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Some young girls from Hattikot in Mellekh Rural Municipality-8 of Achham lodged a complaint at the ward office last month, alleging that they were being coerced into staying in ‘mensuration sheds’, locally known as ‘chhau goth’ during their periods and were denied access to restrooms.

Upon receiving these complaints, representatives from the ward office, the police, and other stakeholders convened to plan a joint monitoring operation in the area. When the monitoring team arrived in Hattikot village two weeks ago, some locals felt the officials were there to demolish menstruation sheds like the past. One middle-aged woman raised her voice declaring that she wouldn’t permit authorities to demolish the shed which had been built at a cost of Rs 50,000.

While officials attempted to educate the locals about the law, it appeared that the villagers were more concerned about incurring the wrath of gods than facing legal consequences. “When the menstruation sheds were demolished earlier, our daughters and daughters-in-law began spending their menstruation periods inside the house. However, family members fell ill, livestock perished, and snakes started infiltrating our homes, as our gods were angered,” the woman explained. “We won’t allow the officials to demolish our shed now.”

She revealed that she had reconstructed the shed, as most villagers had done. Sangita Thakulla pointed out that most houses had already rebuilt sheds where women were compelled to stay during menstruation. “It appears that women will once again be forced into menstruation sheds, and they are not even allowed to use the restroom,” she lamented.

Thakulla emphasized the urgency of conducting more awareness campaigns to eradicate chhaupadi practice. Mahesh Thakulla, chairman of Ward-8 in Mellekh Rural Municipality, noted that most of the menstruation sheds previously demolished had been rebuilt. “It seems that the locals are engaged in a race to erect menstruation sheds again, arguing that gods will become angry if menstruating women are allowed to stay at home,” he said. “Locals believe that if a snake enters their home or if their livestock dies, it’s because the gods are displeased.”

Thakulla said he believes that the ward office should stop providing services to people promoting the chhaupadi practice. There are 328 households in Hattikot village. With the exception of a few, most have rebuilt the menstruation sheds that were previously dismantled, said Ward Chairman Thakulla reported.

Sunita Thakulla, a local woman, noted that young women were once again being compelled to use menstruation sheds out of fear of the gods. Mellekh-8 was the first ward in Sudurpaschim Province to be declared open defecation-free, but women are still denied access to restrooms during menstruation, Sunita pointed out.

The campaign to demolish menstruation sheds lost momentum after the covid pandemic, and the ward office has not prioritized it at present, say locals. Pashupati Kunwar, a women’s rights activist, identified chhaupadi as one of the factors driving the increased rate of migration in the village. “Society ostracizes families that do not adhere to the chhaupadi practice. Without social interaction or assistance from the community, one cannot remain in the family. This leaves them with no choice but to leave the village,” she said.

Due to chhaupadi, which is prohibited by law, many women and girls have prematurely lost their lives in Achham. Despite being the most affected by chhaupadi malpractice, there are no precise statistics regarding the number of deaths in menstruation sheds. A recent study revealed that 14 women had died inside menstruation sheds over the past 17 years, with two succumbing to snakebites, a few to suffocation, and others to unknown causes.

The Supreme Court declared chhaupadi a social ill 18 years ago, and two years later, the government implemented regulations related to chhaupadi as per the court's order. However, chhaupadi still persists in remote villages.

The United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights and Article 38 of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015, prohibit any form of violence and discrimination against women based on religious, social, cultural, traditional, or any other grounds. Nonetheless, the harmful practice of confining women to unsafe sheds during menstruation remains entrenched in remote villages.

Under the National Penal Code Act of 2017, chhaupadi or any form of discrimination, untouchability, or inhumane treatment of women during menstruation or childbirth is considered a crime. Individuals involved in such acts can be fined up to Rs 3,000 and sentenced to a jail term of three months, or both.

Preparations have begun to achieve total literacy status for Karnali Province. Federal, provincial, and local governments all are implementing various programs to attain this status in the current fiscal year.

Out of the 79 local units in the province, 27 are yet to be declared total literate. Balbir Sunar, chief of the Education Development Division under the Ministry of Social Development, Karnali Province, expressed confidence that all remaining local units will be declared total literate in the current fiscal year. Plans are in motion to declare both these local units and the entire province total literate in the current fiscal year, he added.

As per the 2021 census, the population of Karnali stands at 1,694,889. However, only 76% of the total population is literate. Notably, eight local units in Kalikot, one in Humla, four in Mugu, eight in Jumla, and six in Dolpa have yet to achieve total literacy status..

Literacy levels are assessed using 12 indicators, such as familiarity with alphabets and numbers, ability to write one's name, reading calendars, performing basic mathematics (addition and subtraction), and articulating opinions at public events. Individuals meeting at least six of these 12 indicators are considered literate.

Local units are declared literate when 95 percent of the people in the 15-59 age group within that unit meet these six indicators. Among the seven provinces in the country, Karnali and Madhesh haven’t achieved total literacy status yet. Once these two provinces attain total literacy status, the federal government plans to declare the entire country fully literate.

The provincial government is implementing various programs to align with the federal government's objectives and achieve full literacy status, according to Minister for Social Development Khadga Bahadur Pokharel.

Likewise, Chief Minister Raj Kumar Sharma has said that the provincial government will spare no effort to attain total literacy status in the current fiscal year. According to Sharma, the provincial government plans to deploy teachers to households with illiterate individuals for several hours or days to promote literacy.

Local unit representatives have likewise pledged to make their respective units fully literate. Dan Bahadur Budha, chairperson of Ghutichaur Rural Municipality in Jumla, said that various programs are being implemented to achieve total literacy in the current fiscal year.

In Karnali Province, there are 399 schools offering classes up to Grade 10, which constitutes 5.8 percent of the total number of schools in the country providing education up to Grade 10. Similarly, 7.55 percent of 4,410 schools nationwide offering classes up to Grade 12 are in Karnali Province.

It is paradoxical that despite the presence of numerous development organizations in Karnali and Madhes provinces, most of the country's illiterate population resides in these regions.

Chudamani Paudel, director general of the Center for Education and Human Resource Development, said that the constitution guarantees free and compulsory basic education for all Nepali citizens. Paudel pointed out that the delay in enacting the Federal Education Act has caused various issues in the education system. “There is a need to create 60,000 teaching positions for different levels up to Grade 12. However, we haven’t received approval from the finance ministry. We are somehow making do with 40,000 temporary positions,” he added.

Dr Bhojraj Kafle, secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, Karnali Province, said the same individuals were participating in adult literacy programs as much as seven times. This lays bare the managerial shortcomings in these programs,” he added.

The untimely rainfall has disappointed farmers in Kailali district. The rainfall since Monday afternoon upset farmers as they were about to harvest rice.

They were worried how they could harvest rice safely amidst such erratic weather events.

A farmer from Tikapur, Nirmal BK, said the rice cut down and spread to dry in the field is wet with the ill-timed rainfall. "I waited for a tractor to collect the crop, but it did not come. The rainfall drenched the rice. The storm has further strewn it. If the rainfall continues, the crop will perish in the field," he shared the plight.

Similarly, another farmer Padam Oli said that rice is ripe in the field. He did not cut the rice, worrying about storms on Monday, but the rains coupled with storms damaged ripe rice. "If the rainfall does not stop, it certainly damages the crop," he said, wondering, "Why does rainfall occur when it is time to harvest the rice?"

Most of the farmers in Kailali district are upset, reasoning that rainfall occurs when they are ready to harvest rice. They experienced it for three years. It has resulted in loss of production.

"In 2078BS, the floods triggered by the rainfall swept away the harvest time rice. Last year, we were able to save half of the crops due to early warning," said Hari Chaudhary, adding, "We have not harvested rice because of erratic weather. But the storm coupled with rainfall has damaged half yield this year too. The adverse weather is bane for farmers.

Moreover, another Parbati Chaudhari said that the rice cut down and spread to dry in the field could not be saved due to sudden change in weather. Only half of the crop was saved, she added.

Meanwhile, Tikapur Municipality and Janaki Rural Municipality have suggested the farmers wait for some days to harvest rice.

Police have arrested three persons for their alleged involvement in gang-raping a 25-year-old woman in Biratnagar.

The suspects have been identified as Tek Bahadur Tamang (43) and Binod Chauhan (20) of Mithila Bihari Municipality-11, Dhanusha and 16-year-old boy of Sindhuli.

Tamang is the truck (Pradesh 2-04-001 Kha 0021) driver. Chauhan is the assistant driver.

The 16-year-old boy is the assistant driver of another truck, police said.

DSP Ranjan Kumar Dahal of the District Police Office, Morang said that they raped the woman at Biratnagar Metropolitan City-3 in the wee hours of Monday.

According to him, the trio had reached a hotel in the Bus Park in Biratnagar to have dinner after parking the truck.

After having dinner, they returned to the place where they had parked the truck on a city safari, Dahal said.

According to a preliminary investigation, the woman was also traveling in the same city safari. After having a little chit-chat, they took her to the truck parking area and rape her.

Those who reached the incident site after hearing the screaming of the woman had called the police, it has been learnt.

The irate locals also vandalized the truck.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.