Social Science Study Forum

Sunday, October 14, 2018

दशैँ, रामायण र किराँत

प्रदीप नेपाल

धर्म अफिम हो भनेर कार्लमाक्र्सले त्यसै भनेका होइन रहेछन् । धर्म भ्रम हो भन्ने सच्चाइप्रति म विश्वस्त छु । कुनै धर्म, देवदेवी या कुनै अमूर्त भगवानले संसार सृष्टि गरेका होइनन् । सृष्टिकर्ता ब्रह्मा, पालनकर्ता विष्णु, संहारकर्ता महादेव भनी पुजिने भगवानलाई मानिसले नै जन्माएका हुन् । तर मेरो कुरो पत्याउने बारेमा मैले आशा नगरे पनि हुन्छ । कतिपयले मैले बोल्न नपाउँदै त्यसको चर्को खण्डन गरिहाल्छन् । चुप लागौं भ्रमको जित हुन्छ, लेखौं भयङ्कर बबाल मच्चिन्छ । तर मैले लेख्नै पर्छ । कस्तै पनि भ्रमको चिरफार गर्न मैले लेख्नै पर्छ ।
दशैँलाई बाहुन क्षेत्रीको चाड भनिन्छ नेपालमा । जनजातिका नाममा यसलाई बहिष्कार गर्ने अभियान नै चल्यो एकचोटी । गोरेबहादुर खपाङ्गी ‘सर’ हुनुहुन्थ्योे त्यसको नायक । यो २०४८ पछिको कुरा हो । एकाध वर्ष पूर्वमा राई लिम्बुबाट ‘दशैँ बहिष्कारको’ आन्दोलन समेत चलाइयो । तर झुठो कुरो कति दिन टिक्थ्यो र ! गोरेबहादुरले राजाबाट बक्स भएको टीका ग्रहण गरेपछि उहाँ पनि सकिनु भयो, दशैँ बहिष्कार पनि सकियो । प्रायः चर्को उन्मादले यस्तै उल्टो परिणाम दिन्छ ।
आमनेपालीमा अर्को एउटा ठूलो भ्रम छ । त्यो के भने दशैँ राम– रावण युद्धको उपज हो । तर राम रावण युद्ध दक्षिण एशियामा भएकै थिएन । त्यो अफ्रिकाको शिरमा मिश्र र लिबियातिर भएको थियो । मैले यसको स्रोत पनि पटक पटक लेखिसकेको छु । नेपालका भौतिकवादी पुराणवाचक बालकृष्ण पोखरेलको ‘खस जातिको इतिहास’ र दक्षिण भारतका तमिल विद्वान मुक्कामला नागभूषणम्को ‘शतावतार’ पढेर मैले यो ज्ञान प्राप्त गरेको हुँ । रामायणको बारेमा जान्ने हो भने ‘शतावतार’ त नपढी हुँदै हँुदैन । त्यो किताबलाई सजिलो भाषामा भन्दा ‘रामायणका सय अवतार’ भन्ने अर्थ लाग्छ । रामायणको बारेमा कति अध्ययन गरेका रहेछन् ती विद्वानले ! अर्को भ्रम पनि छ नेपालीजनमा, आज जुन रामायण पढिन्छ त्यो नै महर्षि वाल्मिकिले लेखेका हुन् । वास्तविकता के हो भने, वाल्मीकिले छ हजार श्लोकको रामायण लेखेका थिए । अरु ऐरेगैरेले मनपरि थपथाप गरेर रामायणलाई चौबीस हजार श्लोकमा पु¥याइदिए । कुन श्लोक वाल्मीकिको मौलिक हो अनि थपिएका अठार हजार श्लोकका सिर्जनकर्ता को को हुन् भन्ने पनि कसैलाई थाहा छैन । यति मात्र होइन, बाहिरको त कुरै छोडौँ, भारतभित्रकै मराठी, तमिल र बंगाली रामायणमा पनि धेरै पाठ्य भेद छन् । अर्थात् ती एकअर्काबाट पृथक् छन् ।
मुक्कामला नागभूषणम्का अनुसार, वाल्मिकी रामायणले दक्षिण भारतको जस्ता चर्चा गरेको त्यो दक्षिण भारतमा कहिल्यै थिएन । वाल्मीकि रामायणको परिवेश जबलपुरभन्दा दक्षिण जाँदै जाँदैन । यसको अर्थ के हो भने या त रामायण सम्पूर्णतामा काल्पनिक हो या वाल्मिकि रामायणको परिवेश हालको नेपालभित्रै छ ।
तपार्इंहरूमध्ये कतिलाई थाहा छ कुन्नि, एउटा अयोध्या नेपालभित्रै छ । नारायणी नदी किनारबाट तीस चालीस किलोमिटर पूर्व अयोध्यापुरी नाम गरेको ठाउँ अहिले पनि भेटिन्छ । फटाफट हिँड्दा तीन चार घण्टामा पुगिन्छ भन्छन् चितवनका युवा । अब रामायण स्वयंले वर्णन गरेको एउटा विषयतिर हामी जाउँ । गर्भवती सीतालाई रथमा राखेर लक्ष्मण अयोध्याबाट बिहान जंगलतिर लागे र वाल्मीकि आश्रममा सीतालाई महर्षि वाल्मीकिको जिम्मा लगाएर फर्किए ।
व्यावहारिक रूपमा हिसाब गरौं– भारतको अयोध्याबाट एउटा रथ नेपालको चुरेभित्रको वाल्मिकि आश्रममा आएर सीतालाई त्यहाँ छोडेर सोही दिन घर फर्किने कुरो कल्पना मात्र हुन्छ । आजभोलिका बस र ट्रक अथवा कारहरू समेत बिहान अयोध्याबाट गुडेर बेलुका अयोध्या पुग्न सक्दैनन् भने त्यो जमानामा एकै दिन एउटा रथ अयोध्या–वाल्मिकि–अयोध्या गर्न सक्यो भन्ने आधार कहाँ छ ? तर माडीको अयोध्या पुगेर सोही दिन अयोध्या फर्किने कुरो तर्कसङ्गत हुन्छ ।
रामायण कालमा नेपालको भावरमा विद्याको ठूलो विकास भएको थियो भन्ने धेरै ज्ञानीहरूलाई थाहा छ । सांख्य दर्शनका प्रथम पुरुष कपिलमुनिको आश्रम कपिलवस्तु, नारायणी नदीको किनारमा अवस्थित वाल्मीकि आश्रम, जहाँ छ हजार श्लोकको रामायण लेखियो । जनकपुरको कुरै नगरे हुन्छ । जनकपुरबाट पूर्व लागेपछि विश्वामित्रको आश्रम कोशी नदीको किनार । सुनसरी जिल्लामा पर्ने रामधुनीको जंगलमा नै राम, लक्ष्मण र सीताको बाह्रवर्षे वनबास भएको सम्भावना बढी छ । किनभने रामायणमा वर्णित पञ्चवटी त अहिले कतै छैन । त्यति मात्र होइन, विश्वामित्र रामलाई लिन भारतको अयोध्या जानुभन्दा नेपालकै अयोध्यापुरी जानु बढी सान्दर्भिक देखिन्छ ।
भारतको अयोध्यामा राम थिएनन् भन्ने मेरो निष्कर्ष होइन, त्यहाँ कुनै कालखण्डमा राजा राम थिए होलान्, तर ती हाम्री सीतामाताका पति चाहिँ किमार्थ थिएनन् । उसै पनि राम त थाइल्याण्ड र मिश्रमा पनि छन् । आफ्नो देश बाहिरका रामहरूको बारेमा चर्चा गर्नुको कुनै अर्थ हुँदैन । तर भारतीय अयोध्याका रामलाई सीतापति बनाउने काम वाल्मिकि होइन, पछि उपकथा थप्ने कुनै अठार हजारे भारतीय पण्डितको हुनसक्छ भन्ने मेरो बुझाइ हो । किनभने अयोध्या त थाइल्याण्डमा पनि छ । अहिले पनि त्यस्तै अठार हजार श्लोके भारतीय पण्डितहरू गौतम बुद्ध भारतमा जन्मिएका थिए भन्ने हुइँया मच्चाइरहेका छन् ।
अब जाउँ दशैँतिर । दशैँ नेपालसँग जोडिएको पर्व हो, यसमा रामायणको मिसमास पटक्कै छैन । यो भनाइको पुष्टि गर्न हामीले नेपाल र भारतमा मनाइने दशैँको तुलना गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ । नेपाली दशैँ भनेको मारकाटको आधिक्य भएको चाड हो । दशैँको सप्तमीमा मौलोमा बाँधेर जनावरको बलि दिने चलन मैले जान्दासम्म थियो । सप्तमी, अष्टमी र नवमी मासु पर्व हुन् । दशमीको दिन टीकाको दिन हो । नेपालभित्रै पनि कतिपय जिल्लामा दशमीको टीका लगाएपछि दशैँ सक्किने चलन छ । कतिपय स्थानमा दशमीपछिको पाँच दिनसम्म टीका लगाउने चलन छ । कति दिन टीका लगाउने भन्नेमा विवाद भए पनि सप्तमी, अष्टमी र नवमीमा मासुको चाड बनाउने कुरामा कतै कसैको विवाद भएको पाइँदैन ।
तर भारतमा मासुको प्रयोग दशैँभरि गरिंदैन । दशहरा भने पनि त्यता पूmलपाती मात्रै प्रयोग हुन्छ ।
यथार्थमा दशैँ किराँतहरूको चाड हो । मेची अञ्चलमा काम गर्दा एउटा अनौठो भनाइ सुनेको थिएँ मैले । ‘गहभरि आँसु, दुनाभरि मासु । ’ अर्थात्, मृत्युको शुद्धिमा पनि जनजातिलाई मासु नै चाहिन्छ ।
भन्न त नेपाल र भारतको सम्बन्धलाई रोटीबेटीको सम्बन्ध भन्न मन पराउँछन् कतिले । तर रोटीबेटीको सम्बन्ध भएको मुलुकसँग हाम्रा अधिकांश महìवपूर्ण चाडबाड मिल्दैनन् । दशैँको बारेमा मैले माथि नै भनिसकें । उनीहरू यमपञ्चक (तिहार) मनाउँदैनन् । उनीहरूको राखीको चाड भाइबैनाको सबैभन्दा महìवपूर्ण चाड हो । यता हामी त्यो दिनमा ब्राह्मणहरूबाट डोरो बाँध्छौँ ।
म आफ्ना पाठक सामु अनुरोध गर्न चाहन्छु – कसैको कुरो पनि बिना तर्क नखानुस् । अरु कसैले तपाईंलाई सत्य सिकाउँदैन । हाम्रो देशका पहिला बासिन्दा किराँती नै हुन् । तिनले पालन गर्ने नियमहरू लामो समयसम्म नेपालमा नीति र संस्कारको रूपमा बाँचिरहे । पछि आउने सबैले यसलाई निरन्तरता दिए । दशैँ भारतबाट आएको होइन । त्यो हाम्रै हो । तिहार पनि भारतको दिपावली होइन, हाम्रै भाइबैनाको भावनात्मक सम्बन्धको चाड हो ।
यति भनिसकेपछि राम हाम्रा देवता होइनन् भन्ने बारेमा पनि प्रस्ट हुनुपर्छ । किनभने विश्वमा तीन रामहरू देखा परिसके । मिश्रका राम, थाइल्याण्डका राम र वाल्मिकिका राम ।

Friday, October 12, 2018

Gorkha History of North India

Gorkha History of North India

(Credits - Deepak Rai , Lt Col (retd) V K Sharma & Gokul Sinha, M.A. Ph.D)

Himachal Pradesh
The settlement of the Gorkhas in Himanchal Pradesh has a history of nearly 250 years. Between 1803 and 1814, the Gorkha Empire included the swathe from Kangra to Srinagar. After nearly 12 years of rule here, under the treaty of Sugauli in 1815, Nepal had to cede Simla, Kumaun, Garhwal and all the low lands lying between the Chenab and the Sunkosh, north of the river Ganga. The majority of the Gorkhas settled in the district of Kangra, Dharamshala and Bakloh, near Dalhousie in Chamba district. These people cannot be categorized as migrants in any way since they merged into India with the lands they lived on. The 1st Gorkha Rifles was raised at Sabathu near Simla in 1815 and it was given a permanent location at Dharamshala.

The first regular settlement of the Gorkhas in Dharmashala is known to have taken place some time between 1879 and 1882. Gorkha army pensioners lived in Chilghari.At present, they have settled in many villages, such as Ramnagar, Shyamnagar, Dan, Sidh Ban, Sadar Ghaniyara, Yol, Dal, Tota Rani, Chandmani and Chani. About the earliest settlement of Gorkhas in Kangra district, it is said that some families settled in the village of Sahaura near Kangra during the seizure of the Kangra fort from 1805 to 1809. Many Gorkha families settled down in villages around Malaun fort after its fall, and one of the prominent families was that of the forefathers of Arjun Singh Bista, a former legislator from Nalagarh.

One of the oldest associations of Gorkhas in Dharamshala is the Himachal Punjab Gorkha Association, established in 1916. The main objective of the association was to render financial help to widows, orphans and destitutes, stipend to poor students, preservation of the Gorkha’s language and culture and seeking government assistance to benefit and create employment for the Gorkha pensioners.

Uttrakhand
The history of Gorkha settlement in Uttaranchal, the erstwhile northern Uttar Pradesh, is as old as that of Himachal Pradesh.The districts of Kumaun and Garhwal fell under the Gorkha kingdom between 1790 and 1815. Dehradun valley was captured by Balbhadra Kunwar in 1803. General Amar Singh Thapa was in charge of Kumaun and Garhwal, whereas Balbhadra Kunwar was the administrator of the Dehradun valley. Srinagar and Simla were under the charge of Bahadur Bhandari and Dasharath Khatri. Ranjor Thapa, the son of Amar Singh Thapa, was entrusted with Sirmoor in Himachal Pradesh. After the AngloGorkha War, when these lands were ceded to British India, the soldiers and the settlers of these places became de facto subject of India.

After the treaty of 1815, the 2nd GR and the 3rd GR were raised in Sirmoor and Almora respectively. The retired soldiers of these regiments were later rehabilitated by the British, who set up colonies and provided lands in Nalapani, Raipur, Killagarh, Gorapur Estate, Navada, Garhi, Dakra Bazar, Lachhiwala, Vizpur, Anarwala, Ghuchukpani, Chandrabani, Parade Ground, Paltan Bazar and Phaltu Line.The people resident in these areas, which now make up parts of Uttarakhand, have done well in many spheres. Their intellect and intrepidity have also blazed a trail in the annals of the Indian Gorkhas.

It was Dehradun that established the All India Gorkha League in 1925. Thakur Chandan Singh was its founder president. The League, a sociopolitical organisation, fought for the rights of the Gorkhas through its two Nepali journals, Gorkha Sansar (1926) and Tarun Gorkha (1928). Chandan Singh also edited the Great Himalayan, an English journal from 1926. The All India Gorkha League came to a halt after 1934, succumbing to pressures from the British administration. Again, it is Dehradun that raised the first voice for the recognition of Nepali language in the Indian constitution. Anand Singh Thapa, the editor of Jagrat Gorkha, wrote a memorandum to the President of India to this end in 1956, a call that was later taken up by other establishments there and in other parts of India.

Poet Gumani Panta of Almora (1790-1887), lyrist Bahadur Singh Baral of Kangra (b.1893), music maestro Mitrasen Thapa of Dharamshala (1892-1947), national poet Gopal Singh Nepali (1911-64), et al, hailed from Uttarakhand. Being the land of Amar Singh Thapa and Veer Balbhadra, innumerable soldiers born here have served the country. Martyrs like Major Durga Malla and Captain Dalbahadur Thapa of the INA belonged to this region. The first Gorkha General, Omkar Singh Bhandari, Param Vir Chakra winner Dhansingh Thapa and a host of gallantry award recipients have done the Indian Army proud.

JAMMU AND KASHMIR:
Gorkhas settled in JK in the 18th century and a majority of them were soldiers and families that had fought in the ranks of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab. Gulab Singh, a landlord of Jammu was his commander in chief. After the defeat of the Sikhs in their march into JK after the Afghan wars, Gulab Singh purchased Kashmir Valley for Rs 36 lakh and became maharaja of JK. It was Maharaja Ranbir Singh, the ruler who succeeded Gulab Singh, who organized the army in JK and enlisted Gorkhas. Notable among these were Brigadier (General Staff) Bhagat Bir Thapa, his son Brigadier Bhagwan Singh Thapa and General Khadak Bahadur of the Nepal Army, who migrated to JK and was rewarded with the post of General Officer. Major Badri Nar Singh showed outstanding valour in the battle of Chitra (now in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) and was awarded the IOM.

Gorkha troops also fought shoulder to shoulder with Dogra troops in the conquest of Chitral, Hunza, Nagar and Haveli (now in POK). A familiar story is recalled of a Gorkha woman who swan across the Indus river and informed the headquarters of the presence and concentration of a large force of enemy troops. The time reinforcement of troops saved the situation. The woman was nickenamed “Bhutni” (ghost) because of her daring courage in crossing the Indus at night. The Gorkhas of JK took part in World War I (1914-18) and excelled in the battle of Beho Beho and Kilimanjaro in East Africa. Colonel (later General) Durga Singh received a gallantry awards and a jagir with the honour of “Sardar Bahadur”, OBE, IOM for showing extraordinary courage against the Germans.

The Gorkhas of JK faced the worst of communal violence in 1947-48. At the time, the Gorkha regiment of JK had mixed troops and a class composition with Mirpuri Muslims and Dogra troops in the ranks. The communal frenzy and the situation prevailing with the partition of India in 1947 made them enemies overnight. The misguided Muslim troops, who joined the Pakistan Army with their arms and ammunition, trained their guns on the Gorkha soldiers and almost wiped them out. Capt Prem Singh Bist was brutally murdered at Ban Bridge (now on the commercial route opened for trade with Pakistan) and another officer, Major Ram Saran Karki, was also killed while escorting Hindu refugees from Mirpur, now in POK. There were hardly any Gorkha survivors to tell their tale of valour and woe.

During the J&K Op in 1947-48, Brigadier (then Major) Sher Jang thapa fought bravely for six months with this troops besieged inside Skardu fort in POK and he was awarded the Mahavir Chakra. In 1962, during the Indo-China war, Havildar Sire Thapa put up a brave fight with is machine gun at Rio Bridge in Subansiri Division and met a heroic death. The Chinese buried his body on the spot and left a written note appreciating his courage and fighting skills.The bravery of Gorkhas is sung about by street singers of Kashmir and the old cantonment (now the J&K Police Lines and Headquarters) was named Magar Mall Bagh . Gorkha Nagar in Jammu also came into existence on the bank of River Tawi in the early 1950s. The Gorkhas have had to toil hard and clear the dense forest to turn the area into a small township, a symbol of identity for Gorkhas in JK.

Though the Gorkhas have made supreme sacrifices for the integrity of India and the safety of JK, their miseries have increased manifold since independence. They are economically, socially and educationally backward. They face big hurdles in getting the Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) or state subject certification of JK, without which young Gorkha boys and girls cannot get a good job or admission into educational institutes. They are kept away from the mainstream. No politician or any mainstream political party or administration cares for them. Their population numbers around one lakh and is spread across JK, including Kashmir Valley. The JK Government should take steps to grant them the PRC because most of the families who don’t own land or homes due to their economic condition are considered foreigners/non‐state subjects. Where will they go?
(Credits - Deepak Rai , Lt Col (retd) V K Sharma & Gokul Sinha, M.A. Ph.D)

Discourse on races of Nepal

Shade Slayer

4 months ago

बाहुन, छ्यत्रि, ठकुरी र दलित सबै खस हुन्। 
जब भारतबाट भागेर ब्राम्णहरु पश्चिम कर्णाली प्रदेशमा अाए त्यति बेलादेखि हिन्दुकरण हुन सुरु भएको हो।
जब हिन्दुकरण भयो त्यस पछि शाषकहरुलाई ठकुरी बनाइयो, धनिमानिहरु बाहुन भए र गरिब र‌ हिन्दुकारणलाई नमान्नेहरु दलित भए।
छ्यत्रिहरु‌ भन्ने जात जड्गबाहादुरले बनाका हुन्।﻿