Nepali Times

Sorry soldiers

Headline
Headline | From Issue #563 (July 22-28, 2011)

Documentary films have been made about Nepal's female guerrillas, and photographs of them handling assault rifles have been printed internationally. They formed one-third of the PLA, often fighting on the frontlines. In some battles female guerrillas showed greater bravery, and many were killed in action.

Maoist women raised arms against injustice, but are now themselves victims of domestic violence. Khima Dangi (pictured with her daughter Garima, right) was wounded during the war, and fought next to her husband, Lokendra BC. But after the war, Lokendra pressured her to agree to a divorce so that he could remarry.

Sons of Maoist leaders Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CP Gajurel have both seen their wartime arranged marriages fall apart. Their wives have been treated shabbily, while they go on under party protection.

Read also:
More than half the sky, EDITORIAL
Love in a time of war, ARUNA RAYAMAJHI 
Wartime marriages between Maoists don't withstand the pressures of peace
Womanpower stays home to teach, as manpower migrates, WILKO VERBAKEL in SINDHUPALCHOK
"I wanted to murder whoever did this to my daughter", DEWAN RAI

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Comments (Archive)

  • jange

    This is hardly surprising. These people did not fight for justice. They fought for the Maoists to help them get to power. They were delusional enough or gullible enough to believe the Maoist lies. That is the core of their problem, especially for the women. Having been indoctrinated that it is OK to use violence to achieve one's goals is it any surprise that they continue to use violence in daily life?

  • who cares

    99% serving in the jail all fought for the injustice. one of the main differences between these two is- one is used and another is the boss of themselves.

  • truth is the only absolute

    100% agree with Jange. Karma's a b*, isn't it? These "fighters" had no problem kidnapping and murdering thousands of their own brothers and sisters and now they want sympathy after they invite the violence into their own homes? What a joke. I see no difference in these women and the men they helped to murder and plunder. Both are a disgrace to Nepal and Nepalese everywhere. Jai Nepal.

  • Truth is the only absolute

    On a side note, what's worse is that these mothers and fathers have now forever exposed and encouraged their children to accept violence as the sole solution to their problems. well done Nepal, well done. Let's wait and see what happens to the kids (most of whom I venture to guess will no doubt be psychologically scarred) once they become adults. The true impact of their actions will take some time to manifest.

  • chandra gurung

    May be these girls need to give their husbands the same treatment they gave to sanskrit teachers and ordinary congress/uml supporters in the village. Come on, girls, you can do it. Violence as a mean to get "justice" is an idea you are already familiar with! You should apply the doctrine you learned to your own household first.

  • who cares

    i support all those, above, who talk straight unlike those dai chure politicians and media persons. if we want to save nepal, first thingis first, which is talk straight.

  • Arthur

    Usually Nepali Times presents a "modern" veneer, trying to appeal to Western donors and westernized Nepalis with its relentless attacks on Maoists. But this time the Maoists are attacked for getting divorces!!! Here we see the real semi-feudal Caste Hindu Hills Elite mentality behind the mask. In a society where arranged marriages are normal, divorce is condemned. In every modern society divorce is quite normal. Approximately half of marriages end in divorce (and marriage itself is withering away, with half of children born to unwed mothers). Your many readers outside Nepal know very well that this does not reflect women in modern societies being more oppressed than in India or Nepal where the divorce rate is very low.

  • jange

    # 5 That is the whole point. They cannot do that because they did not join the Maoists and did what they did because they were empowered or because they were liberated. They joined either because they were gullible or greedy. Now that there is no one to tell them what to do they are totally lost. And all the while lots of so-called intellectuals, journalists and sundry educated people were hailing the fact of so many women maoist killers as a sign of women emancipation.

  • jange

    #7 Arthur Here we see the real semi-feudal Caste Hindu Hills Elite mentality behind the mask. A small correction. It should read: Here we see the real semi-feudal Caste Hindu Hills Elite mentality behind the Maoist mask. What difference a word makes!

  • Nepkath

    Maoist have for long brought violence in other people's home, it was only a matter of time for it to seep inside their own. One reap what is sowed.

  • B2B

    Still I am surprised that the Nepalese press defines the ancient lawless individuals as combatants. What have they fought against? The national army. Hence they should have been absolved of as terrorists. This is no other than the media which is continuing the myth of freedom fighters. I feel pity for all those stranded folks. But they were misguided by the people with bad intent. It is not the state to meet their requirements after the ceasefire of five years.

  • Rajaram

    #7 Aurthur. Are Christian Maxists all paragon of virtue including Aurthur ,the Maoist in Disguise? He is free to marry and devorce as many times as long as he can give alimony,if at all the Maoist give. They don,t even give child support. We will support thousand divorce advocates than to support such sadsitic rougues....n We don,t welcome outsiders to meddle in our traditional forte.