June 10, 2007
Rajendra MANANDHAR
The Japanese Esperanto Institute is issuing a special invitation to 23 Asian Esperanto activists to take part in this year's World Esperanto Congress in Yokohama. In the April issue of the Japanese magazine La Revuo Orienta JEI has published statements by each of these people. I am reproducing them here, in English translation, one by one.
The next listed activist is Rajendra MANANDHAR of Nepal. Manandhar is a 38-year-old journalist.
Esperanto and I
I started learning Esperanto by chance in Kathmandu in 1990 through Mr. Joakim WERDIN. After learning it I founded the Nepalese Esperanto Association so that the Esperanto movement might continue in Nepal. From the beginning I drew, translated and wrote in and for Esperanto. By corresponding with more than 100 Esperanto speakers internationally, I learned about both the language and Esperanto life.
New via the internet I correspond and write reports for various international magazines about Nepal. And through my blog and home page I show the word that I am today living in Esperanto.
I am an Esperanto speaker because I love the spirit of Esperanto and use it whenever that is possible. I love Esperanto because it gives me the honor that I am not using someone else's language nor am I forcing others to use my language. At the same time, I see open harmony between Esperanto speakers in the entire world.
World Esperanto Congress and After
First I want to learn from Japan how to keep Esperanto living for 100 years. During the World Esperanto Congress, I will show the world what Nepal and its Esperanto movement are and what they are like. It will renew my energy to make the movement in Nepal more active. After returning, I will make our association more democratic, will write an Esperanto book and will help those students who have already forgotten the language because they were not able to continually practice it.