(Part 1/2) “During the time of the month, women were not allowed in for 10 days. I was of the view that the number of days needs to come down. I fought with the Deuta, and with everyone in the community for almost 4 years. I fought to overturn a generation of old practices. It was not a simple thing. And after all the fighting, the days have finally been decreased to 7 days. There were many people who did not agree with what I was proposing. They argued that the ‘Deu’ would not agree to such a thing. But with great difficulty, I was able to bring people together, the other Pujaris and the Dhamis, to offer a request to the Deu. The Deu finally agreed. We offered him a baby goat and sat with our closed hands to tell him we were in his shelter. 

Why did I do this you will ask? I saw the suffering of women. As a good Pujari, I knew that God would not want this for anyone. I saw women/girls getting bitten by snakes. These women were sleeping without covers and without any protection. I saw women who had just given birth made to sleep outside and being told not to touch things because it was considered impure. And all of this made me angry. I became adamant to reduce the days because I knew to abolish the whole thing would mean I would be an outcast in my own community. However, I did not let anything falter me from trying to make things easier for the women in the community. I was able to make them agree to my arguments. Recently, there was a meeting and I expressed that the women should be let to stay in their own rooms during their menstruation. The Deuta will not do anything, “it is his instruction, It is my declaration”. Many rejected my claim, a few nodded their heads and many remained silent.”

#BreakingTheSilence with Dignity Without Danger: Menstruation in Nepal