Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, July 19 (Nepal Oregon News): The World Newah Organization (WNO), the global and umbrella organization of the Newah people living across the world, has been plagued by groupism and factionalism ahead of its elections to be held on August 5-7, 2022 in New York, USA.
In what appeared to be an unprecedented event in the short history of the WNO, on Sunday, July 17, 2022, a virtual public hearing was conducted by Daya Shakya, patron of WNO upon the request from the WNO life members to clarify validity of the election committee's announcement of WNO candidates for 2022-2025.
The virtual hearing which was moderated by WNO patron Shakya was participated by Dr Prajwal Pradhan, Dr Narayan Rajbhandari, Anil Ranjit, Bhusan Shrestha, Bimal Shrestha, Shobhit Shakya, Dr Subhash Ram Prajapati, Surendra Bhakta Shrestha, Rajesh Shrestha and Narayan Somname. There were 20 participants of WNO members who took part in the hearing through the zoom, according to a statement issued on July 19, 2022. Some zoom participants were reluctant to express their views.
Laying emphasis on the need to do away with the highhandedness of the WNO, the statement said:"The 90 days extension for the existing WNO executive board members (EBM) expired on June 26, 2022 as per the amended WNO charter of 2016, article 10.10. The constitution does not allow extending further 90 days again and again."
The statement went on saying:"Therefore, the EBM does not have any authority to proceed with WNO activities. The only way to proceed with activities is through forming an adhoc committee."
"The WNO election appears to be conducted under pressure after the June 26 deadline. The election announcement for the WNO candidacy does not carry a legal foundation after expiration of the EBM's tenure period. Consequently, the committee needs to be revived again through an adhoc committee", the statement further said.
Denouncing the establishment side of the WNO for issuing warning letters to targeted executive members to be removed from their respected positions if they refused to accept the majority's decisions, the statement reiterated:"Such a warning is unethical, unconstitutional and dictatorial. It is obvious that groupism in the WNO mission has been heavily facilitated in the past few few years."
The virtual hearing agreed that the controversy brewing in the WNO has reached the highest point, and that this is happening because of the "myopic attitude" of some WNO leaders.
The virtual meeting also stressed the need for the WNO to become more transparent and more far-sighted and abandon hooliganism.
The zoom meeting urged the establishment side to solve issues through mutual understanding based on constitutional mandate.
Meanwhile, Swayambhu Tuladhar, former WNO vice president, commented in the social media:"There were deliberations today for two hours among the members reflecting discontent and disenchantment within the WNO. But nobody openly could call spade a spade and nobody wanted to speak out why and who is creating this scenario. Until and unless the person - who is pulling the wool over the eyes of the Newah people by resorting to dictatorship and factionalism - is not kicked out, there is little hope about reforms in the WNO."
The present WNO leadership does not respect the divergent opinion, said a WNO insider in condition of anonymity, adding:"Reluctance of the current WNO leadership - to tolerate dissent and criticism, to have members express themselves and to have voices heard - is the main problem."
Meanwhile, Krishna Chakhun, spokesperson of the WNO clarified the Nepal Oregon News in an e-mail that there is a democratic decision to extend the EBM until the annual general meeting, and that some people did not have decency to follow the democratic decision made by the majority.
Spokesperson Chakhun further stated:"Constitution of WNO has a provision for such extension by the Board."
(Disclaimer: This news story is based on the virtual meeting and the press release issued by WNO patron Daya Shakya)
