Gopi Krishna Dhungana
I must compose a long, long poem
About those subalterns of Spivak
Who couldn’t speak at all
Who were left anonymous and
Who pretended to move behind the curtains.
I must uproot this crackly cognizance
And must replace it
By collecting the voices of the voiceless
In this fertile land
I must disrupt the history of these
Hitlers and their supporters
Who misjudge the sociological norms and values
Who interpret the theories and prosperity
Making suitable to them
Trade in them
And regard the aesthetics of the subaltern repugnant
Because we have to change
The time discourse of yesterday
And have to compare the subalterns of Spivak
With the people of Nepal and their country.
Trans: Govinda Raj Bhattarai
[Gopi Krishna Dhungana is a Nepali journalist and writer, based in Kathmandu. An MPhil scholar at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Tribhuvan University, Dhungana has written extensively for both adults and children. He is presently associated with the Annapurna Post daily.]