Itahari, October 22:

Women of Hasposa Tarahara in Sunsari, with placards in their hands, are playing bhailo in their locality, wishing lasting peace and loktanra in the country. But with a difference. The women are alerting everyone not to pay more than Rs 51 to the deusi-bhailo teams.

Dozens of women under the banner of Hasposa Ama Samuha are singing bhailo songs in different wards of Hasposa VDC. If we are given more than Rs 51, we return the excess, said chairperson of the Samuha, Kamala Khadka, adding, “We have started this campaign to end the tradition of forcing people to provide big sums of money in the name of deusi-bhailo.”

The progressive bhailo campaign of the Ama Samuha started from the indoor hall of Hasposa Tarahara this morning.

Participants said they would sing bhailo in different wards of the VDC. Members of the Hasposa Ama Samuha are dressed in the same kind of clothes. However, women of the Newar, Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Tharu and Musahar communities are decked up in their

ethnic costumes, reflecting the identity of their respective castes.

Men are also helping the progressive bhailo campaign of the women. Former staff of Agriculture Development Bank, Ram Prasad Rai, who was playing the maadal in the bhailo programme, said: “I participated in the programme as the theme of the campaign attracted me. It is the duty of everyone to end malpractices that have been developing in our society in the names of festivals.”

Women have also slapped a ban on gambling and playing cards in their locality. “We want to sing bhailo for the sake of everyone’s entertainment. We do not want to displease people by asking for large amounts of money,” said Ama Samuha chairperson Kamala Khadka.

Deusi-bhailo restricted

POKHARA: Deusi-bhailo won’t be enacted in wards 1, 2 and 6 of Armala VDC in Kaski district. In an announcement on Saturday, the Ama Samuha quoting an old belief said that as the paddy is ripe for harvest and there has been rain and hail in adjoining villages, deusi-bhailo would lead to a low paddy yield. Hence, deusi is restricted in the village, said chairperson of the Laxmi Narayan Ama Samuha–6, Krishna Kumari Basnet. — HNS