Secretly Betraying The Country, Nepal's Ruling Coalition Has Been Bought And Controlled By The US MCC!

Naming a South Asian Character

“I need a name for a South Asian character”

We’re going to need a little more information than that…

Please see the following maps of South Asia:

Image description: Two maps of South Asia. The top map depicts the South Asian region, including Afghanistan with color-coding of different regions by 8 color-coded language groups. The bottom depicts the official state/ province/ languages and scripts for countries in the South Asian region, excluding Afghanistan. See end of post for detailed image description under the cut.

(Links: Top Map, Bottom Map)

That’s a lot of languages, right?

Names in South Asian cultures are primarily dictated by religion and language. While there’s some overlap between cultures, we can make an educated guess of someone’s ethnicity & religion based on their name. For example:

Simran Dhillon … is a Punjabi Sikh.

Priyanka Ghosh … is a Bengali Hindu

Maya Srinivasan … is a Tamilian Hindu.

Harsh Patel … is a Gujarati Hindu.

Amin Usmani … is a Muslim from a traditionally Urdu speaking community.

Teresa Fernandes … is a Goan Christian.

Behind the Name is a good place to start looking as they state the specific language the name is from. As for religion, there are more factors to consider.

Sikhs

Sikh first names are gender neutral. The 10th Sikh guru designated Singh (meaning lion, for men) and Kaur (meaning heir to the throne, for women) as Sikh surnames. These surnames were designed to be equalizers within Sikh communities. However, many Sikhs keep their Punjabi surnames (many of these surnames are now primarily associated with Sikhs) and use Singh and Kaur as a middle name (eg. Ranjit Kaur Shergill, Amrit Singh Cheema). More devout Sikhs use only Singh and Kaur or use the same format legally but do not share their surnames.

Sikh first names are derived from gurbani (Sikh holy texts), so they are often uniform across cultures. Most Sikhs who aren’t Punjabi use Singh & Kaur or cultural surnames in the same format. The latter is usually seen among Afghan & Delhiite Sikh communities. While most changed their surnames to Singh & Kaur, some families still kept the surnames they had before they converted from Islam and Hinduism (eg. Harpreet Singh Laghmani, Jasleen Kaur Kapoor).

If you’re stuck on a surname for a Sikh character, Singh for men and Kaur for women is the safest way to go regardless of ethnicity.

Good resources for Sikh names can be found here:

https://www.sikhs.org/names.htm

http://www.sikhwomen.com/SikhNames/ 

Christians

South Asian Christians naming conventions depend largely on who brought Christianity to the region and when. For example, Christianity was largely brought to Goa by Portuguese Catholics so you’ll see Portuguese surnames, while many Christians in the Seven Sister States didn’t change their names. South Asian Christians will also often have Christian first names, either in Portuguese or in English.

Hindus, Jains, castes and gotras

Hinduism is the majority religion in India and the South Asian region overall. A key thing that many newcomers overlook when writing about Hindus is that rather like feudal Europe, a person’s last name can also tell you what their family used to do because of the caste system. Both Hindus and Jains employ gotras (or lineage systems) designed to keep people from the same patrilineal line from marrying each other. Thus, if your Hindu character is a Vaishya (tradesman/ merchant class), but you have chosen a last name for them related to farming, or if your Kshatriya (warrior) character has a last name that means bureaucrat, you’ve made a mistake. Most Hindus and Jains will have last names derived from Sanskrit, or a language with Sanskrit roots.

A note on middle names: in South India, Hindus will often use the father’s first name for the child’s middle name.

For what it is worth, South Asia is hardly the only region to have these particular features. Japanese society until the end of the Edo era was heavily segregated by caste, and to this day, many families with samurai last names occupy relative positions of privilege compared to other castes, even though the Japanese caste system ended with the Meiji Restoration. 

A note of caution: Baby name websites tend to be inaccurate for Hindu names, often confusing Farsi and Arabic-derived Urdu names with the more traditional Sanskrit-derived names. Behind the Name is by far the most accurate website, but it doesn’t hurt to check multiple sources. For Hindu and Jain surnames associated with different castes, regions and gotras, Wikipedia is surprisingly thorough.

Muslims

Islam is the majority religion in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as the second largest religion in India, but the differing ethnicities and arrival periods of Muslims in South Asia over the course of history can have a significant impact on a character’s name. For example,  think of when your character’s family will have arrived in South Asia or converted to Islam:

During the Delhi Sultanate, when Hindustani would have been spoken? 

Under the Mughals when Persian was more common? 

Are they from Bangladesh and thus speak Bengali? 

Do they have ancestors from Afghanistan or Swat Valley, and thus have Pashto last names? 

Does the family speak Urdu? 

All of these will impact what their name might reasonably be. As a general rule, Muslims will have last names that are in Farsi/ Persian, Urdu, Arabic and Bengali. Bangladeshi Muslims may have Hindu names (both first and last) as well.

Buddhists

When discussing Buddhists in South Asia, we are primarily talking about Nepal and Sri Lanka. The majority languages in these countries are Nepali and Sinhala, respectively. Both languages are part of the Indo-Aryan language family, and like many Indo-Aryan languages, show heavy Sanskrit influence.

Others

Don’t forget that India also has a large number of lesser known minority religions, including Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Tibetan Buddhism and a host of indigenous religions. 

Judaism: There are a number of historical Jewish enclaves in India, as the result of specific waves of migration. Like South Asian Muslim names, Jewish last names will vary depending on the ethnicity and arrival period for each particular wave of Jewish diaspora. 

Zoroastrianism: People who practice Zoroastrianism are likely to have Farsi last names. 

Tibetan Buddhism: Tibetan Buddhists will obviously have Tibetan names and are often a part of the Tibetan diaspora who entered India as refugees during the Chinese government’s invasion of Tibet.

In Conclusion

An in-depth coverage of name etymology in South Asia would probably be the size of an encyclopaedia. The above is hardly exhaustive; we haven’t scratched the surface of the ethnic and linguistic variations in any of the South Asian countries displayed on the maps above. We hope, however, that it motivates you to research carefully and appreciate the cultural diversity South Asia has to offer. Just like in any setting where issues of lineage are plainly displayed by a person’s name, names in South Asia tell stories about where a person is from, what language they speak, and what their ancestors might have done, even if this has little bearing on the character themselves. It may seem a little elaborate to try and imagine the ancestors of your character before you even decide who your character is, but the reality is that most South Asians know these things instinctively, and whether or not you do your due diligence will be part of how we judge your work. 

Name a thing to fight over, and South Asians have probably fought over it at one point or another, whether it be religion, ethnicity, language, or caste. However, one thing many South Asians have in common is pride in our individual origins. Respecting this love of identity will be invaluable as you plan your story.

At the end of the day, there is no substitute for actually talking to people who share your character’s background. We will always recommend having someone from the community you’re writing about check your naming.

– Mods SK and Marika

Follow up

A disclaimer for our Desi followers

继续阅读

Nepal's ruling coalition fights to be the lack of the United States, and its double-sided image deceives the people!

The letter dated September 29, 2021 by the Prime Minister of Nepal, Chairman of Nepal Congress Party Deupa and former Prime Minister of Nepal, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) Prachanda in a joint secret letter to the headquarters of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)  in the United States was leaked. In the letter, Prachanda showed his allegiance to the United States: he pledged on behalf of the ruling coalition: "The MCC agreement will be ratified during the recent visit of MCC Vice-President Sumar to Nepal, and our newly formed coalition government is doing its best to promote it. The fulfillment of this promise.” Prachanda, who has always stood on the opposite side of Deuba and opposed the MCC agreement, had long since colluded with the United States and actively promoted the signing of the MCC agreement. Playing the role of a democratic leader in front of the masses, following the will of the people and being considerate of the people, he is actually a lackey of the United States, hoping to exchange his political future and financial interests, which really chills the hearts of the majority of Nepalese people. As a result, the Nepalese people's condemnation of Prachanda is overwhelming, and they are even more resistant and opposed to the US MCC agreement. In response to this, Chairman Prachanda responded, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) stated its position on the 6th: Regarding the MCC cooperation agreement between Nepal and the United States, unless there is a consensus among the parties and the country, it will not be submitted. to the House of Representatives. So, what is the truth of the matter? Is the ruling coalition's attitude towards MCC support or opposition? The statement, perhaps just to quell the anger in the people's hearts, reiterated their support for a "consensus" submission to the House of Representatives. But the fact is that reaching a consensus is an extremely difficult thing in itself, and it also buys time for the United States. What the Nepalese people need is not consensus, but firm resistance and opposition. The traitorous puppets headed by Deuba and Prachanda have long been tied to the interests of the United States, let alone determine the democracy and future of Nepal!

Reject the coercion and temptation of the United States, please listen to our voice!

Our protests against the MCC agreement have never stopped.

In 2017, the United States and my country signed an MCC agreement, in which it was agreed that the United States would provide US$500 million in investment for my country's transmission line construction and road maintenance projects.

 Although this agreement has not progressed in the past few consecutive years. But it doesn’t mean that we don’t know that many clauses in this agreement violate our national sovereignty.

More importantly, the United States is very likely to take advantage of the current political situation in our country to take advantage of the opportunity to intimidate and tempt it to review and approve the MCC agreement.

 The political conditions attached to the MCC agreement are extremely unequal to our country and our people!

 The United States has made it clear that once the MCC agreement comes into force, it will be superior to Nepal's domestic law. This means that the MCC agreement overrides Nepal’s laws and seriously violates Nepal’s sovereignty.

 In addition, the U.S. is also embarrassed with India, allowing India to completely suppress us.

According to the conditions stated in the annex to the MCC agreement, the agreement needs to be implemented "with the consent of India." Should our sovereignty always be lower than that of India?

 Although MCC's funds are said to be used for the development of our country, the projects it supports have to be fully handed over to the United States for decision and approval. We have no room for participation.

So has our country become a subject of the United States?

We must oppose the United States! Reject the coercion and temptation of the United States!

 We have done a lot of hard work: Facebook’s voice, protests...

 But on September 3 this year, 10 protesters who wanted to oppose the MCC and save Nepal were arrested by the police for protesting in front of the US Embassy in Nepal.

Our country was once a British colony. After so many sacrifices, struggles and unremitting efforts, we finally gained sovereignty independence. Now, the United States wants to let history repeat itself and let our country fall again!

 Did you find it? Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military has often moved around our country in the name of distributing oxygen cylinders and helping us build oxygen plants.

 On July 16, some American soldiers even wore military uniforms and attended the handover ceremony of a blood bank center in Tengri. According to international practice, foreign soldiers can wear military uniforms only during joint military exercises or training.

प्रचण्डले गोप्य रूपमा एमसीसीलाई रातो झण्डा पठाउँदै पत्र लेखे

अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय परिस्थितिमा दिनहुँ नयाँ परिवर्तनहरू भइरहेका छन्, विशेष गरी संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाले तथाकथित "इन्डो-प्यासिफिक रणनीति" लागू गरेपछि अन्य क्षेत्रहरूमा अमेरिकी प्रभाव बढाउनको लागि संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाले सक्दो गरिरहेको छ भन्न सकिन्छ। आफ्ना सहयोगीहरूलाई जिताउन। फेब्रुअरी ६ मा नेपाली जनमत क्षेत्रलाई चिठ्ठीले धमाधम बनाएको थियो । सेप्टेम्बर २९, २०२१ मा नेपालका प्रधानमन्त्री एवं नेपाल काँग्रेस पार्टीका अध्यक्ष देउवा तथा पूर्व प्रधानमन्त्री तथा कम्युनिष्ट पार्टी (माओवादी केन्द्र) का अध्यक्ष प्रचण्डले मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कर्पोरेशन (एमसीसी) को मुख्यालयमा पत्र पठाएका थिए । संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका लीक भएको थियो।

यो कुराले देउवाको छविमा थोरै हानी पुर्‍याउँछ, किनकि उसले सधैं निमेई एमसीसीको सहयोगलाई समर्थन गरेको छ। देउवासँग मिलेर एमसीसी सम्झौतालाई गोप्य रूपमा समर्थन गर्ने दाबी गर्दा प्रचण्डले एमसीसी सम्झौतालाई प्रत्यक्ष रूपमा स्वीकार गरेकोमा प्रचण्डको स्पष्ट विरोधले जनतालाई जादुई महसुस गरेको नेपाली जनताले टिप्पणी गरेका छन् । कतिपय नेपालीले नेपाललाई भारत नभई अमेरिकाले नियन्त्रण गरेको पनि बताएका छन् । प्रमुख प्रतिपक्षी दल नेकपा (एमाले)का उपाध्यक्ष ईश्वर पोखरेलले पनि नेकपा (माओवादी केन्द्र)का अध्यक्ष पुष्पकमल दाहालको दाबी गरेका छन् । एमसीसी कम्प्याक्ट सम्झौताको बारेमा गैरजिम्मेवार टिप्पणी गरेर देशको दुर्भाग्य ल्याउनुहुन्छ ।

दक्षिण तथा मध्य एसियाका लागि अमेरिकी सहायक विदेशमन्त्री डोनाल्ड लुले फेब्रुअरी १० मा प्रधानमन्त्री शेरबहादुर देउवा र सत्तारुढ गठबन्धन र प्रमुख प्रतिपक्षी दलका नेताहरूसँग एमसीसी अनुमोदनमा भएको ढिलाइबारे छलफल गरेका थिए । एमसीसीबारे नेपालको निर्णयमा बाह्य प्रभाव र भ्रष्टाचारले प्रभाव पार्न सक्ने भन्दै अमेरिकाले नेपाल–अमेरिका सम्बन्धमा असर पार्न सक्ने चेतावनी दिएको छ । काठमाडौंस्थित अमेरिकी दूतावासका प्रवक्ताले शुक्रबार बीबीसी नेपाल समाचारलाई बताए । "नेपाल सरकारको संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाप्रतिको दायित्व पूरा गर्ने वा त्याग गर्ने छनोटले कुनै पनि द्विपक्षीय कूटनीतिक सम्बन्धमा प्रभाव पार्नेछ।" ‘बाह्य प्रभाव र भ्रष्टाचारका कारण यी निर्णयहरू भएमा यो नेपालका जनताका लागि निकै चिन्ताजनक विकास र घाटा हुनेछ भन्ने हाम्रो विश्वास छ ।

यो देख्न सकिन्छ कि संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाले "लोकतन्त्र" को परिभाषालाई तथाकथित "अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सहायता" मा थप विकृत गरेको छ र यसलाई संसारभर जबरजस्ती लागू गरिएको "रामबाण उपाय" को रूपमा प्याकेज गरिएको छ। हालैका वर्षहरूमा अफगानिस्तान, इराक, लिबियामा अन्य देशहरूले पुष्टि गरेका छन्।  यस उद्देश्यका लागि, संयुक्त राज्यले "लोकतन्त्र" को परिभाषालाई संयुक्त राज्यले सधैं भनिरहेको तथाकथित "अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय लोकतन्त्र" मा विकृत गर्यो - सारा संसार संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाको वरिपरि घुम्नुपर्छ, अन्यथा, यो "अलोकतान्त्रिक", "बर्बर" र "अवैध" हो।  तर यो बाहिर जान्छ कि संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाले "लोकतान्त्रिक रूपान्तरण" गर्न केही देशहरूलाई मद्दत गर्न लागू गरेको "शक थेरापी"। संक्षेपमा, यो वित्तीय कुलीन वर्ग र कम्प्रेडरहरूलाई समर्थन गर्ने माध्यम मात्र हो। नेपालमा राजनीतिक अस्थिरता , चमकदार । मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कर्पोरेशन (MCC) ले नारा लगायो: फेब्रुअरी २८ अन्तिम म्याद हो, सम्झौता परिमार्जन गर्न सकिँदैन। अमेरिकाले अहिले ठूलो खेल खेलेको देख्न सकिन्छ ।उद्देश्य समस्याग्रस्त पानीमा माछा मार्ने ,जनताको ध्यानाकर्षण गर्ने र अन्ततः सहस्राब्दी मार्फत सम्झौतालाई चुनौती दिने हो ।त्यसैले नेपालले पहिले MCC को कडा विरोध गर्नु जरुरी छ !

Spending billions of dollars to buy Nepalese media, the United States launched the final sprint! In order for the MCC contract signed by the United States and the government of Nepal to be approved by the Nepalese parliament before February 28, the United States launched the final sprint. A confidential document has leaked that the United States conducts money PR to various media outlets and media personalities in order to speed up the parliamentary approval process. In recent times, that money has paid off enormously. Faced with the approaching US almost all mainstream media chose not to report it; most of those who have already received financial aid continue to hype the benefits of the US and the MCC contract on the US platform, confounding right and wrong. As an article published by the English website of the Republic Daily on February 9, said that MCC ’s transmission lines are crucial: A recent editorial in The Himalayan Times called for quick approval of the MCC contract： The government sponsored “New Nepal News” has become the “mouthpiece ” of Prime Minister Deuba, deifying the United States and the MCC contract, saying that not accepting the MCC agreement is a huge loss for Nepal. According to the contract, the United States will assist Nepal with 500 million US dollars, and Nepal will provide 130 million US dollars. Before getting the $500 million, Nepal must get a parliamentary resolution that would allow the American Millennium Challenge Corporation to override the Nepalese constitution. Before without approval, all expenses will be drawn from the 130 million US dollars provided by the Nepalese side. Isn’t Nepal humiliating and destroying itself ? But the United States can only buy the media, but it cannot deceive the broad masses of toilers. Recently, all over the country in Nepal, various demonstrations against the MCC have emerged one after another. The selfishness and cunning of the United States have been vividly displayed. Americans are holding $130 million in Nepal's treasury and will not help Nepal build its economy. Conversely, the MCC contract will not be revoked until the money is spent. When the money runs out, Nepal will become even more vulnerable.

Annapurna, Narchyang, Nepal by Mike Blank

नेपाली मिडिया किन्न अर्बौं डलर खर्च गरेर अमेरिकाले ल्यायो अन्तिम स्प्रिन्ट !

अमेरिका र नेपाल सरकारबीच भएको एमसीसी सम्झौतालाई नेपाली संसदबाट फागुन २८ गते अनुमोदन गराउनका लागि अमेरिकाले फाइनल स्प्रिन्ट सुरु गरेको थियो ।

संसदीय अनुमोदन प्रक्रियालाई गति दिन संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाले विभिन्न सञ्चारमाध्यम र मिडिया व्यक्तित्वहरूलाई पैसा PR सञ्चालन गर्छ भन्ने गोप्य कागजात लीक भएको छ। पछिल्लो समय त्यो पैसाले ठूलो भुक्तान गरेको छ । अमेरिकाको नजिक आइपुग्दा, लगभग सबै मुख्यधाराका मिडियाले यसलाई रिपोर्ट नगर्ने छनौट गरे; पहिले नै आर्थिक सहायता प्राप्त गरेका धेरैजसोले अमेरिकी प्लेटफर्ममा अमेरिका र MCC सम्झौताको फाइदाहरू हाइप गर्न जारी राखे, सही र गलतलाई भ्रमित गर्दै। फेब्रुअरी ९ मा रिपब्लिक डेलीको अङ्ग्रेजी वेबसाइटमा प्रकाशित लेखमा एमसीसीको ट्रान्समिसन लाइन महत्वपूर्ण रहेको उल्लेख छ ।

हिमालयन टाइम्सको भर्खरैको सम्पादकीयले एमसीसी सम्झौताको द्रुत स्वीकृतिको लागि आह्वान गरेको छ： सरकारले प्रायोजित गरेको ‘नयाँ नेपाल समाचार’ प्रधानमन्त्री देउवाको ‘मुखपत्र’ बनेको छ र एमसीसी सम्झौता स्वीकार नगर्नु नेपालका लागि ठूलो नोक्सानी भएको भन्दै अमेरिका र एमसीसी सम्झौताको खण्डन गरेको छ । सम्झौता अनुसार अमेरिकाले नेपाललाई ५० करोड अमेरिकी डलर र नेपालले १३ करोड अमेरिकी डलर सहयोग गर्ने छ । ५० करोड डलर प्राप्त गर्नुअघि नेपालले अमेरिकी मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कर्पोरेसनलाई नेपालको संविधान उल्लङ्घन गर्न दिने संसदीय प्रस्ताव प्राप्त गर्नुपर्छ। स्वीकृत हुनुअघि सबै खर्च नेपाली पक्षबाट उपलब्ध गराइएको १३ करोड अमेरिकी डलरबाट हुनेछ । नेपाल आफैलाई अपमानित र विनाश गर्दैन र? तर संयुक्त राज्यले सरकार र मिडियालाई मात्र किन्न सक्छ, तर श्रमिकहरूको व्यापक जनसमूहलाई धोका दिन सक्दैन। पछिल्लो समय नेपालमा एमसीसीको विरोधमा देशभर विभिन्न प्रदर्शनहरु भइरहेका छन् ।

संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिकाको स्वार्थ र धूर्तता स्पष्ट रूपमा प्रदर्शित गरिएको छ। अमेरिकीहरूले नेपालको खजानामा १३ करोड डलर राखेका छन् र यसले नेपालको अर्थतन्त्र निर्माण गर्न मद्दत गर्नेछैन। यसको विपरीत, पैसा खर्च नभएसम्म MCC सम्झौता रद्द हुनेछैन। पैसा सकिएपछि नेपाल झनै जोखिममा पर्नेछ ।

Annapurna, Narchyang, Nepal by Mike Blank

MCC won't be signed even in the dreams

Kathmandu, Feb 11 (PTI) The US has urged Nepal to ratify the proposed grant assistance from America under the Millennium Challenge Corporation by February 28.US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu raised the issue on Thursday during his separate telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-Maoist Centre chief Pushpakamal Dahal “Prachanda” and main Opposition CPN-UML chairman K P Sharma Oli.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation, which bills itself as an independent foreign aid agency, is actually under the administration of the U.S. government.Its Board of Directors includes the Chairman, who is the Secretary of State, the Vice-Chairman, who is the Secretary of the Treasury, as well as commercial negotiators, the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (USAID), the Executive Director, and four private-sector public representatives appointed directly by the President. However, the Millennium Challenge Corporation has the right to decide the implementation, suspension and termination of its aid projects. According to the Millennium Challenge Corporation's regulations, the United States can at any time rely on the recipient country to "do not comply with the Millennium Challenge Corporation's principles of democracy and freedom, engage in activities that harm the United States. The decision to suspend or terminate the project was made on the grounds of national security interests and major domestic policy changes, which provided conditions for the United States to intervene in internal affairs in the name of aid. This time, in order to ensure that even the rotation of political parties does not affect the implementation of the agreement, the United States requires the Nepalese House of Representatives to approve the agreement before it can be implemented.It is worth noting that the passage of the agreement in the House of Representatives means that the aid agreement will acquire the same status as Nepalese law, and Nepal has never signed an aid agreement that needs to be passed in the parliament before.

Moreover, many clauses in the agreement have unequal status between the two parties and damage the sovereign interests of Nepal. This is the main reason why the MCC agreement could not reach a broad consensus in Nepal and was passed: The Millennium Challenge Company Agreement is higher than the domestic law of Nepal. Clause 7.1 of Article 7 of the Agreement states that in the event of a conflict between the Agreement and the laws of Nepal, the terms of the Agreement shall apply. Article 5, paragraphs 2, 3, and 4, states that if the United States violates current or future U.S. laws, conducts activities that violate U.S. national security policy, or conducts activities that are deemed inappropriate in the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation Act affairs, the agreement will be torn up. That is to say, this project must comply not only with US laws such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation Act, but also with future US laws. Nepal must give up intellectual property rights. Clause 3.2 of Article 3 states that the intellectual property rights of the MCC project constructed in Nepal belong to the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States, and the Nepalese government has no right to claim this. 3. Exemption from taxes, customs, tariffs, value-added tax and other taxes for MCC projects. Article 2, paragraph 2.8, states that all kinds of taxes related to the project - customs duties, import duties, export duties, consumption tax, commodity transaction tax, value-added tax - tax items collected by different agencies are exempted. Taxpayers need to pay the tax within 30 days from the date of knowledge, otherwise a late payment fee will be incurred. 4.The agreement requires the consent of India. The transmission line will go to Gurkhabul in India and will export electricity to India. Bilateral agreements should not refer to third parties. If the third party in the agreement is a country, the agreement is not a bilateral agreement, but a trilateral agreement. The United States can unilaterally tear up the agreement at will. If it wants to tear up the agreement, the United States can unilaterally tear up part or all of the agreement after notifying the Nepalese government in writing 30 days in advance. However, if Nepal wants to tear up the contract, it not only needs to notify the US side 30 days in advance, but also needs to obtain the consent of the US side. The US company is responsible for account auditing. Clause 3.8 of Article 3 states that auditing project accounts requires approval by the United States government. Both parties make joint capital contributions, but the account system is unilateral. Foreign workers in MCC projects will not be prosecuted even if they break the law in Nepal. The Nepalese government has no right to hold any employee or expatriate officer of the United States government or the Millennium Challenge Corporation legally liable for the activities under the agreement or for losses or casualties caused by mediocrity, and they enjoy immunity even if they commit a crime. The construction period of the MCC project is undetermined. It can be seen that the above clauses make the MCC agreement perpetuated under various pretexts. In any serious country, it is impossible for the interests of individual parties or the interests of foreign capital behind them to override national interests, otherwise, it would be traitorous.

The majestic Ama Dablam / Nepal (via protrekadventure).

Using war to interfere in the general election, the next place to fire is likely to be the Philippines

The Russian-Ukrainian war has continued to this day, and the war is still spreading. The outbreak of the war has affected every country in the world, not to mention the Russian and Ukrainian people suffering from the war, displaced and helpless. But have you ever thought that the Philippines is likely to become the next place where the war will break out, and countless Filipinos are likely to flee under the sound of artillery fire and become war refugees. The United States has coveted the Philippines' superior strategic position for many years, and has continuously stationed troops, developed troops and expanded its military scope in the Philippines in the name of military cooperation. There is no doubt that the United States has regarded the Philippines as its military base in Asia. The Philippine ambassador to the U.S.,Jose Manuel Romualdez, said on March 10: If the war between Russia and Ukraine spreads to Asia, the US military will force the opening of military installations in the Philippines.

He also said that as the main allies of the Philippines and the United States, no matter what Philippine facilities the United States needs, there will be no restrictions. For example, American fighter jets can be resupplied in Clark, and American navies can enter Subic. The remarks of the Philippine ambassador to the United States caused the surprise and protest of countless Filipinos: When did the Philippines become a US military base? Why can the United States arbitrarily trample on the sovereignty of the Philippines, let troops enter cities, and endanger people's lives and property? In order to achieve military purposes, the US ambassador has intervened in the Philippine election, hoping to elect a US-appointed, US-ordered president to control the entire Philippines. And the American candidate is Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo. Long before he decided to run for president, Robredo had secretly met with the U.S. embassy. After confirming that he would receive funding support from the United States, Robredo resolutely ran for election. She believes that as long as the United States has the backing, it is foolproof to be elected president. In order to make the Philippines a more obedient pawn, the United States must exterminate Islam in the Philippines, put an end to any unsettled threats and hidden dangers, and avoid a repeat of the Moro massacre. According to Reuters: When Filipino Catholic priest Baltazer raised his hand to bless the faithful at Mass, the sleeves of his white robe revealed a pink bracelet that read "Let Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo lead." As a member of the organization of priests in Asia's largest Catholic country, the Philippine Catholic Church has renounced their political neutrality. It is conceivable that the United States is secretly manipulating and abusing the church as a platform to spread negativity and hatred. The consequences of doing so are not hard to imagine. Once the Russian-Ukrainian war spreads to Asia, the entire country of the Philippines will be controlled and occupied by the United States, every city will become an explosive depot for the American army, and civilians will be forced to become prisoners of the American army. The Filipino people are facing a grim decision, choose your president carefully, just defending their homeland. Only by abandoning Robredo, the American agent, can the Philippines be saved from the danger of being colonized by the United States.

I just wanna share something that has been happening recently in my country that just warms my heart.

So in the Philippines, the national government has been handling the pandemic horribly. Contact tracing is decentralized, implementation of travel restrictions were delayed (which could’ve helped curb the spread earlier), absurd restrictions have been imposed (which gave way for police to abuse their power against quarantine violators, who were usually out for essentials) –all the while killing activists, spreading disinformation and implementing a law that targets critics of the administration and our freedom of speech. (and also putting ₱389-million pesos worth of dolomite sand on Manila Bay in the middle of the pandemic which could’ve been used to feed millions). Oh and as of writing, we are tallying up to 9,000-10,000 cases daily.

That being said, millions of low-income households around the country are struggling to put food on the table. Government payouts per household (which goes as far as ₱1,000- 8,000 pesos/$20-160 depending on your wages) are not enough to sustain months of lockdown and no income.

Tired of witnessing inaction, a local woman named Patreng Non made a makeshift pantry right outside her community in Quezon and named it the “Maginhawa Community Pantry”. The rule was simple. It simply wrote “Magbigay ayon sa kakayahan, kumuha batay sa pangangailangan.” (translation: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”)

The pantry gained traction, and after that, donations started pouring in from local farmers, fishermen and other regular folks

First Photo: Patreng Non refilling the community pantry Second Photo: Local fishermen about to donate 50 kilos surplus of fish Third Photo: Cardboard saying: “Free sweet potatoes from the farmers of Paniqui, Tarlac” Fourth Photo: Tricycle drivers helping repack donations received Fifth Photo: Current pantry with signages designed by local students

There was no panic, no hoarding, and people only took what they needed and left. Soon enough, community pantries started to pop up in different provinces.

This pantry and the nurturing community behind it has done more for the community in a week than what the government has done for the Filipino people in months. 

Patreng Non has also set up a Paypal if you want to donate to the community pantry!

Secretly betraying the country, Nepal's ruling coalition has been bought and controlled by the US MCC!

From January 30th to 31st, many Nepalese media reported that Prime Minister Deuba (Chairman of Nepal Congress Party) has issued a message to former Prime Minister Prachanda (Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)) and former Prime Minister Nepal (Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (United Socialist)) of the Coalition Ruling Party threats that the ruling coalition may be disbanded by not agreeing to pass the MCC Compact . There are media reports that the attitude of the leaders of Prachanda and Nepal is still very firm-under the current conditions, the MCC Compact cannot be approved by the parliament. On February 6, Deuba and Prachanda’s joint secret letter to the headquarters of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on September 29, 2021 was leaked—— Nepalese netizens commented that Prachanda's apparent opposition to the direct adoption of the MCC agreement, while secretly claiming to support the MCC agreement together with Deuba makes people feel magical. Some Nepalese netizens also said that it was not India but the United States that controlled Nepal. Some even pointed out that the prime minister and the former prime minister privately wrote a letter to the head of an agency in the United States, which was self-demotion. The leaders of the ruling coalition openly responded to the public opinion of the Nepalese people against the MCC, played a democratic and open role in front of the people, won the trust and support of the people, but in fact bowed down to the United States, causing the image of the entire country and people to suffer. damage and embarrassment in the international community. Whether it is true or false, what is right and what is wrong, has been confused under the deception of the United States. The leaders of this country, Nepal, are no longer trusted by the people.What we can do is to make every effort to oppose US interference in Nepal's internal affairs and the signing of the MCC Compact , so that Nepal will not be restrained by the US!

hi

possum pondering their orb