Poverty, Trafficking and Victimized femininity

Poverty, one of the forms of deep rooted structural violence, has led gender violence up to its utmost level through sex trafficking in nearby district of capital city.

Inger Skjelsbaek and Dan Smith in their book “Gender, Peace and Conflict” have portrayed the conception of victimized femininity for the pain borne by Croats and Bosnian women during Balkan war, where thousands of women were raped by Serbian. Here, it is about the plight of the girls in Ghyangphedi, Nuwakot, about 100 kms from capital city. Many differences can be easily seen between two places in every aspect of development, awareness, health, sanitation, etc. more precisely, in every aspect of the factors that determine HDI (Human Development Index).

“Nepal’s lost daughters, India’s soiled goods”, by Tim McGrik won’t be relevant in terms of its circumstances; it would rather apposite as “Nepal’s sold daughters, India’s soiled goods”. Almost the majority of the area of Ghyangphedi is plagued by the practice of flesh trade for their subsistence. The food production hardly lasts for a quarter of a year; people here have to depend on an external source for living. And to the utter disagreement of every conscious citizen, they’ve been following the practice of sex trafficking as per their source. People surrounding the place won’t regret saying the scenario as a “well established tradition”, which has been into practice over the long period of time.

Especially, in the Tamang majority neighborhood, almost every household holds the case of their daughter, sister being sold in the brothels of Bombay or Kathmandu. And to the greatest shock, own family members are involved in it. A recounting of a tamang man from Ghyangphedi clearly suggests that, they eagerly wait for their daughters to get mature enough to exchange them for money.

And the plights of girls/women don’t only last with lost rights but end up with deadly disease of AIDS as fueling the undesired fire. There are many cases of AIDS victim returning to their village after getting infected.

If somebody goes there and talk about the matter, they hardly welcome people as such. Also, as if cat has taken their tongue, they hardly tell anything regarding sex trafficking.

Many NGOs, humanitarian organizations including Red Cross and local bodies are involved in raising awareness against the flaws of trafficking and its consequences of deadly disease (AIDS). But still the trend hasn’t stopped yet. I, personally think the effort is not enough as far as awareness is concerned. There has to be adequate programs of economic development which can come handy to seek alternative for sex trafficking--generation of economy. Also, researches and studies have to be made to bring up the issue in forefront, which till date is very lacking.

(Based on a chat with people of Samundratar VDC and ghyangphedi VDC, Nuwakot)

Nepal’s actuality of constitution making is in dire straits

Despite of many political and apolitical upheavals, hope for drafting of constitution is still on. After the death of the old hand leader, the sense of responsibility is squirming in between the heads of top parties.

The historical achievements of 12 points agreement, April appraisal and the highly praised CA polls had created such an amount of optimism for enduring peace in the country. That was followed by the Maoist government, slightly missing the enough mandate, were much more expected to win peace and development. But, the comrades with different politics couldn’t go with the professionalism set by traditional partisan politics and neighboring sugar daddies of this country, resulting in loss of zeal of the citizens towards them.

That again followed by another coalition, still in one piece, has had shown a positive sign by instigating the PLA (Peoples’ Liberation Army) reintegration process, which being a part important in effecting the peace process. But again, the long wait for the draft of the constitution, main representation of peace process is still owing as per the standard of famous “social contract theory”.

However, adding further salt to the injury, the death of the chief leader has put the writing process in even dire form—because almost all of the so called main guns are contending for the central chair to aim their shot from. And the heated discussion was started soon after their visit to the laid up Girija Prasad Koirala during the later stage of him. After his death, everyone pretending themselves as a blue eyed boy of Late Koirala and arguing for the leading chair.

Nevertheless, some positive signs are showing up with newly formed joint working group between top parties. Despite, the word “consensus” gets plenty of space in almost every speech of the leaders and the irony about them are, almost every time those speeches end up with blame to the other parties being a detested blockade for gearing up the constitution drafting and effectively addressing peace process.

Time is fleeting faster, with less than couple of month left to draft the constitution and hundred meetings been done, the act towards real necessity seems to be in peril. Now time has come to get top of the “party centered bias” of every party and work for the real need of present context. I personally am really wondering, when our leaders will come to know that the constitution making is one “super ordinate goal” (goal that is achieved by the contribution and co-operation between parties) rather than an individual act for individual benefit. The amount of “By standard apathy” (phenomenon that refers to cases where one does not offer help thinking other one would handle the work) shown by each and every set of parties has to be ended for achieving the wish of entire country. I would like to remind our dear leaders about the “social contract” they have made with us, citizens, and wish them to work towards the “common good” for this country.