The Hidden Legend: Late:khagendra Bahadur Basnyat 37146f

The Hidden Legend Late: Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat

(An impressing story-who gives new life for disabled’s in Nepal)

Authors

Hasta Gautam “Mridul” and Dr. Shingh Bahadur

Copyright © 2013 by Hasta Gautam “Mridul” and Dr. Shingh Bahadur.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012923898 ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4797-6994-0 Softcover 978-1-4797-6993-3 Ebook 978-1-4797-6995-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. Date: 04/28/2014

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Contents

Experience of Author

Introduction

Story of Courage

Khagndra New Life Center

Inliness and Treatment Trip to Vellore, India

All NDBA

Belife in Hindu Texts and Teaching of Lord Buddha: Towards a Meaingful Life

Khagendra’s Last Wishes

The Last Days of Khagendra

Memorial Service

Conclusion

NDA and CBR programmes

All NDBA

Belife in Hindu Texts and Teaching of Lord Buddha: Towards a Meaingful Life

Khagendra’s Last Wishes

The Last Days of Khagendra

Memorial Service

Conclusion

Basnyat in his life time

The Ryder-Cheshire Home I Kathmandu Nepal

Prem Khatry

NDA and CBR programmes

Bhanu CBR, Tanahu

Primary Rehabilitation Therapy (PRT) Training

The Social Impact Study

Definition of Disability by the Government

Annex 1

Experience of Author

Hasta Gautam Mridul

The spirit of social development in Nepal has remained an important component of exist the bright future of people with disabilities. The vital role being played by Late: Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat who creates social groups and formal organizations in this regard need not be overemphasized. In fact, the spirit of social service is in the ethos of Nepalese slogan “social service is great sprit for humanity” based on mutual assistance and cooperation in communities. This sort of dedicating group etiquette has its own importance in creating light of life to access the better future and better social an environment with mutual trust and social harmony.

Similarly, the sense of service is equally rooted in the rural communities where people are always found and feeling them self as a burden of the family, society and nation case of being as a disabled person. Late Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat was strongly determine to weep the tear of all conditions disabilities entire the nation and he was starting to make contributions of duties to fulfill his new life dream. The challenges that he was faced bounds, barriers and borders of attitude to give sense of disabled are also human beings in this nation. Because there was not status of human as a being of disabled in Nepal since 1970 to still now. He comes to fight with this right of dignity of people with disabilities.

Another important aspect of social service in Nepal is the role played by Late:Khagendra Bahadur Basnayt start valuable services rendered to the disabled and backward communities of this country. He candled the light of hope from 1970 and able to establish his dream in 1975. Just he was handling about 7 years until dead in 1980. He gives new horizon of new life by contribution to deserve a high degree of appreciation.

This would not have been possible without the tireless and continued effort made to give hope of life to exist the new life in our Nepalese society. He was connecting people with disabilities in one roof of organization as a Nepal Disabled & blind Association, 1976, Jorparti, Kathmandu-Nepal. He had been mobilizing the creative youth with appropriate skill and dedication in the works

directed towards Improving their living condition and moving abilities. Remarkable work has been done by such organizations which are especially involved in the activities directed towards assisting the physically disabled persons, Orphans, destitute disabled women, poverty etc. Late Khagenra Bahadur Basnyat towards a disciplined and Resourceful life for all kind of people with disabilities in Nepal with keeping in views of Disabled are also part of community and citizen of nation. It became essential to obtain an opportunity to understand life in its right perspective and dignitiful. He endeavor an institutional development by inviting international NGOs to give new life for the all kind of disabilities in Nepal. He was started to give social services from 1976 with did agreement of Riyader Chesayar Home in Katmandu who are multi-disabled people for whole life staying. Then he was started SOS Childrens home in Nepal from 1977 did with agreement Herman Minanr in for the disabled children’s inside the NDBA land. He was also started Vocational Rehabilitation for skill development for all kind of disabilities in the land of NDA ed by American Rehabilitation Institute. He was also started Children’s Hospital in the land of NDBA, with agreement of Swish government to give medical treatment and physically rehab for the disabled children to reduce the disabilities effects. He also started Orthopedic Hospital with the agreement of International Rotary Club and provides physically and orthopedically service to reduce physical disabilities by ing assistive or artificial devices. He also started brail education for the blind with did agreement of Japan government, JICA, USID and others institutions. After sometime separate organization establish as a name of Nepal Blind welfare Association-Nepal. He was also started to give Singing Language for the deaf people with agreement of DENIDA, Denmark government and gives new an environment of education for the deaf people. From 1993, it gets form of National Deaf Associations. He also starting the disabled sports activates and wins in Japan, 1976/78 get gold medal in Japan by disabled students then he rooted the international sports activities of the disabled. He was also started to provide adequate food, health

and artificial or assistive tools to endorse ability for mobility. He was also draft the plan to establish 14 Nepal and blind association around the Nepal and give same like Jorpati headhunters. He also gives pressure to establish Ministry of Social Welfare in Nepal to protect disabled and vulnerable people by government. He also request with Late Queen His majesty, Aaishorya Rajya Lamxi Devi Shav to establish Social service coordination Council of Nepal, later change the name as Social Welfare Council-Nepal to give the protection to the vulnerable communities. He also did agreement to establish Special Education Council of Nepal to give special education who are in students around the nation by getting help with European developed countries. Like Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, s, , Belgium, United Kingdom, Japan and Unites states through the Government level agreement.

He was racing the achievement progressively, but unfortunately, just he give one dedicate dedication for the nation to exist the new life for all kind of people with disabilities in Nepal where disabled are negligent from family and nation to give them protection. The world Health Organization also plays the vital role of social service in his behalf to develop to provide medical ing and improve the disabilities conditions. He also establishes mentally retired programmer to improve and protection by working with related international organizations. Then this organization expand as a mentally retards welfare association-Nepal He was always keep in mind how he can give and save the future of the disabilities in Nepal by providing needy things to give sustainable life in the communities. Case of pressure, his kidney was damage by kidney stone and he suffers a lot then dead 1980.

It was mot darkness and nightmare time for the nation and disabilities cases of his depart from us. Even he contributed by prominent valued experienced to understand the aspects of “ability is not disability”. Before dead he also sells his own property and give donation the NDBA to

development extra ordinary disabilities in the all sectors, like sports, literature and talented disabilities. So, his contribution, his desire and his action was remarkable for us and for the world. How he did even him was sleep in bed about 30 years without body moving. He was totally paralyzed, but his mind was able more than able body’s. His desire and dream was really humanitarian to give the helping hands that are out of society and nation. He give the challenge to the disabled are not bourdon of society and nation, they are creating and respecting citizen of nation. They are part of our society and they can do what can do by able bodies. So not marginalized, not negligence, not miss behave, do not hat them as a being disabled. They have also right of respect and solidarity in the world.

He inspire us all people with getting helping hand of Professor Ganeish Raj Shigh, his contribution also remarkable after his absents. He keeps in eye what he was starting to do in the nation to give the new life. I thought he is hidden legend of the world and we should be known about him, what he did, how he did and why he did and where he did and he did for the disabled people even himself multi-disabled person. So, I feel his contribution and his courageous story should be share between the world by providing his real story, activities and word to focus the main humanity for backward human beings. I came to Nepal Disabled and Blind Association in 1981, I could not get chance to meet him, but his contribution give me to courage to do something in my life. I was negligence by family, society and nation at Rukum district, but my father late: Ganga Ram Khatri (Gautam) took me Jorpati and enrolled me. After that I know how to struggle with life and future. I get new life from the New Life center then feel what I need to do for him. Then I stated to collecting his words, photos, relatives, friends and organizations to find the real material about his activities and life conditions on 1988 to still now. I would like to extend my appreciation to all the authors and interviews that made valuable contributions to make his biography possible to hand over the readers around the world. I hope the world will know and gain the real sprit of humanity even being

disabled or non-disabled can get real heart, real mind and real life by giving the their love, affections and embrace them respect then the world will be free from bounds, barriers and borders of attitude then feel all kind of people in this world yes, we are human beings. The spirit of social service is an expression of an enlightened self-interest to serve others. It comes from the comion for humanity, having a magnanimous heart to be of help to others. Therefore, it is not so much of an intellectual or academic Exercise of mind but of heart and soul. Despite its many expressions, there are few key core elements that can be attributed to work activity in its many forms.

I am so proud of him and lucky I get the great chance to keep in touch his younger brother, Dr. Shingh Bahadur Bansyat, he was helping me kindly and provide me his real feeling about his brother late Khagendra Baadur basnyat, and also Dr.Ashok Baskota, he was also really impressed from him and he expand his dream by establish Children’s hospital in Banepa after he feel to wrok difficult inside the Nepal Dr. Badrai Biram Shrestha, who was active member of NDBA and he also help to share his experience with me gently. Inside Disabled Association, Khagenra New Life Center, and my orthopedic Teacher Mr. Shashi Shah, Gyandra Sharestha, my respective teacher Mr.Balbhdra Bharati, and Govind Khanal, Dr. Devendra Raj Pandy, Mom Komal Kumari basnyat, his 2nd sister, small sisters, nephews Bibek Basnayt, Dr.Budhha Basnyat, and Dr. Shanker Paudel, Professor, Sorrye bahadur Shing, Prava Basnyat, Arbind Rimal, Dilliram Upreti, Mdhu Upreti wife of Late Chandra dhar Upareti and Late: Trailokye Nath Upreti, Dr.Dilliraj Upreti and friend Dundi Raj Chalise, Gun Raj Khatiwada, Kiran Shilpkar, Bidur Thapa, Sudarshan Gautam and respective brother Jornel Bibek Kumar Shah, and my sister Bhim kumari Shrestha, PM Nanimya Dahal much more. For my forther education help me by Mr.Shyam krishna Timilsina to studies Bhanubhakta Memorial Bording School, Panipokhari, 2041-43, and also sprit of hope to achieve the dream in my life. My school friend Journalist Kedar Baskota and Sukdev Giri too.

Now, I am with my lovely wife Saru Gautam, who gives me life of hope and love. She always encourage to publish this biography and she being ready to invest to published the book of Late:Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat. I am really heartily appreciated to all who make me possible to write his biography. Still I

am not done enough for him but keeping hope to do more and more to collect his rights information to know about him. Thanking me in fact finding mission.

Hasta Gautam Mridul Assistive Aid for Nepal Austin, TX USA

Introduction

Purpose of this study

We live in a world where things around us are changing and will change, and in the process some have endured and beyond our imagination, but never have given their will to be of great contribution to the society in general. Our attempt here for presenting this introductory booklet is to highlight the unprecedented and enduring achievements of one man whose adult life for nearly 30 years was spent not by traveling that he had to undertake, but he spent all this time in his small basement room in Dilli Bazaar on a stretcher, because he was disable.

This individual, Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat, was not, an ordinary man. His utmost scared belief and faith that the disable community in Nepal too can be of a great contribution and help for over all social, cultural, environmental, educational, economical, etc. development of every society in which the disables live either as an individuals or as a group. His notion that disables people is not a burden on the society, and not only can remove their burden on others, but also can assist in many ways to take share of responsibilities. His courageous hard works with all his disability had been an enormous contribution for the welfare of the society in general and for the Nepal’s disable community in particular. All his life despite being disabled person Mr. Banyat was workaholic and deeply committed to uplifting the cause of all disabled community in Nepal to place them in a dignified platform with the rest as an equal member of the Nepal society, thus deserve that it is now and then for time-worthy to have his biography make available for everyone to read. Many seem to think so. How was his early childhood? What kind of personality did he exhibit? How did he conduct a one-man lonely struggle despite him being in utterly handicapped condition? And if so, would Khagendra be considered eventually by history as one of the outmost heroes and builders of modern Nepal? Our purpose of this study is to shade lights at our best by answering these questions with great

objectivity, so that we feel satisfied that we have done very little for his comparing of what Khagendra had done for the Nepal.

The study of Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat’s life for many compelling reasons appears beyond doubt to be of a great importance in more than one way. The Coauthor of this booklet (Hasta Gautam “Mridul”) himself had the benefit of being associated with Khagendara’s New Life Center. The changes that his rehabilitation center brought (besides improving Hast’s own disabled condition thought proper physical therapy by Mrs.Madhu Rana and Binaya Shaha) in the co-author’s life were of an immense value. In the same fashion another disabled person, Mr. Amrit Shakya, who also had the opportunity to attend the rehabilitation Center, was proud to tell the Nepal Television in September 1992 that he now was running tailoring shop making a dignified living for which he felt ever so grateful to Khagendra. Likewise some others mourned the sad and untimely death of Khagendra in their poems and writings.

Khadka Prasad Subedi, a disabled from Dolkha, Nepal and another Nepalese late Jasraj Praja, a disabled fellow, wrote poems “Samhhana Timilai” (Remeberance to you) and Khagendra Ko Samjhana (in memory of Khagendra) respectively praising Khagendra’s tremendous contribution and his capacity to understand the problems of the Nepal Disabled Association. In these and other poems the authors, expressed their feelings that it was due to the sole effort of late Khagendra, which had enabled so many of the disabled community (including Mr. Balbhadara Bharti himself) of the country to become self-reliant.

Story of Courage

His close relatives and friends give the impression that Khagendra was raised in the loving care of his parents. From early on Khagendra’s interests were centered on studying, sports and music. As a student of the great poet, Laxi Prasad Devkota, he develops developed deep interest in literature. As a sportsman, he played football as (Goal-keeper), bton and table tennis. He was also very fond of both vocal and instrumental music. As years ed by, close friends and relatives tended to view Khagendra’s adult life as a profile of encourage. Before him, neither the Nepalese community in general nor the rulers seemed to have the slightest idea of what disabled people were capable of if proper education and training were to be granted and given. Once found to be disabled the only place to go was the government subsidized residential home called “Pancha Dewal” where the concept of rehabilitation was absent for all practical purposes. Khagendra was born to reject out rightly this tendency to relegate disabled as the misfit and outcast from the mainstream society. In Khagendra’s belief the disabled communities were the special people with will to be self reliance and great contributor to the over all daily life of the society and are not burden on the society.

Khagndra New Life Center

When finally Khagendra after a life-long struggle established the New Life Center (as he wished to name it after himself) and his uttermost aim was meant to negate precisely once and far all the ignorance in the Nepalese society about the disabled community that they are burden on the society. In this sense, Khagendra’s ability to incarnate this tension, in a society whose consciousness about the disabled people appeared already so much burdened with guilt and he brought this rightful cause to the forefront successfully for the first time in Nepal and has rightly secure him, as we view it, a distinct personality worth writing his biography as an honor. Khagendra was convinced that government could not provide what the New Life Center could such as: love, affection, attention, involvement, commitment and rehabilitation. On the other hand, his deep conviction that disabled person/s can perform well within her/his/them giving field, provided that she/he/they would go through a rigorous and demanding life with access to equal opportunity to study and work within the society disabled people live. He seemed to firmly believe that the Khagendra New Life Center could effectively teach the disabled that there are no such things as a life without pressures, and nobody had the obligation to promise them a rose garden without sweat and blister hands and feet, therefore, they too must learn to handle daily ups and downs of their life with no crutches for success of their own. The most amazing fact about the New Life Center may having stated as such that Khagendra raised every needed resource from domestic sources. This was consistent with his strong belief, “We must be able to stand on our own feet.” To help promote that kind of spirit, the contributions made by his friends and relatives were highly significant. No wonder, many in Nepal were in sheer iration of the man who achieved so much despite being a disable. Resource constraints as the main reason for the development were a feeble argument when confronted with the kind of determination that Khagendra showed. Soon some notable foreign aid providers seemed to find good justification to willingly contribute material and technical once they saw that the New Life Center was a Nepalese establishment of its kind.

Half way through the year of 1977, Khagendra finally seemed to feel satisfaction about the on going progress of his works. The agreement with the IHAP took care of the needs of the rehabilitation program. Ryder Cheshire Home with 32 beds to provide lodging with training for seriously disabled patients (all expenses taken care of by IHAP’s headquarter in UK.) were already assured. In addition, appreciating the works of the NDBA, S.O.S. which had been providing “Disabled Children’s Home” around the world, was interested to build the children’s home mostly for the disabled orphans in the NLC complex. Khagendra had negotiated with the S.O.S. officials and already conveyed his, gratefulness to their gesture. The year 1977, happened to be the last year of Khagendra’s life. He continued to work hard. His close friends and relatives were highly concerned that he was not taking rest enough, but knowingly allowing time to recuperate and ameliorate with this kindly aliment. But would anyone stop Khagendra at his point, though? By then, compared to so many, he was the one who was convinced of what constituted the worth of living. From his point of view, even one more day added to his years of physical pain and torture was meaningless if it were to be lived in futility without purpose. His efforts to accomplish something good and productive out of a sorrowful existence and then leave the world unseen had not been smooth and easy. Till the end, he just continued fighting a unique battle: his work, though progressing to his satisfaction, would not finish but he was determined to continue to work as he did not wish to see his project remain unfinished.

Inliness and Treatment Trip to Vellore, India

The developments around the NLC complex were satisfying. As usual, Khagendra struggled on for higher goals. But he was not ready to say that the best was accomplished. The best was yet to come. To him, life was an immortal struggle for progress and improvements for better and better. Good events did not come over night in his way of thinking” just like that”. He had fought for them. In the process, at one time or another he would feel defeated but he would not allow himself to give up and surrender to the odds of not achieving his goals. On the other hand, he was also a very practical man and very much down-earth. Deep in his heart, as years ed by leaving its toll, he was always conscious of how much his weak body could take it. A man who acted as the family doctor prescribing elementary treatment to all relatives suffering from on-serious symptoms with his dose of traditional (hot water gargle, starving the fever, use of ginger, garlic, turmeric, etc) occasionally missed with modern drugs (like penicillin’s, sulfa, enter via forms, etc.) could not have ignored about his own deteriorating health Suddenly Khagendra was seriously sick in the middle of 1977. He was rushed to Shanta Bhawan Hospital in Katmandu, where attending doctor pinpointed the trouble originating from the kidney stone. All NDBA were extremely worried. At their hurriedly organized meeting, former Prime Minister Kirti Nidhi Bista, who was a great irer of Khgendra’s works, literally bulldozed the NDBA resolution to immediately send Khagendra for treatment in Vellore, India with all expenses born by the association because Khagendra lacked the financial resources. He and his relatives were very grateful to all NDBA for this. Surendra B. Basnayt, President of NDBA and his nephew, Sashi Shah, for his operation in Vellore, accompanied Khagendra. Mr. Shah had also accompanied Khagendra for his operation in the UK Khagendra started feeling better after a few days in Vellore, but he decided to return without undergoing operation for removing the kidney stone. It was difficult for many others to even imagine how

Khagendra’s skeletal and bony frame could stand the rigorous of another operation. Besides this, Khagendra himself did not sound very enthusiastic about one more operation because of his bitter experience resulting from his previous operations. Attending doctors in Vellore were of the opinion that, without the operation the kidney failure could drastically affect his health within 6 month. Khagendra felt otherwise. If the operation were really needed, then he would rather prefer to do it in the United States. Accordingly, his younger brother in Canada, Dr Soorya and his youngest brother stationed in Washington, DC, USA, Dr. Singh Bahdur Basnyat (the co-author) were coordinating the effort to fulfill Khagendra’s wishes for treatment in the USA. Some time was required for this arrangement (like hospitalization, expenses, transportation, etc) but unfortunately Khagendra did not have that much time left any more for things to work out. He gave no importance to his important treatment and gave priority to development of social welfare of the people with disabilities in Nepal.

All NDBA

The role played by Professor Ganesh Raj Singh was no less important in ing NDBA resolution to send Khagendra for treatment in Vellore. Khagendra had always liked the religious and social nature of Ganesh Raj. He listened to him with great attention regarding NDBA matters. By 1977, as Khagendra seemed rapidly weakening in health, he was confident that the works of NDBA would be carried on successfully under the guidance of Ganesh Raj. This perception was derived from his many evenings of close conversation shared with Ganesh Raj. The two were full of mutual irations. Ganesh Raj’s unflinching to Khagendra for taking NDBA work to greater heights was very significant. Similarly, the contribution made by all the active of the NDBA like Dr. L. N. Prasad, Dr. Dibyashree Malla, Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, Mr. Badri Bikram Thapa, and late Dhundi Raj (who had most distinguished record of service as a secretary to various ministries of HMG.), to mention a few names was tremendous. While he was Ambassador to Japan, Dr. Badri Bahadur Shestha was also very instrumental in promoting for the NDBA with some noted charitable Organizations in Japan. Mr. Mohan Raj Joshi and Dwarikaram Bhakta Mathema, (who were both associated with the National Sports Council then) had ed Khagendra and the works of the NDBA in many ways. All these people were very special to Khagendra. When Dhundi Raj ed away untimely due to a drug reaction in 1975, the loss was irreparable. Khagendra decided to pay his last tribute to this gentleman who had been such a great help for the cause of the disabled people of Nepal by personally visiting the Arya Ghat beside the Pashupatinath Temple, For others who were present there it was perhaps difficult to even imagine what thoughts might have been running trough Khagendra’s mind while he kept cremation sport. In any event, this was one incident that highlighted the concern and respect with which Khagendra treated his of the NDBA.

Belife in Hindu Texts and Teaching of Lord Buddha: Towards a Meaingful Life

Back from Vellore, Khagendra started to attend to his day-to-day work. A lot remained to be done, as usual. So he had to be rushing all the time. His health had had so many beatings and scars over the years; he seemed to hardly care about keeping it in good shape. He felt that there was not much left in his body by now that could sustain him for long. His nick name was Bishnu(9). Increasingly he came to believe in the immortality of soul. His belief in reincarnation was important. His current form of body would just change to another one. There were several lives to live, not just one. Perfecting each life was the goal to seek so that the next life would be more bearable. Khagendra seemed to perceive that we all are going from one world into another forgetting where we had come from and we would just live for the moment without even bothering about where we were headed. Do you people have any notion of how many lives, as Khagendra would tell us all in one of his philosophic mood, we all must have ed through before we finally got the first idea that there was more not life then eating or fighting for power, prestige, purse, etc? Ten lives already for thirty, who knows? And again many more lives before we started to learn that there was a purpose in living. That purpose was to finally learn what kindness, love and comion was all about and to show it to others. The choice of our next world depended very much upon that we hade learnt there supreme qualities on this life now. With these reflections, Khagendra would then say, “Learning nothing now the world here-after would be the same.” But if you cared to learn more in one life, may be you do not have to go through a hundred lives to know the meaning of love and comion’. Indeed, it looked as if, Khagendra after his life-long quest for learning, had stopped seeing himself as trapped inside a limited body. To him, human beings, both able and disables were creatures of excellence, intelligence and skill. In this scheme of things, boredom, fear and anger would only make life short, meaningless, solitary, nasty, and brutish. Freedom was based on the attempt to life the veils of ignorance and start seeing the reason to live, to learn and to

discover the virtues of human kindness. When Khagendra talked like this, we just believed, regardless of his daily sufferings, that he had lived a long fine life. (9)By then close friends and relatives actually started calling him “Budhanilkhantha’ (the shrine of Lord Bishnu sleeping on his back) jokingly making some striking similarity as Khagendra also was that kind of posture for several years. Thus, for him trust in God was absolutely important. From Buddha’s teaching, he had learnt to accept in true sense that life was full of sorrow and sufferings. Good works done following the paths of some rightful conduct was the only way to escape from pains of life. He knew very well whose simple explanation had inspired Siddhartha (a prince born in Lumbini, Nepal, in 6th, Century, BC. from his parents Suddodhana and Mahamaya) to seek salvation by renouncing the material pleasures of this sorrowful world. The innocent questions that Siddhartha had asked his charioteer while on a trip and the simple answers provided to him by the letter seemed to have acted as turning point in Buddha’s life. An old man had explained by the charioteer “as every one who is born in to this world has to grow old”; a diseased person “as every one with a body is a prey to disease”, and a dead man “as every one who is born must die”. Khagendra read a lot about Lord Buddha. He ed for long what Buddha at 80, just before departing the world, have given as his last lesson for the last time to his disciples. “Do your duty without giving way to idleness”. Literally this motto seemed to have been his guiding principle whenever he talked to his students, disabled friends and staffs of the NDBA. Versed as he was in Hindu religion and Lord Buddha’s philosophy, he seemed to have no difficultly in showing his total commitment to the cause of the disabled community of Nepal till his last breath was to be taken away be the invisible hand. Khagendra, therefore, would argue at times that the dictate of destiny could not be challenged. Accordingly life had an allotted time prescribed by the creator. Written on the forehead (Nidhar Ma Lekheko, as Nepalese would say) of each person by the almighty, it could not be erased. One might try to go against that dictate but it simply would not work. Such beliefs became the driving force in Khagendra’s life. After the Vellore trip, he knew that the end of his allotted time was somewhere around the corner not very far way. Yet he would give the impression to all his loved ones that he was not quite ready to meet his maker.

Khagendra’s Last Wishes

The whole of 1977 Khagendra was always seen either working hard or going to the hospital for treatment. Being involved in the NDBA works and spending time with his special people seemed to really give him the peace of mind towards the end of his life. His desire was to go and settle himself at the NLC complex among his fellow colleagues and live happily thereafter. A provision for his accommodation there had been incorporated, while deg the NLC structure. However, as he gave priority to completing the main building first, the near-by small unit apparently meant for his housing was not yet ready to receive him. In the beginning of 1978, Khagendra was again seriously sick. It was January, a very cold and cruel month. This time Khagendra really felt that his last hour was fast approaching. Previously had been in and out of the hospital many times but going to the hospital that day was different: he desperately wanted to say his final good-bye to all his disabled friends and also have a final look of the NLC complex. The Red Cross van was ready to conduct his trip in his final journey. From Dilli Bazar the route to NLC and Shanta Bhawa were on opposite directions. His immediate need was to be rushed to the hospital, but he requested the driver to take him to the NLC complex first. As usual, his disabled friends and the staff with utmost love, respect and affection received Khagendra there. He could not have expected anything more then this for a temporary relief of his excruciating pain at that moment. One last time appearing cool and peaceful as ever, Khagendra repeated what he had always been advising to all the assembled friends and NDBA staffs “Be always alert and dedicated to your duty. One should try to live in this world like a mighty mountain. A man lives as a man only when he develops self-confidence and shows a desire to help others. All the disabled community is my family.” A sense of great relief seemed to pervade Khagendra’s mind as he felt that he had been able to complete his final act at the NLC complex. Somehow, this time his premonition that he would not be visiting again the NLC complex at Jorpati appeared very strong. The NLC center was his baby for the creation of which he had sacrificed everything in his life. Its rightful residents were, as he had just

declared, all his family. The more he judged his life with these feelings the better he felt, even though death seemed looming largely all round him at this stage to snatch him away any moment from his joy for ever. Then, as the driver of the van started slowly speeding way towards the Shanta Bhawan hospital, Khagendra kept on looking at the complex and his family-all the disabled people assembled there to bid him farewell-as far as they were visible to his tearful eyes. An extended long look like that was apparently very important because he wanted to capture an ever-lasting impression. As he sensed it correctly, he had no time left in his short life for a next visit to the complex, so dear and sanctimonious to him. After two days of hospitalization, Khagendra managed to pull through one more time (due to his incredible will power). Good care provided by the doctors and the hospital staffs with proper dedication to relieve his pain and to make to come back to be able to assert his confidence one more time to deal with the sad vicissitudes of an ephemeral existence. He was restless. His mind was again backing to business. There were a lot of last minute details that required his attention. It was only the other day, so he ed, that some paper works which needed his final complex and then to the hospital. So he decided to go back to his room in DilliBazar. His room was as cold as ever but comfortable then being in the hospital. Friends and family were happy to see him back from the hospital to attend to his work. The inner feeling that he was working till the end gave him peace of mind. He spent the afternoon and the evening receiving all kinds of people walking in and out of his place, as usual, wishing him a speedy recovery. Then someone helping him (as he was too weak to even move his hands at his stage), he was happy to eat some food—his last super in his bed-room which, as we mentioned earlier, was also the office of the NDBA. Then, at night, he took the calm pose pills (a mild drug to induce sleep) that he had been taking occasionally (as recommended by the physician) to cope with his problems of frequent sleepless nights, which he seemed to suffer from physical exhaustion and mental strains. He was now ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow was another day. The reality was grim and different: Khagendra was just a day and one night away from his death. On the morning of January 14, 1978, Khagendra woke up with unbearable pain.

With the help of Miss. Sita Panday (a lady staff who had been working for the NDBA with all her dedication) he was rushed to the Shanta Bhavan Hospital. From his family side: his sister-in-law, (wife of Professor, Narendra Bahadur Basnyat. He ed away in 1985.) Whom Khagendra respectively addressed as his “Joy Bhauju’ accompanied him.(10) The following six hours that Joy Bhauju spent at the hospital on that day attending him seemed like an eternity to her. The fact that he had worked also hard for so many years often at the neglect of his failing health speared to catch on with him all at once on that fateful day.

10)—Joy Bhauju used to spent time with Khagendra whenever she had time off as a very busy, hard working housewife. She used to seek Khagendra’s advice for solving her problems. Occasionally, Khagendra used to enjoy a good meal prepared by her. He was very found of her daughter, Eugene and son, Santosh. By the same token, her youngest son, Montosh, was a favorite of Khagendra. The boy was then 3 years old and used to spend most of his time sitting on the pillow just next to Khagendra’s head.

Khagendra gave the boy plenty of affection and love that he needed most at that age. In retuned, Montosh loved Khagendra as his most beloved ‘Affu Buwa”.

Attending doctors kept on trying for hours to ease his pain without any success. His health, as Joy Bhauju now recollects, was in such a poor condition, that the physicians and nurses, despite their best efforts, were just unable to trace the veins to ister the intravenous fluid that his frail body desperately needed. He was delirious most of the time. Once in a while when he felt a brief moment of relief, he told her that he was extremely hungry and wanted her to prepare a good meal for the night. The next found remembrance that kept on haunting his restless mind was none others, as Joy Bhauju recalls, then his younger brother (Singh B. Basneyat, the co-author) who was unfortunately ten thousand miles away in the USA, though very much engaged in arranging to make it possible for Khagendra to come to the USA for treatment. He repeated many times” where is Shanta’ (the nick name of the Co-author), Alas, how ironic and tragic: His ‘Shanta’, was not nearby to console him at the Shanta Bhavan Hospital.

“Shanta’, whom Khagendra had so carefully and so lovingly looked after in both the difficult days and the good times and with whom he had started to share his inner feelings in later period, was not close to his bed-side when he needed him most. Towards the evening, when he came back to sense momentarily, his last thoughts were none other then his dedication to the disabled community. One more time just hours before departing the world Khagendra gathered his strength and conveyed in a very soft, feeling and dying voice his two wishes to Joy Bhuju:

a) He repeated what he had been telling his relatives and close friends before— that his share of the property be donated to the NDBA (11) and b) He requested her to give his last remembrances to the disabled fellows at the NLC.

11) The wish of Khagendra was duly fulfilled by his all-immediate relatives. An amount of Rs. 60,000/-(sixty thousand) received from the sale of Khagendra’s share of property was handed over to the NDBA by the family with an accompanying letter in 1981.

The Last Days of Khagendra

Joy Bhauju was extremely sad to leave Khagendra in a dying condition at the Shanta Bhawan Hospital. Now only Ram Basnyat, (lovely name Ramu) his caretaker for the last couple of years was with him. It was not easy to take care of Khagendra because of his disability. But Ramu had looked after Khagendra most dutifully. Khagendra loved him very much. He is so dedicated person to take care of him. Ramu was finding it very much unbearable for him to see Khagendra sinking away by the hour. No other relatives and friends were around him to attend to Khagendra there. A few hours later in the evening when he was again back in his sense Khagendra called Ramu who was devotedly attending to him and said “Ramu, one day everybody has to die, There is some difference though. Some die as an animal. Some die after working for noble causes. I have no energy left for more hard works. I am exhausted. I now look forward to a long rest. Please go to sleep. You can let me be alone tonight. Come back to wake me up in the morning”. These words were very painful for Ramu to hear. Dutifully he bade good-bye to Khagendra. Then Ramu left the room with tears rolling down his eyes. When Ramu went to wake him up the next morning he found that Khagendra had ed way. Immediately after receiving the sad news family , NDBA officials and well-wishers rushed to the Shanata Bhawan Hospital to pay their last tribute to Khagendra. They all have the same question: how was his death, what time did he die, did he have a peaceful death or was it painful? None had the answer to those questions. Beginning with his heat attack in 1972 followed by the punishing surgery in 1973, Khagendra had been leading the life of a seriously disabled person. Yet he kept on giving the impression to each and to each and every one that he was not going to die soon. And they believed him. Khagendra kept on exhibiting his courage despite his disabled condition. This was his unique art of showing grace under pressure. Thus that the fact “Khagendra works very hard, then becomes sick and goes to the hospital, and again comes back from the hospital to resume his hard works,” was seen by many as routine. It was therefore a tremendous shock for all those gathered there at the hospital: he was no more going to come back to resume his hard works,

this time. January 16th, 1978 (Poush 1st 2034), the day Khagendra died was a rainy day. Family and well-wishers made the arrangement to take his dead body in a funeral procession to Arya Ghat at Pashupatinath Temple. The temple was a sacred place where, as we pointed out in the very beginning of this booklet, years ago Khagendra’s mother used to feed the Brahmin priests. By coincidence, there were 108 Brahmins priests who blessed the dead body of Khagendra by chanting Ramayan and other Hindu religious texts, just before the cremation. Nothing could have been more conforming by the 108 holy priests for the eternal peace of the departed soul. In their minds, the minds of grieving relatives, they were all suddenly reminded of the age-old Nepalese saying “Babu Ama le Gareko ko Dharma ko Prabha chora chori ma prada cha’ (The religious duties performed by the parents in their lifetime has its good influence on their children.) Those 108 priests who happened to be at the Pashupathinath Temple for some special religious ceremony realized the importance of the humanitarian works done by Khagendra. They were quick to express their feelings “we all are gathered here to offer our blessings to a great man whose tremendous contribution to his country will be ed to his country will be ed for long by his countrymen.” Then seconds before the lighting of the funeral pyre, the 108 priests went around the body of Khagendra sprinkling sacred water on the body and chanting from religious tests profusely, they wished the departed soul eternal rest.

Memorial Service

A meeting to Khagendra was organized at the New Life Center a few days after his death. All who had assembled there to express their sorrows missed gentleness of his soul. NDBA for that moment seemed to have become like an orphan without his guidance. Speaker after speaker highlighted the irreparable loss caused on the field of the social service due to Khagendra’s ing way. Some spoke about how the society had benefited from his enormous generosity and his capacity as a guide and a mentor who was eager to build others and to help them grow. Others felt how Khagendra, born a commoner to the hilt, was eager to befriend any and everyone, how deeply convinced he was in his belief he was in his belief that the weak, the infirmed and the disabled people were not to remain as the dispossessed. Many recalled how he sought thoughtful balance, which reflected the depth of his humanity. Family expressed their utter grief at the loss of the man who so pivotal in maintaining the equilibrium of their day-to-day life. (12) He was a man of singular grace able to perform the task with charm, wit and amiability. A few said that was a man of reason capable of being polite and analytical on the most agitated of the subjects. But the man who captured the sad mood of the memorial service and literally brought tears of emotion among everyone present there was none other than a spirited disabled fellow, the late Raju Tamang’ Akela’ from Katmandu, who recited a poem that he had just composed in memory of late Khagendra:

He titled the poem “Khagendra, your works will always remain immortal”. The poem written in Nepalese read in summary as follows:

“Khagendra, your work will continue shining like a star, Like the moon and sun on being brighter, He foundation you laid will become stronger, We will work to further beautify your work, Our blood will also flow at

the place where you shed your blood. Khagendra, you were the one to spread new life in the life of the disabled. Your departed soul will always achieve peace and tranquility. Human beings and also the birds will keep on ing your good name forever.”

The sad occasion of the memorial service came to an end with one lasting happy note; as it seemed to be the overwhelming consensus among all the present there, NDBA paid their final tribute to the many by unanimously ing the resolution there to name NLC, as “Khagendra New Life Center.” A few months later late Khagendra’s darling nephew, Montosh Basnyat, expressed his sorrowful thoughts about his beloved uncle. He titled this poem as “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa”. “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa” was the name I used to call him since the time I could things. To me he was and is everything. In his love and name I write and dedicated this short poem. “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa” I miss your love; there was not a single problem that you couldn’t solve. I don’t know where you are? Up in haven with all the saints probably. It took a lot of courage do what you did, and I am sure the Nepalese (all of us) Love you for it.

Thanks

Conclusion

Fifteen years ago, Khagendra died after years of hard works. When he died, his was a rest well deserved. During his lifetime, he wanted to make Nepal a better place than when he entered. He was a descent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, which say sufferings and tried to heal it. He had perseverance born out of his painful living condition. He persisted in promoting an idea—the need for social service whose time he seemed to realize in those days had come. A stroke of fate made Khagendra disabled. He intensely believed and, wanted others to believe as well, that life was still useful in many ways. It was not meant to be from dust to dust. With hard work, many in this world could leave behind foot prints on the sands of time. To recall and paraphrase Shakespeare: Khagendra was not afraid of greatness thrust upon them but some, like himself, achieved greatness.

While Khagendra lived he exhibited an “oceanic feeling.” He always told us to follow the wisdom expressed in the Hindu philosophy “Basudhaive Kutumbakam”

(The universe is as the brotherhood). So he taught us all how to hope and how to love, how to win and how to lose and finally when he quietly ed away, he also taught us how to die.

During the Collection of his real views and memory, I (Mr. Hasta Gautam, (Mridul) meeting with different persons and almost I got very kindness and opinion regarding the Khagendra,

All share happiness about the writing book of his biography.

I started this collection 22/05/2048 BC, Saturday,

Dr. Mrigendra Raj Panday,

Even he was himself severely disabled and sickness, but he never afraid with disability and sickness; always he was fully confident with his one-self. Personally I was highly impressed with him to do the service for nation and human kinds. Even last days of apart of the life, he was thinking to provide his ideas to build the fortune of people with disabilities. So he is greater of greats. He is legend of nation. All his works and feelings leave good impression on all of us. We had seen like him real dedicated person to build the poor social welfare status of Nepal.

He was all rounded capable person, he pay his duty of nation to take birth.” Like this oral and writing article I collection with all persons.

Following person was kindly providing their possible s during his lifetime. Dr. Mrigendra Raj Panday, Dr. Laxi Narayn Prasad, Mr. Kuber Baidhya Mrs. Uma pradhan,

Muma Badhamahrani, shree 5 Ratna Mr. Singh Samser Rana, Mr. Krishna Samser Rana,

18th insister of King Singh Dev Basnyat’s Doti, Distric, Brigadier Pahal man Singh Basnyat Colonial Iman Singha Basnyat Colonial, Bir Bahadur Basnya (Grand father) Colonial, Indra bahadur Basnat, (father) Khagendra Bahadur basnyat

Mumy Mrs. Bedh Raj Kumari Basnyat (death 1996, Sal Mansir) 2nd Mum Mrs. Komal Kumari BasnyatProfessor Narendra Basnyat (big bother) Dr. Soorya Bahadur Basnyat (3rd bother, Dr. Singh Bahadur Basnyat (4th Brother) Mr. Mohan bahadur Basnyat (5th brother) (1996 Date of birth 5th 1985,

Sisters of Khagendra 1-Mrs. Mohan Laxmi Rana (1st sister)

2-Mrs. Prema Devi Shah( 2nd Sister) 3-Mrs. Saili Maya (3rd sister) 4-Mrs. Lupta Kumari Basnyat (4th Sister)

NDA and CBR programmes

NDA—KNK runs several activities for the of the disabled population of the country. One such sector is the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Programme now being launched in several districts of the hills and terai of Nepal. A central level CBR team, led by the chairman of the NDA, visited several district level CBR units recently and participated in various activities run there. The main objective of the trip was to study the latest development in the disability sector and promote their activities in the spirit of collaboration, participation and consensus among the stakeholders at the local level. The first programme scheduled for the visitors was at Baisjangar VDC located only a few kilometres outside the Gate to Lamjung district and its first clustered settlement Sunder Bazaar, on the Dumre-Manang road. Recently the Baisjangar CBR unit constructed its own building with an investment of Rs. 2.5 lakhs, part of which came from the NDA Centre while the rest was generated locally. The local people, who assembled for the occasion, explained that the facility was serving the disabled community of three districts—Tanahu, Gorkha and Lamjung—and would do so until they have their district level units. It has distributed wheel chairs, walking sticks, crutches and other equipment required locally. Income generation and educational were other activities carried out by the CBR there. The occasion also marked the distribution of educational materials for the disabled students—about 30 of them—coming from different public schools and studying in different grades and having different levels of disability. But they were selected on the basis of merit and need. It was so gratifying to observe the smiles on the little faces as they held the small package in their little hands. Some of them had performed excellently in their schools. The parents also felt relieved and pleased to see positive changes in the life of their children.

Bhanu CBR, Tanahu

The Bhanu CBR located on the premise of the Bhanu VDC building was found expanding its activities up to Basantpur and some parts of Gorkha. With a moderate budget, it renovated a part of the VDC building, burnt down during the Maoist insurgency, for its official use. Besides distribution of equipment to the limited number of disabled people, it is also running skill training and income generation activities focussed on the disabled population.During the visit, the CBR also distributed school materials for fifteen disabled students of the area. It was reported that at least two students—a girl and a boy—had completed higher secondary and secondary level education respectively. At a time when the NDA is expanding its activities in different districts, both the NDA and CBR activists were unclear about their future activities in the years ahead, more particularly after the restructuring of the country along federal lines. In the meeting and discussion with local activists including the disabled population, a pertinent question was raised—what will happen to the district units of the CBR once the country goes for a federal structure? The central team, led by Gajendra Kumar Lama, Chairman of NDA—Khagendra Navjeevan Kendra—and Ms. Laxmi Subedi, Chairperson of CBR Central Committee, encouraged the local people to keep on working with the current level of spirit regardless of what will happen to the district units of CBR. Disability as a future priority In fact, whatever the political system, disability is there and needs prioritised of the society, the government and the donor agencies. Disability does not know race, ethnicity, age or other categories that people make for the sake of their interest. Social service programmes like the CBR will continue and must continue regardless of what happens in the political frame, or for that matter, whatever political garb the country wears. Disability must be the focus of the planners at the local as well as the central level. During the visit, a remarkable level of all party unity for the cause of the disabled was visible. It was strongly felt that there is a growing need to go to more districts—including remote areas—to list the number and nature of disability and prepare a roster for future work. It is important to note that the disabled community is still marginalised although they themselves are making all out effort to the mainstream society. NDA can play a vital role in this regard.

All NDBA

The role played by Professor Ganesh Raj Singh was no less important in ing NDBA resolution to send Khagendra for treatment in Vellore. Khagendra had always liked the religious and social nature of Ganesh Raj. He listened to him with great attention regarding NDBA matters. By 1977, as Khagendra seemed rapidly weakening in health, he was confident that the works of NDBA would be carried on successfully under the guidance of Ganesh Raj. This perception was derived from his many evenings of close conversation shared with Ganesh Raj. The two were full of mutual irations. Ganesh Raj’s unflinching to Khagendra for taking NDBA work to greater heights was very significant.Similarly, the contribution made by all the active of the NDBA like Dr. L. N. Prasad, Dr. Dibyashree Malla, Dr. Badri Prasad Shrestha, Mr. Badri Bikram Thapa, and late Dhundi Raj (who had most distinguished record of service as a secretary to various ministries of HMG.), to mention a few names was tremendous. While he was Ambassador to Japan, Dr. Badri Bahadur Shestha was also very instrumental in promoting for the NDBA with some noted charitable Organizations in Japan. Mr. Mohan Raj Joshi and Dwarikaram Bhakta Mathema, (who were both associated with the National Sports Council then) had ed Khagendra and the works of the NDBA in many ways. All these people were very special to Khagendra. When Dhundi Raj ed away untimely due to a drug reaction in 1975, the loss was irreparable. Khagendra decided to pay his last tribute to this gentleman who had been such a great help for the cause of the disabled people of Nepal by personally visiting the Arya Ghat beside the Pashupatinath Temple, For others who were present there it was perhaps difficult to even imagine what thoughts might have been running trough Khagendra’s mind while he kept cremation sport. In any event, this was one incident that highlighted the concern and respect with which Khagendra treated his of the NDBA.

Belife in Hindu Texts and Teaching of Lord Buddha: Towards a Meaingful Life

Back from Vellore, Khagendra started to attend to his day-to-day work. A lot remained to be done, as usual. So he had to be rushing all the time. His health had had so many beatings and scars over the years; he seemed to hardly care about keeping it in good shape. He felt that there was not much left in his body by now that could sustain him for long. His nick name was Bishnu(9). Increasingly he came to believe in the immortality of soul. His belief in reincarnation was important. His current form of body would just change to another one. There were several lives to live, not just one. Perfecting each life was the goal to seek so that the next life would be more bearable. Khagendra seemed to perceive that we all are going from one world into another forgetting where we had come from and we would just live for the moment without even bothering about where we were headed. Do you people have any notion of how many lives, as Khagendra would tell us all in one of his philosophic mood, we all must have ed through before we finally got the first idea that there was more not life then eating or fighting for power, prestige, purse, etc? Ten lives already for thirty, who knows? And again many more lives before we started to learn that there was a purpose in living. That purpose was to finally learn what kindness, love and comion was all about and to show it to others. The choice of our next world depended very much upon that we hade learnt there supreme qualities on this life now. With these reflections, Khagendra would then say, “Learning nothing now the world here-after would be the same.” But if you cared to learn more in one life, may be you do not have to go through a hundred lives to know the meaning of love and comion’. Indeed, it looked as if, Khagendra after his life-long quest for learning, had stopped seeing himself as trapped inside a limited body. To him, human beings, both able and disables were creatures of excellence, intelligence and skill. In this scheme of things, boredom, fear and anger would only make life short, meaningless, solitary, nasty, and brutish. Freedom was based on the attempt to life the veils of ignorance and start seeing the reason to live, to learn and to

discover the virtues of human kindness. When Khagendra talked like this, we just believed, regardless of his daily sufferings, that he had lived a long fine life. (9)By then close friends and relatives actually started calling him “Budhanilkhantha’ (the shrine of Lord Bishnu sleeping on his back) jokingly making some striking similarity as Khagendra also was that kind of posture for several years. Thus, for him trust in God was absolutely important. From Buddha’s teaching, he had learnt to accept in true sense that life was full of sorrow and sufferings. Good works done following the paths of some rightful conduct was the only way to escape from pains of life. He knew very well whose simple explanation had inspired Siddhartha (a prince born in Lumbini, Nepal, in 6th, Century, BC. from his parents Suddodhana and Mahamaya) to seek salvation by renouncing the material pleasures of this sorrowful world. The innocent questions that Siddhartha had asked his charioteer while on a trip and the simple answers provided to him by the letter seemed to have acted as turning point in Buddha’s life. An old man had explained by the charioteer “as every one who is born in to this world has to grow old”; a diseased person “as every one with a body is a prey to disease”, and a dead man “as every one who is born must die”. Khagendra read a lot about Lord Buddha. He ed for long what Buddha at 80, just before departing the world, have given as his last lesson for the last time to his disciples. “Do your duty without giving way to idleness”. Literally this motto seemed to have been his guiding principle whenever he talked to his students, disabled friends and staffs of the NDBA. Versed as he was in Hindu religion and Lord Buddha’s philosophy, he seemed to have no difficultly in showing his total commitment to the cause of the disabled community of Nepal till his last breath was to be taken away be the invisible hand. Khagendra, therefore, would argue at times that the dictate of destiny could not be challenged. Accordingly life had an allotted time prescribed by the creator. Written on the forehead (Nidhar Ma Lekheko, as Nepalese would say) of each person by the almighty, it could not be erased. One might try to go against that dictate but it simply would not work. Such beliefs became the driving force in Khagendra’s life. After the Vellore trip, he knew that the end of his allotted time was somewhere around the corner not very far way. Yet he would give the impression to all his loved ones that he was not quite ready to meet his maker.

Khagendra’s Last Wishes

The whole of 1977 Khagendra was always seen either working hard or going to the hospital for treatment. Being involved in the NDBA works and spending time with his special people seemed to really give him the peace of mind towards the end of his life. His desire was to go and settle himself at the NLC complex among his fellow colleagues and live happily thereafter. A provision for his accommodation there had been incorporated, while deg the NLC structure. However, as he gave priority to completing the main building first, the near-by small unit apparently meant for his housing was not yet ready to receive him. In the beginning of 1978, Khagendra was again seriously sick. It was January, a very cold and cruel month. This time Khagendra really felt that his last hour was fast approaching. Previously had been in and out of the hospital many times but going to the hospital that day was different: he desperately wanted to say his final good-bye to all his disabled friends and also have a final look of the NLC complex. The Red Cross van was ready to conduct his trip in his final journey. From Dilli Bazar the route to NLC and Shanta Bhawa were on opposite directions. His immediate need was to be rushed to the hospital, but he requested the driver to take him to the NLC complex first.

As usual, his disabled friends and the staff with utmost love, respect and affection received Khagendra there. He could not have expected anything more then this for a temporary relief of his excruciating pain at that moment. One last time appearing cool and peaceful as ever, Khagendra repeated what he had always been advising to all the assembled friends and NDBA staffs “Be always alert and dedicated to your duty. One should try to live in this world like a mighty mountain. A man lives as a man only when he develops self-confidence and shows a desire to help others. All the disabled community is my family. “A sense of great relief seemed to pervade Khagendra’s mind as he felt that he had been able to complete his final act at the NLC complex. Somehow, this time his premonition that he would not be visiting again the NLC complex at Jorpati appeared very strong. The NLC center was his baby for the creation of which he

had sacrificed everything in his life. Its rightful residents were, as he had just declared, all his family. The more he judged his life with these feelings the better he felt, even though death seemed looming largely all round him at this stage to snatch him away any moment from his joy for ever. Then, as the driver of the van started slowly speeding way towards the Shanta Bhawan hospital, Khagendra kept on looking at the complex and his family-all the disabled people assembled there to bid him farewell-as far as they were visible to his tearful eyes. An extended long look like that was apparently very important because he wanted to capture an ever-lasting impression. As he sensed it correctly, he had no time left in his short life for a next visit to the complex, so dear and sanctimonious to him. After two days of hospitalization, Khagendra managed to pull through one more time (due to his incredible will power). Good care provided by the doctors and the hospital staffs with proper dedication to relieve his pain and to make to come back to be able to assert his confidence one more time to deal with the sad vicissitudes of an ephemeral existence. He was restless. His mind was again backing to business. There were a lot of last minute details that required his attention. It was only the other day, so he ed, that some paper works which needed his final complex and then to the hospital. So he decided to go back to his room in Dilli Bazar. His room was as cold as ever but comfortable then being in the hospital. Friends and family were happy to see him back from the hospital to attend to his work. The inner feeling that he was working till the end gave him peace of mind. He spent the afternoon and the evening receiving all kinds of people walking in and out of his place, as usual, wishing him a speedy recovery. Then someone helping him (as he was too weak to even move his hands at his stage), he was happy to eat some food—his last super in his bed-room which, as we mentioned earlier, was also the office of the NDBA. Then, at night, he took the calm pose pills (a mild drug to induce sleep) that he had been taking occasionally (as recommended by the physician) to cope with his problems of frequent sleepless nights, which he seemed to suffer from physical exhaustion and mental strains. He was now ready to go to sleep. Tomorrow was another day. The reality was grim and different: Khagendra was just a day and one night away from his death. On the morning of January 14, 1978, Khagendra woke up with unbearable pain. With the help of Miss. Sita Panday (a lady staff who had been working for the NDBA with all her dedication) he was rushed to the Shanta Bhavan Hospital. From his family side: his sister-in-law, (wife of Professor,

Narendra Bahadur Basnyat. He ed away in 1985.) Whom Khagendra respectively addressed as his “Joy Bhauju’ accompanied him.(10) The following six hours that Joy Bhauju spent at the hospital on that day attending him seemed like an eternity to her. The fact that he had worked also hard for so many years often at the neglect of his failing health speared to catch on with him all at once on that fateful day. 10)—Joy Bhauju used to spent time with Khagendra whenever she had time off as a very busy, hard working housewife. She used to seek Khagendra’s advice for solving her problems. Occasionally, Khagendra used to enjoy a good meal prepared by her. He was very found of her daughter, Eugene and son, Santosh. By the same token, her youngest son, Montosh, was a favorite of Khagendra. The boy was then 3 years old and used to spend most of his time sitting on the pillow just next to Khagendra’s head. Khagendra gave the boy plenty of affection and love that he needed most at that age. In retuned, Montosh loved Khagendra as his most beloved ‘Affu Buwa”. Attending doctors kept on trying for hours to ease his pain without any success. His health, as Joy Bhauju now recollects, was in such a poor condition, that the physicians and nurses, despite their best efforts, were just unable to trace the veins to ister the intravenous fluid that his frail body desperately needed. He was delirious most of the time. Once in a while when he felt a brief moment of relief, he told her that he was extremely hungry and wanted her to prepare a good meal for the night. The next found remembrance that kept on haunting his restless mind was none others, as Joy Bhauju recalls, then his younger brother (Singh B. Basneyat, the co-author) who was unfortunately ten thousand miles away in the USA, though very much engaged in arranging to make it possible for Khagendra to come to the USA for treatment. He repeated many times” where is Shanta’ (the nick name of the Co-author), Alas, how ironic and tragic: His ‘Shanta’, was not nearby to console him at the Shanta Bhavan Hospital. “Shanta’, whom Khagendra had so carefully and so lovingly looked after in both the difficult days and the good times and with whom he had started to share his inner feelings in later period, was not close to his bed-side when he needed him most. Towards the evening, when he came back to sense momentarily, his last thoughts were none other then his dedication to the disabled community. One more time just hours before departing the world Khagendra gathered his strength and

conveyed in a very soft, feeling and dying voice his two wishes to Joy Bhuju:

• He repeated what he had been telling his relatives and close friends before— that his share of the property be donated to the NDBA (11) and • He requested her to give his last remembrances to the disabled fellows at the NLC.

11) The wish of Khagendra was duly fulfilled by his all-immediate relatives. An amount of Rs. 60,000/-(sixty thousand) received from the sale of Khagendra’s share of property was handed over to the NDBA by the family with an accompanying letter in 1981.

The Last Days of Khagendra

Joy Bhauju was extremely sad to leave Khagendra in a dying condition at the Shanta Bhawan Hospital. Now only Ram Basnyat, (lovely name Ramu) his caretaker for the last couple of years was with him. It was not easy to take care of Khagendra because of his disability. But Ramu had looked after Khagendra most dutifully. Khagendra loved him very much. He is so dedicated person to take care of him. Ramu was finding it very much unbearable for him to see Khagendra sinking away by the hour. No other relatives and friends were around him to attend to Khagendra there. A few hours later in the evening when he was again back in his sense Khagendra called Ramu who was devotedly attending to him and said “Ramu, one day everybody has to die, There is some difference though. Some die as an animal. Some die after working for noble causes. I have no energy left for more hard works. I am exhausted. I now look forward to a long rest. Please go to sleep. You can let me be alone tonight. Come back to wake me up in the morning”. These words were very painful for Ramu to hear. Dutifully he bade good-bye to Khagendra. Then Ramu left the room with tears rolling down his eyes. When Ramu went to wake him up the next morning he found that Khagendra had ed way. Immediately after receiving the sad news family , NDBA officials and well-wishers rushed to the Shanata Bhawan Hospital to pay their last tribute to Khagendra. They all have the same question: how was his death, what time did he die, did he have a peaceful death or was it painful? None had the answer to those questions. Beginning with his heat attack in 1972 followed by the punishing surgery in 1973, Khagendra had been leading the life of a seriously disabled person. Yet he kept on giving the impression to each and to each and every one that he was not going to die soon. And they believed him. Khagendra kept on exhibiting his courage despite his disabled condition. This was his unique art of showing grace under pressure. Thus that the fact “Khagendra works very hard, then becomes sick and goes to the hospital, and again comes back from the hospital to resume his hard works,” was seen by many as routine. It was therefore a tremendous shock for all those gathered there at the hospital: he was no more going to come back to resume his hard works, this time.

January 16th, 1978 (Poush 1 st 2034), the day Khagendra died was a rainy day. Family and well-wishers made the arrangement to take his dead body in a funeral procession to Arya Ghat at Pashupatinath Temple. The temple was a sacred place where, as we pointed out in the very beginning of this booklet, years ago Khagendra’s mother used to feed the Brahmin priests. By coincidence, there were 108 Brahmins priests who blessed the dead body of Khagendra by chanting Ramayan and other Hindu religious texts, just before the cremation. Nothing could have been more conforming by the 108 holy priests for the eternal peace of the departed soul. In their minds, the minds of grieving relatives, they were all suddenly reminded of the age-old Nepalese saying “Babu Ama le Gareko ko Dharma ko Prabha chora chori ma prada cha’ (The religious duties performed by the parents in their lifetime has its good influence on their children.) Those 108 priests who happened to be at the Pashupathinath Temple for some special religious ceremony realized the importance of the humanitarian works done by Khagendra. They were quick to express their feelings “we all are gathered here to offer our blessings to a great man whose tremendous contribution to his country will be ed to his country will be ed for long by his countrymen.” Then seconds before the lighting of the funeral pyre, the 108 priests went around the body of Khagendra sprinkling sacred water on the body and chanting from religious tests profusely, they wished the departed soul eternal rest.

Memorial Service

A meeting to Khagendra was organized at the New Life Center a few days after his death. All who had assembled there to express their sorrows missed gentleness of his soul. NDBA for that moment seemed to have become like an orphan without his guidance. Speaker after speaker highlighted the irreparable loss caused on the field of the social service due to Khagendra’s ing way. Some spoke about how the society had benefited from his enormous generosity and his capacity as a guide and a mentor who was eager to build others and to help them grow. Others felt how Khagendra, born a commoner to the hilt, was eager to befriend any and everyone, how deeply convinced he was in his belief he was in his belief that the weak, the infirmed and the disabled people were not to remain as the dispossessed. Many recalled how he sought thoughtful balance, which reflected the depth of his humanity. Family expressed their utter grief at the loss of the man who so pivotal in maintaining the equilibrium of their day-to-day life. (12) He was a man of singular grace able to perform the task with charm, wit and amiability. A few said that was a man of reason capable of being polite and analytical on the most agitated of the subjects. But the man who captured the sad mood of the memorial service and literally brought tears of emotion among everyone present there was none other than a spirited disabled fellow, the late Raju Tamang’ Akela’ from Katmandu, who recited a poem that he had just composed in memory of late Khagendra:

He titled the poem “Khagendra, your works will always remain immortal”. The poem written in Nepalese read in summary as follows: “Khagendra, your work will continue shining like a star, Like the moon and sun on being brighter, His foundation you laid will become stronger, We will work to further beautify your work,

Our blood will also flow at the place where you shed your blood. Khagendra, you were the one to spread new life in the life of the disabled.Your departed soul will always achieve peace and tranquility. Human beings and also the birds will keep on ing your good name forever.” The sad occasion of the memorial service came to an end with one lasting happy note; as it seemed to be the overwhelming consensus among all the present there, NDBA paid their final tribute to the many by unanimously ing the resolution there to name NLC, as “Khagendra New Life Center.” A few months later late Khagendra’s darling nephew, Montosh Basnyat, expressed his sorrowful thoughts about his beloved uncle. He titled this poem as “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa”. “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa” was the name I used to call him since the time I could things. To me he was and is everything. In his love and name I write and dedicated this short poem. “Affu Buwa, Affu Buwa” I miss your love; there was not a single problem that you couldn’t solve. I don’t know where you are? Up in haven with all the saints probably. It took a lot of courage do what you did, And I am sure the Nepalese (all of us) Love you for it.

Thanks

Conclusion

Fifteen years ago, Khagendra died after years of hard works. When he died, his was a rest well deserved. During his lifetime, he wanted to make Nepal a better place than when he entered. He was a descent man who saw wrong and tried to right it, which say sufferings and tried to heal it. He had perseverance born out of his painful living condition.He persisted in promoting an idea—the need for social service whose time he seemed to realize in those days had come. A stroke of fate made Khagendra disabled. He intensely believed and, wanted others to believe as well, that life was still useful in many ways. It was not meant to be from dust to dust. With hard work, many in this world could leave behind foot prints on the sands of time. To recall and paraphrase Shakespeare: Khagendra was not afraid of greatness thrust upon them but some, like himself, achieved greatness. While Khagendra lived he exhibited an “oceanic feeling.” He always told us to follow the wisdom expressed in the Hindu philosophy “Basudhaive Kutumbakam” (The universe is as the brotherhood). So he taught us all how to hope and how to love, how to win and how to lose and finally when he quietly ed away, he also taught us how to die.

Dr. Mrigendra Raj Panday, Even he was himself severely disabled and sickness, but he never afraid with disability and sickness; always he was fully confident with his one-self. Personally I was highly impressed with him to do the service for nation and human kinds. Even last days of apart of the life, he was thinking to provide his ideas to build the fortune of people with disabilities. So he is greater of greats. He is legend of nation. All his works and feelings leave good impression on all of us. We had seen like him real dedicated person to build the poor social welfare status of Nepal.

He was all rounded capable person, he pay his duty of nation to take birth. “Like this oral and writing article I collection with all persons. Following person was kindly providing their possible s during his lifetime.

Dr. Mrigendra Raj Panday, Dr. Laxi Narayn Prasad, Mr. Kuber Baidhya Mrs. Uma pradhan, Muma Badhamahrani, shree 5 Ratna Mr. Singh Samser Rana, Mr. Krishna Samser Rana, 18 th insister of King Singh Dev Basnyat’s Doti, Distric, Brigadier Pahal man Singh Basnyat Colonial Iman Singha Basnyat Colonial, Bir Bahadur Basnya (Grand father) Colonial, Indra bahadur Basnat, (father) Khagendra Bahadur basnyat Mumy Mrs. Bedh Raj Kumari Basnyat (death 1996, Sal Mansir) 2 nd Mum Mrs. Komal Kumari BasnyatProfessor Narendra Basnyat (big bother) Dr. Soorya Bahadur Basnyat (3 rd bother,

Dr. Singh Bahadur Basnyat (4 th Brother) Mr. Mohan bahadur Basnyat (5 th brother) (Date of birth 5 th 1985,BC. Sisters of Khagendra 1-Mrs. Mohan Laxmi Rana (1 st sister) 2-Mrs. Prema Devi Shah ( 2 nd Sister) 3-Mrs. Saili Maya (3 rd sister) 4-Mrs. Lupta Kumari Basnyat (4 th Sister) Agreement with Internatinal Organization by Late: Khagendra Bahadur

Basnyat in his life time

The Ryder-Cheshire Foundation is a ed charity founded by Group captain Lord Cheshire and Lady Ryder of Warsaw at the time of their marriage in 1959 and in response to an urgent appeal for help for which no other solution could be found. The Primary purpose of the Foundation is to relieve suffering among handicapped and destitute people without regard to age, race, of religion. The Foundation supplements the work of the Leonard Cheshire and the Sue Ryder Foundations by undertaking projects-mostly in developing countries-for which there is a clear needs, but which do not lie within the scope of either Foundation. The Foundation is governed by a small Board of Trustees whose Chairman is the Hon Sir Peter Ramsbotham,GCMG, GCVO, formerly British Ambassador to the Washington and Governor of Bermuda. The day to day affairs of the Foundation, and its development, are the responsibility of a Director, assisted by a Projects Officer who pays regular visits to all overseas projects. The Founders-Leonard Cheshire and Sue Ryder. Group captain Lord Cheshire, VC. OM, DSO, DFC, a retired bomber pilot and one of Britain’s most celebrated war heroes, was the founder of the internationally known Cheshire Homes for the Disabled. In 1948, Leonard Cheshire heard that a man he knew to go following his discharge from Hospital. Unable to find a place that would accept the man, Cheshire took him into his own Home and nursed his until he dead. Others soon followed. Out of this experience, and a deep concern far all people in need, came the concept of the Leonard Cheshire Home. Today their are more then 267 Homes in 49 countries and the number steadily increases. Leonard Cheshire died in July 1992. Baroness Ryder of Warsaw, CMG, OBE, was a member of the highly secret

special Operations Executive during the second World War. This experiences launched her, immediately after the war was won, into relief work among the millions of sick, homeless and destitute people all over Europe. Later, her concern for those in need took her to other parts of the world. The Sue Ryder Foundation is her living memorial to the victims and opponents of tyranny and it has many Homes for the Disabled, and domiciliary teams, in Britain, Europe and parts of the world, where mobile clinics are a feature of the Foundation’s work. Lady Ryder has never kept a formal record of the number of adults and children she has worked for and with, but she estimates that 365,000 of more than fifty nationalities would be a minimum figure. Raphael-the Ryder-Cheshire Center at Dehradun, India. Raphael, which Leonard Cheshire and Lady Sue Ryder Began in 1958 as a collection of surplus army tents on the banks of the Rispana River outside the Indian town Deharadun. The Center comprises a village for people with burnt-out leprosy, a Home for severely mentally handicapped children and adults; a day center for mentally handicapped and deaf children; the little White House for children whose parents are suffering from leprosy; and a small hospital with two separate wings-one for general care of physically handicapped patients, the other for treatment of tuberculosis. The cost of maintaining Raphael is borne mainly by the people of Australia and New Ziland, through a number of autonomous Ryder-Cheshire Foundation in those countries. During the Deradun staying for primirely treatment time, Khagendra meet the Sir.Leonard Cheshire and express the willing to open the Ryder-Cheshire Home in Nepal

The Ryder-Cheshire Home, Kathmandu, Nepal This purpose-built Home was opened in 1983. It complements and extends the work of the Nepal Disabled Association, which donated the land to the

Foundation and whose own Center lies nest door. The Home Cares for 30 disabled young people and is specially concerned with the rehabilitation, training in some useful skill and the return to the community of as many of its Residents as possible. A new wing to serve as a much needed Paraplegic Assessment Center has recently been added to the Home. Nepal is listed by the United Nations as one of the poorest countries in the world: the money required to meet the running costs of the Home has to be found by the Foundation’s Headquarters in the United Kingdom. THE LEONARD—CHESHIRE FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL.

22 nd October 1996. 26-29 Maunset Street, London SW1P 2QN

To, Mr.Hasta Gautam Founder Secretary General The National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal (NFD-Nepal) Kathamandu Nepal

Dear Mr.Gautam, Following your visit to the Leonard Cheshire Foundation International Office in London and your meeting with Lynette Leaaroyd, I enclose some related information on the Khagendra New Life Center sent to us by Jill Roberts, Archivist at the Cheshire Foundation Archives which may be of interest to you. I understand from Pasty Wright-Warren that she has arranged to meet with you when she nest visits in Nepal.

With best Wishes.

Yours Sincerely Clare West Assistant Secretary-International Office-London, UK

Nepal Disabled Association, Khagendra New Life Center Khagendra New Life Center in Nepal was founded by Khagendra Basnyat as a center of the rehabilitation of people with disabilities. Mr.Basnyat was himself severely paralyzed. The first the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation (RCF) had with it was when Mr.Basnyat wroe to Leonard Cheshire while he was in India in 1976 Leonard Cheshire to travel over the border to Nepal to discuss the setting up a RCF Home there. Leonard Cheshire made the journey, and after a memorable meeting the two of them had with the king to ask for his , the outcome was an offer of land to Leonard Cheshire from the Nepal Disabled Association ( associated wit the New Life center) for the building of the RCF Home on land nest to the Center. The RCF Home, also mainly concerned with the rehabilitation of its residents, was opened in 1983 and there has always been a special relationship between the two separate Organization. Progress report of the Ryder-Cheshire mission home, Kathmandu, October 1986. It is nine months since I sent a progress Report to kind donor. Firstly, a warm Thank you to those who have denoted for the first time and to those who have given again since the last report. I now have 21,000 pound in Income Bonds and annually the income will be ed on towards the running costs of the Home. More bonds will be purchased as donations come in. Margaret and Andrew Thomas have now been over a year at Jorpati in their capacities of rlatron and House father and although progress seems frustratingly slow to them, to me the improvements and rehabilitation in the last year seem amazing compared with preceding years. They engaged a full time Dutch

Physiotherapist whose husband builds bridges in Nepal. She speaks Nepali and has won the confidence of every resident. In addition to giving them individual treatment she also plays games with them such as football with those on crutches and table tennis with those in wheelchairs. Skills and taught include sewing-most of the clothes the residents need and more for children for sale, carpet weaving, typewriting and tailoring. The garden has become very productive and I have photographs of thriving stands of sweetcorn, soya, capsicum chillies rhubarb, cabbages and much else. Not many can help in this area but the produce keeps down catering costs. A small library has been started and is entirely run by two residents. Reading classes for the illiterate continue to be popular. New Residents are helped a great deal by those who have been at the Home longer and all are proud of their better mobility and skills learn. A number have already left to live independent lives. More spce for the various classes is a great need as there is not point in talking in too many until the facilities are adequate for their rehabilitation. Currently 24 residents are being helped but eventually it is hoped to cope efficiently with 34at a time. The case histories of three recently accepted residents vividly describe the types of young receiving help. Tak Bahadur age 25 was injured by severe burns on both legs when he fell into the fire as a baby. He is unable to stand or walk but moves around even without his wheelchair at great speed, seemingly propelled by will power. He arrived at Jorpati after crawling on hands and knees for four days to days to Dharan where he took an eight hour bus ride. He is a character and likes to practice his bamboo flute just outside the Thomas’s, Window. The Physiotherapist is teaching him to talk with the aid of an improvised curtain pole. Later it is hoped to arrange surgery to release the contractions in his ts. Meantime he is learning to weave carpets. Krishna age 20, used to be a cycle rickshaw driver to his widowed mother and young brother but two years ago he became seriously ill. The doctor prescribed antibiotics but his mother could not understand the instructions and gave the whole course of treatment to Krishna in on e day. He suffered a stroke, was unconscious his memory extremely poor-too bad for training though he s always first into the dining room

for meals. It is hoped physio and a good diet will make him strong enough for filed and garden work. Masauri is a 19 years old girl, the fifth resident to come from the Gurkha area. 2.half years ago she fell on slippery ground whilst carrying a heavy basket of wood on her back and suffered spinal dislocation. An ayurvedic doctor gave injections in her feet which have left black scars and when this did not help she visited two hospitals but has been unable to walk since the accident and had to drag herself along the floor at home. She is delighted with her wheelchair and it is hoped to help her walk with crutches in time as well as teaching her good care of her bladder. She attends tailoring classes and her family and husband hope she will make a living in time. With your continued help progress will speed up and thus I conclude by asking you please to keep the Jorpati Home on your donations list. Thank you for past and future .

The Ryder-Cheshire Home I Kathmandu Nepal

This is the first Home in Nepal for the rehabilitation of physically disabled young people. Because Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, all the money has to be found elsewhere and I have been found-raising for the running costs at the request of the Founders. The Mission which was founded in 1958 for projects which lie outside the scope of both the Leonard Cheshire and Sue Ryder Foundations, has modest funds almost totally used in third world countries for schemes which can in no way be locally financed. Over four years I have raised a capital sum of 23,000 pound by making selective approaches to Trusts and the income goes towards the annual budget but I will not be happy until I can cover it all! It is encouraging that many donors repeat their grant. Margaret and Andrew Thomas flew out 15 month ago to run the Jorpati Home. She is SRN and Matron and he is House father. They have done wonders in that time. They have recruited a Dutch Physiotherapist in the last six months whose husband builds bridges in Nepal. She speaks Nepalese language and has won the confidence and affection of all the Residents and the individual treatment, exercises and prganised games on crutches or in wheelchairs have all shown excellent results. The age range is almost entirely between 16 and 26 and a number have already left to live independent lives with improved mobility and skills learn. Only 24 are being cared for at a time but soon the number will rise to 32 and this will be full capacity. The skills they are learning are numerous-rug-making, tailoring, typer writing, weaving, batik work as well as making most of their own clothes and children clothes for sale. The garden has been made very productive over the past year so their diet is more varied and economic but few can actually work in it. There is now a library organized by two new Residents. Apart from the Thomases and the Physio the staff are Nepalese. Many Residents have suffered from Polio as small children and arrive only able

to get about on hands and knees but some are now on crutches and those who will never walk are incredibly pleased with their wheelchairs. Some have had no education and are keenly learning to read and some to write as well. Hindus and Bhudists live happily together and enjoy outings on each others holy days. There is a local committee of Nepalese but the British Ambassador also kindly sieves. In Gordon Temple we have an excellent liaison person-an ex-Gurkha officer and tea-planter, he now has resident’s visa and speaks Nepalese and works in various charitable fields in the country. He is also a world authority on Bee-Keeping and hopes to start this in rest at Jorpati this coming year. I met the Thomases before the flew out and we correspond and they send excellent slides and prints and many express better than works the life and achievements of this Home. It gives me pleasure to send photographs to first time donors and regular progress reports thereafter. Gordon Temple has been over on a brief visit and it has been a pleasure to meet him. His background knowledge of the country and sense of humor are just right to keep up the Thoma’s morale when things they plan take ages to achieve. Space allows for just one case history. Tak is 25 and as a baleful into the fire and suffered server burns to both legs. Unable to stand or walk, he crawled on hands and knees for four days to Dharan and then took an 8 hour bus ride to reach Jorpati. He is quite a character and practices his bamboo flute at all hours. With the help of the Physiotherapist he is now learning to walk with an improved curtain pole. It is hoped to arrange surgery to release the contractions in this s and meantime he is learning carpet-making. One specific need in this coming year is a new Van of some sort as the present one is only lent and on its way out. Some means of transport for the staff and residents is really essential as the Home is very much on the fringe of Kathmandu. Just possible some Trusts may prefer to donate for this father than towards the running costs. Donations for either would be immensely appreciated.

1—RAPHAEL: A fully staffed physiotherapy unit has been added to Raphael, allowing appropriate treatment for many of the Resident. New staff and office accommodation has also been provided.

2—GABRIEL: Gabriel is in the process of moving to a new site at the K.K. Nagar Hospital in Madras. Consideration is now being given to a radical revision of the kind of training of offered, since the manual skills required in the city are not those of ten years ago. 3—THE DELHI TB UNIT: Additional areas of the Delhi slums are being covered progressively by the Mobile unit. Half the annual cost of the Unit is now being met from India. 4—Seva Nlayam: There are now 9 satellite mini-clinics in service in the area around seva Nilayam itself. This allows the Center to bring treatment to people who would find it difficult to travel. An additional doctor has been added to the staff. 5—Kathmandu: The Home is now formally d to the United Mission to Nepal—an organization that runs several Hospitals, clinics and training institutions throughout the country. The benefits of this association are selfevident.

15 January 1996 in London,

Prem Khatry

In Nepal, the social service sector has been an agenda of discussion and a very popular field for the mobilisation of manpower, scarce resources and at the local level. Even the commercial-industrial sector has lately opened both its purse and door for the cause of social service as a social responsibility. The state has already made it possible for native as well as foreign individuals, groups and organizations to work in this sector with native collaborators in the spirit of cooperation and t venture. It is because of state that INGOs and NGOs have mushroomed fast in post 1990 Nepal and are also producing results that are measurable and quantifiable. Those with good intention have actually left their mark distinctly and been catalytic in bringing about the desired level of change in the society. However, disability is still not a prioritized sector reaching out to this marginalized population. Disability has been a sector of low priority nationally. This has led the disabled community to take to the streets in more recent times to voice their concerns and make the government and society hear them despite the fact that the Nepal Disabled Association—Khagendra Navjeevan Kendra (NDA-KNK), Jorpati, Kathmandu, initially started by the late Khagendra Bahadur Basnet—and a parallel organization under the umbrella of the Social Service Council of the government of Nepal are at work. This has changed the old face of disability in Nepal although there is a lot to do in this sector.

NDA and CBR programmes

NDA—KNK runs several activities for the of the disabled population of the country. One such sector is the Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Programme now being launched in several districts of the hills and terai of Nepal. A central level CBR team, led by the chairman of the NDA, visited several district level CBR units recently and participated in various activities run there. The main objective of the trip was to study the latest development in the disability sector and promote their activities in the spirit of collaboration, participation and consensus among the stakeholders at the local level. The first programme scheduled for the visitors was at Baisjangar VDC located only a few kilometers outside the Gate to Lamjung district and its first clustered settlement Sunder Bazaar, on the Dumre-Manang road. Recently the Baisjangar CBR unit constructed its own building with an investment of Rs. 2.5 lakhs, part of which came from the NDA Centre while the rest was generated locally. The local people, who assembled for the occasion, explained that the facility was serving the disabled community of three districts—Tanahu, Gorkha and Lamjung—and would do so until they have their district level units. It has distributed wheel chairs, walking sticks, crutches and other equipment required locally. Income generation and educational were other activities carried out by the CBR there. The occasion also marked the distribution of educational materials for the disabled students—about 30 of them—coming from different public schools and studying in different grades and having different levels of disability. But they were selected on the basis of merit and need. It was so gratifying to observe the smiles on the little faces as they held the small package in their little hands. Some of them had performed excellently in their schools. The parents also felt relieved and pleased to see positive changes in the life of their children.

Bhanu CBR, Tanahu

The Bhanu CBR located on the premise of the Bhanu VDC building was found expanding its activities up to Basantpur and some parts of Gorkha. With a moderate budget, it renovated a part of the VDC building, burnt down during the Maoist insurgency, for its official use. Besides distribution of equipment to the limited number of disabled people, it is also running skill training and income generation activities focussed on the disabled population. During the visit, the CBR also distributed school materials for fifteen disabled students of the area. It was reported that at least two students—a girl and a boy—had completed higher secondary and secondary level education respectively. At a time when the NDA is expanding its activities in different districts, both the NDA and CBR activists were unclear about their future activities in the years ahead, more particularly after the restructuring of the country along federal lines. In the meeting and discussion with local activists including the disabled population, a pertinent question was raised—what will happen to the district units of the CBR once the country goes for a federal structure? The central team, led by Gajendra Kumar Lama, Chairman of NDA—Khagendra Navjeevan Kendra—and Ms. Laxmi Subedi, Chairperson of CBR Central Committee, encouraged the local people to keep on working with the current level of spirit regardless of what will happen to the district units of CBR. Disability as a future priority In fact, whatever the political system, disability is there and needs prioritised of the society, the government and the donor agencies. Disability does not know race, ethnicity, age or other categories that people make for the sake of their interest. Social service programmes like the CBR will continue and must continue regardless of what happens in the political frame, or for that matter, whatever political garb the country wears. Disability must be the focus of the planners at the local as well as the central level. During the visit, a remarkable level of all party unity for the cause of the disabled was visible. It was strongly felt that there is a growing need to go to more districts—including remote areas—to list the number and nature of disability and prepare a roster for future work. It is important to note that the

disabled community is still marginalized although they themselves are making all out effort to the mainstream society. NDA can play a vital role in this regard.

Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC):

The HRDC is a program of a non-governmental organization, the Friends of the Disabled. It is a tertiary level pediatric orthopaedic hospital in the country located in Banepa which provides high quality reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation for children below 16 years of age. Its services are geared for under privileged physically disabled children in Nepal.

Program Introduction:

MS Program was started in 1999, through the initiation of Dr. Ashok K. Banskota with Kathmandu University (KU). The program has been authenticated by Nepal Medical Council. It is now running in the 9th year. B & B Hospital (BBH), Gwarko, Lalitpur and Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Children (HRDC), Janagal, Kavre are the two training centers for the purpose. So far 7 batches (17 doctors) have successfully completed the training. All 11 doctors are providing quality services in different institutions. Dr. Jwala Raj Pandey and Dr. Babu Kaji Shrestha are involved in the training Program. In addition two graduates of the program (the second batch—Dr. Tarun Rajbhandari and Dr. Binod Bijukachhe) and one graduate of the fourth batch (Dr. Om Prakash Shrestha) are also involved in the training program under the overall supervision and co-ordination of Prof. Dr. Ashok K. Banskota. Though the duration of formal education and training for MS Program is only 3 years (2nd, 3rd & 4th), the concept of making it a 5 year package was presented

to the Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University long time back by the Team (Dr. Banskota, Dr. Pandey and Mr. Bhattarai). Conceptually it was agreed, but there was difference of opinion in the technical committee. But still practically we are implementing it as a 5 year program. The residents’ fifth year of involvement is for giving them opportunities for testing out their skills more independently. They are called Registrars in the fifth year. Though formal “MS Degree” is conferred in 3 years after successful completion of the formal regular study as a resident, the first year is made mandatory for getting into the course by KU itself and the fifth year for opportunity to gain independence in the work.

Primary Rehabilitation Therapy (PRT) Training

At the end of 2008, 139 staff was working at HRDC in regular and contractual status. There is a strong sense of belonging and pride amongst the staff about the Mission of HRDC and its accomplishments. This year, the 12th batch of Primary Rehabilitation Therapy (PRT) Training was successfully concluded for 17 participants from numerous organizations. Refresher courses were also held for our CBR workers. Other activities included refresher training in shoe making for trainees from Mid Western Nepal, attending the Annual Meetings of Various specialist societies by HRDC staff (Orthotic Prosthetic Society of India Annual meeting at Hyderabad; Indian Association of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual meeting at Bangalore etc). Three more students graduated in the Masters in orthopedic surgery course of Kathmandu University, of which HRDC is a teaching hospital and training venue.

The Social Impact Study

This study conceived by us, was undertaken to study the impact on the lives of children treated at HRDC. The study design was thoroughly screened and formulated by a committee chaired by FOD Board member Ambika M. Joshee. Joseph Aguettant of TdH and Krishna Bhattarai of HRDC provided the necessary additional guidance. Robert Millman, our former TdH delegate edited the final report. The published results are astonishing and throughly encouraging. Over 90% of the children in the study reported a positive impact of the HRDC treatment on their further growth and development both physically and socially. This is important information not only for us at HRDC, but the entire world community associated with the HRDC effort. The impact Study organized by Terre des Hommes and FOD/HRDC was a landmark in 2008. The information provided by this study heralds new home and encouragement for the quarter center of HRDC effort.

Definition of Disability by the Government

The Nepalese constitution defines persons with disabilities as persons who are mentally or physically unable or incompetent to lead a normal life. The term includes persons whose mobility is impaired, who suffer from spinal curvature, have visually impaired in one or both eyes, have hearing impairment, are unable to speak properly, or whose hands, legs, or fingers are impaired or missing. A person with any disability; including the amputation or paralysis of both legs; amputation of both hands; blindness, or inability to work due to impaired vision; amputation or paralysis of one leg; inability to walk, requiring the use of a wheelchair, hearing impairment, or intellectual disability. However, persons who are in need of continuous from others to perform daily activities due to the aforementioned disability (or disabilities) are defined as “acute handicapped”. Different studies have defined disability classification in their own context. However, the standard Person with Disabilities definition the Government has adopted and approved under the committee formed under sub-section (2) of the Protection and Welfare of

Disabled Persons

Act, 20395 is defined as follows:

1. Physical Disability: A person who is unable to perform the activities of daily life due to physical deficiency, defect or deformity by birth, or by accident after birth, or due to disease

2. Visually Impaired: A person who even after treatment (medical, surgical or use of spectacles) cannot count or detect fingers with the better-sighted eye from a distance of ten feet ‘or cannot read the characters of the Snellen chart (3/60)6 is defined as “blind” 3. Nepal follows its own calendar, Bikram Sambat. The New Year begins in midApril. According to this system, Bikram Sambat 2039 is 1982-1983. 4. The Snellen chart is a chart for testing visual acuity, usually consisting of letters, numbers, or pictures printed in lines of decreasing size, which a patient is asked to read or identify at a fixed distance. (From The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000) and those defined “visually impaired” are those persons who, even after treatment (medical, surgical or use of spectacles), cannot count or detect fingers with the bettersighted eye from a distance of twenty feet, or cannot read the characters on the Snellen chart (6/18). 5. Intellectual Disability: A person who cannot perform the activities expected of his/her age and environment due to the lack of mental development prior to the age of 18 years. 6. Hearing Impaired: A person who cannot hear, speak clearly or cannot speak at all and has to use sign language for communication with a hearing capacity of 80 decibels or less is defined “deaf”, whereas those who cannot hear properly, speak clearly or can only speak very little, or requires a hearing aid and have a hearing capacity between 65 to 80 decibels is defined as “hearing impaired”. 7. Mental Disease: A person who is unable to perform the activities of daily life due to mental deficiency, defect or deformity by birth, by accident after birth, or by disease.

Definition by Other Studies

Previous studies have used different criteria for defining disability and have defined it in their own context. Other definitions associated with various studies

are given below.

1. 1971 Census, Central Bureau of Statistics, 1971

The 1971 census referred to the Person with Disabilities population in Nepal as the “economically inactive” population due to “physical disability.” This definition included four types of disability: blindness, deafness, deaf-mute, or other physical impairment. This study indicated a national disability rate of 1.50%.

2. Report on Sample Survey of Disabled Persons in Nepal, 1980

This study defined persons with disabilities as those who by virtue of congenital disease, acquired diseases, or injury, are incapable of living an independent personal or social life, or engaging in gainful employment, or acquiring normal education consistent with his/her age or sex. Each category was further classified into four sub-types as follows:

a. Visual Disability: blind, visually handicapped, one eye blind and one eye visually handicapped. b. Auditory Disability: deaf, hearing impaired, and deaf-mute c. Physical Disabilities:

a) Upper Limb Disability: arm lost, arm crippled, finger lost b) Lower Limb Disability: leg lost, leg crippled

c) Head, neck or spinal disability d) Mental Disability: severe, moderate, and borderline

This national study indicated the prevalence of disability to be 3% in the total population.

3. Disabled People of Nepal, 1995

CERID/SED/BPEP/DANIDA7 Study

This study classified disabilities into 5 categories: hearing, visual, physical, mental and intellectual. This classification was based on identification by household . This study indicated a prevalence of 4.55% in 8 districts. This study classified the following types of disabilities:

a. Poor eyesight, blindness, night blindness and single-eye blindness b. Hearing impairment, ear disease, poor hearing and deafness c. Speech problems, unclear voice d. Physical disability, paralysis, absence of organ, deformity e. Epilepsy, development delay f. Multiple disabilities

4. A Situation Analysis on Disability in Nepal, 1999, New ERA (unpublished)

This study considered any person who could not perform the daily activities of normal life expected of a person of his/her specific age, or who required special care, and rehabilitation services. The following table gives a detailed classification of disabilities in this analysis.

Table 8: Classifications of Disabilities Communication Disabilities:

Visual Disability:

A person who, even after treatment, can not count fingers (both) from a distance of ten feet (3 meters), and who is blind.

Hearing Impaired:

A person who cannot hear ordinary voices with Both ears from a distance Speech impairment: A person who cannot speak at all or a person who cannot be understood.

Education Project, DANIDA: Danish International Development Agency

Locomotion Disabilities Mobility Impairment:

A person who is unable to perform the daily activities of life due to a physical deficiency, defect or deformity in the lower limbs

Manipulation (Working) Disability:

A person who is unable to perform the daily activities of life due to a physical deficiency, defect or deformity in the upper limbs

Mentally Related Disabilities

Intellectual Disability:

A person who is unable to perform activities or to learn new tasks typical of their age and environment due to delayed mental development prior to the age of 18 years. Under this classification, two categories are included: a) persons who can manage the daily activities of life with the help of training and b) persons who cannot manage daily activities (such as eating, dressing, speaking and going to the toilet, despite training.

Epilepsy:

A person who suffers from frequent attacks of unconsciousness and shows symptoms of tongue biting, frothing from the mouth, shivering, and inconsistent speech Chronic mental illness: A person who, after 18 years of age, has some mental instability including symptoms such as unprovoked anger or elation, crying without reason, or isolation from others

Complex Disabilities

Cerebral Palsy:

A person who has some damage in the immature brain leading to physical incapacity Some cases involve intellectual disabilities.

1-1. Current Situation

The recent study on the Situation Analysis on Disability 1999 (unpublished) indicated that the service centers and the organizations for Persons with Disabilities are concentrated in the accessible locations of the country. Thus, Persons with Disabilities in remote areas are deprived of services.

2. Registration system

The Village Development Committee (VDC) is required to all Persons with Disabilities. This registration is done in order to distribute disability allowance. However, there are complaints that some Persons with Disabilities are not ed despite several requests. This is perhaps due to confusion on the definition of Persons with Disabilities for the purpose of registration. A person with disabilities identification card provision program has been launched to enable the provision of proper services for persons with disabilities. However, when issuing identification cards, problems similar to those with the registration system have arisen. Although, a person with disabilities registration system to distribute disability allowances exists, there are no fixed registration guidelines and disability allowances do not reach all those who require it. Parallel to the newly launched persons with disabilities identification card provision program, efforts should be made to accurately all persons with disabilities, and the registration system should be reformed so that the necessary services are provided. Revision and publicity on persons with disabilities definitions would be the basis of registration and training of registration Staff of Village Development Committees (VDC). At the same time, public relations to promote Person with Disabilities registration and the provision of means by which persons with disabilities can are important for realizing this objective.

2. General Concept towards Person with Disabilities

There is still a strong belief in Nepal that disability is due to sins of the past, fate and God. More than 50 % of the parents of persons with disabilities surveyed answered that the disability of their child was due to fate and God’s will. These beliefs prevent them from accessing appropriate health care treatment for their disabled children.

3. Poverty

As pregnant women in low-income groups are deprived of nutritious food and proper health services, their children are at higher risk of being born with disabilities.

4. Lack of Opportunities in Rural Area

Although attempts have been made to provide job opportunities for persons with disabilities in offices and factories, there are many rural persons with disabilities who are deprived of information and services. Only a few persons with disabilities have received vocational training and have been able to utilize their skills to generate income. Rehabilitation services are also centrally focused, and persons with disabilities in rural areas experience difficulties in accessing rehabilitation services.

5. Treatment

A recent study, A Situation Analysis on Disability, found that 28.5% of Persons with Disabilities have never received any treatment. Among those who had sought treatment approximately 30 % replied that they had been to faith healers. The general practice in rural areas is to first visit faith healers and to visit health personnel if things do not improve.

6. Education

According to the study A Situation Analysis on Disability in Nepal, 68.2 % of persons with disabilities in Nepal have no education. Among the disabled male population, 59.6 % have no education, while 77.7 % of disabled females have no education. However, the special education unit (MOE) has been promoting special education among school-aged children. Among the Persons with Disabilities from 6-20 years old, 43.7 % have never enrolled in school and the drop out rate is around 30%. Nearly half of all children with disabilities have not been able to benefit from education services. The high drop-out rate is said to result from inability of children with disabilities to perform as well as other children.

7. Problems faced by Persons with Disabilities in the Community. The study: Situation Analysis on Disability in Nepal, 1999 indicated that 70% of Persons with Disabilities could not lead a dignified life as they were mocked and isolated. It found that even their participation in community gatherings was a big problem. Persons with disabilities also felt discriminated against in the workplace.

8. Accessibility

Still not approved law of accessible facility for the people with disabilities in Nepal. And there is not any kind of accessible motivation for the disabled.

9. Priority on the Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002)

Policies given in the Ninth Five Year Plan are priority issues for person with disabilities welfare in Nepal. These are the provision of free medical, educational and vocational training services; partnership between person with

disabilities-related ministries and organizations, improving person with disabilities facilities, data management, Person of disabilities, as well as obtain nation-wide data and information about the situation of persons with disabilities in Nepal. The study assessed the magnitude of various types of disabilities according to sex and age. It explored the conditions of persons with disabilities, such as social and economic participation, access to education, health care and public attitude towards persons with disabilities. The study also reviewed existing legislation concerning persons with disabilities in Nepal with disabilities employment measures, promoting production of assistive devices and the development of communication tools and media programs.

10. Improving rural area accessibility

Nepalese persons with disabilities in rural areas have limited access to services and organizational activities. In particular, the lack of access to employment, treatment, low-interest loans, facilities and organizations, as well as lack of opportunities to participate in the community has been identified. In order to improve access to these services and facilities, measures must be taken to remove physical barriers, increase services and facilities in rural areas and strengthen publicity efforts towards persons with disabilities.

11. Items regarding with Disability.

Information on the prevalence and types (Classification) of disabilities was collected. This was the first time that the National Census dealt with questions on disability and persons with disabilities.

Annex 1

SOME FACTS ON THE IINTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY

During Khagendra’s lifetime there was hardly any commitment from the world community for promoting the cause of the disabled peoples. Some notable steps that were taken from the beginning of the eighties are reproduced below for general information. 1- Firstly, the year 1981, was declared by the United Notions as the International Year of Disabled Person (IYDP). Estimating that there were 450 to 500 million disabled persons around the world, the UN projected that this figure could reach near billion by the year 2000. 2- Secendly, the UN General Assembly in 1982 unanimously ed the resolution to declare 1983 to 1992 as international decade for the disabled persons. As many of the cause of disability were considered preventable, member countries were requested, consistent with that declaration, to formulate appropriate strategies to eliminate causes as outlined in the UN Action Plan concerning disability. 3- A year later, responding to the overwhelming good response from the member countries, the UN Secretary General declared the 3rd of December every year to be observed as the international day of the disabled persons. 4- After the end of the UN Decade for the disabled persons, now the year 19932002 has been declared as the Asia and pacific Decade of the disabled persons. 5- During the summit held in Male, Maldives, in 1991, the south Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) with Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as its , took the historic decision to declare 1993, the current year, as the SAARC year of disabled persons.

According this declaration of SAARC Disabled year 1993, Nepal also organized one Nepal committee under the UN Nepal s.

The committee was organized by Mr. Hasta Gautam “Mirdul” Founder Secretary General of the National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal at 1993.

The Committee Coordinator was Mr. Yagya Prasad Upreti.

6- The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the SASRC Region consists of 100 million people with disabilities, a large proportion of which is considered to include children and adults. 7- In Nepal, the population of the disabled community is estimated to be two million. (Out of this figure, the population of the mentally retarded alone is projected to be 800,000, most of who lead a life of drudgery and are regarded by the society at large us burdens. The Rising Nepal Editorial “Rehabilitation Disabled” February 7th, 1993, forcefully pleaded that “under no circumstances should the mentally retarded be regarded as burdens.”

In short, there has been a remarkable increase in global activities for promoting plans, action programs, strategies and guidelines to provide frameworks for improving the status of the disabled persons. All these steps have been taken because of the increasing perception that a valuable inputs to developments has suffered due to the inadequate recognition of the untapped human resources of the disabled community.

Source: the details and data used here are based on the two articles written by Mr.Sashi Shah (one of the Orthopedic specialist of Nepal) and both published in the “the Rising Nepal” under separate headings, “Development: Integrating the Disabled (December 6, 1992, Page 4,) and “opinion: Welfare of Disabled in

SAARC” (March, 5, 1993, Page no. 4) Mr. Shahi Shah is General Secretary, Gauri Shanker Assembly of disabled People, Nepal.

Other articles, collections and personally interviews with about 100 persons who are relatives, friends, and will-wisher and connected have contributed to his works and life.

SOME FACTS ON THE IINTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY:

During Khagendra’s lifetime there was hardly any commitment from the world community for promoting the cause of the disabled peoples. Some notable steps that were taken from the beginning of the eighties are reproduced below for general information.

1- Firstly, the year 1981, was declared by the United Notions as the International Year of Disabled Person (IYDP). Estimating that there were 450 to 500 million disabled persons around the world, the UN projected that this figure could reach near billion by the year 2000. 2- Secendly, the UN General Assembly in 1982 unanimously ed the resolution to declare 1983 to 1992 as international decade for the disabled persons. As many of the cause of disability were considered preventable, member countries were requested, consistent with that declaration, to formulate appropriate strategies to eliminate causes as outlined in the UN Action Plan concerning disability. 3- A year later, responding to the overwhelming good response from the member countries, the UN Secretary General declared the 3 rd of December every year to be observed as the international day of the disabled persons. 4- After the end of the UN Decade for the disabled persons, now the year 1993-

2002 has been declared as the Asia and pacific Decade of the disabled persons. 5- During the summit held in Male, Maldives, in 1991, the south Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) with Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as its , took the historic decision to declare 1993, the current year, as the SAARC year of disabled persons. According this declaration of SAARC Disabled year 1993, Nepal also organized one Nepal committee under the UN Nepal s.

The committee was organized by Mr. Hasta Gautam “Mirdul” Founder Secretary General of the National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal.

The Committee Coordinator was Mr. Yagya Prasad Upreti.

6- The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated the SASRC Region consists of 100 million people with disabilities, a large proportion of which is considered to include children and adults. 7- In Nepal, the population of the disabled community is estimated to be two million. (Out of this figure, the population of the mentally retarded alone is projected to be 800,000, most of who lead a life of drudgery and are regarded by the society at large us burdens. The Rising Nepal Editorial “Rehabilitation Disabled” February 7th, 1993, forcefully pleaded that “under no circumstances should the mentally retarded be regarded as burdens.”

In short, there has been a remarkable increase in global activities for promoting plans, action programs, strategies and guidelines to provide frameworks for improving the status of the disabled persons. All these steps have been taken because of the increasing perception that a valuable inputs to developments has suffered due to the inadequate recognition of the untapped human resources of the disabled community.

Source: the details and data used here are based on the two articles written by Mr.Sashi Shah (one of the Orthopedic specialist of Nepal) and both published in the “the Rising Nepal” under separate headings, “Development: Integrating the Disabled (December 6, 1992, Page 4,) and “opinion: Welfare of Disabled in SAARC” (March, 5, 1993, Page no. 4) Mr. Shahi Shah is General Secretary, Gauri Shanker Assembly of disabled People, Nepal. Other articles, collections and personally interviews with about 100 persons who are relatives, friends, and will-wisher and connected have contributed to his works and life. During the Collection of his real views and memory, I was meeting with different persons and almost I got very kindness and opinion regarding the Khagendra, All share happiness about the writing book of his biography.

I started this collection 22/05/2048 BC, Saturday,

A SYMBOL OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION Late Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat

Nepal Disabled Association came into being 32 years ago as envisaged by philanthropist Khagendra Bahadur Basnyat. The society and the nation have honored him by instituting “Khagendra National Disabled Society Service Award” in his memory. An energetic, ambitious, and hopeful youth of 20, Basnyat, suddenly fell prey to disability, and became disabled in a society where disability is regarded as the outcome of sinful deeds of previous births. Poverty and misery become the destiny of these unfortunate people. Basnyat believed otherwise and felt the disabled are also part of the society, who, through proper education and training opportunities could contribute a lot towards nation building. He worked to champion the right of the disabled and initiated a number of activities for their welfare. It was due to his unswerving pursuit of his aims

that “Nepal Disabled Association” came into being in 1969, subsuming all kinds of disabilities (physical, mental, blindness, and hardness of hearing). Born in 1929 at Dillibazar, Kathmandu Khagendra obtained his B.Sc.(Agriculture) from Allahabad University. Affected by ankolosiong spondyliti in the course of his study, he received treatment for a period of one year in Lucknow, but in Kathmandu, he was pronounced severely disabled.The misfortune did not stop him from pursuing an active life and started tuition classes for school and college students as a service for low-income and intelligent students in his neighborhood in subjects like English, Math, and Science.

Unable to move and bed-ridden, he embarked on a mission to help the disabled people with a view to providing vocational training and physio-therapy as well as other extensive services to them. He was instrumental in opening a model house Nava Jeeban Kendra (New Life Center) as a national level organization. His disability, in fact, has proved to be a blessing in disguise for the disabled people of the country. Enrolment in this center of the disabled persons from different parts of the country increased, while news of the center’s inception reached far and wide abroad. It was an accolade for the Nepalese disabled athletes, when they were chosen to participate in the first Fespic Game, an international event held in Japan, in 1975 and declared winners. After the demise of Khagendra, the building was constructed in the center of the compound, where severely disabled persons receive services. In 1984 additional services to orphans, handicapped/helpless, and disabled children were started. The Handicapped Service Coordination Committee Association has been providing services on the premises of Khagendra Nava Jivan Kendra where four family homes provide physiotherapy services, education, and vocational training in a family environment. Despite his disability, late Basnyat was a person of wide interests, especially politics, and a firm believer in democracy and good governance. He bequeathed all his personal assets to the center. Basnyat ed away on 1 Poush, 2034 BS and the Nava Jeeban Kendra was named after him. In reorganization of its outstanding social services to the cause of disability, MEU International Volunteer Japan awarded the center US $ 20,000 in 1996. Likewise, the

Tulsi Mehar Distinguished

Social Service Award of Rs. 100,000 and The Bhupalman Singh Academy Award 2055 of Rs. 50,000 have been awarded to the center in recognition of the philanthropic services it has rendered to the society.

A SYMBOL OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION Late Daya Bir Singh Kansakar

Born in a middle class Buddhist family of Keltole as the eldest child of Bhawani Bir Singh Kansakar and Laxmi Devi Kansakar, Daya Bir Singh Kansakar was guided by his father even in his early age by ideal teachings. During the initial years, he was influenced and shaped by his own community’s culture, and tradition: Buddhism. He received formal education only up to Class VII, but was keen for higher learning. As a result, self-studies enabled him to broaden his intellectual and mental horizons. That very determination must have driven him later to establish a girls’ school in Kathmandu. He also undertook efforts to establish a domestic textile factory and turned his attention towards running a biscuit factory. About fifty years ago, cholera used to sweep Kathmandu almost every year as an epidemic some fifty years ago. Therefore, Mr. Kansakar maintained a small stock of medicines as much as he could collect in his own shop in the year 1944 for free distribution to the ailing patients. Inadequate physical facilities and infrastructure forced him to realize the need of organizing a corps of volunteers as his lone activities were insufficient to face the problem. The small clinic in his shop, which he started with little medicaments, would later grow into a famous

PAROPAKAR AUSHADHALAYA (Paropakar Dispensary).

The evolution of Paropakar into an institution with its diverse agencies spread all over the country is a matter of inspiration to all: Paropakar Primary Treatment Center, Paropakar Department of Free Charity, Paropakar Service Camps set up at different localities, Paropakar services extended during epidemics at different times, Paropakar Ambulance, Paropakar Blood Donation Service, Paropakar Orphanage, Paropakar Shree Panch Indra Rajya Laxmi Devi Prashuti Griha (Maternity Hospital), Paropakar Adarsha High school, and Paropakar Pediatric Mobile Dispensary. They have been serving innumerable hapless poor in health, education, and many other sectors. The selfless services of late Kansakar received recognition at the national level. The institution has received the royal patronage, and the founder was decorated on various occasions with royal honor (Gorkha Dakshin Bahu in 1956, Prabal Gorkha Dakshin Bahu in 1959, and TriShakti Patta in 1961). Kansakar also made significant contribution to the success of the Fourth World Buddhist Conference held in Nepal in 1956, and was active in many other fields as Chairman of Swayambhu Development Committee, Bijayaswari Bihar Renovation and Improvement Committee, and Kanak Chaitya Renovation and Improvement Committee at Machhindra Bahal, as a member of Namo Buddha Chaitya Renovation Committee, and Lumbini Development Committee, as Honorary Chairman of Lumbini Dharmodaya Committee, as Advisory Member of Tribhuwan Memorial Committee, as a founder-member of Nepal Red Cross Society and Nepal Handicrafts Industry Association, and as a founder of the Nepal Cooperative Society. Late Kansakar was, moreover, the first blood donor in Nepal (in 1943). He represented Nepal in the World Peace Conference in Sri Lanka and Soviet Russia in 1957 and 1962 respectively.

A SYMBOL OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION Late Tulsi Mehar Shrestha

Born in 1896 in Kobahal, Lalitpur, Tulsi Mehar was well known as a prominent Gandhian social worker not only in Nepal but also in the neighboring countries. Influenced by the teachings and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananada, Mr. Shrestha dedicated his entire life to serving others after abandoning his family property when he was still a youth. In 1926, he was sentenced to jail for six months by the Rana rulers for trying to popularize weaving charkha. But it failed to deter him. In the 40s he waged a movement against untouchability and women’s illiteracy. Subsequently, in 1953 he established an Ashram by the side of the Manahara river of Kathmandu to provide shelter to destitute widows and orphans. As a follower of Acharya Binoba Bhabe, Tulsi Mehar always brushed aside offers for high government posts and engaged himself in providing jobs to the poor. As a recognition to his works, he was awarded Jawahar Lal Nehru International Award in 1977. Today, Tulsi Mehar Unesco Club, established in his memory, has been carrying our various social service activities. The life of Tulsi Mehar continues to inspire volunteers who aspire to work for the betterment of Nepalese society.

A SYMBOL OF SERVICE AND DEDICATION Sir Edmund Percival Hillary

Born on 20th July 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand, Sir Hillary’s family include spouse, three children, and six grandchildren. After the historical ascent of Mount Everest on 29th May 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary has spent the rest of his life in uplifting the life of the remote mountain people of the

Solu Khumbu district in Nepal through his works with the Himalayan Trust. Sir Edmund Hillary established a close friendship with the Sherpa people of the in the Mount Everest region through his link with mountaineering activities in the early 60s. However, he saw that there were lots of things lacking in the area. There was no school, no medical care, and he wanted to help the people there. On one occasion, when Sir Hillary and a group of Sherpas were crossing the of Tashi Lapcha, between the Rolwaling Valley and Khumbu Valley, they had to spend one night in a rock cave around a little fire amid friendly discussions. Sir Hillary asked one of his friends, Urken Sherpa, “What would be the best thing to do for the Sherpa people if I could of help?” Without waiting Urken said, “Our children have eyes but they cannot see because of illiteracy, and therefore, we need a school in the village of Khumjung” (the largest Sherpa village in the region). Sir Hillary raised the funds and the first school came up in Khumjung in 1960. Since then, Sir Hillary has been involved in a number of development projects in the district. He has established the Himalayan Trust through which health ad education projects are implemented. Today, there are more than 26 schools and one college founded by the Himalayan Trust. The government isters these schools. The Trust also provides scholarships to bright students eager to pursue their higher studies in the fields of education, health, forestry, medicine, and other vocational areas in any part of the country but these scholarships are limited to the students from the Solu Khumbu district. In the health sector, the Himalayan Trust has built two hospitals—one in the village of Kunde in Khumjung VDC set up in 1966 and another in 1975 at Phaplu village near the district headquarters. Khunde Hospital is run entirely by the Trust with volunteer doctors from abroad, and a local staff, and provides free medical services to all the Nepalese arriving for medical care. The Phaplu Hospital was handed over to the government in 1983 and is now the district hospital. Besides these two hospitals, there are dozens of village health clinics managed by the Trust,which provides primary medical care and other services such as family planning, safe motherhood, vaccinations etc. Today, Sir Hillary is known in the world more for his humanitarian works than his conquest of Mount Everest and has received great iration for the works he has done in Nepal over more than half a century. The Volunteers of Himalayan Trust work in a number of areas in various regions of the country and

often return with unforgettable memories and experiences. Sir Hillary says, “Volunteers who come to Nepal should have a pure objective to serve the people with specific goals. They should have a keen sense of respect for the local people, their culture, and their aspirations. The volunteers should not decide what the local people want but should respond to what they want and should try to become a part of the community.”

Treat the disabled as equals’

DEC 02—Superstar Rajesh Hamal, apart from lighting up the silver screen, is also the goodwill ambassador for Rotary Nepal’s Disability Awareness Campaign. On the International Day for the Persons with Disabilities 2009, Jenee Rai of The Kathmandu Post spoke to him about what needs to be done to make Nepal more disabled-friendly. Edited excerpts from the interview: What is your message on World Disability Day? Normal people are kind towards people with disabilities, but don’t treat them as equals. This is the real problem. Apart from kindness and love, disabled people need helping hands from all sections of society. There is also a high need for disabled-friendly infrastructures in public institutions, such as hotels, hospitals, public transportation, educational institutions, and banks. As a celebrity ambassador, how do you think this raises awareness regarding the issue?

Despite being aware of the rights of people with disabilities, there is a lack of will on the part of the state and corporate houses. This kind of campaign can contribute in promoting the will to do something among common people, the state, and corporate houses. Disabled people may have physical disorders, but they can contribute a lot in the development of the country through other skills. Have you ever been personally affected by the situation of the disabled?

Maina, my adopted sister of 16 years, is in a wheel-chair and lives at Khagendra Nawa Jewan Kendra in Jorpati. She puts Tika on me every Bhai Tika. Similarly,

I celebrate other festivals with her as well. I am really touched by her and others at the Kendra. What do Nepal need to do to make the country more disabledfriendly? First of all, the state should build disabled-friendly infrastructures. Secondly, they should create a work-environment that allows the disabled to live independently.

In Nepal, the social service sector has been an agenda of discussion and a very popular field for the mobilization of manpower, scarce resources and at the local level. Even the commercial-industrial sector has lately opened both its purse and door for the cause of social service as a social responsibility. The state has already made it possible for native as well as foreign individuals, groups and organizations to work in this sector with native collaborators in the spirit of cooperation and t venture. It is because of state that INGOs and NGOs have mushroomed fast in post 1990 Nepal and are also producing results that are measurable and quantifiable. Those with good intention have actually left their mark distinctly and been catalytic in bringing about the desired level of change in the society. However, disability is still not a prioritized sector reaching out to this marginalized population. Disability has been a sector of low priority nationally. This has led the disabled community to take to the streets in more recent times to voice their concerns and make the government and society hear them despite the fact that the Nepal Disabled Association—Khagendra Navjeevan Kendra (NDA-KNK), Jorpati, Kathmandu, initially started by the late Khagendra Bahadur Basnet—and a parallel organization under the umbrella of the Social Service Council of the government of Nepal are at work. This has changed the old face of disability in Nepal although there is a lot to do in this sector.