About Dassain…”Methinks thou dost protest too much”

Closed and inward-looking people are "offended" or "hurt" by anything they perceive as an attack on anything even remotely connected to or part of their identity. Many even go on the offensive in reaction instead of introspecting.

Closed and inward-looking Nepalis are no different. This is an example of their reaction to protests by indigenous population against Dassain, the biggest national festival of the country, which, to many of them, is a symbol of oppression and suppression.

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Untold History of Dassain, A Symbol of Oppression and Suppression

Dassain, a Hindu festival, is recognized and celebrated by many in Nepal as the biggest and most important national festival. As per the historian Bhagiraj Ingnam the festival has a dark history -- a history of past regimes wielding it as a tool to subjugate and control the indigenous population. As such, to many the festival is actually a symbol of oppression and suppression.

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If protests against Dassain hurt your sentiments…

While, for the hill so-called high caste Hindus, Dassain is the biggest religious festival, for many others, it--along with a lot of the other things--is a symbol of suppression and oppression their ancestors suffered from. So, if, as a high caste, your sentiments are hurt by protests against it, I invite you to reflect and imagine how much and how long the sentiments of others and their ancestors must have been hurt by the suppression of, for example, their festivals.

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