Monday, January 15, 2007

Typhoid And Typhoid Victims



I am a social doctor. I would like to cure typhoid. I am good at it. I have done it before, I can do it all over again. I am adept. Madhesis are typhoid victims. Utter political powerlessness is typhoid.

I don't know of any other population on the planet with a similar plight of powerlessness. Madhesis are half of Nepal. Madhesis contribute 70% of the revenue of the Nepal government. But Madhesis are utterly powerless. Not even the women of the world are in the same shape. Women are half, sure, but they don't contribute 70%, although they probably would if all their domestic work were to be candidates for dollar figures.

The Madhesis that most piss me off are the Prabasi Madhesis, the Madhesis in America for example. The Madhesis in America are some of the most educated, the best earning Madhesis anywhere on the planet. If these Madhesis will not take the lead, who will?

There is this "Bahun ko jhola bokera hidne prabriti," a phrase I learned from Karma Gyalden Sherpa, the top Janajati leader in New York City, and a great friend of mine, a comrade in the social justice revolution for Nepal. Jha is not Bahun, Jha is Madhesi. In Bihar maybe Jha is forward, but in Nepal Jha is backward. Laloo did Muslim-Yadav in Bihar, we need to do Madhesi-Janajati in Nepal. There is no other way.

The Pahadi attitude problem is all around us. It is right here in New York City. It is in the diaspora, thick and foul. We have to confront with all our might. We have nothing to lose. These Pahadis are not our bosses. Our career paths do not cross. The only dynamic is social. And if they will not go for a dynamic of mutual respect, of political equality, both here and in Nepal, it is best to part ways.

I am not for parting ways. I am for taking over. I don't want a separate country. I don't want violence. I don't even want a separate Terai state. What I want is equality. I want Nepal to have a Madhesi president. I want to take over the entire country.

I got myself elected Convenor of the Coordination Committee of the Nepali Organizations In New York City with no active help from ANTA. I did it through sheer political skill, and through active support from the Janajati crowd. I am going to take that a few steps further and solidify it. I am going to expand, grow and consolidate. We have to set an example for the Madhesi-Janajati coalition here in New York City.

And then I hike it up. I provide leadership for the overall empowerment of the Nepalis in the city. I want all Pahadis in New York City to know that they are the Madhesis here. They are powerless in the local context.

ANTA has been a disappointment. So much so that I let my membership expire at the end of 2006. There was the attack in Nepalgunj and ANTA did not issue a statement. (Madhesi Alert, Nepalgunj Pahadi Attack On Madhesi, Raw Email, Video Footage) I do not comprehend. When there was an attack on Dalits in Doti, the Dalit organizations in the diaspora responded with statements. Before that there was another incident in Kathmandu: Hands Off The Madhesi Activists. ANTA did not speak up. On the other hand several unnamed ANTA members complained to the ANTA president about the statement I had issued and emailed to them. Their names were not revealed to me. I invited them to unsubscribe from my mailing list.

This self-hate has got to go. The emotional price you are paying for it is not worth it. I don't have fewer Pahadi friends than you because I am vocal. You should try it also. Assert yourself. Pahadis who are "friends" with you only as long you don't speak for your rights are not your friends. Are they? Let them go.

For me this is work. I have a professional attitude towards it. We work and meet and do the work as per the need. Instead many Madhesis misunderstand the gist of the movement. It is not so you can engage in petty infighting. Internalized prejudice and racism work in weird ways. Madhesis talking like they imagine prejudiced Pahadis and white racists would. Kind of like some of my high school "bands" imitating western rock groups. Let go. You don't sound authentic.

Madhesi powerlessness is typhoid. And I would like to help cure it. Madhesis are typhoid victims. I engage to cure. I don't necessarily want to socialize during my off time with typhoid victims. I don't put up with racist comments from white people, I am not going to put up with racist comments from brown people. I don't put with PCP - Pahadi Chauvinist Pig - comments from Pahadis, I am not going to put up with PCP comments from Madhesis. (
PCP: Pahadi Chauvinist Pig) I am the third angle in the triangle. I am not after the Pahadi individuals. I am just after the mentality, the attitude, the though processes, the wrong policy prescriptions. So if there are Madhesis with the same, I am also against them.

There is an urgent need to go global: ANTA To ANT?

And maybe it is best to work directly with the Madhesis right there in Nepal. If the Prabasi Madhesis will not wake up, let them enjoy the slumber.

I am also opening up channels with all the district committees of the Sadbhavana (Anandi).

I think the Madhesi Movement for now has to coalesce around the demand for constituencies based on equal population.

Madhesi Movement: Online Resources
Internalized Racism Among Nepalis In NYC
Madhesi Self Hate
Frustration, Chemical Imbalance, Mental Imbalance

There are Madhesis who feel disenfranchised in Nepal, there are Nepalis who feel disenfranchised in America. The solution is to build
The Matrix. This also allows us to reach out to just about anybody, anywhere. The Matrix is an invention.

Hamro Nepal is better equipped than ANTA to expand rapidly, globally and to connect the leading Madhesis in Nepal with the Madhesi diaspora. I would it if Madhesi members of Hamro Nepal became more active.

In The News

Interim parliament endorses Interim Constitution-2063
Interim parliament convenes; MPs sworn in
HoR promulgates interim constitution, dissolves itself
India welcomes promulgation of interim constitution
Leaders fail to find consensus on Speaker of interim legislature Prachanda demanded that their party should get either the post of speaker or deputy speaker. .... Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that his party will create environment for holding elections of the post of speaker. .... senior leader of the interim parliament will chair the first session of the interim legislature. 86-year-old, Bal Bahadur Rai of NC is the senior most leader of the interim parliament
MPs criticise interim constitution, demand amendments Bharat Mohan Adhikary, standing committee member of the Unified Marxist Leninist (UML), pointed out several flaws in the constitution. "I regret the fact that this interim constitution does not allow the parliament to remove the Prime Minister once he is appointed. The parliament session cannot be held unless the PM convenes it. There are provisions that could jeopardise the democracy" ...... According to Rana, the interim constitution has been indifferent to the issues of Madhesis, women, Dalit, indigenous and other minorities. ....... King's autocracy is going to be replaced by dictatorship of eight parties ...... Rajendra Mahato, an MP from Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi), also criticised the interim constitution for not providing equal status to all kinds of people. He said that without addressing the issues of Madhesis, the ongoing violence in Terai region would not be resolved. "Peace will not come just by writing in the interim constitution that there will be peace," he said.
Jwala Singh demands separate, independent Terai state his party is against the rule of Pahade (people from hilly origin) on Madhes (Terai region). ..... Of the total population of Nepal, 14 million are Madhsis. ...... "We are not against people of hill. But we are against the system of unitary communal hill state power." ...... Singh whose real name is Nagendra Paswan and who is said to be a former journalist ...... "I still consider Goit as our supreme leader. But he is very old and not in good health. And this is the time for fight and sacrifice, so we had to part ways," Singh said, clarifying why he split from Goit. But he added that cadres of both factions of JTMM were working together. ........ The interim constitution lacks even a single word in favour of Madhesi people ....... "The King is the main leader of hilly people, so there is no question of us supporting him or his action. As far as India is concerned, some of our leaders are in jails in Bihar. I totally refute this charge." ........ his party has company-level military organisation of what he termed as Terai Liberation Army in three to four districts, Singh refused to divulge the actual number of his cadres or the districts where his military organisation are located. ......... put forth 9-point demands including declaration of independent Terai; delimitation of electoral constituencies based on population; holding of census in Terai under leadership of Madhesi people; filling up the positions in army, police and administration in Terai by Madhesi people; cessation of Maoist atrocities and return of seized lands; compensation to Madhesi martyrs, among others.
Government mobilises teams for distribution of citizenship certificates
Maoists to claim post of speaker in interim legislature Maoist leaders said that they will strongly raise the agendas raised during the decade long insurgency in the interim legislature.
Sunsari district court vandalised
MPs file numerous proposals for amendment of interim constitution 25 MPs including Chakra Bastola of NC, and Gobinda Bahadur Shah of NC-Democratic have filed proposal seeking amendment to clearly specify them as elected MPs in the constitution ......... The UML has sought some changes including adoption of proportional representation electoral system during Constituent Assembly elections; holding of a separate referendum to decide the fate of monarchy; provision of removing the Prime Minister through two-third majority of the parliament; and inclusion of only PM, Chief Justice and Speaker in the constitutional council. ...... RJP president Surya Bahadur Thapa has filed amendment proposal seeking provision of appointing PM who enjoys two-third support of MPs and who has to obtain vote of confidence within a month of assuming office. The NSP-A has sought fresh delimitation of electoral constituencies based on population. The RPP, on the other hand, wants formation of local bodies with the consensus of all parties in the interim parliament; reconstitution of constitutional and judicial council; and adoption of federal system.

Interim constitution tabled at HoR; PM, Prachanda discuss promulgation process NepalNews
NC chooses its 10 MPs
NCD, NSP (A) nominate new MPs
Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakashman Singh, Dr. Minendra Rijal, Dr.Prakash Sharan Mahat, Pradeep Giri and Uma Adhikari. ...... Anandi Devi Singh, Bharat Bimal Yadav and Govinda Tharu ... Sujata Koirala, Shekhar Koirala, KB Gurung, Meena Pandey, Bhim Bahadur Tamang, Sita Devi Yadav, Laxman Ghimire, Shobhakar Parajuli, Suprabha Ghimire, Meetharam Bishwokarma ‘Dukhi’.
Cabinet approves interim constitution
Rights body demands amendment in interim statute, release of HLPC report
Speaker believes MPs will have adequate time to discuss interim statute
PFN, NWPP select names for interim parliament Kaman Singh Lama, Anjana Bishankhe and Asarphi Sada ...... Sunil Prajapati (Bhaktapur), Jaya Bahadur Shahi (Dailekh) and Lila Nayiechaiyei
NC's stance on monarchy will be historic: Sitaula Nepal will enter a new era on the day the Nepali Congress (NC) comes out with its policy on the monarchy....... has been struggling against the monarchy since 2007 BS .... directed party cadres to play active and alert role in distribution of citizenship certificates and help update voters’ list

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

really impressed with your blog. hopefully your democratic thoughts on equality are reflected in the "new nepal"