Part-24: Saturday, October-13,2007

Remembering My High School Classmates

During my high school studies, I had my classmates forming a widespectrum in terms of their talents, castes, religions and cultures. I myself was of poetic nature. I used to write poems in SANSKRIT CHHANDAS and I loved reciting such kind of poems. I had also participated in some poetry writing and reciting contests. one of my friends was also like me. He used to write poems and recite them. He, in fact, was a person of multiple talents like poetry-writing, story-writing, etc. He was equally talent in studies. Another guy used to write modern songs and recite them. He always stood first in song-writing and reciting competition. Another guy was talent but he lost his second position in the class as I secured that position in the final exam of grade-IX. Then he stopped wearing slippers and shoes. He used to come to school bare-footed. I never tried to ask him why he stopped wearing slippers and shoes but some people in the class told me that he would wear some footwears only he could resume his position in the class. Unfortunately he never resumed his position till the Send-up test of grade-X. There were several girls in my class who had talents in singing and doing arts rather than studying the course.

In terms of castes, most of the classmates were from Brahmin, Kshetri and Newar societies and  a few from  some other castes. Most of the girls were from Newari community. We were mostly Hindus and Buddhists. Since the school was in the place where majority of the people were Newars, we could enjoy a lot of Newari cultures and festivals along with our national festivals. Almost everyday, we could see some kind of JATRAS or some other kinds of processions. Although I studied there for three years and I had a lot of friends from Newari community, I never tried to learn Newari language. Later I felt that I made a mistake because if I had learnt Newari language, I would have one more language for communication in Kathmandu, especially in Kirtipur Campus where some of the professors were from Newari community and they communicated mostly in Newari beyond the classroom activities. Sometimes it was really annoying when they helped my Newari friends in the lab in Newari language and I used to be helpless there.

Anyways, I enjoyed multicultural, multireligious, multilingual and multiethnic environment in my class during my High School Education.