Chittaun Kacheheri: Platform of alternative ideas

By A Staff Reporter

Narayangadh, May 16 : The first edition of the Chitwan Literature Festival, which was titled Chittaun Kacheheri, was proved to be a stage of alternative ideas.

Held in Narayani Kala Mandir, Narayangadh, the two-day festival had Dilip Mahato's father Ram Jiban Mahato and his younger sister Laxmi Mahato as speakers among others at the session titled 'The long journey of the fight for justice'. A conservation activist, Dilip had been protesting against the illegal mining in the Aurahi River in  Dhanusha. He was brutally killed by a crusher operator and his agents on January 10,  2020.

“The nation must listen when the speechless people begin to speak,” Ram Jiban said.

Anita Chepang, Aitimaya Chepang, Santosh Bote and Hiradevi Chaudhary were other speakers of the same session who had suffered in the name of the conservation of Chitwan National Park. Their stories of sufferings left the audience speechless.

Rupa Sunar, Bikash Biswakarma, Shivahari Gyawali and Manoz Lohar spoke on the brutal caste system while Sanjaya Mahato, Gyan Bahadur Bote, Indu Tharu and Sunimaya Chepang expressed their views at the session titled 'Where were indigenous people left in development?'. 

Ruksana Kapali, Sudip Gautam, Ishan Regmi, Milan Bastola 'Kanchha Dai' and Gauri Nepali spoke on the issue of the LGBTQ. 

Ajay Dixit, Sagar Karki, Uttam Kandel and Sharada Chhetri spoke on water and environmental issue while Nabin Bibhas, Pratisara Sayami, Raju Syangtan and Manoj Chaudhary expressed their views on literature and knowledge of the mother tongue.

Altogether, the festival had 18 sessions on history, politics, civilisation, caste system, indigenous knowledge, justice, gender, environment and others. 

In addition, famous poets of the country recited their poems and ghazals. Karmi Group staged two dramas while Tharu community presented local music and dance. 

“Our motto was to convey local issues to the nation,” festival director Sarita Tiwari, a famous writer, told The Rising Nepal. She added that the second edition of the festival would be held in the coming winter.

“We will keep on focusing the ground reality in the editions ahead,” Dr. Jivan Chhetri, deputy director of the festival, said.

The festival was jointly organised by Bharatpur-based Manthan, Dabali The Space, Dalit Youth Awareness Forum, Better Chitwan, Youth Political Forum and Narayani Kala Mandir.

The main promoter of the festival was the government of Bagmati Province.