"Superstition: A Choice or an Obligation"
Nepal is a country with diversity. It is the home for people from different castes, religions, races, and cultures. They follow their own norms and values. Nepal has a lot of positive sides in terms of rituals and cultures but also has a few negative sides. Worshipping God is good. Having faith in God is good, but in a few places in Nepal, people also believe in different superstitions in the name of God or religions or other things.
There are various reasons for them to believe in very cruel and inhumane superstitious rituals. Among a variety of reasons, illiteracy, lack of awareness, and lack of availability of resources and facilities are the main ones. In rural areas of Nepal, people are still believing in Dhami and Jhankri for health treatment rather than doctors. If you ask elderly people, they still deny fully trusting doctors. I believe it is only because they have visited doctors very little. They even don’t know what doctors can do or who they are. Also, they are still far from all the facilities and education. In order to fulfill the lack, they get attracted to the pool of superstitions and ignore all other things that could be a better alternative.
Talking about my personal experience, my grandma asked me to take her to Jhankri for her treatment. She was actually suffering from Asthma, which Jhakri would never cure. I convinced her to go to the doctor first, and she could go to the Jhankri if he could not cure her illness. After visiting the doctor, her Asthma was under control, and now she somehow believes more in the doctor rather than the Jhankri.
Is this the only problem in our society? No, it is not. We can hear frequently in the news how a girl was raped and killed in the Chhaupadi during her menstruation. Additionally, a lot of girls are missing their schools for a week because they are not allowed to go somewhere or touch something that is considered sacred. The only question that arises here is how she is not considered sacred or pure. Why is this happening although we are in the modern age? Most of people have stopped following these already, but “most of the people” must be converted “into all of the people”.
What can we do for a change? Don’t you think you are capable of bringing about a change in the country? If you think it's difficult to change a country, then change a society. Is it still difficult? Then bring a change in your family. Still, you can’t do this? Then change yourself first. If you stop yourself from doing such things, following such things, then I guarantee you, you are going to motivate another person. If the process continues, then I don’t think it is impossible to eradicate such superstitions from our country.
(Picture credit to the respective photographer)