Media and Conflict sensitivity! how should I prepare an article with 6 pages? It is big task for me. However, I haven't said I can't do. Yes, I can write a good book. I can make it. Thanks Action Asia Nepal network, though your decision taken in today's meeting is somehow challenging I can complete my job within deadline. This is for sure.
'Sorry Upendra, it seems that this time it won't happen', not surprisingly holding his phone in hand Upendra said 'oh, unfortunate'! Yes, it's unfortunate this time that we won't take visiting journalists to Prime Minister's office in a way we did last time. Rumor is that he has almost decided to quit, but by when, nobody knows except himself. My organization Equal Access (www.equalaccess.org) is organizing educational tour for journalists this week and one of the proposed meeting point for them was PMO. But it seems not to happen this time. With the aim of delivering letter to PMO we had gone the Singha Durbar this afternoon but didn't go where we wanted to go first. But we Upendra ji & I met CA spoke person at his office, and had informal talk about the progress the CA is making. Then met secretariat of chairperson of CA where he agreed providing journalists with one hours on the day of 10th June at his office. Chairperson of Constitutional committee also agreed to interact with journalists. Yes, indeed this is great news, at least we have three appointments fixed. We also requested Minister of Peace and agriculture, and hopefully he will get available for the interaction.
Call from the Bhojpur this morning was an official invitation from the Radio Chomulungma, a newly established Community Radio in the district. Station Manager Action Rai wanted me in the radio very soon as they were going to organize a training for producer at the premises of Radio. I spoke him that if it is last last week of Ashar I should think of visiting there as resource person, otherwise it will be difficult to manage time as I am pretty busy.
Is there Banda (general strike) again happening? Yes! this is matter of fact that 'Bhisma Ekata Parisad' has announced that it will be organizing two days general strikes effective in mid-western region on 21 & 22 of June when most of visiting journalists from those districts are travelling to Kathmandu attending to the journalist exchange program. How come they think that Banda is a solution. After all it creates problems for others. Despite it is problematic for bringing journalists from district I should organize the journalist visit program in stead of getting it postponed for the time being. Still hoping that it will happen. I have proposed few alternatives and with those options an email request has been forwarded to donor lets see how it reacts.
May 1, 2010
Flight time was not that much longer than just 1 hour and 10 minutes from Kathmandu. As If I am in domestic flight. But reality is I was in international flight. On that day when I left Kathmandu thousands of people in red-shirt were passing through the street in Kathmandu chanting slogan against government. I thought I should have postponed my traveling day to Dhaka but it was not in my hand as I had to reach there at any cost, so instead of waiting in home I dared to go to airport despites road was blocked everywhere by cadres of CPN Maoist. On the way to airport rally made my taxi stopped, I scared thinking if someone stone at my taxi, however, I had no option than to reach airport in time. I, when reached to airport, came to know that flight time has changed which I am not able to convey to the hotel in Dhaka, but later I received the call from hotel as pick up van was waiting in Dhaka airport. Finally I say my wife bye and flew high to reach Dhaka.
The thing made me surprised when I boarded Biman Bangladesh I saw more than 90% passengers on that plane were Nepali going to Malaysia. I found almost all travelers were boarding for the first time, leaving country with a great hope of earning a lot of money in foreign land, and bring that back to home. From whom I talked to knew why he was going Malaysia is to earn good amount of money. Why did he need much money to earn? He answers 'he has a dream of getting married after he got back from Malaysia, but he couldn't earn money if he didn't leave country.' I came to know from him that his elder brother has also left home for Gulf country, and now he also decided to go leaving his old parents alone at home in Saptari. This was not the story he told me but it was a story of almost all youth who were going to Malaysia dreaming they will have bright future once they have money. But pity thing I noticed from the behavior they showed in the plane that they even haven't been told how to do the safe travel. They were behaving as if they don't know even miner things. Cabin crew in entire flight were requesting them take a sit belt, don't move, so on and on, it seemed to me that they were just listening that but not accepting. Everyone was sticking their hand at ring bell, no body know what is the purpose of the button seen there in the plane.
Yes, finally, I am landed. I saw vehicle waiting for me. I saw a person waving hand for me, with beautiful smile he was welcoming me. Finally I entered in to the city of Dhaka.
जिन्दगी कहिलेकाँही सारै दिक्क लाग्दो हुदो रहेछ । मनमा जे जस्तो उत्साह र उमंग भएपनि त्यसलाई त्यही रुपमा कायम राखिरहन मुस्किल पर्दोरहेछ । सोच्छु एकथोक, हुन्छ अर्को थोक । खुशी खोज्न सारै गारो । गीत सुनेको थिएँ शान्ति खोजुँ म कहाँ? अहिले मलाई त्यस्तै लाग्छ खुशी खोजुँ म कहाँ? हाँसो खोजु म के मा? मसँग सबैथोक छ र पनि मलाई आज लागिरहेको छ म एक्लो छु । मेरो कोही छैन । भएकाहरु पनि मेरा हुन् भन्ने मलाई पटक्कै लागिरहेको छैन । मानौ म एउटा यन्त्र हुँ । कसैले चलाउँछ, थन्क्याउँछ, फेरी खोल्छ, बन्द गर्छ । जति बेला मन लाग्यो चलाउँछ, जतिबेला मन लाग्छ फालिदिन्छ, न मलाई कसैले सुन्छु, न त मैले अरुलाई सुन्नुपर्छ भन्ने महसुश नै गराउन सक्छ । बेकारको लाग्न थालेको छ जिन्दगी ।
June 14, 2010
I met Susal, friend of mine. I met her in Vermont when I was there attending three week long CONTACT program in SIT Graduate Institute Vermont USA in 2009 June. She is here with the aim of accomplishing her university research on non-violence and dialogue in peace-building. I briefly provided her my opinion on current political deadlock, and few interventions initiated by civil society. In the evening I met Tulsi ji at Zazbell restaurant had few informal talks. We watched world cup match between Japan & Cameron where Japan beat by one goal.
June 15, 2010
The day was normal as other day. I spent my time in meeting different people in office.
June 16, 2010
Not that much different than other day. Spent my time in meeting. Finalized some important task. Met a person from Bhojpur, was station manager at Chomolungma FM, a newly established Community Radio station in district. I saw Mr. Bhuwan innocent, and grateful to me, but I have done nothing special for him instead of taking him to the office.

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