Dashain Reflections

ALTHOUGH the great Hindu festival of Dashain began with Ghatasthapana on Wednesday (October 17), the real celebrations begin today. Meanwhile, after a shopping spree lasting days, most people, especially here in Kathmandu, are catching the last buses to be with their families, back in whichever village or town they originally come from. Tradition is hard to break as is evidenced by the "shop till you drop" syndrome prevalent among the people, both rich and poor, locals and outsiders. Dashain in times gone by used to be the only occasion during the year when the poor people had some nice food and a new pair of clothes to wear. Times have changed, and for many people, they no longer need to wait until the great festival to eat heartily and wear a fresh pair of clothing. Yet the time-honoured tradition continues. And it is one reason that makes the occasion so festive. But in the festivity and celebration, one must not forget that Dashain is observed to mark the victory of good over evil. And that is why Goddess Durga, who slays the demon Mahisashur, is invoked and worshipped. Dashain, however, is more than just a festival meant for merry-making. It is a sort of annual get-together, especially for those who live far away from their homes. Little wonder that the government sanctions a long leave, lasting nearly a week, to all. On Vijaya Dashami (Friday), the last day of the 10-day celebration, people go from house to house visiting elders and receiving tika, a mark of blessing, on their forehead. And in doing so, enmity and old squabbles are forgotten. Some of the essence of this camaraderie and social intimacy of Dashain has found its way into the tea parties organised by the various political parties on this occasion. Dashain is also the time when officials, organisations and the people exchange greetings, wishing each other happiness and success. Of late, the kingdom has been facing problems of all hues - economic, political and social. The royal tragedy on June 1 has left a deep scar on everyone. And the six-year-old Maoist insurgency has already taken a heavy toll. Let us pray this Dashain will bring all Nepalese together and end the problems that they have been plagued with. Let it be an occasion that will bond the Nepalese together in the fight against, not humans, but poverty, disease and illiteracy.

Timely Refutation, Please!

VETERINARY doctors, according to a news item carried by this daily recently, refuted reports saying that eating the meat of goats infected or vaccinated with PPR are harmful to human consumption. The refutation by veterinary doctors came about after some newspapers carried the news that eating goats’ meat infected or vaccinated with PPR could affect human health. This put many people in a dilemma as whether or not to consume goats’ meat. While the veterinary doctors should be given the benefit of the doubt, their joint refutation can be said to have come in the nick of time. As all know, the Nepalese are in the midst of their biggest festival, Bada Dashain. Apart from the Bada Dashain’s religious aspects, the festival is also the most opportune time for the people to prepare a variety of meat dishes. And among the meat dishes, that of the goat is considered by some communities as the most delicious. It is for this reason that during Bada Dashain the traders make it a point to supply plenty of goats to the people to not only cater to their craving for goat-meat but the price of the same also rises up by a few rupees more. And when, for some unknown reasons, there is no goat-meat in the market stalls during this time of the year, the price of both the goat and its meat just reaches up for the sky. In other words, both the goat and its meat will be simply out of reach of the ordinary people looking forward to enjoy their Bada Dashain festival and feast.

The recent PPR-scare, though defused by the veterinary doctors in time, also proved that some people are increasingly becoming health conscious. However, this same good trend, in an absence of timely rebuttals and refutations by concerned health personnel, could create some havoc among the people and traders alike. Some months back the people of the capital city were gripped by a chicken meat scare. So much so that the chicken sellers had to endure considerable losses. And all because the concerned health authorities took some time to come up with their refutations to allay the people’s fear concerning broiler meat. Hence, it looks to reason for the concerned health authorities to be not only always on their toes but also to keep their eyes and ears open for any such food scares.