WHAT IF?
Two of Nepal's biggest banks are insolvent. Rs 45 billion worth of depositor's savings is in danger. The largest borrowers are the biggest defaulters. Banking reforms are the only hope.
BINOD BHATTARAI
January 19-25, 2001
Headline
Editorial
Kingdom of Amnesia
It was just two weeks ago, but it feels like ages have passed. It is like that with bad things: you don't want to remember. And in this Kingdom…
Columns
State Of The State by CK LAL
Girija’s last hurrah
Girija's last hurrah Leaning out over The dreadful precipice One contemptuous tree. -WH Auden In the morning, you can see vapour rising from the…
Here And There by DANIEL LAK
Explaining everything
I've never felt more dull-witted and uncreative than in a Nepali January. But there has been a ray of light, if not warmth, from the book Guns, Germs and Steel by the American scientist, Jared Diamond.
Economic Sense by ARTHA BEED
What about Indian vehicles?
We don't trust a company with a turnover larger than Nepal's GDP. Indian car-makers should be trusted to self-certify their products, just as the Koreans and Japanese are.
Under My Hat by KUNDA DIXIT
The wild boar menace
Now that the Prime Minister has won a Vote of Overconfidence and gone off to Pokhara to check out the scene-scenery, what we are not…
Nation
GAGGING RADIO
Nepal is a public radio pioneer in South Asia. It was the first country to allow community radio stations in 1997 when Radio Sagarmatha went on…
Fire alarm
If there is anything scarier than a big blaze in the inner city areas, it is the state of our fire-fighting capacity.
SALIL SUBEDI and HEMLATA RAI
Epidemic proportions
The Hepatitis B virus is spreading fast, and most people don't even know.
HEMLATA RAI
Rationalism and nationalism
What if the Indian media applied to its own society even a tenth of the standards it has judged Nepal by? A noted Indian writer explores the moral loftiness of his country's press.
P.SAINATH
Review
A worldly addition to Nepal’s literature
For those seeking a greater diversity of voices in Nepal's literature.
MANJUSHREE THAPA
Culture
A decapitated God and an
Instead of being pleased by all this royal extravagance, the god grew angry at being disturbed.
DESMOND DOIG
Leisure
No business like show business
The Nepali film industry seems to be finally coming into its own. The success of Darpan Chhaya and the censor row over Aago have given Kollywood a new boost.
RAMYATA LIMBU
Travel
Walking on clouds
Arlene Blum is a scientist who climbs mountains. Read all about her adventures in her next book.
RAMYATA LIMBU
Technology
This is IT
As research-oriented, software development jobs are difficult to get, Nepali companies are gunning for labour-intensive IT-enabled services.
GAURAB RAJ UPADHAYA
Development
Edifice complex
A house is not just a home, a business complex is not just an office: both speak volumes about the level of respect for their surroundings and the cultural awareness of a city and its people.
SUJATA TULADHAR
Sports
RCT, and football triumph
The Birthday Cup was welcome relief from ANFA squabbling, and a great start to the football season.
MUKUL HUMAGAIN
The man with the golden foot
He has a knack for scoring hat tricks. And the Birthday Cup was no exception. Though he failed to score in the last two matches, Nirajan…
Nepali Society
Three Sisters
Lucky, Dikki and Nikki are an inspiration to many Nepali women whose vision of the world these three sisters have helped nurture among the…
From The Nepali Press
Domestic Brief
Everest Hotel
Planning permission has been granted for building the world's highest hotel-17,000 ft above sea level-in the Rongbuk valley on the Tibetan side…
DFID gives ?19.5m
Britain's Department for International Development (UK) has agreed to give Nepal ?19.5 million to support programmes that would facilitate…
RNAC chief suspended
Hari Bhakta Shrestha, the controversial executive chairman of the Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC), was suspended last week upon the…
Business Briefs
Hotel blues again
We're another week closer to the 11 February strike deadline by hotel unions. The unions say that since the government had asked them to…
Court bars Indian vehicle imports
The Supreme Court has ordered an interim ban on Indian vehicle imports until its convenes again to hear a petition by a consumers' rights group…
Letters
Artha Beed
Could not agree more with Artha Beed (Closed Economy, #24). These irresponsible mushroom (and umbrella) parties seem com-mitted to turn Nepal…
More bandhs, please
I read Mr. Padma Jyoti's comment ("On Bandhs", #25) on the Internet. During my recent trips to Nepal, I have witnessed a few bandhs myself and I…
Where is Bimala?
Allow me to inform you that Inspector Bimala Thapa whom you had pointed out as an example of resistance to the prevailing corruption in public…
Nuts
Mr Lal's malicious little crack at "bahunism" in his article 'Look back in sadness' (State of the State, #25 ) was uncalled for. If he wants to…
Aftershocks
'Waiting for the big one' (#25) left me in a state of panic. It has projected an apocalyptic picture of the valley after a magnitude 7 or 8…
In this issue:
What if? | Kingdom of amnesia | Editorial: Girija's last hurrah | Rationalism and nationalism | Fire Alarm | Explaining everything | Spilting up | Epidemic Proportions | Kumrose Machan | What about Indian vehicles? | Think nationally, act individually | Edifice complex | Searching for a new utopia | The mother of all mergers | Sex, lies and AIDs | Bio-diversity burn-out | A decapitated God and an insatiable princess | A worldly addition to Nepal's literature | RCT, and football triumph | Walking on clouds | The wild boar menace