http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/09/30/castes-that-cripple/


Castes that cripple
By Saani | Published September 30, 2011




I’ve been blessed with ignorance when it comes to identifying castes and ethnicities in Nepal. And yes, I knowing used the word “blessed”. I’m sure many could argue that my cultural blindness is a negative thing and that I’m robbing different people groups of their individual identities but I see this as the opposite – regardless of shape of eyes, color of skin, accent, food, and clothes, I am able to see everyone as simply Nepali.

I figure where this will get me into trouble is if I ever have to act like a witness for anything, I’d fail at the descriptions that most Nepalis would use. “He looks Rai,” “She looks Newar” gives me literally no mental image as to what a person’s physical features would be.

At a time when the “Nepali” identity is being questioned and reworked, I can see why people would give me the stink eye for my lack of knowledge. But, if what we’re trying to do is get everyone on an even platform, this “ignorance” is what we should be striving for. I believe that true equality is when we can look at people and not see the differences that we use to be biased and prejudiced.

I don’t know what traits distinguish Gurungs from Magars and I only have a vague sense of which last names are linked to “high” caste and which ones are “low” but if there is one caste that I am able to identify with almost 100% accuracy – it’s the bahuns.

When my mother used to make comments stereotyping them, I’d always get mad at her and tell her that if she, as an educated modern woman makes a statement like that, then what hope do we have for social change in our country? Back then, she had smiled at me and told me to just wait and see. Unfortunately, as time as passed, these characteristics have made themselves apparent to me.

In any circle I’ve drifted through, it take all but five minutes to spot the bahun. They’re usually the ones who are the loudest, the most snooty, and the one with the janney attitude that is every so annoying. Observing these traits I’ve also begun to recognize some traits like the long nose and fairer skin, but it’s the personality and the behavior that stands out the most to me.

So, in order to not be racist to another people group in Nepal, I began to question why people are the way they are and it didn’t take long for me to come up with a theory: bahuns today still possess a sense of authority and entitlement.

For centuries they were looked up to, admired, and people would submit to their every need and demand. For this simple reason, they adopted a sense of superiority. This idea of being better than everyone had been inbreed and birth through countless generations bringing us to where we are today: more bahuns and high caste people still hold more power and position in most realms, they still think they’re better than everyone, they’re still the ones who think they know it all, they’re still living out all the habits of arrogance that our forefathers used to discriminate against our own people.

All of this, needed to change. I’m under the impression that it will take time and education before we see names of all castes in high positions, but until then, I’m going to try to forget how to pick out bahuns and focus on how everyone really is just Nepali.


Saani has no real goals and aspirations but she sees opportunity in everything and goes with the flow. This is probably because she loves exploring and discovering. She writes for fun but for the same reason she also cooks, reads, and spends a lot of time on random websites that offer a chance to learn all sorts of tid-bits on life


http://www.parakhi.com/blogs/2011/09/30/castes-that-cripple/

I like reading Saani's blogs. She writes about almost everything under the sun and you can totally relate to it. I personally think that she is an excellent writer. The other one that I like is Sumi.

Even though I never grew up around baahuns and I haven't had a baahun friend, I still have the mentality that baahun is bad. It is hard to change this mentality because this is what society thinks and wants us to think.

 My question was both rhetorical and prosaic. I meant to state that its not just the Purbeli jhapalis that I've found out to be dhurtas. Folks from Biratnagar and nearby places have measured into similar scales pertaining to cunningness. Come to think of it, aren't most Politicians from that part? 

And I was wondering, that's all because I don't think there are as many Jhapalis outside the Bay Area (might be wrong). 

 Violet, you must be either a gurungseni (or a 'mongolian') or a [Disallowed String for - castist reference]ni maicha. I'll be kicking myself if you turned out to be a "solta". 

I can be anything you want me to be.

 Did I just labeled a "castist" for using the term n e w a r n i m a i c h a? wow. 

Anyway, I hope you don't feel offended. I merely pondered upon the caste that you must belong to based on your post. 

Just to let you now, I am neither of those. But whether I am a solta, we can still debate on that. ;-)

I like the color violet on women...but gee, wouldn't I really be kicking myself if you indeed turned out to be a guy! Just yesterday, I mistook a homo sapien that turned out to be a man for a woman! s/he was pissed as hell when I went went, "ma'am" and I'm still scratching my head on whether it was a guy or a girl because s/he sounded like a guy but looked like a woman. 

You must be a Tibetan then. or maybe a Rai or a Sherpa or a Thakuri. 

Footyfan, I agree with you on this too..

"My question was both rhetorical and prosaic. I meant to state that its not just the Purbeli jhapalis that I've found out to be dhurtas. Folks from Biratnagar and nearby places have measured into similar scales pertaining to cunningness. Come to think of it, aren't most Politicians from that part? 

And I was wondering, that's all because I don't think there are as many Jhapalis outside the Bay Area (might be wrong). "

Avoid purbelis period..western Nepali bahu.n.s are far better..and ofcourse, there 3 types of bahu.n.s and i do avoid purbelis and thats the biggest chunk of bra.h.min.s right there ;)!! And they are the ones with real long nose too like Girija lol :)!

 Paulina, Are you a sherp.ini or Ne.wa.rni, too? The way you talk about b.a.hun.s makes me wonder. 

Nope..I am phuli launi bahu.nni..but not purbeli ;)!!

 ahahahaha. A bahu.ni. that doesn't like another? Interesting....

I grew up being the only bahu.ni..in the circle of my friends and loved my circl.e that way!! when other [Disallowed String for - castist reference].s try to do the bahu.n thing with me..i get annoyed. i can't relate to the bah.unness...unless ofcourse they share similar history as me..which most ba.huns we meet in US don't have..believe it or not some bahu.ns even have differnet names for vegetables they eat..as well as nepali language spoken is very different of diff bah.uns depending on the region..

Not everybody in every cas.te is perfect...I agree with that!

Aba girija dekhi baburam samma so called brahmi.n bhaye pachi k laagcha..but mind u they are purbeli.s ;)! Thus, my distance towards them..

Some of my closest friends are [Disallowed String for - castist reference]s too. One is a tad cunning.  Another is a cheap bastard and a miser   and neither are purbelis. Not all [Disallowed String for - castist reference]s are the same though. 
 

bottom line sabaii jaat ma asal ra kharab manche haru hunchan mero bau ama le sikako kura tehi ho..and i think it is true :)!

 I agree. 

That said, Paulina bhanne Nepali bahu.n.i ta maile ahile samma bhetya thiyina. You must be from adbhutlok. 

maile pani footyfan bhanney nepali bheteko chaina u must be from adbhutlok :)!

 touché 

 What about Baburam Bhattarai, Pukada, Makune, Chiranjivi wagle, Govinda raj Joshi, Ishwar Pokrel, Bamdev Gautam Tarini dutta Chataut, khum Bdr Khadka, Hisila Yami, Barsaman pun, are they all purbeli? But common thing here is most of them are from a caste. Sajhama pani chhan ekdui jana sarbagyata baaje haru jo arulai bheda ra aafulai sakshyat brhma ko mukh baat niskiyeko santaan thanchhan.

kuro sahi ho nalapani...i remember [Disallowed String for - castist reference] ma pani hamlai paila ktm ko [Disallowed String for - castist reference] man parni garthyo..ani pachi bistaraii patan ko shakya/bajracharya man paryo..bhaktapur ko chai aile samma sangat bhako chaina..tara bhayo bhaney teha pani asal/kharab sab thari ko manche bhetinchan..i guess what we dont know we fear....so our stereotypes are the products of our experiences..

tara sabaii jaat ma asal ra khabar manche huney kura chai malai sahi laagcha..kina bhaney katti choti afnai family/relatives ma ta man naparney  ra kharab manche niskinchan...so jaat lai matra ke dos dinu..individual basis jaanda thik hola..

 Wishing everyone a Happy Dashain.. and thanks for the lively discussion on Saani's writings.