– Gopal Thakur
Following abolition of monarchy in Nepal, the trodden nationalities got appraisal and some more ingredients have come to be included in democracy. Basically democracy is defined as a rule of the people, for the people, by the people and from the people. For greater span of time-period, parliamentary system was being interpreted as the absolute form of democracy. But presidential system was also established as its better alternative. Likewise, multi-party system and dual party systems were also seen in practice. Guided democracy also came into practice and a party-less Panchayat polity was exercised in Nepal for about three decades. In 1990, multi-party parliamentary democracy with constitutional monarchy was also restored. But monarchy and democracy could not go together, so, republicanism was established in 2008. In due course of time, democracy was also thought to be the rule of majority over minority. But some errors such as gender biasness, communal biasness and national suppression also came on surface. Ultimately the so-called rule of majority came to be proved the rule of minority in the name of capability. That’s why inclusion became an ingredient to be added in democracy.
Moreover, the multi-national, multi-lingual, multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious country came to realize a brutal domestic feudal imperialist exploitation by the ruling nationality resulting in an extreme exclusion of those ruled. Such type of exploitation can be ended either with war of independence or formulation of national identity-based federalism with right to national self-determination. So is the case of Nepal. Though it overthrew the supreme feudal ruling element of monarchy, the Khas-Gorkhali republican rulers too are faced as the continuity of the rulers of the previous Khas-Gorkha Empire. The most brutal clamping on Madhesh is still continuing in the name of sovereignty and integrity that has never included Madhesh. The right to national self-determination with formation of whole Madhesh a single province has always been interpreted as a separatist movement. That is why Madhesh has been chopped into six out of seven provinces sketched in the new constitution which has outright been rejected by Madheshees and other nationalities.
As the third Madhesh movement has reached on climax, the brain-storming hot discussion is also continuing. Madheshees have started exploration of their historical facts and the ruling Khas-Gorkhali ruling elites have also been seeking for all sorts of fabrications that can prove all Madheshees are immigrant cultivators. Some intellectuals make their efforts that Madheshees in Nepal have only history of less than two centuries. They say that Madhesh was thick forest those days without human settlement. So, the Khas-Gorkhali rulers brought them here to cultivate the barren land. That is why Madhesh is no more a nation in Nepal. Furthermore, they say that Madhesh was ruled by non-Madheshee rulers inhabiting in the hills even before Prithvi Narayan Shah annexed them into his Gorkha Empire.
As far as history is discussed, it is the documented literature of the rulers. Therefore, all losers are interpreted as brutal, barbarous, tyranny, uncivilized, etc. But the historical facts are always continued to be explored and the unwritten history is written and the written ones are rewritten. But in the case of the history of Gorkha Empire, the ruler historians commence the history from patriarchal society and the initial patriarchs are introduced as Gopal (cow-herders) followed by Mahishpal (buffalo-herders) dynasties. Comrade Pushpalal has already rejected this conviction proving that the Neplalese society also went through matriarchal phase. But if the patriarchal phase starts from the Gopal and Mahishpal dynasties, it the barest truth those rulers were Madhya Deshi (inhabitants of Madhya Desh or Middle Country).
Moreover, the primitive history of the Indian sub-continent has already accepted Mithila, Kashi and Kosal districts of Madhya Desh. In this regards, if Janak, Sita and Buddha are symbolized as luminaries of Nepal, the Khas-ruling elites have to clear who were they, Madheshi or non-Madheshi? Then, how do the Khas-ruling elites dare to blame that Madheshees were brought in Madhesh within less than the latest two centuries? Besides, if we go through the modern history, who were the Tirhutia soldiers that Prithvi Narayan faced defeat for three times with?
If the then linguistic scenario is discussed, the Malla kings in the Nepal valley and the invader, Prithvi Narayan, all are found to have been using Maithili and Bhojpuri languages. The shameless Khas-ruling intellectuals must reply if Maithili and Bhojpuri are newer than so-called Nepali. Because their written history says that the so-called Nepali language doesn’t have a history of more than eighty-two years. Which one is the older one, Tulsi Das’s Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi or Bhanubhakta’s Ramayan in Nepali? These all facts prove that the Khas-Gorkhali ruling elites are all immigrants whereas Madheshees are indigenous inhabitants in the Gorkha Empire.
Let’s talk about the modern history. Father Giuseppe and Colonel Kirkpatrick have sketched the preliminary account of the then expanded Gorkha Empire. Kirkpatrick walked through Madhesh in 1793. In his account, he has mentioned some Madheshee villages he walked through. Seriva (Sedhawa), Kurrurbunna (Kadarbana), Huttioul (Hathiaul), Peepra Rajepore (Pipara Rajpur), Munniary (Maniyari), Semroun (Semraun Garh), Cachouriva (Kachorwa), Patra (Pathara), Bharra-gharry (Bara Garhi) are all the villages now situated within Sarlahi, Rautahat and Bara districts, which he passed through to reach Kathmandu (Kirkpatrick, 1811:11-13).
Kirkpatrick’s accounts present clear evidence that Madheshees are the indigenous inhabitants of Madhesh even in the modern history, who suffered loss of sovereignty during expansion of the Gorkha Empire. In this way, either primitively or medievally or in modern history, Madhesh is a nation; so, it must not be smashed in the new federal Nepal. If it happens, it will be a great loss of modern Nepal. Because if Madheshees are denied their involvement of the state affairs by this or that pretention, it is now ready to wage war of independence against the Gorha Empire. Therefore, it’s right time for the Gorkha imperialist and colonialist mindset to correct it for a common existence of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
Reference:
Kirkpatrick, Colonel. 1811. An Account of the Kingdom of Nepaul. London: William Miller, Albemarle-Street.
Kachorwa-Bara
January 15, 2016
