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AMRIT GURUNG
Guest Column
I am Amrit Nepali
From Syangja to Sydney, from Fikkal to Finland, the silent majority of Nepalis don't agree with the division of Nepal

AMRIT GURUNG

FROM ISSUE #606 (25 MAY 2012 - 31 MAY 2012) | TABLE OF CONTENTS
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BIKRAM RAI

"Let me introduce my band members � to my left is Subin on bass, Dhurba on drums �"

In every one of my concerts, I introduce my band members to enormous applause. And as a matter of principle I do not use their surnames. During one of the shows of my Peace Concert Tour of Nepal earlier this year, someone in the audience shouted out:

"Dhurba ... who?"

This was one voice in an audience of thousands, but it was loud enough for me to hear on stage.

I had to respond. "Subin SHAKYA on bass," I said with an emphasis on the surname, "Dhurba LAMA on drums, Niraj GURUNG on guitars, Suraj THAPA on keyboards, Shanti RAYAMAJHI on percussion and I am Amrit GURUNG."

But I went on: "We are all Nepali even though some are trying to divide us by ethnicity, that is why I don't take the surnames of band members. Look at the six of us here on stage, we are Nepal in a microcosm. Some of us have flat noses, others have pointed ones. Some have slit eyes, others have round ones. But that does not stop us from working together as a team. In fact, it helps us create better music. Let us all say we are members of one big Nepali family." The entire hall burst into sustained applause I hadn't heard anywhere else. I couldn't see the person who had shouted out for surnames, his voice had been drowned out.

I communicate with Nepalis through music on my concert tours. For the past decade my band has been crisscrossing Nepal with the message of peace, justice and national unity. I do this through the cementing role of the Nepali language, the lingua franca that allows Nepalis everywhere to communicate with each other. In between songs, I ask audiences: "I am a Nepali and proud to be one. Are you?" There is a collective and deafening roar: "Yes!"
When I am not on concert tours, I travel across Nepal on foot. From the villages of the far-west to the east, from the Himals to the Tarai, wherever I go, I find food and shelter through my Nepali language. Let us not debate the origin of this language, the reality is that it is one of the few things that weaves our national fabric together, and unites all Nepalis everywhere.

All of us came from somewhere else to live in what is now Nepal, it is futile to debate who settled here first. Time has moved on, but one thing is for sure: none of the other languages, Gurung, Newar, Magar, Bhojpuri, Maithali, Tamang can be a common language. They won't even serve as common languages within the provinces that ethnic groups want to name after their own.

Gurung used to be widely spoken in my home town of Pokhara not only by us Gurungs, but by others as well. Similarly, Newari was spoken widely by all inhabitants of Kathmandu, not just Newars. If we want Nepal to be a strong and prosperous country, we need to spread the unifying message of the Nepali language and Nepali nationhood.

Whenever I speak on these issues during concerts from Syangja to Sydney, from Fikkal to Finland the forceful feedback from the audience gives me confidence that the silent majority of Nepalis feel the same way. It's just that these voices have been sidelined by divisive slogans magnified by the media. All Nepalis I have met, irrespective of their place of domicile, have one thing in common: their common Nepali identity and the pride in being a Nepali first.
Of course, there has been discrimination and exclusion throughout Nepal's history. Some have done better than others. But that does not mean all people from all marginalised groups were completely suppressed. My identity today is based on all people of Nepali origin liking my music, not just the Gurungs.

My friend Nabin Subba became a filmmaker because Nepalis everywhere appreciate his craft, not just because he was liked only by his ethnic group. Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Ambar Gurung, Gopal Yonzon, Bairagi Kainla and Narayan Gopal did not become national figures because they were Bahun, Gurung, Tamang, Limbu or Newar.
The CA can decide to carve up the country in however many pieces it wants, but my appeal is: don't confine me to one part of Nepal. I do not want to be a first class citizen of just one province and feel second class in the rest of the country. I want to feel I am standing on my soil, wherever I stand, from Mechi to Mahakali.

Amrit Gurung is the founder of the Nepali folk rock band, Nepathya.

Read also:
Harm reduction

National identity crisis, RUBEENA D SHRESTHA
At a time when we should be valuing our multiple, intersecting identities, we are being told to choose a single, overarching definition of ourselves

May or may not, ANURAG ACHARYA
There is still enough time to forge an agreement if the parties can find room for it.

Comments    Show Oldest First | Show Newest First
1. abhishek gurung
Amrit jee, the justice that is being demanded is not for people like you. You are already well enough and have reached the higher echelons. The rights being asked for is for those people who have not been served by the state mechanisms. Consider a gurung lady or anyone from the farflung villages who have never heard a word of \nepali being spoken is asked to fill up a form in \nepali when in the first place she doesnot know how to read. Obviously we all are nepalese both karma and bhagyale. And, how do you think a culture a language is preserved unless and until it is documented. The government has not shown any interest in the preservance of these rich cultures. If in the name of mainstreaming, if  only the religion and language of the ruling class is given a preferential treatment. Think what will happen to those that havenot been officially documented. And reading from somebody who himself is considered a proponent of saving nepals unique culture mystifies me of your ignorance. Yes, I am a gurung and a pukka nepali. nobody can change that..why feel hesitant to quote your full name..I guess it is your insecurities that hinders you from speaking out your full name..but then kalakar sabaika sajha hun...and a no brainer to you...have you wondered why inter caste marriage is not in prominence in \nepal..because there is a ruling class that preaches a heirarchy according to your birth...

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 7:40 PM NST

2. Bikas Gurung
Netas of Nepal - take some pride in what Amrit is saying. Remember, you mau be in power today but tomorrow you may be a common man, if you make too many enemies they will seek revenge, count on that each night before you go to sleep.
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 8:23 PM NST

3. Anonymous
Bravo, Amrit jee for your honesty, courage, and patriotism!! You spoke from the bottom of millions and millions of hearts. Yes, Nepal is our Motherland, and Nepali is our common tongue. Yes, we would like to see Nepal where one can practice plurality of ideas and thoughts, defend diversity in our culture, customs and traditions, yet proudly seek unity of inner soul as a Nation. I deeply value my freedom and choice to eat Newari food in Thimi, listen to Maithili songs in Janakpur, appreciate hospitality in a Gurung family, attend a monastery in Sermangthang... The voices of Nati Kaji,Narayn Gopal, Ambar Gurung, Udeep Naryan have nurtured my spirit. I never see castes in the chorus of sweet voices of young girls and boys singing in the rice planting fields, nor do I see color of ethnicity in the sweats of those resting in Chautari. I will never forget the blood shed by our ancestors to defend the sanctity of Dheurali... Time has come to hold together fabrics of our society and unleash the positive energy of social bonds among our communities rather than tear apart that bond. Only united, we can survive  as a Nation, we can preserve our greater identity.. Ours is a land of the Buddha and the Braves. Above all, I am a Nepali, before I am a Madhesi, Pahadi, or Himali.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 9:00 PM NST

4. Anaam
@Abhishek Gurung

Your assumptive claim: have you wondered why inter caste marriage is not in prominence in \nepal..because there is a ruling class that preaches a heirarchy according to your birth...

It's not just the ruling caste. I am from what you will consider the ruling caste although I and my family had zilch of the advantage that we were supposedly getting. I could not be with the person I love because she was from a caste of yours (which I guess is considered the oppressed caste) and her parents don't even considered the possibility of marrying outside the caste and it is not just me; I have seen many many such examples with my own close friends (Rai not marrying Gurung, Gurung not marrying Rai, Thakali not marrying Gurung etc). So who do you blame here?

It's easy to blame. Real justice will come from a group thinking about economic and social justice, not ethnic justice. Otherwise all it will do is pitch one ethnicity against another for the limited economic resources and then no one will win. The question regarding federalism is whether we want to go forward by creating a society based on economic and social justice or go backward by simply wanting to get a state in our ethnic name? Sadly it looks like people are choosing the latter thinking it will somehow make them equal auto-magically. 



Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 9:25 PM NST

5. nepali
U must be writing this column regarding the recent ongoing scenario in the country. But I am optimistic and see that there is a opportunity to change. People are learning now what happens when you discriminate your own people and think one is superior than others.

I have been through all this discrimination especially in work place!!

I have seen it on schools!! (that time I did not realize it- coz I was too young).

After reconciliation all those events I am in a conclusion that the ongoing scenario was supposed to happen. Just that you have to accept it.....

But how would we learn after this is a question........

Regards to all

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 10:09 PM NST

6. bic
These protest had to happen. I have felt for it long time .......... discrimination. Now, now is the chance to change and have equal right for every nepali citizen. Come on all you lawmakers come with anti discirmination act!!!!

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 10:37 PM NST

7. Anil Thapa

Amrit Gurung and Abhishek Gurung both have opinions which are true. Neither one is wrong and trying to accuse one to be wrong is not giving justification to what is true and prevailing. The old mentality of using even religion as a tool to exploit the inncocent and the ignorant on castist lines has resulted in a fragmented nepali mentality. There is no high or low caste in reality and that psychology should only exist in a primitive and manipulative mindset. I live in America but have deep roots in my motherland. I am confident that our pride to be Nepali will guide us in these confusing and trying time.


Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 10:39 PM NST

8. nepali keti
i agree with most of what you say Amrit jee, but the question of languages is a very tricky and sensitive issue. While it is true that Nepali language unites us all, we must make sure that people's whose mother tongue is not Nepali are not systematically and socially discriminated as they are today. In schools, in official papers, every where Nepali is THE only language. But this puts people who are not fluent in Nepali at great risk. 

How about having official documents accepting a list of different languages (like in India). How about schools teaching three different languages - Nepali, English and then a third ethnic language -Maithili, Tharu, Newa, Sherpa etc. We must respect and and let all sorts of languages and dialogues prosper. 

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 11:17 PM NST

9. abhishek gurung
@Anaam
I pity you that you couldnot get married to the one you loved. We all are brought up in a system and culture devised by the ruling class hence the opposition to your marriage to your daughter. So then would that gurung family be happy that their daughter is getting married to a higher caste group or be content that she would be married to somebody of her own class group. Has the ruling group tried to create a bridge between the misrepresented people and the ruling group. Every nepali should be treated equal and be given the same potential as everybody. I again pity you that inspite of the power you had to bring that wind of change you chose to live to give leverage to what was already there. its no brainer that you are bound to feel shaky when somebody else ask the same authority as you..when they deserved that place all along...i do respect amrit...but you should never feel hesitant in naming your ethnic roots like amrit did. ...it should have been that whoever from nepal should be given a warm welcome no matter what your caste or your creed....but amrit chose to live in a false sensation

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 11:30 PM NST

10. Elms
Well-written article, Amritji. I share your sentiments. It's up to us-the educated, privileged ones- to not lose sight of the dream we all harbour for a peaceful, unified and prosperous Nepal while at the same time engage in discussions to find solutions to the pressing problems of the country today. As an artist, you have always done your bit to shed this country in a good light and the Nepali people owe you a lot of gratitude for always being the perfect representatives of Nepal wherever you've gone. I wish the leaders of this country would LEARN to do the same. God bless you, God bless Nepathya and God bless Nepal.  
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 11:39 PM NST

11. Love All, Serve All
I agree with nepali keti. The languages are part of the country's rich history, too. While the country does need a national language, we do also need to preserve our wonderful heritage of local cultures and traditions, which also includes our languages. I wish there was a Nepali culture centre that actively worked on spreading awareness about the importance of having a national language but also put an equal effort at preserving and helping indigenous languages, culture and tradition to grow. But I don't see why we need to be divided into states based on ethnicity to do all this. All it really needs is a sincere love for everything Nepali and some simple understanding. I enjoy a Newari festival as much as I enjoy a Gurung or Tharu festival. This is all part of my country. This is who we are. I could never and will never see any difference in identities. It's just like one's home with different rooms. I love my home and I will always do everything to protect its inhabitants and all the possessions inside. I don't know why people create so much rift. Let's create a loving, peaceful home where we can all do our work peacefully.
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 11:56 PM NST

12. Yadav
I don't know who is true and who is not? I have visited 42 districts of Nepal on foot. I have shared meals and slept with people from almost every communities. And I have seen people from every communities being deprived of their rights as long as they do not have link, network or voice. Everyone who has a voice (from any community) reaching Kathmandu has done well irrespective of his/her caste, creed, religion and language. People, irrespective of his/her caste, creed, religion and language, have floundered when they have no one to speak for.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:09 AM NST

13. khamdesh
whatever amrit says is true. we are unique in many respects but emphasizing only on differences doesn't take us anywhere. i have am a chettri by caste. we were as poor and oppressed as jana-jatis. my forefathers have never been the part of ruling elite. So, lets not push things far but come together.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:14 AM NST

14. thapa
To Mr. Abhishek Gurung. 

Amrit Gurung is not born rich, his constant effort brought him where he is now. So, everybody can be. There are a lot of remarkable people from ethnic groups too.

I can accept that central system has done nothing for the remote corners of the country, but federalism under caste system is not it's solution.

Are you talking about documenting all the ethnic languages?? is it so easily possible. In the main rasons, news in newari in KTM, in gurung in PKR , Maithali in Terais, is it not a good effort? Why don't you accept Nepalese as a common language?

Amrit gurung never hesitates to say the players full name, it makes him do so coz, he hates people taking it the other way.

As about inter caste marriage, I can married to a gurung girl. But there are evidences, Gurungs never allow their daughters to marry a groom from another caste. And the fact is that, isn't there classes(such as lamichane ..etc etc) in gurungs itself? And the bitter fact is that the gurungs even don't marry the one from lower class gurung. 

What I wanna say is, WAKE UP dude, or it will be late ! 

Respect good things, even though it may not apply to your view. 

Mutual Respect is what we are missing. 

Thankyou !







 






Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:15 AM NST

15. Kamal
sahi ho...amrit dada .........
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:22 AM NST

16. Subash Jung Gurung

Non of the views are totally wrong. I am looking at comments from people who wants either totally ethynic based system or the another one. Where is the mentality of sharing and living? Why is it so hard to get there can be a middle path between the both!! I am not a big scholar or a expert to critisize these all, but this is what I understand.

 


Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:22 AM NST

17. biks
As many of the friends have wrote about inter cast marriage, about a Gurung lady who cant write and speak in Nepali and so on....friends.. its the matter of national pride having such multi-cultural group but having said so it doesnt mean that the whole single country has to be divided according to cast or culture. If the country has to be divided as cast or ethnicity, think how many numbers of cast and cultures are present in Nepal. Can you divide the country according to that? All the cultures has to be brought to the single point, the point where all the members feel every one as brothers and sisters. someone said that " so called higher cast and so called lower cast" friends, u might have clearly and already known that there is also a hierarchy system among the cast itself.. as there are among Newars, Brahmins and so on. Thus, this situation is not to fight among our-self... be united.. look even India has fastened its economic growth and competes with rest of the world but why we Nepali cant??. try to compete with others, not with ourself...
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:29 AM NST

18. fg wrong
@ Abhishek
There is something called personal freedom and individual rights. Whether Amrit chooses to identify himself with his surname or not is his individual rights. He is free to do/speak/express anything as long as that does not infringe others' rights. Does his not identifying himself as Gurung/Pokhareli/Paschimeli infringes anybody's rights? What he chose is not a false sensation (sic.), but the acceptance of reality and embracing of the religion of humanism.  

I do support your logic on protecting languages, but at the same time support Amrit's statement on Nepali as connecting language. Had the British colonized Nepal, Nepali would also have lost that status. See any colonized country like India, where English is more a connecting language than any other language including Hindi. There is no need to fight with each other and threaten to finish off another ethnic group to protect a language. The solution is very simple. (See Nepali keti's comment above). 

Another fact about languages is that they are our property but we cannot protect all forever. History tells us that. There were more than 14,000 actively spoken languages across the globe a few hundred years. Today there are only 6000. Accept it or not, the Kusunda language will disappear in a few years, no matter how much you try to protect it. We can be emotional but the most we can do is protect it in a museum of a sort. More will disappear in the future.

Your  logic on inter-caste marriage is totally flawed. People from every ethnicity (actually at the caste and sub-caste level) are very conservative in this regard. What changes the situation is education and gradual economic progress. We need to create opportunities and positive discrimination for those who did not get opportunity in the past; be it bahun, chettri, gurung, newar, sah, limbu or kami or damai. What we don't need is a system that promotes another form of discrimination to replace the one that is plaguing the society until now. 

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 12:55 AM NST

19. Nepali
federalism based on the ethnic group is not the solution for eliminating  the discrimination among the castes and sub-castes. Discrimination is prevailed due to lack of education or due to old mentality. we, the young generation, do not believe in the division based on ethnicity but we do value each other's culture, tradition and religion and equally take part in them. it is our Nepali culture. we also agree on the point that, government should recognize all the languages inside the territory and include them in the official operations. we all agree that decentralization is most essential in order to develop all part of the country equally but decentralization and division are two different things in terms of sentiment if not the meaning.
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 1:01 AM NST

20. anonymous
Most of the people staying abroad are rich Pahadi and politically affiliated people belonging to the privileged group. Has anyone wondered which politician's children are staying and working in Nepal except those already already in politics. The answer is none including RBY. They do not want federalism as they would have to share the benefits with other and this is exactly what they fear losing. 

Can anyone name a non-Bahun/Chetri ambassador appointed for developed countries in the history of Nepal. Hardly any. So this is no surprise and these opinions are bound to come. Can anyone name a Nepalese embassy abroad which celebrates any ethnic festival besides Dashain? Why neglect other festivals in favor of one in a secular state? Celebrate none or celebrate all. This is all wanted in Nepal - Sharing of all resources equally, which is not assured in present system.
 

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 1:12 AM NST

21. Harvard
I will always put my country first and I think that's important. I think we serve our country first by standing for people who believe in National Integrity and doing everything in our power to promote an agenda that does unify our opinions first. I see that opinions have been raised here  unilaterally, going off topic to point out about language and inter caste marriage. But the decision to go is one which you take. I just think it's most likely that the person who represent one caste or particular ethnic group is someone who needs to think 10 years down the road and see challenges. On a side note, Have you been watching news lately that Nuwakot People stopped letting government to dump the wastes from Kathmandu on Nuwakot Dumping site? The reason was none other than- wastes from Newa Rajya should not be dumped in someone else's rajya. Guys, I would really appreciate if you think more about natural resources privatization, extreme costs on state administration, and many more. It's not a short term thing or being privileged for a particular group.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 1:25 AM NST

22. Harvard
I will always put my country first and I think that's important. I think we serve our country first by standing for people who believe in National Integrity and doing everything in our power to promote an agenda that does unify our opinions first. I see that opinions have been raised here  unilaterally, going off topic to point out about language and inter caste marriage. But the decision to go is one which you take. I just think it's most likely that the person who represent one caste or particular ethnic group is someone who needs to think 10 years down the road and see challenges. On a side note, Have you been watching news lately that Nuwakot People stopped letting government to dump the wastes from Kathmandu on Nuwakot Dumping site? The reason was none other than- wastes from Newa Rajya should not be dumped in someone else's rajya. Guys, I would really appreciate if you think more about natural resources privatization, extreme costs on state administration, and many more. It's not a short term thing or being privileged for a particular group.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 1:25 AM NST

23. Anonymous
Nepali is the language of few privileged group of people in Nepal and unprvileged in India and not everyone. Nepali is a forced language on the non-Nepali speaking people in Prithviraj Narayan Shah conquered territories called Nepal and it reminds them of slavery, which is not yet over. This also reminds them of the social exclusion, cultural control, economic and career opportunities lost and deprivation of rights to speak one's own language freely with pride and dignity without being labeled a traitor in their own land which PNS occupied through fear and terror.   
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 1:31 AM NST

24. dhedubadar
Discrimination did and still exists in Nepal but no matter what anyone says, I am a firm believer that it happens on a purely economic grounds. There are bahuns, chettris, newars, gurungs, rais, tamangs, magars, tharu, madhesis et all who have been discriminated upon and by people from their own caste or ethnic groups. By giving identity and a "rajya" the discrimination is not going to go away, the rich and the powerful of all of these ethnic/caste groups are still going to discriminate the poor and downtrodden. It is going to allow small fiefdoms of rich and powerful in every ethnic groups to take advantage of the poor. And worse it is going to prevent the interaction, marital relationship and other kind of partnership that we have begun to see in modern day Nepal.
If we are talking about the rights of a Gurung woman from far flung village who cannot understand Nepali and needs to fill up a form, the answer is not to have the form in Gurung language but to educate the people who can't read and write. Even if the form was in her local/ethnic language would she be able to fill it up without being able to read and write?? The focus has to be on proper education and cultural and financial inclusion rather than identity.
I am sick and tired of being identified by my surname and the baggage that comes with it, and people identifying me in that way rather than to understand what my views are or what type of person I am. Rather than moving towards a society where your surname ethnic identity becomes irrelevant we are putting up more barriers so that one cannot escape from the societal pressure that comes with ethnic/identity. This I am afraid will keep Nepalis non-inclusive, divided and poor for another century or more.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 2:12 AM NST

25. anup
http://www.smh.com.au/world/his-hers-hens-swedes-genderneutral-push-gains-ground-20120413-1wxra.html

read this article. World is moving to be one and here we are trying to divide into several groups.

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 2:27 AM NST

26. bruno de wild
Dear Amrit bro! hajur ko yo karya shakarya cha and sabai nepali samman chaan too,, hamro desh ma dharma jaat riti riwaj yeti dherrai cha ki yo ta sabai nepali ko ghana ra  abhushan ho. sabai nepali ek bhayera ek arka ko kadar garera ma thulo ta sanu ,, ma dhani ta garib bhanu bhanda pani ,, yo sabai culture jaat religion bhasa,, chadparwa lai jogayera sanu Nepal bhanye bagaicha ma fulye biswa kai sammu kasto ramro example hunthyo hai,,,,,,
khoie ta nepali janta haru le nai bujeko ,, neta bhanuda daka haru le ta bujyena bujyena janta hami sabai nepali haru kina kaan ma teal halera andho jasto neta bhanuda ko pachi lageko...hola
ke paisa bhok ra lobb le nai garda janta lai neta haru le looti rakheko cha,,
yesko sato janta baru 2din bhokai bhayera neta haru ko saath chodera ta hera ani milyera basnye prayas garyo bhane ...Nepal is good example for world. Of soch sabai janta pani hoon doshi,, Nepal is for all nepali whoever their live or not and whole castes ,, dharma ,, cultures are of whole Nepalese,,why don't try to love eachother n try to live happy life instead of listening f**kg scrap political leaders,, should be punished my Nepali janta....

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 2:34 AM NST

27. anup
Certainly there are issues to be addressed related to language and culture. If everything was perfect we would not have moved to all these changes in system. But we need to correct things that are wrong and not everything and start from zero again. What is wrong with 5 current region that exists. That region was developed by Dr. Harka Gurung and his team. It is resource based and is very scientific. Can anyone from present have come up with any thing close to that that can sustain on its own if managed well. Its only the policy of decentralize not working at current level. If we go and start working out on the GDP then these regions make sense to exist rather then going to 10 or 11 or 14. What Nepali keti proposes are right...we need to have some system that protects the language and culture but our present leaders tries to ignore it in the greed for their political career. We can introduce the new education system with focus on culture and language. 
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 2:39 AM NST

28. Gopal Sharma
Its not the rest of Nepal that has issues or problems with one another. It definitely is the ruling class i.e., in the begining they were Ranas, then Shahs and their Bahun advisers. I am a Bahun that lives in foreign land but I know for fact that Bahuns are wrost violators of human rights and human abuses. Here is an example of some Bahuns -  Dahal, Bhattarai, Nepal, Khanal, Paudel,  you all can come to your own comclusions. What more is there to say, just read the writings on the faded walls of Kathmandu. If Nepalis cannot extend respect and dignity to one another, then screw this types of Nepalis. Dahal will pay for creating the division in Nepal.
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 3:20 AM NST

29. S Shrestha
Ethnic federalism in Nepal will not redress ethnic discrimination. The number of ethnic groups in Nepal are estimated to be anywhere from 70 to a 100. By creating single identity ethnic provinces, a single ethnic group will be accorded power while discriminating against multitude of other ethnic groups within that province. Such a system of governance will not be just and will only promote ethnic violence. With federalism, we will have more politicians, more bureaucrats, and more opportunities for corruption. Moreover, regional and ethnic political parties are gaining more and more prominence in Nepal as it is easy to politicize ethnicity and gain support by claiming it is "us against them." Federalism has only worked in countries where there is a legacy of strong national parties (usually 1-3 parties) that do not use ethnic cleavages as their base of power and support. 
Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 3:55 AM NST

30. pratik limbu

i agree with amrit dai in a way. why divide? it is also true that certain people have been supressed and discriminated for a long time but is it wise to divide the country and lose the identity of being "nepali"? i m a limbu  but that comes after me being a "nepali" first. why not try to boost your culture without spliting the country? why not push the backward people forward without having to divide the country?why not try to emphesize on education instead of emphesizing on "bandhs" and "jatiawad"? right now, our country is in a phase of metamorphosis and what we need is a positive peaceful enviroment to rebuild it, to take it toward prosperity, but i personally , think that declaring zones and dividing nepalies into tribes and caste won't help us achieve that!

 


Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 4:28 AM NST

31. PUNAE

No matter when and where this article relate to, the message it carries is "respect others and yourself". Our caste carries our culture, they all have great value for us and we should all be proud of it. Every one of our opinions are right and those are facts that are there in our society, the question is instead of complaining each other why don't we ourselves do something about it? Why don't we try to bring the course of change in the society? Let's not hold grudges on the past, let us not do the mistakes what others have done. I don't intend to be offensive but the truth is other countries recognise us by our nationality rather than our caste and they respect our culture. People seek for peace all over our country; the answer to peace is within us. As long as we understand each other, respect each other, there will be no such thing as upper cast/ lower caste. I believe humanity is the greatest thing as being a human.


Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 4:33 AM NST

32. Abhishek gurung
@mr thapa
So you think that by reading news in the ethnic languages, we have been represented. Thats just a token. 
And you say there are classes in gurung. I accept it. But have you ever wondered who created that. The kali bahadur battalion of the nepalese army historically consisted of gurungs only. They were involved in the war with tibet which they won. Rather than praising this battalion, the ruling class being afraid that such a group in military might could topple them if they let them be as they are devised a plan to create disharmony between these great warriors who fought to unite nepal like other janjatis. They the brahmins sowed the seed of conflict within a homogeneous group. They classified gurungs as 16 jate 4 jate which previously had never existed. And thats how how the vertical classication brought abt this conflict between you and me. I have never shown disrespect to anybody. It is just that i be given the same rights you get being a mainstream group. But my heart still beats for the khas of karnali.  Positive discrimination my dear watson is the command of the day. 

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 4:34 AM NST

33. Nepali
Dear Amrit ji,

Its not about division of the country. I am from Ktm and consider myself privileged, but ktm is not Nepal. Let's us go beyond the boundaries of  Kathmandu, look at the life of people living outside and how Kathmandu centered politics has impacted in their daily life. You are an artist and you will definitely be able to see, people like you in your field. But, look at other professions in government services, policy makers, politicians, media and teachers in government jobs etc, you only see people with distinctive feature. That is how the state of Nepal has been constructed till now although we have been brainwashed that Nepal with the slogan"Char Jat Chattis Barna ko Saja Phulbari". But, has this been really practiced by the policy makers and the party leaders. Yes i am definitely a Nepali and love my people and country very much, but i would also like to see the above slogan come in action. And also the issue is not about division as media  and politician potray, listen to the debate "Global Video conference on Federalism for Nepal:March 25, 2012" in youtube.

 http://youtu.be/3h6txfuVkyo
    

Posted on: 21 MAY 2012 | 4:38 AM NST

34. Arun Rana

No one is questioning the hegemony of the Nepali speaking and BCN domination of politics and governance. No one is denying the fact that social exclusion is a root cause of the conflict that beseiged this land for a decade, and which will remain the greatest challenge to overcome in the coming days... The question is whether splitting the country into ethnic provinces is the answer. Please all take a look at the mapping of the ethnic groups by VDCs in the publication Unravelling the Mosaic: Spatial aspects of ethnicity in Nepal by Pitambar Sharma. It will show you how dispersed our ethnic groups are within Nepal. It will show you that none of the regions that are being proposed as an ethnic province are dominated by any particular ethnic group. That there are at least 20 ethnic groups of sizeable numbers within each, but only one of these would be identified with that province....We are too many and too dispersed for this concept to work....And please be aware that the most disadvantaged groups in Nepal, like the Dalits (13% of population) and Muslims (8%) are dispersed all across Nepal, by virtue of their former 'occupations'...Please also find that time to take a stroll through the far-western and mid-western mountain districts which are inhabited by more than 75% Thakuris, Chhetris and  Dalits, and tell me if there is any other place in Nepal, in our times, which is more backward....Please do not mix poverty and social exclusion. Please do not sow the seeds of ethnic hatred that does not exist in this nation of Nepalis!

      


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 5:00 AM NST

35. Manish
Amrit ji, The issue is not unification. We are Nepali! Its accepted by all including ones on the roads currently. This struggle is not just mere for the cast either. Its about equality and creating an environment that creates an equal opportunity not just for the career but for the language and culture as well. All the outburst that we are seeing in street now is result of suppression for 240 +years. We are what we are as birth, then where we live ( neighbors) and then comes the country. If you refuse to accept your "mother- tongue" ( for you as assume its Gurung)...its going to die at least in your family. Same thing will follow when a Nepali began to follow foreign language ( as English be it for career reason or media driven). I have very good baahun/chettri friends.I love them and their family no matter what. Just give a thought on one saying that goes around in our culture...." yo ta sarai baatho cha, yo bhahun na paaryo"...try to find a grass-root cause of the saying. ...I will say Jay Nepal when I get to see a "kaami" as General of the country ( I disagree that only certain cast are capable to be a head of the institute. I know its never in the constitute but....)!
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 6:29 AM NST

36. yugesh
Ok...Mr. abhisekh GURUNG

This is what you desire for I guess. You insist on saying that you are a NEPALI but have problem with the NEPALI language. This is more of your confused concept. It seems that you don't need the nationality and its just ethnicity you are thriving for. First preserve the country and its language...and then your ethnic culture if you are a NEPALI. You can find a lot of alternatives to preserve your culture instead of struggling to divide the country on such ethnic al grounds that some of you will never succeed. 

If you open your eyes instead of your legs, I wouldn't have to spell it loud for you.

AND AGAIN IF YOU WANT TO GAIN A SEPERATE STATE FOR YOUR CASTE , THEN GET SOME UNDER THE GROUND.!!!!!

JAI NEPAL..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 6:46 AM NST

37. kale kisna
Couldn't have been better said. Yes, I, too, want to feel I am standing on my own soil, where ever I stand, from Mechi to Mahakali and from Mustang to Malangwa.
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 8:55 AM NST

38. sameer

This is the failure of our education system and judiciary practices that hasnt been able to change our view and enforce meaningful act. We have many milestones to travel before we reach at the place where our neighboring countries are today! And remember if one has to follow his/her culture and language then this kind of debate continues for the indefinite period of time beacuse we lack the tolerance power.

And shame to the internatinaol organizations working here in Nepal,what drama are they looking at,come up with the solution as a alternative to the ongoing debate.otherwise you people will be blamed enough for earning enormous dollar without doing nothing remarkable.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 9:23 AM NST

39. who cares
so you are the first gutsy from ethnic who supports nationalism. good to know.

i have not meet any one who support ethnic division, from ethnic, but not one has guts to come forward. 

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 10:57 AM NST

40. prachin
true
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 10:58 AM NST

41. Sol
We all should be proud to be Nepali. 
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:10 AM NST

42. Desh ruda royeko kto
Hey all, we should be all clear about the issue of ruling and being ruled. I've visited more than 50 districts of Nepal and have tried my best to critically analyse the political and socio-cultural issues being practiced since time immemorial. The harmony we used to have is what my foreign friend used to describe me in emails or phone calls. In Nepal we all see who are famous not because of the ethnicity they belong to but by their capacities as described by Amrit jee and others above. I always feared of the current situation and it has happened in real making a large majority of people worried about the country!!! My readings and understanding do not suggest any division of Nepal on the basis of ethnicity. State restructuring is the must in current situation for the economic and social prosperity. Without Brahmins or the Chhetris political system can cripple so will happen if other casts are bypassed. Lets not give much importance to the caste system. Lets all work for upliftment of those suppressed. Its not true all Brahmins or Chhetris are well off neither its correct if Janajatis are always abandoned! division of people for the betterment should be based on economic status not the caste or ethnic base. Priority is to be laid to those economically suppressed rather than on ethnicity.
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:21 AM NST

43. anonymous
in this global era why are we making a big fuss on petty issues..common its high time we rise above this.
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:47 AM NST

44. unity in diversity
I am from a so called brahman family.. but my four brothers have married  girls from four diffrent castes.. i.e  eldest one is gurungseni,  second is tamangni, third is newarni and fourth one is tharuni... what do you say people?? we all are happy as we find the whole nepal in our home... 
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:52 AM NST

45. DK
Wonderful, Amrit ji. During times of inflamed passions, which the Maoist party first created and is now trying to cash on it with its supporters in the media/buddhijibi circles, it needs courage to write something like this.
I also agree and support nepali keti's comments on languages. Let us recognise as many languages in the country as official ones as possible, after coming up with criteria for such recognition.

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:55 AM NST

46. robin

i understand the sentiments of amrit gurung, seems he is also guided by cultural hegemony that has been prevailing here in nepal, ethnicity is not about caste, it's about identity, identity of language, culture, customs, way of life and all...how can one compromise all these for the sake of so-called unity and harmony (ethnic groups were silent, so people mistook as a harmony and unified nepal), they are not asking rights of others, they're simply asking to preserve their identity and culture, they don't mean to snatch rights of others, dear amrit gurung, i respect your emotions, but how can you say that nepali is the only language that unites all, though my mother tongue is nepali itself, there are thousands in nepal, they can't speak this language at all, and you should study the politics of language, you might know what makes language and what makes a dialect, it's all about power, please read Foucault, Chompksy, Gramsci and others, you will have different perspectives about language, power, identity and all..having said that let's make a country where every individual will be judged by the content of the character not by caste, race, or whatever...


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:03 PM NST

47. Bikash Gaihre
@ abhisekh gurung: Dear Abhisekh one thing you must get into knowledge is that the name and fame gained by Mr. Amrit Gurung is the result of his hard working and talent. How could you expect his height even you have not done anything yet. Show something doing good for your country, definitely we'll praise you .... Don't expect anything because you are an ethnic ..

Bikash

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:07 PM NST

48. baburam bk
Nepal ma thula thula darsanik kura garne dherai dekhiyo tara byabaharma bhindai chha. Amrit ji yadi tapai ko b4 sanga NEpal ka thula bhanauda jat haru sahamat hunchhan bhane sabaile afno jat tyag garera Nepal ma sabai eutai jat ko pahichan ra surname shunuparyo@'NEPALI ' matra  ? Nepal ma aba chhuwachhut ra bhedbhav hunna bhanera guarentee dina sakchhan ? hoina bhane kina afno pahichan gumauna chahanchhha kasaile ? yadi kasaile afno adhikarko kura garchha ra afno pahichan chahiyo bhanda jatiya yudda hunchha bhanne byakti and samudaya nai problem ho jasto lagchha ? 
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:18 PM NST

49. ALina
 You are good as a singer not preaching History ! For things have changed now and  Gen Y knows what to DO !!! Give us a break !!

Gen  Y

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:28 PM NST

50. Bahun ko chhoro
Amrit Dai, 

I agree with most of what you have said. However, I don't find it reasonable to hide your surname and the ethnic group you belong to. 

Although, not as much as you have done, I have traveled to different parts of this country. People ask me my surname ("ke thari ho?). After laughing out aloud after hearing it, because they have heard it for the first time, they ask me my caste. I say that I am Bahun. I am a Bahun and I am proud to be one. 

Back in school I went to in Pokhara, most of the students were Gurungs. They used to call me "Bomey" with disdain. If you know Gurung language, you should know what that means. I used to feel humiliated. But, not any more. I am in contact with the same guys and we meet at times. Making fun of each other's caste is a regular thing. They call me "kaathaa" or "tupi" and I reply them with "bhotey" or "lindey". No one ever minds. We are good friends.  

Plus, the surname is also a good way of making out who could be who. Amrit Gurung (for example) would look distinctly different from Amrit Adhikary, or Amrit Shakya or Amrit Yadav. 

Unity despite knowing the differences is, I believe, stronger than one with identity hidden. 

So, let's be proud of who we are and respect each other. 

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:39 PM NST

51. nepali
@Abhishek Gurung
you need to do more research on inter-caste marriages....when rest of the world is talking about globalization, equality and equity...what r u talking about !!
My father is a bahun, my mother is a newar, Im married to Magar. Mind you..Im not rich!!!! I respect all the ethinicities, religion and nationalities. I believe in human race.What do you call me? Where do I fit in your so called divided nation of castes? Where will my children fit in future? Am I forced to become a second or rather third or fourth citizen in my own country just because people like me believed in finding what is common rather than what is different??? 

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:49 PM NST

52. william
I do not see sense in fragmentation only in unity. The world knows you as Nepalese and not by a single ethnicity. Fragmentation leads to a disgruntle family which are prone to further interference from external forces who will pick up the pieces once the damage is done. We not only belong to Nepal but are a bigger part of this global village. I find it absurd to think that our politicians are trying to divide us where they should be trying to integrate into the larger fraternity. Please look into the NEFARIOUS AND CLANDESTINE means that our politicians can scoop to other wise there will be no Nepal but only Jews scattered all over the world before the 1950s and are still languishing in parts of the world.  
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 1:12 PM NST

53. Ananda Bajracharya

Dear Amrit ji, Thanks for sharing ideas.

Sure all we are Nepali first, there is no doubt. But it should not be forget that we all are leaving in different parts of the country with different culture, language, educational background, vary on access of basic services from state etc. In current situation, from last 250 years, some handfuls peoples are getting high priority from national level as one country, one language, one cast, etc. It is also indicated as Nepali identity. All most all other peoples are deprived from national level by ignoring their identity. Result of that they could not get national services, including government employment, recognisation, benefits etc. So, their identity as ethnic, language, culture, livelihood etc. are under at verge stage and poor condition. Hope that you also found during your tour. This is main issue that whether it should be preserve, all within the country, as national assets and give equal opportunity to develop or not from national level? Is it responsibility of the nation or not?

If nation gives equal priority to all language Gurung language also is known to all as now speak Nepali as common. (sorry you wrote that do not go to history of Nepali(?) language). Why not known all Nepali that Mahakabi Siddhi Das, Chhittadhar Hridaya as poet as Lekhnath Poudel, Laxmi Prasad Devkota of Nepal?  This is happened because that responsibility of the nation is not yet equally fulfilled to all Nepali people due to identity. It is because some of handful people, who are miss using national resources and power. Therefore, it is not issue as Jatiya Rajya (not as handful people and some powerful media making propaganda) but it is issue to strengthen all the people of Nepal who are deprived from thousands of years from the state.

The entrance point of strengthen all people is to accept their Identity. If they will get their identity, then all of deprived people can proudly say I AM NEPALI. A simple example, you wrote Amrit Gurung, a singer is a founder of Naipathya. If forcefully remove Naipathya, founder and a signer from your identity in all level how you will be recognized only by Amrit Gurung? Same as almost all peoples are not identified that who is who? Those who can stay surrounding in/with power are only recognized. Their livelihood is highly level; there language is accepted as National language. Their culture is well known. There talents are known. All remaining are not national assets. Not to need to know by all people. Not to protect by nation. So, I think this is main issue of today. If all people's right should be accepted in coming constitution there may not be tearing like past constitution. All can proudly say that I am Nepali, this is our constitution.                    


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 2:12 PM NST

54. Ajit Jung Gurung

I do not write hear because i want plaudits... i write here because it has to be written...

First of all some one said... Amrit Gurung did not come from a rich family... think you know him.. sorry.. you don't know him... he comes from a very good well off family.. because i come from the same village and i meet him in person every year... so don't talk like you know him... but also what Amrit Gurung today is has nth to do with where he comes from... he's achieved it all through hard work and persistence.... and that without the support of his own family...

second, whatever we write here.. whatever voices we raise whatever our rationale... these are the voices of only a small proportion of the population... we people who can read and write and can type and use internet can't and shouldn't speak for all those people in villages who haven't been as privileged as we have been... sure Amrit Gurung is right from his own stance.. he has visited many places and he knows a lot but he sees them with his eyes.. not from the eyes of those villages.... its nice to talk about unity.. its nice to talk about some seeminngly football club slogans like together we stand divided we fall but u can not not see reality... and the reality is.. nepal society is inueqaul.. interms of rights and in terms of opprotunity.. and its been the same since nepal as born as a nation..

Abhisek ji is absolutely correct.... there are poor brahmins and chhetrris in the villages and in the cities.. but if you look the overall population then u will see the brahmins and chhetrris have more opportunity and connections to the government and the oppportunities it brings... u can't deny that... if u deny that.. then it means u haven't seen ur counntry.. u ahven't lived in it and felt it.. that's the true reality.. our society is unequal... and this whole thing going on in the country is about correcting it.. 320 honorary CA members signed demanding an identity based federal state... if u say they are wrong and they don;t have a justification.. then i suppose u are too good for this country...

laslty Amrit gurung's philosophy should be respected.. it unites us all but... we should seek unity in diversity not unity in hierarchy and inequality that's going on right now...


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 2:14 PM NST

55. Nepali Dheeraj Bikram Kandel
[comment moderated for length] 

Salam cha Amrit dai lie !! ma ni kehi bhanna chanchu if only you ppl can read my below comments that I made on my fb wall today !!!

It is inevitable fact that now Nepal will no more have 14 zones and 75 districts. As a new proposal, leaders have put forward a 11 state model. But they themselves dont know why and how 11?? They cannot answer why not 10 why not 14?? They just gave the states to make the mass happy for the time being. It is said to be called United States of Nepal.

I may sound sarcastic or against the motherland, but if there is a flood in the village then its better to run rather than to gather belongings and expect to save the house. I think all my brothers here are abroad, except me. Sorry but I am looking at the situation LIVE these days.....how people are getting crazy. I am walking to my work everyday looking at small children with slogans to hang the other caste ppl, believe me u cannot see in any website and any e-paper what we are looking here right now. 

My father is now insisting me to try for abroad and leave the country ASAP. who is he?? He is a person who dedicated 40 years of his life to civil service of nepal.....from panchayat to kingship to so called ganatantra and now federalism i suppose !!! Not a single day have the government played any role in his life for earning his bread. My point is no matter which system, people have to work their ass off to earn !! And I being a civil engineer can go to any part of the world and earn my living and live a life.....but tell me how many of Nepalese have a escape plan ;) and what politicians have done or say doing.....they have given the HOPE to people.....that if system changes then everyone will be rich.....haha!! God save their soul !! A person is given 100 of hectares of land just like that. Only if he have proper tools to plough, proper rain, sufficient irrigation, and skilled knowledge then he can grow something. Also after crop he must have a proper market to sell his production. Else he cannot survive just eating the mud or watching the crops to rot !!! 

My point is getting a piece of land is not important, what is really important is what one can do even with a piece of rock. Jai Nepal forever !! 

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 2:29 PM NST

56. S Kumar
i would like to request amrit ji to feel the difficulty the people of Terai speaking Maithili or Tharu or Awadhi have while studying in Nepali and the disadvantage they are at due to that.... of course, being a great singer in Nepali, Amrit has contributed a lot and roaming around in Nepal, has gathered a lot of ground reality of Nepal... but his vision of supposedly "Centrist unified" Nepal is outdated... does not represent the voice of the oppressed... and it's not an allegation.. but the promotion of ideas like his through the "well known" "reputed" news paper of the Dixits, who have been at the helm of the centrist state and exploited every of the opportunities, and now fear of losing that opportunity with the establishment of Federal Nepal, is another conspicuous thing to be noted.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 2:32 PM NST

57. abc
Commendable write-up but sorely ignores other side of story. I am a janjati and I am not so sure ethnic based federalism will solve problems, infact it can exacerbate it, but given the low we are already in I don't see much risk in it, since we don't have much to lose anyway unlike Bahun/Chettris. I think this is what is driving janjatis toward uncharted territory, both general and intellectuals alike.

Blame our history and rulers (B/C) for basing the nation on weak foundation of caste and hierarchy, rather than equality and mutual respect. Blame the politicians who stir up ethnic passions for selfish gains. But it is us the people who suffer. One thing we all agree with Amrit though is we want to feel 1st class citizen throughout Nepal and not just in one state.

Could our politicians not have addressed marginalization without bringing up issue of ethnic federalism? All the years of war, bloodshed and strikes, if all these pressures were directed toward addressing the issues genuinely, ethnic federalism would've been unnecessary. What was the Maoists thinking? Its difficult for me to digest such a person like BRB would come up with this. or did he have malafide intentions?

Because it now looks like bahuns (Maoist being just a front) used janjatis blood to overthrow monarchy so they can usurp power. they probably thought once they get that, they can easily shortchange us. How can you expect peace when you are still trying to use medieval tactics in the 21st century?

Not trying to stoke any more polarization but that is how we feel you see.

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 2:59 PM NST

58. Deepak Bista, Adelaide
You are a real Nepali legend Amrit ji may mother Nepal produce more sons/daughters like you.
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 3:10 PM NST

59. abhishek gurung
18. fg wrong
it is my personal freedom and right to have the right to speak in my mother tongue. i too believe in the religion of the humanism but how is it fair when their is unfair access to opportunities.
history does tell us that we have lost many cultures in our way but we live in the present and isnt it our moral obligation to learn from the past and start doing our bit to protect what is left of...
and about the intercaste marriage...isnt it the hindu philosophy of classification that teaches us to be superior and inferior..upper caste and lower caste...
36. yugesh
 for your information, when did I say that I had a problem with the Nepali language. I just ask for the rights of other people be recognised too. When we have duly accepted to live under the nepal flag and nepalese language what problem do you have recognising my language too. where have i preached for a separate country, well then if you insist that i have a country of my own i guess you better start searching for a new one then.
47. Bikash Gaihre
i appreciate what amrit has achieved..no one can steal that from him...no i have not gained anything...i am just a concerned unrepresented person..and i seek the justice not for me but for the millions of marginalised..i have achieved my own world of successes in my own rights
51. nepali
yes i am looking for equality and equity ...isnt it the right of each individual nepali to have the same potential and access as an individual ruling class...but then he/she is discriminated on the basis of pure bred or not...we want that to be corrected. ..your familys effort is appreciated ...but have you wondered how we marginalised people has lived as second class in our own country.~(i just want you to realise that. why would we want you to feel as second class when we know how it feels to be one)..is it your birth right to rule the country , is it your right to decide what i want, what i like...no..i want myself to decide that...
  what we want is the ruling class embrace us as equals, recognise my identity to be different, respect my culture only can then be a nation in a true sense be created. and its high time you welcome us with open arms...there is nothing to lose but more to gain..

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 3:12 PM NST

60. Pragya

The current situation is the result of what we feel when we go to CDO offices to get citizenship cards, to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get a Passport, to Maalpot Karyalaya to get the certification of land, to Ministry of Labour to get permission for foreign employment or to Police Offices, or any government offices to receive state services....... For the decades (may be centuries), the complications are made in the process for receiving the state services in the name of kanoon and niyam. However, if you can provide small "chiya kharcha" to the concerned government staff (Most of them brahmans/Chhetris), everything becomes so easy. Most of the people see the involvement of Brahman/Chhetri staff  in this kind of corrupt state system which  needs to be RE-STRUCTURED. Hence, the protests are targetting to Brahman/Chhetri "Prabrities" and minimize the Brahminism/Chhetrism in state structures so that even our illiterate mothers who can't speak and understand Khas (labeled by state as Nepali) language can enjoy the state-services without any difficulties and discrimination.

I always wonder why a tamang, Magar parents don't (can't?) teach tamang, magar language to their kids whereas a child born in Brahman/Chhetri family can enjoy their Khas language from the very childhood? Consequently, Nepali language is the only language in Nepal which is being learned and spoken by more and more people. And other languages are in the process of extinction, some are alarmingly at high speed. Population Census 2001 shows that more than half of the total Magars (53%) DOES NOT speak Magar language as their mother tongue. More than one third (34%) of newars does speak Newari as their mother tongue. The situation is more or less in other languages. The results from census 2011 are yet to come. Surely, the proportion of janajatis not speaking their language will increase. If state did not address this problem, think about Nepal 50 years later...Can you say in certainty that Nepal will be multilingual? No.  

The current situation of Janajatis, Madhesis are: They have to teach their kids Khas language thinking that their children will do better in school education. Otherwise, they need to accept their kids as school drop-out children after a couple of years of school-education. Did you see the school-dropout figures? Amazingly it is very high in janajatis. The possible reason? Medium of facilitation (language spoken) in school coupled with poverty could be few to name. A brahman/chhetri teacher teaches in Khas (Nepali) language in schools in magar/tharu/tamang settlements. Children do not take interest in learning because they can't understand and enjoy what the teachers are teaching resulting school drop-outs.  Hence, the voices are raised to demolish the state structure imposed by Kind Mahendra guided for  establishing "Nirbikalpa Rajtantara" fueled by "ek jaati ek dharma ek bhasha" policies.

I can understand the sentiments expressed by Amrit Gurung. He is a national figure in music. I enjoy his songs. I enjoy Hindi songs even more. My family (surely most of the nepalese family) enjoys hindi tele-serials every day. Does that mean that we should not raise the voice against Indian-policy that undermines our independency and sovereignty?  No.

Hence, the voices are to ensure in the constitution for creating a favourable environment for nation building by the development of their places (states) in the participatory way preserving their identity.  Everybody at this time is fighting for identity and recognition. Mutual respect, patience and co-existence are must at this time. And I think everyone understands that we  can not achieve anything by the negation of others existence. The impartial role of mass media is vital at the moment and they should disseminate the FACT irrespective of the reporters'/journalists' preferences.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 3:30 PM NST

61. Bikash Gaihre
@ abhisekh gurung: Dear Abhisekh one thing you must get into knowledge is that the name and fame gained by Mr. Amrit Gurung is the result of his hard working and talent. How could you expect his height even you have not done anything yet. Show something doing good for your country, definitely we'll praise you .... Don't expect anything because you are an ethnic ..

Bikash

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 3:33 PM NST

62. Birendra Shah
I think the nepali language is shit. we should all be more globalized and united by speaking enligh. 
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 4:29 PM NST

63. Snajog Thapa

Regards to all. I think there is little truth in all the baove comments. Someare distorted or heresay facts though.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 4:47 PM NST

64. nepali bishal
thank you dai you are awesome ! love you  always

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 4:51 PM NST

65. lakhan
@ abisekh gurung.

you make very legitimate points and I completely agree with the concerns you raise. they need to be addressed.

however, what i struggle with - and one other poster above has pointed this out - is that the spatial division of these new states, the lines drawn on a map, cannot represent the way that the diverse nepali people are spread out throughout the country. 

will these new states simply not marginalize people in the way they always have been, but on a much smaller scale? I say this because, despite there being different majorities in various regions, i am certain there are very few homogenous regions in nepal. i would certainly hate to see people forced to leave their ancestoral homes and migrate towards new states of their own ethnicity hundreds of kilometers away. 

perhaps a rigorously thought out representative government system - one that ensures *all* ethnicities have equal voice - without such divisions of land, would be a better solutions to the very pertinent issues that you raise.

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 5:36 PM NST

66. Sanjog Thapa

Dear all, regards to all. Think there is some truth in all comments. Some facts remain facts though.

I have travelled and tour most of mid and far west Nepal.I will write whatever i have seen , not one cent distortion.

In Farwest Pahadi Jilla, there are hardly any otehr janjatis except 1-2 pockets of Magars. yet people of all fa west, karnali zone are disadvantaged. When i went to east like biratnager n dharan and damak i was quite impressed and was happy for them too.

Generalising any caste or religion or nations is old , bad, and perverted idea. I think there might have been cases of discrimination and some sects of people might have been marginalised by some people, but what has that got to common people like me. I Can't take 'thekka' or responsibility of all bahuns or chettris or anyone else.

i don't think cultures and language were just loeaded to others. many language and cultures in habit, traditions and food flurish because of the appeal in it. We watch indian, english or korean movies and eat bhat, dal , tarkari. You can see hindu  or buddhist gods and Goddess as far in Thailand, indonesia and . No indians or nepali had forced the people there, it just get popolaried because of its natural appeal and broader scope.

Tama and gandruk and Momo are popular in Neapl  now irrespective of caste for anotehr example.i myself have been victim of discrimination and abuse when i was in School where everyone were from  gurungs, rai, or magars.

Discrimination is a dark/ negative side of human nature that we all have to get rid off. No any single caste or creed has sole ownership to it.

I think education[ also of humanity and moral valuse which helps in unity in country like ours], transportaion and communication and equal participation of all sectors and  creeds of people are needed to uplift our country. this is our prime requisite.

I genuinely hope that we can all sit and come together for a better solution, and thats the only human way. There is lot and lot to do. I prey for peace and prgress for Nepal and all of us thats reside here. if Some ethnic community have felt disadvanteged they shd be given opputunity and encourgement from State and all people, there's no denying about that. We all have to know that no one chosed to be born in particual castes, religion or country. we are all alike looking for joy and happiness alike. As a Nepali i believe in karma philosophy and the whole world is beleiveing in that. A small good thing or thought can lead us forward. let this anger and new hope turns into creative and developmentsl activites now.Peace!


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 6:00 PM NST

67. Luti
Dai ko kura thik yes arthama ho ki nepali language is not bahun Cherri's language yo ta sabai nepali ko saja vasa ho , if anione force to learn Sanskrit vasa we don't agree to dat thesedays , let's weak up Guys respect each other preserve nepali language fist to recognized urself in the world , if anione asked wts ur rastriye vasa vanda Mero limbu vasa ho vanda no body kno u , As u r nepali ,so weak up !
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 6:24 PM NST

68. Easterngirl

Like Amrit Gurung I haven't had the luck to travel all over Nepal but to the places I have been to, I certainly have experienced similar kind of hospitality and generosity of the people living there. But somehow and someway I always made this quick and safe connection with people of my ethnic group rather than others. Inherent characteristic or the result of a biased mindset? I don't know what it is but all Nepali do feel safe in their own "group."

For the last few odd years I have been working in eastern terai and it certainly feels like home. Most of my neighbors are Rais and Limbus, strangers I walk pass by have similar chinky eyes that I have, people I come across enjoy faksa momo over khasi or chicken to momo, and bascially we all hail from similar background ( at least one of our relative is lahure if not our father). So I am pretty awed by the fact that I feel so comfortable in my skin here rather than in Hong Kong where I spent more than half of my life or in Kathmandu where my ex-lahure father has been living for the past 10 years. And when people ask me where I originate from, I say Solukhumbu proudly!

Honestly, I do not know where Nepal is heading toward but one thing for sure, more than 90 percent of the people fighting in the street for federal Nepal don't have a clue into what they are getting into or maybe they really do, more than me actually. But one thing for sure no matter how many times we chant of unity and togetherness, there is always going to be a little voice in our heart rooting for our heritage, insisting that we will always be safe in our own little "group."


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 6:37 PM NST

69. Suraj Gurung
@अभिसेख जी , नेपाली भाषा भनेको हामी सबै नेपालीहरुको एकताको प्रतिक हो / भाषा र संस्कृति त जोगाऊ तर तेस्को नाउमा हामी नेपालीको सान्ती र एकतामा फाट चै नानिम्ताओ/ आफ्नो जातीप्रति गर्व गरौ , घमण्ड होइन /
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 7:00 PM NST

70. PeaceDoot
65 Nepalese... 65 different mindsets. It's hard to find one truly getting along with the other. This proves that we can not expect much more than this in a country with 27 million people. But one thing is common in us all, we love our country and we feel that we are Nepalese first.

Everywhere there is an instance of injustice everyday. In Nepal, many ordinary Nepalese people have been unjustly treated by those in power. Well of course there are some who forget and move on. But for some, over the years, this has led to accumulated hatred and anger towards those in power, who continue to treat them unfairly. I think what is happening in Nepal at the moment is some of the dirty politicians are trying to fulfill their dreams of wealth or power or whatever it is by supporting these groups of angry ones who at the moment believe that they can have a fair and proper system if they have a state of their own. The pain they have felt and the hatred they have is fair. But they should know that the politicians are only taking advantage of them.

Those who have been abused, unfairly treated by the system or its people, please be kind to forgive and move forward. And those who have abused, treated your own fellow Nepalese unfairly, please clean yourselves up and move forward. It is time we update our politicians, it is time we build a system, it is time we have non stop electricity/water in our homes, it is time we do not have any sort of fuel/gas shortages, it is time we do not have any bandhs where we have a loss or fire or death, it is time we have no corruption in government offfices, it is time we represent ourselves in sports/education/science internationally, it is time to be so much able that we do not need foreign aids, it is time we progress. We have so many brilliant, educated people. Let's not use what we have been blessed with for one more war, one more death. Let's use it for the goodness of us all.

Jai NEPAL!

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 7:04 PM NST

71. b
well said amrit. we all are nepalese and talking about ethnicity in this 21st century should be of past. yes there should be recognistion of each other but not to that extent of dividing the country into single ethnic identity . in that case where will the rest of us fit in? we should take pride in our diversity and recognise it as a strength not to divide. there are certain classes which still command the state's apparatus, but ethnic groups have also come long way. we can see many influential figures of ethnic group occupying the highest position. so bottomline is we should treat and respect each other and indulge in creating a social stratification of distress, hate and anger...peace to all...  
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 8:02 PM NST

72. Sigmund
By your line of thinking .... unity through language.... wouldn't it be better to just learn one international language and join the world community?  Doesn't Patriotic unity just provoke International division?  
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 8:17 PM NST

73. asha
To all brothers and sisters, everybody wants to call one Nepali but all these comments are telling it self where you are...we shouldn't be fighting for Amrit or Abhishek, they both are right on their point of view.For peace we all should be one Nepali and Nepal...Our leaders are not the right role models for our people and country!!! No body should treat differently, we all should have one law one regulation and one vision.........one doesn't look like you doesn't mean you have to make your own mind policy.....I am sure we all know


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 10:20 PM NST

74. Citizen
We definitely deserve a good system, and it will happen because of so many creative ideas here. Nepal has good future.
Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 10:56 PM NST

75. desh premi limbu
sahi article dai,
maile pani mane...ma pani limbu ko choro hun...limbu ko bhasa/sanskriti bachaunu parcha bhanchu....school ma yo language padayios...tara teso garna jatiye sangiyeta nai hunuparch vanne jasto chai lagdaina...jatiya sangiyeta bina pani hami sabai milera aafno dharma/bhasa/sanskriti bachau na sakchum..hami sabai nepali hum...jatuya adharma sangiyeta lerauda hami bich ko sadbhav bigrincha...tehi vayera sangiyeta chai geographical adharma nai hunu parcha...jai nepal

Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:33 PM NST

76. shyam
i know that the debate on this issue & many other issues that have risen from it  will never end. the main issue being Federalism in Nepal . But with due respect to amrit dai's thinking, i assume that there is mixing up of many things that shouldn't be done in first place. federalism is one thing, identity based federalism is another thing, ethinicity is another thing. But we all are entangling these different terms into one like a knot that is really complicating & distorting the fact. For me, First
i will go with federalism in Nepal, for a simple reason that we have already witnessed our past without federalism & no one can deny the fact that we have seen much whether it be country's working system, centralised policy, political atmosphere, lack of basic resources more to distant parts. No we cannot accept that some handful of opportunistic who dwell in centres are wasting country's resources for their personal cause due to abundance there but those common countrymen who reside in distant parts are craving for it.
Above all advocating that only centre can have the grip to control everything in whole country isn't really a good opinion one may hold. Federalism is the only option now, cause it itself is not a division of the country but a pure revision in our system & policy, equal rights allocation to every capable citizen of each & every corner of country without discrimination.
for ethinicity & identity, i will only say that many have misinterpreted it with communal division that is really creating a scenario now. though we nepalese are from different caste, religion, beliefs but we are so deeply interconnected in our cultures that we can repell any foul play against it. i kindly request that don't misinterpret federalism with communal division so that true motives of it might be lost that we can never revive it again.
we all are always proud to be nepali.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 11:37 PM NST

77. BJ

@ #68 Easterngirl,

Honestly, I do not know where Nepal is heading toward but one thing for sure, more than 90 percent of the people fighting in the street for federal Nepal don't have a clue into what they are getting into or maybe they really do, more than me actually. But one thing for sure no matter how many times we chant of unity and togetherness, there is always going to be a little voice in our heart rooting for our heritage, insisting that we will always be safe in our own little "group."

The best and the most honest comment among all. Very well said!


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 12:00 AM NST

78. umesh

Abhisekh Gurung, ati nai janne rahechan, coment pani first mai garechan.

kati dherai kura bujhe ka rahechan amrit gurung bhanda pani janne.

timi tyo manche lai comment gardai chau jasle rat r din nepal r nepali ko chinari, jat jati uthaan, desh ko gaurab, rastriya janjaran etc ko lagi nirantar sangharsa gariraheko 6/aam nepali ko manas patal ma chai raheko 6, bisuddha aafno kam ma lagi pareko 6, sara desh pardesh ko bhawana lai sameteko 6.

kripaya aba aainda yesta satahi kura ko comment lekhnu bhanda pahila dherai choti bichar gara ani matra lekha wa bola , yehi mero subhakamana 6. abstract kura garera aru lai jhukaune bharam ko kheti nagar! Amrit gurung ko pavitra bhawana ko kadar garna chanchu timile bhane jastai aam nepali ko bhawana tukrinu pattakai chaina baru eak hunu 6.


Posted on: 22 MAY 2012 | 3:53 AM NST

79. Progress
To Every One ...After Reading all this  conversations ...I just have few questions to every one ..
1. When the youth of other nations are thinking about science and technology, environmental change ...  What are we thinking ???
2. Which discussion forum would be better for Our Future and Country's Future ...Should Nepal be divided as ethnicity, language or tribe ...or some computational problem solving discussion forum (just an example)... ????
3. Why do we have to look for others to start(esp. bloody politician )..why cant you start on your own ???
4. Why cant you blame for yourself for your mentality ...why the culture, ethnicity, ruling system or caste or whatever ...you all look well educated ...so why cant you take responsibility at least for yourself and then if you can for your family ???? for changing the system, mentality  .... ????


Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 5:02 AM NST

80. Rajan Devkota
My two cents --

All we wanted was decentralization and the people mistook it for caste based federalism. 

--I think the ONLY oppressed and marginalized community in Nepal is  dalits and no one else. I don't think any other community has been oppressed by state and people other than dalits.  




Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 8:53 AM NST

81. Narbada Ghimire
Its good to see people debating on such friendly terms and trying to dissect what is the problem of Nepal and its solutions in the current scenario. Keep it up! We have rights to reason and express our opinions respecting rights and opinions of others. I wish our leaders would also learn something out of it.


Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 12:19 PM NST

82. abhishek gurung
78. umesh
Nobody waited for me to comment first. maile kahile bhane amrit gurung le bhanda dherai janeko chu bhanera...harek nepaliko basic human rights lai ijjat nagaresamma yo problem nepal ma rahirahancha..ahhile samma jati kaam gariyo carpet bhitra dhulo badare jastai matra ho...yo problem lai ahileko neta ra generationle mutubata solution nagaresamma sadhai chalirahancha...ho amrit gurung le jati gareko cha tyo hamiharule garna sakdainau tesaile oo rastriya gahana hun...teso bhandaima amrit le j bhancha tyo satya bachan huncha bhanne hoina...amrit le soonko anda hagdaina..tehi  gu nai hagcha..oo sabaima bharipurna chhaina..jaba yo deshle satahi kura bhandai yo ahile chaliraheko maagharulai badarna khojcha..taba jhan thulo charka charki huncha  ..tesaile ahile maagnele bhanda dinele dil thulo garera dinu parne bela ho..
  and one more fact i have never degraded amrit and have resisted from maligning his character. i totally agree with 81. narbada ghimire
Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 2:39 PM NST

83. Chandraman Pun
@ 80. Rajan Devkota.

Totally Agree with your views.

Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 3:43 PM NST

84. Bibek Joshi
To everyone,
I believe we are trying to see the cause of current demands: identity and federalism as the same. This is the pitfall in our thinking. Identity is an emotional issue and should be addressed accordingly. Inclusion of mother tongue in educational system and festival holidays according to the population proportion in various parts can address the identity demand. Documentation of various languages, cultural academies are also some solutions. representation of under privileged groups must be done in various levels, but it must be logical and reasonable. And federalism is related directly to decentralization. It has nothing to do with emotions but with economy. So for federalism, the number of states and their boundaries should be determined from analysis of population and resources. I am from farwest, one of the poorest regions of the country and i need federalism for developing my region. But exclusion of kailali and kanchanpur, the backbone of development of this region will draw this region behind by another 10 years. 

Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 12:47 AM NST

85. kancha tamu
I disagree with umesh @78 and don't see anything wrong of abhishek becoming the intial one to respond. In fact, the early response reflects the urgency and the pressing need abhishek felt for the counter argument to come forth in response to amrit's article. Also, I din't see where umesh finds abhshek's
comments made to intentionally sound abstract in order to deceit other nepalese. Lastly, of course it is for the well being of us all to come together and be united as one but, united, at the cost of what? will it be at the cost of leaving behind the languages, religion and culture of the multitude of varying other ethnic groups? Does not common sense tell us that that we become a truly unified citizens of Nepal only through embracing, acknowleding and by providing the oppurtunity to come to fruitoion the languages and culture of other ethnic families of nepal? or can we go on asserting and pretending that we are all bounded by one language, culture and religion? Is it not diversity our strongest asset?
 

Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 1:09 AM NST

86. Satyajeet Nepali
Bravo Amrit Nepali!
Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 4:06 AM NST

87. Sasang Lama
Well, regarding the Nepali language, I agree with you. But as far as your concern about the province, there is nothing harm to go for that and its high time to own your cultural identity in fullest extent. Having said that I am not seeking any kind and any form of separation from our main identity 'Nepali'. You and me are not going to introduce ourselves 'Tamuwaney' and Limbuwaney. This name itself will energize, motivate and boost your mentality to develop your own province and ultimately it will contribute for the development of your country, Nepal. The old system of Nepal  is exhausted, and the country is desperately seeking a new and dynamic system where every citizen can play his/her role for building our nation.  
Posted on: 23 MAY 2012 | 4:11 AM NST

88. Tamang
amrit dai dherai ramro lekh with such a strong message of unity and solidarity. Hami sabai le chaheko nepal pani yastai ho. Tara hami kahile samma yasari sapana phool gasne? We need to be true to ourselves and lets admit it Nepal ma na ta kahile equality thyo na equity. Everybody is not just as lucky as you and me. But its time to change that...not by bringing mathi puge ka lai tala lyaera but help bring all nepalis who come from various backgrounds to the mainstream. Everybody talks about federalism-should it be ethnic based or not? But none talk about federal goverance, mechanisms to bring marginalised (which includes BCN, Janajati, Dalits, Madhesis....) to the mainstream. Nepal ko failed governance bata aba ta hami sab le ramro paath siknu parcha.Abishek gurung I can truly relate to your opinions. Naya nepal ma sab jaat jaati le sammaan pau, sab ko shiksha, swastha, rojgari ma pahoonch hosh, ra nepali (irrespective of belonging to any caste) hunu ma garva garu. JAI NEPAL!
Posted on: 24 MAY 2012 | 10:56 AM NST

89. nepali nepali
What to say...Revolution? or reversed evolution???
No wonder why we are still centuries behind!

Posted on: 24 MAY 2012 | 4:28 PM NST

90. the fact remains;chauvinism is prevailing
You could have said I'm a human first and received the same responses(praise or criticisms) and a big applause from people like us because your write up has more to do with the humanistic approach at the begining. But as this business of nepali nationalism and ethnicism related to race has flourished so much in Nepal here is the hero Amrit Gurung evoking the sentiments of being a Nepali first and suggesting everyone to forget what they feel as an individual. You know very little about human nature but a lot on how to spread the messages of Nepali nationalism through your songs. You are good at that so be concentrated on what you know more and/or join the faculty of political science.

Posted on: 24 MAY 2012 | 5:58 PM NST

91. Damodar Sharma

Amrit,
You rOck man! You really rOck! You rOck in  every word of yours and you rOck in every sentence of yours, in your write up. You rOck in every music of yours, you rOck in every rhythm of yours and you rOck in every breath of yours in your song. YOU are awesome man! Keep it up.

Caste and ethnicity are very sensitive issues and it should be handled with utmost care and attention. One mistake on the part of one party can bring catastrophe to the whole nation. Does any sane Nepali want that? So let's act responsibly and not on impulse. Let's not throw baby with the bath water. While slashing the thorny branch(injustice) we should take  care not to harm the rose(Nepal).
 We should not lose sight of the fact that there are enemies plotting against our Nation. Let's not make things easy for them.
Laying  blame on Prithvi Narayan Shaha alone is not at all a sensible  thing to do. He has not secured us gaas, baas and kapash but also has given us prestige and dignity. Because of him and only him we have been able to say wherever we go that we are from Nepal.


Posted on: 24 MAY 2012 | 11:12 PM NST

92. GG
@85 kanchha tamu.
The whole narrative of Nepali federalism is an abstract and deceit to use indigenous people as vote banks ostensibly in the name of addressing the pressing issues of the oppressed and the marginalized so PKD can be the directly elected president. Don't you think the indigenous people are still being used.
Honestly; fedaralism along the ethnic line is an open invitation for never-ending internal conflict because it wont simply address the diversity of Nepal. Look at it now! there are demands of states within the boundaries of demanded, it is because the voices of minorities within the suppossed provinces are being suppressed. The situation is volatile, which ever way Nepal and Nepalis choose to go but I am with Amrit whole-heartedly.



Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 8:32 AM NST

93. John Nepali

Nations grow at their own pace. There is no law of men or nature that can be applied to the people of a nation or to its rulers to say that at this time and on this day all shall move to phase two or three or four in a sixteen phase period of growth. There is not limit to the duration of any period of national growth, nor is there any fixed path along which the nation must walk. The only rule that governs this growth, and it is rule derived from the wisdom of hindsight, is that when the political realities of one nation are grafted onto another nation, the result is not political reality but political farce. Such a graft is ultimately either rejected in violence or so changed that the results are unrecognizable as having been derived from the parent stock. The growth of a nation is indigenous or it is no growth at all.

(Ludwig Stiller, The Silent Cry, Page �" Page 117, para-2)



Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 9:28 AM NST

94. ravi
@abhishek gurung
have you wondered why inter caste marriage is not in prominence in \nepal..because there is a ruling class that preaches a heirarchy according to your birth...
oh yeah u think so ?? i don't think so ,u r talking just you 're assuming ,coz i will tell u my experience ...I 'm from so called higher caste as well and was in love with gurung girl from same school i used to study ,we were in love but her parents compelled her to get her engaged with a lahure (british lahure i mean ) ,but now a days i see more pple are marrying intercast than any other time ....so your aassumption is wrong man .bravo Amrit gurung for love of his to NEpal..

Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 11:28 AM NST

95. abhishek gurung
at 94.ravi
this is what i replied to somebody who mentioned the same thing as you.
9. abhishek gurung
@Anaam
I pity you that you couldnot get married to the one you loved. We all are brought up in a system and culture devised by the ruling class hence the opposition to your marriage to your daughter. So then would that gurung family be happy that their daughter is getting married to a higher caste group or be content that she would be married to somebody of her own class group. Has the ruling group tried to create a bridge between the misrepresented people and the ruling group. Every nepali should be treated equal and be given the same potential as everybody. I again pity you that inspite of the power you had to bring that wind of change you chose to live to give leverage to what was already there. its no brainer that you are bound to feel shaky when somebody else ask the same authority as you..when they deserved that place all along...


you say nowadays there is more instance of intercaste marriage..turn back the pages of history and read how far we have come as people of the same country..isnt it less?
Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 4:26 PM NST

96. bypasser
People who to base their identity only upon ethnicity are as narrow minded as politicians who believe the whole soul business of the state is only politics.I may be a bahun when it comes to my social function but I have a lot more to offer as my identity.I am a student when I am in class, a teacher when I am guiding my juniors, a doctor when I am treating my patients, prodemocratic when it comes to political views and antisocialist capitalist when it comes to economic system.Now those who are shouting about federalism based on identity,how many states are you going to offer me to address all my identities?
And you shameless politicians,stop acting as if the country is your birta and roads are your pewa.We may care about how our demands are being addressed by you but we have our own business.You and your chamchas have no right to stop  us when we are on our way to our work cause we have our own priorities.People have got lives to save,dreams to build and 
move on.you were the ones to lick the feet of royals when monarchy was there,to present yourself as democratic after 1990,pretend to be maoist post 1996 and now again you resurface as janajati,dalit and whatnot.
Shame on you all

Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 9:51 PM NST

97. Khir_Puri_Chiya
There is no denial that we all are Nepali. Still, the social-cultural system of the country, for hundreds of years, favored few over the rest. This is why there is this asymmetry in the country. Is this asymmetry justifiable for a civilized nation in 21st century. What are the root-causes ?? Who and What are responsible for this ??

Mr. Amrit Gurung should manage some time to read the following book to know why our country is still in so backwardness after millions of dollars poured into it by donors and after so many years have been passed having been ruled by the same cohort of people- not the rest. Free google version.


Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 1:54 AM NST

98. ravi
@95. abhishek gurung
you say  nowadays there is more instance of intercaste marriage..turn back the pages of history and read how far we have come as people of the same country..isnt it less?

every thing starts from less and becomes more ,if we go to federalism based identity we know it will be null .We need political change ,change in political face and constitution which can address for equal rights , we don't need to change our society which we were living for this long without single problems ,btw my dad's mother is bahun ,mother's mum is gurung and my mother's brother married gurung  ,so with your  theory we 'll be fighting each other within our own families.
Posted on: 25 MAY 2012 | 3:38 AM NST

99. kancha tamu
kancha tamu
@92 GG
I fail to understand how does the alleged "taping" on the minorities rights and sentiments for a vote bank by an oppurtunistic PKD is an abstract narrative. Firstly, we are in lack of hard evidence to suggest that PKD is using the indigenous issue for his vote bank. Secondly, let us suppose that PKD's motive is to gather votes but keep firmly in mind that the rightful and genuine "indigenous people movement" existed and was in place prior to PKD or an any oppurtunstic politician move on "tapping" it for their advantage. Pointing a finger at PKD hardly matters. PKD or no the indigenous peoples' issue is here to stay. Yes, it is here to stay  because of the pathetically indifference and denial of the ruling class to address it. About your concern on federelism on ethnic line, no one can hundred percent guarentee which system will or will not work however, we can approximate the chances of succes or failure of a system through prior experience and educated guess. In Nepal the political mechanism has so far miserebly failed to address the ethnic issue.  Hence, one alternative would be to go for a federelism based on ethnicity.  Again there is no guarantee it will work. Yes, which ever way Nepali people want to go I for one would not go for Amrit's notion of one launguage, one religion and one culture undermining and stepping on the existing varied ethnicity of Nepal. When we truly give the oppurtunity and option for diverse languages and religion to flourish and blossom that is when I believe Nepal will exist as a nation of flower bed where each and every flower blooms.  

Posted on: 27 MAY 2012 | 3:48 AM NST

100. danda
OK. So what is the problem? You were born Amrit Gurung. After some name and fame, you decided to be Amrit Nepali. This time you failed to get US visa. When you get it, you can opt to be Amrit Americane. Your choice. Please pay attention to your singing. Stop preaching cheap jingoism. As it is, this country is in a mess. Please do not make it worse.
Posted on: 28 MAY 2012 | 11:35 PM NST

101. ramu adhikari
great debate.we must go through...
Posted on: 29 MAY 2012 | 1:33 AM NST

102. Subash
Well said Amritji,

Whatever the ethnicity, we are first Nepali, and only after that Newar, Bahun, Chhetris etc. These so called politicians, who no formal education in politics, are trying to play with our diverse ethnicity. If Nepal become republic for this, I despise this democracy. A democracy has no meaning without a nation.

Prachandra and all other politicians are dancing the tune of India. If they continue to dance like this, in no time, nepal will just be another indian province. And these politicians are doing a good job fracturing the country.

Prachandra is a TRAITOR and should be kicked out!

Posted on: 29 MAY 2012 | 4:20 AM NST

103. GG
@Kanchha tamu

How oblivious, who do you think is playing ethnic cards here? Indigenous people has hardly been a pressure group in the whole federalism saga, the card may flip in their advantage anyday. I wish you luck for your tenacious quest(s) to rule the ethnic provinces because there is nothing more than that, in it. Decentralization, devolution was and is the demand of all rationales becasue this has more chances of addressing the issues of all than dividing the country in ethnic line.

Posted on: 30 MAY 2012 | 6:02 AM NST

104. kamal
Aba ko NIrbaachan maa desh chalaaune gaadi haakan aghi bhadnu paryo mero pura pura sahayog chha


Posted on: 30 MAY 2012 | 8:11 PM NST

105. Limbu

To you all changing your name to ....... Nepali; I suggest that you keep on doing that for a bit and you will find it in no time why the demands of the marginalized are the way they are. Jeez !!


Posted on: 30 MAY 2012 | 4:03 AM NST

106. Limbu
Also,

What is the meaning of akhanda anyway? Does Nepal want to be united in heart by recognizing all the ethnicity or does it want to be united just in geography? Isn't the latter already tried and in practice till date and isn't it causing all this issues now. Do you think that the vast majority of indigenous people just woke up one day all of a sudden and started demanding some rights?? Can you not see or do you not try to understand, why this came out all at once. 

It boggles by mind that the intellects here in this and similar boards and pretty much all over the media are changing the term that the ethnic and indigenous people are demanding. I see a huge difference between "Jaaitya Pahichan sahit ko Rajya" versus a "Jaatiya Rajya". Are you not knowingly twisting the fact to villainize the demands of the janjaatis? Can you not even respect the identity and history of the indigenous people to the extent that you find it so very wrong that a certain portion of geography be named after them??   

Also, it does not surprise me at all when pretty much all of the people against the proposed/demanded federal structure comes from a specific community. Well, to be blunt what can you expect from community who demanded to be categorized as aadibasi as soon as the government decided to secure some seats for employment to benefit the marginalized to come into and catch up with the mainstream. Sadly it is attitude like this, that sows the seed for radicalization.  



Posted on: 31 MAY 2012 | 12:05 PM NST

107. kancha tamu
kancha tamu
@GG
Don't you still realize the ethnic issue was here irrespective of who is playing the cards around it now? Again the implied argument of yours suggets that since the ethnic issue is hardly a pressure group in the federelism saga that it is a "non issue".  ..the card may flip to their advantage..whom do you mean by "their"? the ethnic people? If you are meaning to suggest the ethnic people then I would go a step further and correct it by saying "the card may flip towards their "rights" (not advantage). I don't know where you got the notion that it is my quest to rule the ethnic provinces and you follow further with ...there is nothing more then that in it. What is nothing more then THAT in it? My alleged quest to rule? I don't see how devolution and decentralization addresses and reconciles with the issues regarding varied existing ethnic identity, culture, religon and language at it's very core. Have we not preached the word decentralization (bikendrikaran) in the past with not much effect? Hence the rising present ethnic issue? Are you so insecure as not to let your rationale address the ethnic issue by itself? Every and all issues needs to be in it? Address all or address no one?  Is that being rational and just? Yes, your usage of the word "tenacious" though falsly pointed to potray my charecteristic infact reflects more of you then me. By the way "no thank you" for wishing me luck keep it for yourself for who knows you may need it youself

Posted on: 31 MAY 2012 | 1:50 PM NST

108. vishal limbu
what people wanted was the change..old system has been labelled as not suitable for the different ethnic people residing in nepal..like if you mix every thing it become khichadii..so if every ethnic people get state according to the ethnicity..the country will prosper..the system and so called the rulling class whatever they speak from their heart they always treat janajatis as second class people..time has come for the janajatis to wake up..and should empowered it..like as said its come only once in generation..


Posted on: 01 JUNE 2012 | 11:42 AM NST

109. sriti limbu
whats happenning in nepal clearly indicates the system is wrong..we need to voice for change..we all know nepal always comes first..!! but when you are deprived of your culture, your language to practice freely and you are treated as second class citizens in you own ..country..then comes the question?? like now days every government offices you go ..you will feel like foreign ..just because only bahun ..chettris are there...so if government had given equal upportunity why janajatis are not there..so taday problem itself have been created by the so called upper class society...!! every one is waking up..fot the CHANGE..
Posted on: 01 JUNE 2012 | 11:59 AM NST

110. biku
such a humble article and so many debates; SHEER IRONY!
Posted on: 02 JUNE 2012 | 5:15 AM NST

111. kancha tamu
kancha tamu
@biku
If the article had been Humble there would have been be no debates. Sheer Irony? 

Posted on: 02 JUNE 2012 | 8:05 PM NST

112. GG
@kanchha tamu
It is abviously good to see the genetically dunce's political consciousness is in rise, in Nepal but than again, they should thank the elite bahuns for pinch-hitting but unfortunately the indigenous people just woke-up startled and disoriented without realizing the implications of what they're wishing for but yet again, most probably remote controlled from elsewhere as ever?, the card may be flipped at anytime (yours may be the right) but theirs would be in an advantage. It is cunning, crafty and chicanery versus novice if you weren't aware ergo the chances are 9/10 for ethnic issues to fade away, unless, of course if PKD stokes it. I will have my dunce's cap ready anyway!

I don't recall ethnic isssues 20 years ago, where was it? Yep, I've heard it when they were drunk, 'habun this and bahun that'... but not ever in the upper achelons of Nepali politics because they were too busy proving themselves the martial race merceneries. You see, as non martial-race, bahuns did not go anywhere so why envy now when you see bahun inundation in Nepali politics and bureaucracy. Practice politicking for now, you will need all the luck possible to eventually succeed.....

Posted on: 03 JUNE 2012 | 9:21 AM NST

113. Kumar
Don't worry my janjati friends your time will come. Your dream of sel realization and self-determination will come. Take comfort in the fact that these products of a defunct Hindu system of caste driven social hierarchy will come to an end in Nepal. Just like India where no Bahun is in power in India where majority have awakened. :)

Posted on: 04 JUNE 2012 | 12:15 PM NST

114. kancha tamu
kancha tamu
@GG
The way you are responding shows that you seem to be in utter desperation as not to acknowledge the janjati's struggle for their equality and rights. The fact that you are bringing in scientifically unproven "genetically superior/inferior political consciousness" belief system to dehumaniz and degrade the janjatis is a distinct refection of your distress. If raising voices for equality and rights is what you consider to be "waking up disoriented" then so be it for it is you who is "waking up disoriented" hearing the voices of the marginalized janjatis. It seems this could be a source of torment to you from going back to slumber. Does it matter that the marginalized populations'voices were unheard of twenty years ago? The validity of the janjati issue exists only if it had been heard twenty years ago? We wish the voices had been heard long before that. You then would have woken up on time. Here you go again, in your desperate bid to degrade the janjatis, you are using concepts and words like martial race mercenaries, drunkards and envious. You say while martial mercenery race were away fighting wars the elites were inundating Nepali politics and hence the envy. Here is my take on your hypothetical statment - while the martial race was staking their lives fighting wars the elites at home were engrossed in reigning and sharing the facilities, undisturbed through its' hold on the bureacracy and politics and in the process divided, and marginalized the very fabric of Nepali society. See the mess we are in now? Yes, your so called martial race has been not only universally recognized for their unflinching bravery and valour but equally for their integrety, loyalty and honesty. Not a bad charecterestics for those marginalized or is it?  Reciepents of the highest military orders in the likes of Victoria Crosses, Param Vir Chakras and the honor of being "Queens Own Gurkha Officers" at Buckingham palace and ADCs to the president of India at the Rastra Pati Bhawan, tell me who do you think should have been the subject of envy here? Go back to your commentary@92. and again tell me is it not that your going with Amrit that also, whole heartedly a thinly disguised fabrication when you have so many deeply ingrained prejudices against the marinaliged? You wished me luck and I said No thank you. Should it not have stoppped there? No, I don't want to come down so low as to go further with it.

Posted on: 05 JUNE 2012 | 11:32 PM NST

115. GG
Kanch tamu

Neither do I; want to go further down than where we already are. By no means it is my wish or intention to oppose rights issues, not of only ethnic people but of all castes and creed. There has to be ways in which it can be addressed or achieved and mend the fraying social fabric. There is an utter frustration in all castes, all over the country as ambiguity looms over the proposed/demanded structure of federalism. Because this begs a question, if this goes ahead, what will happen to me as minority in Tamuwan or Limbuwan ergo their right to demand for their own state and I know that you can guess where this will lead us to.... have a good mental health..
Posted on: 06 JUNE 2012 | 12:08 AM NST

116. Amar
It seems Amritji has not understood clearly socio-cultural and political history of discrimination in Nepal. His idea is exactly "Banunbadi". He needs to know identity and recognition is much important, and denying these will harm very severely to those group who are denied.

Amritji's view is not different than what it was called "Mandale rastrabad' during Panchayat regime. 

Posted on: 07 JUNE 2012 | 7:48 AM NST

117. NEWAR
better start packing ur bags from kathmandu and off to ur own rajyas once newar rajya is established you abhishekh and company.valley getting too much crowded.need some open space to play football.
Posted on: 07 JUNE 2012 | 9:14 PM NST

118. kancha tamu
kancha tamu
@GG
You wished me luck, I said I did not need one and I still believe in it. Is it not foolish and futile to go in a loop with it?  You intended to stop but you did not. Hence, my response "I don't want to come down so low as to go further with it". But aside the "good luck" it is my intention as yours to go further with rest of the issues except I intend to go farther UP then down from where we last left.  In addition it's a revelation to know that your intention, after all is not to oppose the rights issue of any casts and creed. Although your earlier commentaries says otherwise I am making an effort to trust you.  As much as I believe there is a way out to address the rights issue I equally believe that the way out has to begin first and foremost with a sincere acceptance of the fact that marginalization and discrimination with the resulting injustice exists in the very political and social strata of Nepal.  As for the proposed federalism. Not one political system can vouch a guarantee that it can resolve a particular political, social or economical issue. As they say, implementing any form of political system initially is an experiment. Only through its actual implementation will we be able to verify its end result. Yes, the prospect of there being a communal division due to ethnicity based federalism exists but then their might not be one for it could be the solution that might address and contain the sentiments, identity and discrimination felt among the marginalized group. Also ethnicity based federal state do not mean it will leave all the rest behind and each state reigns exclusively with only their ethnic clans. This will practically be detrimental to the very states. Federal states will also not enforce that each cast reside in their own state. There will be for practical reasons no internal migration and displacement of people. People will continue to live where they are. Hence, I don't imagine that you will be "left out" by the process of addressing the minorities rights.  As mentioned earlier we can't guarantee the federalism mechanism works but other mechanism have failed to work either.  Rest assure I along with many of the just seeking citizens would not keep our conscience shut if we witness an injustice pointed to any cast or creed. Now having read my response I am sure you will not doubt my mental health.    

Posted on: 07 JUNE 2012 | 11:51 PM NST

119. abhishek
117. NEWAR
i only have one thing to say to you "ignorance is bliss" so stay the same. well its people like you who take away the shine from the valid demands of the janjati people. definition of federalism like yours is what makes other people harbor a negative feeling towards it. newa rajya is as much mine as yours is and tamuwan is yours as much as mine is. or are you somebody else???

Posted on: 07 JUNE 2012 | 4:08 AM NST

120. NEWAR

119. abhishek

oh sorry.aren't we playing ignorance ignorance here with all ur silly comments?my bad. So u are seriously thinking about federalism based on ethnicity,aren't u? and here i thought we were in 21st century.how wrong i was? ok explain me something, 'what u expect u'll get or do when u'll get ur so called rajyas?'. waiting for ur humble reply.

 


Posted on: 08 JUNE 2012 | 4:11 PM NST

121. abhishek
@ 120. NEWAR.
I reiterate again, Ignorance is bliss and that still stands for you. Well did you really go through all my comments? I guess not. Yes! we are in the the 21st century. And the way your thought process works seem that you still are at your primitive stages of your life cycle. Well its not my duty to enlighten you, but then there is something called 'google'. You need to do your homework first. And explain to me how we being "UNITED" led to any substantial development. Arent we still "200" years behind in development, these just could be the manifestations of the so called "unity". The voices in the street could be a harbinger of change. Can it not be? Well I also take pride in my mother tongue, my individual culture, and I want that to be respected.

Posted on: 08 JUNE 2012 | 8:45 PM NST

122. Rajan
Can someone please provide me more info on what is meant by "ethnic federalism" in the context of Nepal in detail? I can't find it anywhere.
Posted on: 09 JUNE 2012 | 6:54 AM NST

123. SL
@ Rajan, Is that your honest query or are you just trying to act innocent while mocking people advocating for one cause? It looks like you fit better in the latter category.
If not then, there are 121 comments above yours with luxury of even plenty of information about why not ethnic federalism. So kindly go through it, it's way better than some lame information in any other website.
Reasons
1)comments & discussions here are from real people itself trying to figure out & at least generate some solution for the betterment of the country, their countrymen & finally themselves.
2) not composition of only one INDIVIDUAL.
3) not published by some lazy, selfish, politically inflicted writer,& to make matter worse not by any foreign well wisher who don't have to either experience or have to bother whatever the outcome is.
4)If  you have already kept your biased mindset mode on, & even if you come across any information about it, would not be much help or satisfy you. Not your fault, topic is itself sensitive, 100% chances of being labelled as biased information by opposing groups/arguers. So forums & platforms like these are more suitable.
5) the utmost fact, for someone like you having the ability to get an access to online version of english used nepali newspaper & commenting on the very topic, would be hard enough to believe that you are unaffected by this whole saga & playing the role of neutrality till now. That's why you fit better in the latter category. Good luck on your quest.

Posted on: 09 JUNE 2012 | 11:31 PM NST

124. Rajan

It is my honest query. Comments I find are in bits & pieces without giving a full picture. There must be an website whereby it clearly explains what "ethnic federalism" means in detail. Surely it shouldn't be this hard.


Posted on: 12 JUNE 2012 | 8:22 PM NST

125. nabina
well i respect ..amrit ji's being nepal first..i am also nepali and nobody can snatched that title from me..but as nepal possess different ethnic people with different ..religious and cultural heritages its high time the same SASAN barga(bahun badi)  for god knows 300 more years have ruled our nation should be decentralized and every ethnic given their own way to govern by creating the federal states ...its simple to understand ...its said" its easy to wake up sleeping giant but you cant wake up some one who is pretending to be asleeepp.."!!!! thanks..no regrets..!!!!
Posted on: 13 JUNE 2012 | 5:52 PM NST

126. saran
these ethnic tension going on in nepal is all been created by the bahunwadi soch....has there not been bahuns in nepal the caste system would never been in nepal . taday people are even  feeling guilt to say their own caste due to the system imposed by bahunwadi soch  especially those dalits acoording to many newspaper and to the extend i have seen .it those bahunwadi soch  have not been in our country today it would be far more better place to live..with every society/ethnicities living in peace and harmony.
Posted on: 13 JUNE 2012 | 6:02 PM NST

127. Deepak
Dividing Nepal into pieces on basis of  Ethnic groups is complete crap. Few guys here are saying that "we are discriminated on basis of our language" or "There is no inter caste marraige"

If a country is not working properly it doesn't means that you will divide it into parts,its because there is loop hole in the system(so called system)

I have seen people writing over here that they don't even know Nepali properly as they are not exposed to the language and all the official works are done is Nepali.

Now,tell me one thing ,is this a valid reason for dividing a country..I guess learning a language would be a better option,no matter how they learn it,(until and unless they are willing to learn). You can fight with the Govt to make arrangements to learn the language,but how gross it would be to divide the country on basis of this small problem. I mean even people who are residing in Nepal,who came from our neighbouring country,whom we call "dhoti"(although this word shouln't be used) have learned Nepali,so why cant people who are residing in Nepal from ages can learn it. A guy from Nepal can learn some XYZ language if he is willing to go abroad but he/she cant learn a language which runs throughout Nepal....lol...what sort of irony ha....
                                       or
Here,you can seriously consider the options that Nepali Keti offered.

And as far the part of Inter caste marraige is concerned,my boy if u have guts and skills to convince few people around you who really matter to you,it ain't a tough job.Here,the mentality of people have to change which would come through education not through physical or ethnic distribution of a Nation. Now people who are educated enough and support inter caste marraige and are chanting slogans in favor of it,after a while when they end up being somebody's father or mother,they would do the bloody same thing with their child and will start putting this holy crap caste thing in their mind(which might be because of social pressure,if not willfully).

Divide the country into parts,will dividing the country solve this problem?,dividing the country will lead to formation of small ethnic groups which will eventually lead to more discrimination and will surely intensify the problems......So,lets fight for a better nation and a united one...Go fight for ur rights but ethnic division is not the path one should choose....

Posted on: 15 JUNE 2012 | 8:01 AM NST

128. ram shrestha

One of the main arguments put forward for the elimination of the various ethnic cultures is the need to develop a strong national identity. Some pundits are arguing that this can only be possible with cultural homogeneity �with the complete institution of caste values. But pluralism is not necessarily a problem for the development of some larger encompassing social entity, such as a nation. Ethnic pluralism, to some degree, is a reality in nearly all societies. It is not pluralism, per se, that acts against the formation of nationhood, though the nature of relations between the various groups may act to do so. In this case, the upper caste �class people must realize that they are merely one of the elements within this pluralism. They too are an ethnic minority. They should not insist on the imposition of the values of one minority over the others as a solution, especially where the vales are manifested in a social hierarchy with themselves at the top and the others beneath them.

Prof Dr Dor Bahadur Bista in nepal's most controversial book Fatalism and Development Nepal's Struggle for Modernization

 


Posted on: 17 JUNE 2012 | 6:38 PM NST

129. bypasser
@SARAN
then I say the ethnic tension is the result of your ancestors who let the bahuns do whatever they want to the extent that they went so far to leave us where we are now

Posted on: 17 JUNE 2012 | 2:45 AM NST

130. s. pariyar
Namaste sathiharu I just happened to read  almost  all of the  comments , it's really  interesting ... in short,  every comment  here loves  Nepal. having  separate state on the basis of race or cast or color , you might think it might solve the problem ?  but it will never  ,infact  it will bring  many more other problems consequently Nepal will be a failed state. years  long  suppression which we still have  or  recent  chaos of separation both are more then enough to kill the nation and make you a refugee in your own  nation.
   I support equal rights  and opportunity But  I do not support idea of separation. The redistribution of industry, development  and opportunity from urban centers to outlying areas meaning decentralize power  can be helpful.

Posted on: 18 JUNE 2012 | 3:19 PM NST

131. abhishek
124. Rajan
Rajan ji, the video could put some insight into federalism. Prashant has put forward legit and valid points...

Posted on: 19 JUNE 2012 | 6:05 PM NST

132. 7

DIVIDE AND RULE! DIVIDE AND RULE!

SEEMS ALL OF YOU SHEEP ARE HEADING FOR THE CLIFF. GREAT GOING! SEND ME A POSTCARD FROM WHERE YOU HIT THE GROUND. ADIOS!


Posted on: 22 JUNE 2012 | 11:28 AM NST

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