Swastika – Where is the freedom

Swastika is a 19 year old girl who lives in Sindhuli and anti-child marriage campaigner. She is an active member of Girls Out Loud Nepal. She is very creative and expresses her thoughts and opinions through poetry and writings. Ever since she had been a member of Girls Out loud, she had started to write articles. Recently her article on the impact of COVID on girls and women had been published in an online news portal- Shilapatra. Her article has a wonderful reach and it has been shared by 272 times. Respecting her talent, she was then nominated for Youth Reporter training organized by Plan International Nepal in October 2020. She is now a Youth Reporter and continues her journey as a reporter. Due to her very active engagement in the GOL page she has also been awarded as the LOUDEST GIRL of the MONTH for the month of September. She is a creative inspirational young girl who motivates other girls to be an active citizen.  

Poem by Swastika

नारी 

तेल बिना दियो बल्छ भने म केही बोल्दिन,  

पानी बिना माछा बाँच्छ भने म केहि बोल्दिन,  

थाहा छ मलाई यो पुरुष प्रधान समाज हो भनी 

तर नारी बिना नि यो सृष्टि चल्छ भने म केही बोल्ददिन, 

म पनि नारी हो । 

याद छ मलाई ती दिनहरु यो समाजले मलाई पाखा र भाईलाई काखाा गरेका दिनहरु ,  

नारी बिना नि यो संसार चल्छ भने म केही बोल्दिन , 

 गिद्व जस्ता पुरुषको सिकार हुनु पर्ने हामी नारीहरु , 

 तिमीहरुलाई जन्म दिने यहि नारी होईन भने म केहि बोल्दिन ,  

चारबन्द भिता भएको कोठामा जिन्दगी बिताउनु पर्ने रे हामीले,  

भान्सा र बालबच्चाको सियार गर्नु पर्ने रे हामीले, 

 नारीलाई बन्द कोठामा सिमित राख्दा संसार चल्छ भने म केही बोल्दिन,  

म १८ १९ बर्ष भएको देखेर र्याल चुहाउनेहरु तिम्रो घरमा दिदी बहिनी आमा छैनन् भने म केहि बोल्दिन ,  

विभिन्न हिंंसा र दुर्ववहारको सिकार हुनु पर्ने हामी नारीहरु हाम्रो लागि अधिकार छैन भने म केही बोल्दिन 

महिला राष्ट्रपति भएको देश हो हाम्रो ,  

तर यहि देशमा महिलाले स्वतन्त्रताको अधिकार पाएका छैनन् ,  

एक महिलाले अर्को महिलाको पीडा बुझ्दैन भने म केही बोल्दिन,  

दिन प्रतिदिन बढेका हिंसा, दुर्ववहार ,एसिड आक्रमण, बलत्कार जस्ता यी जघन्य अपराध गर्ने अपराधीलाई सजाय छैनन् भने नेपाल को मुल कानुन अर्थात सबिधानका कुराहरु सिमित पनामा मात्र हो भने म केही बोल्दिन , नारी बिना नि यो सृष्टि चल्छ भने म केही बोल्दिन 

English Translation:  

Women 

I’ll say nothing if you can separate oil and water when they are mixed 

I will not speak anything if you can keep fish alive without water 

I know patriarchy exists 

But, I’ll challenge you to try a world where woman does not exists 

I’m also woman 

Thus, I’ve witnessed discrimination within the family 

I would have said nothing if you could have run the world alone 

We give birth to your kind also 

Then, why should we tolerate your beating and rape also? 

Why should we stay in a cage built by you? 

Why should only we look after kitchen? 

Why should only we look after children? 

You tease, you cheat and you abuse girls from other’s family 

Do you have any knowledge, what is the composition of your family? 

I can’t agree with you in discrimination 

I’ll prove my rights and rejects abuse  

I’ll not tolerate imposed discrimination.  

We have a woman as President of the country 

We have constitution as main law of the country 

If you say all these are toys on the showcase, there is no meaning to argue 

Otherwise, crimes like rape and acid attacks should stop 

Stopping violence against woman should be country’s agenda on top.