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Everything was awesome. My comments later. For now, check Paramendra Bhagat's Blog..

(The link is at the bottom of the picture below. If you are lazy to type the link. Just google for the phrase Democracy For Nepal (DFN)

खबर अलिक पुरानो भईसके पनि सन्देश ताजै छ

- http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=56515

After Nepal, civil society movement comes to New York

BY TILAK P. POKHAREL

NEW YORK, Nov 8 - Thousands of miles away from Basantapur, Baneshwor or Mangal Bazar, a kind of replica of a Citizens? Movement for Peace and Democracy, which is at its height of success in Nepal, enthralled hundreds of Nepalis and Americans living in New York on Sunday.

Arjun Parajuli recited his evergreen poems like Satra Saal Bhag Dui, Jangabahadur; Ramesh sang his revolutionary songs; and, firebrand human rights activist Krishna Pahadi was the chief speaker, no less. Only difference was: street heroes ? Parajuli and Ramesh, among others, were seen only on screen while Pahadi was there to give his free-flowing and articulate speech live.

The eyes and ears of the audience gathered at the hall of Satya Narayan Mandir in Jackson Heights were also glued to the poem recitals by Nepalis living in New York ? Govind Koirala, Binod Rokka and Deepak Khadka. And, the screening of a documentary on the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Nepal made them understand the real situation back home, thanks to samudaya.org, which made the documentary.

Addressing the programme organized by the Alliance for Democracy and Human Rights in Nepal ? USA, Pahadi said, unlike the political parties, the civil society movement wouldn?t cease in any agreement with the palace until "kissing the success" ? achieving full democracy and lasting peace.

?Nepalis back in 1990 had concluded that an active monarch was useless,? said Pahadi. ?This movement won?t cease in any agreement [with the palace]? it will at any cost achieve its goals.?

Pahadi, who directly came to the programme venue upon landing at a New York airport while coming from his speaking tour in Europe, added, ?The king doesn?t seem to be willing to give a political outlet to the present crisis? he doesn?t want to resolve problems peacefully.?

Among the six aims of the civil society movement, according to Pahadi, are: empowering the political forces; achieving a democratic republic; state mechanism of non-violence, goodwill and inclusive; and safeguarding the thus achieved transformations. ?Peace is not possible with the constitutional monarchy? Following the king means being slaves.?

He urged the Nepalis living abroad to support the movement by heart, not with wealth. Alliance President Sanjay Parajuli said the Nepalis living abroad would do their best to support the movement.

Pahadi, who left Nepal on a 7-week speaking tour at the behest of Amnesty International on October 4, is also going to hobnob with Nepalis and foreign scholars in New York University on Tuesday. He has already visited Belgium, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark and Italy and is returning home after a two-week stay in the United States. He was also awarded with an honorary citizenship of the Italian city of Termini Imerese last month.
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A video clip of Krishna Pahadi addressing the meeting..

- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6641454090789920798&q=paramendra&pr=goog-sl

Now some self-promotion.

I will be pasting a link to a video clip of myself reciting a ghazal at the meeting soon.

I am learning to edit and upload video to googlevideo.

I have uploaded a poor quality video, however, I am holding it until I upload a better video. Just being sensitive about impression re kya ?

Nepe

just curious as to why mr. pahadi wears safron (yellow) colored attires? by the way, i admire his work on the protection of human rights. i think he should be president of republic of nepal.

--uhi ktm ko jyapoo

What I had read about Mr.Pahadi and his saffron attire is he has embraced the saint-like lifestyles.Well,for his tireless effort to promote peace and imply non-violent mechanisms to end the political crisis he ceratinly has my applause.
He would look much more inspiring with simple saffron colored outfit compare to a three-piece look alike.Just a thought.And in the future may be all made in Nepal.Just like Gandhi's khadi revolution challenging foreign colonizers.Symbolizes dignity and self-reliance.
But Mr. Pahadi has a long way to go.Will non-violance answer the question where both the rebels and royala are armed with sophisticated weapons.
I have heard that Krishna Pahadi is a hypocrite too.Is it true that he rides on a four-wheel drive with the foreign plate?
Human-rights is a sensitive issue so is the issue of "Loktantra".
Will he be or his company be able to deliver the peace fighting the centuries old institution non-violantly.I support peaceful protest but the current monarch is no British.Does the king possess a mind of a pacifist who would stop his train after knowing the protesters had disrupted the train by covering themselves on the leak?The true test of non-violant resistance is faced in that scenario.
Passive resistance has become a philosophy of losers especially in our society.Even the movement of 1990 wasn't a peaceful one.Probably satyagraha was of 2042 which resulted with no result for the banned parties.
I admire Pahadi's stance on peaceful protest.But are we dealing with a civilized enemy to understand this?

iZen-jee,

Could not agree more. The power of non-violence is yet to be tested in Nepal.

However, I have faith in it. Nepal is not a remote dark corner anymore. With the visibility Nepal enjoys now (thanks to the resilient media and activists and some lucky strategic importance of Nepal ?), I doubt the train of King's greed and misadventure has much choice.
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How are the pacifists of this movement going to proceed with their platform?Are they equipped with the platform that is most for the road map that directs to towards the goal.
Being an avid student of peaceful methods of resisting tyranny and injustice of the societies,I have tried to follow the citizen movement closely.As major political parties have lost their credit to the silent majority and ordinary Nepalese,citizen movment with the right leadership(with no political ambition whatsoever)can deliver the country from the current darkness.
The popular "slogan"of monarcy-less Nepal(Lokatantra) is a bargain point for the parties.Citizen movement should claim an ownership to the slogan before the ego-centered leadership sphere get their strong hold to it.The political parties will compromise with the palace under the favorable conditions they would eventually lead them to Singhadurbar.
And the crown with his medieval mad-kings of Europe mind is going to run over his train from the chests of peaceful protesters.Yes,the tyrants and murders have failed in the past in the long run but in our case the experiment has just begun.
The society and the rulers of the society that have violated the first law of manu(law of Hinduism) that declares non-violance as being the first rule of dhamma starting with the unification that was based upon the might of sword how would you predict and be comfortable with the notion of peaceful resistance.

iZen-jee,

Except for calling the civil society/Citizen's movement as THEY, I generally agree with your sentiments.

I think civil society/Citizen's movement is not THEY. They are WE.

Unlike the LEADERSHIP of political parties, civil society/Citizen's movement is OPEN for all to LEAD, PROMOTE, FOLLOW and just about anything.

So there is no point in calling it as THEY. It is WE in every sense. If it is not yet WE to some of us, it is not because of them, it is because of us.
__

As mentioned earlier, I just consider myself an elementary student trying to crawl with infant steps at this time.No,I am not ready to be labeled as WE at this minute.This may sound romantic but I have promised not to take any one's side instead be a mere spectator.
I have my own inner-demons I have to battle in everday basis:-).To arrive at the conclusion of what is best for the society trust me you find me afar.
Nevertheless,my moral supports are always for those who fight for peace and justice.Non-violance shouldn't be confined within the walls of political and social movements.To me,they are way of life.
No,I am not ready to "turn my other cheek" without knowing that would lead to a peaceful society ultimately deep in my heart.

King's elections!
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