“An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination.” Voltaire suggested more than two centuries ago. Scan the headlines of any major broadsheet today and you can see that many countries (Nepal included)  have taken the assassination bit more seriously than the democracy part. Nepal has been flirting with […]

Nepal – the name conjures up images of mountains, rivers, temples and chaotic urban centers. Sporting strength is not something usually associated with the country. Indeed, the recent London Olympics 2012 were yet another missed opportunity in the long list of disappointments for Nepal. No, we are not counting our […]

According to the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), only 46% of boys and 38% of girls attend secondary school in Nepal. The number of those pursuing education beyond secondary school level is even more dismal. The majority of young people are barely literate and ill equipped to compete in the rapidly changing economy. If […]

When the poet Bhanubhakta Acharya (1814-1868) visited Kathmandu, he was struck by its amazing beauty. In a poem, he lavished praise on the city: “…The rich in this place are uncountable, each person’s mind is filled with joy. Kathmandu is an ocean of happiness, this may be the golden city that […]

It’s not everyday that you can listen to a dialogue that flits from geopolitics and tourism to dynasties and culture; from refugees and handicrafts to a World Bank-funded road that leaves you in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary. It was precisely such a discussion, however, CultureSPEAK – Window Bhutan – that […]