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Transformation in Women’s Life
Brought about by the
People’s War
- Manju Thapa
Roasting a thick corn
bread over the glowing fire Krishna BC wiped her tears, and said, “I
would make my four children sit around me, my husband would be with us,
and we would eat flour meal or anything we could get. But, today, I have
neither my husband, with whom I could share my sorrow and happiness, nor
all of my children. Two of my children are in Kathmandu, one is in my
mother’s home, and I am passing my days just with this daughter, missing
those who are not with me. The remembrance makes my dizzy, and I smoke
cigarettes a lot.”
Five years ago, Krishna
of Syalapakha, Rukum had never anticipated or imagined about such days.
Her husband was a school teacher who would bring salary in home and
arrange the finance and expenses needed to the family. Krishna’s job
included just looking after the farm, taking care of the property
(cattle), and carrying out the household chores like cooking, washing
and rearing children. But, unexpectedly, the time has now made her the
head of the family and put the entire responsibility of the children
solely on her shoulders. In the month of April 2002, one day early in
the morning, the then Royal Army snatched her husband Tek Bahadur BC
from his bed, accusing him of being a Maoist, took him to the vicinity
of the Kailadeu river and shot him dead along with other eight fellow
villagers without any interrogation. The unanticipated pain and burden
of responsibility started in Krishna’s life after the incident.
Since the Maoists
started the People’s War ten years ago political, social, economic and
cultural fields have undergone a lot of upheaval. Direct and indirect
impact of the armed conflict can be felt enough in the life of women.
The flame of any political war or social conflict not only burns its
instigators but its heat also affects entire gamut of society. In this
context, the time has already come to seek answers to the questions
like: What impact did the ten-year long people’s war exert on the life
of common women? What kinds of changes have come in the conventional
roles of women? How many gender-discriminatory customs have disappeared?
It is not wrong to try
to find out the change in common women’s life brought about by the
People’s War in the places claimed by the Maoists as their base areas (adhar
kshyetras). Both positive and negative changes have taken place
in the life of common women due to the People’s War. While some changes
are the result of the planned programs and policies of the Maoists,
others are the compulsion spontaneously created due to the People’s War.
Some changes can be observed objectively and some lie in the subjective
experience of the people. The pain undergone by innumerable Krishnas is
endless and profound, however, let’s first talk about the positive
changes.
In the base areas like
Rolpa and Rukum, polygamy by men was considered as a matter of bravery
and pride before the start of the People’s War. One generation earlier
polygamous marriages were abundant. After the inception of the People’s
War, however, there has been a widespread decrease in the practice of
polygamy, and the common people say that it is a good change brought
about in favour or women. Sapana Sunar of Bhandarikanda, Rukum says, “If
you give an application to the Maoists against the man who has committed
polygamy, they will separate the first wife from the man ordering him to
give her share of property. Then, they send him and his second wife to
the labor-camp.” In order to address the problem of polygamy, the
Maoists have stopped it not only in practice but also prohibited it by
formulating law.
The judge of the
district people’s court (jana-adalat) of Rukum run by the
Maoists, Yagya Bahadur Pandey says, “In the party’s Directive Legal
Draft 2060 BS given to us, polygamy is banned, and it is stated that the
right to self-determination should be given to first wife.” Since some
persons have already been punished for polygamy, many people are
informed about this rule of the new people’s power (jana-satta).
It has been regarded as a positive step not only by the Maoists’
supporters but also by their opponents too. This is the first and
generally accepted positive change in favor of women brought about by
the People’s War.
The law notwithstanding,
Pandey has undergone some difficulties while executing justice in
polygamy cases. Though the people’s court always sides with the first
wife, Pandey has experienced that when a man brings the second wife the
order to compell the man to stay with his first wife has not been much
effective. He says that there are a lot of incidents in which the second
wife is sent back and the man is ordered to stay with the first wife.
But, the man and the second wife often meet secretly and flee to India
after some months. On the contrary, decisions are implemented
successfully if the second wife is declared legitimate and his first
wife is divorced with her share in property and the right to
self-determination. In such condition, it has been found that some of
the first wives, who were divorced, have remarried with another man.
Whether by the pressure
of the Maoists’ policy or for fear of punishment, the practice of
polygamy is decreasing. On the other hand, the practice of re-marriage
among the widows caused by the war and other women has become common. In
the assessment of Jeevan Khadka, the representative of the Informal
Sector Service Center (INSEC) for Rukum, because of the policy of giving
women the right to self-determination, re-marriage has become an
unconstrained practice among widows. The increase in the practice of
remarriage among widows is certainly a positive trend. In some cases,
however, it was seen that when a widow took such step without making
proper arrangements for her children, the latter had to undergone a lot
of misery. Arjun Pariyar of Chhing-3, Rukum, has been carrying out the
responsibility of rearing and education of his three small
grand-children even at the age of sixty plus with a great difficulty. He
was compelled to take this burden because of the murder of his son by
the security forces and the re-marriage or his daughter-in-law. Thus, a
serious issue of children’s right is also linked with the remarriage of
women.
Ghanashyam Acharya, a
human right activist of Rolpa, infers that the practice of child
marriage has also been vanishing due to the Maoists’ policy. The Maoists
kept Rammaya Pun of Korchawang-3, Rolpa in labor-camp for 35 days for
marrying at the age of 17, though by her self-decision. However, her
husband Mahesh escaped punishment because he lived in Kathmandu. Pandey
says that in order to dissuade child marriage his party has given
training to the parents of villages in Rolpa, where the practice of
child marriage is high. He claims that because of the Maoists the
practice of child marriage has declined by 80 percent. The truth in this
claim, however, remains to be verified yet. In the view of the common
people residing there, the practice of child marriage has become less
due to the time factor and accelerated more by the Maoists’ policy.
The issue of women’s
equal right to property is one of the crucial issues of women’s movement
in Nepal. In the Maoists’ base areas, common people are not found to be
much informed about property right to women. However, the people’s
power has made an explicit policy on it and started to implement it, at
least among their cadres and supporters. In any family, when property is
being partitioned, it must be apportioned to all daughters.
Particularly, the daughters have to ratify the partition. Assuming that
it may become unmanageable in practice it was decided that the rule will
be applicable to the cases following the year 2004, when the Maoists
promulgated its Legal Draft, and that only unmarried daughters will be
given property-share, says Pandey. Among the Maoist families, when
property is partitioned, it has been a general exercise to compulsorily
apportioned property - to daughters. The common people who come to the
people’s power (jana-satta) for the registration of property
division also have to apportion property to daughters. If a daughter
does not want to take her share in the property willingly, she has to
come before the people’s administration officer (jana-prashasan
adhikrit) of the people’s power and sign an agreement, which states,
‘I obtained the property-share by converting immovable property to
movable one’ or ‘I do not take my property-share on my own wish’.
Similarly, when a land is to be sold, it can be done so only after both
husband and wife sign the related documents. By making the provision of
writing the name of both husband and wife as the owner of the land, the
people’s power has been trying to make women the actual owner of
property. Sufficient information about these provisions, however, has
not reached the people.
At present, in Khadi of
Rukum, there is a reformatory for prisoners, where 12 women have been
serving sentences on the charge of different crimes. The reason, for
which most of these women got punishment is abortion. The law of the
people’s power has the provision of allowing the abortion of foetus up
to four months if both partners do not want extra baby, and if the
pregnancy is caused by incestuous relationship and rape. Except that, if
abortion is done without the permission of the people’s power, one has
to be accountable to their law.
Assuming that most of
the women submit application for divorce due to unbearable circumstances
the people’s power has given the right to self-determination to women.
Excluding the people who visit the people’s power with their problems,
others are almost uninformed about the rights and the repercussion of
their acts. Thus, the Maoists’ attempts to strengthen women’s legal
status, formulating rules and regulations that are helpful in changing
women’s social status, and implementing those rules and regulations in
the areas of their rule and among their party cadres are undoubtedly
commendable. However, except for the decrease in polygamy and child
marriage, other rights and practices initiated by the Maoists have not
spread much among the people.
Plow on the Shoulders of Women
This event occurred a
few years ago. Chijmali BK of Kotgaun, Rolpa had an eight years old son
with her. Her husband was in jail on the charge of being a Maoist. Her
husband’s younger sister had joined the People’s War as a whole-time
cadre. When the time for cultivation came, the villagers did not help
her, and she did not have money as well. If the land was not cultivated,
what would they eat in the coming year? They were in a tremendous
difficulty. She stopped to think about this and that, and picked up a
plow on her shoulder she went to the field, her son closely following
her. The mother and son plowed the field and planted rice the whole day.
Because of the People’s War male members of the family were either
killed, imprisoned or left home for the party’s work. All of a sudden
many women became the head of their family and were compelled to plow
their land. Consequently, in several villages of Rukum and Rolpa, the
sight of women and children plowing the field is not considered unusual.
In the villages, fallacious ideas like if women plowed, the crop yield
would decline and landslides or catastrophes would occour in the village
etc were quite widespread. This change has struck at the roots of such
superstitions. Moreover, because of the entry of women in the realms of
work restricted for them, the structure of stereotypical gender roles
has been changing. Though plowing by women is an act of compulsion, our
party has also encouraged it as a good work, says the Maoist worker Sita
Khadka.
In the initial years of
the People’s War, the All Nepal Women's Association (Revolutionary) or
ANWA (R) and the CPN (Maoist) conducted campaigns against gambling,
card playing and alcohol consumption. Since gambling, card playing and
alcohol consumption always triggered domestic violence and family
strife, the campaign to prohibit these things quickly became popular
among the people. A cadre of the Communist Party of Nepal (United
Marxist Leninist) or CPN (UML) in Rolpa, Meena Sharma has experienced
that though the gambling, card playing and alcohol consumption have not
been completely stopped in the areas under Maoist influence, they have
drastically come down. It is assumed that many women are being drawn to
the People’s War also because of this campaign. The Maoists claim that
the customs of char khane (taking gifts by a bride’s family from
her groom’s family) and jari (compensation money paid by the man
who marries another person's wife) prevalent among the ethnic
communities in western Nepal, have been almost abolished, but the common
people say that these practices have only declined to some extent. Prem
Kumari Gharti of Khadabang, Rolpa says, “Such practices have declined
to some extent but have not disappeared entirely.”
Among the women who are
associated with the Maoists in different ways, the use of jewelry has
been done away with completely. In the assessment of Subarna Shahi, a
school teacher of Chhing, Rolpa, the longing and unhealthy competition
for jewelry is also decreasing among other women of the base areas.
These aspects of
cultural change are certainly important in protecting women from
violence and empowering them psychologically. But, the point to be
considered is that has the mentality of common women and men has changed
to such extent that they are ready to throw away the bad customs and
manners even in the normal situation when there is no fear of the
Maoists’ arms. If that had not happened, the sustainabiliy of the
transformations brought by the People’s War would be called into
question. Talking to the common people of the villages in Rolpa and
Rukum, one can realise that the arms of the Maoists are the main driving
factor behind the transformations rather than their ideological tools
and training.
Rising Political Consciousness
Due to the ten-year long
People’s War, the political consciousness and awareness of common wome
has risen considerably. In spite of the culture of guns, the rapidly
changing political process has raised political interest among the
people. Their interest in political activities taking place in their
locality and the whole country has greatly increased. Since the conflict
has affected the matters related to daily life of the people, it has
become a matter of interest for them to know about what is happening
around. This equally applies to women as well.
Another facet of the
reality is that in the base areas it is mandatory for every household to
send at least one person to attend their program. In the villages, the
situation is such that most of the young men cannot stay at homes either
because they have joined the Maiosts or because they want to escaep
excesses and harrassment from both sides. In such situtation, mainly
women go to the Maoists’ programs to show their presence somehow, and
hence women have become regular audiences in political programs.
Obviously, it has enhanced political consciousness in them. Because of
these reasons, the mentality of raising voices against oppression and
exploitation, expressing their political opinion and updating their
political information has become quite common among women. Though women
protest against unacceptable behavior of the Maoists privately, their
consciousness and voice have not been very articulate, particularly in
the base areas. However, the protest made by women in places like
Naumule of Dailekh district shows that the awareness of women may change
into direct action against injustice and tyranny perpetrated by any
party or group.
The participation of
women, in the People’s War in different ways, is another achievement of
the past ten years. Whether the engagement of women in a violent
movement is an achievement or an unnatural phenomenon can be a topic of
debate. However, it cannot be ignored that a multitude of women are
ready to devote themselves in the People’s War by joining the people’s
army (jana-sena), the party and the party’s sister organizations.
This illustrates the longing for emancipation, love for freedom,
patriotism and courage inherent in women. President of ANWA (R) Jayapuri
Gharti claims that in the course of action, more than 25 hundred women
have become martyrs during the insurgency. A large column of women
carrying guns has given a new interpretation to women’s stereotypical
image.
Thus, it should be
acknowledged that the People’s War has brought some positive changes in
women’s life, and has created new role and identity for women. However,
while recalling these achievements, it will be unjustifiable if we
forget the life of innumerable women who have fallen in the People’s
War.
Immeasurable Pain and Hardship
Krishna is just an
archetype. Numerous Krishnas, bound to live with the pains and wounds
they got in the course of the People’s War, are found in the base areas.
There are no authentic data on how many women have become widows in the
ten-year long People’s War, in which more than 13 thousand people died.
However, because of the war the number of widows has greatly increased.
The mental suffering caused by the widowhood is in its place, many women
have not only lost their husband but also several of their family
members. Besides, the women limited to the household chores till
yesterday have suddenly become family-heads, and the compulsion to deal
with single parenthood, financial burden and social responsibility have
made them more vulnerable. After the murder of the male members, who
could manage the economic affairs of the family by doing any kind of
job, the women are facing difficulty in meeting financial needs of the
family. Since many of them have neither an income nor a means to make
it, they are caught up into a whirlwind of worry, stress and crisis.
Many of them are entrapped in such a compulsion that they cannot meet
the expenses of daily life, children’s education and medicines,
according to Bimala Pariyar of Syalapakha.
The sorrow of the women
from the displaced families expelled from their homeland on charge of
being an oppressor or feudalistic is even more severe. Wearing just a
pair of clothes and taking a little money, they have migrated to
district headquarters, other big cities, such as Kathmandu and India
with their whole family. Deprived from the means of earning in a new
place and circumstances, they more or less are in a precarious
situation. Very few smart ones have acquired the governmental relief and
taken up a profession. The life of the majority is distressing. Among
the displaced people, the problem of women, who have become alone after
their husband were killed or migrated to another city, is even more
terrible. Many of the displaced women dwelling in Khalanga of Rukum are
compelled to take up the job of stone-breaking, or preparing and selling
of alcohol in order to meet the family expenses. After the Maoists
killed the husband and son of Dhanamaya Buda, she and her daughter with
impared hearing are compelled to make their livelihood through selling
jars of alcohol. The education of their children has crumbled. Those
who died have become martyrs of the Maoists or the state, however, the
women who survived are dying being crushed under various burdens, says
Seeta Oli, a cadre of the Nepali Congress in Rukum.
During the course of the
People’s War, hundreds of women have been deprived of their right to
live. The death of the state security personnel or the women cadres
functioning as combatants of the Maoist army is not considered
abnormal. However, the ordinary women confined to their household have
also been killed by both sides under the pretext of being an informer
or a terrorist. Though there are no reliable data in this regard, right
activist Acharya has estimated that the number of women killed by the
state is much larger. There are many women who suffered battering and
torture from both sides for being an informer or a terrorist. Shanta
Kumar Oli, a leader of CPN (UML), in Rukum, assessed that by carring
out a large-scale suppression in the initial years of the People’s War
created the situation that the people could not stay at their homes,
probably for that reason many women joined the People’s War. The women,
who were injured in such atrocious actions, and fell sick due to work
burden, worry and other factors, could not get treatment in time. That’s
why women’s health has been deteriorating, Khem Khada, former
chairperson of District Development Committee in Rukum says.
Rape has been used as
weapon against women in various kinds of war. It has been observed that
the conflicting groups all over the world, have applied rape of women
belonging to opponent group as a stratagem to demonstrate their
hostility towards the opponents and demoralize them. The base areas like
Rukum and Rolpa also could not remain untouched by this trend. In the
ten years’ period, the state army and police had brutally committed
individual or gang rape of the women of the insurgent group in a large
scale. The gang rape of the wife and daughter of Maoist leader Sunil of
Gajul, Rolpa by the state security personnel is the extreme example of
barbarism. The number of Maoist cadres killed after rape is enormous. In
a few instances, the Maoists have also committed rape of ordinary
women. These sexual crimes, which have been used as a weapon to offend
and psychologically intimidate opponents should be put on record so that
the cruel incidents of history do not become common occurance in the
future.
The ten-year long
People’s War has dispensed several things to women, and snatched away
several things from them. The achievements, made in the form of giving a
role and identity for women should be protected constantly. The most
pressing need felt at present, however, is the support and relief to
those women who have become weak and helpless from the terrifying
happenings. Moreover, it is essential to keep the systematic records of
the gender-related crimes that had occurred during the war so that the
conflicting groups will be alarmed of the description of crimes they had
committed in the name of war. It can be hoped that such events will not
recur in the days to come.
-
Mulyankan,
Vol.
24, No. 146, November 2006, pp. 18-21 |
