My job and my experience BY NARAYAN PRASAD MISHRA
When we get a job in Nepal, we generally say, "Jagir Gare, Jagir Bhayo, or Jagire Bhaye" (I got a job, I got employment, or I am employed.). When we separate this Nepali word Jagir into two words - Ja and Gir it gives some different meanings from the job. In Nepali, Ja means Go, and Gir means - to fall. It gives the meaning of going and falling (into a ditch) from where it would be hard for you to come up. People use the word Jagir to go somewhere where you need to fall from your stand or your prestige and selfesteem. If you want to succeed in your job (Jagir), you need to forget your conscience and do whatever your superior or boss asks you to do. It would be best if you hardly thought you also have your thoughts and opinions. Instead, it would help if you thought your boss's wish was your wish. His thoughts are your thoughts. His liking is your liking. His eyes and ears are your eyes and ears. Working hard and understanding your boss's wishes and aspirations is said to be the best quality of an employee in the country, whether right or wrong. Then the person is easily rewarded from a low position to a high position. In our country, those aware of it, who always think of one's own benefit, work with the boss's inner intentions from the prime minister to the lower level clerk. That is the key to progress in our country. Most of the successful prime ministers and ministers under the Panchayat System worked with that mantra keeping in mind the King's wishes and intentions. It seems this culture started from time immemorial and is continuing. We often see the same attitude and mentality everywhere, even in the political parties in today's republic of Nepal. That is why our administrative system is called a system of the "Ashayamukhi Prasahan" (Administration carried on according to the wishes of a Boss). It was more so during the rule of the Rana Maharajas and also with the King's rule. The system is almost the same now. Sometimes you see it even more in the present multiparty system. You know how all the leaders and followers of the parties work under the party's presidents according to their wishes. We have more clearly witnessed that regarding the MCC project issue (The Millennium Challenge Corporation) That is why it is called a Jagir and Jagire attitude.
I got a job at the age of 17 in the government office. After five years of working in the different government offices, I joined Tribhuvan University's Administrative job. Later I became a professional librarian with a degree in Library Science. Then again, I became the Chief Administrator at the University. That was all my Jagire (Working) life. During my working period in the government offices, I did not feel much difficulty with my thoughts against the Jagire attitude. Because when I was there, I did not have any big responsibility to think and use my conscience for the nation's cause. Besides, I was too young.
After coming to the University when I was together with my beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, the Chief Librarian, and when I became the Deputy Registrar and Administrator at the University, my wife and I had to be involved in the country's higher education policy and library policy. As we both did not have the attitude to be the successful Jagire, as mentioned earlier, our struggle started with our bosses and high-ranking officials of the country for the country's benefit. We did not keep quiet when our conscience did not permit us to do so. We always kept the nation and the people above our benefit at the expense of our happiness and welfare. Despite all the obstacles and difficulties, we were happy with what we could achieve to develop the modern library and improve the education system. My wife wrote about it in detail in her book - Voice of Truth: The Challenges Struggles of a Nepalese Woman. We also wrote about it in our book The Glorious History of Tribhuvan University Central Library (Tri Bi Kendriya Pustskalayako Gauravshali Kahani).
I wrote many articles on education, library, and research policy and published them in national newspapers, which I have mentioned in many recent articles. Besides, I wrote many poems and short stories in Nepali regarding university administration and the country's administration, intending to improve them. My poem 1. Satya Harishchandrako Mulya Ke (What is the value of truth speaker Legendary Harishchandra?) 2. Babu Saheb (Royal Sir) 3. Ke Ma Chaakadi Hindu (Am I supposed to go to sycophancy ?) 4. and Jagir (Job) are among them. My short stories
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Saha Sachib Sharma (JointSecretary Sharma ) 2. Uslai Office Jana Man Chhaina (He does not like to go to the office) 3. Woo Commission Khana Saktaina (He cannot have a commission) 4. Woo Anusandhanma Pani Byapar Garna Sakchha (He can do business even in research). I included the following poem," Jagir," written in Nepali in my book - Tribhuvan Bisshwabifyalaya Ra Shikchya, written in Nepali (Tribhuvan University and Education). When the book was published a few decades ago, Prof. Narsingh Narayan Sinha was our Secretary in the Ministry of Education. He was our colleague and friend. We had an excellent relationship with him. He was one of the reputed professors of English Literature at our University. So I presented a copy of that book to him. He was so impressed by the poem, and he said he enjoyed it a lot, which was heart-touching. His comments inspired me. Here are the poems in both the versions - Nepali and English.
Job
The reward for my honesty Not to have injustice is enough for me
No expectation of reward or prize
Unpunished is enough for me May not have progress and prosperity
Not degraded is enough for me The return for my sweat
The simple dish is plenty for me
May not have wealth and riches
Peace and happiness are enough for me
When I work hard
Not showing defects is enough for me. Even not having appreciation and praise
Not having jealousy is enough for me
May not be honored and respected
Not to have disrespect is enough for me.
When I work with discretion Not losing a job is enough for me
No expectation of thanks and appreciation
Not to be called evil is sufficient for me.
We sincerely worked and served the country with the spirit of the above poem. We did not bow down our heads for our advantage and benefit. We did not obey orders from any power circle when it was not to the country's benefit and people in our conscience. But we wished to work till the retirement age to the minimum credit of our honesty and sincerity, which was the inherent right of the honest citizen. So I wrote the following sentences in the last stanza of my poem
When I work with discretion Not losing a job is enough for me
No expectation of thanks and appreciation
Not to be called evil is sufficient for me
We could somehow protect our job during the Panchayat System, the system called undemocratic and despotic by the present democrats, even working with the same spirit of my poem. I wrote the poem during Panchayat. No one snatched our job. The system, which the multiparty lovers called a despotic, did not show any intolerance to my working style and writings. We could not secure our job till the retirement age due to the undemocratic leaders and followers of the democratic party during the multiparty democracy. It was a chapter of shame in the history of Jagir in the University and the country. I have mentioned many times earlier in the articles we lost our job 9 and 14 years before our retirement age under the leadership and administration of Kedar Bhakta Mathema, then the Vice-Chancellor, when the Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala was the Prime Minister. He presented both of us, each the following bronze idol of Hindu God "Ganesh," the God of success, with a big smile and a beaming face in our farewell. He wished for our success, giving us the idol of the God of success after snatching our job. That was a big mockery.
The Idol of Ganesh presented by Kedar Bhakta Mathema, then the Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the University
I do not know how long the condition of Jagires will be like this in the country. I do not know how long the honest and dedicated nation server will have to suffer from my poem's spirit. Only God knows. We know our country is where the people need to suffer from the aristocrat and imperialist leaders of the communist parties. That is another mockery we are bound to watch. Ours is a country where the democrats become dictators, the communists become the aristocrats, and imperialists, and suddenly the hardliner Royalists become and behave like the strong communists. People of other nationalities can hardly understand these things even if we write and speak about them as they have no experience. To them, it may be like talking about an animal that they had never seen. I cannot think when I see Kamal Thapa, the No 1 Royalist, is now close and near to K. P. Sharma Oli, the President of Nepal Communist Party (UML).
Similarly, it was hard for me to understand when I read the news that the present hardliner Royalist Rajendra Lingden's Rashtriya Prajatantra Party had an alliance with Oli's communist party for the local election someplace. I could not believe it when I read the news about it. It seems everyone is here in the business of loss and profit, and no one is on the path of truth and righteousness. No leader, no party dares to stand with the principle of truthfulness and righteousness. Our people are like lambs and goats who walk to the temples when they are taken even for sacrifice. The parties who brought the nation's downfall with many complex problems do not stop bragging that they brought the development. The people who feel that the major political parties are the causes of their sufferings and pain still vote for them when the election comes. What would be more mysterious than this in this country.?
I do not know what specialities and elements exist in our land. Anything could happen here. Anything can be seen here. Once my friends, the late Bhairav Aryal, the wellknown poet, humor, and satire writer, wrote in one of his essays included in his book "Kaukuti," written in Nepali, that this is the country where you cannot see the things that are written (in books, newspapers). You cannot write the things that are seen (in life). He meant more often, we read the government reports about progress and development, but we hardly see that development in reality. Similarly, we see rampant mismanagement, wrongdoings, and corruption, but we are not safe to write about it. If we do, we get into trouble directly or indirectly. I want to add a sentence in his writings, "This is the country where all impossible could be possible except the good things for the people and the country. Ours is a country of mystery. Though I have been writing continuously every week for the last 22 months, these days, I often feel that there is no use in speaking and writing based on facts and truth in this land. It is not going to awaken anyone and will not produce anything here as you cannot sow and grow corn and wheat in the field of stones and rocks.