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The Nepal Digest Tuesday 18 April 95: Baishakh 5 2051 BkSm Volume 37 Issue 8
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* TND Board of Staff *
* ------------------ *
* Editor/Co-ordinator: Rajpal J. Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* SCN Liaison: Rajesh B. Shrestha rshresth@black.clarku.edu *
* Consultant Editor: Padam P. Sharma sharma@plains.nodak.edu *
* TND Archives: Sohan Panta k945184@atlas.kingston.ac.uk *
* Book Reviews Columns: Pratyoush R. Onta ponta@sas.upenn.edu *
* News Correspondent Rajendra P Shrestha rajendra@dartmouth.edu *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* *
* "If you don't stand up for something, you will fall for anything" -Dr. MLK *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" - Sirdar Khalifa *
* *
******************************************************************************
**********************************************************************
From: KESHAW NARAYAN MALLICK <MALLICK@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - April 12, 1995 (29 Chaitra 2051 BkSm)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
hi
a suggestion to the 10 nepalese commandments (throwing stones @ hillary)
why not send this to David Letterman and get wide publicity?
*********************************************************
From: LENA.PIYA@AMGATE.BARRA.COM
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 16:38:06 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Happy new year to all
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
From: Lena Piya
To: Nepal Digest
************************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 00:53 EST
From: ATULADHAR@vax.clarku.edu
To: h430p6@edv1.boku.ac.at, sharad@forestry.auburn.edu, dhaubade@egr.msu.edu,
SOME NEWARI CHILDREN BOOKS
============================
I have the pleasure to bring to the notice of those adults and children trying
to inculcate some culture into our children while getting overwhelmed by the
big tv culture of america...
on a recent visit to nepal, i bought some wonderful children books to teach
newari language, newari values, newari discursive referents, and generally to
reproduce newari culture. i have been trying to teach my 4 year old daugther
some newari while paging through some comic book like illustrations and
nursery rhymes and have been lost in the sweet nostalgia of old familiar tales
that i am doing most of the reading than my daughter. i have not read all but
i recommend all interested in newari culture to read and enjoy the really
purist newari idioms that are so enjoyably deployed in these books. For
information on these books contact me by email <ATULADHAR@VAX.CLARKU.EDU>
nAMES OF BOOKS
_______________
1. Nepayagu pulan bakhan [Old stories of nepal] by karunakar Vaidya
part iii
This is a collection of some 15 traditional stories we grew up with
to shape our values, world view, ethics, etc. Some of these include:
a. paju wo bhincha [uncle and nephew]
b. hwen khen dhoma wo gwasi daju [the match making matron..]
c. tiri maiicha [cute little girl]
d. dhwadama sasa abuju wa gyan du ma bhamcha [stupid father in
law and conscientous daughter in law] and so on...
2. ditto, part 5:
26 short stories such as :
a. nag wo jyapu [the snake n the farmer]
b. garib ya ijjat madu la [do poor have no dignity]
c. kwo wo bwo [the crow and the crane]
d. pyama gajigulu pasa pin [four stoned friends]
e. kichikan bhaye siyuma misa [woman who speaks to animals
f. bhagya na ma [you need luck too]
g. machaya insaf [the child's justice]
h. nhay tahaka ma rajkumari [the longnosed princess]
3. Folk tales of nepal, part 6
21 stories such as
a. dhwon cholecha ya bakhan [story of the shepard]
b. kaka ju ya bakhan [story of the uncle]
c. kan, khu, dhusi yagu bakhan [of lame,deaf, nd blind
d. nuga syam buri [the miserly hag]
e. kala dya napalagu [meeting the death god]
f. pyema khunta [the four thieves]
g. khipatan nawaigu [when the rope speaks]
h. hikuli hikuli [hiccuping]
4. nepal bhasa gwo akha safu: nigugu
This is a do-it-yourself introduction to newari letters and numbers, a
"varna mala" designed for KG level by bishnu chitrakar and illustrated
by sharad shakya and computer printed by juju tuladhar. The book
taught me the correct newari way to count 1,2,3 as "chi, nasi, swo,
pi..*' all the way to 100 "guisanha". The book also introduces the
children to the real newari script, many of whome are only exposed to
the devanagari script. These scripts are beautiful Ranjana lipi and
nepali lipi, two of the more common among more than 14 variants,
supposedly used as distinctively nepali script to win membership
to un. This book also has short nursery rhymes such as. 'hara pin
lwata, tutin tutin thwata, dhittu dhina dhwattu dhwata, ukin
imita lwapu khicha dhala..." Even the pictorial illustrations are
sights newari kids see in nepal SUCH as "dharahara, na la swan,
yandya, kalaw,"
5. "Chankha ma chakhuncha" [the clever sparrow] by shyam lal shreshta
published by Nepal Lipi Guthi [nepal script trust]. A delightful comic
book type in black and white line drawing with references to newari
scenes of jyapu and kharpan, newari houses with tile roofs and tiki
jhya or latticed windows, i must admit that itis difficult to persuade
my daughter to be interested for more than a few pages with perked
up purple commercial monster,Barney, on the pbs...
6. "macha kyaba" [the children's garden] This is another delighful
children book with nursery rhymes such as "imu wo mari" [the
ant and the bread] illustrated in musical score, do-it-yorself
stories with sequence of pictures, short intro to river bishumati,
science trivia such as "daka le yakan ta ma juigu banaspati pawn kha"
[the fastest growing plant is the bamboo], intro about the great chin
ese wall, the spiny anteater etc. obvioulsy for first grader or above.
7. 'bhya-cha dyo" published by nilkanth shrestha, the pictorially
illustrated "comic book' type book of the folk story of the
origin of cross section between indra chowk and kila gal.
again delight ful languange that connects newari kids to
the place, how newars are attached to their kathmandu.
8. "dhwo cholencha" another pictorially illustrated favorite
story of animal love, cruel stepmother, greedy half sister,
kind animals, coals and spits that speak, and the origin of
of the newari idiom, "ma ya samaa, samaaa mhya ya kanla, kanla"
9. "jatak" the story of the monkey and the crocodile, humours
shows how the presence of mind saves the monkey from the crocs,
delicious is the language with which wife croc speaks to hubby croc
"ya yejju, jita wa maka ya nuga syen nayagu ichcha jugu ta da he de
dhunkala"[oh my darling, it has been a long time i have been wanting
to munch that monkey's heart.."
10. "hasi mala ma macha" a pictorial comic book format folk story
the picturesand the print are crude, what can you expect
for publishing only 4000 copies at Rs 4 a copy? but the text is
a gem.
11. "chakhun chiya tangu kaygu" [the lost pea of the sparrow.."
another comic book format story.
12. "maha satwo" [super compassionate] one of the favorite storeys
my mother used to tell me about a prince who cuts his own
flesh to feed a starving tiger to weak to give milk to her
cubs. one of my fantasies is to be eaten by a tiger, so
romantic way of dying...
13. "kata maricha'[ the doll" a collection of 58 newari nursery
rhymes a must compiled by dr kumar bahadur joshi. it has
songs to sooth children whencrying, songs to teach them
about birds, about sharing, about bathing, about toddling
you name it, it is there, absolute gem.
14. "surat bajra" the story of the mythological newari
scientist who could do what modern satellites do now
remotely sense that his house was on fire when he was
conferring in tibet and dousing it with his spit, my
inspiration for remote sensing himali environment
from usa.
15. "Ti bhi bhin kaye yasa dwa dwan wa" a story of monsters and
demons
16. "luti maye ju" about the great grandmother goddess who had
many children but were very poor, your welfare queen demonized
republicans in us, she is humiliated for her poverty.
17. "makha pikha" the cobweb, about a king who gets an ear
infection with cobweb until a clever but lazy cures him.
18. "jhigu bakhan" [our story} a modern story about cleanliness
hygience, carpet labor, pollution, congestion,urban living.
19. "shilu" the celebrated story also made into a newari movie
starrind now dead nageena singh, the story is about an
obstinate woman who insists on accompanying her husband
to gosaikund although there is a taboo against that and is
separated as a result. in real life too, nageena singh
was separated from her husband by dying in a stove fire.
20. "taleju" another pictorial comic book format of the
story of goddess taleju in hanuman dhoka where hundreds
of animal sacrifices ae made on the nawami of vijay dasami.
21. "kata mari cha ya bivah" the marriage of the doll, comic
if any of you are interested in these stories and would like copies or
information about where to get them from in nepal or in us, write to me"
AMULYA TULADHAR
CLARK UNIVERSITY
**************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:45:36 -0400
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: buying guns to beg for food: Nepal ko gati
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
T.S. Reddy wrote:
>and Nepalis are completely
>at home in India given that we have similar cultures.
You see, this is the very sort of patronizing heavy-handedness that India
itself is guilty of in its dealings with Nepal. You comment is
well-intentioned, I know, and yet it's unconsciously culturocentric, if I
can use the term, in that it fails to take into account that Nepal has a
separate and distinct culture from India, not to mention the fact that
Nepal is a highly multi-cultural society itself, and a Limbu from the
hills of Taplejung would feel about as home in an Indian urban cesspool
like Lucknow as, say, a Madrasi would feel in Mustang. I don't know how
many times I've run into Indians who actually think that Nepal isn't even
its own sovereign nation, that somehow it's a part of the large,
frightening mass called "India," to the point that I get the idea they
must be teaching that concept in Indian schools maybe.
I strongly resist the idea that India has Nepal's best interests in mind,
and I even more strongly resist the idea that from time to time Nepal is
going to have to eat a little Indian humble pie.
I would hope a few Nepalis might pick up that strand, but maybe it's not
even worth the cyberspace to respond.
Peter G. (Mayudog@aol.com)
*********************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:47:21 -0400
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: buying guns to beg for food: Nepal ko gati
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
On 4 Apr 1995, Pratibha Singh wrote:
> time you spent without kerosene - yes, India was turning screws. And what
> happened? The brunt was borne by the poor, approx 65% of the total
> population. Nepal was, if i remember correctly, creating trouble for Indian
> immigrants in the country, and that was India's response. I believe it was
> stupid of the Nepali govt to do something like that - especially since the
> Indian govt is more relaxed about Nepali immigrants.
Dear Behanji (I get the impression that you are Indian),
The trade barricade that India inflicted on Nepal was against all moral
and diplomatic codes of conduct. It cannot ever be justified through the
feeble argument that "Nepal was creating trouble for Indian Immigrats".
Especially in the light of the fact that Nepali immigrants (in Assam and
Nagaland area, for instance) were subjected to a much harsher xenophobic
treatment than any Indian minority in Nepal could ever be subjected to. If I
remember correctly, there was massive deportation, deprivation of the
most fundamental human rights, and even cases of KKK style executions in
that region in approximately the same time period. In your line
of reasoning that would be justification enough for a worldwide trade
barricade against India.
> India is a powerful
> benefactor indeed, and until and unless Nepal becomes totally self-sufficient
> and economically stable, it will have to eat humble pie occasionally. I
> believe feeding the poor is a little more important than standing on
> ridiculous principles!
Extending your views on Nepal to your own "developed and powerful"
country why did not the Indians sit down and eat "humble pie" when America
put on trade sanctions on India?
Just by being a generous donor India can not buy itself rights to hit
Nepal below the belt and expect Nepal not to protest. How come other
richer and more powerful donors such as Japan and Germany do not
blatantly try to influence Nepali policies?
> I should say this is not a personal attack at you, but I do think that there
> is much that you need to realize about the complexity of Indo-Nepal relations.
And dear Lady, there is much you need to learn about International
Relations and simple Human Morals.
Sincerely,
Looja Tuladhar.
******************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 09:53:09 -0400
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: **SUBMISSIONS** J of World Traditional Medicine
From: tapen_sinha@macmail.bond.edu.au (Tapen Sinha)
Submissions wanted for Journal of World Traditional Medicine.
The journal will be published quarterly on the Web with provisions for
paid access to hard or floppy copies. Submissions will be reviewed.
The purpose is to increase the availability of practitioner orientated
traditional medicine knowledge from around the world. This will be
achieved through the publication of sound, documented, well researched
articles and case studies. Papers should be on either applied or
philosophical perspective9s of traditional medicine therapies and
diagnostic techniques.
AREAS OF INTEREST
herbalism, osteopathy, acupuncture, homoeopathy, nutrition, nature care,
yoga, applied kinesiology, chiropractic, flower essences, meditation,
visualisation/imagery, ayurveda, unani tibb, tribal medicines
We would also consider other areas if it meets our criteria.
Submissions should be E-mailed to:
tapen_sinha@macmail.bond.edu.au
Submissions are also accepted on disk in Microsoft Word any version Mac or
PC. Please mail to:
Dr. T. Sinha
P.O. Box 7893
Gold Coast GCMC
Q4217
Australia
***************************************************
From: sgautam@neoucom.EDU (Shiva P. Gautam)
Subject: Sanskrit
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 13:12:34 -0400 (EDT)
Nuru Lama has a point on news in Sanskrit, although he seems to be carried
way as the writer he was responding to.
-Broadcasting in Sanskrit is a waste of time and money of the government.
Nobody will listen to it (may be few will just for fun not as a source of
news). Because it can not be understood except by few learned people in
Sanskrit. I am sure even these people do not use Sanskrit in their
conversation. There is no Sanskrit speaking ethnic
group. As a historical language it is introduced in schools , that is more
than enough. Besideds, there are already Sanskrit schools and campuses
where interested people go to.
-Broadcasting in English (including publishing 'The Rising Nepal') is
equally a waste of government resource. There is such a demand of English
that 'The Rising Nepal' should be given to private sector. English is a n
international language not a national language. Government should not be
using resources in its promotion. I did not mean to say that it should
not be taught. It should be taught in schools, colleges etc. Nepal need
not to influence foreign listeners or readers. More people understand
"Newari, Maithili, Tamang ... than English.
-Majority and minority depends on how you see it. There are areas where
janajatis (borrowed of Nuru Lama) are in majority. I grew up in such a area.
Its funny that I used to think that janajatis are in the majority (in
Nepal as a whole), but most of the the political power and wealth was held by
pahadiyas. (I never bothered to check the census). Hindus are not in the
majority in this global-village age. Janajatis are not a single ethnic
group either. There are subethinic groups among pahadiyas. It is
interesting to note that from Terai people's view point pahadiyas include
both janjatis and Nuru Lama's pahadiyas. So according to ethnic groups
living in Terai janajatis are in the majority too.
-Mr. Lama correctly points out the examples from India, Srilanka and
Bhutan. However, one should not forget recent political winds in the US. In
India there has been unrest not only because minority are not treated
fairly but also majority are not treated fairly. There needs to be a
delicate balance.
-All over the world (generally) members of the majority group are the first to
point out the suffering and supression of the minority. (miniroties
are so much suppressed that they even may not aware of it or may have
accepted it as their fate). In the US minorities (in the past) were taught
European culture and history only. This may not be a deliberate thing, it
might have been due to ignorance.(Slavery was of course deliberate). Iran
thinks that all the TV signals from the west is a part of deliberate
program to destroy their culture. As a matter of fact many muslim share
this view. I don't think this is true. Going back to European
history-blacks in the us fought and fighting hard to include their heritage
and culture. But now they seem to act like the whites-they ignore American
Indian or Hispanic. Sometimes I get the feeling that they think only black
people are the great people, just like some white people think. I think
there is a lession to be learned. Extreme worship of ethnicity may result
in 'for me not for thy' (I think there is a book of this or similar title).
-This new thinking about who we are or who were seems to have
intensified after 1960s. Before that people used think as a country and
used to raise voice against colonial powers. Before that an individual used
to be a subject of a king and used to fight for the king and die for the
king. Even before that perhaps a lackey of a chieftan and die for the king.
Now people fight and die for race and culture. And each time dies the
humanity.
-People are proud of their culture history and past and want to go back
to their good old days and ways. But should we be carried out too much?.
All of us (I mean our ancient generataion) used to live in caves. Let's go
back into the caves. And perhaps we are headed to - in our thinking.
-Finally, one can go on and on such topics. This is not a
response(except that pashupati=shiva was not a Hindu god originally, and
Buddhism is a offshoot of Hinduism not the other way around) nor is
intended to offend anybody. I was not offended either by the earlier
threads. These are just thoughts perhaps so compressed that I am afraid it
will make any sense to anybody.
Shiva
*******************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 14:45:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: Nirmal Ghimirez <NGH42799Q236@DAFFY.MILLERSV.EDU>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Kabita
As everyone knows that life is a mixture of both sorrow and joy. Sometimes one
wins over the other. Maybe somedays are just meant to be like tyhat.
Jeevan
Jeevan auta dukhako yatra ho
Aasya Aasya ma adiyako ek nirasa matra ho
Bibasta ra lachartako katha ho
sayad purvjaanamko paapko sajaya ho
Jutho sapana ra mayako bandhan ho
Aansu ra bedanako chitkar ho
eccha ra Aakanshako pachi daudane maidan ho
Yo dukhako bhavasagar ho
****************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 15:00:27 -0500
From: eethap@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu (eethap)
To: Nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Nepali students/professionals in Long Island, Nassau/Suffolk
Namaste,
I'm considering taking up a position in the Nassau County area, Roslyn heights
to be precise. As I have only been there for the job interview and did not
get to spend much time there I would greatly appreciate some of the people
living within 15 to 20 mins of Roslyn Heights or in the Nassau/Suffolk area
to give me a call as soon as possible. I would appreciate any information
regarding housing, rents and life in general by mail or phone.
I would love to hear from fellow Nepalis in the general area. Please give
me a call at 504-387-3413.
If I were to take up the job offer I would be moving in to the area pretty
soon with my family.
Looking forward to hearing from y'all,
Sarad Thapa
eethap@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
(504) 387-3413
***********************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 95 17:13:08 EDT
From: eknath@math.cornell.edu (Eknath Belbase - Math Grad)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1995 (29 Chaitra 2051 BkSm)
Hi. This is about the proposal to limit topic discussions to three issues.
I am completely against that. One can never predict how long topics will be
of interest to the majority of readers. I myself am atleast pretty tired
of the current form of the BKS debate. However I don't think a general rule
like that is the way to go. It would be nice if some people got the BIG HINT
and just took personal initiatives to stop sending in bs on bks.
Does anyone know what percentage of the BKS operating budget comes from
students who pay and what % from the government? What % are from low income
families on scholarships and what % are paying? I haven't seen any of this
sort of data - did I miss something? This issue could continue to be
interesting if generalized to include the whole education system (and
made more tangible by people who really have some facts to share as well).
Rhetoric without such dats soon becomes meaningless.
One thing I do agree with is that anonymous posts should not be included.
Eknath
*********************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 17:34:16 -0400
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Film-Masculinity and Religious Violence Cambridge MA
From: Shyam <shyamal@mit.edu>
The Alliance for a Secular and Democratic South Asia
Presents
FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY WAR
A Film in 2 Parts on Notions of Masculine Identity, Violence and
Religion
By
Anand Patwardhan
Followed by a Discussion with the Film Maker
at
MIT Cambridge MA Building 6 Room 120
on
Sunday, April 30 from 2.00 PM to 5.00 PM
For more info send email to secular@mit.edu
______________________________________________________________________
About the film and its maker:
The third in a series of insightful films looking at India's religious
strife, FATHER, SON AND THE HOLY WAR examines the connection between
religion, violence and notions of male identity and explores the
possibility that a key to the psychology of violence against "the enemy"
lies in male insecurity, itself a product of the very construction of
"manhood." The film is divided into two parts of 60 minutes each.
Part 1: TRIAL BY FIRE
Trial by Fire is a reference to the fire ordeal to which the Hindu
god-king Rama subjected his wife Sita in order to test her fidelity. It
also refers metaphorically to several other fires; an incident of the
Sati ritual in which a widow named Roop Kanwar was burned on the
funeral pyre of her husband in Rajasthan in 1987; the "purifying" fire
rituals of the upper castes and the fires of religious violence that
raged in Bombay in 1993 after the demolition of a 16th century mosque in
Northern India.
These fires are fought by a small group of unlikely fire fighters: a
working class Rajasthani woman who refuses to glorify or condone Sati; a
Muslim woman who campaigns for the rights of women against
discriminatory personal laws; and a band of Hindus and Muslims who march
for religious tolerance through the riot-torn streets of Bombay.
Part 2: HERO PHARMACY
Hero Pharmacy describes the construction of notions of masculine
identity in the context of religious violence. The Hindu majority has
been brought up on stories, both true and concocted, of marauding
Islamic invaders who raped their women, destroyed their temples, and
forcibly converted them to Islam. Today a section of the Hindu majority
seeks revenge for crimes committed centuries ago. They reject
nonviolence as a form of impotence and set out to be "real men."
In the charged context, the Muslim minority - despite fears of genocide
- is not about to take things lying down. They too are driven by the
imperative to be "real men." The result is carnage.
120 minutes / Color / 1994
* Jury Prize Winner, Vancouver Film Festival
* Exhibited at the Toronto Film Festival
______________________________________________________________________
Anand Patwardhan, perhaps India's foremost documentary filmmaker, has
been raising the world's understanding of social injustices in North
America and his native country for two decades. Active in the fight for
civil liberties, housing rights, and against religious bigotry,
Patwardhan describes himself as "a nonserious human being forced by
circumstance to make serious films."
Anand was born in 1950 and educated at Bombay University, Brandeis
University, and McGill University. He participated in the
anti-Vietnam-war movement as a student in the U.S. in 1970-72 and was a
volunteer in Cesar Chavez's United Farmworkers Union, and in Kishore
Bharati, a rural development and education project in central India in
1972-74. He was later active in the Bihar anti-corruption movement in
1974-75 and in the civil liberties and the democratic rights movement
during and after the 1975-77 Emergency in India. Anand's films have
received plaudits as examples of the finest in investigative journalism.
*********************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 95 17:46:39 EDT
From: eknath@math.cornell.edu (Eknath Belbase - Math Grad)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1995 (29 Chaitra 2051 BkSm)
Re: Sanskrit Broadcasting
Granted, the population of people who can actually understand a broadcast
in Sanskrit is probably pretty low - so that this whole issue about Sanskrit
broadcasting, a minister RESIGNING over it seems a bit silly.
But let me play D.A. and see if we can get a nice debate going:
[from a post in the last issue]
>The writer's inability
>to understand Mr. Tuladhar's stance is a clear testimony of the rift
>existing in Nepal betweeen two broadly defined groups 'the pahadiyas' and
>the 'janajatis'.
So does this mean that most janajatis, however you define them, would be against
these broadcasts, and most pahadiyas for them? What is this claim based on?
I agree to the idea that there are rifts between such groups (if you add some
quantifiers to the statement) but I disagree that this writers inability
to understand the uproar (shared by myself - I'll explain why later, my reasons
being a bit different) necessarily has anything to do with that rift.
>The Janajatis have their own native languages which bear
>little resemblance to the language of the pahadiyas, ie Nepali.
I'm curious - which language families are they in? Tibeto-Burman?
>Nepal is a multicultural society and for such a
>society to co-exist government should recognize the existence of the
>different groups and promote their identity. If the government tries to
>harmonize the society by suppressing the differences, it will fail in its
>attempt because this will only bring forth the feeling of alienation and
>hatred between the various groups.
I agree with the entire paragraph but disagree with the implication that
broadcasting sanskrit on the radio is an attempt at suppressing differences.
If you want to look for an example of that, look at Nepali! Every kid going
to school, regardless of what his grandparents spoke, will learn Nepali from
KG up, with no provisions made to keep other languages living. So maybe we
should start giving people the option of learning these local languages
instead of trying to stop Sanskrit broadcasting?
>The pahadiyas are the majority in
>Nepal and wherever and whenver the majority ignores the rights of the
>minorities or tries to incorporate them into their identity, social
>conflict of the bloodiest kind ensues.
You are making a general statement about all social oppression which clearly
has counterexamples. American blacks suffered 300 years of slavery without
social conflict of the bloodiest kind. When the Civil War came, they had
very little to do with its starting and objectives. However, this is
neither here nor there - it's simply irrelevant to our discussion! :)
Let us grant that equal rights and human dignity are worthy goals without the
threat of bloody social conflict.
How many languages does Radio Nepal currently broadcast in? Are English and
Newari broadcasts also attempts at suppression?
Here's why I think none of this is a big deal: proportion. It is all out
of proportion to the loss of cultural identity already occuring in Nepal
among various groups due to other factors. Listening to Sanskrit on the
radio is completely optional. But if you want to go to school, learning
Nepali, and probably forgetting Magar or Gurung or Tharu in the process
(say over 2 generations) is NOT optional. We need to change things like that-
the ones that really matter. (I agree that this Sanskrit issue has
*symbolic* significance, though.) Why not start out with something similar
to what India has - everyone learns English and Nepali, AND everyone has
the option of learning a third language. A serious attempt is made to offer
as many third languages as possible. I realize that given our current Nepal
this may be hopelessly idealistic, but the reason I write this is to juxtapose
what I see as real solutions to real problems with political posturing
on a non-issue. What has been accomplished by this man's resignation?
Maybe he hopes to win more votes next time using this great Pahadiya/
Janajati divide. Who knows?
*****************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 95 17:59:49 EDT
From: eknath@math.cornell.edu (Eknath Belbase - Math Grad)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1995 (29 Chaitra 2051 BkSm)
More on sanskritization:
-----------------------
Here are some other questions I have for those interested in this
Sanskrit issue, especially the broader issue it represents of loss
of cultural identity:
(1) What are the main ways you think loss of cultural identity is occuring
within Nepal due to "sanskritization" - other than language what concrete
vehicles do you see that propogate higher-caste culture?
(2) If you can identify those vehicles, what steps do you think are possible
to guarantee subgroups of the Nepali population some chance of immunity
from these vehicles?
(3) What do you think is more important here, economic inequity or real concern
about loss of cultural identity? Does the notion of cultural identity even
exist in larger society [ie non-(academic with interests in social science) ]?
And given that it probably doesn't, what does this mean about our attempts
to preserve this cultural identity? Would most people CARE about their
cultural identity (assuming the concept is part of the psyche) if they
were well-off materially in relation to the the dominant groups. And why is
it important to preserve cultural identity anyway? All cultural identities
are non-static ill-defined constantly evolving entities. How can you
PRESERVE such things? That's like... an oxymoron, dude! Preserve this moment.
You can't!
******************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 19:19:44 -0500 (CDT)
From: Kunga Rotta <rd038@ucok.edu>
To: nepal_news_bulletin <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: notify..
Hi Rabindra Tripathi (living in NYC)
I'm Gyanendra. I'd appreciate if you would let me
have your e-mail address plus your phone number.
I'll catch you later.
namaskaar
gyan
****************************************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Apr 1995 20:30:52 -0400 (EDT)
From: Jagadish Dawadi <JXD9590@ritvax.isc.rit.edu>
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - April 13, 1995 (29 Chaitra 2051 BkSm)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Again, Happy New Year 2052!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just wondered if someone could help me out with the following problem:
o My friend and I just thought about going to Tokyo, Japan instead of
Nepal for a week this summer (around June). So, I wonder how and where
I can get a visa for Japan? Can this be simply done through the
Japanese embassies or counsul's offices located around the USA?
Pls let me know, thanks.
I am sorry if I asked this trivival question, but I am really green horn on
this issue!
Thanks in advance for your time in considering this. Have a great time living
and studying in the USA!
Namaste! Jagu
*******************************************************************
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 14:10:20 AEST-1000
From: Rabi THAPA - Rabs <RABTHAPA@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au>
Subject: sexist education
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
I am writing in response to Sujata Rana's complaint regarding the
status of women in Nepalese education. Despite her reluctance to
trigger another potentially long and tiresome debate, one thing has
to be pointed out -- the fact that BKS is a CO-EDUCATONAL SCHOOL!!!
Admittedly, there still are more boys than girls, but the process of
assimilating girls began four years ago. This is not to say that sex
discrimination does not exist in Nepal. Far from it. But to
characterize the BKS debate as being generated by male-bias is, to
say the least, ignorant. Perhaps more female correspondents to TND
would help alleviate that misconception.
R.Thapa
Australia
*****************************************************************
From: S Hrestha <shrestha@arts.adelaide.edu.au>
Subject: Cheating Vs Honesty
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 14:38:28 +0930 (CST)
Cheating Vs Honesty
Let us consider following basic pricples in cheating and honesty
Traditional School of thought:
Principle I: As taught by our parents and grand parents, no one is supposed to
cheat. It is not human. It is very bad. Contrary is taught about honesty.
Principle II: Cheating is illegal. Some one who does cheating can be punished.
Despite of this some body does it, in fact many. Many of us specially in
student life, have tried to cheat in examination. It is encoraged by many, as if
it is normal. Then cheating roots deeply in naive mind. This is where problem
starts. In fact we are teaching and learning among ourself a very wrong thing
"A big disaster". But still taken very lightly.
In present context:
Principle III
What if every body cheats? Can some body remain honest in such situation? Fish
moves where the water goes. No one can try to be honest in such situation. So,
cheating is normal considering such environment.
Priciple IV:
Cheating done for survival or existance is not cheating. Eg, if some one comes
with gun and asks where is your friend Mr "A". What Every body has to do. This
is just extreme example. There could be many situation in real life where some
one has to go away from honesty for the survival.
Now, where do we stand in Nepalese context? If we are somewhere near to
priciple III or IV, we have to teach our children how to cheat "A strategic
Cheating". The End.
Kumud Shrestha, Adelaide, Australia
**************************************************************
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 01:19 EST
From: U <UMANANDHAR@vax.clarku.edu>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
The following may or may not be relevant to my comments but I think some of
us will find the information revealing:
Conventions Nepal has NOT signed:
1) Convention on the nationality of married women
2)Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration
of Marriages.
3) Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and Exploitation
of the Prostitution of Others>
Source:Human Rights of Women - National and International Perspectives. Edt:
Rebecca J. Cook, 1994, UPenn Press.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In a previous article, g44329a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp (GP) wrote:
-> It is true that airplanes that RNAC has are old and noisy
->-painful- for few hours flying. Now, it looks our politicians are
->also very old RNAC 's airplanes either can crash anytime. The staff
->of RNAC abroad or station-masters all come from disqualified back-
->ground. Lets compare the Air-hostage in Thai Airline, where any
->lady above 32 years is grounded, while RNAC have grand-mothers
->as AIR-HOSTAGEs. Ofcourse, the passenger want smart personnel
->in the board because s/he pays enough expecting fast service which
->comes from only smart board-in staff. I am not saying the AIR-H/Stewarts
->should be SEXY, but they should be smart and fast to understand their
->guest (i.e. passengers).
--------------- (text deleted)
This response was written by Dr. Gyaneswor Pokharel when I made a comment
about RNAC and how the plane had only about 20 people when I went from London
to Kathmandu. I can understand Dr. Pokharel's dissatisfaction with RNAC
but I am appalled that he has first decided to criticizes the so called
"AIR-HOSTAGEs when talking about RNAC's problems. Maybe we should start with
the men in this highly patriarchal Airline. After all it is the airline which
refused to hire Rakshya Rana who is the first WOMAN in Nepal to get a private
pilot license.
In fact I found the age group of the "air-hostesses" to be one of the
highlights of RNAC. RNAC doesn't care of all the pressures that most
International Airlines puts on women to be of certain age, certain look,
certain waste line and so on. Thai can do whatever they want (although I wish
they didn't) but RNAC does not need to conform to Thai's standards.
What does Dr. Gyaneswor mean when he says "the passenger want smart
personnel?" If you are not saying " AIR-H/Stewarts be SEXY" then what are you
saying? Who is defining this so called "smart personnel?" Maybe sexist
males like yourself? (By the way I am also a male). To me it sounds like you
would like the the "air hostesses" to be like the ones in the cover of Vogue
magazine.
If one wants to criticize the RNAC staff maybe we should start with all the
men-folk in the Kathmandu office who do nothing but just want to be patronized.
Uday Manandhar
Clark University
*********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:41:25 -0400
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Help with Research?
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
I'm trying to do some research on the following topics...
if anyone has anything to offer (whether it's opinions,
facts, sources, references, *anything*) please post or,
better yet, email me! Thanks in advance...
1. Current events in the Xinjiang area.
2. The East Turkistani Organization
3. The World Islamic Alliance.
4. The Joint Committee for the Liberation of Turkik-Mongolian,
Manchu & Tibetan People.
5. A publication called "One Voice".
Thanks again!
Valya
************************************************************
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:42:44 -0400
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Annapurna Circuit
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
In article <19950410094422.J.deJong@sp0013.kub.nl>, J.deJong@kub.nl wrote:
>
> What I want to know is:
> - how busy is the track
> - can you camp in the wild
> - how cold does it get on the highest parts of the track
>
> Did you enjoy your track?
>
Last year I traveled a small part of the Annapurna circuit during the
monsoon season end of July (I believe the monsoon season starts in June to
end of August). The weather was not so bad. Ocassionally, there was an
enormous shower, usually at night, and during daytime it was usually dry.
Bring an umbrella from Kathmandu (against sun or rain). I liked the
monsoon time because there where hardly any tourists, the weather was not
too rainy, and the nature was very green. Of course, the clouds prevents
the famous views on the snowcapped mountains.
We took the local bus from Dumre to Besisahar which took us about 5 to 6
hours, I think. A very busy bus, where you may have to sit on top. On top
is probably the best place, because you can see around, which is much
harder inside. Be protected against rain or sun. From Besisahar we walked
our way to Bhul-bhule, and further to Baundanda, which is how far we got.
In Baundanda there is an excelent clean and quiet Hotel called Mountain
View hotel. They serve good vegetarian food. The owner (Dinesh) is a very
friendly person.
During the monsoon time the track is quiet. You should have no problem
whatsoever to find hotels. During season I heard from various people that
it can become busy. If you arrive late hotels may be full. As far as I
know you can camp in the wild in the area that your trecking permit allows
for. I don't think it is necessary to camp since on these tea trails there
are plenty hotels. Bringing your own camping stuff implies that you have
to carry it all with you. On such a trail, every kg counts! I would choose
for hotels. Of course hotels are very basic on this track and rooms are
small.
It can get quite cold (in summer around freezing) at higher altitude.
Therefore, bring a rain-wind jack, at least one warm pullover, mountain
shoes.
I enjoyed the part I walked. The next time I would like to walk more and
try the pass.
Patrick Groenen
**********************************************************************
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 1995 16:46:04 -0400
From: rshresth@black.clarku.edu (RaJesh B. Shrestha)
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Govet Cancels RNAC GSA to Europe : Girija Under inverstigation
Cross-posted from SCN:
---------------------
In a previous article, g44329a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp (GP) wrote:
The following may or may not be relevant to my comments but I think some of
us will find the information revealing:
Conventions Nepal has NOT signed:
1) Convention on the nationality of married women
2)Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage and Registration
of Marriages.
3) Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and Exploitation
of the Prostitution of Others>
Source:Human Rights of Women - National and International Perspectives. Edt:
Rebecca J. Cook, 1994, UPenn Press.
In a previous article, g44329a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp (GP) wrote:
-> It is true that airplanes that RNAC has are old and noisy
->-painful- for few hours flying. Now, it looks our politicians are
->also very old RNAC 's airplanes either can crash anytime. The staff
->of RNAC abroad or station-masters all come from disqualified back-
->ground. Lets compare the Air-hostage in Thai Airline, where any
->lady above 32 years is grounded, while RNAC have grand-mothers
->as AIR-HOSTAGEs. Ofcourse, the passenger want smart personnel
->in the board because s/he pays enough expecting fast service which
->comes from only smart board-in staff. I am not saying the AIR-H/Stewarts
->be SEXY, but they should be smart and fast to understand their
->guest (i.e. passengers).
--------------- (text deleted)
This response was written by Dr. Gyaneswor Pokharel when I made a comment
about RNAC and how the plane had only about 20 people when I went from London
to Kathmandu. I can understand Dr. Pokharel's dissatisfaction with RNAC
but I am appalled that he has first decided to criticizes the so called
"AIR-HOSTAGEs when talking about RNAC's problems. Maybe we should start with
the men in this highly patriarchal Airline. After all it is the airline which
refused to hire Rakshya Rana who is the first WOMAN in Nepal to get a private
pilot license.
In fact I found the age group of the "air-hostesses" to be one of the
highlights of RNAC. RNAC doesn't care of all the pressures that most
International Airlines puts on women to be of certain age, certain look,
certain waste line and so on. Thai can do whatever they want (although I wish
they didn't) but RNAC does not need to conform to Thai's standards.
What does Dr. Gyaneswor mean when he says "the passenger want smart
personnel?" If you are not saying " AIR-H/Stewarts be SEXY" then what are you
saying? Who is defining this so called "smart personnel?" Maybe sexist
males like yourself? (By the way I am also a male). To me it sounds like you
would like the the "air hostesses" to be like the ones in the cover of Vogue
magazine.
If one wants to criticize the RNAC staff maybe we should start with all the
men-folk in the Kathmandu office who do nothing but just want to be patronized.
Uday Manandhar
Clark University
**************************************************************************
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 14:38:01 -0400
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Weather above Namche Bazaar at end of June?
From: mrobinso@css1.css.edu (Mike Robinson)
My wife and I plan to be in Nepal for a month beginning June 15.
We plan to go trekking above Namchi Bazaar and know the weather will be bad.
Some articles indicate that most rain will occur in the afternoon.
I would like information from someone with first hand experience who can give me info
about what we can expect. Will it be rainy, snowy, and cloudy most days?
How high up towards Mt. Everest can we go? Will we get into new snow at 17000 feet?
What will the trails be like?
Will any tea houses be open? Will we find lodging in Inns?
I would apprecitate any help you can give.
Thanks,
Mike Robinson
*********************************************************
From: Ashutosh Tiwari <tiwari@husc.harvard.edu>
Subject: Report: New Year's Celebrations in Boston
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Cc: tiwari@fas.harvard.edu
Where on earth do you exepect to you see the Big Names of the Nepali
cyberspace (such as TND's founder Rajpal Singh, our e-mail god Rajendra P.
Shrestha, our iconoclastic Amulya Tuladhar, who showed up in pukka Nepali
daura-suruwal and topi, and our cyber-pioneer Sanjay Manandhar, one of
the founders of SCN) under one roof?
Why, in Boston, Massachusetts, of course.
They were all among the 140 Nepalis and friends of Nepal who
gathered at Talbot Lounge at MIT in Cambridge, Mass. last night to have a
party to usher in the new Nepali Year 2052 Bikram Sambat. And the food was
complete with Khasi ko masu, among all other practically home-cooked,
Nepali-style, khana for all the guests.
And why shouldn't the food be good? From early morning till late
afternoon yesterday, the immensely hardworking cooking team of: Raju
Pradhan, Mrs. Subarna Shakya, Mrs. Mina Adhikari, Ramona Chitrakar and
Hemendra Bohra and others toiled hard and long, spending over 60-man
hours, in the kitchen to have the khana ready by the time the guests
started arriving at 6 pm.
And by all accounts, everybody relished the papad, dal-bhat, khasi
ko masu, masu, kauli ko tarkari, bodi-tama-alu ko tarkari, and golveda ko
piro achar. Add to all these, the eat-as-much-as-you-can ice-cream,
brought by Bhupesh Karki, from Christina's at the end. One couldn't have
topped the food. It was all simply delicious, and that's the truth.
Thank you so much, Raju, Subarna, Heme, Ramona, Mina and others.
Nepalis in Boston are lucky to have people like you who work so hard for the
community!!
After dinner, a short cultural program was on, featuring a folk dance
by Yumi Shakya and Astha Adhikari, to the tune of Rita Shakya's sitar and
Nuru Lama's madal. Special thanks to Versa from Amherst for her classical
new-year song. After a spirited impromptu singing session led by Umanga
Pandey, the floor was open for dancing till mid-night.
The Greater Boston Nepali Community (GBNC) thanks the following
individuals for their great help, without which the party would not have
happened in the first place:
Sunil Shakya, our treasurer, for running all the errands, and for
computerizing our fee-collecting process.
Binoy Yonzon and Sanjib Tuladhar, for doing most of the food-shopping
for 150 people the day before the party.
Rabi Karmacharya, for bringing in two kegs of beer, enjoyed by all
beer-loving thita-thiti-haru and others.
Sri Krishna Pandey, for his contant help with everything throughout the
party.
Nuru Lama, Raj Shah, Hemendra Bohra, Kiran Kattel, Firoz
from Harvard, and Sunil Parajuli
and all others for all their help with cleaning-up afterwards.
Amrit Panth, and Sushil Panta for all their help in the kitchen and beyond.
Rita Shakya for her great sitar performance.
Binoy Yonzon, for his DJ-ing at the end with some dance music.
And to everyone else who came and volunteered in many other ways (and
whose names I can't remember right now, sorry!) to have a great party,
to have a great New Year, and to have some great fun.
Thanks to one and thanks to all.
Happy New Year to all Nepalis from Boston, Massachusetts!
namaste
ashu
**********************************************************************
From: sgautam@neoucom.EDU (Shiva P. Gautam)
Subject: posting of message
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 1995 09:41:26 -0400 (EDT)
Dear Editor:
I would like to have my earlier message on Sanskrit not posted in the TND.
I will be sending my comments (if it felt necessary) in the coming weeks.
Thx
Shiva
******************************************************************************
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