Equality (Samanata)

Our attempt in short film making. This is a story about untouchability prevailing in Nepali society.

Football in Social Advocacy

“Football is passion, football is emotion, football is discipline, football is fair that is why we have used this game to advocate against gender based violence,” said Ms. Bandana Rana, Executive Chair of Saathi (NGO) addressing the program held in Russian Culture Centre, Kamal Pokhari on the last day of 16 day campaign on December 10^th, 2012.

Football is a very popular sport in Nepal; it is loved by everyone, has reached every corner of the country and easily understood by all groups.  To raise awareness against gender based violence it has become an effective medium. Case in point is the joint campaign of Saathi and All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) with slogans: “Scoring Goal for Social Cause, Our Goal: Stop Violence Against Women” and “Respect Women…Be a Real Man”.

(http://www.saathi.org.np/images/stories/content/ANFA-Saathi_004.jpg)

Asia Football Confederation’s (AFC) Dream Asia Movement and Enabling State Program are the supporters of the campaign that was launched on February 2011, with an aim of engaging men to promote gender equality and prevent gender based violence. Out of the 47 countries, Saathi and ANFA’s partnership has also been declared as one of the five nominees for AFC’s Social Responsibility Award.  

A book launch and panel discussion was organised by Saathi and ANFA in collaboration with Himal TV. The program started with the book launch by Former Chief Secretary Dr. Madhab Prasad Ghimire, ANFA President and AFC Vice President Mr. Ganesh Thapa, Member Secretary of ANFA Mr. Yubaraj Lama, President of Coach Association and former National Team Captain Mr. Raju Shakya, and Former National Team Captain Mr. Hari Khadka. The football shaped book chronicles the joint effort of ANFA and Saathi to eradicate gender based violence.

The book launch was followed by the panel discussion. The objective of the discussion was to encourage people to emulate the concept of fair play in football and practice the same in maintaining respect, mutual relation and peaceful environment at home.

Nepali society is a patriarchal society where the head of a family is a man and he makes every decision. Women are supposed to be submissive and follow orders. In a family, boys and girls are not treated equally; boys are given large portions of food, sent to better schools and given more pocket money and freedom. This is the seed from which the discrimination grows. In extreme case scenario, the most recent example is that of Shiva Hasmi who was burnt to death for rejecting a marriage proposal.

In order to reach out to the masses through this campaign five personalities from the Nepali football scene were selected as role models: Ganesh Thapa, Pradeep Maharjan, Raju Shakya, Hari Khadka and Santosh Saunkhala. They were highlighted as shining examples of ideal men who have committed to end violence against women beginning from their home, work and society.

Many men in our society help their wives and counterparts but they refrain from doing so in public. They are apprehensive about the reactions they might get from their friends and family as a henpecked husband. Former National Football Team Captain Hari Khadka shared a similar experience, “I routinely helped my wife but I was ashamed to let it out in public.  After getting involved in the campaign I became more confident. One morning I went on my terrace to hang washed clothes; observing which my neighbour who also helped around at home but was embarrassed to admit publicly came out on the balcony to hang washed clothes, which proves that if you do something good people will emulate it”.

The panel discussion hopped on to the subject of women in sports when Mr. Ganesh Thapa mentioned that ANFA has started treating the women footballers with the same standard as men by providing equal prize money and facilities. If we tally the medals scored by men and women in Nepali sports arena we will find that women have more medals at football, cricket and other individual games added Mr. Yubaraj Lama.

Various non-governmental organisations are working for the issues related to gender based violence whether it is related to trafficking, inequality or injustice against women, but what is the role of the government? Former Chief Secretary Dr. Madhab Prasad Ghimire enunciated that the government has to take the lead; it has to be fully committed, improve laws, change policies and implement the work plan. However Dr. Ghimire stressed that the public should not sit complacent by taking it as the government’s responsibility and reminded that it is the women in our family and society that are being victimised.

Definition of violence has changed with time, technology, development and awareness. Ms. Poornima Shrestha, a reporter of Vibes Magazine, who was in the audience anxiously shared about the violence at work place. She argued that hundreds of women like her either have to go on a date with their bosses or compromise to get a good project at work. 

Violence can be both psychological and physically inflicted directly or indirectly. 16 days of rigorous activism is not enough, we have to be active everyday of the year to make our nation women friendly. 

Atif dai ko Concert

‘Guess what Atif Aslam is coming to town!’ I squealed unable to hide my excitement. 
‘Oh mann! Just when I am not there!’ my friend exclaimed from the other side of the globe, yes we were talking over the phone.

We used to croon his song Oh jane ja in our hostel corridors, when we were studying in Bangalore. My friend managed to transfer her excitement as well as sorrow of not being able to attend the concert. And I promised her that I would go to the concert and share my experience.

So there I was stuck in traffic for 10 minutes, right outside Dasharath stadium. When I heard the band members playing I started getting super impatient. The music coming from within the walls of the stadium got me so excited that I had the desire to get out of the car and run towards the gate. Ironically the traffic was moving only inch by inch. I was anxious, as I did not want to miss the big entry.

Finally we reached the entrance, to my utter dismay massive crowd was jostling to enter a single door of a big gate of Dasharath stadium. The police meant for security gave the most horrible welcome when they barraged through my friends pocket and threw away his chapstick for security reasons. I said to myself all is well but what awaited us next was a python like queue. Thankfully the queue moved faster than we anticipated and eventually we entered the concert arena with a sigh of relief.

After few minutes Atif Aslam entered the stage, he ran in with a cool attitude, grabbed the microphone and started singing with a rockers attitude.  I have to confess until that moment I thought of Atif Aslam as more of a traditional singer. It was an image I had created of him after watching musical battle show Sur Kshetra in Colors TV. But here he was with the attitude of a rocker shaking up the stage with his ardent female fans shouting from the crowd Atif I Love You!

Atif Aslam sang variety of songs ranging from Bollywood to Sufi to his solo albums to songs from MTV Coke Studio. Personally I knew only two of his songs O jane ja and dooriii… I waited for him to sing these songs; in the meanwhile I started clicking away. This concert was a perfect opportunity for me to hone my skill for photography. Atif knew how to work the crowd and the poses he gave was just what I needed.

All in all Atif Aslam was quite an entertainer, with my busy schedule and IELTS exam the next day I somehow managed to go to Atif Aslam’s concert. This kind of concerts by international artists is a welcome relief to the young crowd of Nepal. Thanks to ODC Entertainment, we hope to enjoy many such concerts in the future.  

Catharsis- Long Awaited Revenge

“It’s just the beginning, ” said he, “For the downpour of calamities are yet to come”, and while he
spoke those words, hot tears escaped from the corners of his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. At
that moment, I knew that there was no looking back. I had to do what we intended.

It was a kamikaze attack. Although, I believed that the danger and risk was nothing, only like a small
mosquito that could be smashed within seconds. I was cocksure that our plan was flawless. It was a
photo finish. However, saying that would’ve made me naïve, way too naïve.

He was the world to me. The one who broke the ice; and ever since that day it has been flowers and
candies. We met during mid-July. Crystal like waters pouring down overlapped Kathmandu. We were
two complete strangers walking together on the streets of Durbar Marg. I was eagerly scanning a
subject for my work window and there he was staring at me or right through me.

He was godlike handsome, with a sleek nose and flared nostril accompanied by the liquid warm look
of his eyes. His lips were curled up into a killer smile, flashing the perfect set of teeth. Then I realized
that the smile was for me. I managed to give him the best smile I could, and I think it was a success
as after that he said, “Hey there! I’m Roy.”

His voice was like rhythm to my ears, a perfect piece of melody taken out from Beethoven. “I’m
Dave,” I replied curtly. But he didn’t realize, instead his eyes brightened with the waves of vitality he
said, “So you are a photographer huh?”

His interest towards me came as a shock, with all those beautiful girls walking around giving him a
flirty glance, he preferred talking to me. “Well I am not a photographer, but I do photography. Ah…
you wanna check it out?” I was mortified by my own audacious reaction. Wow!

“Sure. Let’s go to that café and guess what if I like your photos you may teach me photography,” he
said pointing at the café across the road. I’d never witnessed such gorgeously heartbreaking smile;
mind you not even a single girl I knew could’ve smiled like that.

That day was the beginning of a new friendship that blossomed into a rose of love, true love. I was
happy he loved me and so did I, despite the fact that it would be stone hard for us to convince our
families and the society. Of course, it brought us great anxiety thinking of the outcome everyday. But
no matter how chaotic things were we decided never to leave each other. We believed in killing for
love, not getting killed.

Today, I stand in front of his house. A total melancholic pile of bricks put together with cement
forming his or rather his parents’ mansion. This was it, few minutes of hardship, few minutes
without mercy, and few minutes filled with catharsis and then we would be together. I was nervous
though. Hell, why wouldn’t you be nervous, when you’re going to kill you boyfriend’s parents.

His parents were real hypocrites living just for the society. When they had found out about us - they
felt like lambs about to be butchered by the mocking world. They couldn’t let that happen. They did
their wicked best to keep us apart. Alas! It’s not that easy. We had a little plan of our own; indeed
we were saving them from the butchers. Well, we can at least do that amount for the ones who gave
us birth but forgot to give us life.

The door was kept open; Roy had done that. I walked fast but soundless, then up the stairs and
stopped in front of his parents’ bedroom. I was pant- wetting terrified. Then I slowly turned the knob
of the door. It was open, thank god! ‘So far so good’ I said to myself. As I opened the door inch by
inch adrenaline gushed into my veins like one of those extremely fast express trains of Japan. It was
pitch black inside and there was no sign of life as if they were already dead. I was about to make the
next move when suddenly the lights went on.

His parents were lying on the floor, drenched in their own little pool of blood. Blood was splashed
everywhere and in one corner of the room, I saw him. He was looking vicious, filled with the aura of
madness, holding a six-inch knife in his hands. He looked at me and said, “Its over Dave, its over. I
killed them. We can be together now.”

Roy had killed his parents. I couldn’t believe that we were free at last. Death of Roy’s parents gave
new life to us. We hugged each other for a long time. It was hysterical and it was all over the room.
This was sublime. Our greatest fantasy had come true. We were over thrilled by the idea of being
together forever. Our love had won the battle against the world.

Today, we were re- united. Today, we had our Catharsis - our long awaited revenge.

Unsparable Drops

This Video was made by the BBA students of Cosmos College of Management and Technology, as part of the documentary film making competition at Eco Carnival organised at KUSOM. This video was awarded IInd Position. 

COSMOS COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

(Affiliated to Pokhara University)

Tutepani, near Satdobato, Lalitpur

Tel: 5532246, 5548704

www.cosmoscollege.edu.np

NEW GROUP AIMS TO END STREET HARASSMENT IN KATHMANDU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 19, 2012 Kathmandu – Hollaback, an international organization dedicated to end street harassment was launched in Kathmandu today. Hollaback Kathmandu is run by a team of college students who are deeply committed to working online and offline to end street harassment in their community. Hollaback is now in 62 cities and 25 countries, with leaders speaking more than 10 different languages.

According to Centre for Research on Environment Health and Population Activities, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1 in 10 young women and girls face street harassment everyday. “Sexual Harassment is the most pervasive form of gender-based violence. However it is extensive in Nepal and considered a normal behavior. Hollaback is a unique initiative to encourage people to start talking about this issue and recognizing it as a problem and thereby, taking an initiative to solve it”, said a renowned media personality working for a non-profit organization.

The site constitutes posting and sharing of personal harassment experiences, the experiences of a second or a third party and hence making collaborative efforts to take an initiative. The team members will also work offline through the medium of workshops, seminars, screenings as well as coordinating with other organizations sharing common objectives.

“Around 30,000 women are harassed daily in Kathmandu. Sometimes it’s our friends. Sometimes it’s our sisters. And sometimes, it’s us. So we Hollaback! Do you?” said the team members.

Hollaback! Kathmandu will run their local blog and organize their communities through advocacy, community partnerships, and direct action. The leaders of Hollaback Kathmandu are as diverse in their backgrounds as they are in their experiences of harassment.  The Hollaback movement reports that 41% of site leaders are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer, 33% identify as people of color and 76% are under the age of 30.

“We only have 8 or 9 years before the babies in strollers today start experiencing street harassment too.  Our children deserve better, we deserve better, and Hollaback Kathmandu is going to get us there.  Share your story and join the movement today,” said Hollaback Executive Director Emily May.

New locations include Ankara-Turkey; Dublin-Ireland; Fredericksburg- VA; Ghent- Belgium; Jacksonville-NC; Kathmandu-Nepal; Milan-Italy; Pathankot- India; Rutgers, NJ and San Francisco, CA- USA.  

About Hollaback! Hollaback (ihollaback.org) is a nonprofit movement to end street harassment, powered by a network of local activists around the world.  We work together to better understand street harassment, to ignite public conversations, and to develop innovative strategies to ensure equal access to public places.

visit: http://ktmnepal.ihollaback.org/
Contact: Supriya Shrestha, Utsah Shrestha, Bijeta Bhandari

wlead.advocacy@gmail.com

9813766211/9849485086

Rope Maker Grandpa - Datenzing Ongmu Tamang, Melita Mary Ruchel Thapa, Suveckchya Shrestha

Donned in his woolen cap, sweater and trousers, Kaji Tamang, who assumes his age to be around 90, is often seen in the roads of Kapan (Kath), selling ropes for the past six years and is popularly known as " Dori Banaune Baje"       (Rope maker Grandpa) among  the locals.

Kaji Tamang 

Baaje

Other than complaining about the unfortunate things that happened to him, this old man encourages himself  and uses an optimistic attitude to comfort himself.

Baaje in his room.

Reading!

Baaje's praying beads.

Something out of nothing: we often witness the city being littered by sacks and plastics which we consider as waste. But this grandpa has a different perspective. He makes use of insubstantial things to produce something worthwhile. 

Baaje browsing through his raw materials.

The collected sacks are ripped off, shredded and the strings are put together. 

Shredding the Sack!

Strings are out.

The strings are then adjusted in a stick.

They are twisted and turned continuously with his dry, wrinkled hands.

Getting them into shape.

Just like the life of this old man, who has met with different hurdles in his life, the ropes that he makes also have a similar story.

Getting ready for the final touch.

Making fire for his last step.

To give the almost ready rope a smooth and neat texture.

Another phase of burning!

Cooling of the ropes.

Baaje pleased with his hard work gets the ropes ready to sell.

Final dori is then sold to people at Rs. 25 to Rs. 50 depending on the length.

Final Product!

The locals use the dori for various purposes,

The day meets its end, after all day of hard work. 

Content, he rests and looks forward to the next day.