Ashish Lohorung Rai

As you may or may not have heard the news from a horse’s mouth, on behalf of the team I would like to share a good news with you. Recently, Kirat Rai Yayokkha Sydney Australia (KRYSA) decided to participate in a Cultural Dance Competition organised by NINFA on the occasion to celebrate the World Indigenous Day 2011 (August 9) at Campsie. Under the Kirat Council Sydney, artists and volunteers spent at least a month to prepare a Sakela Dance and Chyabrung Dance for this event. Albeit the short time notice of rehearsals and preparations, with involved everyone’s sheer dedications and can-do attitude, we have pulled through a winning pair out of 6 contestant groups.

I am very much glad to share the good news that Kirat Limbu Chyabrung Dance was declared the winner and Kirat Rai Sakela Dance the runner-up. I would like to congratulate everyone of you (Kirat – Rai, Limbu, Yakkha and Sunuwar). And special Congratulations and a Big Thank you go to the Dance Artists and Volunteers.

Obviously, to make any event a worth while and success there will always be a bunch of volunteers’ efforts, contributions and dedications at the background. I would like to congratulate these volunteers and on behalf of the team, would like to extend a Big Thank you once again to followings:

Sakela Dance Artists:
1) Degana Rai
2) Bashodha Rai
3) Anupama Rai
4) Jyoti Rai
5) Shrijana Rai
6) Ram Kumar Rai
7) Naresh Rai
Sushil Tumbahangphe
9) Anand Lohorung Rai
10) Sanjay Rai

Song and Rhythm:
1) Narendra Rai
2) Santosh Rai
3) Pradeep Rai
4) Sashi Chandra Rai

Volunteers:
Food and Beverages: (during rehearsals)
1) Sashi Chandra Rai and Family
2) Mohan Rai and Family
3) Chitra Tumbahangphe and Family
4) Samir Bantawa and Family
5) Santosh Rai and Family
6) Ashok Rai and Family
7) Sashi Limbu and Family
Narendra Rai and Family
9) Raju Subba and Family
10) Major Bhala Rai and Family

Dress up and attires co-coordinator:
1) Bashodha Rai

Dresses and attires, jewelleries lenders/contributors
1) Barsha Rai
2) Bindya Subba
3) Menuka Rai
4) Sharmila Rai
5) Bisa Rai
6) Sumitra Rai (Ram’s mother)
4) Bona Rai

Dance Silli creator/contributor
1) Bashodha Rai
2) Degana Rai
3) Jyoti Rai
4) Ashish Lohorung Rai
5) Narendra Rai

Every year 9 of August marks the day for World’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day with various events and programmes all over the world. This year with the slogan of “Indigenous designs: celebrating stories and cultures, crafting our own future” will unite the world’s indigenous cultures together one more time. I celebrated this day by designing this poster. Feel free to share with everyone. Happy Indigenous Day!

Coming August 9 is the 16th World Indigenous Day for 2008. Many different organizations are celebrating it with many programs. NGO-FONIN is organizing “Signature Campaign” in different parts of the valley to raise the voices and issues of indigenous peoples of Nepal.

Dear all,
Namaste/Jhorle

As IPs are celebrating the August 9 as world indigenous peoples day, we are also organizing some of the activities on the occasion. Specifically, we have focused the activities connecting with CA. As the CA is an opportunity for us to raise voice to have a constitution written addressing IPs and other marginalized peoples issues, the activities will be as: signature campaign, submitting appeal to respective CA representative and authorities, so that it could support on creating pressure as well as making aware the respective authorities.

The signature collection campaign has been already stated from 3rd August, which will be carried out till the 9 August and the appeal will be submitted to each CA members (during CA Meeting) organizing a press conference. The date for submitting of the appeal will be decided later (the date will be decided consulting the respective authority) At the mean time we will also be involved in the activities, organized by other IPs and likeminded organizations. We need to make collective effort towards influencing the concerns.

We would also like to request all members, district networks to involve or organize same kinds of activities. For your kind information and references the copy appeal, pamphlets and letter are attached herewith, please find them.

Lalkumari Roca
Rights and Advocacy Officer
NGO-FONIN

More pictures and information you can find at Lohorung Khanawa and NEFIN Website. So I request all for the support of not only the indigenous people but also to the underprivileged groups. Come to Dasarath Stadium at August 9 and celebrate it.

Today Alliance of Mahakulung NGOs and Association of Nepal Kirat Kulung Language & Cultural Development jointly organised the felicitation program of Nepal Children’s Health & Education Foundation to signify the respect for the work of an retired American Mrs. Candy Chaplin at Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), Bhrikutimandap. Mrs. Candy Chaplin has been working as a social worker at the most remote part of Solukhumbhu, Nepal for the upliftment of the local people residing there. With her initiative she has build a school, provided the necessary furniture, distributed many books and school uniforms, provided scholarships, built three mills and so on. She wants to build hospital, library, electricity facility as her future plans. During the program many respected persons including Bal Bahadur Rai ( Senior Leader and Ex-Interim PM), Prachandaman Shrestha (Chief of NTB), Chandra Singh Kulung ( Chief of Nepal Kirat Kulung Language and Culutre Development), Yam Bahadur Kulung (President of Nepal Kirat Kulung Language and Culutre Development), Surya Kulung ( Nepal Students Union executive member), Padam Nachhiring ( Nepali Congress Leader) were present. The program was hosted by Keshav Kulung and the co-ordinator of the program was Bagman Kulung.

The gone 21st of this month was the 9th International Mother Language Day. Our local club Chulachuli UNESCO Club celebrated the day by showing a feature film “Kripa” which was in Gurung language having Nepali subtitle. Indigenous Film Archive (IFA) and “Nepal Rastra Ayog” supported the program. The theme of this year was “International year of Languages”. It was presented at Gurukul, Battisputalisadak. There also held the interaction program after the show where Dr. Bajracharya and language expert Mr. Amrit Younjon gave their reactions about the film.

The one of the reactions that I liked about Amrit Ji was that we shouldn’t blame for all the nonsense things to “Jhakri‘ due to the superstitions we have in our village and remote areas coz they are the one who healed our pain and sufferings throughout the centuries. They are the one who cured our wounds and treated us like doctor. Till now also there are not enough doctors in the village and the people have to be dependant to them only.

In the movie there is a girl named Kripa. She has been raised by a man who is deaf called Ode. The role of Ode is played by the director of the film Maotse Gurung. Kripa goes to stay with Ode’s sister in the city. After some years she comes back to the village but finds herself in difficult situation with Ode’s relationship. Finally she understands it perfectly the truth of their relationship and the film ends.

Some useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day

http://webworld.unesco.org/imld/

Yesterday was the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People which was celebrated all over the world. The United Nations General Assembly declared the day as to be celebrated as World Indigenous Day. It was started from 1994. Since then it has been celebrated annually by various ethnic groups and peoples all over the world. The General Assembly has declared it as the resolution 49/214 of 23 December.

International Labour Organization has declared in the Convention 169 that every individual ethnic group which has their own identity, language, customs and culture should be treated as a different group and should be recognized individually by the country regardless of the number they possess. But in the present context of various countries, many ethnic tribes and groups are being ignored by their country. This situation is same in Nepal too. There are still many ethnic groups who are not recognized by the government of our country that also includes my tribe which is called Lohorung. Though the talk between government and limited indigenous organizations was just held, it is quite ambiguous to understand beside the promise to establish Indigenous People Committee and just trying to make an representative from every recognized ethic groups.

We the family members Arati, Anand Bro, Mother and myself also went to the rally organized by Indigenous Community Women’s Network and NGO – Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities to mark the World Indigenous Day 2007. The rally started form Basantapur Durbar Square and went passing New Road, Bir Hospital, Bhotahiti, Jamal, Ghantaghar, Kamaldi and finally to Pragya Academy. There was a huge mass of people wearing their own cultural dresses.

Inside the Pragya Academy hall all of them were gathered. There were many cultural shows including a nice Indigenous related song which is published here. Many indigenous organization distributed their press releases including the one I have published here. On the occasion Speaker of House of Representative Subas Nembang has come to inaugurate the function. Krishna Bhattachan gave a very strong speech about the indigenous people issues.

In the mid of the program we were being called by Chandra Kulung of our Chulachuli UNESCO Club for attending another program. In that program water resource minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki had come as a chief guest. He too gave speech about indigenous issues. Many other renowned intellectuals had come there and gave speech about UNESCO Clubs roles in the upliftment of indigenous peoples. The program terminated having a fast food with tea.

After that program we again came to Pragya Hall to watch rest of the shows. There was also a cultural dress shows and song performance by Bimala Subba, a renowed singer of Nepal. After watching for some hours we came back home.

At last, the day was successful as wished and that was the first time I have ever walked for any kind of rally. So I was quite excited and shouted in the slogans of indigenous issues which made my throat to jam. After sometime it became normal. Many news channels and radio stations had also come and took interview to many people who had come there.

Day before yesterday I with my elder bro and sis went to attend a three day workshop at Anamnagar at Sagun office.It is the workshop for the club called Chula Chuli UNESCO Club. The workshop is facilitated by Damber Uncle. He did very good presentation and provided us many visions and ideas about the upliftment of indigenous people. He has a good sense of humour too so I don’t feel how the day passed. It was fun to play a knot opening game though it was opened soon. That day we discussed about the Strategic Planning action about the problem we are facing to get the vision.

We were divided into four groups having four members each. Each group had to submit their suggestion and the suggestions had to be written in play cards. At last, the play cards were pasted in the wall and we all together discuss in all the play cards.

We were asked to identify the dragon that is stopping us to reach the vision. We were asked to mention the things but we cannot use the sense of there is not or there is lack of. Instead, we had to use what is there which is being stopping us. That was tough to choose that thing. So most of us were confused what to write. At last we had got some idea and did write it.

Arati is the vice-president of that club. She has to handle some of the task. She did present the report of the day before that day. Yesterday also the continued workshop held but I didn’t had time to go. I had to prepare for the mid-term.

Anyway, that was so much fun and nice. I liked it very much and hoped that I don’t miss such opportunity.