A Spectacular Show Turned Into a Sour Event: Are all poets so royal?

By Dinesh Wagle on May 30th, 2005 in Wagle Monologues

Why Madhav Prasad Ghimire stands on airport in a rainy day and why Jana Kavi Keshari gives such a royalist speech on a musical program?

My today was drastically different from my usual routine. Well, what did I do? Nothing. That is why it was my different day. I do not usually stay in home whole day. For that either I have to have serious illness or..or I don’t remember the last time I stayed in home whole day. I have been suffering from tonsils related problems for the last two weeks. Yes, that made me stay in my house for straight four days in the beginning of the last week. But then I started my daily routine with taking antibiotic capsules and Febrex Plus and other one for cough related problems. No sign of improvement even after 10 days. That is why I decided to stay in home, sleepingâ?¦sleepingâ?¦watching TV (four movies on HBO, Cinemax and STAR Movies), sleeping, occasionally checking emails, and, I could not stop myself from, typing these lines.

Being away from news is an experience of its own. I read an article about this experience in Outlook a few months ago and Deepak talks frequently about that article at tea times. The only ‘news’ I read today was the press release of the Directorate of Public Relations at the Royal Nepal Army that claimed, on the first point, about four ‘terrorists’ being killed in the latest offensive security forces in Berthahaw area of Sarlahi district on Jestha 15. Overall, I lived today in nostalgia, nostalgia of yesterday, the day before yesterday and the last week.

Last week, I was in all those pro-democracy demonstrations despite my throat problems. I was determined to experience People’s Movement live. Life is shot, so I think, I should enjoy it to the fullest. Being in those movements was my passion, my heartily desire. I could not ignore them.

Saturday was yet another good and apolitical day. Well, was that really apolitical, I am wondering now. I went to see one of the biggest musical events of the year: Image Music Awards. Talked with couple of singers and musicians. Wanted to make a feature out of the event, but could not write more than what happened. I mean that was a plain reporting of the events. I still have a plan of doing one feature about Nepali music.

Mind boggling show of 1974 AD, Nepal’s one of the finest international class rock band was the hallmark of the event. “Guras fulyo banaima” WowW I can’t forget that song. I also appreciated Sindhu Malla with her remix “Jhaljhali Aankha Ma..” Coming from the lok (folk) musical background (Sasurali Maa), he pop debut (album ‘Khaa?’) has become fairly successful. Folk singers are considered second grade singers in elite-dominated Nepali pop-rock musical field. Sindhu has given a strong slap to those who think folk singers cannot sing other genres of songs well. I felt that she was feeling a bit nervous singing in front of a hall full of crowd at BICC that was being broadcasted live over Nepal Television, Image Channel and Image FM.

It is good that Nepali music is moving forward with time. New artists are coming up with brand new ideas. New genre of songs are being introduced to Nepali public. I mean, Lok (folk) to Sugam (modern) to Pop to Rock to Hiphop toâ?¦.I can’t name them all. Compared to film industry (Kollywood), Nepali music industry is vibrant, sophisticated and appreciated by all the spectrums of Nepali society. Everyone listens a song by Nabin K Bhattarai or Sugam Pokharel or Ani Choying Dolma or Udit Narayan. But not everyone watches films of Rajesh Hamal or Bipana Thapa or Shree Krishna Shrestha.

One example could be myself. In fact, Devendra (Bhattarai) and I planned to go for Dui Kinara (Two Banks), a feature film directed by Tulsi Ghimire, one of the greatest cine personality Nepali has ever produced. His Darpan Chhaya was suprehit without seeing by, for example, myself. The Dui Kinara plan couldn’t materialize today. May be tomorrow, I am not sure.

Each year, Nepali music industry experiences two big award shows: Image and Hits award. Last year, there were no Cine awards at all. This year, state machinery Nepal Film Development Board is gearing up for the first National Film Award. But I think these kind of programs should come out from private sector. Government can’t/shouldn’t do everything.

Anyway, the show was going on as per my expectations. Awards were being distributed. Very good songs were being presented to the audiences. Jana Kabi Keshari Dharma Raj Thapa, poet and the man who sang Hariyo Dada Mathiâ?¦Halo Jotne Saathi..was awarded with the Life Time Achievement Award. Good. He deserved that. But I was stunned by what he said while accepting the award and that made me get out of the hall abandoning opportunity to see the announcement of other important awards including best song of the year, best album of the year and best singer (male and female) of the year.

Anyone can achieve success by doing what you do with full dedication,” Jana Kavi (People’s Poet) said. He also talked about his long musical and poetic journey from Pokhara to Kathmandu. And in the middle of the speech, he lost his senses, I felt so, and started scrambling about politics. “What his majesty did in Magh 19 (Feb 1) was the absolutely right and fantastic,” poet said, “Now, I feel we can live safely.” I stopped noting down his quotes. I was shocked, to be frank. Couple of fools in the hall started clapping. I feel like that was not my place. I felt like, what the hell I am doing here? I thought I was there to report a musical event, to the ‘Kala ra Shailee’ (last page) of Kantipur. But this guy is talking about ultra-radical politics. At the age of late 80s, what this guy is trying to get from the king?

To be honest, I still appreciate his literally and musical contribution to this nation. But the mercury of my personal respect to his man dipped so low that now I have to look downward to see the level. I got out of the hall, and later in the office, talked about the Jana Kabi Keshari speech with Devendra.

“Ya, what is happening with these Kavis?” he responed. “Last time I was Madhave Prasad Ghimire waiting for the king’s arrival in the international airport standing and soaking in the rain. I don’t know what he expects at 80s.” Then Sudeep (Shrestha) added, Cine artists were the first to demonstrate supporting October royal move. “They are such an opportunists,” he observed.

Every fool has right to support the autocratic moves anywhere in the world. But why the hell Jana Kavi Kehsari Dharma Raj Thapa and Kavi Madhav Prasad Ghimire needed to do so? Was Thapa paying his gratitude to king Mahendra who gave him that title by supporting the autocracy of this king? Was Ghimire paying his gratitude for his title “Rastra Kavi”? Well, if they are doing so they are dead wrong. They didnâ??t get those envious and prestigious titles from kings. They get those from people because they deserved those titles.

People like Thapa and Ghimire are already the shining diamond of this nation because of their contribution to the society. They are already respectable and ‘bigger’ than any kings or Prime Ministers. Every child of this nation knows and appreciates their work (especially that of Ghimire). I think they do not have to be ‘bhats’ of some particular personalities.

Literary figures can have great impact over society. Writers have always played important roles in society in the world. Even in Nepal, Adi Kavi Bhanu Bhakta Acharya expressed his dissatisfaction of “bholi prabritti” (saying tomorrow for making decisions) via his poems. Mahakavi Devkota has used his poems for free Nepali society. There are so many other progressive literary figures that we can be proud of.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 30th, 2005 at 10:27 pm and is filed under Wagle Monologues. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

10 Responses to “A Spectacular Show Turned Into a Sour Event”

chinta Says:
May 31st, 2005 at 1:13 am

Re Madhav Ghimire,

Come on, he is 80. He grew up at the time when king was the ‘greatest’ god in the earth. He never opposed any king. But he , so far to my knowledge, also never made any political statement. Whoever is in power, he doesn’t want to enrage them.

For Dharma Raj Thapa, I honestly don’t know what the fuss is about. The man was always Mahendra’s pointman. Let him say what he thinks is right. I am a republican, but I think the fella has a right to support this regime as much as he wants. Let him have the cake and eat it while he can. He will definitely have heart attack when the nation changes for good.

Chankhe Says:
May 31st, 2005 at 10:23 am

Poets are not politicians. So, lets not bug them.

anita Says:
May 31st, 2005 at 10:29 am

KG is both a poltician and a poet!! Or is he neither?

senile Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 12:18 pm
Please don’t hurt the sentiments of an old man.

saprem Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 1:01 pm
Remember that our crown prince P also wrote (at least) one poem. He is a rastrabadi poet like mahendra, chandani, g shah etc. So, poets’ and kings’ heart must have some resemblence, right? Wagle, it’s your fault to differentiate between politicians and poets? They are the same. long live paras. long live g shah and m shah. hope to see you all in hell.

ujwal Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 2:54 pm
I was too surprised listening to those words of the old man which made me change the channel. These honoured mans should not make such statements. They get a blow when democracy wins and autocracy fails despite of their nonsense quotes.

Bichara Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 4:11 pm
Yes
its good comment hai dineshji, They always write like DEURALIMAA RAAJA BHETIYO CHAUTARIMAA RANI BHETIYO

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

bcreative Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 5:31 pm
“……………….what this guy is trying to get from the king?

To be honest, I still appreciate his literally and musical contribution to this nation. But the mercury of my personal respect to his man dipped so low that now I have to look downward to see the level. ……….”

Not alll people have motive and expectations. whats wrong with 80 year old person expressing what he feels. he has contributed to nepal much more than you will ever do……

hey champ.. look at yourself in the mirror.. most users on this site have much less respect for you than him… their feedbacks are the proof…..

shanker Says:

May 31st, 2005 at 9:18 pm
we can certainly disagree with the maha kavi, but come one…lets not insult him by calling him a fool.

watcher Says:

June 1st, 2005 at 3:26 am
bcreative, u r the person to turn this site into a garbage. u r the person posting garbage under different names…shame on u.