Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, January 17:

Examples of parents who marry off their daughters at a very tender age and shy away from sending them to schools are plenty in our society but it is a rare case where the parents literally expelled their daughter from home for her wish to go to school.

Jawar Miyan and Madian Khatoon of Deuri village of Udayapur are those rare parents who forced their daughter out of the house just because she wanted to study.

Najbul Khan (24) said her parents and brothers opposed to her wish to attend a school citing religious reason, which according to them demands a girl to remain within the four walls.

“Their opposition made me determined to achieve my dream. My elder brother warned me to leave the house. And, I did.” Najbul was talking to this correspondence during her visit to Biratnagar to participate in a seminar on rights of Dalit women.

After her rebellion against the family, Najbul now drives a tempo on Gaighat-Jaljale route. Earlier, she even worked as stone carrier on riverbanks for almost seven months. During that time, she attended adult education programme in the evening. She is currently a student of class VII in Janata Secondary School.

Her youngest brother Firoz and youngest sister Samful are also residing with her after her father died last year. She also manages to send the duo to the school.

“I can attend the school only three to four days a month as I have to work hard to support myself and my brother and sister. I earn Rs 200 to 1,000 in a single day.”

“I always wanted to be free and I achieved my dream,” she said.