Nepali Bloggers At The Forefront Of The Movement
Two concrete projects have been identified so far. One has been to video blog it to the max. Another that has been making the rounds has been of providing medical services to the peaceful protestors. Lilamani Pokahrel was the first person to have brought this up. (Lilamani Pokharel For Continuous Movement) And I had a long conversation with the Alliance president Sanjaya Parajuli last night. (Alliance Action In Kathmandu, Roadmap) He put a major emphasis on the idea. Pramod Aryal was on the phone from Atlanta this morning. In that conversation the idea took yet another leap. A lot of specific names at both ends surfaced, mostly from him, as well many logistical details.
And by now the idea has taken a life of its own. There is a major thread at the Nepal Democracy group devoted to it. This has got to be one of my favorite threads at the group. Now we are talking.
Another offshoot of the idea is that providing medical services will also allow us to document atrocities should they happen. The democratic government will pursue all legal actions possible at the national and international levels. We have to develop the mechanism, create that threat, and publicize so as to reduce the extent of repression from the state, if any.
Right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental human right. No regime may violate it. The regime is going to have to respect the tenets of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights when dealing with the movement, or it runs afoul of many international laws. The movement is going to document all such instances as they might occur.
Video blogging the movement to the max is also about bringing maximum exposure to the movement. This is war with communications technology, if you will. Non-violence as a political tool is being reinvented through this movement in Nepal to be put to use elsewhere on the planet down the line.
There are going to be two levels of organization for the diaspora work. There is going to be open, transparent work, and there is going to be clandestine work. So prepare to get surprised. Act surprised.
Some snippets from the thread are as follows.
Pramod Aryal: "First thing we need at that time is gauge, plasters, antibiotics, anesthesia, minor surgery, radiation for controlling excess bleeding and recovery. If the hospitals are overwhelmed, or if the security forces block access to medical fascilities, then we will see untoward casulties. Now let us plan for this...... Madhu jee, talk with medical doctors association, nurses association, paramedics, and pharmaceutical importers and producers. Have a revolution committee of doctors to treat patient. Have the roster revolving with the doctors who can give time. Have similar group of nurses, paramedics and othe health care professionals....... Look for a house, big enough to make a temporary hospital. Easily accessible. Somewhere in Naya Banewswor Chinese Highway. Make it a make-shift hospital. Negotiate rent, and let us raise funds for that...... Have 5-10 ambulance (temporary), Maruti vans could be a make-shift ambulance. Stand by and ready ...... Make a budget...... Negotiate with pharmaceutical importers, and producers, and have basic medical necessities in a temporary warehouse. Collect them immediately. Be prepared, and if Nepal supply is not enough talk to Indian producers and distributors...... This will be needed every where, not only Kathmandu. Thus talk with arilines also for cargo facility. have temporary similar things in big cities, like Pokhara, Biratnagar, Dharan, Birgunj, Bhairahawa-Butwol, Dhangadhi, Mahendra Nagar, Nepalgunj, Surkhet, Ilam, Dhankuta. And be prepared to airlift to Kalikot, and other remote places....... Once you guys work on this plan, put a website and request for donations. Definitely a lot of expatriates would donate there....... Make sure you all ask for blood donation and make a temporary blood bank if needed, and even if you need to import materials for such bank workout now and plan for fund raising. This can be done with respective associations and civic society. Then we all will win. Please talk to the folks of these plans. Since all these associations have national network it can be done in few days...... "
This is an amazing piece of writing, don't you think? Let's keep the book keeping as transparent and online as possible, otherwise I am all for decentralized fundraising and distributing. The important thing is that the work gets done. We should all seek the most efficient ways to complete the tasks at hand.
Pramod Aryal had one little brainstorm, and look at all those logistical details. Wow. This is Napoleon going to war!
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Pramod Aryal again: "Since we will have revolution, it might appear that the security forces might try to use excessive force. In that case we have to act. We need to form a group where we can control such excess. My idea is having Keshav Sedai jee, Dinesh Tripathi jee from here, and some lawyers from Nepal who have knowledge of International Law, and we should make it point blank that any excess used would be directly challenged in the International Court of Justice, at Hague. We should have that committee right now, and other civic society members should document such excesses. It might not be easy for Nepali lawyers to fly to Hague, but our lawyers here, and their international friends can file the case in the court. The lawyers from (N)epal should provide such information. You should announce such committee sooner, so that it will give clear message to security forces what the civic society is doing."
The movement is in the air. It sure is.
Gaury Adhikari: "1. Have mobile clinic set up in few vehicles with full team of paramedics (Nurses and one physicians with IV, fluids, Analgesics and surgical supplies. With these help one can stabilize the person on the field and then ship to nearby hospital: Kathamndu medical college in the east, Patan Hospital , B/ B hospitla in the South and Bir hospital and Teaching hospital in the center. MOdel Hospital can be vital in taking cases as well. 2. with Mobile clinic ferrying patient to hospital , the chaos in the street for injured will be spared. For this to happen all ER of the valley hospital will have to cooperate and be able to absorb the cost. A meeting should be called and communication channel will have to be built around this scheme of things. There has to be identifieable core leader in this chain of command so that it does not breakdown when the panic hits hard in the street. 3. This plan will also have system of " Triage in place. For " Triage " to happen a physician will have to be present in mobile team: he can decide whether the person is dead or beyond resuscitaiton or can be salvaged at the hospital ER. I think this is important if there is mass casualties, but for sporadic violence this will be irrelevant. 4. Similar model can be developed in other cities as well. For remote villages it should be taken in case by case basis. It also depends if the movement is going to be launched simultaneously or at phases. 5. The whole system will have to be reevaluated constantly and improved on as the conflict escalates. 6. REsources will have to be committed by the major hopsital for it to work , and mobile clinic can be run by fund raisng. 7. It is implied here that lots of volunteer personnel will have to be willing to take part in this scheme otherwise funding for such an operation by " fund raising " to "pay it as you go " basis will not be feasible. I am sincerely hoping that a Nepali will not have to shed one more drop of blood for what is innately theirs: Freedom..."
I am beginning to like this Google group, yo! (To: ND Group, c/o Puru Subedi, Nepal Democracy Google Group Does Not Believe In Free Speech) Gaury has also provided amazing details. Keep it coming, folks.
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Pramod Aryal: "If even the hospitals won't be able to bear the cost, then we should be able to work on this. Thus my suggestion is have a bank account for this, have online payment system, and generate the idea within the country also. We should move in war footing. This is not a movement, but a revolution and this will have greater casualties. Expect this. Reconcilation chances are vanishing ...... For any reason any of the leaders are enjured only, then it will go out of control and we will see a lot of blood shed in Kathmandu in similar but stronger terms than what we saw after 12 Nepalese massacre in Iraq...."
Deepak Khadka: "..... a massive agitation is going to erupt soon. .... I am sure we will be seeing amazingly inspiring and spontaneous creative actions during the agitation, yet a thoughtful preparedness to prevent/minimize unwanted loss and inspire people more would be a call of the day....... memory of some of most unispiring and negative fear about the movement I have heard in various forums for a long time...... "
Pramod Aryal: "I like the idea of mobile clinic. This will also give account of what is happening and if we need to charge these security officers, or others during movement or future investigation. Following is the group, the Bar Association and Medical Association should establish link, Physicians for Human Rights, http://www.phrusa.org/about/index.html this organizations have lawyers and physicians. ...... This organization is full of lawyers and could be helpful in keeping responsible officers to follow international norms or face charges. The mobile clinic and bar association will give fresh accounts."
This guy is a living, breathing encyclopedia, looks like, not to say a walking phone book.
Pramod Aryal: "And also we have to be clear, any use of excess force would be tried in International court of justice, as Bosnian war........... that is for true, and we have to do it....we ought to fight and people of Nepal are ready, now it is civil society to protect these people..."
Looks like finally the diaspora might open up its wallet in a major way. The moral support otherwise was getting too wordy. The video blogging part has to be rapidly expanded. And this medical services idea has to be implemented fast. December 10 is a deadline of sorts.
Another hole still in our effort is we need to get as many high profile political figures here in America and elsewhere in the world to put out statements in support of the movement.
Start donating, folks. Money is needed and fast. Money has to be raised and spent fast.
Contribute: http://www.geocities.com/paramendra/nepal1000.html
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