Yet, a piercing question arises: while the language has found its place in the Constitution, have we, in our daily lives, truly embraced and honoured the Nepali language when we admit that we cannot read, write, count, or even speak properly in our mother tongue? In reality, this is not a matter of pride but a grave disgrace.

Despite the official recognition of the Nepali language in India, it is still treated as a foreign tongue in many regions. Why is this so? Have we ourselves shown the necessary respect and pride towards our language? Have we prioritized Nepali in our homes, schools, and workplaces?

If we fail to protect our language and culture, we must brace ourselves for the inevitable consequences. If we do not love and respect our language and literature, our identity and culture will suffer. Future generations may lose their connection to our language and the essence of our cultural heritage. The knowledge, traditions, and values transmitted through our language could vanish. This erosion could weaken our community’s unity and make it difficult to sustain our cultural programs and traditions.

Nepali Language Recognition Day commemorates the movement, its struggles, and its champions. However, limiting our recognition and honour of the language to just this day may fall short of true reverence and respect. This day serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of our language and the need for its preservation. Now is the time for all of us to truly embrace Nepali in our daily lives, to love it, and to respect it.

Let us cherish our language, honour it, and ensure its future. The Nepali language is not merely a means of communication; it is the mirror of our soul and identity.

A community whose language and literature are not strong will never progress.

On this Nepali Language Recognition Day, let us reflect and renew our commitment to our language.

Jai to Nepali language!!
Jai Gorkha!!

भाषाले त मान्यता पायो तर के हामीले भाषालाई मान्यता दिन्छौं?

नेपाली भाषा आन्दोलनको फलस्वरूप, सन् १९९२ को २० अगस्टमा भारतीय संविधानको आठौं अनुसूचीमा नेपाली भाषालाई स्थान दिइयो। यो ऐतिहासिक दिनको सम्झनामा प्रत्येक वर्ष २० अगस्टमा नेपाली भाषा मान्यता दिवस मनाइन्छ। यो दिनले हामीलाई हाम्रो भाषाको महत्त्व र पहिचानको सम्झना गराउँछ।

तर प्रश्न उठ्छ: भाषाले संविधानमा मान्यता पायो, तर के हामीले नेपाली भाषालाई हाम्रो दैनिक जीवनमा, हाम्रो समाजमा, र हाम्रो हृदयमा मान्यता दिएका छौं? के हामी हाम्रो आफ्नै भाषालाई भन्दा अरु भाषाहरूलाई बढी प्राथमिकता दिइरहेका छौं? के हामीलाई नेपाली भाषामा लेख्न, पढ्न, गन्न र कहिलेकाहीँ राम्रोसँग बोल्न नजान्नुलाई गर्वको विषय हो कि हाँसोको कुरा? यथार्थमा, यो कुनै गर्वको विषय होइन, बरु यो हाम्रो लागि ठूलो अपमानको कुरा हो।

नेपाली भाषालाई भारतमा आधिकारिक मान्यता प्राप्त भए तापनि, अझै पनि धेरै ठाउँमा यसलाई विदेशी भाषा जस्तो व्यवहार गरिन्छ। किन यस्तो भएको होला? के हामी आफैले हाम्रो भाषा प्रति सम्मान र गर्व प्रकट गरेका छौं? के हामीले नेपाली भाषालाई हाम्रो घर, विद्यालय, र कार्यस्थलमा प्राथमिकता दिएका छौं?

हाम्रो भाषा र संस्कृतिको संरक्षण नगरेमा, हामीले के-कस्ता कठिनाइहरूको सामना गर्नुपर्छ भन्ने कुरा पनि महत्त्वपूर्ण छ। यदि हामी हाम्रो भाषा र साहित्यलाई माया र सम्मान गर्दैनौं भने, हाम्रो पहिचान र संस्कृतिलाई धक्का लाग्न सक्छ। नयाँ पुस्ताले हाम्रो भाषा नबुझ्ने र हाम्रो सांस्कृतिक सम्पदाको मर्म नबुझ्ने हुन सक्छ। भाषाको माध्यमबाट हस्तान्तरण हुने ज्ञान, परम्परा, र मूल्यमान्यताहरू हराउन सक्छन्। यसले हाम्रो सामुदायिक एकतालाई कमजोर पार्न सक्छ र हाम्रा सांस्कृतिक कार्यक्रमहरू र परम्पराहरूलाई निरन्तरता दिन कठिन हुन सक्छ।

नेपाली भाषा मान्यता दिवसले आन्दोलन, तत्कालीन कठिनाइहरू र उनीहरूसँग जडित व्यक्तिहरूलाई सम्मान गर्दछ। तर केवल त्यस दिनलाई सार्वजनिक रूपमा आफ्नो भाषाको सम्मान र स्मरण गर्नुले वास्तविक सम्मान र सम्भावित अभिमानको पूर्ण अभिव्यक्ति गर्न सक्छ। नेपाली भाषा मान्यता दिवस हामीलाई हाम्रो भाषाको महत्त्व र यसको संरक्षणको आवश्यकता सम्झाउँछ। यो समय हो, हामी सबैले मिलेर नेपाली भाषालाई हाम्रो दैनिक जीवनमा मान्यता दिऊँ, यसलाई प्रेम गरौं, यसको सम्मान गरौं र यसको भविष्य सुनिश्चित गरौं। नेपाली भाषा केवल भाषा मात्र होइन, यो हाम्रो आत्मा र पहिचानको प्रतिबिम्ब हो।

जुन जातीको भाषा र साहित्य बलियो हुन्दैन त्यो जाति कहिले पनि उन्नति गर्नु सक्दैन।

हाम्रो लागि नेपाली भाषा मान्यता दिवसको शुभकामना!

जय नेपाली भाषा!!
जय गोर्खा!!

Writes – Dr. Ugyaal Tshering Lama Yolmo. He is a Assistant Professor, Department of Mass Communication, SRM University, Sikkim

The post The Language Has Gained Recognition, But Do We Accord It The Reverence It Deserves? appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Though you’ll find them useless

Except one that the white man gifted us

When he distributed our land

You ask me where I come from?

I tell you it’s complicated

“It’s okay, I’ll understand” you whisper

As I start my happy tale

A century ago, my ancestors dashed

From the land they’d come to centuries ago

Not for fear of being persecuted then

But for land to till and mouths to feed

When borders didn’t exist, with boundaries invisible

When they came where I live now

Nobody wanted to question them

For what was land and who its owner?

Just soil! and plants with strong stems

So, they dug a patch and planted their corn

Unaware of what was to come

Nothing came, even decades later

Just maps, tearing where they ran to

and where they came from

Fragments of broken fragile bottles

Which were once just flat glass

Each one hurting in its own way

Not letting the other (tres)pass

Few more decades rushed through

The shards now built a wall

Of differences, accusations and lies

And injustice hidden by a warm shawl

For how do you measure success?

My ancestors’ place today does it with happiness

GNH they call it and the world awes

I am confused for they tell me a different story

Several decades after they came to the east

People in their old home demanded rights

From people who didn’t look like them

but lived in the same land

For decades as owners of their working land

For their language to be taught like before

Is what they asked from the land and their king

For that was what they spoke and knew

Apart from the high people’s tongue

They were crippled and maimed for that

By a place they’d started calling home

Even before the white man came

To the rich shores of Hindustan

Four hundred years of loyalty was not enough

For their language to be trusted

A hundred thousand sent away to the unknown

Justice didn’t come, but must it?

For the world shields its eyes today

When my voice rises to tell this story

How could a beautiful kingdom do this?

My story is shadowed by its green glory

Written by: Aditiya Thapa, a student of English Literature and Journalism at Ashoka University, Delhi. He loves reading and exploring the complexities of identity and conflict. He also takes interest in writing and translating.

The post Lhotsampa appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

The title itself might seem too cliche´d, and rightly so given the case and historical analysis that it’s been a normative practice especially as a means of casual demeanour reinforcing such oral and psychological attitudes across public multimedia screens. (Web-series, TV shows, movies, social media channels etc.)

This is especially true towards marginalised ethnic communities where the burden still seems to fall upon the more privileged and majority mindset to call names under the callous pretext of amusement and entertainment both in private and public.

These debates have been a part of the academic discourses though not the mainstream, unfortunately, academia still filled up with meta-voices amidst which feeble and non-sustainable ones tend to be outrightly sidelined and hence fades away.

Let me now bring the exact context at this juncture, to be reminded that this isn’t an academically motivated paper awaiting publication.

However, truth be told it does seem a bit difficult without mentioning of the academic angle devoid of the “intellectual gleam,” many self-realised souls find this kind of writing vaguely.

Anyway, that’s them to deal with, the intention is to ensure the common person is able to gain some little insight and moreover self-reflect on topics of this nature rather than make this only a “chai-wala-gupshup,” sooner forgotten than realised.

There are a few things here, first, we’re talking about a relatable socially deep issue which uncovers intersectionality of caste, class, sex, gender, ethnic origin, national and international identity and many more complex concepts.

Each of these ideas has been primarily studied in Social Sciences discourses and are being continued to be researched upon with all good intent presumably but somewhere down the line it just loses its stand amongst other bigger narratives, to be precise the ones concerning “marginalised ethnic identity,”

All ears when the narrative shifts to hefty sounding discourses and subjects of scientific discovery, technology, AI & Virtual reality, economics, politics, media and communication within which globalisation, de-globalisation, trans-nationalisation, and many tion’ is added up regularly.

And what is left to the common person like you and I is— as a matter of personal refuge and escapism to combat such a chaotic and high-funda world is- Television, cinema, social media and so on under the umbrella of popular culture.

Here is when Netflix, Amazon Prime, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter along with pirated versions of similar sites are considered such a saviour. (Please feel free to add more, as I’m a bit old school!)

Okay, so good these platforms help us transport at least psychologically to a more imaginary spatial and temporal zones evoking sensory emotions and sentiments.

(Need I say more, especially at the current times where most of us are homebound, our connection with the virtual and online visual world has hugely manifested and surpassed big time…)

Therefore, it becomes even more than a social responsibility for corporations managing these platforms to operate in a conscious manner.

Not just that, the script-writers, producers, directors, actors and in fact everyone involved equally ought to share the impact of any such implications if they have overlooked, misjudged, under-researched thereby having presented certain content under the pretext of public and social awareness towards a targeted set of groups.

Else their collective identity being a part of the entertainment industry could be brought under the serious scanner and fairly so.

This is not the first time nor will this be the last when communities belonging to certain ethnic origins have been presumably taken for granted on-screen whether in India or Internationally.

Now I will tell you why was I talking about the broader social concepts earlier on, it will help us connect to this one specific case.

Ideas of national and international identity have remained a contestable topic for people like me for instance, let’s see how.

I have an Indian passport because I was born and raised in India. My national identity as an Indian citizen remains questioned throughout- and why is that?

It is so as I speak Nepali at home, besides Hindi and English and a few other Indian languages as enshrined in our Indian constitution.

I’m referred to as an Indian Gurkha or Gorkha provided the fact that my forefathers were recruited as fearless warriors by the Indian and the British army.

But that’s history and though even now many Indian Gurkhas/Gorkhas are still very much part of the army services in both of these nations.

The problem arises because historically and ethnically we’re a distinct group of people. Our facial and bodily characteristics vary more than the average accepted Indian.

(Which I’ve failed to comprehend what is?) Considering India is such a diverse nation.

We have our unique ways in terms of food and clothing habits like any distinct community in India or anywhere across the globe would have. Having said this, an Indian Gurkha/Gorkha has assimilated to my understanding far and wide which is a sign of being an Indian first and foremost.

However, the process of assimilation takes place or should take place in both ways. Shouldn’t it?

What has the larger Indian mainland community contributed to making the Indian Gurkha/Gorkha feel at home?

The answer is also obvious- “we have learnt to prepare momos or sing a few Nepali songs.” Well, how much is ever good enough or should suffice is a question I readily do not have an answer to?

Yes, Nepali language has been acknowledged as being one of the 22 scheduled Indian languages recognised by the Indian Constitution.

But I dread to use the word “Nepali,” because it attracts ears from our neighbour country- Nepal.

And if their language and origin is Nepali, then what’s mine?

Our ancestral roots of course pre-independence era would have fallen into the mountainous territory of Nepal, hence there’s an undeniable resemblance to our culture and social life to that of Nepal.

As much as I’m an Indian by birth, which is an unchallengeable status— at the same time, I personally opine due to the common language, which binds us so close to Nepal’s Nepali customs.

At times when I’m treated like an outsider or the other in India, I find comfort in my Nepali roots and when my Nepali identity is at stake due to reasons such as (I’m not a Nepali citizen by law) or with the interjection of Hindi in my speech my soul tends to seek solace in the lap of Mother India.

So, whether from the perspective of the Indian Gurkha/Gorkha who speaks Nepali or from the non-Nepali passport holder who to reiterate speaks Nepali as the home language— my heart cries as a Nepali-speaking woman when our gender representation whether in the Nepali, Indian (mainly Bollywood) or in the International screen is portrayed and limited to that of a “whore.”

What does that indicate?

This tells us that as much as it’s a gender and sexist theme it is also a pertinent question on our “ethnicity.”

So much so that it needs an in-depth study, rigorous research and reflections both in India and Nepal, and are we ready for that yet?

Hope you recall at the beginning I had touched upon other notions of caste, class, national and international identity etc. that play a critical role acting as a bridge in forming ties and intersecting with concerns of gender and ethnicity.

Stereotypes have remained at the core of modern multi-media platforms and somehow we’ve all been a part of it either subtly or directly.

The Nepali speaking community (I feel this a safe term to use for now-inclusive of both the Indian Gurkha/Gorkha and Nepal’s Nepali community) has repeatedly been made a part of our ethnic mockery on both small and big screens specifically in the Indian context.

The common narrative of “a security guard with a black cap with a Khukuri (Nepali weapon) badge and a funny-looking moustache saying “Salaam Saabji,” is beyond fun and reconciliation.

Similarly, Nepali women time and again highlighted either as flesh-trade workers or escorts is a conscious negative personification and objectification clearly on the basis of gender and ethnicity— By whom? From the majority, upper-caste, upper-class, patriarchal mind-set women and men alike.

The coming up of these unpleasant remarks and punch lines to gain some cheap thrills and draw TRPs (Television Rating Points) only end up with a bit of fury and condemnation on selective media platforms on the part of the targeted community and post-acceptance of half-hearted apology- things are quickly shoved under the carpet.

The latest one making rounds is the Amazon Prime-run web series “Paatal Lok,” directed by Avinash Arun and Prosit Roy and produced under clean slate films and Indian actress Anushka Sharma’s banner. (As per Wikipedia)

The ten-second clip where a woman police representative is seen abusing the other woman as a “Nepali whore,” is all in all “gendered, sexist and ethnically discriminatory coupled with questions of national and international identity hinted toward the Nepali speaking community doesn’t matter whether in India or Nepal.

When a woman produced media content with the role of woman police use such profane language as a means to demean and dehumanise another only because doing so might end up making a certain caste and class background of women look more privileged, or culturally sound. (The bigger contextual or moral lessons arising out of this just don’t make sense, if one likes to argue on that front)

Or it could simply mean that this kind of character portrayal and character assassination is something deliberately reinforced upon an ethnically marginalised community whose voices are assumed to be comparably under-represented and unheard. (Need not always be necessarily hinted at the Nepali speaking lot… even so, equal voices need to come along in all those cases as well.)

With changing times, we as a Nepali speaking community no longer only serve in the British or the Indian army as selfless frontline warriors with brainwashed minds and blinded sights in the name of symbolic nationality and patriotism. Our achievements might be many as protectors at the borders, but surely that goes unnoticed.

On the contrary, as an Indian we have every right to speak our minds and— to dissent, (accepted or not on a positive note is another question) nonetheless, we try as much as anybody else does in the country or globally.

The Nepali speaking community doesn’t always have to be selling momos on the roadside stalls in metros like Delhi, Bangalore or Pune nor our women be only subjected as beauticians or hospitality staff rather we’ve ascended and distinctively are an able part of the— academia, think tanks, corporations, politics, arts & aesthetics, media, sports and entertainment, likewise any other emerging field one can think of—which the mainstream, socially and culturally capitalised society shies away from bringing it to the table.

It’s due to a variety of historical, social and political reasons that our voices remained subjugated and like still those of many other marginalised and disadvantaged communities in India and across continents, we too faced the brunt of oppression.

Establishing one’s political ideology, cultural & religious beliefs, food eating patterns, conformity to social & national laws and policies are few parameters considered to measure one’s identity which comes to my mind, failing which it inevitably produces unhealthy repercussions.

And this isn’t something to be ignored but needs closer understanding and rightful expression.

Putting someone down on the basis of their looks and their alternative orientation towards these upheld ideals is in fact the signs of a regressive society, where women undoubtedly continue to be taken as mere subjects to fulfil men’s carnal and ego-centric needs on and off-screen.

While the rest of the population including some elite-class women culturally wrapped up might sit and clap giving stars and thumbs up reviews where the already rich become even richer by powerfully selling such prejudiced and discriminatory content arising much discomfort only at the cost of people like me and a handful of others who then tries to establish our authentic identity, without even knowing what is?

When Game of Thrones became such a favourite especially of the Indian youth I know of, I refused to watch it outrightly because the content I had heard of was too brutal and sexist.

If the idea of entertainment and readily available means of seeking pleasure is subjected and limited to the violence of any kind against any deemed-muted and marginalised group/community we need to jerk off a bit and re-think?

Here, in doing so we need to be cognizant of the truth, which implies that it’s NOT a question of an emotional outcry.

It definitely isn’t the task under any social, moral or ethical obligation of only radical feminists, social thinkers or of those who love and think dearly of one’s kinship to reflect on these happenings.

The passing of buck on the society is a safe way to avoid these conversations but who actually comprises of the society?

Not aliens, or the heroic characters from some sci-fi novels or avenger series but ordinary persons like you and I.

Again, the responses to these kinds of caste, class, gender, or ethnically centred discrimination isn’t and can’t be— any form of abuse or violence. Anger, resentment, demanding apology literally or figuratively or otherwise is an extremely short-term solution, which pays off nothing in the real sense.

We as a community, as a globalised village where geographical boundaries no longer matter, must think of organic, sustainable & amiable interventions. As seen and experienced by many of us, what breeds as an ethnic discrimination convert into fundamentalism and racism at a global stage bearing bitter and uncanny aftermath.

Where has our education and humanity failed?

Taking liberty for arriving at an early conclusion that— COVID 19 in the past two-three months has relatively failed to paint a realistic picture or at the least develop basic yet fundamental realisations within us—when an invisible virus can trespass into all of our lives caring a damn about our identities across various levels where ultimately humaneness is what counts, is it still a far-fetched dream to expect humanity is one blood?

Writes: Indu Rai. She is a social thinker, alternative educator and independent researcher. She was raised in Darjeeling and currently frequents between Bangalore and Kathmandu.

The post Popular Culture and Racism – Perspective of a Nepali Speaking Woman appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Feature cops, underworld, a mysterious Guruji aka Masterji, use “high-profile” in dialogues, let a prominent character cheat on his wife, get the hero-cop suspended in the mid of the investigation, and there you have it, “just another great Indian procedural drama.” But that would be the kind of great that people relish and forget. Say Sacred Games. So, why not make it unforgettable aka a “classic?” Sprinkle a bit, nay, a lot of controversies, and there you have it- “just another great Indian procedural drama” raking high ratings, thanks to baffling dialogues such as “Nepali Randi.”

Sure, Nepalis will not forget.

Paatal Lok is Amazon Prime Video’s latest flagship drama, centering around a cop who hasn’t had wee-bit luck in getting promoted for the past 15 years. An aspiring IPS cop becomes a Robin to his Batman, and they get handed a “high-profile” case. As you can imagine, this case becomes a life mission of the failed cop to prove his worth. Long story short, he fails this too. He uncovers the truth, but what even is the truth when you are dealing with “high-profile” people. Powerplay at its finest, the storyline of the series is well praised as it unravels criminal nexus while addressing social filth. However, if the story was worth it, then why is my community, the Nepali community, upset with such a “classic.”

It all boils down to one reason: Nepali Randi.

Many will argue that it is “just a dialogue.” It is. But the sentiments seep deeper. When you say “Nepali,” you are either addressing a person from Nepal or a Nepali from India. I am the latter. I have grown up watching Hindi series, but I never ever saw a Nepali character in esteemed Bollywood films leading the storyline. You can correct me if I am wrong. One prominent actor whose features struck similarity to people around me was Danny Denzongpa, but old movie buffs know, he was always the villain. Then we saw the trend of featuring Nepali Gorkhalis as Hawaaldaars, prostitutes, masseuse, “parlor aunty,” etc.

In the grim representation of Nepalis and the North East, the news that Mary Kom’s life would turn into a film in 2014 served as a ray of hope. As you know, the hope was neatly crushed when the role went to Priyanka Chopra. It was then evident that Indian cinemas would rather spend millions to make Priyanka Chopra look like a North Eastern rather than have a North Eastern actor play the part.

When I personally interviewed Mary Kom in 2016 she said the ‘Mary Kom’ film showcased only 10 percent of her life struggles, but it was “okay” that Priyanka Chopra played her part. She further told me that people started recognizing her only after the movies. “Before the movie came on-screen I was a five-time-world-champion and yet only a few people recognized me,” she said. “It was only after the movie that people came to know me well. Still, some don’t recognize me when I go out for shopping maybe because of my Northeast features since our faces look similar,” she added. Yes, these were her words.

Now, when I think about it, the Indian film industry has conditioned us to feel that we have inferior features, hence “Nepali Randi,” as compared to the sharp features of mainstream actors and actresses. But, we are very much Indian, and we deserve to be represented in roles that don’t slut-shame us. Next time, when Sunil Chettri’s biography is made for films, it would be nice to see someone who looks like him, play him.

In a country where “diversity” is celebrated, it is rather odd to have just one representation of India as a definition of true India.

What even is true India?

Paatal Lok is hailed for representing true India. But in fact, the truth is, Nepalis will never see themselves on screen in a positive light. We will always be a “randi,” “chinky,” “call girls,” and sidekicks. We will still be an integral part of the film, no doubt, just like how we are an integral part of India for minority representation. And, that’s that. A minority, a person mistaken for Chinese, subject to constant racial slurs, and in times of Coronavirus Pandemic, you ought to Google racism against us. I am quarantined in Mumbai, and I am scared to step out. Not because I am in the hotspot zone of the virus, but because of the “look” I get from our fellow “brothers and sisters.”

What ‘Paatal Lok’ has done can be best summed up in its own storyline- A Powerplay.

Even if there are Nepalis in the growing entertainment industry in India then you have to know, if you had done what you could do then Nepalis all over the world, including Nepal, wouldn’t have been as hurt as they are by this “dialogue.” This means had there been any other series where a Nepali was championed, instead of getting slut-shamed, this wouldn’t have pulled the trigger as it did.

I’ve had people argue with me on this. To look into the story as a whole and not by one particular scene in the second episode of the series. A portrayal of “true India” with rampant Dalit atrocities, rape, the Brahmin-Bania domination, and discrimination of the Muslims. We know it. We have read it in our history books. Have you read any Nepali or North-East discrimination in your history books?

Nope.

That’s because we are the minorities of the minorities. History books have erased us despite the fact that our national anthem was composed by a Nepali: Ram Singh Thakuri. Go Google.

Our history is not studied in schools, our identity of a Nepali is camouflaged because of the lack of statehood. Hence, our only identity where people get to know us on a mass scale is through films and series. So, imagine a kid who gets introduced to a Nepali through this series with the word “Randi,” synonymously attached?

Ridiculous as it may be, this series opened a bigger dialogue as to why Nepalis were particularly offended since Muslims and Dalits were also equally spewed hatred, if not more.

Anurag Lama, assistant professor of psychology at Muralidhar Girls’ College Kolkata, West Bengal, cites that the difference in reaction stems from the fact that “Nepali Randi” breeds familiarity. “There’s a misconception that Nepali girls are easy. So when we hear it in series as profound as this, it solidifies the misconception. It is a huge blow to our identity battle.”

The reason why Nepalis are offended is because it is more than “just a dialogue.”

Bring to light the entire Gorkhaland movement causing unrest in Darjeeling Hills since the 1980s. The demand for a separate state for Gorkhalis in India was submitted as early as 1909 when the Hillmen’s Association of Darjeeling submitted a memorandum to Morley-Minto reforms.

The fight for identity is still on, with the recent agitation that broke out in 2017. However, it is to be noted that Nepalis are peace-loving people. My hometown Darjeeling is the hub of the movement, and with everything going on in the world, we just can’t afford another agitation. Nobody wants it, so do not poke if you do not wish to fight. All of us are silently fighting our own battle for identity. Since the government has clearly given us a deaf ear, the fight for our identity has become ours, and solely ours to triumph. No wonder, Nepalis were so offended with “Nepali Randi,” being said out loud to a character who is actually not a Nepali by the sound of her name.

When the CBI defames her, she is given the fake name “Girija Gurung,” and if you think the title sounds familiar, it is because I am a “Gurung” and you are reading my article. Or, you know, Prabal Gurung, one of the most popular fashion designers of our time.

Gurung is a Gorkha title with origins listed in Nepal and Tibet. Nepali population in India also boasts a handful of Gurungs, so it was pretty easy for the makers of ‘Paatal Lok,’ to pick the name of the “Nepali Randi.” However, ‘Paatal Lok’ is produced by Clean Slate Films under Anushka Sharma’s banner. Anushka Sharma is an actress who does not hesitate to raise her voice against racism in the country. When a Manipuri girl was spat on in Mumbai during the lockdown, the ‘NH10’ actress took to Twitter to state that “racism and hatred needs to be met with strictest punishment! A few miscreants cannot create divide among Indians.”

For that, we thank her.

The very fact that a North East woman, with her own powerful story was in the series is a thoughtful move. But when you actually narrate a story of that magnitude with a racial backdrop, some narration has to change. I learned that after watching Ryan Murphy’s ‘Hollywood’ on Netflix.

‘Mixing fictional characters and real ones, ‘Hollywood’ underlines the white-washed Hollywood of the ‘Golden Age.’ Vivien Leigh reigned that decade. The ‘Gone With the Wind’ actress, along with historical stars like Rock Hudson, Anna May Wong, Henry Wilson and Elenore Roosevelt makes interesting cameos. However, the real story is of a black actress auditioning for the role of a white lead, Peg Entwistle, a real-life movie actress who committed suicide by jumping off the Hollywood signboard.

When the black actress finally lands the lead, the story changes from ‘Peg,’ to ‘Meg.’ The wise creators of Ace Studios point out that because a black woman is playing the story, it will not make sense for her to commit suicide for not making it to stardom. Nobody will bat an eye on the death of an aspiring young black actress. But, if she makes it to stardom, then everybody will care. Hence, the 7-episode miniseries ends with the film bagging an Oscar. ‘Hollywood’ is just a simple example on the thought process of sensitive movie-making by my favorite screenwriter/director, Ryan Murphy.

When ‘Paatal Lok’ storyline was established, a quick revision could have evaded this sentiment among my community. Since it did not, and the Nepali community is signing petitions to remove the scene, let’s take a seat back and think “why it really offended me?” Or “why it did not?”

Keerthana Panneer, a psychologist based out of Bangalore justifies that “members of the Nepali community, much like other minorities, already face a wide range of discrimination and apathy.”

“False perceptions of women from certain communities being too “forward” not just blind perception but also increases chances of crime and derogatory behavior against them. In short, what people portray onscreen can influence real-life actions,” she adds.

The scene was traumatizing to many of my girlfriends because it reminded them of the times when they were slut-shamed for being a Nepali.

“I’ve had a man spit on me in Bangalore when I was a pillion rider on my friend’s bike,” says Ameesha, (name changed, since she wants to be anonymous.) “It was for a racist reason because I heard him mutter North-East. We were stuck in the traffic jam, and he was slightly behind me. I was so ashamed and taken aback that I did not tell anyone. Not even my friend who was riding the bike.”

When people like Ameesha hears “Nepali Randi” out loud, it really awakens the subconscious trauma.

Further, the ‘Nepali Randi,’ character is ultimately found to be a transexual person. Rangeela (name changed,) is a Nepali trans person and she says that the “trans community is identified as a whole and is not segregated into a Nepali trans or a Bengali trans.” Hence, there is not much of an offense there since “Cheeni’s” backstory rings some truth.

“A trans person is viewed as a prostitute, and to be honest, some of our community members are into prostitution because they are marginalized and cannot secure a decent job. The community is still struggling,” Rangeela states.

Narrating a personal incident, she says “15% of the times, when I go out on Tinder dates, there are men asking if I will charge them,” she shares.

Granted that ‘Paatal Lok,’ wants the audience to swallow a bitter pill by representing “true India,” but it has ultimately failed in serving its purpose.

“Movies and other art forms can help bridge the gap between communities by initiating a healthy dialogue between people of different backgrounds. But the same medium can widen the rift between people if it adds to biases and stereotypes. So, when evaluating a dialogue or piece of content, it’s important to see the impact it has on society,” says Keerthana.

There are much more important dialogues needed in movies. “Nepali Randi,” could have been omitted and nothing in the storyline would suffer. If controversies make a “classic,” ‘Paatal Lok’ is on top of the list.

What do the non-Nepali Indians know about Nepali Indians? That they are prostitutes? Hijras? Hell, what do they know about being a Nepali in a country like India. Read my story in The New Indian Express on the racism I faced when I was reporting in Chennai.

While this may be “just a dialogue” to boost ratings, but for a community, it became a stamp of identity.

It will be a bit difficult to sail through this label, but my community has scaled Mount Everest. This gives me hope, that since we are fighting the identity battle on our own, we will make it. We may soon see Nepali filmmakers bring about the necessary change. We have so many interesting stories to share. For example, Vivien Leigh was born in Darjeeling. Did you know? The land you ridicule, the land you use for commercial “tea,” is actually a birthplace of Oscar-winning actress.

‘Hollywood’ and ‘Paatal Lok,’ both dropped this May on Netflix and Amazon respectively. While Hollywood addresses racial issues of the1940s, it deftly puts a progressive tone and no one is offended with the series. While India’s ‘Paatal Lok,’ in a mission to represent “true India,” has offended the Nepali minority in the country.

If only the filmmakers knew the truth of identity, was aware of their power, and if communities respected each other, a series like ‘Paatal Lok,’ would not carry a baton for representing “true India.”

Credits: Thank you Malay Jain for an amazing cover illustration.

Writes: Regina Gurung, This article was originally published here.

The post Why Nepalis are offended with “Just a Dialogue” in Amazon’s new series Paatal Lok appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Recently, a 10-second video clip of a series called “Paatal Lok” had gone viral where a lady police personnel is seen to be passing on a very derogatory slur to a character in the series with mongoloid features. It instantly started spreading like wildfire and I started receiving several messages of protest and petitions against the producer and director of the series. I asked most who had sent me the clip, if they had themselves watched the series? They replied they hadn’t.

Then I started discussing the topic with a few of those friends who had actually seen the series. Surprisingly, they had something else to say about it.

I did feel outraged and violated as anyone else would, after watching the clip, but then I also thought it wasn’t worth of outraging by following the opinions of others about anything, without oneself knowing the entire issue. After all, the clip could have a thousand different interpretations based on the context, and so I decided to watch the series myself.

The series indeed lives beyond the spectrum of understanding through a 10-second clip and has layers of messages deeply woven around the strings of violence and abuse. As I have always been vocal about racial discrimination on more than a few occasions, I felt obligated to share my views on it.

The rise of violence and abuse as a part of original and raw content:
We are right now living in an era where the conventional drama and glamour of typical Bollywood movies are slowly losing popularity. Movies like Gangs of Wasseypur brought about a revolution in Indian film-making and the demand for raw, original and authentic content started rising, which is now at its peak. Violence, abuse, sex, nudity sell like anything as integral part of the series and movies. It is us who demand and look forward to watching such contents where the raw and harsh realities are presented to us – where the Police officers aren’t seen to be like Marvel heroes, but like actual professionals who feel fear, anxiety, pressure, anger and frustration, where they are humans who curse and swear.

The filmmakers try their best to make their contents as real and as intense as possible, also at the same time weaving subtle messages around the scenes. The colloquial conversations say more than what is actually being said. The scenes of violence and abuse too speak volumes. So, the scene could just be an attempt on the side of the filmmaker to deliver us strong and powerful content. It could be an unnoticed blunder in an otherwise perfect series, or maybe an intentional feed to depict the harsh realities of the ground. That may be a point to ponder about. What should also be thought about is that we talk about freedom of art and expression, we demand original content on one hand but we fail to be ready to take anything directed to us with a pinch of salt.

Abuse or a reflection of harsh reality?

We were quick to notice the 10 secs clip that looked to be like a communal slur. The scene is from the second episode of the series. We all took the charge of saving the dignity of our community based on the 10 secs clip forwarded to us on WhatsApp by a friend. But not many people know that there is a scene in the same episode where a Muslim character is abused and called names based on his religion. He is called “Katwa” which translates to circumcised, a term that would be used to abuse a Muslim person. The character is stripped nude to see if his penis is circumcised. In later episodes, we also see how a transgender again is subjected to various forms of atrocities including violence and abuse. The series also shows scenes of a Dalit mother getting raped by higher class people and of a Brahman politician bathing with Gangajal after eating the food prepared by the Dalits. So, do these scenes translate to communal offense or abuse?

The answer for me is NO.

These characters are reflections of the ground reality that we actually live in. The series has many dark layers that reach us the bitter truth that we fail to admit against our pride. The character that sparked the outrage among us is named “Cheeni” in the series. She is framed as a transgender character and she must have indeed been intentionally named “Cheeni” to show the day to day discrimination that the people from North East today face in bigger cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai or at any other place. The abuse that she faces is actually how people from North East have been treated or thought of, as on many occasions. She also faces the consequences of being a transgender. She gets masturbated on while bathing among other male criminals in the prison.

The Muslim character in the series has his father hide his identity as a Muslim just to save him from facing the repercussions of belonging to the community. He is called “Katwa” and labelled to be a “Jihadi” just because he is a Muslim. A dedicated Muslim Police officer is thought to be supporting the prisoner by his Hindu colleagues just because they belong to the same community. The Dalits are seen to be looked down upon by the higher caste people.

All these instances reflect the realities that we live in. Do we shy away from it and take offense or rather acknowledge that these stories are rather showing how certain communities are being looked down upon on million instances every passing day. Women are actually being trafficked from the North East states and Nepal, and being taken to big cities like Delhi. Women from the North East states or even Nepal are being abused and looked down upon in the big cities. So, these are the realities we need to change rather than standing against the reflection of the realities. The scene to me does not interpret as a police constable calling a Nepali woman a “Randi,” but it reflects to me how a police official could possibly treat a North Eastern or Nepali woman if arrested under suspicious circumstances.

The pride bubble and snowflakes attitude

Our reaction and protest on small and big issues may be derived from a long and bitter history of deprivation and discrimination. We have had our own struggles of being racially discriminated and stereotyped that makes us sensitive to every incident that could look to be offensive. Or maybe it is the pride in our community that we have, which is ready to burst out even with the slightest of provocations. It is however what keeps our community tied together and united. It also makes us very sensitive to anything that we perceive to threaten our dignity and our effort in co-existing. But then, we can’t always seek to look through a rose tainted glass. Sometimes, we need to accept the realities in the ground, accept the circumstances and look to strive for the changes that may be required.

In outraging against the show, we are somehow indulging in “shooting the messenger”, instead of reflecting on and outraging over the bitter realities of how not only Nepalis, but entire North Easterners are seen through one lens by the rest of our fellow citizens. Unless we unitedly strive to change that, we will continue to feel offended.

We cannot be like snowflakes and get offended by everything, without looking into the matters completely and without giving a proper thought.

We cannot allow ourselves to melt with every little touch.

The post “Paatal Lok” – Snowflakes, are we becoming one? appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

As the title indicates, Appa dwells on the role of fathers, how they bring up their kids becomes a deciding factor in their children’s life. Some audience craves conflict and drama, while others seek inspirational uplift. However, this movie (Appa) is a balanced mixture of both drama and inspirational based films. It’s a decent addition to the Kollywood movies that abruptly ends where the first-act break typically occurs. (since for once, those tiresome cliche’s don’t seem to apply.) Instead, this movie’s message is all about inspiration and forgiveness, which should satisfy a decent contingent of the movie-going public grateful for a wholesome story.

Appa is a dramatic story on the surface. The concept of the time is so rigidly ingrained—from daily routines to monthly bills to milestone birthdays, that even suggesting it might not exist can be disorienting. The songs, not any song but the ‘Appa’ has the best selling songs in the movie with the starting song bring filmed at Sandhakphu. The solo instrumentation creates a sense of shared intimacy as if each plucked string could impact a treasured memory. The protagonist of the movie sings of the beautiful mountains, mists, and other symbols of nature’s persistence. As he works his ways through, he finds the motivation to persists himself.

Another song is a masterpiece from Anmol Gurung “Amala ” had the enigmatic of beautiful scenes. Viewers say this is the most picturesque songs ever made. The tracks disappear abruptly, retreating into the mouth of those deep mountains and valleys. The sounds of dissolution are everywhere on “Sajha pare pachi” in the fragments of words dissolving at the song’s perimeter and the acoustic thrums of guitar dissipating and jamming. It’s wistful, memorable hook, journeying through a series of doorways to someone forever on the other side who has the ability to make some memories down the lane. The song collapses with an angelic voice of Anmol Gurung.

Appa has touched many hearts all around Nepal and in many parts of India. The movie is also planning to hit international roads. The movie shows the value of “Fathers” The movie also portrays a major scene with the sequence in which the protagonist of the movie( Appa) hands over a bundle of hard-earned money to buy a guitar for the kids and immediately after a scene has been followed by where the son shatters/breaks a piggybank to host a party for a girl. This scene was very impactful to the audience as it vividly shows the contrast, the technique of Juxtaposing different images.

As from the starting of the story when “Birkhey” is woken by the Father. He realizes his faults as a human and that his reaction and response to them are merely the faults of his own. The back of the story also shows that the son Siddharth has an open look at his dad. His heart crushes him as he reminds him not only of his past life but also he felt ashamed and poor and at thinking he had a dad who was somehow lesser than others. The scene serves as both a reminder of those anger and the purpose of forgiveness that brings them both back together. The words don’t do the effects justice but the ending scene shows the regrets of the son and the father. The movie ends with a very heartbreaking scene when the father departs with his son.

Writes – Puravi Gurung, Salesian College Sonada – Mass communication Dept.

The post APPA – A Delightful Tale of Love and Forgiveness appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Once people realized that he hasn’t taken his oath, many were curious which language he would prefer to take his oath in.

Giving rest to all speculations, Darjeeling MP Raju Bista today entered the Parliament wearing his Dhaka-ko-Topi, and took his oath in Nepali.

What was special was him closing his oath with a “Jai Hind…Jai Gorkha”… which was responded to by his fellow colleagues, with the call of “Jai Gorkha.”

Many inside the Parliament must have been curious after his “Jai Gorkha” call, as someone can be heard asking, ‘kahan se hai…’ and someone else responding “Darjeeling.”

We are very happy and proud of our MP – who chose to honour our lingua franca – Nepali.

To those who are not familiar with Parliamentary proceedings, please note that the MPs have to fill in a form before the commencement of the session indicating which language they want to choose for their swearing-in. Oaths in Nepali by both Darjeeling and Sikkim MP were not a matter of fluke. They chose to honour our mother tongue, much before today, and for that, both of them will always have our eternal gratitude.

When asked about his decision to take the oath in Nepali, Bista said: “For every one of us, mother tongue is the first life skill we develop, understand, and learn. However, today there is very less attention given to native languages in terms of educational and career opportunities. I hope that in the coming days, there will be more opportunities made available to support and promote local languages.”

We wish both the MPs luck and hope that our MP Raju Bista will be able to persuade the powers that be in the government to fulfil our long pending demands.

Good Luck!!

You can watch Sikkim MP swearing in here

The post “JAI GORKHA” – Rings for the First Time in Parliament – as Darjeeling MP Takes Oath appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Here are pics from Mirik on 15 August 1982 – Beautiful bridge over Mirik Lake named as ‘Indreni Bridge‘ in honour of INA freedom fighter sahid Indreni Thapa by Late Tirtha Singh Moktan in a programme organized by All India Nepali Bhasa Samity, Mirik Branch. [Photograph courtesy: Mr Birahi Kainla]

Here is the full text of the historical declaration

अखिल भारतीय नेपाली भाषा समिति
मिरिक अंचल कमिटी
पो° मिरिक (दार्जिलिंग)

पत्र संख्या……………. दिनांक………….
सेवामा

आदरणीय महाशय,
मिरिकलाई पर्यटन स्थल बनाएर सरकारले यसको महत्वलाई खुबै सम्मान दिएको छ ।तर यसका प्रमुख स्थलहरूका नामकरण अघिबाटै नभएकोले 15अगस्त 1982को पवित्र अवसरमा समिति द्वारा आयोजित भब्य समारोहमा सात हजार जनताले मिरिकका प्रमुख स्थल तथा बाटो-घाटो को नामकरण गरे जसको बिवरण यस प्रकार छ:-

पर्यटन स्थल भित्र:
1. भानू झील -मिरिकको बिख्यात झील लाई
2. शहीद इन्द्रेणी थापा पूल -भानू झील माथीको पूल लाई
3.शहीद सावित्री देवी पुस्पोध्धान-सेंट्रल पार्कलाई
4.अगम सिंह गिरी पथ-मिरिक थाना देखी मिरिक बस्ती ट्राईबल रोड सम्मलाई

पर्यटन बाहिर:-
1. शहीद दुर्गामल्ल पथ- बालाजी पानघर देखि दिदी होटल सम्म (मिरिक बजार )
2. अच्छा राई ‘रसिक’ पथ – मिरिक प्राथमिक स्वास्थ केन्द्रदेखि देवसे डाड़ा भएर चिजाहाङ चौतारो सम्मको बाटोलाई ।
3. शहीद लाल बहादुर सेवा पथ – बेकारी गोलाई मिरिक बजार देखि स्कूल डाड़ा मिरिक बस्ती सम्म ।

आधुनिक भारतको निर्माणमाअन्ग्रेजी हुकूमतको विरोधमा आफ्नो प्राण उत्सर्ग गर्ने शहीद इन्द्रेणी थापा, शहीद सावित्री थापा, शहीद दुर्गा मल्ल, देशद्रोहीहरू विरुद्धमा लड़दा-लड़दै बलिदान भएका शहीद लाल बहादुर सेवा तथा नेपाली भाषाको विकासमा जीवन अर्पेका तिन महान कवि, लेखकहरू आदिकवि भनुभक्त आचार्य, कवि अगम सिंह गिरी, एवं अच्छा राई रसिक लाई मिरिकका जनताले श्रधान्जली अर्पण गरेको यो पहिलो अवसर थियो ।तर खेद को कूरा जनताको यो पवित्र भावनाको आजसम्म सम्बन्धित विभागद्वारा कदर भएको छैन अनि नामकरण को मान्यता टांगिदै गईरहेको छ । जनता को पक्षमा अखिल भारतीय नेपाली भाषा समिति मिरिक अंचल एवं मूल कार्यालयले सम्बन्धित अधिकारीहरुलाई यथाशीघ्र मिरिक का प्रमुख स्थल र बाटा-घाटाहरुको नामकरणलाई मान्यता प्रदान गरियोस भनी लेखापड़ी र बातचीत गरि सकेको छ । यस्तो जनताको भावनालाई सम्बन्धित अधिकारी एवं विभागबाट 15अगस्त 1985सम्म पनि कदर गरिएन भने अखिल भारतीय नेपाली भाषा समितिको पक्षबाट आन्दोलनको पाईलो उचाल्ने निर्णय भैसकेकोले उक्त शहीद एवं नेपाली भाषाका विद्वान कवि लेखकको नाममा मिरिकका जनताले दिएको श्रधान्जलीको स्मारिका यही जुलाई 1985 भित्र प्रकाशित गर्ने भएका छौं ।अत: यहाँको तर्फबाट 15जुलाई 1985सम्म स्मारिकालाई शुभ सन्देश प्रप्त हुनेछ भन्ने आशा राखेका छौं ।

जनताद्वारा देशको अखण्डतालाई कायम राख्न गरिएको येस्तो सदभावनाको निशचय कदर हुनेछ भन्ने विशवास रख्दछौं ।

सधन्यवाद,
भवदीय
(विरही काईला)
सचिव
अखिल भारतीय नेपाली भाषा समिति
मिरिक अंचल कमिटी
पो° मिरिक
जि° दार्जीलिंग प° ब°

नेपाली भाषाले भारतीय संविधानको आठौं अनुसूचीमा मान्यता पाउनुपर्छ।

Some of their demands from Bhasa Andolan have gone unfulfilled till date. It is our duty to fulfill their dreams.

We are most grateful to our reader Mr. Saroj Nembang who shared these pics and documents with us

The post Bhasa Andolan Crusaders Wanted Mirik to Have These Landmarks appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

Here’s their short profile

Dinesh and Nimesh are sons of Mrs. Geeta and Mr Mahesh Dahal. Coming from the gorgeous hamlet of Raley Khesey in East Sikkim.

Dinesh is the winner of “Sikkim Got Tallent” and the runner-up of “Himali Prathiba ko Khoj Season 1” he started singing since he was 10-years-old.

Nimesh is also one of the finalist of “Himali Prathiba ko Khoj Season 1” and he has composed this, and other songs. He has been passoniate towards composing music since he was 14.

Both Dinesh and Nimesh have said, “our inspiration is our uncle Late Ramesh Dahal, who was the one who encouraged and inspired us to embark on this musical journey

You can watch more songs from amazingly talented people by clicking – here

The post Showcasing Artists: Dinesh and Nimesh Dahal appeared first on The Darjeeling Chronicle.

There are poets and writers in Nepali today but I don’t see as many readers. There seems to be a divergent gap between the readers and writers in our language. I have heard people telling that modern Nepali literature is too sophisticated to understand. Also, the many ukhans, tukkas, thegos, bagdharas, anukaran shabdas and gau khane kathas seem to be increasingly limited only to textbooks.

Why should we care?

No civilization has progressed without pride in its own heritage. Even the Western Civilization, to which today’s kids look up to, was a product of Renaissance – a rebirth of faith in their own history and culture. The Renaissance of this sort was what the great Swami Vivekananda envisioned for India.

Literature is an important vertical of culture and culture is a part of our identity. After all, aren’t we fighting for Gorkhaland based on our unique history, culture, language and ethnicity? If we don’t preserve and nurture it, kun mukh dekhayera Gorkhaland mangne?

The Government of West Bengal keeps trying to officially obliterate our identity be it renaming places in Siliguri or not keeping Nepali as a language option in the official website of Darjeeling (darjeeling.gov.in). (All offense directed to the Government of West Bengal)

Also, some leaders today have been trying to trivialize the identity issue bringing it down to telling a taxi driver that we don’t want to go to Kakarivitta. Let’s not fall prey to all that. The onus is on us, all Indian Gorkhas, to protect and nurture the Indian Gorkha identity in whichever way possible. Literary heritage is just one way.

In Pic: Gathering of eminent personality of Nepali Language in Darjeeling around 1950’s includes luminaries like: Shri. Balkrishna Sam, Shri. Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Shri. Lekhnath Poudel, Shri. Dharnidhar Koirala, Shri. Surya Vikram, Shri. Ishwar Ballav amongst others

What can we do?

Bipul Chettri has done an excellent job rejuvenating folk music. I feel happy when I hear youngsters today humming ‘Asaar’ or ‘Syndicate’. A similar awakening and rejuvenation have to happen in literature.

First, my appeal is to the young generation to be proud of our cultural heritage and pay more attention to Nepali language and literature. Read more. A lot of work in Nepali literature goes unnoticed. Once you start reading, I’m sure you’ll gain interest.

Tell me if you didn’t enjoy reading ‘Frontier’, ‘Paribanda’ or ‘Muna Madan’ in your textbooks. Or tell me if Hridayachandrasingh Pradhan’s ‘Sojha’ doesn’t make a valid point or if Devkota’s poems are not comparable to the works of Wordsworth. I personally find Paribanda no less entertaining and twisted than ‘The Usual Suspects’. Recently, I was reading the poetry collection ‘Akshar – Unplugged’ by Lekhnath Chettri (who is a youth poet from Darjeeling and a friend) and was amazed to see that the poems are so simple yet brutally meaningful in the context of our society.

Second, my appeal is to the writing fraternity. Please write more and promote your work. Share what you write. Do what it takes to draw more readers. Promoting doesn’t mean that you are being cheap. It means that you are proud of your work and you are being open to a wider readership.

Third, I invite more people to write in Nepali. We need the Acha Rai Rasiks, Shivakumar Rais and Devkotas of our times. Literature has to be popular among the masses. Let’s think of the day when kids once again hide a Nepali storybook under their desks and read as the day of success. I know people from our community who write excellently in English. Please write in Nepali too.

Fourth, if you have friends who write in Nepali and you like the work, translate it to English (of course with permission) or any other language and let others read it. You can also try translating works in other languages into Nepali. I remember when a friend in school translated Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Where the mind is without fear’ to Nepali and it became an instant hit among all students.

Fifth, I request the schools in Darjeeling to be more proactive in this respect. Schools have already been doing a lot of good work in conducting poetry and essay competitions and observing and celebrating Bhanu Jayanti. But I request you to do more. Please remember that we do not have Universities in Darjeeling that can function as the hub of literary activity. It is the schools that have to take action. Moreover, many teachers and college professors in Darjeeling are literary figures themselves. They can help a lot in generating interest. I miss the days when contemporary poet Mrs Remika Thapa used to be our Nepali teacher in school. Every single student was a poet back then – I was one among the only two in school unable to conjure poetry.

Sixth, we also need the Dr Parasmani Pradhans of our time. He was the pioneer who made the curriculum, composed nursery rhymes, so many poems and single handedly wrote textbooks so that Nepali could be taught as a subject in School.

Today we need people of that energy who can do the same online. For example, there is so less about us on Wikipedia. A lot more can be written. But when some of us try to write something, we don’t find a reference to cite. We need scholars to write well researched articles about us – our language, literature and culture and publish it using platforms like Darjeeling Times so that people become more aware and we can add and improve content on Wikipedia.

Seventh, be aware of the richness of our language. We have things like ukhans, tukkas, gau khane kathas, bagdharas, anukaran shabdas which make Nepali very rich. Use them. You may not find equivalents in other languages.

Eighth and last, we all need to find more ways to nurture our cultural heritage. More brainstorming is needed. I request platforms like TheDC to help develop a meaningful discussion in this regard so that we find better and innovative ways to do this.

Writes: Chintan Pokhrel

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