Bijaya Raj Acharya
There was a thick Tharu villige at Deukhuri in the district of Dang. People in that part of the world celebrated the festival of Maghi with pomp and splendor.
The Tharus consider Maghe Sankranti—the first day of the month of Magh—as New Year Day. On the day, all the villagers gather at a place, and share delicious dishes they prepare. Together, they share their joy and sorrow. They decided what new works they would pick up in the coming year. Each one of them shared his or her new plan. In the same gathering, they promised to help one another in need.
“My roof is licking; I need to mend it,” Gambhir Tharu said.
“I need to build a new hut. I expect help from everyone,” Krishna Tharu said.
“I will help in everything you do. I have a very new plan in the new year,” Lakhan Chaudhary said.
“What new plan did you make, Jetha?” Lakhan’s father asked.
“I am sending my daughter Phulmati to school,” said Lakhan with pride.
“Oh, what a beautiful plan!” said everyone, clapping their hands in the crowd.
The crowd was enjoying itself in its own way. Phulmati’s grandfather started gawking vacantly on the face of his granddaughter.
“Grandpa, why are your gawking at me?” Phulmati asked, rather shyly.
Tears were simmering in the grandfather’s eyes. In fact, they were tears of joy. With a mild smile, he said, “May years back, your aunt had gone to become a kamalari on this very day.” A kamalari, you know, is a domestic helper kept at the homes of rich people.
“And I had become a haliya on the same day,” Lakhan said, remembering the day he had become a plowman at a rich man’s farm.
“It has been years that the practices of haliya and kamlari have been abolished. Why do you still remember them?” Krishna Raj said, quite annoyed.
“In the past, on Maghi Day, we used to decide in whose household we would enter as haliya and kamlari. These days, we discuss what new works we shall start,” Gambhir Man said, expressing his happiness.
With a smile, Phulmati’s grandfather said, “I am happy to see the abolition of a practice that lasted till the days of our children. And we are happier to see our grandchildren attending school.”
All the people gathered there promised to send their kids to school together with Phulmati. The festivity of Maghi, however, continued side by side.
Trans: Mahesh Paudyal
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Bijay Raj Acharya (b. 1977) is among those writers of children’s literature, whose total published titles outnumbers almost all of his contemporaries. Though he also writes haikus and biographies, his fame basically resets in fictions for children, both long and short ones. A few of his significant works are In Search of light, The New Village, The Rising of the Dimstars, Our Voice, Jhamak Kumiri, Shanti’s Autobiography Kanchha Kumar, Shyam Prashad, An encounter with Leopard, Pioneer Writer, Our Ideals, The Spiny Porcupine, Kokle Kyak Kokle, I Won’t go to School, Wonderful School, Two Voiceless girl of Sitlangpur, Budhani, Bijay Raj Acharya’s Children Stories, Melting Earth etc. Equally many are the works he has edited and translated.]