Thank Nepal’s political problems for a surge in lefty blogging. Two of the most popular blogs, at least among the diaspora, are Samudaya and Democracy for Nepal.
The brain behind Samudaya is Sarahana Shrestha, a 23-year-old multimedia designer based in Brooklyn. Although the site was initially started to promote participation of Nepali youth in fields as diverse as politics or music, the forum has taken a giant leap after the February 1st 2005 incident in promoting free press, pluralism and youth for democracy. On this day, King Gyanendra had seized direct power after he dissolved the parliament and sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. He also cut all telephone lines, clocked internet service and sent the royal army to major media organizations to censor any news before publication or broadcast. In a short time, Samudaya became a success – so successful that the royal government banned the website in Nepal along with a dozen other websites.
P.M. Girija Prasad Koirala meets Maoist leader Prachanda at Samudaya
"According to a source, it was banned because we were supporting the Maoists and using disrespectful language against the king," said Shrestha. "But they never contacted us or anything."
Apart from political topics, the forum continues to run articles on social issues, fiction, non-fiction and poetry. In the past, stories have ranged from a curry seller’s life in Jackson Heights to the political views of a foreign-born Nepali student in London. Samudaya has also started Creative Dissent Nepal, a movement of people working towards supporting and promoting democratic ideals through participatory, creative and non-violent activism.
"At local levels Nepalis have worked as efficient communities for years," said Shrestha, "and as with all democracy, we believe that with the true establishment of democratic rights the citizens can be relied on, overall, to steer the country into the direction of fair politics and a higher quality of life."
Democracy for Nepal was an idea of Parmendra Bhagat, a graduate of Berea College in Kentucky, who considers himself a writer and activist. After graduating from college in 2001, Bhagat came to New York in search for work. While the political situation in the country was deteriorating, he decided to start blogging, easily becoming one of the most vocal bloggers.
"It’s the truth. It has to be out there, right?" he says.
DFN is maintained and updated by Bhagat on a regular basis. It became a playground for young students and activists to discuss political issues and pressure international lobbying groups in Nepal. This was the only pro-democracy blog that escaped from the government censor and blockage during the democratic revolution in Nepal. Bhagat claims that several political leaders in Nepal have commended him for his effort to spread the word “republic.” Bhagat’s recent postings about constitutional assembly and what the new republican constitution should look like has been widely read and commented upon.
"I am not a politician," Bhagat said. "But I believe that young people like us can push the leaders towards a democratic Nepal."
Several other blogs like International Nepal Solidarity Network and United We Blog have also been key platforms for political discussions among Nepali youth.
Parmendra Bhagat will be one of several speakers at the convention panel “The State of Press Freedom in South Asia,” on Saturday at 9 a.m. For more on the future of blogging, check out the Saturday 2 pm workshop run by Sree Sreenivasan, "Figuring out Blogs and Whatever’s Next."
