E-Kantipur

KATHMANDU, JAN 11 -

A group of students were eagerly waiting outside the Gurukul theatre at Baneshwor on Friday for the screening of Suina Kamalika, a play by the Karnali Natya Samuha. It was an opportunity not just to witness the play, but also to come closer to the people of Mugu as photographs from the Karnali region were put up for exhibition outside the hall. A short documentary was also screened before the play itself was performed. The entire day at Gurukul was thus celebrated as ‘An Afternoon for Mugu’, an event organised by a recently formed youth-group, Friends of Mugu.

The documentary that kicked off the event was Mugu:The Conscience of Karnali. Directed by Rituraj Sapkota and produced by Tourism Development Endeavours (TUDE), the documentary showcased the indigenous communities of the Karnali region.  It also presented the various development dilemmas faced by inhabitants of the area. “There are schools but no teachers, and even if there are teachers it is difficult for students to reach there. Instead of going to school, many students collect yarsagumba. There is a necessity to do something about it at least on the level of advocacy,” says Mona Aditya, one of the organisers. She shares that this region is one of the “unexplored but beautiful” places of Nepal. “There are many tourists in regions such as the Annapurna base camp, but very few think about Mugu and Rara. Decentralised tourism seems necessary,” she adds.

The photographs on display were all taken by the Friends of Mugu during their visit to the Karnali region. These photos have captured the people, the culture and the environment of this isolated region. “You cannot imagine the place staying here in Kathmandu. We had been to one of the villages away from the centre. When we returned, we got to eat chiura and bhujiya; we were so excited to eat even chiura!” says Neeraj Tamrakar from friends of Mugu. The photographs also highlighted the natural beauty of Mugu and the prospects of tourism in the area.

The play itself presented their hopes for development there. The fun-filled story was packed with satire, folk songs and dance and a dream for a society that would blend culture and development together and keep their identity intact.

Friends of Mugu,-formally formed in November -is a network of youth who are based in Mugu, of those who have been to Mugu and experienced the lifestyle of people there and of those who care about Mugu. Although the event was organised on short notice, it saw a number of audiences ranging from students to intellectuals to development practitioners. The fund collected will be used for education and sustainable tourism there.

Posted on: 2011-01-11 09:07

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