A Nepalese protestor poses with a placard while taking part in a protest against the nations lawmakers in Kathmandu on June 9, 2011, to put pressure on them to deliver a new constitution. Thousands of young Nepalese have united behind a new Facebook campaign to stop paying the country's battling politicians if they cannot produce a new constitution by the extended deadline of August 28, 2011. Nepal's parliament, elected in 2008 with a two-year mandate to promulgate a constitution, has failed to do so while public anger with the lawmakers has grown in the Himalayan nation.- Source Getty Image
by Dirgha Raj Prasai
(June 25, Kathmandu, Sri Lanka Guardian) In Nepal, since 2006, the treacherous individuals infiltrated the politics and corrupted it. In spite of this act these mafias have now turned their venomous grip towards a subject as eminent as literature and are turning it into a business. The big ministers flock to so-called literary programmes held by corrupt individuals and smugglers. But the literary programmes organized by true lovers of literature are visited by only those in contact with the organizers. Literature had played a role contributing to alerting the society even before the rise of democracy in 1950. Literature is not only taken as means to soothe the discontented hearts but an arm to uplift the nation. In reality literature is creativity. Literature and music is nation’s property. If music is world language then literature is creativity. These two are the mirrors of past and future. If music is representative of present then literature stimulates both past and future. Music is the orchestration of human life. A person’s inner confusions and feelings are hidden in the depths of literature and sentiments of the music. Literature and music have always represented an era. Kalidash views literature as, “Kabi Karoti Kabyani, Rasam Jannanti Pandita”, meaning a poet creates a book in verse and its juice the intellectuals savor. It is true that literature is a path of all knowledge that gives true juice laden with love to humans. The litterateurs have their own imagination on what Nepal can be and if it is creative then Nepal can be uplifted on that line. If Mafias capture the literature, then what will become of the status of the Nepali literature?
There are no boundaries of literature, music, philosophy and art. Its rule is extensive. In spite of this Nepali literary writers must be able to feel the situation pertaining to our nationality. As the saying goes, ‘swallow the bone by judging your throat’, such things should not be taken as conservative talks. Among the eminent authors of Nepal as Leknath Poudel, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Bal Krishna Sama, Sidhicharan Shrestha, Hridayachandra Singh Pradhan, Bhawani Bhichu, Bhimnidhi Tiwari, Dharanidhar Koirala, Mahananda Sapkota, none have ever created such literature that would have had affected Nepal’s national unity. They wrote what was true. They remained attached to national pride, and in this way they became known in the domain of world literature. None of the critics have ever pointed out that the path they had laid before us was wrong. Whereas, today literature has become a ladder for mafia, corrupts and smugglers used for stealing.
Literature
A true literature cannot be born unless a person has been marked with a deep scar. Leo Tolstoy, Rabindranath Tagore, Maxim Gorki as such were given birth to by time. They transformed the society. Actually, the literary personality is the creator of the human way of life. This is a meditation, a continuous struggle. Such figures that possess the quality to transform a plagued society that has persisted for thousands of years are not taken as anything less than great. The rebellion and great works of Salman Rusti (Muslim) and Bangladesh’s Tasalima Nasarin (Muslim) in form of prose-like novels have triggered a tossing in the world by shedding light on the anti-social behavior and system prevalent inside the society. They have carved a picture depicting a society devoid of injustice where humans can live in justice. They have dared to reflect, as clear as in a mirror, the defects in the Muslim scriptures that have been followed for thousands of years, as tradition and daily life style. There are so many dimensions in literature-essay, story, poem, noble and song.
There is very noted event regarding the Indian national anthem. The great laureate and Bengali poet of India, Rabindra Nath Tagore had composed a song to welcome the British Emperor George-V in 1911, 100 years ago. 'Jaana Gaana Maana Adhinayaka Jaya He Bharat Bhagya Bidhata…..' After the independence of India (1947), the song accepted as the national anthem. Yes, the song was highly appreciated as a welcome song at that time. But, why it was accepted in 'Independent-India' as a national anthem? This indicates that the Indian mentality has greatly been influenced by the British imperialism. The British Emperor George V accompanied with his queen traveled to India in 1911. They traveled to Delhi Durbar where George wore the newly-created Imperial Crown of India at the ceremony and declared the shifting of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. On 15 December of same year, he laid the foundation stone of New Delhi with Queen Mary. They also traveled throughout Nepal in the invitation of Chandra Shamshre, then PM of Nepal, and George took an opportunity to indulge in hunting tigers, shooting at Nepalese Tarai- Southern part of Nepal. But, it would be good that as an independent nation to choose another national anthem for India.
Tasalima Nasarin, an active revolutionary woman who has a degree in medical science, has written many books through which she has presented her views with an objective for social transformation. Her books are banned, and an arrest warrant is in effect in her homeland, Bangladesh. She wants to remain as a citizen of Western Bengal in India. A democratic nation like India must fulfill her demand. Due to lack of humanity and benevolent behavior, Indian leaders did not permit her interest. Likewise, Salman Rusti’s ‘Satanic Verses’ has rendered him insecure to a high degree. Where are all the human right activists of this world in such a situation? Can such a challenge exist for men who have sided with the idea of freedom of expression in this 21st century? At present no one can be bound by any religion. Yes, every Muslim person loves and should dedicate the Muslim religion. However, the Muslim religious preachers must positively acknowledge the path Nasarin had shown for riding the scriptures of defects and embracing reformation. Similarly, Nepali society is in search for a writer that can present the reality of the Nepali society riddled with immorality and inhumanity.
The political change in 1990 heralded an era of political defects which influenced the literary domain as well. Many big businessmen, smugglers and corrupts used literature as a shield to open big awards with high prize money. In such a way many misdeeds were carried out to taint the dignity of Nepali literature. Businessmen, contractors, smugglers and corrupts who have always evaded tax and never had any connection with the literary domain were guided to link up with this field by an objective to turn their black money white. They have spent money to publish books that praise them and write their flattery. They publicize their sycophancy book in their personal expense and they release the books amidst a hyped programme which is also held under their personal expense. They invest for varities of food for the visitors with delicious foods so as to popularize their books. They give awards to select number of literary figures, to whom giving such awards would ensure their own popularity. They have carried out a dissection of Nepal’s literary writers. So the Nepali literary arena has been dishonored. These smugglers and corrupts have also invested in T.V channels and newspapers.
They have taken control of very strong positions inside the nation. The critics amidst such dissection are in the hiding. It may also be that these critics are hoping for awards, and are busy pleasing the concerned people. Where are the critics of yesterday-Dr.Taranath Sharma, Anandadev Bhatta, Govida Bhatta and Dr.Mohan Himashu Thapa among others? In today’s world no one can escape by imitating the act of wise guy like the father of Druyodhan –'Dhritarastra'. Had the intentions of those who have opened new awards in literary domain remained good they would have not touched this field. Instead they would have had built a round shelter under pious shelter place Chautaro, guests rest house- Dharmashala and a shed in the name of their parents or themselves. But they have become capable of earning in name of big literary figures as Leknath, Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Balkrishna Sama among others.
It is an act of fleecing the nation. Such award trusts are opened so that they don’t find it hard to gain popularity. They open such literary awards’ trusts and with its support they take big power positions and contracts; and their misdeeds pollute the society. So the literary sector has become an object for sale and a centre for acts of sycophancy. The founder of Madan Puraskar Kamalmani Dixit was a one of the contributors of Nepalese literature. But, before 1990, he has been forgetting the norms and way of literarily virginity. The ‘Madan Puraskar’ trust which has remained a pure organization is now on a path of decadence due to the greediness of the administrators whom have indulged in bargaining deals. They are spending ‘Madan Puraskar’ to gain their selfish ends. As the remains found at the cremation site, the game left by the wolves and the money of hell cannot be a blessing for authors, poets and artists so the flower festoon of dirt from the ditch cannot be prestige of the writers. However, such desires have not purified true literary writers.
But we must note that we cannot compare the independence of the insects living in ditch with the independence of humanity. If we and the media sector is to boycott such shameless awards and honors then such awards of corrupts and smugglers will sideline gradually. Why are the businessmen, contractors and corrupts concerned with the works related with the National Academy or the state? Why should anyone posses the right to give awards to the shinning talents of this nation? If we are to consider all these facts then the Nepal Academy ought to take control of all the trusts and organizations that have been established in name of literature and the confiscated capital ought to be managed to rid Nepal’s literary sector of mafia and corrupts. Otherwise, Nepali literary sector will be dishonored by such literary swindlers. The great poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota has said, “That which harms the society are ‘poison’ and ‘poison’ is not true literature.”
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