HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies

Volume 37 Number 1 Article 22

June 2017

The Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal & the Himalaya

Swatahsiddha Sarkar University of North Bengal

Babika Khawas University of North Bengal

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya

Recommended Citation Sarkar, Swatahsiddha and Khawas, Babika. 2017. The Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal & the Himalaya. HIMALAYA 37(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol37/iss1/22

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License. This Conference Report is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Conference Reports

The Annual Kathmandu Conference the nation, and nationalism strategy to provide crucial means on Nepal & the Himalaya presented in two separate panels. for rural livelihood in the form of Ajapa Sharma (Jawaharlal Nehru internal remittance to the migrants’ Lazimpat, Nepal University) spoke on the conflation families. In the second presentation, of nation and gender in the works Ang Sanu Lama and her team from 27–29 July 2016 of three legendary literary figures the SSB drew on fieldwork in three of Nepal: Bal Krishna Sama, Laxmi districts of Nepal to highlight The fifth Annual Kathmandu Prasad Devkota and B.P Koirala. the effect of migration on male Conference on Nepal and the Balram Uprety (St. Joseph’s College, members of the local community Himalaya took place on 27–29 Darjeeling) examined the patriarchal that effectively secured women’s role July 2016 at the Hotel Shankar historiography of the nation and in local forest governance through in Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal. its subsequent contestations and Community Forest Users Groups. Organized by the Social Science problematization using the folk Neha Chowdhary (independent Baha (SSB) in association with the corpus of Nepali Teej songs. Lokranjan researcher) with Bandita Sijapati and Britain-Nepal Academic Council Parajuly (Martin Chautari) offered Jeevan Baniya from the SSB discussed (BNAC), Centre for Himalayan Studies critical reflections on the intersection the migration abroad of Nepali health (CNRS), Association for Nepal and of caste, class, gender, nation, and professionals to highlight patterns of Himalayan Studies (ANHS), and revolution as evinced in the writings outmigration and its consequences Nepal Academic Network (NAN, of Muktinath Timsina’s realist on Nepal’s already identified shortage Japan), the conference brought revolutionary social stories. Shifting of health workers. Rashmi Upadhay’s together more than eighty eminent the focus to language and folk (NEHU, Shillong) ethnographic scholars, researchers, activists, and literature in the Darjeeling-Sikkim account of Nepali migrant workers media persons from Europe, the Himalaya, Swatahsiddha Sarkar in the coalmines of Meghalaya, United States, Australia, Canada, (North Bengal University) analyzed India focused on return migration Japan, India, and Nepal for three the link between language and the and emphasized the predicament days of presentations, discussions, politics of belonging, and their of being a migrant in a foreign land. and debates. Presentations focused evolution in the region. Ramji Prasad Adhikari and Rishikesh on pressing concerns for Nepal Pandey (Pokhara University) made and the Himalayan region, such as A third panel focused on migration a presentation on the significance language, literature, the nation and studies and the effects of migration of gender analysis in migration nationalism, disaster, development, on different sectors of Nepal. In research. Studying women who political movements and conflict, the first presentation, Bandana migrated to Gulf countries from the Nepal’s new constitution, migration, Sijapati, Sambriddhi Kharel, and Pokhara valley, they highlighted the remittance and recruitment, health Anish Bhandari from the SSB, livelihood contribution of Nepali care and mental health, and gender. Nepal discussed the rural to urban women labor migrants and assessed The conference opened with brief internal migration resulting the exploitation involved in the introductory remarks by Nirmal Man from urbanization processes. migration process. While women Tuladhar (SSB) and Katsuo Nawa Their findings suggested that the labor migration to Gulf countries is (NAN, Japan). urbanization-led construction considered to be a matter of pride, industry was largely filled by There were four papers on the especially in view of their remittance migrant workers; such processes theme of language, literature, contributions, migrant women have of internal migration might be a

HIMALAYA Volume 37, Number 1 | 141 to face a lot of personal sufferings predict may eventually lead to the of Tibetan medicine in Nepal face and constraints that neither the creation of rural inequality. Claire due to the state’s non-recognition family/community nor even the state Martinus (UMONS-ESHS), Dawa for traditional health care practices. policies ever acknowledge. Noah Tshering Sherpa, and Soni Khanal He emphasized the need for state Coburn (Bennington College) and (both independent researchers) intervention in creating a space to Dawa Tshering Sherpa’s (independent discussed the life of the urban masses modernize Tibetan medicine, given researcher) presentation focused after the 2015 earthquakes. Sherpa its potential foreign clientele and on the impact of British Army and Khanal presented narratives the benefits for its stakeholders. recruitment in the socio-economic of street children’s everyday lives Shiva Raj Adhikari’s (Tribhuvan life of young Nepalis. They showed as the backdrop of the disaster University) presentation focused on how the craze for enlistment among following the 2015 earthquakes, while health care financing to show how Nepali youth still looms large while Martinus discussed the appropriation the process called out-of-pocket and the recruitment in British Army of public space in Kathmandu after the extravagant cost of health care in is in decline. the earthquakes. Rishikesh Pandey’s Nepal adversely impacts the quality (Pokhara University) presentation of life among the poor and leads to There were several papers that focused on the contemporary further impoverishment. highlighted social issues and concerns environmental concerns in the regarding Nepal’s post disaster A group of scholars from Nepal’s Trans-Himalayan region and the predicament and environmental universities and abroad presented adaptation of the local people to the concerns. Leah James (University on the theme of development in changing climatic conditions leading of Colorado), Courtney W. Mitchell relation to global funding agencies in to a complex dynamics between (University of Denver), Shree Niwas Nepal. Kalyan Bhandari (University humans and the environment. Khanal (Transcultural Psychosocial of Scotland) drew attention to Organization, Nepal), and Alexander One panel was dedicated to the the question of international James (The State University application of social science research development agencies and their of New York at Binghamton) methods in mental health research role in Nepal’s tourism policy. presented on NGO involvement in and practice in Nepal. A group of Kapil Dahal (Tribhuvan University), addressing mental health issues eleven researchers who conducted Ian Harper (Edinburg University), of disaster-affected (2015 Nepal their research in various places in Sushil Baral (Health Research and earthquakes) Nepalese, focusing Nepal showed the ways of dealing Social Development) and Rekha specifically on their successful use with mental health care across the Khatri (independent researcher) of culturally adapted interventions. country in three presentations. presented on how the outcome-based Andrew Haxby (University of These papers examined the problems approach as adopted by a global Michigan) focused on the problems and prospects of mental health agency (GFATM) has influenced and paradoxes of transparency in from the experiences of different the engagement of the different Nepal’s reconstruction programs communities of Nepal. Another institutional entities in areas of after the 2015 earthquakes. Jessica presentation by Ruja Pokhrel and health sector development in Nepal. DiCarlo and Katie Epstein from the team from Nepal’s Transcultural Their findings showed how this University of California, Berkeley Psychosocial Organization discussed outcome-based achievement-oriented and Bikash Adhikari (Forest Action, the mental health system across approach led the stakeholders of Nepal) studied the transition of Nepal from the perspective of Nepal’s health sector to become labor in the disaster affected areas policy formulation and governance target-oriented instead of meeting where farmers are shifting to and made recommendations for the broader concerns of health in a market-oriented crop production like further improvements in this country like Nepal. Radha Adhikari cardamom. They noted the prospects regard. Another two presentations (Edinburg University) and Obindra of the transition from a subsistence painted a general picture of Bahadur Chand (SSB) scrutinized the level agrarian economy towards a health and the health care system efficacy of institutional organization market oriented cash crop economy. vis-à-vis the state of Nepal in which and foreign aid in implementing Such a transition necessitates greater Gaurav Lamichhane (University maternal and child health care economic solvency on the part of of Heidelberg) emphasized the projects in Nepal. Thakur Prasad the rural communities that they problems traditional practitioners Bhatta (Kathmandu University)

142 | HIMALAYA Spring 2017 discussed issuing surrounding local Chhetri (University of North Bengal) Edinburg) presentation examined self governance and decentralized discussed the gender dimension of how the human rights organizations planning at the district level in the Gorkhaland movement in the document, screen, and monitor the contemporary Nepal. Manoj Suji’s Darjeeling hills, while Babika Khawas cases of torture and ill treatment (SSB) ethnographic account of (University of North Bengal) focused in detention centers or prisons, in local institutions and development on the women workers of Darjeeling’s addition to other cases ranging from experience as mediated through and Sikkim’s tea plantations. individual acts of violence to a legal common property resources explored Both presentations demonstrated claim. Treating the ill treatment the ways through which community that despite women’s significant documentation as a ‘category of managed micro-hydro can be viewed presence and contributions to the practice’ rather than a category of as a political process. tea economy as workers and to the analysis, Sharma raised a formidable Gorkhaland movement as fierce critique against the way international Several presentations directly agitators, the hill space still remains human rights organizations turn an highlighted gender in various social gendered and patriarchal. incident into a case under the terms arrangements, including health, of Nepal’s 1996 Torture Compensation education, movement and labor. Politics was a dominant theme Act (TCA) and how in the process Susan Clarke (New South Wales throughout the conference. a large number of experiences of University) critiqued the ‘structural Sujeet Karn (SSB) philosophized torture and ill treatment in Nepal violence’ approach in ascertaining death in relation to the Maoist are never documented as they do the women’s position in society and People’s Movement and argued not fit into the process maintained argued that certain methodological that the Hindu notion of death as by the human rights organizations. approaches cause researchers to an ideology—‘martyrology’—was Nar Bahadur Saud (Tribhuvan miss out on the lived experiences politically constructed and used in University) also engaged issues of their research participants. Alba the Maoist People’s Movement. Krista of human rights’ violations in his Castellsague (Autonomous University Billingsley (University of Tennessee) ethnography of playback theatre, of Barcelona, UAB) investigated talked about the impact of the which he demonstrated has played the production and reproduction Maoist movement upon children a major role in effecting social of gender regimes in schools in the and the question of transnational harmony and peaceful coexistence rural belt of Himalayan Nepal. They justice. Mahendra Lawoti (Western in contemporary Nepal. Tracing out situated schooling—the symbol of Michigan University) interrogated the evolution of caste representation development—as an intersectional the democratic and participatory in Nepal’s body polity since the field of education, work, and gender. nature of the new constitution 1950s, Kanako Nakagawa (Kyoto They argued that schooling is a space making process in Nepal, and University) showed the identity of negotiation for emancipatory persuasively showed how the election politics of the Khadgi Newar caste practices yet it also creates new of the members of Constitution through the formation of networks in forms of power relations that impede Assembly systematically isolated the meat market with Muslims. Tek the transformation of existing the janjatis from the process of Bahadur Dong (Tribhuvan University) hierarchies. Neha Chaudhary’s constitution making. Sanjaya Mahato deconstructed the political myth (independent researcher) work (Polish Academic of Sciences, that regards the Dashain festival as uniquely focused on the wives IFiSPAN) in his quantitative paper a political project of the janajatis. of Gurkha soldiers in the United assessed the political competency Discounting the dominant views Kingdom and the question of their of women in Nepal in matters of of Susan Hangen and others, Dong integration to the host society. electoral politics even though applied Pierre Bourdieu’s analytical Studied from the wives’ perspectives, they were handicapped by several framework to show how the Buddhist her presentation called forth the need socio-economic inadequacies. B. R. Tamangs in Kavre have indigenized for reconsidering methodological Whitmarsh’s (University of London) Dashain and how the festival actually approach in looking at the vastness paper dealt with the potentiality of a objectifies their social structure and disparity in the experiences of Gantantra Smarak (Republic Memorial) principally through the network of their research participants. Two as a political site to commemorate kinship and cultural worldview akin other papers focused on the women the foundation of ‘New Nepal.’ to the notion of habitus. of Darjeeling and Sikkim. Kumar Jeevan R Sharma’s (University of

HIMALAYA Volume 37, Number 1 | 143 A few papers/sessions focused on and the justification for his decision Coomaraswamy asked, “How do issues that did not fit the themes to not tamper with the originality of issues of ‘voluntariness and consent,’ elaborated above. Swatahsiddha Burghart’s magnum opus. ‘responsibility to protect,’ ‘protection Sarkar’s and Babika Khawas’ of civilians,’ ‘counterterrorism,’ and The three-day academic gathering presentation, for example, discussed ‘empowerment of human rights was expectedly engaging. All the the state of Nepal studies in Indian defenders,’ among other global sessions were heavily attended sociology/anthropology. There was norms, play out in the South Asian and elicited productive debates also an interactive session with region? What has been our response that contributed toward ongoing the editors/representatives of four and is there an alternative to academic discussions surrounding leading academic journals on Nepal assimilation or defiance?” the study of and research conducted studies published from Nepal, the in Nepal and the Himalaya. This report covers selected panels US, and Europe: Pratyoush Onta and papers focusing on Nepal and (Editor, SINHAS), Man Bahadur Swatahsiddha Sarkar and the Himalayan region included in Khattri (Editor, Dhaulgiri Journal of Babika Khawas the main conference, beginning Sociology & Anthropology), Michael University of North Bengal with the Himalayan Policy Research Hutt (Contributing Editor, EBHR) Conference. Organized as a and Heather Hindman (who preconference event, the Himalayan represented HIMALAYA). This session Policy Research Conference was beneficial for both young and Annual Conference on South Asia consisted of four sessions with a senior scholars working on Nepal total of 27 papers. The four sessions and the Himalayas. Madison, WI focused on “Development Issues,” There was also a panel centered “Education, Health and Social Safety 20–23 October 2016 on the official release of Richard Nets,” “Geopolitical Conflicts and Burghart’s posthumous publication The 45th Annual Conference on Human Rights,” and “Agro-forestry, of The History of Janakpurdham: A South Asia was held at the Madison Energy and Environmental Issues.” Study of Asceticism and the Hindu Concourse Hotel, October 20–23 These sessions brought together Polity (Mandala Book Point, 2016). in Madison, WI. There were 750 papers covering issues of conflict, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, the first registered participants, 10 exhibitors, human rights, refugees, well-being, President of Nepal who himself is 12 preconferences, 156 panels, and 6 climate change, agriculture, and from Janakpur, released the book association meetings. The conference sustainability in Himalayan countries. as the chief guest. Martin Gaenszle theme this year was Decay, inviting During the main conference, the (University of Vienna), who edited papers and panels that explore 2015 earthquakes in Nepal and and introduced Burghart’s book, was destruction and its consequences for their aftermath were the focus unfortunately absent, though his note life afterwards. of several presentations. A panel for the occasion was read in absentia. The Joseph W. Elder Keynote Lecture, titled “City Mandala, City Decay: Hutt was among the speakers who “Perpetually on the Cusp of Crisis: The Use of Historical Narratives in commented further on the time that Women, Peace, and Security in the Post-Quake Kathmandu” brought he shared with Burghart, thereby South Asian Region” was presented field reports by panelists Drew making the evening’s gathering an by Radhika Coomaraswamy on Haxby (University of Michigan) emotionally charged one. Speakers Friday evening. Coomaraswamy is and Andrew Nelson (University like Dr. Ramawatar Yadav (former former UN Under Secretary General of North Texas) from post-quake Vice-chancellor, Purbanchal and Special Representative of the Kathmandu. This panel asked, “In University) and Jacob Rink (Yale Secretary General on Children and light of the earthquakes of 2015, University) offered critical comments Armed Conflict (2006–2012) and which damaged many of the city’s on the book’s academic content and UN Special Rapporteur on Violence architectural achievements, how methodological insights and the use against Women (1994–2003). Her might a re-reading of Kathmandu’s of notations for transliteration of address analyzed the current state history illuminate the city’s prospects local terms. Deepak Thapa, Director of women, peace, and security in for the future?” Nelson shared his of the SSB, also shared his long the South Asian region, drawing observations from the Newar locality journey working with the manuscript on her field consultations. of Khokhana in his paper “Building

144 | HIMALAYA Spring 2017