Yogamaya: Poet, Teacher, Insurgent

"Yogmaya had a two-pronged agenda,not just one," explained Manamaya. "Herfirsttarget was the cultural and religiousop pression of the time. Her second objectwas our ruler, the Prime Minister,who alongwith his generals allowed corruption andinequality to prevail. Our master, ShaktiYogmaya, showed us how these two evils areintertwined, and she feared neither."Yogamaya launched a brilliant and a daringpolitical campaign from her base in the hillsof East Nepal. It took place during the 1930s,and ended in 1940 with her death, along withsixty eight of her followers who one by one

Yogamaya: Poet, Teacher, Insurgent

followed her into the thundering current of the Arun River. After leading a

campaign for reform and justice, Yogmaya finally confronted the ruler with

an ultimatum: "If you do not grant us justice, we will die," she declared. Juddha

Shamsher responded by sending his army to round up the protesters.

The tragedy that resulted remains a stain on the government. The Nepalese

authorities covered up the episode and banned all mention of her. Her campaign

was thoroughly expunged from the nation's historical record and almost lost to

its political consciousness. But the powerful verses composed by Yogmaya, the

hazurbani, survived. And there lies the story.

I am the child in your lap.

You are the babe in mine;

There is nothing between us, nothing at all.

Your eyes have tears, just like my own.

>On the surface, these lines may appear to be politically innocent, they are

not. They embody the very principle of equality. They call for parity and

mutual respect. They are tender reminders of the sensitivity of all of our common

needs, joys and sufferings.

Manamaya uttered angther of Yogmaya's verses filled with praise of nature and

also love of land, or homeland.

Supreme among peaks, this our Himalaya

From where waters flow, Arun merges

And with Barun, flows on

To mingle with Irkhuwa.

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These lines hint her political goal to move towards equality. Her effort to

challenge the system is opposed by priests, the public, and the government.

But still Yogamaya attacks.

Virtue, stained by greed.

Justice, undone by bribes.

Though innocent, we lost.

Thus, we're twice punished.

Eventually, Yogamaya's teachings became a comprehensive utopian ideal,

linked with a non-violent political strategy she devised to bring it about. It

began four decades before the United Nations sponsored an international

convention on women, before the current generation of American feminists

was born, and even before Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent 'Quit India

movement (a campaign to rid India of British occupation) was underway, But

Yogamaya's movement went further because it included a call to end injustice

against women and girls.