Because Tibetans in Nepal Also have Rights!

Yet another prayer gathering by Tibetans in Kathmandu was busted. This now seems like a regular affair. And that is sad.

Given the geopolitics of the region Nepal's decision to adhere to the "One China Policy" cannot be criticized. But these over zealous attempt to please our Chinese friends (read overlords) by equating any Tibetan gathering as anti-China and cracking down on it brutally must stop. There needs to be an internal dialogue in Nepal about how important we think freedom of speech is in this country, and how far we are ready to go for the sake of friendship. As far as I am concerned: while in Nepal if someone wants to question the nature of Chinese governance in Tibet, Sri Lankan governance in Northern Sri Lanka, American bases around the world, or Indian governance in Kashmir, we should allow them the privilege. That's what free societies do.

I have nothing against a friendly relations with China. I think its much needed. The Chinese have been good friends to Nepal. But the last time I checked Nepal was not a part of China. So lets stop acting as if we are! It also surprises me that not many Nepali "pro-freedom", and "human rights" advocates cry out about this.

No one here promotes anti-china activities in Nepal. But we need to support human rights in China, and freedom of speech in Nepal.

Monsanto: Our Savior?

Stop Monsanto in Nepal screams a Facebook page. But why? Why should I stop something that promises higher yield for farmers, and food security in country where millions go hungry every day.

Well, this uproar is about USAID and the Ministry of Agriculture's decision to promote Monsanto hybrid maize seeds in key maize producing districts of Chitwan, Nawal Parasi, and Kavre. This controversial pilot project targets 20,000 farmers and includes training on hybrid maize production practices. The purpose of this initiate according to the USAID- Nepal website is to “improve the business environment, work with the Government of Nepal (GON) to strengthen fiscal and trade policies, encourage competitiveness and exports, enhance food security and increase access to financial services.”

Sounds good right! So why the noise? Apparently, all is not as bright and cozy about Monsanto and its hybrid seeds. Critics of this initiative have two major problems: first, the problem with hybrid seeds; second, the problem with Monsanto.

To start off- let be fair - there is a widespread confusion about what hybrid seeds really are. Most people seem to confuse them with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s). They are not the same thing. Hybrid seeds are the offspring of a cross of two different varieties or species, GMO’s are plants whose genes have been altered in the lab to insert foreign genetic material. It’s important to know that not all hybrids are GMO’s. A hybrid is a GMO only if one or both of the parent plants had been genetically modified. Most hybrids do not have artificially manipulated DNA and are therefore not GMOs.

Pro-hybrid seed folks argue that hybrid seeds are attractive because of their “hybrid vigor” which ensures higher yield, more uniform looking product, longer shelf life and relatively cheap price in the short term. Hybrid critics on the other hand argue that while the product looks better it taste like salted cardboard, requires more fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides and water to achieve their high yields than “traditional” or heirloom seeds, and are more expensive in the long term especially taking into account soil and water degradation.

Another big disadvantage of the hybrid seed is that farmers cannot save the seed. Saved seeds are either sterile or produce plants that are different from the original. This means that the farmer will have to buy a new batch of hybrid seeds every year.

For example, an average farmer from Kavre, let’s call him Ram dai, decides to buy the Monsanto hybrid maize seeds that USAID promises will give him higher yields and plants them. And like a good Nepali farmer, Ram dai does what the “foreigners and educated city folks” tells him and uses the prescribed fertilizers and pesticides the seeds need to fulfill their potential. Lo and behold! The seeds produce higher yields than usual. Ram dai is smiling from ear to ear! Everyone is happy until Ram dai realizes that the seeds from the hybrid crop cannot be saved for another year, and he has to buy the seeds again the next year and again the year following that. He's also angry about his soil is slowly turning into dust. Further, excuse his impertinence if he’s not too thrilled about the fact that the seeds also need a special kind of fertilizers, and pesticide for the wonder seed top work.He’s pissed to find out that the ones producing the wonder seed and the wonder fertilizers to sustain those seeds is the same company. Yes, you guessed it- The big M.

Which brings us to the second major problem: Monsanto- voted the world’s most evil corporation. Ask most environmentalists and they will probably say Monsanto makes Hitler look like a pink unicorn. So evil is Monsanto that when it offered to help a desperate Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, the smart Haitian farmer decided to the burn the seeds. Monsanto is accused of almost single handedly strangling small farmers, producing GMO’s that have harmful side effects, producing the infamous Agent Orange, and many other horrors that can be read about on any environmental blog online.

Also, surprising is the confusion USAID is under. USAID has somehow decided that the words " food security" and "promoting specific Corporate interests in the third world countries" mean the same thing. And while English is not my native language I am certain they are wrong. While USAID is "From the American People"I am sure the American people aren't too thrilled about improving Monsanto's bottom line.

So here we are: Is Nepal hungry from maize? Yes, we are. Will hybrid seeds increase our production? It will (at least in the short term). Is Monsanto’s hybrid seeds our best option? History and smarter people than me seem to think not.

So what are you going to do about it? My advise is to join the protest! Mail the US Ambassador and tell him he's wrong. Get in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture and tell them they are wrong. Spread the word!!

-----

P.S- Remember to spread the word in way that people understand and in a way that is respectful enough to be taken seriously.

What’s a game of Football after all?

I stood in a hot and sweaty classroom talking to a large group of older students about the “issues” they face.As I looked outside the room, I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was too distracted to continue that I took an unplanned break. In the
middle of the afternoon under the scorching heat of the relentless sun, a group of shalwar clad girls, were playing football with a group of boys. Yes, football. Even from my limited knowledge of the sport I could see that they have done this before, and had done it for a while.I looked around to see if anyone else was amused by this seemingly baffling scenario, but no one seemed to notice anything different. As I saw what I saw, I qucikly snapped a picture and sent it to my brother ( the self appointed guardian of my rightfull place as a women) with a caption that read, in bold, “ a man’s game! my foot”.In a futile attempt to unconfuse myself I tried telling myself “ So wh

at’s the big deal, it’s just football afterall? right?”...... wrong!.

I was so completely distracted at the time that it did not even occur to me that these students were playing in an area only recently cleared of landmines. Earlier that day, I met these students, trying to help them figure out these so called “issues”. However, their issues were somewhat different from what one might ex

pect.In this particular group, every single student had lost a family member due to death, detention or succumbed to the infamous lable “missing”. Most of them were forcefully conscripted to fight a grusome, bloody war they had not asked for, but nonetheless paid for it dearly.On average each student had been displaced and resettled 8 to 12 times within the past 10 years. They had suffered immensly at the hands of those who fought for, and aganist their rights, just two sides of the same coin depending on how one chooses to see it. Raped, orphaned, abused, maimed, detained, totured , the so called “issues” are endless.

A year ago when I took up an assignment to work in post war are

as, I was told of how backward this war ravaged community was. In order to be accepted I supposed to wear a saree ,pull my hair back , not look at men straight in the eye,speak the correct dialect etc. I had to play the part of a conservative women as this almost primitive society expected nothing less. I had no choice, as my oragnization explained it, but to be culturally sensitive. “I had to be accepted” according to their definition of how a women ought to be and therefore had to play the part accordingly.


This was the first time I travled so far into the interior of this isolated area, where firece fighting had ta

ken place toward the end of the war. The students and their families were resettled recently and were still trying to adjust to their new post war lives, away from detention, rehabilitation and refugee camps.Them playing football did not shock me beacuse I expected them to be traumatized or depressed as many would expect they would be. I was only confused beacuse this was the last place on earth that I thought I would see girls play football, (let alone play football with boys). In my defence, I was asked to be culturally sensitive.

As I travelled back to the city that night, I couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that these girls were playing a “man’s game” fearlessly in a place where women and men

had a clear understanding of “how women should be”. How could this so called backward community allow girls to play a “man’s game” ? and that too with MEN? (while I in a progressive city am asked to just watch the game).

Fortunatly that day, I was travelling with a senior counterpart who had worked in these areas through the thick of war. In a futile attempt to downplay my ignorance, I casually inquired of her about this incident that had now become an obsession. She, casually, told me how the traditional role of a women, and what she should and shouldn’t do are none exsistant in this part of the country. At the end of the conversation, she said with a h

alf smile “ They’ve seen women in every possible role, you city folk can’t even imagine”. The rest of the 12 hour journey back home my thoughts were flooded with unstoppable memories of stories I had heard during this assignment and during the past year. Why didn’t I realise this truth before?

I was made to believe that the definition of “how women should be” was well defined in this community. They were right, it was well defined, however the problem was that the definition I was given was wrong. The reality is that this community has seen their women fight in the frontlines of battle, detonate themselves as suicide bombers, manufature small ammunition, launch guerrilla attacks from within dangerous jungles,dress bloody wounds, lose limbs, carry the wounded and bury the dead ( at times the almost dead). Some of them followed the lead

of the women who taught them to assemble a bomb and defuse others, read mine maps and kill themselves when captured by the enemy. They have seen themselves, their mothers, sisters,aunts and girl friends agree to have sex with higher officers, in exchange for front line fighting. Women drove armed cars and tankers, bombed cities, trained fighters,lead battalions,smuggled tractor loads of weapons,dug bunker holes for protection, drank alcohol and roled joints, farmed, foraged and fished to feed their troups. They did all this and more, all in par with men; and in this the land of “how women should be” sometimes....just sometimes..... they also played football together.

This is not another quasie hero sob story of how this community has made it through tough times. While a handfull of resilient ones have re adjusted to their new lives, most of them have not yet made it through the tough times, (and might not anytime soon). The war has left more scars than what are seen outside. Greif, loss, poverty, coruption still continue to plauge them as they struggle to survive just one day at a time. Although the worst is over, and there are small but sure signs of positive change, to most of them them the absence of war is just the absence of war. Nothing more, nothing less.

In this community,one generation has lived to see how a war changed the so called traditional roles of a women upside down. While they were forced to re define the roles of women, they passed on the re-defined version to the next generation who live that reality today. So what’s a game of football afterall? for surely it’s not a man’s game anymore.

-----

Article written by Annamika.

The identity of the author has not been disclosed for security reasons.

Interesting Fact of the Day or "The Nepali PM That Helped Win a War"

While Nepal’s contribution of 160,000 soldiers to the allied cause during WW2 is widely known in Nepal and not unheard of in the rest of the world, its Nepals non-personnel contributions that I wish to highlight today.

Not many know, but in addition to the men Nepal, under PM Juddha Sumsher Rana, also contributed 3,000 walnut trees for the purpose of making rifle butts, 8000 sal trees for railways sleepers, 192 service revolvers, 145 binoculars, and 95 machine guns. The PM also donated Rs. 115,500 to various Imperial Relief Funds from his personal family reserves. Further (and this is where it gets interesting), the magnanimous and clearly very rich prime minister sent 50 cigarettes, a pound of tea, a pound of sugar, a pound of biscuit, and a photograph of himself to each leaving solider. Tell me that is not awesome!

The reason for Juddha Sumsher’s generosity was clearly political; and alas lady luck is no man’s mistress. Things didn’t turn out the way JSR had hoped. Winston Chruchill’s Conservatives lost and the new British Labor Government wanted out of the subcontinent. The Rana regime was left on its own, and didn’t make it much longer.

Regardless of how history turned out, Nepal’s unheard, albeit invaluable, contributions to the cause is worth remembering. Also worth remembering is the man who gave away photographs of himself to soldiers going to war.


Information provided by: Nepal Under the Ranas, Adrian Sever, pp. 350.
Photograph taken from ancestry.com

50 Biggest Football Egos

While I am not thrilled about seeing 3 Milan players on the list, I really can't complain. Also missing from the list are: Pique, Rafa Benitez, and the entire Inter Milan team ( well maybe not Zanetii and Forlan), and Sanchez.

For the list PLEASE CLICK HERE

Getting the timing right in Palestine.

US wants peace, Israel wants peace, Palestine wants peace, the world wants peace. That much we all agree on. But neither wanting peace, nor agreement on a 2- state solution is the problem. The problem, sadly for the millions Palestinians, is timing.

Of all the years to pressurize the US administration, forcing a yes/no stance on the issue of UN membership for Palestine a year before an uncertain US reelection campaign hardly seems like a wise choice. So why do it? Surly, the Palestine leadership must have known that US will veto such a reckless move. Its done so time and again on issues half as magnanimous as this.

Mr. Abbas must have surly known his low odds of getting this resolution passed. But by charging head on with his demands he has forced the burden of action (or inaction) on Israel and the US. Internally, there is a growing support for the end of settlement, and mutual peace and recognition in Israel. Polls conducted by PSR in March, 2011 shows that 52% of those polled in Israel want a mutual recognition of identity as part of a permanent status agreement. Further, among Israelis, 74% oppose settlers’ actions which damage Palestinian property and block roads (labeled “price tag”) in response to removal of illegal outposts by the Israeli government. Nethanyahu has to answers to this growing section of his constituency.

Externally, the growing isolation of the Israel is old news. Weakening relations with historically supportive Arab states, and questionable legitimacy amongst US and European public is documented. Most members of the community of nations support Palestinians claim for statehood; and at least 11 members of the Security Council are in favor for such.

US too is in a bind. Obama must tip-toe the line between losing the Jewish vote (79% of the Jewish vote went to Obama- Biden in 2008), and hurting larger American interests in the Middle East. Also, the moral question of supporting an occupying state over the occupied is increasingly weighing on American conscience. And while avoiding the veto in the Security Council might the help save face, all doubts of Americans flip flopping on the Palestine question will be put to rest. Critics will argue that USA and Israel are thick as thieves and it will take more than a liberal president and couple of democratic revolutions to change their thinking.

As I said earlier, it all about the timing. “Last week, the Quartet of mediators - the US, the UN, the European Union and Russia - called on Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace talks within one month and aim for a deal by the end of 2012.”, reports BBC. The end of 2012 will show us the results of the US Presidential elections. The diplomatic gamble for UN membership for Palestine depends highly on an Obama reelection. Once reelected, Obama does not have to worry of a third term in office. He will be relatively freer to pursue the goals laid out by him in the famous 2009 Cairo speech.

So the best option for Palestine is to come back in 2 years, September 2013, having negotiated the details of statehood with Israel. This way Israel and USA will have exhausted all excuses, everybody can save face, and legitimate concerns of statehood can be addressed. We will then see Palestine as a nation among the community of nations.

Palestine must continue to use the wave of international legitimacy to force Israel to the table under the conditions of "no new settlements". Israel must get serious about settlements and an inevitable Palestine state, and US must realize that the new political reality in the Middle East demands it ensure a fair solution.

The Palestine leadership can take these two years to resolve some of the questions that are bound to be raised after a state is created : better their case for a state, remove all doubts. They should address detailed peace based upon 1967 border, and security agreement with Israel; address concerns about Jerusalem, and settlements, trade agreements, economic restructuring, political restructuring, securing of loans. Securing its boundaries from non-state extremists and pacifying legitimate concerns about Israel’s security. It can and must also raise concerns about Israel refusal to give a police or a military force.

For the next two years, an increase in violence between Israel and Palestine would be unwise for Palestine. Another problem will be the election of a hardliners in Israel and US.

Timing is the key. It always has been. Mr. Abbas played his hand wisely, lets hope he continues to do the same.

Another reason to save the planet!!

Don Cheadle is Captain Planet from Don Cheadle

Plant trees or I'll turn you into a fucking tree!

A Citizens Letter to the New Prime Minister

Congratulation Dr. Bhattarai, to you and your family! We wish you all the best for the future. May you be a better leader than we hope, and are hitherto accustomed to.

I have no doubt that you shall find your term in office challenging and awfully frustrating. You now bear responsibility for a politically fragmented country that has lost trust in its leaders and has been robbed of optimism. These are times when grand decisions must be made with urgency and wisdom. A balance many consider impossible.

Having irreparably cast off the shadows of 240 years of apathy we find ourselves ill prepared to face what we were promised would be a better future. Years of wasted opportunity and petty squabbling have undermined the aspirations with which we poured onto the streets in April 2006. And while the political future of the present Constituent Assembly members will be determined in time, the future of the nation and all its citizens is under threat.

While we recognize that the tangles of the political system ensure that you will not govern us alone, you alone will be held responsible for the accomplishments of your administration. The moral obligation of the CA is the completion of the peace process and ensuring we have a constitution within the prescribed time. Anything less will be deemed a failure. Is that fair? I don't know. I wish it were different, but it isn't.

You, being an educated man, carry additional burden of expectations. We, as a people, keep telling ourselves that our politicians are fools because they are uneducated, and if only we were to have an educated person leading us, we could overcome the perils of these testing times. As of right now, you’ve become a symbol of what an educated Nepali can offer this wronged nation, and if you disappoint there is much to grieve over. Have no illusion, we will hold you to a higher standard than we have held your predecessors.

We hope you remember –what many forget –that you are a public servant. Through you were voted in by the few elected members, we the people legitimize you and your office. Your priorities are to represent the nation and its interest. The interests of you party, your friends, and yourself are and must be subservient. Keep in mind that the country suffers each day under the brutal incompetence of the system you now have the reins of. How best to ease that pain is up to you?

Also know this: regardless of how you govern us in the next few months, and what its consequences are, the resilience of the Nepali people will ensure we survive this political hurricane. We have endured much and are thick skinned to political belittlement. But when our patience runs out, it will give way to an anger that has shaped the course of our history time and again. When the dust settles we will hold each of you accountable for wasting our time, resources, and hopes. I only pray we act more responsible than you and your colleagues.

We don’t expect great things from you. We only hope you do your duty.
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P.s- Please share if you like it. Please comment if you have a problem. Praises and insults are much appreciated.

and the Lucky winner is...

Nepali politics reminds me of a sport, but I can’t seem to remember which one.

Cricket? Nah, that’s requires integrity. How about Football? Nope, it requires team work.
Perhaps Tennis? No. Chess? Close but not quite.

Common on, you know the game. It’s based solely on individual push and shove. No team work involved. No scope for corporation. No give and take. Its requires very little skill and excellent timing.

Anything? Any idea? More hint? Okay.

Winning the game always gets you a handsome prize; which the winner flaunts in the face of the prize giver like an annoying child teasing its parents. Also, in all their impudence, the winner uses the prize to seduce other players into playing more games. More games mean more opportunities to win.

And the dance carries on. Push and shove till there is a winner. The winner gets a prize. The possibility of winning that prize lures people to carry on playing the game. All is dandy except for the person giving away the prizes. Every time there is a new winner grand spoils are doled out to the victor. Ever wondered where the money comes from?

I swear the name of the game is on the tip of my tongue. What is it?

Polo? no. no. no. Elephant polo? you’re just being silly now.

"Mother father swear"* it’s almost there. Yes.

Eureka! Eureka! Yes, I remember.

It reminds of musical chairs. That’s it. A selfish dance round chairs where the sole purpose is to eliminate the other players –by hook or crook –till there is only one winner. And the winner is rewarded handsomely by the prize giver –that’s us, the general public.

Except this is worse. Nepali politics is nonstop game of musical chairs that’s fixed. If you let me win this time, I’ll let you win the next time and in the end we all are winner. I apologize if I said Nepali politicians can’t cooperate? Thick as thieves the lot of them!

Like any fixed game there needs to be a show of competition to avoid suspicion. 5 point agreement, 2 point agreement, 7 point agreement followed by months of disagreements on the agreements already agreed to be agreed upon. He says this, shouts at that all the while confounding us till we stop caring. Yet, like fools, we give out Pajeroes and clear the roads for the prime minister. And the dance goes on.

If we move to stop the game they scare us witless with threats of incomplete peace processes and standing armies. And so the dance goes on.



* mother father swear- in desi lingo that is the most serious oath of honor one can possibly take.

Freaky Love Song of an Geek.

------------------------------------------------
I am addicted to you.
As if you were the never ending seduction of Facebook.
you open more windows into my soul
than Google has pages.

ages to come will copy and paste
our story in their lives and blogs
to unclog poetry-less hearts
reciting mantras in our praise,
Saying “these were love, real lover, true lover.
They skyped their amour through tentacle of time and space”.
Yes, we are lover, real lovers, true lover.
Indeed we have routed
through the precarious web of 1G, and 2G, and 3G, and 4G
In my nights and your days
And your nights and my days.

I promise to Explore
my way to you.
and if I fail I will follow
the trail lit ablaze by the burning fox
and it will guide me through the
tempting hoax of having won things I don’t want
cause all I want is you
I want to slide my fingers through the touch screen of your face
I realize your body has more apps than my soul has space
so I’ll save you
little by little in my lungs, and toes and knees.
And if I crash
Your one tweet can bring back my wits.
and in the off chance jealously hacks into my system and deletes you,
remember you are the password to my soul
and the secret answer too.

Its time to get ready for Christmas?

With Friends Like These Who Needs Enemies.

“Also, with the dream America everyone carries round in his head, America the Beautiful, Langston Hughes’s country that never existed but needed to exist –with that, like everyone else, I was thoroughly in love. But ask the rest of the world what America meant and with one voice the rest of the world answered back. Might, it means Might. A power so great that it shapes our daily lives even though it barely knows we exist, it couldn’t point to us on a map. America is no finger-snapping bopster. It’s a fist.”

- Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath her Feet

We react differently to the news of death. Were rejoice when the baddy vanquished, cry when heroes die, swear revenge when innocent are killed. But, let’s face it, if the killing or death -even of the innocent- happens in a far off land to people with names we can’t pronounce we don’t give two hoots. We read about it, think about how horrible it is and move on. Ignorance is bliss, the pleasures of apathy and so on and so forth.

"They call it "bug splat", the splotch of blood, bones, and viscera that marks the site of a successful drone strike. To those manning the consoles in Nevada, it signifies "suspected militants" who have just been "neutralised"; to those on the ground, in most cases, it represents a family that has been shattered, a home destroyed." writes Muhammad Idrees Ahmad in his article Fighting Back against the CIA drone war. Imagine the helplessness, the anger, the need for vengeance when a drone attacks a village. Its amazing that someone sitting in Nevada can destroy a village near Rawalpindi, but what is even more mind blowing is: that someone in tribal Pakistan will never know who destroyed his house. This videogamization of war has real consequences.

More than anything else drone attacks have been an major issue for the Pakistanis. It kills innocent civilians, it is extra judicial in nature, it violates Pakistan’s national sovereignty and a whole range of complains that help feed the national paranoia and conspiracy theories already abundant in Pakistan. Drone attacks are not worth it. For those who view the world through the bifocality of cost benefit analysis let just say the cost outweigh the benefits.

This aggressiveness has become the public face of America. The face that the common man with common problem in Pakistan sees. When the mighty American “fist” swings it's their jaws that receive the blow. No wonder the American image is this bad. No one sees the aid money -most of it is lost in the many pockets in line between Washington and Islamabad, and then between Islamabad and the provinces. The US troop withdrawal has begun. Fear is abound in Pakistan that has inherited a war and millions of displaced and desperate people. And while it’s easy for America to pack their bags and check out it’s the Pakistanis that have to live in the mess.

And this time it’s different from the 1990’s. The geopolitical reality of the region has changed. The last time a superpower power left Afghanistan, Pakistan helped the Taliban fill the vacuum and bring stability, at what ever the cost, to the region. But after 10 years of war, and 60 years of political mismanagement and corruption Pakistans economy is hanging by the branch. Anytime the international partners and aid agencies pull the rug, Pakistan will have a real trouble in its hand. The war has left Pakistan broke, unstable and weak; nation building in Afghanistan has failed and with America itching to get on the plane back home Pakistani have been left to wonder was it really worth it? For them USA is the double faced one. The friend that acts like a foe, a friend that disrespects its national sovereignty. An ally.. ya right!!

No one knows if OBL was hidden by Pakistan or it was an intelligence failure; whatever it was its messed up the US-Pakistan relation. And if people are serious about mending the relationship, using drones that kill civilians is not the wisest way to go.

Darshan Rauniyar Goes to Washington.

Darshan Rauniyar declares his run for the U.S. Congress and the Nepali diaspora in America is abuzz with pride. We shower him with praise and call him the “Nepali Gaurav”, the pride of Nepal, and beckon every Nepali from coast to coast to support him. A Nepali in Congress, what a sight that would be!

But before you get catch the “lets help Darshan because he’s from Nepal” flu, take a step back, hold your horses if you may, and think about what you are doing and what the stakes are.

There is nothing wrong in expressing solidarity with people you share commonalities with. It is only natural to feel affinity towards someone who has beaten the odds, especially if he is the first of a kind. And Darshan has indeed broken grounds for the future generation of the Nepali diaspora. But in our nationalistic frenzy we must remind ourselves that he deserves our support not merely because he is a Nepali but also because he has his own ideas and positions on issues that Americans think are important.

There is much more to Darshan than him being a Nepali. His stance on the economy, immigration reform, women rights, education and American foreign policy are noteworthy. And that is more important than the venue of this birthplace. Dr. King once said he wants his kids to “live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” so be it with Darshan. It’s only fair. I say question the content of his character. Question him about where he stands on the important issues of the day, issues that matter to the Nepali community as much as they matter to any other community in America.

I have talked to Darshan and I believe he has answers, and he is willing to give them provided we ask (lets be real, he is in politics after all. And limiting him solely as the “First Nepali to run for Congress” would hurt his chances more than help it.

But if you are looking for Nepal specific reasons to rally behind his cause I hope these help: his presence in the Congress can contribute considerably to better U.S-Nepal relations. His closeness with the old country can only benefit it. Plus, he will be understanding to the problems facing the Nepali American diaspora, and Nepal in general. His presence in Congress ensures we have a voice in the House -a luxury we haven’t had thus far.

However, let us be clear in our expectations. Darshan is not a running to be the Representative of Nepal to the U.S Congress; he is an American concerned about the people of the 1st Congressional District in Washington State who so happens to be Nepali. And as such his first responsibility is towards the people of the United States, and the people of this district. They are his constituency and expecting anything else is shallow on our parts.

The biggest help we can give Darshan right now is to educate ourselves about him, spread the word and raise funds.

Having a voice in Congress does not come cheap. It takes a proper campaign to get to Congress and a proper campaign needs money.

So go to his website. Read about him. Decided whether you agree or disagree with the issues he plans to raise, and the position he plans to take; if you do then support him. It’s only the American (and Nepali) thing to do!

In defense of the Nepali government?!?

I apologize for starting on a defensive note. But any accusations of my surrender of integrity, or financial enrichment arising from this blog post is a purely fictional i.e. I have not been paid to write what I have written.

Having said that, let’s get on with the question at hand: Do we blame the Government (Nepali) more than necessary? And by Government I don’t mean this government or any governments prior to this one. I mean the institution of Government.

Reading the newspaper today, I wasn't a least bit surprised to find at least 3 different groups threatening agitation against the Government if its demands were not fulfilled–their words not mine. And this is not new; three groups threating agitation within hours of each other is simply a snapshot of larger problem.

The already rotting political (dis)order in Nepal is challenged day in and day out by groups that “demand” and “threaten”. No one wants to sit down and debate what these demands are, what the consequences of these demands might be, and why the government should fulfill them. For example, yesterday the Private and Boarding Schools' Association of Nepal(PABSON) handed out a 20-day ultimatum to the government to fulfil its five-point demand to scrap the 1% education tax, saying the “one percent education service tax has only added economic burden to the parents' woes and maintained that it was against the government commitment to free education.” O wait a minute now, let’s think about that for a moment. So PABSON does not want private schools, to pay a 1 % tax because of the "government’s commitment to free education". O really, but what about the often humongous fees PABSON schools charges its students? Where will that money go?

Further, “PABSON has also demanded its representation in every committee formed by the Ministry of Education (MoE), Department of Education, District Education Offices and other government bodies.” lol. Why on earth would the government agree to a set up in which PABSON can hold the education system hostage when it feels like? I pick on PABSON because it was recently in the news, but a host of organizations have been known to do the same. Anti-Government agitation always gets the people excited, doesn't it?

Our distrust of the government is often legitimate. But just because the Government is "the Government" does not make it wrong in everything it does. Let’s look at the Government’s actions on a case by case bases rather than passing a sweeping judgment on its incompetence.

The fear of reasonable dialogue falling on deaf ears has such a grip on everyone that the only option left is “demand” and “threaten”. And while this interest group menaces the government for this, another group is pestering the government for an opposite that.

And what is the government limited by political will, resources and priorities. Should the government be addressing the needs of the Christian community threatening agitation if government does not grant them land, or should it be concerned about the Chinese, or the threats of Madhesi parties blocking the budget, or should it be concerned about locals disrupting hydropower plant development, or the problem with army integration, or the concerns of the indigenous people, or working out the constitution?

Is it true that Nepal politician’s lacks accountability? Yes. Is it true that governance in Nepal is weak? Yes. Is it true that our politicians suffer from the acute lack of competence? yes, most of them ( lets give them the benefit of doubt). Is it true that the bureaucracy is laden with dead weight and red tapism? Yes. Is it true that we elected our representatives? Yes. Is it true that we need to change the way our Government works? Yes. Yes. Yes. But is senseless demand making and threats the only real way forward?

The major failure of the Nepali civil society, judicial system and the Government is the failure to create space for dialogue. A national obsession of a zero-sum game has taken over us. An either or mentality. In these years of crisis there is an tacit fear that if things do not before the constitution is written, it is all over! The golden opportunity to turn the tide will forever be missed. Are these fears legitimate? Only the future will tell. But by acting on these fears through a tactic that destroys the present we ensure that the future is bleak.

Two Afghan MPs throw punches.

Why should only men in Afghanistan have the right to punch each other, its time for the women to share the responsibility as well.

Here is the video of two MPs in Afghanistan duke it out. Plus this is what Pakistan's involvement in Afghanistan politics does- Are we beginning to see signs of civil strife?

Sikhs at home in Peshawar

Finally some positive news out of Pakistan! I thought the day would never come. Sikhs and Muslims living amongst each other in Peshawar. Bloody brilliant! There is still hope, I say. There is still hope!!



The Sub-continent has always been a melting pot. So don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It has always welcomed all kinds of people into the society. And that is what makes the region a web of the most complex contradictions. It is only when we have stubborned ourselves in our “dreary desert sand of dead habit” that we have digressed from what South Asia has historically been.

Whatsobloodyever may be the official state policy, we as people, have always welcomed cultural diversity; and we should not allow extremist to voice our regional –and personal –narrative whether they be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh or Buddhist.

A Comment on Nepal's Other Neighbour

Nepal police has explicitly warned Tibetans against chanting anti-China slogans in Nepal reads the attached link.

The Nepali Governments’ shameless attempt to pacify the “other neighbor” has made it lose track of what this State led repression does to Nepals social fiber. The Government of Nepal supports the One China policy and that is alright with me –I perosnally support the Dalai Lama’s position on Tibet-China relationship, which does not seek complete independence, - but not allowing the Tibetans, many of whom are Nepali citizens, to speak their minds is legally and morally wrong.

There is a large Tibetan population in Nepal, and they are an important part of our society. It is the duty of the State to protect their right of free speech. And if that freedom means shouting anti-China slogans then so be it. Or has the Nepali state decided to handpick the people who “deserve” freedom and those who do not! The Nepali-Tibetan community regardless of where they have come from, or what their ideological stance is deserve all the protection a democratic state promises to give to its people.

The biggest problem for Nepal being a stronger democracy is the Government. By threating to use force against people who want to speak their minds the government is encroaching on individual rights –or can we exercise that only when it’s convenient?

The problem here is not so much the Chinese government as the Nepali government. China may not be a democratic country and it does not pretend to be one. Nepal pretends to be a democratic country all the while cowering to the pressure from Beijing. There I said it!

The Nepali civil society has to wake up from this kiss- China’s rear mentality. We are very good at criticizing India, but I hope we do the same to China when it deserves it. And its arm twisting of the Nepali government regarding anti-China rallies, and the Nepali governments harsh and repressive actions against pro-Tibet activists deserve criticism.

Do not get me wrong, if people within Nepals boundary were to pick up arms against China, I support action against them; but this is not the case. Regardless of how good China is to us what is wrong is wrong!



Image taken from AsiaNews.it

All's well in the States

American Nepalese Association just concluded its 29th annual convention. A candid look for those who missed it.

You would have thought someone important was getting married. Women in flashy sarees, men in pristine topees, the countless handshakes, million namastes, loud music, men eyeing women, women eying men, drunks, cacophony of guffaws and shhs, aunts and uncle connecting family trees, and countless kids running amok under signs that read “Welcome to 29th ANA Convention, Washington DC July 1- 3, 2011”.

Around 4000+ Nepalis from all over North America gathered at the Westfield Marriott Hotel, Chantilly, Virginia for the 29th annual Association of Nepalese in Americas (ANA) convention –the largest gathering of non-residential Nepalis in the world. Amazed by this grand orgy of the American Nepali diaspora, the few non-Nepali guests at the Marriot where left bewildered by the ecstatic chaos that we Nepalis seem to bring along.

There was mix of Americans, Nepalis, and American-Nepalis –one poet called them Nepalicans –who were kept busy by a host of programs: Poetry festivals, yoga sessions, movies, speed dating, discussion forums, food stalls, and cultural and fashion shows were organized. And while laurels are due for the ambitious plans of the organizing committee, constant delays wreaked havoc all convention long to the annoyance of everybody present.

Anyone who doubts the adage absence makes the heart grow fonder should talk to a Nepali away from home. Like all Nepali gatherings in far of lands, national flags were waved and long speeches’ about our responsibility to give back to the motherland were delivered. And while some walked the walk other walked away from N.G.O booths that actually help build schools for children in rural Nepal. It was good to see young professional from all over America laboring for their causes, and that good hearted and deep pocketed people insured a successful fund raising initiative. The two notable fund raisers promoting their cause were Grassroot Movement in Nepal (GMIN), and Nepalese Youth Foundation.

Fundraising was on everyone’s mind. Congressman hopeful Darsan Rauniyar was also spotted touching base with the Nepali community. Mr. Rauniyar was well received and is quickly becoming the hot topic in Nepali households. As the first person with Nepali origin to run for Congress, Mr. Rauniyar has kicked open many doors –is the diaspora is finally coming of age?

There is a genuine sense of pride amongst people here about his decision to run for the U.S. Congress from Washington States, 1st Congressional District. But if pride and blessings alone won you elections my mother would ensure I became Prime Minister. This is America and money talks. Mr. Rauniyar hopes that along with the good wishes Nepalis in the U.S. will also wriggle their pockets to help him win the seat. As an immigrant himself he is passionate about immigration reform and believes everyone should have a fair shot at the American Dream. He also hopes to strengthen the Nepali voice in the Congress.

At night, with the children and oldies gone, the drinking crowd was seen loosely swaying away at the bar. Under the careful eye of the hefty bouncers, Nepalis were clinking glasses –social networking at its finest. The bar would have made more money had it not been for the hopelessly slow service, and the good old Nepali sensibility of bringing liquor from home and drinking it in the room.

Once the bar shut, there was a mass exodus of people towards the nearest exist where hundreds could also be seen puffing away at their cigarettes. And in pure Nepali style most of them refused to throw the stub in the bin –who said we don’t stick to our roots!

The cultural program was one of the main attractions of the event. There was an entertaining jumble of shows: Lakhe dance, pop song from a number of Nepali artists, martial arts, prayer, and folk dancing. However, even as the rhetoric about the need to pass on the Nepali culture to the next generation dominated the event the only people missing were the next generation. Kids that grew up in America were a no-show in large numbers. I talked to some of these kids who made for the door exactly 3.5 minutes into the program; they thought that the program was catered for “the pure Nepali types” and just not their thing. It must be said that there were a small number of American born Nepalis who did show up and even put on a good show.

ANA also showcased the sporting abilities of the Nepali diaspora. A variety of sports competitions were organized that saw a number of teams and individuals from multiple U.S. cities duel it out. The younger crowd was enthusiastic about its participation and one could sense genuine rivalries brewing.

The long awaited DJ Night saw a mass of sober, semi-sober, semi-drunk and absolutely drunk Nepali’s party it out. It was a gala time for the young and old alike who grooved to classic Nepali and English tunes. There was additional entertainment for the controversy hounds when an impromptu mini-julus broke out after the event. Hordes of dissatisfied patrons could be heard shouting “ANA sucks!” after the DJ began to pack his bags at 1. Apologizes were sought, explanations were given, angry words were exchanged, and the security crew was alerted.

All in all the 29th ANA was a success. There are disappointments and criticisms but that is part and parcel of organizing an event of this magnitude. This annual gatherings of Nepalis in America is a must visit for anyone looking to get in touch with his/her roots while having an interesting time (understatement!). Now that the event is over, 4000+ Nepali are returning to their homes in America having found friends and family; and reconfirmed their Nepali identity.

Found in Neil Douglas-Klotz: The Sufi Book of Life.

In the tarot, the high princess
expresses that veiled self
that cocoons mystery.
Like her, you seem to guides me into the realm
of back stage,
as if to keep me protected from behind woven
images of firmness,
as if to preserve me
till the time is ripe
to be given openly again.

Cycles, Oil and National Security

Does the boring wait outside Kathmandu petrol pumps count as torture under the United Nations Convention against Torture? It might as well. The physiologically and psychologically devastating wait at the petrol pump (gas station) from the moment you stand in the line to when that black gold finally fills your tank wastes the entire day. Imagine all the things we could be doing.

And it’s not just the wait. It’s the entire setting that takes its toll: the narrow streets, the traffic, the (c) rowdy Micro buses, the slow Safa-tempos, the holy roads, the constant honking, the pollution, the dirt, the poverty, the ugly billboards, the even uglier Bagmati, the street kids, the garbage, the street dogs, the anger —Surly this has an aftermath in our physical and mental wellbeing.

All that time spent standing the line, cooped up in a car or on a bike- in the heat- in the rain- has beat down on us. It has turned this once tranquil loving city into a nightmare of a town. Imagine what the exotica searching tourists are whispering about us. Never ending peace and love, ya right!


We have created a system that feeds into this fire, says Anil Bhattarai, in his April 18th, 2011 Oped (un) Common Sense in the Kathmandu Post. He explains Nepal’s helplessness to tackle the supply side of the oil market and the urgency to address our demand. This is a zest, of how the aforementioned system works-- when the public transportation is inefficient and private vehicle is a status symbol, cars become more popular, leading to an excessive surge in traffic in an ill-constructed city, which in turn makes motor bikes more popular, which in turn worsens the traffic; all the while increasing our demand for oil. And since we don’t have any oil it’s important we control how and why we demand it.

Plus this over dependence on oil is weakening our national security, both in terms of defense and the environment. Notice how we seem so vulnerable every time India decides to cut oil supply. No one nation should be so reliant on this one commodity that it buys almost exclusively from this one nation. Our present national security policy is a joke. The answer is clear: controlling our oil usage can trigger a lot of positive changes.

The article suggests some eco-friendly approaches. Encouraging a (bi)cycle friendly culture could be a gate to other avenues of change. As more people get on their cycles, or use public transport we can collectively demand better service and more efficient roads. This can snowball into a solution that can address many woes. So far the (bi)cycle has been the uncool choice of conveyance- a play thing of the children. The Cycle, as we call it, has been replaced by the more alluring motor bikes. But motor bikes, like cars and taxi's burn oil - an energy source we do not own. The grand Cycle is one of the solutions to our so many problems. I think everyone should hop on their cycles, and this taboo against the adults and “respectable” people riding cycle is ridiculous. It’s ecologically responsible, way cheaper, and better for our national security. Plus it’s plain old fun.

As citizens of Earth, consider the implication oil extraction has elsewhere. Our dependence of oil effects ecologies and communities where oil is extracted, whether it be the Middle East or the Niger Delta. And our use is having a notable effect at home. This surly has to affect our rational.

Clearly this initiative to make Kathmandu into "an eco-friendly city" will need political will but that political will shall never come till there is social push for it. Shall we as free people do nothing till the Government decides to do something? Are we that dependent on the government that we cannot move till the oligarchy wishes us to move. This is not a UML vs Congress vs Monarchist vs Maobadi’s vs Madhesi’s vs Khas vs Kiratis vs etc…issue. This is about our city, our community, our home.

Support groups like Kathmandu Cycle City 2020 - Ride with Pride!!. The goal of this group is to Make Kathmandu a cycle friendly city till 2020. Contact them regarding what you can do to help.

The cost of using oil goes beyond just what you pay in the pump. The more oil we use the worse our community gets. Our over dependence on oil is the reason we stand in lines at petrol pumps leading us to feel mentally beat down, it’s the reason why our national sovereignty is so compromised, it’s the reason for our unhealthiness. And this won’t change till we change our lifestyles.





Related article: More energy, please; Paavan Mathema, Nepali Times, FROM ISSUE #552 (06 MAY 2011 - 12 MAY 2011)

A Kathmandu Sunset

The sun left a myriad blue in its wake.
A moment to gaze the
legacy of weepy Monsoons.
Grandmothers graze terraces,
moving between cloth lines,
and playground deprived children.
And babas honk and curse
to reach home
to bell jingling ammas
calling the attention of million gods
to thank them for the terrace,
the air,
and lights that swallow stars.

A bitter free trade pill to swallow - Manmohanama care anyone?!

If the generic pharmaceutical companies in India are to forced to raise costs due to increased pressure from the European intellectual property rights laws, the cost of medicine is going to sky rocket. While the EU-India free trade deal seeks to increase the market accessibility and trade volume between these two regions, the implications of this deal on public health throughout the developing world is dire.

Besides providing relatively inexpensive drugs to the population rich Indian market, these Indian companies also export cheaper yet effective substitute to other developing countries in Asia and Africa. This deal is EU-India on paper only, its implication will be felt by a lot of countries.

The rise in cost of drugs means people will have to delegate more of their income to the purchase of medicines. With the price of food already rising this could be a burden not many shoulders can bare.




Is it time for other countries to put diplomatic pressure on the Indian government to do the right thing. What is the rationale behind providing big pharmaceutical companies such easy access to your markets even though the risk to the Indian public(and others) are so high? Who benefits from this deal?

Tansen

A few hours away from the buzz of Kathmandu in the southern slope of the Shreenagar hill in the Lesser Himalayas resides the medieval town of Tansen. This World Heritage Site is lined with Newari shop-Houses and temples. Besides being known for its excellent traditional metalwork, Tansen also boasts the production of the Dhaka cloth and traditional Nepali topis. Tansen is a testament of the architecture and artistry of the Newari people.

The history of Tansen started from around the 11th Century AD when the region was part of the Bara Magarat, the twelve territories administered by the Magar rulers. Tansen was the center for many historic battles in Nepal, namely the famous Anglo-Nepal war of the early 1800s. Col. Ujir Singh Thapa who commanded the army in the region was in an extremely trying situation; his men were outnumbered four to one by the English forces. He desperately asked for divine help before going into battle, promising a temple in the name of Goddess Bhagwati (who is ferocious and loves blood sacrifices) if she would help him. He won. In 1815, he kept his word and built a temple to the goddess. The most important landmark is the octagonal Pavilion in the middle of Sitalpati, the main market square.



Tansens charms are expounded by its traditional lifestyle and its awe inspiring location. Shreenagar Danda (hill) offers a panoramic view of the high Himalaya. From west to east, the Kanjiroba, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Mansiri, Ganesh and Langtang groups are in sight. Other nearby attractions include Ranighat, a Rana palace next to the Kaligandaki River, and Ridi Bazaar,a major Hindu pilgrimage destination at the auspicious confluence of the Kaligandaki and Ridi Rivers. A large mela is held there on Maghe Sankranti (about January 14). The jamre folk song performance of the Magars are colorful. Dancing and feasting are accompanied by drumbeats of the madal during festivals.

The hilltop town of Tansen exults in a week-long festive spree beginning with Janai Purnima, when Hindus change their sacred threads. The next day, Gai Jatra is marked by parading figures of cows made of bamboo and cloth. Ropai Jatra is the rice planting ceremony and participants perform plowing and planting acts on the streets. During Bagh Jatra, actors dressed up like tigers and hunters march through town. Then there are the parades. Images of Ganesh, Bhimsen and Narayan are placed on palanquins and carried around Tansen. The celebrations climax on August 12 with Bhagawati Jatra, the procession of the town's protective goddess.

Regular bus services are available from all major places like Kathmandu, Pokhara etc. The nearest airports are in Pokhara and Bhairahawa. Several hotels are located in Tansen. The number of travellers to this "hill station" have increased over the years, and so have tourist facilities.

Doomsday Kathmandu

Imagine waking up in a shaking building echoing with your mothers screams. You try to run but it’s too late. The next thing you remember is being pulled out from the rumble. Your house, your roof, your shelter is now ruble; scattered onto the streets. Someone gives you water, you sip and look around to realize that you are not alone. Your city has crumbled into a human tragedy. You hear screams, calls for help from every direction. You realize your family is not around. You call for your amma and baba. No answer. You shout again and again. They are buried. You start shoveling with your hands. It hurts but you must go on. They are in there and you know it. It hurts but you dig- clothes, glass, bricks, cement, utensils, but no life. No amma, no baba. No answer.

Shiva has just danced the Rudra Tandav; everywhere you look there is destruction. The houses of Kathmandu that have leaned on each other have fallen. There is telephone, no water, no electricity (and its not coming back), no internet. The Kathmandu you’ve known and loved lies buried under its self. What do you do? Who do you call? Where is help? Where is relief? Who will give you food? Where are you to go and to whom?

The cries to make Kathmandu earthquake safe has fallen on deaf ears of make a pick: bureaucrats, politician, monarchy, the public, God, me, you, Rajesh Hamal, Rajnikanth- at this point it doesn’t matter. For more than 50 years Kathmandu has boomed into a chaos: houses mushrooming everywhere; streets slithering around buildings at whim; people on the road; vehicles on the footpaths, a free for all city where malls tower next to houses, temples placed in the middle of the streets, bricks everywhere, schools buildings as feeble as our government, and no open space. We have slowly suffocated ourselves, and while these peculiarities are part of the Kathmandupan its very existence seem idiotic given the threat of a massive earthquake hitting Kathmandu is quite real. The romantic in you withers when you remind yourself of the warning: It’s not the earthquakes that kill people it’s the buildings.

If an earthquake similar to the infamous 1934 earthquake hits Kathmandu, GeoHazards International says, it would destroy 6 out of 10 houses in the city. That’s 60% of the city. Baneshwors gone. Ganeshwor no more, Thapathali, Kupondole. Jhamsikhel, Maharajganj, Teku, Aason, you take your pick -all gone. Kathmandu is a time bomb. Claire Cozens (AFP) writes that, “Geologists believe it (Kathmandu) is at risk from an earthquake with a magnitude of around eight -- 10 times as powerful as the Haiti shock that killed more than 212,000 people.” This is our city she is talking about. We are ranked one in terms of vulnerability. We cannot remain desensitized from such a grave omen.

Lets face it we are in big trouble; we have completely failed in taking safety measure. But what next, are we doomed or is there still a chance? Well in terms of precautions we are doomed- sad but true. We cannot easily reverse what has already been, at least not in time, however what we can do is educate ourselves on survival mechanisms, both during and after the earthquake.

Authorities need to tell us what to do during an earthquake, where to hid, what is the safest place to be in. In case of a disaster where do we get the food we need. What happens if all the roads to Kathmandu are destroyed? Where and how will we access the relief. They need to take a better look at where the tents are going to come from, where do we get the doctors from, and how and when do we rebuild. Sadly, its time to focus on the cure. We cannot prevent an earthquake, we can’t even prevent the destruction of life and property it’s going to cause, but we can prevent the spread of disease, and we can be prepared. Many earthquake education foundations focus on prevention, and more power to them, but the time for prevention is over. We must change our focus from prevention to cure. If we have some preparation underway we need to educate the people, we need to equip them to make rational choices. It must be obvious that I don’t mean we go on building houses the way we have in the past, prevention is still better than cure, but as a city the time for prevention is over.

Remember Haiti, remember how the entire world banded together to help, goodwill all over, and humanity was at its finest, but as time moves on so do people but those in Haiti still have to live with the horrors everyday. Those horrors will soon be ours. We are the unfortunate custodians of Haiti’s sorrow.

It’s a scary feeling not knowing what to do next. Its scary to be hopeless and alone, and yet most of Kathmandu will find itself in that situation when an earthquake hits. We need to empower ourselves, educate ourselves, and think long term. The government and the civil society, you and me- needs to work together, with each other, for each other. Is that too much to ask?

(Nicholas Pitt / Alamy)

Blogging for Nepal: Jazzmandu

The first thing on my list of 20 amazing things and/or places about Nepal. p.s- this is not a ranking.

Jazzmandu:

One of the fastest growing tourist attractions in Kathmandu is the Kathmandu Jazz Festival, a.k.a Jazzmandu. Since its inception eight years ago, this festival has slowly begun to cement its place in the “Kathmandu experience”. The festival features local and international bands, and has seen the likes of : Trilok Gurtu Don Burrows, Jesse Van Ruller, Adrian D Souza Quartet, Cadenza Collective, Kutumba, Gandharva, Natalie Williams, Urban Connection.

Jazzmandu is an excellent example of the ever molding face of the Nepali culture and is a must for all; foreign tourists and Nepalis alike. The festival promotes peace and cultural interaction and has positively put Nepal on the Jazz map.

The most impressive thing about this festival is that it bridges so many gaps. It bridges the gap between different cultures around the globe, and the gap between traditional and progressive Nepal; all the while being non-political and (even more important) cool.
For more information visit: http://www.jazzmandu.org/index.html

Blogging for Nepal!! Nepal Tourism Year 2011- let the party begin.

Happy New Year everybody! Here it is-2011. And after the marvelous year we just bid adieu too, the bar for what counts as a good year has risen. Here is hoping that 2011 is an even more joyful year.

But I am not sitting on floor in my room two days into the year desperately trying to catch up on the wishes. I am here for two important reasons: firstly, to make a pitch, and secondly to put my money where my mouth is. For those cynics out there who vehemently tried to convince me that the new year is just another day on the calendar I say - Ha! I am believer still, and am holding onto this mantle of hope. New Years is like spring in the middle of winter. But even for those of you who have a rather meek view of the mighty leap from 10 to 11 here’s hoping that you make most of the next 365 days that the rest of us will call 2011.

But 2011, looks likes terribly normal year, you know the kinds with its ups and downs, its twists and turns, the usual. Unless of course you are in Nepal. 2011 is Nepal Tourism year. A time to open our already gaping doors to welcome the world to be a part our home. A time to be on our best and think of the greater whole a little more than we normally do. To proudly dawn our topi of manners and put our best feet forward.

The importance of tourism to the Nepali economy cannot be overstressed, so I won’t even go there. My purpose of writing this article is to request the Nepali diaspora to contribute towards making this year a success. Remember all those times when you sitting around complaining about the amazingly “ pathetic situation” in the country; the feeling of overwhelming helplessness of not being able to do something; not knowing where to start- well your wishes have come true and your prayers have been heard. 2011 presents an inexcusable opportunity to pitch in towards a constructive purpose.

And it doesn’t have to be anything fancy and there are enough things to do for everyone. Those in Nepal can do their little ( but significant) bit like- help a tourist if he asks for help even if it’s a little inconvenient, not littering tourist area ( or any public place for a matter a fact, but let’s start small), pick up the litter if there is any , be friendly and show up and enjoy the various attractions. Simple things done by simple folks can make all the difference. Further, let this also be the time for those bound down by the fetters of Kathmandu to leave the sometimes suffocating precincts of the valley and travel beyond. Be tourists ourselves. See and experience a country so desperately in need of some soul searching.

For those of us unfortunate people, away from the land of our birth we can do our bit by spreading the word; furthering the invitation, if you may, to our friends and acquaintances in these foreign lands. A year to be vocal about the wonders of Nepal. Again nothing too fancy- share links and videos, talk to friends, have fun with spreading the news, and assure them that the land of never ending peace and love knows how to live up to its name.

And while we do this great service let’s make it clear that Nepal goes beyond its National Geography image. Yes, we have ancient temples, and mystical hills and gorges, and dense jungles with exotic wildlife; a haven for the spiritual. But here is more to it. Let’s make sure that people experience Nepal as it is; not just the dead habit of yesteryears but the vibrant culture that exists and shapes up everyday. Experience the old with the new. From our rock bands to jazz festivals, from our beer and our villages, to our salsa festivals, from lok dohris to our momo’s and bungee, paragliding and pottery, from street theatre to street vendors, monkeys and tea stalls, and highway eateries. There is much more to Nepal than that which meets the eye. We are shaping the Nepali culture every day and we want the tourists to celebrate it with us. In its completeness.

Coming back to the second reason for this write up ( “the money where my mouth is” part). I am going to write about 20 amazing things and/or places about Nepal this year. And even though 20 sounds like a stunted number given that there are 365 days in this year, considering the absolute lethargy with which I update my blog I thinks it’s a fair target.

So Happy New Year everybody and let’s make this a positive year.