Future imperfect
Nepal has been pushed back 50 years. Prem Narayan Premi, DDC Chairman of Okhaldhunga
BINOD BHATTARAI
April 12-18, 2002
Headline
Editorial
2059
If you thought 2058 was a bad year, wait for 2059. According to the royal astrologer, Mangal Raj Joshi, the omens don't look good. The very…
Feckless pluralism
It should by now be clear from the examples of countries like Pakistan and Nepal that "democratic transition" does not necessarily denote a…
Fear and loathing
It was Machiavelli, with that devious brain of his, who gave the prince this famous advice: "It's better to be feared than loved." Mao…
Columns
Guest Column by PUSKAR GAUTAM
Chinks in the Maoist armour
Only an immediate ceasefire and resumption of peace talks may now save the Maoists from self-destructing.
State Of The State by CK LAL
Fatalism, capitalism and altruism
The sad paradox of the caste system is that the haves don't have to give, and the have-nots don't have much to give.
Under My Hat by KUNDA DIXIT
'Sup, dudes?
Now that our generation has successfully messed up this country, it is highly unlikely that we can make it any worse. It is therefore time we…
Nation
Water for life
Eighty percent of rural Nepalis now have safe drinking water, and child mortality has gone down by a third.
HEMLATA RAI
"I’m glad I don’t have to climb Mt Everest all over again."
Sir Edmund Hillary was in Kathmandu this week for an annual visit.
Interview
History
"I didn't know they were spies"
Narayan Suwal was the Nepali liaison officer with a British expedition to Api-Saipal Himal in 1955.
SRIBHAKTA KHANAL
The spy who came in from the cold
Excerpts from Spy on the Roof of the World. The author Sydney Wignall describes his captivity in a Chinese prison cell in Taklakot after being arrested for spying in September 1955.
Literature
Travel
Nepali Society
Leave them kids alone
Since they shot into fame with their hit song Chekyo Chekyo Deurali Danda nearly a decade ago, Nepathya, arguably Nepal's most popular band,…
From The Nepali Press
Domestic Brief
Nepal’s most wanted
From left to right: Baburam Bhattarai, Nanda Kishore Pun (Pasang), Deb Gurung, Mohan Baidya (Kiran), Rekha Sharma Finally, there are faces to go…
India cracks down
Indian intelligence this week arrested eight wounded Maoists undergoing treatment in two private clinics in Lucknow. Two are said to be brigade…
Most Wanted
The government has released recent pictures of Nepal's most wanted men and one woman. Highlights: Chairman Prachanda and a clean-shaven Baburam…
Ministers immune
It is becoming clearer why we'll never be able to control corruption. Nobody really wants to. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba promised a clean…
TADO turns TADA
The Terrorism and Disruptive Acts Bill passed by parliament last week with an overwhelming majority will make terrorism a crime punishable with…
From two days to an hour
Local villagers, with help from an ex-Gurkha welfare fund, have successfully completed a 25 km stretch of road from Jiri to Pirti in Ramechhap,…
Lifestyle diseases
Health experts say more people in the world die of non-communicable diseases today than ever before and by 2020, 73 percent of the world's…
Business Briefs
Ansal and Everest
Ansal Buildwell Ltd. and the Chaudhary Group have begun their second housing venture which comes bundled with a unique credit scheme offered by…
Rising airfare
Domestic airfares are up again, this time by 7-12 percent, a unilateral response of operators to the government's decision to raise registration…
Copper blues
Nepal's copper-wire producers have begun to close shop, because the export quotas agreed upon by Nepal and India last month have already been…
EPABX
There's now a new way to enhance the efficiency of office communication: Aristel's EPABX System. APEX Marketing which retails the product says…
Fiat’s Palio
Just three months after its launch in India, the Fiat Palio will be whizzing down Nepali roads next week. Palio is one of the new small cars…
Letters
Naked
In the fable of the Emperor's New Clothes, it is enough for a mere boy to cry out that the emperor was indeed naked. The ensuing public laughter…
Baburam
A fitting reply by Paul Bacon ("Reply to Baburam," #87) to Baburam Bhattarai's fax to foreign tourists. I want to add one extra point. Baburam…
CK LAL
We enjoy the depth of CK Lal's columns. But in his "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full" (#88) there was absolutely no need to get personal and…
Fairly lovely
This is in response to Joyce Silverstein's letter (#87). Why is she trying to impose her "western" sensibilities on us? Would she complain in…
Hats off
To my wonder, it seems utter nonsense that Kunda Dixit wears different hats every time and it is puzzling how many hats he owns. It seems to me…
In this issue:
Future imperfect | Feckless Pluralism | Editorial: Fatalism, capitalism and altruism | Chinks in the Maoist armour | Water for life | “I’m glad I don’t have to climb Mt Everest all over again…” | The general and the labyrinth | “We believe in radical humanism.” | “I didn’t know they were spies” | The spy who came in from the cold | From Saigon to Bagram | Thaksin takes Thailand back | All that glitters... | Common cause | Sup, dudes?