Friday, January 20, 2012

Deuki and Jhuma System

In remote districts of the Mahakali and Seti zones , young female children are offered to deities as a sacrifice to fulfill their wishes for health recovery, bearing son, and other accomplishments. The girls are either one's own daughters or the ones purchased from poor families .The girls offered thus are required to spend their time in caring for the temple and live on whatever cash and kind is obtained as puja offering. They are restricted to marry. At the same time some make wish for sexual relation with them for religious and spiritual sanctity. So Deukis are compelled to indulge in prostitutions to make their life and their children are really helpless and rootless. At present the number of  Deukis is supposed to be over 300.
                                           Similar to the Deuki system is Jhuma system which is prevalent in the sherpa community in the eastern Nepal. Jhuma is the second of the three or more daughters offered to a gumba . Jhumas are required not to lead a married life. But the children born from illict relations have to live in the gumba. The son is made priest (lama) of the gumba. Sherpas also offer the second son who has to live as Dhawa. Deuki and Jhuma systems are disgusting evils of the Nepalese societies and need to be abolished at the earliest.