Kusum Thapa - One Voice

 

I'm in the high mountains of Nepal in an assignment with the government. As an obstetrician, I've been helping out in a health camp there. This is almost eight hours drive from the hospital where I have been working. I'm missing my colleagues there. I'm thinking about my family because I've left them now for quite some time and I get a phone call. I quickly grab the phone, I think it's from home, when suddenly I hear a strange man's voice. "I want you to change the report of a young girl who is 13 years whom you examined two months back and gave the verdict." Before I could even think about what he was talking, he went on to say, "I belong to the armed rebel and you know what the consequences would be if you don't."

 

I was very frightened, disturbed. These people had a reputation of killing, extortion, kidnapping. I just did not know what this meant for me. Flashes of this young girl came to my mind. She had been brought into my office with her mother and accompanied by the police. She looked frightened, barely able to speak. She was just 13 years and she had bruises all over her body with clear evidence of sexual assault. I had given the verdict of sexual assault. As I thought about it, I was really worried. My motherly feelings really got ignited. I thought for this young girl and I quickly then rang up home and told my son to stay indoors and be safe.

 

The next day, the military escort took me back to the hospital. Apparently, the rebels had demanded that the medical superintendent call me back. As I traveled down the eight hours journey, it almost seemed like eight days. Flashes of this young girl kept coming to my mind. She had gathered up so much courage to report this case in a time when so many more like her were suffering in silence. As I entered the medical superintendent's room, it was really hot and small. I looked there. I saw these six men seated comfortably in the couch. They looked like normal people, like any of us. But I knew at once that these were the rebels. The medical superintendent asked me to sit down, and as I sat down, he told me that these people wanted me to review the report. I knew what that meant because I had already received the phone call. I asked the medical superintendent that I wanted to talk to him alone.

 

With a lot of hesitation, the rebels left the room. I told the medical superintendent that I would not change the report. I was ready to face the consequences. I told him the consequences would be that they would kill me. I would rather die once than die over and over again if I changed the report. He looked at me. "Is this your final decision?" I said “Yes.” As I walked out of his room, I saw a few of my colleagues there, and that comforted me because I knew that they would be in the committee to review the case and they would definitely stand by me. I had the military escort take me back home, where I met my son, hugged him and just cried. Every knock at the door frightened us, and we waited for yet another phone call.

 

After about an hour, I got a phone call. It was from the medical superintendent's office. The person at the phone said, the case has been solved. I was really excited. I said, "Wow. So, the rebels have agreed to it.”  It was not in their nature to accept these things. The person said, "The verdict has been changed. They have given a verdict that the girl is not sexually assaulted." I was stunned. I sat on the floor all numbed. I felt for this small girl. Her last effort to really get any justice was lost. I felt for myself also my credibility had been lost. I had a reputation and a good recognition in that area. In a fraction of a second, that had all gone.

 

I thought of these colleagues of mine. I thought of them because they had themselves seen girls even younger than this one. And now they had turned their back to all of them. They had turned their back to me. I felt I could no longer now work with them. So, the next day I gave notice. I left this place which was home to me and the work which I so much enjoyed. These were colleagues I would be really going out with, having Saturday outings, having dinner. I would really be supporting them. So, much so that at one time I'd even asked my husband to donate blood for one of their clients and now they had all turned their back on me.

 

I left home and now I know and I did understand, and I do understand what it is to leave home and to be displaced from home. I was stepping into the unknown. I was just thinking that it was really disturbing for me to think about leaving home, leaving my practice, leaving my colleagues, and treading into what really seemed an unknown place for me. But one thing was sure, what was sure was I would always speak out for these girls. These girls deserve justice. They deserve the right to live with dignity. I decided I would be their voice. Thank you.