Batrohi\u2019s attempt to tell the pains and tales of \u2018Khas\u2019 ethnicity in Himalayas through his latest book<\/p>\n
B.D.Kasniyal<\/p>\n
Pithoragarh, March 30<\/p>\n
The inherent pains of establishing an identity of a simple brave, vibrant ancient ethnic group, having its own life style, value system and richness of\u00a0tales but cheated in its own land by the clever people of other ethnicities who became lords through royal patronage, has been depicted by Laxman Singh Bisht alias \u2018Batrohi\u2019, in his latest composition titled ‘Kalbisht, Khasiya Kuldevta’\u00a0 published by \u2018Samaya Saksh\u2019 publication, Dehradun.<\/p>\n
\u2018Batrohi\u2019, a well versed Hindi writer and professor of the language, has tried to portray the pain through his recent work of social essays in the book. A leading Hindi writer of eighties, Batrohi is a retired professor of Hindi from Kumaon University who had also taught the language in some European countries. He is also known for his obsession with \u2018Khash\u2019 ethnic society of ancient era that was dominated by Brahminical society using clever tactics and royal patronage\u00a0in earlier era of Uttarakhand history.<\/p>\n
Besides representing the prevailing tales of \u2018Khashiya\u2019 society, the writer has also mentioned history of the \u2018Khash\u2019 ethnic people beginning from facts of historian Dharmanand Koshambi\u00a0 via Mahabharat, Tulsidas upto\u00a0 Khash family law complier LD Joshi of \u00a01929.”Khash society was basically a matriarchal society that was later dominated by patriarchal\u00a0Aryan society,” claimed \u00a0Batrohi.<\/p>\n
The theme of essays is on a well known Kumaoni legend turned deity, Kalbisht, a Khash youth living a nomadic life in Binsar hills of Almora, who became centre of envy of Sakram Pandey, a Dewan of the then Almora royalty only due to his natural appearance empowered aesthetically by his ever playing flute in Binsar hills during his routine of grazing his animals which attracted laters\u2019\u00a0 wife Kamla, who used to love his flute music, calling the nomad in her palatial house.<\/p>\n
“In the conspiracy theory of killing of Kalbisht, lies simplicity of Khash ethnicity and conspiracy that had begun with advent of royal patronage to undermine the dominant Khash society\u00a0of the hills that was not well equipped to understand such plots but continued its struggle to save its identity which has been continuing till now,” says the writer in the introduction of the book.<\/p>\n
The writer also cited tales of Gopuldi of\u00a0 Gwalde Kot (Court) and his brother Sheruwa Paik (strong\u00a0 healthy person) and an\u00a0 forgotten sprit of his clan, to solemnise \u2018Shradanjali\u2019 ceremony of her after her death by his clan members\u00a0 who gathered at Kushvarta Ghat of Haridwar.”Such ceremonies to worship \u2018Matra Devis\u2019 (mother goddesses) is prevalent in Khash society showing dominance of mothers before the Aryan tradition of dominance of male god’s reached our society,” claimed \u00a0the author.<\/p>\n
The writer says that the legend of Kalbisht reflects pains of that agrarian class that was compelled by exploiters to worship their own gods by making the exploited people completely helpless socially as well as politically.”In the religious society of India, such exploiters, \u00a0of the so called upper castes, in the name of religion and caste, always used lower castes for their own interests,” said the writer.<\/p>\n
The book, written is an attracting\u00a0styles provides good reading of mythological tales and their description defining ancient Khash ethnicity of Himalayas and ends with\u00a0prevailing \u00a0resentment that despite struggle of Kalbisht \u00a0to establish parallel values of his society in challenging \u00a0Brahiminical hierarchy, his tale has been converted into a interesting love story. \u00a0” By this way, we lost parallel values of our ancient Khas society that is our core identity,\u201d said Batrohi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Batrohi\u2019s attempt to tell the pains and tales of \u2018Khas\u2019 ethnicity in Himalayas through his latest book B.D.Kasniyal Pithoragarh, March 30 The inherent pains of establishing an identity of a simple brave, vibrant ancient ethnic group, having its own life style, value system and richness of\u00a0tales but cheated in its own land by the clever …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,33,1284,91,59],"tags":[3297,3299,3300,3301,3298,3296],"class_list":["post-6786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-international-political-national","category-national","category-uttarakhand","tag-kalbisht","tag-samaya-saksh-publication-dehradun","tag-dharmanand-koshambi","tag-himalayan-communities","tag-khasiya-kuldevta","tag-laxman-singh-bisht-alias-batrohi"],"yoast_head":"\n