Why husband kills wife?

For a few days DIG Koirala’s  murdering his wife has become a fat spice to the newspaper and a hot gammok to office goers, house wives, rickshaw pullers, auto drivers and people of the teashops or the workshops. As a teacher, I have also a gossip circle to vomiting the knowledge no matter how musty it is during leisure or the tea break. Everyone is smart on arguing and those who don’t like the tea gaffs would leave the place unnoticing.  However, we all were agreed to a point that it was one of the inhuman and barbaric acts ever committed.  

Just a few days before the incident had taken place, I taught a gothic story “A Tell- Tale Heart” by Edgar Ellen Poe” to my students. In the story, a boy kills the old man, with whom he has been living together for long, because he doesn’t like his blue vulture eyes. The narrator of the story tells his audiences that what he was doing was not because of his madness, but his disliking the vulture eyes of the old man. He seems smart and does everything cautiously. After killing the old man, he chops his body into pieces and hides under the floor.  As the police get information from his neighbors, they reach the home in the morning. Although he becomes able to deceive the police for a few minutes, he can’t deceive himself and finally confesses the crime. One of my students asked me a question impulsively that how the boy could listen the heartbeat of the dead man. I gave him answer showing the difference between fact and fiction and other prepared answers which were sufficient to shut his mouth. But his question has a meaning and more say than I replied. It opened a new world of rationality. I could better discuss on the issue with the support of modern theories. I didn’t.

After the class I went to the library and snatch a newspaper from the librarian’s hand (it happens often between us) and read the headline news, “DIG Ranjan Koirala Murdered His Wife Single-handed”. Our newspaper covers eighty percent of bad news because it draws first attention of the readers. I am not exception. I reminded Edgar Ellen Poe, who said, “Every human possess a beasty quality in them. Civilization is a mask to cover the beast or the dark side of human being.” I went through the page, “Koirala, who is currently in custody at Hanumandhoka, told an investigating team of Nepal Police that he alone murdered Dhakal at her residence at Budhanilkantha on January 11. According to the discourse, (I call it a discourse since it has many versions of truths as Derrida says, “all meanings or truths are never absolute or timeless, but are always framed by socially and historically specific conditions of knowledge.”) Koirala had a long dispute with his wife and were living separately. That day he kicked his wife as he used to do before and she died. His murder was unintentional according to him. Then he kept her dead body in to the car and drove towards Daman, Makwanpur. I don’t know why many criminals choose this place as a shelter of crime. He burnt her body at the edge of the road. It’s said that he had chopped her body into pieces like the narrator of “The Tale -Tell Heart” before he burnt it. He watched the flames of her body changing into eternal soul. Then collected remaining parts of her body from the ashes and threw down the forest like in the holy rivers of kashi.  Then he returned from there and went to kiss the fucking asshole of his new beloved. Next day, the local people found the parts of the victim and informed the police in Daman. Then they went to the spot and collected the remaining. Mr koirala was unknown about it. So, he went to the spot for the second time to dismiss the evidences after a few days. But he was suspected by the local people and finally caught by the police. When he found no way to escape, he said cohesively, “ I have done it, I am gone” to his friends. However, there are so many stories yet to come out. My concern here is why such incidents take place time and again. Why a husband kills his wife and vice versa?

 Is murder becoming a divorce substitute? It seems that men murdering their spouses have become more rampant or is it just more sensationalized and followed blow by blow on news magazine. Seventy-five percent of domestic homicides occur just after or during abandonment. Often the wife has a restraining order at the time of the murder.

Most of the cases are about husbands who were having affairs. But reasons to shed their wives are many and varied. Sex, philandering, money (either insurance or an unwillingness to split assets) and jealousy are just a few of the motives. Even more bizarre are the crazy women that write to convicted murderers and want to marry them-in jail. What makes them tick? It's a crazy mixed-up dangerous world if you stop and think about it.

When you think about it: Two people meet, fall in love and join in the sacrament of matrimony; they promise to love and honor one another. How could those attending the wedding ever imagine the union would end up in murder?Over time, day to day life gets in the way. But how could a man who once professed undying love for his wife end up eventually taking her life and quite often leaving his children motherless. And yet have the audacity to think he can get away with murder?  Married in 1994, the couple had been living separately for more than six years after their relations turned bitter. Their 14-year-old son was living with Koirala while the younger son, who is 10, was living with Dhakal. Is there fault in our law so that such crimes are repeatedly done? It can be an issue of debate for the law makers.

According to the crime psychology, “The wife murder can be explained in terms of a personality mechanism that is categorized as "pathological jealousy" or "sexual possessiveness. They claim that wife murder cannot be explained on the basis of a single male personality trait, but that it is rather a combination of various factors that together produce the foundations for this lethal violence (which is also why this phenomenon is relatively rare in comparison to other forms of domestic violence).

However, most of us will never understand how such a beautiful beginning can have such a tragic ending.  Are we all beasts as Poe said long before? After all, divorce is an option.

Rushdi's Hubris

Recently Salman Rushdie refused to participate in the Jaipur literature festival 2012 due to a threat of new assassination against him by the Muslims who were angered by his most controversial novel The Satanic Verses (1988). The DSC Jaipur festival is the largest literary festival in Asia pacific, and the most prestigious celebration of national and international literature to be held in India. It is said that the government of Rajasthan State failed to assure the security for him; so that he refused to come. However, it was not the first time Rushdie was going to address the Jaipur festival. He addressed the same festival in 2007 without any controversy and threat against him.

Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay, India, to a middle-class Moslem family. His paternal grandfather was an Urdu poet, and his father a Cambridge-educated businessman. At the age of fourteen Rushdie was sent to Rugby School in England. In 1964 Rushdie's parents moved to Karachi, Pakistan, joining reluctantly the Muslim exodus – during these years there was a war between India and Pakistan, and the choosing of sides and divided loyalties burdened Rushdie heavily.

Rushdie continued his studies at King's College, Cambridge, where he read history. After graduating in 1968 he worked for a time in television in Pakistan. He was an actor in a theatre group at the Oval House in Kennington and from 1971 to 1981 he worked intermittently as a freelance advertising copywriter for Ogilvy and Mather and Charles Barker.

Shortly before the publication of The Satanic Verses Rushdie had said in an interview, "It would be absurd to think that a book can cause riots." The novel was banned in India by the ministry of finance – about a week after it had been published in Britain – and South Africa and burned on the streets of Bradford, Yorkshire. Videoed images of the protest spread across the world.

After Rushdie had published the satanic verses in 1988, the supreme leader of Iran Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination in1989. When Ayatollah Khomeini called on all zealous Muslims to execute the writer and the publishers of the book, Rushdie was forced into hiding. Also an aide to Khomeini offered a million-dollar reward for Rushdie's death. Within the weeks of threat made against him by the Mullahs of Iran, he was approached by the president of the Bard College and appointed as a faculty member. However at that moment, all sorts of people and institutions were running scared all over the world. Today, same red alert signals are flashing all over no matter how shaky is the ground under his feet.

According to the informants, Mumbai underworld may be taking the responsibility to eliminate him. “It would be irresponsible of me to come to the festival while assassination might have been awaited me”, said Rushdie. “Instead I would address the event via video link.” These statements seem more childish to me. When Salman Rushdie delivered a 1996 commencement speech at Bard College, he said “kneel before no man. Stand up for your rights.” For him fear was a kind of hubris, a human weakness, sin of defying the God. He also shared the moment of extreme humiliation at Cambridge during graduation that he was penalized for no reason by the Cambridge administration. Giving various examples of Greek myths and own experiences he finally said, “Do not bow your heads. Do not know your place. Defy the Gods. You will be astonished how many of them turn out to have feet of clay.”

However, Salman Rushdie on Sunday accused Indian police of making up an underworld plot to assassinate him that forced him to pull out of a literary festival this weekend. Rushdie withdrew from the event in Jaipur, the state capital of Rajasthan, after being warned by Indian officials that paid gunmen were heading to the city to kill him for his writing. Is this Salman Rushdie’s hubris? What did he mean to the young students of Bard College, “Do not bow your head? Do not know your place. Kneel before no man?” Or, he is the man of controversy?

Daaman View Tower

Makwanpur district is one of the most attractive districts from the view point of tourism. The natural beauty of this district is fabulous. To see the world's highest mountain i.e.  Everest along with other three dozens famous Himalayan peaks can be viewed from Daman, Simbhanjhyang and other extra bhanjhyangs of this district. But Daman is introduced for View tower as tourism point. Simbhayang lies in Tribhuvan Highway which seems much attractive because we can observe different beautiful geographical features which can be best for eyes to view it.

 Long distance of Tribhuvan Highway lies in Makwanpur. Highway travelling is suitable destination for tourists. The stakeholders are preparing different infrastructures to establish tourism industry in this district, in which establishment of new hotels, constructions of religious places/holylands are focused. Along with this promotion of these places are also being done actively.

 Two trekking routes are found recently, named as Laliguras and Sunakhari which lies in Kulekhani as well as Simbhanjhyang as the beginning point.In the above part of the Nepal's famous damp, Kulekhani dam there is the good facility of boating and also roads are constructed where we can see the facility of home stay also.  In the northern part of this district i.e. Tistung, many houses of Japanese style building are built for home stay.

All the local peoples of rural areas, their religious and cultural festivals can be taken as the main sources for the tourism.

 Different places of Makwanpur district that are Trikhandi area, Martyr's memorial, Gadhi Durbar area, Samari river's bank, Manakamana temple of Gadhi and also Churiya mai temple can be taken as picnic spot too.

Hetauda is the popular city of Nepal by its wonderful natural beauty, religious and cultural heritages. Bhutan Devi temple is the most popular temple of this district.

  Another famous holy land is the temple of Churiyamai that lies in Tribhuvan highway in Hetauda city which is in the Southern part and in the Northern part another holy place is temple of Manakamana is situated. Likewise, Makwanpur's another famous religious place is the temple of Trikhandi Mahadev which is about 8km away in Tribhuvan Highway. For the promotion of other many new religious or holy places are being searched. So, in the beginning of the Tourism Year 2011, all the religious or holy places are in the target for promotion. Meeting point Kusmanda Sarobar Triveni Dham of Hetauda Municipality-9 and Padampokhari V.D.C. are being constructed as tourism pilgrims.

From 1st Magh piety virtue  will be carried out by building 108 taps for having a bath to the holy people before worship. Maximum religious peoples are visiting from the started date till now.

Maximum villages of Makwanpur district are suitable for tourism. Madham Bhandari Highway is the next way for tourism that has the link to this district, which lies in the Southern part from the capital of Nepal. From Kathmandu through Dakshinkali, Phalhel, Sisneri, Kulekhani, Deurali, Chisepani Gadhi, Bhim Fedi and Bhainse to Hetauda are the attractive way for the tourism.

My Sojourn, Hetauda

Straight and wide roads, mixture of traditional and modern houses, wide playground at the city center, ever green roof of the roads made up of Ashoka trees perfectly gives its colour to Hetauda city. This small town lies at the bank of Rapti and Karra rivers  and surrounded by the green hills. Sahid Smarak, View Tower, Pashupati temple,  Bhutandevi temple, Manakamana temple are beautiful places to visit. It is one of the flourishing  towns of Nepal in all sectors including education, sports, tourism though it was known as the mere industrial town in the past.

There are some luxurious hotels, motels and resorts where you can stay a few nights with every facilities. You can hire vehicles to go to the full sight scene including Daman and Makwanpurgadi which are naturally panoramic and historically significant. If you visit Daman in winter seasons, there will be more chances to cuddle with snow and throw it at each other if you are in group. There are restaurants, bars, clubs where you can have your food and beverages taken. If you are hungry of knowledge, you can visit well equipped libraries where you can read varieties of books written by national as well as foreign writers. Don’t worry if you have kids. You can take them to children park, fun park and mini zoo at Sahid Smarak. Are you religious? No matter which religion you follow. There are temples for Hindus like Pashupati, Bhutandevi, Manakaamana temples , Churches for Christians and mosques for Muslims. Hetauda city is harmoniously inhabited by Brahmins, Tamangs, Newars, Kshatriyes, and Magars. Besides, there are schools and colleges for every discipline. Super markets, corner shops, and Show Rooms of the branded vehicles give a postmodern touch to this city. It is only 78 km far from Kathmandu, and you can see Indra Sarowar, Chisapani Gadi, Dakkhsin kaali temple and all the three phases of kulekhani hydropower on the way to Hetauda.

Well, my friends, if you come some days in this beautiful town, don’t forget me . I will be standing right here to welcome you.

A Strenger

It is like a clock work for me to go to Kathmandu every Friday and  return on Saturday.  The road to Kathmandu from Hetauda is adventurous though painful with steep hill and slopes. Tata Sumo is the king of the road and motorcycles and other vehicles are like the guards of the king that never get chance to use road freely.

It was like I conquered an empire when I bought a Honda Shine on an installment basis a few years ago and every time I go to Kathmandu, I often ride on it. It takes me three and half hour to reach Kathmandu if there is no construction and fresh landslide on the way. There are some reasons why I prefer bike to cozy sumo. The first reason is the cost of travel that Sumo fair is 370 one way and it doubles on Saturday while returning. But motorcycle minimizes the fair since it consumes nearly five litters of petrol to both way. Moreover, I can save some taxi and micro fair during my stay in Kathmandu. The second reason is the freedom that it allows me on the way and also keeps away from human vicinity. I can piss under the bush and can drink spring water from the traditional dhara. It’s a nice experience to sip tea where I like and buy some fruits and vegetables from the local peasants.

It was December 2, 2011. I was riding from Kathmandu to Hetauda on my Honda Shine and time was 4.30 when I reached the old headquarter of Makwanpur, Bhimphedi. After I had registered my bike number at the police beat, i started moving towards my sojourn, Hetauda. At the meantime, I saw a boy giving me a hand and it didn’t take me long to understand his intention. Then , I stopped bike and gave him a lift thinking that he might be the student of +2 in any colleges in Hetauda. “ Where are you from bhai?” I asked in my usual tone. “ Bhimphedi jail”, he replied in a casual way. However, the word ‘ jail stroke on the other side of my eardrum. I regretted on my decision and thought to fell off him from the back seat. It was only the fantasy not possible in reality. ‘Why were you there in the jail?”, I questioned. I like it because I am a teacher being habituated of asking questions often. “My brother has been transferred in Bhimphedi jail from Kathmandu recently”, said he proudly. I remained quiet for five minutes. To break the silence, he asked me where I was from. I told him what I had to and drove silently. He spoke himself, “These days Dons of Kathmandu have been transferred to the remote places.” He also addressed me Dai while talking. I asked, ‘why was he arrested by the police and penalized?” “In a murder case”, he gave me easy reply. He also further reported many activities of the jailers and their relation with the famous Dons in the jail. It was all new for me to hear. One the one hand, I thought I decided right giving him a lift; therefore I got a chance to know something new. On the other hand, I was terrified thinking that he might rob me on the way at any isolated place because such incidents occurred frequently before in other places of the country. As soon as I reached Hetauda , I remembered Don Gongelez ,the principal character of the story’ Fear’ . I stopped the bike and asked him to get off. He did. He also thanked me for help and moved to the other direction without looking around. I stared at the direction of the stranger until the horizon hid him before me.