'Cut-off' in govt funding for jatras triggers protest; Home Ministry urges calm

People from Newar community in Kathmandu staged angry protests against the government on Saturday for not allocating budget for traditional jatras (religious festivals) observed in Kathmandu Valley.

People from Newar community protesting the government's decision to cut funding to jatras (traditional religious ceremonies) at Basantapur...

The protesters blocked traffic at several places by burning tyres on the road. There were protest rallies in Basantapur, Teku and Kalimati areas throughout the day. Shops remained closed in these areas with the protesters frequently clashing with the police.

The local Newars took to the streets saying the Finance Minister, who unveiled the budget estimate for the fiscal year 2008/09, cut off the funding for jatras. Protests had started as soon as the Finance Minister presented the budget at the parliament.

On the contrary, some news reports quoting government sources said the funding for jatras has not been cut off. However, the Finance Ministry has not said anything on the matter.

Meanwhile, issuing a statement this evening, the Home Ministry urged the protesters to call off their protest and help maintain peace and security in the capital city.

The ministry also said security has been beefed up in some areas in the capital to prevent possible violence in the wake of the protests. nepalnews.com mk Sept 20 08

WTF

no queiro said "why should there be funding for newari culture and not other ethinic community".

this is because the ancestors of newars had left lots of lands and houses for the purpose of these cultural events. it is just a same that those properties are being misused and this government has balls to cut off the government funding...

however i agree in your point that damaging our country is just stupid. or maybe these maoist only know the way of violence.

we should be preserving our culture not destroying it.

The first thing most of our friends here are discussing is about cast (about bahuns and newars) which is wrong. Another thing is culture, traditions and festivals do not belong to one specific community or people. These things are wealth of the country as a whole like any other natural resources. It is what makes country rich in its heritage, which we all being Nepalis must be proud of and not argue about like what I see here. The politicians are the worst sort of people in any country. They are always concerned about themselves and never care about country and it's people or culture. I read a news few days ago about Prachanda taking a rangerover worth of 1 crore.

Aba jatra manaune kharcha katera Baburamji le bado desh bikas garla ta? Tesaile sathi haru jati ra dharma ko naam ma ek-aapas ma jhagada garnu ko satta sabai nepali ek bahi ye khattam neta haru ko birudda ma aawaj uthau. Bhrasta netaharu jun sukai dharma wa jati ko kina nahos sabai ustai hun, aafno pet bharne ra aafno 7 pusta lai pugne paisa jamma garnu bahek uniharuko aru kam hudaina. Yo sab iniharuko rajnaitik propaganda matra ho. Yo kura bujhau ra afu afu ma jhagada garna chodau.

I don't understand why the previous government had separated funds to sacrifice animals for so called JATRAS.
I support Dr. Baburam for his decision,he is truly a visionary.
   The jatras and festivals should not be stopped however, the community should fund those unnecessary sacrifices. WHY spend our tax for useless purpose.And by the way, I dont think they dump those killed animas into the garbage????May be we could use that money to build a school, build a hospital,build a road, and so many important things that NEPALESE need?
   ALL you people in SAJHA and those protestors are being lured by these stupid opposition parties who just wants to fulfill their interest by encourging public to protest against the government.
 A CHANGE IS COMING TO NEPAL. I SUPPORT THE CHANGE for better future.

The context in which the budget has been cut needs to be understood before we can look at it as an assault on heritage of the Newari people.  Questions need to be asked...

1) How much of the money truly comes from the newari community?  How much is generated from local newari communities and internal guthi's and property they have setup to pay for such things long ago? 

2) Have existing agreements been violated (we always complain about India violating our treatise, has the current govt violated existing agreements)

3) Have other ethnic traditions for other groups been cut?

4) Where is this money going to be reallocated?  for the country, people who paid it as tax or into someone’s pocket?

5) Is there a promotion of other cultures based on this reduction ?

6) Is this political statement or actually a reason based budget cut?

7)  Is there going to be an impact to tourism  (Indian and others) based on these budget cuts?

I think  Newars need to become more politically active, we need start asking questions...because of the passiveness of upbringing and the attitude of possibility rather than negativity people have targeted Newars as people who will accept any card that is dealt. 

So first before any judgment can be passed some of these types of questions should be asked?   Is the budget cuts reasonable or is it really an assassination of culture ?

Hopefully in the end fairness and cooler heads will prevail as everyone knows there is a good chance for a glorious, just and prosperous Nepal but again it based on development of "Just consciousness".  Without this Nepal will never change...

 

The context in which the budget has been cut needs to be understood before we can look at it as an assault on heritage of the Newari people.  Questions need to be asked...

1) How much of the money truly comes from the newari community?  How much is generated from local newari communities and internal guthi's and property they have setup to pay for such things long ago? 

2) Have existing agreements been violated (we always complain about India violating our treatise, has the current govt violated existing agreements)

3) Have other ethnic traditions for other groups been cut?

4) Where is this money going to be reallocated?  for the country, people who paid it as tax or into someone’s pocket?

5) Is there a promotion of other cultures based on this reduction ?

6) Is this political statement or actually a reason based budget cut?

7)  Is there going to be an impact to tourism  (Indian and others) based on these budget cuts?

I think  Newars need to become more politically active, we need start asking questions...because of the passiveness of upbringing and the attitude of possibility rather than negativity people have targeted Newars as people who will accept any card that is dealt. 

So first before any judgment can be passed some of these types of questions should be asked?   Is the budget cuts reasonable or is it really an assassination of culture ?

Hopefully in the end fairness and cooler heads will prevail as everyone knows there is a good chance for a glorious, just and prosperous Nepal but again it based on development of "Just consciousness".  Without this Nepal will never change...

 

We have already lost sevral unique practices and institutions that could possibly give us a distinct identity while also helping a lot in promoting tourism. Several ethnic groups have their own cultural practices and it's definitely good to preserve unique cultural identities for future generations... Cultural activities in the capital were always emphasized and funded by the state, and obviously now they're the prominent ones. So, it'll definitely not be good to try to stop state support for such events in the name of equality and religious neutrality without ensuring some alternative mechanism of support for them. 

State support for local cultural events can be better channelized through the resources of  municipalities or local governments. Jatras officially recognized by the state, should not lose their importance and charm, and funding should not be redueced but its source should be gradually shifted towards the local and community level. And, of course, animal sacrifices are to be stopped sooner or later, better to go towards symbolic sacrifiecs while ensuring supply of 'maasu chiura' to the participants from other sources!!!!!!!!!

Ha HA.................nyckta
you are so dumba**
your dr. will use that money to feed YCL who will be looting and encroaching your own land

ghatia newar la matra yestoo kura garcha

shailendra manandra 

....dangol

pode

mampaka

khousa

top level newar  jatra gardinann

 

 

It's a shame that Dr. Bhattarai, being an architect and a planner doesn't realize that our nation's strength and the capital's built environment thrives on its culture of festivals, not to mention the tourism industry that he is trying to boost up. This is just the beginning of our cultural erosion- the aftermath of the changing times and the beginning of the new Nepal devoid of its identity!

These Jatras are not any part of culture. It is just bul@@@@ to spend money on jatra. The purpose of all the Jatra is to motivate  people from villages to visit nearby cities for business purpose. Those businessman started jatras so that poor people can come and visit cities and clever people do business and earn money. It was just LUTPAT. At lease current government understand the difference between culture and drama. We should thank to Baburam for cutting off the funding source for KODOKO RAKSHI!!!!!! It is  pretty much sure that the current revenew for nepalese government is more from TARAI than KTM and unfortunately government has to spend more money in KTM on so many nonsense hidden jatras and so on. It is very interesting to see greedy NEWAR barking in sajha!!!!!

i thought only prachanda was hutihara, but doctor saab is also hutihara

ke ke na frog ko jasto challang marchhu vandai karaudai thiyo, kathmanduko newar aagadi jhuknu paryo

i think communities should understand the reason for the cut-offs in the jatra-fundings. the govt has not banned to carry-on the jatras. it has just tried to stop the unnecessary expenditure.
the kathmanduties newar communities r enraged but i think it's only because of the majority election winner from that community (Prakash Man Singh). i think he's misusing the power of staying in the opposition at the moment.

Do you think Maoist Really care about Animals. Infact they are the one who used to steal the cow and eat it. Many says Prachanda and Baburam both are christians. 

1. We have all seen how expensvie maoist are taking wifes and children to the foreign visits.Many people visited Beijing and India on government fund which could easily have been cut off.

2. Was Baburam right in cutting fund of Newari community on the last moment. If they wanted to cut the price he should have informed the newari community long time ago and not days before Indra jatra.

अज नेवार भोली लिम्बु, राइ, शेर्प, गुरुङ, मगर, तमाङ र अरु अदिवसी को पलो हो त?

मलाई लाग्छ, मओवदी बहुन नेताहरुले CIVIL WAR निम्तौन्दै छ!!

Baburam did a nice job. Giving elderly and handicapped people benefits is far better than providing money for fests. He had only cut off the budget for the animal sacrifice. If some people love this part of their culture so dearly, why don't they join hands to collect money? His this move makes me realize that he's a man with some vision.

RANDEEEEEEEEEEE KO SANTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN MAOOOOOOOOMADI!

gali garera kehi hunewala chhaina eagle5, what a disgrace hai?

It was not just right to stop any thing without knowing what the result will be.

Stoping funding for the newari people suddenly is like somebody coming to your house and saying they dont like the paint in your house and they dont like too much decoration in your room. So u got to remove all those or they gonna cut off ur salary.

Many of these newari people and others (including brahmins/others) are living with these funding from the govt. So now govt wants to cut the funding. How these people are going to survive?

I dont support the sacrifices but many people are dependent on their day to day life (not only newars )on the funding of these Jatras and tradition by govt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I heard the amount was just 15K Nepali Rs.

I dont think it good to make this such a big issue (of course it happens in Nepal ) . People in ktm valley spend thousands of rupees for unnecessary party and drinks. It could be easily mangeable at community level. ..

- just my  random thoughts. No offense to anyone.