Baisakh 1, 2064 Gossip
Today I begin with some hearsays that I have heard from my blogger and reporter friends.
Let me restate it: These are hearsays and I have no input except where "I" or "My…" will be mentioned.
Gossip no. 1
United We Blog! But the team is divided. There is no controversy that UWB!, though in English, is the pioneer blog from Nepal. Erstwhile Nepalis living abroad used to "blog". Wagle Dinesh and Acharya Krishna Prasad aka Ujjwal founded this blog in October 2004. Both are journalists with the Kantipur.
UWB! was the platform for other bloggers too. Many reporters from Kantipur publication were other contributors. Gunaraj Luitel, Deepak Adhikari, Bashnet etc wrote at different occasions.
UWB! is the most popular blog in English. Wagle and Acharya claim that even King Gyanendra and Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai visit this site regularly.
UWB! was hacked in the end of 2005. Wagle thinks royalists believed that this site tainted King Gyanendra's image. Wagle asked democratic NRNs in the US to pay for the site to make it unhackable.
When the UWB! started earning nice sum of money from ads and visitors, Acharya and Wagle got divided. They do not have very warm relation now as it used to be earlier.
"Money divided them." The source close to them claims.
Another source in the Kantipur claims that Wagle has been recently rebuked for leaking "Kantipur exclusives" via UWB! by the management.
Though he was sometime back warned by his editor that he might be fired if he did not concentrate on the regular job, Wagle is concentrated more in blogging and working as translator for a reporter of a foreign news agency.
Many reporters at the Kantipur is not happy with the editor at the favoritism to his kin Dinesh.
Gossip no. 2
Ujjwal started Nepalivoices. In this blog, he writes about blogging and Nepali-blogosphere. He started listing URLs of Nepali bloggers.
He along with KP Dhungana of Hamroblog and Tajimm Mohammad of Neppal proposed an organization of Nepali bloggers: Bloggers Association of Nepal (BLOGAN).
They formed BLOGAN before organizing the meetings that was attended by only a few bloggers in January and February this year in the Freedom Forum, Kathmandu. But the working committee has not been formed yet. Reportedly, Taranath Dahal, the president of the Freedom Forum and now the chairman of Rashtriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), is said to be the patron of BLOGAN. He provides BLOGAN financial help.
NEW:KP Dhungana is nephew of TN Dahal. So he manages the Freedom Forum for the meetings even in holidays.
Gossip no. 3
Both KP Dhungana and Ujjwal Acharya claim that they are the president.
But nobody knows who is the president of BLOGAN and what this association does.
One of the attendants of the BLOGAN meetings say that it is platform of Bahuns and Chhetris only.
Gossip no.4
Umesh Shrestha of MeroSansar claims that he gave up the job of reporter only to become full time blogger. He claims that his blog is the first in Nepali Unicode font.
His blog is the number one in terms of visitors as well as comments.
Among bloggers, he earns the most. The sum he collects a month exceeds $300. He has unique way of making money. He not only publishes advertisements but also requests the commentors abroad to click the ads.
Also, he asks donation for running the blog. Recently, he asked visitors of his site to help a kidney failed patient for surgery. He got a handsome sum of money from the money collected.
Some months ago, reportedly he was threatened by some Royalists. But it is said that it was propaganda by Umesh aka Solokya to become popular.
Umesh promises to pay his reporter friends at different newspapers to get exclusive news beforehand it is published. But he hardly ever keeps his promise.
Gossip no. 5
KP Dhungana is a reporter and works for the Rajdhani Dainik. He has Hamroblog which is another very popular blog in Nepali language.
He writes about political gossips. He is anti-communist. Though he tries to be democratic with some inclination for the Nepali Congress, it is said that he was member of the Student Wing of the Rashtiya Prajatantra Party. His family has good relations with Pashupati Shusher Jung Bahadur Rana.
One of my friends in Dubai who reads Hamroblog and writes comment says that Mr. Dhungana sends emails to his readers to contribute by clicking the advertisements such that he could earn more.
Gossip no. 6
There WAS another very popular blog till last month. Somebody anonymously wrote this blog. It was popular because the blogger was girl who used to write about love and sex very openly.
You got any image? I am talking about Saynasomething.
But Saynasomething has stopped blogging now. First she said that her Gmail password was hacked. After some weeks, her blog collapsed.
But that was a dodge. She decided to discontinue this blog because of the past contents.
She has come above-ground now. She attended the BLOGAN's meeting on February 17.
You can see her photograph Here.
Though she never published her full face, if you had noticed Saynasomething's eyes and hairdo in the "Avatar" (somebody behind me told me that the photo in one's blog is called "avatar".), you will agree that Anbika is Saynasomething.
Why did she decided to discontinue the earlier blog? Will she come with real name now?
There is a magazine called Voices of Women (VOW). In January, VOW had published an article about Nepali female bloggers and their photographs. Editor Shalinee Wadhwa invited Saynasomething also. But Sayana could not dare to be publicized as Anbika. But Anbika, who worked for the Samaya Weekly earlier and also a mass communication student, felt that she missed an opportunity to be popular.
Rosha the best friend of Anbika suggested "to kill Saynasomething". Now Sayasomething is dead.
Rosha the best friend of Anbika suggested "to kill Saynasomething". Now Sayasomething is dead.
A person who is acquainted with her, on the condition of anonymity, claims that Sayna's blogs were semi-fictious. Only Rosha can tell the fact. Will you Rosha?
Gossip no. 7
Wagle was not invited at BLOGAN's meetings. That meant he wouldn't have any role in BLOGAN.
But Wagle did not care because he had another project in hand. He started http://www.nepalvista.blogspot.com . Now this project has been developed into Nepalvista
Gossip no. 8
Vahsek, Keshuvko, Keshav Koirala, Keshav P Koirala, KK, AIDSe, HIVman, Notmystery, Matyangra… etc.
If you have seen comments in most of the Nepali blogs with these names, don't get confused: it is the same person.
Keshav was reporter then assistant editor at The Himalayan Times. This longhaired and mustachioed has left the job of journalist now. He teaches Biology in KU. He has many blogsites where he publishes ads. Rather than on content, he is concentrated on money making only.
Some of his sites are:
http://matyangra.blogspot.com/ this is also his site.
Since he has relations with Ujjwal Acharya of Nepalivoices, Keshav has some position in BLOGAN. Ujjwal's wife is Keshav's cousin.
Since he has relations with Ujjwal Acharya of Nepalivoices, Keshav has some position in BLOGAN. Ujjwal's wife is Keshav's cousin.
In response to to Jhan Charitrahin Cheli's article in UWB! a comment was published that leads to a new blog site of a so-called 'Charitrawanchela'" .
Though he denies, this "charitraban chela" is said to be Keshuvko himself. It is said that his girlfriend, a former journalist who is in the US now, had told him the names of the members of "Charitraheen Chelis".
Since he gave some hints about her in that blog, it is said that "Chandrika" is very angry at him. Because "Chandrika" is said to have some family ties with "Sharma" mentioned in the blog, "Sharma" reprimanded her cousin for disclosing about her to "Charitrawan chela."
Now this multiple-personality-genius regrets for publishing that offensive piece because it cost him his girlfriend.
Gossip no. 9It is said that BLOGAN has planned to organize International Blogger's Summit in Nepal in 2008/2009. Before that members of BOGAN will get opportunities to participate in similar programs abroad.
KP and Ujjwal have decided to go abroad to take part first. Deepak Adhikari and Harsha Man Maharjan will get second chance.
Archana Shrestha has started Nepali-Bloggers. In this site she has listed links of most of blogs of Nepali bloggers.
Though her site is useful finding out the blogs, there are some errors. Many sites are repeated.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxPortion Deletedxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx On special reqest of AS (email plus comment) and HK (comment).
But the keywords were: nepali-bloggers, hacked, underconstruction, dispute
Most of the readers believe that Blogdai is none other than Narayan Wagle, the editor of the Kantipur Daily.
When I meet him, I will ask him and tell you next time.
Additions
"It is Deeepak Adhikari".
The link of Blogdai's site is http://nepalnow.blogspot.com/ instead.
(Thanks for the correction, AM Jee. But are you sure who Blogdai is? I believe Blogdai is an old man working abroad.)
Addition:
Another reader wrote me and asked whether Anbika is Anbika Giri.
Request:
Another reader wrote me and asked whether Anbika is Anbika Giri.
I suggest you to see the Nepalivoices' link above, CK jee. I don't know who is who.
Request:
You readers and bloggers can be my source of more gossips. So mail me at mailatgossipcorner@gmail.com
Happy New Year 2064.
