Submit your Article

As you walk from Naxal to Gahana Pokhari, a cozy cafe with shelves stuffed with books will catch your eyes. It’s a sign to take some time off your day and sink into the warm and lively setting of Bodhi. The café, which was earlier located in Maharajgunj, recently shifted to its much-bigger premises in Naxal.

Whether you want to snuggle up with a book on your own, a cup of steaming hot chocolate in your hands, or you intend to share a vibey dinner, the inviting spirit of Bodhi is worth a visit. It offers a menu of diverse tastes with a diary of recipes from different parts of the world. The live drinks bar is the perfect antidote to your weeklong fatigue. Oh, and there is sufficient underground parking.

Bodhi 

Chef’s Special Dishes:

Loaded machos
Enchiladas
Spaghetti Bolognese
Opening time: 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Location: Naxal
Meal for 2: Rs 1,500
Card/Phone pay: Yes
Reservation: Yes

The Triangle Conference initiated by The Annapurna Express, the sister publication of Annapurna Media Network, kicked off on Monday at Hyatt Place, Kathmandu.

‘The Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal’ (November 25-27) is a platform initiated by The Annapurna Express to get these stakeholders talking and hasing out their differences so that they can work in mutually beneficial ways.

During the seven sessions spread over three days, politicians, bureaucrats, academics, private sector representatives, student leaders and other representatives from the three sectors will discuss the gaps in their communication, their future vision for Nepal, entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy issues. 

Chairman of AMN and today’s chief guest, Capt. Rameshor Thapa said, “Our media house wants to keep this debate going so that we can find solutions to outstanding problems.”

Annapurna Media Network (AMN), a leading media house in Nepal, has launched a two-year ‘Unity for Sustainability’ campaign which aims to collaborate with concerned stakeholders on climate change issues.

The campaign, which will come into force on 1 January 2022, was announced amid a special function in Kathmandu on November 24.

To fight climate change individual steps are not enough and all stakeholders need to jointly work and raise their voices. Right now, these stakeholders are not working in unison and there is a lack of coordination, and hence no concrete output. AMN hopes to change this state of affairs by bringing together climate stakeholders and fostering meaningful interactions between them.

Inaugurating the campaign, AMN Chairman Capt. Rameshwar Thapa said we are passing through a severe climate crisis so all stakeholders must be united and work in collaboration. “Annapurna Media Network will raise the issue of climate change in a vibrant and profound way. Our news, editorial, and other news items need to be refined in line with the crisis caused by climate change,” he said. 

Stating that we are passing through a phase of climate crisis, Chairman Thapa urged concerned stakeholders to join hands on climate change issues. This is our both professional and social responsibility and our campaign will enhance dialogue on climate change issues, he said.

Also read: The Triangle Conference: Righting the government-academia-business mismatch 

Sachan Thapa, Director, AMN, reiterated the group’s commitment to consistently take up the climate agenda, with the goal of bringing meaningful changes to Nepal’s climate policies. Not just that. AMN, he said, wants to articulate Nepal’s collective voice as the country cries out for climate justice and for compensation from the biggest polluters in the world. “Towards this goal, we are ready to partner with any interested party that wants to use our platforms to disseminate climate awareness and to help Nepal meet its climate-related goals, including the ones made at the recent COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland.”

Biswas Baral, Editor-In-Chief of The Annapurna Express, said AMN’s latest commitment is to consistently champion the climate agenda in Nepal and help the country deal with what is an increasingly growing menace. And we believe it is the Nepali youth who have to take ownership of this agenda now. The Annapurna Express will help them do so, he said. Baral further said: “As a part of our focus on youth and climate change, we will be publishing exclusive features on a weekly basis. These will help the youth understand climate change, but also give them an understanding of how they can personally contribute to stopping the phenomena.”

Akhanda Bhandari, editor of Annapurna Post, Shambhu Kattel, Annapurna Post Digital news Chief, Tikaram Yatri, Chief Editor AP1 TV and, Shiromani Dawadi, Station Manager at Annapurna Radio presented their respective plans on how to cover the climate change issues in the outlets they lead. AMN's media outlets are working on different climate change themes. 

As the country witnesses more and more extreme weather events and our lives and livelihoods witness drastic changes, it is vital that our youths be made aware of climate change and its deleterious impact as early as possible. This means including climate change in school and college curriculum, and this is also something The Annapurna Express will push for.

Lack of resources has never been the problem with Nepal’s transitional justice process, even though paucity of manpower and money for the two transitional justice bodies are a symptom of the underlying malaise. The root malady continues to be an utter lack of political will. There is zero political will to carefully investigate war-time rights abuses and to prosecute the guilty. This is certainly so with the two main parties of the current ruling alliance: Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center).

Top Maoist leaders fear any kind of in-depth investigation could snare them. The same applies to some senior Nepali Congress leaders like Sher Bahadur Deuba and Krishna Prasad Sitaula who were in top government positions as the state tried to suppress the Maoist insurgency. Then there is the Nepal Army—which led anti-insurgency efforts in the second half of the decade-long conflict—that has repeatedly thwarted any attempt at fair and independent investigation. With such powerful forces arrayed against them, no wonder thousands of conflict victims await justice.

Also read: Editorial: Nepal COP-ing badly 

Fifteen years since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement to formally end the civil war, conflict victims are no closer to a closure. The hope of the abovementioned actors is that the issue of transitional justice will fade away with time. Yet the pain of the families that lost their loved ones—who were either killed or ‘disappeared’ during the conflict—won’t go away so easily. In fact, the longer they are kept waiting, the more the old wounds will fester, which in turn will increase the risk of the conflict reigniting or of a new one flaring up. Nor will the international community easily forget, and Nepal’s image abroad will continue to suffer.

The Maoist insurgency happened as large sections of the Nepali society felt left out of the political and social mainstream. This is still the case today. The importance of addressing the grievances of the marginalized sections of the society—and no group has been as marginalized and mistreated in recent times as the conflict victims—and bringing them into the national mainstream thus cannot be exaggerated. Only then a truly inclusive society be created and only then will lasting peace be ensured. 

Actor Paul Shah has signed a new film by Karan Singh, the title of which is yet to be ascertained. The film title is soon to be out to the public

The film, a love story, will be produced by DR Mubhij. Other key actors are yet to be selected. The lead actress and other actors and technical team are still being selected. The production team is preparing to make the name of the film public in the middle of a program in a few days. 

Shah had signed two other films, ‘Hututu’ and ‘Satyam’, during the lockdown and is currently working on their shooting. The shoot for the new film starts at the end of January. 

Why is the number of ‘educated unemployed’ in Nepal increasing by the day? Graduates are struggling to land good jobs while organizations, both public and private, are failing to fill their vacancies. Is our academia incapable of producing 21st-century manpower? Are our businesses and industries not investing enough in human resource development? Or is it the state’s failure to come up with the right policies, programs and incentives?

The education-job mismatch is not the only problem with the Nepali economy. Our enterprises don’t seem to value research and development or staff-training. And most of them don’t look beyond their own business; a national vision is missing. The academia finds itself hobbled by constant political meddling, which has prevented the growth and development of government education institutions on which the vast majority of Nepalis depend. Meanwhile, education has not been the focus of any of the recent governments, all of which were characterized by bitter political tussles.

Even as the country faces all these problems, there is little dialogue between the stakeholders in the government, academia and economy. We here at The Annapurna Express believe that when these sectors align, the country moves towards development but even a little non-alignment between them can disrupt the entire system.

In the absence of dialogue between them, the three sectors are often pursuing other own, often contradictory, goals.

The ‘ApEx Triangle Conference: Let’s discuss the future of Nepal’ (November 25-27) is a platform to get these stakeholders talking, hashing out their differences so that they can work in mutually beneficial ways.

In six sessions spread over three days, we will have representatives from political parties, MPs, student leaders, entrepreneurs, businesses, college and university teachers, plus our education planners and policymakers discussing the gaps in their communication, their future vision for Nepal, entrepreneurship, leadership, and policy issues. This vital conversation cannot be put off any more.

So, join us and hear them. Be a part of this initiative.

Register Today!

For more information: https://theannapurnaexpress.com/thetriangleconference

H.E. Hou Yanqi, Ambassador of China to Nepal

What was your first impression of Nepal when you landed here as an Ambassador? 

Before my appointment as ambassador to Nepal, I have visited Nepal for many times and been impressed nicely every time. Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multilingual country, where different cultures collide each other to create different colors. Whether it is the historical city of Kathmandu, or the trekking paradise of Pokhara, the Buddhist holy land of Lumbini, or the animal’s heaven of Chitwan, it makes me linger all around. Since taking the post as ambassador, I have received strong support and help from people from all walks of life in Nepal with whom I have forged a deep friendship. My love for the country made of hundreds of flowers goes even more. Nepal has become my second homeland.  

What are the similarities between Nepal and China?

There are too many similarities between China and Nepal. For example, the two countries are with ancient civilizations and both of them enjoy a time-honored history and splendid culture. The two countries are very rich in tourism resources, and both have beautiful natural scenery and unique cultural landscapes. In addition, both countries are developing countries, and we are both yearning for national development and pursuing a better life.  

What are the three milestones you feel you have achieved as China’s Ambassador to Nepal? 

Firstly, In 2019, the heads of state of China and Nepal conducted a historic exchange of visits. President Bhandari paid a state visit to China and attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. During President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Nepal, the two heads of state jointly announced that bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership of cooperation featuring ever-lasting friendship for development and prosperity. China-Nepal relations have got on a new historical starting point. 

Secondly, In December, 2020, President Xi Jinping and President Bhandari exchanged letters to jointly announce that the new height of Mount Zhumulangma (Sagarmatha) is 8,848.86 meters. As an important symbol of the China-Nepal traditional friendship, “China-Nepal Friendship Peak” has got a new height, which showcased the high level of the continuous development of ChinaNepal relations. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the border treaty between China and Nepal. We will continue to promote border cooperation and build the border between China and Nepal into a border of peace, friendship, and cooperation.

Thirdly, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese and Nepali governments and people have always watched out for and helped each other to overcome the difficulties together. At the difficult time for China to fight the pandemic, Nepali friends donated masks to China and expressed support in various forms. Later, the pandemic situation  in Nepal gradually deteriorated. China has donated anti-pandemic materials such as masks, PPEs, testing kits and oxygen generators to Nepal, and provided nearly 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Nepal, which makes China the largest donor of medical materials and supplier of vaccines to Nepal. These have become a vivid reflection of building a community of shared future between China and Nepal.  

How are the people-to-people relations between Nepal and China and how can the relationship be further enhanced? 

In recent years, China-Nepal people-to-people exchanges have developed vigorously with various forms of exchanges. “China Mania” and “Chinese language Mania” have continued to heat up in Nepal. Before the pandemic, China became Nepal’s second largest and fastest-growing origin of tourists for many consecutive years. The Chinese government provides many scholarships to Nepal every year. The Chinese Embassy has actively organized painting competitions, video competitions, book donations and other activities to promote exchanges between the youths of the two countries. Local communication between the two countries are also very close. 13 pairs of sister cities have been established and Tibet-Nepal cooperation has yielded fruitful results. I believe that after stabilization of the pandemic situation, with our joint efforts, more Chinese friends will come to Nepal to visit and tour, making every year “Nepal Tourism Year”.  

What do you like the most about Nepal? 

I like Nepal’s beautiful natural scenery, long historic culture. Particularly I like Nepali people the most. They have the traditional virtues of hard-working and kindness as well as a positive and optimistic attitude towards life. One can see happy smiles on their faces wherever he or she goes. The time spent with Nepali friends is always unforgettable. I hope to get to know more Nepali friends after the pandemic.  

Where do you think Nepal as a country should improve? 

As a developing country, Nepal faces the important task of developing its economy and improving people's livelihood. I suggest that Nepal further enhance its infrastructure construction, continuously improve the business environment to attract more foreign investment, and embark on a development path suitable for Nepal’s national conditions.  

Is there anything you have planned but are yet to achieve in Nepal? 

I planned to travel to seven provinces in Nepal during my tenure and have been to Pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini, Surket and some other cities as well as the two China-Nepal border ports of Tatopani and Rasuwa. However I have never left Kathmandu since the outbreak of the pandemic. I hope that after the pandemic situation stabilizes, I will have the opportunity to visit more places in Nepal to see a more colorful Nepal. 

Personal Message

Nepal, located in the southern Himalayas, is a friendly neighbor of China. There are beautiful scenery of snow peaks and limpid lakes, the birthplace of Buddha, the legend that Manjushri split the Kathmandu Valley, the unique and inclusive world cultural heritage sites, and the uncompromising and kind people. The towering snow peaks witness the diverse cultures of both sides of the Himalayas and the friendly people-to-people exchanges across the mountains. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, China and Nepal always support and treat each other equally, and develop mutual beneficial cooperation on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Nowadays, China-Nepal relations are facing new prospect for development. The two countries are jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative to promote the cooperation in connectivity, trade and investment, energy, agriculture, culture and tourism. The increasing people-to-people exchanges are deepening the friendly feeling between us. I would like to take this opportunity to wish friendly Nepal prosperity and the people happiness and well-being.

Quick Questions

Favorite Nepali food: Momo. Because it is very similar to Chinese dumplings, a traditional food very popular in China .
Favorite place in Nepal: The Durbar Squares in Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. I took some photos in Durbar Squares and posted them on social media in order to promote Nepal’s tourism resources in China, which attracted widespread attention from Chinese netizens.
Favorite Nepali song: Resham firiri. Because this song is a well-known traditional folk song in Nepal and its melody is beautiful and pleasant. During Dashain Festival last year, I sang this song with my colleagues in the embassy.
Favorite trek in Nepal: Sagarmatha trek. I once arrived at the Everest Base Camp on its North Slope and hope to have the opportunity to visit the Everest Base Camp on its South Slope.
Favorite season in Nepal: All the four seasons in Nepal. Kathmandu is like spring all year round and the climate is pleasant.
Favorite Nepali festival: Tihar. Because it symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil”. There is a Chinese traditional festival called Lantern Festival, during which people also light lanterns to exorcise evil spirits and pray for a bright life

Nepal Rastra Bank has found NB Group, one of the main promoters of Nepal Bangladesh Bank, to be unfit to buy 40 percent of the company’s shares on sale, following a decision by the foreign shareholder group to leave.

IFIC Bangladesh, which holds 40 percent of the bank’s shares, had announced on July 13 that it intends to sell its stake in the bank and called on prospective groups to apply to buy the shares.

According to the central bank, only NB Group applied for the shares within the given deadline. However, the group was found to be ineligible to buy the shares following a ‘fit and proper’ test conducted by the central bank.

IFIC had bought the 40 percent shares from the NB group to become the biggest shareholder of the bank.

Also read: Nepal SBI Bank still misusing employees’ money 

NB Group has had a history of financial controversies and been linked to different irregularities by regulating agencies in the past decades. At one point, Nepal Rastra Bank directly intervened in the bank to save the public’s money.

According to central bank sources, after the lone applicants were found unfit to buy the shares, IFIC can now directly deal with other groups to sell the shares. However, they too need to pass the central bank’s test.

Bank sources say that IFCI hopes to sign a deal with Chaudhary Group to sell the shares. Chaudhary Group is a major promoter of Nabil Bank, which is looking for banks to acquire or enter into a merger.