ANA Convention: My Hamro Nepal Speech

Audio: ANA Convention 60

I speak before you as the founding President of Hamro Nepal, described by some as the "world's first digital democracy organization." The organization was given its name by its founding Vice President Anil Shahi who is one of the most active Nepalis in New York City and easily the staunchest republican. The name Hamro Nepal sounds like Taco Bell. There is this ethnic flavor to the name, and that is why I like it a whole lot.

Hamro Nepal has four goals.

The first goal is that of a democratic republic in Nepal. The monarchy has to go just like illiteracy has to go. Membership of Hamro Nepal is free, and it is a global organization from day one, but you do have to be a republican to join this organization.

The second goal is that of equality for the four identified groups, the DaMaJaMa, Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati, Mahila. Democracy has to be made to work for all groups.

The third goal and my pesonal favorite is that of a double digit economic growth for Nepal. We are not talking five, or six or even nine per cent. We are talking 10% or more. If democracy is superior to other ideologies, Nepal should be able to grow faster than China. To that end Hamro Nepal will organize an online think tank on the national economy. There are Nepalis all across the world at top colleges and universities and at top companies. Our message to them is it does not matter that you are not physically in Nepal, but you can still hope to contribute in a rather elaborate, intimate way. We have to make the best of globalization and the internet on behalf of Nepal's economy.

Nepal being a young democracy actually helps. We get a fresh start. That can also apply to democracy itself. We should design one where political parties are not allowed to raise funds from individuals or businesses. Instead they get state funds in direct proportion to the number of votes they earn during a national election. If we could do that one thing, that would make Nepal the number one democracy on the planet, better than America, better than India.

Similarly we should be able to think out of the box on the economy. Dual citizenship for the Non Resident Nepalis is the single most important policy decision Nepal can take to grow its economy fast. You can get massive foreign direct investment and create great jobs at home, or you can send Nepalis abroad to work many sweat shop jobs in precarious conditions. Get out of the way, let the Nepali diaspora invest to their heart's fill.

The fourth goal of Hamro Nepal is political empowerment of the Nepali diaspora. Before I get into that, I would like mention a few of my involvements. I have been the only Nepali in America and perhaps the larger diaspora who has done full time political work for the April Revolution for over a year now. And I would like to mention my good friend Chanra Prakash Sharma. He has been called the Gulshan Kumar of Nepal. He invented the Nepali music industry as we know it today. He launched Nepali Aawaz, the top Nepali newspaper in America. He is the dynamo behind the Nepali Mandir, the only Nepali community center in town, and I am so glad to be a Board member. And together we are going to organize the Nepali Convention next April in Queens, New York City, year after year after year. April Revolution, April Convention. Also expect a Nepali Block Party for Dashain.

I am so glad to have Mr. Upendra Mahato and Mr. Jiba Lamichhane in the audience. They are our guests from Moscow, two of the leading Nepali entrepreneurs on the planet. They are staying at the Newark Airport Marriott. I once got to meet the president of Marriott. And now I have got to meet these two. These two are more impressive as individuals in my personal observation. We invited them to be our chief guests at the Nepali Convention, and they accepted. We are thankful.

The convention is my idea.

Political empowerment for the Nepalis in America is about earning voting rights for the 100,000 Nepalis here. No taxation without representation. That is what this country was founded on. If you pay taxes, you should be able to vote. Blacks earned their voting rights 50 years ago. Nepalis have not done it yet. Nepalis in Nepal earned their voting rights through the April Revolution. Nepalis in America have not done it yet.

For that we have to get better organized, and build coalitions. My guess is less than 2,000 of the 100,000 Nepalis in America are members of one or another organization. Existing organizations have to expand, new organizations have to be formed, new umbrella organizations have to be launched. Nepalis have to start voting in their organizations before they can hope to vote in America.

I am a Madhesi. I am a Nepali. I am a Desi, and so are you. All South Asians are Desi. I am half Indian, so that is extra true for me, but regardless all Nepalis are Desi. You have to find common ground with the Indians, the Pakistanis, the Bangladeshis, the Sri Lankans, the people from Bhutan and Maldives. I am also Asian. The Indians and Chinese are in the same camp. And I am blac. Black Latino Asian Caucus. White is no country, no religion, no language. White is an artificial identity. And so we have to claim the blac identity.

Madhesi, Nepali, Desi, Asian, blac.

Our two newest members are from Jhapa in Nepal and Bhairahawa in Nepal.

We are not a registered organization, we don't need to be. Membership is free, we don't handle any money. We are global. We don't have country chapters. The internet is the backbone of this organization, but there is major emphasis on face time.

These are exciting times.

Thank you Naveen Dutta for this time slot, and I thank all of you in the audience.

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ँअन्तरिम संविधानमा षड्यन्त्र’
सरकारमा जानुअघि व्यवस्थापन हुनुपर्छ ः भारत
माओवादीविरुद्ध प्रदर्शन
पानी छोएको निहुँमा कुटपिट
ज्यादती रोक्न माओवादीलाई चेतावनी
कांग्रेसको लोकतान्त्रिक गणराज्य अभियान सुरु लोकतान्त्रिक मूल्यपद्धति र गणतन्त्रको बहस बढाउन नेता नरहरि आचार्यको संयोजनमा सोमबार अभियान सुरु भएको हो । अभियानमा आचार्यसहित प्राध्यापक कृष्ण खनाल, विद्यार्थी नेता गगन थापा, मधु आचार्य, भीमसेनदास प्रधान, गोविन्द सुब्बा, वीरेन्द्रभक्त श्रेष्ठ, सावित्री बोगटी, शान्ता ढकाल, हरिशरण महर्जनलगायत छन् । अभियानअन्तर्गत विचार प्रकाशन, विचारसभा, विचार यात्रा र लोकसम्पर्कका विविध माध्यमको प्रयोगबाट कांग्रेसका निकायभित्र र बाहिर अभियान क्रियाशील बनाइने बताइएको छ ।
झारफुकको भर पर्दा ज्यान गयो
जनता र ँजनसरकार’
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