Married Couples Forcefully Separated
- BANKE, NEPALGUNJ DISTRICT- 16 December 2008. Rabindra BK aged 18 and Tulsi Thapa Chhetri of the same age eloped on 11 December 2008. The very next day, Santosh BK aged 17 and Laxmi Bista (non Dalit) eloped to turn their love life into a married one. But this intercaste marriage shattered their dreams of being together with their loved ones.
Both of the eloped girls’ parents filed a case at the Area Police Office- Dhanauri, accusing the boys' parents of selling the girls. When the case was referred to the District Police Office (DPO)-Banke, the police caught the boys' fathers on 6 December 2008. After a thorough inquiry, the fathers were set free on condition that they would present the girls at the DPO till 11 December 2008.
The police found the couples at Hotel Saina, a local Hotel at Banke, on 11 December 2008, and brought them to the police office. While the police made an inquiry with the couples, the girls clarified that they eloped with the boys to get married. The girls further added that when Tulsi was forced to get married elsewhere, they convinced their lovers to elope and get married.
As it was not proved that the girls were taken to be sold, rather they forced the boys to take them away, a two days’ extensive meeting was held to decide the fate of the couples.
This discussion was held at the DPO premises. There was the presence of Sharada Swornakar- member of National Dalit Commission, Nanda Bishwokarma- Central member of Dalit NGO Federation (DNF), Jas Bahadur BK- DNF Regional Chairperson, JMC’s representative, Shanta BK- Maiti Nepal staff, family members of the couples, journalists and others.
As it was proved (their school registration) that the girls were below 18 years of age (marriageable age for the girl in Nepal is 18), the meeting decided to submit the couples to their parents. Feeling insecure, the girls denied going with their parents. So the police administration gave the responsibility of the girls to Maiti Nepal, a NGO working for women rights. The boys were taken by their parents in presence of the police, Dalit Human Rights activists, and journalists on 12 December 2008.
Shanta BK from the Maiti Nepal undertook the girls’ responsibility on behalf of the organization. But it has not been mentioned for how many days the girls will be put at the organization.
"I saw many cases of intercaste marriage, but this case shed tears on my eyes; the girls would have died jumping from the roof if the police had not caught them,” said Sharada Swornakar. Nanda Kumar Bishwokarma added that they would have helped their best to the couples if the girls were not underage.
According to Amar Singh, one of the locals, the girls parents and relatives emphasized on separating them not because of their age but because of their choice to marry Dalit boys.
