Scroll down for Nepali
— —
Rupa Pariyaar
Baagchaur 3, Salyan
There are those who think they can own the forests, the trees, the rivers and the sky. They are foolish. And their foolishness costs us our way of living.
I am dalit woman chastised and oppressed by men, people from the higher caste and the system. And now the same people have claimed ownership of the natural sources of water that is also rightfully ours to use.
When people start treating free flowing water like their own personal property and capture water sources to supply water to their own individual homes, what happens to us who do not have a water source running nearby?
We have to beg for water because we do not have a source, no pipes to our homes and no tap anywhere around. So every day, I go asking to these neighbors for water. “Can I please fill my bucket? I do not have any water to cook and my kids are thirsty.” They chastise me for bringing an empty bucket to their homes as it is considered bad luck. They line up their own buckets in front of their taps and say that they do not have enough water to spare. I wait and wait and sometimes when luck is on my side i get a bucket full. Other times, I return home without water empty handed.
Even if I manage to get some water from their taps, how long will a bucketfull last? Do I cook with the water, clean the house or bathe the kids? Even washing our face is the morning is difficult. We use water like oil. We just wet our hands and wipe our faces and hands.
What do we do? There is no dignified life for the poor. We are left out to die. That is the justice we are given.
Is what I think important? Now you ask, I think water should not be and is not a private property. We were created as humans and we all should share and take care of the abundant nature that has been given to us. If someone tries to own nature, they should not be allowed to. And if they do not listen, they should be punished.
रुपा परियार
बागचौर ३, सल्यान
जंगल, रुख, खोलानाला र आकाशलाई आफ्नो व्यक्तिगत सम्पत्ति बनाउन खोज्नेहरु धेरै छन् । उनीहरु मुर्ख हुन् र उनीहरुको मुर्खताको कारण हाम्रो जीवनमा नराम्रो असर परेको छ।
म एक दलित महिला हो । यो समाजका पुरुष, उपल्लो जातका मान्छे र सारा ब्यवस्थाबाट ममाथि दमन हुन्छ । अनि यहि मान्छेहरुले प्रकृतिले हामीलाई दिएको पानीको मुहानहरु जसमा हाम्रो समान अधिकार छ, कब्जा गरेका छन् ।
जब खुला रुपमा बग्ने पानीलाई कब्जा गरेर यिनीहरुले आफ्नो व्यक्तिगत सम्पत्ति जस्तो गरि आफ्नो आफ्नो घरमा मात्र पानी लान्छन्, नजिकै मुहान नभएका हामीहरु जस्ताको के हालत हुन्छ?
मेरो घरमा न पाईप छ, न धारा, न पानीको मुहान । खानेपानीको लागि मैले मुहान भएकाहरुसँग हात जोडेर बिन्ती गर्नुपर्छ । “बिन्ति, मलाई मेरो गाग्री भर्न दिनुहोस्, खाना पकाउन पानी छैन अनि मेरो छोराछोरीहरु तीर्खाएका छन् ।” मेरो रित्तो गाग्री देखेर मसँग कराउछन्, अलक्षिन लाग्यो भन्छन् । धाराको अगाडी उनीहरुको गाग्रीहरुको नै लाइन हुन्छ । हामीलाई नै पानी पुग्दैन तिमीलाई कसरी दिने भन्छन् । त्यहिपनि म पालो आउला र पानी भरूँला भनेर रूँघेर बस्छु । कुनै दिन भाग्यमा भए एक गाग्री भरेर ल्याउँछु, अरु बेला रित्तै गाग्री लिएर खालि हात फर्किन्छु ।
एक गाग्री पानी ल्याउन सफल भए पनि त्यो पानी कति नै पुग्छ र ? त्यो पानीले खाना पकाउने कि घर सफा गर्ने कि छोराछोरिको नुवाइ धुवाइ गर्ने? कहिलेकाहीँ त बिहान मुख धुन पनि दुःख छ । पानीलाई तेल जस्तो गरेर प्रयोग गर्नुपर्छ । हात भिजाएर मुख र हातगोड पुस्न बाहेक अरु उपाय छैन ।
खै के गर्ने मलाई थाह छैन । गरीबले मर्यादापुर्वक जीवन बिताउन पाउँदैन । मर्नका लागि छाडिदिइएको सरह छ ।हामीले पाएको न्याय यहि हो ।
मलाई लागेको कुराले के फरक पर्छ र ? सोधिहाल्नुभो । मलाई लाग्छ पानी कसैको व्यक्तिगत सम्पत्ति होइन, यो साझा हो। प्रकृतिले हामीलाई समानरुपले जन्माएको हो र हामी सबैले प्राकृतिक स्रोतको प्रयोग गर्न पाउनु पर्छ र सबै मिलेर यसको जगेर्ना गर्नुपर्छ । कसैलाई मनखुशि गर्न दिनुहुदैन। अनि कसैले नियमको पालना गर्दैन भने त्यस्तो व्यक्तिलाई सजाय दिनुपर्छ ।
