Madhu Kumari Mahara

About

Madhu Kumari Mahara who is studying for her Bachelors' degree, lives with her in-laws in Bijwaniya Tol in Ward 3 of Jagarnathpur Municipality in Parsa but she grew up with her parents in Birgunj city. Madhu is deeply interested in literature, and has the mercurial talent of writing impromptu poems on various topics and contexts.

Background

She grew up in a mud-and-wattle hut roofed with straw, built on public land measuring 6 dhurs. Her ancestral occupation is of crafting shoes and playing musical instruments, and also rearing animals and selling milk. Although her family has a small parcel of land, they also work as sharecroppers and as agricultural labourers on the fields of landlords. When in dire need of funds, they manage their affairs by taking out loans from the same landlords.

Experiences with Caste

Madhu used to be embarrassed to admit that she is from the Chamar caste, because she has experiences of being mistreated by others just because of her caste. Her school friends would call her the daughter of Chamars and tease her about the fact that her father played musical instruments. She vividly remembers how the teachers at her school rarely called her by her given name, and instead called her by the name of her caste, and she remembers the science teacher always forcing her to sit at the back of the class. Because of her caste, she was forced to walk to school on her own, she had no friends, and when, on the rare occasion, she visited the homes of her classmates, she was made to sit outside their houses. These bitter experiences have taught her a lot about life. She remembers being taught at a young age by family members about how to speak to others, and about the caste-based discrimination she would experience when visiting other homes.

Understanding Caste, Gender & Sexuality

After learning a little about the intersection of caste, gender and sexuality, Madhu feels that caste is manifested in the smallest things in the society where she lives. Caste is a manmade construct forced upon a section of society.

As Madhu sees it, the division of castes was created by Brahmins and the ruling class to perpetuate their dominance. The relationship between caste and land in society runs deep, and it forms the basis for social and economic capital. This also influences and entrenches gender-based discrimination.

Earlier, she was ashamed of speaking to people of a sexual minority, because everybody would gossip about it, or because she was forbidden from speaking with others outside the family. Madhu, who remembers people being outcast from the village for same-sex relations, now believes that such individuals should not be subjected to humiliation. She believes that learning deeply about caste, gender and sexuality helps develop a habit of understanding and expressing about these issues.

Aspirations

Madhu has worked as a Youth Ambassador and has experience working in various organizations. She has learned to express her thoughts fearlessly, and to write about her experiences. Madhu is interested in social service and wants to bring Dalit women to the decision-making level within the state by strengthening women through her writing, and by actively participating in politics.