Kamala Sarup
Articles by Kamala Sarup
January 17, 2010
Kathamandu, Nepal: As part of a traditional family growing up in Nepal and as a woman, I was not allowed to dance and sing. It was very strict. Women were not allowed to act in movies or plays. Later I lived in India, where I joined classes in dancing and singing.
It was a great effort for my fat...
August 16, 2009
Kathmandu, Nepal, — India celebrated its Independence Day on Aug. 15 by flying the national flag and with parades. India gained freedom from British rule in 1947. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last year, "All countries in our region must recognize that terrorism anywhere is a threat to p...
June 07, 2009
In Nepal, investment in media has been encouraged through the guarantee that they will not be forcefully closed for any reason, political or otherwise, by the government. Hence, the number of newspapers, magazines, TV stations and FM radio stations has increased in Nepal, through both foreign and do...
June 07, 2009
Dance and poetry are committed to reviving old values and constructing new ones in accordance with the changing times. I like to present new things. To achieve my goal, I have developed my own philosophy in writing and dancing, through which I explore and, hopefully, offer some meaning and relevance...
March 15, 2009
Social transformations can reduce conflicts while all social transformations may not reduce all conflicts. If leaders of countries promote education and moral values that emphasize national integration and international harmony, then conflicts will diminish in the long run.
If sufficient economic...
March 15, 2009
How can media do that with "terrorism," an abstraction meaning the sum of terrorist acts over time?
Media sometimes slants the news to favor terrorists, which is biased or untruthful reporting. Unbiased or truthful reporting means reporting the facts about terrorists and terrorism, not just selec...
February 16, 2009
Have you ever made your parents a Valentine? It is beautiful if you make them a Valentine. I want my parents to be my Valentine. I have learned from my parents, "Love brings only love." Love means to unite the minds, a matter which is wider than the sky and as attractive as the flower. I remember a ...
February 16, 2009
"Bollywood actor Dev Anand has made great contributions to strengthen the relations existing at the people-to-people level by making some very popular films in Nepal. His films helped introduce Nepal's image in India. For the last four decades, Dev Anand's passion to visit Nepal has continued. Even ...
February 16, 2009
This is a true story.
Recently, my friend Chandrakala was brutally gang-raped in Biratnagar, Nepal. After she was raped, she sent me a letter about how Nepal´s bad political situation, war and bad leadership has allowed for women to be raped. Biratnagar´s political and security situat...
January 19, 2009
"Lovely friend of this world Kamala," my friend Sunita sent me these words by email. "Whenever you allow yourself to feel the extreme of love and the extreme of peace, pain and sorrow will be wiped out. My words will provide you a place as the morning breeze does. This is the foundation of love and ...
January 19, 2009
If violence succeeds, the subsequent history of this beautiful world is likely to follow the history of many countries that adopted violence or terrorism for a while, only to reject them later, after their failures became obvious. The governments of many countries have adopted violence as a strategy...
January 09, 2009
Humanity remains somewhere in the books in Kathmandu. Why is this life so scary without any dreams of peace and love? Why is my mind not able to enjoy the sight of mountains and waterfalls? To tell the truth, I am trying to escape the unstable political situation and bad leadership in Nepal. I do no...
January 12, 2009
I boiled tea in a kettle. My heart began to boil like the tea in the pot. My women's rights activist friend Rupa and I had been good friends in school, when she was in 9th grade and I was in 10th grade. I used to help her in many ways.
To reach school, it was necessary to walk up a foot walk. On ...
January 12, 2009
Nepal's failure to recognize and treat social ills has created conditions that are not conducive to its electoral process and hamper the development of democracy. The ability of the people to make intelligent voting decisions is obstructed by their daily struggle for food and shelter. It is difficul...
January 07, 2009
My friend Bimal is unemployed. As far as possible he confines himself to his house and does not go out. If he has to run errands, he selects the shortest possible route and failing to find one prefers an isolated path even if that requires him to walk long distances.
He has suppressed his desire ...
January 05, 2009
The world celebrated the International Day of Older Persons on Oct. 1. But many older people still don´t receive the love, respect and recognition that they should.
I am getting training at a local hospital these days. The majority of people there are very old, around 85 years of age. They ...
January 05, 2009
Mary is my good friend. I remember the times we used to go out for walks regularly and Mary used to get her daughter along. It is a good break from domestic chores. Once in a week we also used to go out for lunch, which was another nice break from home cooked food.
Today is Christmas and Mary cal...
December 05, 2008
Sister Shanti died last night in Kathmandu, due to chronic high blood pressure. The news made me sad. She was not meant to leave us so soon. She passed away when starting to enjoy life. Maybe, fate did not grant her, her share of happiness.
I did not see much of the ups and downs in her life. By ...
December 05, 2008
We know terrorists are targeting and killing small children. Children die by being "in the way" for the killing of adults by terrorists. From the news, it seems that lots of innocent people are in the way of the combatants or are deliberately targeted by violent groups. These include grown men and w...
November 25, 2008
Each year on Dec. 1, the world celebrates World AIDS Day. Yet, many of those infected with the virus face personal peril from a different front. According to Human Rights Watch, "People living with HIV/AIDS and those thought to be infected have been imprisoned, assaulted and even murdered."
The H...
November 20, 2008
I invited two of my friends – Naru, an Israeli, and Nadia Khan, a Lebanese – to my small apartment last week. They work together and their children go to the same school. Naru and Nadia were holding hands and their children were playing and laughing together. We went to the market near my apartment ...
November 19, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, November — "Today, many countries set a lower minimum age for marriage for women." UNICEF said.
While the union of marriage is universal, in many parts of the world, men retain far greater power than women. There is recognition that women lack power in the decision-makin...
November 19, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, November 18 — In 2005, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called for all countries and peoples to stop hostilities for one day to observe the International Day of Peace. Annan said 24 hours of global ceasefire is not a long time, but it is enough for the combatants and ...
November 19, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, November— My friend Mamata gets very sad and is incapable of coping with situations involving enormous difficulties. Her father, who left when she was six months old, did not send any letters. Her mother became ill from crying all the time, thinking of her husband's treatment...
November 16, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, November 11 — In the United States, the educational system is highly organized, respected and therefore more influenced by educated people in small communities. This means that school districts have lots of influence on what is taught in U.S. secondary schools. In parts of th...
November 14, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, "Sharma disappeared" informed Chandra.
I remembered how Sharma told me last month, "I can be proud only if I get a chance to marry Patali." Sharma spoke as he lit a cigarette, sitting on the balcony that evening. "You're in Kathmandu. Will Patali save her youth for you there in ...
November 12, 2008
"I had wished for peace when my husband left home to resume his duty three days before he was killed at Dang Ghorahi. I will never forget his simplicity. I cannot believe that he is no more now," says Rita, a 19-year-old who lost her husband in Dang Ghorahi in 2003. Twenty-five-year-old Bambahadur h...
November 12, 2008
The daughter of my friend, Maya, was kidnapped in 2004 from the Dhading district in Nepal. I am writing to express my feelings to her, about the story of her daughter's kidnapping. She received the call the day after her daughter was kidnapped. This unbelievable incident eclipsed her life.
"Your ...
November 04, 2008
It is an election and no one knows who will win and maybe for days after the voting ends on Nov. 4 because of contested results.
Bush and his advisors have not managed the Iraq War effectively. His mistakes have resulted in more blood and treasure lost, and higher unemployment, which affect the o...
November 04, 2008
I organized a program on HIV/AIDS and Trafficking in Dhulikhel, Nepal April 21, 2008. A picture was taken after the program ended.
I wrote this diary about my friend, who used to work in a brothel. My first meeting with her began a strange day for me. In a way, everyday I have been meeting one pe...
November 04, 2008
This is a true story.
In March, I remember Mina telling me, "Kamala, I want an ideal husband, quiet and loyal." She was a nice woman. Therefore, a good person for her to marry would be someone with a leading personality.
I told her, "I want you to be happy. Anyway, your trust in me, considerin...
November 04, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, November 2 — The popular Nepali woman writer Bishnu Kumari Waiba, known as Parijat, died in 1993. When I met Parijat, I was a 12 years old. Parijat created a sense of love, a sense of relationship and a sense of humanism. She loved her poems very much, and could tolerate any ...
October 27, 2008
"Kamala! we must make able ourselves to survive for peace, for God." Mother Teresa repeated the statement in our first meeting which makes me to think of the real definition of life. Whatever it may be, I have learnt a lot about life due to our meeting. I got a chance to think about life. I must tha...
October 18, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal — Life is confusing and has its poisonous elements. It is unbelievable that Shan Uncle could have been killed. It feels strange and lonely amidst a crowd of people walking back home in the evening after a day´s work.
The scene outside my window is one of flowers, a large pa...
October 17, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, October 17 — I was walking in the streets with Bengali poets in Dhaka, paying tribute to Rabindranath Tagore.
I saw a movie by Satyajit Ray named "Charulata" written by Rabindranath Tagore. I was very much impressed with this popular movie. It stayed on my mind. In Kathma...
October 12, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal — On the bustling streets of Kathmandu, one can hear many different kinds of conversations. When people talk about war and violence, and others gather around to listen, it sometimes feels as if a seminar had been organized. This type of thing has been recurring over the past f...
October 07, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal, October 07 — I am walking alone on this road. It is raining lightly after a heavy shower. In the far distance, I can see cars' headlights. On this lonely and calm road, I am walking silently.
"Nights are generally fearful and dangerous. If possible, no one should walk duri...
September 23, 2008
Working for the development of women in Nepal
I present an award to a local woman in Nepal, May 2008, as my friend Suchitra and other women look on.
Literacy means the ability to read and write and is a key to the development of women in Nepal. For the many illiterate women in Nepal, the mere ...
September 19, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal — William Shakespeare's work revolves around love, life, failure, conflict and companionship. No wonder he is hailed as one of the greatest poet and writer of all times.
The play 'Romeo Juliet' has a feeling of love and desire while the theme of love, humanity, sacrifice an...
September 18, 2008
Kathmandu, Nepal — I lived in New Delhi, India, for more than three years while completing my studies and learning dance, music and writing. I had two purposes in being there: to do research in journalism and literature and to work for newspapers and the media. Nepal and India have a similar c...
September 11, 2008
Beautiful Memory: I Met Mother Teresa Kamala Sarup
I met Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa worked so hard for the cause of humanity. I cannot praise her enough, for a great woman, great mother, her wisdom, commitments and total faith in peace, was very special.
I was a 16 years old when I first met...
September 12, 2008
We are on the effort of combating poverty.
Each year we prioritized it in budget speech. We see the major focal point -poverty alleviation focused even in the preamble of those of national plans. But the implication of poverty alleviation programs is being experienced is very weak and ineffecti...
September 10, 2008
Millions of women give birth -one child after another. There is no respect for their health, body and feelings. For example most women give birth before the age of 18 and want only 2 or 3 births, but are not able to use family planning because of their husband's objections. Also women do not have ea...
September 10, 2008
When I First met Amrita Pritam, the first prominent woman Punjabi poet (1919-2005) it was in July, when I lived in Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
When I called at her home her husband Imroz picked up the phone, and I made an appointment to see her. I am a great fan of her writing. Her stories touch my he...
September 07, 2008
Education was promoted from the earliest times in the U.S. Since many settlers had strong Christian religious beliefs, a rudimentary education was necessary to read and understand the Bible. That education turned out to be useful in work and business pursuits too. Laws were passed that required some...
July 27, 2008
Dr Surendra Bhakta Pradhanang of Nepal is an award winning personality whose work has helped create a new face for tourism and economic development and the best thinker of village development and nation's development. At present his concept is most popular not only in Nepal but in the international ...
July 05, 2008
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress, the informal governing body among the 13 rebellious British colonies, approved a "Resolution of Independence" introduced on June 7 by delegate Richard Henry Lee of Virginia. At this time, from the American point of view, the 13 colonies ceased to exist; tha...
August 13, 2007
The Nepali people want justice, peace, development and freedom. Above all they want economic development. But currently, law and order have broken down in Nepal.
When the Maoist Victims Association, an organization of people displaced by Maoist violence, organized a sit-in protest they were...
August 07, 2007
Mahatma Gandhi is one leader I have always admired the most . Besides him, Martin Luther King , Nelson Mandela, Subhash Chandra Bose, and B. P. Koirala are also those held in high esteem. The world has seen many leaders come and go, but these have stood the test of times for me. B.P. Koirala is th...
July 22, 2007
"There are many commonalities in culture, music and other social aspects between Nepal and India. The recent musicians showed that there are no boundaries between India and Nepal and they shared almost everything.
It is a traditional musical instrument common to both Nepal and India and has gro...
July 19, 2007
Nepal is an attractive tourist spot for those who appreciate nature and adventure. However, the violence that has afflicted much of the country over the past 10 years has adversely affected tourism. Once political stability is attained, the nation needs to look at ways to expand its tourist potentia...
May 23, 2007
On April 22 every year we celebrate the World Earth Day. Every year the Earth Day's Peace Bell ceremony at the UN brings together leaders from countries around the world to promote understanding and choosing the ways of peace.
Earth Day, that was inaugurated for the first time in 1970. Environm...
May 21, 2007
Every year on July 11, we celebrate World Population Day by organizing special events. The world has been observing World Population Day since July 11, 1987.
On the occasion of the World Population day, executive director of UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Thoraya Ahmed Obaid said, "This y...
April 21, 2007
The role of Nepalese women in politics and economics is increasing. Earlier, there was 5 percent, now 33 percent in political participation. But, this is only in a paper not in practical use. Equality and justice can be maintained, if there was 50 percent rights in both politics and economics affair...
May 23, 2006
A successful democracy requires cooperation among the government representatives of the people to get things accomplished that are useful to the people rather than the representatives themselves. When representatives are immobile because they cannot agree on courses of action to help each other's co...