Nick Kristof?
Yeah, that's the guy we're talking about. I personally never did read his book but I have friends who loved it. Nick and I agree that we need to end sexism and racism. That's why he'll find a better story if he goes to the Terai. The part of Nepal where the tourists (and especially the rock jocks) don't go. When I'm having a
dark night of the soul, I have to tell myself that
Half the Sky is real and not a fairy tale. But anybody who works in global health will tell you that those nights do come......
I dimly knew that Nick Kristof was going to Nepal, and evidently once a year Nick holds a contest for which the prize is the opportunity to join him on an international trip to the developing world. This year he brought Austin Meyer, from Stanford, who wrote a guest blog on Nick's New York Times blog space.
No offense Nick. No offense, Austin. But the piece gets a C-
As in below average
You could have done better. waaaaaay better.
I websearched Mr. Meyer for a photo. I think this is him, from an
article he did for LA Times on rockclimbing. Hey, the guy is buff! I am in favor of indoor climbing; but can't resist pointing out that he would be at risk of frostbite, in the actual Himalaya. (He'll never make it up the Hillary Step in that outfit). And
here is my assessment of western climbers who come to Nepal. So Nick - please don't take Austin to Solu Khumbu, what ever you do!
Nick, if you do an earthquake story, please remember to include the idea that not one penny of the 4.8 billion dollars pledged for earthquake relief by international governments has been spent for reconstruction. And if you go north to the earthquake zone, buy the kid a down jacket.
This one was clearly labeled.. don't you think that's the same guy?
Nick and Austin
started out in India. All well and good. But the first stop in Nepal was to Kathmandu, where the original plan was to be with some opthalmologists that are doing free cataract surgery. Then.... they looked around.... and the reality didn't match the script.... they noticed.... Kathmandu is having some kind of blockade and people are ......
unhappy! The headline was "
India Dampens Nepal's Celebrations"
Okay, I get it that maybe the headline was written by the headline editor, but we're talking about Dasain, a religious celebration. And this specific phrasing makes it sound like India is anti-Hindu.
Say what?
But it gets worse.
Here's another controversial part:
On September 20, Nepal adopted a new constitution that has caused lots of turmoil. The Indian government led by the Hindu-nationalist BJP party is not happy because Nepal, a Hindu-majority, passed a secular constitution. Residents of Nepal’s southern plains bordering India, known as Madhesis, who have close familial, economic and cultural ties to India, are also not pleased because they feel under-represented.
In apparent retaliation, the Indian government has restricted commercial vehicles entering into Nepal. Meanwhile, Madhesis have staged protests against the constitution at the border that have resulted in dozens of deaths in the last several weeks.
India denies blockading Nepal and says that vehicles are being restricted because of the danger inside the Nepalese border. read the whole thing at http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/...
This is a gross oversimplification, and essentially a regurgitation of the party line of those who support the constitution Nepal just adopted September 20th. Here is where opinion in Nepal diverges sharply. The apportionment of seats in the parliament, and various other clauses, dramatically favor Kathmandu at the expense of the 51% of the population in the Terai, the flat region near India. So yes - if you ask somebody from Kathmandu they will tell you how great the new constitution is, and also deny that the "Madhesi" even have a claim to Nepali citizenship. ( analogous to the way that Israelis refer to the Palestinians as "Arabs"). But - and I hope you are staying with me, Nick - if you go to
the Terai and ask them, they will tell you that they too are just as Nepali as the folks in Kathmandu are. It's not a "feeling of under-representation." It's
under-representation that is codified into law.
the story Austin missed so far!
Fortunately there's time to re-do this assignment and resubmit it for a higher grade. Austin, you and Nick need to go to the Terai, and meet people there. Oh, maybe some Human Rights Activists - and especially some women (They hold up Half the Sky, in case you don't know). and ask them what they think. They'll tell you the protests originate with the Nepalis of the Terai, not with India, and it's immaterial as to India's role. My favorite journalist in Nepal is Subina Shrestha, who works for Al Jazeera English. Her video on childbirth in Accham is justly famous and won widespread acclaim, but the story she did for AJE just two days ago about the fuel blockade/nonblockade is a model you should examine. Ms. Shrestha deserves wider acclaim in USA. if you go to Vimeo, you can see many of her recent pieces, all of which are wondrous. I've spent five months in the Terai, and when I see her videos it all comes flooding back.....
How to Improve the piece for a better grade
First Mr. Meyer: The actual writing is strong and colorful. EB White would have loved it, as would Professor Strunk. There were no typos. So, you do have potential. But, I've blogged on this Nepal situation every day for a month now, and I have learned two things Mr. Meyer might wish to consider.
First, the protests in the Terai did not simply begin Sept 20th. These had been building during years of frustration. India is not solely to blame. The nationalism is a diversion from compromise with the Nepalis of the Terai - the real problem.
Second, what makes this protest different is the wide swath of unity, partly propelled by clever social media, of Nepalis of Terai demanding an end to racism, casteism, sexism and colonialism. I think everyone in USA would love to hear the story about how the Wretched of the Earth rose up against their oppressors. America loves an underdog.
The final thing the Nepalis of Terai will tell you
They are not going to go away. Believe it or not, the blockade was eased slightly because of the Dasain Holiday. We all wonder how it will resume and to what degree the Nepalis of Terai will maintain their resolve. Their movement is now too big to quell with mere riot police or even by sending in the Army (one million Nepalis made a human chain the other week, extending across 1,100 km of the east-west highway). The government in Kathmandu will need to negotiate with the Nepalis of Terai, one way or the other.
The Human chain was October 1st. It sent a powerful message, worthy of Gandhi or Mandela. They want "one man (or woman) one vote;" and to end statelessness that dooms Nepalis of Terai to eternal poverty.
Oh, and while my own Nepal book is not relentlessly upbeat like yours, it's a way to get a feel for the culture.
4:22 AM PT: UPDATE:
Donatella Lorch is a former New York Times journalist who's been living in Kathmandu. Nick, read this - she got it right.
"Our lives are inextricably linked to fossil fuels at so many levels - In Nepal, the power of an Indian blockade affects every part of daily life. What does it really mean to have no fuel?"
http://www.nytimes.com/...