BOOKTALK: Writing from memory, writing for tomorrow

Milson D Chamling, a poet and playwright, traces his literary beginnings to overcoming early struggles with the Nepali language. "When I was at school, my Nepali was not good. It is not my first language," Chamling, whose mother is Tamang and father is Rai, explained. Growing up in Tarai with Tharu friends, his accent was a mix, making Nepali exams a challenge. It was his Nepali teacher, Kumar Dhungana sir, who encouraged him to write poetry, marking the start of his writing career.

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When I was at school, my Nepali was not good. It is not my first language. My mother is Tamang, my father is Rai, and I grew up in Tarai with Tharu friends. So my language, especially my accent, was a mix of everything. I would barely manage to pass Nepali exams. But Kumar Dhungana sir, my Nepali teacher, pushed me to write poetry, and that is how it began.

Chamling's transition to playwriting was sparked by attending a play for the first time. After watching 'Sano Macha, Thulo Macha' by Shilpi Katha Samuha, he felt a calling not just to watch, but to create. "I asked myself, 'Why am I not writing?' That's how it started," he recalled. This experience led him to author plays such as 'Umlio Kharani ra Lemlemma' and 'The Taste of Selroti,' the latter of which he is also directing.

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I think when people first watch plays, they wonder, ‘Why am I not on stage?’ but I asked myself, ‘Why am I not writing?’ That’s how it started.

A significant theme in Chamling's work is the preservation of Eastern stories, language, and culture. He highlights the importance of oral traditions like the Kirati Mundhum, noting that much of what is known of these traditions comes from external writings. Chamling worries about the global loss of languages, echoing the sentiment that "if we lose our stories, we will lose ourselves."

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We have a shruti tradition, our Mundhum. There is a narrative that Mundhum is the Kirati ‘Veda’. That is not true. It is an oral tradition. These are sacred words to us, often said during rituals.

His writing process is characterized by patience and reflection. Chamling avoids immediate development of ideas, preferring to let them "ferment." This approach is deeply connected to his cultural background, where fermentation is often linked to survival and resilience. "Many of our stories are also about suffering," he observed, suggesting that this deliberate incubation period allows him to imbue his work with a deeper resonance, much like the acquired taste of fermented foods.

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I worry about losing language. Languages are being lost throughout the world. Bhupal Rai, ex-chancellor of Pragya Prathistan, has a saying: if we lose our stories, we will lose ourselves. So I am trying to preserve our stories so we don’t lose ourselves.