Iconic photo of Birta movement
In the first part of 'Birtako Vyatha', a picture was printed - of a teenage girl carrying a plow among hundreds of protestors. The sad girl in that photo wearing a red burqa, wearing a red tika, wearing a black sweater under the tree has now become a mother. She has a 4-year-old daughter. She is from Kalika Rural Municipality-2, Garaghar in Rasuwa and currently lives in Tarakeshwar, Kathmandu.
Many spring and winter passed, the movement also continued . He got married, the tune and rhythm of life changed . After her old photo saved in the archive-folder of a computer was published in e-Kantipur and Kantipur, the same Sangeeta Lamichhane of Rasuwa was called by her friends and relatives, and sent a message on Facebook messenger . He said, 'Oh! You have gone viral. The photo has appeared in magazines including online.' Sangeeta is a teenager in the
photo. Now I have changed! I have become a mother," she says. The story of him laying the black sheet of the city on the ground is different. Women activists who came from Rasuwa to Kathmandu to convey their grievances to the government carried that plow on their strong shoulders.
2067 From Chait 1 to 8, landless women's movement was going on in 50 districts. Represented by Rasuwa, 17-year-old Sangeeta participated in the movement with her relatives and friends. And, she sat in the 8-day dharna at Kathmandu Khulamancha with her relatives. He and his friends had only one demand - the land of the field they were plowing should be their own.
There was a huge queue of people in the movement, many were ashamed to carry plows in the city . But, I said - I will carry it!
- Sangeeta Lamichhane
Sangeeta said with E-Kantipur, 'I was happy to see my old photo printed!' ; But, I said - I will carry it!' This photo was taken by the then photo-journalist Kiran Pandey of 'Kantipur'. Kiran says, "Among the crowd of the movement, a teenager was carrying a plow and demonstrating. That photograph was captured on my camera. Photojournalist Kiran remembers, 'There was a flame of rebellion in that innocent girl's eyes.'
After her old photo was reprinted, Sangeeta went back to the sad days of the movement, when she walked the streets shouting slogans. There was also excitement, rebellion in the eyes of the protestors. Those slogans were –
Women in the movement need land first....
We shed blood and sweat, what did we get in return?
If you break the feudal system, take back the parts of the fraud..... .......
Even now his question is - we shed blood and sweat, what did we get in return?
He thinks that slogans have been raised, how many seasons and rains have passed with slogans. At the same time, it also seems like this - but, the slogans are in the air . The photo reminded the past. Picking up baskets on hungry legs I remembered walking," Sangeeta says. That's why I joined the movement. How much time has passed without getting rights while walking in the movement, how much time has passed . How long will the movement last?'
She thought at that time - now all our demands will be fulfilled. She spent time in that movement, but what did she get? He doesn't have an answer to that. Basanta continued to march, but the government showed no interest in their demands. She says, 'My family (Maiti) is suffering - even then, even now . Even the little farm that we had was in all the fields . My father used to plow that field, many others in the village also had fields. That's why I also joined the movement.'
Sangeeta's father Chuda Prasad Lamichhane used to sit around and tell stories from evening to evening. The story that my father used to tell was like this: Our fathers and grandfathers made fields and fields to grow them by clearing the pakho khanikhosri, bushes and fences. Ancestors used to go to the court of Rana and rich people, haveli, night and evening. I have also been to Kathmandu many times to explain Ubjani Kut . After years, we made the field fertile, but by an order of the king, the farmer's land became the farmer's land . There is neither the labor of the tiller nor a drop of sweat on the land .
'If the Birtawals came to the village, they had to show a lot of respect, they had to carry the head with them . Food had to be collected.
- Chuda Prasad Lamichhane In
reporting, Sangeeta's father Chuda Prasad was found in the village when he reached Rasuwa. He shared his old pains with us. "My birta is 3 plants - field . Birtawal used to come to collect the crops till 035/036. Birtawal named Dwara as the representative of Kathmandu residents used to come from house to house. I have also explained many times . After understanding, they would give compensation . From 15 pathi to 1 muri of good land, paddy was delivered, mass was also to be delivered," said Chudaprasad, who was found in the middle of Pus's Siretto in Rasuwa. Food had to be collected. We farmers have been suffering from those fathers until now.'
Sangeeta says, "Fathers, grandfathers, children have been struggling a lot for the land". Even now, including my father, the farmer parents, brothers and sisters are fighting for the legal ownership of the land (lalpurja). The dream of the fathers to own the land they plowed was never fulfilled . The government cannot sit idly by without giving rights to the poor farmers and making them landless. Lalpurja should be given on the basis of shareholding. The problem is not to be kept, but to be solved. That responsibility belongs to the state.'
In his memory, the days of that sit-in were not happy. It was sad. Even after 14 years, that sad memory is still with Sangeeta . We slept under the tent for 8 days. Neither could eat, nor sleep comfortably. We used to cook and eat Mano Mutthi brought from the village. There was also plenty of water. The party leaders came and agreed. But, nothing happened,' she said .
Even if there is nothing, Sangeeta still has a glimmer of hope . "In the meantime, many governments have been formed, we are also reaching Singha Durbar, we are submitting memorandums". We have begged for justice, but the government is not listening,' she says, 'The government will surely feel our pain and listen to our demand one day . For that, our movement continues.'
Perhaps this photo is the 'iconic' photo of the Birta movement, in which the plow carried by Sangeeta will remind farmers' issues.
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