फेब्रुअरी १ को शाही-कदमको समर्थनमा डी. सी. र न्यूयोर्क मा केही पुराना राजावादीहरु, केही नवराजावादीहरु र केही आफु राजावादी नभएको तर बहुदलिय प्रजातन्त्रबाट मोहभंग भएको भन्ने शान्तिकामीहरुले गरेको ससाना प्रदर्शनलाई उनिहरुले "हजारौंले भाग लिएको विशाल पदर्शनहरु" भनेर नेपालको सरकारी संचारबाट प्रचार गराए ।

आजसम्म पनि नेपालबाट साथीसंगीहरु सोध्ने गर्छन्, के साच्चै अमेरिकाका सबै नेपालीहरु राजाको कदमको समर्थन गर्छन ?

र यस्तो प्रश्न मलाई मात्र होईन मैले कुरा गर्न पाएका लगभग सबै अमेरिका-सहवासीहरुलाई नेपालका उनिहरुका आफन्तहरुले सोध्ने गर्दा रहेछन् ।

भनेसी प्रोपेगाण्डा कार्यमा अमेरिकाका राजावादीहरुले क्षणिक नै सही तर ठूलो उपलब्धी हासिल गरेछन् ।

प्रोपेगाण्डाको लागि सरकारी मात्र हैन गैरसरकारी माध्यम समेत प्रयोग गरे आयोजकहरुले । 'नेपाली टाईम्स' मा एकजना आयोजक महोदयले डी. सी. को प्रदर्शनलाई 'बहुसंख्यकहरुको प्रतिनिधित्व' (majority representation) भनेर दावी गरे । स्वतन्त्र माध्यमबाट गरिएका यस्ता पुटले 'राजमुकुट प्रति प्रतिबद्ध' सरकारी माध्यमहरुले गरेको प्रचारका अविश्वसनियतालाई कम गरे हुनन् ।

एनिवे, "के साच्चै अमेरिकाका सबै नेपालीहरु राजाको कदमको समर्थन गर्छन ?" भन्ने नेपालका आफन्त संगीसाथीहरुको प्रश्नको उत्तर दिंदा दिंदा हैरान हुनु भएका प्रजातन्त्रप्रेमी साथीहरु डी. सी. को नजिक हुनुहुन्छ भने यही Sunday, May 15, 2005 का दिन White House अगाडि हुने Pro-Democracy Rally मा पाल्नुहोला ।

नेपे जरुर उपस्थित हुनेछ त्यहाँ तपाईहरुसंग न्यानो अभिवादन साटासाट गर्न ।

procession...

The media man being interviewed by BBC's Daniel Lak:

Did someone ask for balanced slogans?

and how balanced is one of our own? ;)

errrrrrrr...another one of our own is not so balanced, but this was probably the most popular banner in the rally. Many people were asking to take pictures with it (the right one). In the left is Dinesh Prasain, a prominent human rights activist visiting from Nepal.

सरु-जी, लौ, अलि ध्यान दिएर हेरम। ;)

and the crowd...

crowd...

more...

lau lau...

Proud and WELCOMED... the pro-king participants...there were about 4-5.

Oh, my New Yorkers!

Finally, this was perhaps the most profoundly touching moment in the rally. At least it was for me.

A long time prominent NY resident, Mridula Koirala sang a revolutionary song that was first aired in Prajatantra Radio (predecessor of Radio Nepal) in BS 2007. The original singer, Ranu Devi Adhikari, I was told was the very first female singer to record at the station.

Mridula didi added the last stanza in [] herself to suit the current context.

आज देशको क्रान्ति युद्धमा
हाम्रो एक पुकार हो
लड्दा लड्दै मरे मरुँला
यो एउटा नै नारा हो।

खडा गर्नु जनतन्त्र आज छ
आऊ, आऊ नेपाली,
मातृभूमिले आज डाक्छिन्
आऊ, आऊ गोर्खाली
प्रजातन्त्रको रक्षा गर्नु हाम्रो नै अभिभारा हो।

लड्दा लड्दै मरे मरुँला
यो नै एउटा नारा हो।

ब्राह्मण आऊ, नेवार आऊ,
क्षेत्री आऊ, मगर आऊ,
शेर्पा आऊ, तामाङ् आऊ,
राई अनि गुरुङ् भाई
जहाँ जहाँ छौ दौडी आऊ
तिम्रो नै एक सहारा हो।

लड्दा लड्दै मरे मरुँला
यो नै एउटा नारा हो।

संसार भरि सघाउन पुग्ने
आज बीर नेपाली
आफ्नै गाउँमा आगो सल्क्यो
निभाईदेउन गोर्खाली
प्रजातन्त्रको रक्षक हामी
तिम्रो हामी सहारा हौं।

लड्दा लड्दै मरे मरुँला,
यो नै एउटा नारा हो।

[आज देशको शान्ती युद्धमा
हाम्रो एक पुकार छ,
प्रजातन्त्र बहाली गर्नु
हामी सबको नारा छ।]

Gorkhapatra says all of you were hired by Sujata for $50 each. :) Sounds like they want to make Sujata the heroine out of it. And the Kings supporters on the pics look embarrassed and look very gay.

Nepali protesters in the US were `hired?: Gorkhapatra



Photo source : Gorkhapatra daily
A state-run newspaper of Nepal has alleged that hundreds of Nepalis who took part in a pro-democracy rally in the Washington D. C. on Sunday were `hired.?

In its front-page story entitled ?Anti-national demonstration highly objectionable,? Gorkhapatra daily reported that Nepalis in the US had expressed ?serious objections? towards what it described as anti-monarchy and anti-national demonstrations carried out by some Nepalis based in the US.

The oldest daily of the country?that turned 105 years last week-- quoted S. K. Shrestha and Pemba Sherpa, as saying that Sujata Koirala, daughter of former premier G P Koirala, spent thousands of dollars to ?spread rumours against Nepal in the US.? ?Since Sunday was a holiday, she was able to gather some Nepali laborers by paying USD 50 each,? the daily quoted Shrestha and Sherpa duo as saying.

The news story, datelined Kathmandu, also quoted Colorado-based journalist Ganga Chaulagain, Maryland-based Ramesh Sharma and a student Sunita Chhetri condemning Sunday?s demonstrations.

Described as the largest rally of the Nepalis in the US so far, some 700 Nepalis and friends of Nepal had gathered in Washington D. C. Sunday calling for peace and restoration of democracy in Nepal.

Speakers in the rally included T. Kumar, Amnesty International USA; Murari Raj Sharma, former ambassador of Nepal to the United Nations; and Nepalese-American community leaders including Krishna Nirola, president, Association of Nepalis in the Americas; Shyam Karki, vice president, Non Resident Nepali Association; Anand Bista, president, Nepalese Democratic Youth Council USA; attorney Madhavi Basnet; Mohan Sitaula of Texas; Mridula Koirala of New York; Mingma Sherpa of New York; Suman Timsina of Pennsylvania; Bishwa Acharya of Georgia; Tirtha Mali of Florida; and Girija Gautam of Tennessee.

The rally was sponsored by FreeNepal.org, International Nepal Solidarity Network, Liberal Democracy Nepal, Nepal Human Rights Commission USA, Nepalese American Journalist Association, Nepalese Americas Council, Nepalese Democratic Youth Council USA, and Samudaya.org. nepalnews.com by May 17 05

Who is that Sunita Chetri?
Parash ex GF?

I am not surprised. Lot of New Yorker and DC people would do lot of things for 50 bucks. C?mon that?s 6 X 6 packs.

Total 400 people
15%=60 little kids
20%=80 Illegal immigrants from New York & Boston, They thought they were hired as a
contract labor at some fish market in DC.
20%=80 Were so high, they thought it was some Nepali Picnic hoping to check out some
Nepali chicks and were really disappointed when they saw all that old farts.
Some even threw up after meeting sujata.
30%=120 relatives & friends of koirala, Nepal, Deuba family.
9%=36 Sajha fools who were lured by Nepe, Newuser, Punte, KohoKoho, by telling
them Budweiser and buff momos are going to be served after the speech (which
never did.)
5%=20 reporters/Journalist hoping to catch some "dunga Muda? /Nepalese flag burning
on camera. (I?m glad that didn?t happened)
1%=4 former government officials illegally stayed & refused to go leave US when
government called them back after their tenure. Currently happily employed at
Bombay Indian Cuisine, representing Nepal.


I think that's a pretty good crowed.

To Nepe and all so called "Worry Takers" about Nepal ,
If you really worry about what is happening in Nepal, why don't you go back to Nepal and work there for enhancing democratic system in Nepal. But if you are here in USA and making money and having good life but worried about Nepal, it has no meaning and no sense.

It is completely non sense act. No body will support you. I am democratic supporter and anti monarchy but I am in USA and trying to make my life better. I left Nepal and moved here for better life. Hence, I am an opportunist and do not deserve to act like what people did in Washington DC.

People may not agree with my thoughts but this is what the reality is.

To all of your "Rajabadi" and who love to tell "Democracy Lovers", go back to Nepal, you guys should go back to Nepal and love the life there under your KING. Those of you who love DEMOCRACY can excercise DEMOCRACY from the US. If some of you don't want to go back to Nepal, please go to Cuba or N. Korea, I am sure with your credentials you will NOT have any visa problems.

"Did someone ask for balanced slogans?"
--> Yes someone did, and those someones are GLAD the prophets of democracy were targeting ONLY ONE of the evils in our very own axis-of-evil. At least, it did not appear that it was not a hired julus or one dimentional dim wit protest which may or may not have any direct say in the current scenario on the groud level.

Otherwise, initially it only appeared like rally of political leader's and maoist sympathizer targeting one evil depost, but leaving the out other two direct murderer of democracy and freedom.

And how balanced is one of our own?
- Very. And also thanks for accepting the suggestions of many neutrals regarding the balanced approach on the slogans.

Malai ta yo sarai maan paryo,"सो भे सुजीमैयाँलाई क्वारक्वारती हेरियो ? खै मैले त सुजीलाई हेर्ने त कोही देखिन है । मैले देखेसम्म त देख्नेले पनि देख्या नदेख्यै ग-या थे । वास्तवमा भन्ने हो भने, मलाई त दया उत्पन्न भा थ्यो, उनीप्रति । यस्तो बेवास्ता र छि:छि: दुर दुर उनले शायदै पाएकी थिईन् होली । It was a totally humiliating day for her, as far as I can feel. तर उनलाई यसको पूर्वज्ञान नभएको त होईन नि । नआए पनि humiliation आए पनि humiliation. त्यै भ र आकी होलीन् भन्छु । "

:)

And kohokoho. Those people who suggested to consider giving king a chance did not look gay. If they could come there amidst most of the demoractic and some phony democratic (or vice versa) ideologies ; i guess they were strong enough in their conviction. Your comments, regardless of their source of inception, would only further the bridge between Nepalese with differing views.

This aatitude will not give you democracy, rather it would further delay it. Please do not even think/consider that the kind of democracy that has been voiced and preached over here and in the rally, would be possible by a minor bunch of people, while tackling on the ground level in the broader terms. So, before you become the prophet of democracy and abuse others for their views, take a 'reality' pill my freind. And give some positive contribution, if not at least a fair contribution.

Lu ta,
Jai Nepal,
IndisGuise:)

--> Yes someone did, and those someones are GLAD the prophets of democracy
were targeting ONLY ONE of the evils in our very own axis-of-evil. At least, it did
not appear that it was not a hired julus or one dimentional dim wit protest which may
or may not have any direct say in the current scenario on the groud level.

Read : --> Yes someone did, and those someones are GLAD that the prophets of
democracy who were targeting ONLY ONE (king) of the evils in our very own axis-of-evil ( it seemed that way initially), appeared neutral and fair in their judgement (by including Maoist and politicians).

At least, it did not appear that it was not a hired julus or one dimentional dimwit protest which may or may not have any direct say in the current scenario on the groud level.