An American man has returned a 21kg (46lb) chunk of medieval pillar taken from Jerusalem's Old City 12 years ago. Israeli authorities had received a letter from a priest asking forgiveness for the man, after he confessed to taking away the stone. He said a tour guide had given him the weighty piece of marble, and that he had not realised until later that it had probably been stolen. The Israeli Antiquities Authority said it was not planning legal action. The authority received an e-mail from a priest in New York State several weeks ago. "The fellow confessed to me that 12 years ago he took a stone from Jerusalem and his conscience has bothered him ever since," the priest wrote. "I wish to return the stone to Israel and hope that you will forgive the man for his transgression." 'Prayer stone' The stone arrived with a note in which the man said a tour guide had given it to him during a visit to Israel. "Only later did I realise that he probably took the stone from the excavation without permission," he wrote. He said he thought of the stone as something he would use to "pray for Jerusalem". "For the past 12 years since then, rather than remind me of the prayer for Jerusalem, I am reminded of the mistake I made when I removed the stone from its proper place in Israel." "I am asking for your forgiveness." Haim Shchupak of the IAA's anti-theft unit said the return of antiquities was rare. "It's nice that these people's consciences bothered them," he told the Associated Press news agency. "I'm glad that there are good people out there." | |
US man returns ancient Jerusalem stone
Megan Fox: Stop Trying to Sleep with Me
Poor Megan Fox. She's sooo exploited. In her latest "here are some more crazy quotes" interview, Megan complains that Hollywood producers are trying to sleep with her, no matter what it takes!
"It's really so heartbreaking. Some of these people! Like Hollywood legends. You think you're going to meet them and you're so excited, like, 'I can't believe this person wants to have a conversation with me,' and you get there and you realize that's not what they want, at all," she says in British GQ.
Megan, starring in "Transformers" should have taught you that any time you're called in to read for a Victorian period piece, there is more to that casting than meets the eye! But Megan's wrath isn't reserved just for producers, it seems that even actors want to sleep with Megan, too! The horror!
"There are ... actors who have been in the business for a while, who are very egocentric and have been able to sleep with a lot of girls for whatever reason, and because they don't know me they think I'm going to be this little cupcake, this Marilyn Monroe type who's going to bat my eyes and be like a receptacle for them."
Well, Megan wants you to know, she is one receptacle who will fight back! "I just shut them down immediately, right in front of people. It's been so long since someone has told them no, they don't really know how to deal with it. Because of this non-reality they live in, they're f**ked up, psychologically."
Megan Fox: Giving Hollywood a reality check since 2007!
“HUNPHUN” now available in DVD
The much talk about Naga feature film “HUNPHUN” will be available on DVD. MiziM Production is officially releasing “the first Naga film DVD” on second week of June 2009 as a summer entertainment package. The DVD will be sold at the following cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Shillong, Manipur and Hunphun Town at the rate of Rs 200.
In regards to this, the MiziM Production urged “all your support in helping us by buying our DVDs so that we could produce more film in near future to entertain you and to be a part in creating the Naga Film Industry, which in return will help generate employment and gives platform to our hidden talents in the form of creating professional promising Actor, Director, Editor, Cinematographer, Script writer, Music Director, Director of photography, Animator, Vj, Anchor etc.”
Piracy problem being the top priority in every entertainment industries of the world cutting across race and countries, the Production humbly implore to the mass to buy only the Original MiziM Production ‘HUNPHUN” film DVDs. “By doing so you are making the world a better place by appreciating the human moral ethic and supporting your Actor, Actress, singers etc. Should you buy pirated
“HUNPHUN” film DVDs, the money that you invest is not going to help neither the Actors nor the production house but only the thief,” said Shanchui Zimik Manager MiziM Production (Hunphun) Awontang, Hunphun. .
Music compilation with Music video is schedule for winter entertainment package and the next romantic film is on for next year (2010).
As NC hills burn, people live in hunger, fear
A burned house lies in ruins after it was attacked by miscreants at Longmang, 18 kms from Haflong in North Cachar hills district of Assam on June 4 morning at around 4:30 AM. Altogether 34 persons have been killed while over 530 houses torched in the ongoing bloodbath in NC Hills. (Photo: Hemanta kumar nath)
Meanwhile, in Yea, a village of Dimasa tribals, residents suffered heavy losses as the unidentified “miscreants” also set on fire their granaries in addition to their houses. Gaonburra (village headman) Rabinarai Langthasa, for instance, lost at least 800 quintals of paddy that he had just harvested, when his village was raided on April 12.
More than 240 people from Yea have since taken shelter in a makeshift relief camp, with a few CRPF personnel standing guard. Children have suffered the most, especially after the authorities decided to shut schools down for an indeterminate period in view of the violence.
The incidents at Tungrepungo and Yea are not isolated. Assailants have raided more than two dozen villages, more than half of them, like Tungrepungo, belonging to the Zeme Naga tribe. The remaining villages belong to the Dimasa tribe.
On Wednesday, fresh violence erupted in the hill district, leaving at least five persons, all Zeme Nagas, dead.
Sources from Haflong, the headquarters of North Cachar Hills district, said a group of unidentified men raided Borosenabasti, about 20 km from the district headquarters, set houses on fire and opened indiscriminate fire on villagers. At least 54 houses were burned down.
“The Government has to be held responsible. While security forces have failed to tackle a small group of militants, over 4,000 people, including women and children, have been rendered homeless in the recent violence,” says Jaleswar Brahma, a social worker who returned from the district this week.
Brahma added that 11 Dimasa tribals and 19 Zeme Nagas have been killed, and villagers are now scared of venturing out to their fields.
“With over 1,700 men and 2,300 women and children putting up makeshift relief camps, imagine what the situation is,” Brahma said. At least 11 Dimasa villages and 18 Zeme Naga villages have been burnt down in the on-going violence in the district.
“The situation is really bad, especially in the interior areas, where the train was the only link to the outside world,” says Sapna Matterpunsa, a college student in Haflong.
“I know a number of people who have migrated to Guwahati or Silchar because of the trouble. But not everyone can afford to do so. The poor tribal in the remote village is at the mercy of his fate,” she adds.
The district is also facing a shortage of essential commodities. “Prices of whatever is available have sky-rocketed. Rice, for instance, is selling at anywhere between Rs 20 and Rs 25 per kg in interior areas when it used to be just Rs 18 earlier,” says N C Kemprai, a social worker, from Mahur. “People in and around some places like Langting and Hatikhali, which are connected only by rail, are facing a serious shortage of foodgrains.”
At some places, members of one tribe or the other are scared of venturing out of their villages for the fear of being attacked. “Some circles are trying to portray the incidents as ethnic violence between the Dimasa and Zeme Naga tribes.
This has spread mistrust between the two communities,” says LK Nunisa, secretary of the Jadikhe Naiso Hosom, the apex body of the Dimasa tribals, who constitute about 35 per cent of the hill district’s roughly two-lakh population.
The Zeme Nagas, on the other hand, are the second-largest ethnic group, constituting about 12 per cent of the district’s population. Zeme Nagas living in and around Haflong town, too, are scared of venturing out of their homes, especially after the body of a tribal was found in front of a school in the district headquarters two weeks ago.
“The common people, who live in scattered clusters of houses in the hills, are really scared. Some have even shifted to nearby villages and are living in closed clusters,” said Samsadin Jeme, president of the Zeme Council.
In places like Daotahoja or Phiding, only those villages that have plain fields grow paddy. “But, though there was a good harvest this season, granaries have been particularly targeted, leading to heavy losses. And if the situation does not improve in the next two to three weeks, people will probably end up starving,” Jeme says.
With the monsoon round the corner, people in North Cachar Hills expect even more serious problems. “The district is notorious for landslides that cut off road and rail link for weeks. Rains also trigger epidemics like malaria and water-borne diseases. With communication at its worst due to the ongoing violence, the days ahead look very grim,” says Thomson Hasnu, a student leader in Haflong.
“The violent incidents have almost brought vehicular traffic across the hill district to a halt. No buses or private taxis, for instance, have been plying between Haflong and Maibong for almost three weeks now after militants stopped a bus and gunned down four Dimasa persons,” said Gouranga Gope, a businessman based at Haflong.
“But, while villages are being attacked and innocent people are killed, what is most surprising is that not a single culprit has been arrested till date despite the strong presence of security forces,” notes Kalijoy Sanguing, an executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council.
Assam militants held in Bangalore
M.T. Shiva Kumar
Bangalore: The Assam police have busted the hideout here of a militant group Dima Halam Daogah, popularly known as DHD (J), and arrested its ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Jewel Garlossa (36) and his two accomplices.
Based on specific information, a special police team from Guwahati led by Deputy Inspector General G.P. Singh raided an apartment at Arakere cross off Bannerghatta road here on Wednesday night and arrested Jewel, Partha Warisa and Samir Ahmed. Cases have been registered against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and other Acts. Passbooks, ATM cards, mobile phones, cash and other documents have been seized from them.
Even though the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bangalore City Police assisted the Assam police in conducting the raid, the city police declined to give information about the operation.
Statehood demand
DHD (J) is a militant group in Assam. It has been fighting for a separate State for the Dimasas, a tribal community, in Assam and have launched violent attacks on several other tribes, a senior police officer told The Hindu over phone from Guwahati.
Jewel Garlossa is a much-sought-after Assamese fugitive allegedly involved in several cases of murder, extortion, kidnap, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy. The DHD, led by Dilip Nunisa, had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Union government on January 2003. Jewel opposed that agreement and formed the DHD (Jewel), said the police officer who did not want to be named.
Since the formation of DHD (J), he had been demanding a separate state for Dimasas comprising North Cachar Hills, Cachar, Karbi Anglong, some parts of Nagaon and Dhansiripar and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Recently the DHD (J) instigated the Dimasas to kill Zeme Nagas in North Cachar Hills district in Assam, the officer alleged. In the past five months, the militant outfit had intensified its attacks against Zeme Nagas, the officer said.
READ MORE - Assam militants held in Bangalore
Bangalore: The Assam police have busted the hideout here of a militant group Dima Halam Daogah, popularly known as DHD (J), and arrested its ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Jewel Garlossa (36) and his two accomplices.
Based on specific information, a special police team from Guwahati led by Deputy Inspector General G.P. Singh raided an apartment at Arakere cross off Bannerghatta road here on Wednesday night and arrested Jewel, Partha Warisa and Samir Ahmed. Cases have been registered against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and other Acts. Passbooks, ATM cards, mobile phones, cash and other documents have been seized from them.
Even though the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bangalore City Police assisted the Assam police in conducting the raid, the city police declined to give information about the operation.
Statehood demand
DHD (J) is a militant group in Assam. It has been fighting for a separate State for the Dimasas, a tribal community, in Assam and have launched violent attacks on several other tribes, a senior police officer told The Hindu over phone from Guwahati.
Jewel Garlossa is a much-sought-after Assamese fugitive allegedly involved in several cases of murder, extortion, kidnap, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy. The DHD, led by Dilip Nunisa, had entered into a ceasefire agreement with the Union government on January 2003. Jewel opposed that agreement and formed the DHD (Jewel), said the police officer who did not want to be named.
Since the formation of DHD (J), he had been demanding a separate state for Dimasas comprising North Cachar Hills, Cachar, Karbi Anglong, some parts of Nagaon and Dhansiripar and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Recently the DHD (J) instigated the Dimasas to kill Zeme Nagas in North Cachar Hills district in Assam, the officer alleged. In the past five months, the militant outfit had intensified its attacks against Zeme Nagas, the officer said.
Light My Fire
It was the winter of last year, December 2008, when I was out for a shoot in the North-East India. Having already been in Bangalore for a period of three years – at a stretch – I very much needed a break from the hustle and bustle of what many call it a 'metro life'. After a 62-hourse journey by the Bangalore-Ghy Express, I was soon amidst the lofty hills, the mountains filled with the lush green leaves, and the breeze that I had waited to feel for a long time; the last time I had visited this place was exactly three years back. I was in the North-East. This is a morning shot. I found this man quite nice to talk to. In fact, out conversation had started over a cup of tea. Yes, he is one of the chai wallahs on the streets of Laktokia, Guwahati. The 30-minutes conversation was enough to enlighten me about his plight, and a lot like him. The whole joy of having stayed in a place like Bangalore, city, which boasts to have all the modern amenities came crushing down on me.
Business: Shelterless tea stall
Income: 250 daily
Business Hours: 4.45 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Family Members: Five
The place is normally filled with people. But morning hours are normally filled with shop owners, whole sellers and retailers. There is a lot of trade than happens in this area. But of late, because of the insurgent problem the economy of the place has been badly affected.
READ MORE - Light My Fire
Business: Shelterless tea stall
Income: 250 daily
Business Hours: 4.45 a.m. to 8.30 a.m.
Family Members: Five
The place is normally filled with people. But morning hours are normally filled with shop owners, whole sellers and retailers. There is a lot of trade than happens in this area. But of late, because of the insurgent problem the economy of the place has been badly affected.
Changing of HSA Delhi Domain
Hi James,
I will be putting a redirection on domain Delhithurawn.net as HSA Delhi has a new domain. I have changed the DNS and will be putting it up for sale shortly. It would have been nice if I was at least informed of this change.
If Delhi Thurawn needs to get back their data, they might need to talk to their host or connect by IP address. And I have also sold aizawlpost.com, zawnga.com, to some buyers in Zedo.
thanks,
Pat
READ MORE - Changing of HSA Delhi Domain
I will be putting a redirection on domain Delhithurawn.net as HSA Delhi has a new domain. I have changed the DNS and will be putting it up for sale shortly. It would have been nice if I was at least informed of this change.
If Delhi Thurawn needs to get back their data, they might need to talk to their host or connect by IP address. And I have also sold aizawlpost.com, zawnga.com, to some buyers in Zedo.
thanks,
Pat
Purno Sangma invites Sonia to Conrad’s marriage party Is this the much-awaited rapprochement?
From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI: After a prolonged period of political alienation from the high priestess of the Congress party Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Purno A Sangma on Monday met the UPA Chairperson at her residence, signaling
the advent of a new spirit of bonhomie between the two.
Mr Sangma apparently sought an appointment with Mrs Gandhi to invite her to the wedding reception of his son Conrad Sangma, currently the leader of the Opposition in the Meghalaya Assembly, to be held in Delhi on June 7 next.
This may appear like an innocuous meeting but coming after a decade marked by deep turbulence in their political relationships, this meeting could herald a new dawn for the NCP in Meghalaya. What is even more heartwarming for the mercurial Mr Sangma is that the otherwise reserved Mrs Gandhi who rarely attends any high profile wedding reception, agreed to be present to bless the newly married couple.
Ms Agatha Sangma, who has become the new bridge between the 10 Janpath and her father, would be meeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra to invite them to the function.
Talking to The Shillong Times after the meeting, an ebullient Mr Sangma said the meeting was a family affair. "Soniaji was very receptive and was all praise for Agatha," he said adding she was particularly elated over Agatha taking oath in Hindi.
She seemed to have been impressed with Agatha's performance as an MP in the last Parliament. Incidentally, Agatha who was the youngest in the Parliament was among the few MPs who attended most of the sessions and participated actively.
Mr Sangma had not invited Sonia personally, during the reception of his daughter Christie's marriage in New Delhi five years ago. But she did send a good will message on the occasion.
When asked if there is any political significance to this meeting after such a long gap, Mr Sangma replied in the negative. But to a question on her foreign origin, the former Speaker said that the issue is almost dead with Sonia ji refusing to become Prime Minsiter not once but even twice.
"I am also meeting President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and other dignitaries to invite them to the function," Mr Sangma said. But his meeting with Sonia Gandhi after the induction of his daughter in the Union council of ministers and attempts to form a Congress NCP coalition in Meghalaya has much significance.
Political analysts predict NCP's merger with Congress since both have no ideological differences and are in coalition both at the Centre and in Maharashtra and Goa. NCP has also failed to grow in Maharashtra, Meghalaya and other states and its tally remained the same as in the last Lok Sabha.
If both parties merge the same would be reflected in Meghalaya too, the analysts said. The Purno-Sonia meet lasted about half an hour.
READ MORE - Purno Sangma invites Sonia to Conrad’s marriage party Is this the much-awaited rapprochement?
NEW DELHI: After a prolonged period of political alienation from the high priestess of the Congress party Sonia Gandhi, NCP leader Purno A Sangma on Monday met the UPA Chairperson at her residence, signaling
the advent of a new spirit of bonhomie between the two.
Mr Sangma apparently sought an appointment with Mrs Gandhi to invite her to the wedding reception of his son Conrad Sangma, currently the leader of the Opposition in the Meghalaya Assembly, to be held in Delhi on June 7 next.
This may appear like an innocuous meeting but coming after a decade marked by deep turbulence in their political relationships, this meeting could herald a new dawn for the NCP in Meghalaya. What is even more heartwarming for the mercurial Mr Sangma is that the otherwise reserved Mrs Gandhi who rarely attends any high profile wedding reception, agreed to be present to bless the newly married couple.
Ms Agatha Sangma, who has become the new bridge between the 10 Janpath and her father, would be meeting Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra to invite them to the function.
Talking to The Shillong Times after the meeting, an ebullient Mr Sangma said the meeting was a family affair. "Soniaji was very receptive and was all praise for Agatha," he said adding she was particularly elated over Agatha taking oath in Hindi.
She seemed to have been impressed with Agatha's performance as an MP in the last Parliament. Incidentally, Agatha who was the youngest in the Parliament was among the few MPs who attended most of the sessions and participated actively.
Mr Sangma had not invited Sonia personally, during the reception of his daughter Christie's marriage in New Delhi five years ago. But she did send a good will message on the occasion.
When asked if there is any political significance to this meeting after such a long gap, Mr Sangma replied in the negative. But to a question on her foreign origin, the former Speaker said that the issue is almost dead with Sonia ji refusing to become Prime Minsiter not once but even twice.
"I am also meeting President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and other dignitaries to invite them to the function," Mr Sangma said. But his meeting with Sonia Gandhi after the induction of his daughter in the Union council of ministers and attempts to form a Congress NCP coalition in Meghalaya has much significance.
Political analysts predict NCP's merger with Congress since both have no ideological differences and are in coalition both at the Centre and in Maharashtra and Goa. NCP has also failed to grow in Maharashtra, Meghalaya and other states and its tally remained the same as in the last Lok Sabha.
If both parties merge the same would be reflected in Meghalaya too, the analysts said. The Purno-Sonia meet lasted about half an hour.
Nepal: It's Prejudice That Makes Witches
By Renu Kshetry
"My heart is not black, only my skin. I have aged and lost my teeth but that does not make me a witch," cries Kalli Kumari B.K., 45, of Lalitpur District Phyutar-7 in Nepal.
Recently B.K., a Dalit woman, was the victim of a heinous crime - she was tortured, beaten and forced to eat human excreta. The person who orchestrated this barbaric act was a supposedly educated woman: Bimala Lama. The principal of the local Gadi Bhanjyang Primary School, Lama accused B.K. of practising 'witchcraft'.
Ironically, despite the then deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam ordering the police to issue an arrest warrant against her, Lama managed to flee. When human rights activists, journalists and police personnel arrived to arrest her, villagers ganged up and started attacking them. So far only three people have been apprehended and Lama remains at large. Rights activists have linked the delay in justice to the fact that B.K. is a Dalit, while Lama has close links with the local Nepal Congress Party.
On the evening of March 20, when B.K. was working in the fields with her husband, she was summoned to Lama's house. Oblivious to the horrors that awaited her there, she complied. As soon as she reached the house, Lama and her niece attacked her, accusing her of practising witchcraft on Lama and her ailing daughter.
The incident took place after local resident, Sherman Lama, blamed B.K. for Lama's daughter's failing health. B.K. flatly refutes the allegations, "I did not do anything. She (Lama) gave my daughter an old salwar-kurta (traditional outfit) two years ago. She then accused me of using it to practise witchcraft on her. She beat me till I bled. We may be poor but we do not stoop that low to harm others. In fact, I don't know what this witchcraft is all about."
Yet, so badly was B.K. tortured after being held all night in a locked room at Lama's residence, that she 'admitted' to being a 'witch'.
"It is a gross violation of human rights and it will have a severe affect on the Dalit community, both mentally and physically," said Dhan Kumari Sunar, a member of the National Women Commission. She added, "Our prime concern is to ensure that the culprit(s) are put behind bars and to rehabilitate B.K. so that she can live a life of respectability and security."
Sunar pointed out that it is only if the police catch the culprits would they be able to signal that such crimes will no longer be overlooked and ensure that incidents like these are not repeated.
According to legal provisions as per the new amendment to the 'Muluki Ain' (Country Code in Nepal), the culprit can get anything from three months to two years of imprisonment along with a fine ranging from Rs 5,000 (US$60) to Rs 25,000 (US$304), depending on the degree of the crime.
But this is certainly not the first time such a case has been reported. In Nepal, women from the marginalised Dalit ('untouchable') community are routinely accused of practising 'witchcraft' and tortured. Such instances strip them of their confidence and they live with the stigma forever even after being declared innocent, as some are.
In 2006, Dayawati Urab, 52, and her daughter, Sunita, of Sunsari district, were stripped naked, beaten and forced to eat human faeces for practising 'witchcraft' by the local community.
After the incident took place, Jagaran Media Center (JMC), an NGO that works for the rights of the Dalit community, said that this was the third time Dayawati was forced to eat excrement. In 2005, the villagers under the leadership of local political leaders fined her Rs 3,000, after accusing her of the same charge. Her husband, Tikaram, was also fired from his job. Dayawati has now been banned from participating in religious ceremonies. She has been so severely ostracised in her village that she cannot even make a living. "They [the locals] hold me responsible for all the accidents (like if anybody fall sick or there is a drought or loss of property by any means) that happen here," she said.
According to Purna Singh Baraily, vice president, JMC, "Cases involving Dalits are still not taken seriously and victims suffer throughout their lives. Yet nobody cares about them."
Although untouchability was abolished in Nepal in 1963, the practice still continues, with women from both Dalit and low caste communities in the Tarai region being constantly victimised for practising 'witchcraft'.
Referring to such women's lack of access to legal measures, Binod Pahari, Member of Parliament, observed, "Those who are already oppressed gets suppressed all the time."
Referring to police apathy in arresting the six accused in B.K.'s case, even after weeks have gone by, General Secretary of Dalit NGO Federation, Bom Bahadur Biswokarma, said that because of the government's lack of seriousness, victims hardly ever get justice. "In order to end superstition, the culprits should be punished," he reiterated.
Meanwhile B.K. hasn't fully recovered from the trauma she underwent. When asked what punishment she'd like to give Lama for her atrocities, she said, "I will not feed her human excreta as she did to me. My moral conscience will not let me do that. But I definitely want to kick her at least one or two times in front of all the villagers. She, and those who helped her, have to admit their crime before everyone in my village, so that they understand what it means to lose one's honour."
Womens Feature Service covers developmental, political, social and economic issues in India and around the globe. To get these articles for your publication, contact WFS at the www.wfsnews.org website.
READ MORE - Nepal: It's Prejudice That Makes Witches
"My heart is not black, only my skin. I have aged and lost my teeth but that does not make me a witch," cries Kalli Kumari B.K., 45, of Lalitpur District Phyutar-7 in Nepal.
Recently B.K., a Dalit woman, was the victim of a heinous crime - she was tortured, beaten and forced to eat human excreta. The person who orchestrated this barbaric act was a supposedly educated woman: Bimala Lama. The principal of the local Gadi Bhanjyang Primary School, Lama accused B.K. of practising 'witchcraft'.
Ironically, despite the then deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bamdev Gautam ordering the police to issue an arrest warrant against her, Lama managed to flee. When human rights activists, journalists and police personnel arrived to arrest her, villagers ganged up and started attacking them. So far only three people have been apprehended and Lama remains at large. Rights activists have linked the delay in justice to the fact that B.K. is a Dalit, while Lama has close links with the local Nepal Congress Party.
On the evening of March 20, when B.K. was working in the fields with her husband, she was summoned to Lama's house. Oblivious to the horrors that awaited her there, she complied. As soon as she reached the house, Lama and her niece attacked her, accusing her of practising witchcraft on Lama and her ailing daughter.
The incident took place after local resident, Sherman Lama, blamed B.K. for Lama's daughter's failing health. B.K. flatly refutes the allegations, "I did not do anything. She (Lama) gave my daughter an old salwar-kurta (traditional outfit) two years ago. She then accused me of using it to practise witchcraft on her. She beat me till I bled. We may be poor but we do not stoop that low to harm others. In fact, I don't know what this witchcraft is all about."
Yet, so badly was B.K. tortured after being held all night in a locked room at Lama's residence, that she 'admitted' to being a 'witch'.
"It is a gross violation of human rights and it will have a severe affect on the Dalit community, both mentally and physically," said Dhan Kumari Sunar, a member of the National Women Commission. She added, "Our prime concern is to ensure that the culprit(s) are put behind bars and to rehabilitate B.K. so that she can live a life of respectability and security."
Sunar pointed out that it is only if the police catch the culprits would they be able to signal that such crimes will no longer be overlooked and ensure that incidents like these are not repeated.
According to legal provisions as per the new amendment to the 'Muluki Ain' (Country Code in Nepal), the culprit can get anything from three months to two years of imprisonment along with a fine ranging from Rs 5,000 (US$60) to Rs 25,000 (US$304), depending on the degree of the crime.
But this is certainly not the first time such a case has been reported. In Nepal, women from the marginalised Dalit ('untouchable') community are routinely accused of practising 'witchcraft' and tortured. Such instances strip them of their confidence and they live with the stigma forever even after being declared innocent, as some are.
In 2006, Dayawati Urab, 52, and her daughter, Sunita, of Sunsari district, were stripped naked, beaten and forced to eat human faeces for practising 'witchcraft' by the local community.
After the incident took place, Jagaran Media Center (JMC), an NGO that works for the rights of the Dalit community, said that this was the third time Dayawati was forced to eat excrement. In 2005, the villagers under the leadership of local political leaders fined her Rs 3,000, after accusing her of the same charge. Her husband, Tikaram, was also fired from his job. Dayawati has now been banned from participating in religious ceremonies. She has been so severely ostracised in her village that she cannot even make a living. "They [the locals] hold me responsible for all the accidents (like if anybody fall sick or there is a drought or loss of property by any means) that happen here," she said.
According to Purna Singh Baraily, vice president, JMC, "Cases involving Dalits are still not taken seriously and victims suffer throughout their lives. Yet nobody cares about them."
Although untouchability was abolished in Nepal in 1963, the practice still continues, with women from both Dalit and low caste communities in the Tarai region being constantly victimised for practising 'witchcraft'.
Referring to such women's lack of access to legal measures, Binod Pahari, Member of Parliament, observed, "Those who are already oppressed gets suppressed all the time."
Referring to police apathy in arresting the six accused in B.K.'s case, even after weeks have gone by, General Secretary of Dalit NGO Federation, Bom Bahadur Biswokarma, said that because of the government's lack of seriousness, victims hardly ever get justice. "In order to end superstition, the culprits should be punished," he reiterated.
Meanwhile B.K. hasn't fully recovered from the trauma she underwent. When asked what punishment she'd like to give Lama for her atrocities, she said, "I will not feed her human excreta as she did to me. My moral conscience will not let me do that. But I definitely want to kick her at least one or two times in front of all the villagers. She, and those who helped her, have to admit their crime before everyone in my village, so that they understand what it means to lose one's honour."
Womens Feature Service covers developmental, political, social and economic issues in India and around the globe. To get these articles for your publication, contact WFS at the www.wfsnews.org website.
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