| gorakh dakshin bahu |
Posted
on 10-Jul-02 09:25 AM
Away from home, Nepalis feel at-home in ANA convention
By Prateek Pradhan and Smriti Dhungel Gyawali
WASHINGTON D.C., July 9:Bibay Yonjan was pleasantly surprised to greet his high school girlfriend Sanu, after almost a decade, in an obscure hotel in Washington D.C. Avin Adhikari met his long-lost friend Kundan Rimal in the lobby of the same hotel, and Santosh Jha resolved his bitter conflict with a long-time friend.
"It was my first convention, this is the only way to meet lost friends who are hard to find, even in Nepal," said Nirmal Satyal, a student.
The 20th annual convention of the Association of Nepalis in the Americas (ANA), which concluded Sunday after four days of fun-filled celebrations, concerts, cultural shows, meetings, sports, and reunions, was the biggest jamboree of its kind in the Americas. However, the convention was also sprinkled with controversies.
To the astonishment of even the organizers, Nepalis flooded the hotel and conference center Westfields Marriott, in Virginia, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The green lawns of the hotel, and its lobbies were fully packed with Nepalis coming from all over the United States, clad in all kinds of dresses, from traditional Nepali Daura-Suruwal and Sarees to revealing transparent dresses from Hollywood movies.
It was a rare moment to see so many America-based Nepalis at one place. The hotel bars were emptied by Nepalis, car parking was packed, and in lobbies there was no room to take a step without dashing a Nepali shoulder.
"We received more than expected number of Nepalis. It would have been better if they had all registered with ANA. It would help us strengthen networking, and would also provide financial support to the organisation," said a member of the organising committee. After the second day, organisers estimated that almost 5000 people showed up in the convention.
The 20th Convention was seen as the biggest ever gathering of re-uniting Nepalis outside Nepal, especially for ANA which had been holding such gatherings without the kind of participation seen in this convention. "I have been to most ANA convention but I had never seen so many Nepalese as I saw in the past three days," said Dr. Lamichhane from Maryland.
Most of the people taking part in the convention had no other agenda but meeting with friends, and relatives. "It would have been impossible for me to meet my family and friends individually, but the convention provided me the opportunity to do so," said Shailendra Khanal from Delaware.
"It is like a big festival for all the Nepalis. We met our relatives, made new friends, renewed old ones; and came to know about people who have been working for our societies," said Dr. Mohan Pahari, who drove about eight hours from Boston just to see the convention and to find friends.
Anurakta Shrestha, a successful young professional from Nebraska, made it a point to show his talent, and meet friends. His team from Nebraska lost an ANA soccer match, but managed to win the hearts of thousands by performing a song in the concert programme. "It’s a great escape from hectic work schedules, and a great opportunity to meet with friends," he said.
The joint performance of highly acclaimed singer Deep Shrestha, and 1974AD Band rocked the youths on the second last day. Raja Ram Paudel’s comic show and other cultural programmes had stolen the show a day earlier.
The convention also proved to be an opportunity for eligible bachelors to seek their life partners. Many utilized the convention venue as the place for their first dating, whereas many just managed to begin friendships. "It’s been fun man! I got to know two cute Nepali girls. I would love to continue relationship with one of them," beamed Praveen Sharma, 20.
However, the convention was criticized for the lack of proper management, and being too expensive for many to participants. Some participants were hurt that just handful of Nepalis wore Daura-Suruwal. "They could at least wear topi (Nepali Cap) to express their honor to our nationality," commented a senior participant.
The reunion of the schools, namely Siddhartha Vanasthali, St. Xavier’s, and Budhanilkantha was a highlight of the convention. "It was a great opportunity for the alumnae," said Parashuram Nepal, an ex-Vanasthali student.
Many students, new immigrants, and illegal immigrants found the convention very expensive, and being focused only on the reunions of professionally successful Nepalis.
"The convention is not for us," said a participant, requesting anonymity. "It’s merely a competition of successful Nepalis to show their wealth and influence. It had nothing to do with the welfare of a larger mass of Nepalis who are living woeful lives in the USA," he added.
Another participant criticized higher fees for registration and other programmes. He said $20 for a ticket for the concert, and cultural show was way too expensive. "Even a successful rock star’s concert cost only about $25 here," he added. The registration fee for the convention was $35.
Raju Shrestha, a participant from New York, found the convention just a waste of money. "They are not worried about the problems of Nepal, and problems of Nepalis here in the USA. They are here to network among the successful people, and to clinch some benefit, if they ever return to the country," he said.
Narendra Neupane and Shiela Neupane, from Maryland, were unhappy about the "excessive use" of the English language. "It would be so nice if we had given more importance to our national language. We should be proud to use it, especially in a foreign land," said Narendra Neupane. Shiela also disliked the new generation Nepali youths clad scantily in transparent clothes, and embracing each other in the public. "It’s not our culture," she said.
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