Hurried
Trip To Avoid a Bas Star
This is an essay written by the two American geographers M.
Lilla and C. Bishop Barry present an exploration of the Karnali region which
they did on foot for 15 adventurous months. After Christmas the two authors
start their trip to know how Karnali is economically linked with Nepalgunj.
Their fellow travelers bring medicinal herbs, hashish hand-knit sweaters and
blankets in their baskets ~ to sell them in Nepalgunj.
During their trip on
foot, the two geographers see and learn many things about the life and culture
of the people of Karnali region. On their way, a chhetri woman of 30 asks them
whether they are going to Nepalgunj. According to her, her husband left her 15
years ago to find job in the plains the woman requests the authors to send him
back if they find him. In a forest at 9,000 feet, they see some people
processing Silajit sell it in Nepalgunj. Instead of processing it in their
homes, they do it on the way because they have made a hurried trip to avoid a
bad start. The people of the Karnali regions are superstitious as they believe
that a bad star may have evil influence on them.
They continue their
journey, and notice some women cutting the branches of the ‘Sal’ trees to feed
their goats. Almost all the trees have become bare. This shows that the people
of Karnali zone are not aware of the possible environmental damage. They are
ignorant about landslides, soil erosion, droughts etc. in the future. When the
authors reach terai, they sit beside a campfire and listen to the night sounds
of jackals, bats, mules and bullock carts. They walk on the paved streets and
see the vehicles. Their fellow travelers or the people of Karnali region buy
collon clothes, spice, jewelry, iron ware, aluminum and sweets to sell them in
Karnali. The authors complete their exploration in Jumla.
While they got back to
the Terai region, the two American geographers learn a lot about the geographical
condition and the life of people of the Karnali region. The authors observe all
the seasons and the people who have been living in harmony with nature. They
have been living very difficult life. As their cultivation cannot support them,
they have to involve them in trade. Some people go’to the plains in search of
job. Thus, the people of Karnali zone are uneducated, conservative and they
earn their living by the various traditional works.
1. Give a short account of life of Karnali zone
people.
Two American geographers
have depicted (painted) and described the state and lifestyle of Karnali zone.
The life of Karnali zone people is extremely hard because Karnali zone is a
remote, not well connected with other parts of the country by road and
economically backward.
Because of lack of
education they are very superstitious and believe that a bad star may have evil
influence on them and try to avoid it. They are lacking the awareness about the
need of preservation of nature. Due to lack of this aspect they
indiscriminately chopped down the trees there by speeding of the deforestation
putting their own life’s in great risk
because the entire slopes
became bare and prone (possible) of landslide and soil erosion.
Although the people of
this region are living in harmony with nature in very difficult location with
very bad weather, they are not ready to leave their place. The writer found
that a hill place is very optimistic and cheerful despite hardship in life with
low agricultural production. The writers felt the need of the hill people to
farm with other activities to live with satisfactory earning. Many of them are
involved in business. They carry their local products including Silajit to
sell in
Nepalgunj whenever they
go down to the Terai. When they return home they bring necessary goods like
aluminum and iron wares, cotton clothes, jewelry items and spices to sell in
their locality to earn a living.
2. What do skeletal looking SAL trees
indicate about the exploitation of nature? What does the reply “What we can do?
The animals must eat today” signify?
Ans:
The scene they are indifferently cutting down the trees and they are not
worried about the jungle and their own future. They are doing just to solve
their current problem. They are not conscious about the future. They are not
realizing their mistakes may have disastrous consequences.
3. In the description of Karnali written in 1971,
the writers hope that there would be change…….
ANS:
Gradually, there are some changes in the grip of twenty five years in Karnali.
There were no post offices, no high schools and no health post and a health
clinic at the center of the villages. Development pace is very slow. The
geogrohical structure is responsible for the development because in hilly areas
it is difficult to apply the developmental projects. So, Karnali is still under
developed.
In the past, people were uneducated but now they are educated. Only few people
are involved in education and most of the people, in Karnali, are involved in
agriculture. They are still following porter job. There are no faculities.
People do not go to clinic in a general case which shows they are not conscious
about health and they don’t believe in science but educated people use clinic
well. In conclusion, the people in Karnali are being developed although they
are not developing as the writer thinks. But they have understood the benefit
of education and development.
