Pokhara Jaycees: My Journey to Understanding Self

During a school vacation in 1981, I visited Pokhara with my two brothers – Durga and Shrijan – to meet our second brother, Devidutta. Devi Dai worked at Nepal Bank Limited and completed his degree in economics from PN Campus. He had strong connections with academics, businesspeople and bureaucrats in the city. At that time, even zero-watt bulbs seemed bright to me, but Pokhara itself was desiring a greater light – a light of growth and development. In its pursuit of becoming a bigger and better city, people contributed in many ways. Some moved in, some moved out, some started businesses, and others raised families.

While discussions around the identity of Pokhara were taking place, it evolved rapidly before the identity became public. While one institution was promoted as a cycling city, thousands of vehicles entered Pokhara. Just in a few blinks, people saw a significant change in every corner of Pokhara from Lamachour to Chhodipatan and from Pame to Lekhnath. The growth included people, factories, vehicles and wastage. The hand charkhas for woollen string disappeared, imported goods replaced hand products, and jeans and kurta-salwar displaced lungi. And I became one of those contributors residing in Pokhara in 1986. Together, we made Pokhara larger, denser and more vibrant.

In a short while, I witnessed the disappearance of open spaces and farmlands; old bridges replaced the new ones, more hospitals, more hotels, more land coverage (horizontal expansion) and taking the sky (vertical expansion). As the city filled with people and plants (machines and factories), it became brighter. Zero-watt bulbs gave way to tube lights, old ideas were replaced with new ones, and neighbours turned into strangers.

Upon completing the proficiency certificate level, I wanted to join the Royal Nepal Army in 1990. I went to a selection camp in Bijaypur, but that did not go well – perhaps there is no need to mention it. The reason? I could not deliver a speech in English. Fair enough! Given my level of English and the topic assigned, I still feel proud that I was not the last one.

On my way home, I remembered Bikal Sherchan Dai and his powerful speeches at public events, especially during Jaycees Weeks. I also thought of Anand Mulmi Dai and his knowledge of many subjects. These are the only two picked examples – there are many members with significant contribution to both Pokhara and Nepal. I gained knowledge about Pokhara Jaycees through Shrijan Dai who was an active member. The reflections on the army selection process and hope for the future made me join the Jaycees movement. In the year I joined, Nirmal Karki was the president and Pokhara was hosting the national convention. I felt lucky to see the impressive image of Pokhara Jaycees at the national level.

It took me a decade to grow and settle in Pokhara. I became a business consultant, a social worker and an academician. I saw a huge potential in Pokhara Jaycees to play a key role in the city’s development and represent Pokhara on a national scale. For this, a well-established dyadic relationship between members and institutions was essential.

This vison led me to take the leadership of Pokhara Jaycees. With a deep understanding of Pokhara, Pokhara Jaycees, other branches (LOMs) and Nepal Jaycees (NOM), I decided to take the leadership role in 2002 and lead Nepal Jaycees. However, Niranjan Shresth’s victory made me wait for another year. In 2003, I became the President of Pokhara Jaycees. During my tenure, I put EDI – equality, diversity, and inclusion – on my agenda even without knowing what EDI meant in practice. I planned to develop members, establish a branch, open doors to female members and build relationships with other organisations.

I feel proud of three achievements – female membership, installation day and initiating a new branch. Despite the existence of Pokhara Lady Jaycees only for ladies, I strongly believe that Pokhara Jaycees should welcome female members and become inclusive. It remains my dream to see a woman become president of Pokhara Jaycees one day. Similarly, I wanted to fix a date for the installation ceremony. I believed fixing the date would allow teams to make and execute plans. By taking office in February 2003 and handing over in December 2003, I became the shortest-serving president in Pokhara Jaycees. Ironically, this decision helped institutionalise a fixed installation system for future leadership. The third one is the initiation of Waling Jaycees. I started the process, and the branch was approved in 2004.

I was clear on the purpose of joining Jaycees Momentum. I joined to become Bikal Sherchan. The lesson was phenomenal – no matter how hard I work, I never become others. Once you figure that out, you can shape your life for success, which is rooted in self-awareness. The earlier you discover it, the more focused and smooth your journey for life becomes.

Just like Pokhara’s changing landscape, my circumstances also changed. I ultimately moved to the UK to join my wife, Mina. I often wonder – what if I had stayed in Pokhara? Perhaps Nepal Jaycees would have got one more national president, and Pokhara Jaycees would have contributed to Pokhara Metropolis in planning and shaping its future. Humans often idolise the past and pan the new generation – I hope I have not fallen into that trap. Until the conversations continue and fights do not start, the future is in our hands.