Nation braces for yet another Women’s Day

By Pragya Ghimire

KATHMANDU, March 7 : The International Women’s Day is being observed by organising various awareness programmes with a slogan of "The Responsibility of Family and Husband to Reduce Maternal Death," here on Friday (March 8). The programme will also be highlighted with other activities, including street theatre performances to recognize, address and eliminate the social taboos and practices that harm pregnant women and their children.

Despite numerous activities and frequent five-star seminars on maternal health, the ratios on maternal death never seem to decrease on hospital charts, but are,in fact, rising alarmingly due to time-ridden social stigmas and the fundamental base of health education.

Saraswati Devkota, 20, of Syangja gave birth to three-baby girls from the very young age. She got married at the tender age of 16 and gave birth in a very short span of time.

Devkota says, "As my husband is the only son of the family, he and all the other members of his family repeatedly forced me to give birth to a baby boy. My mother-in-law even threatened me of her son’s remarriage if I didn’t give birth and always insisted on my husband for the same. So, for the sake of family happiness, I dared to take the risk".

With tears in her eyes, she further added, this time also the responsibility of another female baby has been added and the chances of my husband’s remarriage has increased.

Saraswati, the only bride in the family, says, at the time of pregnancy she had to do all the household chores, look after the two children, parents, cattle and even work in the field.

"When I gave birth to the first baby, they didn’t allow me to stay in the house, I was shifted to the shed. There I experienced a terrible pain and my hands and feet swelled due to the cold but none of the family members helped me. Instead, they scolded me for trifle things and warned me not to play a drama," she said.

Safe Motherhood (SM) is a global effort that aims to reduce deaths and illness among women and infants, especially in developing countries.

The National Safe Motherhood Policy of the government has issued directives to give training to women health personnel, propagate and improve mother health services across the country, provide family planning methods, establish Emergency Obstetric Care in district hospitals with equipment necessitating gynaecological purposes.

Minister for Health Sarat Singh Bhandari said, the government has given top priority to Safe Motherhood (SM) after HIV/AIDS. The budget has been increased for SM in order to conduct various activities related directly to reducing Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR).

"We are now thinking to provide quality care and soon specialised doctors will be mobilized to give Emergency Obstetric Care (EMS) to the needy which is the most important part to reduce the death of mothers at the time of delivery."

The report shows that every day 12 women die at the time of delivery, 62 percent (out of hundred) die within a week after delivery, and 10 percent during delivery time.Furthermore, 67 percent lose their lives while undergoing delivery at home.

The Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the country is estimated to be 539 per 1 hundred thousand which is the highest in the South Asia Region.

Director of Thapathali Maternity Hospital, Dr. Bimala Lakhey said, the maternal health index shows that the condition of pregnant women and the baby is very thought- provoking. To improve these conditions, all concerned organisations with initiatives of the government should implement actions like providing advance SM through human rights, empowerment of women, economic and social investment in SM immediately.

"The cases of abortion-related complications are higher and reports of 57/58 shows that 1,507 patients are dying due to unsafe abortions. The government should legalize abortions and also reduce MMR".

Senior gynaecologist Dr. Divyasowri Malla said, "maternal mortality is higher in rural areas because villagers are unaware of basic hygienic procedures and this culminates into high mortality risk for the mother and the baby. A practical government initiative to train health personnel during delivery will enhance efforts to reduce MMR, she added.

Chairman of Safe Motherhood Network Dr Arju Rana Deuba said that integrated service for maternal health in general and community education on safe motherhood in particular, should be given priority in curriculum and services for adolescents.

"The essential services for SM should be readily available through a network of community healthcare providers, clinics and hospitals," she said.

Bajhang Dalits still facing inequality: Report

By Shikha Manandhar

KATHMANDU, March 7 : Despite the government’s repeated commitments of ensuring justice to the Dalits, they are still facing the same age-old tradition of inequality in the Far Western hilly district of Bajhang.

A report made public here today says the Dalits comprising the population of 32119, one third of the total population of the district, they have still been the target of suppressions and are deprived of opportunities. Simply they are not treated as bona fide citizen both by the state and the society.

According to the report published by the Dalit-Nationalities NGOs Co-ordination Committee, people of 17 different castes inhibit in the district and the major way of their living is by providing service to the higher caste people through their traditional occupational skill and labour works. But, despite their sweat, they, in turn, are sensing the backwardness just because they belong to the so-called minority group.

The report further says – despite increasing opportunities in the field of education (in terms of non-formal classes and scholarships), the uplifment in totality is still null. "Only 38 per cent of the Dalits have been employed while others have to rely on their own traditional works," the report says.

Socially, the people are backward due to lack of awareness and the deep-rooted superstitions have been further dragging them down to the world of unjust. "With the existing gender disparity, the most affected are the women and girls whose rights to equality is still not recognised," the report, which was prepared based on a study carried during last one year, adds.

The report that depicts the life situation of the Dalits of Bajhang district was made public during a programme organised by the Jana Utthan Pratisthan (JUP), an academy for public upliftment, in the capital.

Speaking during the report dissemination programme, Suresh Malla, member of the House of Representatives, said, "If any part of the system becomes dysfunctional, ultimately the whole system of the society has to bear the loss." Dalits are one such part devoid of opportunity and rights who have to be supported and uplifted and the duty lies in all citizens of Nepal to cater their presence as people with dignity, he added.

Govinda Neupane, project chief of CARE-Nepal, said, "The problem is not unknown to anybody, but what has been made unknown is the right and the dignity of the so-called Dalits."

Neupane further added, "For their upliftment, the oppressed themselves should recognise the situation as the problem, but not take it as the ongoing system of the society. They should utilise the community manpower and get acquainted to their skill and power to change the existing norms of the society."

He also emphasised on the initiation of the rights-based programmes.

Addressing the same function, Rudra Bir Snehi, director of the Dalit-Nationalities NGOs Co-ordination Committee, Bajhang, said, "Though the report supports the upliftment of the Dalits in the education and economic sectors, the resource utilisation by them limits within the minimum standards."

According to an estimate, the Dalits can make their living for only nineteen days with the per year output from agriculture.

‘The Fierce One’ steals the show

Post Report

KATHMANDU, March 7 : The third day of the Nepal-Russia Film Festival, jointly organised by the Film Critic Society, Nepal (FICSON), the Nepal-Russia Film Society and the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, has deepened and stirred the interest of the audience, touching the emotional strings of viewers and drawing them to tears yesterday, with a heart rendering feature film The Fierce One, directed by Tolomush Okeyev.

The festival is also screening Nepali films alongside Russian feature films, giving viewers an opportunity to compare Nepali productions with Russian cinematographics. In The Fierce One you don’t see the usual Nepali villain with his bulging muscles cruelly smashing the bones of his enemies. Here instead you see the chilling, deadly instinct of a villain that is none other than a wolf, mauling its prey in the pangs of hunger.

The centerpoint of the story and the cast in the film focuses on a child actor Kurmash, his uncle and his grandmother. They live in an urban area, infested with wolves on the prowl, which occasionally come and attack their sheep. Kurmash and his uncle, many a time, bravely drive away these fierce animals. Wolves are their only enemies. Every time the wolves attack, they lose sheep. His uncle really hates these animals and its calf.

One day his uncle finds a cave where a she wolf has just given birth to its sucklings. Kurmash likes the calves very much. The film rolls on and picks up its momentum when Kurmash’s uncle kills the baby calves and is stopped by his nephew from killing one calf which is very cute. He loves it very much, and even shares his meals with the baby calf and raises it with all the love he can give it. The calf named ‘Lyuty’, grows into a wolf and is trained to protect the sheep but is unable to perform as a dog would have done. Kurmash’s childlike mind was unable to see that a wolf is always a wolf and could never be as faithful as a dog.

The climax of the film is very interesting. After a long struggle, the wolf named Lyuty escapes from the jungle and returns home. Kurmash still loves it and seeks to welcome the wolf home, but Lyuty attacks its master Kurmash and wounded him fatally. Becoming aware of its intention and the true nature of the wolf, his uncle gunned it down.

Director Okeyev has depicted the cruelty and divisive nature of the wolf. As said earlier, the main villain of the film is the wolf where the child’s faith, love can change everything, bitterly ends with the death of the child Kurmash.

We can say, among all, The Fierce One is the best. Especially its cinematography is superb. Many times it is very successful to gain applause from the audience. Earlier two films are quite slow in comparison to it. Especially ‘At Home Among Strangers’ is quite different from others.The first one ‘Hunting Accident’ is quite slow among all. However, we also have to think about the time when the film was made. People have seen the latest movies of Australia, China and France recently. These films,however, are not latest and big hits. The significance of the film show is that these films are rich in techniques, story-telling and content. Further more, these three films have totally different subject-matters. The first one is about psychological revenge and love story, the second is about sincerity and honesty towards one’s duty and the last one deals with the education of decisiveness.

The audience enjoyed the show. The festival continues till March 8. Today’s show was Nepali blockbuster Darpan Chhayan, directed by Tulasi Ghimire.

Central Zoo programme for nature lovers

RSS

LALITPUR, March 7 : The Central Zoo has introduced a new programme for the nature loving students and housewives of the Kathmandu Valley and other visitors with the objective of increasing people’s participation in conservation works of the Central Zoo, nature and environment.

According to Director of the Central Zoo R. K. Shrestha, under the new programme students becoming the member of the Central Zoo by paying a fee of Rs 150/- will be allowed entry into the zoo at any time, take part in nature conservation works organised by the Central Zoo and allowed to visit various national parks.

"Under the programme, the Central Zoo had organised a nature conservation competition for students, bee-keeping, fishery, bird watching and educational programmes at the national parks last year", Shrestha said.

Likewise, arrangements have been made to provide the members of the Central Zoo 5 to 30 percent concession while purchasing goods from 50 shops in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts by showing the identity card issued by the Central Zoo.

The housewives and other persons will have to pay Rs 200/- to become a member of the Central Zoo.

Shrestha says that if the members of the Central Zoo make full utilisation of their identity cards, they can save up to Rs 1,000 and gain new knowledge on nature conservation.

‘Empower’ local bodies

RSS

LALITPUR, March 7 : CPN-UML General Secretary and main opposition party leader Madhav Kumar Nepal inaugurating the 11th District Council of Lalitpur DDC here on Wednesday said the overall development of the country is not possible without empowering and strengthening the local bodies.

"The Maoist problem resulting from bad governance and corruption can be resolved only through greater social reforms", Nepal added.

He also made it clear that the CPN-UML proposed for amendments in the Constitution in order to resolve the existing problems of the nation, take action against the corrupt and give stability to democracy.

CPN-UML Central Member Siddhilal Singh said the country will not move ahead to the right direction until and unless the Maoist problem is resolved.

On the occasion, DDC Chairman Madhav Prasad Poudel presented an estimated budget of Rs. 432.639 million for the fiscal year 2002/2003 comprising additional programmes for agriculture development, decentralised community health, educational development, forest, environment and tourism.

3 killed, 20 injured in road accident

Post Report

MAHENDRANAGAR, March 7 : At least three people, including a woman, died instantly after a truck carrying a marriage party fell off the Dadeldhura-Baitadi highway near the Amargadhi Municipality in Dadeldhura district on Wednesday evening, police said.

Twenty others were injured, six of them seriously, in the road accident. The bride and groom were, however, sustained minor injuries, police said.

Those killed in the accident have been identified as Man Bahadur Bohara and Kamale Lohar, both from Pachnali VDC of Doti district. The woman killed in the accident was yet to be identified though the police said that she hailed from Baitadi district.

Chief District Officer, Narendra Raj Sharma, said that the truck was returning to Gopghat of Doti district after holding the wedding in Baitadi.

Sharma said all the injured are undergoing treatment at the Team Hospital in Dadeldhura. They were rescued by the army men and the police from the site of the accident.

Januka chooses divorce than putting up with domestic violence

Post Report

HETAUDA, March 7 : A mother of four daughters has recently filed a complaint at the district court seeking divorce from her husband. The main reason behind her divorce sought is that her husband and mother-in-law tortured her regularly on the ground that she failed to give birth to a son.

Januka Neupane who hails from Aambhanjyang VDC of Makawanpur district filed the divorce suit after she could not put up with vicious violence and verbal abuses by her husband and other family members. She had already had four daughters at the tender age of 24. Januka was married off when she was hardly 16-years old.

"I will be beaten up to death if I live with my husband," said Januka, who registered the divorce suit with the help of her parents and brothers. "It’s too much. I cannot put up with further torture."

Another victim of domestic violence, Geeta Ghimire, 19, from Churemai VDC has been waiting for the court’s verdict for a divorce. She had also filed the divorce case after she could not bear physical torture inflicted on her by her husband. She was married off at the age of 13.

The tradition of early marriage is still prevalent in rural parts of the district, though the existing law forbids a girl until she is 18-years old. Marriage before attaining the age is voidable if the victim files a complaint at the law-enforcement agency.

"The early marriage invites family conflict and does not bring about any happiness," says Krishna Ghimire, a government attorney.

Police say that most of the suicidal cases of married women are related with domestic violence. Police Inspector Gorakh Bhandari at the District Police Office said that 35 married women in the district had committed suicides last year, most of which were found to be associated with domestic violence.

The Makawanpur District Court has so far settled 20 divorce cases during last fiscal year. The Court officials revealed that most of complaints were lodged by women themselves because of the domestic violence.