KATHMANDU: It is time that we understand Madhes and its people. Filling the gap to help people understand Madhes and colours of Madhes along with their culture and lifestyle is journalist Girish Giri with his debut book — Birgunj Mero Sahar Ko Katha. Birgunj being his home town, he felt the need of sharing to public about the people living there and their lifestyles. “I was born and grew up in Birgunj. Kathmandu became my work station but Birgunj is in my blood,” Giri shares his connection with the town in southern Nepal. He came to Kathmandu in 1991. While living in the Capital, he would read the news from Birgunj and enjoy thinking about the people quoted in the news. But then he also realised that people here have false impression about Tarai people — “as news of Birgunj are mostly focused on crime and politics”. He also points outs, “I am from Madhes and people living in Madhes are Madhesi, they are Nepali citizens. But it hurts when people do not treat Madhesi as Nepali citizens.” This gave him an idea to write about Birgunj to “fill the gap in understanding Madhes and Madhesi people, their culture and lifestyle”. Birgunj Mero Sahar Ko Katha is a biography of Birgunj that deals with the real people, incidents and events that happened in different times. “The book is not only about politics or Madhes movement. It also has stories of common man living in Birgunj, their perspective of this town, their everyday life, relation between neighbouring country and many other interesting events/facts,” 42-year-old Giri says. Madhes is more than crime or politics, states Giri adding, “It has its own colour and vibrancy. It is time that we understand each other’s culture and value each other’s presence. Understanding is needed to increase harmony and I believe this book will be a bridge to understand Madhes and colours of Madhes.” Giri, who is pursuing journalism since 1989, didn’t have confidence to write a book, until he got the chance to translate Singing for Freedom — a book by singer/nun Ani Choying Drolma. While he was reporting the Madhes Movement in Birgunj in 2015, he felt something was missing and “it was not enough to make other people understand about the origin of Madhesi people and their lifestyle through news only”. He explains, “Many people and incidents happening in Birgunj made me feel that I need to write about Birgunj. Last Dashain, I visited Birgunj twice and stayed there for two months. And the book is the result of the same.” He is a journalist, and comes from a political family (his father Gopal Giri was head of Birgunj Municipality when he was killed by Maoist rebels in 2003; and his grandfather was involved in politics). Thus, his connection to Birgunj is of political, cultural and social nature — this also helped him to write the book. Birgunj Mero Sahar Ko Katha was launched on March 11 at Dabali of Nepal Academy, Kamaladi. It was launched by Giri by handing over the book to his mother Shashi Giri. Through this book, he believes he is “doing my work writing this book — making people aware about Birgunj and its people”.