Got a way out?

How does it feel like having to slip of capricious world every morning, getting ready in no time, eating in hurry, and packing yourself in glitzy corporate attires? And about having to listen to the jitters that your boos is always ready to dump on you in the lieu of the meager salary he pays?
Very taxing, and monotonous, I guess.
Then I wanted to search for alternatives. I asked a writer friend how he is managing not to work, and driving a brand new Santro. "Dip into the internet," he said, smiling that curious writery smile. It was wonderful how you can manage to eke out what you call subsistence and lifestyles, merely browsing through internet. However, I gave his advice a very serious thought.
Yeah, he is right. There are scores of online writing job providers. The need is only that you have to cash yourself, you have mould yourself into a writer's guise. The guise has to have taint to genuineness though, that is you should know ABC of writing, or a little more.
I have not had any projects till date. Nonetheless, I am pretty sure I will land on one soon provided I will keep my current fanaticism alive. Yeah, I am working, writing about whatever my mind sets on, book reviews, movie passion, horneyness . I say whatever because our indulgences cover everything ranging from fretting space digests to the downtown lewd.
And what is wrong in expecting some bucks? And in weaning yourself away from the man you call a nut. Your boss, yeah. That is him, alright.

Good luck to him.

Forging identity

A few months ago, I proposed a dalit girl, Balika for marriage. But she turned my plea of marriage down, for she believed, “You are a superior caste, I’m not apt for you.” A puny blow to what I called ‘liberal thought’, I guess. “After every matter was settled down between the landlord and me, he invalidated me as I told him my last name,” Purna Pariyar shares same sort of bitter experience. He came to Kathmandu to pursue further studies. When he felt leering attitude from every nook and cranny, he took to lying as the only refuge. He lives here under the alias of Purna Bista these days. Sima Daral abounds in the similar experiences. A commerce graduate, she had tough time running errands for a job before she ended up in the present job of accountancy. “Even though I was capable, I was denied a job because I, as they indirectly inferred, wasn’t a human,” embosoms Sima. She still feels oppressed by ‘indirect repugnance’ of the boss and co-workers.

Thousand of dalit youth who landed in Kathmandu share this common injustice. They reluctantly reveal that they are forced to forge their real identity while finding a job or a room. It is a sheer paradox to witness the rampant occurrences of such injustice even when the nation is on the verge of etching a new constitution that will supposedly dawn the long envisaged ‘New Nepal’. But what kind of New Nepal?

Between the lines

It is estimated that about 15 percent of population is retained by dalits. This proves that they are not minority group. Why is the majority under the hazy circle of injustice?

Illiteracy and privations are generally attributed to the answer to the question. But no! Privation might have something to do with this oppression. Bluntly speaking, lack of education is secondary to the social disease. If illiteracy is taken for granted as sole reason that has deterred the social justice, it will not be more than a hasty generalization. In fact almost 90 percent of dalits know they are being ill-treated by their fellowmen though some very few nod to a false notion that it is caste that determines who gets what.

Dalits are often found to voice for equality and social injustice. These agitations lack rigors- the spirit of any revolution. In deed, they don’t stand up rigorously against this blunt inhuman behavior. They are generally stirred by politicalized sedation. It is apt to put what Ratnamani Nepal, a lecturer of Rural Sociology of Tribhuban University says, “Politicalization of the issue has worsened the situations. On-air politics has divided them. UML dalit leader, Congress dalit leader, Maoists dalit leader. Strange.” Mr. Nepal’s point is justified more fairly when we link it to the real life situations.

If a dalit affiliates himself to a party, for what Mr. Mangal Bishwakarma, a dalit leader affiliated to Maoists puts, “shattering Rajyasatta, which has nurtured injustice”, his identity changes. He’ll, at first, be a party member. Only then will he be one of the members of the downtrodden majority.

The oppressor naturally wants to govern. It is the oppressed who has to counter. Also it is not the case of what Bishwakarma says, “We are fighting against injustice since the establishment of ‘our party’.” It only seems they are playing fighters like in a street drama. Real fighting should begin collectively not single-handedly.

Another facet of this ailment is policy farce. Merely policies and declarations don’t ensure the freedom of the derogated and the downtrodden. Had these policies had even a tiny role in shaping a just society, the situations wouldn’t have persisted till now. After all we have been chanting the same slogan since 2020 BS when the then king Mahindra brought the Muliki Ain into practice.

This issue is not political at any rate. Is not declaring ‘hay dalits you are free in our policies, you cope up with the society’ something like leaving a puppy among hounds to fight for a chunk of beef? The policies and provisions are the biggest hoaxes played by the state. If not, have we ever heard, if not seen, any oppressor being punished for his excesses?

What is in the name?

The word dalit itself is very contradictory. “Word dalit is very discriminating,” says Krishna Dharabasi, a prolific literary figure. It will not stop sounding rude and oppressive even when ‘dalits’, by some chance, start governing. However Mangal Bishwakarma does not want to hide himself. “It’s no use forging our identity, our existence is linked with our identity,” he says. But this blitheness is apt only for him- a leader. Sima, Balika and Purna can frequently be easy victim of bluntness. His talking about relationship between existence and identity seems to be more a prank than anything else. Though it might sound rude when I say he’s forgotten blacksmithship since they shun traditional profession believing that it is only because of their profession, they are forced to go discriminated.

They are wrong here. Quality should be our identity not the name. Dalits have insurmountable quality and possibilities, which should be cashed during state building. They are the most skilled force of the nation. They have got more skills than we- the so-called noblemen- have. They are blacksmiths, tailors, shoemakers and singers. Are we, the people of upper birth, adroit at something as fruitful and productive as they are? What are the differences between Fit-rite shoemaker and a mijar? Or between whatever kitchenware maker and a poor countryman who has been benefiting our agro-based economy? Couldn’t a damai sew clothes as good as John Players’ attire? They have got priceless assets. It is only that we have overlooked them.

Way-out

Education is as important as ever in making a social change. Meanwhile, we must admit that it takes time to change a belief backed by religion. It is not worth running on the surface just like what Bishwakarma says, “Economic, cultural, social and political transformation is required. Then it will vanish gradually.” Mangal’s politico-economic, socio-cultural transformation is very abstract provided he is unaware about the steps involved in bringing about such change. Besides ‘graduality’ might last for centuries.

Shunning injustice and appraising ken can bring about stunning change. Dalit’s calibers and qualities are to be modernized and commercialized. In epitome, they are to be made commercially independent (perhaps that was what Marx himself advocates). But conditions apply; they have to stand up themselves and adore their abilities at first.

On the other hand, the state can prop them up by making investments in commercialization and professionalization. At the mean time, the state should be lenient enough to let the dalits change their last name while they are procuring citizenship certificate. This might foster administrative complexities. But the state cannot afford to keep on being niggardly. Only then will the length of graduality probably shorten.

We, the general people are equally responsible for transforming suppressive country into just and welcoming home. Let’s fit in their lives, let them fit in ours. Only then could Balika disqualify me on grounds of my flaws. And only then could Sima and Purna live and work meaningfully, respectfully. Are we ready?

prolificsantu@hotmail.com

Rappy, Jazzy

“World is a global village now.” This is so over-used statement that it might not give you any definite meaning, and is merely a cliché. If the world is the global village, Nepal is one of the huts that constitute the hamlet. Things and ideas are exchanged among huts as they are located at the same village.
Rap music which once rocked and still gripping the West tightly is now in Nepal baffling the traditional folk’s music and Adhunik Geet. Many Nepalese listeners are letting themselves get shaken by the sloppy rhythm of Raps. The adoration on the part of the listeners has egged new faces on coming out with breathtaking beats.
The wide availability of Raps seems to have overshadowed other serene music, to which Nepalese listeners were used. “At present, Raps have outsmarted other music.” shares Dal Bahadur Gopali, a classical music teacher. In fact, the lucrativeness and popularity of Raps music has surged up high as of late making us doubtful about the very existence of traditional music. Nevertheless, Sudin Pokharel, a noteworthy rapper believes the other way round. “It has not harmed Adhunik music at all. Actually, raps is very different form other form of music. It will never overshadow any other music as such.” He claims.
Some artists don’t grunt against the advent of raps, for they believe it is just a fad that is to vanish ultimately. “It has arrived in Nepal as a fashion. I think it will not last longer,” claims Sila Bahadur Moktan, a prominent music composer. “It does not have the sweetness unlike general belief that music should be sweet and calming. It will not last nor will we have to let it survive,” he furthers. Certainly proper attention has not been paid to the lyrics of raps and discipline is also disregarded. “Do you call that (raps) any music at all?” questions Birendra Rai, a famous lyricist. Similarly, Santosh Lama, Nepali Tara 2063, claims, “rap is not sweet to listen. It is really time-bound, and will have to vanish soon.” However, artists who are into it claim it cannot fade away provided emphasis is put on quality. “Some people are griping that it will not survive because it is foreign. Why can’t they see that every kind of music is foreign except for the folk? Raps are, indeed, experimentation on music and thus are as important as other music. If we want to push overall music up, we have to try to give quality to save it,” suggests Sudin Pokharel.
Every innovation marks both good and evil. Raps have helped many artists to come into the ocean of music. They, at the meantime, have fostered a bad trend that they are being used as a quick ladder to success. “No music is bad. Innovation and experimentation are essential. However, raps have emerged with bad practices,” shares Dal Bahadur Gopali. Similarly Sila Bahadur Moktan puts “Raps have conned youngsters into music. Meanwhile, they are being used as a tool to quick fame.
As Gopali says experimentation and innovation are always essential so as to extract to dregs of perfection. Rap- experimentation into music- is a good sign itself not only because many people ‘buzz’ with its feats but also because it is a form of music. If we could make it deprived of vulgarity that is marking its presence recently, rap will certainly be more acceptable and adorable.

Loktantra cliché

How many times a day while trotting along the busy streets you have come across people bickering about something you don’t know and their arguing questioningly, “Who has got right to suppress one as this in Loktantra?” Scores of times, right? So it is.
While we were fighting the king, we aimed at bringing the new dawn of what we were then asked to call ‘Loktantra’. Political parties, except for Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) which bitched about Loktantra most times, did not leave even a single brick unturned to instill the word into the life of people. Moreover, it was written while defining ‘State’ in Interim constitution of Nepal 2063 “Nepal is a free, indivisible, sovereign, secular, inclusive and a completely Loktantrik state.” On 27th April this year, a Loktantra Day was also observed amidst huge participation of nationals as well as noted international figures (Sitaram Yachuri and others) and wild fanaticism.
When people are to complain about the hearth of basic necessities in Kathmandu they are frequently found to wonder saying “What is happening even after Loktantra has arrived.” Every citizen, child or adult, male or female, oaf or pedant is found to have used the term scores of time daily apropos life circumstances in Nepal. Now that the preparations for the most awaited Constituent Assembly Polls are undergoing, the term is wafting along the political streets, through the lives of people. It clanks through day or night, and about every nook and cranny. The word Loktantra is in more vogue again it was just after resurrection.

It is, however, strange that the users cannot definitely define the term Loktantra. When asked what they know about Loktantra, they either say something what is more like Republican or about democracy, or even duck their head down.

Loktantra seems to be more like a cliché.

What Loktantra really is?

If we translate Loktantra into English, we have democracy for it. “In translation there is not any difference in meaning. Loktantra in translation means democracy.” Keshab Badal of CPN-UML says. The democratic system which was in practice in Nepal in the post-46 agitation literally vested almost all rights in king, Badal furthers. “The king could not be brought under the jurisdiction of the court of law. Loktantra is, thus, very different from what we called ‘monarchial democracy’.
Loktantra is a system whereby the country is ruled by the people themselves, whereby executive power as well as sovereignty will be vested in the hands of Nepalese people.” Etymologically, Loktantra is made of two words ‘lok’ meaning public and ‘tantra’ meaning the system of government. “Loktantra is thus a system of government which ensures that people are the rulers for the benefits of themselves at the will of people.” says Hari Rokka. Loktantra should not be mistaken for Prajatantra, which has the prefix praja denoting the subjects. “Only kings say subject to the public. Prajatantra thus etymologically means the system of government headed by the king himself. It is the system which is run at the mercy of the king who has given certain rights to his prajas (subjects).” advocates Hari Rokka.

It is generally understood that Loktantra does not accommodate the king. “Surely, the king lost his position the very moment he did not heed people’s aspirations.” says Hom Nath Dahal “Prajatantra marks the king’s presence while Loktantra is the absence of the king.” In contrast, Bharat Giri, a central committee member of Rastriya Prajatantra party, emphasizes more on consensus of the public than on anything else while defining Loktantra. “Loktantra is the process which ensures the representation through the participation and consensus of public.” shares Giri. It can evidently justify the fact that the name of his party doesn’t miss out the word Prajatantra. Loktantra thus is the system of government where there is no king. “Loktantra is the system without any kind of monarchy.” concludes Comrade Jwala of communist party of Nepal (Maoists).

The head of the state
What the head of the state will be like in Loktantra? It is another question which bears remarkable animosity among parties and the leaders within the parties. Some leaders argue that the state will be headed by a flaccid president like in Indian president. “The president will be ceremonial like in India.” says Hom Nath Dahal. “Prime minister will be more powerful. He will execute the national activities according to the will of the people. He will hear the voice of people” he adds. Similarly, according to Hari Rokka, decision about the nature of the head of the state will lie on the will of Nepalese people. “After the first meeting of the representatives, what the president will be like will be decided. He might be like Indian, or American or Nepalese.
On the other hand, some leaders advocate that the peoples’ andolan was the first of its kind in entire world so the president will also be of Nepalese kind. “President will be neither like the one in the United States, not the one in like India, he will be out and out Nepali type.” claims Keshab Badal of CPN UML. Similarly Jwala says “we will make our type of president.”
In fact, whatever kind of the president there will be, he should abide by Nepalese constitution that is to be framed after the first meeting of constituent assembly and pay attention to people’s agenda and aspiration.

Single gender office: a discourse

“Male and female are the opposite wheels of the same cart” goes an adage. True enough, the concept of co-education as well as co-working in an office by both the genders- male and female- has become generally accepted and widely in vogue. Men and women working together, with the mutual efforts, skills and ideas have proved to be productive socially and organizationally. It is important also in the sense that it carries the essence of both genders being equal and henceforth emboldens the concept of the equality.
History has it, women, before Industrial Revolution, were not allowed to come out except for shopping. Even the age of mass production did not mark any noteworthy presence of women in management. In fact, it was only after the Second World War that women started feeling comfortable coming out for jobs though their presence was still hazy in terms of equality in compensation. They would not get as much salary as their male counterparts for the job of the same nature.
Now it seems it has been different. Women have not just started registering their presence in management; they have also started urging to set up a management entirely managed by women. The reason behind this, as they propound, is that by operating in a single gender office set-up, the organization will be able to surge up the sense of equality and the productivity of organization.
“We have collected a deposit of 73 million rupees in the meager time span of eight months.” says Anita Hada, the branch manager of Development and Credit Bank pvt. Ltd., which is the first office managed and operated entirely by women. Advocates of single gender office set-up point out that it is justified because women have been suppressed since the time immemorial. “Nepalese societies are dominated by males.” Hada further shares “we have an equal right to do something to airlift ourselves into the realm of equality.” Hada says her institution wants to set up an example in the society in the term of service catering as well as that of efficiency. “We hardly get any grievances. Our management is smooth. Our clients don’t have to wait to get the service.” She furthers “so we have got satisfied and loyal customers. Actually, even if managed by women-a dominated class, our motto is to make our clients feel the difference. We have very amicable business ambience. We personally attend to our clients. Our customers say that our service is the best. We have succeeded in making our clients realize that they are our assets.” These kinds of business vestures, as they argue, will not just prove prolific but they will also promote women. “We are sure to be in profit this year. We are shortly converting ourselves into a commercial bank.” Hada puts forth “Our kind of management empowers women. No matter how many provisions are sanctioned for women if they are not able to reap the benefits from them, the so-called provisions will only be hoaxes. Women themselves have to awake as we did.”
However, single gender offices don’t boast up as many benefits as Hada claimed they would. If there are only females in an organization they are prone to spend most of the time gossiping with each other, which is not generally believed to be the favorite pastime of males. There is certainly no chance of harassment in a single gender office, nor that of flirting, and work is usually done smoothly. However, presence of male colleagues by their side may put some hold on their talkative nature, as they may have to associate and compare themselves with the “less talkative” male colleagues. Also, the offices consisting of just single sex- male-male or female- female- can have deterrent impacts on the psychology of the work force. The offices turn mundane and spiritless. “Single gender offices lack creativity.” reveals Narayan Prasad Sharma Psychologist & Lecture of Tri-Chandra Campus. “They also create some tough managerial problems.” Sharma says “psychologically, women have short term goals while men have long term goals. Thus, women are prompt and apt at solving short term problems and vice versa. Only balanced ratio of male and female in management ensures efficiency, creativity and long-term existence of organizations.”
Similarly, women may not be able to perform the tasks which are abrasive and physically challenging, contrary to the male workers who are believed to be physically stronger, and furthermore, long and odd hours may not be reasonable for the female employees, regarding their physical capability and culture that does not very much entertain females staying out of their homes late hours. Similarly, in the organizations with only male employees, there would be more bicker among the colleagues, based on the belief that males have naturally more aggressive nature than that of the females. Presence of some female colleagues could reduce such probability to some extent as it’s supposed that males are bound to become quite submissive and restraint in the presence of their female colleagues. While males may be tough and persistent, given their manly nature, but they may lack the qualities assumed to be significantly in the females like being caring, sympathetic and emotive. Generally it’s believed that a man or a woman may lack the qualities of the sexes opposite to them. But it’s not the hard and fast rule though, as both male and female may bear the assumed qualities of the opposite sex other than the ones believed to be their own. On the top of that, both kinds of single gender offices provoke ego-related hassles and gender biased-ness. “When the employers cannot be in touch of negative sexes, they develop bias. Decision making becomes irksome due to the biased-ness.” says Sharma. Businesses generally have to cater to clients of both sexes. There remains a chance that the employees might not be able to understand the taste and preferences of clients of opposite sex. “The employees working in the single gender set-up are not likely to understand the ins and outs of all the customers.” Sharma adds.
Socially however, some scholars believe single gender offices prove boon to the societies like ours where women are backward and suppressed by males. “This concept surely encourages women who have been dominated over the ages.” shares Rewat Prasad Kharel, Lecturer of Sociology at Tri-Chandra Campus and also an advocate “it also proves that women are equally capable of doing any kind of business. It is really good message to the society which has always believed that women are appendages to men.” Single gender set-up, according to Kharel, builds up capacities in woman. “Involvement of women in organization is necessitated by the society if it wants to ensure justice and equality. Offices run by women are simply marvels.” concludes Kharel.
A neglected side of the coin is that single gender office is generally mistaken for an office set-up entirely manned by female. It is only because of this misjudgment that experts as well as women right activists are found to egg on it. What if some males came about with an office manned entirely by males? “Everybody will start bitching about It.” shares Ratnamani Nepal, a lecturer of rural sociology at Padma Kanya Campus. It is age when a mutual and equal relation between a male and a female has to be fostered. Literally, it is high time that we let women feel that they are equally important in a dual gender office set-up. “Women at village are illiterate and craven. Operating an office all by women and blowing their own trumpet by saying that they have finally eradicated the vicious state of woman cannot be justified at any rate.” Nepal furthers. “It might be good at short run, but it will lead to an unjust society at long-run. We are far better off making an office ambience in such a way that women can grow among men.”

The one I know as me

Born in Bhojpur in the year 1982 to a peasant family, I was reared up in Jhapa as my family migrated there in the year 1986. Though I never had a strong scholastic performance, I was deemed fair since I would pass even if I didn’t properly study. It was the biggest government school of the realm, where I was admitted. I always used to bunk school. The greatness of the school had certainly allured many students, and the volume of occupancy had greatly disabled the teachers to monitor every student.
I used to walk out ‘to go to school’, but I used to doss my time off along the then gritty road of Chandragadi, rummaging through the garbage under the ‘paan Pasals’ (beetle shops) in the quest of thrown match boxes. The more colorful the boxes were the higher value they would carry in our game of ‘Khap’. I would walk home as the watch tolled ten with other regular students.
After early lunch, I would be sent to graze cattle to the bank of Deonia River, into which I would plunge fearlessly in the scorching sun of May, letting my cattle rip on the pasture which juxtaposed the river. They would often trespass the private land of Antare, who would punish me for my recklessness. I would arrive home fatigued and jaded, eat supper, and just go to bed to slumber, if not sleep, with my grandmother, on whom I’ve always doted.
With the apparent unruliness I never got noteworthy grades in studies.
After SLC, I went to Mechi Multiple Campus, where I majored in English. I took to reading before very long. Though my major was English, I read bulks of Nepali novels, which I burrowed either from college library or from the personal library of Mr. Ratnamani Nepal, a pedantic fellow of our settlement.
I failed the first two years of Intermediate of Arts (IA). I knew the loopholes were within myself, but my parents insisted that I pursue a good job in one of the gulf countries. I joined Intermediate of Commerce (I. Com.) obstinately against my parents’ will at the same college. Meanwhile, I began writing what I then called pseudo-poems, and diaries addressing a figment in Nepali. English had always been bugging for me even if I did have a fair stock of vocabulary. I couldn’t write anything of value in English!
After I succeeded in I.Com two years later with fair percentage for the ‘skimming’ man like me, I was asked here in Kathmandu to try to invade into the United States of America. Both I and cousin Deepan did to the nines to ‘score fine’ in TOEFL despite my non-English grounds. He scored 593 while I sufficed within 513. As a result, I wasn’t granted a visa.
I went back home, and started Bachelors of Business Studies (BBS). Three months after Deepan’s invasion into the states, he sent me what he called ‘a few grands’- 25000 Nrs- hefty sums for the skint like me.
I was ambling along Newroad, at a loss as to how I could squander the ‘a few grands’, I luckily came across second-hand books scattered on the pavement just in front of Nepal Airlines Corporation Building. I picked every book written in English, and paid what Deepan might have said ‘five and half grand’ (Nrs. 5500) while the book vender squinted at me jarringly. Ransacking the book stuffs, I caught the bus home the very next morning. It was the turning point in my English knack.
As the years drained away, I started writing diaries, did the exam, wrote poems and composed letters all in English. Additionally, I started writing stories and articles in English about two years ago. My past wanderings and hooliganism now serve me with great ingredients for stories. As of late, I hunger for books more than anything else- both scripted in Nepali and English equally, and I can phrase my experience both in English and Nepali. Besides, I edit an English medium monthly magazine, ‘Society and Life’ and teach General Educational Development (GED) at Himalayan Open School. On the top of every thing, I want to become a storyteller, and I’m working on an anthology of my stories.