BAJURA: A team of members of Federal Parliament has arrived here to carry out an onsite study of the Chhaupadi custom. The team is here since the unfortunate demise of a mother and two sons following a fire incident inside a Chhau goth or hut. The team is led by House of Representatives Women and Social Development Sub-committee Coordinator Ganesh Singh Thagunna. Lal Bahadur Thapa, Amrita Thapamagar, Ganga Chaudhary, Bimala Nepali, Ruhinaz Mikrani are members of the team. Dilla Datt Pant from UNDP is also accompanying the team.
The team arrived here on Thursday and held an interaction on Chhau tradition and its impact with the local people’s representatives, heads of security agencies, NGO representatives, women and adolescent girls. As the problem of this harmful practice is found more in the far-west and Karnali provinces, we are here to make a field visit and try to stop women from being forced to live in cowshed, said MP Amrita Thapamagar.
Speaking at the discussion program, MP Ganga Chaudhary said the local police administration has been directed to take legal action against mothers, fathers, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband and anyone who is following this practice and forcing others to follow it.
Member of Parliament Lal Bahadur Thapa, who represents Bajura, said the local level government and the local political parties need to be more accountable to this. To start with, it should begin with the party organization committees of every political party, he added.
MP Mikrani expressed concern over the insult and violence being committed against our own daughters and daughters-in-law in a society that worship goddesses like Durga, Laxmi and Saraswati.
Likewise, MP Bimala Nepali said dismantling of the goth alone is not a solution of the problem, there needs to be a change in the mentality.
The team of parliamentarians is holding open discussion and interaction with the stakeholders in the district headquarters Martadi. “We are here to seek ways to end this harmful practice which is still being practiced and people losing their lives despite a law prohibiting it,” said the team coordinator MP Thagunna.
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