Meet Mahendra Paswan

           In my village there are 10 volunteers, 5 national and 5 international. Each volunteer is working within 1 of the 5 thematic groups Tevel Btzedek focuses on: Youth, Education, Women, Agriculture, and Media.  There is one National and one International working in each theme. Meaning we are all working in partnerships. As I’m sure you all have figured out I am working in Youth. My partner is Mahendra Paswan. In order for you all to get a better picture of what my life looks like here in Nepal you need to get a better picture of who I work with everyday.

            Mahendra Paswan was born on Februrary 26^th 1987 in the village of Kamalpur. Kamalpur is in the district of Sirah which is located in the south eastern region of Nepal. This is a significantly different region then the one we are living in now. This is the region of the plains, also known as the Tari. The land is flat, the weather is hot, and air is thick. This is also where all the vegetables are grown which makes life quite easier..

His Parents, Julab Paswan and Manti Debu Oaswan, are hard working people who raised Mahendra along with his 4 siblings. His three sisters are all living within 80km of their home village and have all been married off. All three had arranged marriages and did not meet their husband to be until the day of their marriage. Mahendra’s younger brother is currently studying in Kathmandu to become an engineer. In Mahendra's village he is known as quite the success story. Most people do not leave the village let alone become a professional. Mahendra has not only left his village but has aquired a bachelors degree and is currently obtaining is second masters. 

Mahendra has pursed many forms of education. He began getting is BA at the Ramsagar Ramsawraup College where he received his degree in English and Sociology. He continues along this path by getting his masters in Sociology at the Tribuban University in Kathmandu. However while learning about human societies and realized he wanted to work with in the justice system. After he completed his MA he decided to continue his education and become a lawyer. He is currently enrolled at the Nepal Law Kathmandu Campus. Following his year with Tevel he wants to complete his degree and become a lawyer.

            Mahendra’s family belongs to the Dusadh Caste which is apart of the Dalit community. This is also know as the “untouchable” caste.  Mahendra explained to me that a long time ago this would have affected his family greatly however since the political changes in Nepal discrimination has diminished significantly and he feels he has relatively equal opportunity to the people who belong to higher castes.

            In Nepal there are 125 castes. Within these different communities there are 123 different languages. Mahendra speaks 5: Bhojpuri (which is the language of the Tari people in the mid western region of Nepal), Maithali (which is the language spoken in Mahendra’s home village), Nepali, Hindi, and English. When I first started working with Mahendra his English was hard for me to understand. However after working together for 4 months we have figured out a good communication system. I have learned to speak slower, and many times if I do not understand what Mahendra is saying he simply spells the word and it becomes clear that it is a simple pronunciation issue. Mahendra also asks me about different vocabulary which I help to define for him on a regular basis and he gives me different Nepali works that are important for me to learn.  We have a pretty good system going.

            He was raised as a Hindu however he does not believe in the practice of religion. While he believes in a higher supernatural power he believes that this spirit lives within all of us, not in one god. He believes that everyone is god.  He says that god lives within your heart, not in temples and not within the institution of religion. He doesn’t understand people who are blind supporters of God. He says that religion makes things black and white when things are much more complicated. While he has faith, his faith lies in human beings.      

            It has been a really rewarding experience working with Mahendra. I feel like we are constantly learning things about each other and our different upbringings.  It’s amazing that no matter how different our lives have been and will be that for this one year life has brought us together working towards the same mission. I think one of the most valuable things through out this whole experience will be having worked with Mahendra. This relationship allows us both to better understand the differences in the world and how to cooperate within circumstances that are foreign to both of us.