“The Regime of Dictatorship: Within the Human Rights Organisation- The Brief analysis of Blue Diamond Society and its megalomaniac chair person -Sunil Babu Pant, of Nepal”

Ever since the genesis of the Blue diamond Society (BDS) in the Horizon of Nepal, it has generated massive controversies around. Firstly, it is to do with LGBTI rights which have been largely ignored and unrepresented in a democratising country like Nepal. It is not only the rights of LGBTI minority people who have been historically uninformed or marginalised, it is also to do the outrageous approaches and campaigns which managed to gain momentum internationally.

There is no doubt that the success of BDS has gained lime lights amongst the international human rights movement and people. In the context of Nepal many people have gained the awareness of LGBTI minorities which was previously unheard of. Through BDS Nepalese human rights got its new dimension without a doubt but regarding quality of lives of LGBTI which has not improve a bit in last ten years of its activism. It might be due to the lack of knowledge of BDS and its staff or it might be due to the donor backed projects implementation which has distanced the reality from the need of local LGBTI people or it might be the management system of BDS which are often seen very undemocratic, feudal, closed (not transparent) and abusive. Lately, the falsification of the data and services of BDS are coming out in Nepalese media clearly.

BDS has successfully commoditised the Nepalese LGBTI people and lives in international market successfully with well-known writers, activists, journalists, lawyers and donors are backing the movement blindly without knowing the fact in the field due to the frequent glamorous coverage and stories (partly true but sometimes highly falsified) presented via national and international media to the international public which has been the key to its funding strategies.

It will not be wrong to say that BDS is an organisation working for transgender (TG) community alone. I hate to use the term third gender which has disempowering concept therefore I refrain to use this term in my article. Sunil Babu is a homosexual man who has sexual likings toward middle aged man who has successfully kept his male partners and sexual life private from national media at least but declared openly to the international media as a first open homosexual parliamentarian in Nepal. According to my observation during my research, I hardly met Gays and Bisexuals and other sexual minorities apart from transgender community who has acquired some kinds of service from BDS. BDS has successfully organised events of beauty context of transgender people of Nepal but vastly limited to its staff members. The invitation to the beauty context has not been once advertised in national media to include all the TG community of the country. The entire event is limited to BDS staff and their friends alone. Many TG members are currently working are paid $40 monthly which is hardly enough to pay their rent let alone for food and cloths. One occasion, I asked a TG staff members of BDS about her situation, she blatantly told me that we are under paid by BDS and to survive we need sell ourselves here everyday. There are rumours that BDS has different financial reports one for donors and one for staff members. The donor financial report contains high salaries paid to all staff members to show that BDS has been doing justice to their staff members.

Regarding HIV and STD prevention work, BDS has done very little to promote safe sex practice amongst LGBTIQ people of Nepal. The staff members who suppose to distribute and outreach in the field has been enticing men on the job having fun themselves everyday in their working hours. BDS knows about it very well but have they implemented any monitoring and evaluation strategies to over come this abuse yet. How many members and fund it has mobilised for this issue in the nation but the effect is almost zero. Have they promoted or conducted any study to see the impact obviously not! Regarding HIV/AIDS there has been only handful of the cases till date reported amongst LGBTIQ community even the cases were through their practice they have not been able to come out openly about their sexuality and take services through BDS because most of the LGBTI community of Nepal (apart from transgender community) too embarrassed to associate and linked with BDS because of its insensible activities and programs. Some BDS workers are accusing BDS has been falsifying the data regarding their care and number of HIV/AIDS patients it has been caring. One of the member said that BDS has successfully given two three hundred patients about their services but in document they have added to 5000 patients around Nepal. This allegation clearly shows that the symptoms of rampant corruption in BDS which is largely designed by its chair person-Sunil Babu Pant for his self interest. Sunil Babu and his close linked management personnel hardly release the information about the incoming funds and had chance to share their views amongst donors about the progress. The communication GAP between staff members and donors has been deliberately designed by Sunil Babu Pant for his megalomaniac personality which often seen as a behaviour of an organisational psychopath. There are sources which tell that many of the patients who are linked with HIV and STD clinics are not even LGBTI people and community. These members accessed the services because it is provided freely otherwise they have to pay for.

BDS has been implementing trainings on vocational courses to its staff members about beautician, driving tempo and other management courses but has they provided any for non BDS LGBTIQ members yet? The most of the BDS staff members who would not get any job elsewhere because of their lack of qualifications and skills are the once who is supporting Sunil Babu blindly. For those who follows him blindly given good posts, with high paid salaries and of course trainings after trainings which are then translated into Nepali LGBTIQ empowerment project which is overall propaganda alone or mi

BDS has announced the LGBTI games in Nepal for some time through its NTV program called “Pahichan” and banner in national stadium but it has failed to invite and include LGBTIQ sports people outside BDS at all. BDS has encouraged its staff members to train themselves to participate for the event but the most of the participants are not at all sports people in day to day life. This is one of the BDS’s strategies to gain popularity amongst international stakeholders but same time rejected and excluded its own beneficiaries from the event which can be seen a deliberate design. There are many national champions in LGBTIQ Nepal who are left behind just because they are not part of the BDS staff members as it is a private sport event. If so why should they call it South Asian LGBTIQ games? Why do they include all LGBTI people in the promotion? There other allegation around the event is that, the Mitini Nepal (a lesbian organisation) team wanted to organise the event but Sunil Babu blatantly rejected plan and their proposal by disheartening the staff members permanently. These are the few of many corruption and marginalisation inflicted by BDS to its own prime beneficiaries-Nepali LGBTIQ community.

In a decade long activism, nighter BDS has produced, supported or funded any impartial academic research (done by local LGBTI members) because they are frightened to let go all the malpractice and abuses inflicted against its staff and huge fund as well as misinformation which has mystified international audience successfully nor produce single credible information regarding sexuality and gender identity issues, transparent reports, programs/projects/outputs, discussion panel on current issues regarding LGBTIQ people of Nepal inclusively which can challenge the current system and behaviours of the nation regarding LGBTIQ identity and rights. I have known few staff from BDS for more than decades and according to their story the whole system is very undemocratic and they hardly know anything about the donors and funds. Sunil Babu has separated the staff from the donors so that he can manipulate the fund and information regarding salaries, services and data to donors and same time staff members. Many staff members are very unhappy about the management system but very frightened to speak up because that can cost their job especially with senior management staff who are paid handsomely and the close and blinded agent of Sunil Babu Pant, the director. Sunil Babu is a great multi tasker and perhaps busier than our prime minister Babu Ram Bhattarai who has no time to talk and correspond to LGBTIQ people with needs but have enormous time to travel abroad continuously perhaps for work or charity sex tour to gain funding or popularity amongst developed and powerful people of this world. It is not problem of him as well but it also reflects the credibility of its donors and staff members. It is blatantly a corruption, political invasion and interference to a sovereign nation and its people. The donors need to take responsibility towards this abuse and they are equally violator of human rights and the dignity of vulnerable people of this country.

The presentation of Sunil Babu itself looks innocent on NTV program called PAHICHAN (Identity)”. He regards himself as a role model to Nepali LGBTIQ people and related movement has not once given an interview about his own identity and struggles to the Nepalese audience openly. This does ring bells too many people who can think but for those who does not think perhaps a trivial matter. He has been inviting those attention seeker megalomaniac artists into the show. Neither has he opened or initiated the national level discussion with gender experts, academicians, activists, political leaders, community members, journalists and most importantly its prime beneficiaries about the priority issues to mainstream LGBTIQ into our society as normal human beings and have rights as everyone in our society nor BDS has any capability or willingness to do so in near future. He has challenged or influenced Nepalese legal system merely with the aid of international activists which has not been consolidated due to the negligence of BDS by not submitting the demographic data of LGBTIQ people of Nepal requested by the Supreme Court of Nepal till today.

Many lesbian members from Mitini Nepal as well as BDS, I can not disclose their names because this might cause their jobs which can push them for further vulnerability (if they need to live with their family members), are alleging BDS for neglecting female gay members and their rights. Last month a violated mother and self identified lesbian (Rajani Sahi) had go through enormous trauma due to the ignorance of family and community members to her life and forcefully institutionalised, medicated, violated her basic rights has been left alone by BDS like she is not a human of their interest to let her die alone. Currently she is kept in Maiti Nepal for further negotiation and consultation. One of the prominent members of BDS has sexually abused a female staff member. Instead of taking action against abuser they have successfully sacked the victim from the job. The victim filed the case against the culprits in the district court of Kathmandu and still continuing.

Suicide has been world wide phenomena amongst vulnerable LGBTIQ members from the globe. This trend is very current and rampant in Nepal as well but purposefully BDS has refrained from intervening. Although most of these deaths are seen as cirrhosis and alcohol abuse but neither BDS has done anything to investigate the cause and the cofactors relating alcohol abuse and mental health nor has deployed or funded any research and investigation to learn the unspoken and untold suffering of LGBTI people in this country. The author of this report was part of the human rights course through the university of Sydney and Kathmandu School of Law and has taken initiative to find out unspoken violence and abuse amongst self identified LGBTIQ people of Kathmandu valley. The meeting (with LGBTI and heterosexual staff members) have decided not to support this research without any further clarification. BDS has not yet been recruit credible counsellors who can understand the situation of LGBTIQ in the context of Nepal. Many of LGBTIQ members are in constant battle whether to live as culture expected or as their heart says. The BDS has any information regarding these issues because they neither care to study nor have the willing to change the situation or can not perform because it lacks credible and qualified staff due to the corrupt human resource policy and feudal management system where democratic and human rights values are seldom practiced amongst junior and less important staff members.

Regarding human resource management it is very undemocratic same time not transparent at all to the general public or beneficiaries. I remember applying for position of technical advisor in BDS. The very first misleading information was that they have written false email address where job application from general members can not be submitted when I complain about it they have given me another email address to submit my application. I was told to apply based on my merit because I left my CV previously to BDS information help desk for their reference. I called them numerous times to know about the progress neither they had one to comment about it not courteous to call me back when I left my number. Several weeks later I came to know about the appointment of a person to the position which was referred by a Kyle Knight (a friend or well wisher of Sunil Babu Pant), an American consultant or journalist which occasionally write papers about BDS to international Media which are often superficial but a very good tool to seek attention and commoditised LGBTIQ issues to international public in betterment of BDS.

There are allegations against the BDS Chair person Mr. Sunil Babu Pant about human rights abuse such as domestic worker abuse while he was ministry of parliament shown in resent media reports by Sagarmatha TV news which was broadcasted in Nepali so the most of the international partners and donors might not understand but they ought know the reality of this person. There are proofs of his abuse in a child rights organisation that was representing this domestic worker. Regarding performance of a coaxed head job in BDS office by the chair person which could be just allegation but victim can not come out to testify because he is married and has reputable job which can be jeopardy.


Recently few of the LGBTIQ staff members had been sacked by the Program Officer from a branch of BDS which (who is very close to Sunil Babu and senior staff members of BDS), designated to deal with gay male members of Kathmandu valley. There is no doubt about his boldness and courage but same time he has been promoted so well that it had blinding effect on him. Instead of acting professionally he had been abusive and threatening to victims to kill if they open their mouth in public.

While he was a member of parliament of Nepal, he appointed a person in BDS as a acting director but in reality he (she) had no power make and execute any decision regarding the activities of BDS. Sunil Babu kept his staff away from donors so that he can tame BDS and staff according to his needs at anytime. If anyone wants cross check about it please check the documents sent it to its donors and partners in his tenure. There are many issues arising from this tenure still pending for the investigation. As far as LGBTIQ being first ministry of Parliament in Nepal is completely rubbish. Perhaps he is open from the closet to the international media but I am sure there are many closeted members and ministers in Nepali politics long before he has even entered the politics of Nepal but these leaders choose to be closeted because of various situations. And they have every right to do so.

Please visit following links to see the recent media release which tried to open few of BDS and Sunil Babu Pant’s malpractices as a director, human and human rights activist of this country. If you do not understand the news, then please feel free to contact me or any translating agency to do so because it serious matter and everyone should know about it because violating or abusing rights of people is a crime but becoming a bystander of any abuse is regarded as a violator of human rights in current human rights politics of this world.

• Khoj Khabar (search news, 14 August 2012): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn4otTu_VDs

• Khoj Khabar (search news, 15 August 2012): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2FQXDoQQxI

• Khoj Khabar (search news, 15 August 2012): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmziIhz7j1I


It is my earnest appeal to all the human rights activists and partner organisations to refrain from the participating the LGBTIQ games in Kathmandu Nepal. I would also like to welcome all the activists, political agents, journalist, and sports person from abroad who has come here in Kathmandu to show their solidarity and support towards minority rights do give serious attention to see the reality not just the articles written by people of superficial knowledge and understanding of Nepali society and the role of BDS in the empowerment of sexual minorities of this country. I do understand that you have been misinform and misled by BDS and their propagandas regarding LGBTIQ issues in Nepal. I request you to make an inquiry regarding what ever I have written and do pass me questions regarding this article. I would be more than happy to verify all the aspect of the article without any hesitation.

The major problems that I see regarding BDS and its management are given bellow:
• Sunil Babu Pant, the director of BDS has recruited a financial officer as a close family member which is very efficient in falsifying financial reports.
• Perhaps it is do with capacity of the human resource which often recruited not from the merit but from the nepotism of BDS network.
• BDS has successfully shown to its donors and international agents as a human rights and public health institute with the well crafted international articles written by ignorant and superficial activists and journalists from the globe. Have these journalists even have ideas about situation LGBTIQ in Nepal?
• Feudal management of BDS has been the most important factor for its situation of BDS. Ok we know that he is the founder of this organisation that does not mean that he can rule out the organisational values, mission and vision for self without election and approval of board members.
• As far as writing proposal of the project concern, I have a doubt that he is the one. Perhaps he needs to pay proposal writers and donors with some favours (might be sexual favours).
• Sunil Babu has never internalised the values of BDS himself. The staff members have been living in penury for so long not having salaries for months and asking people for a feed for daily basis. Some staff members even married to an opposite sex just to support themselves to sustain food for daily basis if he is the real human rights activist he would have been communicating with his staff members about the reason behind difficulty of payment continuously.

Unless and until BDS workers do not keep their act together for protecting human rights and human dignity, we will continually advocating against its malpractices and misinformation. This does not mean that we are against BDS or its beneficiaries.

Krishna Gopal Maharjan: krishnamaharjan@yahoo.com
+977 9849 258 266