The decade long conflict and subsequent dispatch of the army to control the insurgency made the lives of Chepangs, one of the marginalized ethnic group in the country, much harder.
‘Anikalko Yatra’ (a journey through food scarcity), a performance by Taranga Sanskritik Sahuma from Hetauda at Gurukul on Friday, where Arohan Theatre Festival is drawing large number of audience, depicted the hardship faced by Chepangs in search of food in jungles of their habitation after the government established several army barracks to suppress the armed rebellion of the Maoists.
The security forces fenced large area of forests and the area where Chepang find their food has been squeezed leading this community people to starve for days.
Chonam was the central theme of the drama. Chonam is called Nwagi in general Nepali language, the rituals carried out on the day when first batch of harvest is brought to home. The day has to be celebrated with festivities in Chepang community and it is regarded as the only day when these people eat full-stomach. Failing to celebrate this festival would demoralise the social prestige.
Director Ujjwal Sharma Bhandari has also reflected the orthodox belief prevailing in the society. Chepang people rather try to preserve cereals for Chonam than to feed children on other days, not bothering they may remain hungry. Sometimes Chyang, a locally made alcohol, is brewed out of the cereals, for Chonam day festivities.
The audience were overwhelmed to know that popular Nepali film song ‘Achha Lekin London ko Chiso Le Samaula’ was adopted from the traditional Chepang song. However, director of the drama, Bhandari, was sombre to know that such traditional music and cultures are fading out from the Chepang community now.
The story was picked up from the Chainpur in Makawanpur district where Chepang now live. “It was distressing for me when I talked to them about their culture. Most of them have forgotten and they like not to look back any more,” Bhandari said.
He said he travelled to Chepang villages and met their leaders to know about their folk tales and existing culture but found nothing.
He found most Chepangs have converted into Christianity and those who have been baptised think their culture was unconventional and deny observing them. Bhanadari says this was the result of the influx of NGOs and INGOs who are helping the Chepangs to raise their living status and socialise them with other community. Chepangs live mostly in Dhading, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Kavre and Sindhupalchok districts and their exact population remains unclear to date.
The drama also cautions the sociologists that Chepang culture in the next few years might be limited only in folk tales if steps are not taken in time to preserve the cultures.