Indra Chaudhary: Preserving our culture by documenting folk stories

Indra Chaudhary, 31, is a folk story writer from Kanchanpur. He is currently teaching in Makwanpur. Before this, he was involved in theater. He performed in several dramas and radio plays. He has also acted in a Tharu movie ‘Bhura Bhura Rahar’ which will be released soon. Nowadays, he focuses on writing folk stories that explore culture, language, and community rituals.

He has published two books, ‘Rana Tharu Ma Prachalit Lok Katha Tatha Mithak’ and ‘Tip Tip’ which was introduced at the 8th Tharu Literature Festival in Sunsari this year. He also writes children’s stories. ‘Dhola Farkiyo ta?’, ‘Naya Ban Paley’, and ‘Kapash Ko Ghoda’ have all been inspired by folk tales. In a conversation with Babita Shrestha from ApEx, Chaudhary spoke about his goal of preserving our heritage through cultural writing.

What inspired you to pursue writing as a career?

When I came to Kathmandu to pursue an M.Phil. degree, I got involved in theater. I got to work with different artists. I’m from the Tharu community and while I was there, I realized that there wasn’t much documentation of our folk tales and culture. I decided to do some research for my academic writing. My professors and friends liked my work and encouraged me to write more for Nepali literature. I wrote my first story, ‘Bhumika’ which got published in the Tharu Literary Quarterly. Since then, I’ve been writing with the aim of sharing stories about our culture.

Could you run us through your writing process?

Before I start writing stories, I talk to people from the specific culture I’m exploring. I pay attention to how they talk, their language, and all the little details of their lifestyle. Sometimes, people want to know why I’m doing all that. I explain  that I want to document our culture, traditions, and art to preserve our identity. I learn about their culture and then try to weave those insights into my writing. Right now, I’m researching about the Chepang community. I’m gathering myths and stories for my next project. 

How would you describe your writing style?

When I write stories, I try to capture the actual words and phrases spoken by the native community. This not only adds a personal touch but also keeps the stories authentic. I also include translated statements in Nepali so that everyone, even those who aren’t Tharu, can understand it. I want to make my work lively and interesting so that readers won’t get bored. I want them to feel like they’re listening to these folk stories. I keep the plot engaging and informative to make readers curious. Take, for instance, my book ‘Tip Tip’, a collection of 18 stories published by Maya Publication, which focuses on the Rana Tharu community. It’s full of folk stories I wrote to grab the reader’s attention, each with a captivating climax and a powerful message. I have employed a funny tone to convey a deeper psychological message and symbol. 

Have you faced any significant challenges during your writing journey?

One of the main challenges I have faced in cultural writing is that people often aren’t interested in reading books written in a native language. I noticed this at literature festivals where people hesitated to buy books written in Tharu because they couldn’t understand the language. To tackle this issue, I started including Nepali translations within the lines of my writing to reach a wider audience. Another challenge is raising awareness among locals about reviving fading cultures. Many have lost hope. That is why I feel it’s my duty to preserve our cultural heritage.

Are there any authors that have had a significant impact on your writing?

When I started reading folk literature, I got passionate about working with folk stories. Govinda Acharya’s ‘Tharu Jati ko Lok Geet Ra Lok Sangeet’ has been a huge inspiration. It’s about the eastern Tharu community. That’s when I decided to write about the Rana Tharu community in Kailali and Kanchanpur. Cultural writing became my focus after that. I also want to acknowledge Krishna Raj Sarbahari who guided me on how to proceed with cultural writing. He was the one who told me that it was possible to publish a book in my mother tongue through Pragya Pratisthan.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I believe cultural writing has a bright future as it’s all about people and their identities, which is important for civilization. So to those thinking of taking up writing, I want to say it’s very important to study and understand your culture and spread awareness about it in any way you can.