Chhaupadi – Living On Exile     Film Transcript ( 15 min & 33 sec )

 

Time are shown in the format minutes then second. So 01: 35 means 1 min & 35 secs.

 

 

 

00:12- 02:33  [ Short brief of place, people, cultures & there lifestyle ].

 

 

Nepal, a secular country among the Himalayan region of South Asia.

 

Over 80% of Nepalese practice Hinduism.

 

Religion and religious practices play an important role in the daily life, culture, and society of Nepal.

 

In Nepal out of the seven provinces, two severely lag behind the rest

 

in terms of overall development and gender equality.

 

It is estimated that in the far west Achham district.

 

Over 95% of women, including girls, are forced to follow menstrual exile

 

natively known as Chhaupadi.

 

Today, i am in the rural village of Achham district where menstruation,to this day, is still a taboo.

 

Achham a predominantly rural region with an agricultural-based economy record.

 

the district has the lowest literacy rate for both Male 46 percent & female 37 percent according to Unicef’s

2016 record.

 

Here it is believed that the Gods get angry if the practice of Chhaupadi is violated.

 

Bhashubaan is a remote village in the foothills of Himalaya, located deep in the forests.

 

Here, women and girls are exiled for 5 to 6 days in their periods on cow sheds or mud huts

 

made separately for them called chaupadi.

It is believed that the menstruating female is impure and brings bad luck.

 

Not just exiled, they are barred from touching items ranging from religious idols, milk products, cattle,

and many other things.

02:34 – 04:11   Bhashubaan villagers, Achham District.

[ One of major badly affected village where Chhaupadi perform in every homes ].

 

why does the tiger come to this area?

 

Even we don't know.. It’s a god.. here we have lot of god

Does this happen because of god?

Ya

 

Here we have a lot of gods in this village. Much more than other villages..

Here every home we have a god.

 

How many days you have to spend on cow sheds?

5 days for women & 6 days for girls. But now’s days even girls stay for 5 days.

 

 

 

 

If we violate the tradition snake will come to our homes.

This happens because of God.

 

Otherwise snake will come to home..

 

Snake will come ?

Ya

 

Snake & god often come in this area if he gets angry.

If we violated our traditions.

 

This is one of the many mud huts where she spends her menstruation

periods along with her children.

 

03:51 - 04:00

In 2017, the Nepal Government had passed a law against these

practices and punishing those

 

04:00 - 04:11

who forces anyone to exile during menstruation, culprit’s faces up to three

months of jail and a fine of three thousand rupees.

 

 

04:12 – 6:22    Bhashubaan villagers, Achham District.

[ One of major badly affected village where women with their babies & young children

go to cowsheds or mudhuts during periods ].

 

What to say..

 

Here, if we violated our tradition during periods tiger and snake comes.

 

recently, tiger came to our village & killed goats & cow from cow sheds.

 

Tiger ate ?

Ya

 

Snake also comes ?

Ya

 

just a weeks ago a tiger came & killed six goats & one cow from cow sheds.

 

Oh..

 

This is because of god when he got angry ?

Ya.. Its a god who else..

 

When he will angry this thing happens?

Ya

 

Do even you go to cow sheds? Ya even i got to cow shed.

 

No one stay inside house during periods.So i also go to cowsheds.

Don't you feel afraid to stay in cowshed?

No, not at all..

 

If you go to cow shed gods will not get angry?

Ya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't you feel scared to stay outside cowsheds? No, we don't

 

It is near only so, why to afraid.

 

Do even your children have to cowshed?

Ya.. Even baby has to stay on cowshed with us.

 

Even during pregnancy time, you have to go to cowsheds? No, we don't go at that time.

 

But small babies have to stay in cow shed? Yes

 

How many days you have to sleep outside during periods? We sleep for 5 days in cows sheds...

 

 

06:26 - 06:33

Chhaupadi was outlawed by the Supreme Court of Nepal as early as 2005,

 

06:33 - 06:41

But the tradition had survived and is slow to change.

06:42 – 06:56  [ A boy giving a short brief of Chhaupadi, how women & young girls

stay during their periods in mud huts / cowsheds ].

 

Where they build fire? This is pot where they build fire

Why they build fire ? To keep them warm during night time

 

06:56 - 07:10

There are many reports of deaths caused by asphyxiation by  smoke while living inside the small menstrual huts.

 

 

07:11 –  07:35  Sharmila  Bhujel , Achham District

[ A victim girl who found dead in mud huts while following old tradition, Chhaupadi ].

 

One of the many victims is sharmila  Bhujel. Found dead the next morning from smoke inhalation..

while exiled into the hut as per the age-old menstrual tradition.

she was just a normal 14-year old school girl.

 

07:35 - 07:47

During my journey to the village, I got to talk to her grandmother and her younger sister about the events of that night.

07:49 – 09:49   Victim ( Sharmila Bhujel ) Grandmother

[ describing the events & her pain of lossing her granddaughter ].

 

It was cold winter month she got her periods at night.

At morning she told me she is feeling headache.She told i am not be able to go school today. She took rest that day.

 

That day our neighbor boy was going to India.

 

She slept at her house. The evening she got her periods.

she slept outside the home alone. Many people blame she died due to

smoke inhalation..

 

But all my children have grown on mud huts only but I don't know

what the reason was.

 

 

 

 

she was studying in 9 grade. The early morning her father told her she

is no more.we used to live in another town mangalsen.

 

He called us & we came to home it was very painful & heart-wrenching

moments to see i really don't want to recall.. it breaks my heart into pieces..

 

So i don't want to remember.

 

Nepal government didn't help us, Even Delhi, Kathmandu & American media came & took our

 videos & photos by giving words we will come to help you.

 

But, no one helped & they never came again.

 

Due to a lot of tension even my son died.

 

Now, i have a grand daughter i have to look after them. We don't have any support.

 

what to say..

 

we have to go through every problem whatever is written in destiny.

In that crucial time, no one came for help us.

 

 

09:55 – 12:06   Victim ( Sharmila Bhujel ) Sister

[ Describing the event of her sister & giving suggestions to young girls & women ].

 

Its been seven years since she left us.I don't know how she died.

But we found her early morning at that time she already left us.

At that time i was very small.I used to live with grandmother & she used to live with father & mother

 

I used to study in another town mangalsen.

 

I think she was 15 years old at that time.

 

I just want to tell all sisters that don't go to cowsheds just stay at home

If we tell them to stay far outside they have to face many problems.. stomach ache & many problems.

 

So i want to tell please keep them at home & give them some nutritious

food at that time.

 

All i want to say that for the next generation is don't live in cowsheds...

There will be a lot of problems while staying far from home. we don’t

know what is the cause of sudden death maybe there are a lot of reasons.

we have to promote & raise awareness for people to live inside their homes.That is all i suggest

 

12:07 - 12:16

While the exact number of deaths due to these practices aren’t officially available.

 

12:16 - 12:32

A lot of other cases including molestation, snake bites, animal attacks,

and asphyxiation from inhaling smoke due to poor ventilation.

 

 

 

 

 

12:33 - 12:41

 

Through the Nepal Government along with the NGO’s are conducting awareness programs to root

out this blind practice,

 

12:41 - 12:51

the results are slow and time-consuming. As it needs the co-operation of society and the families to

understand

 

12:51- 13:00

and change their mindset towards the old and ancient tradition.

 

13:14 - 13:19

In Achham, women use old clothes during their periods.

 

13:19 - 13:25

Because they cannot afford sanitary pads or menstrual cups.

 

13:25 – 14:13 Sangita kadait ,School girl

[ sharing her unfair experience & mindset of her family & society ].

 

She is Sangita Kadait. She shares her unfair experience’s faced in her home and society.

 

In our society, some people stay inside home & some people stay outside home

 

Now a days our mothers are little educated and they suggest us to stay inside at home.

 

but our grandfather & grandmother still says that we have to stay outside in cowshed during the periods.

 

I always feel very bad & wonder why they discriminate against us during the mensturation periods.

 

I know because they are illiterate so they force such things to us.

 

14:15 - 14:45   [ Concluding remarks ]

In my journey, I have seen a rise in awareness through education among the women and girls

in school, to eliminate the practice of Chhaupadi.

 

I hope that day comes soon, where no children or mother has to suffer or die from this unhuman practice.

 

14:47 -  15:07  [ Report data ]

Everyday,an estimated 290,000 women & adolescent girl in Nepal menstruate. According to research

data from Population Service International Nepal. About 83% of the menstruating girl use cloth only

15% use pads

Globally 68% of women are afraid to talk about their periods with man. Whereas, 81% of Asian women

hide their periods from others.

 

15 :09 – 15:33      [ Credits ]     The End