उनी भन्छन् कि यहाँ यस्ता समारोहमा उनले नेपाली गीतहरु भन्दा पनि विभिन्न विदेशी गीतहरु सुने । बेल्जियमका नेपालीहरु समारोहमा आफ्नै गीतहरुमा नाच्दछन्, उनले भने । नेपालमा भने स्वदेशीपना किन यसरी घटेका हो ?
आज कुरा गर्दछौं, एक नेपाल बाहिरका नेपालीको । उनी नेपाली हुन् किनभने उनी नेपाललाई माया गर्दछन् अनि फेरि उनी नेपाली हैनन् किनभने उनको देश नेपाल हैन । गएको २३ वर्षमा उनी १३ पटक भन्दा धेरैचोटि नेपाल आइसकेका छन् । उनलाई नेपालको मायाले तान्दछ, उनी आफै भन्दछन् कि नेपालको संस्कार, सभ्यता अनि रहनसहनले उनलाई चुम्बकले फलाम तानेझैं तान्ने गर्दछ । उनी नेपालका विभिन्न ठाँउहरु घुमेका छन्, नेपाल सम्बन्धी अन्तराष्ट्रिय फोटो प्रदर्शनी गरेका छन् र जहाँ जहाँ उनी पुग्दछन् त्यहाँ त्यहाँ लग्दछन् उनका क्यामरा अनि तस्बीरहरु ।
कहिले चितवन, कहिले पशुपति अनि कहिले अन्य कुनै ठाँउहरु उनी देखिन्छन्, नेपाल छँदा । हातमा क्यामरा अनि साथमा लेन्स उनी ताँईतुँई नेपाली पनि ठोक्दिन्छन् । उठ्नुहोस्, यता, उता, त्यता, अघि, पछि लगायतका नेपाली शब्दहरु अनि सामान्य नेपाली भाषा समझका साथ उनले नेपालका अद्भूत तस्बीरहरु खिचेका छन् अनि प्रदर्शन गरेका छन् । केही पटक त विश्वप्रसिद्ध च्यानल नेशनल जियोग्राफीले पनि उनका तस्बीरहरु आफ्ना क्यालेण्डरमा साभार गरिसकेको छ । ती तस्बीरहरु नेपाली तस्बीरहरु हुन्, सन् २०१९ मा नेशनल जियोग्राफीले निकाल्ने भित्तेपात्रो अर्थात् क्यालेण्डरमा उनले यस वर्ष पशुपतिमा महाशिवरात्रि ताका खिचेका साधुबाबाका तस्वीरहरु राखिनेछ ।
उनी हुन् डानी भरहासेल्ट । बेल्जियमका नागरिक डानी लगभग ५७ बर्षका भए । नेपालका अनन्य प्रशंसक उनी आफ्नो देशमा पनि नेपालबाट अलग रहेका छैनन्, बेल्जियम नेपाल फ्रेण्डशिप एशोसियन नामक संस्था मार्पmत् त्यहाँ रहने नेपाली अनि बेल्जियम बिचमा सेतुको कार्य गर्न उनी आफै त्यस संस्थाको महासचिव पनि हुन् । समयसमयमा यस संस्था मार्फत् देश विदेशमा कलात्मक कार्यहरु भइरहेको हुन्छ, डानी त्यहाँ पनि पुगिरहेका हुन्छन् । यसपाला पनि बेल्जियमबाट एउटा फोटोग्राफरको समुह नै लिएर आएका डानीले शिवरात्रिमा दुई दिन पूरापुरी पशुपति क्षेत्रमा नै लेन्स तन्काएर फोटो खिच्दै बिताए । यसपाला त झन् किर्तीपुरमा विभिन्न साँस्कृतिक कार्यक्रम अनि परम्परागत झाँकीहरुमा अन्य नेपाली फोटोग्राफरसँग काम गरेका निकै रौसका साथ बताए ।
यसपाला डानी नेपालमा रहँदा रकसिद्धी समूहका संयोजक अमीत उपाध्याय दाईले डानी आएको समयमा मलाई फोन गरेर भेट्ने वातावरण मिलाइदिनु भयो ।
डानीका फेसेस अफ नेपाल नामक फेसबुक पेज पनि छ, त्यहाँ नेपालीका रहनसहन, भाव अनि संस्कार अभिव्यक्त गर्ने विभिन्न तस्बीरहरु छन् । उनका तस्बीरहरु आफैँमा चरित्र हुन् जस्तो लाग्छ, हरेक तस्बीरमा एउटा कथा छ अनि भाव छ ।
म पनि के कम ? एउटा लेखकले एक साँझ फोटोग्राफरलाई भेट्यो अब त चल्ने भयो शब्द र क्लीकको दोहोरीझैं लाग्यो । मैलै शब्दका अनन्त माला पहिराएर अभिव्यक्त गर्ने कथालाई उनले केबल एक क्लीकबाट व्यक्त गर्न सक्दछन्, मेरो हातमा रेकर्डर अनि साथमा क्यामरा, होटलको छेउको कुनामा प्रतिध्वनि नआउने ठाउँमा हामी सोफामा बस्यौँ अनि त्यसपछि जे भयो यहाँ एवं रितले लेख्दैछु ।
आफ्नो परिचय सकाए डानीले । म रेकर्डर समाइरहेछु, दोश्रो प्रश्न तेर्स्याएँ । २३ वर्ष भयो तिमी नेपाल आउन थालेको, के फरक छ त्यतिबेला अनि अहिलेको नेपालमा ?
लाग्दै थियो, यिनले नेपालको विकास या २३ वर्षमा आएको कुनै राजनैतिक या रहनसहनका परिवर्तनबारे भन्लान् तर उत्तर त्यसो थिएन ।
उनले त नेपाल अहिले पनि त्यस्तै छ जस्तो पहिले थियो भन्दिए । फोटोग्राफर न परे, यिनी नेपालीको मुस्कान, संस्कार र आशाका पारखी रहेछन् । उनका अनुसार यी समयमा सकल देश सशस्त्र यूद्धमा गयो, भुकम्प आयो तर नेपालीहरुको मुस्कान, हाँसो अनि खुशीमा कुनै कमी आएको छैन, जस्ताको त्यस्तै छ ।
मैले उसलाई कुनै नेपाली गीत आँउछ ? भनेर भनें तर उसले रेशम फिरिरि लगायतका गीत आउने भएपनि गाउन भने लाज माने, मिल्ने भए गीतको पनि फोटो खिचिदिन्थे होला, मनमनै सोचें ।
डानी अनि कस्ता छन् त बेल्जियममा बस्ने हाम्रा नेपाली साथीहरु मैले सोधें ?
उनीहरु सबै ठिक छन्, यहाँ जस्ता थिए त्यस्तै छन्, उनी थप्दै गए । दशैं, तिहार, तिज लगायतका चाडमा उनीहरु यसै गरि मनाउँछन् अनि भेला हुन्छन् । माघ फाल्गुनका पारिला दिनमा आएकाले यस वर्ष उनले लगन अनि विवाहका धेरै समारोहहरु नेपालमा देख्न पाए । उनी भन्छन् कि यहाँ यस्ता समारोहमा उनले नेपाली गीतहरु भन्दा पनि विभिन्न विदेशी गीतहरु सुने । बेल्जियमका नेपालीहरु समारोहमा आफ्नै गीतहरुमा नाच्दछन्, उनले भने । नेपालमा भने स्वदेशीपना किन यसरी घटेका हो ?
सायद देशको माया विदेशमा बढि भएर हुने हो कि ? मैले उत्तर दिएँ । तर उनको कुराले मलाई घत पर्यो, आखिर हामी किन सभा समारोहमा विदेशी गीत र तालमा नाच्दछौँ ? नेपाली गीतहरुको कमी त छैन नि ?
आजभोली धेरै नेपाली साथीभाईहरुलाई फोटोग्राफर हुने लहड चलेको छ, के फोटोग्राफर हुन महँगो क्यामरा र प्रविधी नै सबैभन्दा धेरै जरुरी हो ?
डानी भन्छन् कि फोटोग्राफी एउटा कला हो जसका लागि आँखा चाहिन्छ । धेरै राम्रा राम्रा क्यामरा भएपनि ठीक समयमा सही भाव अनि वृत झल्किने गरि फोटो खिच्न नजाने प्रविधी मात्र ले केही हुँदैन, उनी भन्दछन् ।
विदेशमा नेपाल सम्बन्धित विभिन्न तस्बीर प्रदर्शनीमा मान्छेहरुले के रुचाए नेपालका तस्बीरहरुमा ? नेपाल भन्न साथ विदेशमा हिमाल भन्ने बुझ्दछन् र धेरैले हिमालका तस्बीरहरु रुचाउँदछन् । तर म आफू धेरै पटक नेपाल आएकाले नेपालसँग हिमालबाहेक अन्य धेरै कुरा छन् भन्ने देखाउन चाहन्छु ।
उनले नेपाललाई तस्बीर मार्फत् शोकेस गर्दै आएका छन्, हरेक तस्बीरलाई एउटा भनाइले बुन्दछन् अनि पोष्ट गर्दछन्, फेसेस अफ नेपालमा ।
लुगा धुन लागेकी नेपाली महिला भाँडामा लुगा लिएर जाँदै गर्दा उनले एउटा तस्वीर खिचे । अनि लेखिदिए, क्याप्शन । मैले आज लुगा धोइनँ भने भोली मैले नयाँ लुगा किन्नुपर्ने हुन्छ भनेर । उनका अनेकन फोटाहरुमा हनुमानका तस्बीर देखि हलो जोतेका किसानसम्म छन् । उनका तस्बीरमा कैद नेपालले विश्वलाई नेपालको नयाँ परिभाषा दिइरहेको छ । डानी अब पर्यटन बोर्डसँग एकल तस्बीर प्रदर्शनमा आप्mना क्लीकहरु छताछुल्ल पार्ने योजनामा छन् ।
आज नेपाल एउटा बेल्जियम नागरिकको मुटुभित्र पनि धड्किरहेको छ, एकदिन नेपाल विश्वभरि छरिनेछ । डानीलाई धन्यवाद दिएँ, रेकर्डर प्लीक प्लीक गर्दै थियो, मैले बन्द गरें । अब पालो क्यामराको, क्यामराका किरा डानीको तस्वीर खिच्न म क्यामराकर्मको असाक्षर मनुवाले कतिको न्याय गर्न सकें, हेरिदिनुहोला ।
डानीका तस्बीरहरु खिचियो, १४औं पटक नेपाल आउँदा फेरि भेटिनेछौं, घर आएर डानीलाई फेसबुकमा एड गरेको छु ।
डानी भरहासेल्टसंगको कुराकानी हाम्रो अडियो सामाग्रीमा राखिएको छ । कुराकानी अंग्रेजीमा राखिएको छ ।
He is a Nepali, truly from heart. Nepali is an adjective for them who love Nepal and he is one among them. In last 23 years, he has been in Nepal for 13 times. It's his love for culture and way of living of Nepalese that draws him here again and again. He has visited to several places in Nepal and organized several exhibitions in and out of Nepal and his art pieces have always narrated stories of Nepal.
His craftsmanship underlies in his clicks, he is often seen with his camera and lens in Nepali streets, villages and cities.
With his finite and sweet Nepali vocabulary, he sets off in search of stories and narrates them with his clicks. Couple of times, National Geography has used his pictures; in the year of 2019 National Geography is featuring one of his Nepali pictures into its annual calendar.
Introducing you to a Nepali from Belgium, Mr Danny Verhasselt, 57. Madly in love with Nepal, even at his country he is a Secretary of Nepal-Belgium Friendship Association. This association works as a bridge between Nepal and Belgium and routinely organizes several artistic events; Danny is also actively seen there. This year, Danny arrived in Nepal with an international team of photographers. They spent two days at holy Pashupat area during the Shivaratri festival. Smilingly, he adds that he also went to Kirtipur (Traditional and ancient city in Kathmandu) this time and collaborated with Nepali photographers during a multi-cultural program there.
Brother Amit Upadhyaya, From Rocksidhhi group called me to meet Danny this time. Danny has a facebook page "Face of Nepal" where he brings his clicks and their contexts to us. What I realized is his every click is a character in themselves; they have a story to narrate through a picture. As a writer I would probably need hundreds of pages to narrate the same story which Danny expresses through a single click. I envy this characteristic of a photographer, probably this evening it would be a rap battle between a photographer and a writer, I said to myself ;)
My bag had a camera and a recorder, now I will narrate our conversation as we sat in a corner sofa to avoid echo in the recording.
With recorder in my hand, Danny has just finished his introduction. My second question was the difference he has observed in Nepal from last 23 years of his visit with an anticipation that he might depict mal-development and political changes we have encountered in all these two and half decades.
Surprisingly for him Nepal is still same as it was before 23 years. For him it’s the same smile, same warmth, same culture and similar rays of hope in Nepali faces. Interestingly Danny added that despite decade long war and tragic earthquake in Nepal, Nepali faces are still smiling with similar hope and ecstasy.
I asked if he knows any Nepali songs, he did several but hesitates to sing. That was okay, I said, we don't expect a photographer to be a singer, and we laughed. He knew resam firiri and some more. A thought hovered into my mind; if songs had face he might have clicked the faces of those songs as well.
How are our Nepali friends at Belgium?
Yeah! they are fine, exactly like here. They live, they celebrate and they smile. They celebrate every festival there too, Dashain, Tihar, Teej and every other like they do in here. Here at Nepal I observe Nepali people dancing in foreign songs and songs which are not originally Nepali but there at Belgium they dance in original Nepali songs. He asked me what is with Nepalihood in the country these days.
Probably because patriotism escalates beyond borders, I replied. But Danny was right. Are we forgetting who we are? It’s a matter of question for all of us.
How important is an expensive camera and technology in photography?
Photography is an art where eyes are much important than cameras. Danny adds right timings, emotions and the context is very essential before cameras or technologies. If you miss these credentials, even a thousand dollar worth camera can't bring a perfect picture to you.
For him it's not just mountains that Nepal offers, Nepal has a lot more to offer in the palate of seekers.
In his click, a woman is carrying her clothes and Danny adds a caption like this, If I don't do laundry tomorrow, I am gonna buy new clothes tomorrow. His photos are vivid and meaningful, from ancient God Hanuman to ancient agricultural works, Danny spreads everywhere through his lens. His pictures are redefining Nepal and it is such a pleasure to Nepali to learn that Nepal holds revered space in a Belgium heart. He is looking forward to organize Photo Exhibition of his works in coordination with Nepal Tourism Board. I thanked Danny and closed my blinking recorder. Now it was a time to captivate Danny in my camera. Awkwardness prevails as a photography nerd like me had to do his job. I don't know if my clicks are able to justify Danny's face.
See you in your 14th Visit, Danny! As I returned home, first thing I did was to add Danny Verhasselt.
Photos Source: Danny Verhasselt
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