This is the final episode of our special mini-series ‘Interrupting Spaces’. Over the last four weeks, we brought you stories of women who are interrupting and disrupting the spaces and structures around them through their work, their voices, and their presence.

This episode is an intersection of art, activism, and is a celebration of difference - in stories, songs, poetry...in types of resistance, rejections, revisions and ultimately a movement towards change, equality, dignity - whether that is for an individual, a woman, a group, or the nation as we know it. This episode features Sarita Pariyar, Sapana Sanjeevani, Bina Theeng, Pranika Koyu and songs by Pardafash, Jerusha Rai, Shreya Rai, and Flekke.

This is the final episode of a five-part series, Interrupting Spaces, produced by Boju Bajai in collaboration with the United Nations in Nepal.

For new episode updates, please subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast on SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, CastBox, or wherever you get your podcast.

Subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai​
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Credits:
Sarita Pariyar is a writer and activist. Follow her on Twitter: @SaritaPariyar
Read her ‘A Touchable Woman’s Untouchable Daughter: Interplay of Caste and Gender in Nepal’ here:
https://journals.library.brandeis.edu/index.php/caste/article/view/183

Sapana Sanjeevani is an independent political researcher, Mithila artist, and feminist. Follow Sapana’s and her sister Payal’s artwork on Instagram @payalsapanapaints

Bina Theeng is a poet and writer.
She reads आगोको ठेगाना - 
https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/1226/2021-01-02
Follow her on Twitter: @Binalama75Bina
Buy her books here:
https://thuprai.com/author/bina-theeng/

Pranika Koyu is a poet and researcher. In this episode, she reads
झिल्को - https://bit.ly/3u9bnrR and सिता वाणी - https://bit.ly/2PeQL2R
Follow her on Twitter: @fullauri

I Have Created written by Itisha Giri and read by Irina Giri

Songs:
God Promise by Pardafash. Follow Pardafash on Instagram @pardafash
https://consolidate.bandcamp.com/track/god-promise

Pallo Ghar by Shreya Rai - https://youtu.be/u7MdCUYZk9w
Subscribe to her YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX9H48KNqpFhR5SBWX5OYDw

Sunsaan I by Jerusha Rai - https://youtu.be/fxY07xLYYiU
Subscribe to her YouTube channel -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa22fB1isLMMemkgERBRm9Q

Averse by Flekke - https://youtu.be/BTaXez-TdQ4

Consolidate Records. Follow Consolidate Records YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHPjKkQle3b3QQxhTmRag3g

Reporters for the Interrupting Spaces series.

Sewa Bhattarai.
Sewa is a bilingual journalist based in Nepal, working in radio and print media. Her main reporting focus is gender issues, and her other interests are arts and literature, environment, and rural Nepal. Follow Sewa on Twitter: @sewa_ditee

Nikita Tripathi.
Nikita holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies from Kathmandu University.

Madhuri Mahato
Madhuri is a journalist based in Birgunj, Nepal. Currently, the News Chief at Narayani FM, she has over a decade of experience reporting for the print and radio, including BBC Nepali.

Edited by Sikuma Rhiannon Rai

Sound design by Phatcowlee

Marketing and Social media:
Rabina Adhikari & Bidhyalaxmi Maharjan (Boju Bajai team)

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​
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If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

#52 Interrupting Spaces Finale

For Pride month, journalist Ankit Khadgi takes over Boju Bajai to bring you two tales, from the same city - tales of liberation and oppression; of love and longing; of personal freedom and collective demands. In the first segment, Ankit talks to  Roselyn Thapa Magar, also known as Maya Indrani, about the drag scene in Nepal. In the second segment of the episode, we hear from two transgender sex workers sharing their life experiences.

Trigger warning: The episode includes mention of self harm and assault.

This episode has been  conceived, hosted, produced, and edited by Ankit. He is a arts and culture reporter for The Kathmandu Post. You can follow his work on Twitter @ankitkhadgi

Follow Roselyn on Instagram at @manthatmakeup - instagram.com/manthatmakeup

You can also follow Blue Diamond Society's work and support their work with LGBTIQ+ communities in Nepal at www.bds.org.np

Ankit recently collaborated with Kaalo.101 to curate ‘WE ARE QUEER: VISUAL ARCHIVE PROJECT’. Check out the archive project at www.wearequeernepal.wixsite.com/thearchiveproject

Music by Flekke

Song credit:
Covergirl-RuPaul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3RB_56WziA

RuPaul's Drag Race Opening Theme- RuPaul's Drag Race
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3RB_56WziA

Badhi Mushkil- Lajja
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3RB_56WziA

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Recommended reading:
‘For most transgender women, sex work remains the only way to make a living’ -  https://tkpo.st/30LVA4U
'A Nepali drag show, with an American touch' - https://kathmandupost.com/art-culture/2019/06/12/a-nepali-drag-show-with-an-american-touch
‘Welcome to Pink Tiffany, Kathmandu’s first openly LGBTIQ-friendly restaurant and bar’- https://bit.ly/3x1XvS9
‘Murder of transwoman shows that things remain perilous for the LGBTIQ community’ - https://tkpo.st/378tyTD
‘Nepal might have made progress when it comes to queer rights but it still has a long way to go’ - https://tkpo.st/2AAIm1S
‘Socially isolated and in financial despair, LGBTIQ individuals are taking their own lives’ - https://tkpo.st/31l6X5X
‘Harassed, beaten, and jailed - Transgender individuals continue to face abuse at the hands of the Nepal Police’ - https://bit.ly/3dtuc2W

Subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai​
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…​
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/33MiYm0​
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FjuUBD

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

#56 Pride: Two Tales From a City

Trigger warning: This episode includes mentions of mental health disorders, anxiety, and suicide.

This episode is dedicated to mental health — about learning to take care of our mental well-being, initiating difficult conversations with our families about our struggles, and seeking help when we need it. For this episode, reporter Nikita Tripathi spoke to Kripa Sigdel, a psychologist and a faculty member at the Department of Psychology at Padma Kanya Campus; psychologist Renasha Ghimire, and Prashamsha Pandey, a mental health advocate, and therapy client. Information on mental health conditions and related services are more readily available to the urban population, but many, especially in the rural parts of the country, have limited access to such vital resources. Nepal’s public health spending thus far has grossly overlooked mental health while individuals risk being stigmatized for their mental health conditions by their family and society at large. 

मानसिक स्वास्थ्यबारे कुराकानी सुरु हुनु आफैमा राम्रो कुरा हो। अब आउने दिनहरुमा मानसिक स्वास्थ्यसम्बन्धी सेवाको पहुँच पनि बढोस्। 

This episode was reported by Nikita Tripathi. Nikita is a media producer based in Kathmandu and likes to walk.
Irina Giri edited the episode and Fleeke performed the cover of Fiona Apple's 'Every Single Night'.  

If you, or anyone you know, needs help with their mental health, the following information might be of help:
Mental Health Helpline Nepal: 1660 0133666
 Mental health professionals providing free services curated by @gyanchautari on Instagram (Shared on May 9, 2021) - https://www.instagram.com/p/COpS4HABVy2/ 

TUTH Suicide Hotline: 9840021600
Transcultural Psychosocial Organization-Nepal: 1660 0102005
Patan Hospital Helpline for Suicide Prevention: 9813476123
Check out the works of Psychbigyaan Network Nepal, which Kripa Sigdel founded and is the Executive Director  - https://psychbigyaan.com.

Readings:
‘Nepal’s suicide rate vastly underestimated’ - https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-suicide-rate-vastly-underestimated/
‘महामारीले बेरोजगारी, बढ्यो ‘डिप्रेसन’ र आत्महत्या’ - https://ekantipur.com/news/2021/07/21/162683222820863757.html
‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal-2020 (Factsheets-Adults)’ - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/national-mental-health-survey-nepal-2020-factsheets-adults/
‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal-2020 (Factsheets-Adolescents) - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/national-mental-health-survey-nepal-2020-factsheets-adolescents/
‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal’ conducted by National Health Research Council - http://nhrc.gov.np/projects/nepal-mental-health-survey-2017-2018/
Pilot Study of National Mental Health Survey, Nepal, September 2018 - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/pilot-study-of-national-mental-health-survey-nepal/
‘Women Across 17 Countries Report Increased Stress, Household Work Due To Covid-19’ - https://www.forbes.com/sites/dishashetty/2021/01/29/women-across-17-countries-report-increased-stress-household-work-due-to-covid-19
‘Simone Biles Says She Wasn’t Right Mentally During Olympic Final’ - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/07/27/sports/gymnastics-olympics-results
‘Mental health struggles are ubiquitous. We are all Naomi Osaka now’ - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/18/mental-health-struggles-naomi-osaka
‘I wanted more memories’: young people reflect on a year lost to Covid’ - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/20/covid-young-people-year-lost

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Subscribe to Boju Bajai:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai​
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

#58 ‘सन्चै हुनुहुन्छ?’

We talk to journalist Abha Lal about the citizenship debate in Nepal and how the recurring amendments disproportionately discriminate against women from the Madhes.

This conversation was recorded for Guff Gaff with Boju Bajai, a web-series presented by Book Bus Nepal. The series was produced by Satori Center for the Arts, Quixote’s Cove, and Boju Bajai.

Abha Lal is a journalist and researcher. Follow Abha on Twitter @AbhaLal2: https://twitter.com/AbhaLal2

Watch ‘अनि पहाड चाहिँ ?’  the second episode of Guff Gaff with Boju Bajai Webseries on Youtube. Abha Lal and Pallavi Payal about the citizenship debate in Nepal and how the latest amendments disproportionately discriminate against women from the Madhes. Yozana Thapa Magar brings you a sketch from a CDO office. And we have a special performance for you by the singer Pratibha Jha. 
https://youtu.be/HRCnCXlkXl8 

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai​
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…​
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/33MiYm0​
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Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:
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Recommended readings: 
‘Nepal’s citizenship battles’ by Abha Lal - https://www.himalmag.com/nepals-citizenship-battles-2020/
‘What mainstream feminists are getting wrong about the citizenship debate’ by Kalpana Jha, Abha Lal, Sangita Thebe Limbu - https://www.recordnepal.com/what-mainstream-feminists-are-getting-wrong-about-the-citizenship-debate

#60 Guff Gaff with Abha Lal

Cuffing season is here and so is the new Boju Bajai episode.

In this episode, we talk about dating apps or as we like to call them over at Boju Bajai- 'sutne' apps.

The heydays of love letters are long gone and it's the time of swiping and matching, of 'hey you up's and 'wyd?'s. But what hasn't changed is our desire to connect and find companionship. This episode explores how these desires were expressed before the internet and how it is done today. And there might or might not be dramatic readings of real life love letters in this episode!

We also hear from some of our listeners about their experiences - the good, the bad, and the weird.

Thank you so much to everyone who sent us stories. This episode really wouldn't have been possible without them.

This episode was reported by Nikita Tripathi. Nikita is a media producer based in Kathmandu and likes to walk. 

Irina Giri edited the episode.

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bojubajai​
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…​
Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/33MiYm0​
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FjuUBD

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai​​
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

Credits:
Lajja Sample
Film: Lajja
Song: Badhi Mushkil
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg-geusO3rs
 
2. "Electrolyte"
Artist: Scanglobe
Album: Electrolyte
From freemusicarchive.org
 
3. "Ekatira Mayalu"
Artist: Kunti Moktan
Album: Mero Man
Released: 1997
 
4."Truth Hurts"
Artist: Lizzo
Album: Cuz I Love You
 
5. "The Silver Hatch"
Artist: Blue Dot Sessions
Album: Rayling
 
6. "Dear Kalyan" Music: Background Music// No Copyright//Dear Kalyan// Mero Katha// Katha Mitho Sarangiko/ Basuri Ko Dhun
 
Played by: Bishnu Ale
 
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4CiJvQidUI
 
7. "Chitthi Aaena"
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYNagcv6HTM

References:
“Liquid Love? Dating apps, sex, relationships and the digital transformation of intimacy”
http://fws.commacafe.org/resources/liquid_love.pdf

“Eat the rich! Why millennials and generation Z have turned their backs on capitalism”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/20/eat-the-rich-why-millennials-and-generation-z-have-turned-their-backs-on-capitalism

“Invitations to Love: Literacy, Love Letters and Social Change in Nepal” by Laura Ahearn
https://www.press.umich.edu/11260/invitations_to_love
https://3lib.net/book/16577518/f99eff

“With blackmail list, gay men in Ghana fight conmen posing as lovers” -
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ghana-lgbt-blackmail-idUSKBN23G1RO

“Online Surveillance, Censorship, and Discrimination for LGBTQIA+ Community Worldwide” - 
https://www.recordedfuture.com/lgbtqia-community-cyber-threats/

“Tinder just agreed to let Russia review its data on demand. That could be dangerous for Russians.” 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/06/11/tinder-just-agreed-let-russia-review-its-data-demand-that-could-be-dangerous-russians/

“Body, Society & Tech: Dating as a Trans Woman in Nepal”
https://bodyanddata.org/body-society-tech-dating-as-a-trans-woman-in-nepal/

#61 Love, Sex, but no Dhoka

It’s all about Nepali uncle हरुको कान्ड this month, from बजेट चलखेल behind चुकुल लाको doors to सुनको लौरो “flying” to Jhapa bypassing the customs office at TIA. Buddha was born in Nepal wala पावन भूमीमा यति धेरैं चलखेल, जालझेल? Boju Bajai thinks Nepal Tourism Board should rethink their promos and maybe add “All बिचौलियाहरु and also Buddha was born in Nepal.”

Link to The Nepali Man - https://soundcloud.com/bojubajai/the-nepali-man 

If you like our laugh and guff gaff, please do consider supporting our work on Patreon: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bojubajai/​​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai​​
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai​​
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNYRGvqtpi1aHAucXGcNWRw

Link to all the news stories: 

घुस संवादले देखाएको न्यायालयको कुरुप तस्वीर - https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/06/1146725
Minister Ale losing it (Leaked audio tape) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM_zIaGySoM
सन्की मन्त्रीको गिर्दो मर्यादाः उत्कर्षमा आलेको अश्लीलता - https://nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/politics/857791-1655511483.html 
मन्त्री आलेको अश्लील गाली सामाजिक सन्जालमा भाइरल - https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2022/02/1079160 
Minister Ale with Salman Bhai - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu08MdRuBPA
मध्यराति बजेटमा जब ‘चुकुल’ लाग्यो…- https://annapurnapost.com/news/morning-watch-when-purvanasule-runs-the-budget-206196
‘सुनको लौरो’ बारे अनुसन्धान सुरु, भन्सार कार्यालय अनभिज्ञ - उपहारमा पाएको सुनको लौरो राज्यलाई दिने दुर्गा प्रसाईको घोषणा - https://www.onlinenepal.com/2022/06/19/138720/ 
महिला कर्मचारीसँग काम गर्न असजिलो हुने भन्दै वडाध्यक्षले मागे पुरुष कर्मचारी - https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/130644 
धादिङमा किसानले लुटे दुई ट्रक रासायनिक मल (भिडियो रिपोर्टसहित) - https://www.himalayatv.com/2022/06/18/69643/

#71 Cold Takes by Boju Bajai: All about Nepali uncles and their काण्ड

It’s that time of the year again! What are we marching for this year? Re-releasing this episode from a few years ago because, well… we are so tired of telling people to stop telling us “everyday is women’s day” when clearly it’s not, especially not in Nepal! Just look at how the Nepali state treats women - Nepali women are unequal by law because of the discriminatory citizenship provision in the constitution, the judiciary mostly takes side of male perpetrators in cases of sexual violence against women, and Nepali women’s mobility for better job opportunities abroad is severely restricted. So here’s our “tyaaau tyaaau” once again reminding everyone that giving women’s day discounts and a public holiday on March 8th will not make the world a better place for us womaniyas!

Hope you enjoy this episode!

Reading list

Nepali women are unequal by law, The Kathmandu Post, http://bit.ly/3aGXuaR

Deprived of an Individual Identity: Citizenship and Women in Nepal  https://www.jstor.org/stable/4030563
Women have no nationality, The Record https://www.recordnepal.com/women-have-no-nationality
Nepalis protest 'ridiculous' proposed ban on women travelling abroad, The Guardian https://bit.ly/3Jfapou 


We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack at bojubajai.substack.com. We will bring to you a weekly roundup of news and feminist views.
Read and subscribe here: bojubajai.substack.com

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#81: Everyday is not Women’s Day (Re-release)

We hosted a fun live podcast with writers Anbika Giri and Babita Rai talking about mother's day memes, their portrayal in popular media and literature. And now it’s here for you to listen and watch.  आमाहरुबारे रचिएका गीत सङ्गीत, हाम्रा प्रिय भावुक kavizz, र साहित्यमा आमाको चित्रण कसरी हुन्छ/ हुँदै आएको छ बारे 'चीरफार' गर्न बोजु बजैलाई साथ दिनु हुँदैछ लेखक द्वय बबिता राई र आन्विका गिरि। 
Hope you enjoy this episode!

You can also watch our conversation here.

Boju Bajai Live (Part 1)

Boju Bajai Live (Part 2)

Boju Bajai Live (Part 3)

We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack at bojubajai.substack.com for a weekly roundup of news and feminist views.
Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Boju Bajai Live Credits:
Research: Puspa Paudel
Video: Elite Joshi & Deepak KC
Venue: Shilpee Theatre, Battisputali, Kathmandu
Volunteers (Bidhya Maharjan, Bhawana Jain & Shristi Shakya)

#82 आमाको मुख…

Boju Bajai turns SEVEN!! Thank you to everyone, who’s been part of our laugh and guff gaff since we started Boju Bajai in 2016. We are so grateful to have a community of Boju Bajai listeners, readers and supporters, and we hope we will be able to continue our laugh and guff gaff until we actually become boju bajai irl also, re kya ;p

And this time our birthday special episode is dedicated to all the wonderful, and sometimes rishuthdo fathers. Thank you for sharing your good and not-so-good dad stories with us. This episode is also double special since we feature a Nepali man and stories of several Nepali men. So next time someone tells you  what about the men in Boju Bajai podcast, please share this episode with them.

Happy listening, and subscribe to Boju Bajai podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Oh, and if you enjoy our laugh and guff gaff and would like to gift us some birthday presents (yes, we are shameless that way) please consider being our patron. More details here www.patreon.com/bojubajai

We also have a newsletter! Subscribe to Cold Takes by Boju Bajai on Substack for a weekly roundup of news and feminist views.
Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bojubajai 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#83  बाउको मुख

Boju Bajai in conversation with the fantastically talented writer Kunsang. Her deeply personal essays and stories about her family, community and the way of life in the mountains of Humla are a window to a region of Nepal that doesn't get written about as much in Nepali literature or in our op-ed pages. Kunsang’s op-eds, memoirs and short stories have been published in several national dailies, including Kantipur, Naya Patrika. 

Listen to Boju Bajai Reads featuring Kunsang’s piece आगो केवल आगो होइन  published in Kantipur https://link.chtbl.com/bbreadsftkunsang

Here’s a list of Kunsang’s writings published in the last five years.

आगो केवल आगो होइन - https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2023/01/21/167426781073021303.html?author=1
सद्‍गुरुलाई कोही किन प्रश्न गर्दैन ? - https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2022/11/05/166761320871649608.html?author=1
तेह्र सौंराइ - https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2022/08/13/166035631515662586.html?author=1
बजाउने हात खोजिरहेछ ‘ङ’ - https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2022/04/16/165007488520992364.html?author=1
हिमाली कथा : हिउँमा हाइभिजन हल - https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2021/10/02/163314223402081319.html?author=1

#84 Guff Gaff with Kunsang

Welcome to the second episode of Care at the Centre: Voices from the Majority World. 

At the heart of this series is care - the life-affirming, life-sustaining practice which honours our interconnected relationships and our commitment to the wellbeing of ourselves, our environments, and each other.

In this episode, we bring you the voice of Rukshana Kapali.  As a trans woman activist from the Newa Indigenous group, Rukshana’s work and her experiences are specific to Nepal’s socio-political and cultural context. She has been working at the intersection of law and language, and her work is centered on challenging and changing policies through legal activism.
In this conversation, Rukshana shares the specific challenges faced by Nepal’s trans community while reflecting on her own personal journey of  navigating and accessing the educational system in Nepal as a trans woman.  
This episode was recorded in November, 2022.
If you want to know more about Rukshana’s work, you can visit her website. www.minchyaameyju.wordpress.com/ 
This series has been informed and guided by the Urgent Action Fund Report “How Can We Ground Ourselves in Care and Dance Our Revolution”. You can read the full report at rootingcare.org where you can also listen to episodes from the Urgent Action Funds.
Listen to all the episodes of the series Care At the Centre: Voices from the Majority World here:

Episode 1
https://on.soundcloud.com/4jgJb 
Episode 3
https://on.soundcloud.com/qBLEK
Episode 4
https://on.soundcloud.com/XPCYa
Episode 5
https://on.soundcloud.com/oL8kW 
Episode 6
https://on.soundcloud.com/rnazk 

Credits:
Production: Boju Bajai
Hosts: Bhrikuti Rai and Itisha Giri
Music and Sound Design: Rajan Shrestha and Irina Giri

UAF_EP2: Care at the Centre of Trans Rights: Conversation with Rukshana Kapali

Welcome to Episode 3 of Care At the Centre: Voices from the Majority World. 

At the heart of this series is care - the life-affirming, life-sustaining practice honouring our interconnected relationships and our commitment to the wellbeing of ourselves, our environments, and each other.
As the world becomes increasingly hostile towards feminist activists and women's movements, Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, Asia & Pacific, this series aims to bring to light the stories and experiences of women, trans, and gender-nonconforming human rights defenders who work tirelessly in the margins. 
In this episode, we bring you the voice of Nandar from Myanmar. 
Nandar is a feminist activist, a storyteller, and a podcaster. She is the founder of Purple Feminists Group. 
Nandar, a human rights defender from Myanmar, had to leave her home for an extended period of time after the military coup in 2020. Nandar talks about how she found herself having to reevaluate and revisit her work and her activism in the middle of political turmoil at home and a global pandemic and how these factors affected not just her work, but also her personal wellbeing. 
To know more about Nandar and the work her organization does, please visit: purplefeminist.org 
This series has been informed and guided by the Urgent Action Fund Report “How Can We Ground Ourselves in Care and Dance Our Revolution”. You can read the full report at rootingcare.org where you can also listen to podcast episodes from the Urgent Action Funds.
References: 
“The Guardian view on Myanmar’s military: in power but not control”
- 6 December, 2022
You can listen to all the episodes here:

Episode 1
https://on.soundcloud.com/4jgJb 
Episode 2 
https://on.soundcloud.com/7AWVp 
Episode 4
https://on.soundcloud.com/XPCYa
Episode 5
https://on.soundcloud.com/oL8kW 
Episode 6
https://on.soundcloud.com/rnazk 
Credits:

Production: Boju Bajai
Hosts: Bhrikuti Rai and Itisha Giri
Music and Sound Design: Rajan Shrestha and Irina Giri

UAF_EP3: Activism in Exile: Conversation with Nandar

Welcome to Episode 6 of Care at the Centre: Voices from the Majority World. 

At the heart of this series is care - the life-affirming, life-sustaining practice which honours our interconnected relationships and our commitment to the wellbeing of ourselves, our environments, and each other.

As the world becomes increasingly hostile towards feminist activists and women's movements, Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights, Asia & Pacific, aims to bring to light the stories and experiences of women, trans, and gender-nonconforming human rights defenders who work tirelessly in the margins through this six-part series.

In the final episode of the series, we reflect on the findings gathered from regional perspectives. We explore how activisms can respond to the concerns shared by activists featured in this series, and envision the future of activisms.
This series has been informed and guided by the Urgent Action Fund Report “How Can We Ground Ourselves in Care and Dance Our Revolution”. You can read the full report at rootingcare.org where you can also listen to podcasts from the Urgent Action Funds.
You can listen to all the episodes of Care at the Centre: Voices from the Majority World here:

Episode 1
https://on.soundcloud.com/4jgJb 
Episode 2 
https://on.soundcloud.com/7AWVp 
Episode 3
https://on.soundcloud.com/qBLEK
Episode 4
https://on.soundcloud.com/XPCYa
Episode 5
https://on.soundcloud.com/oL8kW 

Credits:

Production: Boju Bajai
Hosts: Bhrikuti Rai and Itisha Giri
Music and Sound Design: Rajan Shrestha and Irina Giri
A special thanks to the voice artists from Nepal featured in Episode 1 of this series.

UAF_EP6: Grounding Future Activisms

Boju Bajai in conversation with Akanchha Karki, who is a theatre director, performer and educator.   She runs Katha Ghera, a theatre collective in Kathmandu, and has directed several plays including the Nepali version of The Vagina Monologues, Private is Political, Line, The Giving Tree, Harek Babal Kura, and Animal Farm. She is also an aspiring filmmaker and directed her debut short film 'Sanai' through the British Council Gender Film Grant. She was a fellow at the Gograha filmmaking residency in 2022.

Her work focuses on mental health, gender sensitivity, and social justice. She challenges problematic structures, encourages unlearning of internalised prejudices, and facilitates difficult conversations that promote empathy and healing. She believes in creating safe spaces and sees vulnerability as a source of strength.

 You can follow her and her works on Instagram: https://instagram.com/akanchhakarki
https://www.instagram.com/kathagheraproductions/

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.
 Read and subscribe here: bojubajai.substack.com/welcome

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#85 Guff Gaff with Akanchha Karki

This is the second installment of Boju Bajai Reads where we get our favorite writers to read their writings. And this time, we are thrilled to have writer Shivani Singh Tharu read her piece ‘महुवा’ published in Naya Patrika.
Oh, and mark your calendar cos our episode ‘Guff Gaff with Shivani Singh Tharu’ is releasing on August 2.

Read the full piece published in Naya Patrika: https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/419/2019-08-10 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/

Music by https://www.lukefaulkner.com/music

Boju Bajai reads ft. Shivani Singh Tharu

Boju Bajai in conversation with writer Shivani Singh Tharu. In this episode, we talk about Shivani’s journey from tv to writing and her relationship with Kathmandu and Kathmandu’s elite institutions as a Tharu woman from Nepalgunj. She also speaks candidly about the struggles of being a full-time writer in Nepal, her creative process, and dabbling across different genres of writing.
Shivani started her career in tv as the host, producer, and scriptwriter for  ‘Mero Geet Mero Sandesh’ and ‘Mulyankan’ on Nepal Television. She later went on to write the critically acclaimed play ‘Virtual Reality’ and also worked as a scriptwriter/director for the radio drama ‘Katha Mitho Sarangiko’ produced by BBC Media Action.  
She used to be a columnist for Wave Magazine and is a regular contributor to Kantipur Koseli and Naya Patrika. Her debut novel ‘Kathmandu ma Ek Din’ was published in 2018 and she was honored with the Sundar Prasad Shah 'Dukhi' literary prize the same year..
  
Listen to Boju Bajai Reads featuring Shivani Singh Tharu, reading an excerpt from her piece महुवा published in Naya Patrika: ⁠https://link.chtbl.com/bbreadsftshivanisinghtharu⁠ 


You can follow Shivani Singh Tharu on Facebook and Twitter: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/shivanisingh.tharu.3⁠ 
⁠https://twitter.com/shivanitharu⁠ 


Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.


Read and subscribe here: ⁠https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome⁠ 


Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: ⁠www.patreon.com/bojubajai⁠ 


Follow @⁠Bojubajai⁠ on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/bojubajai/⁠ 
Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/bojubajai/⁠ 
Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/BojuBajai⁠ 
YouTube: ⁠www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/⁠ 


Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke


Reading list
Shivani’s Kathmandu, Nepali Times ⁠https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/shivanis-kathmandu⁠
महुवा, Naya Patrika
 ⁠https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/419/2019-08-10⁠ 
भुइँतला : डेरा–संसारको पाताललोक, Kantipur
⁠https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2020/11/27/16064814304432906.html⁠ 
नाकको भूगोल, Kantipur
⁠https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2022/01/29/164342883582051896.html?author=1⁠ 
कोरोनाकल्प, Kantipur
⁠https://ekantipur.com/koseli/2021/07/03/162527663132599220.html?author=1⁠ 
कविता : सहर गायब भएपछि, Kantipur
⁠https://ekantipur.com/literature/2020/05/03/158849493718083446.html?author=1⁠ 
मान्छेको रङ हजार, Setopati
⁠https://www.setopati.com/blog/4069⁠

#87 Guff Gaff with Shivani Singh Tharu

In this episode, we talk to wildlife researcher turned social entrepreneur Priya Joshi about her professional and personal journey, her complicated relationship with motherhood, and her attempt at creating a nurturing, kind online community for young Nepali mothers like her. 

Priya Joshi started her career as a wildlife researcher and later switched gears to start MakerKT, which organizes workshops to spark a DIY culture among Nepali women and kids. She also runs the Instagram page Ama Mama to share resources on parenting, as well as stories and struggles of parenting.  

You can follow Priya Joshi and her work  on Instagram: 
Maker Keti https://instagram.com/maker.keti?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 
Priya https://instagram.com/chyantulimyau?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== 
Aama.Mama https://www.instagram.com/aama.mama/?hl=en



Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.
Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that center and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#88 Guff Gaff with Priya Joshi

Resharing this episode from 2020 where our guests Shailee and Pallavi challenge the boundaries and definitions of what it means to be a Nepali. Happy Constitution Day!

In this episode, @shaileeism and @PayalPallavi take over Boju Bajai and talk about what it means to be a Madhesi, a Nepali, and a Madhesi woman in Nepal.

Disclaimer - This episode contains two un-beeped expletives, ध्यान दिएर सुन्नुस् होला :)


Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.
 Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that center and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke


Disclaimer: This episode contains foul language and is intended for 18+ listeners.

#89 को कति नेपाली! (Re-release)

Boju Bajai in conversation with Dr. Amina Singh. In this episode, we talk about various aspects of Nepal’s education system by exploring issues like how students in Nepali classrooms are taught history and civic studies, and why there is an urgent need for Nepali classrooms to equip students with the skills to think critically, question and reason.

Amina Singh worked as a management consultant in the development sector for almost a decade conducting assessment studies, reviews, and evaluations for NGOs, INGOs, and multi/bilateral agencies. She earned her PhD from the Centre for Research in Learning and Change at the University of Technology, Sydney in 2015. Amina currently works as an independent researcher and educator, with an interest in community development, civic engagement, educational governance, and teaching learning practices in higher education. She is an adjunct faculty at Kathmandu University.  She is currently engaged as a member of the University of Nepal Development Board and the Chair of the Academic Planning Committee. 

This episode was recorded in May 2023. 

Related readings

You can read some of Amina Singh’s published articles here https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Amina-Singh
पुस्तक “पैदल अनुसन्धान : प्रयोग र सम्भावना” माथि अमिना सिंहको समीक्षा  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_4cTGPtwz0
Non-state Actors’ Collaboration in Education in Nepal: Possibilities and Challenges https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HrgnP5Yy9s
Nepal Conversations: Dr Amina Singh, Member - University of Nepal Development Board, Nepal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pm7tSQ_20c
Take 31: The Kids Are Not OK, Cold Takes by Boju Bajai https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-31-the-kids-are-not-ok

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.
 Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#90 Guff Gaff with Amina Singh

In this episode, journalist Manju Telor explores the working conditions of overworked and underpaid nurses in Nepal. How does that affect the quality of care in Nepal’s hospitals, and what can the institutions within which these care professionals work do better?  


Subscribe to our weekly newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai for a roundup of news and feminist views from Nepal and the Nepali internet.
 Read and subscribe here: https://bojubajai.substack.com/welcome 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 


Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BojuBajai 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Related readings:

Boju Bajai #70 Looking Back: Women at the Covid-19 frontline: https://bojubajai.org/episodes/women-at-the-covid-19-frontline/

३२ वर्षदेखि थपिएन डाक्टरको दरबन्दी, Manju Telor, Naya Patrika      https://www.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/118513/2023-07-04

#91 नर्सका कुरा by Manju Telor

This is the third installment of Boju Bajai Reads where we get our favorite writers to read their writings. And this time, we are thrilled to have writer Durga Karki reading her short story ‘साथे’ from her book “कुमारी प्रश्नहरू”.  

We are releasing our episode ‘Guff Gaff with Durga Karki’ on December 2. So please mark your calendar hai.

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that center and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

You can follow Durga Karki on 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/durgakrk 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/durga.karki.96 

You can listen to our earlier episode of सोझो केटो, surveillance and social media featuring Durga Karki from Jan 2020 

Related readings

'यस्तो पनि देश?', Setopati
https://www.setopati.com/cover-story/setopati-debate/308373
हिमालमा के छ?, Setopati
https://www.setopati.com/opinion/254137 

Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai here 👉🏼 bojubajai.substack.com/  

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 


Music by Ashot Danielyan (pixabay)

Boju Bajai Reads ft. Durga Karki

Boju Bajai in conversation with writer and lawyer Durga Karki. In this episode, we talk about her writing journey as a young बुद्धिजीवि in Nepal, her grad school experience at Harvard, and her recent decision to stay off social media as much as possible.  

Durga Karki is a lawyer by training, a journalist by interest, and a writer by passion. She writes both fiction and non-fiction in various national dailies and online portals on issues ranging from feminism to federalism. Her first book - a collection of short stories - 'Kumari Prashnaharu' was published in 2020. She recently graduated with a master's degree from Harvard University.

Listen to Boju Bajai Reads featuring Durga Karki, reading her short story ‘साथे’ from her book “कुमारी प्रश्नहरू” https://link.chtbl.com/bbreadsftdurgakarki 

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that center and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

You can follow Durga Karki on 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/durgakrk 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/durga.karki.96 

You can listen to our earlier episode of सोझो केटो, surveillance and social media featuring Durga Karki from Jan 2020 
https://youtu.be/YGS8GtqSiKE?si=ZauTuY6o4NYuDiz6 

Related readings

'यस्तो पनि देश?', Setopati
https://www.setopati.com/cover-story/setopati-debate/308373
हिमालमा के छ?, Setopati
https://www.setopati.com/opinion/254137 

Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai here 👉🏼 bojubajai.substack.com/  

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#93 Guff Gaff with Durga Karki

Boju Bajai in conversation with Dr. Dovan Rai, a researcher, writer, and educator. In this episode, we talk about Dovan's experiences as a woman working in STEM and education, her writings about Nepal's long history of failed political leadership, and the role and effectiveness of civil society in Nepal. 

Dovan Rai is passionate about making quality education accessible and has worked at OLE Nepal where she designed educational software for public schools in Nepal. She studied engineering at Pulchowk Campus and has a PhD in Computer science from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts. 

She is currently working as a visiting lecturer in the computer science department at Mount Holyoke College. She is also a development board member of the University of Nepal (UoN) and writes on socio-political issues of Nepal.

You can follow Dr. Dovan Rai on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dovan_rai 

Related readings

नेपाल– आशा र निराशाको ढिकीच्याउँ, Setopati
https://www.setopati.com/cover-story/setopati-debate/308113

तरे संसार घुमिआम्ला, झरे माछा भइजाम्ला, Naya Patrika https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/1457/2021-08-07

बहुसांस्कृतिक राष्ट्रमा धार्मिक सहिष्णुता, Naya Patrika
https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/1513/2021-10-02

The women who are changing the face of tech in Nepal, The Kathmandu Post https://tkpo.st/2LdKgef

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that center and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai here 👉🏼 bojubajai.substack.com 

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#94 Guff Gaff with Dr. Dovan Rai

Boju Bajai in conversation with journalist Bidhya Rai. We talk about her experience being a woman inside and outside the newsroom, her journey from Bhojpur to Kathmandu, and why her relationship with social media has deteriorated over the years. Bidhya is an award-winning journalist who has consistently reported on stories about the most marginalised communities in Nepal through an intersectional lens, from disability rights to cyber security, gender and climate change. In 2023, she won a South Asia Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitive reporting. This conversation was recorded in May 2023.  Bidhya is a reporter at Kantipur. 

You can follow Bidhya Rai on
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bidhya.bantawa2053/ 

Here’s a list of Bidhya’s stories: 

‘लैगिंक हिंसा रोक्न गर्न लगानी बढाउनुपर्छ’, Kantipur
https://ekantipur.com/news/2023/11/27/investment-to-prevent-gender-violence-57-35.html?author=1

महिला तथा बालिकामाथि अनलाइन हिंसाको कहर, Kantipur, https://ekantipur.com/news/2023/11/26/the-ravages-of-online-violence-against-women-and-girls-47-32.html?author=1 

चौथो अंग : पत्रकारितामा भविष्य छैन भनेर सिनियर पत्रकारले निरुत्साहित गराउँदा नयाँ पुस्ता डराए, Ukeraa, https://ukeraa.com/news/detail/143407/

Bhojpur farmers vexed by falling productivity, The Kathmandu Post
https://kathmandupost.com/money/2018/01/08/bhojpur-farmers-vexed-by-falling-productivity

विमानस्थलको होडबाजीमा एक दशकमा डेढ अर्ब खर्च, Kantipur https://ekantipur.com/news/2024/01/15/one-and-a-half-billion-spent-in-a-decade-on-airport-gambling-03-16.html
:
:
Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai here 👉🏼 bojubajai.substack.com/  

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

#95 Guff Gaff with Bidhya Rai

A very special Valentine's Day episode dedicated to our lovely listeners who have been with us for the last eight years! Thank you so much for being part of our laugh and guff gaff. It feels like we’ve actually become boju and bajai in podcast years. So your grannies next door are a bit tired, and desperately in need of some aaram, and will be going on a season break after this episode. We will use this time to work on new projects, hopefully, different from what you have seen/heard in the last eight years. 
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This is also a perfect opportunity for you to listen to our past episodes (bojubajai.org/episodes), read our newsletter, and check out our videos on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/bojubajai)
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Please don’t miss us much hai, cos हम हैं राही प्यार के, फिर मिलेंगे चलते चलते ;p See you after the season break.
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Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 
Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai bojubajai.substack.com/  

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke
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Related readings:

- A new global gender divide is emerging, Financial Times
 
https://www.ft.com/content/29fd9b5c-2f35-41bf-9d4c-994db4e12998

- Why is South Korea so conservative, a thread on X
https://twitter.com/HeejungChung/status/1752279887547601036

- Shame on you CAN! https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-20-shame-on-you-can

- Guff Gaff with wildlife researcher turned social entrepreneur Priya Joshi about her professional and personal journey, her complicated relationship with motherhood, and her attempt at creating a nurturing, kind online community for young Nepali mothers like her. 

https://bojubajai.org/episodes/88-guff-gaff-with-priya-joshi/

- Nursing pillows are associated with more than 160 infant deaths, NBC investigation finds

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nursing-pillow-baby-deaths-breastfeeding-infant-investigation-rcna97725

#96 हम हैं राही प्यार के

Boju Bajai is back!. Season break मा माया नमारिदिनु भएकोमा बहुतै ज्यादा धन्यवाद है।

In this episode, we talk about घर व्यवहार, geriatric pregnancy (yes, one of us is a mother now 😬), and trying to figure out if life after ४० कटेसी is actually fun. We are super excited to share this episode and very many aru ramailo guff gaff in 2025. Thank you for sticking around 🫶

We have also recently launched our new video series “Rewind” on YouTube. The series focuses on all things nostalgia and the first video explores the origin story of Wave magazine. So please check it out hai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOg75WdVLqk

We are currently working on another special audio series called “Lies We Tell”.  Find more about how you can be part of the mini-series and share your stories: https://bojubajai.substack.com/p/take-22-the-lies-we-tell?utm_source=publication-search

Boju Bajai regularly works with reporters and researchers to bring compelling audio stories that centre and amplify women’s experiences. If you would like to support our work, please consider being our patron here: www.patreon.com/bojubajai 

Please read and subscribe to our newsletter Cold Takes by Boju Bajai here 👉🏼 bojubajai.substack.com/  

Follow @Bojubajai on social media for more laughs and guff gaff:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bojubajai/ 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bojubajai/ 
Twitter: twitter.com/BojuBajai  
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/BojuBajai/ 

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke 

Mingle Game Song “Round and Round” | Squid Game: Season 2 | Netflix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbAKYgfYET8


40 katesi ramaula. Really?


It’s that time of the year again! And no, we aren’t out marching this year cos we are boju bajai yaaaaa. Leg and back is dukhing hau. Also, no girl boss energy or women breaking glass/wooden/cement ceiling stories this time. Cos this Women’s Day we are putting the spotlight on jhooti, makkar, thaggar ladies - from “माताको भेषमा मूर्ति र घण्टी चोरी गर्ने” ladies’ gang in Dang to laptop luteri in Delhi and Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy, the woman who caused the infamous diamond necklace kanda in 18th century France. 

Female con artists’ को कारनामा/ कर्तुत is as old the as the history of scams and frauds. So in this episode we are going to talk about women - con women, confident women - and our fascination with them. 

अपनी कुर्सी की पेटी बाँध लीजिये, cos we are going on a world tour with our scammer ladiz! Just so you know, this is in no way us glorifying crimes. Just some harmless fun re kya. 

Also, Women’s Dayमा चक्लेट, चिम्टी, चुरा र बिदा दिन बन्द गर्दा हुन्छ होला।

Hope you enjoy this episode!

Credit

Research: Shristi Shakya

Boju Bajai theme music by Flekke

Bunty aur Babli soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuIplXLce0w

Bluffmaster Vishal and Shekhar (those hip hop fakers, rey kya ;p) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX409_Bq7m0

Don https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NkzxwE2Yzg

Dauda Dauda Bhaga Bhagasa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTDZPmO3luQ

Reading list

- माताको भेषमा मूर्ति र घण्टी चोरी गर्ने पक्राउ, Ratopati https://www.ratopati.com/story/422906

- राष्ट्रपतिले भने,'स्याबास् अनुजा', Kantipur 
https://ekantipur.com/feature/2011/04/21/328357.html

- के हो सत्य अनुजाको ? Salokya, MySansar   https://www.mysansar.com/archives/2011/04/18535/

- 'The big laptop heist': Delhi's ‘Bunty and Babli’ con duo arrested, Hindustan Times https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/the-big-laptop-heist-delhis-bunty-and-babli-con-duo-arrested-101732854825390.html

- Two women held for fraud https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/two-women-held-for-fraud
एमबीबीएस टपर डाक्टर भन्दै ठगी गर्ने दुई युवती प्रहरीको फन्दामा https://www.ratopati.com/story/347324

- Glitzy, Tragic and Selfish: Female Con Artists Waltz by Society’s Rules
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/25/us/female-con-artists-tori-telfer.html

- Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has a fandom of “Holmies” who hail her as “girl boss” despite fraud charges
https://www.businessinsider.com/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-trial-court-fans-holmies-girl-boss-fraud-2021-9

- Affair of the Diamond Necklace https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affair_of_the_Diamond_Necklace

CONfident Women (Not that kinda Women's Day episode)

Boju and Bajai talk about bears, whores and trolls. 

#1 Bears And Whores

'Tis the season for trolling the trolls.


(Apologies for the sound quality. We blame it on long distance relationships.)

#14 Trolling the Trolls

Why don't we believe women when they share their Me Too stories? Shouldn't we be talking about the skewed power structures and institutions that enable sexual misconduct and predatory behavior? In this episode, we also talk to a survivor of sexual harassment, who wrote about the ordeal she faced at the hands of her professor at Tribhuvan University.

Links to Manisha and Nisha's piece 
Kantipur 
https://bit.ly/2AdBUKX
The Record 
https://bit.ly/2CAcyc8

#20 All things #MeToo

With everything happening right now, from mindless violence to a deadly virus spreading around the world, we attempt to bring some joy with our guff gaff and laugh with the one and only Bartika Rai :)

Thank you for your time and for letting us use your beautiful songs, dear Bartika.

Taral- Ghar (Yaadharu) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7C7oXShSqE
Bimbaakash-Khai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7ZODxg0yyY
Si/Ma-[Na] - Deshnikala  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUuCwpEnS-o

#32 Guff gaff with Bartika

Two Nepali women in two continents talk about people, politics, animals, things and laugh out loud. If you like what we do, you can support us by becoming our patron  - https://www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Contact us at info@bojubajai.org for inquiries.

Boju Bajai

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