Book Review (Spotlight Weekly)

Fresh Outlook

Karna Sakya, a renowned personality, tries to convince the importance of positive thinking

By KESHAB POUDEL

From environment to tourism and social life to cultural and health sector, name of Karna Sakya is established everywhere. He has made enormous contributions in those areas. At a time when majority of Nepali intellectuals and leading business groups are following the path of cynicism, Sakya has come out with a book that gives fresh perspective about the happenings in the country and has called for the importance of spreading the message of hope and optimism.

“Soch (Thought) is a kaleidoscope that displays the pattern of perception and thoughts. It helps us distinguish many faces of truth, empowering a sense of judgment and it increases the power of positive thinking. Anxiety and skepticism when reign high, the disillusioned society needs to be resuscitated with morale, confidence and trust. Soch to me is self-esteem, optimism, conviction and hope,” said author Sakya.

Sakya, who played a leading role in collecting the fund to establish the Cancer hospital in Nepal, is a well-known environmentalist and tourism entrepreneur. One of the important aspects of the book is that he has attempted to see Nepalese society through the eyes of positivism. When a large number of Nepalese intellectuals are trying to discredit the open system and political actors of the time, Sakya highlighted their personal performance.

“Despite some errors, this is a good book which provides information for brain storming,” said Dr. Harka Gurung, a renowned Nepalese scholar, evaluating his book at a release ceremony.

Although Sakya released a book challenging the pessimism, cynicism of contemporary Nepalese society, he seems to be unable to discard the ritual of releasing the book by inviting scholars and colleagues to listen to the contribution of the author. Like all other book releasing ceremony, Sakya, too, invited more than two hundred people of different walks of life.

Moderated by his long time friend Rajendra Shrestha, author Sakya seemed to have enjoyed the two-hour-long ceremony where critics Dr. Harka Gurung, Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, Rajendra Shrestha, Ukesh Bhuju and journalist Bhairab Rishal spared their time talking about Sakya’s contribution.

Sakya has shown courage to speak the truth and reality of Nepalese society. “There are tremendous changes in the livelihood of Nepalese. Two decades ago when I traveled to remote areas, illiteracy was rampant and people did not have shoes to wear. In my recent visit to Humla, I found the change in terms of literacy, quality of life and development,” said Sakya. “Despite some difficulties due to conflict, the country has prosperous future.”

“At a time when most Nepalese shrug off their shoulders and muttered ‘ke garne’, Karna Sakya has made things happen and changed our society for the better. He wants all those Nepalese, for whatever reasons and wherever they may be in the worlds, who feel let down by the situation in Nepal. Through this book, he wants to convey the message that Nepal is and will be what each one of us decides to make it,” writes Anil Chitrakar, an Asoka Fellow.

Whether an idea to organize Visit Nepal Year 1998, or protecting the environment or establishing the cancer hospital, Sakya has made many important contributions. Along with all these contributions, Sakya now wants to share the happiness of positive thinking. In his book, Sakya also shows that how positive thinking can bring about the change. Just when the pall of cynicism and negativism is enveloping the whole society, Sakya has attempted to raise hopes through his positive thinking.