This harsh reality was reflected glaringly in the public release of a drama booklet entitled Misami written in the Dolakha Newari language, meaning women, amid a function attended by academicians and professionals of virtually all walks of life
The country has witnessed a series of undignified remarks made to women by the ace politicians of the political parties. It was started by former prime minister K P Oli who said that the Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sumana Shrestha, had embarked on a foreign tour and ended up marrying a foreigner. The Rastriya Swatantra Party parliamentarian had objected to this unwarranted remark by Oli, saying that it was an intrusion in the private affair of an individual.
As if this was not enough Rajan KC, a Nepali Congress Member of Parliament, accused the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Bhagwati Chowdhury, of indulging in regional as well as caste-based nepotism and that this would not have been the case had there been a male minister. He dubbed her as an object of condemnation.
Another parliamentarian, Yogendra Mandal, said that it is the right of women to file a complaint alleging rape in the court against the husband. But he wondered what could be done in the case of a husband desiring to make love without the consent of his wife? This statement by Mandal appeared to justify rape, and what was surprising was that no parliamentarian, either male or female, bothered to protest in the House. The Speaker also kept mum, and what was more surprising was the indifference shown by the lady Deputy Speaker, Indira Rana Magar. If observed deeply, women appear more indifferent to insults made in the society against them.
This harsh reality was reflected very glaringly in the public release of a drama booklet entitled Misami written in the Dolakha Newari language, meaning women, amid a function attended by academicians and professionals of virtually all walks of life. This drama was staged in Dolkaha in the local language in the seventies and published now after more than five decades.
Whilst senior writer Tulsi Diwas graced the occasion as the chief guest, Prof. Abhi Subedi, a towering critique, senior cine actor Nir Shaha, the vice chancellors of the Open University and Lumbini University Prof. Dr. Silu Bajracharya as well as Prof Dr. Subarana Lal Bajracharya respectively and, above all, Prof. Dr. Rudra Laxmi Shrestha, who had done doctoral research on Dolakha Newari, as well as this columnist were among the distinguished guests.
The release of the book ended with the presentation of a part of the drama. It was so heart touching that some of the participants' eyes had become moist like the people, especially the women, who had shed tears while watching the full drama five decades back.
Written by prolific writer Prof Dr. Shyam Joshi, this drama was performed by local amateur actors. One of the actors, in fact a child artiste then and now Prof. Dr. Hari Darshan Shrestha, a towering disaster and structural engineering professional, had published this drama. It was otherwise gathering dust in an unknown corner and virtually heading towards extinction.
The story revolves around the step mother-in-law, Sulochana, who gets very worried when her daughter-in-law Laxmi remains childless even after five years of a love marriage with her son Kiran. Sulochana chides Laxmi not only for the lack of a successor but also for not bringing in dowry. She suggests her disagreeing son to go for a second marriage many times. One day, one of Sulochana's rather treacherous mates suggests falsely complaining to Kiran against Laxmi for stealing beaten rice and uprooting her hair. After finding the beaten rice wrapped around Laxmi's waist, which she had intended to eat after a day-long fast and seeing the orchestrated loose hair of his mother, Kiran, otherwise calm, became very angry and expels Laxmi out of the house.
Laxmi goes to her in-law's place where her brother offers her stay forever. She also gives birth to a son, Ram. Despite that, Laxmi's sister-in-law tells her to go back to her house, which she cannot imagine given her insulting expulsion. She decides to commit suicide by jumping into the Tama Koshi River even though her son Ram pleads not to do so.
The ageing Sulochana feels the absence of Laxmi as she can no longer perform the domestic chores. She suggests Kiran to bring Laxmi and the grandson back. Kiran opts to go for a second marriage than request Laxmi to return. But after being repeatedly insisted by Sulochana they go together to meet Laxmi. Incidentally, they rescue Laxmi who is about to jump into the river. At the end, the mother, son, the daughter in law as well as the grandson have a reunion and live happily thereafter.
This drama shows how Laxmi was troubled firstly by her mother-in-law, then after by her deceptive mate and finally her own sister-in-law, all women. On the other hand, she was supported by her husband by disagreeing to marry and her brother welcoming her, who were both men. A similar scenario was observed in the parliament – not a single woman speaking against the defamatory remarks meted out to women.
Dolakha was a business hub in the middle age as it fell on the Indo-Tibetan trade route. Consequently, it had minted coins during the regime of its King Indra Singh Dev in the late 15th century before the widely acknowledged King Mahendra Malla of Kathmandu. It has its unique culture, and the most prominent is the local Newari which differs from the valley's Newari because of influences from the hilly ethnic groups.
The author should be appreciated in glowing terms for undertaking such a noble task. In fact, the teachers used to make wonderful contribution in the past without expecting and receiving any reward. It would not have been possible had Dr. Shrestha not published it. No wonder then that he was greeted with a huge applause for initiating such an innovative attempt towards the preservation of an intangible heritage like literature and language and wishing for bigger successes in the future.
