When she heard about the news of her being selected as a member of the Constituent Assembly, Sewaki Devi Das Tatma couldn’t believe her ears at first.
“Something I didn’t even imagine has happened,” Tatma, who works as a domestic help in her neighbor’s house, told Kantipur Daily, adding, “even after I was told that I have become a CA member, I still couldn’t believe it.”
Sewaki Devi, 32, of Siraha-1 is the sole representative of Tatma community in the Constituent Assembly. Coming from a family having a very poor financial background, Sewaki Devi was given the opportunity of representing her community in the Constituent Assembly by the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) after recognizing her “political activism” which was limited to her participating in the demonstration rallies organized in the district.
She, however, doesn’t know what sort of responsibilities she needs to fulfill as a CA member. She hasn’t even made any plans yet. But still she says she would become a voice of the women who have suffered like her.
MJF’s Siraha chairman Kishori Yadav told the daily that Sewaki Devi was chosen as a CA member from the party’s minority quota under the Proportional Representation system as she had actively participated in the recent Madhes movement.
A mother of two sons and two daughters, Sewaki Devi doesn’t even know how to read or write. Her husband works as a plumber while she washes dishes in the neighboring houses. This is how they have been earning a living for their family of six. The Tatmas don’t even have a house and live in a rented room. They had to sell the little land they had when her son fell sick.
Since the day she was chosen as a CA member, neighbors including people who know her have continually been pouring into her house to congratulate her, but she can hardly afford the luxury of attending to them as she has to rush to the nearby houses to wash dishes.
The story of Hasina Miya of Dulegauda, Tanahun district, after being selected as a CA member from UML’s minority quota, is also not very different to Sewaki Devi. Miya sells bangles, the traditional occupation of Muslim community in the hills, to customers coming to her little shop from far off villages.
But from the last few days, one more thing has been added to her busy schedule – saying “thank you” to numerous people coming to her shop to congratulate on her becoming a CA member.
“Before I used to sell bangles only, but these days the day passes thanking people who come to congratulate me for having been selected as Sabhasad,” she told Kantipur Daily.
After being selected as a CA member from the minority Muslim community, people of the community from the other districts too are streaming into her shop to congratulate her.
In the business for the past 25 years, Hasina never thought that she would one day be selected for the coveted post. “I am taking advice from people now on what I should do,” she said.
Having been married at the age of 15, she gave birth to six children. Her husband and sons are also in the same business.
Hasina claimed that she has been doing politics from the past 17 years. When asked what inspired her to get into politics she said, “When I saw how the rich oppress the poor, I started getting involved in politics to fight against that oppression.”
But at first, her community couldn’t accept her involvement in politics. They said this was something that didn’t suit Muslim women.
“But even after suffering the taunts of my society, I didn’t leave politics and kept with it. Now I have become a Sabhasad and representing my community,” she said proudly.
When asked about her plans now, she said that she would try to make a strong case for abolishment of dowry system, mistreatment of women including equal wages and other women rights. nepalnews.com ag May 08 08