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Discussion on Tirtha's "Hiuṅko Geet" at Random Readers

Pokhara:
The 118th regular session of the Random Readers Society held on Saturday featured a discussion on the novel Hiuṅko Gīt (Song of Snow) by writer Tirtha Gurung. The society has been organizing discussions on a literary work or theme on the last Saturday of every month.

Under the chairmanship of the society’s president Rupindra Prabhavi, young literary figure Triveni presented a commentary on the novel based on indigenous knowledge systems. He remarked that in such knowledge systems, wisdom is collective and argued that the novel reflects knowledge about familial relationships through its characters. Triveni noted that the novel contains elements of local identity, environmental context of specific places, the tradition of “payback,” cultural values, and the significance of land.

He stated, “The novel powerfully presents the social conflicts of ancient society and shows how these contributed to the disintegration of a community. This is the central narrative of the novel, which is beautifully articulated.” He added, “Another important issue is how the end of indigenous traditions is linked to the entry of colonial powers. Globally, the erosion of indigenous systems has occurred alongside colonization. While the form and method of colonization may differ by society, the outcome is the same—fragmentation and destruction of society—which is also reflected in Hiuṅko Gīt.”

Triveni argued that the novel stands out because it incorporates indigenous knowledge systems and clearly portrays the role of colonial forces in their disintegration.

During the program, novelist Tirtha Gurung shared that he began writing the novel based on his personal life experiences. Suffering from a kidney-related illness, Gurung emotionally recounted how he received a second life after a kidney transplant from his own father, and how this inspired him to express that experience symbolically through writing. Gurung, who has previously published the novel Pāṭhśālā and the short story collection Āpā Khārp, said he wrote Hiuṅko Gīt with the intention of offering something back (“payback”) to his motherland, mother tongue, and native culture. He expressed gratitude for the love from readers so far and promised to revise the novel based on reader feedback in upcoming editions. The novel narrates the story of the origin, development, and eventual disintegration of the “Khola Kingdom,” believed to be the ancestral homeland of the Gurung people.

The event, conducted by secretary Nepal Prakash Adhikari, included comments from Kaushal Chandra Jisi, Kumar Tamang, Dr. Laxmi Sharan Adhikari, Meghraj Dhakal, Dr. Hum Bahadur Gurung, among others.

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