Choice of a voice : Late Vijaya Malla

By Tek B Karki

I always keep two pens. A Parkar and a Sheaffer. Both filled up with ink. Under my pillow. Especially for the night when I am charged up to write something special. Before I sit down to write, I make sure that the theme is already through the psychic process."

"Why do you keep two pens?" I asked Vijayadai with a strong curiosity.

"I cannot write with cheap pens. They are never reliable. Ink-flow is never paper-friendly. If you use a quality pen, it glides over paper as fast as you can write. Two pens does not mean that I write with both of them at the same time. I write with one and then use the other only when the ink runs dry in the one that I hold between my fingers. I never carry an expensive pen when I go out. It is simply not possible to do so. The reason is clear to people who know me. I am terribly carefree!" Vijayadai looked at my face. He did not allow any room for me to ask him about the finer points of a quality pen and thus to fully satisfy my curiosity. His single stretch statement decided the matter between us.

One fine morning, he was looking very fresh and his face glowed. Between the two of us, we had finished two or three rounds of tea in quick succession. I perceived that by then he was mentally settled. His body language was also indicative of some new message. Slowly, he paved the background to a literary creation that he had penned off the previous night. He asked, "Isn’t it interesting to observe the strangeness of human behaviour with a speechless bird? I mean a prisoner’s fondling love for a pigeon. I always watched one from a close distance when I was in prison. What an exciting moment that was!"

I used to listen to him with glued attention when he was at the best of his expression. In a way, I was proud to hear his one night old suspense. I was probably the first one to reach the third storey of his Ganbahal residence to listen to this story with a very fascinating title: "Pigeon and Prisoner" (Parewa Ra Kaidi). It first appeared in Madhuparka and brought him as much fame as "The Engineer’s Head" (Injeenerko Tauko) had done. Of course, Vijayadai’s fame rests on many other works: "Anuradha", the one-act play "Kohi Kin Barbad Hos", and also the collection of short stories titled "Ek Bato Anek Mod". He was also one of the leading voices of the Sharada group of writers. Sharada is an early literary magazine that published some of the greatest talents of modern Nepali literature.

Many critics mulled over "Pigeon and Prisoner". I do not remember exactly which year it was that he wrote this story. For sure it was well before 1974. That day a precious thing came my way from Vajayadai, which I still possess. It was a book by Lionel Trilling, a huge one: "The Experience of Literature". He never asked me to return that book and I never thought of doing so. For a young learner, that was my first acquaintance with a great book.

He himself had a few books. His formidable knowledge of the contemporary world literature kept every one guessing. University students of English literature listened to him with due respect whenever he opened up the vast reservoir of his understanding of the greatest works of international writers. Churchill was his hero. One night over a peg of whisky he told me, "The composure of great men is not made of a single thing..." Understandably, he was referring to the Nobel Prize winning English Prime Minister.

Vijayadai was quick to sense talent in other people with whom he was very friendly. With Surya Bahadur Piwa, he was specially so. Later, I discovered that Piwa was a humourist. Harihar Sharma and Nir Shah were other talented performing artists he prized and kept in his constant regard. Harihar in particular grew in stature under Vijayadai’s guidance. So did many others. Ratnadev Sharma, a diminutive man and a genuine poet, always visited him whenever he had finished scribbling off a new poem. Actually, I have no information about poet Sharma these days. It has been well over a decade since his poems have ceased to appear.

I admired Vijayadai’s pair of eyes. They spoke more than his mind. He spoke highly of women. Many of his stories tell about his impressions on man-woman relationship. His views vastly deferred from those of others in this particular issue. He hardly talked about girls though he had fathered eight daughters. About drink, he was not particular, about cigarette, a bit choosy.

He was the type of person who hardly lost his temper. However, early one Sunday afternoon, that was not the case. He was not his normal self that day. As soon as I entered into his room, he asked me, "Did you see any vehicle in front of my gate?" I said that I had not. Frowning, he raised his voice: "Very good! I have strongly scolded that Academy driver not to pick me up from my house any more. There still is enough strength in my feet for me to walk in a leisurely pace to the Academy building. What nonsense! Almost every day I get terribly disturbed by his loud horn. Non-stop, noisy, deafening sound! That’s how I am signalled off to take my ride in the office conveyance. What time he arrives with his vehicle is beyond my guess. After dressing up, it is awful to keep on waiting with an aching urinary bladder — waiting for the van. Who does not accept that being unpunctual is always against the rule? My fellow-writers probably feel bad when I leave them in the middle of a conversation because the driver touches his untimely, alarming horn. Isn’t it frustrating? Imagine how you would feel in such a situation. So, I decided to abandon the idea of being picked up. I suppose, a writer must be free from all these small mental hang ups. Necessarily others may not conform to my views!"

Immediately after he was appointed a co-member of the Royal Nepal Academy by the King. Vyathit was appointed its Chancellor. My close association with Vijayadai started from 1969. I was then appointed as an office secretary by Kedar Man Vyathit in Nepali Sahitya Sansthan, a literary organisation headed by him. Other prominent members as I recall them were: Siddhi Charan Shrestha, Khadga Man Malla, Chudanath Bhattaraya, Poshan Pandey, Swayambhu Lal Shrestha and Vijaya Malla. Among others who had also chaptered the same organisation, Lain Singh Bangdel, Krishna Chandra Singh Pradhan, Satya Mohan Joshi, Madhav Lal Karmacharya, Chittaranjan Nepali are still strong on their toes.

I resigned from my position at Vyathit’s instructions. Late poet Hari Bhakta Katuwal replaced me. No regrets! I came out winning the guiding company of late Vijaya Malla.

(The essay on Nepali literature appears in the first week of every month and is coordinated by Literary Association of Nepal)

Burning Sanskrit books

By Ubraj Katawal

I want to ask for the answer to the question, what evil is there in Sanskrit books that deserve burning? If Sanskrit books are giving us the "false consciousness" then why should we keep all history books and all sociological and anthropological records that also give us the ideology of upper-class people? In my opinion, almost all of the literary and non-literary books, newspapers, and magazines are the manifestation of the worldview of upper class people or bourgeoisie ideology. Is it possible to abolish the seeds of evilness by burning the books and letters? That is a problematic question. No doubt, we are inflicted by the false knowledge of the world by the books prescribed in our curriculum. We have to, of course, cross the limit that our prescribed texts put around us. But this limit cannot be crossed without going through these texts because one can save oneself from the evil only when he knows and realises what is good and what is bad. Sanskrit language is distinguished to be the language of upper-class people. But is Nepali the language of lower class people? I have seen that a large number of backward people do not know Nepali language. But, on the other hand, a high-class family, even if it is from lower ethnic group, knows Nepali language. Moreover, if Sanskrit is taken to be the language of Brahmin people, we now hardly find a Brahmin who can talk in Sanskrit.

Sanskrit book is not bad in itself, as most of us believe that Panchayat and democratic systems are not corrupt in themselves. Panchayat system did not ban books but it misinterpreted and misused the authorities. Likewise, the present system also is not bad in itself but ill-hearted leaders are misguiding it. If system itself was bad, we could never imagine such countries as America and India. At the same time, communism is also very good system unless it is misunderstood. China is a communist country; yet it is the fastest developing country. So, I believe that the wrong practices, any system or books are not responsible for bad. If the intention of leaders is good they can point out mistakes and correct them.

Sanskrit language should be taken as the record of our historical development, as is the mother language to many of the modern languages. It should not be described as the carrier of the infectious insights to people. But our interpreters try to limit the importance of this language by labeling it as the language of sophisticated class. Even some of the selfish Brahmins sometimes claim Sanskrit is only the language which belongs to them. But there are evidences that speak against this claim. Swami Prapannacharya is an example who is a profound scholar of Sanskrit, though he is from low cast (Rai) group in society. Dr Prapannacharya was born in a socially and economically backward family that too at a time when Sanskrit was thought to be the language spoken only by Brahmins. But he broke this social ethos not by burning the Sanskrit books but by mastering it. To kill or burn is to accept the superiority of the thing killed or burned. So it becomes superior, one should master the thing and not kill it.

There is a folktale about Junga Bahadur, Junga Bahadur le pani harnu parechha (Junga Bahadur was also defeated). During Junga Bahadur’s regime, a suspected thief was caught and trialed in a court but he did not confess his crime. He denied the charges even though he was a criminal. At last, he was presented to Junga Bahadur, who was the final judge, then. But in front of him too, the thief did not accept his crime. Then Junga Bahadur ordered whipping for him. Still, he did not accept the accusation. Now Junga Bahadur’s temperament was out of control. He began whipping the thief himself. He whipped him black and white but the thief had not budged an inch. At last, the thief died without confessing his crime. At that time Junga Bahadur accepted his defeat. So, this story tells us that killing does not make the killer a winner, nor can we get the secret out of anything by destroying it.

Most scholars, who have some drift to Marxist-Maoist philosophy, contempt Sanskrit books; they also contempt the present education system. I am not completely against them but there must be some compromising points. If we are speaking for the underprivileged people, as did Marx and Mao, we should think of the alternatives that these people could choose before rejecting the present education system. We should be able to show them the better systems of all the superstructures in Marx’s term. We should be able to change the whole academic system. But burning only the Sanskrit books means, accepting that other books are right. Here is where are we doing injustice? This tendency seems to be laden with prejudice. If I am not wrong Marx had never said anywhere that Sanskrit books are to be burnt. I do not know about Mao. But I believe Mao was also a genius.

Our country now desperately needs a change. So we must welcome the one who initiates it. But we must correct him/her where s/he commits mistakes or wastes time for nothing. Our whole historical and religious teachings are the worldview of aristocrat class in the society. The entire myth of Mahabharata gives us the knowledge of the life style of Bourgeoisie people. Who are Kauravas and Pandavas? Likewise, is there any history book that talks about how a servant or to slave lived his/her life. So we all are brought up amid false consciousness but language itself is not to be blamed for it, though language is also the product of superior animals in the nature to get control over the inferior animals and plants and other things. Thus I believe that any change in the society is not possible unless the mind of people gets out of this false consciousness, and to get out of it, one needs to know everything, both right and wrong, good and bad, etc. Besides, Sanskrit language itself is neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong but our use of it makes so. If so then, why should we not preserve Sanskrit language as one of different paces and phases of the development of human civilization than the other way round? Learning Sanskrit or books in Sanskrit is not a crime, if we can interpret it rightly.

Advances and controversial issues

By Ananda S Tamrakar

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a kind of new technique which most of the scientists have claimed that they have made a new achievement in their research work. Under this technique plants, animals and other micro-organisms that have been genetically modified and altered or manipulated in order to have gene from other organisms which will have particular characteristics. In this process bio-technology essentially involves manipulation of some gene of a plant or animals by injecting an alien gene into it. The desired characteristics which the recipient organism gets, will pass it on its off-springs. This process can result in the creation of a transgenenic variety of plants or animals which behave differently from traditional variety. It is known as genetic engineering or genetic modification, whatever variety of organism is produced through this method.

In the early 1990s, US scientists had carried on their first experiments into tomato plants that gained the cold-resistance gene from a flounder fish and made the tomato last for weeks in the cold storage. And within 5 to 10 years this biotech industry came out with various programmes and intends to genetically engineer our entire food supply. The US has approved more than 30 varieties of genetically modified agricultural products including tomato, corn, potatoes and soyabeans, etc.

Products made for human consumption are derived through the process of genetic engineering which are also referred to as Primer as genetically altered foods (GAFs). GMOs are looked from positive point of view which provide good opportunities for farmers in developing countries in reducing reliance on dangerous pesticide. Thus the technique used for the transfer of genes have gained popularity since its inception. So the multi-national companies began to show interest in this technology and have attempted to exercise control over the methodology. Thus new GMOs technique created a new business environment that requires considerable investment which is beyond the capacities of individual farmers. Since agro-chemical transnational corporation (TNC) have invested huge amount of resources and while inventing the GMOs have patented them to gain exclusive control over their use. Thus they have come out with a ready-made seed sterility technology known as terminator technology. Since the seed has an in-built trait of killing its own offspring, farmer cannot resow the seed and will have to go back to the company every year if they want to use the GM seed and be prepared to pay the monopoly price charged by the companies. The docile farmers in the developing countries have been lured by the Trans National Companies to use their seeds in the first instance.

Though Multi-trans National Companies welcomes this new technology as a new step for rapidly advancing bio-technology, the entire public remain sceptical. Some vocal groups denounce this technology as there is a strong possibility of eroding agro-biodiversity thereby. Another adverse impact of this technique is the serious consequence in the development of resistant strains of pest or pathogens.

GMOs often involve the disarranging and recombination of genes or gene fragments of unrelated species to design new organism. Among other techniques, scientists use enzymes to cut a desirable gene from one organism and paste it into another to make the specific traits. Another technique involves the use of vectors or elements including viruses which have been made disabled. They also use a sophisticated tool called "gene gun" to place the target gene into a specific part of the recipient organism.

Plants and micro-organisms are mostly used for genetic engineering because of their economic value. Scientists have already understood the genetic map of many micro-organisms and plants which make it easier for them to manipulate these organisms’ genetic make-up as they are not as complex as animals.

Already 60 crops namely corn, soyabeans, potato, tomato, rice etc have been genetically engineered by scientists in industrialised countries. Crops have been engineered with the insecticidal toxin gene from the Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) soil bacterium to make these crops resistant to certain insect pests in the Lepidoptera family such as corn borer for corn, yellow stem borer for rice and bollworm for cotton, soyabeans have been manipulated to contain the herbicide resistant gene of petunia flower to prevent the crop from dying when sprayed with specific brands of herbicides.

Ignoring the need of saving the world from hunger, investment on genetic engineering of crop have concentrated on increasing the resistance of commercial crops to herbicides rather than increasing yield or improving nutritional quality. Most crops that are being used for genetic engineering are not the staple food crops in poor countries but the export crops of developed countries.

Also, genetic engineering remains largely dominated by trans national corporations that invest huge amounts on research and development annually with the intent to recover this investment through commercial exploitation.

GMOs commercially produced

Only a few countries have allowed the commercial protection of transgenetic crops. These countries include the US, China, Canada, Argentina, Australia and Mexico. A dozen of genetically modified crops are already marketed in these countries. A few countries in Europe, such as Great Britain and France have also allowed the commercialisation of GMOs. The rest of the world including the Philippines, however do not allow the commercial production and selling of GMOs.

China is the first country to allow the commercialisation of transgenic crop with virus resistant tobacco in 1992. Super markets in Great Britain have been selling GAFs (Genetically Altered Foods) like tomato paste and other processed products from a tomato engineered to last longer but not tough enough to endure strains in picking and packing.

Food security

The food security argument presented by proponents of genetic engineering to justify their research efforts in crops is strongly opposed by farmers and traditional practitioners as it is contradictory to natural agricultural technologies. Sustainable agricultural technologies worldwide show that pests and diseases can be controlled and yield can be increased through adoption of culturally sensitive, economically sustainable and environment friendly practices. There is no need for genetic engineering. The problems faced by farmers are more often due to lack of credit facilities, infrastructure and post harvest facilities - all of which are not mentioned by genetic engineering.

Food crisis in Karnali

By Tika Karki

Food is the basic need for human survival. The Karnali region is perpetually entangled in the web of food deficiency where efforts to increase food production and productivity has become a far-fetched destiny.

Despite our past initiatives in securing food sufficiency in Karnali, the outcome is not satisfactory. The food issues of Karnali zone have caught the attention of all the concerned people, who are involved in the task of nation building. The available information regarding the food supply and endogenous capability of food production has remained stagnant over a period of last two decades or so. Although, there is some increment in food production due to area expansion. The yield ratio of all the crops grown in this food deficit area did not make any headway.

The population projection for Karnali zone by 2001 is estimated to be around 3,15,225. The food needs in terms of calories per capita is 2340 cals/person/day. The food resources required to feed the growing population in Karnali is a challenging task.

His Majesty's Government has given top most priority for developing agriculture in Karnali to meet the basic food need. The per capita calorie availability from grains in Karnali zone, as a whole is 948 cals, followed by Dolpa 105 cals, Mugu 676 cals, Humla 772 cals, Jumla 1240 cals and Kalikot 1262 cals. The calories estimates are made taking into account of post-harvest losses, seeds requirements, and the recovery rate of the food products. The present availability index is so low that it can hardly be conceived to lead a productive life. The food availability situation indicates that the local food production can meet the food requirement for merely six months in the entire Karnali region. However, the local production of grains in Jumla and Dolpa can meet the requirement for nine and eight months respectively. While the self-sufficiency index for Kalikot is seven months, this ratio for Mugu and Humla is five and six months only from the standpoint of calories requirement.

Nepal Food Corporation (NFC) supplies food to the deficit areas of the country and likewise Karnali zone receives food under such arrangement. A total of 5162 mt of rice is distributed to the districts of Karnali zone of which Jumla, Humla, Dolpa, Kalikot and Mugu have received 25%, 24%, 20%, 16% and 13% respectively, while the corresponding demographic distribution of the above district follows the order of 29%, 13.6%, 9%, 34% and 13.5% respectively.

The total per capita calories supply including grains, pulses, potatoes, fruits, vegetables, animal products plus the food supplied by NFC in the entire Karnali zone is 1443 calories/person/day which shorts fall around 897 calories of the requirement. The worst hit area from calories supply standpoint are Mugu, Humla and Kalikot where the availability level stand at 1169 calories, 1463 calories and 1581 calories. The moderately hit area Dolpa with 1982 calories, and Jumla with 2045 calories. The per capita calories requirement for the hills and mountain area are estimated to be around 2340 cals/person/day.

The availability of per capita calories percentage of requirement with the local production for the entire Karnali zone is 55%, Jumla 81.6%, Dolpa 71.1%, Kalikot 64.3%, Humla 51.% and Mugu 43.3%. However, the scenario of per capita calories percentage of requirement has changed due to the food distribution scheme, in Karnali zone to 61.7%, Jumla 87.4%, Dolpa 84.7%, Kalikot 67.6%, Humla 62.5% and Mugu 50%. These figures depict that food distribution by NFC has enhanced additional food availability in Dolpa (13.6%), Humla (11%), Mugu (6.6%), Jumla (5.7%), and Kalikot (3.2%).

Therefore, it can be apprehended that the food distribution scheme is also based on adhoc measures and does not comply with food and nutritional requirements of the people. What is most critical here is that the actual consumption level will be far lesser than the availability level? How can one expect the people to become economically and mentally active while minimal level of requirement is hardly fulfilled?

The food production profile shows that potatoes and apples can play important role for energy supplementation, and income generation. Prospect for vegetable production, poultry birds and increased food production by selection of indigenous seeds is obvious.

The agricultural research and extension in Karnali zone need to be revigoured, revitalised and restrengthened to address the basic issues of human existence, ie, the access to food and affordability of food consumption. It is irony to note that our beautiful country though blessed with vignettes of biodiversity and the home of many unique flora and fauna may soon loose their identity and someone else may stake claim if gene bank is not developed and equipped. Stern action needs to avert the bio-piracy of our rare genes.

Some quantities of apples are marketed to terai and other parts of the country which means the supply situation will be further deteriorated though it may help increase income of the apple producers. Nevertheless, the sales of apples to other parts of the country aggravates the overall food situation in the area.

Living aside the chronic nature of the food problems in Karnali, the prospect for increasing production locally is not bright. However, efforts to increase productivity by local selection of seeds of by introducing improved seeds certified by research system will bring tangible benefit to the Karnali region.

The question of food security cannot be tackled by single stroke, rather it has to be mitigated by multi-prong strategy such as;

- intensive production of staples maize, wheat, millet, barley, paddy

- introduction of vegetable and fruits intended to convert these produces to value-added products.

- further exploitation, domestication and commercialisation of herbs and other forest-based products.

The availability of the staple food products can be expedited by introducing diversified processed products. A composite food in the form A noodle type of products can be appreciated and processed by simulating various combinations and proportions. The blending of various cereals, pulses, beans and other fruits, and even vegetables can successfully introduced to produce an acceptable product with implementation.