विचार

- Gidon Lamichhane

In Nepali society, religion change means adopting a new religious culture avoiding traditional religious norms and values. In the constitution of Nepal, Part-3, article 23, change in religion is a crime and if anybody forces to change the religion, then they would be fined or sent to the jail. Since it is restricted from the government, we have to think and discuss seriously on this matter. Such fact is taken as a crime, but gay, drinking alcohol, smoking, prostitution are regarded as simple matters. The result is due to the weak psychology of the members of the constitution.

Religion is a tradition. All traditions would not favor human society. Some traditions are against human beings. The founders of such traditions are humans themselves. It is not fair to put people in torture just because of the wrong psychology of any person. If it was necessary to preserve all the traditions, the end of Satipratha (the system of burning a wife with her dead husband’s body), Haliyapratha (keeping a ploughman as a slave), and slavery was not possible. Some dreadful traditions came into end. Still gender, racial and regional traditions are in practice. The trend of dominating women in terms of gender, discrimination to Dalits on the ground of race; and domination from city dwellers to the villagers in Hilly region, and Hilly region people dominating to Madheshis or Himali people do not signal a civilized tradition. Such discrimination has disgraced religious culture itself. Among such religions, culture and traditions, we humans be able to demarcate between what is right and what is wrong. We don’t have to promote to those norms and values in the name of religion and culture which are fake and not beneficial to human society. Destroying such non-beneficial traditions, norms and values and religion; we have to focus on developing well-culture, civilization and religion in favor of human beings.

In the past, Vedic theologies might be in accordance to the level of human consciousness and contemporary society, but how much does it fit at present? Do humans have a right to make decision? There is a class which is taking advantages in the name of religion, and taking benefits from a million people. As they are scared of losing regular allowance, they accuse to those people as changers of religion though they actually are the supporters of well-culture and civilized society. It is a sin. It is only possible to change people’s thoughts impressing them in heart not by force. In India, Dr. Ambedakar struggled a lot to the community with large population suppressed from Hindu religion and culture, but finally he got failed. Even there were struggles within Hindu religion to end racial discrimination. Even the constitution was written in the leadership of Dr. Ambedakar and constituently the provision of no racial discrimination was made, but it was not applied, therefore, Dr. Ambedakar changed the religion himself. It was an option. In Nepal, there is a thinking far ahead that the change in religion cannot end racial discrimination. Specially, the political parties argue that the change in religion cannot provide racial liberation, and their cadres seem so active on this issue. Why there is such debate?

Nepal was a democratic nation before the integration. In the 19^th century, Prithvinarayan Shah, the king of Gorkha merged 52 democratic states by force to extend his great Gorkha. In 1825 BS, he attacked and won the valley, and named as Nepal. Later, in the name of Nepal, he attacked other states. At that time, he planned to make this state a Hindu state. In his plan, he just made the provision of a single hilly-khas language, one religion: Hindu, and one nationality: Nepali that resulted the end of other languages, religions and culture. The theology on the basis of policy and psychology of Prithivinarayan Shah was guided from Hindu culture, norms and values. In the preliminary period of his reign, he divided 18 castes into 36 castes. Four class system: Brahmin, Chhetri, Baishya and Shudra is the main foundation of Hindu religion, and racial system on the ground of this system is the main part of Hindu religion. The people who go against Hindu religion are the communities suppressed from this religion. The rulers focus on its preservation. The practice of preserving Hindu religion is made from those who are really oppressed due to it. It is so dangerous. Peaceful protest against oppression, injustice, exploitation, discrimination and suppression is the change in religion. Though change in religion is the sin for rulers, it is liberation to those who are being ruled. 

Hindu is a civilization or a ritual. The people from Brahmin community dwelling at Sindhughati who used to study Vedic discipline, worship to the god, have devotion and faith to the temple and preach to others were taken as Hindu. This system was started from Aryas. Aryas means the people who carry such works. Adam, the first man created by the God got first responsibility in the garden of Adam and Eve. After having a fall with sin; the second human society started from Noah. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Yaphed. There seems a serious problem with the middle son, Ham due to ancestral curse. Canaan, the son of Ham and the grandson of Noah, after separating from Hebrew race; he settled in Palestine. As the son Canaan dwelt there, he named it as Canaan.

Canaan society as cursed from the God was driven away from that land in 1404 BC. The generation driven away is known as Aryas in the history of this world and by Hebrew race. The Aryas driven away from Palestine reached to Khasi in Iran. Khas had their own state. There was a terrible war when Aryas entered into that state. Finally, Khas (Chhetris) were defeated and Aryas (Brahmins) captured religion, culture and customs completely. Aryas used Khas as per their wishes. The religion, tradition and culture of Khas were lost. Khas followed to Aryas. The main Gods of Aryas are fire, the sun, the earth, air, water, etc. Aryas are those people who used to live a migrated life scattering in Arab, Iraq and Palestine.

When the Aryas started to enter Hindu land, the situation was like this. There were many free states. Hun, Malechchha races and indigenous people were living in their own ways with their own tradition, rituals, culture, and religion. And they used to be so cheerful with their freedom. The people who are called Dalits these days in Nepal were the real inhabitants of that Hindu land. They were simple and generous. When the Aryas entered in their land, then the disturbances in their freedom and fighting were also there with them. Simple and generous inhabitants of land couldn’t do anything with Aryas as they were expert in fighting and diplomatic strategy. The fighting between migrated Aryas and the indigenous people continued for a hundred years. The wars of that time are now being celebrated in the name of different festivals and rituals on the basis of their various volumes of books. Therefore, the forefathers of Nepali indigenous people and Dalits were killed on Hindu Land at that time. Though such stories were written during 11^th century, such things were spread before in the society. Aryas had a great influence southern India, Nepal, Uttaranchal and UP in the northern side.

Ayodhya, Kashi, Delhi, ctc are in Hindu land. For example, Delhi is taken as the land conquered by the king Indra. Aryas took Haridhwar as the land for their work and religion. When Aryas entered into India, racialism (Brahmin, Chhetri, Baishya and Shudra) came into existence. The formation of jugglery of Purohibad (Preaching), Brahminism, Gurubad (Taking someone as Godfather) came into practice and some cruel religious policies like Satipratha were applied. Even such policies are in practice in the places where Aryas are in majority.

Thus, a simple life changed into a puzzle. Brahminism was imposed in the name of religion. Chhetris became the king, Bahmins the Purohits, and both the brothers shared braves and beauties as well the allowances. The number of orphans and child-widows increased, and women became the victims of sexual exploitation. As caste was not taken into account of beautiful ones, they were taken to the palaces for decoration. Chhetris and Baishyas had to to offer a gift such as Kanyadan (offering daughter as a gift), property, land, crops, gold and so on; Brahmin priests were there to receive and use them. According to Arya history, they were not the people with bad nature and ill mannered, but they became so after coming to Hindu land. The main reason is that they got allured with the property and beauty of the simple people in this land. When they got success, then the wishes and lust for sex ruled over their mind. Sexual exploitation, polygamy, theft, robbery, etc spread everywhere because of them as they were not before.

The supporters of Arya are decreasing, and hiding a cunning face inside mask is not good. It is not possible to historical truths through artificial myths. It is not good to break a true belief of common people. Before 4 thousand years, Aryas were in the hilly region of Asia, but they couldn’t live there because of their activities and nature. It was hard to stay with others (indigenous people) there. The main hardships of dwelling there were Purohitism-untouchablity-racism and diplomatic strategy. Finally, those Aryas sustained their lives as slaves of Hebrew near Pacific Ocean. In other words, they dwelt there being sold as slaves for years. And they have been taking their amount and interest on this Hindu land. In fact, after conquering Maharastra in India, Aryas entered into Nepal and applied monopoly in Nepalese society for 2 hundred years. Though the monopoly came into end with monarchy, still all the common people are not feeling the real sense of secularism.

This era is the era of religious freedom. It is personal decision and right whether to follow any religion or not, but taking religion change a sin and just making people parrot Hindu religion is not fair. It is a person’s fundamental right to leave such a religion which has discriminated and divided people just for the benefits of some specific castes, and to follow own desired religion. Racial system instituted by Hindu Religion can go end with the change in religion, but it would affect till the change of psychological aspect. Religious practice, beliefs and objectives shape a person, therefore, religion change seems an option to abolish racial discrimination over majority of Nepalese people. Change in religion brings change in philosophy of life, so it is must. The religion which is the barrier of making ourselves like human, it is worthless to feel proud of it though it has been being imposed since our ancestral time.  Rather if we choose a separate way of religion, our new generation will be free from slavery of Hindu Religion.

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