Identiy Crisis : Signs of things to come ?
Some media reports suggested that the Prime Minister (and Maoist Chairman Prachanda) didn’t receive tika while others reported that he received tika from his father after 13 years. My attempt to find the truth couldn’t produce verifiable results. High placed sources in the media reveal that he received tika but didn’t want to admit it – a secularist he is, after all. The hypocrisy is not difficult to identify. But questions regarding the Maoists’ motive and if they are planning a cultural revolution a la the Chinese cultural revolution don’t have clear answers yet.
Last Dashain, I had the opportunity to spend some time with an educated, well-traveled Nepali Muslim from a village in Syangja. He told me that their families and communities have been observing Dashain since a long time ago (perhaps as soon as they migrated to Nepal, that was quiet a few generations ago). Various ethnic and religious groups in Nepal observe Dashain as joyously as the Hindu do. I have studied the celebration of Durga Puja, Dusshera, Navratra, Bijaya Dashami, etc in India. In West Bengal, Durga Puja is a month long celebration and the official state holiday is a fortnight long. But the celebrations are very religious and specific to Hinduism. Ditto with the celebration of Navratra, Dusshera and Bijaya Dashami in other places. In Nepal, some people celebrate Dashain without the “tika”, some without the religious worships and sacrifices while the Hindus celebrate it with their religious rituals. That’s because Dashain is a Nepalese festival, not a Hindu festival. Calling Dashain anything other than a social-cultural festival is undermining the many unique Nepalese elements it symbolizes.
Dashain is not a religious festival
But, a disturbing trend has been cropping up in Nepal for the last few years. Some groups and political forces want us to believe that Dashain is a Hindu festival. Some go to the extent of saying that it is the festival of Khas (Brahmin and Kshetris of hill origin) only. Sadly, this notion of Dashain as a Hindu festival is picking up very fast and many ethnic groups already abstain from observing this festival. The ruling party (Communist Party of Nepal, Maoists) is one of the the main sponsors of this propaganda. While they were warring, the Maoists reportedly forced people in remote areas to boycott the festival of Dashain.
Many secular countries of the world have a month-long (often, more than a month) holiday during the Christmas and the New-Year. In contrast, the official Dashain vacation in our country is being curtailed each year. On similar note, since Nepal’s transformation to a federal democratic republic, many symbolic changes have been adopted. The national anthem has changed, and so have the national emblem, bank notes and many such things. The national dress, however hasn’t officially changed yet. Either because of the neglect of the law or the sense of no-obligation to follow the same, the Maoist leaders seem proud to flaunt western attires in formal occasions and other events of national and international importance. Despite not being a national dress, tuxedo isn’t Nepal’s traditional dress either, unlike dhoti-kurta, which is the what the people (and politicians) of Terai-origin wear.
Dashain, the greatest Nepalese festival, was here again, like every year. But there were some differences. No other Dashain in Nepal’s history began with the news of a ruling party discussing if it should vie for a totalitarian system of governance. No other Prime Minister (in addition to ignoring his personal and family culture) had ignored the festival that is historically known to have transcended religious divisions and engendered warmth and celebration all over the country.
We all need to ask ourselves if the writing on the wall is clear.
Good read.
well said.
keshuvko
October 10, 2008 at 8:23 pm
worth reading.
mnpaudel
October 10, 2008 at 9:25 pm
We are becoming more what “we are not”! Irony is I am in crisis, crisis of my national identity. When I say the country of Gautam Budhha and Sagarmatha, I have to face Indians claiming former and Chinese claiming for later. My national dress has become “तानाशाहाको र बाहुनको” dress. 100 Nepali scholars are abandoned for 1 “खैरो छाला”. Horrible thing is I don’t see the clear way out. Now all I can to say is “पशुपतीनाथले कल्याण गरून” (यो पनि कत्तीलाइ चित्त नबुझ्ला).
Ankur
October 10, 2008 at 9:51 pm
There is sequence of destruction.In the yesteryear there used to be destruction of human kind .Now there is destruction of human soul, i’e their culture.There is no discontinuation of destruction.Stop this destruction, try to make the things better and finer. Making the existing things better is the change not its destruction. Mr. paudel , very good reading.
binod
October 10, 2008 at 11:16 pm
[...] Paudal discusses the controversy regarding whether the new Maoist Prime Minister observed Dashain festivities (15 [...]
Global Voices Online » Nepal: Celebrating Dashain festival
October 11, 2008 at 1:44 am
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pampactiops
October 11, 2008 at 11:02 am
[...] recently wrote a post about a possible identity crisis among Nepalese (which is actively being sought by many forces). Some words are more than words, [...]
On words and their purpose « Bibek Paudel’s weblog
October 21, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I can totally understand if you are putting this issue here for a discussion. Or else I absolutely don’t think this topic even deserves to be written about. I am not a hindu technically, I still celebrate Dashain- because for long its been marketed as part of being Nepali. And honestly all we need is an excuse to celebrate life- and there we are doing it to the fullest.- irrespetive of whichever culture you belong to.
So if people choose not to be a part of it- its their choice and their right. As for the Maoists of Nepal spreading the propaganda that Dashain is a Hindu religion. Don’t think they need to create any illusions cause Dashain primarily sprung out of sort of hindu culture. Different annecdotes or myths whatever you call it- says it all. Dashain they say generally is celebrated to acknowledge victory of good over evil. Everything that I see during Dashain is associated with hindu culture (From erecting the image of Bhagwati, to the killing of the Raawan and so forth). So I don’t care if people tout about categorizing it. If people can think for themselves. They shouldn’t be worried about unnecessary propaganda created by the communists even if they did.
ANd people making a fuss about politicians sporting Tuxedos or whatever – completely baffles me. are you seriously going to judge someone by the way he or she dresses up. I am more worried about the national development than superficial national symbols or national dresses or national animals…I have a pretty good sense of who I am and where I belong. hence I certainly don’t need some random materials the nation pick just in the name of nationalism. To hell with mt Everest or whatever else we’ve known for. I want my country to be known as a nation who can equally compete with other nationals in this global world. I don’t want my country to be known any more as a begging bowl. Instead I want it to prosper on its own. Still having said that- regardless of where my country stands – damn I am proud of it and will always be. simply because of the fact that I was born here- not because they selected daura suruwal as their men’s national attire, or they worship Cow as the Goddess. Or even if its a place of Gautam Buddha.
S
October 23, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Hi S,
Thanks for your insights.
Dashain has some Hindu elements, that I have written about. The Bijaya Dashami, worships and other aspects are Hindu elements. But my main point is that those part of the celebration are observed in an isolated manner by Hindus outside Nepal too (eg India). Other social and cultural elements of this festival are very unique to Nepal and other religious groups (other than Hindu) also observe them in Nepal. That makes Dashain as a whole, a social-cultural festival. It was a time of celebration for the peasants of our country, just after monsoon and before winter. Hindus celebrate it their way, other religions celebrate it their way. That’s my point.
Yes, I have no disagreements on your opinion on Mount Everest and all that. History and culture are good to look back and smile, but we can’t live there. Having said that, development is no pretext to deliberately undermine your cultural and historical identity. Being a small country between two powerful nations, Nepalese are very sensitive about their identity and their identity has in a way helped them survive as an independent nation so far. If you take away identity from a country, you basically kill its very essence. We should be cautious about orchestrated efforts towards that direction.
Cheers !
Bibek Paudel
October 24, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I agree with you on the part where you brought the importance of history and culture- after all – thats what makes us who we are (but that doesn’t necessarily define our future as well- future is something that we create later). I have a complete respect for our culture. If you read my comment properly- I did NOt say that we should be ready to undermine our heritage or whatever that comes between you and the development of the country.
As for the rest that followed I don’t agree with you. Since when did the size of the country became the deciding factor behind our national identification?
If we compare ourselves to the countries like Singapore or Malaysia ..they are way wayy too smaller than ours. They don’t take the size of the country as an excuse to feel sorry for for themselves. So what – we stand between two the giants!!! (Apart from political reasons) why at all should it make any difference in a more personal level to us???
You see Bibek I don’t call that being ’sensitive’- I call that being intimidated or may be eveb stupid. Even you would agree with me that at times we get soo overdramatic about our own identity thing- that we even tend to forget the real us. And one example is the whole Prashant Tamang fad. okay I agree- it was his Nepali heritage that people were drawn to. But if you so proudly talk about our sensitivity towards our nation and our identity as the citizens of this country. WHy the hell the thousands of dollars were poured in from outside the Nepal just to get this guy win some damn show.
I mean come on – some crapy Indian show was making money because of us!- If you are someone who gets sooo agitated about something whatever that Rhitik Rosan said and will make a big deal about it and take it to the steets why not this one too! When you don’t even seem to know who you are or even have a slightest clue about your own root. Where does this identity fall into place?? – I don’t know!..and thats exactly what outsiders take advantage of.
I am absolutely appalled that majority of Nepalese simply cannot seem to ‘think’. If Nepalese were truly sensitive about their turest identification. Events such as Prashant Tamang or Rhitik Rosan scandal, would have had never happened. Its sad that Nepalese still go about screaming out loud from the top of the roof that Gautam Buddha was born in Nepal but not in India. ANd why they still do it- cause they simply don’t have anything else to be proud of. You see, because we are one lazy asses sitting on our butt constantly complaining and doing absolutely nothing not even for the love of the nation. Because if we already have the world’s tallest peak residing right here in our motherland- why the hell do we at all need anything else to reprove our state in this modern world??
SO Bibek please – lets not blame Indian or China here its us that we need to peek into cause thats where the answers lie.
S
October 25, 2008 at 8:14 am