NEJA Dialogue Program Concluded in New York, USA

NEW YORK — The Nepal America Journalists Association (NEJA) has concluded the NEJA Dialogue program in New York on issues of community concern. Saturday's dialogue discussed matters ranging from changing immigration laws to the services and benefits available to the community. During the dialogue, which covered various social activities within the community, information was also provided regarding the services offered by the office of the Consulate General of Nepal in New York.

In the dialogue presided over by the association's president, Suraj Bhandari, Consul General Dadhiram Bhandari stated that the Consulate General would be more successful in providing services with the support and cooperation of the community. He emphasized that the diaspora is a strength for Nepal and stressed that this strength should not be divided.

On the occasion, keynote speaker Attorney Dilliraj Bhatta stated that it is mandatory to follow the laws of the country where one resides and suggested that everyone follow the rules with awareness.

The dialogue, moderated by the association's DC Metro area coordinator Srijana Kafle, was attended by Consul Prem Bahadur Budhathapa, President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) USA Satyendra Shah, social activist Dr. Bishnu Maya Pariyar, FIPNA President Toran Gurung, NRNA USA New York Chapter President Basu Lamichhane, former President of Overseas Nepali Forum USA Krishna Lamichhane, NRNA activist Surya Lamsal, social activists Dhaniram Sapkota and Prabha Adhikari, and journalists Roshan Sapkota, Begam Pandit, Suman Limbu, and Harka Bohora. 

Also present were AP Lama of the Sherpa Association, Puran Limbu, Krishna Acharya, Shailendra Shrestha, Yadav Bastola, Shanta Thokar, Binita Tamang, Manita Gurung, and Manoj Ghimire. During the program, media persons Lokmani Rai and Pradeep Pariyar Thapa, among others, shared their views.

The program also saw the presence of former NEJA General Secretary Kiran Marahatta, former Nepal government tourism envoy Gokul Shrestha, journalists Sargam Bhattarai, Badri Gautam, Anuj Thapa, Vicky Pulami, Nabin Aryal, and Deepak Pariyar, FIPNA General Secretary Deepak Chaudhary, President of Darshan Thakuri Society Milan Shahi, New York District 30 Assembly Member Somnath Ghimire, Amit Pratap Shah, Sanjeev Shrestha, Sanjog Acharya, Suman Thadsuhang, Pradeep Khadka, Aakur Luitel, President of the Nepali American Artists Association Basanti Rai, President of Ridgewood Nepalese Society Rajesh Bhat, President of Jamaica Nepali Society Pushkar Khanal, Secretary Paras Bhardwaj, and other social activists.

In the dialogue, which included a vote of thanks from the association's Vice President Kalpana Ghimire and a welcome speech by former Vice President Macche Devi Gurung, NEJA's founding president Girish Pokharel, advisor Mohan Singh Lama, and Central Region Coordinator Om Acharya, among others, shed light on NEJA's activities and shared views on the relationship between journalists, NEJA, and the community. The dialogue was attended by journalists, rights activists, government representatives, officials from various organizations, and social leaders.