World Newah Convention New York
So Far So Good - A Curtain Raiser
Newars the world over are all eyes on the 4th World Newah Convention this weekend being held from 5 – 7 August 2022 at the LaGuardia Plaza Hotel in New York City, the most happening city. Here some 10 thousand Newars out of 83.8 lakhs population (2020) have made their new home over the period - the first Newar believed to have landed there some six decades ago, if not wrong. Often referred to as the 'Big Apple' and sometimes described as the capital of the world, it has the nickname 'The City That Never Sleeps' and in 2019 was voted 'the Greatest City in the World' in a survey of 30,000 people in 48 cities worldwide, citing its cultural diversity. Why here? – it is the seat of the United Nations Organization symbolizing global Unity and with the Statue of Liberty standing for the Freedom of mankind and we are proud of having made the Convention here this time. It is being organised by the Newa Guthi, New York and the World Newah Organization USA Chapter under the aegis of the World Newah Organization (WNO), the theme being 'Unity within Newah Diversity'. “WNO aims at raising voice against discriminations based on language, culture and ethnicity. .. We will work hand in hand with all for the unity of all Newars around the globe and work for the betterment of Newar language, culture and people.” in the words of Dr. Bal Gopal Shrestha.
What does it mean by Newah?
It was pertinent for a non-Newar to ask “What does it mean by Newah” (or Newar or Newa) as Dr. Laxmi Paudyal, a friend of Anita Pradhan, had. “Historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal like I am and the creators of its historic heritage and civilization. Thanking you for asking.” She says “Subhaye” (means dhanyabad) when congratulated by her. Another friend Naomi Davison Rouse has a question to ask, “You do so many good things!” - “Nope, not really. It's the native group I belong in and where I come from. That's it.” Anita is a team-mate, who sent me a picture of mine to make my Facebook profile picture in the Convention frame, similar to which displayed by over a dozen or so like me worldwide to express camaraderie and solidarity. It is a rare privilege for me to be honoured so. In another post, Sunanda Dangol asked, “like that idea, make it accessible to everyone if it's possible!” Replied Sanyukta Shrestha from London, “unfortunately FB has 'limited the ability to create profile frames on Facebook to authoritative organizations' from last year so these frames are being made manually by our team member.”
Historical Background
The first-ever Convention was held in London from October 28 – 01 November 2011 where the WNO was officially constituted in the august presence of the Centenarian Satya Mohan Joshi and the legendary Padma Ratna Tuladhar* among other dignitaries. Pasa Puchah Guthi United Kingdom (PPG UK) had organized it where Dr. Bal Gopal Shrestha of Leiden the Netherlands was elected as the Founding President and the person behind the show Krishna Chakhun for UK and Russia, Daya Shakya USA and Suwarn Vajracharya Japan as the General Secretary.
The 2nd Convention was held in Baltimore, Maryland on March 25 -27, 2016 jointly organized by the Nepa Pasa Puchah Amerikaye (NPPA) and Newah Organization of America (NOA). Season Shrestha of the NOA was elected as the second President, who continued till the present as he was elected for the second term in 2019. The 3rd World Newah Global Conference and World Newah Day Celebration a held on March 30 – 31, 2018 at Kathmandu Nepal organized by the WNO Nepal Chapter. It was here for the first time that World Newah Day was declared to be observed on the last Saturday of March every year. Though announced that the second half of the term would be for Daya Shakya, the Senior Vice-President gave up to run the show. The events turned out otherwise with Daya elevated to be the Patron in November 2020 in addition to Manik Lal Shrestha* and Padma Ratna Tuladhar* in the Panel of Patrons. It is here that the forthcoming Convention would be closely watched with old guards discontent with the developments. A list of candidates for the posts was issued to do away with the proposed Election without a sufficient number of nominations to the post available, while a few were disqualified. Opinions are divided over the election process and inadequacies in the performance by the functionaries in the past as revealed in the WNO Election Hearing conducted by Daya Shakya on July 17, 2022. The disgruntled saw the election process as not fair enough and began contemplating even WNO 2.0 indicating a possible split in the world body due to some reason or other at the cost of 'Unity within Newah Diversity'. Emergency Meeting of the WNO Executive Committee was held on 23rd July 2022 to answer/address all the concerns clarifying that all decisions and activities that the WNO was currently undertaking were within the provisions of the Constitution of WNO.' As such, the 4th Convention becomes more important to watch out for the outcome as we enter the second decade of the Millenium.
Even before the official formation of the WNO, Daya Shakya from Portland Oregon USA had been in touch with the like-minded the world over as the Coordinator for the WNO Coordination Committee by email. If remembered correctly, the first online meeting on Skype took place in August 2010 to connect with and by the next month, we had the “Decade of the Newah People” declared for the period NS 1131 - 1140/AD 2011 – 2020. It was Tribhuvan Tuladhar's idea that Krishna Chakhun PPG UK seconded it, “This is a very valid call. Let us maintain it” (source: then-just-launched www.karunaguthi.com). Tribhuvan himself made an exit and was conspicuous by his absence at the London Convention. Many are afraid that a similar situation might not be repeated here this time too. Please do not count this scribe here as it has never been possible for him to attend even in the past. He would, however, be there to make a presentation during the Convention and grateful ever to one and all for giving me the space this time again!
Many such teleconferences thereafter led ultimately to the London Convention next year March 2011. Sanyukta too finds seeing old pictures and of the Souvenir posted by Daya, historical. As regards the success stories of the WNO, it was on the 4th World Newah Convention New York Part III on Facebook Live for Special July 26 e-Daboo Episode#79 hosted by Programme Moderator Pramesh Shrestha of the Newah Civilization in Dallas, Texas, Season Shrestha WNO President interacting; apart from the financial aid following the Great Earthquake of Nepal and others for social causes from time to time, the highlight of his tenure was WNO Daily Broadcast on Zoom featuring the known and unsung Newah people from across the globe completes 365 episodes with the Nepalbhasa Google Translate and Validate WDB Episode_363 and Nepalbhasa_Google Translate_Daily LiveSession_463, at the time of writing this story. Daya Shakya Patron WNO was the other guest present. In this context, it would be in the fitness of things to mention a line here in appreciation of the role played by the Nepalbhasa Times Amerikaye episodes inviting known and lesser known Newar figures in the programme coordinated by Suresh Manandhar presented by the host Prabin Tamrakar.
On this occasion, recapitulating earlier days with the NESOCA (Newah Solidarity Campaign) and the key role Maheswor Shrestha played, he was contacted. Though not involved, he was of the view that with the WNO constituted formally and the destination reached, the purpose of NESOCA was served. Drifted much away from the Newah movement, presently he was into some new line of thought that would need some sort of movement and take time to see the light of the day, he shared. Wished him good health and success soon. Memory takes this Author back to those days when a world body was proposed who found it premature but within months the proposed WNO came up and the rest is history. A World Newah Federation was also mooted (and he too was contacted) but better sense prevailed for the sake of 'Unity with Newah Diversity' as we know it!
This write-up was almost ready when Maheswor Shrestha sent additional inputs that refreshed my fading memory of those days. He wrote, “In 2011 initiatives to start WNO was from the friends who were associated with NESOCA. America-based friends outsmarted and thwarted our efforts to organize World Newa Conference by turning them inactive poisoning their ears. Had they come forward with the proposal to organise it themselves, we would have no objection to handing over the responsibility. But they adopted a step to sabotage us. It hurt me quite badly. However, the WNO was constituted in a grand manner. It is a matter of pleasure to the Newars spread the world over and to me as well, a historic accomplishment indeed. It is the responsibility of the present generation to keep this active and live in accordance with its objectives, for which patronage from people like you is available to them. I am grateful to you for mentioning my name at the WNO Convention.”
The Newars in Sikkim
If not out of the place/context, it is deemed relevant to share here that the book is an effort to present the advent, rise and progress of the Newar in Sikkim ever since they made the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim their newfound home some 150 years ago. Some believe that they were here from the very beginning. That might be an opinion, a subject of dissent thereby for discussion and further research but this is an account to document whatever is known to the Author from family sources, and limited materials/resources he could lay his hands on during his journey of life. This too ever since May 27, 1982.
Fond memories take him to the days four decades back in 1982 when this scribe propounded Sikkim Newar Guthi to replicate one at his homeland since the days of yore but larger as an apex body for the fellow Newars in different parts of the Himalayan State. It was a foresight of Taksari Chandrabir Pradhan* to bring together the fellow Newars to gather at Sri 3 Mahadev Shivalaya Mandir in the heart of Rhenock Bazar into a close-knit society. With the change of Government in 1994 Sikkim Newar Guthi was officially recognised as an apolitical social organization with Founding President Mohan Pratap Pradhan* with Keshab Chandra Pradhan as the Vice-President - both the former Chief Secretary to the Government of Sikkim. This followed the recognition of the Newar language in 1995 as one of the State languages at par with the existing English, Nepali, Bhutia, Lepcha and Limbu. Next year, he co-authored Newa: Varna Lipi ra Bhasha Parichaya with his wife Ranjana from Tengal Kathmandu, edited by Raja Shakya of Asha Safu Kuthi. Its modified edition in 2001 made a total of 5,000 copies - a small booklet but with great social cause ramified across the Himalayan foothills including mainland Nepal. In 1996 he was the Secretary of Information and Public Relations and brought out the first-ever facelift in 40 years to the Sikkim Herald since 1956 and give its Newar Edition for the Government of Sikkim and the Newa: for the Sikkim Newar Guthi as their official organ.
By this time not only they were much known in the fraternity on both sides of the border but also well recognised by the succesive Government, he faced the brunt throughout his career. Undeterred, with the undaunted support of his father Jai Shanker Lall Shresta* always, he continued to be associated with the Newar movements like NESOCA in the Newarland and overseas with the Newah Vijnana of Portland, Oregon, USA. In 2004 Bal Gopal Shrestha, a scholar of the Leiden University of the Netherlands with Cambridge University supported by the Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS) Tribhuvan University came to Sikkim for his research works on the Ritual Transformation in the Diaspora – The Newars in Sikkim with many of our materials finding documented therein. Before the writer-duo left the shores for the first time visiting daughter Rachna-Vimal, an invitation had been received from the NAO to speak on the Newars in Sikkim in their 9th Convention on May 29, 2010. Coincidentally, even before this, we were deliberating about the proposed WNO invited by its Co-ordinator Daya at Tribhuvan's residence over breakfast with Bal Gopal at Oxford on Skype that morning. This Author was one of the Promoters from Sikkim/India to this world-body invited by the WNO Co-ordination Committee as the other two preferred to keep themselves away for the reasons best known to them. Could be, better things to do back homefront while leaving him affairs overseas to take care of and connect with the dots. No wonder if one finds him placed in the Panel of Advisors with WNO right from the very beginning in recognition of whatever he could be contributing thus far.
The person who facilitated all his meetings driving to Pennsylvania and even at odd hours of the night and picking him back was his Jwain Saheb Bipin Karki of Woodbridge, Virginia who passed away in his sleep last May 22. We owe much to this kind soul to pay this line in tribute here.
So far...So good
Fortunate enough to be associated with such an august body being away from the mainland takes him back to the “good old days when I was in America/London” maxim this elderly to recapitulate and narrate to let his contemporary know the story so far ... so good!
Let us hope the days ahead too would be a smooth sail with the support of one and all to the team of dedicated fellow Newars who deserved winning not only the race but the heart of the fraternity to serve the tenure in their best capacity ever to well accomplish the goal taking the glory of the Newah Civilization to greater heights in this 2nd Decade of the Newah People. The World Newah Day each year would certainly help us rededicate ourselves to the greater Newah Cause!
So are you going to participate in the Convention? You too may ask the Author like many others and his reply would be 'Visa madu', as one was found mentioning to Daya Shakya, Patron WNO. 'No Visa' would also be his reply but yet he would very much with his fellow Newars during the Convention. He had found an entry there making a presentation yet one more time on the subject close to his heart, the Newars in Sikkim, when Daya replied, “Nice to hear from you!! Is it a new version?”. Pushkar Mathema, another Team-member from Kathmandu asked the Author to send an Excerpt from his forthcoming book, The Newars in Sikkim : A Perspective – Some Reflections. In fact, he had shared its Synopsis with some of his friends who would be interested to know about it. Pushkar, former Editor-in-Chief at the Gorkhapatra, is now entrusted with the onerous responsibility to bring out the Halin Newah Souvenir 2022 WNO commemorating the 4th World Newah Convention New York. This way this scribe would be making a presentation as mentioned above!
An attractive line-up of interesting Newah academic seminar and popular cultural shows to witness the unique and rich Indigenous Newah Culture from Nepal besides the Newah Art, Culture, Fashion, Entertainment and many more with celebrities like Khyali Juju/Comedy King Madan Krishna Shrestha, Miss Nepal 2022 Priyanka Rani Joshi among others invited. So, Wane, Nu (come, let us go) and be greeted there to welcome you with Jwajalappa or Namaskar!
To conclude it has been a wonderful journey for the WNO to take great pride in having reached New York for their 4th World Newah Convention in spite of all the hurdles and events seen and unseen - so far ... so good. It would invite the attention of the Newars worldwide, might give them enough energy and synergy for the onward journey and inspire their fellow ethnic groups as well towards having such an event for them too.
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Disclaimer: This is the Author’s personal account of memories to cherish and treasure, often on a detour here and there en route to share the joy of the journey called life. Some names (asterisk* for those no more), quotes, places and events mentioned are just to connect with and no malice whatsoever intended. He can be reached at [email protected] and his books are available on www.rachnabooks.com