Boju Bajai

Guff gaffing about what made us cringe, laugh and curse in 2019. Highlights of 2019 from the Nepali internet, politics and media, Boju Bajai isshtyle!

If you like our work and want to support us, you can find us on Patreon - patreon.com/bojubajai

If you are in Nepal and can't use your card to support our work on Patreon, we are esewa as well hai - esewa id 9803030926

Say hello to Muna Gurung, our third boju, and brilliant writer/translator friend. We talk to her about translations, about women, often forgotten by Nepal's literary circle and her amazing Lightroom Conversation series, where she speaks with some of the most interesting figures in Nepal's literary scene.

Also, we are taking a season break aka Puja holidays, bishes! We will be back with more fun guff gaff in 2020. We hope you enjoy this hour-plus guff gaff, season finale :)

Link to the series https://www.nepalitimes.com/author/muna-gurung/

In this very cheesy episode, we talk about why friendship is important and how it shapes our lives. And why we need more deep portrayal of female, queer and all kinds of non-broey friendship in our books and movies.

Also, a big thank you to everyone who shared their friendship stories with us.

If you enjoy our laugh and guff gaff, please consider being our patron hai. More details here hai https://www.patreon.com/bojubajai

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and FB @bojubajai hai

In this episode, we take a look at the stand-up scene in Nepal and the type of content that is being produced and consumed by a large, easily influenced, and relatively young audience.

Are our comedians just assuming their audience is dumb, or are they dumbing down their audience? We also talk a bit about our evergreen, never ageing hero, Mr. Bhuwan KC. Ohoo! Bhuwan Kc?

Also, please go listen to Antariksa podcast. It is excellent. https://soundcloud.com/antariksaspace

Bhrikuti lovingly calls her periods, Rajaswala didi, but does didi love her back?

In this episode, we talk about women's relationship to their bodies and how Nepali newspapers are courting and publishing an increasing number of personal narrative pieces written by women writers.

While personal narratives are inspiring and spark important conversations, are they enough to bring about structural change? What more can Nepali media do besides publishing more content written by women writers?

Boju Bajai turns three. Thank you for laughing and guff gaffing with us. हाँस्दै, खेल्दै, पितृसत्तालाई उडाउदै समय बितेको त् पत्तै चल्दैन रेछ बै ! तपाईहरुको साथ यसरी निरन्तर रहिरहोस्। We have some important birthday message in this episode so please majjaale, ध्यान दिएर सुन्नु होला र प्रतिक्रियाको पठाउनु होला।

उही तपाईहरुको उत्ताउली, जान्ने पल्टिने बोजु बज्यै :)

For more Boju Bajai please follow us on

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bojubajai/

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Twitter https://twitter.com/BojuBajai

Background track (and birthday feelz courtesy) Happy Birthday to you Sunita - Music by Laxmikant- Pyarelala, 1967, Saregama

https://gaana.com/song/baar-baar-din-ye-aaye-happy-birthday-to-you

The world's "best constitution" doesn't give equal citizenship rights to Nepali women cos some citizens are more equal than others, haina bro?

A lot happened after we recorded this episode, all of which we couldn't include. So here's a mini explainer:

- Amid uncertainty surrounding the amendment to the Citizenship Act,

the Home Ministry on April 2 issued a circular to all 77 chief district officers across the country, telling them to grant citizenship by descent to those individuals whose parents are citizens by birth.

- And then some smart ass uncle filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court to not implement the ministry’s decision on citizenship, leading to an interim order to the government to stop the implementation.

- A few days later, the Supreme Court paved the way for individuals, whose parents are Nepali citizens by birth, to acquire citizenship by descent. (Boohoo, uncle!)

- For now, hundreds of people without citizenships are able to apply for papers. But the issue of citizenship through mothers remains and we will have to wait and see what our lawmakers do about amending these laws.

Read more about it here https://bit.ly/2DvsTi0

Interview with lawmaker Binda Pandey of the ruling Nepal Communist Party

The Kathmandu Post, Tsering D Gurung, https://bit.ly/2Gwwdu2

Setopati, Shova Sharma https://setopati.com/politics/177120

नेपाली संगीत जगतको चीरफार in Boju Bajai isshtyle! Do popular Nepali songs and music represent our lived experiences? What are the characters on screen singing about, and who determines what kind of music becomes "mainstream" in Nepal? All this and much much more in this episode!

Thanks to all the artists who gave us permission to use their tracks. Links to all the songs we talked about is here. Please do check them out.

Fuzzscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLH6vVpQBTE&t=1066s

Rai ko Ris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cz1zbDspIU

Raithane Music: https://www.facebook.com/raithanemusic/videos/275552059800535/

हट्ने हैन( हटी हैन) डटी लड्ने: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnqLuLxeS-g

Sajjan Raj Vaidya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogr6ygCwRwc

Pitch road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV8_VniF19o

Chyangba Hoi Chyangba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjmeuTnojzc

Dui rupaiya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grixSgZmMPc

Kutu ma Kutu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwIWfvW3SD8

Yo keti ko thik chaina chala: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9BXMJkrfyw

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

In 1928 Virginia Woolf argued how important it is for women to have their own space to cultivate creativity. Nearly a century later, here we are talking about our unsuccessful pursuit of personal space and time.

Music: A Good Start by Monplaisir

Source: Freemusicarchive.org