Gunhu Punhi Greetings From Sikkim
Happy Gunhi Punhi !
Jwajalappa!!
Gunhi Punhi is once again here to make us realize that we the Newa: have in our culture this solemn festival which give us the message of togetherness within ourselves. Kwati makes a delicious and nourishing soup deriving the best out of the nine different ingredients which belong to the same group of pulses topped with that extra zing of nutritious juwano (thymol) and energizing ghew/ghee. Pulses could be within ourselves, i.e., we the Newa: or the whole human race, if we are allowed to go in for bigger sense of better mutual understanding and for greater cause of universal brotherhood.
We do not have to prove our rich Newa: culture, literature, history and heritage at least whatever is the extent of the chauvinism. It has been ages and it is evident everywhere in the valley and beyond – its deep ramification in the modern society irrespective of communal divide. If they want to prove the history wrong then they are wrongheaded and in the wrong foot. They should hold now and step back and also better check their knowledge bank to find out how low is their credibility on this account!
We the Newa: have big heart but this does not mean that we should go on accommodating every action to jeopardize our own identity and risk being over-flooded that too in our own mainland – Nepal Mandala! It is we the Newa: who have shown the world what we are and what we have to get its own identity in and for the Himalayan kingdom and beyond.
It is due to own sheer inborn instinct that we are loyal and faithful and in re-establishing this through generation after generation, we have often been too devoted to the authority but this trait is taken as submitting to the circumstances and treat us and our politeness to suit the whim of whosoever in power. It is now up to us to realize and come together to show our strength – numerically we may be minuscule but intellectually we are superb and par excellence! Without being ourselves satisfied with materially attained for own sake, we should excel and display it everywhere, wherever possible to show them that yes we have done it and just see this for yourself! Such achievement would not only help us excelling and attaining higher goals but make others feel psyched in accepting our supremacy over them. Clever too they are and just try to ignore and not even recognize our merits and achievements but deep in their heart they are weakened, wrecked and destroyed.
So, we should perform our best wherever we are, in whichever capacity, in whatever little way possible in every manner, accomplish it and be proud of the achievement in repaying the society in turn!
It is our intellectual supremacy they have accepted and acknowledged the Newa: are known and famous for. So, why should we not cash in and share it within and amongst ourselves to face the challenges our distinct identity is now facing everywhere wherever we are simply because we are numerically insignificant in this age of democracy! We all have to live in the system and survive. It is on our own individual merits that we have been successful too by trying singly and each to prove our own self just to survive in this cut-throat competition but what if we come together and share at least amongst ourselves inspiring each other. We should, therefore, motivate ourselves first to motivate our brethren to prove our worth. Others take disadvantage of this very dominant trait of doing aloof and alone to crash into our fort!
Else we are doomed if we do not realize it even now - before it is too late to mend our ways rather facing the odds keeping to ourselves. So let us share the good and bad as well and be open-minded and enlightened and be prepared to face the world to hand over our rich Newa: culture, literature, history and heritage for the posterity further enriched safe and secure.
Subhay!
For karunaguthi
Rajiva Shanker Shresta
August 19, 2005
