No, the US embassy has not taken the "Raju Lama thing" seriously. If they had, they would have picked him up here by now and deported him. He is not hiding. He has put himself in the legal process.
In fact, everytime the US gives someone in Nepal a VISA, the Embassy knows that 80% of the people will not come back. They (US Embassy staff) are not stupid. If they have taken the RL thing seriously, then it could be more because of what those artists who have stayed behind in the US are doing or not doing (not because they stayed behind.)
if you allow an artist from another country to come into yours for good, you expect them to somehow impart the cultural knowledge of that country to your citizens, foster greater understanding of their culture, and such. If these artists start flipping burgers and managing indian restos only and cannot (for reasons out of their control more than the lack of desire) fulfill their responsibility as artists, then what is point of having more singers from Nepal into the US! Give those VISAs to those who dont have special talent so that they make a future here. The artists already have a future in Nepal... looks like the US has realized that now, and thus no VISAs to singers (if that is actually happening).
Genuine tourists (those who will go back), genuine students (those who will actually go to school here and then go back when done), genuine relatives/families of US residents and citizens etc, should get VISAs. Those who are migrating to the US openly after being approved are in a different category. I just don't uderstand why it is such an issue when Nepali "singers" or "artists" or "celebrities" don't get VISAs! Why should they? What more do they bring to the US than a common Nepali? Experiences has perhaps taught the US that they bring nothing special. Or do they? Thousands of Nepali students come here to the US as students and never go back, but the number of students from nepal in the US keeps increasing, doesn't it? Has one Raju Lama not going back stopped the "celebs" from coming to the US! Strange!
Power and Freedom to da people, and Raju Lama is one of them. And yes, I don't know if he claims to be a celebrity. Never heard him say so, but he sings darn well. It is others who want to put him on a pedestal and demand of him things that he does not really want to, or can, deliver. Bitha ma!
Last edited: 19-Nov-07 12:38 PM