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When I was born, like other human beings, I was born with two arms, legs and human form. When I first set foot in the world, I had no name, no caste, no identity. Gradually, many of my introductions began. I was born on the day of Rakshabandhan. My parents named me Raksha Ram Chamar. My journey started with that name. Mr Cenart, a French scholar on caste, said: “Caste is a strong hereditary close association, a distinct traditional and independent organization, with a chief and a panchayat, the same festivals and traditions, the same occupation, food and marriage.” , Sir H. H. According to Ridgeley, caste means family or family group organization, common name, affiliation with profession and ethnicity, as well as being forced to adopt the same profession and being considered a homogeneous community. As mentioned above, on the basis of homosexuality, my family added a surname after my name. So I became a carpenter. The name Raksha Ram Chamar was also enrolled in the school. Society started calling me Chamar’s son. They started saying Dalit. Discrimination started in Dhara and Inar. It has a profound effect on the child’s brain. When I asked my parents, I found out that I was untouchable. Caste system means birth on the basis of descent. There is same-sex marriage and cultural unity. They are a group with the same background on the basis of descent and birth, which is seen as a caste in that group on the basis of birth. My family followed this traditional rite. My family gave me the name of their Chamar caste. Wherever I went, non-Dalits did not live near me. Only a few people lived with me in the school classroom. Along with the Brahmin caste, even the upper class children did not live with me. Because they thought that if they stayed with me, they would be unclean. I did not find the role of teachers satisfactory. School is a place to provide education. Education helps to make people civilized, conscious and social beings. Education plays an important role in building good character. The education system of any country introduces the citizens and society of that country. However, I did not find such an environment in the school from which I received my education. The lesson ‘Nepal is a flower garden of four castes and thirty-six colors’ was sent to the school. But, they were taught to discriminate. Teachers were plagued by the maelstrom of the caste system, and are still today. The teacher, who was suffering from the spirit of discrimination, was responsible for building a civilized society. Some teachers recited the following lines of Manusmriti with special significance: Knowledge should not be given. Shudra should not be given even the best part of the yajna or havan. They should not be taught religion. If the Shudra is found to have listened to the Vedas by mistake, hot glass should be melted and put in his ear. If he recites the Vedas, his tongue should be cut out and if he remembers, he should be killed. I learned such knowledge from school. I grew up in such a society. And, last year, I became an ‘unfortunate’ lawyer. Unfortunately because according to Manusmriti I should not have read. I met a Brahmin friend who was studying together at school some time ago. He studied only till class 12. But, he was good at reading Satyanarayana’s story. Together they were partisans of the caste system. He used to say to me, ‘Everyone in this world is born into a caste clan according to the fruits of their deeds.’ I was very sad to see the mental poverty inside him. I didn’t see any change in his opinion even after meeting him much later. Even after graduating in two subjects, I became only a Dalit, but he was called a theologian without studying. In Ambedkar’s words, the ancient Brahmins envisioned an ideal religion and an ‘ideal society’. That ‘ideal society’ had its own name – Chaturvanrya or caste system. This ideal society is connected with the Vedas and this Veda is logical. The Vedas are God’s commandments. Because no word of the Vedas can be questioned. Therefore, the caste system as a model of that ideal society was also logical and could not be questioned. That ideal society gave birth to Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. There was a hierarchy between them. Where Brahmins were given special rights. Shudra got the status of a servant, who had no rights, only a duty of a lower rank. Hundreds of castes were created in four characters. One of its castes is Chamar. The cobbler was forced to throw away his body. Of course, the Sino boycott movement of 2056 BS gave some relief. But, even today, my identity has not changed. I am grateful to Manu’s partisans who pushed Shudra to hell alive. I am grateful to those who say that we build an ideal society, which gave me the status of untouchable. When I went to school in India to study Plus Two, they used to call me Nepali. Being a Nepali citizen, calling me Nepali was no different. And my introduction became Nepali, but the question kept arising within myself. Am I really Nepali? I found the answer to the question. When I went to the district administration office to apply for citizenship, I became a Madhesi. Finally get citizenship. Then I came to Kathmandu to study higher education. I became a Madhesi student in the university, my introduction became a Madhesi student. While studying at the university, I realized that I was a ‘brother’ in Kathmandu. Am i not nepali Do I have to go to another country to be Nepali? I understood that my caste does not match with the ruler, religion does not match, social traditions and culture do not match, festivals do not match, dress does not match, language does not match and the color of my face does not match. After all was said and done, I became not a Nepali but a ‘brother’. I understand, the main reason is King Mahendra. He said the same language, the same disguise, the same religion and the same culture. He did not accept different civilizations and cultures. While studying at the university, I realized that I was a ‘brother’ in Kathmandu. Am i not nepali Do I have to go to another country to be Nepali? I started working as a human rights activist. Then I became a Dalit rights activist. When I was a journalist, I became a Dalit journalist. When I was the headmaster, I only became the Dalit headmaster. I have never seen equality. When he went to the house of a friend of the upper caste, he was given food on a broken plate. Even general discrimination can tear the heart apart. Even the educated dalits should continue to suffer. The so-called educated non-Dalits usually say, ‘You don’t look like a Dalit, or are you not a Dalit?’ The mentality of an educated society shows that Dalits are servants or slaves. It is about the year 2070. MPs used to gather there. District leaders were also found there. He asked my name. I said, ‘Raksharam.’ He asked again, ‘What is Raksharam?’ He wanted to know my caste. He imagined that he could not be a young black poet. I said, ‘I’m a cobbler.’ He was surprised. He smiled and said, “We are the same.” But, after knowing my caste, his behavior changed. Nepal’s constitution is the only major law known to Nepalis. Manusmriti or Veda, Purana is not any other law created by Manu. However, the evil practices of Manusmriti and Veda are more prevalent in the society than the provisions of the Nepali constitution. According to the constitution of Nepal, all Nepali people with multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural characteristics are a nation in general. All mother tongues spoken in Nepal are national languages. But, how did I become Madhesi, Dalit or ‘Bhaiya’ just because I did not speak Khas language? Why don’t I have the identity of a free citizen as provided by the constitution? Why don’t I get to know people? Dalits do not need the ‘ideal society’ envisioned by the Vedas, they do not need Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Ram Rajya’, they do not need Prithvinarayan Shah’s ‘real India’. What Dalits need is a society with full people based on equality and equality, Gautam Buddha and Dr. As Bhimrao Ambedkar said, it is a human society. Where only the human race is enough for introduction. Where the principle of ‘freedom, equality and brotherhood’ of every human being is accepted. Just be a man to tell my identity.
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म जन्मिँदा अन्य मानिसजस्तै दुई हात खुट्टा र मानव स्वरूप लिएर जन्मिएँ । संसारमा पहिलोपटक पाइला टेक्दा न मेरो नाम थियो, न कुनै जात, न त कुनै परिचय नै । बिस्तारै मेरो अनेक परिचय सुरु भयो । रक्षाबन्धनको दिन म जन्मिएँ । आमाबुबाले मेरो नाम राखिदिए रक्षाराम चमार । त्यो नामसँगै मेरो यात्रा सुरु भयो । जातिबारे फ्रान्सका विद्वान् श्री सेनार्टले भनेका छन्, ‘जाति भनेको तीव्र वंशानुगत आधारमा घनिष्ठ सहयोग, विशिष्ठ पारम्परिक तथा स्वतन्त्र संगठन हो, जसमा एउटा मुखिया र पञ्चायत हुन्छ, उनीहरूको उत्सव र परम्परा समान हुन्छ, एउटै पेसा, खानपिन र वैवाहिक सम्बन्ध कायम हुन्छ ।’ यसैगरी, सर एच. एच. रिजलेका अनुसार जातिको अर्थ, परिवार वा परिवारको समूहहरूको संगठन, साझा नाम, पेसासँग सम्बन्ध तथा वंशीय भएको दाबी गर्छन्, त्यस्तै एउटै पेसा अपनाउन बाध्य पारिएको हुन्छ र एक सजातीय समुदाय मानिन्छ । उल्लेखित भनाइजस्तै सजातीय आधारमा मेरो घर परिवारले मेरो नामको पछाडि थर जोडिदिए । तसर्थ म चमार हुन पुगेँ । विद्यालयमा पनि रक्षाराम चमार नाम दाखिला भयो । समाजले मलाई चमारको छोरो भन्न थाले । दलित भन्न थाले । धारा, इनारमा भेदभाव हुन थाल्यो । बालमस्तिष्कमा गहिरो प्रभाव प-यो । आमाबुबालाई सोध्दा थाहा पाएँ, म त अछुत पो रहेछु । जातितन्त्रको अर्थ जन्म अर्थात् वंशजको आधारमा सो जातिको सदस्य हुन्छ । सजातीय विवाह र सांस्कृतिक एकता हुन्छ । वंशज तथा जन्मका आधारमा उही पृष्ठिभूमि भएका समूह हो, जसलाई जन्मका आधारमा सो समूहमा पर्ने जातका रूपमा हेरिन्छ । यही पारम्परिक संस्कारको पालना मेरो परिवारले पनि ग¥यो । मेरो परिवारले मलाई आफ्नो चमार जातिको नाम प्रदान ग-यो । म जहाँ जान्थेँ, मेरोछेउमा गैरदलित बस्दैनथे । विद्यालयको कक्षाकोठामा मसँग कोही कोही मात्रै बस्थे । ब्राह्मण जातिसँगै उच्च वर्गका बच्चाहरूसमेत मसँग बस्दैनथे । किनकि उनीहरू सोच्थे, मसँगै बसे उनीहरू अपवित्र हुनेछन् । शिक्षकहरूको भूमिका पनि चित्त बुझ्दो पाइनँ । विद्यालय शिक्षा प्रदान गर्ने थलो हो । शिक्षाले मानिसलाई सभ्य, चेतनशील र सामाजिक प्राणी बनाउन सघाउँछ । असल चरित्र निर्माण गर्न शिक्षाको महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका हुन्छ । कुनै पनि देशको शिक्षा प्रणालीले त्यो देशको नागरिक र समाजको परिचय दिन्छ । तर, मैले जुन विद्यालयबाट शिक्षा लिएँ, त्यहाँ त्यस्तो वातावरण पाइनँ । स्कुलमा ‘नेपाल चार जात र छत्तीस वर्णको फूलबारी हो’ भन्ने पाठ पठाइन्थो । तर, विभेद गर्न सिकाइन्थ्यो । शिक्षकहरू मनुवादी वर्ण व्यवस्थाको चक्रव्यूहबाट ग्रसित थिए, आज पनि छन् । विभेदको मनोभावनाबाट ग्रसित शिक्षकले सभ्य समाज निर्माणको अभिभारा बोकेका थिए । केही शिक्षकहरू मनुस्मृतिको निम्न हरफहरू विशेष महत्वका साथ वाचन गर्थे ः ज्ञान दिनुहुँदैन । यज्ञ वा हवनबाट बचेको उच्छिष्ट तथा भाग पनि शूद्रलाई दिनुहुँदैन । उनीहरूलाई धर्मको उपदेश पनि दिनुहुँदैन । यदि शूद्र भूलवश वेदको श्रवण गरेको पाइएमा उसको कानमा तातो सिसा पगालेर हालिदिनुपर्छ । वेद उच्चारण गरेको अवस्थामा, उसको जिब्रो काटिदिनुपर्छ र स्मरण गरेको खण्डमा हत्या गरिदिनुपर्छ । विद्यालयबाट मैले यस्तै ज्ञान सिकेँ । यस्तै समाजमा हुर्किएँ । र, गत वर्ष म ‘दुर्भाग्यवश’ अधिवक्ता बनेँ । दुर्भाग्य किनभने मनुस्मृतिका अनुसार मैले पढ्न हुँदैन थियो । स्कुलमा सँगै पढेको एकजना ब्राह्मण साथीसँग केही समयअघि भेट भयो । उनले कक्षा १२ सम्म मात्रै पढे । तर, उनी सत्यनारायाणको कथा वाचन गर्न सिपालु थिए । उनी सँगै जाति व्यवस्थाको पक्षपाती थिए । उनी मलाई भन्थे, ‘यो संसारमा सबै आफ्नो कर्मको फलअनुसारको जाति कुलमा जन्म लिन्छन् ।’ उनीभित्रको मानसिक गरिबी देख्दा म अत्यन्त दुःखी हुन्थेँ । धेरै पछि भेट्दा पनि उनको धारणामा परिवर्तन देखिनँ । दुई विषयमा स्नात्तकोत्तर गरेपछि पनि म दलित मात्रै भएँ, तर उनी पढ्दै नपढी ब्रह्मज्ञानी कहलिए । अम्बेडकरको शब्दमा प्राचीन ब्राह्मणहरूले एउटा आदर्श धर्म र ‘आदर्श समाज’को परिकल्पना गरेका छन् । त्यो ‘आदर्श समाज’को उनीहरूको आफ्नो नाम थियो– चातुर्वण्र्य अर्थात् वर्ण व्यवस्था । यो आदर्श समाज वेदसँग जोडिएको छ र यो वेद तार्किक हो । वेद ईश्वरको आदेश हो । किनभने वेदहरूको कुनै शब्दमाथि प्रश्नचिह्न लाग्न सक्दैन । यसकारण त्यो आदर्श समाजको नमुनाका रूपमा वर्ण व्यवस्था पनि तार्किक थियो र त्यसमा औँला उठाउन पाइन्न थियो । त्यो आदर्श समाजले ब्राह्मण, क्षत्री, वैश्य र शूद्रको जन्म दियो । तिनीहरूबीच पदसोपान कायम भयो । जहाँ ब्राह्मणलाई विशेष अधिकार प्रदान गरियो । शूद्रले सेवकको दर्जा पायो, जसको केही अधिकार छैन, तल्लो दर्जाको काम गर्ने कर्तव्य मात्रै थियो । चार वर्णमा सयौँ जातजातिको निर्माण गरियो । त्यसको एउटा जात चमार हो । चमारलाई जबर्जस्ती सिनो फाल्ने काम लगाइन्थ्यो । हुन त २०५६ सालको सिनो बहिस्कार आन्दोलनले केही राहत दियो । तर, आज पनि मेरो परिचय फेरिएको छैन । म आभारी छु, मनुका पक्षपातिहरूप्रति, जसले शूद्रलाई जिउँदै नरकमा धकेल्यो । कृतज्ञ छु, आदर्श समाज निर्माण गर्छौं भन्नेहरूप्रति पनि, जसले मलाई अछुतकै दर्जा दियो । म प्लस टु पढ्न भारतको विद्यालयमा जाँदा मलाई नेपाली भनेर बोलाउँथे । नेपाली नागरिक भएकाले मलाई नेपाली भन्नु अन्यथा थिएन । अनि मेरो परिचय नेपाली भयो, तर आफैँभित्र प्रश्न निरन्तर उब्जिरहन्थ्यो । के म साँच्चै नेपाली हुँ ? प्रश्नको उत्तर मैले भेटेँ । जब म नागरिकता बनाउन जिल्ला प्रशासन कार्यालय पुगेँ, त्यहाँ म मधेसी भएँ । बल्लबल्ल नागरिकता पाएँ । त्यसपछि उच्च शिक्षा पढ्न काठमाडौं आएँ । विश्वविद्यालयमा म मधेसी विद्यार्थी बनेँ, मेरो परिचय मधेसी विद्यार्थी भयो । विश्वविद्यालय पढिरहँदा मैले बुझेँ, काठमाडौंमा म ‘भैया’ पो रहेछु । के म नेपाली होइन र ? म नेपाली हुन के अन्य देशमै पुग्नुपर्ने हो र ? मैले बुझेँ, शासकसँग मेरो जाति मिल्दैन, धर्म मिल्दैन, सामाजिक परम्परा संस्कृति मिल्दैन, चाडपर्व मिल्दैन, पोसाक मिल्दैन, भाषा मिल्दैन र मेरो अनुहारको रङ मिल्दैन । सबै नमिलेपछि म नेपाली होइन, ‘भैया’ मात्रै ठहरिएँ । मैले बुझेँ, यसको प्रमुख कारण राजा महेन्द्र हो । उनले एउटै भाषा, एउटै भेष, एउटै धर्म र एउटै संस्कृति भने । फरक सभ्यता र संस्कृतिलाई उनले स्विकारेनन् । विश्वविद्यालय पढिरहँदा मैले बुझेँ, काठमाडौंमा म ‘भैया’ पो रहेछु । के म नेपाली होइन र ? म नेपाली हुन के अन्य देशमै पुग्नुपर्ने हो र ? मानवअधिकारकर्मीका रूपमा काम गर्न थालेँ । तब म दलित अधिकारकर्मी भएँ । पत्रकार हुँदा, दलित पत्रकार भएँ । प्रधानाध्यापक हुँदा, दलित प्राधानाध्यापक मात्रै भएँ । मैले समानताको व्यवहार कतै देखिनँ । उपल्लो जाति भनिएको साथीको घर जाँदा फुटेको थालीमा खाना दिइयो । सामान्य विभेदले पनि मुटु छिया–छिया पार्छ । शिक्षित भइसकेको दलितले पनि त्यो पीडा निरन्तर भोग्नुपर्छ । शिक्षित भनिएका गैरदलितहरूले सामान्यतया भन्ने शब्द हो, ‘तिमी दलितजस्तो देखिँदैनौ, वा तिमी त दलित होइन होला ?’ शिक्षित समाजको मानसिकताले देखाउँछ कि दलितहरू सेवक वा दास नै हुन् । ००० २०७० सालतिरको कुरा हो । त्यो ठाउँमा सांसदहरूको जमघट हुन्थ्यो । जिल्लावासी नेता पनि त्यहीँ भेटिए । उनले मेरो नाम सोधे । मैले भने, ‘रक्षाराम ।’ उनले फेरि सोधे, ‘रक्षाराम के ?’ उनी मेरो जात चिन्न चाहन्थे । एक चमार युवा कविल हुनै नसक्ने उनको कल्पना थियो । मैले भनेँ, ‘म चमार हुँ ।’ उनी आश्चर्यचकित भए । उनले बनावटी मुस्कान दिँदै भने, ‘हामी त एउटै हौँ ।’ भन्न त उनले हामी एउटै हौँ भने । तर, मेरो जात थाहा पाएपछि उनको व्यवहार फेरियो । नेपालको संविधान नै नेपालीले चिनेको एक मात्र प्रमुख कानुन हो । मनुले निर्माण गरेको मनुस्मृति वा वेद, पुराण अन्य कुनै पनि कानुन होइन । तर, समाजमा नेपाली संविधानको प्रावधानभन्दा मनुस्मृति र वेदको कुप्रथा धेरै हाबी छ । नेपालको संविधानअनुसार बहुजातीय, बहुभाषिक, बहुधार्मिक, बहुसांस्कृतिक विशेषतायुक्त सबै नेपाली जनता नै समष्टिमा राष्ट्र हो । नेपालमा बोलिने सबै मातृभाषा राष्ट्रभाषा हो । तर, खसभाषा नबोलेकै कारण कसरी म मधेसी, दलित वा ‘भैया’ मात्रै भएँ ? संविधानले प्रावधान गरेजस्तो स्वतन्त्र नागरिकको परिचय किन बन्दैन मेरो ? किन मान्छेको परिचय पाउँदिनँ मैले ? दलितलाई वेदले कल्पना गरेको ‘आदर्श समाज’ चाहिएको होइन, महात्मा गान्धीको ‘रामराज्य’ चाहिएको होइन, पृथ्वीनारायण शाहको ‘असली हिन्दुस्तान’ पनि चाहिएको होइन । दलितलाई चाहिएको समता र समानतामा आधारित पूर्णमान्छेसहितको समाज हो, गौतम बुद्ध र डा. भीमराव अम्बेडकरले भनेजस्तो मानव समाज हो । जहाँ मानव जाति मात्रै परिचयका लागि पर्याप्त होस् । जहाँ हरेक मानव जातिको ‘स्वतन्त्रता, समानता र भ्रातृत्व’को सिद्धान्तलाई स्वीकृति दिएको होस् । मेरो परिचय भन्नु मात्र मान्छे होस् । श्रोत: https://jhannaya.nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/690/2019-12-14