Fri 18 Mar 2011 In: Hall of Fame View at Wayback View at NDHA
Bhakti (Milan) Shah, Sunil Pant and Roshan Mahato Seeing a uniformed New Zealand police officer openly and proudly declare her sexuality has been a moment to remember for Bhakti Shah, who was thrown out of the Nepal's army and into a prison cell after declaring love for a woman. The 26-year-old was born a biological woman but prefers male pronouns and the name Milan. His wicked grin and constant propensity for laughter make it hard to imagine the horror he went through in a Nepalese jail. He clearly loves his first trip out of Nepal, as he discovers Wellington through the AsiaPacific Outgames Human Rights Conference. We sit at the café in the middle of the clamour in the busy Outgames hub with openly-gay Nepal MP Sunil Pant, who started the Blue Diamond Society where Shah now works, and his colleague Roshan Mahato who GayNZ.com and some of our readers helped bring to the event. “I'm generally happy to meet so many people from different walks,” Shah says, with Pant helping to interpret the conversation. “But [I was] particularly happy to meet a current police officer who is lesbian. In a uniform, she can openly come out and declare she has a partner, have courage and mostly the possibility to do that, which is amazing.” He and the officer have exchanged cards and shared experiences, which he says is the moment of the conference which has had the most impact. Shah stood and spoke at a transgender and intersex hui on Tuesday, where everyone was asked to introduce themselves and state their preferred gender. He told the group his story of being thrown out of the military and jailed, switching to his native tongue as the emotion hit home. The story moved the room and even before a translation, some were already in tears. In 2002 Shah, then a Nepalese army instructor, fell in love with trainee Durga Thapa. The couple's decision to be open about their relationship saw them both thrown out of the army and Shah turfed into a dark, cold cell and mentally tortured for 60 days, a time he does not like to reflect on. That's understandable when Pant describes the Shah who was finally released from the two months of solitary confinement, after barely surviving on a tiny amount of food. “I couldn't believe it when he was out,” the MP says. “He couldn't even stand. He's skinny now, but he was so skinny,” he says. “[He was] completely lost, very frightened. He was challenging to deal with so we just rushed to the hospital and [he] had glucose water, the saline water, to get some energy. And we ended up injecting the saline water for three days. He was very weak and mentally very disturbed. So it took long months, three months, to get him back to normal shape. It was a very big task. We worried a very lot about Bhakti.” Shah has filed a case with Nepal's Supreme Court, which is still pending. Meantime the couple has had a wedding ceremony, which is not yet recognised in the country. However, it is included in the constitution which will be voted on in two months. Looking handsome in a suit Thapa arranged for him especially for the games, Shah tells GayNZ.com he probably would not be alive, if not for the support of the Blue Diamond Society, which lobbies staunchly for the rights of glbt people in Nepal and cares for those who need help. “It was a tremendously difficult time. So I value the Blue Diamond Society and the family support,” he says. “Now it's really good that I am different, I am committed and I have not only support from the Blue Diamond Society, but also I am able to support the new ones.” Shah has made friends from all over the world at the Outgames. “I already had a family, which is the Blue Diamond Society … but now I feel like I have a much bigger family.” “New Zealand is very beautiful,” he says and Pant jokes “and the beautiful New Zealand ladies,” which brings a blush to Shah's face. Then he breaks into a smile, “I am very happy,” he says. Jacqui Stanford - 18th March 2011