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Krishna Tamrakar became a household name when radio ruled the roost and TV culture was still in its infancy in Nepal. She ruled the airwave for six decades as a news broadcaster and program presenter. Born in Banepa, Kavrepalanchok, Tamrakar was 12-year-old when she left for India with social worker Tulsi Mehar Shrestha for schooling. She got her BA degree in Nepal and joined Radio Nepal as a deputy editor and news presenter for a Hindi bulletin in 1962. Tamrakar made a switch to a Nepali language presenter four years after joining the state-owned radio station when King Mahendra banned the Hindi language broadcasts. She was passionate about her radio job for which she even turned down the offer of becoming a gazetted officer. When Tamrakar started her radio career, she was among a handful of women working in the media industry; women presenters were rare during those days. While working for Radio Nepal, Tamrakar also got the opportunity to take part in various training sessions. In 1971, she left for the UK in order to take part in a yearlong training on radio production organized by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). She also trained in Germany for two years to hone her skills as a radio presenter. Tamrakar’s work and dedication as a radio journalist did not go unnoticed. In 1999, she was awarded by Albert II, the former king of Belgium, with the Global 500 Roll of Honour, an award instituted by the United Nations Environment Program, for her program on environment. “She was loved by everyone,” says Micheal Chand, a former colleague of Tamrakar. “One would not expect someone this successful and yet modest and humble at the same time.” Despite being much senior and experienced, Chand says Tamrakar was always appreciative of him and other junior staff members at Radio Nepal. “I would tell her how grateful I was to have learned so much from her. And she would reply in her ever so soft and humble voice that she too learned a lot from me.” Chand adds Tamrakar was compatible with everyone, and she never showed any hint of pride despite her immense talent and success as a radio journalist. Tamrakar retired from Radio Nepal in 1983, but she was always involved in various other works, which was a great joy for her listeners across the country. “She had her own unique way of presenting news, which everyone loved,” says Chand. “She was always active even after her retirement.” Tamrakar maintained an active life even after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2016. She beat cancer but as her age progressed, she started developing other health complications. Tamrakar died while undergoing treatment at Annapurna Neuro Hospital in Kathmandu on March 23. She was 84 years old. Birth: 1939, Kavrepalanchok Death: 23 March 2023, Kathmandu 

A few weeks back, Irfan Khan, an animal rights activist and founder of Paaila, a team that works for animal welfare, rescued a stray dog from Imadol, Lalitpur. The dog was suffering from hypothermia and was in critical condition. The illness was the outcome of releasing the dog into the street on the same day it was neutered (surgery done to prevent reproduction). The dog recovered but the pain it had to endure, he says, was unimaginable. There are many instances, Khan says, where he has had to rescue stray dogs after their condition worsened after castration. “Most of those dogs were released before their wounds would heal. The situation is worse if it’s during the summer/rainy season,” he says. The problem is not just limited to infections but is much more critical. Sneha Shrestha, the founder of Sneha’s Care, an organization working for animal welfare, says that she has gotten several calls in the past, looking for assistance after the surgery wounds got worse. “There are times when we have found dogs with their intestines exposed,” she says. Beena Pant, animal rights activist and a member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Nepal, an organization working for animal rights, says that a dog needs to be kept for at least three days before it’s released back into the community. In the case of stray dogs, most of them don’t have a caretaker in their community. Furthermore, they get involved in dog fights, which, activists say, increases the risk of stitches tearing up, resulting in severe, often life-threatening conditions. Pant adds that when dogs are released on the same day as they are neutered they might still be disoriented from the general anesthesia used during the surgery. This increases their risk of being prone to accidents. “We came across an incident where a dog was released immediately after surgery and got hit by a truck and died on the spot. It was still reeling from the aftereffects of the anesthesia,” says Shrestha. However, there are many countries/organizations that follow the catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR) scheme, where a dog is neutered, vaccinated, and released on the same day unless there are any visible complications. But that might not be the most ideal method in the case of Nepal, says Shrestha. “The scheme is good for population control and rabies prevention but there are factors that complicate it,” she says. When released on the same day, stray dogs are under the influence of antibiotics to heal their wounds, whose effects last for 72 hours. “Antibiotics make them weak, and they are in need of nutritional food, which they don’t get when out on the streets,” says Shrestha. One way this method could work, she says, is if the organizations are to coordinate with locals from every community. “There are many dog lovers willing to help the organizations out. If there are people in a community who can take responsibility for feeding as well as taking care of these dogs, the CNVR scheme would have a better outcome,” she says. It might not be the same for every locality. There are only a handful of people, Pant says, who look after stray dogs in their community. “Most of them [people] are ignorant. In that case, no matter how hard we try, it’s still not possible to get assistance from the locals,” she says. Unfortunately, this ignorance goes beyond not taking care of the dogs. Radha Gurung, communications officer, Animal Nepal, an organization working for animal rights in Nepal, says that sometimes female dogs are injected with birth control shots meant for humans, which can be detected when performing a midline surgery (surgery done by making an incision in the abdominal area) during castration. “Sometimes, it’s the veterinary professionals who suggest the use of this vaccination,” she says. Shrestha adds that there are instances where veterinary technicians who aren’t authorized to perform surgeries neuter dogs. Besides being illegal, the chances of complications are high when surgeries are performed by inexperienced technicians. “Even for people who work in this field, not everyone is sincere,” says Pant. Many dogs have been dropped off at the wrong locations post surgery. Bijay Shrestha, a 32-year-old local from Boudha who takes care of the stray dogs in his community, says one of his dogs got misplaced a year back. “Fortunately, I was able to retrieve my dog, which was dropped off a few kilometers away, after getting in touch with the person responsible for releasing him,” he says. It’s the knowledge and empathy that people lack towards animals, Pant says, that’s responsible for such carelessness. Dogs like to mark their territory, and they don’t prefer to wander off beyond that, as they fear getting attacked by other dogs. When dogs are picked up from the same area, she says, it’s important to also know in which locality they belong. Not having this information, activists say, dogs are dropped off at one place, assuming they will reach the community they belong to. “They [dogs] have to go through a lot of psychological and physical trauma just for survival,” says Pant. Shristi Singh Shrestha, animal rights activist, says that the failure of organizations to communicate with one another is an issue too. Most organizations, she says, are unaware of the areas where other similar organizations have worked or are still working on castrating dogs. Although neutered dogs are given a mark (a visible and permanent cut) on their left ear, there are times, Shrestha says, when neutered dogs are accidentally captured for surgery. “While the professionals find out about it later, the dog has to go through a lot of psychological trauma from being captured repeatedly,” she says. However, Shrestha from Sneha’s Care, who is also the president of the Federation of Animal Welfare Nepal (FAWN), a national association of organizations working for animal welfare, disagrees. Most of the organizations working in this sector, she says, are registered at FAWN. “We have a group message where all of these organizations keep us posted on the works they do,” she says. She believes that it’s the groups that work on castrating dogs independently, as well as technicians performing surgeries illegally, that fuel the problem of repeated animal captures. Neutering dogs might be the best solution for population control, but the problems surrounding the solution are far worse. The government is well aware of this, says Dr Awadesh Jha, Senior Veterinary Officer at the Division of Agriculture and Livestock, under the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. “While we are trying to perform castration as systematically as possible, there are a few problems we have been facing,” he says, one being the tedious process of procuring medications needed to neuter dogs. The process is tender-based, and it takes nearly three months to procure these medicines. The distribution takes another couple of months. “Sometimes, we don’t receive the medicines at all, forcing us to blacklist the responsible party, ” he says. But the new plan they’re proposing, Jha says, should solve all the issues faced during castrating stray dogs. This strategy is the extension of their old project called ‘Manumitra’, a project solely dedicated to controlling stray dog population in Kathmandu. The project has been dormant for more than a year. The new plan is to mobilize any non-governmental organization interested in working with the government to different wards, starting with Kathmandu Metropolitan City. There are a few criteria these organizations must meet, which include being able to provide shelter for at least two days post operation, a good surgical team, and a vehicle for capturing the dogs. “They will be assigned a particular ward, and they can move on to the next only if the particular ward’s chairperson gives a written notice that every dog in that ward has been castrated,” he says. For each dog neutered, the organization will receive Rs 2,500 but it will be solely responsible for procuring the required medications. The plan, he says, should be up and running by the end of the current fiscal year. As of now, there are six organizations that have agreed to assist them in this strategy. “I believe it will eventually be adapted in other metropolitan cities and municipalities,” he says.

I love attending art exhibitions. It’s a chance for me to indulge in my thoughts and, with a little luck, find my own perspectives within someone else’s artwork. It’s soothing. But this time, it was something different. I felt happy. The moment I entered the room where the exhibit was, vibrant colors immediately caught my attention. As I moved closer, intricate detailing on each and every canvas blew me away. It was the duet art exhibition, ‘Compatible Thoughts’, by Ishan Pariyar and Sabita Dangol, at Siddhartha Art Gallery at Babar Mahal Revisited in Kathmandu. All their paintings, for me, indicated the connection between two individuals in a romantic relationship. I felt that the artists wanted to project the compatibility they had with each other, thus the name, ‘Compatible thoughts’. I could be wrong, but we will get into that later. I noticed that most of these paintings were individual works, while some were duets. One could easily differentiate who had painted which one, as both artists had some signature techniques. Pariyar’s work was dominated by a particular shade of blue. “Most of my work even outside this exhibition has this same shade,” he says. Paintings with a lot of patterns and different colors belonged to Dangol. Some of her patterns, I believe, were inspired by Mithila art, and it was just beautiful to look at. Now, coming back to if what I perceived was correct, it was. The married couple come from the same background. “We both are artists and we understand each other and our work like no one else,” says Pariyar. They conduct a duet exhibition every year on their wedding anniversary (Feb 3). This year, they had to delay it by a month but the exhibition’s main theme was to show the compatibility between the tw artists. “Although we are both artists, our style and techniques are different,” says Dangol, which they have tried to incorporate beautifully in their duet works. While all of their works were admirable, the best, for me, was ‘Interfusion’, the star of this exhibition. The painting had two individuals, inside the yin and the yang. Undoubtedly, the individuals depicted in the painting were the two artists themselves. It almost seemed like the artists were trying to tell us that although they are two separate individuals, they were carrying a part of each other that made them whole. As I looked closer, I could see that they had tried to project their personalities through the patterns drawn on each others’ hair. “I’m into technical stuff, and she is mostly into nature,” says Pariyar. One has to visit the exhibition in order to truly understand what the artists are trying to project from their work. “We want the viewers to have their own perception while looking at our paintings,” adds Dangol. I believe their paintings are relatable to almost everyone. It’s heartfelt and emotional and it will be difficult not to think of your other half. All in all, it’s truly mesmerizing. The exhibition started on March 3 and will continue till March 31. Gallery hours for Sunday to Friday is from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, whereas on Saturday it’s open from noon to 5:00 pm

Everyday around five in the evening, 50-year-old Manish Rai heads out to feed stray dogs in Kathmandu. The boot of his car is full of raw meat, weighing around 80 kilos. Rai’s first stop is Annamnagar and he then moves towards Maitighar on to Bhadrakali, Shahid Gate, Durbar Marg, Maharajgunj, and finally back to Basundhara, which is where he lives. He started feeding stray dogs during the Covid-19 lockdown, and hasn’t stopped since then. Born in Hong Kong, Rai came to Kathmandu when he was two years old. Even as a child, he was always fond of dogs. He was kind towards street animals, and the compassion grew as he became older, which is why he began feeding the dogs around his residence more than three decades ago. “All they wanted was some affection and food,” he says. He has adopted three stray dogs and there are seven others in his locality that he takes care of. It was within the 15 days of the first lockdown that he decided to feed dogs around Kathmandu. “Usually, dogs feed on the leftovers from hotels, restaurants, and butcher shops. But with everything closed, I knew they had nothing to eat,” he says. Obviously, it wasn’t going to be easy. But it was something he wanted to do. Initially, he planned to stop once the lockdown was over, but he couldn’t. “Every evening, all those stray dogs I fed would gather at one place, expecting me to show up. How could I stop?” he says. Three-years later, it has become a part of his daily routine. Rai is currently unemployed. When asked about how he affords to take care of these dogs, he says he uses the money he has saved. Not just for food, but he also looks after their medical expenses when necessary, especially if they get into an accident or someone hurts them deliberately. “My plan is to do this work for as long as I can,” he says. Rai has had many people approach him with the idea of forming an organization that would run on donations. “But the sad part was most of them were only thinking about earning money. They weren’t thinking about the animals. I don’t want to be a part of that,” he says. He believes that social service should never be about making money. Money, he says, is something that comes and goes. “But the moment we start being greedy, we will lack compassion,” he says, adding that is why he isn’t looking for financial support or willing to collaborate with just anyone yet. One of the happiest feelings for him is when dogs gather around as soon as they hear the sound of his car. “They somehow know that it’s me with their food,” he says. Looking at them wagging their tails at his arrival fills his heart with content. “That just shows what a little bit of compassion can do to an animal,” he says. But that’s not how everyone sees it. Rai has had to deal with a lot of people trying to stop him from doing what he does. Many times, the locals in places where he feeds these dogs have resisted his efforts. “They say these dogs litter, bark at drivers, and even bite people. And it’s all because I gather them at one place,” he says. Some people even tell him that they will kill or poison these dogs. A few years back, street dogs were poisoned by one of his neighbors, claiming they are making the streets unsafe. “Of course these dogs will get aggressive if people treat them badly. Even humans would do the same,” he says. He adds that dogs bark at people because it’s them who have wronged these animals. “They have to endure a lot of harm from people while living on the streets. They are just being defensive out of fear,” he says. If people were to take a minute or slow down their vehicles, he believes, these dogs would do nothing. Despite trying to explain, Rai says he has failed to convince people on how friendly a dog can be. He has witnessed people throw hot water or even acid on dogs. Some animals are beaten to a point where they become paralyzed. One of the dogs Rai adopted had been physically harmed, and was abandoned by his owner once he grew old. “They had him in chains and parts around his neck had deep wounds. The fur hasn’t grown back in that area,” he says. Rai also used to help people adopt puppies. “But I stopped doing that because of the life they had to live with their new families,” he says. Seeing them being caged, physically assaulted, and abandoned once the owner didn’t want them was painful. “Their life as pets became worse than on the streets as strays” he says. Sometimes, he says, people are cruel for no reason. “I place jars filled with water for dogs around Kathmandu. But people have either broken or stole those containers,” he says. Despite keeping them tied to poles, he still needs to get new containers quite often. Rai believes people lack compassion as well as awareness of animal rights. “It all boils down to kindness I guess,” he says. But there have been some changes in peoples’ perception in recent times. “There are others like me who care about animals and they are all doing the best they can. I hope more people join us in creating a better world for strays,” he adds.

Nepal has vowed to end child marriage by 2030 as part of its Sustainable Development Goal pledge. But there are many young girls who are getting married early, be it forcefully or by choice. Nepal has solid laws against child marriage in place. But the government has failed to implement them effectively. “There aren’t proper and targeted legal mechanisms to prevent early marriages,” says Bandana Sinha, human and gender rights activist. “Law alone isn’t enough. The government also needs to focus on tackling issues surrounding the problem, such as poverty and dowry,” she adds. For this, she says, the country needs a legal mechanism that can reach out to every local community. Mohna Ansari, former commissioner at National Women Commission (NWC), says that the government officials responsible for implementing the laws are also a part of the problem. They still aren’t willing to accept child marriage is a heinous crime. “Every now and then, you come across news stories where police officers and local government officials themselves are attending wedding events where the bride and groom are minors,” says Ansari, “How do we expect the laws to be implemented when the people in authority themselves are endorsing this bad practice?” She suggests pressing legal charges against law enforcement officers and people in positions of power who fail to stop child marriage taking place before their eyes. “Law should be the same for everyone. Even people in power and position need to abide by them,” she says. Rambahadur Chand, information officer at National Child Rights Council (NCRC), doesn’t agree that the government is falling short when it comes to taking actions to prevent and stop underage marriage. “The government is doing its part,” he claims, “We have been running awareness programs, and coordinating with local governments to end child marriage.” He says there should be collaborative effort between the authorities and the locals. Many parents and guardians simply ignore the request of anti-child marriage campaigners and government officials. “It is their [parents] primary responsibility to worry about the children’s future. Government’s effort alone isn’t going to be enough if we are to end child marriage in Nepal,” he adds. A lot of children who marry early are either poor, lack education, or come from broken families. Sabitra Dhakal, human rights activist, says the solution starts with educating the parents and creating a society where children aren’t seen as economic burdens. “Nepal still needs to put in a lot of effort, from launching an effective awareness campaign to raising the socioeconomic standard of its people,” she says. She believes that proliferation of social media is also partly responsible for children marrying at a young age. As teenagers are easily influenced by the lives of others, Dhakal says, it’s common for them to seek independence from their parents. This is particularly true if they come from a poor family background. “Besides educating parents, we also need to teach our children on how to safely use social media,” she adds. “Our children must know and understand the consequences of child marriage.” Early marriage is still endorsed in various parts of Nepal. In some communities, it’s a part of their tradition and, for them, culture trumps the law. Rights activists say the government isn’t doing enough to educate the communities where child marriage is still prevalent. They say there should be a comprehensive government action plan that includes both adults and children, and it all boils down to changing the perception of our society towards child marriage. Ruby Khan, women rights activist, says that the dowry system has played a major role in increasing number of child marriage in the Tarai belt of Nepal. Unfortunately, she says, local governments aren’t giving enough attention to this issue. “Even though the dowry system has been made illegal, people are still practicing it. Child marriage is prevalent in many parts of Nepal because parents think marrying their daughters off early will cost them less dowry,” says Khan. “We have the culture of enacting progressive laws and not implementing them.” Though the government has conducted several programs solely dedicated to making people aware about ill practices like early marriage and the dowry system, they haven’t produced the desired results. Chamila Bhattarai, spokesperson for NWC, says it’s hard for people to let go of something that they consider part of their culture and identity. “There have been some changes, but not a lot. The government needs to put in more effort and it will take some time,” she adds. Rights activist Sinha says that awareness programs should also target individuals who have already fallen victim to child marriage. “Or else, the cycle will continue to repeat. We need a program for young parents as well. They need to be taught how to give proper care to their children,” she says. There are also many young mothers who are raising their children alone. This is where education and vocational training could play an important role. Rights activists say the government should push young couples to take formal or informal education even after getting married and having children of their own. “It’s important to rescue them before they fall into a poverty trap, ruining their own lives and that of their children,” says Dhakal, “Education is the first step to empowerment.” She further mentions that in the case of married adolescents, there should be a program to teach them about safe sex, use of contraceptives, and health complications related to early pregnancy. While the government, in coordination with various non-governmental organizations, is working on providing vocational training in many parts of Nepal, not everyone has access to it. Sapana Shrestha, program coordinator of SAATHI, a non-governmental organization working to protect women’s rights, says many young women are unable to attend these training programs because of family issues and responsibilities. “Most of the time, young mothers don’t have anyone to look after their children,” she says, “They tell us they would be happy to attend these training sessions if we could provide a caretaker for their children.” Shrestha believes that in order to make vocational training more fruitful, it’s also important to find a way to look after the children of young mothers while they learn some skills. “We have to consider the young mothers but there is also the needs of the children to look into when planning for these training, which isn’t happening at the moment,” she says. For this, the government needs to provide a sufficient budget to train and educate young mothers, as well as to provide them with seed money to start their own businesses. However, most of these programs are underfunded. There are some success stories where young mothers have become financially independent and have been able to build a better life for their children. But there is still a need to replicate these success stories at a bigger scale. “With more investment and effort from the governmental as well as non-governmental organizations, we can turn things around,” says Shrestha.  

Sarubhakta (Bhakta Raj Shrestha) is a well-known Nepali playwright, novelist, poet, songwriter, and the recipient of Madan Puraskar, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of Nepali literature. Some of his notable works are ‘Yuddha: Uhi Gas Chamber Bhitra’, ‘Pagal Basti’, and ‘Pratigandha’. Anushka Nepal from ApEx talked to Sarubhakta about his writing career.  How has your writing journey been so far? My writing journey started when I was a child. I used to listen to my teachers read poems and stories out loud in my class, and that always made me want to write something of my own too. It was in 1976, when I was in sixth grade, that my poem got published in one of the newspapers. I think it was from that moment that I actually started writing.  I have written a lot since then, and it has been all sorts of things: novels, stories, poems, and plays. Entering this field showed me where my talent really lies, and it has been one incredible journey. Even now, decades after I started, I still love and enjoy what I do. Was being a writer always your plan? I grew up in Pokhara and it was just a small town back then. There weren’t many people who knew what literature actually meant, not even me. We were never told that literature could be a career someone could pursue. Teachers and parents told children that education is everything, and that we needed to work hard in order to become doctors or engineers. Even now, it’s the same for many. So, naturally, I had no plans of becoming a writer. Despite that, I don’t know how but I would end up writing something or the other everytime. I was a science student but somehow I would always find my way back to writing. It was my calling.  What authors/books have inspired you?  There are a lot of books and authors that have inspired me to be who I am. But one book that will always be on top of that list is ‘Mahabharata’. I grew up listening to it. I believe there aren’t any other writings that will even come close to being as good as Mahabharata. This book covers every aspect of life and has inspired me the most to become a good writer.  I have also drawn my inspiration from Laxmi Prasad Devkota, Bhupi Sherchan, and Parijat. When it comes to English literature, I’m mostly influenced by the works of William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw, and Gabriel García Márquez.  How do you come up with a theme for your writings? Writing is an expression. So, whenever I have to decide on a theme for my work,I  always pick something I have felt, experienced, or thought about. For many writers, I think, observing their surroundings is the best way to figure out what they can/want to actually work on. It’s the same for me.  As a writer, a part of me is always looking for things or situations around me that I can express in words. I can’t repeat the same thing I have written about in the past. That’s why I’m always on the hunt for finding a new subject to write on. When I find one, it becomes the theme for my next work.  Is there a particular type of literature that you prefer to work on? My writing varies from stories to poems to plays to novels. But I have never felt like I like one better than the other. I find all writing styles equally good in their own way. What I have realized after working in this field for so long is that preferences change with time. There was a point when I was excessively into writing plays. I had always been interested in theater so directing my own plays was fulfilling for me. But that doesn’t mean I never liked writing something else. I switch my preference time and again and the best part is it never gets boring that way.  What are your favorite writings?  My all time favorite is Mahabharata. But there are also others that I absolutely love. Some of them are ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel García Márquez, ‘War and Peace’ by Leo Tolstoy, ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare, and ‘A Farewell to Arms’ by Ernest Hemingway.  In terms of Nepali literature, I have been the most inspired by ‘Muna Madan’ by Laxmi Prasad Devkota, ‘Shirishko Phool’ by Parijat, ‘Ghumne Mechmathi Andho Manchhe’ by Bhupi Sherchan, ‘Modiaain’ by BP Koirala, and ‘Anuradha’ by Bijaya Malla.  Bhakta’s picks Mahabharata The Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic where the main story revolves around two branches of a family—Pandavas and Kauravas—who, in the Kurukshetra War, battle for the throne of Hastinapura.  One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez This book tells the story of the Buendía family, where José Arcadio Buendía, the patriarch of the family, founded the town of Macondo.  Muna Madan by Laxmi Prasad Devkota Written in 1936, Muna Madan is an episodic love-poem revolving around two characters—Muna and Madan, which ends in tragedy.  Ghumne Mechmathi Andho Manchhe by Bhupi Sherchan This book, published in 1969, is a Nepali-language poetry collection written by Bhupi Sherchan. 

The impacts of child marriage are plenty and far-reaching. Dr Richa Amatya, psychiatrist, says psychological problems in child marriage start with adjustment issues, which is mostly true for the brides. “They find it difficult to adjust in a completely new environment,” she says. Ruby Khan, activist, says the girls are blamed for not handling the family well and that adds to their woes. “Families aren’t empathetic toward her. They choose to verbally and physically abuse her rather than understand what she might be going through,” she says. Khan further mentions that the bride’s condition gets even worse when dowry is involved. Rajkumar Mahato, chairperson, Chandranagar Rural Municipality, Sarlahi, Province two, agrees the groom’s family isn’t always satisfied with the money/property received as dowry. “The bride is forced to ask more from her parents,” he says. They want the bride’s family to cover the cost of their son’s education, buy him a vehicle, and even pay for the cost of sending him abroad. “In case a bride fails to do so, she is physically assaulted, tortured, or, worse, killed,” he says. There is, however, a reason why they don’t walk out, says Khan. Most girls she has encountered have been stripped of their hopes and dreams of having a career. “They leave their education mid-way or parents don’t even let them go to school in the first place, thinking she will get married anyway,” she adds. They have neither any skills nor education to find a job or make a living. On top of that, they already don’t have any money. “Being completely dependent on the husband and his family for survival they have no choice but to endure violence,” she says. Dr Amatya adds that sometimes they also put up with abuse hoping things will turn around. “Many believe that people might change and treat them well if they wait a little longer,” she mentions. Secondly, they also fear that the situation might get worse if they speak up. “Compartmentalizing their problems is one of the root causes of psychological issues, which only gets worse with time,” she says. She further mentions that sometimes mental health issues can be genetic. Living in an abusive environment adds to their already existing issues, leading to chronic depression, anxiety, and other problems. Some of them even resort to substance abuse or worse. “Young girls getting married to much older men is another problem,” says Nisha Paudel, Surkhet district coordinator for Aawaaj, an organization actively working against child marriage. Khan says when the husband passes away, the wife, who is still young, is often emotionally and physically tortured by her in-laws. Some are even blamed for killing their husbands. “They are accused of witchcraft or bringing bad omens,” she adds. In some cases, the husbands choose to get a divorce. “I have mostly seen that happen in Muslim communities,” says Khan. The girl is then responsible for singlehandedly raising her children. “She is kicked out of the house and her own family doesn’t want her to return.” Sangita BK, social mobilizer for Aawaaj, says the problem of the age-gap is also seen in second marriages. “Remarrying is already frowned upon by many and the family doesn’t treat them well either,” she says. The most common reason for remarrying, she says, is because single mothers look for emotional as well as financial support to raise their children. “They have no choice but to endure the misbehaviors in order to have a roof over their heads,” adds BK. The situation is even worse for children from their first marriage. “Our society doesn’t easily accept a step-child,” she says, “And the mother asks them to compromise along with her in case the child is abused since they have nowhere else to go.” She further mentions that it’s usually the stepdaughters who suffer the most. A few years back, a 14-year-old girl was found to have been abused by her stepfather for years. It began with inappropriate touching and led to rape. The stepfather, without her knowledge, made her undergo multiple abortions. At the age of 14, she got pregnant again, but the abortion wasn’t successful. She gave birth and had several health complications after it. “Girls have a lot of health complications when they get pregnant very early,” says Manju Shahi, a community nursing director at Rural Municipality Health Department, Thantikandh Rural Municipality, Dailekh, Karnali Province. Most girls give birth around the age of 16-20. At this age, she says, the uterus isn’t mature enough to have a safe pregnancy. Also, she mentions that these girls don’t have a good knowledge of taking care of themselves during pregnancy. They aren’t aware of the importance of a balanced diet and most of them survive on packaged food. “They also have to do household chores and don’t get enough rest, making the pregnancy even more complicated,” she says adding all that often leads to deformities in the infant, premature birth, and complications for the mother. “There are instances where we have lost both the mother and the child,” she says. Some of the most common health issues are pelvic inflammatory diseases (infection of the reproductive organs), uterine prolapse (a condition where pelvic muscles and ligaments are weak and can no longer hold the uterus in place), eclampsia (seizures that occur during pregnancy), and over-bleeding as well as tearing of skin and ligaments while giving birth. But despite trying to do what’s best for the mother, Shahi says many are only concerned about the baby. One of her patients, a 16-year-old, who was suffering from uterine prolapse, had her uterus fall out during birth. “I suggested they take her to the hospital as pulling the baby out would put the mother at risk,” she says. The family wasn’t bothered and that led to complications for the mother. Additionally, many girls are forced to work within days after delivery and that, Shahi says, leads to problems while breastfeeding. Nirjana Bhatta, national coordinator for Girls Not Brides-Nepal, a network of organizations working against child marriage says not all women are aware of the use of contraceptives or sexually transmitted infections (STI). “Some of them don’t even realize they have contracted STI,” she says. Secondly, most of these women have had multiple children before the age of 25, and have no knowledge of family planning. “This only weakens their reproductive health and leads to serious issues in the future,” adds Shahi. Girls have little understanding of reproductive health issues and are uncomfortable discussing them. “Most of them avoid seeing a medical professional or don’t visit health posts unless it’s an emergency,” says Laxmi Rawat, a health assistant working in Thantikandh Rural Municipality, Dailekh, Karnali Province. She further adds that they are financially dependent on their husbands or their family, and are reluctant to share their reasons for visiting a doctor. “Prolonging treatment worsens their health conditions, forcing them to go to the hospital which many can’t afford,” she adds.

A few months back, a woman jumped into the Karnali river along with her four children. Apparently, she had gotten married as a teenager, and was often abused by her husband and in-laws. The 25-year-old decided to end her life, and that of her children too, as she saw no way out of her plight. No one survived. This, Nirjana Bhatta, national coordinator at Girls Not Brides-Nepal, a network of organizations working against child marriage, says the tragedy was an outcome of early marriage. “Child marriage is wrong and its consequences can be gruesome,” she says. The trouble mostly begins with financial stress that only escalates as time goes on. The pressure of providing for the family falls on the boy while the girl is responsible for handling the entire household and is also forced to meet the expectations of her in-laws. “Majority of them discontinue their education which doesn’t make them eligible for a proper job,” she adds. The matter gets worse when the wife is pregnant which, in most cases, happens within one year of marriage. Many girls are abandoned by their husbands once they bear a child. Bhatta says that the major reason behind this is because the husbands are unable to handle the financial responsibility of raising a family. “With no one to back these girls up, they are prone to domestic violence, especially from their in-laws, or they get kicked out of the house,” she says. Hira Singh Thapa, founder of Social Service Center (SOSEC) Nepal, a Dailekh-based non-governmental organization, says there are nearly 70-80 cases in Karnali alone where girls have been single-handedly raising their children. There are a few marriages where the couple decide to continue their education and that could potentially lead to a better life. But, according to Thapa, the girls are generally unable to continue their education. “Our society is largely patriarchal and families expect their daughters-in-law to look after everything within the household,” he says. The work-load eventually leads them to quit their studies. Despite that, he mentions, several girls work hard to at least pay for their husband’s education. “But, in turn, their husbands look for a ‘more educated’ wife, have extra-marital affairs, and I have even seen a few cases of polygamy,” he adds. In some cases, the husbands go abroad for work, stop sending money back home, and never return. This has forced many girls towards child labor. Thapa recalls an incident from a year back when he was visiting Jajarkot in Karnali Province. He met 15 girls below the age of 18 who were daily wage earners. When inquired, he says, all 15 were mothers working to provide for their children after their husbands disappeared or married someone else. There are also husbands who take care of the family financially but then they are abusive. “It’s the influence of our patriarchal society that gives them the audacity to do whatever they want as long as they make money for the family,” says Bhatta. But the last thing these girls want is a divorce. Bhatta mentions that since most of these girls lack education, or a source of stable income, they are dependent on their husbands. “I know many girls who say they endure abuse only to ensure they have a roof over their heads,” she adds. The situation is even worse for couples whose family don’t accept their marriage, which mostly happens when the marriage is intercaste. “With no place to live, many couples are homeless,” says Kamala Bist, Baitadi district coordinator for Yuwalaya, an organization that works for child rights. In case the marriage does get accepted, there is a lingering conflict of caste and religion which eventually leads to domestic violence. A 23-year-old bartender from Kathmandu, who wants to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, remembers an incident that happened with his friend almost two years back. She, a high-school student, eloped with a boy from a different religion. Although the families were reluctant to accept their marriage at first, they were later convinced. “Her husband was irresponsible, and the in-laws were abusive,” he says. When she reached out to her parents, both of them blamed her for getting married without their permission. She died by suicide. The abuse and pressure of being a young bride/mother has led many girls to develop several mental health problems. Tara Kumari Acharya, a psychosocial counselor for Aawaaj (an organization actively working against child marriage), who has been working in Dailekh in Karnali Province for the past two years, says that around 400-500 people, mostly girls, in her area have been suffering from chronic depression or other psychological issues. “Most of the cases are the outcome of domestic violence and financial stress post early marriage,” she says. She further mentions that this year three girls between the age of 13-17 died by suicide because of the same reason. The repercussions are also seen on the offspring. “They grow up in an environment where either their mother is being abused, or their parents often quarrel, leading them to suffer from mental health issues at a young age,” says Acharya. These children, she adds, fall under the same cycle of early marriage as a way of getting out of their disturbing households. She further mentions that there are incidents where both the parents abandon the newborns. Ten years ago in Dailekh, a couple, both 18, abandoned their two-months-old daughter. The mother left because she didn’t have a good relationship with her husband and the father to attain sainthood. Although her father returned eight years later, he has a health condition. He was unable to take care of his daughter.  The child, now 12-year-old, studies in the fifth grade and is being assisted by Aawaaj. Then there is also the problem of not being able to get a birth certificate since the parents can’t legally get a marriage certificate before the age of 20. Although, according to the law, parents aren’t required to submit a marriage certificate in order to receive a birth certificate for their children, Gyanendra Shrestha from National Child Rights Commission (NCRC), mentions that most wards are unaware of that. Worse, many early mothers also don’t have citizenship to begin with. “Many children have been rendered stateless because of this issue,” he adds. The consequences of child marriage is neverending. Many brides are at risk of having health complications from early pregnancies, are forced to live as single mothers for the rest of their lives, or even worse, get married to much older men with the hopes of getting financial and emotional support. “It doesn’t just impact the boy and the girl who get into an early marriage but every other family member, including their children,” says Bhatta.