नेवाः जंकु संस्कारमा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक सुरक्षा (Elderly Safety in Newar Janku Rituals)

Abstract

नेपालमा रहेका १४२ जातजातिहरू मध्ये नेवाः समुदाय पनि एक हो । नेवाःहरू नेपालका आदिवासी हुन् । नेपाली समाजमा नेवाः समुदायको मौलिक संस्कृति र सभ्यताको आफ्नै महत्व छ । यस समुदायभित्र रहेका संस्कृति, संस्कार र मान्यताहरू अन्य जातिकाभन्दा फरक पाइन्छन् । नेवाः समुदाय धार्मिक रूपमा हिन्दु र बौद्ध गरी दुई भागमा विभाजन भएको पाइन्छ ।  यी दुवै खाले नेवाःहरूको आ–आफ्नै संस्कृति, संस्कार र रितिरिवाज छन् । नेवाःहरू समूहमा काम गर्न रुचाउने, समूहबाट निर्णय गर्ने र समूहमै बस्न रुचाउने समुदाय हो । दुवै प्रकारका नेवाःहरूले वर्षभरिका चाडपर्व, धर्म, संस्कृति, जीवन जिउनेक्रममा गरिनुपर्ने लोकव्यवहार र संस्कारहरू मान्दै आएको पाइन्छ । विशेष गरी जीव, जनावर, मानिस, पशु, पंक्षी, जल, जङ्गल जमिन, आकाश,  पर्यावरण र प्रकृतिलाई नै देवका रूपमा पुज्ने र संरक्षण गर्ने संस्कार नेवाः समुदायमा प्रचलनमा छन् । नेवाः समुदायमा मानिस जन्मेदेखि मृत्यु नहुँदासम्म गरिने संस्कारहरूले मानिस हुनुको महत्व झल्काउने गरी संस्कृति र संस्कारमा आफूलाई समाहित गर्ने र गराउने गर्दै आएका छन् । जीवनलाई निराशाबाट जोगाएर सदा उत्सवमय बनाउँदै, मेहनत, इमानदारिता, कर्तव्यवोध र कर्तव्य पालना गराउन पनि नेवाः संस्कारले काम गरिरहेको देखिन्छ । ती सोह्र संस्कारहरूमध्ये नेवाः समुदायको महत्वपूर्ण संस्कार जंकु हो । नेवाः समुदायमा बच्चा जन्मेपछि  र वृद्ध -ज्येष्ठ नागरिक) भएपछि गरिने दुर्ई प्रकारका जंकु संस्कार छन् । बच्चा छँदा गर्ने जंकुलाई अन्य समुदायमा अन्नप्राशन भन्ने गरिए पनि नेवाः समुदायमा भने …मचा जंकुÚ भन्ने गरेको पाइन्छ । उक्त जंकुमा …मचा जंकुÚ को पूजाविधि अनुसार  जंकु गरिन्छ । अर्को जंकु वृद्धावस्था -ज्येष्ठ नागरिकको सुरक्षा लक्षित_ भएपछि गरिने जंकु हो । यसलाई ज्याथः जंकु पनि भनिन्छ । यो जंकु गरिसकेपछि जंकु गरिएका ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई देव सरह मान्नुपर्ने प्रचलन छ । जंकु गरिसकेका ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई नराम्रो र नमिठो वचन गर्न नहुने, चित्त दुखाउन नहुने, र ज्येष्ठ भएका ती व्यक्तिका जीवन अनुभव ग्रहण गर्दै नयाँ पुस्ता अगाडि बढ्नुपर्ने  परम्परा छ । यसले ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई बेसहारा हुनबाट जोगाउने, र उमेर ढल्केसँगै दुJo{jहार हुने जस्ता विकृति न्यूनिकरणमा योगदान दिँदै आएको छ । यो संस्कारको महत्व र यस भित्रको जीवन विज्ञान बुझ्न सके परिवार, समाज र मुलुकका लागि ज्येष्ठ नागरिक अपहेलनाको पात्र होइन अनुभव र नयाँ पुस्ताका पथप्रदर्शकका साथै सहयोगी हुने देखिन्छ । समयकालसँगै पुराना पुस्ताले मनाउने गरेका जीवनोपयोगी संस्कारहरू आधुनिकतासँगै लोप हुने अवस्थामा पुगिसकेका छन् । पछिल्लो समय समाज र परिवार खण्डित हुँदै ज्येष्ठ नागरिकहरू परिवार भएर पनि परिवारविहीन भई वृद्धाश्रम वा कसैको आश्रय लिन आश्रम पुग्नुपर्ने बाध्यता देखिन्छ । नेवाः समाजका बौद्धमार्गी र हिन्दुमार्गी दुवै समुदायमा ज्येष्ठनागरिकका लागि छुट्टै आश्रमको कल्पना गरिँदैन । यो समुदायले प्राचीनकाल देखिनै ज्येष्ठ नागरिक र बच्चाहरूलाई जंकु संस्कारको माद्यामबाट सामाजिक सुरक्षा र सम्मान प्रदान गर्दै आएको पाइन्छ ।

Among the 142 caste/ethnic groups in Nepal, the Newar community is one. The Newars are the indigenous people of Nepal. In Nepali society, the Newar community has its own unique significance in terms of culture and civilization. The culture, rituals, and beliefs found within this community are distinct from those of other ethnic groups. The Newar community is religiously divided into two groups: Hindus and Buddhists. Both groups have their own distinct cultures, rituals, and customs. The Newars are a community that prefers to work in groups, make decisions collectively, and live together. Both types of Newars have been observed to observe year-round festivals, religious practices, cultural traditions, customary social practices, and life-cycle rituals (samskaras). Particularly noteworthy is the Newar tradition of worshiping and protecting living beings, animals, humans, cattle, birds, water, forests, land, sky, the environment, and nature as forms of the divine. The rituals performed in the Newar community from birth until death reflect the significance of being human, and they help individuals integrate themselves into culture and tradition. Newar rituals seem to work toward keeping life joyful by protecting it from despair, while also instilling diligence, honesty, sense of duty, and adherence to responsibilities.

Among the sixteen traditional samskaras (sacraments), the Janku ritual is one of the most important in the Newar community. There are two types of Janku performed in the Newar community: one performed after the birth of a child and the other after a person reaches old age (elderly/senior citizenship). The Janku performed during childhood is known in other communities as Annaprashan (first rice-feeding ceremony), but in the Newar community, it is called Macha Janku. This Janku is performed according to the ritual procedures of Macha Janku. The other Janku is performed in old age (with the aim of protecting senior citizens). This is also called Jyatha Janku. After this Janku is performed, the senior citizen who has undergone the ritual is to be regarded as worthy of veneration, akin to a deity. Tradition holds that after the Janku, one must not speak harsh or unpleasant words to the elderly, nor hurt their feelings. The younger generation is expected to learn from the life experiences of these elders and move forward. This tradition has helped protect senior citizens from becoming helpless and has contributed to reducing malpractices such as elder abuse as age advances. If the significance of this ritual and the life-science embedded within it can be understood, it becomes evident that senior citizens are not objects of neglect but rather repositories of experience, guides for the new generation, and sources of support for the family, society, and nation.

With the passage of time, the life-enriching rituals practiced by older generations are on the verge of disappearing due to modernization. Recently, as society and families have become fragmented, senior citizens—despite having families—find themselves effectively without families, compelled to live in old-age homes or seek shelter elsewhere. In both the Buddhist and Hindu Newar communities, there is no concept of separate old-age homes; from ancient times, this community has been providing social security and respect to senior citizens and children through the medium of the Janku ritual.