Charikot, July 17:

Well, loktantra is not an abstract concept or the current public demand. He is a flesh-and-blood, live and kicking baby boy — born to his proud mother in Charikot, the district headquarters of Dolakha.

The baby was born to Sushmita Nepali (Katuwal), a resident of the Bimeshwor municipality-12, at a local poly clinic on Friday and christened ‘loktantra’ by members of the All Nepal Women Association (ANWA).

Though Sushmita and Keshav Rijal of Ward No 10 of the municipality were never married, they had accepted their relationship at the District Police Office (DPO) five months ago.

Keshav ended their four years of courtship and stopped meeting Sushmita after he came to know that she was pregnant. Thinking that the society would never accept the inter-caste relationship, Keshav left the village soon after accepting their relationship at the DPO.

The coordinator of the All Nepal Women Association (ANWA) (Dolakha), Srijana Karki, said representatives of various organisations along with the ANWA summoned family members of Keshav and asked them to accept the relationship. The baby was christened ‘loktantra’ by members of the women’s body. “We named the baby loktantra with a view to putting an end to untouchability in our society,” Karki said.

“Mohan Rijal, the elder brother of Keshav’s father, accepted Sushmita and the new born baby; he was happy to hear that the infant was named loktantra,” she said. Susmita would live in her maternal home for the time being, Karki added.