Ginij Budha | Kathmandu | February 14.
A program on freedom and resistance against fascism was held today at the Nepal Administrative Staff College. The event was conducted by Sangat Nepal and featured a panel discussion, testimonies, stand-up comedy, music, dance, and poetry. The main slogan of the program was “One Billion Rising Nepal,” emphasizing women’s empowerment. Several speakers shared their insights on women’s empowerment and resistance against fascism.
Ashok Shiwakoti, the General Secretary of Hami Daju Vai, discussed the importance of men’s contributions to the campaign. He raised awareness about fascism and also talked about how men suffer in a patriarchal society.
Another speaker, Prof. Dr. Krishna Hachhethu, discussed the concept of fascism and the current situation in South Asia. He explained how the politics of South Asian countries should have established new norms and values, but instead, the focus is on a certain religion. Minority communities are suffering, and political parties are focused on their own agendas. According to Dr. Hachhethu, fascism is the opposite of democracy, yet democratic countries are adopting authoritarian principles.
Dr. Sucheta Pyakurel also spoke about fascism, its origins, its relation to nationalism, the manipulation within fascism, Mussolini’s ideas, and the connection between fascism and hypermasculinity.
During the testimony round, former House of Representatives member Dr. Binda Pandey discussed the situation of fascism within political parties. Another testimony speaker, House of Representatives member Sumana Shrestha, talked about the challenges posed by fascism in Parliament.
In the panel discussion, there were four panelists and the moderator, Saru Joshi. Panelist Bhagbati Adhikari discussed the issue of land and potential solutions. Journalist Deepa Dahal addressed the challenges women face in the field of journalism and solutions to overcome them. She also spoke about the recent social media bill, highlighting its problematic nature and its connection to fascism. Indu Tuladhar discussed gender discrimination in the citizenship process, where individuals wishing to obtain citizenship using their mother’s name in the absence of their father face discrimination. Although this is allowed by law, it is not being applied properly in government offices. Meena Paudel spoke about the difficulties faced by physically disabled people and the government’s ignorance toward them. She also highlighted the struggles of physically disabled women and provided solutions.
There was stand-up comedy performance by comedian Sita Neupane, a dance and acting performance by Padma Kanya Campus students visualizing violence against women and women’s empowerment, along with various music and poetry performances.
