KATHMANDU, Nov 25: Vice President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Sunil Shah, has said that the recent political shifts in Nepal have made broad unity within the global diaspora organisation more crucial than ever.
Shah, who describes himself as consistently in favour of consensus, said the NRNA must come together to support Nepal during its current transitional phase. “Given Nepal’s present situation, we must contribute to rebuilding efforts. The NRNA has already supported Kathmandu’s traffic system reconstruction, but with unity, we can do much more,” he said.
A high-level committee formed under a Supreme Court mandamus led the NRNA’s unity convention last May, which elected the new executive committee under Mahesh Kumar Shrestha. Shah said that any agreement going forward should strictly follow the mandate of that unity convention. “To implement NRNA citizenship, and to contribute to Nepal’s development and prosperity, unity is the only way to achieve our goals,” he added.
SC dismisses both committees of NRNA
Highlighting the significant role of NRNA’s National Coordination Council (NCC) USA in strengthening organisational unity, Shah—himself a former NCC USA president—said he has been actively working to foster cohesion both at the NCC level and in the central committee.
Referring to the draft agreement prepared on November 1 under President Mahesh Kumar Shrestha’s leadership, Shah called it an “honest effort” to bring the NRNA back to a common platform. He said the document lays out a clear roadmap to reinforce the association as an independent, autonomous, non-political, social and philanthropic institution in line with its founding principles.
Acknowledging the existence of various committees formed after the 10th NRNA Global Conference, Shah said the contributions of past NRNA campaigners must be respected. “If we withdraw the cases pending in court through mutual understanding, meaningful institutional unity is within reach,” he said.
“NRNA does not belong to any single individual or group; it is the common institution of Nepalis across the world. That’s why there is no alternative but to set aside personal ego and past grievances and unite for the greater good of the organisation and the motherland,” Shah added.
