18-24 July 2014 #716

Prakash raising livestock

Himalkhabar.com, 15 July

The controversial son of Maoist Chairman Prachanda, Prakash Dahal (pic, above) has now turned into a livestock farmer. Prakash bought a pig farm from Maoist leader Gopal Kiranti in March, and had previously also bought a dairy farm in Chitwan.

Prakash says his latest foray into livestock farming is aimed at encouraging Nepali youth to look for jobs within the country, and not leave for work abroad. “I would like to request all the youngsters who toil in Gulf countries to work hard in Nepal,” said Prakash, who has in the past, been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

When the Baburam Bhattarai led government sanctioned Rs 20 million for an expedition team to Everest that included Prakash in 2012, the decision was bitterly criticised. The same year, Prakash eloped with Maoist student activist Bina Thapa Magar who was also a member of the same expedition, leaving behind his wife and son in Kathmandu.

Maoist leaders Prakash Adhikari, Ranjit Tamang and Indra Bhushal are Prakash’s partners in the business.

Prakash was actively involved with the party for 15 years but doesn’t hold any post today. “I realise I have made mistakes in the past, and I am now working to correct those and change myself,” wrote Prakash in a Facebook status. In the same post, he claims all his family property were spent on the building of the party and he had to borrow money for his business from his maternal uncle.

“I do not have any responsibility in the party, neither am I in a position to do anything,” he writes. But in a conversation with this magazine, Prakash said he would like to take forward his political career and business together. Prakash says his next venture is beekeeping and plans to buy some hives soon.

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