The Untouchables - I

Kantipur ad

Currently Kantipur is running an advertisements on its dailies. This advertisements intends to lures its subscribers by giving hundreds thousands [Rs one lakh], which will be given every week, one million [ten lakhs] which will be given every month, and then the bumper prize is, hold your breath, ten million [one corod]. If you are not holding your breath or you are not impressed yet all you have to pay  attention to the fact is that they are giving this big money for spending daily only  Rs, 15 on their newspapers. Last year, Kantipur have announced to hand over  one kg of gold as a bumper prize.

This monthly  and bumper prize is ‘feed to greed’ and this is what pressed me to think about it. How much a media house can lure to its potential buyers to sell its product[s] when the total annual cost of Kantipur and The Kathmandu post, cost only about Rs. 7,000/- [approx]. Even if, the law enforcement allow them to go 10 folds of its total cost, it will not come close to one lakh. The huge money is a bet to catch all the newspaper readers to read only Kantipur. Monopoly that to feeding the greed of mass do not follow any business ethics in itself.  How can a state can watch such advertisement carried out by a media house without a word ? So, the question is when will state step in and interfere on matter like this ? Is this the work of law enforcement or it falls on the press council ? because a media house is acting like a greedy ethicless corporate house. What should be the  their step to control it ?

Let me remind you of a news that was on Kantipur television, a couple of years ago. It was about a family that used to ran their fraud business near by the Pepsi Cola town planning. It was about an old man, who used to run a rice sales depot. That depot was selling rice to public on far lower rate than market. That rate was about 500 - 600 Rs. less per sack than the market value.  No wonder, all the people from many parts of Kathmandu flocked in, to get that rice. Then one family used to take about six sacks at a time hiring a taxi service because they were getting it as that low cost. When Kantipur ran that news, I see this nice old man who looked like saint then, refuted it being fraud or being involved in fraudulent act in his business. He was saying, all they were doing was a social work because they could do it. That old man was so unsuspecting in any way, even to doubt, that he could be involved in something like that kind of big fraud. He had a long white beard which made him looked like very honest and respected man.

That news worked like a free advertisement for them, because when I had visited that place immediately, there were people waiting in long line to get the rice. Staff were busy doing their work and hardly had time to indulge the new customers and their questions. We have to get all the information from the people, who were on line. In a nearby depot, people were busy carrying the rice sacks which its customer were loading in taxi or on their backs. The depot was about to be run out of rice sacks in just couple of hours. Huge, trucks loaded with rice used to unload about three times in a day, in this family’s two depot. One of it was inside the town planning and the other was out of the Planning are just near by the sun city apartment. They were also talking about starting same service on gas cylinder also. After that, just about couple of months later, when they collected HUGE annual sums from thousands of households from Kathmandu valley, one day there were no trucks loads of rice coming and going in that area. I also heard, there were huge bill to be paid to the rice factory from where they used to order  the rice which they sold at subsidized rate.

I also remember, another news reported in  Kantipur, about a man - who was the agent here to sell those products from India. He sold Dhanalaxmi barsa to the superstitious people here in Kathmandu and other big cities in Nepal. At first, our naive people bought some items; sometimes it was rings and sometimes stones. Hoping, buying such goods will shower money in their life within weeks or months. Until one day, they realised they were duped. So, these very naive people went to police station to file a case against that agent.

If those are the case of fraud, then how come Kantipur should not be not charged with fraud ? Because this offer also open for millions of people and only hand full of people will get it. And if anyone wins it, no one knows, who won that big bumper prize. Some corporate insider say that, like the reality TV shows are scripted one, those bumper prize winners are also bought on couple of hundred thousands Rupees, to keep the mouth shut about such big prize.  Otherwise, why Kantipur does not give us the follow up news of those winners how do they spent such huge lottery  ? or why such winner vanish overnight ? How come we don't read about them in that other newspapers ?

So, who will say Kantipur what you are doing is lacking ethics in its core value ? Because its a media house, what it does will be copied by other corporate houses also. So, when you try to make a rule for them, they will ask you back, how can this is wrong when I do it and why its not wrong when a media house is doing it ? There will be more copycat to feed the greed to public, offering them big money to sell that cost about 15 Rs to one family a day. So, my suggestion to the - press council - is not to let them exceed those prize money to 100,000 [one lakh] maximum or they should be prosecuted for violation of ethics.

Editorial Conscience : About two years ago, I read a poem Rabindra Mishra had praised and appreciated. It was a ‘curse poem’. There was something in its core nature, I failed to appreciate it even if it was written by the sr. writer Jagdish Ghimire. He was so fed up with bandha callers then, he wanted to transfer his cancer [ along with other trouble of his] to those bandha callers for calling bandha endlessly. Agreed, bandha is not good itself but a sick person wanting to transfer his disease to other sick people [ bandha callers ] of the society ? Does this mean if one does bad the others even worse can  make it right ?  But Mr Mishra liked this poem so much, he shared it again on his social networking site. This really made me worry. Because he has huge fan following and he is spreading a negativity to this society at free of cost. But, worse I came to know later on, that this poem was already published in Nagarik and so he was just sharing what he liked to vent his frustrations or to show his support to the dying writer.

In a society like ours, which is so deeply gripped in superstition, a senior writer use all his creative brain to infuse all the frustration of his life - the writer was diagnosed of cancer and was given time to die six years before - in that small piece of poem stunned me. Fine, he can pour out his frustrations in that piece but how come a national dailies editor could not see its lasting and negative impact in society. Curse, is a slow poison and we can not get over from its lasting effect. Other thing what made me wonder is how come  he could not think of passing good thought and positivism in society before he die ? Instead he just wanted to transfer his disease to all the bad doers ! who gives him that right ? Sadly the writer died with his cancer and I have not read any news yet, that he was successful in his death wish to transfer his cancer to anyone.

As a responsible citizen of this nation, this poem finding its place on the national daily made me so infuriated with editor. Did he discuss it with his team before they decided to publish it ? Do we fail to see the bad impact because the writer was a respected person in society or they felt sorry for his condition ? or this was approved by the editorial team ? When it came out it found a huge fan like Mr Mishra. This raised another question in my mind, is media means the acceptance of bad my majority or the conscience of 2% people of the society, that shapes the thought of majority of the mass ? I have written a lot about it on my social networking site, still I would like to take the risk of repeating myself ; I wish Mr Pradhan - the editor of Nagarik - have kept his right to disagree with majority for it having a very bad vibe in its core.

Part two will be on next Sunday post

Note : This article has already been published in Samhita, Asar 2072 [June-July 2015]. This is a trimester magazine published by Press Council Nepal.

What you should know about safe ... ?

SRHR awareness training
picture curtest - Youth action Nepal

The core issue of our society has been lack of understanding and sensitivity towards girls/women who has to experience the menstruation flow not just for the first time but every month. This is also one of the most debated topic in our dailies and still this needs more open discussion. Because, during period she is told not to go to temple or some ‘pure places’ not to enter in kitchen and touch this and that as well as do this and that.

How bad the condition of awareness in our society ?

In some remote part of the country young girls or women are sent to cowsheds to sleep during those four days. That tradition do not change even if it's cold and raining outside. ‘Chaupadi’ is the taboo of menstruation in our society. We keep reading about it in our national dailies and this is one of the things that needs to be addressed properly.  Taboo, stigma are our main target areas to work in when it comes to gap the age old norms about the belief ;that revolves in menstruation. 

What every girl should know about the deadly virus as well as safe sex ?

What every girls and women needs to know about AIDS / HIV is, when a man emits sperm into her body, he spreads the deadly virus into her. Unlike other sexually transmitting disease, women do not spread it. She is the recipient of it and he is the giver of it. That is one of the reason women should be more aware of sexually transmitting disease. This is why it's makes it more important to know about the sexual and reproductive health. If she is aware of it she may be more careful during sexual activity.

Does safe sex mean protecting us from STDs only ?

That would be a mistake to presume that safe sex means to protect you and your partner from sexually transmitted disease. This also means to protect you from unwanted pregnancy. There are times in a month both sex can be sexually active but not get pregnant at the same time.  According to mum’s junction, “Safe period is from day 1 to 7 and day 21 to the rest of the cycle, when you can have sex without worrying about getting pregnant.”

Whether you know about safe sex or not the emission of sperm from a man into your body will not protect you from the sexually transmitted disease. Safe sex is a knowledge of the time when you can practice sex without using any protective yet not be the victim of unwanted pregnancy. There may be time this knowledge may not protect you from the victim of unwanted disease. That is why it's better to know about the contraception and use of it. The best way is to avoid the sex with unknown man.

What you should know about safe sex and condom ?

According to the US department of Health and Human service, even if men use condom, “of 100 couples each year whose partners use male condoms, about 18 women may get pregnant. Condoms are more effective at preventing pregnancy when they are used correctly and when you use them every time you have sex.”

Safe Abortion

Now in Nepal the abortion has been legalized despite there are people who still try to link it fetus murder. To avoid the fetus murder the would be mother was allowed to have safe abortion under  three terms only.

• When the pregnancy is only 12 weeks old.
• When the pregnancy is 18 weeks old and the fetus is diagnosed with serious health hazard
• Or if bearing the child can pose serious health threat to the would be mother.

SHRH awareness program for college students
picture curtest - Youth Action Nepal

What is the connection between period and pregnancy ?

Period which is the monthly flow of blood from all girls/ women is a sign that now she is capable of making new life, if she comes in  contact with a man. But for that new life she must be in a sexual contract with a boy.

Do girls get pregnant before period also ?

There are some cases reported like this. But, such case happens only if she has been sexually abused long before her mind and body is fully able to grasp what is going on in her life.

Is period blood is impure as believed by some conservative mass in our society ?

The person who perceived this notion is ignorant when it comes to reproductive science. He is made of same blood you and I are born and it's the same period blood we are made of. In that contest do you want to believe you, I or he is impure ?

If period blood is bad and impure and yet we are healthy when we were born, does this mean the sperm works as a detergent agent to clean the blood ?

Sperms do not act as a detergent agent nor it purifies blood; so that the we can have a healthy child. During the sexual intercourse a normal healthy emits 300 - 500 millions of sperms. What all these millions of sperms do is to travel to find an egg so that a new life can be formed. Do you know of that millions of sperms, only 100 sperms reach to the egg. But, only one sperm can enter into an egg.

Youth Action Nepal is an NGO which works in the SRHR area and this is one of the core thematic issue of the NGO also. So, I really wanted to know what have you done ? I met Mr. Santosh Bhandari, Program Coordinator to give me some insights of the work that has been going on . on ground level since long. It's a lot different than reading Dr. Aruna Uprety and Rameshwory Panta. These two are the one who has strong voice and they do  advocate of girls and women real condition in our society and they write about it in our media. They  raised voice on it but there are some NGOs who work on field in different level to tear the generation gap than which is better like that saying action is better than the reaction.  We had ran 104 episodes of radio programs in all five districts of the country he answered to my curiosity. Further, he made it clear that the true intention of such program was to tear the taboo, stigma as well as to aware the youth and adolescence on Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights. This program tries to answer all the question which an adolescent or youth has to face in this matter.  The biggest challenge any NGO like us face is to tear the generation gap and age old culture that grips our society very badly. To gap the generation, education and awareness level has to be wide and long term. The age old belief and cultural value of the society is not going to change overnight so we must keep working on this line relentlessly.

Mr. Santosh Bhandari, and Punya Bhandari  being
interviewed about the SHRH issues in one of the
radio program that ended in 2016

Behavior change is long term process and we can't expect it to happen overnight.

Aau Sangai Kura Garau : Radio program aired areas and FM station where it was aired.

1. Saptarangi FM - Jhapa
2. Radio Dhangadi - Kailali
3. Radio Simara - Bara
4. Radio Madan - Pokhara
5. Radio Hamro Pahuch - Dang

Subhani Banu The Famous Beads Designer

Shubana in her showroom, doing
what she knows best

When I visited Shabab’s Chura Pasal located at Naxal, Chardhungel; I was so fascinated with Shubana’s creative brain. It was more than what I have heard of her creative work before I have entered in her showroom. After some talks they showed me some of their works. More I see more I admired her ability to convert colorful but lifeless beads into so lovely shapes and eye catchy designs. I asked her some simple questions to know the famous designer and she answered so willingly.  

How long you have been making beads ?

It's been more than twenty five years I have been running this store. Before that my father used to run it. So, I have been doing this ever since I was very young.

Q : Who taught you ?

A : It was our family business. So it's my parents who taught me. But they work only on plain beads making unlike me. For me creativity came naturally and more I made more it was liked by our customers.

Q : Do you teach beads making to others ?

A : Teaching is part of my job. I have been teaching it ever since I started looking this store.   I have taught it to many girls and women who did not even know how to handle needle and beads. But they have been still working with me. Now my daughter joins me in teaching our forty plus designers. She is also a very good beads designer.

Hair clip made my beads

Q : Who comes up with the new design for the next season or fashion ? are all your designs or they your workers also comes up with new designs ?

A : Me and my sister Sitara comes up the most complicated designs that comes up so naturally to us. My sister do not come to the store however she helps me up from her home. Now, even my daughter Shabab has come up with her own designs and that is very different than mine and my sister.

Q : Is there any particular designs that you are proud of coming up or that sells more than other ?

A : I take pride in most of our designs and most of what we come up have be well received by our customers until now so it's not that easy to pinpoint one particular design, in terms of both pride and sells wise.

Q : Do you have anything lasting memory about your design or career decision in your work line ?

Shabab [ Subhana's Daughter] with her staff,
helping them to understand
yet another designs from her

A : Fifteen years ago I woman name Milu Thapa approached me to take part in Teej exhibition. She used to see me daily working in my store, every day when she went to her office. I was not sure about taking part in any event and she also had no such experience in such exhibition before. We  took the chance and then decided to have one such event in Shangrila Hotel a week before Teej. What I remember is that day it was raining and the exhibition was at the garden of Shangrila Hotel. People came and I sold all my beads within three hours. I made 20,000 sales in that three hours. It was hard to believe. I have never ever seen such huge money. For me that twenty thousands was as huge as 20 lakh today. Since then, it's no looking back and I still take part in those exhibition every year and this year it will be 16th year I have been taking part in that kind of event. We still sale highest in teej time. Such sale and even was the milestone in my career as beads designer and that boosted my confidence so high.

Chick Peas Pickle

white chick peas - Soaked 

What ingredients are needed to make a chick peas pickle  ?  Here are the  ingredients  we need for serving of 6 - 8 people.

• 100 grams of white chickpeas [ over night soaked]
• 15 leaves of mint
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Green chilli 3 - 4 pieces
• Garlic 4 - 5 cloves
• Lemon one medium size

• How to convert all the above ingredients into pickle ?

• Put everything into a grinder and grind it well.
• Squeeze the lemon juice on it and mix it in a bowl.

Now, your pickle is ready !

The recipe is shared by Ramina Bajracharya. She is a fashion designer, a mother,  a housewife and food lover herself. She belongs to Newar community, who are well known for their culinary art as they have mastered the art to tease the taste buds of  gourmet.

Editors note : originally this was published in Pickle Factory.

My weak throat and my love for spicy food

Jwano

I have a weakest throat. To be honest this is the weakest part of my body. This is the body part that makes me sick and bed rest than any other sickness. If fever gets me on bed then it has to be my throat which is the reason behind this.

I used to drink just boiled water for very long time. If I did not boiled it that too 20 minutes after it boiled then drinking that water made me sick. Again the blame goes on my weak throat.

It took me long time to find out about the root cause of my sickness. It also took me almost equal time to remember the name of my disease called pharyngitis. Many of you if you are not familiar about the term pharyngitis then for easy to understand it, it's about the itchiness in your throat wall, sure that makes you cough a lot. If you ask your friend to look into it then he/she will be able to tell you the throat is red and there are plenty of wounds that has yellow in its centers.

There was time this was the only sickness that sends me to doctor, every year. He used to give me three types of medicines, an antibiotic, tablets for  fever and then some tablets for antiallergy. I thought the disease name is fancy so the medicine also has to be fancy. But he never gave me fancy medicine nor he ever gave me some cough medicines.

Some time back I read in Reader’s Digest, roasted ginger is good for sore throat. After finding about ginger and its usefulness in my throat I used to eat it instead of visiting a doctor when my throat made me sick. Knowing there is no side effect of it I used to roast many small sliced   ginger and then chewed it all day. It used to sooth my throat. In the beginning it used to work on my case but not now. Perhaps, it is because I found the other home remedies with faster effect on me than ginger. Its called Jwano.

Here I need to tell you my eating habit also. I love hot and spicy foods. Citrusy and acidic fruits with hot chilli are my favourite pickles. Plain and bland foods just gives me message that I may be sick or only sick people should eat the tasteless food. I add chilli so much on my curry and pickles it burns my pee yet I won't stop adding it.

Some may say I am ruthless on my sick throat. But that is not true. For that I cure it with honey. Honey is good for my mouth as well as it reduces my pee burning.

I live in city center yet I avoid visiting Doctor to the max. Sometimes I feel may be I am bit abnormal than those who visit doctor with a flue or take lots of medicine from the counter. That I do not do. What I have seen is more I stay away from doctors more I am healthy. It's just I keep finding some home remedies  that helps me to keep distance with doctor.

Once my throat was sick for long time, longer than it normally should last, like more than a month. Eating roasted ginger was not helping not even increasing the dose of it was helping me. I had no option but to take some medicine from the store. Bad news was taking medicines did not help me nor my throat as it was not showing the sign of relaxing. Instead it made me cough more severely. Then after a month and a half later an old lady where I go to buy vegetables on weekly basis suggested me to take jwano powder three times a day. All I have to do is to dry fry Jwano and then make its power. Then take half spoon three times a day, she had suggested me to take a spoon but I took only half spoon as it's so bitter. When I tried it, it cured my throat in just three days.

From that day on I am using jwano and recommending everyone to use it when they face itchy throat. As for my cold I learned recently that salted water with dash of timur is good for it. Because I love the scent of timur so the fast recovery was physiologic too !

Winter Project II

Ashram boys in Pokhara

This year I wanted to reach out at least 200 children [ 100 percent up from my last years project ] or 15 children homes whichever meets the target first to give handmade caps, neck warmers and books for children . 


To meet the target we needed more girls and women to come out and knit for our project.  For that organizing volunteers meet for knitting was must. It was a training program mixing up with kind hearted girls/women. The idea of learning something new encouraged the volunteers to came in for the event more.  I taught them with the hope that I get products in time. However I learned soon that they were in to learn more than to knit for children. Sure enough, we did find some girls/women with heart of gold. I am sure you must have read the blind knitter.

Ashram boys in Kavresthali

All this started in Chitwan where I had gone for a dashain holiday. My brother helped me to raise fund and also gathering women in a church to knit for charity. When it was ready one of the children home which received the warmers was the one the very same church was running. There in Chitwan we could give to two children homes, total of 20 children. In Kathmandu we covered five children homes, total of more than 100 children after that we went to Pokhara where we covered two more children homes - almost forty children.

Children always loves
good story books

Our target is to reach 200 children with our books for children as well as and lovely warmers this year.

Rising hope children home
 in Sana Gaun Lalitpur

How we raised fund for this ? Many friends who reads me in my facebook and keep seeing my post were the ones who gave me money so that I can continue my work and my brother also joined me to help me raise funds so that we can meet the target. He being a pastor came handy for me. He alone was able to raise  funds for more than 70 children  from  speaking in two church.

In the beginning for an easy fund raising I went to  my Ex-boss.  As he is one of the richest man I know. He is  a multimillionaire.  I knew my entire project cost was nothing compared to the assets he has accumulated. But, deep down I also knew he would say NO on my face. As expected he did exactly what was so predictable. He said it with less fanfare. I can't at this time stay in touch after some time. I also have some friends who are rich enough to support my project but they also come out with some excuse.

Baby Life Home Kirtipur

However, I am glad to tell you despite all that I did meet my target. Yes it was not a cakewalk but a good learning that, there are some work which can be done without the support of multi millionaire or some well off people. I am sure that I am very clear what I want to do. So, no ones NO is going to stop me.

eager children reading colorful
story book in Pokhara

This project would not have been a complete success if Ashma Aryal a blind TV journalist had not come into the project as volunteer. She coordinated with all the volunteers who took part in volunteers meet for knitting in Kathmandu and later on whenever any volunteers wanted to knit she would be the linking point between me and the keen volunteer. Not just that she also helped me to pick many children homes. Just like Ashma there was another volunteer Ashma felt very connected with for her good heart and tireless work. Her name is Shova Pudasaini, resident of Nepaltar, Kathmandu. She alone knitted enough for a small children's home which size is ten children in it. During all this time Ashma never make me feel that she is blind herself as she never allowed her blindness to stop her do what she wants and can.

Mercy Home - Pokhara

There are so many people to be thankful for in life for all their good work and generous heart who made it possible for me to meet my target to reach out 200 children and touch lives.

A blind knitter

As a mission to make 200 caps and neck warmers this winter season which will go to many children's homes here in Nepal, I need many women who are ready to volunteer. To meet the target on time, I started organizing many Volunteers Meet for Knitting programs in many cities in Nepal. First it started in Nippani, Chitwan. A church provided space for the event and helped gather women to volunteer. Not just that, this church in Nippani also helped raise fund for wool as well. With the help of my pastor brother and his friends in this church, they helped us to raise fund for 50 children which is a 25 percent of our total target this year.

This event will take place in Kathmandu in the mid of November was already fixed before we organised one such event in Chitwan in October. Here, we organised the event in association of an NGO, Yuwalaya Youth Resources center which is a part of a Youth Action Nepal. In both city volunteers came in with two basic reasons. One to make it for children who are less privileged than us. The other reason  for volunteers to take part in  it was  a desire to learn.

During the last couple of weeks, I have encountered many good hearted women, in both age group young and middle aged. They came to knit for children as well as to learn new patterns as well as better techniques than they knew before. Luckily I could  meet the both expectations from the volunteers in both city.

Sometimes we meet some people in life and when we meet we are just spell bound to that person for who they are and what they do in life.  I met Sabitree Poudel  as a volunteers during the event that took place in Yuwalaya - Youth Resource Center, Min Bhawan, Kathamndu.  She is such a delight of knowing as an individual. She is a masters student of sociology who study in PK Campus. And when she is not just a student, she teaches computer in National Rehabilitation Center for Disabilities which is where she works. Perhaps that is not a complete introduction of her until I tell you she is a total blind girl. She surprised us knitting perfectly; yes  one straight one backward too without a mistake. She knits perfectly despite her eyesight hindrance. Because of what she did for our project, I felt obliged to teach her couple of easy patterns which she can use in most of her knit works as well as she can remember it well. I taught her [ well I explained her allowing her to touch the work I was talking] one of my favourite pattern which I use mostly.She learned it fast and next day I saw her with another woman, teaching her a pattern which I I would have thought ‘she could not have learned it’.  But who am I; to think what she can and what she can't. She already have proved me wrong by knitting with my thinking - you need eyesight to learn knitting.

And she did it perfectly.

When she was doing the new pattern she also surprised me saying I have made mistake at one place and when we checked there was a mistake. Do you really need eye to find mistake in your work ?

When I am thankful to all the volunteers in both places I am specially thankful to another volunteer, Jandhavi Dhakal who sat down with Sabitree and taught her so patiently when all others were too busy on the work they had in their hands. I am also thankful to Ashma Aryal who is another half blind young friend of mine and who coordinated with all the volunteers for this event.

More to be thankful in life.