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Nepal Bheghat 2006 a grand success in Netherlands
As a joint effort, NRN-NL and NDA organized a picnic-plus-camping event with several informative programs from Friday 18th till Sunday 20th of August. The name NEPAL BHETGHAT indicates the main objective to bring Nepalese people together and make them enjoy the relaxing atmosphere with Nepalese food, Nepalese dance and music and tranquil greenery.
The program began on the evening of Friday August 18, with the arrival of about 40 people. The campfire and dohari songs went on until early morning. After breakfast, Saturday August 19 started with a volleyball match between the Nepalese and Dutch people, partners of Nepalese people or friends of Nepal. Interestingly, some ten Nepalese women started singing Tij songs, which reminded all Nepalese people of Tij, which was to take place in a week.
The informational session on ‘Nepalese Asylum Seekers in The Netherlands: Chances and Possibilities’ conducted by Marie Christine Simerink, a lawyer and Shashi Paudyal, the interpreter, was very interactive and instructive. The session emphasized that the political situation in Nepal in the last few months had improved. The Dutch government is fully aware of this improvement and the different possibilities for those who, feeling a life-threatening risk in one part of Nepal, move to another part within Nepal where they feel more safe and secure. Although it is very difficult for Nepalese asylum seekers to get a refusee status, it is however not impossible if one has sufficient documents to prove that the only option left was to flee.
The session was followed by a panel discussion on the topic ‘From Absolute Monarchy to Absolute Democracy: Nepal in Future’. Tulsi Amagain spoke for absolute democracy and a republic in Nepal while Thaneshwor Kanel lobbied for democracy but not for a republic. With a brief background of the past 238 years of the current monarchy and with the examples of India and South Africa, Tulsi reiterated that the current monarchy has been the reason for disparity between rich and poor and the degrading political and economic situations in Nepal, and thereby, an obstacle to full democracy. He further confirmed that the absolute autocracy gave birth to the Maoist movement. He, therefore, strongly believes that Nepal has no other alternative but to become a republic. In fact, Thaneshwor insisted on a democracy which is practiced, as well as preached. He agrees with Tulsi’s view that the monarchy has not been very supportive in the overall development of Nepal, but he complains about the corrupt attitude of leaders of every political party that condemns the monarchy for everything that goes wrong. He finds no democracy within political parties, and sees corrupt leaders from all parties as the main cause for the instability of Nepal today. Shashi Paudyal summarized the views of both contenders and at last, Ram Babu Nepal concluded the debate with his neutral view based on his extensive knowledge of the socio-political arena of Nepal. A Nepalese woman was overheard whispering, “I know nothing about politics. It doesn’t interest me either, but I found the discussion pretty interesting so I learned many things”, to another Nepalese woman next to her.
After the typical delicious Nepali daalbhat, the NRN-NL MT members had a meeting with two Nepalese student representatives. During the meeting a taskforce of two NRN-NL executive members and two Nepalese students was created. The taskforce will study the problems of Nepalese students in general, and identify the areas of problems where NRN-NL, aligning with the Dutch jurisdiction, can extend some help or guidance.
Sunday’s main program of a forest walk was interrupted by a sort of tropical rain. After drawing three lotteries, and lunch, the program ended with the departure of about 70 people, reminding each other not to miss next year’s NEPAL BHETGHAT program.
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