Saddam Hussein executed

At last, the ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein has been excuted. What do you think about it? Please write your comments. For this, click on comment, insert your email address which will not be published, and write your comments.

Marvellous Jeevan Sharma

A republican poetry symposium and cultural programe organised by Nepal Youth Social Forum-2006, a campaign for democratic republic, human rights, lasting peace and social justice, held in Kathmandu, Saturday, in which I was also a guest poet including other young ones. We could attract the attention of audience not that special. Yes, among us, Mani Kafle, a street poet was hero with his not serious but funny beats. But Jeevan Sharma did really splendid. As you know he is a famous singer of the people, he sang Jharnako mitho pani and Simali Chhayama, which were really marvellous, not only with musical melody but also with powerful words. He got once more again and again. But he had to beg pardon because of the shedule of the programme.
If the music and powerful words work together, it is really marvellous. It is thousand times more attractive than the socalled pop music. The stage was really stimulating when he sang-

it is called, there is not a single state of the poor
though we have a dream to bring it in this country

Inside

Articles page
1. Much more useful article on great Checz novelist Milan Kundera, Pitambar Sharma remembers Dr. Harka Gurung, An article on Argentine fiction writer Jorge Luis Borges
2.An article on Snow, a novel by Orhan Pamuk, Nobel winner

Poetry page
Langston Hughes, DH Lawrence, Chanky Shrestha, 5 great poems by Lorca, 3 poems by Gopy Sapkota

Songs page
Consuela biaz by Bonym

Bonym music, enjoy

I am much more fond of Bonym music. It was not the group which made just hoolabaloo.
It was really a group of serious and immortal music creators. They sang the song of people’s wound, poverty, fight for liberty and salvation of black community. I don’t know the present state of the group. I have an album of this group published in 1982 which is really marvellous. When the time is remorse and disappointing, I listen to the music and get relief. Yes I was really in a sullen mood today and unable to avoid this. At the situation, when I listened the Consuela Biaz by Bonym, made me fully relieved. The music is not possible here. I think, either the words may be able to refresh you. Enjoy-

In the hills above Freno
By a shiny mountain stream
A young man laid where he fell
In the ruins of his dream
He looked into the sky
Happy to see that the dawn was slowly breaking down
And a woman knelt beside him
Consuela biaz

In the town San Domingo
As we laughed and danced all the night
To the throb of flemenco guitars
Seemed a long long way from tomorrow’s fight
He came from under the sea
Full of the passion of when
you were born to be free
From the valley of Ronda
Consuela biaz

Consuela Biaz, she knelt there and gently
she bathed his wounds
and he kissed her trembling fingers
Consuela biaz
Consuela biaz
From the valley of Ronda
To the hills above Freno
Just to die against her shoulder
Consuela biaz

I am sorry, if I have failed you

New style of book launch

I was really impressed by a book launch programme held in Bar Association hall, Saturday. Generally, I feel too bored when I am in a literary programme because of the worthless formalities. But the launch programme of the poetry collection Warjit Abasesh (Prohibited Fossils) by young and energetic poet Keshav Raj Silwal was totally different. There was no chief guest to launch the book who generally is the socalled big hand, nor were the formalities of welcome and thanksgiving speech. Swargiya Swapnil Smriti, Narayan Shrestha, Padam Gautam and Momila released the book by reciting each one poem by Silwal. Yes, they also clarified why they chose the poem which they recited. What was the cause the releasers were totally new and different ? I was really impressed by the answer of organiser who said, we chose the young hands who made a good status in literature as well as in their profession with their struggle in spite of adverse circumstances. What a good idea !
Well done, Keshav !

Milan Kundera’s Life Is Elsewhere

I have read a series of interesting books recently in which Joseph Skvoresky’s Emoke: Legend, HG Wells’ The Invisible Man, The thoughts and life of Socretus, Milan Kundera’s Life Is Elsewhere are some of them. As you know Kundera is that marvellous writer who is compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the living legend of world literature. Marquez won Nobel Prize in 1982, but Kundera is ousted every year. (You can read a much more comprehensive article on Kundera by Jan Kulik in this blog under Article page.)
Yes, Kundera’s Life is Elsewhre is really a masterpeace. A budding poet and his adoring mother are the central characters of this intriguing novel. Kundera takes us through the young man’s fantasies and love affairs, alive with wit, eroticism, voeurism and ideas. It reflects his own tone and intentions. As such it offers an opportunity for both the discovery and rediscovery of one of the very best of a great writer’s works.
Don’t miss to read this novel if you really want to read a good book. Well, this book is available in Educational Book House or Pilgrims in Kathmandu. Don’t forget to buy Indian edition, which costs just Rs 169. If you take English one it costs you more than Rs 400.
The novel is as sweet as rich and funny poetry, which has different titles, such as: The poet is born, Xavier, The poet masturbates, The poet runs, The poet is jelous, The man in his forties, The poet dies.
Let me quote two paras from the starting of the novel, which tells how funny and marvellous craft Kundera’s writing possesses.

When the poet’s mother wondered where the poet had been
conceived, there were only three possibilities to consider: a park bench one night , the apartment of a friend of the poet’s father one afternoon, a romantic spot outside Prague late morning.
When the poet’s father asked himself the same question, he concluded that the poet had been conceived in his friend’s apartment, for on that day everything had gone wrong. The poet’s mother had refused to go to the friend’s place, they had quarelled about it twice and reconciled twice, and while they were making love and door lock of adjoining apartment rasped, the poet’s mother took fright, they broke off, and then they resumed lovemaking and finished in a state of mutual tension to which his father attributed the poet’s conception.

Challenge on Dristi column

I write the column entitled ‘Pratidhwani’ in Dristi weekly once a month. Under the same title I used to write in Spacetime Dainik. It was my turn yesterday and I wrote, in the diary-style of satyakura blog, bitter comments on fake ‘republican poetry campaign’, Prabhu Narayan Basnet’s logicless logic and about the tragedy of my name.
At about 11 am on Tuesday, a perfect masculine voice called me at my 6616258 phone and told that he had interestingly read my column in Dristi weekly. In return to his response, I thanked him and beg him to disclose himself. (Perhaps, he knew that my phone does not have caller ID.) Suddenly, roaring like thundering cloud, he said, what do you really want ? Wait and see. I did not have any chance to know the cause. He slammed off his phone.
Who may be the person ? Is he really angry on what I wrote ? If yes, should I have to fear ? Not at all. I uttered, utter and will utter only truth and got challenges many many time for the cause. The love for truth has led me to a bundle of misfortunes, though it is my real love . In a true sense, it is my life. Can a person be departed from his own soul who is alive ?

Sly intellectual

Who is Prabhu Narayan Basnet ? Which party does he belong to ? Perhaps Nepali Congress. The Ekata Kendra (Unity Centre)-ousted Basnet wrote an article recently published in Gorkhapatra argues that the proposal to form a republican front is totally meaningless. Is this an arguemet a genuine person makes when the country is in the threshold of Republican state ?
The tupsy-turvy UML this time had made a good proposal of referendum to say bye bye to monarchy, which was totally rejected by Nepali Congress and turned deaf ear by other parties including Maostis. In this situation, the formation of republican front is a must when the by mistake hero Girija Prasad Koirala-led Congress is unknowingly standing for socalled ceremonial monarchy. As we know, republican state is the door through which we can enter culturally rich and just society. There is no one the great or the infernal by birth in the republican state. The murderers like Paras Shah cannot be saved in the capacity of prince.
What does Girija Prasad and the sly intellecual like Prabhu Narayan really want ?

Poor journalists !

What happens to a dream deferred ?

Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun ?
Or fester like a sore
And then run ?
Does it stink like rotten meat ?
Or crust and sugar over-
Like a syrupy sweet ?

May be it just sags-
Like a heavy load
Or does it explode ?
-Langston Hughes (the famous poem Harlem)

Political parties and leaders never tire themselves and never let go any opportunity from expounding the freedom of press and their right to information but when it comes to the crux, the press always find itself out in the cold totally ignored or even disdained.
On Friday and previous days, when the meeting of seven parties and Maoists to finalise interim statute started, dozens of journalists left huddling on the street outside the prime minister’s residence hungry, shivering, disgraced and totally damp by the cold December night. The repeated plea for the management for press was totally turned deaf ear as if the journalist, who at other time are flattered too much, are nothing but nuisance trying to pilfer on what is happenig inside.
What does the habbit of making big decisions in the darkness of night really mean ? Is this not ominous ?
Like Langston Hughes, we have to say, what happens to a dream deferred ? Does it not explode like a bomb?

Major Highlights of Interim Statute
1. Prime minister to exercise all executive powers of head of state
2.The council of ministers authorised to look into the punishment sentenced by any court, special court and military court
3. The constitutional council headed by prime minister that includes chief justice, speaker and three ministers named by the prime minister
4. The amendment of constitution by two thirds of the parliamentarians
5. The property of late king Birendra, late queen Aishorya and their relatives to be put in a trust under Nepal govt and be utilised for national welfare.
6.The property of king Gyanendra received in the capacity of the head of state to be nationalised
7.Formation of security council headed by prime minister including defence and home ministers and other ministers namedy by prime minister
8. Religious secularism
9. Nepal defined as independent, indivisible, sovereign, inclusive and completely democratic state
10.The sovereignty and the power to rule rest on the people
11. Formation of unicameral interim legilasture including 330 members
12.Constituennt assembly comprising 425 members including 409 from election based on mixed electoral system and 16 from nominations

Republican poetry campaign by royalist rascals

A news published recently made me laugh very much. According to news, 7 young poets have launched the campaign entitled poem for democratic republican state. As per the campaign, poets associated with it will first recite their poems in different parts of Kathmandu valley and then major cities, commercial areas and rural areas. You know who they are. They are the same poets who used to recite their poetry on the occasion of birthday of Paras Shah and take handi. They used to voice slogans like long live our king. What a great joke ! You can compare them to Police Officer Achumelav of the famous story Lizard by Anton Chekov who changes his remarks according to the situation. It is obvious that these socalled poets also change their campaign if situation does not favour them. I think they will annouce Kshetra Pratap Adhikary, Kali Prasad Rijal and so on as their counsellor. Should I mention their name ? No no they are not mentionworthy even for slander. The mirror of time will some day reflect their real face.