I have never been to Kalimpong (not even other parts of India) so I don't know. Has Kiran Desai been honest in her Booker winning novel about the Nepalis of Kalimpong? Anyone from that area?

She has presented Nepalese living in Kalingpong area pretty bad. I am not sure that is actually true. So far the book is well written but the facts may be inaccurate.

DP, Icanfly -

I guess some people have felt that way and I can see where they might be coming from. I personally have no reason to believe her intent was malicious. What she has done, in my opinion, is perfomed a fantastic job putting into words the prejudices of Bengalis in Darjeeeling against the Nepalese or "Gorkhas" . Her potrayal, as I saw it, was a very realistic image of how Bengalis percieved Nepalese which, in some ways, contributed to the Gorkhaland movement. She talks about how the Bengali babus took up most of the bureaucratic jobs (a compalint heard throughout the Northeast).

I never felt she in any way tried to justify that snobbery. On the contrary, I felt she implied that the Bengalis deserved this because they were so far removed from reality. But that's just one person's read.

But I realize people who are close to the picture might feel differently and can be sympathetic to their concerns.

One darjeelingey to Kiran Desai ----- Blistering barnacles!!!!
ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I really felt sorry for Biju and his father...

He he Suna ... you have every right to feel so :) Quite a few people have told me they have had to take much of it in with a grain of salt and I can see why.

Perhaps you have already checked this thread out, I thought it had some very interesting comments: - http://darjeelingnews.net/forumdarjeeling/viewtopic.php?t=1341

To good life.

:)

Icanfly - Agreed. It was pretty depressing what happened to him.

On another note, I liked how she sketched the character of the judge. I thought she did a heck of a job with him - very realistic.

To your other point about facts, I suppose this being a work of fiction, she got some leeway there. On that thread I pasted, some people have brought this up.

Have a good one.

Have not read the book - but I happened to see the movement first hand, as we were asked to march in the street - shouting something for the right of Nepali langauage and Gorkhaland. The peopel would say - Nepali ma bolnus! It was scary in away... but it was so many years ago... Got to read the book. This has brought back memories of the hill towns Kalimpong, Goom, Darjeeling - the Himalayas the toy train... I hope she has given justice to the place.
Most of the nepali were either poters or taxi dirvers and waiters in the boarding schools around those area and I am sure they had their plight and struggle and wanted their won identity.
I could not say more without having read the book to ans if the the author has been true about the Nepali.. Will read the book soon...

reviewrestaurant:
Most of the nepali were either poters or taxi dirvers and waiters in the boarding schools around those area and I am sure they had their plight and struggle and wanted their won identity.

RR
Did you hang around mostly at clubside, barracks, ghoom stand, momo hangouts? Because that would surely explain why you only saw nepalese as either porters, drivers and waiters.
FYI, although Darjeeling in India, it is RULED by Nepalese :) who come from all walks of life - lawyers, doctors, teachers, and yes drivers, waiters and porters.

" The peopel would say - Nepali ma bolnus!"

Bolnu ta parcha ta!!! Speak the common language...and yes, Nepali does happen to be the common thread in Darjeeling amongst Tibetans, Madhises (madhes bata aeko lai aru k bhanney ta...don't go postal on me coz I use that word!)and everybody else.

This book is well written with superb charactarization. No question on that. I wasn't talking about professions. I may be totally wrong, but I found the book presented Nepalis as ethically challenged more than financially challenged. Is that how the actual situation is around Darjeeling? From what I have heard so far, Nepalis in Darjeeling are friendly, loving, and honest. My perception and the book's presentation didn't synchronize in that aspect.

It is the writer's prerogative how she wants to portray the characters and ambiance in her book. So, no complaints there.

BUT

Knowing that Kiran Desai spent most or significant part of her life in Kalimpong, I wonder if she is... joon thaal ma khayo, tyehi thaal ma hagera gayo.

Hey Suna
No offense here - it is just genralization of what has been talked in this thread and of course there are more than the porters waiters and There are Nepali teachers who taught Nepali and Physic as well... there were tea planters and so on. You don't have to hang around the areas you indicated to know that. There are nepali people in all walks of life everywhere.
During the gorkhaland agitation Nepali was to be spoken... and the local people made sure on that. .. so there is no issue on that and very natural thing to do is to talk in Nepali as there are more Nepali around that area. Nepali in darjeeling/Kalimpong are very nice people, who fought for an identity and a better way of life that is all. I am just saying what I saw - as I did participate in the cause whether I believed in it or not and I had no choice...

Hi DP:

I am not a book person, but occasionally I ponder upon (I hope I use the right word) articles, journals and publications. So I am completely out of the world of Kiran Desai and any writers.

I did not bother googling or wikepeding (I hope it is a correct word) upon her and her book, but could you please throw some insight to us on her this particular book, especially how she characterizes the people of Kalimpong/Darjeeling. Could you please be specific about her accusations or her perception on the people.

I am really curious 'cause I know some friends from that region and they are the most friendliest and nicest Nepalese people I have met so far.

Just curious...

This book which in a way put Kalimpong on the map, has definitely stirred its share of mixed reactions. for those who aren't resident kalimpongeys it may come across as something exotic but for those of us who are from Kalimpong and certainly among the educated, this book does nothing to fan our pride. Infact, the book was called to be boycotted by the citizens of Kalimpong citing the authors derogatory opinion of the nepalese and their intellectual capabilities.

You can check out this link to trace the outrage it caused.
http://www.kalimpong.info/index.php?s=inheritance+of+loss

For my part, I found the book to be quite interesting more so due to the familiarity with the plot but other than that I found her reference to us as "neps" to be quite disturbing right from the start.

I have no clue about the book that's being talked about in this thread. But, I studied in Kurseong, a small town in Darjeeling district, right from the age of five, for eleven years. Everyone I knew in that town spoke in Nepali, regardless of what their mother tongue was. My frens in school, who's mother tongue was Hindi or Bengali or Marathi or Tibetan, fancied speaking in Nepali. The town makes u feel like u're in Nepal, ALMOST.
And YES the people there are really friendly!!!

Thanks for the insight 'darjeeling ko keti'

I don't understand one thing- People from Nepal are always so eager to label "Pravashi" to the people of Darjeeling/Kalimpong/Sikkim regions. First thing it comes from their mouth, once they knew that those other Nepalese are from those Hilly Regions, is all the negative cannotations like Darjeelinglay Gundaa, Ghamandi, Show off etc. A very good friend of mine told me that while playing soccer in Rangashaala representing Darjeeling Team, spectators shouted at them calling names as "Darjeelingay Gundaa lai Haan" and many other derogatory terms.

I have seen on him the more Nepaliness than the real Nepalese people from the motherland itself.

It is very sad to say that even their own Nepalese brother/sisters attack their identities, so it did not surprise me to know Ms. Desai's perception on our own fellowcountryman. By the way, I hope she knows the real history of Nepal and its long lost part called Darjeeling in "SUGAULI SANDHI..."

For people like her, I called a "Mortal Fool..."

*****************************************************

P.S--> Still waiting DP's insight on her book....!!!

True. Kiran's non-Nepali characters have referred Nepalis as Neps. I remember them referring themselves as Bongs (or something similar) too at one point. That's not a big deal. Remember so many people in Nepal refer Indians as "Dhotis". It may be like Brits calling Pakistanis "Pake or Paki". It's not nice, but what can you do?
That's not Kiran Desai. That's her Bengali characters calling Nepalis 'Neps'. I am sure there are some cunning (or ethically challenged) people in every society/country.So are honest, kind, and loving ones. If you only mention the first type and totally leave out the second type, you are not being fair.
What her non-Nepali characters say about Nepalis is different from how Kiran herself makes her Nepali characters behave. There may have been Nepalis who robbed the judge, captured Lola's land, stole her pickles and bamboos, deserted Sai in her true love, robbed Biju of everything, and so many others. But there must have been at least one good Nepali in that area. I didn't find that Nepali character in the book.
When you, as an author, create 50 not-so-good Nepali characters for your book, you can create at least one good/honest/kind Nepali character too. She hasn't done that. She may not have lied about the bad Nepali characters, but she seems to have not created any good ones either. But this hasn't tarnished my perception of Nepalis living in those areas.
This book is very well written. Otherwise, it wouldn't have won Booker.
RSVP, did I give you enough insight?

Hi DP:

You gave me so much insight that now I am flying without wings......

So one quick question to you- is "Writing" the sole factor for Booker Prize???

I think Bengalis are referred to as Bongs, isn't that so?

I too did not like the derogatory portrayal of Nepalis in Desai's book. Though she lived in Kalimpong, she was quoted as saying she would not consider herself or her family as Kalimpong's, perhaps due to displaced colonial superiority complex or because she got picked on by her Nepali mates while growing up.

But the crux of the matter is that, this is, after all, a freaking fiction book. Who gives a flying fudge what one gujju girl thinks in her own little mind. Nepalis in genral, and Kalimpongeys in particular, should not be beholden to what others think of themselves. We are who WE think we are.