Mera Scooter Chori Ho Gaya

Treat to your ears


One of my favorite recordings of all time. Recorded in the voice of Indian literary giant Bhisham Sahani, this is LilaNanda Lal's satirical piece on how his scooter was lost.. The author presents the incident in a very funny way- and I listen to this recoding time and often to laugh. Download it from here and give a treat to your friends' ears.

Obviously, the mp3 is in Hindi.

I've written about it earlier too (The Happiest Man Ever). Seems I just can't forget the music of his voice and the humour that tickles your soul.

Click here to listen (Right click to "Save as" and download)

About Kathmandu Speaks

Salik Shah has been published in The Kathmandu Post (Nepal) and The Statesman (India) besides Ohmynews International and SciDev.

'Kathmandu Speaks' is a project for a real cause- to inspire, to bring about changes in real people. This is just the beginning. There are a lots of things in offing. If you'd like to be a part of the project, have any ideas or want to extend support, please contact me.

Happy Blogging.

Kathmandu Speaks is a sincere attempt towards a better society. Against VIOLENCE. Against SUPPRESSION. Against IMPERIALISM. Against EXTORTION. Against EXPLOITATION. Against CORRUPTION. Against the devils of the modern world...

Reminiscence Of Childhood Dreams

Kathmandu Diary 01/11/07
By Citizen Correspondent Salik Shah

A rare simian line.

I don’t know what I’ll be doing after few years to come, but I know that I’ve already met my destiny. It’s here, with you.

When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay,
And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings,
Delicate-filmed as new-spun silk, will the neighbours say,
"He was a man who used to notice such things"?

If it be in the dusk when, like an eyelid's soundless blink,
The dewfall-hawk comes crossing the shades to alight
Upon the wind-warped upland thorn, a gazer may think,
"To him this must have been a familiar sight."

If I pass during some nocturnal blackness, mothy and warm,
When the hedgehog travels furtively over the lawn,
One may say, "He strove that such innocent creatures should come to no harm,
But he could do little for them; and now he is gone."

Afterwards
Thomas Hardy

I was not fond of palmistry before I realized that the lines on my right palm are a rare gift. I’ve a simian line, one that is a blend of both the head line and the heart line, and it lured me towards the fascinating science of palmistry. I bought a book and started reading what it meant. The author said that I had already found a purpose in my life. That such simian finds their purpose too early in their lives without even realizing that they have already started moving in a definite direction. It was true, I knew it had already happened to me.

I recall my early years in school. Then, I used to tell everyone,” I want to become a scientist.” I can’t stop cherishing those studious years, I was a happy go lucky kind. Almost everyone in my class wanted to be a doctor, or engineer and I used to feel proud that I would be only one scientist out of them.

Normal lines of a palm.

I began my own experiments, with mud, papers and later colors!

It was color that fascinated me. Those brilliant patches and my drawing teacher’s wonderful sketches astonished me. I thought- “this is my heart’s desire, I must paint.” LOL! There I was holding brush and palette of colors and painting. Now, I aspired to become an artist. I liked the way I painted hills and mountains, and a girl’s portrait.

It was during the starting period of adolescence, that I had a crush on this girl. For her, I used to paint, and also wrote beautiful numbers. I started keeping a diary with myself, and without even realizing I turned to writing poetry and reading them! That was the starting point, this later hobby finally turned out to be my trade. I really respect those women who came into my life at such an odd age. They taught me my lessons of love, friendship and life.

You might not believe but studying Liberal Arts in Nepal is a taboo. I was a brilliant student, but when I decided to go for the stream, my parents as well as my teachers expressed dissatisfaction. Here, the students with impressive grades opt for Science, and I had to go through a mental torture when I decided to respond to my hearts’ desire. I choose one of the most expensive colleges in town, because I wanted to show these people that no, money wasn’t the factor- that I really wanted to study Humanities. I’m really proud, and my first published article was on this very experience. It was “Studying Humanities”.

After writing that article, I started writing as if it was my only vocation. But my article failed to get published, and any response from the editors of one of the reputed English dailies here.

I wrote but my labors couldn’t pay me off. I got a job in a communication company, and left writing altogether. I wanted each and every lines of my article to ring but I failed to write what I wished to.

After few months, I had to return my old village. It is a remote countryside, but her sons are all in towns and cities of Europe and America and Arab world countries if not in Kathmandu. I had to attend a wedding ceremony in my village, and I enjoyed that experience. But there I happened to know Maoists more closely, and after they had killed one of my childhood heroes- my uncle, I could only hate them. My uncle was a great man.

When I was on my way back, I wrote one article “Politics is dirty game”. You can read the follow up “Power in Nepal: A Critical Analysis” in Ohmynews International, it was third article that earned me fifteen minutes of fame. However, this surely changed the way I used to write. My write ups started to take banal issues at the forefront, and soon after some time, I began to realize that if I don’t earn a name, then all my efforts would be futile. During this time, I had also applied for a job into one of the media houses.

Citizen Journalism- I didn’t know anything about this wonderful phenomenon until I was called for an interview. I was sure towards the end of the interview, that I had really impressed those three impressive men. Yeah, I was selected out of other tens of competitors, and I was the first employee of my current office.

Where I grew up : Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square in Kathmandu.

To my great surprise, I was going to work for a news portal, and again I was shocked to find my seniors were inspired by Ohmynews International. Rupesh Silwal is the first Ohmynews reporter in Nepal and had also got an opportunity to visit Seoul in 2005 and meet other citizen journalists from around the world. I was very excited to know about this and our website Jyotinews.com is going to be formally launched in few months. It is, however, not as big as Orato! Pretty much like Orato was in its first few weeks.

Now, I had already become a journalist. I like this profession but I can’t forget that it is literature that runs my blood. I do paint occasionally, and I still write beautiful numbers, but I forget to tell you about my madness- a passion called Web Designing. Well, may be next time. I was trying to become a jack in all trade, but now I think I know this trade so well. At last, when I’d be waiting to bid adieu, I don’t have any other aspirations but to be remembered as a simple human being. I know that I’ve miles to go before I finally sleep, and this is just the starting of my perilous journey, but I’m glad that I’ve already met my fate so early. Now, I've to live up to my people's expectations- and sustain myself.

Perhaps, I’m very fortunate that God is with me. I’m very fortunate to have my mom with me. There are people who love me, and I know this. I’ve hurt some of them so many times, and I want to say sorry. I want to make you laugh, I want to make my people happy. I can’t stand tears and injustice.

For PEACE.

I want my fellow men to be proud of their country. I want to see my country in peace and prosperity. That’s my dream. I’ve made it the only purpose of my life. I wish to take Nepal to the world stage, perhaps, this is the only purpose in my life for now. I don’t know what I’ll be doing after few years to come, but I know that I’ve already met my destiny. It’s here, with you.

If, when hearing that I have been stilled at last, they stand
at the door,
Watching the full-starred heavens that winter sees,
Will this thought rise on those who will meet my face no more,
"He was one who had an eye for such mysteries"?

And will any say when my bell of quittance is heard in the gloom,
And a crossing breeze cuts a pause in its outrollings,
Till they rise again, as they were a new bell's boom,
"He hears it not now, but used to notice such things"?

Afterwards
Thomas Hardy

Important: Please Update Yourself

Dear Kathmandu Speaks Readers,

Kathmandu Speaks is moving- from kathspeaks to kathmanduspeaks.blogspot.com. That way, it'll be easy to remember the blog url as well.

New blog URL:
http://kathmanduspeaks.blogspot.com

Few of the changes will show up, but the blog is almost same the same. I request you to update yourself and my new feed address is:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/kathmanduspeaks

I'm sorry for the inconvenience that it might have caused to you due to these changes. The posts in this blog will remain here, and I'm still trying out few new things in this blog as well. But my new posts will be published in my new blog.

I can only expect continued support from you.

With Best Regards,
Salik Shah

Gaur Carnage- A turning point in Nepali politics?

The Madhesi movement which seemed recovering from the toll of post-Christmas three weeks long andolan (movement) which left about three dozen dead. Now, it has been paralyzed by Gaur carnage which occurred on Wednesday. It seems to be a turning point in Nepali politics. Madhesi People’s Rights Forum has dared to attack Maoists- they killed at least 28 people in such worst, cold and grisly manner that it has won many enemies overnight and their own followers have been distancing themselves from the party.

Government’s Response/Maoists Pressure:

Today, Maoists’ parliamentary leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara tabled a public interest motion which was approved unanimously by the legislative parliament. The motion demands that a high-level commission should be formed on the basis of political consensus to probe into the Gaur carnage and tough action against the culprits including necessary compensation to the victims' families and free treatment to the Maoists cadres who sustained injuries during the Gaur violence.

Besides that, it has also asked the government to seize the weapons belonging to anti-Maoist retaliation groups. Such groups were formed and armed by the state during the Maoist insurgency. It has also demanded that the government should ban those groups that pose threat to communal harmony and the country's sovereignty hinting towards the ban on MPRF.

However, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Situala said that the government will form an investigation commission taking consideration to the seriousness and sensitivity of the Gaur incident, but not on the basis of politics. He insisted that law should take its course in order to bring the criminals to justice.

MPRF’s Clarifications:

MPRF General Secretary, Ram Kumar Sharma said to BBC, “The Maoists-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha tried to attack some twenty-five thousands people who were participating in our mass meeting. They tried to foil the program.”

“Our program was scheduled to be held there, and we had informed people about it a week ago. But they went on to call another meeting at the same place- that too on the same day but they announced their program just a day before our meeting was going to take place- I call this drama- to make our program unsuccessful.”

“However, there were only 200-300 Maoists cadres who under the leadership of Shastri attacked us. Our 20-25 thousands people retaliated and the incident took place.”

“It should be taken into account that only Maoists have not sustained casualties. Our speaker … Patelji was also injured and so many other people have also received injuries. But due to the large number of people retaliating against a handful number of Maoists cadres- the casualties on their side was high.”

Maoists’ Mistakes:

It has been confirmed by most of the Nepali media that Maoists-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha had attacked the mass meeting being organized by MPRF.

However, Maoists say that they had already talked with Forum prior to organizing their own program in a 100 meters distance. But it seems that the Maoists tried to play smart and disrupt the rival party’s function. It must be taken into account that the Madhesi Uprising which left about three dozen deaths back a month had only started after a Maoists cadre shot dead a 16-year-old boy, Ramesh Kumar Mahato, in Lahan, Siraha.

After the toll began to increase every other day, the government was supposed to hold dialogues with the agitating groups. For a while, it seemed that there will be dialogues. But the MPRF insisted that they won’t initiate talks until Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula quits. He didn’t quit- and the talks never happened. Due to the government’s lack of interest in addressing the demands of Madhesi people directly, MPRF was successful in garnering support from the Madhesi people. Even though many hesitate to admit this, MPRF wnet on to threaten the very popular base of Maoists-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha led by Matrika Prasad Yadav. So, Maoists become their sworn enemies. More than often, Maoists leaders used words like ‘criminals’, ‘vagabonds’ etc for MPRF, tantalizing them to organize more intense protests and strikes.

Now, people have beginning to raise questions about the Maoists attitude and ego problem. It was due to this attitude to suppress opponents’ voice, crush it with the barrels of guns and threats from its cadres for donations that earned it disrepute. Now, MPRF is a single party in the country which has opposed the Maoists- but unfortunately, MPRF choose the same path Maoists have been using- of violence and bloodshed. Many people here think MPRF is just a group of ‘few’ hundred people- if it was so then why did the loss on Maoists’ side was so high? Maoists were never so innocent as to remain quiet when others attack them. Moreover, they have a habit to attack innocent, ordinary people.

Seven Suspects of Gaur Carnage Arrested:

Altogether seven people have been arrested by the police as yet. They have been accused of being part of the Gaur carnage and the police have also found weapons from their place. Meanwhile, India has said that it will help Nepal detain the culprits behind the massacre.

Home Ministry prohibits MPRF from holding mass meet:

Meanwhile, according to media reports, local administrations in some Terai districts, namely Rautahat, Siraha, Jhapa and Morang, have been instructed by the Home Ministry to prohibit MPRF from organizing any program in the area. A curfew order coinciding with the scheduled mass meet of MPRF was imposed on Saturday in Golbazar, Siraha.

It has been also reported that Morang district administration has issued prohibitory orders for four days beginning Saturday which means any kind of gathering, protest or sit-ins has been banned. Similarly, local administrations in Morang and Jhapa forced MPRF to cancel mass meet in the respective districts.

However, Deputy House Speaker Chandrika Yadav, a Madhesi leader herself, said that if the government issues arrest warrants against the MPRF leaders, it will be a major mistake। Central Committee member of Nepali Congress -Democratic headed by former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Yadav also said that if the government tries to suppress the on-going Madhesi movement, then it will be disastrous for the whole country. Speaking to media persons in a program organized yesterday in Rupendehi by Federation of Nepalese Journalists-Rupendehi chapter, Yadav also stressed on need of dialogues but accused the government of not trying to solve the Madhesi people. She warned that if the government perceives the movement as wrong or as a crime-then this will be the biggest tragedy for the country.

Also published in NowPublic.

MPRF blames Maoists for Gaur Tragedy; Will take responsibility if found guilty

MPRF has a video of the Gaur incident; Demands a high level probe by international human rights commission into the Gaur incident; Says ready to take responsibility of the killings if found guilty

People are terrified and too afraid to sleep after the Gaur killings. They are guarding their lives and properties- those who are still in the town are all awake. Those who could move- have already moved to the Indian side. The whole town is in constant fear- they fear that still more violence could follow.

Although the local administration has tightened the security, the local people said that many of the local people have gone to their relatives and friends in India after the incident. Those who remain here on this side of the border also feel that criminal elements from the Indian side still continue to pose threat to their security and lives.

"After the Maoists cadres beat up some women who were fetching grass for their livestock (in village Hajminia), they yelled for help- and some MPRF activists who were passing by heard their voices. The MPRF activists then came to the place, and took the Maoists cadres under their control. They took them to the nearby temple- BodhiDevi Temple- and killed them," a local said to BBC Nepali Service correspondent Brij Kumar Yadav. Altogether, 12 Maoists cadres were killed at the temple premises- out of a total of at least 28 people including Maoists cadres.

However, MPRF can’t maintain righteousness over the manner in which MPRF activists killed the Maoists cadres. According to human rights activists who made on-field inspection, the shocking details of the murder have surfaced. Besides, a dozen killed in BodhiDevi temple in gruesome manner, the news of the murderers raping five women and cutting off their breasts before killing them has also surfaced.

It has been also speculated that there might be hands of an organized criminal gang taking consideration to the grisly manner of killings. The corpses of the victims have sustained grave wounds made by bamboo sticks and spears which were used repeatedly to smash their heads.

However, MPRF has denied taking the responsibility of the tragedy. MPRF General Secretary, Ram Kumar Sharma, talked with BBC Nepali Service and defended his party and gave some light into the details about the incident. He went on to say that MPRF will take the responsibility if found guilty by a high level international human rights commission investigation into the Gaur killings.

“The Maoists-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha led by Prabhu Shashtri tried to attack some twenty-five thousands people who were participating in our mass meeting. They tried to foil the program.”

“Our program was scheduled to be held there, and we had informed people about it a week ago. But they went on to call another meeting at the same place- that too on the same day but they announced their program just a day before our meeting was going to take place- I call this drama- to make our program unsuccessful.”

“However, there were only 200-300 Maoists cadres who under the leadership of Shastri attacked us. Our 20-25 thousands people retaliated and the incident took place.”

“It should be taken into account that only Maoists have not sustained casualties. Our speaker … Patelji was also injured and so many other people have also received injuries. But due to the large number of people retaliating against a handful number of Maoists cadres- the casualties on their side was high.”

“We have also recorded a video of the incident. You can also watch Nepal Television- the women brought by Shastri attacked us all by sudden. There were also Indian media persons.”

“We are ready to take the responsibility of the incident if we are found guilty by an independent probe led by a high level international human rights commission into the killings.”

At the same time, about 17 corpses of the Gaur victims were cremated on the bank of holy Bagmati in Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu today. Anger, grief and mourning has stuck to the national mood. While people are asking Maoists to maintain restrain, the anger in the Madhesh against Maoists is also palpable.

Based on the BBC NepaliService report on the Gaur tragedy broadcast today. Photograph: Mysansar