Incidents of domestic violence are very common in Nepal. As a Nepali, if you have not seen it or it has not occurred in your home, you probably know someone who has been severely affected by it. What surprised me with this incident in Nepalgunj was not that she was burnt alive with kerosene. I always wonder why she always has to burnt with kerosene while she is still alive. There are so many other ways of killing person. This incident is rather unusual. Tell me, usually who puts the kerosene and burns her? You're right. Of course, her mother-in-law. Who else could it be?
In this incident of Nepalgunj, it is her own husband. Her mother-in-law is nowhere in the picture. These are the kinds of incidents that demean us as Nepalese, as humans. I have never seen someone putting a dog or a cat or any other animal for that purpose on fire, no matter how annoyed one gets. Wait, I indeed have seen naughty little kids putting dog's tail on fire and the dog runs and spins which lights the fire even more, since it regulates and enhances the supply of oxygen for combustion of dog's tail. Not only naughty children, even some adults are part of this activity, if not, they join in to laugh at the canine creature's helplessness.
But wait, a woman is a human. A dog is a dog. The most shocking of all in this incident is that the husband was convicted but was sentenced to six months in jail. Six months for burning a human alive? Even stealing and theft could land a petty criminal for few years in jail. This is equivalent to murder. Long live the justice system of Nepal. 'Nyaya na paye Gorkha janu' (Go to Gorkha if you are denied justice). After the influx of communist guerrillas, Gorkha exists no more.
A man, talking about a stereotypical Nepalese husband, a husband can come drunk at night and beat her woman, set her on fire and could get away with six months in prison. I thought punishments were to deter criminals from repeating the crime and to deter other potential criminals. I wonder how strongly would six months deter anyone from setting a woman on fire. This violence against women can not go on like this. It has to stop. We have to act as responsible humans, as responsible men and as responsible women. We can not wait for some foreign organization or personality to come and work to stop this.
"Tell me, usually who puts the kerosene and burns her?"
ReplyDeleteit's really strange that one the one the one hand people feel immensely hurt when an Uma Singh or some Khatun get murdered, but on the other hand, even so-called progressive and freedom fighters are reluctant to put an end to the dowry system in the name of tradition. It really enrages me to see that all atrocities are justified in the name of religion, nationalism, identity, and freedom.
You see, dowry system is really a complex issue to tackle. Why? Because it's not that the government has not done anything in this regard. It has done its part; it has made dowry system illegal and yeah, those who take or who give are fined and prisoned, blah, blah and blah. But it's the people who are so reluctant to let go of the dowry system, the very people who can make this happen and who have the authority to do so are reluctant because they believe they have more to lose by doing so.
ReplyDeleteIt's more of a vicious circle that is hard to break. You just don't know where to start from. It appears regular and there do not seem to be any weaker points. I guess I am getting into my philosophical junk but yeah, you had to give away dowry for your daughter's marriage and so it seems ethical and justified to you to seek dowry for your son's marriage. You see how it goes. No one wants to break this or let go of this. Not even educated parents.