We lost our identity by writing 'Gurung'- Nepali Times

Constitution Supplement
We lost our identity by writing 'Gurung'
Tashi Shyahngo Gurungseni UML CA member, Mustang

FROM ISSUE #500 (30 APRIL 2010 - 06 MAY 2010) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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In which proposed province are you?
I am in Tamuwan province. The entire Mustang district is in Tamuwan province.

Do you think the identity of the people of Mustang is guaranteed under this division?
We are not Gurung. We are from the Bahragaun community. Therefore, there should be a 'Bahragaun autonomous region'.

How can provinces become ethnic in a secular state?
The country should be secular but the provinces should be ethnic.

Don't you think people of other communities in a province will feel bad if we name provinces after a particular community?
It will definitely hurt them but we cannot help it. The proposed model is yet to be finalised. There should be special provision for minorities in the new constitution. I don't fully agree with what has been proposed now.

How many are you from your community in the CA?
I am not Gurungseni. I belong to the Bahragaun community. I got the surname Gurungseni while acquiring citizenship. This changed my identity. I feel bad about it. No one from the 5,000 households of our community has ever got any position in politics, government or the bureaucracy so far. I am the only one from my community to become a CA member.

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Constitution 2010, Nepali Times coverage of issues related to writing the new constitution

1. Nirmal
During my childhood and teenage, I got opportunities to know different cultures(like most nepalis), I admired families from indigenous cultures simply because I found them more liberal and with less taboos. But ultimately it seems that the vicious BAHUNBAAD has plagued them too, this interview although summarized one is the best example for my conclusion. Thanks to bahuns like Prachanda, Baburam, Baidhya, Khanal, Nepal etc

It is seen that the more we escape from certain ideology more it persecutes us.

Posted on: 30 APRIL 2010 | 2:15 PM NST

2. toksang
Yeah Nepal in general suffers from the age old mentality of " Bahun knows best".
Until this is shaken off, we will continue to be held down by petty politics and small mindedness.

Posted on: 30 APRIL 2010 | 5:33 PM NST

3. Sargam
Huh, how phantasmagorically fantastic is this talk-back interview! And a 'made Gurungseni' ranting to have casually morphed a Bhotia into a Gurung.Oh my, oh my. You are right my dear, if you are not Ghale (16 jate), not Bhatija (12 jate), not Ghonde (6 jate) and not Lamichane (4 jate) you are not at all GURUNG. You must be free and free to be a Bhotia or something else. Duh, these red tape! But please be a Nepali before anything. Otherwise you are an unknown creature of Maoists whose identity beyond your village remains untapped.

Posted on: 30 APRIL 2010 | 5:53 PM NST

4. gurung
fed up with how this bahuns have totally for so long screw up the indigenous cultures of nepal. they generalize and are arrogant and most of all are ignorant on the unique groups. they are poorly trained on how to be polite to communities they are not familiar with and given then general names or put labels like their own bahun-chattri groups are labelled for POLITICS! they are a shame for the country. they are rude to communities that don't speak their language and put them down. they don't seem to understand uneducated villagers and farmers too are nepali and treat them like dirt although they spend so much to come to government office in the capital towns.

Posted on: 01 MAY 2010 | 10:19 AM NST

5. Tamudhipati

It is true that most of those Bahragaunle and all of Managays had to write GURUNG while applying for their citizenship or in a sarkari kamkaz. Particularly after the Khampa rebellion of the 70s, all Bahragaunles and Manangays became Gurungs on the paper, thanks to Panchayat's bahunbadi bias towards people of Bhotay or Bhotay looking or speaking community. Sherpas managed to stay away from this bias largely mainly due to Tenzing Sherpa's image and Edmund Hillary's work in the Khumbu region and with progressing tourism trade. Thakalis were Tamangs until 1920s. During Rana autocracy, certain palace priests and Rana advisors coterie had a disliking towards Thakalis fearing growing influence and proximity of the Thakali contractors inside the Rana regime and Royal Palace. Thus, those cunning palace priests and advisors labelled Thakalis as bhotay which in effect as cow eaters and considered unholy and unauspicious to be in the company of the royal palace and Rana bigwigs. The Thakalis ever since then starting wearing Janai and changed their surname to Hindus like Gauchan, Sherchan, Jawarchan, Bhatta chan, etc.

Now the CA member did Tashi Shyangbo has shown the gut to say that she is not a Gurung. Can the Thakalis come out of the self made artificial cocoon and identify themselves among their poor cousins, Tamangs, and come back to the root, or will they continue to cheat the history? Only time will tell.

Posted on: 03 MAY 2010 | 6:34 AM NST

6. Rabi_L
This comment has been removed by the moderator.

Posted on: 06 MAY 2010 | 3:29 AM NST

7. jiwan
True she is not gurungseni.... i think she is tamang. infact tamu, tamang,sherpa,mangay,thakalii they are all belongs to tamang sub clans before shaha king unifiedmay well before that.all most same culture ,speaks tibo-burma languages.. 60-70% similarities between them.. just the slangs and tones are diffrent. if u ask gurungs..who are you they called them self "tamu".. is theat short form for tamang ?? one question to all gurungs they called them self higher caste.. whats the diffrent tamu n tamang?? dont tell me tamang are bhote... pls be educated.. go back to your root n find out where you came from..

Posted on: 27 MAY 2010 | 7:16 PM NST