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Province 6, which has recently been named Karnali Province, will soon be directly linked by air with Kathmandu. There will be direct flights between Kathmandu and the provincial capital Surkhet from early next month. Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC), the national flag carrier, and Buddha Air, a private carrier, have agreed to fly between Kathmandu and Surkhet start­ing April 4. The two carriers reached an agreement to this effect with the federal ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation last week.

Currently, there is no direct air service from the capital to any district of Karnali Prov­ince. As a result, travelers from that province have to use the airport in Nepalgunj, the cap­ital of Province 5. For about six months in 2013, Buddha Air used to fly between Kath­mandu and Surkhet, but it had to terminate the service after incurring heavy losses. Many passengers preferred to fly into or out of Nepalgunj (instead of Surkhet) as it was cheaper. The airline compa­nies have now agreed to adjust ticket prices.

The resumption of flights between Kathmandu and Surkhet is also expected to bring more tourists to Karnali.  

BY LALIT B. BUDA | SURKHET

Children of mid-western Nepal are becoming socially aware and active. On March 12, local children were successful in stopping the underage marriage of 14-year-old Bimala Biswokarma and 17-year-old Sandesh Biswokarma, both from the district of Jajarkot. “When we learned of the planned wedding, we contacted local police, as well as women’s organizations and social activists to stop it,” says Sumitra BK, who is herself a student activ­ist. The parents of the to-be bride and groom were persuaded to postpone the marriage until both of them turn 20.

Local children and adolescents have been active in a campaign against child marriage after taking part in an orientation program on the issue organized by two local NGOs.

The initiative is timely. Says Sakuntala Acha­rya, a female supervisor at the Jajarkot Women and Children Office, 74 percent adolescents in the district get married before the age of 19.

Raju BK, 16, and Sapana BK, 15, from Sanibheri rural municipality of West Rukum (also in mid-western hills) got married on March 10. (Both names have been changed.) But their marriage did not last more than a day. Child activists, with the help of the local police, were able to persuade the parents to get the marriage consummated only after the bride and the groom reach 20. These are not isolated cases. As many as five underage marriages have been stopped in Rukum in the month Feb-Mar alone—all with the initia­tive of local students. All underage couples were later handed over to their parents. Sub-inspector Gagan Singh Thakuri gives full credit to young students.

He believes that children have become increasingly aware of the ills of underage mar­riage. “It’s illegal to get married under the age of 20. When children get wind of an underage marriage plan, they inform us, even though their parents try to hush things up,” he says.

Ram Prasad KC, child protection officer at the Rukumeli Society Development Center, which has been facilitating the campaign against child marriage, corroborates the view. “The chil­dren’s initiative has led to a visible decline in the number of child marriage,” he says.  

By Rajendra Karki/Mahesh KC | Jajarkot/Musikot

Weekly Editorial Cartoon

The European Union Election Observer Mission contends that the constitutional provision for proportional representation in Nepal is flawed, in that the PR quota includes “well represented social groups such as Khas Arya”. Whether the PR system is flawed or not, it is beside the point. Our constitution is not flawless, and it will be amended as and when needed. But what to amend and when should be entirely up to Nepali actors. It is particularly baffling when responsible members of the international community—among them those who first defined the concept of sovereignty for nation-states no less—poke their nose into a purely internal matter for Nepal.

We fully support the prime minister when he says no attempt to disturb social harmony in Nepal will be tolerated. KP Sharma Oli, who now commands absolutely majority in federal as well as all seven provincial assemblies, is arguably the strongest prime minister of democratic Nepal. It is good to see that at least in his early days he is clearly spelling out our national interest, and making it crystal clear that the days when foreigners could openly meddle are over. The foreign ministry, under the competent hands of Pradeep Gyawali, also deserves credit for its swift and unambiguous rebuttal of the provocative observer mission report.

Foreign envoys in Kathmandu traditionally enjoyed outsize clout as our political leaders were always at their beck and call. There is no shortage of leaders in Nepal who have asked resident Indian envoys to place their children in good Indian universities, or those who have finagled cushy trips to China from resident Chinese envoys. Our MPs and ministers, over the years, have also been a little too eager to go on all-expenses junkets to the US or Europe, often by compromising the country’s interest.

It is too early to say whether Oli’s ministers will be any different. But early signs are encouraging. Now that Nepal has a constitution as well as a strong government elected under it, the prime minister also made it clear that political inputs from the outside are needed no more. Of course, if our foreign friends want to help Nepal in its new quest for equitable economic development, or if they are keen to pursue mutually beneficial deals, they are most welcome.

The new rule of engagement for foreign actors could not be simpler: if you want to do business in Nepal, you will have to learn to play by our rules, just like we play by yours when we are on your territory.

Wicked Spoon Fork & Rock, as the name sug­gests, is all about great food and good music. Located conveniently opposite the parking lot behind St. Mary’s School in Jhamsikhel, right next to the famous Roadhouse Café, Wicked Spoon is a popular venue for live music in the area.

With a dedicated stage complete with sound and lights, this live music venue fea­tures band and artists of different genres every weekend. From rock, blues and pop to contemporary and jazz, Wicked Spoon serves a variety of music combined with an elaborate multi-cuisine food menu. Combine that with the flaming bartenders mixing a delectable list of cocktails and you’re in for a treat.

THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

Beer Battered Fish and Chips

Lemon Chicken

Wicked Crispy Chicken

Opening hours: 10:00 am-10:00 pm

For reservations: 01-5522968

Cards: Not Accepted

Average meal for two: Rs 1,500 (including starters & main course)

Following the bank’s dispute with the Nepal Banker’s Associ­ation, Laxman Risal’s resigna­tion as has been approved by NIC Asia Bank. Roshan Kumar Neupane has been appointed the acting CEO. The 345th board meeting of the bank approved Risal’s resignation. The same board meeting also appointed Neupane as the acting CEO. NIC Asia has a customer base of one million across the country and has been providing services through its 184 branches and 187 ATMs outlets.

Hansraj Hulaschand & Co, the sole authorized distribu­tor of Bajaj motorcycles, has announced its New Year cam­paign ‘Bajaj Yugarambh’ with the tagline ‘Naya Nepal ko Naya Subharambh’. As per a media release, the special cam­paign titled ‘Bajaj Yugarambh’ indicates a new era where the youth is responsible for nation building and shaping its future.

Every customer buying a Bajaj motorcycle from an autho­rized dealer will get a sure-shot discount of Rs 7,500. The buyer will be further booked for a lucky draw to win an exciting prize of Rs 75,000 every day.  

Targeting the upcoming Nepali New Year in mid-April, Jagdamba Motors, the sole authorized distributor of TVS Motors in Nepal, has launched a new scheme for its custom­ers. The company has launched ‘Naya Barsha ko Shuruwat Jiwan Bhar ko Saath’ campaign for its new customers in which customers will receive Rs 8,001 instant cash back on every pur­chase of a TVS motorcycle or scooter. The offer, which will be valid for the next few months, is applicable to all TVS authorized distributors and showrooms across the country.