(Part 2/2) "But just because we have formed a collective opinion, the women are not going to come in and start sleeping inside their house. They are afraid that bad things might happen. They have been told that they will upset the Deu and that in doing things differently they will risk the well-being of their husbands and sons and daughters. You see even this place where I sit used to be a Chau Goth where women who were menstruating lived in exile for 10 days but now it has been turned to a shed for goats. In other places around the village, I see women still living away from their homes. But some have started coming in and more will join.
In recent days, I am telling the community that sacrificing baby goats should also be abolished. It has been 2/3 years I have been repeating it. Two baby goats cost around 10/12 thousand. Instead of spending so much money, offerings can be made with flowers and fruits. Not only will these innocent animals live but with the money saved, we can make a temple, give it to a school, blacktop the road or do something for the community. That is my saying. What is the profit in murder? But I have not so many supporters. The people who eat meat claim the Deuta only drinks blood. Sometimes these temples are floating in blood of 50-100 sacrifices goats. And people fight over these dead animals so that they can consume their meat. But I do not. I do not even take one bite of it. I clean up the temple after the prayers and leave immediately.”
#BreakingTheSilence with Dignity Without Danger: Menstruation in Nepal
