| bagmati1 |
Posted
on 20-May-02 04:20 AM
Diaspora. It’s a word of ever increasing significance as people flee poverty, violence and lack of development, heading west or east to the nearest place that’s even slightly better than home. Once, the word meant only the Jews who were scattered by force from Babylon. Now there are diasporaa—small and large, quiet and loud, rich and poor, influential and obscure—everywhere.
".....The Nepali diaspora is tiny now and with luck, it will stay that way. The letters column of this newspaper seethes with diasporan wrath from time to time, as “Disgusted Dai” of Minneapolis, or “Bahadur” of Boston, write to object to someone’s pontificating. "
Self-exiles—myself included—left home for selfish reasons, good, selfish reasons perhaps, but we were looking out for number one and saying to hell with the home front. But that same hell hath no fury like the diasporan patriot whose recipe for improving things in the country left behind is challenged by some upstart who actually lives in the place.
.....If we want to matter at home, we must go home. Otherwise, we should give our pens and brain cells a rest. Let the folks who stayed behind sort things out, or come back, roll up your sleeves, and get cracking. Luckily Canada doesn’t need me anymore.
HERE AND THERE by DANIEL LAK (Nepali Times)
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