Moin Uddin
The
wonderful view seen from Kaphalghari Village
It was 11 pm, Thursday, when I received the message
on my Face-book which was sent by Dharma Adhikari sir, PhD, Director, New Media
Gufa - asking me - to join as a research assistant for the Rural Media Gufa
2014 to be held from March 8 to 11 in Kaphalghari village of Kaski. I
immediately replied him typing yes.
On the eve of this program Rajneesh Bhandari dai,
coordinator, New Media Gufa called me saying me to come tomorrow at Anamnagar Chowk
at exactly 6 am.
The next day on March 8, I packed my bags, my mom
had prepared light breakfast for me, then I went at Dharma sir’s house, we
loaded our bags on a cab and, then on the way, Mahabir Biswokarma, participant
of Rural media Gufa, Rajneesh dai got in and we went Kantipath. From there two other joined us on the tourist
bus and we headed to Pokhara at exact 7pm.
At 9:30 am, the bus stopped at Tourist Kitchen Pvt
Ltd, Pida 2, Ghatbesi for breakfast.
With Dharma
Adhikari Sir and Mahabir Biswokarma at Tourist Kitchen Pvt Ltd, Pida 2,
Ghatbesi for breakfast.
Rajneesh dai and I ordered two plates Chowmin and
other ordered Chana, it was a kind of buffet system, the waiter gave me Chowmin
on a plate, I thought this is a full plate, but when Rajneesh dai said me “ you
only took half plate Chowmin?” then I said “ the waiter gave me only this much,”
so we went and then talked with the waiter, but he didn’t listened to our
query, after five minutes we complained it to the manager and she herself added
the extra Chowmin to make it a full plate, the service there was really poor,
we stood up and ate our breakfast.
Waiting for
lunch at Cultural Village restaurant, Ghasikuwa – 5, Tanahun (from left in a
red checkered shirt Moin Uddin, Rajnessh Bhandari, Bomlal Giri, Mahabir
Biswokarma and in a cap Dharma Adhikari Sir)
Then we drove in, our bus stopped at Cultural
Village restaurant, Ghasikuwa – 5, Tanahun at 12:40 pm for lunch, but again
this time again, the service as well as the food and water was unhygienic, we
even didn’t got a place to sit, also some were empty but the tables were
cluttered with the unwashed, left-over plates and utensils, which made us sad,
and the environment there was poor, we waited for the waiter to clean the
table, but they didn’t arrived, so we placed the plate on our lap and ate, the rice and
lentils as well as the vegetables were all unhygienic.
We reached Pokhara at 2 pm, the other two
participants, Durga Adhikari and Kabita Gharti Magar came to receive us and
with them we boarded on three cabs and went at Mahendra Cave, where all my
expectations shattered after visiting the cave, I’ll not come the next time, I
felt so bored and felt why this happened, I had dreamed of Mahendra cave since
I was studying in class four i.e.13 years before.
I shared my experience with Mahabir Biswokarma who
was sitting beside me on the cab, and he said “sometimes, something’s looks really
good when it’s kept in suspense - in imagination.”
Then our cab dropped us at Keshari, some boys of
Khaphalghari village came to receive us, we walked for almost 45 minutes
carrying our bags to the village and as soon as we reached, the locals welcomed
us by placing garlands on our necks, it was my first experience - live, I had
only seen in on TV and thought it was only fake, but when I experienced by myself,
I felt everything that’s shown was true.
The locals
welcoming us by palcing garlands on our necks, from Right, Raj Sharma,
Prabhatkiran Koirala, Mahesh Kunar Khati, Kabita Gharti Magar, Mahabir
Biswokarma, Durga Adhikari, Dharma Adhikari, Bomlal Giri and Moin Uddin.
Rajnessh dai’s mom had brought water for us and,
then they served us snacks, also we introduced ourselves – the locals too
introduced themselves and later one of the respected old man of that village
inaugurated the Gufa by sending then inside – Dharma sir explained about the
rules and regulation. After dinner, we had discussion with the locals to know
about the major problems of that village so that other six participants can
write an investigative story about their problems, it was already 10pm.
13 problems were noted down, but later by
eliminating, it was fixed to six topics, I was given a task of research assistant.
I noted down their movements and gestures and the main conclusion of the
discussion.
The next morning the locals were gathered and then
they informally gave their speech and thanked us for coming and to write their
stories, later when the program ended the participants got busy in interviewing
their possible sources for their story.
The topics they were to write stories were Monkey
Menace, Bridge Problem, Education and Employment, Agriculture, Women
Empowerment.
Later to observe these participants, I along with
some locals went at the Dibyaswori Primary School, where only 13 students were
enrolled and only 5 were present when we reached there.
The office
and Library in a dilapidated condition along with the Radio (in Blue)
The Schools was in a dilapidated condition, the
office room and the library were in the same place – books hanging on the rope
and many on table- there was a radio – blue – on it was written UNICEF.
Playing
Rumal Lukai with the children
There I played with the kids – rumal lukai, ringa ringa roses.
Moin Uddin
with Devyani, she is the one who said innocently when asked by one of the
participant, who this sir is? And she replied “Ghati ma kapal bhako uncle”
One student, Devyani was an active student she was
enjoying our arrival and we got familiar in a second, Prabhat Kiran Koirala dai
asked her, “ who this guy is?” and she said, looking at me “ Ghati ma Kapal Bhako Uncle”, the uncle
who has hair on his neck - listening these words from her, everyone laughed.
This was the
one where for the first time I saw the utensils to make Mohi - making Mohi
For me it was a wonderful experience, I have never
been to any village. I stayed there and learnt many things of the village
lifestyle- the people, environment, foods, also I learned to make a Mohi, I thought it is made on a jug as
here in Kathmandu sometimes at my home my mom prepares it by putting curd in a
jug and a water and then transferring it from one jug to another, for several
times and when it becomes a thick kind of liquid, she would place it on the
refrigerator and would serve us.
Having lunch
with the participants of Rural Media Gufa 2014, this was the first time where I
ate Dhido.
The next new food for me was Dhido, I have never eaten Dhido
previously and eating it for the first time, I felt tasteless- I have eaten halwa before and was eating it by
chewing, but later one Aunty said me to swallow without chewing by placing in
the jhol of Gundruk, I tried to swallow but could not .
The next day after lunch, we returned to Kathmandu,
carrying memories of the wonderful place that I visited – Kaphalghari.
My experience to this Village – Kaphalghari was a learning
experience and I got to know many aspects of a life, than – that - of – a city -
life.
Short Bio-
I am studying Masters in Business Studies (M.B.S)
in Shankhar Dev Campus, Putalisadak, Kathmandu and currently I work in
Kathmandu National Medical College, Ghattekulo,
Kalikasthan. I can be contacted on moinuddin_200000@yahoo.com
