Posted by: sidster February 6, 2011
No "NEWARI" Please !!!
Login in to Rate this Post:     0       ?        



"Every language .......... bhojpuri and Newari."
Tribe is the group of people related by blood or marriage. A tribal language is the language of tribe, that means all the people speaking the language should be family-relative of each other. If you think "Every language in Nepal is a tribal language", then you know nothing about Nepal. Khas language is not a blend of other languages. It has its own originality and uniqueness. A few borrowed words from other languages does not make Khas language "a blend of all" language. "Khas arrogance" is defined by the attitude -- "you (non-khas nepalese citizen) must learn khas language and we (khas nepalese citizen) do not accept you if you don't learn our (khas) language." This arrogance is imposed through state mechanism, not by individual people, so those who gets no chance to learn khas language would be left behind. 

Who is saying you must learn Nepali Language...???30 years ago common people in Bhaktapur and Patan did not know how to read and write in Newari, Nepali, or English. I think the option is still there not to learn Nepali, English, newari or any other language. Is there a necessity to learn Nepali language...yes there is ...but is anyone forced to learn the language...no you are not....If you are defining  NECESSITY for FORCE then it must mean that the early settlers in The Valley were probably FORCED to learn Newari Language.

For 2000 years, your people did not see a need to teach and educate common Newars about Newari language, why is it KHAS people's responsibility now in last 200 years to put so much effort in educating Newars in their own Language/Lipi/culture. Why is it our fault that your language is not sophisticated enough to sustain on its own.

"What do you expect ............politicized so much recently."
Bahun or Chhetris do not need to worry about Newar, Rai, Bhojpuri children. Bahun or Chhetris just need to support/demand equal right for all languages in Nepal. Right now, nations 100% resources is used in preserving and promoting khas language only (education, official use, literature, etc.). Bahun and Chhetris should say, let these resource be shared among all nepalese in a agreeable basis. Newar will do for Newar children, Rai will do for Rai children, Bhojpuri will do for Bhojpuri children. Bahun or Chhetris should just help to remove discreminatory rules and regulation that prevent using other nepalese languages in official use.

How exactly are KHAS people promoting their language? Has anyone stopped you from Writing literature in Newari...but wait..you probably do not even know how to write your own name in Newari Lipi. Other Languages do not even have their own Lipi. You really think Newari language or any other language has strong infrastructure to sustain a system on its own??? If the system is not available can we really affford to create a system like that NOW??? Should we rather spent the scarce money to build toilets for remaining 20% of newars who still go to the river bank or fields to excrete, or build houses for jana jati (including poor KHAS) who live under Grass roof with mud walls???? What is the priority here???? And its just not Newars....what about Mongloids...tarei basis and Janajatis.

"You really think ...... respect for your thing."
Some of your questions are really very important. In fact, Newar subject is available in few public schools as an optional subject, but you can't study optional math or science, if you take Newar subject because they are mutually exclusive choice option. There was a demand changing this rule for students who prefer abandoning Khas subject (Mahendra Maalaa, later named as anibarya Nepali), or other social science subjects, but this was never allowed. These days, some private schools (Modern Newa School, Jagat Sundar Bwonekuthi, etc.) are run in english and newar-medium only. They are doing great. The example about the Newar language class in Dallas, TX, is also a good example. Other cities for example Washington DC, Chicago, Portland, Seattle, etc. also have such programs. Some other cities preparing for this includes New York, Tokyo, London, Toronto, Vancouver etc. 

Yes...take a lesson from these examples and do similar things to promote your language/culture. Do not go ask for your rights. Create your own rights. Create your own product. Make your product popular and interesting. Invest in it, promote it, preserve it, but do not expect others to push you up. Pull yourself up and show it to the rest who you are.

Khas people complain about Newars holding business. In fact, Newars can not and do not stop Khas or anyone joining business. Khas people are not forced to learn Newar language before doing business. So, this complaint has no meaning. All business regulations, investments, tax, accounting etc. are in khas language and khas people have the upper hand in decision making bodies. Why Khas thinks Newars hold the business? Nowadays, Khas businessmen have hold more business than Newar businessmen, and the rhetoric about Newar doing business is no more true in Nepal.

Ha ha...You Newars had a monopoly in business solely due to the KHAS Kings protective nature of internal business from the Indians. When the Kings discouraged Indians to do business in Nepal, Newars had an advantage. Everyone use to think that Newars were good at trades but since democracy (Yes the same democracy..that gave you an idea of Newa rajya and Maka Khala) all the Newar businesses has been taken over by the Indians. Mithai pasal...sari pasal....Grocery pasal..they are all gone from Newar Hand...Although i am not a Fan of Kings...i have to say that those KHAS Kings were protecting Newar interests. Without KHAS king protection you have lost your trades as Newars are not as good as Indians in trades...obviously. Let me give you an example of Newari sahuji's customer service..." they use to look at a villager from his shoes to his topi and use to say " Timile Kindaina Jau" when asked for a price...LMAO.

Your story is an individual case. All struggling and successful Newars also have their own stories, and they are doing good to make their way. These individual stories, rise, fall and survival strategies have nothing to do with the topic we are discussing here. The concerns we are discussing here (complaint in your word) is for correcting the flaw in our system which has institutionalized a systematic discriminatory rules. Unfortunately, many khas people think the rule is fair, and when we oppose the system, they take it as if we are against khas people. You should grow up above that limited understanding.

"You are right.... Participation? Respect? Involvement?????"
Yes, Nepali culture, that I agree, which is inclusive of all cultures we have in Nepal, not only Newar culture. Similarly, Nepali language, that you should agree, which should be inclusive of all languages in Nepal, not only khas language. This is the straightforward message.

"What really upsets me .... the whole package."
Please read my posting on this thread,
http://sajha.com/sajha/html/OpenThread.cfm?forum=283&ThreadID=87310#803030
which might help understanding little more about Khas language. Khas is not a tribe, but a lingual community. Newar is not a tribe, but a linguat community.

"Do Newars know......something else now. "
Yes Newars know that much better than any outsiders. Therefore, they are not a tribe. If you say Khas culture is dead, then you have ask so many khas people of Nepal, what culture they are actually following? Culture does not die, it evolves and changes.
Last edited: 06-Feb-11 09:00 AM
Read Full Discussion Thread for this article