INSPIRING CHILDREN!!!

"Last Saturday, I had gone in a usual assignment of my internship to a program corncerning with Children. Before reaching there I had thought, the usual...kind of boring programs that I usually end up to. But, when I sat there for a minute and listened to those amazing children talk so confidently and full of energy I had to think they are the ones who will push our generation to do something and prove themselves as the pillal of future!"

Children urged government to address their agendas in coming CA
POST REPORT
KATHMANDU, DEC 15.

“If the children’s agendas are only limited to the politician’s talks instead of being ensured in coming constituent assembly then the politicians, political parties and government don’t have any relevance,” flaunted children-representatives from around the country here at a program on Saturday.
The program was jointly organized by Consortium of Organizations Working for Child Clubs in capital on Saturday.

A child representative Nigam Humagai from Kavre district said, “If children rights will not be ensured in Constitutional Assembly then political parties or government will be irrelevant to us.” We are not only the future pillars of the country but we are the leaders of today so our issues need to be taken seriously by government and political parties, he added.

In a program, children representatives from 48 districts of the country forwarded twelve-points demands among which declaring schools, child clubs and children related areas a peace zone, preventing the use of children in armed force or spy or any kinds of political activities, and involving children while making plans and agendas related to children are included along with other demands.

In a same occasion, different political parties and representatives of organizations working for children made a joint commitment on their twelve-point demands. Pradip Gyawali, central member of Communist Party Nepal (UML), signing a commitment said that parties need to be more sensitive in children’s issues because due to their age group (below 18) they can not take part in ballet. “It is our responsibility to take their voices in right place to implement them efficiently ensuring their rights,” he said.

Also speaking in a program, Gauri Pradhan of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said, “Our political parties are very sensitive towards children issues and easily agree on agendas with promise of implementing them efficiently. However, it is never sure when they are going to implement.” But, NHRC will always keep working along with children to ensure their rights and issues from grass-root level to high level, he added.

After witnessing the commitment by political parties, Sikendra Kumar Ram, a child representative from Mahottari is hopeful. “Almost all political parties of Nepal have signed their commitment along with national and international organizations working for children so I am sure our agendas will be addressed by government soon.”

After the signed commitment from political parties they submitted their 12 points demands to Subash Chandra Nembang, the Speaker of House of Representatives on Saturday.

Maoist Revolution in Reels!

There was a special premiere show of ‘Laal Salaam’; a movie of Maoist movement in Nepal at BICC in Kathmandu last week. Lets say the movie through the eyes of Maoists: a Maoist perspective!

Started in a kind of documentary style, the movie gives the glimpse of Maoist Movement and how it turned into the civil war in the country.

The whole story of the movie revolves round the starting from Maoist declaration of insurgency as an underground party to the peace talk success to the participation in Jana Andolan I and II demolishing the autocratic rule of the King Gyanendra in 2062/63 B.S. It’s all about their journey from underground party to armed insurgency, then to the place in parliament and constitutional government of Nepal.

It’s also the walk of a woman named Trishta from a simple village girl to the combat fighter in Maoist army. The domination in the society in different names, fighting against it and dying for the believes in better future in the battle field.

In the beginning, you might feel awkward at the romantic dialogues between two lovers just before going to attack a barrack. Might even wonder what the director is doing by putting that dialogue in the movie with so much sweat.

Sometimes it seems it is too much exaggerated and yet has failed to raise enough issues for the declaration of war and is not convincing enough. The movie presentation is also poor. It is cinemascope but the picture quality is very poor and not impressing at all. Dialogues also fail to get much attention and appreciation.

The movie could have been better. In trying to include important events in the movie director has messed up the plot and characters. Characters are not well developed, or presented. Well, artists are not touching enough either. Their acting skill needs to be improved from silver to platinum. They look good only when they are fighting. Though Prabhakar has good story but making it alive in the movie has been like a mistake.

As it is the movie which has hands of the party itself, audience expectations may fly high but you might find yourself disappointed for expecting something really good because till the end you wait for something good to happen which doesn’t. My suggestion, don’t fly too high, it will be crushed like a potato.

However, the very instinct of trying to bring the event/civil war which was so much glorious to many people which changed the history of Nepal and started the new path in the country; is appreciable. It must have been more like a re-living those moments for many Maoists and people who were directly and indirectly involved with it.

The movie has not been able to prove its point strongly and clearly as a revolutionary artist should have as progressive peoples’ expectation. However, you will get some glimpse of the 12 years of civil war so the movie could be worth to watch for some of you movie-lovers.

Wind beneath Wings!

TEACHERS ARE THOSE WHO USE THEMSELVES AS BRIDGES OVER WHICH THEY INVITE THEIR STUDENTS TO CROSS; THEN HAVING FACILITATED THEIR CROSSING, JOYFULLY COLLAPSE, ENCOURAGING THEM TO CREATE BRIDGES OF THEIR OWN.

- Nicos Kazantzakis

Whenever I read this quotation of Kazantzakis, I remember how much I depended upon my teachers and still depend on them for most of the knowledge I have and try to achieve. I remember my teachers who are so much supporting, inspiring and always encouraging us to move forward and give a power to dream and hope for the best. They are so much dedicated in what they do. Lucky me… I have living heroes in my life! They have been and they are wind beneath my wings!!

However, not everyone is lucky!!!

During this Deusi-Bhailo Program in Tihar, I met with Sak Bahadur Magar, to whom I adoringly call “dai” as he makes me feel like his younger sister. He is a teacher by profession and yet a student himself doing his master level in the same college of mine. I don’t know how but during the loud celebration of Tihar we end up talking about serious subject.

I had genuinely told him how tough it is to be a ‘Teacher’ and taking the responsibility of being teacher. I had told him at that time and I still think I am not ready for that role yet and I am not sure if I can take that responsibility of being Teacher to the coming generation even in the future.

In our culture, Guru (teacher) has been put above our own parents and worshipped as a god from its origin. They are the source of knowledge. They are heroes in their students’ eyes. During the growing up, a child spends more time with his teachers than with his own parents now days so it is for sure that they depend upon their teacher wholly. If there is conflict between the sayings of our own parents and teachers, we believe in our teachers than to our parents. This also shows how important role teachers play in child’s development and in shaping the child’s mind for life long. How the child turns in the future depends also on the teacher who taught him. So, if the teacher takes the responsibility by heart then students are in good hands but if it is taken lightly, one teacher can damage the whole future of students.

Today, the subject matter came again when Jayaram Lamsal, one of my classmates talked about his teacher in college (+2) who had said “If you (Jayaram) were good-enough then you would have taken Science instead of Humanities faculty.” The teacher used to teach English to both science and humanities faculty. This shows how humanities faculty (art and social science) and its students are looked down by our society, even the teacher who teaches the same subject. As well, my friend got discouraged by that teacher with that kind of insulting comment for following his dream and his interest.

Same way, my brother Ajay was told by his one teacher that he should change his subject to Commerce as he thought Ajay was incompetent to study Science. Of course my brother was shocked and hurt by that (I had seen it in his eyes while he told me about it). But, he took it as a challenge as I knew my brother would. Now, he is one of the toppers in his class and already working in projects as an Architect. Therefore, I am sure, no matter how painful the comment was for my friend Jayaram too; he will take it as a challenge rather than being frustrated and believing in what a ‘so-called teacher’ had said to him because no genuine teacher would have told such things to his own student.

At the end, all I want to say to those who are teachers just by name/status is that: If you can not encourage your students to do their best in their dreams; at least; please do not discourage them! If you are not able to use yourself as bridge and can not bring yourself to encourage your students to create bridges of their own, the least you can do for taking the responsibility of being teacher to them is not to discourage those students who want to create bridges by themselves. That will be the noble act of anyone for taking the responsibility of teacher while not actually being ‘Teacher’ as an innocent eye of learning hearts sees.

Never forget, teachers are wind beneath their students’ wings. This fact should not be forgotten by anyone when becoming teacher and while taking the responsibility of being Teacher.

Quiet Kathmandu!

Of course, we had to celebrate this Dashain too with no water, no gas and no petrol as usual. But this time there was more to it. Something new got added. Good or bad? Hard to say anything yet but the festive season made Kathmandu very quiet!

So quiet that it felt like an ancient Kathmandu has revealed itself once again to make us see what a beautiful city it is…quiet, calm and far from the maddening crowd. With half of the population of the city gone to celebrate Dashain in their own countryside home it was hard to find any shops opened, had to walk miles to find another soul walking in the road and with very few vehicles running, no traffic, no horns and no pollution, Kathmandu felt like not-Kathmandu.

Usually our capital city Kathmandu means centralized economy, centralized population and centralized government of the country. It is the most crowded place, talk about pollution and you end up finding every kind of pollution discovered in the world and something more on it. There is shortage of everything in all seasons of the year. And yet we are so used to the life in it that it feels weird when it is quiet, calm and less polluted.

But who knows, quietness could have different faces!

At the time when I was being frightened with its quietness and the loneliness; and when every Nepali were busy with their celebration mood for the festival our government had the flashback. As history proves, from the takeover of Bhaktapur city by Prithvi Narayan Shah that in festive mood, Nepali can accept things that are not usually accepted in the usual times without a rage shown in streets. The idea was re-discovered six years ago by then King Gyanendra by declaring his son Paras as a Crown Prince during this same festive season. As expected, people did not protest it much as it would have been if it was in other usual times. So, the present government which is said to be formed out of the great people's movement in 2006 but in actual was born out of ruined womb of monarchism (more conformed after the Prime Minister's shown love towards King in very diplomatic words clearly declaring his views of Nepalese public as IDIOTS!) followed the same idea what Gyanendra had re-discovered and made full use of it.

The result - price hiking of petrol, lubricants and gas!

Of course this was done very quietly when Kathmandu is still very quiet.

My salutations to our Government! Though it can not come up with own ideas it very smartly follows other's ideas. All of my appreciations! But, as the good and loyal citizen I must say though the idea of using the quietness and celebration mood of the festival is highly appreciable, Quietness and Calmness is NOT always good. Every one of us has heard about the calmness felt in air before storm comes. If anybody does not agree with this saying; don't go too far for example, just look at the fate of Monarchism in our country.

It is still quiet here in Kathmandu so the finale result has not come yet. Wait till festive season is over and also let every youths come back to Kathmandu valley. Then the finale result of this quietness we are feeling right now will erupt, in what form it is hard to say.

But, mark my words, please! Finale result is yet to come and frighteningly it seems it is not going to be very good sight!!!

Congratulating Prashant!

Since nearly one and half decades of my life in capital city, this is the second time I have been awakened by Kathmanduties from my deep sleep at this hour of the night. The first one was during the People’s revolution of 2006, when the whole Kathmanduties rallied whole night to protest against King Gyanendra. The second one is going on right now in the celebration of Prashant Tamang’s victory in singing competition on the program “Indian Idol”: a Sony TV reality show!

Prashant Tamang was declared Indian Idol – 3 on Sunday night after getting more votes than other finalist Amit Paul of Shillong from the total votes of 7 crores.

Now, it is exactly 2:30 in the morning and I am hearing slogans like “Prashant Jindabad!” (Long Live Prashant!). People are on the road shouting slogans, whistling, hooting and there are fireworks! The craze for New Indian Idol is going on even in Kathmandu, I can hardly imagine what must be going on in Darjeeling from where Prashant is. As I saw in televisions, Darjeeling’s people were on the street as well for celebration rally…the environment of there seemed ecstatic.

We can’t deny the fact that in this Indian Idol competition, Nepalese took more interest than other two previous competitions simply because Prashant Tamang; an Indian soldier, is from Darjeeling and is also from Nepali origin. Many people who are Indian but were originally from Nepal supported him and even did campaigns to support him and eventually made him Indian Idol through SMS voting.

Anyway, what I found the most remarkable and beautiful thing about this particular Indian Idol competition was friendship between these two finalists. Prashant Tamang and Amit Paul of Shillong never let the stress of the competition come between their friendships. I never felt any hint of neither jealousy nor competition between them which definitely stood them apart from previous Indian Idol finalists. We could feel the bond of friendship between these guys; the way they supported each other and accepted each others victory with smiles that is very hard to see in this era of competition.

Now, My CONGRATULATIONS to Prashant Tamang and wishes for his bright future. Also, all my praises for Amit Paul who is very talented, very good looking and with down to earth personality. I believe that even without the title of Indian Idol on his head, one day he will be one of the most famous singers of India with his potentiality and personality. Good luck to both of you!!!

Here, the celebration is still going! And I can assure you that Kathmanduties are desperately waiting for Prashant to hear him sing. But, they don’t have to wait for long as he is going to give numbers of concerts in valley with his other Indian Idol competitors from coming 29th of September. Everyone (especially Youths) from valley is eagerly looking forward to those days! The slogans that I can still hear outside my window conforms it all!

Blatant Terrorism!

Last Sunday (September 2) terror struck Kathmandu valley people when series of bomb blasts hit the capital city killing two and injuring 22 people.

That day I was in home, having a quite day! Then, I heard about the news in television which shook me with terror. As a regular user of public vehicles, at the same time I felt myself lucky not to be in those places where those unfortunate events took place.

Though when I had heard the news for the first time I had felt fear, insecurity with lots of dilemma about the incidents. Felt sorry for those who became victims of this blatant terrorism! But, right now as I am writing this I feel the anger rising up in me. Anger: at those people who in the name of political revolutions are killing innocent people, at government for not being able to give enough security to public and then at myself for not being able to do anything about it.

I know there has been a foul play, one reason for saying this is because 3 different groups from Terai region have claimed the responsibility for bombings. Even a child will know it could have never been done by 3 different groups from the way attack was planned. Planner and doer is someone else and responsibility is taken by another person just like the “so-called” driver took responsibility of killing famous lyricist Pravin Gurung on road accident while actually the person who run-over Gurung was Paras, then Prince of Kingdom of Nepal.

At the moment I am feeling pity and anger at those people who did and took responsibilities of violence. In my opinion, they are coward people without dignity. They are shameless people who are happy to announce the murdering of innocent peoples. I am sure; they will feel the burden of curses and tears from the victims’ family and relatives before they go to more excruciating place than hell if there is any.

At the same time, I have to say what everyone is saying and seeing; the interim government is also not as effective as it should be. Just by this incident we know how the security system it is giving. Not being able to find clue about things shows its weakness. Moreover, looking at the slow pace of its investigations and government not giving it a serious thought and action on time makes me prepare for not being surprised if this government fails in its responsibilities like conducting Constitutional Assembly Poll on its deadline.

Looking at this all…looking at my country’s situation and observing the today’s world with my eyes, I am angry at myself! I know things that are unfair but I can do nothing about it the same way I could do nothing in these bombings to stop it or heal a wounded heart of victims family. I pity myself on my helplessness. Neither can I do something nor can I close my eyes not to see things that are unfair and unjust to my understandings!

Man of Difference!

On August 1st we Nepalese felt proud of being Nepali, Mahabir Pun made us proud!

This year’s one of the winners of Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership was Mahabir Pun. He won the award for his innovative application of wireless computer technology in Nepal, bringing progress to the remote mountain, connecting Nangi village to the global village.

Not wanting to work under the American lifestyle he had returned home from USA a decade ago to live his life in his country. He tried to do different things like yak-rearing, chicken farm but didn’t succeed on it like he wanted. Finally he came with the idea of wireless computer technology in Nangi village and with the help of some foreign volunteers and his contacts he succeeded in fulfilling his dream of joining this remote village with world which also earned him the Magsaysay award of this year.

After winning this award, he became center of media. Most of the daily newspapers of Nepal covered this news with banner headlines, he was interviewed in most of the electronic media and there was talk about his struggle and success. Within days, he became the house-hold name in society. For his success he was felicitated in many different programs from different organizations and community. As he is from Magar community as well, the community took his success like its own and organized different programs to congratulate him.

In felicitation programs, I was surprised to see our Ramon Magsaysay winner. He was nothing like we would normally expect to see. It was felicitation program for him so I had thought he would appear in formal dress. But, he was there in his slippers and something like a jogging dress! I found him very simple, man of few words and shy…and obviously the person who does things without caring what others say. We can assume him as a man who prefers to do things with his own ideas, process and on his own time. He said,” I didn’t do anything new; I just used the thing differently that was already invented by someone else. Like Coca-Cola industry did by adding “something” in solution of sugar and water to make Coke. We don’t need to invent new thing…they are already discovered by on or two already so what we can do is use that discovered thing differently!”

When I go to any kinds of program, usually I find most of the speakers/leaders if asked to say few words on something…they will forget that “something” and go on babbling about “You know I did this and I did that…blah…blah…” There are so many people with only words, no action! And there was Pun who says “well, I am glad to win the prize but I am not excited. I always worked as if I had duties to carry out. I was not doing anything by expecting any award!” I remember one of his interview in local FM radio where he was accused of not appreciating enough for the award he got by some audience.

Over all, when I observed him, the way Nepali people and media jumped with the pride at his success…to me it seemed he was wondering What all this fuss was about! May be that was the reason for him saying, “well, the way media is saying things about me…coming back to Nepal leaving all the facilities and good life opportunities in USA as my greatness, I don’t think it as so. It was my self-interest to be back home, I preferred to be home than in America, I don’t see anything greatness in it!”

Yup, he is surely a man of difference!