Tekendra Deuwa

Doti, July 3:

No one gambles in Khirsain, Doti. All thanks to the womenfolk here, who formed a group to fight social evils and anti-social practices, and have been successful in ridding their village of gambling. And they do not hesitate to punish anyone to does. The Rural Concern Group has around 30 women as members and they are barely literate. According to chairperson Harkha Devi Khadka, earlier their menfolk used to spend time gambling, but now they don’t even drink. She said she is delighted as now even men come to the group’s meetings to discuss their problems, whereas earlier they did not even want women to speak up and out. Villager Jagate Koli said though illiterate, the women in the group are capable of judging and differentiating between good and evil. With the group being involved in various activities and settling disputes among women, even the men have brought their disputes before the group, so much so that they have stopped going to the district administration office and court.