Caste System Fostered and Propped up Groupism in Nepal Corrals People into Small Social Circles Part II

Post published:December 26, 2020
Post category:Social Justice
Reading time:13 mins read

The "brilliance" of the caste system is what Ambedkhar characterized as its inherent "graded inequality."

In Nepal, the gradation can be found not just between the five castes, but also between the ethnic groups, between communities that make up an ethnic group, within communities and therefore between individuals.

And because social status is valued so much, the gradation has determined who you could marry and form a familial alliance with, which in turn dictates who you socialize with the most. Were inter-caste marriage the norm, the caste system would break down.

Accents, Science, Nepalis, American Idol, and Arthur Gunn

Post published:December 22, 2020
Post category:Kathmandu, Mustang & Nepal
Reading time:8 mins read

Combination of lack of good quality and level of education and a social system based on a highly discriminatory caste system means that, in Nepal, there are many instance of people displaying their ignorance and/or bigotry and prejudices without even them being aware that that's what they are doing.

This blog post is about one such example: Nepalis mocking the American twang in a Nepal-born American as well as fellow Nepalis for their non-mainstream Nepali accents.

When Looks Can…Deceive

Post published:December 20, 2020
Post category:My Personal Stories
Reading time:9 mins read

Nepalis generally make a lot of assumptions about and are judgmental of fellow Nepalis based on their appearance and/or their name and/or surname, a consequence of our social system, the monstrous caste system.

In this blog post I relay a typical incident of a fellow Nepali making assumptions about who I am and what I do based entirely on my facial features -- my ethnicity.

Arranged…Agony for an Adult Daughter

Post published:December 19, 2020
Post category:Social Justice
Reading time:6 mins read

A reproduction of an Instagram post about a family in Nepal pressuring their young professional adult medical doctor daughter based in Australia to accept an arranged marriage proposal from a complete stranger. In spite of her "No" the day the post was published, it had been three weeks of constant pressure from the family to accept the proposal, completely ignoring her wishes and thus putting her through a lot of mental and emotional agony!

A Lesson From Nepal: How to Fail Your Students Part II

Post published:December 10, 2020
Post category:Nepal Education & Parenting
Reading time:13 mins read

In part II of this two-part blog, I shred the contents of a grade 12 chemistry paper the students took last month. It's full of mistakes showing how little attention to details the examiners and board have paid in creating it. The contents also show how the syllabus has NOT been revised and updated at all to reflect newer practices and topics that have evolved over the last few decades etc., indicating how the whole point is just to put the students through a wringer.

A Lesson From Nepal: How to Fail Your Students Part I

Post published:December 9, 2020
Post category:Nepal Education & Parenting
Reading time:8 mins read

A look at how the board managing the grade 12 examinations have failed the students. The examinations, originally slated for May, was cancelled and, finally, in October, rescheduled for November. The examination, supposed to consist of questions papers in the new format, did go ahead in spite of the student not having seen any sample papers prior to it.

What's more, analyzing the chemistry paper, it had some major issues. The whole exercise, as far as I am concerned, has amounted to putting the students through a wringer.

Life at Home vs. Travelling or Living Abroad

Post published:December 6, 2020
Post category:Travel
Reading time:4 mins read

Life at home among the familiar and predictable—people, culture, social and physical surroundings, routines etc. — surprises and challenges generally are few and far in between, unless you go in search of them or are on the lookout for. When traveling however, unexpected and unfamiliar struggles and challenges are routine, and that's one reason to travel!

When Form and Protocol (“Sanskriti”) Generally Take Precedent Over and Is Valued More Than Substance…

Post published:November 28, 2020
Post category:Social Justice
Reading time:13 mins read

When form and protocol generally take precedent over and is valued more than substance, a society struggles to make social, economic, and political progress. One such form and protocol is showing respect for and/or deferring to old men. In this blog post I demonstrate how two old men use the guise of lack respect for old men as a pretext for silencing young adult women of similar academic and professional stature as them for no other reason than the fact that they are female.

How To Rule 101: Khas-Arya Nepali Eshtyle

Post published:November 20, 2020
Post category:Social Justice
Reading time:6 mins read

This is a lesson on how to rule a country as a Khas-arya Nepali. In other words, "How to rule with arrogance, ignorance, incompetence, and insidiousness.”

Hall of Shame VI: The Lockdown Edition

Post published:November 15, 2020
Post category:Social Justice
Reading time:6 mins read

The sixth one in the series about Nepal needing a revolution…a revolution of the mind.
Here’s more of one of many MANY reasons why from during the lockdown to contain the coronavirus.