Paras Should Be Made An Example Of.

Paras should be made an example of.

The Nepali justice system, police and democracy in Nepal have a great opportunity staring at at them. They have in there hands a high profile drama. The arrest of Paras Shah and his admission that he fired a shot in anger with a unauthorized firearm clearly puts the law in favor of those charging him. The government and political entities can get involved and completely humiliate the former royals and treat this a lesson to be taught to them. Or they can go a completely different route and drop the case because it is so controversial. Either of these options makes a lot of political sense. The former in its action and the latter in its inaction guarantee political brownie points. By taking the first course the parties can reignite the wanning anti-royal sentiment, and by taking the second they can avoid having yet another problem to deal with, and ensure peace in the country.

Or it can pursue a third course;a much radical path for a country like Nepal. It can make a example of him. A public display of the entire situation; making an example of how unlawful activity is handled in a sensible country. An example of justice. The people in the government and other political parties should stay away from the issue and let the police and the courts handle it. They should allow justice to take its course in a swift and fair manner. And even if the parties comment on it its acceptable, but the courts should remain clear of its purpose, the police should hold on to its principles, and the journalist to there. Let all citizen know that there is still hope for a fair trial, and rule of law in the land. Treat him no better or worse than any other citizen of Nepal. Send a message through this saga that if Paras can be treated with respect and in accordance to the law then all citizen will be subject to the same standards. Lady Justice is supposedly blind - this would be a good time to reassure us of it.

On the other hand Paras Shah and other royals should recognize that he cannot hide behind his family name anylonger.They are not politically special anymore. If given a fair trial and fair judgement for his actions he too should set an example and accept the verdict. if he is unsatisfied with the verdict challenge it in the courts. Further he should stop using nationalistic sentiments as shameful excuse to cover his drunk actions.

This sudden wave of support Paras is receiving is surprising. Supporters argue that his action is justifiable because he got up to defend the honor of the country. Nonsense! Absolute bull feces! A monkeys red arse! Nonsense, not because I doubt his patriotism, but because that is not what a patriotic action looks like. If every citizen were allowed to use violence against those who speaks against Nepal we would have a lot of bloodshed on our hands. Violent action could be justifiable by this "saving the honor of Nepal" excuse. Do we really want to set such a precedence. Such an excuse is not only laughable but also undemocratic. A person, regardless of his nationality, should have the right to say what he wants. Rubel Choudhary, the Bangladeshi citizen, might have used distasteful words against Nepal. He might have even called us a country of idiots, run for idiots, by idiots. He might have gone far enough to suggest that Nepal and Nepalis are good for nothing. Most insulting indeed but does this give all Nepali citizen to fire at him, or atleast punch him where it hurts most? Absolutely not.Yes, they where distastful, and yes they where hurtful, but thats the price you pay for living in a democracy. Thats the beautiful cost of freedom of speech. You dont have to agree with it, you can even mad about it, but you do have to allow it. Suppose I where to call Bangladesh a country of fish eating cowards who wouldn't have acheived there independence without India and especially General Sam Manesksaw and his Gurkha solider, I am guessing some Bangladeshis are going to be upset. Are my words insulting- yes. Would it be justified for a Bangladeshi to come and kick me. Absolutly not.

Here lies another opportunity for setting another example. Let all the people of the world know that Nepal is a becon of free speech, it is a place where regardless of nationalisty, color,sex and sexual orientation people can come an express themselves and go unhurt and unafraid. A place where I can say what I want and not be afraid of violent repercussions.

Ultimetlty this drama will lose steam. People will move on. The question now remains will people move on knowing they live in a just and reasonable society, or will they move on knowing that the laws that govern this country are so shady that all hope is lost.

Arrest order for WikiLeaks' Assange - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Arrest order for WikiLeaks' Assange - Europe - Al Jazeera English

Is it just me or does some else also smell the stench of conspiracy in this? Julian Assange, the Australian founder of the whistleblower website WikiLeaks to be arrested for sexual harassment and rape accusations. His lawyer, and thousand others ( including myself) do not think it is proportional to demand his arrest just to interrogate him. Don't get me wrong if the accusation are serious then by all means interrogate him. Issuing an arrest order puts the credibility and the intention of the entire process under question.

Its a strange world!!!


Its time we rethink how the world works. A reevaluation of what we think is right and what is wrong. About the things that matter beyond the i-pad and the Dolce and Gabana. Is this what being human really is? Humanity is not something you do, it is something you live. Its a unfair world when pets are being treated better than 2/3rd of humanity.

Photograph by Kevin Carter. He committed suicide 16 months after taking this picture



Image provided by blog.pawshpal.com

Sri Lanka set for constitution vote - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

Sri Lanka set for constitution vote - Central & South Asia - Al Jazeera English

a perfect example of the one man thinks he knows the best for the nation. How one man is arrogant enough to think that out of all the people in the world him and him alone has the capability to led the nation in the "postwar" period. And that people have a problem with him seeking a third term not because hes raping democracy before our eyes, or even because hes acting like a pompous ignorant , no people have a problem because of his background...yes everyone is as shallow as you.
All the best Sri Lanka...the war might be over but this non retiring self proclaimed savior of your nation is gonna create a whole new set of problems.
Speak Out for Democracy and the rule of law.

A hundred years from today

think about it.



A Hundred Years from Today

-by Rabindranath Tagore

A hundred years from today
who are you, sitting, reading a poem of mine,
under curiosity’s sway -
a hundred years from today?

Not the least portion
of this young spring’s morning bliss,
neither blossom nor birdsong,
nor any of its scarlet splashes
can I drench in passion
and despatch to your hands
a hundred years hence!

Yet do this, please: unlatch your south-faced door,
just sit at your window for once;
basking in fantasy, eyes on the far horizon,
figure out if you can:
how one day a hundred years back
roving delights in a free fall from a heavenly region
had touched all that there was -
the infant Phalgun day, utterly free,
was frenzied, all agog,
while borne on brisk wings, the south wind
pollen-scent-brushed
had suddenly arrived and in a flash dyed the earth
with all youth’s hues
a hundred years before your day.

There lived then a poet, ebullient of spirit,
his heart steeped in song,
who wanted to open his words like so many flowers
with so much passion
one day a hundred years back.

A hundred years from today
who is the new poet
whose songs flow through your homes?
To him I convey
this springtime’s gladsome greetings.
May my vernal song find its echo for a moment
in your spring day
in the throbbing of your hearts, in the buzzing of your bees,
in the rustling of your leaves
a hundred years from today.

This poem written in 1896 by Rabindranath Tagore(1861-1941) Indian poet, playwright, internationalist,painter and essayist;won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He was knighted in 1915--but, after the massacre in India in 1919, gave up his knighthood in protest.

On Nepal and its need to buck up.

I may have gone beyond the limitations permitted by philosophers and logic while searching for an appropriate analogy; yet, as with individuals, nation states too are incomplete, unsafe, and in a serious threat of failure without defining for themselves a national identity. I see this dynamic process of identity formation as a process consisting of three very important aspects: a) tradition, b) vision, c) and social conditions. I am in no manner arguing that identity formation happens exclusively through these three ways- much seasoned and wiser people may disagree- what I am saying though is that these three forces must be considered while shaping up the national identity. Another important feature of shaping the national identity is that because it is a concept that is so reliant on, what we call ,the aam Jaanta ( the common man) the citizens of the nation are participatory members ( voluntarily or involuntarily) of the process.

Nepal is in a strange conundrum regardless itself. Either Nepal needs to come out of the closet that our vision less leaders have forced us into, or be prepared die a slow suffocated death as a nation. Let all be clear about one thing, Nepal as a sovereign nation stands no chance in the international arena if it does not strengthen its weak national roots. No country harboring within itself the flimsy doubt of who it is has been able to stand the inevitable test of time and the inevitable notions of separatist aspirations. So let us first see whether or not, Nepal as it stands today has a strong national identity in terms of the aforementioned aspects.

Traditionally, because of the short sightedness of the fools “leading” our nation ( to god only knows where) we have been left to wonder where we find our roots. We have been left seeking our national soul amongst the glorious mountains, and beautiful plain; and although it sounds amazing, these have led us to neglect the great tradition of philosophical and spiritual development that we were a part of. India has unjustly hogged the glory of all ancient Hindu scriptures and knowledge by claiming it as exclusively its own, leaving us with only high mountains, beautiful landscape, couple of ancient temples and an apathetic debate over Buddha to seek our national soul from. I say India has hogged the glory of the ancient Sanatan Dharam because I believe, she as a nation-state does not have a monopoly over it. India as it exists today did not exist in the days of the past. The Vedas, the Upanisads, the Gita, the Ramayan is as much ours as Indias’, as a matter of fact, it is as much Sri Lanka’s, and Bangladesh’s, and Pakistan’s as ours and India’s. The greatness of this legacy is a shared heritage of the Indian subcontinent as whole- regardless of present day national boundaries. A very significant chunk of the Vedantic and Buddhist philosophy found it birth in the present day India but claiming it solely of India( as we define it today) would we wrong.

In terms of vision, Nepal lacks both the ingredients that can lead a nation to know itself: visionaries and a vision. Great nations that have survived myriad of political crisis have done so because they had a number of great thinkers who could provide a blue print for the nation; India with its great thinkers like Tagore and Gandhi, America with its Jefferson, Madison and Lincoln have shown us that all nations need a vision. This vision needs to be debated by all, and is dynamic in nature. Nepal embarrassingly lacks this. Firstly, there is no vision worth debating and secondly, even if there is a debate worthy vision no serious debate takes place because we have no means of doing so.

Finally, the national identity of a nation depends heavily on the social conditions of the people, in other words the ground reality. Social conditions of the nation provide a reality check to empty dreamers as well as a chance to aam janta to shape the will of the nation. But the social condition needs to be evaluated, it needs to be studied and understood- a colossal task.

What I am saying is Nepal needs an insurgency of new thinkers soon or Nepals days as a nation-state are unfortunately numbered.

The Whore and I

I lay awake
on the roof
as Kathmandu slept in thirst.
My alert twisting and turning on the cold cement
disturbing
the street whores
privacy.

She was up, like me, to find some peace
in the soothing night;
away from the relentless
bickering of
idle know its alls
in the nooky tea stalls
and unemployed dream makers.

I, having apologized for my manners,
seduced her to accompany me that night
to spectator the glory of the lifeless city
Hiding its ugliness under the burkka
of corrupt street lights.

We exchanged glances over
the snores of the crowded city.
And like the much laughed ancients we fell in love,
Only through the shy glances in the beautifying dark.

My sweetheart and I romanced.
The blank paint overwhelmed
the still surprised roads,
the stone eyed children,
the moody garbage- that decides to stay
a few days longer,
the random reflection of the rooted stars,
and the chaos that we had come to accept
as a part of our charm.

In the cool night
we cozzied in the theater
of my roof
and her street.
Naively basking in the moonless sky,
ogling at our perfect city
Until unkindly awakened by the
the bloody heat
that washed the makeup off my city’s face
to expose ,to that bitch and me,
the flaws in our world.

For Hindus Only

The other day, while I was at one of the marvelous temples that stand around the Valley the most eye-opening thing happened. At this relatively slow temple I was accompanied by four of my friends, a foreign tourist and her guide. As we climbed the small flight of steps to get a closer look at the idol of the temple, the foreign tourist (she accent suggested German) was abruptly stopped by the grumpy old priest and her attention was directed to a board that read “Entrance for Hindus only”. The flabbergasted tourist looked at the equally dumbfounded guide for an explanation. And while the guide was blabbering something incomprehensible we departed with our usual “that sucks” and “it’s not fair”. But this episode started debate in me, the eternal debate between progress and maintaining the status quo, the debate between doing what is morally right and maintaining the culture.

The rule to allow only Hindus into the temple stems from the present, non-Vedic, ignorant, concept of caste in the Hindu social system. Non-Hindus are considered casteless people, and therefore there admittance into the temple is unacceptable to the old guards. But there are some loopholes in restricting people on bases of religion in such a manner.

The problem with this criterion for differentiation is that there is no one way to become a Hindu. Hindu is not something you can become. You cannot be baptized into being a Hindu, Hindu is more a way of life than a religion. Because of the vastness as to how a person expresses his faith under the general umbrella of Hinduism there is no one distinctive characteristics of a Hindu. Because of these complexities in defining a Hindu, the only way to differentiate between a Hindu and a non-Hindu is on bases of race. A white person can be a more devote follower of Shiva while a person born in a “Hindu” family can be a atheist, and the only reason the atheist, or for that matter any brown skinned person, gets to go into the temple is because of the color of his skin or because he happened to be born in a particular family. That, regardless of how you sugar coat it this is clearly discrimination. The distinction of a Hindu from a non Hindu is clearly based on the age old notion of race and caste.
Further, the temples are not only the symbols of our religion but also a relic. A reminder of our glorious past. This past is a heritage of not only the Hindus that reside in this nation but also of the Sikh, the Muslim, the Buddhist, the non-believer, and all the other people who are its citizens. Discriminating a section of the society from gaining access to our past on bases of religion is not only unjust, but also sickening.

Also this rule does nothing to preserve our culture. I am not willing to accept such a perverse definition of what my culture is. And even if some argue that the rule to allow only Hindus into the temple is a part of our culture; it still does not prove that the rule is right. Just because it has been a part of our culture does not automatically justify it. Slavery, bonded-labor, the perverse caste system, and Sati -were all part of our culture but most of us agree that they are wrong and we have moved on from it. Preserving the culture is no license to continue with the senselessness of age old tradition. In fact the rule runs contrarily to our culture. The sanctity of our temples should not be measured by who is allowed in but through how we treat the poor children begging right next to it. The hallow symbols of our faith will forever remain hollow if we do not change the imposed bigotry of few men a century or two ago.
Some people also argue that it is okay to not allow non-Hindus into the temple because other religions institutions too do the same. To them the reply is simple- they are wrong too. What is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular. Discrimination is discrimination whether one person is doing it or everyone in the world is doing it.

As far as I am concerned Hinduism has always been an inculcating religion. A religion flexible to time and place. And if we continue to follow senseless rules like this one the charm and essence of the Satanan Dharma will be lost forever. We cannot let rules like these be the tools we use to preserve our culture. And preserve our culture we must, but not by methods that run contrary to the very thing we need to preserve. Let us not be a party to this nonsensical system of discrimination; an unjust system that our forefathers fought against, and we are the first ones to point out when we go abroad.

A walk around a rising world.

In the summer heat when the world was
on its feet
ready to clap at every move
from the shores of the rainbow.
Having drowned myself in the mugs of
Glory days and forgotten friends
I escaped to walk about in the Pathans bazaar
To inspect the gossiped rejuvenation of the golden bird .


Walking through the uncertain hordes
I witnessed among familiar faces
Strange looks of unisex salons
and broad noses of owning this
and having two of that.

Stumbling across narrow street
Burning with the aggression of the most new steel
I ventured into hood-wink den
Where spirituality was traded and taxed
to poor believing aliens and the better lot (often with funky hair)
who come searching
in this profound land of ours,
to return sickened with what
we have caught from them.


The shaan of forefathers whored out
to brands unrecognizable but which must be had
Because he has it and she has it and
They have it.
O progress what crimes are committed in thy name.


Embarrassed by my intoxicated existence
I returned to the merry
one more round with
the world to celebrate
the coming of age.

Few thoughts on the “modernization” of Kathmandu

There is a sudden growth of “Western” style buildings in Kathmandu. A mushrooming of three to four storey houses with glass as their main façade. Everywhere the eyes meet the dreadful sight of ugly, stunted skyscrapers. A pitiful attempt to “modernize” the city of ancient temples. This sudden conversion of our city is analogous to many of the changes we seem to have made to our life styles.

Due to a sense of Western Universalism, we have come to unquestionably accept anything that the western nations do to be the standard by which we measure ourselves. Their art, their buildings, their food, their music, their history, their language is deemed modern, while our heritage, our art, our language, our dress is backward and orthodox. We need to stop equating modernity and Westernization. This dichotomy between Westernization and modernity is a very powerful idea. The west doesn’t have, nor does it claim to have, a monopoly over the definition of progress. Progress and science are not western concepts; they are universal. We can take the most modern of ideas and use it to fit into those aspects of our culture that are good, but which need to adjust to the change in environment. We need to realize that we can preserve our heritage through modernity. At the same time we can also use the modern ideas to challenge those assumptions in our society that we have for granted. I would rather eliminate the nonsense of “my” culture with the borrowed sense from others, but it is also true that I would keep the sense of my culture over the nonsense that I am blindly borrowing from other.

This reckless growth of ugly “modern” building in Kathmandu is a result of a deeply infested mentality of inferior complexity. We can have the tallest and the most modern of building while still preserving the architecture of our past. One of the few intellectually designed and aesthetically pleasing buildings in the city is the Dwarika Hotel. The Dawrika’s is an example of how traditional architecture can be “adapted to the needs of the modern world”. The Dwarika should be hailed as the symbol of the modern nepali. A Nepali that salute the finest in its culture while always flexible to progress and adaptation with time.

Countdown: 30 days

I’m an eleventh-hour person. Even if I’m given a month to submit a 10-page assignment, I will wait for the last week to start it. I might even follow my teacher around negotiating an extension on the deadline. Eventually, I will be scrabbling to finish it a night before the submission.

I have, but myself, to blame for it and I understand it when others procrastinate. However, you would think that if 601+ people are made responsible to write their country’s constitution in 2 years, the cut-off date wouldn’t be such a problem.

But no, even as the countdown flashes just a month till the constitution-writing deadline, much of it remains unwritten. In fact, we don’t even have a draft ready. Only three out of eleven thematic committees of the Constituent Assembly (CA) have submitted their full reports at the Constitutional Committee. Compiling the reports alone is expected to take a month.

So will our elected CA members achieve their purpose by May 28? “Neta haru lai ek arka sanga jhagada gardai ma fursad chaina” (these politicians are too busy fighting each other) is a sentence you won’t miss if you listen to the political chit-chats of the ‘common people’. The parties are yet to resolve differences on key issues including the form of governance, army integration and state restructuring. The sense of euphoria, of hope… of change brought by the April Uprising and the elections thereafter have long been replaced by frustration or worse, a sad acceptance of the situation. The completion of the constitution was not just a political process, Nepali people fought for this revolution and it symbolizes victory of the cause.

Consensus is the magic word but even if all the parties come together and work, a month is too short for the kind of constitution the people had hoped for or even for a short version for that matter. The simplest way out now is to extend the tenure of the CA. The Maoists, as usual, are already throwing a tantrum- they won’t allow an extension of the CA unless the government is formed under their leadership (someone should remind the Maoists that the people chose them to form the government, they chose to resign and quit). NC, on the other hand, is pitching for another election altogether. As unrealistic as it is, another election would mean that all the resources spent till now on the CA will be a waste. All this, at a backdrop of Maoist running para-military trainings and threatening of Jana Andolan III. The streets of Kathmandu are already marked by processions hoisting a red flag around.

I am not a political analyst and I don’t know enough to make correct judgments here. But I am a Nepali citizen. I had voted for change, for stability, for development and right now I am disappointed watching our so-called leaders in a power-hungry blame game. If the parties could unite ‘against’ monarchy can’t they once again unite ‘for’ the people and live up to their commitments?

Written by: Paavan Mathema for Speak Out.

Just spent 3 hours of my life reading about the Gayatri Mantra.

A lot of us, good old Hindu’s, are told to recite the Gayatri mantra. And me being the unquestioning simpleton that I am did what I was told. But after a few years (yes... I took me few years) of off-on recitation I began to question as to what the Gayatri mantra actually meant, where it came from, and why the hell( pardon my language) am I parroting this random Sanskit shlok. ( yup…I just used my own name in a sentence…did I blow your mind..Or Did I blow your mind!!!)

Gayatri Mantra is a highly revered mantra, taken from a hymn in the Rig-Veda ( which is the oldest and the most scared of Hindu texts) (3.62.10). The mantra is repeated and cited very widely in vedic literature,and praised in several well-known classical Hindu texts such as Manusmriti, Harivamsa,and the Bhagavad Gita.

Originially, the mantra was recited only by Brahmin males as part of their daily rituals. However, with the help of the modern Hindu reform movements the mantra is chanted by all and its use is now very widespread. It is bad analogy but think of it as a equivalent (in terms of popularity) of the Lord’s Prayer for Christians.
One thing I learnt from the little “research”of the Gayatri mantra is that, no one has the answer to my questions. No one really knows what it means.
The meaning of the mantra itself has changed over the years. Because the mantra is written in old Sanskrit (a beautiful language which, unfortunately, has one of its legs dangling in the grave and another on a banana peel) there is the obvious problem of translation. The Gayatri is also subject to personal translation. Because the mantra extends and reaches to encompass everything (seriously Everything) it can be translated to mean whatever I chose it to be.
Here is the gayatri mantra and some of its translations.

Devangri:
ॐv भूर् भुवः स्वः
तत् सवितुर्वरेण्यं ।
भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि ।
धियो यो नः प्रचोदयात् ॥

English:
Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
tát savitúr váreṇyam
bhárgo devásya dhīmahi
dhíyo yó nah pracodáyāt

Word to Word: see more in http://www.swamij.com/gayatri.htm
AUM/OM: Absolute reality. That which encompasses the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep, represented by AUM, the three levels of gross, subtle, causal, the three levels of conscious, unconscious, subconscious, and the three universal processes of coming, being, and going. Absolute silence beyond the three levels is the silence after AUM.

Bhur: Physical realm or plane; earth.
Bhuva: The subtle or astral plane.
Svah: The higher, celestial plane.
Tat: That, the essential essence.
Savitur: Bright, luminous, sun-like, inner power of spiritual light, which brings one to Self-realization.
Varenyam: Finest, best, choicest, fit to be sought.
Bhargo: Destroyer of obstacles. Effulgence
Devasya: Divine, resplendent, shining
Dhimahi: We meditate.
Dhiyo: Our being of intelligence, intellect, understanding, mind/heart
Yo: Who, which
Naha: Our
Prachodayat: May enlighten, direct, inspire, guide, impel
Some translations include: see more in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gayatri_Mantra

• Sir William Jones:
"Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the god-head who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress toward his holy seat.”

• Swami Vivekananda:
"We meditate on the glory of that Being who has produced this universe; may He enlighten our minds.”

• Two interpretations by S. Radhakrishnan:
1. "We meditate on the effulgent glory of the divine Light; may he inspire our understanding”
2. "We meditate on the adorable glory of the radiant sun; may he inspire our intelligence."

• The Arya Samaj interpretation:
"O God ! Giver of life, Remover of all pain and sorrows, Bestower of happiness, the Creator of the Universe, Thou art most luminous, adorable and destroyer of sins. We meditate upon thee. May thou inspire, enlighten and guide our intellect in the right direction”

• Brahmo Samaj interpretation:
"We meditate on the worshipable power and glory of Him who has created the earth, the nether world and the heavens (i.e. the universe), and who directs our understanding.”
• William Quan Judge
"Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat."

This kind of relativity is in line with the modern tradition of “ do what you want …how you want …as long as you have faith..and are good person…or even not have faith and are a good( whatever that means) person”.
For me, however, the best translation of the mantra is provided by some person known as shantimayi at http://www.shantimayi.com/gayatri_sm.html. The translation goes as:
Throughout all of existence
"That" essential nature
illuminating existence is the
Adorable One.
May all beings perceive with subtle intellect
the magnificent brilliance of enlightened awareness.

All it says, to me, is that there is something more than us and having recognized that we hope attain knowledge and awareness to understand it through our capabilities.

I think I can live with it. I probably won’t recite it 7 times in row..but every once in a while I can acknowledge there is something greater than me …and recite the Gayatri mantra with the knowledge and awareness of what I am saying.

GPK: A legacy to debate

Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister and president of Nepali Congress passed away Saturday at 12:10 p.m. GPK has been a towering figure in Nepali politics for over 4 decades. The death of GPK generates a big void within both the Nepali Congress and as an over-arching figure in Nepali politics. While much of Nepali media and politician seem to have suddenly found their long lost love for Koirala, people seem to have mixed feelings about his legacy.

There seems a difference in opinions regarding GPK between the mainstream media and the blogs. This difference in opinion steam out from what face of GPK people remember. Those who knew the pre 1990 Girija vs those who knew Girija post 1990. The post 1990 generation, who dominate the blogosphere, tend to have a more skeptical image of GPK. It’s the image of an old man holding on to power even if it means compromising on the principles so many say he holds dear. It an image of a man who was prime minister the country five times; a country bounded by the shackles of poverty, smeared with corruption and blooded by violence. Girija became the face of the dirty politics in Nepal (see my criticism of him in 5 worst people of Nepal). And although many of us did respect the man during the April revolution and its immediate aftermath, we were quickly disenchanted by the blatant nepotism he seemed to encourage. Unlike the pre 1990 generation, we never saw the Girija who was arrested and imprisoned by King Mahendra following a failed armed revolt against the 1960 royal coup. We never saw a Girija who was sent to exile and masterminded a plane hijack. We never saw Girija as champion of secular democracy in the nation.


Sketch by Dewen via the Kathmandu Post

If you glance through the Grijababu gone, the obituary written by Kanak Mani Dixit (probably the most read article on GPK’s death) you will find an array of comments that range from a proclaiming GPK as the father of the nation to accusing him of “raping the country”. The comments on mysansar.com are even more interesting. As a youth oriented blog the comments on mysansar are seem more critical of Girijababu. Try blog.com.np, there you will find people calling him a “monster”, and another calling the person who called him a monster an “idiot”.

While the media has tried to sell the death of GPK as a loss of a “national guardian”, many nepalis, especially the youth are not buying that. And while it would be unfair to say the GPK wasn’t a great spokesperson for democracy in Nepal it is also unfathomable to think of him as a “universally loved leader whose death has shocked the nation”.

However, given the fact that he did dedicate his life to help the country (I must admit that I do not doubt the man’s convictions) I hope his soul finds peace.

To the angels on earth

After much debate with myself I decided to post this. It can be taken as a poem of bad taste, but it is all in good humor so i wont apologize.And if you are offended, "frankly my dear(s) I don't give a damn". No seriously it was written as a joke.... So the story behind this poem is that one of my friends commented that the best thing about spring is girls and how he wished to read a poem about it. So I took it up as a challenge. I hope you guys like it.

As prudent winter sleeps

And warmer breeze heroically peeps

With the blooming of the flower

The sun generously adds some hour.

In these bright sunny days

I am amazed by your ways.

When you break that cocoon of white

My soul dances with elfish delight

The sizzling heat does rise

The skirt, bounces and my heart joyfully dies.

When the tailor labors a little less,

Those glossy people, may god bless.

The bosoms finally breathe

Heavy, with chemicals my body shaking does need.

Through the cloudy linen your mounts peak

Erect, my imagination, and my eyes hauntingly left to seek

Those naked limbs, with sinus so tight

Me my “y” chromon’s have to fight.

In the twin mountain subtle glow

A deep flirtis cleavage does flow.

Through the wavy mysterious fur

My hopeful fingers do passionately lure.

And I glance from the rear

At those carnal twain so fair.

And I a prisoner of your charm

That which rattles my mind also does calm.

O angels, beautify personified

To convey my noblest intent I have tried

My humble earnest respect you

And to the god blessed spring

To our Manhood this favor does do.

Bounce freely, shake, feel the air

And those divine jewels with us do religiously share.

Holy S*#t Man!!!

The spring session seems to have led to a sudden boost in the sex drive of Hindu holy men. Three swami-self-proclaimed spiritual leaders, have been involved in three separate sex scandals in the last two weeks.

Personal Note to the swamis
Now boys, I know it’s the session when the sun is shining and the weather is sweet and you are on your game but remember you have a reputation to uphold. Just because you dress up in funky orange robes and talk about universal love does not mean you practice it on anything that moves. Have some shame. Did they not teach you any manners in spiritual school or wherever it is you got the authority to preach from?

First it was the Hindu guru in Delhi who was arrested for using his ashram (meditation and prayer center) as a “front office for high-class prostitution racket involving airline hostesses and college girls".Then it was the Paramhamsa Nityananda; the leader of the Life Bliss Foundation, who claims more than 30 million followers in 33 countries, whose ménage a trios was recorded, and broadcasted on TV. However,Paramhamsa and his organization has denied the video by calling it a fraud and a work of graphics. And finally (I hope..) Mr Sahai, Head of the Centre for Excellence in Vedic Vangmay Research and Development Foundation, who kidnapped a girl after she refused to marry him. And the reason why she refused to marry him is that he has a wife and a seven year old daughter. The first time she refused, this moron offered her 10 million rupees, the second time around he kidnapped her. I guess he really wanted to marry her huh.

Now I personally do not have any problems with swamis. I have met quite a few of them and seen dozens more on TV; and they seem nice (except that one guy who thinks homosexuality is a disease and can be cured—he’s a jackass), but these scandals are taking it a notch too far. News about holy men engaging in not the most moral of activities was not unheard of, but three sex scandals in a week would make the promiscuous of Catholic priests blush.

What these recent scandals tell us is that not every bloke that comes around wearing the stereotypical “religious” clothing and speaking about semi-profound things is virtuous. Just because he looks like a holy man, doesn’t mean he is one. History has taught us, time and again, that religion can, has and will be used to make a fool of people. And that holy men are men as well.

Image from southcine.blogspot.com/

Here is some post-colonial thought for you

Here is some post-colonial thought for you
Stop telling me the past is past
And what happened happened, and that my life is better for it
Can’t you see what has been done
How I have changed because my father changed who changed because his father
was chained
because your great grandfather wanted us to be
like you
With your good morning maam’s and spoons and knifes
And A for apples and B for Ball
To civilize me …
Don’t you fucking tell me its ok.

Don’t you fucking tell me its ok
Because the fact that I am standing here
Spitting to you my anger
in a language that is not mine
That was not supposed to be mine…
in small town Missouri is not ok.
You cant see yourself in Kathmandu
Slamming in Nepali can you …

Don’t you fucking tell me to calm down
Cause you think the way are is the way to be
With your “its so funny you eat with your hands”
And its so funny you use water to clean your bums
and its so funny this and its so funny that
why the fuck are we the anomaly.
Is it because you wear a tie and a dress
And define freedom to mean
generating small talks about sex…
I refuse to be a victim of inferior conformity
especially if its shrouded in a fake veil of progress


And don’t you impose Kant and Smith and Marx on me
judging our lives
Through the bullshit in yours
And I am taught that they are great cause they knew
They knew my ass is what they knew
And fuck your materialism and capitalism
And while you are fucking fuck socialism too…

So don’t tell me colonization is over
cause its not
And I am a living proof.

Buddha: And the Problem with his citizenship

Fareed Zakaria in his book, “The Post-American World” claims that Buddha and Buddhism were born in India. Now if you know a Nepali or are one you are fully aware of how touchy this subject is. This incident like the Chadini Chowk to China saga and numerous other incidents are proof that Buddha is a subject Nepalis and Indians are, ironically, ready to pick on arms for.

Siddhartha Gautama (who after enlightenment became Buddha) was born in a place called Lumbini, in the principality of Kapilvastu to King Suddhodana of the Sakya clan. Having lived a good chunk of his life in Kapilvastu he decided to leave his royal privileges and responsibilities in search of the truth and be a mendicant. After years of meditating in the areas near the present day Northern India, Buddha attained Enlightenment under a Bodhi tree in Gaya( there is much more to the story but I have an assignment due in a couple of hours so pardon me if I don’t give the details).

In poor Buddha’s time there were no borders, and the fairly recent concept of the Indian state and the Nepalese state did not exist. However, when the present day border was drawn Lumbini became a part of Nepal. So Nepalis proudly claim Siddhartha Gautama and "Buddha" ( the man) to be born in present day Nepal. On the other hand Gaya is in India, and since Siddhartha Gautama did received enlightenment in Gaya, Buddhism and "buddha" ( the enlightened teacher) do find its birthplace in present day India. The problem also finds its roots in ancient texts which referred to the entire sub-continent region (east of the Indus) as the generic “India”. So when ancient texts state that Buddha was born in “India” they mean the sub-continent and not the present day India. India’s constant use of advertising itself as “Buddha Birthplace” as an effective tourist attracting mechanism and in its movies has not helped the situation either. Many Nepalis also take offense that a significant number of Indian historians have taken upon themselves to write history text books that claim Buddha to be born in India.

Not many people get the importance of Buddha to Nepal. The fact that Buddhas birthplace is in Nepal is a matter of great pride to us Nepali’s. Even though we are a Hindu dominated nation, Buddhas message and teachings is a part of everyone’s upbringing. The concepts of peace and live and let live is universal and it’s a shock when its abrupted, but for us Nepalis, Nepal being Buddhas birthplace is a justification wildly used and believed in to maintain peace in the country. Ask any Nepali on the street what she thinks of the violence and she will tell you that it’s a shame these acts of violence are happening in the place Buddha was born.

Nepal is going through a period when we are questioning our national identity. And we are doing so in a time when we see ourselves as having lagged behind our neighbors. The once proud Nepali does not have much to be proud of and if at such a moment its most cherished symbol as a nation is threatened it becomes a big issue. Buddha and Mt.Everest are symbols all Nepalis grow with and when someone else claims it it does hurt our pride. India borders Nepal in three directions and provides invaluable aid and assistance to Nepal. And by the virtue of being the bigger and more developed country it does take interest in Nepal’s politics. Further, it has also encroached on the Nepali border on several occasions, about which Nepal as of now (let’s face it) cannot do much, and this angers Nepali’s. By further proclaiming to the world that Buddha was born in India and not Nepal it indirectly attacks Nepal national identity and this is our problem. Therefore everytime someone in India claims that Buddha was born in India almost all Nepalis are hurt while some are ready to pick up arms.

Does it matter where Buddha was born? Personally, I have to say no, it does not matter where Buddha was born and fighting over someone who taught non-violence all his life is stupid. However, claiming something that is not yours is not right either.
(( last edited 02/01/2010...))

My Personal War on Terrorism

My Personal War on Terrorism

Its official, I have finally entered the War on Terrorism. It was high time I committed myself to this struggle that President Bush so intelligently thrust us into. And in this war my weapon of choice is- Not shaving my beard. Yup you read it right I am planning to grow a beard every time I am scheduled to fly around.

Now this may seem odd, even weird perhaps, but a better weapon you will not find. Hear me out. Being brown in America and flying around is, let’s just say, not the most enjoyable experience. Every time I decide to take a flight I am asked by my concerned family and friends to take a shave (and I am not even Muslim, I am South Asian, things are a lot difficult for my Muslim friends). And their concerns are justified and appreciated. Growing a beard means that you risk being profiled, have to undergo “random” checks at airport security, basically it a pain in the rear. But by taking a shave I and my fellow beard loving brown people are giving the terrorists and profilers exactly what they want. By taking a shave the only people who lose is us.

We are free men and live in a free country and have as much a right to grow a beard if we so chose as any Tom, Dick and Harry. Shaving the beard in fear of being profiled because some crazy zealot decides to blow up a plane somewhere means that we are giving up our freedom to live and do what and how we please within the jurisdiction of law. It’s like deciding not to wear a red shirt during McCarthyism for the fear of being thought of as a communist. What’s next? Just because many terrorists have black hair we change our hair color? Trust me blonde hair on brown people don’t even look that cool.

We are not terrorists and have nothing to fear. By blowing planes up terrorists want to strike fear into the hearts of people. And if the reason we shave is us being fearful then they succeed in what they set out to do and that is unacceptable.

I mean if you don’t like a keep a beard than by all means shave, but if the only reason you are shaving is your fear of being ostracized than everything that you as a responsible citizen of the world should be fighting for is lost.

So there you have it. I have decided to grow my beard for my next flight and every other flight I take in the near future. This time I support keeping the bush ;-)

Nepal’s Most Horrible People in 2009

Nepal’s Most Horrible People in 2009

Bye Bye 2009, welcome 2010. We takethis opportunity to say farewell to 2009 and look back at some of the most horrible people in Nepal this past year. Here is my list( not in order), please make and rank your own.

Sujata Koirala- Sujata Koirala finds a spot on this list on the basis of her own merit ( for the first time in her life) and not because of her father. This lean ( jk) mean crying machine is both the minister of foreign affairs and the Deputy Prime Minister at the same time, without having to work at all ( unless you call being Girija’s daughter work) . Her determination to make nepotism a part of Nepali politics cannot be emphasized. This amazingly horrible person does not shy away from criticizing her party and its uncomprehending Committee members if need be. Her foreign policy tactics are as much a mystery as her credentials. She enjoys her role as the most powerful women in Nepal and we all appreciate how she thinks she must fly to a new country every second week for reasons only she knows. Speak Out salutes your genuine disregard for refusing to do the right thing.

Karima Begum- This heavyweight stole the limelight late in the year when she slapped a public official and refused to apologize. Her sheer stubbornness and embarrassing interviews have earned her a spot in this list. She was willing to play the “ It’s not my fault I am Muslim women” card in the most effective of manners. She is a symbol of women empowerment in Nepal having inspired millions of women into believing that using violence and then playing the victim card is Ok. She is also accredited with wasting an entire nations time. For this madam we thank you and place you in the list.

Rishi Dhamala- 2009 was all about him. From his arrest early in the year to his inclusion on the UN delegation later on he has stolen limelight (which he is a master at doing) throughout the year. This self created colossus of Nepali Media is an apple of every rotten politician’s eye. A reversal in his arrest over involvement in murder, kidnapping and treason was an issue all parties could agree on. His undying efforts to legitimize illegitimate political behavior for his benefit cannot be described as any other thing but selfish. As one of the greatest dicks of our times his gigantic assholism has left the scribe speechless. Thank you for showing us that if you are important enough to give the politicians what they want they might work for you. We place you in the list and wish you all the best for the future.

Pusha Kamal Dahal a.k.a Prachanda- No list is complete without the “fierce” one. This great man is the first prime minister of the new Nepal. Having promised the nation time and time over during the civil war that when the time comes he himself will never hold any official position in the government he was not ashamed to grab the post when he saw fit. The man has proved time and again that he can fool and lie his way out of most humiliating of circumstance, and still convince people he is the victim. He is a master at passing the blame, foreign forces and royal outfits being his favorite culprits. He is confused about his two names: Pushpa Kamal ( meaning Soft Beautiful Lotus) and Prachanda ( meaning The Fierce One). Much of what he says makes no sense and he reminds everyone of a really fat and ugly Bhuvan K.C. The sheer ugliness of his sweaters are enough to put him on any Worst Person list. Congratulations Sir and I am sure I’ll see you in more of these lists in the future.

Girija Prasad Koirala- The grand old man of Nepali politics has been in his absolute worst his year. From compelling the Prime Minister to appoint his daughter the Deputy Prime Minister to being a royal pain in the butt for everyone including his party member he has been there and done that. This past year is a culmination of decades of hard work at deceiving a nation and cheating his way through much of life. He is a solid pillar of lies, selfishness and political immorality. His great vision of a better Nepal is as boring as his speeches. This long nosed giant with a never give in attitude is an idol to all those who think the country is their fathers property to do as they please without having to answer to anyone. GPK has been included in this list because of his nonchalant attitude towards anything that might help the country prosper. Thank you!

Other notable names include Madav Kumar Nepal, Babu Ram Bhatterai, Vice President Pramanand Jha, Gyanendra Shah, and Matrika Yadav.

Please rank these people as you like.