Submit your Article

Q. Three words others use to describe your personality

A. Extrovert, sensitive, quick-learner

Q. Favorite actresses

A. Keki Adhikari and Benisha Hamal

Q. Someone that you would love to work with

A. Saugat Malla

Q. Best compliment that you’ve received

A. That I have the best smile in the world

Q. Most attractive quality in a person

A. Sense of humor and their communication skills

Q. Outfit that you cannot go wrong with

A. Jeans or saree

Q. Your pet-peeve

A. People saying ‘no’ to me

Q. A question you wish people would stop asking

A. About whether I am dating someone

Q. An advice you would like to give to your younger self

A. Stay healthy, stay happy and work harder

It’s a mammoth undertaking. Around 1,500 delegates from 45 countries are taking part in the ‘Asia-Pacific Summit 2018’ being held in Kathmandu from Nov 30-Dec 3. Among the notable dignitaries will be Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmar State Counsellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Aung San Suu Kyi, senior BJP leader Vijay Jolly from India, and other Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim and Christian reli­gious leaders. The event is being hosted by the Nepal chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), a New York-based INGO of South Korean origin. The UPF has five stated guiding principles: one, everyone belongs to one human family created by God; two, the high­est qualities of human beings are spiritual and moral; three, the family is the school of love and peace; four, each person is created to live for others; and five, peace entails coop­eration beyond ethnic, religious and national boundaries. With national chapters in nearly every country in the world, the UPA runs on voluntary donations. Impressive. But why is such a gigantic summit being held in Nepal, and by an organization most Nepalis had not even heard of? And what is the Nepal government’s role in it?

 Why is such a gigantic summit being held in Nepal ?

The choice of the venue is not coincidental. There are few other countries in Asia-Pacific where an oft-controversial INGO can so easily rope in vital government officials, who have long grown accus­tomed to free all-expenses-paid foreign trips, often spon­sored by INGOs like the UPF. That the UPF has friends in high places in Nepal is evident from the inclusion of senior ruling party leader Madhav Kumar Nepal as among the ‘welcoming party’ for the Kathmandu summit. This despite the suspicion that the UPF has been involved in evangelical activities in Nepal, something the communist government promises to tamp down.

 Opposition parties have berated the government for its association with an organization with a questionable history in country, and have vowed to break the odd-even rule for vehicles imposed in lieu of the summit. There was another curious coincidence though. On the day the odd-even rule came into effect, yet another NGO-hosted international sym­posium, on Mahatma Gandhi, was being held in the Nepali capital. BJP heavyweights like ex-Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha and actor-turned federal MP Shatrughan Sinha were in attendance. With the government in a mood to tighten alcohol regulation, Nepal may not be able to lure in the tar­geted 20 million tourists come 2020. Its prospects as a host of high-profile international jamborees appears brighter.

Yes, the plotline isn’t original. You might have read many books with similar stories, especially if you are a fan of spy thrillers. But what makes Need to Know exceedingly refresh­ing is the fact that Karen Cleveland, the author, is a former CIA analyst herself and the inside knowledge with which she writes makes the story very nuanced. A year before publication, the novel was set to be adapted into a film with Charlize Theron starring in and producing the project.

The espionage element is spot-on and, as a working mom who wrote the debut novel during a yearlong unpaid maternity leave from the CIA, Cleveland also manages to get the domestic tension just right. The only downside is that Cleveland lacks writing flair. However, she adds an extra dose of suspense with Vivian finding out that there is a mole in the CIA. As Vivian desper­ately tries to figure out who she can trust, she becomes embroiled in something that could very well end in her losing her job and getting a jail sentence as well.

The confusion and chaos make up for the jarring writing. Matt, perfect husband and father, comes across as the perfect liar at times and as the perfect victim all the other times. The thrill of the suspense lies in finding out or rather deciding which one. Cleveland keeps you guessing till the end while also making you come to the realization that nothing in life is black or white but actually a shade of gray. Need to Know is a compulsive read that you will race to finish and when you do you will wish you could turn back time to relive the thrill.

NEED TO KNOW

Author: Karen Cleveland

Genre: Fiction

Published: January 2018 Publisher: Ballantine Books

Language: English

Pages: 310, paperback

 “Barud Mathi Udda”, a literary work of Captain Rameshwor Thapa being published by Bookhill Publi­cation, will hit the bookstands in the first week of December.

The book is based on the pilot and entrepreneur’s extensive fly­ing career, including during the 10 years of the Maoist insurgency. Thapa had as a pilot back then saved the lives of numerous army personnel. According to him, the book offers vivid portrayals of the battlefields and describes his experience of flying during those tumultuous times.

Former AIG Rajendra Bahadur Singh offers insight into Thapa’s role during the Maoist rebellion. “The pilots in the army were not able to supply arms and ammunition to the contingent that was defending the village of Khara from the Maoist forces. Notwithstanding the chal­lenge presented by the chaotic bat­tle, Captain Thapa was able to safely land the aircraft, ensuring that the army had enough supplies and that the injured got essential medical care. Were it not for him, the battle at Khara would have taken a heavy toll on Nepal Army.”

Singh isn’t the only one to appre­ciate Thapa’s flying prowess. Nepal Police DSP Yogeshwor Rom Thami says in the book, “Captain Thapa’s audacity and skillful maneuvers helped us survive Maoist sieges many times.”

The book provides descriptions of Thapa’s flying experiences throughout Nepal. It revisits Tha­pa’s rescue and supply missions in various corners of the then war-torn Nepal such as Khara, Rukum; Bhi­mad, Sindhuli; Bethan, Ramechhap; and Nomu, Dailekh.

It is also a rich story that explains Thapa’s life-altering experiences and frustrations that characterize his journey

But the book is more than just a compendium of Thapa’s experiences during the Maoist insurgency. It is also a rich story that explains Thapa’s life-altering experiences and frustrations that characterize his journey from a kid born into an ordinary farming family to the renowned entrepreneur that he is today. The book has been edited by Rajaram Gautam, former editor of the Annapurna Post.

The aptly named Butterfly Effect, whereby even the smallest of chang­es today can alter or even revolu­tionize the future, is helping raise awareness about gender-based vio­lence, sexuality, and human rights through music.

The Butterfly Effect is bringing together female- headed bands in a celebratory concert, part of its three-phase event that also involves key personnel and celebrities pledg­ing their support through hashtags and photographs over social media. Donations raised through the Cel­ebration Phrase of live concert will be utilized in awareness programs in urban and rural areas of the country. Videos of the concert will appear on TV and social media to further spread the word.

Organized by Sangeet Pathsha­la, in association with Dristi Nepal, a non-profit working for women affected by drugs, HIV and AIDs, the concert will feature Nattu with 11.11 OST, Samriddhi Rai, Mental Radio, Somiya Baraily, Space, Didi Bahini, Faithom, and Superfuzz. The Anna­purna Express is the media partner for the event.

The seventh edition of the Nepal Literature Festival being held on December 22-25 in Lakeside, Pokhara, will feature prominent writers and literary luminaries from across South Asia like Nami­ta Ghokale, Gurcharan Das, Man­jushree Thapa, Prajwal Parajuli and Mohammed Hanif.

Prominent Indian writer Gurcha­ran Das is going to launch his new book during the festival. Festival coordinator Rabin Giri says that the event will also feature a ‘master workshop’ by British graphic novelist Dr. Nicola Streeten, a photo exhibi­tion by photo.circle as well as an art exhibition.

Giri says the festival will deal with topics like literature and democracy, women violence and economy, and topics that are not directly related to literature.

“We organizers believe that litera­ture is an invaluable tool to inspect our society,” Giri says.

The festival is being sponsored by the IME Group. Its Managing Director Hem Raj Dhakal said that the group has always been always willing to work on creative still. “Since we have been offering schol­arships to students from financially weak families and helping earth­quake-affected families fund their children’s education, our interest in education and literacy seems to align with that of Bookworm’s,” Dhakal says.

On being asked about the choice of the venue, Pokhara, festival director Ajit Baral replied, “The environment of Pokhara is clean and majestic, making it a perfect place for the participating authors and guests to see the festival like a vacation experience, free from pollution and noise of overly-urbanized cities like Kathmandu.”

Bookworm has been hosting the Nepal Literature Festival since 2011. What started as an event featuring 75 literary figures, mostly from Nepal, has now turned into a major litera­ture festival of South Asia, with 130 prominent writers, journalists and other literary luminaries participat­ing at the last event in 2017.

“This upward trend is evident not only in the number of participat­ing authors, but is also noticed in the number of visitors, which has soared from 1,000 in 2011 to 25,000 in 2017,” Giri says.

Tiger, tiger, burning bright, in the forests of Banke at night, or even day. The Banke National Reserve in western Nepal is home to an estimated 31 Ben­gal tigers, and with authentic homestays being opened and operated by the Tharu community, you can also experience an authentic indigenous lifestyle.

With eight different eco-systems, the Banke National Reserve is home to a number of both common and rare species of mammals, birds, reptiles and flora. Not known to be a commer­cial tourist destination, the exoticness of the region is being promoted by the different Tharu homestays that have opened recently—all pro­moting fair-priced lodging and ethnic Tharu delicacies.

It’s that time of the year again! Ride your Royal Enfield bikes to the Riverside Springs Resort in Kurintar on December 7, for the second edition of the annual Royal Enfield Reunion.

The three-day event from December 7 to 9 will have riders from all over Nepal, India and a few other countries take part in this biking jamboree. The three days will be filled with biking games and fun-filled activities. Legendary Nepali rockers Mukti and Revival will headline the event, with the support of The Midnight Riders. A poolside DJ session that will continue well into the night will also satisfy the party animal in you.

So head out to Kurintar (make sure you register first) and enjoy a chilled weekend among the biking fraternity.

Registering from Nepal

Single - NPR 6,500

Couple - NPR 13,000

Registering from India

Single - INR 4,000

Couple - INR 8,000

The registration fee includes accommodations, meals, REunion goodies and merchandises

Register at: https://www.royalenfield.com/np/reunion/register/