Thanks for the link. The relationship discussion starts at 35 (click the link below and it will start at right timing): http://youtu.be/JNmOEs4broQ?t=...

Kiddo · Dec 7, 2014 1:00 PM

I am sure you have heard many of those offensive compliments from our Nepali brothers. Not sure why this sort of things are rampant in our culture. Could not Dipak Jangam just say that Ta Ta Ma Ta is not a big deal instead of saying naramro kura matrai herera hundaina....Ta Ta Ma Ta is just an accent and its nothing like " naramro" thing. He could have just said its "farak tarika" instead of saying naramro. More examples of our oxymoron compliments: Ta Ta Ma Ta bhaye pani naramro kura matrai hernu hundaina as if Ta Ta Ma Ta is a naramro thing. Kalo bhaye pani man ta seto cha as if being Kalo is an automatic crime and there is a need to be good at something else to compensate that crime. Sano jaat bhaye pani dil thulo cha as if one is a sano jaat its a sano dil by default.

sidster · Dec 7, 2014 4:24 PM

I had never heard anyone talking about Naryan Gopal's accent before hearing this interview. I think both interviewer and Deepak Jangam are biased. Meanwhile in Kathmandu today: इलाम साँखेजुङकी सिवा बत्तिसपुतलीस्थित रामचन्द्र मार्गका ध्रुवप्रसाद लामिछानेको घरमा १० दिनअघि डेरा सरेकी थिइन् । तर, उनी दलित भएको थाहा पाएपछि जजमानी गर्ने लामिछानेले शनिबार घरबाट तत्कालै निस्केर जान भनेको नयाँ पत्रिकामा खबर छ । http://www.onlinekhabar.com/20...

metta · Dec 7, 2014 9:22 PM

Metta...i see more of an ignorance than a bias.

sidster · Dec 7, 2014 9:48 PM

http://youtu.be/rZKrPFnr0uQ

soaltee · Dec 8, 2014 12:34 AM

I empathize with Sidster's point. I think we, Nepali people in general, could improve a lot in our communication skill (Nepali) when it comes to talking about sensitive topics and picking right words so we don’t offend someone unintentionally. In many of Nepali Jamghats, I have heard Nepali Uncles and Aunties and even friends using derogatory terms for Dalits while not noticing there are Dalits in the crowd or may be simply assuming if they look good they can't be Dalit or I don’t know what their logic is. Regarding this video, I think all they are trying to do is say good things about Narayan Gopal by bringing that accent issue – how he was able to render the sweetest and most popular Nepali songs despite not having ‘regular’ Nepali accent. It is ignorance indeed not bias, not intentionally at least. The ignorance, in their part, was to use the word ‘Tatamata’. Just using this word, they made some people wonder if they are mocking Newari language although I don’t believe they are trying to. Guess what kind of reaction would they get if someone calls Chinese language Chingchong in American media. Its something like that. Also, I don’t understand why they think Narayan Gopal had accent issue. I guess Narayan Gopal just chose to talk in Newari accent just to give hard time to people lol. Check out this video below (starts at 14.48). He sounds perfect, he has better Nepali than mine (and I get compliments for having suddha Nepali) or many of my friends whose first language is Nepali. http://youtu.be/rZKrPFnr0uQ Last edited: 08-Dec-14 01:04 AM

soaltee · Dec 8, 2014 12:59 AM

I still think it's biasness. I can probably say it's 'biasness' born of 'ignorance'. I think the question is very much prejudiced. The journalist is running an hour long show on Narayan Gopal and I assume that he has listened many of his songs. But he and Jangam still tend to think Narayan Gopal's Nepali is not good enough. It echoes the experiences shared by others working in media, whose first language is not Nepali. Dictionary says: Bias:: a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly Ignorance: a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education : the state of being ignorant

metta · Dec 8, 2014 6:08 AM

Bias or ignorance, let's agree that we should be aware of these shortcomings that our culture has and let's try to eradicate them. I cringed when Mr. Jangham used the word "tatamata," but I know he didn't mean it to belittle the Swor Samrat. However, we have used the words nonchalantly without considering the effect of the said words. Words like Bhote, Jyapu were considered derogatory but people would use it all the time. I didn't know of any other derivation of the word "Madhise" when I was a kid. Now that we know, we simply shouldn't be using them. By the way, Narayan Gopal's newari accent in some of his songs was a well known/discussed thing. It was minimal but you could spot it every now and then. I agree with Sidster that there's nothing wrong with having the accent. Also, our society still sees "kalo" as a bad thing, why else do they still sell Fair-N-Lovely? Let's be aware of these connotations and derogatory terms and agree to push them out of the daily usage.

Kiddo · Dec 8, 2014 9:07 AM

Yes, Narayan Gopal did have an accent when he spoke nepali. The reason being, his mother tongue was newari. And if he was trying to sing a nepali song while perfecting each and every aspect of the words of the song, and that he could not pronounce the words without the accent, we can qualify that as being his flaw in his singing ability.

hurray · Dec 9, 2014 11:55 AM

One thing I am still unclear is "Who is Dalit" ? Bahun or Damai? Who decides this? I have seen people saying Bahun is lower caste than Damai or vice versa. Is Newar lower that Bahun Chhetri? Is Jyapu lower that Shrestha? or vice versa? This is a disease that can never be cured. This is an integrated part of Hinduism. As long as we practice worshiping two billion Gods, this feeling will keep existing.

NepaliBhai · Dec 9, 2014 2:46 PM