I grew up in a small town of Rajbiraj in Saptari. Growing up in a neighborhood that had a mix of Bahun, Newar and Madheshi, I was fortunate to witness the diverse cultural practices since my childhood. Since each caste/ethnic group has its own set of rituals and music, I was fascinated by the varieties that there were and curious about how people living so close to each other could be so different.
Being born into a traditional Bahun family, I also witnessed
firsthand the discriminatory practices based on caste and gender. I always
questioned my elders regarding various practices that there were and was what
anyone would call a 'rebellious' child. I would always question my parents why
I was supposed to do certain chores while my brothers remained seated. I would
be easily annoyed when someone said girls are not supposed to do certain things
or should act certain ways. I would ask my grandfather why rice cooked in milk
was okay to be accepted from other caste/ethnic groups while the same thing
cooked in water wasn’t. And I asked these questions when I was not even a
teenager.
My fascination and curiosity of cultural difference and discrimination
stayed with me when I left Rajbiraj to come to Kathmandu after completing my
SLC. I accept that being raised in a traditional Bahun household had ingrained
judgment towards other cultural practices and many a times, I felt like my
cultural practices were right and others were doing it wrong. Let's say, for
example, the practice of serving meat during funerary /mortuary rituals or
making offering of eggs at temples. That was a cultural shock I experienced
after coming to Kathmandu. Although these practices were done by other ethnic
groups back home, I had never had a chance to experience them closely.
I am talking about these experiences just to give a picture
of what my childhood was like and how it influenced my choice of subject and
career.
I started my higher secondary education in Kathmandu and
have stayed here ever since. It was during my Bachelor's Degree in Sociology
and Journalism that I became familiar with Anthropology although it was only
introduction, its scope and relations with sociology. Because of my childhood
interest in the diversity of culture and rituals and Anthropology being the
study of culture, I enrolled into Central Department of Anthropology at
Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Sociology/Anthropology back then,
in the year 2014 for my Master's Degree. I received Suman Rijal Padak for being
the highest scorer in Master's Degree in Anthropology although I had failed in
one subject in Bachelor's and was not what you would call a 'regular' student.
I had a star mark on my BA transcript and then I received a medal in shape of a
star for my Master's degree.
The courses like Kinship Studies, Anthropology of Religion,
Linguistic Anthropology, Anthropology of Nepal and the Himalayas and Caste and
Ethnicity in Nepal, among others, helped me understand better and respect the
rich cultural and ethnic diversity and heritages of my country. Through Medical
Anthropology, I was able to understand how our cultural practices shapes our
health seeking behavior and how important it is to give consideration to one's
culture in every aspect of life whether it is health behavior, education,
development, business or social relationships.
I believe that studying anthropology for two years have
changed me into a different person, one who is more humble and respectful
towards other culture and critical of one's own. It has made me understand the
richness of cultural diversity, changed my perspective of looking at things and
therefore, helped me grow into a better person. Now, I do not just look at what
happened but also ask why it happened or why someone is acting the way they
are.
On the occasion of World Anthropology Day, I wanted to share
my experiences and how I am grateful towards my discipline for making me the
person I am today. I strongly believe that it is a subject that everyone should
study because it is not just one's career that Anthropology could change but
also their thoughts and perception and make them into a better, more tolerant
and humble human being as I became, with few exceptions, of course.
