Ahuti reciting one of his poems at the programme.

By Usha Wagle Gautam

A group of non-resident Nepalese literary forums organised a poetry recital programme at Mazza Restaurant recently to mark the 160th birth anniversary of the great Nepalese poet Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
Popular Nepalese poet and cultural thinker Bishwo Bhakta Dulal “Ahuti” recited 15 of his most popular poems at the programme that was jointly organised by International Nepalese Literary Society (INLS), Nabodit Literary Society (NLS), Sandhya Group, Muglani Saugat, and Karmahishik literary magazine. Devkota (1909-1959) is regarded as the greatest poet of Nepal, and called as Maha Kabi (“The Great Poet”). His notable works include Muna Madan, Kunjini, Sakuntal and Pagal (Lunatic) including others.
Ahuti recited progressive poems about caste-based discrimination, ongoing debate on drawing federal lines in his country, theoretical dimensions of Dalit issues and about the aesthetics of culture. He recited one touching poem about Dalits — lowest group of people in Hindu caste system — still being segregated and not being allowed to touch the public water taps.
In another verse, he expressed his dissatisfaction over the recently promulgated statute of Nepal. He called Dalit and caste issue as not a cultural issue, but rather a class issue, and dubbed it as a dimension of class struggle in his politically charged poem. He felt quiet dissatisfied with the current situation of Nepal and said he couldn’t feel any substantial change in his country even after the mass revolution of 2006.
In one of his poem he said the aesthetics of new Nepal are tied to our culture. Because this multilingual, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural land was dominated by a single ethnicity, language and culture, the psychology of people has become warped to favour the aesthetic results of that domination.
The recital was chaired by INLS president Tirtha Sangam Rai. Hari Prasad Aryal, second secretary at the Nepalese Embassy, attended as a special guest. Representatives from more than 50 forums and organisations attended the programme.