BANEPA: Banepa Municipality Deputy Mayor Bimala Sapkota and her two sisters are facing social backlash after breaking a long-held tradition by performing their father’s funeral rites themselves.
Following the death of their 91-year-old father, Hari Prasad Sapkota, on Sunday, the three sisters, Bimala, Nirmala, and Radhika, lit the funeral pyre and began the 13-day kriyā mourning period.
Their decision defied the customary belief that such rituals must be carried out by sons.
The move was met with immediate resistance from sections of the community. Meetings were reportedly convened to discuss socially boycotting the sisters.
Sapkota took to social media to condemn the opposition, writing, “When will discrimination against women end? Even as we perform our own father’s last rites, discussions are being held to boycott us. We have interfered in no one’s lineage. Do not add to our grief.”
She warned that any attempt to block their rituals would be against the law and constitution, and insisted their stand could pave the way for justice for thousands of daughters.
The controversy also reached the family’s priest, who initially agreed to oversee the rites but later withdrew following alleged boycott threats. Another priest, Deepak Subedi, stepped in to continue the ceremonies.
The boycott calls have sparked public outrage, with thousands on social media expressing support for the Sapkota sisters and criticizing efforts to enforce discriminatory customs.
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