Nepal: Money Needed For Movement

Democracy For Nepal, DFN, talks of the need for the Nepali diaspora to pump money into the democracy movement in Nepal: moral support is not enough. The idea is to launch an organization to the effect.

Those in the diaspora do not have the option to get out into the streets of Nepal, to get beat up by the police, possibly getting shot dead. That is why the diaspora needs to do everything else possible, and money is key. We have to outspend our opponents. We have to outorganize them.

There is also an entry on Blogalaxy For Global Democracy. Other countries fighting for democracy can hope to learn from the Nepal experience.

A blog is one star. A blogalaxy is many stars. A blogalaxy has many individual and group blogs all interlinked to each other. There are three basic components to power for any democracy movement: money, message, organization. Blogs are great ways to marshall all three. Blogs also make possible politics at the speed of thought. You end up with armchair revolutionaries. One country group could learn from another, there would be much cross pollination in terms of learning strategies, techniques, message honing. Each country group will feel this enormous moral support. The blogalaxy would not be a registered organization, just a communication tool that positively impacts all three power tools, although there might be many registered organizations that are part of it.

United We Blog, UWB, has several pieces of great interest: Images of Protests in Dang, Deserted Voting Booths of Nepal, People Indifferent To Election, Election Day: Kathmandu Silent. The moon throws light, but a bulb that throws light is not the moon. Democracies have elections, but elections are not democracy. Somebody tell that to the dictator king in Nepal.

Samudaya reports from Nepal: Black Day at Basantapur. “After the protest, we meet up with Gagan Thapa. “Four years of brick-throwing”, he reflects, “and nothing has progressed. I've realized that giving two speeches is more effective than two days of rioting.””

Mero Sansar has a video blog on the state firing water hoses at demonstrators.

3 comments

  • Jeanette Rodrigues

    While agreeing that King Gynendra’s attempt to democratise Nepal is a farce, we must not forget that the only power committed enough to destroy the Maoist threat in Nepal is King Gyanendra. Right now, India’s main concern is to flush out the Maoists from out of Nepal so that it can tackle them and consequently eliminate the menace. The moment Nepal doesn’t have a leader, the people will turn to the Maoists for guidance. Democracy will have a turbulent birth in that country and the interim will cost India dear. Once the Maoists take control of Kathmandu, it won’t be long before China stamps its authority over the valley and the Maoist menace in India (known as Naxalite violence) will worsen.

    The solution India must adopt must be partly political and partly economic. Alongwith troop deployment into Nepal, India must also invest in the kingdom. Just as the Indian businesshouse of Tata has now ventured into Bangladesh, the Indian governement must provide diplomatic backing and protection for any business house willing to invest in Nepal. This is the only way to truely democratise Nepal.

  • Jeanette.

    You seem to buy into the king’s propaganda, and invent some of your own.

    (1) The Chinese Communist Party has no relationship whatsoever with either the Nepali Maoists or the Naxalites in India. The CCP actually disapproves of both. So China marching into Kathmandu is a figment of your imagination.

    (2) The Nepali Maoists are fighting for a democratic republic like India and America are, not for a communist republic.

    (3) The idea is not to “destroy” the Maoists, but to mainstream them, to disarm them.

    (4) Deploying Indian troops into Nepal is out of question.

    India instead could impose economic sanctions to weaken the autocratic regime and help the democracy movement.

  • how many stamps does one need to mail letters to kathmandu nepal? or do i go to the post office and they do it for me..?

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