Nationalism's Appropriation of Modernity in Anagarik and Maitighar

Abstract

The present dissertation examines Maitighar and Anagarik, two Nepali films representing the Nepali society from 60s and late 90s respectively, in terms of the nationalism's appropriation of modernity and its impacts on the marginalized indigenous languages, cultures and religions. After a meticulous study on both the films in the light of various critics on nationalism and modernity, it becomes clear that the monolithic Hill based Hindu state has manipulated different forces of modernity like education, language, development, identity, and communication technology so as to reinforce itself at the cost of the indigenous communities and their voices. Between these two films, Maitighar illustrates the way monolithic nationalism based on the religion, language and culture of the ruling ethnic community appropriates modernity so as to sustain and reinforce itself in the long run whereas Anagarik illustrates the devastating consequences of such practice of monolithic nationalism in the country like Nepal, which consists of diverse ethnic communities with their own mother tongues, cultures and religious practices. Likewise, it also manifests how these marginalized indigenous communities respond to such imposition of the monolithic nationalism.