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Paradise in Our Backyard: A Blueprint for Nepall IN Paradise in Our Backyard, Karna Sakya—conservationist, entrepreneur and patriot—has compiled some of his thoughts on his motherland and the problems plaguing it. He has even offered simple solutions to seemingly complex issues.
Nepal has been in the grip of darkness that has carried on so long that the Nepalese have despaired of seeing the light. Suspicion and counter suspicion are widespread and threaten to tear the country apart. The common man, in Sakya’s view, can’t be blamed for the current political, economic and social plight and distress that the country is in. The responsibility for this rests with a handful of self-centred administrators, corrupt political leaders and myopic policy makers. Sakya wishes to rekindle hope and confidence in the youth of Nepal. From the life that he has led, he hopes to show people who have become pessimistic, that the possibilities in Nepal are many and varied. All that the Nepalese need are eyes to see these opportunities and the brains to bring them to fruition. Sakya is of the opinion that our thinking patterns alone are responsible for our successes or failures. Only by boldly facing up to challenges can we overcome them. Even under the present social and political circumstances, we can achieve many things by utilising existing resources and manpower, however limited, and in doing so, make a genuine contribution to building the nation. Furthermore, there is no need for things to be done on a huge, grand scale. Small, practical plans will enable us to do plenty of productive work. Nepal, he says, is rife with potential for investment and development in numerous unexplored sectors which can be exploited if the Nepalese are to work with self-confidence and farsightedness. Examples of such innovative entrepreneurs are abundant, from a winery in Jomsom which introduced the ‘Marfa’ apple brandy, to a dynamic restaurateur who has employed deaf people in his restaurant, Nanglo. Another success story that he has cited is that of a bored housewife who started a business called ‘One price, different things; 99 rupees shopping’. Her innovation caused her business to become a success seemingly overnight. Sakya observes that most Nepalese block their ears with negativity and fail to listen to the stories of success. The author relates how he set up the now iconic Kathmandu Guest House in his family’s historic house in Thamel. The hotel ushered a new chapter in tourism in Nepal and was instrumental in establishing Thamel as the multicultural hub for tourism that it is today. He subsequently set up other hotels and lodges and played a pioneering role in introducing eco-tourism and adventure tourism in Nepal. He introduced the concept of ‘niche’ tourism in Nepal, packaging subjects of interest for discerning travellers, and was also one of the principal architects of the hugely successful ‘Visit Nepal Year’ organised by the Nepali government in 1998 which boosted tourism and gave a huge fillip to the economy. Sakya’s account of growing up in a large Newari joint family in Kathmandu, his higher education at the Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun, his work with the forest department and his distinguished career as entrepreneur and hotelier make compelling reading. Karna Sakya made an immense contribution to the social sector as well. In 1987, after losing his wife and daughter to cancer, he overcame personal grief to build Nepal’s first cancer hospital by coming up with the innovative idea of levying a one-paisa tax on every cigarette sold in the country. The book has been translated by the author from the Nepali best-seller Soch and is a lucid, engaging and honest account of a remarkable life. In a nation that is today battling pessimism and uncertainty, it makes the inspiring point that one man can make a difference, that change can be brought about by hard work and unflagging determination. Rewarding reading for those who believe they can make things happen.
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Born
into a well-off family, Sakya chose the bureaucracy in the form of the
forest service, instead of his father’s jewellery business. Joining
the department of forestry, which entailed visits to some of the
remote areas of Nepal, intimately acquainted him with the precious
natural resources and cultural heritage of his country. However, he
quit the forest department in 1970 and began to concentrate full time
on travel and tourism.