Plight of a girl who was denied education by her in-laws

Nepali society, the one that is traditional and conservative as well, will take some more time to advance. By the word advance, I don’t mean that it would catch up the trend that is available in the globe. It is simply impossible to imagine that. For I know clearly that no country in the world will stop its advancement and development simply because Nepal has declared that it were in the race and that as good friends, thew comity of the nations in the world will wait or will have to wait. I don’t claim that absurd one.

My own consideration is that we are a lot who have taken promise that we will never reform our set patterns or for that matter the tradition and deep rooted cultures. It is also a lot that will continue to be in the dark for centuries and centuries provided some sort of miracle takes us all out of the web wherein we were now. Thanks the sagacity our national heroes, read our political leaders, who appear nonchalant to the ideas of reforms that have become a must though albeit they preach in their lectures which have already become useless and nonsense as well.

My attention has been drawn to a piece of news which has it that a newly married girl in the remote village was simply denied to go to the school for her in-laws concluded that if the girl went ahead of their son in matters of education, it would create a sort of imbalance in the said household.

Thus the girl was denied to go to the school.

This is one story that has come to light. But unmistakably there could be scores of such sad stories which if investigated will bring much more things to light.

Had the in-laws of the girl been properly educated and knew the benefits of higher education and its impact on the family, they would certainly have not objected the idea of the girl to continue her studies. The in-laws failed to understand that an educated mother would rear her siblings in a much more healthy manner. The in-laws also failed that the girl time permitting could become a bread earner for the entire family.

However, due to the prevalent orthodox traditions, the in-laws felt that her going to the school and continuing the studies might develop a sort of "inferiority complex" in the minds of their son which they felt might not only bring down the prestige of their son down in the eyes of the girl but would also have negative impact on the family and thereby in the society.

This is really unfortunate. Where are our leaders who could convince the in-laws as to what crime they have committed by not allowing the girl to go to the school?

Making lectures in Kathmandu will not improve the conditions of such girls. It is time that the leaders go to their villages and convince their friends /the voters about the plight of the girl. Is there any NGO which is listening to the voice of the said girl who has been denied education by her in-laws?

I believe that the corrupt leaders are all seated in Kathmandu and the dollar earning NGOs were too centered around Kathmandu. It’s all a cry in the wilderness!

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