She Who Defied The Odd, a Parijat

ANUVISHUB SANJAY TAMANG

“To create literature is not my interest
but my compulsion. When time disturbs
my peace, only then does my pen move.”
– Parijat
It was Laxmi Prasad Devkota who introduced Nepalese literature to the outside world, but it was Bishnu Kumari Waiba who opened up the voice of Nepalese women to the world outside, with her simple but defying words that challenged the past and laid the foundation for future. Better known as Parijat, she was a true genius and one of the greatest women writers Nepal has yet produced.
The differences in age, temperament, and experiences make union impossible, yet though the relationship is absurd, the pain and frustration are genuine.
Her first novel, Shirishko Phool, published in 1964, is a Nepali language that received the Madan Puraskar. Critical response to the novel was of two kinds, the novel was decadent, substance of vulgar and obscene- foolish imitative of the west. And those who felt that Parijat has brought Nepali into the world of modern literature. She had overturned the idea of literature, trying to fit the social ostracism that does not fit into the social norms of what it means to be able-bodied.
Parijat, a most celebrated writer in the Nepali literature for her own uniqueness, expression and style of writing. She is a formidable force in Nepali literature, an inspiration for progressive Nepali writers. Can be described as an existentialist feminist who challenged the patriarchy and stood for the autonomy of women, opposing to the traditional norms and values, through her writings. She was bold and radical, and often questioned superior and dominant male characters and cultural values that celebrated male-civilization and shadowed the women’ contribution in the preexisting society.
Right from her childhood, Parijat was a rebel who opposed social rules, discipline and never believed in surrendering. She often described in her writings- “Life is worthless, but it can’t be ignored. What I think of life is– it’s certainly not a joyful experience; humans are born to suffer. Humans have to endure suffering at every stage. I don’t think humans are inherently good. In comparison, I respect and love dogs equally because I have become disillusioned with humans.”
She always hated family control, social norms and traditional values that often limited and restricted her (as a woman). She often felt that social values and norms were the chains and shackles for women and hindrances for women’ freedom and independence. Even until the end of her life, Parijat continued to possess this nature- arrogance and ego, which often we can see in her writings as her strength in the literature- fictional world.
While in her other works, she had brought to the reader’s attention the very simple things of life, such as love, emotion, nationalism, society, etc. According to the critics and her ardent admirers, reading her work is like reading their own emotional voices; such is the nature of her work.
Beside literature, she was a source of inspiration for many building progressive circles. She viewed Marxism as the very important ideology of progressive knowledge and practically an idea that would liberate people from the clutches of exploitation, discrimination, poverty and backwardness. She was deeply influenced by communist ideology and even became an ardent supporter. A leftist youths often consider her as a very important figure in progressive movements of writers and artists. Parijat did not and never appreciated her own writings. Even though she openly spoke about her mind through her carefully chosen characters and words. Her writings often express frustration and sorrow from established  classes and social attitudes.
In the contemporary world, Parijat seems to have been lost, with only few seems to be searching her meaning. She was all different, a courageous and feminist, at a time when Nepal and whole of Nepal community was going through rapid changes of new ideas and cultural innovation and conversation. She portrays life as an emptiness, especially that of a  woman. She was unmarried; a status that was not unusual for women in Nepali society, she personally never preferred to get married. She wanted to live and grow as a free woman, which family and society would normally not digest. When Parijat fell ill, which later developed into paralysis, making her physically disabled throughout her life, it was no less than a prison for her. Although nothing stopped her she continued to actively write and bud around her known people, she often met people from different streams of ideas and thoughts. Anthropologist and writer Barbara Nimri Aziz. Aziz shared her discovery of Yogmaya’s story in the Arun Valley with Parijat, who in turn encouraged her intellectual associates to write about it and spurred the canonization of Yogmaya as Nepal’s first feminist. She later described Parijat- “Long before I learned about her, Parijat was a widely published award-winning author– a poet, essayist and novelist. Her brave, forceful fiction matched her daring opposition to Nepal’s monarch-led feudal government. She taught by example, leading a life of complete honesty and dedication to others.”  
Parijat’s role as a writer is unchallengeable, she is self-effacing. In most of her distinguished works, she has analyzed and portrayed women’s sexual psychology and has fought against the social injustice inflicted on women during male dominated social epochs.
Parijat naturally teaches us the revolution against the established tradition and strength when the world loses hopes against humanity and human values that promise equality, in her writings. Nepali Literature cannot afford to forget its most precious daughter, who promoted peace and love in Nepali literature, though she was physically crippled. The biggest trait of her personality, however, was her ability to smile and sail the boat of life serenely against the currents of time.
[The author is an essayist, fiction writer, and student of postcolonial studies.]