Where Do We Belong?

This article was published in April 2021 edition of the Namaste magazine. Namaste is an annual publication of the Nepal New Zealand Friendship Society of Canterbury.

Introduction

To belong somewhere is to feel content, comfortable and connected to that place. That may sound simple but developing a sense of belonging could be tricky and complex, especially for the first generation migrants i.e. someone who is the first in their family to permanently migrate to a new place. 

In this article, as a first generation Nepali migrant who moved to New Zealand, I will discuss the intricacies of finding a sense of belonging in a new country. Readers who are first generation migrants themselves may find similarities between their own experience and those I have discussed here. Probably even a sense of Déjà vu between the lines. However, despite being a first generation migrant, your trajectories of life events may have been completely different in your adopted home. Although individual circumstances and personal experience might be different, it is fair to assume that there are many similarities when it comes to the emotional rollercoaster experienced by the first generation migrants. 

Initial Days 

I came to New Zealand in 2005. For a few years since leaving Nepal, it felt as if I was physically in New Zealand but mentally and emotionally still in Nepal. I was worsening my home-sickness by constantly comparing and contrasting everything. In addition, I used to complain about many things. Virtually everything - weather, government, leaders, migrants, natives, traffic, parking, job, cost of living, people on benefit, dogs, cats, bad haircut, and so on. I used to behave as if my life in Nepal was great and that in New Zealand was a pain.

Obsessed to remain updated, I frequently scrambled for any News from Nepal. Every morning would start with browsing news websites or flicking through social media posts for recent developments in Nepal. The favourite topic was political news and current affairs. I frequently engaged in intense debates about current affairs from Nepal with my friends whenever we had an opportunity. Such debates used to be dominated with complaining about politics and cursing the politicians. 

While I was an avid follower of current affairs in Nepal, I had only limited knowledge or interest about what was happening in New Zealand. That was true in case of political affairs too. Although I voted in New Zealand elections, I did not try to learn about the governance structure or the political parties. I had no idea what issues or agendas they represented. I used to think that there was nothing for me in New Zealand politics. 

I used to regularly follow events and incidents involving Nepali community in New Zealand. I took part in raising funds and helping with charitable causes to support our people in Nepal and New Zealand. To be part of such causes was hugely satisfying. However, I supported only a handful of Non-Nepali causes personally or as part of the Nepali community.

Reflection and Realisation

As the years went by, my behaviour and actions started to feel awkward to myself. While none of them were a blunder or deliberate mistake, the antics from the initial days began to feel odd. What I was doing may have been harmless in isolation but they were gradually becoming a problem. I seem to have developed a pattern of bad habits that not only influenced my thinking but also shaped my actions. 

I may not have achieved way too much over the years but I am humbled by many things I have received from New Zealand. Recently, I am increasingly realising that over the years I have been very self-centred. Yes, I worked hard and invested a lot of time and effort. But the reality is that whatever I received in return would not have been possible without the system and institutions of New Zealand. They were possible only because of an enabling administration and a generous government. These days, I often wonder, “what have I given back in return to all that New Zealand gave me?” The answer, sadly, is, “not much”. Yes, I work and I pay tax. But I work to make a living and every earner pays their tax. There must be something more I can do or should do. There has to be something. 

Helping with causes to do with Nepal and Nepalis is my duty. It is my obligation as a Nepali. I will continue to do so whenever I can. However, I have started to find this act of doing exclusively for “your own people” a bit isolating and repetitive. I am increasingly finding it selfish, especially because I hardly do anything to help members of the wider society of New Zealand. 

It does not make much sense to get sentimental about anything that happens in Nepal but to ignore many things in New Zealand. I am not suggesting to stop all engagements or to cease all interests in Nepal. The problem is in this habit of getting obsessed with anything and everything to do with Nepal but showing very little interest in what is happening right in the backyard here in New Zealand.  

I acknowledge that for a long time I took for granted what New Zealand offered. I did not appreciate the sense of safety, stability and civility. I did not notice how egalitarian the society is. I was not thankful enough for the services that I received from the government-funded healthcare and education systems. I did not realise the generosity and tolerance of the society towards migrants. I was not grateful enough towards the government for keeping my family safe from the Covid pandemic. 

I had this conversation with a friend a while ago, “looking at their behaviour of those Nepali who permanently left the country, it seems their impression of Nepal and Nepali is frozen in their mind in the year they left the country”. Little did I realise this applied to me too. So my impression of Nepal is frozen in the year 2005. Since then for many years, in my mind, I had been nostalgically revisiting Nepal of the year 2005. I had been constantly longing for my life from back then. While romanticising with the sentiments from the golden years from back home, I overlooked what I had right in front of me in New Zealand. Sadly, for a long time I chose to remain oblivious of my responsibilities towards my adopted home. 

Questions 

After passing the stages of contradictions and reflection came the waves of questions. I started to question what I was doing and the choices I was making. Those questions hit me like a ton of bricks. They troubled me big time, day and night. They still haunt me. When they do, the questions come in waves like a tsunami. Like a broken record, a voice in my head keeps repeating those questions on and on. With every passing day, the sound in my head got louder and louder.

Here are few of the questions in no particular order or importance:

• How happy, comfortable and connected do I feel here in New Zealand, or am I still longing for being “back home”?
• If this country has given me so much, what is my responsibility towards New Zealand?
• Am I going to be thankful for what New Zealand has to offer, or am I going to continue to be critical and keep complaining?  
• Is it justified to continue to be choosy and help only those causes that directly and only benefit “our people”?
• Am I contributing to forward the matters that are of common interests to the wider Nepali community, or am I only engaging in self-serving activities? 
• Is it sensible to continue to be obsessive about what happens in Nepal but remain disinterested in affairs of New Zealand?
• At what point am I going to stop comparing and contrasting between “here” and “over there”?
• Am I going to do anything about my complaints (about both Nepal and New Zealand)?
• Why is my mind preoccupied with incidents that occur in Nepal despite my limited ability and disinterest to take any action to do anything about them?

Hindsight and Foresight

Once I started to question my actions, it helped me understand where I was coming from. They not only helped me to pause and think but the questions also helped me visualise the consequences of my actions. It did not take too long to realise how parochial my thoughts were, how narrow my boundaries were, and how myopic my vision was. 

What about answers to the questions? Well, I am still looking. They are tough questions indeed. I have been digging deep and doing some serious soul-searching. Finding answers has been an on-going work in progress. To this day, many questions still remain unanswered. Of the answers I have managed to find, many are either incomplete or unsatisfactory. To make the matter worse, things keep changing and new questions keep popping up. Although they seem random and vague, the questions have been an excellent reference point to reflect on the past as well as to visualise the future. 

Uncomfortable the questions might be, they are a part and parcel of what goes inside the mind of a first generation migrant. Frustrating they might be, such questions are bound to come up sooner or later. Difficult they might be, we must ask such questions. Inconvenient they might be, we must have the courage to question our motives and actions. For we will get answers, only if we dared to ask.  

After going through many cycles of emotional rollercoaster, I am now certain that questions like these point towards one attribute - sense of belonging. The root cause of contradiction, confusion and frustration seems to have originated from a lack of sense of belonging. 

In retrospect, when I arrived in New Zealand, I seem to have left my sense of belonging “back home”. To make it worse, I was desperately searching for it in a place where I was no longer living for many years. No wonder I could not find what I was looking for where I was searching for it. Obviously, I was looking in the wrong place. 

 

The ongoing self-reflection and the Q&A sessions with myself have been a long journey to find a sense of belonging. Nepal is my country of birth. I have strong feelings towards my country. I will forever cherish the memories of growing up in Nepal. I am emotionally connected with my motherland. Nepali heritage is an integral part of my identity. I will remain proud of my Nepali identity and heritage. It is part of who I am. Even if I wanted, I can not change my Nepali heritage and identity. That is a reality. 

The new reality, however, is that the attributes of being a Nepali is part of my history. Life in New Zealand is my present and it is my future too. Yes, I will continue to have affinity and connection with Nepal but the fact is that at the present, I am living my life in New Zealand. I made a conscious decision to move to New Zealand and to live here permanently. I have no choice but to build and advance my life right here. 

It takes time and effort to get used to a new place and environment. The quest to search for a sense of belonging in my adopted home has been hell of a journey. On this journey, I have learned and discovered many things. It has been an eye opener in many ways. It seems like there is more to realise and to understand. To belong, in my view, is a gradual process. We slowly get there, one step closer at a time. 

If you are someone who keeps asking similar questions like I do, I wish you all the best in your journey to find a sense of belonging in your adopted home.

Future Direction of the Nepali Community in New Zealand

A version of this article was published in the Saugat magazine, Volume 15, April 2021. Saugat is an annual publication of the New Zealand Nepal Society.

In the nineties, there were a few hundred people of Nepali origin in New Zealand, mostly in urban centres such as Auckland and Christchurch. At present, according to anecdotal estimates, there are around twenty thousand members of the Nepali community residing throughout the country, spread across North and South islands. Within the last five years, thousands have arrived until the early 2021 when migration was halted by the Covid pandemic. The majority of the recent Nepali migrants to New Zealand are young students. With the population growing rapidly, the social dynamics of Nepali community is evolving differently over the recent years. 

The present state of our engagement and participation with the wider New Zealand society

It is observed that there is a strong sense of togetherness and fellowship among the members of Nepali community, driven mainly by our bond and association to homeland. The nature of social activities that the members of Nepali community participate in, and the population we engage with, continue to remain predominantly inward-looking. Majority of events, activities and engagement appears to be within or among the community members. Our engagement and participation with the wider New Zealand society continues to be few and far between. 

For the sake of clarity, Nepali community does participate and engage with the wider New Zealand society. However, the degree, frequency and scale of such wider participation and cross-engagement seems to be nominal. 

As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together”, we all tend to prefer to be with like-minded people. When this continues to occur over a long period of time among a larger group, as it has been happening with the Nepali community in New Zealand, this may gradually induce unintended complications and complexities. The extreme case of such social behaviour of engaging “among our own” may inadvertently and gradually lead the community towards a state of social isolation or communal segregation in the long run.

It is only natural, and only a matter of time, that at some point in the future we may see a tipping point with regards to the above-mentioned social characteristics of Nepali community. At that stage, the predominantly inward-looking social behaviour will take a new course. With shifting demographics, new social dynamics will continue to evolve. When this occurs, the community’s ongoing focus will shift towards a different horizon. There is space and valid need to broaden the mode, frequency and level of engagement and participation of Nepali community with the wider New Zealand society.

Connections and achievements of Nepali community in New Zealand

The Nepali-Kiwi connection was forged in 1953 at the top of the world. The first ascent of Mount Everest by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary and their life-long friendship has a major role in the harmonious companionship of people from our two nations. Sir Ed fondly and regularly attended many events organised by the Nepali community. Lady June gracefully continues to do so. The Tenzing-Hillary connection is a symbol of mutual respect and connection that continues to grow between Nepal and New Zealand. This connection is acknowledged with great pride and joy among both Nepali and Kiwi circles whenever the spheres of the two communities intersect. 

Many people of Nepali origin have achieved great success at various areas such as academics, business and professional practice. For example, there are very well-respected academicians in Universities among us. Some of us are in senior or managerial roles in technical discipline or in other specialist expertise areas. We have a budding number of PhD graduates. Our people own and run successful businesses in various industries such as hospitality and horticulture. Similarly, many members of Nepali community are making a sizable contribution to the lucrative market of the dairy industry in New Zealand.  

It is fair to say that the achievers noted above are only a small sample. Many others who have accomplished varying degrees of success may have chosen to remain silently under the radar. There are two salient features about the above-mentioned Nepali “success story” in New Zealand. Firstly, the success attained is at an individual level. Secondly, we are yet to attain a greater level of achievement in the societal sphere, either individually or as a collective. 

Our community organisations across New Zealand continue to be a vehicle of social cohesion among our community members. They have a range of functions and provide a range of services. Community organisations are a platform for us to come together and interact with each other. One of their most important roles is their ability and willingness to offer us a sense of belonging. Such a sense of acceptance serves as a social anchor to us all. This social support is even more relevant to our newcomers during the challenging stage of initial days after arriving in a new country or during uncertain times such as that seen during the Covid pandemic. 

Nepali community organisations have delivered a range of events and programs by successfully involving a large number of our community members. Such programs tend to be mostly related to our culture and festivals of Nepal. Some events and activities involve promoting and showcasing Nepal and Nepali culture to the wider New Zealand population. More recently, our sport clubs across New Zealand have been successfully delivering an important societal function of building a network among the younger generation in addition to achieving sporting goals. The Nepali community has also made contributions towards philanthropic causes in service of the wider Nepali population based in New Zealand and Nepal.

Members of Nepali community have been able to connect and build good networks with some “influential” Kiwi organisations and individuals. Similar to our individual achievements, these connections and networks, albeit at a limited degree, also seem to be occurring at a personal level rather than that as a collective of Nepali community. We are yet to institutionalise such connections and networks, and utilise such links to help advance our common cause for the greater good of our community.

Where do we go from here?

Have you ever wondered why people of Nepali origin rarely have a noticeable presence in the wider institutions of New Zealand’s social fabric? We don’t seem to actively or frequently participate or contribute as a community outside our own circle or similar interest groups. There is ample space for capable and willing people among us to step up and fill the leadership vacuum to bridge the existing gap between Nepali community and the wider Kiwi society. 

An outward-looking liberal approach towards engagement and participation is the only way forward for our community members to become an integral part of the multicultural social fabric of the New Zealand society. Such an approach will be necessary to ensure that Nepali community’s say matters, and that our interests are well-represented within the wider Kiwi society.  

To achieve outcomes different from the status quo is going to require not only just a tweak here or there but also a paradigm shift in revisiting the role and responsibility of Nepali community within the wider Kiwi society. The community members will have to step out of our comfort zone. Members of our community will need to step up to reach out and interact with other communities and institutions of the wider New Zealand society.

Nepali community can learn from other migrant communities such as those from India, China and the Philippines. Migrant communities from such countries not only are more organised but also have established strong networks, as a collective, within the various facets of wider Kiwi society. A good start for our community can be to reach out to connect and collaborate with these migrant communities. We can learn from their experience about effective and efficient ways of building long-lasting relationships and connections to achieve results that benefit our community at large.

The way forward

It may be years before one of us becomes a member of the Parliament, but what is stopping us from stepping up to be a member of the Board of Trustees of our children’s school? Or run for office of local community boards of local councils of the city we live in? Or make a contribution as an Executive Committee member of social organisations such as “Multicultural New Zealand” or local council’s ethnic bodies? 

The risk of continuing with the status quo of communal and parochial social behaviour is that it is only going to hinder the chances of growth and development of our members and our offsprings; many of whom are born Kiwis. The journey towards a more progressive, liberal and open community starts with self-reflection, both at an individual and collective level. We need to acknowledge that our ongoing activities, actions and attitudes are likely to be inadvertently hindering our ability and chances to advance our common cause. 

Such realisation needs to be followed by actions that seek to proactively drive the common narrative of our community towards being open-minded and welcoming. We need to reach out to build bridges and explore new ideas. We have to seek opportunities to initiate, forge and advance relationships across the entire spectrum of the wider Kiwi society. This will help open up new avenues for our members to actively engage with the wider Kiwi society, and to advance our common cause. 

Three decades ago, Nepali migrant community in New Zealand was a relatively homogenous group of a few hundred concentrated within certain locations. The current context has vastly changed. Now, tens of thousands of us are spread widely across the entire country. We are from a greatly diverse demographic background. Our community continues to grow rapidly and we are ever evolving, adapting and transforming in our adopted home. This process of change is not only a function of our relocation from Nepal, but also a reality of our life’s circumstances through the series of stages we experience after arriving onto the shores of New Zealand. 

In the past, our collective effort was on maintaining contact and building connection among our community members. In the current context, there is a pressing need to venture beyond that primary focus. Whilst we acknowledge and respect our legacy values from the past, going forward, our collective thinking should cater for addressing our current needs and managing our peoples’ future aspirations. Obviously, the status quo is not fit for the future, and in a worst case scenario, a blatant recipe for disaster.

Connecting at a wider level with other communities and various institutions will help us not only identify better opportunities for ourselves, but also enable us to make meaningful contributions towards the wider Kiwi society. Ultimately, such liberal approach of engagement across a spectrum of Kiwi society, will help us advance our collective cause. It is the only way forward to propel our community to new heights.

What does success look like?

If we continue to adopt an inward-looking approach to engagement and participation, our community is most likely to remain under the radar within the wider Kiwi society. On the other hand, should we wish to operate differently and be ambitious, we may achieve a lot in the short, medium and long term. Here are a few examples, in no particular ranking or preference. 

Short and medium term (3-5 years):

• Our collective actions such as cultural events and sports contests are well-attended and duly acknowledged by wider members of  theKiwi society.
• Our community leaders are frequently invited and acknowledged as important guests at major multicultural events such as Diwali and Chinese New Year.
• We are contributing as board members of business organisations, multicultural societies or voluntary organisations. While others are members of the Board of Trustees of our children’s school. 
• A few of us have been acknowledged by the New Zealand government for our outstanding contribution towards the wider Kiwi society.
• We are serving as elected representatives in community bodies such as councils, Health Board and Community Trusts.
• Our players have made it to national and regional contests by playing in squads such as Auckland Diamonds (netball), Wellington Phoenix (football) or Auckland Aces (cricket). 

Long term (7-10 years):

• At least one us has made it to the Beehive as a member of the New Zealand Parliament.
• A few of us have made it as councillors in local councils. 
• Nepal Day is acknowledged and promoted as a major event by Auckland Council and other territorial authorities throughout New Zealand. 
• Our players are representing New Zealand at international levels in teams such as the Silver Ferns, All Whites or Black Caps.
• One of us has been nominated for the coveted award of New Zealander of the Year.

These are only a few examples of our potential should we aspire to be ambitious and to reach new heights. They will come to fruition only through adopting an outward-looking, more liberal and aspirational approach to our engagement, participation and contribution. These could be stepping stones to facilitate a respectable presence in our adopted home.

The choice is ours.

UNOFFICIAL REVIEW: False Prophet (singles) by Bob Dylan

Nobel laureate Robert Allen Zimmerman's yet another record. Wow.

We have lost count of how manyth of the discography is this new record in Bobby's prolific musical career. Especially, since the record labels started to release the bootleg series from as early as the early 60s.

Dylan's music and lyrics is very personal and means a lot to me. They have helped me navigate some of the darkest stages of the trajectory of survival from many crappy situations.

The first singles, False Prophet, from the new album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, is a clear signal of what is being unleashed, both musically as well as lyrically, in the collection when the album will be revealed on 19 June 2020. Just look at how the prophecy is hidden in the perfect alignment of numbers 19 and 20. Or it could be a false prophecy. As we know by now how much of a false prophet Dylan loves to project himself as, through his art of lyrical cynicism or genius, depending on whichever side of the coin you want to flip.

In False Prophet, Dylan's vocals is rusty, far far away from "that thin, that wild mercury sound" of Blonde on Blonde days. One thing is for sure though. We are guaranteed to be treated with his genius of song writing. It is going to hit us with a ton of brick. We are going to shake our head, gape open our jaws.

There are going to be countless cult of the uber-geniuses, critiques and analysts, jumping the bandwagon, who are going to explain us the meaning of every word of every songs of the new album. What do you think Dylan would do or say? Nothing. As he has countless times in the past said - his songs are just songs, they are his expression of the form of art he loves to perform. Yes, art.

Dylan fans treat his lyrics more than just a song. For them, they are poems. The man himself is revered as a poet. However, Dylan doesn't seem to be keen on this kind of accolade. He refused to appear before the Nobel committee to receive his award. Dylan being Dylan once when asked by a journo, ''Do you think of yourself primarily as a singer or a poet?" famously and cynically said, "Oh, I think of myself more as a song and dance man, y’know" (pun intended) in the San Francisco in December 1965 during an interview. A chronicles of that famous interview can be accessed here - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bob-dylan-gives-press-conference-in-san-francisco-246805/

Dylan makes your average song writer look like a novice school kid. His songs usually have layers of complexity. They are long and open to interpretation. Apparently, deliberately. I once read somewhere that he wants his listeners to think. I'm not expecting anything less rowdy from the new album in terms of the lyrics. Dylan's complex lyrical composition was true back in the 60s, as admitted on record, by even the Beatles. It is equally true today, barring the lyrical flow of M-in-M, Marshall Bruce Mathers III, as far as my musical brain is capable to detect.

There is a reason why Dylan is awarded the Nobel prize and why Like a Rolling Stone is there at the top among the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/). It is because of Dylan's song writing, and their deeper meaning.

Check out the "on your face" lyrics of False Prophet in Verse 3 -
Well I'm the enemy of treason
Enemy of strife
Enemy of the unlived meaningless life
I ain't no false prophet
I just know what i know
I go where only the lonely can go

Full lyrics
Bob Dylan – False Prophet @bobdylan https://genius.com/Bob-dylan-false-prophet-lyrics

Listen to False Prophet -
https://open.spotify.com/track/0eFtOE1vxjNqn4aOAYDvPg?si=8ye9gHmCSGC5lsC-lmZmlQ

Images ©️ @bobdylan, bobdylan.com and fb/bobdylan

कोविड, नेपाल सरकार, नेपाली दूतावास र गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ - भूमिका, जिम्मेवारी र उत्तरदायित्व: एक विश्लेषण

प्रमुख विषयवस्तुमा प्रवेश गर्नु अघि प्रस्ट पार्न चाहें। म एक नेपाली हुं। गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ मेरो पनि संस्था हो। नेपाली भएको नाताले नेपाल सरकार र दूतावास मेरो पनि सरकार र दूतावास हो। सरकार, दूतावास र गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघले गरेका राम्रो कुराहरुको म प्रशंसा गर्न चाहन्छु। तर शिष्ट भाषामा कमि कमजोरी औल्याउनु मेरो नागरिक दायित्व र नैसर्गिक अधिकार हाे।

अब विषय वस्तु तिर।

कोविड महामारी पश्चात गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ नेपाल सरकार र प्रवासमा रहनु हुने नेपाली विच सेतु मात्र नभई प्रमुख र एक मात्र भरपर्दो संचारको माध्याम हुन आएको प्रस्ट भएको छ।

यस मामिलामा गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघले प्रवासी नेपालीहरुलाई नेपाल सरकार र दूतावाससँग निरन्तर सम्पर्कमा राख्न र सूचना तथा जानकारी आदान प्रदान गर्न जारी राखेको पहल सह्रानीय छ। विगत केही हप्ता देखि गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघका धेरै साथीहरु जानी नजानी नेपाल सरकारको र नेपाली दूतावासहरुको अनौपचारिक "सम्वाहक" बन्न पुग्नु भएको छ।

यसै परिप्रेक्ष्यमा हाल जारी नेपाल सरकार र गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ माझको यो नौलो र गहिरो सम्बन्धले निम्ताएका केही सवालहरु र भोलि उत्पन्न हुन सक्ने केही परिस्थितिहरु यस लेख मार्फत विश्लेषण गर्न खोजिएको छ।

१. दूतावासको भूमिका, दायित्व र कार्य सम्पादन क्षमता

प्रवासमा सरकारको औपचारिक र कूटनीतिक उपस्थिति भनेको दूतावास हो। नेपाल सरकारको प्रवासका जनतासँग सम्पर्कमा रहने औपचारिक माध्यम विदेशमा अवस्थित नेपाली दूतावासहरु हुन्। तर, कोविड महामारी पछि सरकार र दूतावासहरु आफ्नो यस प्रमुख दायित्वमा फितलो देखिए भन्दा बढी बोले जस्तो अथवा अन्याय नहोला। हुन त हाम्रा दूतावासहरुमा कोविड अगाडि समस्या नभएका होइनन्। कर्मचारी सीमित, समस्या असीमित - हाम्रा दूतावासहरुको कहिल्यै निको नहुने पुरानो रोग हो।

उदाहरणका लागि क्यानबेराको दूतावासमा राहदानी नवीकरणका लागि निवेदन दिने जो कोहीलाई सोध्नुहोस्। त्यहाँ न फोन बेलामा उठ्छ, न त इमेल को जवाफ समयमा आउँछ। त्यहाँ कर्मचारी यति सीमित छन् कि वहाँहरुलाई कार्य सम्पादन गर्न हम्मे हम्मे हुने रहेछ। सर्वसाधारणलाई क्यानबेरा दूतावाससँग सम्पर्क गर्न महाभारत नै छ। हाम्रा सबै दूतावासहरुको लगभग अवस्था उस्तै-उस्तै हो। कोविड महामारी पश्चात हाम्रा दूतावासहरुको असक्षमता छताछुल्ल भएर फेरि एक पटक घाम झैँ छर्लंग भएको मात्र हो। समस्या पुरानै क्यान्सर हो।

२. गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको प्रमुख दायित्व

गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको विधान २००३ (२०१७ संशोधन सहित) परिच्छेद-३ मा संघको उदेश्यहरु उल्लेखित छन्।जानकारीका लागि संघको विधानको परिच्छेद-३ को प्रति यहाँ उपलब्ध गराइएको छ। गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघलाई लिएर धेरैको रङ्ग बिरङ्गका बुझाई, आशा र गलतफहमी छन्। संघको खास काम चाहिँ के हो? उसको प्रमुख उत्तरदायित्व कसमा निहित छ? यी र यस्तै प्रश्नका बुझाई दुई जनाको गफ माझ चार किसिमका होलान्। आधिकारिक रुपमा जाने हो भने हामीले विधान केलाउनु पर्ने हुन्छ। मेरो बुझाईमा गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको प्रमुख दायित्वको मर्म विधानको उदेश्यहरुले प्रस्ट समेटेको छ। त्यस अनुसार उसको प्रमुख दायित्व प्रवासी नेपली प्रति छ। त्यस्तै कुनै पनि संस्थाको पहिलो दायित्व भनेको तिनका सदस्यहरु प्रति उत्तरदायी हुनु हो। यो गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघमा पनि लागु हुन्छ त भनिरहनु नै परेन।

गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको विधानको परिच्छेद -३ 

३. उत्तरदायित्व कसको?

माथि उल्लेख गरिए झैँ सरकार र दूतावास हाल केही हप्ता देखि गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको संजाल प्रयोग गरी आफ्ना सूचना तथा जानकारी प्रवासी नेपलीहरु माझ आदान प्रदान गर्दै छ। यसरी लामो अवधि सम्म निरन्तर सरकार र दूतावासको सञ्चार सम्वाहक बनी उसको लागि कार्य सम्पादन गरिरहनु के गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको कार्यक्षेत्र भित्रको बात हो? सूचना तथा जानकारी आदान प्रदान गर्दै गर्दा भोलि केही भइपरि आए, कुनै दुर्घटना हुन गए वा संदेश, सूचना तथा जानकारी गलत तवरले प्रयोग भए त्यसको उत्तरदायित्व कसमा निहित हुन्छ? कसले जिम्मा लिन्छ? 

मेरो बुझाई र विगत १८ वर्षको प्रवासी जीवनको अनुभवमा कुनै समस्या भइपरि आएमा प्रवासीहरुले ढक-ढकाउने ढोका भनेको प्रवासी साथीहरुकै हो। हालमा आएर गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ वा संघसँग आबद्ध व्यक्तिहरुलाई जति नै गाली गरे पनि उनीहरु नै धेरै भन्दा धेरै प्रवासीहरुलाई समस्याको बेला प्रत्यक्ष सहयोग गर्न वा सहयोगको माध्यम हुन पुगेका छन्। उनीहरु प्रवासी नेपालीलाई समस्या पर्दा "go to persons" हुन पुगेका छन्। आफ्नो क्षेत्रका मतदाताहरुका लागि नेपालका सांसदहरुले गरे जस्तै।

सरकार र दूतावासले हाल गरिरहेको सूचना तथा जानकारी आदान प्रदानको हकमा, यदि भविष्यमा केही भवितव्य पर्न गए, त्यो सामना गर्नु पर्ने गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ र तिनका अगुवाहरु नै हुने छन् भन्ने हामीलाई इतिहासले प्रष्ट सिकाई सकेको छ। आज सिड्नीमा अवतरण गर्न लागेको नेपाल एयरलाइन्सको जहाज र त्यो जहाज रित्तै नेपाल फर्कन लागेको मुद्दा यसको सानो तर राम्रो प्रतिनिधिमूलक उदाहरण हो। दूतावासले यस सम्बन्धी आफ्नो फेसबुक पेज (https://www.facebook.com/Embassy-of-NEPAL-Australia-424247651246106/) मार्फत २९ अप्रिलमा दिएको जानकारी यहाँ संलग्न गरिएको छ। कृपया आफैँ पढ्नुहोस् र मनन गर्नु होला। 

नेपाली दूतावासको सिड्नी आउन लागेको नेपाल एयरलाइन्सको फ्लाइट सम्बन्धि जानकारी 

यो फ्लाइटवाला मुद्दाबाट एउटा कुरा भने प्रस्ट देखियो - सरकार मौन, दूतावास लाचार। तर, यस मुद्दाले गर्दा अस्ट्रेलिया र न्युजिल्याण्डका प्रवासी अगुवाहरुको नीद हराम भएको छ। तिनमा गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघका साथ-साथै अरु नेपाली संघ संस्थासँग आबद्ध साथीहरु पनि हुनु हुन्छ। "त्यो फ्लाइटमा हामी किन जान नपाइने?", "लौ न पहल गरिदिनु पर्यो", "एता साह्रै समस्या भो, नेपाल नगए त बर्बादै हुने भो" - यी र यस्तै थुप्रै प्रश्न, अनुरोध तथा सिकायतहरुको व्यवस्थापन गर्नु गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघका साथ-साथै अरु नेपाली संघ संस्थासँग आबद्ध साथीहरुको एक प्रमुख काम हुन थालेको छ। र यो क्रम बढ्दै गएको देखिन्छ। 

नेपाल स्थित अस्ट्रेलियाको दूतावासले आफ्नो फेसबुक पेज मार्फत नेपाल एयरलाइन्सको फ्लाइट काठमाडौँ बाट सिड्नीको लागी उडी सकेको जानकारी गराएको छ

४. सहकार्यको मार्ग चित्र  

गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघले हाल सरकार र दूतावासको सम्बाहक हुने जुन जिम्मेवारी वहन गरिरहेको छ, त्यो निक्कै ठूलो र महत्वपूर्ण जिम्मेवारी हो। यो जिम्मेवारीको बोझले भोली कतै गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ आफैलाई थिच्ने त होईन? गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघका अगुवा साथीहरुले एक पटक राम्ररी विचार गर्नु हुंदा उपयुक्त होला कि? सरकार, दूतावास र जन-साधारणलाई सबै प्रवासीहरुले सक्दो सहयोग गर्ने हो। हालको महामारीको अवस्थामा सहयोग गर्नु हाम्रो कर्तब्य हो, मानव धर्म हो। सहयोग गर्नु बाट हामी किञ्चित विचलित हुनु हुदैन। सबैले प्रवासमा सक्दो गरेकै छौं। अझ सके देश तिर पनि सहयोग गर्दै छौं।

अब आउदा दिनहरुमा पनि गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ, सरकार र दूतावासले अहिले जसरि नै निरन्तर सहकार्य गरिरहने हो भने औपचारिक रुपमै लिखित कार्य विधि र प्रोटोकल बनाएर अगाडी बढ्नु पर्ने देखिन्छ। कार्य सम्पादन सहि ठिक चल्दै गरेको अवस्थामा त कुनै समस्या नहोला। तर भोली सहकार्य गर्दै जांदा कुनै अप्ठेरो अवस्था सृजना नहोला भन्न सकिन्न। त्यस्तो प्रतिकूल अवस्थामा समस्याहरु सम्बोधन गर्न उल्लेख गर्न सकिने कुनै पनि लिखित दस्तावेज रहेको वा सरोकारवाला पक्षहरु विच औपचारिक समझदारी भएको जानकारी छैन।

भोलिका दिनहरुमा गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघले महत्वपूर्ण र संबेदनशील विषयहरुमा जो कोहीसंग सहकार्य गर्दा सरोकारवालाहरु संग औपचारिक रुपमै लिखित सम्झौता गर्नु पर्ने आवश्यकतालाई संस्थागत गर्दै जानु पर्ने देखिन्छ।

(यस ब्लगमा उल्लेखित सामग्रीहरु लेखकका नितान्त व्यक्तिगत विचार र विश्लेषण हुन्)

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९ मई २०२०: गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघको वेबसाइटमा (https://www.nrna.org/Resources/MOUs-signed) संघले हालसम्म सरोकारवालाहरुसँग समझदारीमा हस्ताक्षर गरेका MOU हरुको प्रति हेर्न सकिन्छ।  यो ब्लगको आशय कोविड महामारी पछि संघले हालका दिनहरुमा निभाइरहेको सरकार र दूतावासको अनौपचारिक "दूत" को सम्बन्धमा लिखित रुपमै सरकार र गैर आवासीय नेपाली संघ बीच सम्झौता गर्न पर्ने देखिन्छ भन्ने तर्फ हो। कामको अपेक्षा भने औपचारिक तर व्यवहार भने अनौपचारिक पारा अलि ठिक नहोला कि?  

7 Breed of Highly Effective People During Lockdown

Aotearoa New Zealand exited from the state of lockdown as of 23:59 yesterday. In this national happy occasion of the new found freedom(?) and the first morning of life outside lockdown, here is a tribute to those souls who had been the most effective over the 33 days of lockdown since it came into effect on 23:59 on 25 March.

The Toilet Paper Hoarders

These are the ultimate harbinger and ambassadors of moral panic. Remember this phenomena when toilet papers were the most sought after item in grocery stores across the Western World? Why only Western World? Because the rest of the world knows methods other than wiping to clean their bottom after doing business in the toilet.

On the surface, these lot who managed to trigger a tsunami of moral panic may seem like your ordinary hoarders. But they are more sophisticated than you might have realised. Going by the “diffusion of innovation theory”, these are the innovators - at the forefront of everyone - leading the charge of innovation. Right there at the beginning of the bell curve. Apparently, somewhere in New South Wales someone got tasered after a “petty argument turned dirty” over a few rolls of this humble paper roll. 

Innovators aka toilet paper hoarders belong to the yellow to the far left (Image: Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, cjni.net)

The Jaywalkers

You are walking down the sidewalk. 50 meters in front, you see someone walking your way. The two of you are now thinking exactly the same thing, at the same time. As if some sort of mental telepathy is going on between the two strangers. Who blinks first? Or to be accurate, who crosses the road first to keep the safe social distancing of 2m? The end result - kinda sorta (Kiwi lexicon for kind of sort of) street dancing until both of you end up jaywalking. You know you are safe, right? Because there are no vehicles on the road.

The Dogwalkers

How come so many of them canine owners suddenly need to so frequently walk their dogs?

OK, Zoomer (not OK boomer)

It is a viral irony that today we are all Zoomers in a world where the pathogen behind the pandemic and the technology that is literally saving our work and life balance both can be traced back to China.

Despite being warned of all the security holes and zoombombing, the tide of Zooming took us all by submission. We don’t know if Cisco was/is playing politics to prevent Zoom from gaining market or the businesses of other race were being xenophobic. Nothing was stopping Zoom from going viral (if it is still safe to use that term). We so readily not only downloaded the app but also made it our virtual office. What we know now from numbers is that Zoom’s owner Eric Yuan’s net worth has skyrocketed to over $2 billion, according to Fortune magazine.

While we are zooming on Eric Yuan, here are bits and pieces about him from one of the shortest entry in Wikipedia for a billionaire:

Eric S. Yuan is a Chinese-American businessman.

He was born and raised in Tai'an, Shandong Province, China. In 4th grade, Yuan collected construction scraps to recycle copper for cash

Yuan moved to the US in 1997 at the age of 27, speaking very little English. 

In 1997, Yuan joined WebEx. There, he routinely spent all night writing computer code, only making time for his hobby of playing soccer. WebEx was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2007; he became vice president of engineering.

In 2011, Yuan pitched a new smartphone-friendly video conferencing system to Cisco management. The idea was rejected and Yuan left Cisco to found Zoom Video Communications.

In the beginning, he struggled to find investors because many of them considered the market to be saturated.

In 2019, Zoom became a public company via an initial public offering, at which time Yuan 
first became a billionaire.

(Eric Yuan photo: Fortune Magazine)

The Experts

These are the new breed of microbiologists, virologists, epidemiologists, science communicators, analysts of the global as well as country-wise COVID-19 responses, COVID-19 correspondents without borders, and the list goes on and on to the moon and back. They earned the coveted title of Ex (abbreviation for Experts) in front of their name without having to attend a single course on the subject matter. They are that brilliant. This is the greatest wave of learning by rumouring and bluffing the world has ever seen.

We all, by now, are experts in all of the above. We know, we know what we are doing. Right? So this is self-explanatory.

Apparently more than 18 years ago on 12 February 2002, the then US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld during question time said this - "there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know". 

Did you gerrit? I don't know. It went way above my head. I'm totally confused.

The Parents

How on earth do you retain composure and remain sane even after surviving all that mayhem of having infants, toddlers, teenagers around 24/7?

New marvel-lous superheroes

All the wonderful people from healthcare and other industries, including but not limited to the following, in no particular order of priority. There probably is no other humbling feeling than to acknowledge the role of these beautiful people. We literally owe our lives to them.


Nothing illustrates this devotion and sacrifice more than this emotional photo of two nurse anesthetists who are married to each other and work on the same Anesthesia COVID-19 Airway team—savoring their limited time together without knowing what will come next, and if their own lives are at stake. (Image and description: Health.com)

Nurses, doctors, lab operators running coronavirus tests, pharmacists, radiologists, scientists, microbiologists, epidemiologists, virologists, supermarket checkout operators and the entire supermarket workers, courier drivers, local dairy owners, public bus and train drivers, waste and recycling truck operators, and many more.

Well done people. Ka Pai.

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Character Revealed by Crisis (Part 2 - The State of New Zealand)

In Part 1 of this series, I blogged about the manifestation of an individual’s character during a crisis*. In Part 2, I make an attempt to spell out the character of the New Zealand government and its leader Jacinda Ardern. 

What is a government and its role? There is endless discourse held and treatise written on this topic. As you can imagine, the answer to that question is not straight forward.

Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, says that three “responsibilities every government has towards its citizens” are to protect, provide and invest. Similar to Ms Slaughter’s views, in today’s context, political scientists, scholars and critics seem to acknowledge that the main functions of a government should be to provide leadership to deliver on three fundamental areas. Security. Society. And economy. For the nation. Towards it people.

This is my take on how the government of New Zealand is doing on its duty to deliver on the fundamental functions since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country just over a month ago. 

The Kiwi Psyche

Aotearoa New Zealand is my adopted home. My views are based on my experience and observation since I moved here in 2005.

There is a concept of no. 8 wire mentality in New Zealand. Wikipedia has a very short but accurate story about no. 8 wire. The Wiki content is written way better than I may try to explain. So I have taken liberty to copy paste it below.

Number 8 wire is a 0.16"-diameter gauge of wire on the British Standard Wire Gauge that has entered into the cultural lexicon of New Zealand.

As a consequence of the ubiquitous use of number 8 wire in New Zealand, remote farms often had rolls of number 8 wire on hand, and the wire would often be used inventively and practically to solve mechanical or structural problems other than fencing. Accordingly, the term "number 8 wire" came to represent the ingenuity and resourcefulness of New Zealanders, and the phrase "a number 8 wire mentality" evolved to denote an ability to create or repair machinery using whatever scrap materials are available on hand. New Zealand hardware and DIY store franchise Mitre 10 [One of the largest hardware chain stores in NZ] have adopted "Number 8" as their in house brand for generic hardware supplies and tools.

The Waikato Museum runs an art award named after the wire.

No. 8 also resembles infinity ∞. This resemblance may be a mere coincidence. Or not. It may be interpreted as how no. 8 wire may mean different things to different people. At the same time, it is a testament to the nature of how amorphous and ubiquitous this idea is. It is crazy but a cool idea at the same time. It is one of those things that is as Kiwi as it gets.

It may be easier to understand an ordinary Kiwi psyche if you have figured out how to measure the gauge of No. 8 wire approach. No. 8 wire is an ordinary piece of metal wire but it is a pragmatic tool to protect farms and properties, mainly across hinterlands. The idea of no. 8 wire is world famous in New Zealand since ages, as them “cool as” Kiwis say. There are probably hundreds of thousand of kilometers, if not millions, of the hardware on the fence lines all over North and South islands. The software of no. 8 wire, however, is more deeply rooted in the Kiwi worldview. It seems the idea has been programmed deeply into the psyche not only of an everyday ordinary Kiwi but also that of the communities and the society at large. If we cared to note carefully, we see manifestations of the no. 8 wire approach translated in actions everyday. From an individual all the way to the government.

The no. 8 wire approach is such a simple idea that it may sound ridiculous to some. But it is extraordinarily effective. Ordinary Kiwis have achieved extraordinary feats. Along the way no. 8 wire mentality seem to have had its wee bit of share. Let us look at some exemplary Kiwis, their feats, and the role of the no. 8 wire phenomenon that may be attributed to their achievements.

Hardwired to the No. 8 Wire Mentality

Sir Edmund Hillary is the best example of an extraordinary Kiwi. A beekeeper from Tuakau, South Auckland went all the way as high as he could get, literally. You can read in his autobiography to get an appreciation of how he trained for his climbing feats. It is full of the no. 8 wire philosophy.

Have you ever given a thought to why the guy on the New Zealand's highest denomination of $100 bill is there? The guy with thick moustache and flat hair is Nobel laureate Ernest Rutherford. Born at Brightwater, near Nelson, Rutherford went on to earn many accolades, including the coveted "father of nuclear physics". There is only one Kiwi to earn an element to their name - rutherfordium. In the following information burrowed from New Zealand History, you can judge for yourself how no. 8 wire-ism was all over Rutherford's celebrated life:

Nicknamed ‘crocodile’ (because crocodiles always look forwards), he became known for his ability to make imaginative leaps and design experiments to test them.

In 1917 Rutherford claimed that he had 'broken the machine and touched the ghost of matter’. In his third major breakthrough, he had succeeded in 'splitting' the atom – making him the world's first successful alchemist. This research was published in 1919, the same year he became Director of the Cavendish Laboratory. There he proved a humane and supportive leader who never failed to let his students take credit for research he had mentored. (The latter character is an excellent example of the humble nature of Kiwis regardless of their status).

Image: The Reserve Bank of New Zealand

According to the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, "Rutherford was a not particularly successful relieving teacher at Christchurch Boys' High School ... Having failed for the third time to obtain a permanent job as a schoolteacher he looked to other avenues" in 1894. Today, there are many institutions, awards, buildings, streets, parks, schools and labs named after Rutherford. If you follow the orbit of his scientific feats, which includes moving to the UK and later to Canada, you will have a sense of the no. 8 wire radiation all over. Similarly, check out his countless scriptures written to his scientific feats and you will soon realise his experimentation, almost close to flirting, with the electron, proton, neutron and radioactivity.

Ironically for a country like New Zealand that vehemently protested against nuclear armament and nuclear aggression, Rutherford's discoveries, in some ways paved the scientific basis to the invention of nuclear fission, which in turn lead to the discovery of chain reaction adopted in making atomic bomb. Search Rainbow Warrior and you are set for a years’ worth of reading material on the serious side of the hippie era of New Zealand.

On a more lighter disciplines, Peter Jackson, Taika Waititi and Lorde are a few famous names in contemporary New Zealand popular culture.

Jackson’s epic storytelling of JRR Tolkien’s books in the triologies of the LOTR and The Hobbit have the no. 8 wire innovation to movie making printed all over. The Weta Digital, the extravagant sets, and the extraordinary special effects and prosthesis probably would not have been possible without a bit of the no. 8 wire concept.

Waititi’s antics and quirky sense of humour to movie making is contagiously beautiful and creative. How on earth can the same person make the home production of Boy, the hollywood smash blockbuster Thor, and then go on to make the Academy award winner Jojo Rabbit? I don’t know how you see it but I see a no. 8 wire creativity written all over Taika Waititi’s work.

Although raised at a posh suburb of Devonport in Auckland, Ella Yelich-O'Connor’s jerky electro moves in music video and live performances, and her lyrical ability to morph a simple daily act of playing tennis must have had some sense of no. 8 wire in them. Her extravagantly cynic take towards superficial people in her hit singles “Royals” is an unmistakable approach to no. 8 wire creativity. 

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern

The latest in the “world famous in New Zealand since ages” list of Kiwis is the PM Jacinda Ardern. She is the incumbent leader of New Zealand showing the world “this is how you do it”. 

Just as the All Blacks are the fiercest when they are down during a rugby match, Kiwis tend to bring out their best when they face a crisis. This is true for Joe Bloggs of New Zealand. It is equally true for leaders of this country. The one person to whom it most accurately applies is in the case of the current leader of New Zealand. Jacinda Ardern. We have seen it during the Christchurch massacre of 15 March 2019. We saw it again during the Whakaari White Island eruption of 9 December 2019. We are again witnessing Jacinda Ardern at her best since the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in New Zealand. 


Image source: BBC

I may have an unconscious bias to talk up anything Jacinda Ardern. I may have continued to be swept across by Jacindamania. Here is a crash course about the Jacindamania phenomenon.

The term Jacindamania was coined during the 2017 New Zealand general election campaign. Andrew Little, the then Labour leader, stepped down in the aftermath of low(est?) poll rating. The baton was passed on to the then Deputy Leader, Jacinda Ardern, only a few weeks prior to the polling date. Jacinda Ardern became leader of the New Zealand Labour Party on 1 August 2017. It took her only a couple of weeks to turn “let’s do this” to “we did it”. Labour won the election on her leadership on 23 September 2017.

It seems only fair to say that the way she projected herself and the Labour party, and managed the election campaign in those couple of weeks in September 2017 was extraordinary. She pulled off an election winner from a near impossible position. Little did we know that what she managed to achieve then, in the prize of election victory, was only a trailer of the Jacindamania saga that was to unfold right before our eyes. We continue to witness the leadership of Jacinda Ardern at the best. I personally have a feeling that the best is yet to come.

Decoding the Symbols and Success of New Zealand’s Response to COVID-19

In terms of New Zealand’s COVID-19 response, numbers speak for themselves.

Daily number of confirmed positive cases in New Zealand have gone down to single digits since last week. So much so, the Financial Times had to come up with an additional scale of 5 in the Y-axis log scale in their graphs to accurately display New Zealand’s numbers.


Notice Y-axis and New Zealand curve. The images are from 18 April and 25 April. Spurce: https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest


New Zealand has one of the lowest total cases and deaths in the Western World. What those numbers haven’t been able to capture, and the most important part, is how this all is done. What actions and how much effort has it taken to achieve those results. What the numbers won't tell you is how the government is making this all possible. The graphs won’t tell you how New Zealander’s feel about all this (If there is any credible survey about public opinion, I may have missed it).



New Zealand’s COVID-19 response in one graph. Source:Te Pūnaha Matatini**

At the beginning of Part 1 of this blog series, I started with the following quote from Paul PT Wong:
a person’s true character is often revealed in times of crisis or temptation. Make sure that you have what it takes to be your best in such times.

This, I think, applies to a leader and government of a country too. Jacinda Ardern and the New Zealand government makes me feel safe. I feel well looked after. I feel like the New Zealand government is taking care of me, my family and the entire New Zealand. I will be forever grateful that I am living in New Zealand during this crisis. There is nowhere else I would rather be.

At the beginning of this volume of the blog, I mentioned the fundamental functions of any government leadership. In the aftermath of COVID-19 generated chaos, it is my observation that Jacinda Ardern and the New Zealand government are doing the best they can to deliver on all three fronts on security, society and economy. They are doing this in all honesty and sincerity. They have succeeded to keep the country safe by taking timely measures to contain the coronavirus. So much so that the campaign that started initially a few weeks ago to suppress the virus has now evolved to being able to eliminate it. The government is looking after the entire spectrum of the society - from the richest to the poorest. The New Zealand government continues to implement one of the most generous economic relief packages that this country has ever seen.

The Sad Case of Cynicism

You will recall the cynics (the likes of Mike Hosking, Morgan Freeman and their posse) a few weeks ago when they were fiercely arguing why New Zealand must immediately close its borders right then to prevent the coronavirus from getting into the country.

It was the initial days when New Zealand had not even introduced the four level alert system. The same cynics are now saying that Jacinda Ardern has overreacted and that she has crushed the economy. I have no words, only this emoji 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♂️ and this quote from Paulo Coelho, “my most frequent exercise these days is to shake my head in disbelief”. 


The curve of the cynics. Source: internet

Two such over zealous citizens managed to sue Jacinda Ardern in the court***. Both lawsuit have already been quashed by the High Court Judge. Oh, and by the way, the pair apparently requested name suppression citing concerns about death threats. The judge kindly obliged with the name suppression request.

The same or similar cynics also seem to constantly troll in (anti?)social media people such as the Director-General of Health and the team of scientists who are working day and night to fight the virus and communicate about it to the general public. Winston Churchill famously said, you will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks”. The quote speaks for itself for the approach those busy at work should take or are taking. 

How it All Comes Together?

So what is the relationship among no. 8 wire mentality, duties of a government, leadership and COVID-19?

In the context of New Zealand’s response to the crisis of present and the recent past, there seems to be a tendency to burrow from the no. 8 psyche. I would have no clue if this happens by default or on purpose. I discussed in length above, how this applies to famous Kiwi icons. It also applies to Jacinda Ardern’s current approach to COVID-19 too, in my mind.

From what I observed how the government of the time and the respective Prime Ministers approached large crises (Christchurch and Kaikoura Earthquake, Christchurch shooting, Whakaari White Island explosion and COVID-19), both the government and leadership in all events acted responsibly, early and decisively. Response in each of those disasters were unique. The solutions the leaders offered were homegrown and pragmatic. Apart from a minor degree of margin of error, the leaders largely have over-delivered. In contrast they have successfully managed unrealistic public expectations by carefully under-promising. The focus consistently has been the delivery.

On top of all the broader matters, it seems people are kept at the heart of each of those responses. I understand this as this famous saying in action - He aha te mea nui o te ao. He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata (What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people).

Politics is a tough job. It comes with its own underlying set of doom, gloom and ugly sides to it that is visible to the public eyes. It is like an iceberg. It is not only all it seems. There are deeper and larger hidden parts and parcels to it. If not equal, there would be more people who would be super critical of any step a government takes.

In addition to the affairs that may directly be relevant to us and our small bubble, we have to appreciate and acknowledge the fact that a government has to consider many and complex matters while making decisions. They have to think about the entire nation of all interest groups. And there are the forces and factors beyond the country’s border.

Regardless of the ongoing top performance from Jacinda Ardern, she has received multiple death threats, apparently. I touched on the twin court cases above. They may not have gotten one hundred percent correct all the time. That kind of performance is a myth and true in fiction. What Jacinda Ardern and her cabinet has managed to do in reality and successfully is strike a balance. They have managed public health by supporting the economy. They have acted for the masses. Their measures seem to have struck a chord with the majority of New Zealanders. For example, on a survey by Newshub conducted on 18 April among 44,768 Kiwis, just over 64 percent said New Zealand should not leave lockdown on Monday 27 April.

There probably is no set formula of success to respond to a crisis of national scale. COVID-19 is a global pandemic of a scale that our generation has never seen before. Depending on our conscious and unconscious bias, we may have different opinions about the degree of success and failure of the government’s approach and Jacinda Ardern’s leadership. That is fine. It’s OK. Looking at the way this Labour-led government is managing this pandemic, however, you can’t take one thing away from it. The Labour-led government and Jacinda Ardern’s leadership have fully done justice to all aspects of their fundamental duties of taking care of the security, society and economy of New Zealand, and that to take care of all New Zealanders.

* https://rajmaharjan1.blogspot.com/2020/04/what-is-your-character.html 

** https://www.tepunahamatatini.ac.nz/2020/04/09/a-stochastic-model-for-covid-19-spread-and-the-effects-of-alert-level-4-in-aotearoa-new-zealand/

*** https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/121269117/coronavirus-men-lose-lawsuits-against-jacinda-ardern-ashley-bloomfield-over-covid19-lockdown

Part 3 coming soon (approximately, about the state of affairs of the Himalayan Shangri-La and The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave ...)

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DISCLAIMER

Please do not be a keyboard warrior. Be a man. Do the right thing. (2:30).

(Definition of keyboard warriror from urbandictionary.com and video clip courtesy Russell Peters Youtube Channel) 

Keyboard Warrior

1. A Person who, being unable to express his anger through physical violence (owning to their physical weakness, lack of bravery and/or conviction in real life), instead manifests said emotions through the text-based medium of the internet, usually in the form of aggressive writing that the Keyboard Warrior would not (for reasons previously mentioned) be able to give form to in real life.2. The term is a combination of the word 'keyboard' (the main tool by which the person expresses his/her latent rage) and 'warrior' (due to the warrior-like aggression, tendency towards violence, headstrong nature and propensity towards brute force as a means of resolving conflict rather than more subtle means dependant on finesse).3. The Keyboard Warrior seeks to use the power imbued in his 'weapon' to effect death and destruction (in a strictly-metaphorical sense) upon his foes (other virtual identities he has encountered on the internet). In essence, the keyboard (ie. text input ability) allows the keyboard warrior to manifest his true warrior nature in a safe and removed environment, from which no real-life repercussions .

4. Keyboard Warriors are generally identified by unneccessary rage in their written communications, and are regarded as 'losers' by other virtual identities on the internet.

🙏🙏🙏