Dr Mitra Pariyar staged a satirical “tail conference” in Kathmandu on Wednesday, using a tail demonstration and the sound of a nagara drum to draw attention to caste discrimination during the Dashain period. Speaking at a press conference at Samvad Dabali, Pariyar called for an end to caste discrimination, untouchability and social inequality.
A performance with a protest message
The event, known as a Puchhar Sammelan, combined a public performance with a direct appeal against caste-based discrimination. Pariyar’s demonstration was designed to satirise the inequalities he addressed, while the nagara drum added a visible and audible element to the protest. Rather than limiting the event to conventional press remarks, the performance placed satire at the centre of its message.
The gathering brought together the tail demonstration and Pariyar’s call for social change in a single public event. Its stated focus was the persistence of caste discrimination, untouchability and inequality. The use of satire offered a way to challenge those practices in front of the press and other people present, while the conference format provided a setting for him to speak about the issue.
Call to end untouchability and inequality
Pariyar used the press conference to call for caste discrimination to end. He also urged an end to untouchability and social inequality, linking the three concerns in his appeal. The message was not limited to a symbolic performance: the event put the demand for change plainly before the public, with the satire serving to underline the subject of the protest.
The timing during Dashain gave the event its setting, but the reported focus remained caste discrimination and social inequality. The press conference at Samvad Dabali gave Pariyar an opportunity to present the protest and its message together. The available reports describe the event as a public act of satire intended to draw attention to the issue.
Using satire to draw attention
The “tail conference” format made the protest distinctive, but its purpose was clear: to highlight caste discrimination through performance and satire. Pariyar’s use of the nagara drum formed part of the demonstration, alongside the tail display. Together, those elements made the event a staged protest rather than a conventional press conference alone.
The event’s central appeal was for an end to discrimination, untouchability and social inequality. By presenting that appeal through a satirical performance in Kathmandu, Pariyar sought to bring attention to practices he was challenging. The demonstration and his remarks at Samvad Dabali placed the demand for equality at the heart of the event.
