Ambassador’s Remarks

Memorial Service for

Margaret Alexander and Bijnan Acharya

3 p.m., Thursday, September 28, 2006

USAID/Nepal, Rabi Bhawan
 

Thank you all for coming here to pay tribute to two colleagues, two friends, two deeply committed and wonderful human beings -- Margaret Alexander and Bijnan Acharya.

They were among the 24 dedicated officials, environmentalists and others who perished in that helicopter crash in Taplejung last Saturday.  We honor all of the victims of that terrible event, but our focus here today is to remember the two fallen members of our Mission community. 

In a statement on their loss, USAID Administrator Randall Tobias said, “We mourn these two dedicated professionals who gave their lives in service to Nepal and the United States.”  It is important to stress this point – their deaths were in the line of duty, promoting development of Nepal on behalf of the people of the United States.  

Witnessing the untimely deaths of members of our Mission is a tremendous blow to all of us.  Most Mission employees, Nepali and American, from drivers to members of the Country Team, have some particular memory, some special moment that recalls Margaret or Bijnan or both.  Maybe it was working hard with them to make a project successful.  Or maybe it was merely sharing a laugh over a joke.  

Whatever the memory, I hope you recall it today and remember them as they should be remembered – as dedicated professionals, yes, of course, but also as warm and caring fellow humans.  

I worked with Margaret closely over the past year or so.  Indeed, I think I’m one of the few people in the mission who had begun to call her Maggie, at her request.   Her passion for her work was infectious – as was her laughter when I told her something particularly silly.   She fully understood the challenges involved in trying to help build a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Nepal, but just as fully embraced the mission.  A mutual friend who was with her in Ghunsa, the day before the accident, reports that she was radiant.

In a land of unspeakable beauty, she was helping the people overcome horrendous development challenges.  She knew that what she was doing was important, and that it was making a difference.  She leaves behind her sister Harriet, a resident of Iowa.

Bijnan Acharya worked with USAID/Nepal since 1999.  He was serving as USAID’s Environment and Forestry Program Specialist, responsible for all environmental impact assessments in the country, and managing USAID environmental programs with the NGO community.  Bijnan received two undergraduate degrees from Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu and his Ph.D. was from Leiden University in The Netherlands. 

His thesis was on Forest Biodiversity Assessment. He is survived by his wife Sujata and his two children Sakar and Shreya. 

An article in a Kathmandu newspaper yesterday described how friends in Bijnan’s home village of Chundi Ramgha are mourning his death.  “The villagers,” the article said, “described [Bijnan] … as straightforward, friendly, and diligent.”  I think his colleagues can agree with that assessment.  I would go beyond that:  Although in many ways a quiet man, he was fiercely committed to the uplift of the people of Nepal, particularly the rural Nepalis.  My first extensive interaction with him occurred on a lengthy trip outside of Kathmandu.

With gentle persistence, he showed me how important the various user groups are in the rural areas and how key they are in building the habits of democracy in these troubled times.

Even as we mourn, I think it important that we remember the words of a friend who knew both Margaret and Bijnan well:  “They died doing what they were good at and what is so good for Nepal – and what they loved doing.”

Dr. Leo Buscaglia, a professor at the University of Southern California and a popular writer on the topic of love, once said, “Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, ‘Did you bring joy?’ The second was, ‘Did you find joy?’”

I know that Margaret and Bijnan have answered these questions in the affirmative and that their journeys continue.  As we now remember them, we too should think about and share our memories of the joy they brought into our lives.  We keep them alive in our hearts by reliving the joy we shared with them while they were among us.

Before we leave today, I also want to thank you, the dedicated team of the U.S. Mission to Nepal, for the support you have given to each other during this difficult time.  The days of search and rescue, followed by the crushing news about the crash, were stressful and painful for all of us.  Especially for those of you here at USAID. Thank you for looking after each other, and especially for dedicating yourselves to those most affected by the tragedy – Bijnan’s and Margaret’s family members.  

One final note:  Just last week, on Friday, an opinion article touting the importance of literacy, and USAID/Nepal’s efforts in this realm, was published under Margaret’s byline in the Nepali-language newspaper, The Annapurna Post.  

The last line of that article read:  “The people and the Government of the United States are committed to helping Nepal achieve the goal of sustainable development and to fostering literacy skills among all genders and levels of society.”  Margaret’s and Bijnan’s commitment to helping the U.S. to help Nepal was always uppermost.  They gave their lives to it. 

God bless them both.