Received: from mp.cs.niu.edu (mp.cs.niu.edu [131.156.1.2]) by library.wustl.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id GAA06400; Thu, 5 Nov 1998 06:51:45 -0600 (CST) Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA29952 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-dist); Thu, 5 Nov 1998 03:34:49 -0600 Received: by mp.cs.niu.edu id AA29948 (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for nepal-list); Thu, 5 Nov 1998 03:34:48 -0600 Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 03:34:48 -0600 Message-Id: <199811050934.AA29948@mp.cs.niu.edu> Reply-To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> From: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu> Sender: "Rajpal J.P. Singh" <A10RJS1@cs.niu.edu> Subject: The Nepal Digest - Nov 5, 1998 (20 Kartik 2055 BkSm) To: <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu> Content-Type: text Status: O X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 291
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The Nepal Digest Thursday Nov 5, 1998: Kartik 20 2055BS: Year7 Volume80 Issue2
Today's Topics (partial list):
Nepali News
Please be considerate of the readers
Dassain celebration
Jobs at Tribhuvan
Martin Chautari Discussion Schedule for Nov
NPPA's 7th annual Bhintuna Celebration!!
Reviving HNC!
******************************************************************************
* TND (The Nepal Digest) Editorial Board *
* -------------------------------------- *
* *
* The Nepal Digest: General Information tnd@nepal.org *
* Chief Editor: Rajpal JP Singh a10rjs1@mp.cs.niu.edu *
* (Open Position) *
* Editorial Columnist: Pramod K. Mishra pkm@acpub.duke.edu *
* Sports Correspondent: Avinaya Rana avinayar@touro.edu *
* Co-ordinating Director - Australia Chapter (TND Foundation) *
* Dr. Krishna B. Hamal HamalK@dist.gov.au *
* Co-ordinating Director - Canada Chapter (TND Foundation) *
* Anil Shrestha SHRESTHA@CROP.UOGUELPH.CA *
* SCN Correspondent: Open Position *
* *
* TND Archives: http://library.wustl.edu/~listmgr/tnd/ *
* TND Foundation: http://www.nepal.org tnd@nepal.org *
* WebSlingers: Pradeep Bista,Naresh Kattel,Robin Rajbhandari *
* Rabi Tripathi, Prakash Bista tnd@nepal.org *
* *
* +++++ Food For Thought +++++ *
* *
* "Heros are the ones who give a bit of themselves to the community" *
* "Democracy perishes among the silent crowd" -Sirdar_Khalifa *
* *
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************
Date: Nov 3, 1998
To: The Nepal Digest <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Nepali News
Source: Awake Nepal
(Nepal Jagaran, Oct. 12, Monday)
Maoists get going by the British Pounds
The Executive Intelligence Report of Britain in its volume 25, number 38 issue
published on September 25, 1998 says Nepalese Maoists are getting help from
Britain.
According to the report entitled Britains Contract Over Nepal Strengthens,
Amnesty International is assisting the Maoists in Nepal.
The report says geo-political experts of Britain have been assisting the Maoist
movement in Nepal to break up the CPN-UML, to weaken the Nepali Congress
and strengthen the monarchy.
The report also says the Royal Palace of Nepal has links with the Buckingham
Palace, and that Prince Gyanendra and Crown Prince Dipendra are members of
the 1001 Club. The 1001 Club is run by Prince Philip of Britain and Prince
Bernard of the Netherlands.
The report, questioning why Britain wants to have influence over Nepal, points
out that the country is an old route for smuggling narcotics and illegal weapons.
The Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, MI6 of Britain, Mossad of Israel and Arab
intelligence agency also have their presence in Nepal, the report says. The ISI is
making available weapons and narcotics to the Tamil Tigers and the terrorist
groups of North India.
The report also mentions about links with Tibetan refugees, movement against the
Bhutanese king and the Ughurs of China.
Britain wants Kathmandu to become a centre of international drug and illegal
weapons smuggling and women trafficking rather than create a democratic
atmosphere here, the report has said.
Similarly the report has said (Britain) is also creating obstacles to Nepals water
resource development. British intelligence is also involved in freeing Tibet and
Xianjiang from China.
It might be mentioned that Hisila Yami, wife of Maoist leader Dr. Baburam
Bhattarai, is living in a five-room flat in London. Her two children also study in an
expensive school in London.
(Nepal Jagaran, Oct. 12, Monday)
******************************************************************
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 1998 10:46:25 -0500
From: mohan <thakurim@VAX.CS.HSCSYR.EDU>
Subject: Please be considerate of the readers
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Dear Editor
Thank you for your efforts in ppublishing this unique e-journal. I try =
to read it regularly to catch up on kurakani etc. I do have a complaint =
to make, though: I wish that some of the contributors would make their =
remarks shorter and sweeter than going on for pages after pages with the =
same monologue. Their messages would be more meaningful and effective if =
they were to keep to the point and not make a "dantya-katha" of all the =
issues. I, for one , would certainly enjoy my readership more.Right now =
I have to skip multiple passages in the interest of time.
Thank you,
Mohan Chand
Syracuse.
***************************************************************
From: "Puspa Man Joshi" <joshi.2@osu.edu>
To: <nepal@cs.niu.edu>
Subject: Dassain celebration
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 21:48:54 -0500
Tidbits from Columbus
By: Puspa Man Joshi
Dassain celebration in Columbus
Two young gentlemen, Allen Gomes and Ananda R. Tiwari, organized the Dassain
party in Columbus at the Buckeye Village Recreation Center on 3rd Oct. It
was a great party, attended by nearly 60 people from Columbus and vicinity--
Prof. Mohan Shrestha and Bijaya Shrestha from Bowling Green, Prof. Nephil,
Nedina, and Latina Maskay from Wooster, Ohio, Mr and Mrs Baidya from
Findlay, Ohio. The presence of 10 Nepali students from Ohio Wesleyan
University with their 10 international guests made the party more lively.
As usual, it was a pot luck party with wide variety of Nepali foods like
mulako achar, tama tarkari, pulawu, thari thari ko masu, rasbari, ityadi,
ityadi. After the dinner, a cultural program was performed. The party ended
with singing and playing musical instruments. There were some new faces
from Columbus at the party this year- Nabin Sitoula, Adarsha Tiwari, Bimal
Bhattachan, Sumi Gauchan, Bhaskar Panday, Shibha Joshi and Subekchya Joshi.
Prayers
Our prayers go to Sumit Singh, son of Mukesh Singh and Sarala Panday for his
quick recovery. He has been in the Intensive Care Unit of Children's
Hospital since 7 weeks because of a brain hemorrhage .
********************************************************
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 14:45:54 +0900
From: ted gray <tedg@wow.hongik.ac.kr>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Jobs at Tribhuvan
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you in hopes of obtaining information about possible
job opportunities at Tribhuvan University. I have been "surfing" the
Internet for information on the university, but have come up
empty-handed so far. I'm not certain what Tribhuvan's home page is
listed under.
I am a qualified English teacher, who recently traveled to Nepal and
thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I am at present working in a Korean
university, but am sincerely interested in living and working in Nepal
as an English teacher. If there is any information that you have
regarding that, or even a web page that you can connect me to, I would
greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Ted Gray
*****************************************************************
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 22:40:21 -0800 ()
From: Lillian Thomas <lthomas@uoguelph.ca>
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: WINROCK INTERNATIONAL FAX NUMBER ?
Dear Nepal Digest Readers -
I am interested in finding out the correct address and fax number of the
organisation called WINROCK International. They have produced a document
called Rapid and Participatory Rural Appraisal for Nepal: A Practical
Handbook. I would appreciate this information if anyone has it.
Any suggestions regarding other publications on PRA Methods used in Nepal,
on Gender Issues in Nepal, and Microfinance in Nepal is also of interest.
Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Ms. Lillian Thomas
M.Sc. Candidate
School of Rural Planning and Development
University of Guelph
CANADA
***********************************************************
Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998 08:55:43 +0545 (NPT)
To: nepal-list@mos.com.np
From: sinhas@mos.com.np (Pratyoush Onta)
Subject: Martin Chautari Discussion Schedule for Nov
Martin Chautari Discussion Schedule for Nov; all Tuesday meetings begin at
5:30pm
3 Nov
The Women's Freedom Movement in Nepal
Sushila Shrestha, Sashi Shrestha, Sarada Rana
8 Nov (note SUNDAY, 5:30pm)
Today's Nepali 'Pop' Music: how much music, how much noise?
Abhash (Radio Sagarmatha), Bikas Gurung (Red Pulse), Lokesh Shrestha (Music
Maniacs)
10 Nov
Christainity in Nepal
Dr K B Rokaya, Abraham Shrestha, Arjun Dhakal, Lakpa Lama
17 Nov
Surgery for all: how?
Dr Saroj Dhital, Dr Govinda K.C., Dr Stephen Bezruchka, Skalpel
24 Nov
Reporting on HIV+/AIDS in Nepal
Abana Onta, Swastika Bhattarai, Manish Gautam
Martin Chautari (tel:246065) is located in Thapathali, Kathmandu (behind VS
Niketan School's first building when going from Thapathali towards
Babarmahal: past
the Maternity Hospital, turn left, turn right after passing the NEFEJ
office and NOT towards UMN and St. Xavier's College; after about 80m you
will see a sign for "Martin Chautari") on an electric pole. Discussions
are held in Nepali or/and English (if chief speaker is a non-Nepali). This
is an open forum and anyone interested can participate.
Do you listen to Radio Sagarmatha (FM 102.4) between 6:30-9:30 every
morning and evening? Dabali, a weekly discussion program, goes on air on
Wednesdays at 8:30am.
*****************************************************************
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 17:11:08 -0500 (EST)
Forwarded by: Ashutosh Tiwari <tiwari@fas.harvard.edu>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Could this happen in Thamel, Kathmandu too? Sure.
>From Salon magazine.
--The heart of a tourist hustler
Lonely in India, she befriended
the local playboy. Who could have anticipated what would happen next?
BY LISA DREIER
"Excuse me -- excuse me! Is
your father a thief?"
I pause in the street, somewhere
between a stray dog and the
open sewer. A young Indian man
is calling out to me. "Uh, no
Why?"
"Because," an easy smile spreads
across his face, revealing nearly white teeth,
"someone must have stolen the stars from the sky
and put them in your eyes." His fingers flit upward,
then out toward me, acting out his story.
Oh, God. It's another tourist hustler. Raking my
eyes over him in an instant, I see that he fits the
bill. Young, handsome, dressed in the entirely Western
clothes that are de rigueur for this type: tight
Levis, a macho belt buckle, an imitation Polo shirt. He
smiles again, expectantly, as I collapse into
predictable laughter.
Maybe he wants to sell me some miniature paintings
-- the specialty in this town. Or he'll try to
bring me
into a shop, where his 25 percent commission will
be added to the price of anything I buy. He may have
a similar arrangement with several hotels -- all run
by his friend or brother or cousin. Or perhaps he's
hoping for an easy romance, or the prestige he'll
win among his peers by just taking me out for a drink.
You see them in every town -- veering toward you
on the streets, calling out from the doorways of
souvenir stands. They speak English, maybe a
little French, a sprinkling of Italian. Their behavior is
so suggestive, so forward, they seem to be a breed of
their own -- sprung incongruously from the
traditional culture that surrounds them.
"Where do these guys come from?" I would think,
weaving past a pack of them who staked out the
narrow alleyway like a testosterone-fueled
obstacle
course. I'd respond with a mixture of exasperation
and amusement, occasionally tossing some ironic
banter their way as I moved past. "Oh, very nice
with the tourist ladies," I said sarcastically to
the "stars in the sky" guy. But I couldn't help
smiling.
Until I met Rakesh, I couldn't see why this
phenomenon had sprung up not only throughout
India, but on every continent where I have
traveled.
But after hearing Rakesh's story, I gained a new
understanding of the tourist hustler.
"Hello, will you come and look in my shop?" These
were the first words he spoke to me. Another
strikingly handsome hustler -- I was familiar with
this
one. "Oh yeah, your shop, right," I retorted,
never
stopping as I headed up the cobblestone road.
At first glance Rakesh seemed typical -- but
something about him was special. I was alone in
his
city, spending my days writing, and the evenings
yawned open like a blank space. After he helped
translate a lengthy argument between me and an
auto-rickshaw driver one night, I let him take me
out
for a soda.
It was the start of an unusual friendship.
Steering
clear of prying eyes and the red-lit restaurant
where
Indian men were known to bring foreign women,
we'd meet across town each night after his shop
closed. Over unlicensed beer and spicy dahl, we
spilled our stories to each other. A strange
agreement
sprung up between us: total honesty, and no games.
My new friend surprised himself by telling me the
truth about his life, and this is what I heard.
Rakesh first entered the tourist trade at the age
of
13. "I didn't know anything," he said. He was from
a
poor, traditional family, and spoke just a few
phrases
of schoolbook English. A friend who owned a hotel
began to teach him the ropes. Rakesh helped out in
the restaurant and began to observe the strange
new
breed of people who ate there. They were foreign,
they had lots of cash and the women were both
captivating and accessible. Rakesh earned no
salary,
but when he brought tourists to the hotel, he
received a small commission. This was a nice perk
for his family -- some nights he'd walk home with
an
extra 50 or 100 rupees for his mother.
He began to work the streets, convincing tourists
to
shop at places where he'd earn a 25 percent
commission. His good looks gave him an edge --
women and gay men responded when he approached
them with all his charm turned on. Off they'd go,
in
search of rugs or clothes or paintings. Afterward,
the
shopkeeper would slip some folded bills into his
palm
during a brief handshake. For a big-ticket item
like a
rug, this could be as much as 8,000 rupees. It was
far more than he could have earned at any regular
job, and several times what his father would earn
in
a month.
Inevitably, Rakesh became acculturated to the
people who formed the center of his working days
and his personal economy. His English improved,
and he picked up slang and a cool demeanor. He
took up smoking. With some of the extra cash, he
bought new blue jeans and button-down shirts. And
eventually, after watching the easy laughs and
tantalizing expanses of skin, he learned to try
his luck
with the women.
This brought spectacular success. Rakesh was
handsome by anyone's standards. Like most young
Indian men, he had almost no opportunities to
relate
to Indian women outside his family. But the
tourist
girls were easy. They laughed, they looked, they
responded to his touch. They were young and
unchaperoned, sometimes lonely, often full of
desire.
He learned to size them up in a glance, and could
spot the willing ones instantly. One-night stands
were
simply arranged, and after meeting a girl in her
hotel,
he could still be home in time for his parents'
curfew.
Sometimes he'd be seeing several different tourist
women at once, all staying in different hotels.
Occasionally, this backfired. One girl came back
to
see him two days after she'd left, only to find
him
already sleeping with her friend. Another time, he
invited his four current girlfriends to meet him
at a
restaurant at the same time. When he came through
the door, all four -- none of whom knew about the
others -- turned to say hello. "Who are you?" he
said
to one. "And you? And you? And you?" then he
turned and ran.
"I was crazy, you know?" he says to me now. "Like
this," he taps his forehead. "Not good. But I tell
you
these things honest, OK? I was very bad."
Being bad was easy. So was dealing drugs, just a
little on the side, to bring in extra cash. It was
a
natural compliment to his work, which revolved
around swinging with the tourist crowd. He flirted
with gay tourist men, taking them shopping but
steering clear of their propositions. He preferred
the
women, and he could afford to choose. Many of his
friends, though, were willing to have sex with
foreign
men in exchange for money, gifts or shop
commissions.
Love letters and photographs streamed into the
home
of his bewildered family, bearing foreign stamps.
"Rakesh has many friends," they'd shrug to each
other. It was a double life: His family demanded
compliance with a strict and innocent social code,
and never saw what he did across town. They would
have been upset even to know that he smoked.
In the midst of all this, Rakesh got married. His
parents had arranged a match for his older
brother,
and the ceremony was so expensive they figured
they'd economize and marry both sons at once. So
at
the age of 18, Rakesh put on the traditional red
turban, mounted a small white horse that had been
rented for the occasion and was joined in
matrimony
with a 13-year-old girl he barely knew. She would
continue to live with her family and he with his
until
some later date when the parents agreed to let the
partnership begin. Three years later, he told me
he'd
never even kissed his wife on the cheek. He
visited
her family about three times a year; even then
they
rarely talked to each other. His young wife was
very
shy.
In the meantime, Rakesh's father found a condom in
his son's wallet. "What's this for?" he demanded.
"Oh, it belongs to my friend who asked me to keep
it
for him," the son replied.
"Don't lie to me!"
"OK," Rakesh said, cowed. He had learned to deal
fast and invent stories on the street, but his
family
was sacred. "If you don't want me to lie to you,
then
here. Just take it." He handed the offending
packet
to his dad. They never spoke of it again.
This could have gone on forever, and in some
lives,
it does. But Rakesh was lucky: He fell in love and
woke up. The object of his adoration was an
Australian woman, Jeanne, who came to stay with
her boyfriend in the hotel where Rakesh worked.
The boyfriend got sick (a terrible error) and
while he
lay in bed, Rakesh and Jeanne talked late into the
night, stealing kisses. They cried when she left.
Then, a few days later, a miracle happened. Jeanne
called him from 150 miles away to say she and her
boyfriend had broken up, and could she come back?
She did, and she stayed for three months. Rakesh
would bring her breakfast each morning, then go
out
to work the streets. In the evening, he'd fall
asleep in
her arms -- until just before midnight, when the
alarm went off and he rushed home along shadowy,
abandoned streets to sleep beside his brother on
the
floor of the family home.
Jeanne was genuine and warm-hearted. She
demanded honesty and inspired love. She entreated
Rakesh to give up drug dealing and double-crossing
women. For her, he did. He'd never been close to
someone like this before.
It was a gut-wrenching day when Jeanne left to go
back to Australia. "Usually, I don't take girls to
the
train station," says Rakesh, who is well-versed in
such departures. "But with Jeanne ..." he trails
off,
remembering. "I had tears like this," he says, his
fingers tracing unstoppable tracks down his
cheeks.
"And now, never again I go to that train station.
It
was terrible."
The love stuck. Rakesh showed me her picture,
kissing it surreptitiously when his younger
brother
looked away. It had been two years since Jeanne
had
left; Rakesh said he was just waiting. Maybe
somehow they would make a life together in her
country. But Jeanne seemed resigned to a different
fate. "Someday I want you and your wife and
children to come and visit me in Australia," she
wrote in a letter he unfolded carefully from a
bulging
plastic bag.
Now Rakesh works full time in a painting shop. His
job is to get tourists to come into the shop, then
sell
them paintings -- and he's good at it. He makes a
monthly salary, most of which goes to his family
and
a community savings bank. He spends about 15
rupees a day on cigarettes and soda, and only
occasionally sleeps with tourists. He and Jeanne
tell
each other everything in their letters.
I liked Rakesh -- he was cheeky and handsome and
sweet. His cool exterior hid a gentle soul. "I
can't
believe I'm telling you this, you know?" he said
with
a rueful smile, blowing cigarette smoke toward the
lake. He said it was because I reminded him of
Jeanne.
One night, he took me home to have dinner with his
family. We walked across a bridge to the other
side
of the lake, through a maze of dirt roads dimly
lit by
an occasional shop selling bananas and soda and
tiny
packets of shampoo. Mothers sat on their front
stoops while children played in the street; the
entire
neighborhood commented as I walked by.
Inside their small two-story home, I met the
younger
siblings. The only daughter, Rana, was about to
get
married at age 16. The whole family was plunged
into a panic because the date of the wedding had
suddenly been moved up, and they had three months
to come up with 100,000 rupees to pay for the
ceremony and dowry. This was a nearly
insurmountable task. They were going to have to go
into debt; Rakesh had sold his motorcycle and was
thinking of dealing drugs again to cover the
costs.
Nikhil, the younger brother, was 17. He was
friendly
and had striking looks, as did the entire family.
The
three siblings drew the curtains, giggling, then
cranked the stereo and showed me how they could
dance to Western rock music. Nikhil danced
outrageously. Their innocence and glee were
contagious.
In the middle of all this, we looked over and saw
their mother -- a reserved and dignified woman,
resolute in her traditional veil -- peering
curiously in
through the window.
"Rakesh, do you think your brother will ever go to
work with the tourists also?" I asked him. After
all, it
was good money.
"No!" he said, with surprising vehemence. He shook
his finger to underscore his point. "I won't let
him.
He is very innocent. Not like me." Later, he said
that
perhaps he had been too young when he started
working with tourists -- too impressionable and
ill-equipped to handle the swirl of seductive
opportunity. Whatever had gone wrong, he wasn't
going to let it happen to his kid brother.
It was a few days later that the man in the street
asked me if my father was a thief. The line was a
new one, but I stared at him, startled by a sense
of
dj vu. He looked almost exactly like Rakesh! The
Western clothes, the smooth and flirtatious body
language, the easy English slang. After hearing
how
contact with tourists had transformed Rakesh's
life, I
saw this man in a new way. He was a member of an
easily identifiable species, and now I understood
where they came from. We had created them: we,
the tourists -- foreign women, gay men, drug users
and souvenir shoppers; we, the exporters of
Western
culture. The forces that had distorted this man's
social world so profoundly were my own. We had
come here to appreciate Indian culture, but in the
process we were changing it. This man's behavior
was just a symptom of that change.
Now, when tourist hustlers approach me, I'm not
quite so flippant. A part of me is sad. I watch
their
come-ons and know that in some way, my own
society has helped create them. Maybe this is not
so
bad, but it's an unnatural twist in the ecology of
the
local culture. I wonder about clashing social
values,
about who benefits from this cross-cultural
encounter. Is it the local men, who come away with
new friendships, extra cash or quick romance? Is
it
the foreigners, whose cultural values leave a
powerful stamp long after they've left?
What about the people who are entirely left out of
this picture -- the local women? By and large,
rural
India's young women don't have the option of
accessing the tourist culture and economy. Older
matrons may staff tailoring shops or sell
vegetables,
and a few young ones work in offices, always
taking
a back seat to their male colleagues when clients
come in.
Because most girls are carefully sheltered at
home, a
rift is springing up within the younger
generation.
Shortly after I left, Rakesh's wife came to visit
his
family and stayed for two weeks. "We're starting
to
talk to each other more, it's good," he said when
I
called him from Delhi. "But oh, I don't know what
to
do." He wasn't sure whether or how to approach her
physically. She was very innocent; the difference
in
their experiences yawned wide.
It was time for me to leave; I boarded a train and
rode for 20 hours from Rakesh's city toward Delhi.
Staring out the window as we shuttled through the
arid landscape at dusk, I thought about what I'd
seen. They say this world will only get smaller,
and
perhaps it's inevitable that cross-cultural
encounters
leave their mark. What bothers me is that it seems
to
be an unequal exchange. Tourists leave a clear
trail
behind them, transforming pockets of the local
culture. But any social impact that they
themselves
experience is less visible and more fleeting. At
the
end of their trip, travelers can forget this
strange
world they have passed through. It's the local
inhabitants who don't have that choice. Their
world
is changed, and they continue to live in it,
bending
themselves to meet its new shape.
*************************************************************
Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:37:28 -0500
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
From: Madhusudan Bhattarai <mbhatta@CLEMSON.EDU>
Subject: Some quarries about recent ANMF discussion on brain drain
topic
>>Prajwol Joshi <joship@pol.net> wrote earlier that:
>Recently there has been discussions within the America Nepal Medical
Foundation regarding the question of so called ? Brain-Drain ??? amongst
the Nepalese Physicians being trained in the United States, and concern
about the future trainese.> ......let us get out of the conservative
thoughts of Brain-Drain ?????? >
Here, I would like to ask Dr. Prajwal Joshi or any other member of
ANMF, also to share with us the recent ANMF forum's conclusion on the
issue of "Brian drain" that you have recently had discussion within the
framework of ANMF. It seems, what Dr. Prajwol Joshi wrote about the "brain
drain" issue earlier in the previous issue of TND, is more like his
personal view, and not, as such, the ANMF organizational view on the topic.
Here, some of us, outsiders of ANMF organizational framework, are also
keen to know what is the ANMF organizational conclusion on this topic.
Whether ANMF organization as such has concluded on the topic in the
line that talking about the brain drain issue, as such, is an extreme
"conservative line of thinking", and arguing in the support of more "brain
drain" from the developing country, not necessary exclusively from Nepal,
is a more liberal line of thinking in this modern era.
Here, I would appreciate further comments on this topic also from other TND
members.
Thanks.
Madhusudan Bhattarai
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Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 12:57:49 -0800
To: The Nepal Digest <NEPAL@cs.niu.edu>
From: Mahesh Maskey <mmaskey@bu.edu>
Subject: Re: The Nepal Digest - Oct 8, 1998 (22 Ashwin 2055 BkSm)
Dear friends,
I am sending this request for petition against state terrorism in India. I
think this is a very welcome move from our Indian friends. Please circulate
it to your personal mailing lists also, if possible. For those of you who
want to sign the petition there is a space at the bottom of the petition
draft. Please send your response directly to:
Indian Progressive Study Group, Boston.
EMAIL: rights98@yahoo.com
FAX: (617) 497-0316
thanks
Mahesh Maskey
Boston University
Dear Dr. Mahesh,
I am a member of the Indian Progressive Study Group in Boston.
I happened to receive and sign your petition against
Anti-terrorist Bill in Nepal. That was a very good and timely
initiative and we are trying to do something similar to that.
I would like to bring to your attention a petition that
has been launched against state terrorism in India. The state
terrorism often appears in the garb of anti-terrorism, in the
form of laws that are used to terrorise people who dare to
hold views contrary to the established views. It prevents
people from affirming their rights and putting forth a vision
for a modern society. I have enclosed the petition below - please
take a minute to read it and lend us your support.
Also, please help us out by sending it to friend who might be
interested.
In addition I wanted to inform you that we are holding a conference
this weekend in Ashdown House in MIT. The conference is titled "State
terrorism
and the Affirmation of Rights".
Please feel free to email me or call me if you have any questions.
My phone number is (617) 864-0579.
Best Regards,
S. Jagan
Indian progressive Study Group - Boston
====================================================================
Dear Friend,
As the 21st century approaches, this is an important time for us to
examine and tackle the obstacles that have blocked the progress of
India and Indians in the decades past.
One of the things that strikes us as we look back at the constant
political turmoil that has afflicted India is the failure of the Indian
political system to handle political issues raised by the people,
especially when they fall outside the scope of the self-serving agenda
of the dominant political parties.
The Indian state has a history of using extreme repressive measures and
a policy of suppression for all political agitations in the name of
maintaining "law and order" to the extent of alienating the people of
various regions and rendering it impossible for them to develop and
affirm their rights as human beings.
The history of the past 50 years has been marked by countless instances
of state violence and repression that completely bypass the judicial
system and the network of laws. The anti-democratic laws that have often
been passed have enabled the security forces to terrorise innocent
civilians for their political and religious beliefs and have seriously
interfered in the process by which people can participate in their
governance. Communal massacres and riots have also been repeatedly
perpetrated in a systematic and organised manner while their instigators
have gone completely unpunished.
In view of all this, we are initiating this signature campaign, seeking
your support for India to enter the 21st century on the high road of
civilisation - such that all Indians can fully affirm their rights as
human beings, free of violence and intimidation. This is the start of a
process that will create conditions for all of us to participate in
setting the agenda for the 21st century. The goal of this project is to
contribute towards all Indians being able to participate fully in the
political life of the country, setting the direction of economic
development and determining their own destiny.
Please take some time to look at the enclosed petition and lend your
support to it by signing and returning the same, either electronically
or by fax. Please bring this to the attention of your friends, fellow
students, co-workers and colleagues and encourage them to do the same.
Also enclosed with this letter is a flier for a conference titled "State
Terrorism and the Affirmation of Rights", to be held on October 31st and
November 1st in Boston. We would like your help in publicising the
event and invite you to participate in the conference. If you have any
comments, proposals, questions or need further information, please
contact the organising committee at the address above.
Best regards,
Indian Progressive Study Group
PETITION AGAINST STATE-TERRORISM IN INDIA
WHEREAS:
1. The instruments of coercion have become the tools of choice for
successive governments in Delhi and in different states of India to
contain the struggles of the people fighting for economic, social,
national and political rights;
2. The current government has made the refurbishment and deployment of
the repressive organs of the state the cornerstone of its policy to
provide "stability";
3. Laws such as the National Security Act (NSA), Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (AFSPA), Tamil Nadu Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and
other such draconian laws enacted by Parliament or the state
legislatures and upheld by the courts provide legal sanction to the
actions carried out by armed forces, paramilitary and police agencies.
They are used to attack, disperse and terrorise the people, sanctioning
arbitrariness on the part of the status-quo. The existence of these
laws also reveals the inadequacy of the provisions of rights and duties
in the fundamental law of India;
4. The overwhelming majority of the past acts of repression and
terrorism against the people - such as encounter killings, custodial
killings and torture, bus and train massacres, atrocities committed in
territories under armed occupation, and communal massacres - continue
to remain uninvestigated and the perpetrators continue to roam free.
Even in instances where investigations have been done and the culprits
have been identified such as the Bombay massacres of 1992-93, Meerut in
1987, Delhi in 1984, Nellie in 1983 and so on, the guilty remain at
large in spite of and because of the fact that different agencies of
the state have been implicated in each one of the instances;
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, IN THE NAME OF OUR CONSCIENCE, APPEAL URGENTLY FOR
INDIA TO ENTER THE 21st CENTURY ON THE HIGH ROAD OF CIVILISATION SUCH
THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN REALISE THEIR FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS:
1. All acts of violence, terror and killings irrespective of their
nature -- encounter killing, custodial deaths, humiliation and torture,
communal massacres, killings in buses, trains and bomb-blasts,
counter-terrorist operations, revenge killings and so on must be
investigated, openly tried and the perpetrators punished irrespective
of their positions, political affiliations, or official status
otherwise;
2. All victims of such violence must be assisted for rehabilitation;
3. All arbitrary and draconian laws must be withdrawn and all those
being detained without charge under their provisions must be released
and rehabilitated;
4. The disinformation campaign to portray mass actions and struggles
of the people as "law and order" issues in order to justify their
suppression and to hide their political content must be ended.
Mechanisms and institutions should be established to address political
grievances and socio-economic demands through political means by
modernising the political system, the laws, and institutions in a way
that can unite and empower people;
5. All deployment of the army and paramilitary forces against the
civilian population must be halted, and those already deployed must be
withdrawn to the barracks. People must be able to carry out political
activity and participate in all affairs of society without fear of
violence or armed repression.
SIGNED:
NAME ADDRESS/EMAIL INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION
=====================================================================
---------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE RETURN SIGNED COPIES OF THIS PETITION BY TO:
EMAIL: rights98@yahoo.com
FAX: (617) 497-0316
ALSO, Check our web-site: http://members.xoom.com/freeindia/
for further news on the "RIGHTS-98" conference, to be held in Boston,
From: Mahesh Maskey <mmaskey@bu.edu>
Subject: correction.
Dear editor,
In my just send mail containing the petition draft against state terrorism
in India, I forgot to change the subject title. Please correct the subject
title as,
Petition against state terrorism in India.
thanks
Mahesh Maskey
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From: "Anil Shrestha" <SHRESTHA@plant.uoguelph.ca>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 14:49:03 EST
Subject: Dashain celebration in Eastern Canada
To: The Editor, The Nepal Digest
From: TND Canada
Dashain was celebrated in various cities of Eastern Canada this year.
Nepali Community Network of Canada (NCNC) celebrated Dashain on
October 10 in Toronto with about 100 people in attendance. A cultural
program was also organized followed by dinner.
Nepal Association in Canada (NAC) celebrated Dashain on October 16 in
Mississauga, Ontario with about 100 people in attendance. Honorable
Consular General of Nepal to Canada Dr. Kunjar Sharma addressed the
gathering. The cultural program started with a beautiful 'bhajan' by
Mrs. Gauri KC followed by songs and dances by various performers. A
Nepali/Indian style dinner was served.
Ottawa: Dasain party was organized in Ottawa on 17th of October. About
60 people attended the party. This party was organized by Radha Basnet,
President of the Nepalese Community Network of Canada (NCNC; Est. 1993).
Nepalese and friends of Nepal from Ottawa, Montreal and surrounding areas
showed up. There was a slide show about Nepal by Caroline Cheng and a nice
Indian dinner followed by a cultural program.
***************************************************************
From: "Bhikkhv Seevali" <BS4@soas.ac.uk>
To: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu>, NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 16:47:18 GMT
Subject: Happy Dipawali
Dear Friends,
At this happy occation I would like to extend my heartly
greatings to all Nepalese and people intrested in Nepal around the
world:
Happy Dipawali.
May I also take this opportunity to great brothers and sister in the
world:
Happy Nepal Sambat 1119 which is uniqe to Nepal
and Nepalese.
your sincerely,
Amrit Ratna Sthapit (UK)
*************************************************************
From: u257700145@m1.2577.telia.com
To: mailto:NEPAL@cs.niu.edu, NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Subject: ABSTRACT OF RESEARCH ON '36 SAAL KO AANDOLAN.
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 09:11:01
I am a Nepali studying in Norway and have just completed a small research on 36 saal aandolan. Below is the abstract of my research. If anyone is interested, I would be glad to send a copy of my 3500 word paper.
Ani Rudra Silwal.
ani.silwal@rcnuwc.no
Research Topic:Students and Politicians During the 1979 Uprising in Nepal.
Research question: Was the student-led uprising of 1979 in Nepal spontaneous or organized by the political parties?
ABSTRACT:
This study is on the student uprising of 1979 in Nepal. Since a small student demonstration ended up as a nation-wide uprising, I wanted to examine the forces that contributed to accelerate the uprising. Specifically, I looked at the role of the politicians, since student organisations were affiliated to underground political parties that were banned in the partyless polity. I examined if the political parties actively fuelled the uprising, or if the uprising happenned spontaneously, because of the discontentment in the society.
In order to analyze the role of the political parties, I divided the uprising into three periods: pre-uprising; uprising, except the last day; and the last day. It is generally believed that the uprising started spontaneously. But I discovered, through interviews with contemporary leaders, that before the uprising, the students put in a lot of effort to plan the protests. Leaders of the underground parties supported the students demands, but could not play an active role since they lacked a strong party network.
After the uprising started, the students soon lost control since other sections of the society joined the protests. Many were suffering from the corrupt partyless system. The student demonstrations merely sparked the wildfire that followed. At this stage, the uprising was mostly spontaneous and supporters of the political parties lead it locally without formal instruction of their leaders.
Things changed drastically on the last day of the uprising. The students demands had been fulfilled and the party-leaders were happy with the concessions obtained. But some sections of the masses that were not satisfied with the concessions gave the uprising a violent nature. Because of this violence, the King announced a referendum.
On the whole, the prominent political leaders did little to initiate or fuel the uprising which was largely spontaneous and lead by local leadership.
******************************************************************
From: PRAKASH@hbl.mos.com.np (PRAKASH BHANDARI)
To: NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 15:08:16
Subject: ARTICLE ON TOURISM
Dear Editor,
Please find herewith the attached article on "The Role of Aviation In
National Economy".
With Best Regards,
PRAKASH BHANDARI
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 98 08:09:01 EST
From: "Paramendra Bhagat" <Paramendra_Bhagat@smtpgtwy.berea.edu>
Encoding: 273 Text
Message-Id: <9810049101.AA910191912@smtpgtwy.berea.edu>
To: nepal@cs.niu.edu
Subject: Racism : From the Nepalese to the Global Context(VII)
Racism : From the Nepalese to the Global Context(VII)
compiled and edited by Paramendra Bhagat
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/9511
paramendra@hotmail.com
_____________________________________________________________________________
http://www.antiracist.com/events/lawhate.html
-First, fiscal restraint is a reason, or shall I say an excuse, given for
not implementing equity initiatives. Many programs are being cut back in this
area. Such programs are considered "soft" and not as important as the
substantive matters in an organization or workplace. A recession causes people
to retrench and compete and not to think about empathy and altruism and
promoting the "other" in the interests of equality. Difficult economic times
lead to attempts to preserve the status quo and systemic barriers to equality
rather than moving toward organizational change. For example, in one school
board near Toronto, the one where Paul Fromm is still working as a teacher, a
department that had struggled to have five people assigned to the different
equity portfolios, including: multiculturalism, curriculum development, anti-
racist initiatives and employment equity, were cut back to one. So you can see
the kinds of struggles we are faced with.
-Second, is the severe backlash we are experiencing toward multiculturalism
and all that it stands for. A recessionary climate leads people to blame others
for their misfortune and, in particular, to scapegoat minorities. Today, we are
seeing a backlash against immigration and a real rise in overtly racist
incidents.
-Third, international events influence the present climate in Canada. There
is a rise in the right and xenophobia world wide. The very night that David Duke
lost the election one of the small synagogues in Brampton was very badly
vandalized. Any of these incidents that have racist overtones which occur in
other parts of the world may translate directly into incidents in Canada. In
other words, international incidents may be a catalyst for groups hoping to
perpetrate their deceit. David Duke in the U.S., Le Pen in France, the neo-Nazi
rampages throughout Eastern Europe and "ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia, all create
a climate in which overt racism begins to be commonplace. These incidents serve
as a stimulus for people here to become more bold in their racist behaviour.
Another factor is the comparison of Canada with Europe or South Africa. This
often leads people to think that we do not have problems here. And so they can
blame the victims for complaining rather than acknowledging that racism is
inherent to our society as well.
-Fourth, I am very concerned about the increasing divisiveness among and
within minority communities and equity seeking groups. ............often those
who espouse multicultural, anti-racist or feminist theory are either manipulated
by the very structures they wish to change, or are so accustomed to the
hierarchical mode of operating that they fail to see the incongruity between the
theories they preach and the behaviours they exhibit to achieve their goals.
-Strategies to work toward equality to access and outcome often deteriorate
into competition for scarce resources; comparison of levels of pain and
oppression and divisiveness within and between equity seeking groups fanned by
inter- and intra-group rivalries. Lou Ronson, one of the elders in our
community, has a sign over his desk that I asked if I could borrow. It states
that:
-"We could get a lot more done if we didn't worry about who got the credit".
The essence of this work that we are involved in is to break down the barriers
to equality so that there can be equal access for all groups and, ultimately,
shared power. But because of the politicization of these issues, the failure of
government, communities and the failure
of groups themselves to introduce innovative models of funding, management,
organizational culture, et cetera, individuals and organizations are forced to
end up competing for power. In the 1990s the notions of shared power and the
enpowerment of others have been paid lip service while there are increasing
attempts to grab power for one's own organization, community or self.
-the dangerous and divisive practice of comparing pain and victimization, or
even attempting to undermine significant strides that have made at a time when
we need to really band together. I should say one such divisive practice is the
deliberate down grading of the concept of multiculturalism by anti-racist
rhetoric when, in fact, there are intimate connections historically and
politically between anti-racism a\nd multicultural legislation. There is no
question that the term "multiculturalism" was interpreted by some who were not
ready to use other languages or strategies and wanted to avoid naming the issue
for what it was. There is no question that there are some who interpret it as,
"if you love each other, have songs and dances, then everything will be fine".
We know that is a crock. But when we actually have the kind of active
divisiveness of anti-racist groups standing up and saying that "multiculturalism
is all wrong" then what that does is give fuel to those on the right who would
like to get rid of it. For those who are do not recognize or at least
acknowledge that legislation like the Multiculturalism Act has embedded within
it anti-racist initiatives to promote the initiatives we know are so essential.
So you will find in most of my talks and publications I use whatever inclusive
language I can. Let us not fall into the trap of, "No, it has to be this and not
this. "Let us not fall into the role of perpetuating old hierarchical power
based structures under the guise of creating new, egalitarian models. That is
just a guise if we use those same competitive, hierarchical, "who has the access
to power" models.
-there are those in our community who said, "No! Do not cause a fuss, do not
rally." But our view was that we need to band together, support people
-A year later, in 1990, the Canada Day Aryan Fest attracted close to 250
skinheads. So the numbers were rising. The League gathered a multicultural
coalition of concerned citizens to rally against racism on the steps of the
parliament buildings and to march out to the property to protest. We do not
believe in direct confrontation or putting any of ourselves or our kids in any
kind of jeopardy or violating the law. I remember seeing Mark Sandler speaking
on the steps of the building to a rainbow coalition of groups who were standing
up against the racists. Once again, the police monitored the comings and goings
of the racists and our presence was felt. Because of the adverse publicity, the
property owners did not allow the white supremacists to return the following
year. Instead, the Aryan Fest fizzled because the groups let them fight amongst
themselves, not us. They could not organize themselves or find a place. Our
view was that we should make anti-racism newsworthy, not racism.
-You will notice the news mongers. They follow the racists. They do not
promote the anti-racist coalitions and people working to fight it.
-a rainbow coalition of Blacks, Jews, First Nations people, Chinese, Sikh
community
-"We will not be silent".
-co-ordinated community action not only raises action and increases
vigilance, but it also reduces fear and promotes security and solidarity in the
fight against racism. When people from diverse backgrounds work together, they
learn more about each other, thereby reducing prejudice and stereotyping and
ultimately promoting understanding and unity. The intercultural dialogue that
results from that is extremely important.
-"The Black-Jewish Dialogue"
-"The Muslim-Jewish Dialogue".
-the morning the war broke out we woke up to seven acts of vandalism and
desecration targeting the Jewish community in North York alone. We also opened
our papers that morning to read of increased harassment against Arab and Muslim
Canadians who were being ostracized in their schools because of their style of
dress, or their look, or their name.
-Rabbis speaking out against racism and Imams speaking out against anti-
Semitism.
-populism in the United States and Canada, and the connection of modern
populism to the increase in overt racism.
-There are some elements which are entrenched in liberalism which hinders
the fight against racism. One is the strong emphasis on individual rights and
the lack of recognition of collective rights. In this struggle against hate
propaganda, we need to recognize collective rights. Groups of people cannot be
insulted, harassed and persecuted; they have collective rights. That is not
recognized - the opposite is entrenched. We are seeing that with the Zundel
case....
-fascism in the 90s was different from earlier versions. In this view: We
are looking at a situation of a global sweep, not just in terms of Germany, but
also with France, Russia, a good deal of Europe and elsewhere. We are looking at
a new rise of fascism which is not identical to the fascism of the 20's, 30's
and 40's. Some participants said that fascists are becoming entrenched in
political parties,
-how seductive populism is to a lot of people.
-these people wear suits. They are your neighbours. You do not even know who
they are because they "fit in". Attempting to distinguish between racism and
fascism, it was stated that: Racism is broader than fascism, so that a person
could be racist, but not necessarily fascist. Fascism is a process, movement and
ideology that took place in between the two world wars. There were five major
countries in Europe that were definitively fascist: Germany, Italy, Spain,
Portugal and Hungary. It had a tremendous foundation, or social base, in the
lower middle class -the petite bourgeoisie.
-Fascists used a mythology against the Jews in Europe which has existed for
2,000 years.
-both here and in the U.S. What is problematic, is systemic racism.
-"subtle" systemic racism and the rise of racist hate groups.
-hate groups are challenging democracy itself in the hope of establishing
racially based enclaves much like there is now in the former Yugoslavia.
-There is systemic racism that we all know in the government, workplace and
social settings and then there are hate groups that are really on the extreme
right. I feel both of those two forms of racism are a challenge to democracy and
to democratic rule... We have to look at both how democracy is being challenged
by the intensity and proliferation of hate groups as is happening in the U.S.
and Canada.
-a need to monitor hate groups so we know what is required... We need to
know who is the enemy.
-Networking would be the key word because there are different levels to
fight racists.
-Another is through the legal channels, but the political struggle is more
important.
-The third way of fighting racism is through education which is a little
long range, but it is fundamental.
-how to relate these levels of activities into one coherent plan of action.
Another respondent argued that hate groups do not create racism, but give it a
focus, political agenda and a structure.
-groups need to research and monitor racist hate groups as one type of
strategy for counteracting racism,
-[leaders of US based hate groups] are coming up here and planning strategy
in a very sophisticated way. We have to nip that in the bud.
-the injury they are doing to minorities, women, Native people, and others.
They [hate groups] are becoming so sophisticated they know how to escape the
letter of the law. It was generally agreed that a number of measures need to be
developed to counteract the rise of the far right. Information sharing through
networking, organizational development, using computer technology, and
information newsletters were recommended as concrete measures to fight racism.
-a national [computer] bulletin board especially if technology is being used
by them [racists] for their purpose
-If you want to have immediate action, what you need to do is have a brief
that goes to the powers that be, to show we have identified the problem and we
now look to the lawmakers to remedy it.
-you cannot get at it [the roots of organized hate groups] What they seem to
be doing is developing an IRA model -political theatre. Then you have the hard
core types who work behind the scenes bringing AK47s across the border into
Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario, fire bombing, graffiti in synagogues, and
things like that.
-tremendous co-operation between Christian Fundamentalism and the far right.
They have tremendous agreement on issues of sexism, homophobia and racism.
-Of the things that the religious right has in common with the far right is
not only the use of scapegoating by constructing a mythological elite, but they
both take a look at legal remedies for liberal institutions and assault the
democratic character of the country.
-one person noted: If I can also say, from my point of view as a Chinese -
Canadian, I feel that with Hong Kong being the focus of the media, talking about
1997, anti-Chinese sentiments have found a new platform. And that is being
translated into
institutions. For example, mistaken identity by the police is increasingly
hurting a lot of innocent people. "Chinese male", that is all they have for a
description.
-prejudice is being translated into real life tragedies. These things are
happening - without even talking about how these newcomers are scared living in
the city and how their houses are being broken into right in Chinatown. I think
we are now going down a little, particularly from the political perspective.
- Workshop participants agreed that legislation does not work if people do
not know about it, or do not know how to use it.
-the judiciary needs to undertake anti-racist training and to develop
culturally sensitive services.
-there should be funding to support groups helping the victims of racism and
for organizations to research and conduct Charter challenges.
-The problem we have had in the United States is that people have been
advocating a very legalistic approach to dealing with this problem. What happens
is that the far right takes the initiative, saying that there is the elite
conspiracy against ordinary Americans. Measure Nine [in Oregon] was exactly like
that. Measure Nine was an anti-gay initiative and the Christian right in Oregon
got over 500,000, or 43 per cent of the vote, for that measure. They [Oregon
Citizens Alliance] did it by scapegoating democratic institutions that had an
elite veneer. Democratic institutions did not build a base -they used legal
measures. One participant made the point that a co-ordinated strategy for
dealing with hate groups or the transmission of hate propaganda between
provinces has not been developed. This allows organizations to circumvent
restrictions in one province by going to another. As one person noted, a recent
Ku Klux Klan Newsletter was deemed to be hate in a number of Eastern provinces,
but it was not in Nova Scotia and, as a result, the newsletter was circulated
there.
-called on the provincial governments to establish a clear definition and
policy which could be co-ordinated nationally.
-the Civil Rights Protection Act and the enforcement of the Criminal Code is
very unyielding; having to go and present and have the Attorney General make
decisions as to what can and cannot be prosecuted.
-governments need to understand organized racism in order to develop
proactive measures to counter it. It was noted that developing expertise costs
money and so work which needs to be done is not even attempted. Secondly,
because research is not as high profile as the use of banners, balloons, ribbons
and buttons to promote multiculturalism, badly needed anti-racism work has not
been undertaken.
-the scope of human rights legislation, the process and administration of
human rights cases and that human rights protections are uneven across the
country.
-a new revised and expanded Human Rights Act, noting that the inclusion of
parts of the Civil Rights Protection Act would, at least, strengthen the Human
Rights Act.
-uniformity of human rights legislation across the country with the best
legislation serving as the model for the other provinces: We must also ensure
that there is a balance across the country. If you did not have that, a
particular province could become a hotbed of racism.
-The crisis in the [human rights] legislation is not so much about words, it
is enforcement and speed, dispersion; it is absolutely ridiculous. The federal
one is insane. If you improved the enforcement system, you would have better
policies. How can you improve the enforcement? Right now, it is awfully
bureaucratic.
-The intake system generates so much work for all the people internally.
Then the investigator takes too long. It is a Lengthy process, I recognize that.
In the community of Provost, they wanted to so something right away, and it took
a year and a half. It was suggested that a solution might be a "fast track"
system to expedite cases within the various departments of government
responsible for Human Rights. Another problem lies in the maze of legislation
and regulations which complainants must find their way through before laying a
complaint. As stated by one participant: [She] filed a case in the Court of
Ontario claiming damages on the basis that she was being discriminated against
as a teacher. The Supreme Court in that case held that she could not sue for
damages because it was human rights legislation. The government's action under
tort law is ousted by the human rights legislation. There are 14 laws [in
Ontario] that have something to do with it [discrimination] and you have to go
through them and determine which are the ones that apply. The person is so
perplexed by that kind of problem they give up. If you are saying that there are
a lot of complaints, well there would be more complaints if it were not for the
fact that it is just too discouraging to find your way through the process. A
suggestion was to have an intake system which helps discuss jurisdictional
issues with complainants at an earlier stage of dealing with complaints.
-developing support is a vital factor in human rights issues.
*************************************************************
From: "Bhikkhv Seevali" <BS4@soas.ac.uk>
To: The Editor <nepal-request@cs.niu.edu>, NEPAL@cs.niu.edu
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 1998 16:47:18 GMT
Subject: Happy Dipawali
Dear Friends,
At this happy occation I would like to extend my heartly
greatings to all Nepalese and people intrested in Nepal around the
world:
Happy Dipawali.
May I also take this opportunity to great brothers and sister in the
world:
Happy Nepal Sambat 1119 which is uniqe to Nepal
and Nepalese.
your sincerely,
Amrit Ratna Sthapit (UK)
**********************************************************
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 16:11:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tulsi Maharjan <tmaharja@rvcc.raritanval.edu>
Reply-To: Tulsi Maharjan <tmaharja@rvcc.raritanval.edu>
To: Bajracharya@hotmail.com
Subject: NPPA's 7th annual Bhintuna Celebration!!
You are cordially invited to attend the 7th annual Bhintuna Celebration on
November 7, 1998 from 3:00 pm to 10:00pm in Maryland.
Place: Glenallen Elementary School in Wheaton, Maryland
Nepa Pasa Puchah America
http://www.geocites.com/heartland/prairie/7771/nppa/index.htm
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Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 19:47:43 EDT
From: Adnan1717@aol.com
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: information
DEAR SIR
I AM PAKISTANI STUDYING IN SYDNEY AND WANT TO HAVE NEPALI FRIENDS (AGE 20-26)
I WOULD APPRECIATE IF U SEND INFORMATIONS REGARDING THIS
REGARDS
ADNAN GULZAR
adnangulzar@hotmail.com
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Date: Wed, 28 Oct 1998 17:38:01 -0500
From: "Rajesh B. Shrestha" <rajs@bbnplanet.com>
To: tnd@nepal.org
Subject: Reviving HNC!
Dear TND Readers:
As you may be aware, the Hydropower Nepal Committee (HNC) was formed to
organize a forum on hydropower development during the fifth ANA Convention
in Boston 1997. For a large part, the HNC took the form of an informal and
animated e-mail discussion group.
In light of the recent developments in hydropower scene in Nepal, there has
been a renewed call for HNC and its discussions on water resources
development in Nepal. Thanks particularly to Madhusudan Bhattarai and
Bikash Pandey, we are taking upon ourselves to revive HNC and at least keep
HNC alive in a semi-active form. Here are a few things we plan to do:
1) Resurrect the hnc-members mailing list at our new location:
hnc-members@chhahari.com. The new mailing list will archive all its content
for history and backup.
2) Reconstruct the HNC website from the "remains" of the old website. The
HNC website would be the central pool of resources and discussions that we
hope can be beneficial to the general public at large.
3) Keep an informal and loose connection of HNC members, so that there is a
sense of connection and a base to conduct future HNC Forums.
4) Anything else that members want out of HNC.
If any of these sound interesting to you and you are interested in
discussing about Nepali hydropower, we'd like to invite you to join HNC.
Send a mail to hnc-admin@chhahari.com if you would like to be included in
the mailing list.
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