Nepali Times
ANURAG ACHARYA
By The Way
A diverse unity


ANURAG ACHARYA


ANURAG ACHARYA

The political parties in Kathmandu may still be undecided about what the "new" Nepal would look like, but here in the east people seem to have already decided at the level where it matters the most. Travelling across five districts of Nepal's east, one gets a sense of what real grassroots aspirations are: a more accountable and accessible state.

Thousands of Janajatis taking to the streets in Kathmandu may have spread fears of national disintegration, but here on the ground the quest for identity is not the bogey it is being made out to be. The national media has been exaggerating fears of communal violence and focuses a lot on negative reports about groups enforcing shutdowns, and social media promotes hate speech. But here, the reality is different. People have become more tolerant of differences and accept the necessity of a more inclusive society.

"They tell me now I am citizen of a Limbuwan state. I don't care what that means as long as we can have politicians we can reach," Purna Shrestha, a 37-year-old daily wage earner from Jorpokhari of Panchthar district told me. Shrestha has never been beyond Jhapa and doesn't really care who rules in Kathmandu.

Yadunath Pokharel has been teaching Political Science for the last 15 years here in Panchthar's local campus, and says most misgivings about local movements stem from a preconceived mindset and failure of outsiders to empathise with people's quest for autonomy.

In the last few years Nepalis in general have become more accommodating in their outlook, developing an understanding for each other's culture and identity. In the Tarai these days, a Madhesi is treated with more respect by a non-Madhesi civil servant, which is quite a departure from the rude and dismissive behaviour of the past. Similarly, from a monolithic state, we have become a nation of diverse cultures where Eid and Udhauli are celebrated with the same enthusiasm as Dasain and Gaijatra.

At a cyber cafe in Phidim, which was in the throes of yet another shutdown called by CPN-Maoists, two young students were critical of the nationalistic backlash on social media against identity politics. "I don't understand why people have to add 'Nepali' to their names to assert their Nepaliness," said one, "when I greet you with 'sewaro' is it any less of a Nepali greeting than 'namaste'?"

What started out as a political demand for a federal state has now moved beyond the political realm to become a social movement which does not seek to undermine nationalism, but to strengthen it by cementing Nepal with its diversity.

In Biratnagar and Itahari, the rickshaw drivers are from the hills and plains, and converse easily in their own languages with passengers who also understand and respond in those tongues. In a bus from Dharan to Dhankuta, or from Panchthar through Ilam, there is a multitude of voices in various local languages that represents a linguistic microcosm of eastern Nepal. No one from the dominant castes in the bus seem to see that as a threat to their Nepaliness. We pass signboards and gates not just in local languages, but in long-lost local scripts that had fallen into disuse.

According to Sunsari-based journalist and writer Bhawani Baral who has published several books on the Limbuwan and other identity-based movements in the east, demands for political autonomy have become more coordinated, restrained and mature. "Remember, these were homegrown movements and lacked leadership, so it is natural that they were anarchic, but that is slowly changing," he told me.

Indeed, the nine factions demanding Limbuwan are now organised under a coordination committee while an armed Khumbuwan movement recently renounced violence and has pledged to enter peaceful politics.

There is no such thing as a righteous stance in politics, there are only politically-correct decisions. Whether we like it or not, identity politics is here to stay at least until we as a nation are prepared to deal with it as a necessary path to redress past exclusivity. To do that, the old-fashioned centralised decision-making must first give way to a more progressive politics that includes all.

Our leaders should stop telling people what is good for them and start listening to what they want: a federalism that celebrates Nepal's diverse identities.



1. Anil Limbu
A good article. People should respect and not denigrate other people's castes and ethnic identity. It is also time that people stop using religion as a manipulative tool to call themselves superior than others. Everybody is equal in the eyes of the Lord. Not only the Lord, but in the eyes of the whole civilized world too.

2. Bhaicha
No matter what you say , this country is becoming 'a melting pot' by 2025.The mosaic will gradually fade. So is the trend in the new generation.They are meeting in work places and choosing their partners themselves and marrying inter-caste day by day.
Finally an all Nepali Nepali class is in the offing.


3. thotro_chor
This is a remarkably unbiased article. The author has considered both sides of the story in an impeccably impartial manner. Unlike some who only quote people that agree with their own views, this author shown great balance in his quotes. The range of views on federalism elicited during his travels clearly spans the entire range of views we see in Nepal today. This is precisely the exceptional type of journalism that I expect to see in the new federal Nepal. Thank you, sir!


4. Anuj B

"The best gift that you can give to others is the purity of listening" .I felt this piece of article is an example of such gift "purity of listening".



5. Salil
Nice work.



6. SL
rightly put. Our so called leaders should do more listening than just telling people what to do. Nice article.


7. 7
Bravo brother! A very fine-tuned piece. I don't know whether I've been outta the loop for too long, but I never saw anyone address the nepali-surname-attachment issue before. From the day of its inception, I considered it to be utter waste of 'everything', and the people that used it, pretentious bedroom nationalists. Divide and Conquer is only effective when the mass is pea-brained. Breaking the norm, I guess we nepalis do have brains.

8. vishal
wow..nicely written....hats off to you writer..!! every caste and religion should be given respect..it has now become the necessary for the every caste and religion to be given equal upportunity and not dividing on the basis of caste system..then only our country will become a true .--char jaat chattiss barna ko fulbarriii--thanks again to the writer..

9. Binu
Not only in eastern Nepal  but equally in the other parts of the territory, the federalism is a social movement that aims to celebrate their nationalism on their own terms and it is an aspiration of hitherto marginalized section of population to be treated at par with fellow people next to them...but, the bahun-chhetri dominated cynical media floated the idea that the country is going to disintegrate ...hope positive sides of stories will be published in coming days as this one:)


10. Brian
May Pashupatinath save us from ignorant bleeding heart liberals like Mr Acharya.

11. Anuj B
Hey Brian, NO.  10 ;;;  what is your point? Let us be clear.

12. Sanjay Gelal
As we pride for unity in diversity,the article has presented the same feeling now. It doesnt matter, as expressed by the poor wage earner,whatever the name we give to our states, but it certainly matters about the equality of rights to all people

13. who cares
yes brian, what do you mean by liberal?

since when glorifier of rape, loot, fraud has become the definition of liberal.

today, agent bhatterai and agent puspa have become the temple where criminals visit to escape away from possible jail term- from murderers to corrupts like that mandala from FIFA. 

pay them some and authority wont be knocking at your door. 


and the mouth piece of the greatest criminals in the history of nepal has become liberal for you. huh.




14. BSthapit

Very good article. Thanks to Nepali Times. To pursue this diversity and unity, I think our leaders  should work under Federal Republic Democratic Alliance- FRDA recently formed under the leadership of Prachanda. This is only political alliance that would give true nature of unity in diversity in polity of Nepal.  If this coalition together with janjati parties sustained then it would be very good for Nepal. This is right move in right direction. Prachand is great leader of all time. Nepali leaders never had such a courage that Prachanda has shown. This move would diminish the hegemony of high caste Hindu in Nepal through monarchy, CPN-UML and Nepali congress and bring all communities together in nation building.



15. Ho Ho Ho
"Prachand is the greatest leader of all time", #14? Give us a break. We all know he is the greatest mass murderer Nepal has seen

16. Rajaram Singh
Like the UPA and NDA in India there will be two fronts in Nepal too in the coming days for election purpose.
Rastra-ghati or Rastra-byadhi
VS.
Rastra-badi.
You can identify which is which.
Since all have already accepted Federalism.
All must now insist on true democracy of the 21st century with justice, equality, fraternity and unity.


17. kancha tamu
Hats off Mr. Acharya. 
You have here a "role model" article that reflects what unbiased journalism is about. There is no doubt you felt the peoples' pulse through and through and had the courage to write your heart out without prejudice. 
Brian@10. Here goes again- Asking for the sanctity of Pasupatinath to save a 'bleeding heart" of an honest journalist writing truthfully? Only Lord Pasupatinath knows what you will be asking for next.       


18. Bhikshuni Sherpa
Unity without uniformity! Thanks for the wonderful report!

It was naive to think UML, NC, & Marxists would be able to rule while the indigenous Nepali didn't have a seat at the table.

Congratulations to Nepalis for taking the time and patience to slowly work out a governance that is all inclusive (still waiting for mahila andolan); it doesn't make sense to make another half-baked governance that will again have to be reformed, better to include everyone now.

Om shanti and non-violence is hard work but the way of long-term peace!


19. Marjolaine
Good article yes hope and reason!

LATEST ISSUE
638
(11 JAN 2013 - 17 JAN 2013)


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