Bhanu jayanti in the US (Press Release)
Press release
Bhanu Jayantee- July 16, 2006
As announced earlier and as usual, the fifteenth General Body ( GB) of INLS and the 193rd Bhanu Jayantee Function was organized by INLS- HQ and DC Metro Chapter at Lyseelvania State Park, Woodbridge, VA, on the bank of the massive river Potomac that , while it flows, becomes like a garland on the shoulder of DC. Started after the picnic-style lunch in the open air, contributed by some of the residents of Woodbridge , Manassas, Arlington it was attended by Mr. Rudra Nepal , the Charge d' Affairs of Nepalese Embassy to USA, Dr Balaram Aryal, President Nepalese Human rights organization , USA , Mr. Prem Sangroula, the president of ANS, Mr.Homnath Subedi , the Founding president of the INLS, Mr. Bhim Regmi ,the Co-chair of INLS- BOT and the Ex- president of INLS- HQ , Mr. HB Bhandari , the President of the INLS-PAChapter . The program was Chaired by Mohan Sitoula, the president of INLS- HQ . Welcoming all by Mr. Bhim Regmi conducted the program where the Chief Guest and all other in the Dais , including Kamala Prasai , the vice president of INLS- NJChapter and a poetess , garlanded the poet with a sense of high honor of Shradhhanjali on behalf of all the large audience assembled there from far and wide . In the program the two anthologies of Nepali Poems "Ma Binako Mero Jeevan" by Kamala Prasai and "Naya Mulukako Nad" by Mohan Sitoula and published by INLS in June , 2006 , were released by the chief guest.
Speaking on the occasion the chief guest expressed his Shradhanjalee to the great pioneer poet of Nepal and also extended his best wishes to the INLS which , he said, has a pretty good history of one and half decade of excellent community services and which has the beauty and power of global Nepalese creative and cultural coverage. He also appreciated the poets and the publisher – INLS. Dr Aryal, the life member of INLS, while highlighting the Aadikavi and the importance as well as the activities of INLS, donated INLS by registering himself as the Board of Trustee as per its by-laws. He also appealed to all to join in the INLS by offering themselves as life members, trustees and in very many other capacities in a meaningful way. Mr. Prem Sangoula , honoring the great poet, spoke encouragingly of INLS when he suggested that the recently fire-burnt house of the Aadikavi Bhanubhata is being completely rebuilt in which INLS along with its Chapters help the reconstruction project. He also appreciated the Nepali writers’ and publishers’ dedication to the literary and cultural cause in the American Diaspora.
Mr. Homnath Subedi , the chair of the INLS- Board of Trustee, paying his tribute to the poet, and appreciating the proposal about Bhanubhakta’s burnt house , made by Mr. Sangroula, presented a report of the publication committee of INLS . Giving information about the various awards and prizes in the INLS he called all to contribute to the rest of the western Nepal Zonal book prizes .He made an announcement that the books for the INLS best book awards will have to come within December every year. He also made a literary critique of the anthology of poems "Ma Binako Mero Jeevan" (My Life Without Me) and said that the poems are highly creative with a bearing of social optimism even in the feelings of personal note of awe. Dinesh Tripathi , a poet and an advocate, also appreciated the creatively struggling power of the poems of Kamala Prasai.
Govinda Giri "Prerana", paid his tribute to the Pioneer poet and reminded that he had participated this function in 2006 when his book " Good By America" was released here . Appreciating the previous speakers he drove the attention of all that the Nepalese are making creatively challenging progress all over the world and this widening and rising sentiment and creative force must be chanalized through the organizations . He also appreciated the Books just released along with the writers and the publisher.
H. B. Bhandari, while expressing his sense of respects to the great poet Bhanu , he presented an elaborate critique of the book of poems "Naya Mulukako Nad” by Mohan Sitoula. Drawing the historical perspectives of the creative and critical tastes, tunes and turnings as well as literary principles and experimental developments of the east and the west, and mentioning the great poets like TS Eliot and Robert Frost, he made an analytical and comparative study of the book along with the imagist and symbolical bearings in the various types of poems including the de-constructional ones in the collection "Naya Mulukako Nad” just released in the program.
Kamala Prasai also spoke about the great pioneer poet and expressed her gratitude to the publisher – INLS. She informed that the personal feelings of sorrow and happiness and her struggling life in the USA are the background of her poems in "Ma Binako Mero Jeevan" ( My Life Without Me). She also gave stress that creative writing is the source of human civilization, peace and prosperity. As a lyricist and a singer she also sang a beautiful song from her own CD released some weeks ago in NY.
The next attraction of the program was the separate open poetry competition of the children and the adults. In the former Aashis Sitoula in his poem Nepali language was developed became first, Prasanga sitoula in his poem I Like ( Malai Man Parchha) came out second and Amit Shrestha in his poem Sipahi ( Soldier) became third . Among the other children re-citers were Priya Subedi, Pukar Subedi, Raj Adhikari, Kavita Subedi, Anamol Sitoula and Sagar Subedi.
In the adult poetry competition Tunga Nath Upadhyaya in his poem Shraddha Suman ( A Flowery Honor) came out first, Hasta Goutam in his poem Aamako Vyatha ( the Mother's Sorrow), second and Dinesh Tripathi in his poem Sabdahin Desh ( A Country Without Word ) became third .Among the other re-citers of competitive and non- competitive poems there was Kapil Sitoula, Narayan Adhikari, Dr. Hari Bhattarai, Nitesh Adhikari, Kamala Pun, Prem Sangroula, Teeka Pun, Kamala Prasai, Govinda Giri ‘Prerana’, Kalpana Satyal, Mohan Sitoula, Komal Parajulee and Kabindra Sitoula. The poem “Aadi Haina Ananta” by Bharati Gautam , the president of INLS- MA-Chapter , was recited by Bhim Regmi . Prem Sangroula, Kamala prasai, and HB Bhandari were the judges of all the competitive poems.
Another popular and usual feature of the program there was / is the INLS Bhanubhakta Memorial Gorakh Bahadur Thapa Runner Cup Volleyball Competition sponsored by Mr Mohan Thapa from Baltimore. In the tournament Kaligandaki “A” and Kaligandaki “B” came out first and second respectively. Mr. Khem Bhattachan , the INLS Ex- Vice President , was the umpire all through the games. The names of the players go like this:
The 1st Winner Team (Kaligandaki "A");
1. Mohan Thapa (Takam-Dharapani,Myagdi)-Team Captain
2. Mohan Baniya (Beni-Myagdi)
3. Dambar Karki (Rakhu-Myagdi)
4. Nilam Thapa (Chimkhola-Myagdi)
5. Layan Budha (Rukum)
6. Shakti Regmi
2nd Winner Team (Kaligandaki "B");
1. Ram Tilija (Chimkhola-Myagdi)-Team Captain
2. Tika Pun (Chimkhola-Myagdi)
3. Lokman Pun (Chimkhola-Myagdi)
4. Ganga Pun (Doba-Myagdi)
5. Prem Limbu (Terhthum)
6. Lama
It was also announced that the prizes to all the winners would be distributed at the INLS- Devkota Jayantee in November , as usual .
As the result of the election of the new INLS- Executive Committee was already made public through the press release by the Election Commission, Mr Bhim Regmi, at the request of the Commission , announced the names of the elected candidates in the General Body of the INLS as the following:
1. Mohan Sitoula – TX, USA- President.
2. Dr. Madhukrishna Shrestha “Madhurya” – Moscow, Vice –President.
3. Suren Uprety – Canada – General Secretary.
4. Bashu Satyal – Virginia, USA- Treasurer.
5. Kejin Rai – Portugal – Secretary.
Kalpana Satyal, the treasurer of INLS -HQ presented the annual financial reports including the election deliveries.
The new Executive Committee and the financial report was approved and welcome by the General Body.
Mohan Sitoula, from the chair expressed his sense of high Honor to the great poet Bhanubhakta and appreciated all the previous speakers and various role- players in the function. He went on to extend the words of thanks on behalf of all the INLS family and the outgoing Executive Committee to the Chief guest, the audience from far and wide, the speakers, poets, judges, players and the umpire, the media people including Nepal Horizons, Biswa Sandesh, Nepalipost, Sagarmatha TV, Radio Dovaan, the announcer, along with the co-ordination committee and food and drink organizers for the function. Congratulating the winners in the poetry competition and the volleyball match he thanked all other participants for their continued enthusiastic spirit in the related fields they are in.
He also extended his sincere thanks to the INLS-Election Commission for holding the election with so much dedication and hard work. Congratulating also the new elected officers of INLS- Executive Committee he gave his heart felt thanks to all the EC members, the chapters, the BOT, the ex-presidents and members and all the members of the Nepalese communities at large for their hand in hand support to him and his team all through the previous years throughout the globe in every activity as well as in the recent new election and also wished his best to do the same for the new team. He further added that the election itself, as a new content in the history of INLS, is a new elevated victory of the organization which has a wider global coverage and representation. As all the contesting candidates made the election happen, they also increased the credibility and enhanced the fame of their beloved literary- cultural Nepalese Global parliament – the common Choutari. A new experience has entered into the INSL which will be a back force for further improvement. Thus, nobody is the loser in here. All are the winners and made a history of their own. He also extended his thanks to all the volunteers for managing everything including the stage for the day.
He then informed that the other invited chief guests – Murari Raj Sharma, Dr.Taranath Sharma- and some other important local participants like Basanta Shrestha , Bashu Shrestha, the president of INLS- DC Metro Chapter and Sudeep Bhadra Khanal , GS of the same and other members had informed their regrets for not being able to be present due to their some other pressing preferences. They had also expressed their best wishes for the success of the program.
As a writer, a poet, he further expressed his sense of gratefulness to the INLS as publisher, the bhoomikakars and the commentators of his book "Naya Mulukako Nad” when he made an special lovely stress on his wife and his wider family household and friends, for the source of inspiration and support for writing and publishing this and other previous books. He also expressed his gratefulness to the Nepali and American academic as well as library and natural scenarios for his inspiration. He said that in the poems he has made efforts to express his various experiences in the USA, and about the changing rhythm of the human universal sensibility. But, at the same time, he confessed that he could never be away from the enchantment of Nepal and the national contexts.
Addressing the 15th General Body of the INLS as a new president Mohan Sitoula announced that the new plans and programs would come through the new executive committee very soon. Appreciating the proposal made by Prem Sangroula and supported by Homnath Subedi he told that the proposal would be put forward to the Executive meeting and be consulted with the Chapters for further action. He also proposed that the fees from the life membership and the fund raising schemes of all the chapters will be shared in some percentage between the INLS-chapters and the HQ as will be decided later on. The Nepali school, publication and cultural projects of all the chapters will be specially taken care of in terms of local financial support through the consultation with the chapters and the decision from the Executive Committee.
In the end the chair invited all to join in the songs, cold drinks and informal dance and closed the program. It was a great success. Thank you.
Mohan Sitoula
President
INLS- HQ