The dogs’ fight..
With hardly 10 days remaining from lifting the iron curtain that will give the new constitution to the country, people are increasingly getting frenzy over the issue of federalism .The latest developments in the country’s political and social sphere is tensional and general people’s anxiety has taken a toll.
While debating on federalism, the issue of ethnicity in federalism has taken up the whole debate. Ethnicity is being related with people’s historical, geographical and cultural identity and with this, various ethnicities are claiming monopoly over some parts of the country. If all their voices would be heard then the whole Nepal would have to be fragmented over more than 100 states or so. It’s a well known case that anywhere in the country people of different ethnicities have been living together for many years. And as the different ethnic groups are determined to end the so called, hegemony of few upper class people and establish their own rule for themselves, the social harmony is increasingly at risk of dismantling. People intuitionally can find flaws in their proclaimed just demands . In my opinion, some psychological phenomenon is responsible for this present tumult.
The generalization of social injustice and inequity as brewed from the whole caste system has helped the pre-conceived notion of the ‘janjati’, ‘dalits’ and marginalized group as being dominated from ‘bahuns’ and ‘chhetris’. The ‘madhesis’ believe that they are always bereft of their fair chance because of the ruling caste of hills. Injustice and inequality have definitely happened in the name of caste and region as well. But the generalization of all “bahuns” and “chhetris” as tyrant, greedy, capitalist, rich and having upper hands in everything is just a bad notion as thinking all the marginalized groups as being poor, downtrodden, suffering and misbehaved. Not all “bahun” and “chhetris” are rich and infact the bahuns and chhetris of Karnali are living in the most unimaginable adverse condition. All the marginalized groups like “newars”, “rai” , “gurung” are not so unlucky as “chepangs” and “dalits”. In the political and administrative dominion also people of various ethnicities are getting chances besides bahuns and chhetris. Now marginalized ethnicities are demanding their rights as though they are seeking personal vendetta upon the upper castes.
Listening to the discourse on federalism , it sounds as though peoples behaviors are inherent such that they can be categorically demarcated on the basis of ethnicities. No one can be distinguished as good or bad, moral or immoral, cruel or kind, greedy or generous as per the castes people belong. The well established value that says all humans are equal is disregarded with the hard press demands of special and exclusive rights for marginalized group of people in which they seek monopoly over political and economic power of their so called historical regions. This aggressive attitude towards distribution of power and resources will invite more divisions and conflicts in the coming days. The whole issue of ethnicity was seeded by Maoists in the insurgency to earn the cheap popularity of people and was voraciously raised in the parliament after post-war time period. Now their legacy has made the fine imprints in the minds of people which seems unalterable.
Our neighborhood dogs become very angry as they see a new dog encroaching upon their territory. They chase it out of their territory with biting and enough swearings in their own language of gnarling and yapping. We, Nepalese should not be guided by pack system as that of dogs and whatever happens , may not our fate be like those dogs..Jai Nepal!!
Thoughts and Reminiscence 