| Bramhanda |
Posted
on 16-Dec-02 07:52 PM
Misplaced Priorities
Has Nepal failed as a society?
That is a very buring and a heart wrenching question, isn't it?
We might not want to admit it, but the society that we lived in, the system we were hammered to acquiesce to, seems to have have fallen prey to attacks and is on the verge of collapse. To me, it has always been on the most part a very fedual, unjust system, based on a facade of make believe beliefs. There has been a false justification of its entreched and continual existence by the manipulation of and the benefit of the ruling and the elite class.
Take for example , Royal visits to districts and villages, whree eveything was" windowdressed" as appering normal and just fine, or the ever lasting pancha barse yojanas of false promises.
Or, you could listen to some of these "leaders or loosers" of the past 12 years, who would just bark with their rhetorical speech about desh bikash and, being able to propagate the image of turning Nepal to Singapore (Mr. Bhattarai said that during the 1991 election campaign). Who are they kidding? After all ,they're not the fabled King Midas turning things to gold, or did they posses the same powers as Moses SUPPOSEDLY did, to able to lead a group of Hebrews through the sea; on the contrary some of these people turned out to be transforming gold to their own sweet wallets, and buidling empires for themselves.
Just false promises, there. So, had the revolution always been the need of the hour? I think it had been. But, more reform based, not gun based.
Even if one looks at some of our customs. If the man of the house dies, the woman can't be touched by the son for some days.
Why? No valid explanation exists.
To be able to comfort and calm is one thing, but to kind of isolate,thereby aggravatign the already fragile mental and emotional framework and, create further suffering is another.
Ive observed similar unexplained practices during marriages ceremonies.
You've the Kanya Dan ceremonies. Why should it be a Daan for cyring out loud? Marriages are a union of two people, it is not a grant or charity of kinds? In the past, there was the Swayebvaar, where the girl chose amongst a bunch of eligible bachelors. Where did it get twisted???
Then, there is the concept of Dowry? Who creates them and let it continue? Is it the women or the men? Why can't it be necessarily corrected?
And look at all the work and the details of a marriage. I recall pulling an "allnighter" at a friend's Jannti". Wow,it was fun, but the different tasks the bride and groom had to perform appeared to be very taxing.
I could sense that the bride, the groom and their parents were suffering in the "Poosh ko jaado" and really wishing when this "god damn thing" would be over with. I could see it in their eyes, and the eyes of people ,who were put on a happy face on the surface by coming on with lighthearted comments, while blowing up cigarette smoke like a steam engine blows up steam , all the time hoping for the pundiji to bring a conclusion to this pure and sacred ceremony that binds two people together.
Instead of being able to enjoy such a grand ceremony and be able to appreciate it, the majority were wanting an end to it just like some prisoners, who want an end to a prison life. Such an August moment turned into some kind of torture. Why?
The pundijis in conducting the ceremonies, were just regurgitating their sloaks. No one dares to challenge what is being done, what is being said. Without the pundits, such a ceremony can't occur. But, what good is to do something that no one --I doubt if the pundit also understands this in its entirety-- comprehends. Is this been a mnupulation on the part of the punidt for his job security? Why does it have to be so long? Why cant' something like this be made more effective, educational, and enjoyable?
Philanthrophy and other acts don't get noticed. People just want to make it just for themsevles. Conniving and big talkers make it all the way in all walks of life. Where are our inspirational leaders when we need them? Where are our visionary leaders? Where are our Gandhis and Nehrus? Where are our role models?
Do we sit as it is. Then , we accept things as they're and just complain. Then, we're also not so different than the ones whom we blame. Where do we start? How do we start?
Where will be as a nation and its citizens 10 years from now?
Are we going to be needing a catharsis to ameliorate the current malaise of cynicims and despair currently affecting the society? Or, would time just create phoenix like figure or bunch of them to arise from the ashes?
What ever happened???
Of course, there are some salient attributes of our customs, and traditions that has added values to our lives.
I think, it is high time we started challenging the status quo, the false promises, the artificial practices, and get our self from the cacoon ,where everythign appears to be normal, but is NOT so in REALITY. Otherwise, we MIGHT keep on failing futher as a society and get entrenched in a sea of desperation and frustration.
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