डा. शिवराज भट्टराईको “राँको बालेर यात्रामा” प्रति प्रशंसा

 गोविन्द रिजाल

“हाम्रो घर ठूलो टारीखेतको बीचमा छ । रातो माटो र कमेराले पोतेको, टाढैदेखि मानिसको ध्यानाकर्षण गर्दछ । घर वरिपरि भुइँबाट अलि माथि उठाइएको पेटी, घर पर्तीर छेउमा ढिँकी, अलि पर खोल्मासँगै गाईगोठ र बाख्राको खोर पनि” (पृष्ठ ४)

 – दोरोखाको म्यानटार गाउँको त्यही घरलाई केन्द्रमा राखेर सृजना गरिएको छ डा. शिवराज भट्टराईको संस्मरण तथा भट्टराई परिवारले राँको बालेर गरेको तीन देशको यात्रा । त्यही घरमा जन्मेका थिए शिवलाल जसको पढाइ एक मन्दिरबाट सुरु भयो जहाँ उनको नाम शिवप्रसाद राखियो र पछि स्कुल भर्ना हुँदा शिवराज ।

कृतिको आवरण

गाउँको स्कुलको पढाइ न सकिँदै तुर्सा नदी पारीको गाउँमा रहेको दोरोखा प्राइमरी स्कुलमा कक्षा तीनबाट निरन्तर हुन्छ उनको पढाई । पहिला देशव्यापी जाँचको निम्ति र पछि कक्षा छदेखि दससम्म अध्ययन गर्न साम्चि सेन्ट्रल स्कुल र उच्च शिक्षाको निम्ति काङलुङको सेरब्चे कलेज पुग्छन् । पछि त्यही कलेजको डीन सम्म बनेका थिए। सेरब्चे कलेजबाट बि. एस्सी, हरियाणाको रोहतकस्थित महर्षि दयानन्द विश्वविद्यालयबाट एम्. एस्सी र शिलाङको नर्थ ईस्टर्न हिल युनिभर्सिटीबाट विद्यावारिधि गरेका डा. शिवराजले आफ्नो सारा जीवन अध्यापनमै बिताए र सन २०२३ को अन्त्यबाट सक्रिय जागिरबाट संन्यास लिने लेखेका छन् ।

यो पुस्तकमा शिवराजदेखि डा. शिवराजसम्मको सङ्घर्षको सामाजिक पाटो उतारिएको छ। उनले कक्षा पाँचको परीक्षा सक्दा नसक्दा उनका परिवारका सबै सदस्य बसाइ सरेर नेपाल जान्छन् उनलाई एक्लो छोडेर । उनका दुई घर हुन्छन्- दुई देशमा । उनले रोजेको व्यक्तिसँग विवाह गर्न परिवारको मन्जुरी हुन्न – प्रेम सम्बन्ध भागी विवाहमा पुगेर सफल हुन्छ । विवाह भए पनि धेरै वर्षसम्म बसाइ अलग-अलग हुन्छ पढाइ र कामको तानातानले । दुई देशको बसाई, तीन देशका विभिन्न ठाउँको यात्राको विवरणले भरिपूर्ण यो पुस्तकमा उदासीन, रोमान्टिक र भावनात्मक जोस र सङ्घर्षका जोगाइहरू पाइन्छन् । लेखकले आफ्नो सङ्घर्षपूर्ण संस्मरणद्वारा तत्कालीन ग्रामीण जीवनको सजीव चित्रण गरेका छन् ।

कक्षा आठसम्म नेपाली पढेको, कलेजमा हुँदा नेपाली साहित्य संस्थाको अध्यक्ष भएको, वार्षिक पत्रिका छपाएको र धेरै लेखकहरू जन्माइसकेको शिक्षित पारिवारिक विरासतको हकदारी बोकेकोको उच्च मानकको मर्यादा पालना गर्दै एक पठनयोग्य तथा पठनको निम्ति सिफारिसयोग्य पुस्तक पस्केका छन् । सङ्घर्षै सङ्घर्षको दस्ताबेज भए पनि, अभिभावकबाट टाढा रहेको, परिवारबाट छुटिएको एकल यात्रीको कथा प्रेरणादायी छ ।

यस कथाले पारिवारिक नाताको सञ्जाललाई राजनैतिक सीमाको सङ्कुचनभन्दा पृथक् राख्न सफल भएको छ जुन विषय यो पुस्तकको अति उल्लेखनीय पाटो छ, जसले सबै पाठकलाई रोमान्टिक बनाउँछ र नयाँ दृष्टिगोचर प्रदान गर्दछ।

उनी लेख्छन्

“मेरो शिक्षण कालमा धेरै विद्यार्थी आए, गए। सेरब्चे कलेजमा गरेको अध्यापनमा पहिलो दस वर्ष जति, एघार बाह्र कक्षामा विज्ञानका विद्यार्थी पढाउने क्रममा, त्यो अवधिमा पढाइएका अधिकांश विद्यार्थीले मलाई चिन्छन् र सम्मान पनि गर्छन् । ती मेरा विद्यार्थीहरू देश-विदेशमा विशेष विज्ञान र प्रविधिको क्षेत्रमा डाक्टर, इन्जिनियर, कृषि र वन इत्यादि विभागमा उच्च स्थानमा कार्यरत छन्” (पृष्ठ ७३) ।

संयोग रह्यो शिवराज सरले पहिलो पटक बाह्र कक्षामा विज्ञान पढाउँदा म उहाँको विद्यार्थी थिएँ भनेर यहाँ लेख्दा गौरव महसुस गर्दै छु ।

यस पुस्तकमा ताप्लेजुङ, पाँचथर, दोरोखा बिच राँको बालेर गरेको यात्राको उल्लेख मात्र पाइन्छ । धेरै वर्णन भने देन्चुका, साम्ची, गौरादह, काङ्लुङ, थिम्पु बिच गरिएका यात्राको पाइन्छ ।

एक जीव-वैज्ञानिक, शिक्षक तथा प्रशासकले आफ्नो संस्मरण लेखेको भए पनि यो पुस्तक पूर्ण सामाजिक परिधिभित्र सीमित सामाजिक-जातीय-सांस्कृतिक अध्ययनको अनुपम नमुना बनेको छ।

मञ्जरी पब्लिकेशनले बजारमा ल्याएको, आवरणमा राँको बलिरहेको यस पुस्तकमा १३४ पृष्ठ छन् र मूल्य रु २५० राखिएको छ ।

यो पुस्तकको निम्ति लेखक, तथा मेरा जीव-विज्ञान गुरु डा. शिवराज भट्टराई प्रति धन्यवाद तथा आगामी कृतिहरूको निम्ति शुभकामना ।  

http://bhutaneseliterature.com/archives/30097

Creative Writing at Tribhuvan University

Monday, 27th February 2023, I had a rare opportunity to sneak into an in-person workshop organized at Tribhuvan University, by its Central English Department.

Both 'Creative' and 'Writing' are common words yet I had no exposure to such a writing genre. Two experts Amal Chatterji, and Nabin K. Chhetri affiliated to Oxford University, taught to about 50 students and teachers cramped in a hall, to write stories and poems.
Amal began the story of Romeo and Juliet and made the students change a trait of the story and realign it.
Nabin shared two ideas on writing poems.
"Imagine someone close to you who is no longer in this world," he asked all participants. "Assuming the person can read you, write a letter," he added.
He instructed guidelines for the content of the letter.
After the completion of the letter, he asked the writers to remove the salutation from the top and address from the bottom and use the content as the poem.
Some learners volunteered to read their creations.
In the second style, he distributed a page long essay. He asked participants to remove some phrases and keep some. Then he asked the learners to read out the retained portion.

Closing the workshop, the Prof. Dr. Jiblal Sapkota- the chairperson of the program -appreciated the facilitators for imparting their ten years of learning in two hours. He recited a poem and concluded the program.

I enjoyed

I learned.

संक्षिप्त समीक्षा: “बदलिएको कर्तव्य” र “बेजोड बन्ध”

 आई पी अधिकारी

एड्लेड, अष्ट्रेलिया 

प्रवासी नेपाली साहित्यले बिस्तारै पुनर्वासित भुटानी समुदायमा जरा गाड्दै छ । साहित्यिक पुस्तकहरू निस्कने क्रम निकै बढेको छ । अबको बाटो पाठक खोज्ने हो, स्तरोन्नति गर्ने हो । त्यसका लागि लेखनमा गहनता, विषयमा बौद्धिकता, भाषामा मौलिकता र प्रस्तुतिमा मिठास आवश्यक देखिन्छ । आफन्त र चिनेको आधारमा मात्र पुस्तक किनिदिने पाठकका लागि मात्र साहित्य लेखेर नपुग्ला । आज दुई कथा सङ्ग्रहबारे चर्चा गर्ने प्रयास गरेको छु ।

बदलिएको कर्तव्य

गङ्गाराम लामिटारेको जुन २०२२ मा प्रकाशित बदलिएको कर्तव्य हात पर्‍यो । पढ्ने उत्सुकता जाग्यो ।  पढे । पुस्तकमा १६ वटा लघु कथाहरू र लेखहरू समेटिएका छन् । भूटान, नेपालको शरणार्थी शिविर र अमेरिका पुनर्वास पछिका जीवनबारे कथाहरू कोरिएका छन् । समग्रमा सङ्ग्रहले लेखकको परिचय र पृष्ठभूमि स्पष्ट बताउँछ । लेख तथा कथाहरू कम काल्पनिक र धेर तथ्यपरक छन्, सत्य घटनामा आधारित हुन कि भन्ने लाग्छ ।

सृजनाहरूमा विविधता छ । भुटानको प्रजातान्त्रिक आन्दोलन, न्याय प्रणाली, सरकार विरोधीहरूले भोगेका यातना, त्यसले समाजमा सृजना गरेको त्रास र भुटानीहरू देश छोड्नका कारणहरू  झल्कन्छन् । दमनले दिएको दुःख छ, सङ्घर्षले सिकाएको पाठ छ, विस्थापनले सिर्जेको पीडा छ अनि अस्थिरताले ल्याएको अन्यौलता पनि छ । भुटानको पुरातनवादी जीवनशैली, शरणार्थी शिविरमा पाइएका अनेकन् दुःख अनि पुनर्वासका क्रममा र पुनर्वास पछि आइपरेका समस्याहरू र अवसरहरू बारे बुझ्नलाई पुस्तक भर पर्दो श्रोत बन्न सक्छ । लेखकले बाँचेका तीन मुलुक – भुटान, नेपाल र अमेरिका – मा रहेको यौन बारे नितान्त पृथक् दृष्टिकोणका विषयमा पनि जानकारी दिन खोजिएको जस्तो देखिन्छ ।

छोटा शीर्षक र सरल भाषाले लेखकको सरलता बारे परिचय दिन्छ । विषयलाई बुझ्न सजिलो बनाइदिन्छ । भाषिक क्लिष्टता कतै छैन । सामान्य नेपाली पढ्ने सक्नेले पनि पुस्तक पढ्न सक्छ, घरि घरि घोत्लिनु पर्ने वा अर्थ पर्गेल्नु पर्ने केही छैन । तर लेखकले सुधार्नु पर्ने धेरै छन् । मैले केही मात्र उल्लेख गर्ने चाहेँ यहाँ ।

धेरै सृजनाहरू कथा भन्न लायक छैनन्, निबन्ध वा आत्मकथा जस्ता लाग्छन् । थोरै मात्र कथा भन्न लायक छन् । पुस्तकलाई कथा सङ्ग्रह नभन्दिएको भए न्याय हुन्थ्यो सायद । त्यसो त लेखक स्वयंले सङ्ग्रहमा कथा वा अकथाहरु रहन सक्ने स्वीकारेका छन् ।

कथाको मिठास त्यतिखेर आउँछ, जतिखेर पाठकले कथाको पात्रसँगको सामीप्य कल्पना गर्न सक्छ अर्थात् पात्रसँग एकाकार हुन सक्छ । लामिटारेको पुस्तकको पाठकले सृजनाका पात्रसँग साक्षात्कार गर्नै पाउँदैन । लाग्छ पाठक र पात्र बिचमा दोभासे उभिएको छ । धेरै ठाउँमा त्यो दोभासेको काम लेखक स्वयमले गरेका छन् । अर्थात् सृजनाको भाषा तेस्रो पुरुष केन्द्रित छ । यो दोभासे न भइदिएको भए सुनमा सुगन्ध हुने थियो ।

भाषामा निखार ल्याउन जरुरी देखिन्छ । साहित्य सरल भएर पुग्दैन, सरस पनि हुनु पर्छ । पुस्तकमा समेटिएका लेख र कथाहरू हतारमा लेखिएको जस्तो देखिन्छ । भाषिक त्रुटिहरू प्रशस्त छन्  – खास गरी शब्द चयन र हिज्जेमा । समय लाएर सम्पादन गरेको भए यी सामान्य त्रुटिहरू हटाउन सकिन्थ्यो । लेखक भन्दा पनि प्रकाशकले भाषा सम्पादनमा ध्यान नदिएको हो कि ।

कमजोरी भए पनि भुटानी नेपाली साहित्यमा यस पुस्तकको महत्त्व रहने छ । नयाँ लेखकहरूका लागि पुस्तक प्रेरणा स्रोत बनोस्, स्रष्टा गङ्गाराम लामिटारेलाई शुभकामना ।

___________

बेजोड बन्ध

‘पुरुषको जात जन्मले र नारीको जात विवाहले तय गर्दछ ।’

‘गाजर-कवि’ कथाको यो वाक्यले मेरो मगज घुमाइदियो । यसले मानव सभ्यताको सिङ्गो इतिहास बोलेको छ, समाजमा व्याप्त लैङ्गिक विभेदबारे तिखो व्यङ्ग्य प्रहार गरेको छ । तर आफूलाई सभ्य ठान्ने समाजको ठुलो हिस्सा यसलाई दैवी इच्छा मान्छ । गोविन्द रिजालको कथा सँगालो ‘बेजोड बन्ध’ हात परेको धेरै भएको थियो – पढ्ने मौका मिलेको थिएन । यसपालि जुराइयो ।

वास्तवमा बेजोड बन्ध’ भुटानी नेपाली साहित्यमा निस्केको अहिले सम्मकै उत्कृष्ट कथा सङ्ग्रह भन्दा अन्यथा हुँदैन । अङ्ग्रेजीमा दक्खल राख्ने हाम्रा धेरै अग्रजहरू ‘नेपाली पढ्न लेख्न जान्दिन’ भन्दै गर्दा यस्तै मध्येका एक विद्वानले यति सुगठित र सरस कथा सङ्ग्रह निकाल्नु हाम्रो साहित्यको लागि बहुत ठुलो गुण हो । ‘बबुवाको बोर्सी’ ले त कथाकार मैथिलीमा पनि पोख्त छन् कि भन्ने भान दिन्छ । कृषि वैज्ञानिकको यो ठुलै उपलब्धि हो ।

यस पुस्तकमा १२ कथाहरू समेटिएका छन् । तिनीहरू भुटानी नेपाली साहित्यमा लेखिएका भन्दा औसत लामा कथा छन् । तिनमा व्यङ्ग्य र विवेचना दुवै छ । सामाजिक र सान्दर्भिक छन् । धेरै लामो कालखण्डमा लेखिएका छन् कथाहरू । नेपालको हिंसात्मक द्वन्द्वले समाजमा पारेको प्रभाव, शरणार्थी जीवन, प्रेम, भुटानको दक्षिणी सहर गेलेफु (हात्तीसार) को इतिहास, प्रविधिको सामाजिक प्रयोग र वर्तमान नेपाली समाजको विविध पक्षलाई आफ्नो कथावस्तु बनाएका छन् रिजालले ।

उदाहरणका लागि ‘सर्प्राइज’ कथाले माओवादी द्वन्द्व सृजना गरेको पारिवारिक र सामाजिक घाउ देखाइएको छ । पुनः वियोग र राजाको हात्ती भुटानको पृष्ठभूमिमा लेखिएको छ । पुनः वियोग सन् ९० मा भुटानमा भएको राजनीतिक उथलपुथलले परिवारमा ल्याएको बिचल्ली र लैङ्गिक विभेदलाई कथाकारले बडो सान्दर्भिक रूपमा प्रस्तुत गरेका छन् ।  ९० मा वियोग भएका प्रवासी भुटानी र भुटानमै छाडिएका उनीहरूका आफन्तलाई जसरी आज सामाजिक सञ्जालले जोडेको छ, यो परिवेशलाई ‘पुनः वियोग’ ले छोटकरीमा समेटेको देखिन्छ ।

भाषा सारै स्पष्ट र सटिक लाग्यो । सरल लाग्यो । कथाहरू सरर बगेका छन् । सायद कथा वस्तुमा उतार-चढाव मिसाएको भएको अझ रुचिकार हुने थियो । अङ्ग्रेजीमा भनिन्छ नि ‘क्लाइमेक्स’ – त्यो चाही कथाहरू पढ्दा भेटे जस्तो लागेन । पढ्दा अब के होला भन्ने जिज्ञासा कतै पनि पलाएन । पलाएको भए कथाले पूर्णता पाउने थियो ।

आगामी दिनमा रिजालका थप कथाहरू पढ्न पाउने आस राखेको छु । लेखन यात्राको शुभकामना ।

http://bhutaneseliterature.com/archives/29289#comment-14836

Nepali Equivalent of the Following Foreign Words

विश्व भाषामा यस्ता कयौ शब्दहरू छन् जसको ठेट नेपाली शब्द हुदैन र चलन चल्तिमा हुदैन ।
यस्ता केही शब्दहरु यहाँ छन रमाइलो गरि सिक्न को लागी ।।

Age-Otori (Japanese): यदि कसैले कपाल काटेपछि पहिले भन्दा खराब देखिन्छ भने, यो जापानी शब्द त्यो अवस्थाको लागि प्रयोग हुन्छ। यो शब्द केटाहरूको ब्रतबन्धमा कपाल कटाईको वर्णन गर्न प्रयोग गरिन्छ ।

Engili (Telugu)ः जूठो । बुझ्नु भयो?

Eukonkanto (Finnish) अरूकी स्वासनी बोकेर कुद्नु रहेछ । आजभोली, फिनल्याण्डव‍बासीले (अफ्नै) पत्नी बोक्ने प्रतियोगिता बनाएछन ।

Photo: BBC.

Fremdscham (German) : अरू कसैको तर्फबाट लज्जित हुनु रहेछ Fremdscham को अर्थ।
नेपालीमा त ....लाई भन्दा देख्नेलाई लाज पनि भनिन्छ नि ।


Pesamenteiro (Portuguese) अरूको भतेरमा खानलाई घुस्नु भएको छ? रमाइलै हुन्छ - सफल हुँदा वा आसफल हुँदा। तर खानकै निम्ति अन्त्येष्टि मा घुस्ने मान्छेलाइ पिर्तुगिसहरुले pesamenteiro भन्दा रहेछन। कस्तो लाग्यो?

Utepils (Norwegian)ः के तपाईंले कहिल्यै आफ्नो घर बाहिर वा घरबाट टाढा बसेर बियर पिउनुभएको छ। यदि छैन भने, कसरी थाहा पाउनुहुन्छ Utepils को अर्थ ?

TERAI LIFE (AT RUPENDEHI)

 On 10th November 2021, we went around some villages in Rupendehi district. We went to Chhapiya village. There are fish-based resorts. 

On the way back we took some photos. 

Enjoy the Fotos.

It was the time of Chatt Festival, thus some clips of the festival preparation. 

MUSTANG TOUCHES CHINA

 We had an opportunity to visit, Mustang district in western Nepal.

...: we started from Kathmandu early in the morning. 

We reached Parvat and went to Baglung for night-stay.

Visited around mandir, left Baglung for Mustang. On the way visited ... temple.

At the border between Magdi and Mustang, the Nepal Police stopped us for a Covid Vaccine check-up.

Reached Marpha.

Stayed at Marpha.

....: Went around the valley visiting apple orchards. 

.....: Day of program in Marpha.

program...

......:  Left Marpha for Lhomanthang.

Stayed at Hotel..., Lomanthang.

name of the word.

.....: left Lomanthang and went to .....   at the border between Nepal and China. 

Returned to Lomanthang, visited a cave at ...

back to lomanthang, took lunch and left for Marpha.

Went to Muktinath, took bath.

On the way, saw large replica of Saligram. 

Back to Marpha. Stayed.

Some staff at Marpha.

......: left Marpha for Kathmandu

On the way at Pokhara went to Sarita's place. Met three kids, gave apples.

We returned to Kathmandu.

Reached Baniyatar at mid night.

It was a nice travel

(Updated on and after 2021-November 11)

The Year 2020

The world shall remember the year 2020 as the year of Pandemic in the centuries to come. It made a bold time-marker in the history of civilization.

The escape of Coronavirus from a research laboratory in Wuhan Province of China was the subtle story when 2020 began. Within a few months into 2020, the highly contagious virus spread to all people-inhabited places, without an exception.

The disease also tested the effectiveness of the political system. Countries with the totalitarian type of government system were more effective in preventing and controlling the spread of the virus than the liberal democratic governments.

There was a rush in the study of biology and genetics of the virus to develop vaccines against it. By the end of the year, several biotech companies declared the invention of vaccines against Coronavirus. They brought the vaccines to use with little resistance from the people. All companies kept the test result and active-ingredient of the vaccine secret, even then the acceptance was high. It was because of the strategy adopted. The immunization started from the front-line workers and officers in high portfolios.

In February, I was in Jhapa to attend a program at Nepal-Bhutan Foundation. I also had worked on the conservation of historical documents.

	Teknath Rizal, Dr. DNS Dhakal, Dr. Dinesh Bhattarai (former ambassador),  Balaram Paudyal, President of Bhutan Peoples’ Party (BPP), Shailendra Arora, etc.

 

In a team of Nepalese scientists, we met the Chief Minister and ministers and officers of Province 1. The CM welcomed us with Rudraksha mala. There was a plan to establish a multi-disciplinary research center in the province. Months later, I had had the privilege to meet the Chief Minister of Gandaki Province and had a discussion over lunch.

 

 

Communication gap

One of my students asked me to help undergrad students of IAAS, Lamjung with R. I went to Sunderbazar with my plan and preparation. It was a four-day plan. Late on the third day, I found that the participants had registered for the R-Data Analysis program. I spent more time teaching R. Much later I realized I should have taught them analysis instead of wasting time on basics. The students had learned the basics and expert students did not inform me as their courtesy to new learners. 

However, I was glad that many students were experts in R.

 

Youth Activism

I took part in a series of discussions that led to the publication of a journal by Youth Advocacy Nepal. I have an article on ‘Green revolution’ in the journal.

The PDF of the journal is HERE

Research

I had opportunities to take part in social research, one for Gandaki Provincial Planning and Policy, and Two, for Good Neighbor International. In course of research I visited, Kaski, Tanahuan, Nawalparasai (East and west), and Lamjung. Sadly, no new district was added to my list of districts visited during the research. However, I had visited Palpa and Gulmi at the beginning of the year.

 

I had the honor of being affiliated with Nepal Environment and Sustainable Agriculture Foundation, and MUNAA Market Limited.

Lockdown

Lockdown enforced to control the spread of coronavirus brought most activities to rest. Closure of schools and academic institutions kept the students at home. Examinations of all levels were postponed indefinitely.  People celebrated the festivals indoors, if at all.

All places of gathering like temples, cinema halls, restaurants, vehicles of mass transportation were closed. While other facilities opened gradually, cinema halls remained closed till the end of the year with no sign of reopening soon.

Online business

The online business became a prominent medium of exchange in markets. The online order followed by the home delivery system became common practices in capita and other major cities. Globally, online media like ZOOM, Google Meet, Believe flourished. The vaccine business soon followed it.

Academics

In 2020, I read about 25 books, 400+ articles, and 1000+ abstracts. I could publish 4 research articles in national journals and two articles got rejected.

Our team of IAAS people started an online discussion on Agriculture. It was conceptualized as a platform for college friends to meet and exchange updates and progress of life. However, the program became formal and academic to the extent that we had to abort the plan after 20 episodes.

I also had the privilege to teach technical writing courses to Master level students of Tribhuvan University.  I had the privilege to author academic articles and edit The Bhutan Watch Journal.

World War III

All the countries suffered from resource drain-out because of the pandemic. China became the only country that benefited from the spread of the Coronavirus. The Chinese government was fast and efficient to control, cure, and prevent the spread of Coronavirus. It could control the movement of the people, track the carrier people, and sanitize the entire area. Large Chinese companies took advantage of the crisis by selling sanitizer, masks, incubators, and PCR and diagnostic test kits. The resources drained out from other countries enriched China making it the richest country in the world. Critiques accuse China of intentional design and release of the virus. The preparedness to handle and take the opportunity of the situation added value to the suspicion. If true, it is the third world war with China as the winner. Even if it is false and the escape was accidental the mode of future wars will be more biological than physical or chemical.

We have to expect the number of human-designed catastrophes and outbreaks of diseases and pests. As skills become more sophisticated, inventions will be more selective, specific, and effective.

East meets west   

The 2020 Pandemic also mixed eastern and western cultures. The eastern values like Namaste, avoiding physical touch, regular washing, physical distancing, and western values such as individualism, independence in personal dealing were mixed up and became global.  There was a loss of value of life with funeral rituals. Both the eastern and the western values respect funeral rituals that bring relatives and friends of the dead to a fraternity. The Coronavirus fear jeopardized this fraternity.  Dead had no respect for the pandemic. Security personnel take away the dead bodies and disposed of them legally than religiously. In a long run, this practice will further break down family ties and intimacies.

As the year 2020 transits to 2021, the development of science and technology rises and respect for humanities fall. 

Govinda Rizal- A Brief Introduction

Govinda, a plant breeder, and a molecular biologist joined C4 rice project in 2010 as a postdoctoral research fellow. He led the mutant verification team from 2010 to 2012, and gene discovery team from 2013 to 2015 to hunt genes for C4 syndrome. Govinda has worked with soybean, sorghum, rice, wheat, maize, Setaria and has designed field experimental plans, supervised large scale cultivation of mutants and transgenic plants as well as performed high throughput phenotyping. Govinda's works on gene identification involved mutant characterization through detailed phenotyping and next-generation sequencing, and gene validation through a transgenic approach. He has fruitful collaboration with scientists from Australia, USA, UK, Korea, and China. Having worked in laboratory, greenhouse and field environments as a mutation breeder and next-generation sequencing practitioner, Govinda has gained extensive work experience in agronomy, plant breeding, molecular biology, plant physiology, and bioinformatics, various research skills and the ability to work with people of different cultural and academic diversity. Govinda is meticulous, attentive to detail, and an enthusiastic team player. He is diligent, quick to pick up new skills and comfortable to learn from others. He has good experience supervising and training staff members of different educational levels. Govinda also has provided thesis students with research guidance, supervision of data analysis and result interpretation.

Since the end of 2015, he has been working in different sectors in Nepal including but not limited to:

-Project evaluation, training, freelance consultant 

-Trainer, training on Citrus Cultivation and Management. Gamgadi, Mugu

-Research and Development, private sectors, Nepal

-Freelance consultant, private sector and INGOs, Nepal

-Periodic assessment of private and non-governmental projects

-Training and supervision on the cultivation of vegetables and cereals at farmers’ field

-Supervision of hybrid rice seed production in Nepal

-Trade of hybrid seeds, agro-chemicals, and equipment from international companies

-Supervision of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students’ thesis works

-External examiner at Tribhuvan University, Nepal

-Publication of books and articles in journals. 

BLACKLISTED IN BHUTAN- BOOK REVIEW

BLACKLISTED IN BHUTAN: Love Lost and Love Transformed in the Land of Gross National Happiness by Rieki Crins.

Rieki Crins reached Tsachaphu, then a rural village of hot spring in the Pochhu valley in Bhutan, for anthropology research for her Masters and later continued it for her Ph.D. She lands up in the village with a European mindset keeping and frequently comparing Bhutan to Medieval Europe. She has an abundant appreciation for the country and the villagers. Very soon her elite European mindset and behavior crush with the culture shock.

She reaches to a morning meal without washing her hands or face- the basic habit all Asian learn from the cradle.

She digs out the unique but prevalent features of rural health, hygiene, agriculture, culture, and hardship.

She has picked up the local language and excavated the culture to its depth and made the culture the subject of the book.

Throughout her writing, she appears an innocent and energetic researcher. Even after her Ph.D., she visits Bhutan twice a year as a tourist guide. She struggles to anchor in Bhutan with a hotel cum school. Her effort benefits many unemployed youths.

The twist comes when, without a yellow signal, her visa to Bhutan is denied without an explanation. Someone explained to her that the denial was because she was ‘Blacklisted.’ Thereafter, her writing flashback to the incidences of restriction and dictatorial rule in the silent country. She begins to see hypocrisy in the King's newfound ideology of Gross National Happiness.

She recalls some possible causes and speculates the reason to be one of her Facebook comments that possibly upset a member of the powerful royal family.

There is a big population, in and outside Bhutan, which is critical of the autocratic government. The title of the book ‘BLACKLISTED IN BHUTAN’ gets the early attention of such a group of people. 

She reached Bhutan in February 1990 when the government was iron-fisted handling a serious dissident movement. The book is free from the description of such political background.    

What she has explained but not concluded is her description of Wangmo’s and her partner- a Cello virtuoso- Maria’s anomalous behaviors in Bhutan. Her description matches TN Rizal’s description of Mind control in words and essence. Was she mind-controlled? Was her mind/intention read before taking an action on her? Reiki only can recall, re-evaluate and share it in detail in the future.   

She has also mentioned her engagement with Karen refugee/community in Burma and Thailand.

There are plenty of clues for the readers to speculate the reason for the denial of her visa to Bhutan.

On top of all the Book is a masterpiece on the culture of a Drukpa village. However, the bold title ‘BLACKLISTED’ shadows her content.

A one sitting book is full of carrying, entertaining and educating contents and is one of the must-read books for the students of culture and anthropology. 

BE THE SOLUTION TO THE SOIL POLLUTION

2018-December-05

Two-week long 10th Kapilvastu Mahotsav has brought together Agriculture and Tourism related stalls, markets, people, and stakeholders to a common ground.

Some photos of the event.