportunity, 

so if you want 

the job, ask for it at the end 

and explain why. — The Guardian


APPOINTMENTS 

CAREERS ADVICE 

Are schools doing enough to help 

young people jump over the obstacles 

blocking their career paths? 

Learning how to manage your career is a 

lifelong process which needs to start 

early on in secondary school. Subject 

teachers do their best to support the 

progression of young people, but they are 

rarely specialists in the labour market. 

When teachers are able to work with 

careers professionals, some exciting 

learning opportunities open up and it is 

possible to link careers education to 

subject-based education. For example, 

young people can learn about literature, 

about how books are produced and about 

what jobs exist that enable the book to get 

from the author to the reader. 

Even in schools which have welldeveloped 

careers programmes, only a 

fairly small amount of time is spent 

helping pupils to think about what 

opportunities are available, how to go 

about moving into them and how to 

decide what path to follow. Similarly, 

despite the amount of time that young 

people spend learning new skills and 

knowledge, relatively little time is devoted 

to thinking about how these might be 

applied beyond the school. 

Without adequate careers education, 

there is a danger that schools deliver 

an ivory tower curriculum that lacks 

relevance for employers and the young 

people themselves. Moreover, without the 

support provided through personalised 

and professional career guidance, young 

people may struggle to find help with 

their career. — The Guardian 

PAGE 11




Business 

New chair at United 

KATHMANDU: The 18th annual general 

meeting (AGM) of the board of 

directors of United Insurance has 

elected company’s director Ashish 

Sharma as the new chairman. Other 

elected board members representing 

the promoters group include Nirvana 

Chaudhary, Rabindra Bhakta 

Shrestha and Kushal Kumar Sharma 

from NE Group. Similarly, Bijay Bahadur 

Shrestha and Uttam Man Ranjit 

have been elected representing the 

public shareholders group. — HNS 

MVIC holds workshop 

KATHMANDU: Mid-Valley International 

College (MVIC) organised a 

two-day workshop on ‘Time Management 

and Communication Skills’ on 

Sunday and Monday at its premises 

at Gyaneshwor in Kathmandu. The 

workshop conducted by Michel Dent 

of HELP University, Kuala Lumpur 

was participated by 180 people. There 

were interactive sessions and various 

kinds of activities where Dent focused 

on the importance of time, difference 

between urgent tasks and important 

tasks, secret of successful 

communication among others. — HNS 

Leaders for free trade 

RIYADH: Arab leaders pledged to remove 

obstacles to finalising a free 

trade zone this year and agreed to facilitate 

capital flows, as they wrapped 

up an economic summit in Riyadh on 

Tuesday. “We stress our determination 

to complete all the prerequisites 

of (forming) the free trade area before 

the end of this year,” Arab League 

chief Nabil al-Arabi said at the end of 

the third Arab Economic and Social 

Summit. The leaders, he added, were 

determined to clear obstacles to 

‘achieve the Arab customs union fully 

by 2015.’ Saudi finance minister 

Ibrahim al-Assaf said officials working 

to facilitate a customs union were 

struggling to sort out rules on the origin 

of goods. The regulations of the 

customs union stipulate that exempted 

goods should have at least 40 

per cent local components. — AFP 

Verizon suffers loss 

NEW YORK: US telephone company 

Verizon on Tuesday posted a net loss 

of $1.93 billion in the fourth quarter 

due in part to Superstorm Sandy that 

caused chaos on the East Coast. It 

said its net income for the 12 months 

ended December 31, 2012, was $10.6 

billion, up from $10.2 billion a year 

earlier. Aside from costs linked to 

Sandy, the fourth quarter results were 

hit by adjustments to pensions. Lowell 

McAdam, Verizon chairman, put a 

brave face, saying, “Verizon seized 

growth opportunities in the fourth 

quarter to cap a year of solid progress 

across the entire business.” — AFP 

• FOREX RATES 

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

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

Swiss Franc 1 91.84 92.49 

Australian Dollar 1 90.30 90.94 

Canadian Dollar 1 86.11 86.71 

Singapore Dollar 1 69.69 70.18 

Saudi Arab Riyal 1 22.81 22.97 

Qatari Riyal 1 23.50 23.67 

Thai Bhat 1 2.88 2.90 

UAE Dihram 1 23.29 23.45 

Malaysian Ringit 1 28.12 28.31 

Swedish Krona 1 13.10 

Danish Krona 1 15.23 

Hongkong Dollar 1 11.03 

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

different /commercial banks may differ. 



Farmers and consumer 

rights activists have urged 

government to build a Public 

Distribution System 

(PDS) to help poor. Without 

a PDS system, pro-poor and 

consumer welfare programmes 

will not be implemented, 

they said. 

The government has been 

distributing identity cards 

to poor but it cannot be enforced 

in absence of a dedicated 

body for it, said gener- 

al secretary of All Nepal 

Peasants’ Federation Prem 

Dangal. “Most of the poor 

are farmers.” Traditional 

agriculture practices have 

limited agro productivity 

and has not been able to 

provide sustainable income. 

“Therefore, government 

must build a dedicated PDS 

mechanism to support the 

poor and farmers,” he said, 

adding that small farmers 

need the service to increase 

agriculture production. According 

to him, PDS should 

sell subsidised fertilisers, 

‘LPG supply system needs change’ 

Regional marketing approach could reduce transportation cost 



Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) 

dealers today urged the government 

to discourage the trend of 

LPG distribution in Kathmandu 

valley by companies from other 

parts of the country. 

The government has to bear 

unnecessary transportation 

cost to supply LPG cylinders 

from eastern or western regions, 

said acting chairman at 

Nepal Gas Dealers’ Association 

Arjun Prasad Devkota, adding 

that transportation cost can be 

Garment 

export 

declines 



The export of Nepali readymade 

garments has dropped 

by more than half as compared 

to exports about a 

decade back. 

Statistics of the Trade and 

Export Promotion Center reveal 

that Nepali readymade 

garments (RMG) that used to 

have an annual export of 

around Rs 12 billion some 

five to six years back has now 

dropped by more than half. 

In fiscal year 2011-12, total 

export of Nepali RMG was 

worth Rs 4.05 billion while 

the figure of first five months 

of the current fiscal year is 

around Rs 1.55 billion. 

However, garment exporters 

claim that exports 

might pick up once again if 

the government realises it to 

be one of the major exportable 

products of the 

country and provides the 

necessary facility and support. 

They have also repeatedly 

expressed the need to 

include Nepali RMG in the 

NTIS priority list to further 

promote and develop it. 

Major exportable products 

like Nepali RMG and 

carpets have not been included 

in NTIS list though 

they were recognised as having 

comparative advantage 

and were given prominent 

place by the trade policy. 

After repeated lobbying by 

exporters to include the 

product in the NTIS priority 

list, a high-level business forum 

had directed the government 

to include the 

product within the priority 

list but the government has 

not yet started the process to 

include the product in its 

priority list. 

According to garment and 

carpet exporters, of the total 

exports of the country, garments 

and carpets worth Rs 

10 billion have been exported 

to third countries. However, 

the government has 

failed to include them 

among the 19 priority products 

in the NTIS 2010. 

Businesses involved in the 

Nepali readymade garment 

sector had expectations of 

making India its next prime 

destination but it was shattered 

after an unexpected 

decline in exports in 2011- 

12, with exports of readymade 

garments at only 

Rs 332 million. 

seeds, pesticides and as well 

as food to the poor. 

About 25.4 per cent of the 

26.49 million people in the 

country are poor and twothird 

of the population depend 

on agriculture that 

contributes 39 per cent to 

the gross domestic product. 

The country produced 

about 7.76 million metric 

tonnes (MT) of food grains 

last fiscal year. 

Consumer rights activist 

Premlal Maharjan said that 

a strong PDS is necessary to 

provide subsidised food and 

saved if the government discourages 

this trend. 

The Ministry of Commerce 

and Supplies (MoIC) is positive 

about reducing domestic transportation 

cost in cooking gas by 

encouraging bottling plants to 

supply LPG cylinders to their 

nearest market, he informed. 

Transportation cost can be 

saved if bottling plants distribute 

LPG in their respective regions, 

he said. Bottlers in eastern 

region, according to him, 

should seek a market in the 

eastern region rather than supplying 

cylinders to Kathmandu. 

However, an entrepreneur 

opposed the idea saying dealers 

have floated the concept so 

as to favour a handful of LPG 

bottling plants located in the 

central region. “It would have 

been logical if a bottling plant in 

the central region distributed 

LPG at a lower price in Kathmandu 

than a bottling plant 

from the eastern or western region,” 

he opined. 

Meanwhile, LPG dealers also 

expressed their concern to the 

alleged quota reduction to big 

bottling plants by Nepal Oil 

Corporation (NOC). 

The entire distribution system 

will be affected by this 

move for bottling plants that 

have more capacity, said Devkota, 

adding that NOC has 

pledged to revoke the decision. 

Dealers today also asked 

MoIC to implement the plan to 

introduce different colour 

cylinders — red for domestic 

and blue for industrial use. 

“Dealers are ready to complete 

dealer verification process 

within 15 days and to implement 

colour separation plan 

in an effective manner,” Devkota 

informed. 

Executives of the Mobile Traders’ Association of Nepal addressing a press conference to inform 

about the Samsung Mobile Expo 2013 to be organised in Civil Trade Center from Wednesday. 

AEPC celebrates Renewable Energy Week 



Alternative Energy 

Promotion 

Center (AEPC) is 

celebrating Renewable 

Energy 

Week 2013 

across the country 

with huge 

participation of 

the public. 



Food prices are expected to be 

moderate in coming months 

despite the surge in the past few 

months, according to a report. 

“Prices of recently harvested 

crops are likely to remain stable 

for at least the next month,” according 

to a joint report published 

by UN World Food Programme 

(WFP), Ministry of 

Agriculture Development 

(MoAD), Federation of Nepalese 

Chambers of Commerce and 

Industries, and Consumer Interest 

Protection Forum. 

However, the report also expected 

the outlook of winter 

crops to be moderate due to 

poor soil moisture and delay in 

planting that have led to a negative 

outlook for the national 

food balance. “But whether the 

condition of winter crops will 

remain the same or improve depends 

on adequate winter rainfall 

required for growth,” according 

to the report. 

Retail prices of most food 

commodities monitored by 

MoAD and WFP in various markets 

across the country showed 

a mixed trend over the past one 

Activists urge for public distribution mechanism 

other services to the rural 

and urban poor. 

“The government has often 

announced many subsidy 

programmes but they 

could not be implemented 

due to lack of such a mechanism. 

PDS is a must in the 

country,” he said. 

For instance, the government 

announced it would 

provide subsidy in liquefied 

petroleum gas to students 

and the poor last year but it 

was not implemented following 

a shortage of service 

delivery mechanism. Farm- 

AEPC is organising Renewable 

Energy Week 2013 expo in 

Bhrikuti Mandap, art competi- 

Food prices to stay stable 

month. Average price of coarse 

rice declined by 1.5 per cent, 

while price of wheat flour slightly 

increased by 1.3 per cent. 

The report has also predicted 

that lean season commodities 

such as pulses and off-season 

vegetables will likely increase 

until the next harvest. 

Along with the increased food 

price, overall inflation has also 

remained at double digit. The 

year-on-year inflation as measured 

by the consumer price index 

increased by 10.4 per cent in 

December 2012, compared to 

7.5 per cent in the corresponding 

period of the previous year. 

The index of food and beverages 

group increased by 8.7 per 

cent, whereas, the index had increased 

by 7.1 per cent in the 

corresponding period last year. 

Under the items of food and 

beverages group, price index of 

ghee and oil sub-group rose by a 

higher rate of 18.7 per cent in 

the review period as compared 

to an increase of 12.5 per cent in 

the same period of the previous 

year. Likewise, the price index of 

legume varieties, which had increased 

by 0.3 percent in the 

corresponding period last year, 

rose by 11.2 percent this year. 

ers also did not receive the 

required quantity of subsidised 

chemical fertilisers 

due to the same problem. 

“The government has 

adopted food rights for all, 

so PDS has become an urgent 

need now,” said Maharjan. 

The interim constitution 

of the country has included 

right to food as a 

fundamental right. 

Similarly, the government 

has categorised 29 goods 

and services as essential 

and PDS is necessary for 

their smooth supply. 

THT 

tion and Reva car rally to celebrate 

the week. 

Similarly, various events have 

been organised in 

different parts of 

the country, AEPC 

said, adding that 

it has used radio 

stations to raise 

awareness on advantages 

of using 

alternative energy 

in day-to-day life. 

• STOCK 

PAGE 13 

SN NAME OF THE COMPANY SHARE VALUE IN RUPEES SHARES QTY 

Maximum Minimum Closing 

1 Ace Dev Bank Ltd 127 125 125 546 

2 Agricultural Dev Bank Ltd 265 250 261 7,109 

3 Arun Valley Hydropower Dev Co Ltd 330 322 329 266 

4 Alliance Insurance Co Ltd 146 146 146 51 

5 Alpine Dev Bank Ltd 103 101 101 380 

6 Bishal Bazar Co Ltd 1,758 1,758 1,758 10 

7 Bank of Kathmandu 690 680 683 5,824 

8 Bishwa Bikas Bank Ltd 137 137 137 160 

9 Business Universal Dev Bank Ltd 101 101 101 106 

10 Chhimek Laghubitta Bikas Bank Ltd 400 400 400 10 

11 City Dev Bank Ltd 169 169 169 230 

12 Clean Energy Dev Bank Ltd 165 162 165 920 

13 Chilime Hydro power Co 1,118 1,102 1,112 2,670 

14 Citizen Investment Trust 1,433 1,405 1,433 509 

15 Country Dev Bank Ltd 69 68 69 110 

16 Citizens Bank International Ltd 281 260 272 3,420 

17 Everest Bank Ltd 1,395 1,358 1,388 2,553 

18 Everest Bank Ltd Con Preference 775 775 775 160 

19 Garima Bikas Bank Ltd 176 173 176 330 

20 Global IME Bank Ltd 414 401 407 17,050 

21 Guras Life Insurance Co Ltd 145 144 144 420 

22 Grand Bank Nepal Ltd 206 205 206 303 

23 Gaurishankar Dev Bank Ltd 84 82 83 140 

24 H & B Dev Bank Ltd 72 72 72 2,747 

25 Himalayan Bank Ltd 790 779 780 224 

26 Infrastructure Dev Bank Ltd 81 75 81 14,049 

27 International Leasing And Fin Co 122 120 120 1,220 

28 Jyoti Bikas Bank Ltd 79 78 78 670 

29 Janata Bank Nepal Ltd 174 169 174 7,823 

30 Kaski Finance Ltd 104 104 104 100 

31 Kumari Bank Ltd 268 260 262 1,823 

32 Kasthamandap Dev Bank Ltd 89 87 87 640 

33 KIST Bank Ltd 144 135 143 57,610 

34 Kamana Bikas Bank Ltd 125 125 125 160 

35 Laxmi Bank Ltd 360 350 355 2,019 

36 Lumbini General Insurance 107 106 107 120 

37 Lumbini Bank Ltd 255 250 255 548 

38 Machhachapuchhre Bank Ltd 231 227 229 6,577 

39 Miteri Dev Bank Ltd 141 137 141 700 

40 Malika Bikash Bank Ltd 130 130 130 126 

41 ManjuShree Financial Institution 130 128 128 70 

42 Manakamana Dev Bank Ltd 67 66 67 600 

43 Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd 271 271 271 40 

44 Nabil Bank Ltd 1,620 1,590 1,600 1,194 

45 NABIL Bank Ltd Pro Share 1,035 1,015 1,015 1,096 

46 Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd 251 245 245 18,680 

47 Nepal Bank Ltd 969 904 950 607 

48 Nepal Credit And Com. Bank 180 177 177 4,780 

49 Nilgiri Bikas Bank Ltd 165 162 162 30 

50 Nepal Investment Bank Ltd 805 786 805 1,284 

51 Nerude Laghubita Bikas Bank Ltd 322 322 322 10 

52 Nepal Life Insurance Co Ltd 1,581 1,580 1,581 55 

53 National Life Insu Co Ltd 538 522 538 1,776 

54 NMB Bank Ltd 264 261 264 2,481 

55 Narayani National Finance Co Ltd 139 139 139 210 

56 Nepal Doorsanchar Co Ltd 662 650 662 1,400 

57 Nirdhan Utthan Bank Ltd 235 225 225 443 

58 Oriental Hotel Ltd 125 125 125 210 

59 Prime Commercial Bank Ltd 312 298 309 12,295 

60 Paschimanchal Finance Co Ltd 196 196 196 586 

61 Prudential Insurance Co 169 166 169 470 

62 Prime Life Insurance Co Ltd 298 295 298 688 

63 Purnima Bikas Bank Ltd 90 88 90 130 

64 Reliable Finance Ltd 132 132 132 163 

65 Shangrila Dev Bank Ltd 125 117 125 1,280 

66 Sanima Bank Ltd 265 261 264 8,276 

67 Sahayogi Vikas Bank 290 290 290 100 

68 Nepal SBI Bank Ltd 834 810 827 4,047 

69 Siddhartha Bank Ltd 323 313 318 1,062 

70 Standard Chartered Bank Ltd 1,995 1,930 1,968 3,946 

71 Seti Finance Ltd 97 97 97 20 

72 Soaltee Hotel Ltd 304 295 304 550 

73 Sagarmatha Insurance CoLtd 800 800 800 99 

74 Siddhartha Inv Growth Scheme-1 12 11 12 31,400 

75 Surya Life Insurance Co Ltd 166 164 165 1,100 

76 Sunrise Bank Ltd 183 179 183 729 

77 Supreme Dev Bank Ltd 76 74 74 254 

78 Tourism Dev Bank Ltd 92 91 91 710 

79 Unique Finance Ltd 92 90 91 780 

80 Uniliver Nepal Ltd 9,800 9,800 9,800 100 

81 Western Dev Bank Ltd 81 81 81 36 

82 Zenith Finance Ltd 96 95 95 295 

Float Index: 35.49 ( 0.201) 

Base: 24/08/2008=100 

Total Traded Amount Rs: 68,353,094 

Total Market Cap Rs: 503,490.98 million 

Total Shares: 244,515 

Total Transactions: 848 

Nepse Index: 522.63 ( 4.36 ) 

Base: 16/07/2006, (Adjusted on 10/04/2007) = 100 Date: January 22, 2013


Sports 

• TIME OUT 

Saints hold Everton 

AP / RSS 

Morgan Schneiderlin (left) of 

Southampton vies for the ball with 

Kevin Mirallas of Everton during 

their Premier League match in 

Southampton on Monday. 

LONDON: Southampton manager 

Mauricio Pochettino began his reign 

at the struggling Premier League club 

with an impressive 0-0 draw against 

fifth-placed Everton on Monday, 

three days after taking over from the 

sacked Nigel Adkins. Southampton 

were much the better side in the first 

half as Rickie Lambert hit the woodwork 

with abending freekick and narrowly 

failed to score with two headers. 

Everton improved in the second 

half but also failed to convert chances 

as the home side clung on for a draw. 

Everton moved to 38 points, while 

Southampton edged further away 

from the relegation zone to 23 points, 

four above the drop. — Reuters 

Bilbao thwart Betis 

MADRID: Real Betis missed a chance 

to tighten their grip on Spain's fourth 

Champions League qualification 

berth when they let slip the lead and 

had to fight to hold on for a 1-1 draw 

at home to erratic Athletic Bilbao in 

La Liga on Monday. Under coach 

Pepe Mel, Betis have made one of 

their best ever starts and stay three 

points clear of fifth-placed Andalusian 

rivals Malaga. Betis took lead 

from a Ruben Castro penalty in the 

opening minute but four minutes before 

half-time Bilbao levelled through 

Aritz Aduriz. Bilbao are 14th on 22 

points and Betis have 35, three behind 

third-placed Real Madrid. — Reuters 

Haidara set for move 

NANCY: France Under-21 full-back 

Massadio Haidara is set to join Newcastle 

from Ligue 1 Nancy, an oficial 

of the French club said on Monday. 

The 20-year-old will undergo a medical 

later on Tuesday before signing 

for the English Premier League team. 

“It’s a definite move,” the official said. 

Haidara is poised to sign a five and a 

half year contract at Newcastle who 

will pay $4.7 million for his services. 

Haidara should become the second 

French defender to join Newcastle in 

the transfer window after France 

right back Mathieu Debuchy. — Reuters 

Villa, Cuenca back 

MADRID: Barcelona had positive 

news on the injury front on Monday 

when David Villa returned to training 

and fellow forward Isaac Cuenca was 

declared fit after more than seven 

months out with a knee injury. Spain 

striker Villa has struggled to hold 

down a regular place in the side this 

season after breaking his leg at the 

Club World Cup at the end of 2011 

and has been out for several weeks 

with a muscle strain. Cuenca, who 

broke into the side under previous 

coach Pep Guardiola, had surgery on 

the cartilage in his right knee at the 

end of May 2012. — Reuters 

MARTYRS MEMORIAL A DIVISION LEAGUE 

TEAM P W D L GF GA PTS 

Three Star 14 10 2 2 30 7 32 

Tribhuvan Army 15 8 4 3 19 6 28 

RCT 15 8 2 5 24 17 26 

Machhindra 14 8 2 4 22 16 26 

MMC 14 7 5 2 25 12 26 

NRT 14 7 4 3 26 14 25 

Friends 15 6 7 2 20 8 25 

Saraswoti 15 7 2 6 27 25 23 

Sankata 15 5 5 5 12 15 20 

NPC 14 5 5 4 13 12 20 

Himalayan Sherpa 14 6 1 7 18 17 19 

APF 15 5 1 9 18 32 16 

JYC 14 4 2 8 16 25 14 

MYA 14 3 4 7 12 20 13 

Bansbari 15 1 3 11 13 42 6 

Bouddha 15 1 1 13 11 38 4 

• Top eight teams to qualify for Super League • Bottom three to be relegated 

* Relegation confirmed 

Sankata stun RCT 



CMG Club Sankata stunned Mc- 

Dowell’s Ranipokhari Corner Team 

(RCT) 2-1 to deny their close 

neighbours going second in the 

standings, while Bouddha FC 

signed off with a 2-0 win — their 

first in the league — over fellow relegated 

team Mahindra Bansbari 

FC in the Martyrs Memorial Red 

Bull ‘A’ Division League here today. 

Defeat meant RCT missed out 

on a 

chance to 

cut deficit 

on leaders 

Three Star 

Club (32) 

but still 

hold on to 

third position 

on 

head-to-head results despite tying 

on 26 points with NMB Machhindra 

Football Club (fourth) and Laxmi 

Hyundai Manang Marshyangdi 

Club (fifth). Machhindra and MMC 

can surpass RCT if they win their 

last round matches. 

Sankata — who are tied on 20 

points with Nepal Police Club — 

jumped two places up to the ninth 

on head-to-head results. Bansbari 

(six) and Bouddha (four) finished 

their campaign at 15th and 16th 

places. 

Samuel Ongono and Sudip Limbu 

struck either side of the break as 

Sankata came from behind to upset 

RCT, who had taken an early 

11th minute lead through Yugal 

Kishor Rai. Yugal put RCT ahead 

scoring from the area in one-onone 

encounter with Sankata goalkeeper 

Pierre. RCT would have 

doubled their tally 12 minutes later 

only for Yugal to chip the ball inches 

wide of the goal. 

Sankata went to the break on 

level terms after Samuel headed in 

Bibhu Bhushal 

Pokhara, January 22 

Samsung Jawalakhel Youth Club 

(JYC) got off to a triumphant start 

in the 11th Aaha-Rara Gold Cup 

with a 4-2 tiebreaker victory over 

Dharan FC here today. 

The result also gave JYC, struggling 

for their top-flight existence 

in the ‘A’ Division League, a place in 

the last eight of the tournament 

despite fielding a second string 

team. The match was pushed to 

tiebreaker after the regular 90 minutes 

and 30-minute extra time 

ended in a goalless stalemate. 

Krishna Shakya, Rabin Byanjankar, 

Sanjog Chemjong and 

Sushil Shah converted from the 

spot for JYC. Dharan — who wasted 

a penalty in normal time — 

were stunned when JYC keeper 

Sanam Ferland punched out skipper 

Ripesh Gurung’s shot and 

Dilen Limbu shot wide. JYC will 

now take on Gorkha Brigade Football 

Team of India in Saturday’s 

quarter-final. 

a Ritesh Khadka pass in the 40th 

minute. Sudip then struck the decisive 

goal in a solo effort in the final 

minute. Samuel also wasted a 

couple of scoring opportunities. 

RCT coach Madhu Karki said he 

was disappointed to see his side 

performing at this level. “I saw very 

little effort from by boys and they 

were less creative,” said Karki. “We 

cannot expect big if the team performs 

this way,” added the Karki. 

In another match, goals from 

Rajan Adhikari and substitute 

Suman Lama saw Bouddha record 

their first win in their final match 

of the league. Rajan put Bouddha 

ahead in the 45th minute before 

Suman, a 63rd minute substitute 

for Adarsha Shahi, sealed the victory 

netting second in the first of the 

two minutes of injury time. 

Bouddha manager termed their 

victory as a ‘face saving’ one. “We 

had expected nothing more than a 

win in the last match, and we are 

happy to achieve that,” said the 

manager, who attended the postmatch 

press conference in the absence 

of their suspended coach Kiran 

Shrestha. 

Bansbari coach Dipesh Yonjan 

Lama was satisfied with the overall 

performance of the team. 

TODAY’S MATCHES 

• Himalayan Sherpa vs MYA 

@ 12:30PM 

• Machhindra vs NRT @ 2:30PM 

Jawalakhel edge Dharan 

to reach last eight 


Melbourne, January 22 

Maria Sharapova has lost only 

nine games in five matches on 

Dharan created most of the opportunities 

but poor finishing deprived 

them of a place in the last 

eight. Dharan should have taken a 

lead when JYC skipper Sushil Shah 

handled the ball inside the area. 

Bibek Gurung’s shot from the spot 

rebounded off the cross bar. 

Sanam had earlier rescued JYC 

in the 12th minute denying a 

Dhiren Limbu shot in a cross from 

Surendra Tamang. Their frustration 

continued when Nishan Limbu 

failed to score in one-on-one 

encounter with Sanam in the 83rd. 

JYC missed scoring chance early 

in the 19th minute with Rabin 

Byanjankar’s volley hitting the 

cross bar. JYC coach Raja Ram Karki 

said the game did not go as expected 

with their second string 

squad. Dharan manager Bikram 

Khadgi said luck was against them. 

“We were unlucky not to convert 

the penalty,” said Khadgi adding 

the inexperience of juniors cost 

them dear. In an all-top tier clash 

on Wednesday, Tribhuvan Army 

Club will take NIBL Friends Club. 

the way to the semi-finals at 

the Australian Open. Always 

the perfectionist, she sees 

room for improvement. 

Sharapova beat fellow Russ- 


Yugal Kishor Rai (right) of Ranipokhari Corner Team runs with the ball under challenge from Lindani Mbambo of 

Sankata Club during their Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League match at the Dasharath Stadium on Tuesday. 

Kailali,Aishwarya enter quarter-finals 

Shivraj Bhatta 

Dhangadhi, January 22 

Kailali Multiple Campus 

and Aishwarya Vidhya Niketan 

entered the quarter-finals 

of the Hotel Devotee 

SPA Cup Inter-college Cricket 

Tournament here today. 

Kailali defeated Tikapur 

Multiple Campus by 21 runs 

in a low scoring match, 

while Aishwarya Vidhya 

Niketan hammered Ghoda 

Ghodi Multiple College by 

nine wickets. 

ian Ekaterina Makarova 6-2, 6- 

2 today and was asked afterward 

if she’d lost focus in only a 

few games this tournament. 

“No, I’d probably say more,” 

In the first match, Kailali 

threw a decent 46-run 

opening partnership from 

Prakash Bhatt and Roman 

Bam to make only 101-8 in 

20 overs. But, they did extremely 

well to defend the 

low total dismissing Tikapur 

for 80 runs in 18.3 overs. 

Madhav Oad and Devendra 

Tamatta were the only Tikapur 

batsmen to make runs 

in double figures with 12 

runs each. 

Man-of-the-match Nirajan 

Bohora returned with 

she said, “but that’s probably 

because I’m critical.” 

After opening with pair of 6- 

0, 6-0 wins, Sharapova beat 

seven-time major winner 

Venus Williams 6-1, 6-3 in the 

third round and Belgian Kristen 

Flipkens 6-0, 6-1 in the 

fourth. Nobody has conceded 

fewer games on the way to the 

semi-finals at the Australian 

Open, and her impressive 

streak comes after having 

played in no warmup tournaments 

due to a right collarbone 

injury. 

But after having advanced to 

the final here last year, losing 

to Victoria Azarenka in lopsided 

fashion, Sharapova is 

taking nothing for granted. 

Sharapova’s semi-final opponent 

will be Li Na, who beat 

Agnieszka Radwanska 7-5, 6-3, 

breaking the Polish player’s 13match 

winning streak to start 

the season. 

Novak Djokovec spent half 

the time on Rod Laver Arena 

on Tuesday night than he did 

in his previous round, beating 

Tomas Berdych 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6- 

figures of 3-7 from four 

overs. Binod Lama and 

Adesh Chaudhary took two 

wickets each, while Sanjay 

Pant and Gyanendra 

Chhetri claimed one apiece. 

Earlier, Prakash top 

scored for Kailali with 22ball 

20 with two fours and a 

six, while Raman’s 18-ball 11 

included one boundary. 

Chandra Rimal picked up 

three wickets for Tikapur. . 

In the second match, 

Ghoda Ghodi were bundled 

out for just 57 runs in 13.5 

4 to advance to a semi-final 

against David Ferrer. Djokovic 

needed five sets and 5 hours, 2 

minutes to beat Stanislas Warwinka 

in a fourth-round match 

on Sunday, but showed little 

rustiness from that late finish 

to complete the win 

over Berdych. It was 

two-time defending 

champion 

Djokovic’s 19th 

consecutive win at 

Melbourne Park. 

The No 4-seeded 

Ferrer survived 

once in the third set 

and twice in the 

fourth when Nicolas 

Almagro was serving for the 

match, holding firm to advance 

to his fourth semi-final 

in six Grand Slam events with a 

4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-2 win. 

It was the second straight 

year that Makarova has lost to 

Sharapova after knocking out a 

seeded player in the third 

round. Last year, she beat Serena 

Williams in the fourth 

round. Last weekend, it was No 

5-ranked Angelique Kerber. 

overs. Kamal Raj Joshi and 

Naresh Thapa took three 

wickets each. Ghanashyam 

Chaudhary also took two 

wickets for Aishwarya. Dinesh 

Khadka (17) and 

Mandip Suri (15) were the 

only Ghoda Ghodi batsmen 

to score in double figures. 

After losing opener Aishwarya 

(0), Dharam Khadka 

and Sagar Magar guided the 

team safely home in six 

overs. Sagar made 35 off 15 

with four sixes and two 

fours. 

Djokovic outplays Berdych; Sharapova, Li enter semi-finals 

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic hits a forehand return to Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during 

their Australian Open quarter-final match in Melbourne on Tuesday. 

Dharan FC player goes for a header during 

their Aaha-Rara Gold Cup match against 

JYC at the Pokhara Stadium on Tuesday. 

AP / RSS 

Krishna Mani Baral 

Stefanowski names squad 



National team head coach Jack 

Stefanowski today named a 42member 

preliminary squad for 

the AFC Challenge Cup Group ‘D’ 

Qualifier to be held here from 

March 2-6. 

Manang Marshyangdi Club 

(MMC), Three Star and Friends 

Club dominated the preliminary 

selection. MMC players included 

Bishal Shrestha, Sabindra 

Shrestha, Bikash Singh Chhetry, 

Shiva Shrestha, Sulav Maskey, Sujal 

Shrestha, Amir Shrestha, Anil 

Gurung and Nirajan Malla. Kiran 

Chemjong, Biraj Maharjan, Bijaya 

Dhimal, Sandip Rai, Bikram 

Lama, Bijaya Gurung, Anil Ojha 

and Santosh Sahukhala were 

picked up from Three Star. 

Sagar Thapa, Deepak Bhushal, 

Nirajan Khadka, Jagjit Shrestha, 

Prakash Budhathoki and Santosh 

Tamang were name from Friends 

Club. Other players included were 

Ritesh Thapa, Rabin Shrestha, 

Udipt Singh Chhetry / THT 

Bhola Silwal and Jumanu Rai from 

Nepal Police Club; Jitendra Karki, 

Raju Tamang, Bharat Khawas and 

Nawayug Shrestha from Tribhuvan 

Army Club; Bishal Rai ‘A’, 

Bishal Rai ‘B’ and Deepak Rai from 

Machhindra FC; and Rajendra 

Rawal and Ganesh Lawati from 

Nepal APF Club. 

Sushil Lama (NRT), Bikesh 

Kuthu (Madhyapur Youth Association), 

Prabin Karki (Jawalakhel 

Youth Club), Amar Dangol (RCT) 

and Rupesh KC (Himalayan Sherpa 

Club) were the other players 

named following their performance 

in the ongoing ‘A’ Division 

League. Rohit Chand — who plays 

for PSPS Pekanbaru in Indonesia 

— has also been called. 

Nepal will play against Bangaldesh, 

Palestine and Northern 

Mariana Island in the Group ‘D’ 

Qualifier with the winner making 

it to the eight-team AFC Challenge 

Cup finals to be held in Maldives 

in 2014. Stefanowski will be assisted 

by Richard Orlowski in the 

closed-camp training. 

Sixth-seeded Li didn’t overly 

tax herself, either, in the quarter-finals. 

The 30-year-old Li 

advanced to her third semi-final 

in four years at Melbourne 

Park. Li lost the 2011 Australian 

Open final to Kim Clijsters only 

months before her 

Grand Slam breakthrough 

at the 

French Open. 

The first man 

through to the 

semi-finals had a 

difficult time. “It 

was (a) miracle I 

won this match, I 

think,” Ferrer said. 

“I tried to fight 

every point, that’s my game. I 

always fight.” 

Almagro dominated the first 

two sets and was serving for 

the match in the third when 

Ferrer bounced back, breaking 

in the crucial 10th game and 

then breaking his Davis Cup 

teammate again. 

The fourth set featured eight 

service breaks, and Ferrer finally 

took control in a 

tiebreaker to force a fifth set.


THTcampus campus 

Sangita Shrestha 

Kathmandu 

There is always a 

time in a student’s 

life when s/he 

moves forward for 

higher education 

as well as steps out from student’s 

life to face the real 

world. To mark both these 

big events of the students, 

the college goers tend to celebrate 

the day as welcome 

party and farewell party 

simultaneously. 

The trend of giving a welcome 

and farewell party in 

colleges has been going on 

for years. Moreover with 

CAMPUS 

recall 

KATHMANDU: Artist 

Hit Man Gurung is 

currently teaching 

Fine Arts at various 

organisations. The assistant 

art director of film Dhanda, 

Gurung’s artworks have been 

selected by the World Bank 

Project. Also some of his 

works were displayed in 

Bangladesh and India. Gurung, 

who plans to establish 

a studio with his partners 

and dreams of exhibiting his 

works at Copenhagen festival, 

recollects his memories 

of his college days 

MY ALMA MATER(S) 

I completed BFA from Lalit 

Kala Campus, Bhotahity and 

MFA from Central Department 

of Fine Arts, Tribhuvan 

University, Kirtipur. 

COURSE STUDIED 

I studied Painting, Art History, 

Criticism and more. 

COLLEGE LIFE 

It was a memorable 

revolutionary movement. 

We demanded the replacement 

of the old course with a 

new one. After our revolution, 

we were able to introduce 

new media in our work. 

But while doing so we faced 

a lot of tension with the 

administration. 

BEST OF COLLEGE LIFE 

The freedom I got during 

my college days was the best 

part of being in college. 

LASTING MEMORIES 

I am one of the graduates 

of the first batch of MFA. As 

such I had friends who had 

completed their BFA 30 years 

ago in the same class. Because 

we were from different 

generations, we had different 

perceptions. However, 

we would have healthy arguments 

on various topics, 

which became a good learning 

platform for me. 

LESSON LEARNT 

Hard work, dedication and 

continuity in any work is the 

key to success. 

WORDS TO HEED 

Be hardworking and read 

many books besides your 

course books. Explore your 

curiosity through books and 

the Internet regarding your 

course. Things that you never 

expected to happen may 

happen in your life, and 

things that you are expecting 

may not happen. That’s why 

you should never quit what 

you are doing. Working continuously 

on the same thing 

helps you to be perfect at it. 

HOW TO ACE IN COLLEGE 

Have a long lasting vision 

and try to enjoy what you are 

studying. For that you must 

take or select the subject of 

your interest to get the most 

out of it. — HNS 

KATHMANDU: As part of 

the Social Work curriculum, 

BASW IInd Year students 

of Kathmandu 

Model College (KMC) went camping 

at the Khana and Khandaha 

VDCs of Arghakhanchi district on 

December 15, 2012. 

During the camping, the students 

witnessed development activities 

taking place in the rural 

area. While focusing on the analysis 

of rural environment and circumstances, 

they worked on 

awareness campaigns for women 

and children. 

The camping started with an 

orientation programme where the 

students interacted with the locals 

and gained knowledge about the 

district. The students also had a 

Study without 

desire spoils the 

memory, and it 

retains nothing 

that it takes in 

— Leonardo 

da Vinci 

In step with change 

time, the ways they organise 

such days have somewhat 

changed and here’s the reason 

behind the event and 

some changes in them. 

Change is 

inevitable 

The main reason of organising 

welcome and farewell 

programme is to welcome a 

new change. It may be of a 

different college environment 

or getting out from college 

to be in the real world to 

face new challenges. 

Moreover, with time nothing 

is constant. About this 

Be hardworking 

Photos: Courtesy Hit Man Gurung 

Suresh Bhattarai, BBA Coordinator 

at Study of Ancient 

and New Nepal 

(SANN) shares, “Everything 

goes on changing and each 

year there are different 

groups of students who organise 

the events and who 

come up with diverse ideas 

while managing the event. 

A camping introduction to rural life 

meeting with Janapriya Consumer 

Cooperatives Limited to 

know about the contribution it 

aspiring reporters 

This column is for aspiring ‘Student Reporters’ who would like to share the 

happenings or events of their colleges with other students. Do send us your reports 

accompanied by a photo(s) of the event. Please do not forget to mention you name 

(student reporter), class (batch) and college. Your report should reach us by Sunday, 

4:00 pm at features@thehimalayantimes.com, or Features, 

The Himalayan Times, Anamnagar, Kathmandu 

This makes the event different 

every year and with some polishing 

in the event.” 

Likewise about the change 

while organising a welcome party, 

Ronesh Karki BBA IInd Year student 

of Kathmandu University 

School of Management (KUSOM) 

states, “This year in the managing 

team for welcome party there were 

students from three groups who 

competed for the approval of their 

proposals from the administration. 

And it was a tough time for us 

while managing the budget for the 

welcome programme.” 

As per Karki, in this year’s welcome 

party there was a pre-round 

like talent round for Mr and Miss 

Freshers and the finale was done 

with various segments like introductory 

round, cat walk round and 

more where he says, “This year the 

trophy for the title winners Mr and 

Miss Freshers were also good as 

compared to last year’s.” 

Meanwhile Gopal Chhantyal, a 

student of BBA VIIth Semester at 

Prime College talks, “This year the 

venue was different and we started 

the event with a karate performance 

where the performer 

kicked the clay pot and took out 

the banner of welcome.” 

Benefits of change 

About the benefit of change Karki 

explains, “As we had three different 

proposals this year, in the first 

phase we competed among each 

other and the administration 

selected the things they liked 

among the proposals where two 

members from each of the three 

groups were chosen to hold the 

event together.” 

“The feeling of competing and 

then working together taught me 

about working in a team and how 

to cooperate with each other even 

through difficulties while executing 

the ideas and having different 

points of view on things while 

managing,” he adds. 

Agreeing with him, Sujan Maharjan, 

a student of BIM VIIth Semester 

at Prime College informs, 

“As this year the welcome party of 

Photos: Courtesy Sujan Maharjan /Prime College, Oscar Maan Singh Pradhan/KUSOM 

• STUDENT REPORTER 

made in the local market of those 

VDCs. 

After that the students were divided 

into three groups — each 

group consisting nine students — 

for social mapping. Each group 

had to prepare a map of the area 

depicting the nearby schools, 

health posts, water resources, et 

cetera. It was an interactive session 

where the students got an 

opportunity to interact with the 

children of Shree Adarsha Higher 

Secondary School, a local school 

BIM and BBA faculties was done 

together, the students from the 

managing teams learnt about 

cooperating with each other and 

got an opportunity to meet friends 

from another faculty as well. 

One gained knowledge of the 

best decision and learned managerial 

skills.” 

Moreover, to give the best proposal 

and be selected by the administration, 

students tend to add 

charity for college club in the proposal. 

About this Karki shares, 

“This year we had the provision 

for charity to the college club in 

our proposal. So, to meet the proposed 

criteria, we raised money 

through various games and selling 

roses at the same event.” According 

to him, this taught him managerial 

skills and applying them in 

the real aspect and says, “I gained 

confidence that I am able to organise 

this kind of event without 

much difficulty.” 

Advantage 

of such 

programmes 

Besides gaining managerial 

skills and implying theories in 

practical for the students in the organising 

team, the students who 

are not in the organising team also 

have advantage during such 

events. About this Sadiksha 

Thapa, a student of BBA IInd 

Year at KUSOM opines, “These 

events provide a time of refreshment 

and fun, giving a sense 

of excitement. Moreover, it is a 

time for bonding with each other 

through interaction that happens 

during the event.” 

Moreover, Bhattarai adds, 

“These kinds of event help to expose 

the talent of students. During 

the event, they learn to face the 

public, communicate and connect 

with different people as well as 

gain exposure through their work 

in such events. And in our college 

we have a provision of selecting 

‘Student of the Year’ from among 

such students.” 

Photos: Courtesy Priyanka Kapar 

there. Along with the social mapping, 

the first group also gave a 

presentation on ‘Child Sexual 

Abuse’ in the schools. 

Besides that, they visited the office 

of Khana VDC and Janajagriti 

Secondary School of the same 

VDC. 

The second group of students 

gave a presentation on ‘Environment, 

Sanitation and Earthquake’ 

at that school. 

Professors 

you’ll meet 

PAGE 15 

Professors come in every shape, size 

and type. Some of the ones everyone 

experiences at least once in their lifetime 

are — 

The weird accent one: The accent can 

range from being monotonous and soporific 

to downright impossible to comprehend. They 

give you hours of joy after the actual lectures 

though. It’s hard to keep a straight face when 

you are being told to do your assignments ‘Froferly’ 

and not to ‘cofy’ during the exams. 

The one that flirted: He is the one who very 

conveniently drops his pen or marker near the 

girls benches. His lectures are for the select few 

who sit around the girls. By the end of his 

course, all you’ve learnt is perfecting your fake 

laughter skills. Every guy’s nightmare, you 

don’t want to be up against him on your vivas, 

if the next two people with you are girls. 

The one who didn’t know English: Sometimes 

it takes you the whole lecture, or even 

more to figure out what the topic was. Their intentions 

are good, but the meaning gets lost 

somewhere between the ‘the’s and the ‘is’s. 

“When the bartan is fall by your mother, you 

do the Hoo Hoo at home?” All the professor 

wanted to say was to be as civilised in class as 

you are at home. Intention? Good. Outcome? 

Very very good! For instance, your professor 

may say, “The boys is the plays is the good 

cricket but we is the lose today because is the 

batting is the not good is.” 

The veteran: They know exactly what is going 

to happen, when and how. It’s almost like 

they have a sixth sense which tells them of 

your next move to disrupt his lecture. Everytime 

you make eye contact, it reminds you of 

the horrors of the last viva with this person. 

Common things spoken about include how 

the new generation has no respect for education 

and teachers and how he studied 29 hours 

a day back in his school days. Thinking of making 

up an excuse for missing his 

assignment/lecture? Don’t even bother, he 

probably knows what you are going to say and 

already has a punishment ready! 

The newcomer: He’s as nervous about the 

tough course he’s going to take as the class itself. 

He is the one who has the most number of 

slides and the one who gives the maximum 

work. They have a hard life, no one takes them 

seriously. Not the senior faculty, not the management 

and not even the students. 

Mr-Know-it-all — NOT: It’s not about being 

egoistical, they just want the class to know that 

they are the best source of information out 

there. Sucking up to them is a good option if 

grades are what you seek. — Agencies 

The third 

group put forth 

their idea on 

‘Safe Motherhood, 

Pregnancy, 

Menstruation, 

Family Planning 

and Abortion’ 

through a presentation 

to the 

women’s groups 

— Srijansil 

Women Farmer’s 

Group and 

Daredhunga Pragatishil 

Women’s 

Group. 

They also visited 

places like 

Malarani, Supa 

Deurali and Jaalganda of 

Arghakhanchi. After four days 

there, the students were taken to 

Lumibini and Chitwan before returning 

to Kathmandu. 

The camp was successful in 

exploring the rural lifestyle and 

development. 

— Priyanka Kapar, 

BA Social Work IInd Year, 

Kathmandu Model College, 

Kamaladi


VARIETY 

YOUR LUCK 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: This year you often might be inclined to risk. What you take chances on will define 

how you feel about success and failure. A new talent emerges that might be worthy of developing. The 

artist or business person within you emerges, which adds a great dimension to your life. If you are single, 

you could meet someone through your day-to-day life. You do not have to go hunting. If you are attached, 

the two of you might decide to splurge on a long-desired trip. CANCER might come in a little too 

close for your personal comfort. 

A baby born today has a Sun in Aquarius and a Moon in Gemini if born before 7:00 pm (PST). Afterward, the Moon 

will be in Cancer. 

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Use the daylight hours to the max.You can get a lot done, and 

a lot faster than you think. Make calls, but postpone reaching out to someone important 

until you are relaxed. Listen to your intuitive senses, as they do come through for you. 

Tonight: Happily head home. ✹✹✹ 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Deal with a money matter early on.That way, you won’t need 

to worry or even think about it the rest of the day. Your energy could cause some friction 

with those around you. Be aware that they are not seeing you as the laid back Bull. 

Tonight: Dinner at a favourite haunt. ✹✹✹ 

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Move quickly, and get as much done as possible. If you are 

considering going on a trip, there is no time like the present to start deciding when or 

where. Get more opinions and feedback regarding a problematic situation; there is a solution 

to be found. Tonight: Your treat. ✹✹✹✹ 

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be honest with yourself — you cannot get past your curiosity 

involving a matter that is hush-hush. By late afternoon, you might not even care, as you 

toss yourself into a project or hobby. News from a distance puts a smile on your face. 

Tonight: Just don’t be alone. ✹✹✹ 

LEO (July 23-Aug 22): Even if a partner is pushing you hard, you seem to be able to 

handle the pressure. In fact, you use it to energise. You might wonder when enough is 

enough. Postpone a discussion until later. A loved one might share an intuitive hunch. 

Tonight: Vanish while you can. ✹✹✹✹ 

VIRGO (Aug 23-Sept 22): Accepting responsibility is fine, but adding to a personal problem 

because you don’t want to say no is a separate issue. You have too much energy for 

your own good. Rather than snap at someone, move through your feelings and deal with 

your stress. Tonight: Dance stress away. ✹✹✹ 

LIBRA (Sept 23-Oct 22): Keep reaching out to someone at a distance. You’ll want to resolve 

a problem, which means finding the other person involved. A loved one could be unusually 

aggressive. Pull back, and let this person have some space. Tonight: Probably a 

very late night. ✹✹✹✹ 

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): You can’t seem to help yourself when dealing with a partner. 

This person has been unusually lucky with funds lately. Later on, make calls to someone at 

a distance whom you care about. Follow your psychic inclination. Tonight: Break past any 

self-imposed barriers. ✹✹✹✹ 

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): Question your alternatives rather than rush into the first 

option that heads your way.You will be much happier as a result.Your ability to act and understand 

will increase with more information. Listen to a family member’s suggestions. 

Tonight: Head home early. ✹✹✹ 

CAPRICORN (Dec 22-Jan 19): Attempt to get as much done as possible by putting off a 

meeting until later. This gathering easily could develop into a social happening. Why fight 

the inevitable? Plan ahead accordingly. Return calls as promptly as you can. Tonight: Let 

someone else make the choice. ✹✹✹✹ 

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18): At times, you can be so rebellious that you cause yourself a 

problem. Fortunately, this behaviour most likely will happen at the beginning of the day. 

You’ll want to fix this issue, and you will have plenty of time to do just that. Tonight: Make it 

early, if possible. ✹✹✹✹ 

PISCES (Feb 19-March 20): Getting going right now could be a major issue.You know full 

well that this type of fatigue is there to tell you to slow down. News from a distance causes 

a last-minute snafu. Try to define what is going on with this person before making adjustments. 

Tonight: Let the fun begin. ✹✹✹✹ 

Born today: Singer/songwriter Anita Pointer (1948), author Anya Seton (1904), Princess Caroline of Monaco (1957) 

By Jacqueline Bigar 

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION 

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. 

Changing seasons add colour to our life. The winter cold is biting, but many look 

forward to the winter months and the time by the fireside, telling stories ... 

So, which is your favourite season of the year? What is it that you like to do most during 

your favourite season? Any favourite memories? 

Send your replies in not more than 200 words by Friday, January 25 by 2 pm to Features 

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

Log on to www.thehimalayantimes.com 

SUDOKU-1509 

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-DOKU-1319 

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. 


Filming Midnight’s Children 

Author Salman Rushdie says nothing is unfilmable — it’s just a question of finding 

the way ... There’s no magic trick, just hard work 

MU M B A I : 

“Nothing is 

unfilmable,” 

says author 

S a l m a n 

Rushdie, whose Midnight’s 

Children, an epic Indian tale 

of partition, independence 

and emergency told with 

touches of magical realism, 

has been turned into a movie 

by Deepa Mehta. 

Rushdie, known as a controversial 

author whose Satanic 

Verses was banned in India, 

wrote the screenplay and 

did the narration for the 

movie based on his book said 

he “learned a great deal” during 

the process. He says he is 

an admirer of Mehta’s body of 

work and their “friendship 

grew deeper” as the movie 

progressed. 

“We were not pulling in different 

directions, but trying 

to make the same film, and 

our friendship grew much 

deeper as the work progressed,” 

Rushdie said in an 

interview, adding that he has 

so far not thought about 

direction. 

Midnight’s Children revolves 

around the life of 

Salim Sinai, who is born at 

the stroke of midnight on August 

15, 1947. Starring actors 

like Satya Bhabha, Shabana 

Azmi, Seema Biswas, Kulbhushan 

Kharbanda and 

Darsheel Safary, Midnight’s 

Children is releasing in India 

on February 1. 

Excerpts from interview: 

How effectively and deeply 

has the film Midnight’s 

Children managed to 

convey the spirit and 

essence of your novel? 

I’m happy that so many 

people who have seen the 

film have felt that it did justice 

to the original. Various 

Indian writers have seen it al- 

ready, including Anita Desai, 

Kiran Desai, Suketu Mehta 

and I’ve been much heartened 

by their approval. 

Which of the actors in 

Midnight’s Children, 

in your opinion, have 

nailed their characters 

most effectively? 

We are incredibly lucky in 

our cast. The performances 

throughout the film are outstanding 

and it would be hard 

to pick out one or two names. 

But if you twist my arm, 

I would say that Seema 

Biswas as Mary Pereira is simply 

incredible. 

How closely were you associated 

with the making 

the film? Would you be 

tempted to direct your film 

at some point in the future? 

Well, I wrote the screenplay 

and did the narration, and 

was regularly involved in 

the editing process. I wanted 

to roll up my sleeves and 

work during the film, and I 

did. We all did. And I learned 

a great deal. Don’t know 

about directing. I might leave 

that to Deepa. 

You recently published 

your memoirs which, 

as expected, became 

hugely controversial. Do 

you feel that your reputation 

almost invariably precedes 

your works? 

I am happy with the reception 

of Joseph Anton, which 

has been overwhelmingly 

positive. There will always be 

some negative voices. I don’t 

think much about that kind 

of thing. I try to do the best 

work I can and offer it to my 

readers and on this occasion 

the readers’ response has 

been very gratifying. 

Midnight’s Children is actu- 

ally the first adaptation of 

your book to cinema. Do 

you consider your books 

‘unfilmable’? If so, how did 

the impossible become 

possible in the film? 

Nothing is unfilmable. 

Good films have been made 

of Anna Karenina, Ulysses 

and The Tin Drum, even the 

works of Proust. It’s just a 

question of finding the way, 

and that’s what we tried to do. 

There’s no magic trick, just 

hard work. 

Deepa Mehta and you are 

friends. Did you trust her 

with the film adaptation 

because of your friendship 

or were you impressed by 

her earlier films? 

Yes, I admired her earlier 

films deeply, most particularly 

Fire and Water. Also, I 

rapidly found that we had 

very similar instincts about 

how to approach this project. 

We were not pulling in different 

directions, but trying to 

make the same film, and our 

friendship grew much deeper 

as the work progressed. 

Do you think the symbiotic 

relationship between 

cinema and literature has 

been effectively tapped in 

Midnight’s Children? 

I think this really is for audiences 

to say. — IANS 

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

UDMF mulling over severing ties with govt

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