Parijat: The Most Celebrated Female Writer In Nepal

Parijat: The Most Celebrated Female Writer In Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal

Parijat was born twice. She was first born as Bishnu Kumari Waiba and her second birth comes as Parijat-the writer. Parijat is most celebrated female writer in Nepali literature for her own unique expression, approach and style of writing. Parijat was born in 1937 at the hill station of Darjeeling, India, a place famously known for its beautiful tea gardens. Her father Dr. K.S. Lama was by profession a psychologist. Her mother-Amrita Moktan—died when Parijat was young. As her mother died early, Parijat was brought up by her father and grandparents in Darjeeling. As hers was a well-off family, she was sent to good school. Her father wanted to make Bishnu Kumari Waiba a doctor and insisted her to concentrate more on science and mathematics. But Parijat was no more interested in science and mathematics, she wanted to study liberal art. Deprived of motherly love and affection in early age, she grew obstinate, who wanted to break all established traditions and values. Right from her childhood, she was a rebel who opposed social rules and discipline. She always hated family control and social norms and traditional values that often restricted daughters and women. She often felt that the social values and norms were the chains and shackles for women and hindrances for women’s freedom and independence. Despite being obstinate and rebellious, she had other special qualities. She was friendly and cooperative with friends. Parijat was caring and affectionate with her younger siblings. She was courageous and wanted to do something unusual and unique that was quite different from what other people normally did during her time. Even until the last stage of her life, Parijat continued to possess this nature—arrogance and ego. In fact, arrogance and ego were her strength. It is stubbornness and rebellion character that made her an acclaimed writer. Frank assessment, outspoken nature and bold expression are her unique traits. She always wanted to sing, dance and write, which her father often discouraged. But she sang, danced and wrote when her father was not present. Had she quietly obeyed her father, she would have, most probably, been an office clerk or a teacher in a school or college and she would not have been known to the outside world as a writer. Parijat said this in a number of occasions. She wanted to live and grow as a free woman. Guided by this attitude, she learnt many bad habits right from school age and did what family and society would normally not digest. She bunked classes and dropped school. She smoked and even tasted marijuana when she was at school. Home was a prison for her and wanted to live a free life. She once said, "I did not get any inspiration from my home and I had to cheat my father and family to be as what I am today". Narendra Raj Prasai, in his book, "The Legend of Literature: A Biography of Parijat", has put Parijat’s feelings about her home and family in her own words; "At that time our house was like a cremation ground". Parijat fell ill at the age of 13, which later developed into paralysis. This perilous disease made her physically disabled throughout her life. Although physically weak, she was strong, active and diligent mentally, psychologically and emotionally. Although enrolled in a good school in Darjeeling by his father with the hope that she would be a doctor, she was not serious in study and did not complete her school education in Darjeeling. Instead she would go to hills, forests and tea gardens with friends. She pursued her education only after she came to Kathmandu in 1954. In Kathmandu, she joined Padma Kanya School and passed SLC. Parijat earned Bachelor’s of Art degree from Padma Kanya College in Kathmandu. During her college days, she was appreciated by teachers and peers because of her hard work, intelligence, frankness and cooperative nature. Although she was interested in writing during her school days, her real writing career started only after she came to Kathmandu. In 1959, Parijat’s poem was published in Dharti magazine for the first time. This is the beginning of her literary journey. She published three books containing her poems. They are: Akansha, Parijat Ka Kavita, and Baisalu Bartaman. Her first short story was "Mailey Najanmayeko Chhoro". Although she has written poems, essays and stories, Parijat is best known in Nepal as a novelist. Appreciating her genius in writing and literature, her teachers in college had predicted that Bishnu Devi Waiba would be a good writer. The prediction of her teachers came true when she wrote the ‘Sirish Ko Phool’, which earned fame both at home and abroad. Parijat’s this acclaimed book has been translated into different language including English, which won the prestigious literary award the ‘Madan Puraskar’. The Blue Mimosa (English translation of Sirish Ko Phool) has been included in the curriculum of Maryland University in the United States of America. Prior to writing the ‘Sirish Ko Phool", she was just Bihsnu Kumari Waiba and Parijat was born with the book "Sirish Ko Phool". She was also honored by different organizations for her contribution to Nepali literature. Parijat was a driving force to create "Ralpha Group", a social initiative launched by some leftist youths to change the society’s outlook through music and literature. It was a bold initiative at a time when the authoritarian regime of the king was at its height that summarily crushed all kinds of political and other activities that were against the then Panchayat system. But Parijat and her group continued their campaign that carried the political message of freedom and democracy to villages mostly in the eastern hills. Despite her physical disability, she got actively engaged in this movement through which her role in creating political and social awareness in the mind of people nationwide was significant. Parijat was also an actress and preformed in a drama "Yug Ko Shikhar" written by Govinda Bahadur Malla " Gothale". In fact, she was a source of inspiration for many budding progressive writers and artistes. She was of the view that Marxism is the only ideology that liberates people from the clutches of exploitation, discrimination, poverty and backwardness. Although ‘Sirish Ko Phool" is her masterpiece, Parijat did not appreciate this book. She was completely influenced by communist ideology and became ardent supporter of communist politics. Much of her other works reflect her political ideology but ‘Sirish Ko Phool’ is purely an artistic literary work, which is free from any political bias and influence. Being influenced by political ideology is individuals’ free choice. But attempt to mingle politics with literature and impose writer’s political bias in the writing corrodes the genius of the writer and vitiates the beauty and value of literary craftsmanship. In "Sirish Ko Phool", Parijat has expressed her spontaneous feelings and expression artificial. It is a free and excellent use of existentialism. She has spoken her mind through her carefully chosen characters and expressed her sorrow, frustration and depression. At the same time, she has given the message that one must revolt against the established tradition if that is against one’s own outlook, values and thinking. Human values and humanity are the major traits of Parijat’s writing, whereas the nature of revolt against the established tradition is her strength. The way she talks of love, sex and social attitude, cultural values and human sentiments in such an artistic manner in the book ‘Sirish Ko Phool’ it gives the readers a strong feeling that the characters were telling Parijat’s own story, feelings and experiences. Suyogvir finds life and love to be meaningless. Mindful of his aging stage, Suyogbir develops depression, hatred and suffocation within himself around which the entire plot of the fiction revolves. These feelings always chase him from which he can never escape. He loves Sakambari but gets frustrated only to find life as nothing more than human fury with no significance at all. Parijat through Suyogbir always tries to find meaning of life but without success. Suyogvir says, "Life has no value whether with love or without love". Life has no meaning as long as one is alive and the value and meaning of life is realized only in death. This resembles something like Shakespeare’s and Samuel Becket’s definition of life. Shakespeare says: "Life is a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury signifying nothing". Similarly, Becket says, "Life and death both are absurd". ‘Sirish Ko Phool’ is a fiction written in philosophical vein by breaking all the previous shackles of social and psychological subjectivism that was the usual practice of her time. According to Parijat, human being must survive to change the society and this philosophy is vocally but artistically expressed in her all works. Parijat, thus, ushered in a new era in Nepali literature in terms of subjects, style, presentation and use of language. Her language is simple but blunt and clear. Parijat was influenced by Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and Frank Kafka because of their existentialist approach of writing and its impact on human life and feelings. At home Shankar Lamichane had a big influence on her thinking and writing. Parijat loved flowers. So she chose her literary name as Parijat (jasmine). She also chose the name of her acclaimed book ‘Sirish Ko Phool" (Blue Mimosa). This is a testimony that flower had a deep meaning and influence on her life and thinking. Parijat passed away in April, 1992, which was an irreparable loss to Nepali literature. Although her mortal remain is not with us, her books and thoughts are with us which would keep her alive among the Nepali speaking population forever. source : Gorkhapatra Here published Creation are as follows: Fictions: Sirish Ko Phool(Blue Mimosa), Mahattahin, Paribhasit Aankhaharu, Baisko Manche, Toribari, Bata Ra Sapanaharu, Antarmukhi, Usle Rojeko Bato, Parkhalbhitra Ra Bahir, Anido Pahadsangai; and Boni Short stories: Maile Najanmayeko Chhoro, Aadim Desh, Sadak Ra Pratibha, Salgiko Balatkrit Aashuharu; and Badhsala Aundajada Collections of Poems: Akanshya, Parijat Ka Kavita; and Baisalu Bartaman Memoirs/essays: Dhupi Salla Ra Laliguransko Pheddma, Euta Chitratmaya Shuruvat and Aadhyan Ra Sangharshan