Devi Khadka
Devi Khadka | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament | |
| In office 2008–2013 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1979 |
| Citizenship | Nepali |
| Nationality | Nepali |
| Political party | Nepal Communist Party |
| Spouse | Raj Kumar Shrestha |
| Residence | Dolakha District |
| Occupation | Politician |
Devi Khadka is a Nepali activist, former Maoist rebel, and parliamentarian, known for her advocacy on behalf of survivors of wartime sexual violence. Born in Dolakha, Nepal, in 1979, Khadka became involved in the Maoist insurgency during Nepal's civil conflict, which lasted from 1996 to 2006.[1]
Life and career
[edit]Her life was marked by severe personal trauma; in 1997, at the age of 17, she was brutally tortured and raped by government forces seeking information about her brother, a local Maoist leader.[1]
Despite this, Khadka emerged as a prominent figure in the Maoist movement, eventually becoming a platoon leader and later stepping into her brother's political role after his death in 2002. Following the end of the conflict, she was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 2008, representing the Maoist party. However, Khadka has expressed regret over not speaking out for survivors of sexual violence during her time in office.[1]
Determined to seek justice for herself and others, Khadka has since dedicated her life to advocating for the rights of sexual violence survivors from the conflict. She leads two survivor organizations, working to document cases of wartime rape, secure medical and financial support for survivors, and push for justice through Nepal's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Her story has been captured in the 2024 documentary Devi by filmmaker Subina Shrestha.[2]
Khadka's work has contributed to ongoing discussions in Nepal about transitional justice, and she remains a vocal critic of the failures of the TRC to adequately address the needs of sexual violence survivors. Despite the challenges, she continues to fight for justice, driven by a belief that even if justice is not achieved in her generation, it will be for the next.[1]
Devi Documentary
Devi Khadka is leading a quiet resistance in this documentary.[3] As she travels around Nepal, listening to stories of wartime rape survivors, and creating a unified voice for justice, she knows that she's poking a hornet's nest. Nepal's leaders want to bury the shameful truth of wartime rape. As the only public face of survivors, Devi has decided that she can no longer stay silent. But her hip-hop-loving teenage daughter just wants her to be a mum.[4]
In 1997, seventeen-year-old Devi, was arrested, accused of being a rebel, tortured, and raped in custody. A civil war had just begun. Rebel leaders revealed her as a rape ‘victim’. Tagged with this shameful taboo, Devi battled depression, social ostracism, joined the rebel frontlines, and rose through the ranks, even serving as a member of the parliament when the war ended.[5]
Shot as an immersive verité, the film travels with Devi, as she consolidates the voices of survivors.[6]
As Devi confronts her former lawyer and seeks consolation from her counsellor, the film dives into deeply intimate and vulnerable moments.[7]
Through her diary, supported by archives, Devi reconstructs history erased to rewrite her new destiny.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Rebel fighter, Maoist MP, rape survivor: the many lives of Devi Khadka". The Guardian. 5 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ https://www.devidocumentary.com/
- ^ https://www.devidocumentary.com/
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- ^ https://www.devidocumentary.com/
- ^ https://www.devidocumentary.com/
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- ^ https://www.devidocumentary.com/