Singer Samikshya Adhikari Reflects on Past Trauma Amidst New Rape Allegation Case

Kathmandu. Singer Samikshya Adhikari has expressed her anguish, referencing the arrest of artist Sagar Lamsal on rape charges and the subsequent attacks on the victim. She noted that society did not allow her to live with dignity during her own ordeal.

Through social media, she stated: 'No one can understand a victim's heart like another victim. Although I have moved far beyond that incident, remembering those days still tears my heart apart. Society never let me live; I was dying every single day. Even today, I shudder when I recall how I crossed that dark threshold. But deep inside, I had the courage and the belief that I had done nothing wrong and that one day, everyone would understand me.'

Adhikari added: 'I am still enduring many things, but it has become like a habit. At that time, I was not even 18 years old, and I was fighting this society alone. Apart from my family, there was no one to listen to my voice. Even when someone tried to support me, fingers were pointed at their character as well. I cannot put into words how broken I was and how much I cried. If I had lost courage then, I might not be in this world today. But I did not stop; I kept fighting.'

'Even today, when society asks every victim, "Why did you speak so late? Why didn't you file a complaint then?" it hurts deeply. What do you know about the situation at that time? As a woman, fear and social pressure force one to suppress so much. The fear that "they might blame me" crushes the soul. The mindset that labels things as "miracle" when things go well and "rape" when they don't causes even more pain,' Adhikari stated.

Adhikari requested: 'Please do not compare anyone's pain with others. Every wound has its own depth. It is painful for me to even remember those days, and I do not want to reopen them. I am not here to blame anyone. But to those who are easily speaking ill of the victim today, please think of your own homes—you have sisters and daughters too. I pray every day that such a day never comes for anyone. Do not play with anyone's emotions. Because only the one who suffers understands such pain. ... In the case of Bishta, I hope the truth from both sides comes out and the guilty face the strictest possible action.'