KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Over a dozen elderly women - most of them needed support to reach the stage - were overwhelmed when they were applauded and honored on Saturday in the capital during the release of 'Hajuraamako Katha' (Stories of grandmothers), a book written by Amrita Lamsal. Most of the grandmothers were above 80 years of age and stated that functions which recognize them or make them feel wanted are organized rarely.
"I feel so happy. Everything is so interesting here," said Narayan Devi Shrestha, 86, after getting off the stage. Shrestha, a local of Bhotahiti, Kathmandu, was one among the rare women of her time to study at Durbar High School of Kathmandu. "Education, being a girl, was something only the very fortunate could get in those times," she reminisced. She was very active in literature writing till the age of 19 before she got married.
Every should be happy women's day
According to Ratna Rai, who was born and raised in Darjeeling but later came to Nepal and married a popular literary figure, late Shankar Lamichhane, the book 'Hajuraamaka katha' and the way the function was organized was an honor to elderly people like her. "Who cares to recognize our roles, our contributions otherwise? We are always behind the screen. This book has uncovered stories of our times. And today, Amrita made us feel so special," she said.
Shrestha and Lamichhane are two among the 23 elderly grandmothers whose personal tales make the book a very interesting read. According to writer Lamsal, though most of the stories have already been published on an online portal Setopati, enough changes have been made to all the stories. "Some new stories are there and even regarding the old ones, it is not the same as was published in Setopati," she said.
Commenting on the book, gender expert Bharati Silwal Giri said that each story in the book is remarkable and the characters are the heroes of their times. "Mostly, history is written, interpreted by men. But here, women's stories have been captured through their lens," she said.
The 263-page book is priced at Rs 460 and was written over the past one year.
