CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Shraddanjali of Shraddha

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Wed, 30 Dec 2015 09:13:00 +0000

December 28th is the passing away anniversary of my mother, who passed away over 40 years ago when I was still at school. Death was and still a terrible subject to discuss and even think today and in those days it was extremely terrific for me. With the passing of time and aging, I realised the message of Lord Krishna in Shreemad Bhagbatgita ''nainam chindanti sastrani

nainam dahati pavakah
na cainam kledayanty apo
na sosayati marutah

The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.

Tribute to my mother as you are immortal in my heart!

BUDDHA WAS BORN IN ...

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:58:00 +0000

Famous poet Sir Edwin Arnold to UN official say Buddha was born in India distorting the fact and hurting the sentiment of millions of Nepali around the globe. However, I had the opportunity to persuade a senior UN official to make him understand and acknowledge that ‘’ Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal.’’

Click here to read more: http://www.theglobal.co.uk/tit-bits-of-nepali-journalism-buddha-was-born-in/

NEPAL AND SANATAN DHARMA

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:55:00 +0000

Sanatan Hindu Dharma since time immemorial and the very name of ‘Nepal’ originates from the name of the Hindu sage ‘Ne.’ The history of Nepal clearly states that the country was protected by sage ‘Ne.’ Therefore there is not an iota of doubt that this is a country of Sanatan Dharma since ancient times.

Over 94 percent of the population living from Mechi to Mahakali and Himal to Terai are of the Omkar family (adherents of Sanatan Dharma) therefore it is pertinent to declare Nepal a Hindu nation where people of different religious groups have lived together in harmony for centuries.

The declaration of secular state was neither the demand of popular movement nor the agenda of political parties nor part of the 12 point understanding signed between the parties in New Delhi. The declaration of secular state was a conspiratorial plot to dismantle the peace, harmony, sovereignty and integrity of Nepal.

Earlier, a meeting of Nepalese living in the United Kingdom this week unanimously decided to launch a Sanatan Hindu Dharma Awareness Campaign (SHDAC) for the restoration of ‘Hindu Nation’ in Nepal for the preservation, protection and promotion of the most ancient and glorious Sanatan Hindu religion.

SHAC decided to support all democratic and peaceful programmes launched in Nepal and around the globe for the restoration of ‘’Hindu Nation.’ ’ The meeting, which was attended by representatives of the sister organisations of Nepalese political parties in the UK, businessmen, professionals and others, decided to launch an online petition campaign to garner support from around the globe and coordinate with Nepalese living in Europe, USA and other parts of the world.

The meeting also discussed about the use of social media for this purpose. The meeting held extensive discussion about the need of declaring Hindu state in Nepal. The release urged all to sign the petition through the following link: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/declare-nepal-hindu-nation.html

Sanatan Hindu Dharma has been the religious tradition of Nepal since time immemorial. Renowned ancient Maharshis and King Janak, Sita, and Gautam Buddha were born and lived in Nepal. Modern history clearly states that Hindu sage named ‘Ne’ established Nepal during prehistoric times, and that the word ‘Nepal’ means the place protected by the sage ‘Ne.’ There is no an iota of doubt that this is the land of Sanatan Dharma since time immemorial where the greatest sages spent their time in meditation and wrote the greatest religious scriptures.

Kailash, Pashupatinath, Gokarna, Muktinath, Janakpur, Ruru, Barah, Lumbini, Devghat and hundreds of pilgrimages, shrines, temples, monasteries, dharmashalas and ashrams dating back thousands of years are the testimonies of this fact. The ancient temples existing for thousands of years are the clear evidence of the existence of Sanatan Hindu religion in Nepal. The Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Kirantis and other religious adherents lived together respecting each other for thousands of years. The tolerable Hindu culture of ‘Basudaiva Kutumbakam’ is in the heart and mind of the devotees of this glorious tradition.

Adherents of Omkar family (Sanatan Dharma) constitute over 94 percent of the people of Nepal, from Mechi to Mahakali and from Himalayas to the Terai. The perfect example of brotherhood and fraternity exist between the adherents of Sanatan Dharma and the followers of other religious beliefs since ancient time. Hindu culture leads our life from birth to death on every occasions and it is in our genes. The greatest Hindu scriptures Vedas, Upanishads and Shreemad Bhagwat Gita and Ramayana and Mahabharata epic are considered to be the supreme creation of the universe. Hindus, Buddhists, Kirantis, Jains, Shikhs and other Sanatan followers have unique cultural identity which cannot be found in any part of the world.

In this context, declaration of ‘secular state’ was neither the demand of popular movement of 2006 nor it was the agenda of 12 point understanding of the political parties signed in New Delhi. Therefore declaration of secular state was undemocratic and against the mandate of people. This conspiratorial declaration of secular state breaking thousands of years old religious, social and cultural harmony, fraternity and unity of Nepal is utterly unacceptable. This is against human rights principles and international values and norms.

For that reason, it is hostile to the social, cultural and religious beliefs and harmony of Nepal. The Nepali people outright refuse this undemocratic declaration and understand that this was due to external pressure and plot. As a result, thousands of years’ social, religious and cultural harmony among the people of different ethnic and religious groups and the indivisible entity, sovereignty and unity of Nepal has been dismantled.

There are many nations in the world which are known as Islamic, Christian and Buddhist countries. There are about one billion Hindus around the world. Nepal can be the representative identity of the Hindus all over the world. The only Sanatan Hindu country of the world is the pride, identity and glory of Nepal. Sanatan culture is our testimony of rich social, religious and cultural heritage and dignity and beauty.

In light of this ancient glorious tradition of Sanatan Hindu Dharma and respecting the aspirations and feelings of the people, Nepal must be declared a ‘Hindu Nation.’

For more information: www.uknhf.org.uk

http://www.theglobal.co.uk/uk-campaign-for-a-hindu-nation-in-nepal/

NEPAL AND HINDUISM

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:49:00 +0000

Why should Nepal be a Hindu Nation?

Nepal is in the process of drafting a new democratic constitution. There are many issues among them the reinstatement of Hinduism is one of them as Nepal was declared secular state without people’s mandate. It was neither the demand of the popular movement nor the agenda of any political party. Sanatan Hindu religion has been the social, cultural and religious tradition of Nepal since ancient time. Historical facts and evidence since ancient time clearly suggest that Nepal has deeply rooted Sanatan Hindu tradition and that tradition continued from various prehistoric periods: Gopal Banshi (cow-herder), Mahaiṣapālavaṃśa (buffalo-herder) to Kiranti, Lichchavi, Thakuri, Malla, Shah, Rana dynasties and even today.

Land of Hindus

Though there are many interpretations about the origin of Nepal, there is no doubt that the name ‘Nepal’ comes from Sanskrit, the language used in the religious scriptures of the Sanatan Hindu. Therefore there is clear link of Sanatan dharma and Nepal for thousands of years. The names of places mentioned in Hindu religious scriptures like Kailash, Pashupatinath, Gokarna, Muktinath, Janakpur, Ruru, Barah, Lumbini, Devghat and hundreds of pilgrimages, shrines, temples, monasteries, dharmashalas and ashrams dating back thousands of years are the testimonies of this fact. The ancient temples existing for thousands of years are the clear evidence of the existence of Sanatan Hindu religion in Nepal. The evidences of even before the ancient and modern history clearly suggest this land to be known as holy land because of the ancient rishis and maharshis, who created the greatest of the greatest religious scriptures of the universe.

The longest ruling clan Kirantis, Lichchhavis and Mallas have made remarkable contributions in the promotion of religious way of life during their reigns constructing most of the famous temples of the Kathmandu valley, where there were many temples than houses and was known as the city of temples until a few years ago. Even some kings of the Shah dynasty and Rana rulers promoted religious culture and refused to allow the entry of British empire ruling in India. The British empire which had ruled most of the world then, was requesting the permission for a route to Tibet for trade but Nepal government refused with the notion "with the merchants come the musket and with the Bible comes the bayonet." However, Nepal could not face that pressures and had to fight the war with mighty British Empire in India. After the defeat in the war, Nepal lost one third of its land, and with this the entry of bible was easily accessible into the Himalayan nation.

Politics

Though the Rana and Shah dynasties were autocratic, they were too some extent were able to stop the entry of western imperialist religion. Even after the first revolution of 1950, which opened the door for democracy ending the dynastic rule of Ranas, Nepal remained Hindu nation. The struggles for the restoration of democracy continued as the then King Mahendra sacked the elected government in 1960 and ruled the nation as an autocratic ruler banning all democratic political activities. The 1990s popular movement, which was inspired by the collapse of the Communism from the USSR and Eastern Europe, limited the role of monarchy. However, even after the end of direct rule of the monarchy, the constitution promulgated after that gave continuity to the Hindu nation. Amidst the Maoists’ civil war and the royal palace massacre, the new king Gyanendra became ambitious to be an autocratic ruler. His ambitious mission to crush the democratic rights united all political forces- democratic and Communists- in one fold and a massive peaceful popular movement compelled the king to give up his power. The parliament which was restored at the height of the movement in 2006 abolished 240 year old monarchy and declared Nepal a republic country. The new interim constitution also declared Nepal a secular state, which was neither the demand of the people nor the agenda of any political party. How would people accept this ?

The main demand of the popular movement, which brought millions of people in the street, was the end of king’s rule and restoration of democracy. Prior to the popular movement, the main political parties including the Maoists had signed a 12 point understanding in New Delhi. The demand of the popular movement and the 12 point understanding are the main bottom line of Nepal’s political development. However, ‘secularism’ was neither the demand of the popular movement nor any parties nor the 12 point understanding. Therefore declaring secular state was against the mandate of the people so it is against the demand and wishes of the people.

Hindu culture in daily life

Over 94 percent of the population are the followers of Hinduism (81.3percent), Buddhism (9 percent), Kirantis, Jainism, and Sikhism and belong to the Sanatan Dharma (Omkar family). The Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, Kirantis and other religious adherents lived together respecting each other for thousands of years. Celebration of dozens of festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Rakshyabandhan, Shree Krishna Janmashtami, Ekadashi (in every 15 days) Aunshi and Purnima (new moon and full moon, twice a month) are also the part of daily life. There is no almost a single day when there is no any festival, rituals and celebratory occasion in Sanatan culture. Most of the people in Nepal engage in Vedic rituals on a daily basis. People perform daily chores such as worshiping early in the morning after bathing, recitation of Gayatri and other mantra, reading religious scriptures, singing devotional hymns, meditation and reciting scriptures.

Sanatan Hindu religious tradition is deeply rooted in Nepalese society. Adherents of this tradition perform 16 sanskars (rituals) from birth to death and there are hundreds of other religious ceremonies, rituals, festivals and traditional performance during their life time. Some people even follow Hinduiusm and Buddhism and other rituals and it is in the blood and genes of Nepalese. There is the saying that the people of Kathmandu have more festivals and rituals than the whole days in a year.

The very meaning of Sanatan Dharma is ‘eternal’ or universal principle’ that governs everyone irrespective of culture, race, religion, belief and practices. These truths of universal principle are believed to be divinely revealed to ancient rishis and passed town orally for many years and written down thousands of years later. This is the most tolerant dharma with social harmony with different religious sects. There is no practice of conversion in Hinduism like in other religion. However, with the declaration of secular state, media reports suggest that the conversion has sky rocketed. The population of Christian was 0.4 percent in 2001, however, this number jumped to 1.4 percent while the number of Buddhists gone down.

With this the social harmony has shattered. Religion is a completely personal and private matter but there is no informed choice to the people of underprivileged areas of Nepal. Conversion can create problem of radicalisation so there is the need to think about it in time. The news reports in the local media reveal that conversion has flourished and with this there is clash and conflicts with different caste and creeds in the society. Political parties and activists are saying that the conversion has created conflicts in the name of caste, religion and ethnicity. Neither converting a few millions of people can make the Christianity a great religion, nor can it create social harmony existing in Nepal for centuries. In view of the centuries old tradition, popular demand and wishes of people, and create social harmony existing among the people of Nepal for centuries, declaration of sanatan dharma with religious freedom is the most appropriate option in the new constituion. People’s aspiration is the most democratic process and all must respect their choice. There are many countries in the world which are Buddhists, Islamic, Christian and even a small country Israel, surrounded by Islamic countries, is a Jewish state. There is no Hindu nation in the world. Hinduism is the pride, glory and identity of Nepal. Sanatan dharma Hinduism is the oldest religion with great scriptures like Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagwat Gita etc.

When there are more than 40 Muslim countries and over 70 Christian countries, why can't Nepal become a Hindu state as a representative of about a billion Hindus all over the world? Either there should be a referendum to give people the right to vote or Nepal be declared Sanatan Hindu nation.

Source: http://www.theglobal.co.uk/why-should-nepal-be-a-hindu-nation/

TRIBUTE TO MY MUM !

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sat, 21 Dec 2013 14:16:00 +0000

My heartfelt tribute to my mum late Ganga Devi Upadhyaya on the day of annual Shraddha ritual on Tritiya Tithi Yesterday. I am regularly following this tradition (performing Shraddha each and every year) since the passing away of my mother three decades ago when I had just entered my teenage life. I could not imagine my life without my mother in those days (will I survive in her absence? used to be the question inside my heart, though I could not express such feeling openly fearing that the society would consider me a a weakest of the weak- a coward). But time passes, people live and life goes- but in a different way changing the life style completely in the absence of mother, who is the creator- more than God for every person.

Every mother is special to their children. But my mother was specially special and different from others- for me. First, the credit goes to my mother for all the positive things I have learnt and achieved today. Her emphasis on education was immense, far reaching and deep. She instructed me to read religious scriptures Durga, Chandi and later Bhagwat and Veda. I still remember that she had inculcated me the habit of reading these books- at least one every morning chanting clearly before I eat anything. I exactly do not know when I started this but it must be when I was around 7/8 years old- long before my Bratabandha ceremony. That helped me a lot to develop the habits of reading books.

Secondly, she always said 'never do anything wrong, bad with the intention of harming others even if it benefits you personally.' Living a life of value was certainly an exemplary instruction of my mother. That helped me to lead that way of life- which I think is extremely positive to be fair, live a life without prejudice and with justice and equality and thinking the underprivileged that makes us humble all time.

Another important lesson I learnt from my mother was that simplicity is the best way. ''Look none is happy even if they are rich and have got everything because they have not lived a moral life and hungry for everything- material wealth all the time.'' That impressed me very much when I started to understand life later after she passed away. Despite not being able to get any formal education, she always thought that education is extremely important in life and always stressed us on that point. Though I believed without understanding, I now understand it clearly and she is absolutely right.

Now looking back, I remember how impressive were those words- the amulet of my creator- always chanting like a delicious music in my head and reminding me those important issues of life which I think has significance even today- even if I am living in a very completely different age and environment today compared to my mother' day circumstances and environment.

It is not necessary to be Mother Teressa and all cannot be like her as their influence is limited to only family, society and specific country. But many mothers are more than Mother Teressa to some extent and definitely my mother was one of them- if not for the wider society - it was definitely for me. I have a completely different feelings about mother, the creator, as they can never be wrong to their children. Though the circumstances is completely different today in the place where I live, I still believe that mother is always the mother and cannot be replaced by any other except mother.

Tribute to my mother on this annual Shraddha day!

May your soul rest in peace!

May you be eternally blessed!

MANDELA GLORIFIED NEPAL

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sat, 07 Dec 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and the renowned freedom fighter, who passed away at the age of 95 ON 5th December 2013 had glorified Nepal during the Non Aligned Movement Summit held in Durban in 1998. There were a total of 114 member states of the NAM and they were attending the summit. Being the host country Mandela and his wife Graca Machel were receiving the guests shaking hands one by one before the inauguration of the summit. It took long time to receive them all so there was just hand shake and move process.

But when Nepal’s late prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who was leading the Nepalese delegation, came to meet with Mandela, he not only shook hand but also hugged Koirala and spoke for a few minutes. When I asked Girija Prasad Koirala about the content of the talk after the summit, he said ‘it was about democracy and freedom in Nepal.’ I was covering the news of the summit sitting with media persons around the world. There was an editor of Al Aharam news agency of Egypt sitting beside me. When I told him the person talking with Mandela for a long time was Nepal’s prime minister, the al ahram news agency journalist surprisingly asked me ‘’is there any special relations between Nepal and South Africa.’’ When I said 'no' then he said ''why Mandela was talking with your prime minister for so long time.'' I replied ‘’Nepal’s prime minister is also a freedom fighter like Mandela.’’ That was just my guess answer. Egypt’s then president Hosni Mubarak was also attending the summit and Egypt was one of the five countries to founding members of the non aligned movement including India, Indonesia and Yugoslavia. However, Mandela did not give any importance to Mubarak. It was clear that Mandela was honouring democracy and freedom.

The other leaders getting time to talk with Mandela were Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Columbian president, who was the chair of the NAM before South Africa. It clearly showed Mandela gave priority to the democracy and freedom across the globe that also reflected his talk and meeting with Nepal’s prime minister. Meeting Mandela was a great privilege during the summit.

I also remember another incident during the summit. Security was beefed up around the summit venue and big concrete blocks were placed specially in the evening. One day, we saw some people outside the summit and they were crying and protesting against the huge security presence and in fact what had happened was they were beggars and they were driven out of their usual place of the streets. They were crying and shouting to make their voice heard but when we met some of them all praised President Mandela. I still remember a man saying ‘’Tata Madibu is like our father.’’ Then only I knew Mandela was called Tata Madibu as a respect. We had danced the whole night in the beach, which used to be reserved only for 'white people' during the apartheid era and the famous singer sang the popular song '' Tata Madibu.' Now there are such song echoing in every corner of South Africa.

There were and are still problems in South Africa. Crime was so rife that there was news in the local newspaper one youth was killed in the train for money and only less than 1 rand was found in his pocket. When we were taken to a hotel in Johannesburg from the airport, the local driver said ‘’ I am going to the long route,’’ when we asked why he said showing to a township near the area ‘’ that is a dacoits area.’’ Though there was security and it was in the broad day light that was the security situation. When we went to Durban airport to fly to Johannesburg after the conclusion of the summit, after security check up we were waiting to board a plane , our passports were stolen- all the 18 passports of the Prime Minister’s entourage were stolen from inside the airport that too after the security check up. Interestingly while discussing this terrible situation, Durganath Sharma of Nepal Television who was showing his passport was also gone within a second. So we can imagine how the situation there was. Despite this, Mandela led the country, struggled for democracy, freedom, human rights and succeeded to achieve that goal. He spent most of his important youthful age in prison- 27 years and had to divorce his wife Winnie Mandela, a freedom fighter after she was found to be involved in criminal activities and did everything for the sake of reconciliation making his own captor the white ruler- instead he made him vice president. He is an inspiring figure for democracy, freedom, peace, reconciliation, leadership, courage and bravery. Everyone should follow his path specially our leaders in Nepal. Tribute to this towering figure and friend of Nepal.

TRIBUTE TO MANDELA

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 19:46:00 +0000

I am shocked with the passing away of Nelson Mandela, the towering figure of the world. He was 95. I am neither a politician nor a remarkable figure but his passing away makes me feel horror-struck because I had the honour of shaking hand with him and he was remarkably a great statesman solely devoting his life for the sake of democracy and freedom in South Africa and around the world. I had the privilege of covering the news of Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala’s visit to the Non Alignment Movement (NAM) Summit held in Durban of South Africa in 1998. ‘Shaking hand with Mandela’ is a glorious moment of my life. He is a towering political figure, respected and revered not only in South Africa but around the world for his commitment and sacrifice for the sake of democracy and freedom.

No any political leaders of the modern day world match up with Mandela after Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. He is the symbol of principles and sacrifice and sense of responsibility. Despite spending 27 years in infamous prison Robin Island during the apartheid era in South Africa, he did not take revenge to his captors- the white rulers despite public outrage to arrest and take action against them. He set an example of tolerance in politics and reconciliation became a guideline to those who are aspiring to be leader. His principle for democracy and free society is the example around the world. He is the most respected and the most courageous leader of the globe.

He sacrificed everything – 27 years in prison, his previous wife after she was accused of wrong doing and devoted his entire life for the principle of democracy, freedom and most importantly making reconciliation with the white rulers. He suffered, he struggled and ultimately he succeeded to achieve what he was fighting for-freedom in South Africa. Mandela will be remembered for many generation as an exemplary leader of bravery, courage, principles and sacrifice.

I have a high opinion of Mandela for his values and principles for freedom, democracy and tolerance. I also revered him for his reverence to Nepal. Before the inaugural session of NAM summit in Durban, Mandela had received 114 leaders of the world. I was the witness of that event at the Durban conference centre, and among them he shook hand firmly and spent a few seconds/ minutes with five leaders. Girija Prasad Koirala was among them and others were Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Palestine leader Yasser Arafat and president of Colombia who was then the chair of NAM. Mandela giving time to Koirala was a respect for Nepal’s newly restored democracy. Nepalese politicians must learn from the life of Nelson Mandela. He is an inspiring leader and we must learn his values and principles to make our life meaningful.

I pay tribute to this towering figure of the world.

Maha Shivaratri

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 22:47:00 +0000

Aum Namo Shivan Nama! We are celebrating Shivaratri today. This is one of the greatest festival of the Hindus all over the world. Though we could not organise special formal religious programme on our own at our residence, which we wanted, we visited Hindu temple in Reading and paid homage to Lord Shiva. Chanting devotional Shiva bhajans and attending the arati was really inspiring and interesting, at least, we did something to give continuity to our great spiritual tradition of thousands of years. And it was really motivating to visit with all family members and friends.

There are many stories about the tradition of celebrating Maha Shivaratri. After Samundra Manthan, Lord Shiva drank poison then went to the Himalayas to meditate. After the demons knew that powerful nectar was found , demons tried to steal it from the Gods because they wanted to be more powerful than the Gods and destroy and take over the heaven. After severe battles between the Gods and demons ( virtue and evils) Devas or Gods became able to defeat the demons because victory is always with the good or truth and they received gift of immortality- the nectar. Drinking the poison, Lord Shiva sacrificed himself for the safety of his universe and this is the remembrance of that day.

Another version of the story is this: After the creation of the world, Parvati asked Lord Shiva which devotees and rituals pleased him the most. The Lord replied that the 14th night of the new moon, in the dark fortnight during the month of Phalgun, is his most favorite day. Parvati repeated these words to her friends, from whom the word spread over all creation. Since then Shivaratri is being observed by Hindus across the globe.

IN MEMORY OF MY MOTHER

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 12:38:00 +0000

My mother had passed away three decades ago when I was a school boy. The memory and love of my mother is still fresh in me. Her absence is felt everyday and night. Like other loving mother, her love was really incomparable. She was very much worried about everything for us. Her deep devotion for our study was remarkable. I still remember that she used to tell us to read Durga and Chandi every day early in the morning so I used to read by heart, and that became everyday activity of my life for many years- even after the death of my mother. Though I read those religious scriptures by heart, I did not understand the meaning- the essence of those text. Despite this, it helped me to learn about Sanskrit and it was useful to learn English in my later life. It also helped me to be very sensitive to the feelings of people specially to those of downtrodden - living in extreme difficulties.

Most importantly, the insistence of my mother to study well, to have the feeling to others and to have pity and sympathy to people always encouraged me to be in that path forever. Like any sensible mother, my mother taught me " help others if you can, if you cannot then do not do any harm to others." That mantra given to me by my mother is always with me as a philosophy of my life which I promise to keep it intact throughout my life.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of passing away of my mother. I have the memory of her passing away while getting treatment in a mission hospital in Nepal. Though I was not with her when she died, my father and sister were with her. When people returned after the cremation of her body in Ramdi, in the bank of river Kaligandaki, the first word of people I remember is " take out your cap." It is the custom not to wear cap after the death of parents. I wept and became almost unconscious for sometimes. Time passes quickly - it is more than three decades. My mother could not see our wedding, could not see her grand children which is the dream of every parents and grandparents. Above all, she could not see how we studied and how we are doing in our professional life. Whatever, her dream was about our future, she must be happy that we have not done what she told us: " help others if you can, do not harm others."

Every year, we do Śrāddha ( श्राद्ध) on the day of her passing away. Śrāddha is remembering the ancestors. "Sat" means truth, "Adhar" means basis. Lliterally Shraddha means anything or 'any act that is performed with all sincerity and faith.' In the Hindu religion,it is a way for people to express heartfelt gratitude and thanks towards their parents and ancestors, for having helped them to be what they are and praying for their eternal peace. Our heartfelt tribute to our mother Ganga Devi.

BANKERS' BONUS AND STREET SLEEPERS

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Do not be too much greedy and selfish. The nursery rhyme cited in “The Wasteland” by great literary figure T.S. Eliot “London bridge is falling down, falling down” seems to be appropriate in the present context of London where selfish; money maker bankers have been engulfing the social values and shattered the society with their own new philosophy of “only money matters.”

As all over the world, London, the financial hub of the world was celebrating Christmas, the biggest festival of over one billion Christians around the world. There was contrast in the celebration as some people specially the London bankers have pushed the boat out with feast and festivities, joys and jubilation. While there were about 4,000 rough sleepers in London alone- and they are sleeping in the streets while the bankers, who took millions of pound as bonus, are enjoying idiotically and at the expense of the tax payers- each and every citizens of this country, however, rough sleepers, whose ambition is just to keep hand and mouth togehter, have been ignored. They are living 30 year shorter than average people of the city. Bankers, who are lavishly enjoying life at the cost of tax payers with millions of pounds of salary, bonuses and pensions, seem to be completely blind about the plight of so many people when in the heart of London 150- 300 people are camping outside the St Paul Cathedral for month’s for fairer society. Christmas is celebrated in memory of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed his life or was crucified for the sake of common people. According to the latest figures of charity Broadway, about 3,975 rough sleepers live in London. Most of them do not live there because they enjoy being homeless, do not like to work or live with family. The main reasons as most of the rough sleepers say in one voice, they do not have job, no family life or other problems like alcoholism or drugs which are serious social problems.

The country is under recession, the unemployment rate is going up, there is cut in each sector and in every corner of the country, there is pay freeze for some months and years, many industries are being closed making many people redundant. The root cause of all these problems is said to be the banking sector. The government is compelled to pump money to the banking sector in the hope of saving our economy so that the country vibrates like pumping blood to other organs of our body and save and make our economy prosperous. However, the bankers at the cost of the tax payers and at the cost of government’s good intention of injecting resources so that the whole country moves in the right track and at the cost of the very foundation and existence of the country, bribing and milking making the “London bridge is falling down, falling down” which has a symbolic meaning. It is the falling down of our economy. It is the falling down of our values and norms. It is the falling down of social and family values. It is the end of moral values like we saw during the summer riot in London and other parts of the country.
What is the difference between the plunderers during the London riot and the bankers? There is definitely some difference. One group burgled through arson and rioting wearing hoody and the other wearing suit and dining in the posh restaurants. The London rioters can justify their acts saying lack of opportunities for their living. But how can the bankers justify their plunder of millions of pound when millions of people have been living in extremely difficult circumstance? Like the London bridge in the nursery rhyme our social and family values are falling down. There is the degradation and draught of morality and integrity. We can improve the teenage rioters by better educating them, providing them employment and opportunities and teaching them about the importance of probity, decency and honesty. Most of them have said that they have “no future” as there is no any prospect of their future. Their action can be forgiven if they improve. However, how can we acquit the bankers for this mess and chaos of economic sector? Yes we can. But if the bankers do to mend this mess.

It is essential to understand the meaning of the nursery rhyme: give, be compassionate and self control (Datta, Dayadhvam, Damyat) as mentioned by the great literary figure Eliot, who had taken these from the Hindu scriptures Upanishads. Giving is the essence of all religions: Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and other religious denomination. While celebrating Christmas Arch Bishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has rightly said: “The most pressing question we now face, we might well say, is who and where we are as a society. Bonds have been broken, trust abused and lost.”

"Whether it is an urban rioter mindlessly burning down a small shop that serves his community, or a speculator turning his back on the question of who bears the ultimate cost for his acquisitive adventures in the virtual reality of today's financial world, the picture is of atoms spinning apart in the dark," he said.

UK was not a country of selfish, greedy materialistic people in the past like today but a country of altruistic, moderate and noble personalities but that image of the United Kingdom is diminished into the dust due to the devil like money oriented selfish bankers. To revive the glorious past, it is essential to think of Datta, Dayadvam and Damyat (be selfless, give, be compassionate and self control). Rewind the values to solve the present day crisis, will our bankers listen the message of Williams or follow the nursery rhyme which they remember quite clearly even today?

CROSS CULTURAL UDNERSTANDING:NEPALI WAY

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:46:00 +0000

Prime Minister David Cameron said recently that “state multiculturalism failed in the UK.” This generlaisation seems to have been deduced wrongly taking reference to minority of some extremist cases. However, multiculturalism has been thriving in the UK making it one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world. This holds true in the context of Nepali immigrants who are known for their low-profile existence but have made remarkable contributions through various dense associations and civic activities.
Greater Reading Nepalese Community Association (GRNCA), for example, has played a huge role in short span of time in the social and cultural integration in their new home- the United Kingdom, where the number of Nepali is estimated to be around 100,000, according to Centre for Nepal Studies UK (CNSUK).
GRNCA is one of the pioneer Nepali organisations that was established with the effort of around a dozen Nepalis in the UK with the aim to promote cross-cultural understanding through various activities including social, sports, cultural, religious events and festivals.

Former chairperson of the GRNCA Arjun Basnet, recalling establishment of the GRNCA with a dozen of his colleagues, says: “Identity strikes first, so we decided to be united in the name of our own motherland – Nepal - and formed Nepali community a decade ago.”
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in the Himalayas bordering China and India. Many Nepalese do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions. The country has the world’s only national flag that is non-quadrilateral in shape.
When the GRNCA committee was formed, there were only a handful of people including founding chairperson of its predecessor organisation, popularised as Reading Nepali Society, C.B. Gurung, so that they could meet, eat and drink together in a house during festivals.
Within a few years’ time, the number of Nepali grew to over 5,000 (according to a census conducted by CNSUK) in Reading area, which is a complex multi-cultural community mainly comprising Indians, Pakistanis, Nepali, Afro-Caribbean and Polish.

Through the platform, the Nepali community in Greater Reading area, also provides volunteer help and conducts research on lifestyle, social behavior and political leanings.
Basnet says, “Giving continuity to our rich social and cultural heritage so that the new generations do not forget their base and integration of Nepali community in the British system for overall improvements of lifestyles in the Greater Reading area is our main objective.”
The humble initiative now has spread to Reading Borough Council, Wokingham District and West Berkshire District Council where over 5,000 people of the community attend the programmes, which have been organised on regular basis for the last few years. Members of other religious beliefs say the efforts of Greater Reading Nepali Community are very significant in understanding and promoting cross-cultural understanding.
More click here

SARASWATI PUJA IN THE UK

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:57:00 +0000

Nepalese community living in the UK celebrated Basant Panchami or the Saraswati Puja organising various programmes and encouraging children to pay attention to the study and Hindu values.

Basant Panchami which is known as Shree Panchami or Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, is celebrated every year. Traditionally during this festival children are taught to write their first words and educational institutions organise special puja of Saraswati.

Shiva Cultural Centre and Nepalese Hindu Forum UK jointly organised a programme at Gorkha Hindu temple, Farnborough on the occasion where Pundit Shiv Niraula and Lama Kesang Ghale shed light on the importance of Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge, and urged parents to be role model because they are the first teachers of their children.

Religious Teacher of Swaminarayan School Kishan Devani shedding light on the significance of Basant Panchami said children are eager to know new things and can be convinced if we explain them scientifically. Highlighting the great Hindu religious tradition, he said our children should feel proud to be Hindu and be the best citizens.

Bhajan was presented by members of the Farnborough Sai Kendra on the occasion which was attended by a large number of people from Farnborough, Aldershot, London and Reading among others.

Chairman of Nepalese Hindu Forum UK, Major (Retd) Surya Upadhya conducted the programme while Pundit Shiv Niraula performed Aarati after the conclusion of the programme.

Meanwhile, Basant Panchami was also observed in Reading on the same day where over 3 dozen children participated and worshipped Saraswati, Goddess of knowledge.

BALAJI TEMPLE: CENTRE OF INTERFAITH

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:42:00 +0000

Religious harmony, peaceful co-existence, respect, love, non violence, fraternity and brotherhood and above all tolerance and pluralism are the essence of Hinduism, known as Sanatan Dharma- eternal religion. Giving that great tradition of the oldest religion of the world in the modern era when there is conflicts and clashes among the religions, South Indian Hindus have presented an exemplary effort of Hindu tradition of tolerance and even have created seven Faith hills inside the Balaji temple in Dudley, Birmingham UK. Who would consider giving place to other faiths with which serious clashes had occurred in the past?

Balaji temple which is established in the style of Balaji of Tirupati in South India has 7 faith hills representing seven major religions including the Islam which had invaded and forcibly converted many Hindus in South Asia during the raids for centuries. The Balaji temple, which was constructed at a cost of £ 6.5 million, covers an area of 21.5 acres of land making it the biggest Hindu temple in Europe.

Amidst this spiritual feelings inside and the chanting of the Vedic hymn, hundreds of people performed Satyanarayan Puja at the Balaji temple, which is the second biggest Balaji temple after Tirupati in India, on the occasion of Makar Sakranti day. More than 100 couple had booked the puja and hundreds of other people participated in the joint puja in the temple conducted by pundits of South India. A group of 20 members of the Nepalese Hindu Forum UK (NHFUK) also attended the puja in the temple. About 3,000 devotees visit the temple every week, according to the temple officials. The temple is set with a number of different shrines and other facilities and it has grown over a 10-year period to become physically the largest South Indian temple precinct in Europe.
Religious places are for all- irrespective of their colour and creeds. Religion should be like the definition of democracy by Abraham Lincoln who defines democracy “for the people, by the people and of the people.” So is religion. And religious place of any faiths should generate that feelings inside human beings- the feelings of compassion, friendship and love and only that can ensures the safety of our universe. In this context, the temple burgeons spiritual feelings even entering the temple premise which is located in a beautiful area with green faith hills created with the feeling of promoting friendship and understanding among the religions. This is one of the attractions of the temple complex that includes seven Faith hills created to represent seven major faiths in the United Kingdom. Lord Buddha's statue, carved by a local sculptor, was installed on one of the hills in May 2001.
Christianity faith hills was laid by Arch Bishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams in 2008 bears a plaque with an inscription “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbour as yourself.” The temple has set aside the hills devoting to different religious faiths including Judaism, Jain, Shikh, Islam, Christianity and Buddhism in accordance with the great Hindu tradition of tolerance, fraternity and brotherhood and respect to other beliefs.

Though Hindus respect other faiths and some sects even pray and worship the Gods of other faiths, this is most probably the first temple to give space to other religious faiths presenting a clear illustration of great Hindu tradition of tolerance and friendship.

After the puja, Indian origin children and students of School for Vedic heritage run by the temple, read the story of Satyanarayan giving life to the great Hindu scriptures which were passed from one generation to another for centuries.

The temple, which is constructed in the style of Balaji in Tirupati houses Ganesh, Murugan, Shirdi Baba, Navagraha, Lakshmi, Shiva and Hanuman Shrines. Faith guide of the temple Ram Athal said the temple also runs a School for Vedic heritage which organizes a weekly Sunday school for children between the ages of 5 and 12 in order to ensure the best possible teaching, understanding and practice of Hindu Dharma and values.

The temple runs a School for Vedic heritage which organizes a weekly Sunday school for children between the ages of 5 and 12 in order to ensure the best possible teaching, understanding and practice of Hindu Dharma and values.

"The aims of this school are to preserve and promote Sanathana Dharma, to inspire children and provide an opportunity for them to learn about their rich heritage, to develop a positive personality based on physical, spiritual and mental development and to create an environment where children learn, enjoy, make friends and learn new skills," according to the temple.

In order to gain a broad understanding and an appreciation of this vast field of knowledge, various scriptures and epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharatha,Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita , Bhagavatha Purana and the moral values, Bhakthi, Prayer, Worship and Pooja, Hindu Rituals in their historic context and their relevance today are taught in the school. The way of righteous living, known in Sanskrit as Sanatan Dharma is timeless and eternal and it is the foundation stone and a guiding light for every aspect of living, including one’s conduct in life, pursuit of knowledge and its objectives.

Chairman of the temple Dr N. Rao shed light in detail to the Nepalese Hindu Forum members about the construction of the temple. The plan of inaugurating the temple by then king Birendra of Nepal, the only Hindu Kingdom of the world ( but now Nepal is a republic and secular state) could not materialize due to his assassination in the mysterious massacre in the Narayanhity royal palace in June 2001. The reverence to Nepal, where over 80 percent of the population is Hindus, is still there to the Hindus all over the world.

One of the founders, Dr K Somasundara Rajah said: "We used to have the use of another temple but then the congregation got bigger and in 1974 some of our group thought we should get our own temple. We said we should build a replica of the Tarupati Temple in South India which is situated in The Tirumala Hill in Andhra Pradesh. The temple covers an area of about 10.33 square miles. Like seven faith hills in Balaji temple in UK, there are seven peaks, representing the seven heads of Aadisesha which we can read in our scriptures as Seshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is on Venkatadri, known as the Temple of Seven Hills.
It is said that Dr Rajah and Dr Narayan Rao among others have spent 30 years planning the temple which is one of the most sacred sites in the Hindu tradition. This initiative will definitely help not only promote and preserve rich Hindu cultures and tradition but also create harmony, goodwill and friendship and peace among different religious communities in the United Kingdom and present an example for others around the globe.

HOW IS PAKISTANI COMMUNITY IN THE UK PROMOTING CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING?

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:25:00 +0000

“Bismi Allaahi Arrahmaani Arrahiim...” recite a group of children of Pakistani origin at a community mosque in Reading. The children recite Quran almost every day so that they better understand the teachings of Prophet Mohammad. “ The essence of Islamic teaching is to be merciful,” says Ahmad Raza, Imam of Reading Islamic Centre. That is what was the teaching of Prophet Mohammed, said the young British educated Imam.

Most of the children attending the mosques have recently arrived from Pakistan or their parents are religious and want to give continuity to their traditional way of teachings of Islam. I asked some of the children reciting the Quran why they read Quran every day, most of them said that it is their religious duty to pray and recite Quran five times a day.

According to the Islamic website Salaam there are a total of 1,689 mosques in the United Kingdom and majority of the mosques are said to be of the Pakistani community. Prayers, reading of the Quran, meetings and events are being held in the mosques regularly and they have been giving continuity to their religious practices.

Imam Raza says that the people living in the United Kingdom are more religious and practice religion strictly than in Pakistan. There is fear and threat in Pakistan and the Islamic extremists bombed mosques in various places in the recent days when the government adopted tough measures to wipe out the menace of terrorism whereas people are free to practice their religious beliefs in the United Kingdom. One highly skilled migrant from Pakistan says: “We are very free here, we can pray even during the time of our duty.” The prays and reciting help promote cross cultural understanding as we learn about the teachings of prophet “to be merciful and respect others’ beliefs,” he said.

Newspapers report that the Pakistani community is isolated and not fully integrated into the British way of life as they do not mingle with people of other religious faiths. Imam Raza agrees and says: “Older generation was completely isolated at least from the British public because of the lack of English language but the new generation is more than British.” Majority of the Pakistani Muslim youths are completely westernized and broke ties from Muslim language and cultures. Now the community is integrated as there are mix marriages and a large number of Pakistanis are in politics, business and other fields and that has helped for more interaction and understands each others.

In the Indian sub continent people like to mix up, visit each other without appointment or information, said Mrs Sahila Sheikh, who came to the UK 20 years ago. But the situation here is completely different, she said, adding “I have friends of different faiths and I have visited temples, Gurudwara and Churches and there is no problem for me to mix up and interact with people of all faiths.”

Pakistani Muslim community is part of the interfaith group which “enable members of different faiths to learn about each other's beliefs, practices and traditions to create greater friendship, harmony and understanding.” According to Reading Interfaith “We begin in our own community, working to eliminate prejudice and fear by promoting knowledge and appreciation of each other. For more than twenty years we have organized events in Reading to experience each other's worship, witness each other's ceremonies, enter into dialogue with one another and celebrate our common commitment to spiritual values.

As part of a multi-cultural society Reading Interfaith Group celebrates diversity and the opportunities we have to grow in our own faith tradition by communicating with each other. It is recognised that all our starting points are different.”

Pakistani community, who were first brought to fulfill the labour market of the UK in the 1950s and later the flow of Pakistanis increased, is the second largest ethnic minority community after Indians and has a total population of 747,285 in the census of 2001, according to the Office of the National Statistics. However, it is estimated that the number has crossed 1 million in 2010. The Pakistani community, which comprises 1.3 percent of the total UK population, is the second largest ethnic minority group after Indians with 16.1 percent of the total ethnic minority population. Islam is the second largest religious faith group in the United Kingdom after Christianity. After Saudi Arabia, UK is the home of second largest Pakistani Diaspora and  Pakistanis live in various places of the UK.

Total UK Population 2001 census 58,789,194

Ethnic Group       Population                     Percentage

White British       54153898                         92.1
White Mixed         677117                             1.2
ndian                    1053411                           1.8
Pakistani             747285                              1.3
Bangladeshi         283063                             0.5
Other Asians        247664                            0.4
Black Caribbean 565876                            1.0
Black African       485277                             0.8
Black Other         97585                               0.2
Other Groups     230615                              0.4

Source: Office for National Statistics

The perception of the people in the west about Muslims and especially Pakistanis after the 9/11 attack in the USA and 7/7 London bombing is not positive as some of the suicide bombers were home grown Pakistani origin. And there are still many people who think, the Pakistani community in the UK have been supporting the terrorists. There is suspicion and fear in both sides. Famous Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan and UK’s International Development Minister Shahid Malik were detained in US Airports because of their Muslim names. Both of them oppose terrorism and extremism. There are threats to the west from Islamic extremists and there is fear from the west in the Muslim community. The threat of the Islamic extremists is real.

However, the religious, community and professional leaders completely oppose the acts of violence and terrorism and said in one voice “the acts of only a handful of extremists in the name of Islam cannot represent the whole Muslim community.”

British Pakistani businessman Imran Ahmad is reported in the local media as saying: “I think there's still a good general understanding in the UK that the actions of a few do not represent all Muslims.” That is completely true. A migrant of Pakistani city of Peshawar, who works as a security officer said: “If all Pakistani are terrorists then Britain could be under ashes.” A handful of extremists should not

Dr Tahir ul-Qadri, from Pakistan has issued a strong statement declaring fatwa against the Islamic extremists al-Qaeda, suicide bomber and terrorists. In his Fatwa, Dr Qadri said: “Islam forbids the massacre of innocent citizens and suicide bombings.” Imam Raza said Pakistanis support his views.

Most important aspects of breaking down barriers and building trust, mutual understanding, opening horizons and promoting cross cultural understanding is through the appreciation of others views, beliefs, meeting, entertaining, negotiating and holding talks among different cultural and religious groups. In the recent years, especially after 9/11 and London bombing, the Pakistani community has been taking initiative to build trusts and strengthen relations with different faith groups. To achieve this objective, the Pakistani Community Centre in Reading has held events inviting guests from other faiths including local MPs, councillors and others.

“It is great fun and great occasions to be together with people of different walks of life and religions”, said Robert Wilson, Member of Parliament, attending the Christmas dinner programme at the Pakistani Community Centre in which people of different faiths and walks of life participated to celebrate Christmas festival . People of different faiths attended the programme organised by the Muslims to mark the Christmas festival. “It has given a very positive message to the general public that we all are one though we speak different languages and follow different religions and have come from different countries”, says Mrs Hilary Edmond, a local community worker.

“Working, meeting, dealing, entertaining, negotiating and corresponding with colleagues or clients from different cultures can be a minefield,” states a multi cultural training centre manual about the success of business that also applies to promote dialogue and understanding among different communities. Such events build good relationship with communities, help understand each other better and build an environment of trusts at this time of mistrusts against the Muslims in the west. With the significant increase of Pakistani community in the United Kingdom for the last few years, the number of community centres and activities have also multiplied that will help bridge the gap between the western and Muslim cultures.

In addition to the religious and community organisations, there are many professionals organisations of the Pakistani community working to promote better understanding of the Pakistani professionals and bridging the gap with other cultures and faiths in the west.

“Strengthening community building relationship,” is our motto said the Pakistani Professionals Forum (PPF) which includes doctors, engineers and other professionals working in various fields in the United Kingdom.

Chairman of Dr M. Farrukh Hussain said: We aim to develop the mutual understanding of professional Pakistanis by enhancing friendly co-operation among them. We aim to consolidate and strengthen our community.

“Most importantly, through trust-promoting images of Pakistanis worldwide, we aim to set an example of peaceful co-existence with other religions, races, communities including the people who don't have belief in any religion. In short, humanising humanity,” said Dr Hussain, a Consultant Psychiatrist.

According to Pakistani embassy in London, “The Pakistani Diaspora in the UK is a source of great strength to the bilateral relations and reinforces the two governments’ efforts towards solidifying relations.” Pakistan is a major ally in the fight against Islamic extremists therefore the cross cultural understanding among different communities is very important in the context of the United Kingdom. The words of former Prime Minister Tony Blair clearly reflect that feeling. “We celebrate the diversity in our country, get strength from the cultures and the races that go to make up Britain today."

Voxpop

I asked people about their views on "Pakistani community in the United Kingdom" just outside the train station in Kings Cross, Central London which is a mixed ethnic community area on 15th March, 2010. Out of over 4 dozen people inquired, only 20 people responded, among them 8 were British, 3 European national, 6 Asians and 3 others.

Seven people said that Pakistanis are the part of the UK community, 4 people said Muslim religion promoters, 3 said terrorist and suicide bomb supporters and remaining others said part of the cultural diversity, an important ally of the west, goodwill ambassadors to promote ties between the two countries and honest people.

Though it does not represent the feelings of the United Kingdom, it shows positive aspects of the Pakistanis as large majority of the people consider Pakistani community as part of the UK, goodwill ambassadors and honest people.

Follow this link to read the full story:

Bill's Video
Sundus's blog

This article is as part of the ICFJ and UN Alliance of Civilisation joint reporing project with Bill and Sundus.

SHY TO A CAMPAIGNER

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:18:00 +0000

I had a different feelings about the use of social networking despite attending trainings and academic programmes on various occasions in the past. For me, before the training, social networking was like waste of time. In fact, I did not use social networking sites for my professional purpose. I had Facebook and Twitter accounts since these came into existence. But the use was almost zero until I participated in this training programme.

EYE OPENER

My attitude about the use of these tools completely changed with the training of the ICFJ . I now realised the importance and I have started to use these tools regularly. With the use of facebook, twitter and other social networks, I have become like an addict in positive sense. The training helped to explore its importance, share experiences and ideas among the participants across the western and Arab World. More I use, more I become interested and more I like to dive into the depth of digital tools. It has given me new ideas. It paved the way for unlimited resources and contacts across the globe. It really opened my eyes.

DAILY USE

Thanks to the ICFJ that I have become a daily user of the social networking. I was sceptical when The Guardian newspaper , the first newspaper to embrace twitter, started to publish in twitter last year. Now I have started to use twitter and facebook on regular basis. I had to make so many calls and send emails for a brief time to discuss some issues with officials, now I can catch people like David Miliband, Fareed Zakaria in twitter. So are facebook and other social media. It has provided unlimited sources of resources with sharing ideas and professional interests and research. This will help me for my research and writing in the future. It is really exciting!

ADVANTAGEOUS

I learnt the technique of blogging. I knew the importance of links and how and what to link. Made links to important news media. Connected friends in my blog. Added RSS. The ideas of adding video, image, audio and giving links to other sites was an exciting experience. I renewed my Facebook and Twitter accounts. I started to use Twitter and Facebook regularly. All these tools have different values and importance. They are fruitful. The importance of RSS cannot be compared with Facebook or Twitter as they have different features and value. These tools are better than the others for me.

Over 150 people are connected with me in Facebook and Twitter within a short span of time- within a few days. This is amazing!

After watching the devastating scene of Haiti earthquake , we have campaigned for Haiti help. There is positive response from people. Some have donated through Oxfam and various other UK organisations. It is powerful, instantaneous, effective and links us all together. The links and interconnections is so strong that connects the whole world therefore Facebook is very effective.

BETTER USE

The beauty of online is the combination of text , video , images and various other tools. We should utilise these tools appropriately following journalistic ethics, norms and values. These are also effective for campaign and research in addition to journalistic works. In addition to my regular professional works, I will also utilise these tools for the research of my book on immigrants, social networking and campaigning for freedom of the expression.

COMMENT OR CULVERT

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Allowing readers to make comments is one of the beauty of the digital media. Comments not only increase the popularity of your media but also engage them and help make it possible for direct communications between the media organisation and readers. Allow to make comments but do not allow to misuse it.

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

One of the objectives of the comments is to make a civil and democratic debate on the issue. Make it more interactive and effective two way communications. That helps make society more democratic and exercise freedom. Comments help to proide instant feedback from the readers so the news organsiation can ammend the way they are presenting news and articles, add some new features in accordance with the interests of readers that increases page views and generate additional revenue for the news organsiation. It is the ornament of the media and society where debates are discussed in an open, lively, free and democratic manner.

" CESSPOOL"

However, there are many drawback of comments. Readers post offensive and unsolicitated comments. They violate journalistic rules and ethics. Abusive words and languages are used in the comments. Comments are posted unanimously. The comments are unrelated to the topic. Ethnic, racial, religious and politically motivated hatred comments are posted. Look this Nepali news site where more than 75 comments are posted within a few hours time. This is about the speech of a Communist (Maoists) leader's speech against the prime minister of Nepal. Almost all the comments are politically motivated and abusive languages are used. It is not only against the journalistic ethics, norms and values but also against social norms and law. Though the readers need registration (at least name and email), the comments are real "cesspool."

I have worked in news agencies and newspapers most of the time so comments were not allowed except letter to the editor column. This is published after editing. However, I worked for one of the news site http://www.outlooknepal.com/, a very popular site among the Nepalese and South Asian diaspora in the UK, which is now closed, used to be full of unsolicited comments with adverts of viagra and so on. The founders of the news site later decided not to allow comments.

WHAT MEASURES?

It is essential to make sure that comments are made in accordance with the ethics and norms. Flagging, filtering, limiting and making registration compulsory for comments is appropriate to control "cesspool " comments like this Guardian newspaper does. However, I prefer moderation of comments if the news site can afford.

RESTRICTING FREEDOM?

Not allowing comment is not restricting freedom. Comment is an extra feature and it is the choice of the news organisation to allow or not. It is better to restrict comments than allow freely without following any ethics, norms and guidelines. Comments must be related to the topic and should be free from hatredness, insult and abusive words and language.

MY NEW REPORT

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0000

BOGUS COLLEGES

I am planning to write about bogus coleges in London. As you know there are some bogus colleges which are known as visa colleges. The Nigerian man who was arrested in the bomb plot in the USA recently was also trying to get visa through such college. Some of the colleges do not have necessary infrastructure and do not teach students but just provide visa letter and attendance certificate to present to the Home Office for visa.

MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS

I want to add multimedia elements in the report with voice, video and image. This a serious issue so there will certainly be an ethical concern as people will not be ready to be shown on video or image without which my report will not be credible.

ETHICAL ISSUES?

I know some students who are ready to record their voice. So there will be no any problem and no ethical issue will raise. Some present and former teachers and employees or those who are familiar with such bogus works will be ready to speak on video. But their faces will not be shown because they will not be ready to face difficulties. With the positive manipulation of digital images, their face will not be shown but all details will be revealed.

I think, the officials will be ready to provide information without hesitation and there will be no any problem of taking their images or record their voice or show their face on video.

Some students are ready to provide photos of the class where very few students present. I have to make sure whether the photos taken by students is real or not. So I will check myself before using it in my blog. For copywrights of the photos, I will seek permission before I use.

WHY MULTIMEDIA?

We have discussed in the past about the credibility of news. One of the aspects of credible news is the use of multimedia. That makes the report more reliable and trustworthy. Combination of text, video, audio and images make online perfect. This is the beauty of the web. So it makes our blog more credible, reliable informative and attractive.

DIGITAL MANIPULATION

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:52:00 +0000

SEEING IS BELIEVING

One image is more powerful than 1,000 words. In fact it is true. Reporting truth is the basic of the basic of journalistic ethics. Digital manipulation cannot be exception to this fact. We see and believe so it must remain as it is.

NO PLUS NO MINUS

There should be no any alteration, deception, manipulation and false representation of the original photos. Truth, accuracy and facts should be in tact in the images.Click here No plus no minus is the simple rule to digital manipulation.

We can do anything with the image being within the ethical norms but we cannot do anything to change its originality, facts, truth and accuracy.

HISTORY

We can trace the history of photo manipulation since the newspaper started to publish photographs. The first incident of photo manipulation was recorded in early 1860s. Then US President Abraham Lincoln's photo was altered from a portrait of John C. Calhoun. It is said that the same photo became the basis of the five dollar note. View these photos.

With easy new technology, photo manipulation business is thriving. There are many instances of tampering of images in the recent years including Adnan Hajj's photos of Lebanon and several other photographers in the USA and other parts of the world.

FAKE REDUCE DOWN

Many such photo corrupt photographers have reduced down to the dust. Susan Sontag says: "photographs, which fiddle with the scale of the world, themselves get reduced, blown up, cropped, retouched, doctored and tricked out."

GUIDELINES

According to the Reuters news agency guidelines , certain amount of editing and positive change like crop size and balance the tone and colour of the image including "basic colour correction, subtle lightening darkening of zones, sharpening, removal of dust and other minor adjustments" is acceptable in manipulation.

"No excessive lightening, darkening or blurring of the image, cloning, healing or brush tools are not to be used tampering" the photos. Seeing is believing so it must not be tampered destryong the originality and facts.

What do you think of these photos? Is it ethical and acceptable? Do the facts, accuracy and truth remain same?

THINK BEFORE LINK

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:27:00 +0000

WHY LINKS?

Providing external link is one of the beauty of the online media as it provides unlimited sources of information to various resources. Link is an additional feature and it makes your website "stand out" among other competitors. Traditional media like print and broadcast do not have that opportunity but website has. So utilise that feature.

Link is the symbol of truth, accuracy, fairness, honesty and transparency. Your story should be complete and clear even without the links. The links should provide additional information. Link is an opportunity to make your news organisation known wider and enhance its reliablity. "Linking adds credibility," says Tom Brew in Poynter.org. If you do not link then "reader cannot drill deeper into the story." This is the issue of competition and link is a great marketing tool too. If you do not link, readers will leave your site and you will lose.

MIX & MAX

Do not make too many links in one story. Make a balanced combination of text, audio, video and photos in the links. Major media organisations including Newsweek have mixed all together.  Research has found that adding too many link does not sound good. Linking trend has reduced plagiarism and unethical "copy and paste trend." If you want to provide links of many sites then you can just mention their names but provide the link of only one in each paragraph.

WHAT TO LINK?

* Only related and relevant to your news story
* Very important to make this link
* Promotes journalistic values, ethics and norms
* Encourages democracy, human rights and freedom
* Advocates truth, transparency, fairness and credibility
* Promotes unity, harmony and peace
* Helps promote liberal views
* Only reliable sites

WHAT NOT TO LINK?

* Work of plagiarism
*  Violates copyrights
* Too much controversial
* Libelious, pornographic and defamatory contents
* Promotes extremism and terrorism
* Advocates for murder and violence
* Incites hatredness and promotes biasness
* Unethical and unreliable
* Sites with horrific contents

"NO LIFT BUT LINK"

There was enmity and bitter rivalry among the media organisation in the past over the issue of plagiarism. However, the advent of internet has ended that trend. Giving links even if it is a rival media organisation, has become accepted practice today. We can see the trend of providing external links even in the leading news organisation like BBC and  CNN among others. Providing link is very important for blogs and lesser known media organsiation to make it more "credible and reliable."

IS IT ENDORSEMENT?

No. Providing links to an external site is not an endorsement. It is only to provide greater access to the readers through your website.  "It is service utility to the readers," says Lea Donsky in poynter.org.
Linking to the external site "does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such sites." But the news media should check whether the external link meet its general editorial guidelines or not.

LINKS TO CONTROVERSY

Nearly 400 years ago, British writer John Milton wrote Areopagitica advocating for freedom of expression. The essence of his writing was to give freedom to flourish ideas and not to impose censorship. This is relevant even today. The work of creative thinking should be given freedom to explore if it is not against the journalistic ethics.

However, there should be no links to the sites which  promote extremism, terrorism and with horrific contents.

ENEMY WEBSITES

No link is given to the enemy websites. When Nepal government declared Maoist Communist guerillas as terrorist organisation, no any link of this organisation was given in government media sites. There was no link in this Government run newspaper about this Communist run site.

I think, Hamas run newspapers do not make link to the Israeli newspapers about the suicide bombings. Some of the friends including Ruth said in the Forum discussion that there is nothing complete objectivity that I think, is right if we see in practice.

THINK THIS BEFORE LINK

Is this relevant and necessary?
Is this ethical?
If yes, then link.

MY ASSIGNMENT

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:40:00 +0000

I have selected three news sites for my first assignment for the course. These are: Alarabiya, CBN and Gwaker.

Alarabiya

Alarabiya seems to be very popular news channel which presents credible local, national and international news, current affairs, business and financial markets, sports and talk shows.

Founders

Alarabiya is based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates which is partly owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Centre. In 2008, New York Times quoted Alarabiya director Abdul Rahman al-Rashed, as saying that the station was founded "to cure Arab television of its penchant for radical politics and violence."

Credibility

* On January 26, 2009 American president Barack Obama, within a month in the White House, gave his first formal interview as president to this television channel that enhanced its credibility as a reliable and trustworthy media organization of the Arab World.

* It was the first channel to air the assassination of Rafik Hariri, prime minister of Lebanon.

* According to New York Times, Alarabiya presents “objective reporting rather than for shouted opinions.”

* Arabic and English language services and TV and websites in both the languages make it more reliable and credible news channel. It has Urdu and Persian service in the website.

* This is 24/7 news channel and updated news regularly.

* Well edited, professional looking and presence of correspondents in many countries in Arab and western world make it more credible.

Pro- American

There are some accusation to this news channel to be pro- American and pro –Saudi because of its anti Islamic extremist policy and Saudi investment.

Controversy

* It was in controversy since its launch in 2003. It was banned to broadcast from Iraq after it broadcast an audio tape of deposed president Saddam Hussein. Iraqi government had banned the channel for one month in September 2006 accusing it of “imprecise coverage.”

* Iran expelled its correspondent in 2008 and its offices in Gaza city was bombed in 2007 after Hamas criticised it saying the channel” misquoted Hamas leader.”

* One Alarabiya reporter was killed in the US bombing in Iraq in 2004 and another reporter was abducted and murdered in the same country in 2006.

Main Rival

It is reported in the news during its establishment in 2003 that Doha based another popular TV channel, Al Jazeera, is its main rival. Al Jazeera became popular because of its breaking news coverage especially of the Al-Qaida and Arab World.

Impartial

Quoting various sources of the news agencies, the news site, for example, in its main news heading, (December 9, 2009) says “Sarkozy warns against religious "provocation.” It quotes the French President Sarkozy as writing in “Le Monde” newspaper making the main news trustworthy, convincing and credible. Presentation of news quoting reliable and multiple source make it more trustworthy. Alarabiya fulfils most of the criteria of the reliable news channel therefore this is a credible news channel.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:36:00 +0000

CBN

CBN is renowned professional international Christian news organisation covering politics, world affairs, health, family, spiritual life and various other issues.

Credibility

* English and Spanish language and TV makes it more reliable and credible.

* This is 24/7, updated round the clock, well edited and appropriate font size and colour.

* “unlimited sources of news” through various links.

* Reliable news sources from news agencies and well quoted sources.

Christian News

*This is affiliated to the Christian religious organisation so the readers have the feeling that it is not free, fair and impartial to other religious believers

* Main target is to Christian adherents

* Many news and video on Christianity

Impartial News

Despite its affiliation to the Christianity, the channel’s reporting seems impartial and fair. A story headlined“ High Death Toll in Baghdad Bombings” is filed by a reporter of renowned news agency, Associated Press, where he has given multiple sources including quotes from two top politicians, a senior army officer and press release of the Prime Minister’s office. This makes the story more truthful, reliable and credible.

In addition to this the US ambassador to Iraq and eye witness are also quoted as giving account of the incident and background information adding more spices to the tragic news.

By-line stories of news media are generally reliable. The news agency, Associated Press, adds the reliability and credibility of the news story further more. In addition to this, multiple high level sources are directly quoted therefore there is no any question about the reliability and credibility of the story. Furthermore, a number of Associated Press writers have contributed to this news. The news seems to be verified, cross checked and followed all the journalistic code of ethics. This is an example of credible news reporting.

noreply@blogger.com (Chiranjibi Paudyal) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:49:00 +0000

GAWKER

Contrary to Alarabiya news channel, Gawker is not a serious news channel as its website is not professional looking, news is not updated regularly, sources are not properly quoted and news is presented like personal opinion.

Unreliable

News is mixed up without writing in a series of subject area and informal language and slangs are used.
The news is not appropriately edited, not regularly updated, no consistency and vulgar language is used. The readers’ comments are printed without editing and there are many instances of coarse language and words in the news related to Nelson Mandela.

Gossip Site

This is a gossip, fun, celebrity obsessed news site without a serious look into the news happening in the world. "Tiger Woods Shows why Text Message Flirting Sucks" and "Another Person Sues Sacha Baron Cohen, This Time for 110 Million" clearly shows it is celebrity obsessed entertainment type of news site. The news is written without any credible sources.
In news heading "20 percent American want to impeach Obama right now," showing the news sites is conservative and does not accept the change being taking place in the USA.

Lacks Standard

The qualities of good news accuracy, objectivity, balance, concise, clear and recent are missing in the site therefore It is not safe to use this site as a news source.