DNS: A Short History
June 14, 2024 (Written by Rabi Khanal)
The history of the unofficial Delaware Nepali Samaj (DNS) began in September 2008, when the Nepali community held its first-ever picnic, coordinated by Mr. Rabi Khanal, at Lums Pond State Park in Glasgow, DE. The picnic was attended by around 30 participants, including a handful of University of Delaware graduate students. Outside of Rabi Khanal’s family, a few of the other participants who are currently still residing in Delaware are Mr. Dipak Dahal, Mr. Dinesh Neupane, and Mr. Prabindra Dhakal—all singles at that time. Mr. and Mrs. John and Ganga Drysdale were also present at that time.
The official Delaware Nepali Samaj (DNS) was established in March 2012 by Mr. Rabi Khanal to promote Nepali culture, tradition, and heritage to the Nepali community in the State of Delaware. The main objective of this group was to build and strengthen the Nepalese community and their friends living in Delaware and surrounding states. Another important goal was to educate our children about Nepali culture, language, and values.
Originally, DNS was created as a Facebook group to share information among Nepali friends in Delaware and the surrounding area. Mr. Khanal’s vision was to form a group for the Nepali community in Delaware to share ideas and suggestions, seek assistance within the group, and engage the populace in formal Nepali functions and events.
In November 2012, DNS held its first-ever Dashain/Tihar event in an Indian restaurant on Kirkwood Highway in Newark, DE. About 75 participants attended the gathering to celebrate the auspicious Nepali festivals. This event also had a cultural program where several of the DNS members danced and sang. A few of the performers from that night who are currently still residing in Delaware are Mr. Shailendra Khanal, Mrs. Ganga Drysdale, and Mrs. Pooja Luitel.
After the initial Dashain/Tihar gathering in 2012, DNS also started hosting other programs throughout the year. Some of the other events DNS hosted included summer picnics, musical concerts, Nepali movie screenings, and Nepali New Year picnics. Nima Rumba and Ram Krishna Dhakal came to perform in Delaware in 2016 and 2022, respectively. The beauty of the DNS team was that each year a different team of leaders planned and led the function. This showed community involvement and DNS pride. A few members who have led in past events and are still residing in Delaware are Mr. Deb Jaisi, Mr. Baqar Shameem, Mr. Gokarna Chalise, Mr. Rijan Pokharel, Mr. Suzu Shreshtha, Mr. Dipak Dahal, and Mr. Bikash Shrestha.
Since the start of the DNS group on Facebook, the membership has been growing steadily. However, in recent years, it has been growing substantially. We are currently averaging around 100 to 150 members a year.
Due to this growth, in November 2022, around fifteen community members met at Mr. Rabi Khanal’s residence to discuss how to expand DNS and better serve the Nepali and non-Nepali communities in Delaware. A decision was made to register DNS as a non-profit 501c3 non-stock corporation. Registering DNS as a non-profit corporation allows the organization and its members to get tax exemptions and deductions. Mr. Khanal took the lead in this effort and completed the registration with the State of Delaware in May 2023.
In January 2024, the DNS team met in the Middletown library and decided to change the organization’s name from Delaware Nepali Samaj to Delaware Nepali Society but keep DNS as the abbreviated name.
In the same meeting, the members decided to form a by-laws committee to write up the rules of the organization. Mr. Deb Jaisi led this effort along with a handful of other members. The by-laws were discussed and approved by DNS members in a meeting in March 2024. In April 2024, Mr. Khanal registered DNS as a 501c3 non-profit organization with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). A new DNS with a new name was formed!
In March 2024, the DNS team met to form an interim Board of Directors (BOD) team for the year 2024. Mr. Deb Jaisi was selected as the interim president of DNS for this period. Ever since the BOD was formed, it has been meeting every month at different BOD members’ residences to discuss important topics and issues facing the organization.
DNS’s goals and objectives have expanded since its initial inception in 2012. Many more short-term goals have been defined and added to Article II of the DNS by-laws document. One of the short-term goals is to integrate Delaware Valley Nepali Pathshaalaa (DVNP) School, established by Shailendra Devkota, Bijaya Gaire, Anira Kandel, Sunil Shrestha, and their friends in 2018, with the DNS core organization.
A major long-term DNS goal is to build and maintain a Nepali Community Center with a Hindu temple in Delaware. We will all be working towards these important goals!
Jai Nepal!