जुल्फीको जुलुम

ठिटौले सरकारले अब जुल्फी राख्न पाइन्छ भनिदिएपछि बहुसंख्यक स्कुल र कलेजका ठिटा मुसुक्क हाँसे होलान् । छोराहरु सानै हुँदा पनि लरक्क कपाल राम्रो देखिन्छ भनेर धेरै आमाहरुलाई मैले सेलुनतिर, पार्लरतिर गएर आफ्नो बच्चाको कपालको स्टायल गराएको देखेकी छु । नानीहरु जब विद्यालय जान थाल्छन्, कपालको छुट्टै नियम उनीहरुले पालना गर्नुपर्छ । छोटो आर्मी कट हेयर बनाउन पर्‍यो, नत्र केटो कारवाहीमा पर्‍यो । बिचरा  नानीहरुको मनमा कपालमोह कति गाढा हुन्छ भने दशैंको लामो बिदापछि  स्कुल आउँदा प्रायः केटाहरुले कपालका नानाभाँती स्टायल गर्न भ्याएका देखिन्छन् । कानमाथि कन्पारामा रेखी हान्नु त साधारण नै हो । याद गर्नुभा होला नि? अझ मौका परे त आँखीभौंमा समेत कैचीले छड्के रेखा हानिदिन्छन् । लामो बिदापछिको स्कुल लाग्ने दिनकालागि भनेर कति गरेर बनाएको आफ्नो इच्छा माफिकको लर्के जुल्फी मन कटक्क पारेर पुलिस कट पार्नु कम्ति ठूलो वाध्यता हो र?

जुल्फीवाला अनुशासनहीन हुन्‌ ?

नेपाली समाज कपाललाई लिएर अहिले सर्लक्क दुई कित्तामा बाँडिएको छ । भर्खरै मात्र दमकको एक नीजि विद्यालयका एक हुल छात्रहरुले स्कुलले कपाल काट्न दवाब दियो भनेर विरोध गरेको भन्ने समाचार आयो । अलि अगाडि इटहरीतिरको कलेजमा एक टिचरले विद्यार्थीलाई कपाल नकाटेको निहुँमा सातो खाँदै गरेको भिडियो पनि आएको थियो । सोसल मिडियामा आएका विषयमा पक्ष विपक्षमा दोहोरी खेल्नु हाम्रो नयाँ नेपालको चरित्र नै हो । कपालवाला भिडियो सतहमा आउनासाथ तर्क वितर्क चल्न थालिहाल्यो । कपाल पाल्न पाउनुपर्छ भन्ने कमै देखें मैले । अब बर्बाद भयो । समाजमा मर्यादाहीन बनमान्छेहरुको जगजगी हुने भयो भनेजस्तै गरेर मान्छेहरु भनिरहेका थिए । यसबाट मैले के अनुमान गरें भनें हामीलाई हाम्रा पुराना मान्यताहरुले छपक्क छोपेका छन् । तिनै आउटडेटेड मान्यताहरुको कालो बर्को ओढेर बाहिर चिहाउँदै हामी नयाँ मूल्य र मान्यताहरुमाथि धावा बौल्छौं र आफ्नो बचाउको लागि 'संस्कृति', 'परम्परा’को आड लिन्छौं । 

हाम्रा मनमा लामो कपाल पाल्ने जति फटाहा, अनुशासनहीन र विद्रोही हुन् भन्ने छाप कताकता नजाँनिदो गरी बसेको छ । जुल्फी विरोधी समूहमा शिक्षकहरु पो अझ अगाडि बढेर आत्तिएका देखें मैंले । छरीकट कपाल काटेका, पुलिस, आर्मी जस्ता आदेश पालना गर्ने, दोहोरो संवाद नगर्ने विद्यार्थीको खोजीमा छौं अझ पनि हामी । एकातिर हामी समाज विकसित र परिस्कृत भएको हेर्न आतुर छौं तर मनमा मर्यादापालक श्रीराम र श्रवणकुमार नै बोकेर हिडिरहेका छौं । लामो कपाल अनुशासनहीनताको पर्याय कसरी बन्यो होला? के यो हाम्रा मनमा बसेको दन्त्यकथाका लामा कपाल भएका राक्षसले अथवा सिनेमाका लामा कपाल भएका खलपात्रहरुको प्रभावले गर्दा यस्तो भयो ? केटाहरुले लामो कपाल पाल्नु अपराध हो भने स्कुल कलेजका केटीहरुले बोइज कट कपाल काट्नु चैं अपराध किन नमान्ने त ? यस कारणले पनि कपालले आचरण र व्यवहार निर्धारण गर्न सक्दैन भन्ने कुरामा म दृढ छु । बरु आफ्ना पालामा नभएको र नयाँ पुस्ताले उपभोग गर्न पाएको अवान्छित व्यक्तिगत स्वतन्त्रता हामीलाई असैह्य भएर लामो कपालको विरोधमा हामी उत्रिएको ठान्छु म त । 

पढ्ने जुल्फीले हो र ?

बहसमा रहेको केटाहरुको लामो कपालको मुद्दा मैले खासगरी अनुशासनसित जोडिएको देखें । अनुशासन र कपालबीच त्यत्रो सम्बन्ध चाहिँ छैन । अझ पुरातन संस्कृति र सभ्यतातिर हेर्ने हो भने त राम, कृष्ण र शिवजीको समेत लरक्क जुल्फी देखिन्छ । तर कपालको सफाइ र सौम्यता चाहिँ कायम राख है बाबु हो भन्ने हो भने त्यति बिघ्न घातक कुरा नै हो लामो कपाल भन्ने मलाई लागेन । यदि विद्यार्थीका बाबु आमालाई आफ्ना छोराछोरीको हेयर स्टायलमा आपत्ति छैन भने अरुले त्यसमा टाउको दुखाइरहनु पर्दैन । अनि छोटो कपालवाला पढ्नमा बिजुली हुने र जुल्फेचाहिँ भूस हुने भन्ने पनि होइन । अबका विद्यालयहरु पहिले पहिलेका जस्ता सिर्कनाले चल्ने पनि हैनन् । अब त वालमनोबिज्ञानका कुरा छन्, उनीहरुका रुचीका कुरा छन् , सिकाइ उपलब्धी मापनका फरक तौर तरिका छन् । अघिल्लो दशकमा भएका प्राय: सबै शिक्षण र सिकाइका स्वरुपमा परिवर्तन आएको छ । यी सबै कुराहरु बिर्सेर हामी जुल्फी आफ्नै पालाको जस्तो खोजिरहेछौं । मलाईपनि लाग्छ, पढ्ने जुल्फीले हो र ?

पश्चिमी लोकतान्त्रिक मुलुकहरु अमेरिका, अष्ट्रेलिया, क्यानडा, ब्रिटेन जस्ता देशमा स्कुले केटाहरुले  कपाल राख्नु नराख्नु उनीहरुकै व्यक्तिगत स्वतन्त्रता हो । बरु त्यतातिर स्कुल परिसरमा अनुहारै छोप्ने हेयर स्टायल गर्न पाइँदैन, साइन्स ल्याबतिर जाँदा कपाल अनिवार्य रुपमा बाँध्नैपर्ने वाध्यता हुन्छ अनि कपालको सफाइ र सौम्यताका शर्तहरु भने पालना गर्नुपर्ने हुन्छ । 

स्कुलका आफ्नै नियम र कानूनहरु हुन्छन् भन्ने तर्क पनि हामी गर्न सक्छौं तर ती नियमभन्दा माथि कपालका विषयमा स्वेच्छालाई प्राथमिकता दिनू भनेर राज्य भन्छ । अनि ती नियमहरु समयसापेक्ष हुनुपर्छ र समय समयमा परिमार्जन पनि गर्नुपर्छ । तर्क र गफका सीमा हुँदैनन् । गफहरु अविरल रुपमा आइरहन्छन् । तटस्थ र अन्तिम भन्ने कुरै यहाँ केही छैन । हरेक कुराहरु परिवर्तनीय छन् । पुराना नियम, मूल्य र मान्यता त्याग गर्न र नयाँमा बानी पर्न केही समय गाह्रै पर्छ । मलाई भने जुल्फीले सामाजिक व्यवस्थामा कुनै जुलुम गर्दैन भन्ने लाग्छ ।

(Published in a Nepali Daily Purbasandes on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 ) 

[The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.]

Blue Bus Service For Women's Safety

 

It was 2022, and I was on a trip to Guwahati, Assam, India. We were guided by a renowned writer and linguist from there as we roamed around the city. At one point, we needed to take a bus. So, we were at a bus stop. There were many buses coming and going but our guide did not tell us to get into any of them. It seemed like he was waiting for some special kind of bus. Then, eventually, one bus came and he told us with a broad smile, 'Let's get into it.' He revealed a truth related to that particular bus, 'This is especially for women and it is free for them. If it is not crowded, men can also use it but they need to pay the bus fare. One more thing, a man can only sit if no woman is standing. If a woman gets into the bus and all seats are occupied, the man immediately needs to offer the seat to the woman.'

Hearing him, I was quite surprised. I looked around to find all the women sitting comfortably. A few men were lucky enough to sit and all others were standing. At that time, a fleeting thought came into my mind, 'It would be nice if women from our country also got to enjoy such a facility.' I still remember - throughout that bus ride, I felt so special and honoured. After four years of my free women-only bus ride experience in Gauhati, the  government of Nepal is also about to launch the 'Blue Bus' service in Kathmandu from the first of Shrawan. This service will be free for women. Initially, there will be eight such buses running on the roads of Kathmandu valley but the government has planned to spread the Blue Bus service gradually throughout the country.

Positive comments 

As soon as the news about the Blue Bus service was published, people started commenting on this; there are both positive and negative comments. Most of the people have heartily welcomed the initiative but others seem to be very critical. The negative comments are ridiculous and unconvincing. For example, some people blame the government for trying to encourage gender discrimination further; they pose a question, 'Why do we need such a service only for women?' According to them, men and women must travel together to maintain gender equality but have we experienced such a thing so far? What is more shocking is that the critics are not only men but women as well. Don't they see how women and girls are being harassed almost every time they use public transportation? Those women who are venting negative comments must also have gone through the public transportation harassment (if they used any) at one or other point of their life. How come they forget their humiliation then?

Others are complaining, 'What to do if husband and wife are travelling together? Do they need to take different buses?' Why would they? They can travel in the same bus but it will be free for the wife and the husband must pay, easy. Another group of complainers are raising their concerns on the colour of the bus itself. They do not seem to like the colour 'blue' as they relate this colour to the ruling party. They claim the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is just advertising its supremacy via the Blue Bus service. For their kind information, Sajha Yatayat has already clarified that the free Blue Bus service for women will not be painted blue; instead, vehicles will be identified through stickers. Some even say that such a free bus service is not available anywhere in the world. Why go far away? Our neighbouring country India, is providing the free bus service for women in several states and I myself have experienced this in Assam.

I wonder if these criticisms are valid. It is clear that the government has a pure intention behind operating the Blue Bus service. Its major goal is to offer safe, dignified, comfortable and free public transportation, especially for women commuters. The target groups to utilise this service will obviously be girl students and working women. Doubtlessly, their life is going to be much easier since they do not need to face any sort of harassment during their travel - what a huge relief for them! Free ride will be a bonus.

Continuity

I think the concept of Blue Bus service is a continuity of what the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) had started once in Chitawan in 2023. When I learned about this, I was also amused at the time. So, I could not stop myself from writing an article entitled 'Blue Fever,' which was published in a local daily Purba Sandesh. In that article, I had mentioned how my house help lady wished the same free bus service had been available in our hometown, Damak, as well, so that she could go to the city area to find a couple of houses to work and earn more money to support her family.

A senior journalist, Babita Basnet, has also expressed a similar view in relation to the Blue Bus service in Kathmandu. She has stated that this service will be highly beneficial for working-class women who have to travel to different places to provide domestic help. These women can save their travel expenses, which can bring happiness to their life. In conclusion, I can say that the launching of the Blue Bus service is a small gesture to show respect towards women. Different groups of women and girls are certainly going to benefit from this service. Simply introducing some free buses only to women does not increase gender discrimination; in contrast, it assures their safety and comfort.     

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, July 10, 2026 ) 

[The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.]

Building Creative Minds Of Tomorrow

 

The other day, I came across a video in which a reporter shared an interesting piece of news. According to him, people have gradually started replacing their smartphones with basic ones. As his evidence he presented findings from several research studies conducted in different countries. For instance, a 2021 to 2024 survey report in the USA indicates that American youths bought basic phones 148 per cent more than smartphones or they seem to replace their smartphone with basic phones. Similarly, the import of smart watches in India from foreign countries decreased by nearly 35 per cent in 2024. This is obviously happening because of the adverse effects brought by such smart gadgets on human lives.

While I was watching this video, different thoughts were in my mind. The philosophy of 'back to basics' is perhaps applicable to every sphere of our lives. This philosophy means shifting our attention to the simplest and most important matters after overusing them for a while. We talk about 'back to basics' in the field of literacy teaching. Traditionally, it was taught using the 'phonics approach' which highlights teaching language by connecting speech sounds or phonemes to written symbols or graphemes. It is a bottom-up approach of teaching-reading with a focus on building fundamental skills first before moving toward the broader goal of reading comprehension. It was criticized for not being able to make students good readers.

 'Phonics approach'

So, with time, the 'phonics approach' was replaced by the 'whole-language approach,' which is based on the principle that teaching-reading will be more effective if it is taught using authentic and meaningful texts rather than isolated phonemes and graphemes. It is a top-down approach where students are directly exposed to words before being exposed to discrete sounds and letters. Now, the 'whole-language approach' has also been started to be criticised. The majority of critics argue that it lacks explicit phonics instruction and encourages students to guess words from context rather than decoding. In the lack of sound knowledge of fundamental elements of language, it does not help the struggling readers. Therefore, there is again a demand for the 'phonics approach' or 'back to basics'.

Similarly, these days we frequently hear the term 'back to nature'. Human beings and nature should always be in harmony. Realising this fact, our ancestors used to have huge respect for nature; they would never go against the law of nature. So, they lived their life meaningfully and happily. Unfortunately, in the name of industrialisation, civilisation, modernisation, urbanisation, development and whatnot, people started to destroy nature. They produced a massive amount of artificial products to replace the natural products. As a consequence of too much exploitation of nature, we have been facing a lot of problems, such as global warming, pollution, different diseases, and poor health, to name a few. Faced with all these unfavourable conditions people are gradually reconnecting to nature. They are working towards preserving it via many initiatives.  

Coming back to the excessive use of smart devices, it has also got numerous issues. In the beginning the invention of such a technology seemed to be very exciting! People wanted everything smart - smart phone, smart watch, smart television. For a certain time, they saw only the brighter side of this digital world. Now, people have begun to realise its darker side. The researchers are continuously engaged in their research work to explore the issues related to the use of smart phones, which have become an inseparable part of almost everybody's daily life.

Research consistently shows that extreme mobile phone use has a lot of harmful effects. Among them, some include sleep disruption, eye strain and vision problems, mental health issues (anxiety, depression), poor posture and musculoskeletal problems, reduced academic performance, phone addiction and dependency, social isolation, cyber-bullying and online safety risks, reduced physical activity & obesity risk, hearing damage. These effects are mainly related to young people.

The young students are in their formative years, so they must be exposed to different subject areas and activities from which they can learn invaluable life lessons. If they spend this prime time only sticking to their mobile phone, they miss out on many things. To address this problem, countries like Australia and the UK have already taken an initiative. The UK government is going to ban children under 16 from mainstream social media platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X from 2027. Australia has already implemented this initiative since 2025. 

Discipline  

In we talk about Nepal, the young children are free to use their mobile phones. Parents complain about this but they are not putting any effort into disciplining them. What is more problematic is the adults around those children are also glued to their phones all the time, so those little ones simply imitate them. As a result, their studies are being hampered and they are prone to disruptive behaviour. 

What I find ridiculous these days is that teachers from different schools boast about teaching their primary level students coding and AI. Parents may be ignorant but how come teachers also don't know how important it is for little children to explore their world via their experience? At this tender age, teachers must support them to develop their creativity, imagination, social skills and many more. Anyway, they are going to learn computer skills in later grades. Why impose coding or AI at an early age?  I pity on those teachers who do not use their common sense to make decisions but copy others to maintain their so-called image. 

(Published in an English Daily The Rising Nepal on Friday, June26, 2026 ) 

[The pictures on this blog are posted here with permission from their owners or have been gathered from various sources on the Internet. If you are the copyright-holder to any of the photographs herein do not hesitate to contact me. They will be swiftly removed if desired so.]