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May 26th, 2007

Nepal: The Mount Everest Buzz

lingua → zhs · zht

It’s a mountaineering season. Nepal, being the country with Mount Everest the highest peak in the world, is abuzz with news about it. A few records have been set at always. More than 500 climbers have already set their foot on the Mt Everest peak, and five have died in the attempt, and the climbing frenzy is not decreasing.

Nepali blogosphere has a few things to say about the Everest climbing. A few bloggers are surprised on how Sherpas so easily climb and help other to reach the top yet do not get the due credit.

Nepal Sites is amazed how Sherpas make it so easy, “… there are people like Appa Sherpa, who climbs the Everest for 17th time and makes climbing the top of the world look like a piece of cake.”. And, The Radiant Star writes “Apa Sherpa had summated 17 times, Pemba Sherpa reached the top thrice within nine days this season, and there are many Sherpas who had climbed to the top more than five times.”

Yet both blogs believe the Nepalis are lagging behind when it comes to taking credit. The Radiant Star believes its unfair:

Yet, Sherpas do not get credit they deserve.

In almost every films made, Sherpas are almost absent once they mountaineers leaves the base-camp. In every documentary, the role of Sherpa is to cook food and carry loads.

Nepal Sites wonders why there are not films and books from Nepali summiteers:

I was also wondering at the same time that stories and heroic of climbing Everest are portrayed so beautifully by the foreign climbers. While Nepalese have climbed the peak more than anyone else, they don't seem to tell their stories. And even the journalists don't seem to bother telling their stories.

Look & Gaze talks about an expedition to be led by the Snow Leopard – 60-year-old Ang Rita Sherpa which aims to hoist the flags of eight political parties of Nepal atop Mt Everest. It says the Democratic Everest Expedition is important event of Nepal:

The snowmen's humble expedition, though it appears like a postmodernist game of littering the highest mountain with festoons, is at heart a symbolic journey of a ‘New' democratic Nepal. The snowmen's excitement is a very meaningful historical phenomenon. To rush up to the summit with flags by these snowmen is to deconstruct the grand Everest narration, the grande récit used by both the British Empire and the Nepali feudal history. This “Democratic Everest Expedition” will give a new meaning to the history.

And, Real News Stories from Nepal has an entry about an expedition to clean up Mt Everest.

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April 23rd, 2007

Nepal: Bloggers Form Association

Ujjwal Acharya · 12:24 · South Asia

lingua → fr · zht · zhs · es

Twenty-four bloggers from capital Kathmandu gathered on Saturday April 21 to discuss the formation of Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN) for the promotion and protection of blogs and blogging in the tiny Himalayan country where blogs are yet to be recognized by the population.

There are less than 300 regular blogs in Nepal, but despite that - the role played by the blogs during the tight censorship of media during King Gyanendra’s direct rule from October 2004 to April 2006 and during the People’s Movement last April that re-established democratic rule have given enough enthusiasm to bloggers to work for expanding the blogosphere further.

By Jitendra Bajracharya
via Jiten World

The enthusiasm is vivid in the entries posted by bloggers. Bloggers are calling the meet a historic one. Mero Sansar posted photos and videos of the gathering under the title ‘Historic Gathering of Nepali Bloggers’ while Deepak’s Diary praises the inclusiveness in the gathering:

The fourth Nepali bloggers' meet that took place today was historic in every sense of the word. There were unprecedented numbers of bloggers (total 24, six of them female; no gender bias ladies!); they ranged from an eighteen-year-old Deelip Khanal to Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, retired Director General of Survey Department of Nepal; Rajendra Biswakarma represented the Dalit community while there was Mohammad Tajim (a Muslim) and Salik Shah who is an ardent flag bearer of Madhesi issues. But, it was the common thread of blogging that brought us all together. Hey, something's happening? Are you watching?

The meet also formed a working committee to move forward and most of the members nominated themselves to the committee. The committee includes Ujjwal Acharya (co-ordinator), KP Dhungana, Ghanshyam Ojha, Deepak Adhikari, Ram Prasad Dahal, Bishnu Dhakal, Rajendra Biswokarma, Avinashi Paudel, Mohd Tajim, Tapas Barsimha Thapa and Umesh Shrestha.

The meeting also decided to publish a book on blogging to create a awareness and promote blogging. NepaliVoices writes:

he other major decision made today include giving kick-start to book publication. KP Dhungana will be co-ordinating the work while all of us agreed to help him by writing what he will ask for. All the bloggers will write their blogging experience (either English or Nepali).

Though all participating bloggers agreed that an association is needed, there were discussions on whether it should be registered with government or not. Dedicated to Daniel Pearl opposes the idea of registering in fear of losing the freedom that the bloggers enjoy:

Do we need to get registered to perform all these tasks? My fear is also that we not only will loose our freedom but will also fall into a list of the NGOs, which are notoriously known for milking money in Nepal. … But my point is why don't we try to remain as bloggers…not any organzation?

Kathmandu Speaks opines for the need of organization. Registered or not, every bloggers agreed that BLOGAN will hold conference and award best blogs annually and it looks like the Nepali blogosphere is gearing up to become a force.

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April 10th, 2007

Nepal: Beauties and the Beasts?

Ujjwal Acharya · 02:37 · South Asia

lingua → es

Protests of beauty contests are nothing new. For the hardliner feminists, such contest gives a false sense of outer beauty while for those supporting it; it's an opportunity to showcase the talents. When Miss Nepal 2007 happened, there were protests outside the venue and police even used force to disperse the crowd.

And, the Maoists who just joined the government put some ghee on the fire as Information and Communication Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara saying to a delegation that he would look into the matters to see if the stopping of the live broadcast of the pageant by the state-owned Nepal Television is possible.

Hisila Yami, minister for physical planning, too spoke against it (of course, Food for Thoughts named her beauty queen after she attended the oath taking ceremony of the Maoist ministers in jeans).

Nepal Through My Lens witnessed the protest:

Everybody inside BICC Hall was cheering for the participating Miss Nepal contestants. But the condition outside the hall was not so good. A thousand woman protesters were demanding to stop the event. More than 18 protest were injured when they clashed with the police.

But Miss Nepal 2007 went on with Sitasma Chand winning the crown. And bloggers, who wrote about the protests and contest, were not too happy with the protest. Mero Guff believes:

I don't see why those protesting groups are blindly accusing the organizers for women exploitation and so. For me, the act of protesting is nonsense. There is no glance of profanity or nudity during the whole show event. In fact, occasionally it was enriched with cultural themes and music in background. I've personally watched that show and my judgment suggested me that there is nothing wrong with it.

Who are these Women Activists to protest that way? Are they jealous? Is it not their freedom to take part in? Has any contestant yet come and cry in front of these women activists for the case of abuse by their organizers? When I heard one of the women activists yesterday in one local FM stations being interviewed, I pitied on her miserable blaming which was just pointless.

The winner herself commented beautifully on the issue of protest. She told the media: “I respect the opinion of all the women who are protesting against the pageant. However, all the participants here are above 18. So the protesters should also respect our right to form our own opinion.”

Meanwhile, Deepak's Diary makes a point that to be a hero, one doesn't have to be physically beatuiful. In the post about a successful differently-able government officer, he says:

But, to me he appeared to be a kind of inspiring figure, an unsung hero who refused to bow to the preconceived notion of society that believes disability is a sin, a crime.

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April 3rd, 2007

Nepal: Cautious Welcome to Rebels in Government

Ujjwal Acharya · 14:32 · South Asia

lingua → fr

The Maoists of Nepal, who ended 12-year-long armed insurgency to come to the mainstream politics, joined the government on April 1 taking up five ministries under premiership of Girija Prasad Koirala. More than 13,000 people lost their lives due to the insurgency and that was something peaceful poluation of the country hated most. Now with the Maoists joining the interim parliament and now the interim government, people are looking ahead for the peace. Dedicated to Daniel Pearl writes:

With the induction of Maoist in the government and the current unity among the political parties, I hope we will see a new Nepal in near future. The violence will stop, parties will act responsibly and we are proceeding towards bright and prosperous Nepal.

United We Blog! has the minute-by-minute updates of the rebels sworning in at the parliament. Satyakura has the list of all the ministers and the common program put forward by the main seven political parties and the Maoists. The most important task for the interim government is the election of Constitient Assembly which will then determine the future of the monarchy in its first meeting. The date annouced for the election is June 20.

While the Nepali bloggers were thrilled by the hopes of peaceful future, they cautiously welcomed the Maoists inclusion in the government. United We Blog! represented the feeling of all people:

The induction of the Maoists in the government has sent waves of hope to Nepali people who are desperately looking forward to the successful completion of the peace process.

And, Nepali Perspectives says the choice of ministries by the Maoists is interesting because they all are directly related to the people. It calls it a ploy to gain (more…)

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March 23rd, 2007

Nepal: Roar against Internet Shutdown

Ujjwal Acharya · 06:49 · South Asia

lingua → zht · zhs

The decision of the Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal (ISPAN) to shut down internet services for two hours – one each in morning and evening – didn’t have good effect on bloggers. The shutdown was a part of the protest program announced by the Nepal’s industrialists against the Maoists’ beating of a hotelier. But most of the bloggers who condemned the Maoists action were angered by the internet shutdown. While the ISPs are back to providing their service through the day and we're all online, bloggers from Nepal had a lot to say about the issue.

Informing about the shutdown, My Sansar wrote:

काठमाडौँ उपत्यकामा इन्टरनेट सेवा अहिले अपराह्न ४ बजेदेखि बन्द भएको छ । एक घण्टाका लागि इन्टरनेट सेवा प्रदायकहरुको संगठन आइस्पानले यो बन्द गरेको हो। उद्योगीव्यापारीहरुको आन्दोलनप्रति ऐक्यवद्धता जनाउँदै नेपालमा नै पहिलो पटक यस्तो किसिमको बन्द गरिएको हो ।

Translation:
The internet service has closed down from 4:00PM today. The Internet Service Providers Association of Nepal called this one-hour shutdown in solidarity with the protest program of industrialists. This is the first time internet has been shutdown in Nepal by the providers.

United We Blog! used harsh words to condemn the shutdown calling it a foolish thing and demanding the compensation to the customers and public commitment for no more shutdowns.

Who are these folks to close down the service that is branded as ESSENTIAL? We don’t need another Gyanendra Shah to deprive us from Internet. [Gyanendra closed down Internet in Nepal for a week when he took over the government in the Feb 2005 coup.] We don’t need another information and communication blackout on any excuse. NO.

Mero Guff describes an incident when he was unable to log in for an important work and upon knowing about the shutdown through (more…)

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March 16th, 2007

Nepal: Abdication talks and the provocative CD

Ujjwal Acharya · 17:15 · South Asia

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s suggestion that King Gyanendra and Crown Prince Paras should abdicate created the loudest buzz in Nepal. Amid talks of going into republic after the king assumed the executive powers in Feb 1, 2005 and then lost it due to April 2006 Uprising – a people’s movement, Koirala, despite being soft to monarchy, talked like he favored republic. Bloggers welcomed it as United We Blog!

Prime Minister Koirala has changed the tone on monarchy which is a welcome move… This is very crucial and we applaud Koirala whatever he spoke today in his hometown Biratnagar. The time for celebrations hasn’t come yet but all roads are leading us to that direction. Koirala said that the nation was heading down the path of republic because of King Gyanendra.

Maila Baje of Nepali Net Book applauded the ‘inevitable u-turn’ adding that ‘Koirala is not a friend to Monarchy.’ KP Dhungana of Hamro Blog believes after the person who is leading the Nepal through a new phase speaking against monarchy, the republic is now ensured.

The bloggers believe Koirala has suggested a safe way out for the king. The Radiant Star writes:

If I am put into King Gyanendra’s position, of course, and if I am finished with my pack of options, I will not hesitate choosing abdication than waiting for the decision on republic. That way, he will not only earn some praise and a respectful retirement but it will also help to prove him what he did by taking up the executive power in Feb 1, 2005 is because of need of the time.

Apart from Koirala, the most talked issue was a CD. The Maoists accused the Palace of distributing CDs that contained provocative materials against (more…)

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March 10th, 2007

Nepal: Madhesi Strike & Interim Government

Ujjwal Acharya · 03:23 · South Asia

lingua → fr · zht · zhs

The issue of Madheshi – the people living in the southern plains of Nepal – hasn’t ended. The Madheshi Peoples’ Right Forum, which led the biggest protest in southern Terai demanding the equal opportunity and inclusiveness, have resumed the strikes once again.

Parmendra Bhagat of Democracy for Nepal believed the calling off the protest on February 7 was a mistake. On that day, the protest was temporarily called off after the government agreed for 49 per cent of the representation of Madheshi in the constituent assembly.

It was a mistake to call off the Terai Band on February 7 in the first place. It was the movement's mistake to not have had a clear agenda. The agenda right then should have been that the Home Minister must resign and a probe commission must be formed, or the strikes would continue. Momentum was lost.

Bhagat argues that the movement should continue until all the demands are fulfilled. He also criticizes media for not covering the issue and a minority group leader for talking against the strikes.

The Madheshi strike has not only lost the momentum that it had, but also drawn criticism of closing down the transportation and businesses. Dinesh Wagle of United We Blog! summaries the defying of the strikes in the region.

Strike orders issued by the Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) have been defied in various districts across the county. However, some districts in eastern Terai remain affected by the strike.

With the Maoists, the insurgents-turned-political party, readying itself to join the interim government in Nepal, its no wonder than the Nepali blogosphere is buzzing with the issue. The bloggers know the entry (more…)

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