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The gold is being traded at Rs 142, 200 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 141, 500 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver, however, has increased by Rs 15 and is being traded at Rs 1,815 per tola today.  

The Industry and Consumers' Welfare Office, Humla has decided to organize a two-day industrial exhibition in the district headquarters, Simkot.

Office Chief Pradip Regmi informed that the exhibition would be conducted on June 25-26 for the promotion and publicity of locally produced goods.

The local products ranging from food items to clothes and rugs would be put on display.

Regmi further informed that the event would be an effective medium to publicize the indigenous skills and products.

The fair also features the competitive show where the first one would get a cash prize of Rs 30,000, while the second Rs 20,000 and the third Rs 10,000.

It is believed the event being organized at a time when there are complaints of not getting market for indigenous products would contribute to making the economy dynamic.

The disruption of flights at the Tenzing Hillary Airport, Lukla has stressed out the tourists.

Adverse weather caused disruption of flights for ten days. The tourists visiting the Khumbu region have been badly affected by the inconvenience in air services.

Air controller at Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAN) at Lukla, Divas Dahal, informed that the fog and poor visibility disturbed air services. Both the aeroplanes and helicopters were not able to conduct flights since June 8.

"It is the time the foreign tourists returned to Kathmandu after traveling to the Sagarmatha area. The number of tourists leaving the district is more than arrivals. But adverse weather took a toll on air services," Dahal added. All flight schedules are canceled for ten days. Thick fog has caused poor visibility.

However, Dahal informed that some helicopters were operated from Surke helipad located down Lukla. Geographical specificity is a problem for Lukla where dense fog occurs frequently this season, according to him.

Surke is relatively clear.

Similarly, after a four-hour trek down the Lukla airport, the travelers can get vehicles for Kathmandu. It is also the option for the tourists to ride from Thamdanda to Kathmandu in jeep.

Thamdanda lies 70-km away from Salleri bazaar, district headquarters of Solukhumbu.

The jeep fare is Rs 2,000 per person from Salleri to Kathmandu, a 275-km distance.

Prakash Thamsuhang is a Panchthar-born poet and essayist currently based in Ilam, where he leads Yakthung Lekhak Sangh and Ilam Nagar Sahitya Kala Sangit Pratisthan. He has been felicitated with several awards, including Dibyabikram Nembang Smriti award, Manamaya Smriti award, and Srisas Hong Kong award, for his works. His recent book, Shabdathum, collection of essays (2023) garnered critical acclaim. Ken Subedi conversed with Thamsuhang about poetry and essays.

You have written poetry as well as essays. What is more close to your heart and why?

I have been writing poems and essays together from the very beginning of my writing journey. Though I published works of essays after 17 years of publication of works of poetry, I share my thoughts and feelings through essays that I can’t express through poetry. I think the first condition for an essay is thought. Other elements required for an essay are secondary subject matters. But poetry strongly demands art as well as thoughts. An essay is like building a wall of stone, whereas poetry is an art of making a statue of stone. I love reading and writing poetry a lot. I am a great admirer of the way poetry strikes mind and soul with supernatural power.

Can you share a few common elements between poetry and essays? Or are they completely different from one another?

The common element of poetry and essays is thought. Essay and poetry both are the ideological weapons of a poet, through which the poet strives to make a positive impact upon the mind of a reader. I say that there should be in-depth feelings in both the genres, poetry and essay. An essay becomes sharp if a poetic element is mixed in it as good readers comment so. Contemplation, reflection and philosophy are also the common elements of both the genres. Poetry and essays have different structures altogether.  However, some experimental poets have been writing prose poetry. To criticize Nepali poets and poetry, some have been accused of creating poetry by pressing enter key in essays. Poetry has to tell many things with a few words. Essays, on the other hand, do not have word limitations.

What inspires one to become a poet and a writer? 

There has been much evidence when the writers produce literature as a matter of a response pertaining to significant events. Literature is being written out of such an urge in Nepal as well. For example, Nepali literature is being written based on the ten years’ civil war. Similarly, literature is being written on environmental crises, social transformation, etc. But what I think is the aesthetic consciousness of the writer along with the subject matter is an important thing. Is literature in favor of social justice or not? I think that a writer’s effort should lie in making society beautiful. Writers and poets should strive to make the earth worth living for all creatures. 

What books have the most influence on your writing?

I find a lot of ideas in books. Imagination is the most important aspect for me that I find in them. My reading journey started with comics and Muna magazine during my young age. Indian detective novels and Prakash Kovid’s Love novels, which I read during my teenage years, taught me to love words. I read somewhat serious books during my college life. They helped me in developing thoughts. Some of the books taught me to know myself. They taught me to understand the difference between religion and spiritualism. These books surely have their impact upon my writing.

There is a greater impact of books of Bairagi Kaila’s poems in my writing. Philosophical and cultural consciousness, proper use of myth and expressive skills found in Kaila’s poems impress me a lot. I also take inspiration from the essays of Shankar Lamichhane. His unique and extraordinary writing skill surprises me more when I re-read them.

Do you agree that contemporary poets have started writing in other genres like essays and novels? Do you think that authors should write across a variety of genres or should they stick to one?

There is much evidence that a poet can write in other genres too. Recently, as you said, poets are in the race of writing fiction. I agree. The poetic quality of a poet, when used in a work of fiction, can illuminate the work. There isn’t any uniform rule that a poet should just write poetry. I don’t feel bad if a poet presents his capability through different mediums.

The Nepal Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association has decided to withdraw its protest, with the signing of a four-point agreement with the government.

A meeting between the Association and the Nepal Oil Corporation that took place at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies today ended with the agreement, according to NOC Spokesperson, Manoj Thakur.

NOC Board of Directors Chair and Commerce Secretary, Dinesh Kumar Ghimire, was present in the dialogue and NOC Executive Director Dr Chandika Prasad Bhatta and Association Chair Ishwor Lama signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides. 

This development is expected to ease the supply of petroleum products in the Kathmandu Valley, which was hampered due to the protest of the Association.

The Association had decided to disrupt the supplies on Sunday, putting forth a seven-point demand.

The demands include appointment letters as ensured by the Labor Act, remunerations as fixed by the government, risk allowance, safety alert training every three months, and their involvement in the Social Security fund among others.

As per the agreement, a sub-committee is to be formed under the coordination of the NOC Deputy Executive Director to present a report regarding the demands of the Association and other relevant issues within the next 15 days. 

The committee has the representatives from the Ministry, Association, the Independent Transport Workers Association of Nepal and the All Nepal Petroleum Workers' Union.

Supplies of petroleum products in the Kathmandu Valley have been hampered due to the protest of the Nepal Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association.

The Association has launched a strike, putting forth a seven-point demand.

According to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Executive Director Dr Chandika Prasad Bhatta, they are in touch with the agitating side and a conclusion is expected by tonight.  The dialogue between the two sides has been scheduled today at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, it has been learnt.  

The Association said that tanker drivers have been denied the required facilities for a long time and their frequent calls towards that end have remained unaddressed, forcing them to launch the strike. 

Appointment letters as ensured by the Labor Act, remunerations as fixed by the government, risk allowance, safety alert training every three months, and their involvement in the social security fund are among the demands put forth by the Association.

The Association said that it had on June 11, sent its appeal to the NOC, warning of the protest programs if the demands were not addressed by the next few days.

However, the Essential Commodities Control (Authorization) Act, 2017 (1961), has identified petroleum products as essential commodities, prohibiting the obstruction of their supplies meant for general use.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CIB) of Nepal Police arrested a Chinese citizen with six kg gold.

CIB spokesperson Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati said that the arrestee has been identified as 37-year-old Senam Gurung.

He said, "A Chinese citizen Senam Gurung has been arrested from Kathmandu with six kg gold. Further investigation into the incident is underway."

According to the CIB, police also recovered Rs 4.8 million in cash from Gurung's house.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the government's policies and programs for the new fiscal year are in the interests of the citizens and Nepal.

Talking to the media at Bharatpur Airport today, the Prime Minister said that overall, the budget is satisfactory. "I hope it will be endorsed by the House of Representatives smoothly."

The Prime Minister claimed that the budget highlighted several government initiatives for good governance, social justice and prosperity. "I feel that more initiatives are needed to meet the people's aspirations."

Responding to a query about the possibility of the change of Inspector General of Police, he said no such thing would happen. "This is just a rumor," he said, adding that he recently summoned chiefs of security bodies and urged them to work confidently.