At a time when reports of violence against women keep flowing in from different parts of the country, Rabi VDC in Phidim seems to be on its way to becoming a model village.

Rabi, 60km south of Phidim, the district headquarters of Panchthar, locals claim, is “free of violence against women”.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Nakul Pokharel said the police have not received any complaints about gender-based violence. “The crime rate is very low in the VDC,” said DSP Pokharel. 

Most of the people, around 90 percent of the households, in the VDC follow Kirat religion. They are spread across Khesungkhopa, Mudhegaun, Hikunamba and Pangtuba among others. Men don’t consume alcohol here, local women say. Almost all of the households are vegetarian.

The Rai people are believed to have migrated to Rabi VDC from Bhojpur, Khotang, Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga and other various parts of Khumbuwan around 200 

years ago. 

Bandana Khaling Rai, a teacher at Durga Higher Secondary School, explained the reason for peace in the village as people’s abstinence from alcohol.

People in the Rabi area are believed to have quit drinking and eating meat around 150 years ago as per the teachings of Kirat religious leader Falgunanda and Narayan Das Rai, who was a guru of the Josmani cult. 

“Apart from some exceptions, there are hardly any unlawful activities in the Rabi area,” said Khaling. “Hardly does any situation arise when people of this VDC have to go to police station with complaints.” 

Sangen Rai, another teacher, attributed the VDC’s achievement to awareness among the locals. Besides, economic empowerment too has brought a lot of social changes here, he said. 

Former professor Novel Kishore Rai, who is also the resident of Rabi VDC, said education has created awareness among the villagers here. 

“Most of them have done their bachelor’s and master’s and they are economically active,” he said.