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Despite declaring caste discrimination an unlawful act in Nepal, cases of such discrimination have continued to haunt the people from the lower caste.
Manju Rasaili who had tied inter-caste nuptial knot around 14 years ago has now become hapless after her husband left her and married with another woman.
Rasaili of Chainpur VDC-1 of Bajhang who tied nuptial knot with Dhan Prakash Giri of Lamatola VDC-6 of her own district in 2054 B.S is now passing her life in a miserable condition.
Rasaili, a mother of two children, said when she was just 14-year old and studying at grade 10, she ran away with Giri and got married without the permission of their families.
“Since our marriage, Giri’s family has not accepted me by claiming that I belonged to the lower caste family”, said Rasaili.
As inter-caste marriage between a dalit and a non-dalit still remains a contentious issue in Nepal, Giri’s family and neighbors forced them to stop their relationship and denied to accept their relation. Since12 years of their marriage, Rasaili and her husband stayed at Banglore of India.
Divulging her pain, Rasaili said, “But suddenly on the day of Jestha last year, my husband left the room to collect his salary but didn’t return.”
Though the eight months have already passed, he had not returned to her, she said. “Since then me and my two children are living in a miserable condition,” she said.
Rasaili said after her husband left her she had found it hard of eking out daily livelihood for her nine-year-old son and three-year-old daughter.
When she searched for her husband, she found that her husband went back to his home and then got married with another woman owing to the parent’s pressure.
She said she heard that after the second marriage, her husband returned back to India with his new wife. He is out of contact and she couldn’t locate the new address, she added.
Stating that in the Nepali society the persons who marry outside their castes became a part of social exclusion and even an object of violence, particularly from their families, Rasaili said now her own family is denying to accept her and her two babies.
When Rasaili became a part of social exclusion, she filed a case against Giri and his family at district court of Bajhang demanding relationship certificate for staking her claim for the property of Giri.
Dalit Women Association informed that when she didn’t have money to file a case at the court, the association provided her Rs.500 for it.
Manju who is left alone by her husband is now seeking for the financial and legal support.
