Books and Culture

·        Kuber Chalise

Essays on the Sociology of Nepal, a collection of 15 thought-provoking essays and four book reviews, has raised several questions on our feudal and centralised state system. The essays – though some of them written over a period of 25 years – have still not lost their relevance as the core issues of Nepali society, in the last three decades, have not changed radically.

The book – authored by eminent social scientist Dr Chaitanya Mishra, and published by Fine Print – peeps into the social dynamics of development, foreign aid, growth, Maoists movement and last year’s April movement.  Nepal has, for long, resisted the inevitable socio-political change giving ground to an armed Maoists movement and the author has put on his hard labour to dig these very issues that led to the transition of power.

The book presents an array of analytical essays like ‘Locating the Causes of the Maoists Struggle’, ‘Nepal: Five year following the Social Summit’, ‘The New Push for Privatisation’ that revolve around the social, political and economical changes of the Nepali society.

Essays on the Sociology of Nepal starts with an essay on political transition in Nepal . Over the period of the last decade, Nepal has witnessed the resistance to socio-economic injustice in many forms; from passive resistance to armed retaliation, fueling the deep-rooted class-hatred in the rural Nepali psyche further. The essay – based on the April movement and the changes it brought and challenges it has to face – tries to analyse the contradictions of ideas among the key players, their faith and correlation.

‘Foreign Aid and Social Structure: Note on intrastate relationship,’ an essay co-written with Pitambar Sharma during the sixth Five-Year plan presents the deeply disturbing fact of the benefits of foreign aid and its impact in the widening the gap between the upper class and under class.

The author gently questions the benefits Nepal has been getting from the foreign aid. “The upper social classes of such countries derive the major benefits from foreign aided development,” the essay sums highlighting the relationship between the foreign aid and class structure; production and distribution system, the power structure and the ideological framework. “It has helped towards the creation of a parasite primate city and centralisation of power,” claims the essay. The essay concludes that the national interest and priority could be overlooked. The author does not mention any special case but Melamchi could be a case study not only to scrutinise foreign aid politics but also to seriously review the government’s policy.

The book also clarifies the misconception that resource and development are related. At least in the case of Nepal , resource could not help develop the country. On one hand the countries in the world have lagged behind because of the resource-crunch and on the other, Nepal could not manipulate its vast resources.

Though the essays are lengthy, readers can benefit form the insight of the author on socio-cultural-economical dynamics of Nepali society and the contemporary issues.

While the urban Nepal is walking hand-in-hand with the modern times, the rural Nepal has been left far behind – a century or more to be precise. Development pandits may not agree with this fact, but once they go through the book, they will not have any choice but to accept it.

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Book: Essays on the Sociology of Nepal

Author: Dr Chaitanya Mishra

Publisher: Fine Print

Price: Rs 450

Pages: 366

·        Kuber Chalise

Shakyas, whose one of the sons Sakyamuni Buddha spread the message of peace in the world, are the proud community of Nepal . They have, in the span of more than 2600 years, been able to conserve their rich Buddhist roots.

To make this community known to the world, Ajaya Kranti Shakya has penned down ‘The Shakyas’, a book about Shakya community and their glorious tradition and culture.

Author-musician Ajaya Kranti Shakya, in the book, tries to unveil the origins of Shakyas and Koliyas of Kol Nagar, one of the major principalities along with Kapilvastu under the then Koshal state. The author claims, with the help of Buddhist scriptures, that Shakyas have already started migrating to the Nepal-Mandala in the life-time of Buddha himself.

He also gives an account of the controversial event of massacre of Shakyas and destruction of Kapilvastu. “After Virudhak massacred the Shakyas and destroyed Kapilvastu, the glory of Lord Buddha’s clan came to an end,” the author writes. He quotes the Mulsarvastivada Vinayavastu, the authentic Buddhist text, to prove that the Shakyas of Kapilvastu, after the massacre, entered the valley en messe.

The book mentions that with the extensive migration of Shakyas and Koliyas, Buddhism flourished in the valley. Citing may historical inscriptions like Licchavi inscriptions of 513 Saka Era, the author speculates on the separate existence of Shakya community, the influence of Buddhism in the ruling class and their contribution in the Nepal-Mandala before and after the Licchavi period.

From shedding light on the etymological origin of the word Shakya, the book goes on to give us detailed rites and rituals that Shakyas should follow and are following.

Once the truth and historical background of Shakyas has been established in the first part, the book in the second part mentions the culture of Shakyas; the sacraments, feast and festivals, that they observe.

The author also traces the origins of Buddhism in the valley through records of Baha and Bahi. “The Buddhist Bahas and Bahis in the valley need a great deal of conservation work and protection as they are gradually losing their very existence,” he writes.

He dedicates four chapters of the book to cover the traditions, feasts and festivals observed by the Shakyas; from birth rites to death rites in detail. The last chapter is dedicated to the philosophical aspect of Buddhism; the wheel of life and death. The labour put in by the author in proving the historical migration of Shakyas of Kapilvastu is evident. The pictures of different Bahas and Bahis in the valley, and different rituals add value to the book. However, the book could have been better, if the author has put a little more effort in editing also.

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The Shakyas

Author: Ajaya Kranti Shakya

Publisher: Nepal Buddhist Development and Research Centre Price: Rs 350

Pages: 272

• Kuber Chalise
  

After more than two decades of introspection in the dense forest of Shivapuri hill, Swami Chandresh — a master of Yoga and meditation, a poet, musician, educator and painter — has now written a book called ‘Ocean in a Drop’.
The book, unlike most modern-day easy-to-digest work of fiction, is meant for serious consumption — a food for the mind and soul.
As the title itself suggests the book is a capsule, which has all the nutrients that the soul needs to live and grow.
There are 12 essays in the book ranging from the goal of life to death, science to Vedic seers. The themes are not new. They are what the Vedas, the ancient Hindu scriptures and sages have been telling humanity for centuries. But the way of presentation is unique and the language, simple. Practice of Yoga, meditation, love, compassion, spirituality, religion and science has been going on for ages in this part of the world, but it has rarely been put so simply.
In the essay ‘Perfection is the Goal’, Swamiji talks about perfection in life, what does it mean and how can one attain perfection: the struggle, the role of success and failure in one’s life, and the equanimity of soul.
“Perfection is a state of inner realisation, which can never be conveyed through words,” he writes. His point is that all that happens in life, agreeable or adverse, certainly bear some spiritual significance and possibility. We only realise this in time through the universal law of cause and effect.
Similarly in ‘The Power of Action,’ he says that everything must move, must undergo changes, be it ‘with life or without’, with mind and intelligence or without. There is no excuse for us but to work incessantly.
The third essay is about mind and its power. “For the seed of all knowledge is already existing in the vast storehouse of human mind. Proper environment helps the seed to germinate,” he writes. The power of mind cannot be underestimated.
Swamiji writes on enjoyment, materialism and spiritualism, hatred and love, death and immortality, science in the light of religion, yoga and humanity, mythology and legend, and the human society in the book. He makes it all simple to us with stories and a mastery of language. No sooner one finishes the book, than a reader finds oneself in the state of trance. Reading ‘Ocean in a Drop’ is like meditating in the presence of Swami Chandresh in the dense forest of Shivapuri hill.
Though religion has become more of a fashion statement in modern times, Swamiji takes us on a ride and shakes many traditional beliefs in the process. The book touches not only the intellect but also the soul.

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Book: Ocean in a drop
Author: Swami Chandresh
Publisher: Nirala Publications
Price: Rs 495 IC
Pages: 325

• Kuber Chalise
  

People who waded into the popular movement of 1990, had a dream. They dreamt of an egalitarian society. A society where individuals could ask for their rights without fear. But that dream has been scattered beyond recognition. ‘Durbhiksya’, the catastrophe, is the story of death of a dream.
In 1990s, people thought that throwing off the repressive regime would make way for a free and prosperous society. A society where they could be masters of their destiny; with better living standards and employment opportunities.
An ocean has flown down the Bagmati since then, leaving people exactly where they were, 12 years ago. Worse, they are now caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. Close allies have turned into foes; a new breed of people’s worriers have been spawned, while the old order finds greater fertility in the fallow soil.
Reality has bitten the dream blue. ‘Durbhiksya’ is a journey into this dissention. Narayan Dhakal rides the high waves and tries to find the shore with low ebbs.
The characters in ‘Durbhiksya’ are picked from around us. Their familiarity is endearing, as well as beguilingly terrifying. Hari, Bodhraj, Nanda Prasad, Alok, Pradhanpancha, his aides, Rajkabi and the cabin-restaurant girls, they all are from our neighbourhood. They feel, express and dream just like us.
The story revolves around Supriya’s flight. Supriya’s family, her father, mother and two brothers moves to Kathmandu from a remote village. From being a respectable family, they become squatters, due to atrocities of the village pradhanpancha. In the continuing chain of tragedies, Alok, the younger brother, gets killed during the 1990 pro-democracy movement. Battered by the harshness of the metropolis and bereft of her dreams, a revenge-seeking Supriya joins the Maoist outfit — a typical response to travails in recent times.
A number of other characters in the story is woven around the main story-line with disarming naturalness and deft touches. ‘Durbhiksya’ once again proves Dhakal’s status as the master story-teller. ‘Durbhiksya’ is a metaphorical representation of the ideological famine dogging our society, its corrosive impact on values and ethos. The changing times seem not to head anywhere for the man on the street.
‘Durbhiksya’ is also a metamorphosis for the novelist, Narayan Dhakal. The book reveals how the political romanticism in Dhakal has given way to a concern for the individual.
It is the eighth book to Narayan Dhakal’s credit but his second novel only. Peet Sambad, Saharyantra and Irphan Ali are some of his other most acclaimed literary works.

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Book: Durbhiksya

Author: Narayan Dhakal

Published by : Bhundipuran Prakashan

Price: Rs 100

Pages: 218