Enjoyed this article by Prof. Abhi Subedi.

http://www.kantipuronline.com/columns.php?nid=82347

Sour grapes.

why are the grapes sour ICANFLY?

I read the article by Abhi Subedi.

The following paragraph caught my eye.

Abhi Dai writes:

"But America consciously exercises the luxury of the grand indifference syndrome, because according to Michael Ignatieff, this empire exercises 'hegemony without colonies'."

**************************

My first reaction was: What's Mike Ignatieff's name doing in this article about, well,
Abhi Dai's visa rejection story? Ignatieff is an international relations scholar.

Disclosure: For some reason, as a reader, I get very wary when Nepali intellectuals
and newspaper columnists (myself included :-)) start throwing around the names of big North American intellectuals for neither rhyme nor reason.

I say that because my limited experience is that often such quotes from such un-introduced (in the written pieces) North American big names are there to give a semblance of deep-thought to what the Nepali intellectuals are trying to say, EVEN WHEN the original quotes are taken WAY out of context and are often incomplete, thereby doing injustice to those who made those quotes within specific contexts.

A case in point:

This is from a review of Mike Ignatieff's book:

Source:
- http://www.senecac.on.ca/quarterly/2004-vol07-num01-winter/notes/doughty8.html

QUOTE
In taking up this burdensome plan, Michael Ignatieff believes that the emergent “American empire is not like empires of times past, built on colonies, conquest and white man’s burden.” It displays, instead, an “hegemony without colonies, a global sphere of influence without the burden of direct administration.” Ever the realist, Ignatieff acknowledges that this new empire is not motivated by hypocritical faux humanitarianism but by ruthless self-interest, accompanied by arrogance and ignorance in roughly equal parts. Still, compared to the barbaric alternatives, an assertive America is humanity’s last, best hope. UNQUOTE


I have not read Ignatieff's this book where he makes that quote. But this review, at least, makes it clear that whatever Ignatieff was saying about the US, his was far more sympathetic, if a realist, portrayal of the US than what Abhi Dai seems to let on in his Kathmandu Post article.

Please feel free to disagree with reasons so that we can learn more and better.

oohi
ashu

Visa & empire of indifference

By Abhi Subedi

The old Rana Lal Durbar in the heart of Kathmandu without the vibrant Yak & Yeti Hotel wore the look of a deserted palace that morning of 27 July 2006 also. Like many Asian baroques it was neither a museum nor a vibrant house. It was languishing in a twilight zone between the two. Two wings in the north-western side of the palace that house casino and the American consular office, however, looked vibrant. I stood in a long queue of young people waiting to be hauled up to the second floor. Standing in queue with my host's financial affidavit signed by his solicitor, letter of invitation, air ticket details and academic documents to apply for a week's visa to attend American writers' programme in New York, I became conspicuous among the young people. Felt a certain gloom suddenly when I saw these talented youths merge into a pattern and become a stream that was flowing into the unknown. They must have been 10 years old when the state-Maoist war began in this country. They grew with the news of deaths, bombs, kidnappings, disappearances and images of child soldiers slain by the army and paraded on green turfs to please their supreme commander-in-chief. The Maoists committed a crime by recruiting the child soldiers and the army committed crimes by slaying them indiscriminately. But the other youths worked day and night through these difficult years and graduated from schools and 10+2 colleges. Their parents watched them like sentries until such times when they would be ready to flee the turbulent 'motherland'!

As a close observer of the hippie movement, I felt that this mini-exodus of Nepali youths looked like the reversal of the historical journeys of the American youths in the late sixties and early seventies who came to Nepal to escape the Vietnam War, compulsory military service and the imperial indifference to their aspirations. As I was looking at the sea of these youths' faces with some unease, a friendly guard called us upstairs. Many more youths were waiting there for their turns in the interviews with the consuls who looked distant and were speaking in official styles behind six windows. We were the most senior people for some time until other senior people came into the room.

I heard these youths explain in very clear English before the consuls what they wanted to achieve. I heard the cries of agony in the discourse of some when their statements turned into plea. The consuls who meet 500 such people each day naturally do not see that human side. Those who interview many naturally look like the indifferent Church priests who listen to people's secret confessions. Physically challenged people, refugees and the EDV-wallas go in the afternoon, they told me.

Ironically, Nepalis have made the six American consuls who listen every day to the pleas, agonies and aspirations of every sector of this society the screens on which they see the cinema of their own Nepali turbulent history and their dreams. Each one pays heavy fees to see the cinema. Naturally, most are advised to try again.

It is said that the Nepali youths are given visa out of kindness. That is untrue. The country's weak economy is used to exoticise the otherness of the Nepalis. In reality, America needs the Nepali youths more because the Americans know that these Nepali youths have no metaphysical agenda, no plans to rock and terrorise the Americans, and no plans to get training on American soil to start star wars there. As all the records show, they are honest and very intelligent. A woman behind the window asked me "will you return? You seem to have visited so many places. How come? Are you retired?" I started wondering if she had read any of my papers. She said to me as she has been saying to these brilliant but tense students—"try again". I said, "No, I don't have time". Like the protagonist in BP Koirala's story Shatru in whose room does a stick drop from nowhere making him guess who could be his enemy, I too began to wonder why American visa was denied to me. Was it because of my democratic disagreements with the American Ambassador's interpretation of Nepali politics or America's call to the Nepali parties to accept King Gyanendra's first misleading offer in my earlier essays? But I knew as if in a flash, it was none of these. Who would bother to read my essays and say, "Oh, so you are a professor, a writer, one of the important promoters of American studies? Good! Come this way, please!"

The reality is that no country can give visa to every applicant. Moreover, home country's political system is also responsible for the spontaneous exodus like the hippies or the Nepali youths. But America consciously exercises the luxury of the grand indifference syndrome, because according to Michael Ignatieff, this empire exercises 'hegemony without colonies'. This borderless empire rules the tides of migration, and 'try again' is the mantra of that indifference syndrome.

I walked out of the old Rana house wiser and unburdened.

Posted on: 2006-08-10 01:43:40

Prof. Subedi,

Its a simple situation. You applied for a visa and you were denied. There's no need to cry a river for it. No need to boast about what you did and did not do. I am sure each and every person in that line has a dream, a duty or a combination of two. If it was not that important to you as you put it, you wouldn't have shelled out the money and stood in that line. I hope money you get for writing the article cuts down a little on that expense of yours.

And yes as someone has already pointed out, this is a case of sour grapes.

Hare RAM RAM. Bichara Abhi Subedhi.

Hmm some interesting viewpoints.
How does someone feel when their visa gets rejected? I don't know the first hand experience but empathizing with others, I can say the least they feel is some emotion/s bordering on the negative.

Prof. Subedi happens to be a writer and he wrote what others would express verbally or emotionally. Only his thoughts happened to be printed.

I wonder if the prof. really felt "wiser and unburdened" but then again I like it better not knowing.

I too like the punchline "I walked out of the old Rana house wiser and unburdened."

It's great he chose to write about it rather than keep quiet. Doing so may not change his chances of getting a visa but it probably makes him feel much better.

My sentiments exactly!

If he has guts, write against the Maoists, Prachande, Baburame, Girija, Gyane... i don't give a sh it about his this article..

mula yeuta visa payena bhanera jatra grachha..... hegemony without colonies re.... ha ha... makes me laugh. why the hell he wants to go to such country in the first place?? ha ha.. pagal budho.

karma,

I don't see any jatra here. By the way, have you ever read him before? It seems like you haven't read this particular article either. I just see it as an expression of a well read, vocal and prolific writer on being denied to visit one another country. No Jatra, nothing hilarious.

Talking about guts, he is not a sajha incognito to go stupidly extreme. Read him and you will find out what he has to say about in the areas of your concern.

Anyway, if you do read him and this is what you fel about him. Nothing bad about that. I respect your preferences.

Dev

Hey guys let's get to a simple point here..why do u think the initiator of the thread put the link to the article here in sajha in the first place?

It's because he trusts sajha users that we will get the author's points of view and empathasize with him or criticize in the right way.

On the contrary what most of us are doing here is making fun of the words he has used in the article like 'hegemony' and words along that line.hehehehe!
Just because the blogosphere provides us with the luxury of remaining anonymous, we can say anything we like?

On the other hand, user 'Ashu' and may be few others are trying to justify what he /theythink by analyzing each point and by providing reasons.

See!, we can always find a way to critisize others..

whatever you guys talk... that article is the product of Abhi's defeated mind...

The idiot forgot that being a nepalese citizen, he doesn't have rights to get the US visa... so why compaining? They don't like him to get the visa for whatever reason..... just keep quiet.

You don't need to write any sh itty fuss just because you can publish the article !!! What's the purpose of writing that??? to fill up the pages.. and so the magazine would sell more? if it's so.. then OK as long as he can publish.. write any fugg ing matters..

Lucky that he can apply for the visa though... so be grateful.

Didn't Khagendra Sangraula also write some article after his visa was rejected by British Embassy?

Hear! Hear! Ashu,

Many people have this fallacious notion that throwing around big names somehow gives extra legitimacy or credence to their argument.

Somehow this Abhi Subedi article reminded me one this one essay in Mahendra Mala or something by Tara Nath Sharma. He, too, was at one time denied the US visa, I think.

Karma Rana sounds like the reincarnation of this mate from Australia who was always raving and ranting about one thing or another here some time ago.

Hello Karma dude:
Do you really know who Dr. Abhi Subedi is? You are one of the pagaal of this sajha.
What the hell you think about yourself?? You are more prominent than Abhi, so you got visa?? You moron, go watch your face. Go, read your resume again.

AmriT