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With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, Kathmandu’s gift and florist shops are stocking up on chocolates, cards, roses, stuffed toys and other romantic mementos to celebrate love. But can the true meaning of love be found among sweets and souvenirs? How does love between two individuals guide this special day?

Priyanjali Karn of ApEx talked to 10 individuals to find out what Valentine’s Day means to them.

Dhana Dhimal, 43

I didn’t grow up in a culture where we ever celebrated Valentine’s Day. Honestly, it is just like any other day for me. It has always been a western culture. I see young people celebrating the day, but it never occurred to me as a special occasion. I think love can be expressed in many ways, without gifts and chocolate boxes. I’ve been married for more than 20 years now and I don’t think the love I have for my partner can be defined and expressed by one day of celebration.

Kishor Kundan, 36

Romantic love and feelings are still an awkward topic in our society. I admire the fact that an occasion like Valentine's Day embraces and celebrates love. To me, the act of love comes before anything else. If Valentine's Day is important to my partner, then it will be important to me as well. And if the day doesn’t mean anything to her, then that’s also alright with me. It's about her more than the celebration of it.

Manmaya Chhetri, 64

I have never celebrated Valentine's Day. I didn’t even know about it until my little granddaughter started giving me handmade Valentine's cards while she was in her pre-school. It was a very sweet and special gesture. My whole life and all the love in it is with the family my husband and I built together. Remembering my granddaughter running to me with her cards makes me happy. I feel my life is whole again. It reminds me of the love between me and my family.

Sagar Jung Basnet, 25

I believe celebrating love is a wonderful thing and Valentine's day is all about celebrating love. But showing love, respect and care for your significant other shouldn’t be limited to just one special day of the year. Love comes first and I believe in expressing it everyday.

Niraj Tamang, 24

Love drives us as individuals and as a society. I believe that love transcends all and it keeps our civilization together. So Valentine's Day is special to me. It is the day that reminds us to appreciate the power of love and why it is important to be held in high regard on other days as well.

Shyama Acharya, 45

I believe love cannot be defined by Valentine's Day celebrations. I have been with my husband ever since we were in eighth grade. I think I have experienced love in its truest form and it cannot be defined by gifting flowers and candies. For me, every day is an act of celebrating love. Everything I do, every act of thoughtfulness and care for my family I hold and express, is me celebrating love.

Hardik Agrawal, 18

I am a person who is guided by love. Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your loved ones is a beautiful idea. Yes, it does get depressing sometimes when you don’t have that someone to celebrate it with. But that feeling of longing also reminds us of the importance of love. It makes the day so much more special.

Anushruti Koirala, 22

I never thought I would warm up to the idea of celebrating Valentine's Day. But love means a lot to me these days and I have changed my view on celebrating this day. To me, love is a feeling of not worrying, knowing that your partner will still be there and love you no matter what. It is the feeling of comfort knowing that someone will be on your side in your darkest hours. So having a day dedicated to celebrating love is a beautiful thing.

Zealation Shah, 46

A day that started with Saint Valentino who sacrificed his life just so people love each other in a pure sense, it is no wonder that this day comes with an unearthly beauty. I do celebrate love. Through all these years the greatest forms of love come to me every time I hug my wife. I think the most important part of Valentine's Day is that dedication towards spreading love and loving one another. But in today’s world, the commercialization and commodification of love don’t justify the true meaning behind it. Love doesn’t have to be shown off, but it should be experienced in a lively and meaningful way.

Ramita Karn, 35

I only started celebrating Valentine’s Day after I got married 15 years ago. Coincidentally, the day falls right before my wedding anniversary. So it is naturally a very special time for me and my husband. Just the thought of getting to celebrate our anniversary as well as the day dedicated to love makes it so much more romantic for us.

Mero Kishan is a startup that aims to directly connect farmers and consumers. The goal is to cut out the middlemen with the use of technology, thereby increasing profits for farmers and reducing prices for consumers. 

“The traditional system fails in cold chain and logistic management, particularly on fruits and vegetables,” says Abhinash Silwal, founder of Mero Kishan. “We wanted to address this issue through the use of technology”.

Mero Kishan purchases fruits and vegetables from farmers around Kathmandu Valley and advertises them on the company’s app, website and social media platforms. Clients can then shop online and have the goods delivered at their doors.

The traditional supply chain offers farmers only a small profit because they also have to pay for logistics and transport of goods. Moreover, farm goods often go through a series of middlemen or brokers before actually reaching the market. 

Silwal says both farmers and consumers suffer under the current system.

“Because of the money-hungry brokers, farmers are getting robbed of their profit and consumers are forced to pay more for farm produce,” he says. “Essentially, we wanted to remove the layer of brokers between farmers and consumers.”

The farmers involved with the company sell their goods at a comparatively higher price after deducting transport cost, thus allowing them to keep a decent profit. Once goods are sold to the company, payment is transferred within 12 hours.

“A farmer stands to make around 30 percent more profit with Mero Kishan compared to the mainstream market. Meanwhile, consumers can save up to 20 percent more,” says Silwal.  

The company maintains cold stores around Kathmandu Valley to keep fruits and vegetables fresh. It currently deals in more than 120 types of fruits and vegetables and soon plans to include dairy products in its inventory. Product prices are updated every day. 

Mero Kishan also connects farmers with agricultural experts to solve crop problems and grow produce that are low on pesticides.

Mero Kishan was started in 2019 when the culture of online grocery shopping was still in its infancy. Silwal says business thrived after the onset of the covid pandemic.   

“People wanted to get groceries without having to venture out of their homes, which led them to us,” says Silwal.

Besides ordinary households, Mero Kishan also has  corporate houses, hospitals and restaurants as its  clients. 

The company that started with 10 partner farmers has now more than 70 partner farmers in Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the country. 

“Our plan is to further extend the reach of Mero Kishan and help more farmers across the country. We are also working to produce and brand non-perishable goods on a larger scale,” says Silwal.

Mero Kishan

Establish year: 2019

Founder: Abhinash Silwal

Service location: Kathmandu valley

Price of the product: Varies depending on market

Contact: 014473938

Website: https://merokishan.com/

Birth: 1943, Nepalgunj

Death: 3 February 2022, Nepalgunj

Mohan Singh KC, a founding member of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), passed away on the morning of February 3. He was 78. His demise has caused an irreparable loss to the party and the country, RPP said in a statement.

Rishi Raj Devkota, assistant general secretary of RPP, remembers KC as a true nationalist and the party’s custodian.

“He was a simple man at heart who never let his position affect his attitude,” says Devkota. “He conducted himself as an ordinary member of society. He lived a middle-class life and that was all he wanted.”

Born and raised in Nepalgunj, Banke, KC entered the world of politics in his early youth. He rubbed shoulders with influential political figures of the time, learning the ropes of politics and eventually joining the democratic movement during the Panchayat period.

KC was among the founding members of RPP when the party was established in 1990. He went on to become RPP Banke district chairman and the party’s central committee member.

As a politician KC held great sway in Banke, which he used for the district’s development. He played a major role in building road networks in Nepalgunj and other parts of Banke.

KC is also remembered as a leader with a solid moral compass and a champion of justice devoted to ending all forms of social discriminations.

RPP merged with its splinter RPP-Nepal in 2016 and KC was once again elected a central member of the unified party. But he was unable to remain active in politics, owing to his poor health.

KC had long been living with various health issues like diabetes, hypertension and kidney problems. He died at Nepalgunj Medical College and Teaching Hospital, where he was admitted following health complications.

RPP General Secretary Dr. Dhawal Shumsher Rana, Assistant General Secretary Devkota and District Chairman Narendra Poudel were among the leaders who paid their tributes to KC by draping the party’s flag over his dead body.

KC is survived by a son and a daughter.

Megha Shrestha was raised in a musical family. She grew up listening to her mother hum to the tunes of Lata Mangeskar and Narayan Gopal in the kitchen.

“I believe music is in my genes”, says the 26-year-old singer-songwriter. “I can't remember a time when my life wasn't associated with music.”

In seventh grade Shrestha realized she could hold a tune, much to the delight of her classmates. For her it was a revelation, because until then she had thought that everybody could sing.  

It didn’t take her long to be aware of her musical talent. At 14, when she was in eighth grade, Shrestha entered Nepal Television’s ‘Voice of Teen’. She made it to the top 16 out of 300 contestants from around the country.

The experience was a catalyst for her dream to become a singer. She finally thought music was her calling.

After her appearance in a televised singing contest, Shrestha’s musical talent was no longer a secret. She started being recognized and praised by her schoolmates at St. Xavier’s School, Jawalakhel.

From then, Shrestha started performing with her school band whenever there was a musical event. This would continue throughout her college life.

In 2016, while studying there, Shrestha took part in ‘Women in Concert 2016: Talent Hunt Edition’ organized by Abhaya Subba, frontwoman of the band Abhaya & the Steam Engines. The event, held on International Women’s Day to empower young women through music, was a life-changing experience for her. Shrestha took home the winning title that year. She was 21 at the time. 

“Looking back, Women in Concert led me to where I am today,” Shrestha says. “I had such wonderful mentors and I still live by the lessons I learned from them during the boot camp.”

Shrestha graduated college with a business studies degree in 2018. But the music bug never left her.

In 2019, she auditioned for the third season of ‘Nepal Idol’ aired on AP1 TV. It was another turning point in her life. Shrestha says it was her mother who urged her to audition for the show.

“I didn’t take part in the previous two seasons of the show, but I had a gut feeling that Season 3 was where I would make my mark,” she says.

Her instinct was right. The rendition of ‘Hidda Hiddai’ by 1974 AD Shrestha won the hearts of the show’s judges in the audition round. She was the first and the only Golden Mic winner of that season.

Shrestha made it to the top five of the season, but getting eliminated from the show didn’t deter her.

“During my elimination, I remember one of the judges, Indira Joshi, telling me ‘every mic you hold from this point forward will be a golden mic’. That praise has stuck with me ever,” she says.

Shrestha looks back at her experience as an Idol contestant and feels grateful. She says it taught her everything she needed to know to become a full-time musician.

Nepal Idol opened the doors for Shrestha in the music scene in a true sense. She got to tour different parts of the world for shows following a stellar stint as an Idol contestant. A promising musical career was ahead of her. But then the pandemic hit, and Shrestha had her moment of crisis. When people from every walk of life were losing their jobs, she started wondering if her musical aspirations were naive and misplaced. 

“It was just the start of my career and the odds were suddenly stacked against me. It really made me think if what I was doing was worth it,” says Shrestha.

But Shrestha remained steadfast in her dreams. In 2020 she recorded her debut single ‘Polcha’, written and produced by Lokesh Bajracharya. She then went on to collaborate with artists from Nepal Idol and record some more singles. Moreover, she now has her own band, ‘Megha and the B.E.A.T.S’.

Slowly but surely her determination seems to be paying off. Besides being a full-time musician, Shrestha has also made a foray into television as the host of  ‘Band Champion Nepal’, which is currently being aired on AP1 TV.

“I remember when I first got the call to host the show, it took me half-a-second to say yes,” she says. Transitioning into a TV hosting gig was not at all difficult for her. She is a performer at heart and feels at home on any stage.

“Being on Nepal Idol helped me a lot in terms of confidence-building,” Shrestha says.

So what’s next for this up and coming pop-rock sensation? Well, for now, she is working on her new songs and planning a tour with her band. She also wishes to continue her studies. But, more than anything, her wish is to find a stable footing in the music industry.

“I believe I was born to sing,” she says. “Music is the only thing that makes sense to me.”

A person of high integrity who placed the values of law and justice above all, Mohan Prasad Sharma, a former Supreme Court chief justice, passed away at his Kamalpokhari residence on January 19. He was 88. In his almost 40-year-long career in law, Sharma was credited for working tirelessly to establish an independent judiciary.

Born to a middle-class family in Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu, Sharma was a dedicated student from the start. For him education was important and he prioritized his studies above all else. He found himself interested in law during his student years and aspired to leave a mark in the field.

Sharma joined a government office in 1959 when he was 25. After two years in the job, in 1961, he entered Singhadurbar as a section officer at the Ministry of Law and Justice. He became a governmental lawyer and, after that, the regional judge of the Appellate court (High Court). He then became the main justice of the Appellate court, and later a judge in the Supreme Court.

On 13 April 1998, Sharma was appointed as the 12th Chief Justice of Nepal by the then King Birendra. During his term as the CJ, he played a vital role in the development of Nepal's judicial system. For instance, he initiated hearings on injustices at the level of the Village Development Committees. He was also a strong advocate of women’s rights. 

Also read: Laxmi Das Manandhar obituary: Salt king to school reformer

Sharma was a soft-spoken, intelligent, and sociable person, but nonetheless a formidable figure in the court. His reserved disposition and work ethics inspired and guided his colleagues and successors alike. Sharma’s term in the Supreme Court ended on 15 December 1999.

Girish Chandra Lal, a former Supreme Court justice, remembers Sharma as a just and honorable individual who worked without any bias or prejudice.

“I had known him since my time as a high court judge. I remember him as a loyal and dauntless person who was without any bias or prejudice both in and outside the court,” says Lal.

To honor Sharma and his legacy, the Supreme Court, high courts, district courts, and special courts across the country were closed on the day of his funeral, which took place on January 23.

Sharma is survived by his son and daughter.

Birth: 16 December 1934, Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu

Death: 19 January 2022, Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu

Birth: 18 November 1928, Kathmandu

Death: 21 January 2022, Kathmandu

Laxmi Das Manandhar was one of the seven salt traders selected to establish Nepal’s first public salt trading center, the Salt Trading Corporation Limited, in Kalimati, Kathmandu.

Not only a businessman and industrialist, Manandhar was also an educationist and social worker who made significant contributions as a National Assembly member.

Born as the youngest son to Purna Maya Manandhar and Laxmi Narayan Manadhar in Thahity, Kathmandu, Manandhar learned ­to read and write at his uncle’s house and continued his formal education until middle school. At the age of 15, he started working as a telephone operator at a call center in Tripureshwor, Kathmandu.

Coming from a Newar family with a business background, he knew the tricks of the trade early on. In 1950, he visited India and started importing salt to Nepal. He was into the business to sustain his family when the government took notice.

Also read: Kumar Subba obituary: The crooner from Darjeeling

Manandhar, from the very beginning, aimed at extending salt trading as he knew salt was one ingredient no kitchen is complete without, and therefore, should be easily accessible and affordable. In 1963 the Salt Trading Corporation Limited was established with partial investment of the government and support of other public and private salt traders.

Alongside, he started another small business of importing clothes from Japan to sell them in Nepal. In 1960, this small venture transitioned into Nepal’s first sock-manufacturing company called ‘Badhchap’, helping the country be self-reliant on socks. It had also become a household brand loved by locals.

From 1973-86, Manandhar, through the corporation, established a number of businesses and industries in Bhairahawa such as a petrol pump, Siddhartha Cold Storage, Nepal Plastic Industry, and Siddhartha Food Industry, among others, which are still in operation.

He served as a working committee member of Nepal Chamber of Commerce, an umbrella body of Nepali businesses. He later held the posts of treasurer and adviser of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Business was in his blood but his destiny took Manandhar into politics. He had been indirectly involved with Bampanthi (leftist) politics since 1958. In 1991, he had become a common candidate in the National Assembly election but was defeated. But 10 years later, in 2000, he got elected into the National Assembly representing the CPN-UML.

Besides politics, Manadhar was also an educationist and a social worker. In 1950, he became a founding member of Shanti Siksha Mandir School in Thahity. He also founded and became the Chairman of People’s Campus in Thamel, Kathmandu.

In his lifetime, he traveled to over 40 countries, carrying the responsibility of promoting Nepal. He was honored with several awards from national and international organizations for his efforts.

Manandhar breathed his last on 21 January 2022 at his home in Kathmandu. He was 93. Someone who made a significant contribution to Nepal’s economic development, his legacy will be carried on by the establishments he leaves behind.

It started as a fun activity to help his mother out in her nursery. The concept has now morphed into ‘I am the Gardener’, a retail brand that sells a wide variety of plants, pots, fertilizers and gardening tools. In the process Biraj Khadka, its co-founder and director, created Nepal’s first modern gardening center. 

They grow and sell more than 250 plant species: flowering, indoor, outdoor, rare, exotic, seasonal, to cacti and succulents. “We wanted to simplify things for all plant lovers out there and help them grow their plants better,” says Khadka. “We advise them on how to invest the least amount of time in taking care of plants”.

Khadka belongs to a family which has for generations been into agri-business. Twenty years ago, his mother had opened Khadka Nursery, which became their family business. In 2014, when he started helping his mother with accounts of Khadka Nursery, he discovered big loopholes in the way plants were being retailed in Nepal.

“At first, I wasn’t very enthusiastic and didn’t think I would continue working for the nursery,” he admits. “But while helping in the nursery, I found that this sector was still to really develop in Nepal.” Khadka started researching and found that the market couldn’t absorb their products in the absence of a medium to connect with customers. “Local nurseries were only catering to their areas and making a living out of it,” he says. There was no way for you to get the plant you wanted, where you wanted it.

While researching global trends, he found a whole new market size, market structure and technology. It made him realize floriculture in Nepal was yet to be established and there was a need for more than just small-scale businesses.

Gradually, more local nurseries started finding a platform in ‘I am the Gardener’ to retail their products and make them more accessible to the people. This was where growers and buyers met. It became a sister company of Khadka Nursery.

The company started growing but three of the five co-founders quit because of long hours and hard work. Now it was up to Khadka and Upreti to handle it all—and how have they done it!

The Khadka Nursery as well as the head office of ‘I am the Gardener’ are located in Mandikhatar, Kathmandu. The plants are grown and taken care of in their warehouse. Local nurseries also send their products to the warehouse, for distribution to different outlets and for online sale.

The warehouse is designed to grow and sustain all kinds of plants. The plant prices depend on the time they take to grow, external facilities, fertilizers, and pesticides, among other expenses. “When getting plants, you are not just buying them but also the time and patience they need,” Khadka says.

“We wanted to raise the standard of floriculture by giving people a sampling of quality plants,” he adds. “At the same time, our aim was to get more and more people interested in plants and their diversity.”

Also read: A thriving business that is also socially aware 

In 2016, when ‘I am the Gardener’ was in its infancy, they opened their first outlet in Dhumbarahi. It started as a space with a variety of plants in every corner, where people could sit and read books made available there. They could be around plants, and buy them if they so wished. They got wonderful customer feedback for this ‘plant library’.

Unlike most other businesses, ‘I am the Gardener’ boomed during the pandemic. Having to stay at home all the time, people craved for natural stuff, making them tilt towards plants. A brand solely dedicated to retailing plants was what the market needed as well, and their social media reach increased organically.

“Although, in terms of operation it was challenging to function as a retail company during the lockdown, we took the opportunity to brand our products and develop our app and website,” Khadka says.                                                                                                   

By this date, ‘I am the Gardener’ has served more than 100,000 customers. It has six outlets—Chakrapath, Kalanki, Bhatbhateni, Labim Mall, Gyaneshor, Bhaisepati—with the seventh one in Kupondole in the offing.  

Birth: 11 December 1951

Death: 15 January 2022

Kumar Subba gave his voice to over 500 songs, including the most celebrated ones like ‘Hey Phool Chudera Laanu’ and ‘Sarangi Ko Taal Ma Mero Man Le Geet Gaucha’ that have left an indelible mark in the heart of listeners of Nepali music.

Born and raised in Darjeeling, West Bengal, Subba was a lover of music from a young age. While learning the fiddle and the harmonium, he used to spend whole days experimenting with the instruments. Although he grew up in India, Nepali rhythms had struck a chord with him.

 His singing career took off when a member of the audience at the Gangtok Auditorium, where he was singing, heard him and offered to fund the recording of ‘Kati Bujhaun’ and ‘Samahala Pachyari Tyo Latrisakyo Bhui Ma’. The songs were recorded in the HMV studio of Kolkata. Then, in 1968, he started working as a senior singer in Akashvani FM in Kurseong.

 He became better known among the people of Nepal and North-East India after lending his voice to Man Bahadur Mukhya’s famous drama ‘Ani Deurali Runcha’.

Also read: Prof. Dr. Chabi Lal Gajurel obituary: Catalyst of Nepal’s education system

 ‘Deurali Ko Thiti Haru Nakkal Parnu Pardaina’ and ‘Hey Phool Chudera Laane Ho’ made Kumar Subba a household name.

 The songs also impressed the chairman of the Ratna Recording Studio, whereupon he got an opportunity to record three songs including ‘Sarangi Ko Taal Ma Mero Man Le Geet Gaucha’.

 He also sang in Radio Nepal as well as in other radio stations in Kurseong, Gangtok, Guwahati, and Darjeeling.

 Subba was also invited to Nepal to perform in a program called ‘Paleti’. In 2012, Bengal government honored him with ‘Sangeet Samman’, which he later renounced during the 2017 Gorkhaland agitation.

 After returning to Darjeeling from Nepal in 2012, he had a stroke and he never fully recovered. The stroke paralyzed the left part of his body and he lost his voice. That’s when he had to stop singing and start living with his daughter in Siliguri. With timely treatment, his health started improving, and he slowly went back to singing.

 Unfortunately, he passed away after a heart attack on 15 January 2022, still in the course of his treatment. He was 70. Thousands of people lined up on the streets of Darjeeling to pay their last respects . He is survived by a wife, two daughters, and a son.