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| villageVoice |
Posted
on 25-Aug-02 08:03 AM
Hi fellow sajha-ers. I hope you are having a great great (late) summer.
July/August - post-World Cup - has been a pretty lean phase for me at Sajha. Frankly, just felt the tank had run out, but been reading a lot a stuffshere lately, especially the gai jatra bit. Hilarious.
By the way, i came across a very interesting novel, "Kew, The Nepal Maoist Strain," by Paul Ryder Ryan (A New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe veteran, who says that the book was inspired by his trip to nepal in 2000-1).
His prose is quite lucid, and has occasional poems thrown in (so have fun, NK). The backdrop of course is the Maoist insurgency, and believe it or not, one of the characters (an American) is married to Kabir, Comrade Prachanda's brother. The novel begins, quite spectacularly, in a remote Montana ranch: "Mad Carew and Sons, White Water Rafting, Trekking, and Mountain Guides, Customized Adventure Tours Worldwide."
I will just quote you the opening para:
If you are wondering what the story is all about. The two men, supposed analysts for the US State Department, are here to recruit Matt Carew's father, a retired colonel, (renowned both for his military expertise and climbing skills) for a long trip to Nepal. They believe that "Maoists in Nepal are getting stronger each day.It's not inconceivable that they could overthrow the constitutional monarchy there."
Though there have not been too many attacks on foreigners, some American NGOs and multinationals with Amerian association have been attacked. And Messrs Edmund Noble and Mallory (does the name ring any bell?) Barnes want to "assess the situation firsthand." Indeed, you never get over the feeling whether you are reading facts, or fiction.
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| villageVoice |
Posted
on 25-Aug-02 08:21 AM
Sorry the opening para didn't show in the above posting.
The weather beaten sign spannng the entrance to the Montana ranch read: "Mad Carew and Sons, White Water Rafting, Trekking, and Mountain Guides, Customized Adventure Tours Worldwide." The dusty black Mercedes sped through the portal and then slowed, pulling to within twenty-five yards of the main ranch house. It was a bright sunny day, but the ground was still wet from yesterday's rain. On the porch, Matt Carew looked at the two men who got out of car and had misgivings. Both were dressed in dark suits ad wore striped school ties and black polished dress shoes....
That's it. Sounds like wild west. But the book soon gets into People's War and all that, and an actual battlfield in the wild West (Nepali version, sure). Maoists are preparing for an ambush and the American lady - who has lost her husband and an eye - is leading the charge.
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| anepalikt |
Posted
on 25-Aug-02 09:52 AM
Thanks villagevoice for bringing the book to our attention. I look forward to checking it out.
I am intrigued as to whether there are real cases of foreighers being involved in the maoists insurgency in Nepal. Here I don't mean the foreigners who have allegedly trained maoists, but rather folks involved as combatants or chiefs leading ambushes. Anyone here know?
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| villageVoice |
Posted
on 25-Aug-02 10:52 AM
My pleasure, nepalikt.
Here are some interesting tit-bits from the book, and vaguely touches upon your question.
My own question has been: Do Maoists enjoy organized support in the West, in U.S.? I don't think so. But there are sympathetic pockets.
Back to "Kew, The Nepal Maoist Strain." Mary, the American lady who joins Maoists in Nepal, is half Indian (the native type) went to Smith College, Boston. And a visiting American official to Kennedy School of Government. The novelist is a Harvard graduate himself.
During my two years in the U.S., I have been pleasantly surprised to come across people, both Americans and non-Americans, who seem to be aware of the Maoist movement in Nepal, and some pretty well versed on the nuances too. This is more noticeable among people with progressive/liberal strain, and many of them see the rebellion as a justifiable reaction to deeply entrenched fedualism in our part of the world.
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| anepalikt |
Posted
on 25-Aug-02 01:09 PM
It is interesting to consider the difference between being merely sympathetic versus say being willing to pick up arms for the cause. After recent events where American nationals have been found to have been among the al quaida forces, I guess I am wondering why might not a foreigner feel strongly enough about the situation in Nepal to fight for the maoists. Yet, looking at the very civil nature of war at hand (unlike say the al quaida movement which is largely international and pretty much a "cause" without borders), I wonder if there are foreign combatants among the maoists. And I wonder what really motivates such foreigners. A modern day Lafayette like the original in the American revolution era? Or a John L. Walker... misled naive youth (some would of course argue and say he is a true muslim, but lets not even go there)? What are the other posssible motivations for fighting in someone elses war? And are those motivations really "nobel"? I am curious about the character int eh book of course.. a Native American, Smoth-educated woman who takes up arms in Nepal for Nepalis? Hmmmm... Why not in America for Native people here? Or was her situation a purely circumstantial thing? meaning her relationship to her husband? Is this a modern woman who has made a choice due to ideology or is her situation largely influenced by family obligation?
Villagevoice, how believable was the American woman's characters and her motivation? Of course the writers craft and skills as a story teller will determine a lot of it, but as Nepali reader what did you think about it? I can't wait to read it!
Anyway, as for my persoal experience with Americans and their knowledge of global events, I have always been largely disappointed. When the news of the palace events broke last year, I was amazed at the number of folks who had suddenly become such experts on Nepal though.
But I have also met some who felt rebellion (armed or otherwise) to be "a justifiable reaction to deeply entrenched fedualism"... I was one of them myself at one point! But I now truely belive that thinking "rebellion," which often just means violence, is not an alternative to finding solutions through other means. As much as I am for accountability, anti-corruption, changing anachronistic and oppressive social and political systems, violence is not an option...
Anyhow, sorry for rambling...
Will read the book. :)
Villagevoice, it's "anepalikt"! :) And again thank you.
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| villageVoice |
Posted
on 26-Aug-02 09:24 AM
Hi anepalikt, i'm sorry to disappoint you. i am taking my time - done first 50 of 150 pages so far. And I wouldn't like to pass judgement on the authenticity of the characters in the novel yet.
I think the book is largely written for the American reader. Yes, the writer seems to know a thing or two about the Maoist movement. But I couldn't help wondering, for instance, why hadn't he done more homework - or legwork, if you like - to bring out a proper book on the Maoist rebellion? For instance, he sets the opening scene in Nepal in Upper Dolpo - no doubt for its scenic beauty, rather than in Rolpa, Rukum or Salyan, the Maoist hotbed.
I was disappointed. After all, the Maoist people's war, in its seventh year now, haven't been well documented, and there are still as much questions as there are answers. But, his is a work of fiction, as he warns.
I hope to complete the book during my weeklong travel outside the city that begins tomorrow. Will keep you posted about the American lady - one-eyed Mary - and her exploits in the Himalaya. Hey, if you are really interested in how foreigners, Walker and all, end up fighting for "jihad", i would suggest a most authoritative reading - Holy War, Inc. (Peter L. Bergen, The Free Press, 2001). Extensively researched and wonderfully, (I repeat) wonderfully, written.
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| anepalikt |
Posted
on 26-Aug-02 11:08 AM
Villagevoice - hurry up and finish the book and tell me the story. I'm kidding. I will look forward to when you finish it and when I get my copy and start reading. We can compare notes then.
Will check out holy war too!
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| NK |
Posted
on 27-Aug-02 02:30 PM
Hey did you finish the book yet? yes, you VV!
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| Desh_Bhakta_Bhattarai |
Posted
on 27-Aug-02 09:19 PM
Thanks Mr.VillageVoice for bringing it to our attention! And welcome back to Sajha.com! Where had you been post WC 2002? You surely missed a lot of the Sajha.com spices! Thanks again!
By the way, when do you know where I could get the book?
~Desh Bhakta Bhattarai
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