Kanchanpur: The District Administration Office (DAO) in Kanchanpur has called on all nine local levels within the district to launch a special campaign aimed at demolishing Chhaugoth, the huts where menstruating women and girls are confined as part of the Chhau practice.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the initiative was spurred by the recent death of Kamala Damai, a 28-year-old woman from Nigali in ward no 1 of Krishnapur Municipality, who died from a snakebite while staying in a Chhaugoth during her menstrual period. Chief District Officer of Kanchanpur, Laxman Dhakal, emphasized the urgency of dismantling these structures to eradicate the harmful practice. “The ill-practice of Chhau is still prevalent. A woman lost her life due to this. Therefore, to uproot this ill-practice, it is imperative to launch a special campaign to break down such Chhaugoth,” CDO Dhakal stated.
He further mentioned that all local levels within the district have been urged to participate in the campaign to dismantle these huts. Following the tragedy, the Krishnapur Municipality issued a directive on Sunday requiring the removal of Chhaugoth within 15 days. Khagendra Prasad Bhatta, Chief Administrative Officer at the Municipality, explained that all wards have been instructed to identify and inspect Chhaugoth and demolish them within the stipulated timeframe. Bhatta also warned that non-compliance would result in a fine of Rs 10,000.
Local leaders, however, acknowledge the challenges in eradicating this deeply-entrenched practice. Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Chairperson of ward no 1, noted that despite efforts over the past two years to demolish Chhaugoth, the practice persists. “We demolished many Chhaugoths despite facing verbal abuses, insult, and confrontation. But much to our dismay, people continued to rebuild the Chhaugoth after we returned destroying those shelters,” he recalled.
Basnet pointed out that superstition plays a significant role in the continuation of this practice, as many believe that staying with family during menstruation angers family deities. He revealed that more than 200 Chhaugoth still exist within his ward. Despite the Nepal government’s criminalization of the Chhau practice in 2017, the cultural tradition continues to pose risks to women and girls.