 In the years before memory began, the supercontinent Gondwana land moved slowly over the giant Tethysae before colliding with the Eurasian Plate. At that moment the Indian subcontinent joined hands with the land of Nepal, raising them in a graceful meeting of palms, saluting the heavens with the intertwining of several mighty fingers, the four mountains of the Himalayas. Nepal, as we know it today, was formed from over 100 principalities and states in 1769 AD by the legendary king Prithvi Narayan Shah, who hailed from the state of Gorkha. The state is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. 1990 was the year when the democracy took its first steps. In fact, the inspiration for the establishment of such a democracy in Nepal came from the contribution of the Nepali youth in the long struggle for Indian independence. With the turn of the last century, many Nepalese youth came to India for higher studies. Among them were B.P. Koirala, Surya Prasad Upadhyay, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Manmohan Adhikari. Thus, when the freedom struggle came around, there were many Nepalese youth in Varanasi, Patna, Allahabad and Calcutta. Many of these leaders later formed the Nepali Congress party in the wake of the Indian freedom struggle. This bridge over the Mechir River near Kakarbritta is a signpost of trust between the two nations. The open borders over 1751 km in length allow for regular people-to-people contact. Gorkha soldiers hailed from many different hill tribes of Nepal. They could be Gurungs, Magars, Limboos or Tamangs. More than 40,000 of them are serving in the Indian army alone. 115,000 of them receive pensions from the Indian state. Tourism contributes over 11% of the foreign exchange earnings for the Nepali's economy. There are numerous recreational facilities. For the tourist who likes the temporal pleasures of water running between his toes or splashing his face, there's river rafting. The rivers might look peaceful, even calm. But remember, the adrenaline begins to flow as soon as you hit a patch of white water. From time immemorial, the close relations of both the countries have inspired architects and artists on both sides. A good example of such interaction can be seen in the buildings in the valley of Kathmandu comprising three ancient cities-Kathmandu, Bhaktpur and Patan or Lalitpur which was founded by Emperor Ashoka in the third century BC. Nepal is primarily an agrarian economy. Like any other developing country, the majority of the population is dependent on crop yield. South Nepal is the country's food bowl. It constitutes just about a quarter of the arable land. It produces three-fourths of its rice and wheat. Almost all the agricultural operations are undertaken traditionally. Nepal is an agricultural country and almost 80% of the population depend on agriculture. I think our development strategy must build from agriculture sector or rural sector. Now what we are finding is there is some problem in terms of investment strategy and population structure. Whereas on the one hand, we have 80% people leaving and depending on agriculture. On the other hand, agriculture's contribution to gross domestic product is decreasing. So that means the Nepalese population in the larger segments are not contributing adequately to the gross domestic product. And this means we need more emphasis on rural sector. We need more emphasis on agricultural sector. And agriculture must be the backbone of the future development for Nepal. Today, while modern amenities like internet cafes and electricity are found in major cities like Kathmandu or Pokhara, there is little change in the villages. Perhaps the day will come when the brightness of an electric light will bounce and play effortlessly between the fingers and needle of a woman sewing a future for herself and a progeny. For now, she waits patiently.