Addressing Youth Bulge in Nepalese Context

From : The Himalayan Times Daily, Jan 22, 2014

There is an ongoing controversy vis-à-vis the roles of youth. Some appreciate them as the harbinger of nation building and others think them as the source of political violence. The large cohort of youth often termed as "youth bulge" (The term coined by German social scientist Gunnar Heinsohn in the mid-1990s and made popular by American political scientists Gary Fuller and Jack A. Goldstone) is historically associated with political crisis. Those who support the latter consider 'young males' as the protagonists for criminal activities and political violence. They opine a large proportion of young adults and a rapid rate of growth in the working-age population tend to worsen unemployment, prolong dependency on parents, diminish self-esteem and fuel frustrations.

Speaking about 'youth bulge' Samuel P. Huntington, states, "I don’t think Islam is any more violent than any other religions [. . .]. But the key factor is the demographic factor." Henrik Urdal's views on his report entitled "A Clash of Generation?" are also identical to Huntington. His study shows the total number of youth in the world is growing at a much lower rate than in the previous five decades, and is expected to remain relatively constant between 2010 and 2050.

According to the statistics, between 1970 and 1999, 80 percent of civil conflicts occurred in different countries where 60 percent of the population or more were under the age of thirty, according to the report of Population Action International (PAI). In recent years there are about sixty countries with youth bulges, of which majority are experiencing social unrest and violence. Demographers have stressed that youth bulges do not solely explain these civil conflicts—corruption, ethno-religious tensions, poverty, and poor political institutions also play contributing roles—but nor do they rule out as coincidence the predilection toward social unrest among states with large youth populations.

Nepalese context

Everyday thousands of Nepalese youth fly for foreign employment to secure their financial future. The census report of 2011 shows almost 20 percent of total population (52, 90,051/2, 64, 94,504) has gone out of country who are of between 15 to 24 years. Among them 75% workers are unskilled being 25 percent semi-skilled according to the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Labor and Transportation Management (MoLTM). Out of them, 75 percent don't have completed their school education. Some workers even have been facing several problems including loot, deception, and torture. The annual report of Department of Foreign Employment shows that, everyday Nepal receives 3-5 dead bodies of labor from abroad. Had there been the sufficient employment opportunities of their skills and interests within the country, they would not have been to the foreign countries.

Capital formation is a crucial factor for the simultaneous development of a country. The more a country uses the resources productively, the more are the chances of overall development of the country. Annually our country receives more than two hundred billion rupees as remittance, which contributes 23% of GDP. The studies show that remittance has not been used in a productive sector. The latest Central Bank of Nepal report shows that in fiscal year 2011/12 more than 90% of the total remittance has been utilized for household consumption. The recent Economic Survey postulates that share of household consumption on total GDP of Nepal is 91.4%. It is a universal rule that, for a country to be developed, investment expenditure should be higher than consumption expenditure. Unlike this, investment expenditure in Nepal is low (nearly 32.8% of total GDP, out of this Gross Capital Formation is 19.6%) to increase the employment opportunities. The stated fact reveals that, the remittance has insignificant contribution in the capital formation process due to lack of long term investment strategies of the income being received from remittance.

According to National Planning Commission, the annual rate of urbanization in Nepal is 4.7 percent which is a rapid trend. Most of the rural people comparatively with a better income have been migrating to urban areas leaving their productive land fallow. They leave their land either barren or give rented out to the traditional farmers, which in turn has undermined the potential productive benefits of these rural lands in the country.  Agricultural sector contributes around 35% to the GDP. Despite this situation, in the national GDP, agricultural system is still in dismal situation. The percentage of educated human resources' involvement in agricultural sector is very insignificant.

Ways Out

With the right investments and continued progress through the demographic transition, in time large youth populations can become economically-productive populations that can drive economic gains—a phenomenon known as the demographic dividend. For example, the rapidly growing economies of East Asia, or in Europe, that of Ireland, all underwent small youth bulges that contributed to their countries’ strong economic outputs. “If you can educate young people and create jobs for them, they can be a boon for development,” Michelle Gavin, a critic argues.  She also believes it is possible for youth bulges to help shape politics for the better, citing, for example, the role that South Africa’s large youth population played in the anti-apartheid movement in the 1980s.

Now the questions arise: How long do we enjoy the remittance of our youths? What happens if Nepalese youths don’t get any opportunity outside and we too fail to create opportunity in the country? Surely the situation will be exacerbated and the large group of youth may be counterproductive for the nation. So what we need is good education and the employment opportunities in the country and respect to the jobs of every kind. Contrary to general expectation, the 'youth bulge' with necessary skill can play constructive role for the nation, so let's begin to create similar situation.

                                   

Dialectics of Life

Life of human beings is not as easy to live as one wishes for. It, unlike the world of birds, to quote John Keats, is full of "the weariness, the fever and the fret." Still we should not surrender in front of life rather "there [should] be belief in the egg, the contents of the egg, [and] the warm coal," the symbols of hope in life, as an essayist E. B. White argues in his essay "Spring."

Hulaki, a collection of eight stories, ("A Village Woman" by Chandra Gurung, "Dolma" by Sweta Gyanu Baniya, "Hulaki" by Mahesh Paudyal, "Matari" by Krishna Prasad Bhusal, "Saraswati Ravished" by Anita Dhungel, "The Search" by Eda Upadhyaya, "Those Little Things" by Nitya Pandey and "Transgression" by Pratiksha Shah) as the editor claims, is an "attempt to experience the life of Nepalese people" and an effort "to share the pains and sufferings of our society." It is a bitter truth that life consists of more problems than the experiences of happiness, but what I don’t agree with the writers is that life is not always as pathetic and sorrowful as reflected in their stories. What would have been better is, if this collection is about life experiences, to incorporate the stories with optimism in life because life becomes worth living only with hope not with frustrations, pains and pangs.

However, these stories raise some prominent issues of human life. They bring the experiences of "women and marginalized" people into the foreground by raising the issues of "identity and recognition," reflecting the oppression and displacement evolving as a product of caste, creed and poverty in both rural and urban areas.

The society where we have been living is badly crippled by the superstitious beliefs, the vicious circle of poverty, the religious dogmas, child labor exploitation and social discrimination.  In such society, the evil practice of denouncing Kaluwa, a blacksmith, as "Down with Kaluwa," and making nasty remarks like "Down with whores" for a widow and her grown up daughters belonging to "untouchable caste" in the name of festival is common but unpardonable. This bitter reality has been a part of Krishna Prasad Bhusal's story "Matari." Similarly, the tragic story of Aditya, a child labor working in a tea shop and Maya, a child widow, reminds us, the readers, to muse on such evils which are occupying our societal memory. Nitya Pandey's this story entitled "Those Little Things" has been advocating for fighting against such ill-practices for the betterment of Nepalese society.

In this project of communicating with outside world through the means of scribbled letters, the writers have assumed that this collection can function as a Hulaki----a postman---- a very effective medium of communication especially in the rural areas until the job is grossly affected by the advent of modern technology. However, we shouldn’t neglect the contribution of a postman, who was always ready with his responsibility; ever happy, ever busy. That was the reason once he was invited by every villager when there were social gatherings but was forgotten and looked as nobody when he had not much things to do as a postman. "His arrival at a doorstep could mean a new turn of life" but his departure from Sulbung, a village in Ilam district, brought no effect at all, contrary to his reception in his arrival as a special guest in Mahesh Paudyal's story "Hulaki." The mango plant brought from Coochbihar, India and reared with difficulty, the sparrows living sharing the house couldn’t stop him from leaving the village and believing a maxim "Som kheti Budha ghar," he left the house for uncertain destiny ahead. His faithful duty too couldn’t be a plus point to make others feel sympathetic towards him.

Both Saraswatis; mythical as well as fictional, representing the world of Gods' and of human beings in the story "Saraswati Ravished" by Anita Dhungel, have been shown as the victims of patriarchal society. The seductive beauty of Goddess Saraswati lured the creator Brahma himself, who "could not contain his passions, and hence, ravished her." The same fate recurred in case of fictional Saraswati but both of them could do nothing against the prejudice that they had to encounter in their respective societies. But quite positively, the character "she" of the story "Transgression," has transgressed the social codes by doing those activities which the society had suggested her not to do. The decision of Roji's grandmother in the story "A Village Woman" has also brought some rays of hope in the eyes of readers.

Though the affirmative side of life is shadowed by the characters' physical suffering and mental inflictions, the candle of hope is still burning by bringing some messages as a Hulaki does. To read these stories, in this context, is not only a pastime but understanding of lives of people who are the representative of our society, though mainly of 'the other' side of life.  

         

हस्तक्षेपका विरुद्धमा

           भारतीय भूमी त्यसमा पनि दार्जीलिङमा नेपाली भाषा साहित्यको महत्व विशेष किसिमको छ । ब्रिटिस साम्राज्यले जरा गाडेका बेला होस या बंगाली शासकहरुका अहंका विरुद्ध होस नेपाली भाषा साहित्यले नेपाली जातीको जातीय एकिकरणका लागि खेलेको भूमिका प्रशंशनिय छ ।
भारतीय परिवेशमा नेपाली भाषा साहित्य कहिले जातीय मुक्ति आन्दोलनको दरिलो माध्यम बनेको प्रमाण पाइन्छ भने कहिलेकाहिँ देखापर्ने साहित्यिक विचलनले उक्त आन्दोलन लाई कमजोर पनि बनाएको छ । सामाजिक यथार्थतालाई प्रतिविम्वित गर्नु दार्जीलिङे नेपाली साहित्यको विशेषता भएता पनि पश्चिमा भाषा, साहित्य र संस्कृतिको प्रत्यक्ष असर बाट यो साहित्य पनि टाढा हुन भने सकेको छैन । त्यति मात्र होइन त्यस भूमीको प्रतिनिधित्व गर्ने साहित्यिक कृतिहरुको रचना गर्नुभन्दा पश्चिमा मुलुकहरुमा विकसित सिद्धान्तहरुको अन्धानुशरण गरिनाले भारतीय नेपाली साहित्यले आफ्नोपना गुमाउँदै गएको तितो यथार्थता पनि लुकाउन मिल्दैन ।
      तर समाज र साहित्यलाई एक अर्काका अभिन्न अङ्ग मान्ने साहित्यकारहरु अहिले पनि सामाजिक यथार्थतालाई साहित्यमा लिपिबद्ध गरिरहेकै छन् । समाजमा देखिएका वेथिति र विसङगतिका बिरुद्ध वकालत गरिरहेकै छन् । दमन र उत्पीडनका खिलाफ आवाज उठाइरहेकै छन् । यस्तै आवाज उठाइरहेका छन् दार्जीलिङे कवि राजा पुनियानी कविताका माध्यमबाट ।
उनको भर्खरै प्रकाशित शृङ्खला कविता संग्रह अर्को लश्कर माथी उल्लेखित सबै किसिमका हस्तक्षेपका विरुद्धमा मुक्तिको आवाज हो । यो संग्रहले नाम भएर पनि गुमनाम बनाइएका हाम्रै सडकपेटी र भीडहरुमा भेटिने आम सर्वसाधारण जनताहरुको पीडा बोल्छ, गुमानसिंहहरूको, कालेहरुको आवाज बोल्छ, अनि हक खोसिएका हर्कबहादुरहरूको व्यथा बोल्छ ।
          अज्ञात बनाइएका यस्तै प्रतिनिधि पात्रहरूले “अघोषित संकटकाल” को यातना खेप्नु परेको कुरा कविले कवितामा उठाएका छन् । उनीहरुको थाप्लाभरि विवशताको ठूलो भारी छ, कहिल्यै नसकिने पीडा छन्, वाध्यात्मक गुलामी छ । त्यसैले कवि अन्याय, अत्याचार र हेपाइ नसहन गुमानसिंहहरुलाइ आव्हान गर्छन ः
          थाप्लोको नाम्लो खिइएर सकिन्छ
          तर भारी सकिँदैन
          गुमानसिंह ।
          सिद्धान्त र प्रयोगको बीचको ठूलो खाडलले कविमा आक्रोश जन्माएको छ । एकातर्पm गणतन्त्र “जनताले, जनताकै निम्ति र जनतालाई” भन्ने र अर्कातर्पm तिनै जनताका “घाउकै मुखमा थ्याच्च बसेर÷... ऐतिहासिक खून पसिना” चाट्ने जालि सरकारप्रति क्रुद्ध छन् कवि तर निर्भिक छन् किनकि उनी विश्वस्त छन उनको विचार कारगारमा थुनिनेवाला छैन ।
       
          त्यसैले कवि पुनियानीले जनतालाई आवाज नभएका लाचार, उदास, सीमान्तिकृत नबनी निर्भिकताका साथ हस्तक्षेपलाई हस्तक्षेप गर्न अनुरोध गरेका छन । निरंकुशताका बिरुद्द गोलबद्ध हुन आव्हान गरेका छन् । उत्पीडनका बिरुद्ध आगो बाल्न सुझाएका छन् । सँगसँगै कबितालाई मुक्तिको नारा बनाउन श्रष्टाहरुलाई सल्लाह पनि दिएका छन् ।
साथै सत्ताको दमनमा थिचिएका र पिल्सिएका आम नागरिकलाई कुम्भकर्णे निद्रामा नपर्न, चेतना शून्य नहुन विनम्र अनुरोध गरेका छन् र एक भएर शोषक सत्ताका विरुद्ध जाइलागे सत्ता निदाउन नसक्ने तर्क प्रस्तुत गरेका छन् ।
          तपाईं निदाउँदा
          उ जागिरहेको हुन्छ
          तपाईं जागेको दिन
          उ निदाउनै सक्दैन ।
          “दुःश्वप्न भन्दा भयावह÷दुर्घट्ना भन्दा कुरूप÷ र औंसी भन्दा अँध्यारो” शोषणलाई दार्जिलिङ्गेहरूले लामो समयसम्म सहँदै आए पनि अब तिनका विरुद्ध जाइलाग्न र आफ्ना अधिकार प्राप्तिका लागि कुनै पनि सम्झौता नगर्न कविले खवरदारी गरेका छन् । किनकि हर्कबहादुर, गुमानसिंह,  दलसिंह, जेठाहरू सबैलाई थाहा छ कि दार्जिलिङका प्रत्येक कुना कुनामा उनीहरूका “बाजे–बोजूको खुन”, “आमाबाबुको पसिना” उनीहरूका “आफ्नै हातको ठेला” र श्रीमतीका “फुटेका... अम्लाहरू” को मेहनत छ । तबत उनीहरूको रगत उम्लिएर आउँछ र हस्तक्षेपका विरुद्ध प्रहार गर्न तैयार हुन्छन् । त्यसैले अन्यायमा परेका जनता, उनका विचारमा, “कुना” बनेर ‘बोल्ने’, ‘बौलिने’, ‘हल्लिने’ र अन्त्यमा ‘भत्किने’ सल्लाह गर्दैछन् ।
          सत्ता र शक्तिको खुडकिलोमा टेकेर निमुखा जनताहरूप्रति आश्वासन मात्र बाँड्ने तर उनीहरूको पीडामा साथ नदिने शासन व्यवस्थालाई पुनियानीले कविताका माध्यमबाट आक्रमण गरेका छन् । जनता विकासका पोकाहरू बोक्ने उज्यालोलाई पर्खिरहेका छन्, र आगो बनेर निरङ्कुशतालाई जलाउन चाहान्छन् ।
          कविले वेइजिङ, ह्वाइट हाउस र दिल्लीमा भर पर्नु पर्ने नेपालको विवसता र ‘भोटाङ’ का रिजालहरूको पीडा पनि कवितामा पोखेका छन् । उनको रोष छ समयानुकुल परिवर्तन नभएका पाठ्यक्रम प्रति । सानालाई मात्र लाग्ने कानून प्रति । रक्त पिपाषु सत्ता प्रति र समग्रमा सबै किसिमका हस्तक्षेप प्रति ।
          यसरी यो कृति वेवास्ताका सिकार बनेका पात्रहरूको वास्तविक कथा हुँदाहुँदै पनि कतिपय ठाउँमा कवितात्मकता अपहरण हुँदा पाठकलाई खिन्न लाग्छ ।  कवितामा पीडाका विरुद्ध आन्दोलित बनाउने ताकत त छ तर अनुच्छेद जस्ता लाग्ने कविताका हरफहरुले पाठकलाई म कविता पढ्दैछु वा कथा, अन्यौलमा पार्छन ।
          नेपाली शब्दहरू प्रयोग गर्ने सम्भावनाहरू हुँदैहुँदै प्रयोग गरिएका अंग्रेजी शब्दहरू जस्तै – स्याडिस्ट, टेक्नोलोजीले कविताको सौन्दर्यलाई घटाएका छन् । कविताका हरफहरू बोल्ड अक्षरमा लेखेर पाठकको ध्यान आकर्षण गर्नु भन्दा पाठकहरूलाई नै मूल्याङ्कनको जिम्मा दिएको भए उचित हुने थियो  किनकि कविताको महत्वपूर्ण पंक्तिहरू पत्ता लगाउनु लेखकको भन्दा पाठकको जिम्मेवारी हो ।
          कविले लेखनशैलीमा एक्सपेरिमेन्टेसन (प्रयोग) गरेका छन् । रूपले सारलाई निर्धारण गर्छ भन्ने सैद्धान्तिक मान्यतालाई अनुसरण गर्न खोजेका छन् । “कुना”लाई बिम्बको रूपमा प्रयोग गरेका छन् अनि “बेलुन” लाई प्रजातन्त्रसँग र “देश” लाई गहिरो पोखरीसँग तुलना गरेका छन्, तेह्रवटा कवितालाई चार लस्करमा लेखेका छन् ।
          यसरी अर्को लस्कर शृङ्खला कविताका माध्यमबाट कवि पुनियानीले उत्पिडनमा परेका जनताको आवाज मात्र बोलेका छैनन् कि कुनै पनि प्रकारका थिचाइएका विरुद्ध लड्नका लागि अभिप्रेरित पनि गरेका छन् । धेरैजसो कवितामा उनले राज्यव्यवस्थाका वेवास्ताका सिकार बनेका, नाम भएर पनि अज्ञात बनाइएका आम नागरिकहरूको यथार्थता चित्रण गरेका छन् । उनले कविताकै माध्यमबाट त्यस्ता उत्पिडन र थिचाइएका विरुद्ध आगो बाल्नु पर्ने सन्देश भएको यो कृति पठन योग्य छ ।

Dhan Naach: A Cultural Heritage of the Limbus

                             

Culturally rich Limbu people, residing mainly in the eastern part of our country covering Mechi and Koshi zone, perform different cultural practices, rituals, rites and ceremonies in different occasions.  Dhan naach (Yalangma), one of such cultural practices, performed with the singing of Palam, not only reflects the history of the communal way of the life and mythical aspects of Limbu community, but also bestows the glorious history of the clan to the new generations helping for promoting their culture and identity with different texture.

Origin

As many other cultural ceremonies of Limbu people, dhan naach is also associated with nature. Dor Bahadur Bista, a pioneering indigenous anthropologist of Nepal, in his book People of Nepal approves the same when he writes "Yalangma is said to have originated as a dance song for the harvest of paddy and has been called the dhan nach, 'the rice dance.'"  Though history doesn’t pinpoint its exact beginning, available myths date us back to ancient time when human beings had just begun engaging in farming activities, tired only running after animals as hunters.

According to a myth associated with its beginning, a bird, nyauli, (fellere fembuna pusha), came to the earth.  Hunter-like instinct of human beings, at that time, was still active; as a result they got ready to kill him. Seeing their preparedness to kill him, the bird requested them to hear him--since he was going to share a skill; a skill that, according to him, benefits both the parties in the long run--before killing him.  Getting permission from them, firstly, he appreciated human beings for being intellectual /rational and expressed his discontent on their merciless killings of innocent birds. Also reminding them the limited number of birds, he suggested them to cultivate land and harvest crops, which they both, humans and birds, will enjoy equally later. He also assured them of bringing the seed of paddy (marimba) and in return he conditioned them that they wouldn’t kill his generations as their food in the days to come. Persuaded by the bird they approved the conditions and readied for the debenture of truth, satya dharma muchulka (ingdanihup)­­.

Later the bird returned with ghaiyadhan (tamyaroya). Human beings did as suggested by the bird. The birds as well as human beings gathered to enjoy the dhan (paddy) when it was harvested, as per their agreement. The agreement worked properly for some years but when the number of birds increased, human beings, breaking the agreement with the bird, decided to make a heap of paddy but it too didn’t work; birds ate almost all of it. Exhausted human beings decided to protect the dumped paddy by encircling the heap of it by joining hands to hands. While doing so they also uttered the expressions like ha . . . ha… ha….he…he…he… hui… hui… hui, which later became the part of dhan naach. Still to survive, the birds had to eat and they did it when people are tired and sometimes fell asleep. When those awaken farmers shouted ha … ha… hui … hui to the birds, those slept woke up and asked about the whereabouts of the birds. Sometimes those awaken showed to the birds living in the trees.  Whatsoever, the myth justifies that it began with the promise of farming between the bird and human beings.

Dance

There are certain rules and parameters of dancing dhan naach. Since this dance is performed mainly in the happy occasions like festival, feast, marriage ceremony, mela bazaar (fair) etc., it is not danced during the time of mourning in the house and in the neighborhood.

Khamar (yasummaden), the place of its performance, gets its relevance in the presence of both boys and girls (nalingben thangben). Before singing palam, they worship all of their gods including nature gods like sime bhume, sikar deu and their tribal gods. Then the boys and girls scrutinize their relations and if found too close relatives, they beg excuse with each other and don’t dance together but if the dance is only of old people relation doesn’t matter.  Sometimes, very interestingly, the newly introduced boy and girl's relation turns into husband and wife. Age can't be a barrier for dhan naach; people belonging to various age groups--be senior people as well as young-- can be the participants.

Doing/observing all these, participants dance dhan naach enjoying with palam. It is like a duet song; asking questions by one side and responding by the next. In intervals, collectively they utter he…ha….ee… by stepping few steps front and back repeatedly --following rules-- holding hands with each other. To watch the rhythmic dance is really a spell bounding one as Dor Bahadur Bista rightly claims, "This harvest song [dhan naach] has a catchy tune and the dance is fascinating to watch. The rhythm and dance steps, some people believe, were developed as people trampled paddy for threshing."   

Exchanging of the 'token of love', known as miksenna, is an important part of dhan naach. With this they promise to meet again in the next life if not possible in this life. Murchunga, Dhaka topi, ascot, maflar, khandi's plain for daura suruwal are some things that girls give to boys and in return they get comb, thunche, namlo, ring, gunyu choli etc.  They also exchange bottles of whisky.

If felt tired of dancing, participants can take rest for a while and can continue later. They declare of its end through palam itself and with the greeting of sewaro, dance comes to an end.

This dance is mainly performed by the Limbus of Limbuwan area but others too who have knowledge of it can take part in it making it as an example of socio-cultural harmony.  The performance of such an important cultural heritage is the way to preserve the saga of Limbu culture amidst the growing influence of alien cultures and modernization. So it is a high time to save its originality and fame and to sustain socio-cultural identity of Limbus in the globalized world of 21st century.

अन्र्तयुद्धका कथा

अल्वर्ट आइन्सटाइनले सिगमण्ड फ्रायडलाई एक पत्रमा सोधेका थिए “ईज देयर एनी वे अफ डेलिभरिङ्ग मेनकाइन्ड फ्रम द मिनेक अफ वार” अर्थात् मानवजातीलाई युद्धको त्रासबाट मुक्त गराउने केहि उपाय छ कि ? यस प्रश्नको उत्तर दिने सिलसिलामा फ्रायडले युद्धका २ कारणहरु उल्लेख गरेको थिए– भौतिक र मनोवैज्ञानिक ।

फ्रायडले भने अनुसारका युद्धका मनोवैज्ञानिक कारणहरुको संग्रह हो विश्वम्भर चञ्चलको कथासंग्रह ‘द वार इज वे्रकिङ्ग’ । यो कथा संग्रहमा संग्रहित कथाका पात्रहरुका मनमा भड्किएका युद्ध यति धेरै शक्तिशाली छन कि भौतिक युद्धहरुमा भन्दा पनि बढी ।
अठार कथा संग्रहित यस संग्रहका कथाहरुमा मुख्यतः तीन प्रवृतिहरु देखिन्छनः मनोवैज्ञानिक, अस्तित्ववादी र ब्यङ्गात्मक । संग्रहको पहिलो कथा ‘द मर्ग’ अर्थात् शवगृहमा श्रीमान पात्रको मनमा युद्ध भड्किएको छ । श्रीमतीले आत्महत्या गर्ने धम्कि दिएपछि चिन्तित वनेको श्रीमान पात्र घर पुग्दा श्रीमतीलाई जिवितै भेट्न पाइने हो कि होइन भनेर तर्सिरहन्छ र अफिसबाट घर फर्कदा शव गृहको पालेलाई आज कोहि मृतकलाई शव गृहमा ल्याए भनेर सोध्छ ।
त्यस्तै ‘फर्गेटिङ्ग’ कथाको विर्सने वालाको मनपनि उद्वेलित छ, युद्धरत छ । कथाको ‘म’ पात्रलाई केहि न केहि महत्वपूर्ण कुरा विर्सिएको छु भन्ने लाग्छ तर उक्त कुरा के हो भनेर संझन चाहिँ सक्दैन । आफूले विर्सिएको कुरा के होला भनेर आमा, भाइ, भतिजा, भतिजी सबैलाई सोध्छ तर उनीहरुलाई के थाहा जुन उ स्वयंलाई थाहा छैन ।
‘द किलर’ कथाको किलर पात्र जसले वास्तवमा हत्या गरेको थिएन तर अरुहरुले शंका गरेपछि युद्धग्रस्त मन लिएर भाग्छ र वास वस्ने ठाउँमा एक महिलालाई साच्चिकै हत्या गर्छ र जुनसुकै सजाय भोग्न तयार हुदै गाउँबाट शहरतिर जान्छ । सोहि हविगत छ ‘द इनसेन प्रिस्ट’ कथामा प्रिस्टको जसलाई सवैले पागल ठानेर पागलखानामा राख्छन् । यस कथामा उसलाई पागल ठानेर सोहि अनुसार व्यवहार गरिदा भड्किएको उसको मानसिक युद्धको चित्रण छ ।
अर्कातिर ‘लङ्ग लिभ डेमोक्रेसी’को प्रमुख पात्र नरबहादुरको मनमा यद्ध भड्किएको छ । उसको छोराले तपाई पञ्चे हो ? भनेर सोद्धा र श्रीमतीले जागीरबाट राजीनाममा दिन सल्लाह दिँदाको नरवहादुरको मनोविज्ञान शेक्सपियरको पात्र हेम्लेट जस्तो अनिर्णयको वन्दी वनेको छ । त्यस्तै द्विविधाको सिकार छ ‘द एपिडेमिक’ कथाको ‘उ’ पात्र, जो श्रीमतीको मृत्युपछि अन्तेष्टि गर्ने वा भाग्ने विलखवन्दनमा परेको छ । ‘हण्ट फर फ¥च्युन’ को ‘म’पात्रको भाग्यको खोजीले स्यामुयल वेकेटका पात्रहरु भ्लादिमिर र एक्स्ट्रागनलाई सम्झाउँँछन् जो परिचय नभएको ‘गोडो’लाई पर्खिरहेका छन्, कालान्तर देखि । सोहि हविगत छ ‘द हिल एण्ड द भिलेज’को ‘म’ पात्रको पनि जो त्यस डाँडामा वस्ती वसेको हेर्न पर्खिरहेको छ । 
उनका कथामा अस्तित्वको लागि संघर्षरत पात्रहरुको संघर्ष अल्वेयर कामूको पात्र सिसिफसको भन्दा कम छैन । जसरी सिसिफसलाई भगवानको गोप्यता चोरेको अभियोगमा जिवनभर ढुङ्गो पहाडको टुप्पोसम्म गुडाइरहने सजाय दिइन्छ त्यसरी नै ‘द हिल एण्ड द भिलेज’मा ‘म’ पात्रका सपना र लक्ष्यहरु अर्थहिन वन्छन् । अर्थहिन कामको चापले उसले आत्महत्या नसोचेको होइन तर सिसिफसले जस्तै उसले पनि घोषणा गर्छ – ‘आइ डिसाइड नट टु डाइ’ र आफ्नो सपना सार्थक गर्न प्रयासरत रहन्छ, सुख र दुःख एकै सिक्काका दुइ पाटा हुन भन्दै उसले पहाड खनिरहन्छ ।
‘ट्रान्सफरमेसन’ कथामा पात्रहरुले कल्पनाको संसार सिर्जना गरेर आफ्ना अपूर्ण सपनाहरुका तीता यथार्थहरु पुरा गरिरहेका छन् । इच्छा आकांक्षाहरु बढीरहेपनि श्रोत वढ्न नसक्नाले सो परिवारका सदस्यहरु आलु र तरकारी खाएर माछा, कुखुरा खाएको अनुभव गर्छन् ।
सामाजिक राजनैतिक विसंगतिप्रति चञ्चलको कटाक्ष यस संग्रहको अर्को विशेषता हो । निराश भएर सरकारको मुख ताकेर वसेका वाढीपिडीत वारदहका जनताको चित्रण गर्दै जनताका दुःख प्रति उदासिन सरकारलाई उनले ब्यङ्ग गरेका छन् । झिनो आसामा वाचेका जनता अझ वढी खिन्न हुन्छन् जव मन्त्रीको हवाइजहाज आकाशबाटै फर्किछ । ‘द चेयर’ कथाले पनि नेपालको कर्मचारीतन्त्र प्रति कटाक्ष गरेको छ जुन संयन्त्र महत्वपूर्ण कामलाई स्थगन गर्न माहिर छ ।
त्यस्तै ‘केरोसेन’ कथा मट्टितेलमा हुने राजनीतिको कथा हो र झिनो आशमा वाचेका हामी सवै नेपालीको कथा हो । जनतालाई सुविधा दिनुपर्ने निकाय भएर पनि जनताको पिरमार्का नवुझ्ने सरकार प्रतिको शसक्त प्रहार हो । सरकारी गाडी दुरुपयोग गर्ने मन्त्रीहरुलगायत उच्च पदश्थहरुलाई ‘लङ्गलिभ डेमोक्रेशी’ले पनि सालिन ब्यङ्ग हानेको छ । देशरुपी खेतमा, मूसारुपी शक्तिप्रयोग कर्ताले देशलाई उराठ वनाएको प्रति कथाकार चिन्तित देखिन्छन् ‘द फिल्ड, माइस एण्ड फिसरस’ कथामा ।
कथा अनुवादकले अनुवाद गर्दा सावधानी अपनाएका छन् । नेपालीपना नहराओस भनेर शब्दहरुलाई लगभग अर्थ दिने शब्दहरुमा नढाली झर्रा नेपाली शब्दहरु जस्तै – खुकुरी, हुक्का चिलिम, सान्दाइ, भादगाउले, ढाकाटोपी, डण्डी वियो, दौरासुरुवाल नै प्रयोग गरेका छन् ।
सामान्य प्राविधिक त्रुटिहरु तथा छुट्टै पेजमा लेखिएका कथा शिर्षक त्यति प्रभावकारी नभएतापनि समग्रमा यस कथासंग्रहले पात्रहरुका मनोदशाको सूक्ष्म विश्लेषण गर्नुका साथै सामाजिक, राजनैतिक दुर्दशा प्रति असतुष्टी व्यक्त गरेको छ । सँगसँगै अर्थहिन जीवन जिउँदाका नैरास्यता समेत संग्रहित हुनुले यो संगालो पठनीय बनेको छ ।