Rato Machhindranath
Disclaimer: This post is not created with the intent to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Every word that is penned down is just a perception. I extend my sincere apology to anyone who is hurt through the post.
I am not a Newar, but I’ve lived most of my life in Patan. I’ve lived in the Newar community and have many friends who are the Newars. Yes, I’ve been to the Bhojs and Nakthyas. More than anything I respect the sentiments and the thrive to save every little part of their culture. I’ve seen the Jatras and also understand the sentiments attached to it.
I saw several posts that flooded on my social media feed, numerous memes that were made, and read several posts of the Newars and other communities blame game, the hatred people spill out on each other’s ethnicity, culture and tradition.
Hey you! Yes, you! I heard that you were craving to go to Lahana ever since the lockdown begun to satisfy your cravings for the delicious chhoila and chyang! Oh, not to mention your love for the Yomaris and Ai-la! Newar community has been preserving, protecting and handing over their traditional and cultural rituals to the next generation ever since and this is what I respect the most.
The Rato Machhinchanath holds the greatest significance and the emotions and sentiments attached to this festival are surreal, not only for the Newars but also for the entire Nepali people. Machhindranath being the God of Rain, Rato Machhinchanath has its own beautiful history and the story of how it came into existence. It has been an inevitable part of many people’s lives. It is very important that the Chariot had to be pulled because once failed, it would cost people of Patan the Bhoto, the sculpture, the chariot, the God and the festival itself. Isn’t it too much to pay for?
It is not that the organizers of the Jatra and the Guthi community started the festival without any considerations. They had approached not only the local authorities but also filed a pledge to the supreme President of the country. But, the topic was not addressed- neither by the local bodies not the supremacy. This highlights the incompetence of the government and the miserable failure to take timely decisions.
But having said that, whatever happened yesterday isn’t the best and also not the worst to happen. If the Chariot is taken away by Bhaktapur from the Lalitpurians for not being able to pull the Chariot and complete it, the riots will possibly happen and then we will see these fights take another level.
The curfew has been warranted in the area, but has this issue been resolved? A big NO!
The Jatra will be completed once the Machhinchanath is restored in Bungamati. It is going to take months to complete the journey. But having said that,are we going to see this brutality for such a long time?
Rather, what do you think could have been done??
In this situation of Pandemic, people of the country are staying home, leaving their jobs, most people have been starving as they used to feed themselves from the daily wage that they received. People saying life doesn’t matter as long as we preserve our culture depicts the significance this Jatra holds for people of Patan. But having said that, we need to understand the state that we are in. With the Covid-19 cases that has been increased exponentially, we should understand that we’re in an alarming situation and fighting for survival. Thus staying away from gatherings, wearing masks and maintaining social distance is the only proven way till date to stay safe.
The news has been flashing that 30 people who everyday chanted the mantras in front of the chariot were identified Covid-19 positive on Monday. I wonder, weren’t they supposed to be quarantined? We cannot even imagine to draw the chain how the virus might have been transmitted and the impact it would result is beyond imagination.
Where the public gathered in such a huge number there will be intervention of the police as it has always been during the Jatra. But are the policeman not humane enough that they started beating the old people? Are the other people not mature enough to understand humanity and that the police is OUR friend that they beat the policeman so brutally?
This is just the beginning, my heart breaks as I wonder what awaits.
This is time, we should go hand in hand with the Guthi and the Jatra organizers to save our culture and the government to most importantly save ourselves first. There is a saying “नेपाली हामी रहौला कहाँ नेपाल नरहे”! To be able to save our tradition, we must save ourselves first. But also to save our ethinicty, we must ensure that the ethnic values are saved.
The government should handle this issue with high regards by paying huge respect to the entire Newar Community and ensure that the Jatra completes peacefully while managing to not hurt the sentiments of the people and ensuring the safety of the people at the same time.
May be we can pull the Chariot using the same force that were used to disperse the public?
The government must soon take a firm decision about how to keep it’s people safe and how to complete the Jatra!
We cannot ignore how the Government of the most developed and powerful countries have miserably failed to control the transmission and save countless lives. But with all these, even we cannot expect how the government like ours will take the situation in hand.
I think it’s high time we pressurize the government, not by protesting around in Maitighar or outside the Singhadurbar but through the local representatives we cast vote on.
What do you think should be done?
