“Thinking of the old day tears my heart. When my son was born I didn’t get any time to rest nor any sympathy from my in-laws. I was cutting grass on the third day. What would I do? The animals would cry in hunger and there was maize and rice to be ground. I had no help. I remember I had to be very careful while cutting grass around the vegetable garden. Back then, women who have given birth were thought to remain impure for several days until a ritual was conducted. I remember my in-laws shout out, ‘You are going to touch the earth. You are going to touch those luffa gourd shrubs and those oranges. They are going to die’. Tired and hurt, I would quietly move away waiting to finish work, waiting to hold my new born son.” (Hastamaya Bhujel, Bhalam, Kaski)
Don’t Touch The Earth
