By Netra K. C. The escalating conflict has made life miserable for the people living in the far-western region of Nepal. Education has been badly affected and so are health services. Worse, people are fleeing their villages looking for nothing but safety.
While on the way to Achham from Surkhet, we noticed that nobody greeted the visitors as they did in the past. Only elderly people, women and children could be seen in the villages. Majority of the young men had either left seeking for employment in India or fled the villages to save their lives.
We met a 14-year-old boy from Dailekh, who was heading towards Bardiya, along with his friends. Responding to my query, he said schools in Dailekh remain closed for the last eight months and there was nothing he or his colleagues to do. “My parents advised me to flee after the Maoists pressurized me to join them,” the boy – who did not want to disclose his identity– said.
We could see deserted schools and bunkers being constructed in the school premises along the way. At the bordering region of Dailekh and Surkhet, we met Shardul, chief of the education department of the Maoists in Achham district. When enquired about the construction of bunkers, Shardul said it had been done for the protection of the teachers and students themselves.
Pointing in the direction of Binayak in Achham district, Shardul said innocent students were killed during air raid by the army at a school. “Hence, we were compelled to do this,” he tried to justify.
The situation was even worse in Dailekh. We were told that the rebels had forced over 150 schools teachers to join them as W. T. (Whole Timers). Most of the schools were closed as there were neither students nor teachers. And, we couldn’t see any efforts being made to re-open schools.
Villagers in Dailekh said they were forced to revolt against the Maoists `as their atrocities had crossed limits.’ “But we are still facing threats and intimidation. Army barrack being set up by the government can’t provide protection to far-flung villages,” they said.
Local people were not ready to believe that peace talks or elections could be held in near future. They were afraid that violence could further escalate producing more and more civilian casualties. None of the major political parties had organised political activities in these districts for the last few years.
While most of the schools in Achham, Dailekh and Surkhet were closed, Maoists in Kalikot were busy constructing bunkers. The rebels had launched a four-month long campaign calling upon local communities to send one member each from a family to join their ranks. People were really terrified and were too afraid to speak up the realities.
In Achham—a food deficit district– we did not see people of working age in their houses. They also complained of Maoists forcing them to feed their comrades. Pabitra Shahi, whose husband was killed in the conflict, said she was having problem to feed their children. She also spoke of other women whose husbands had disappeared leaving their family in miserable conditions.
Achham is also suffering from the menace of HIV/AIDS. Nepali migrant workers working in Indian cities and towns including Mumbai returned home with HIV virus. The disease seemed to have taken a proportion of epidemic but no credible programmes had been launched to combat it.
We also had encounter with Diwaker, west division in-charge of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) at the bordering area of Surkhet and Dailekh. During a brief chat, Diwaker said his party was ready to hold talks but not with this government that did not have any authority.
A large number of displaced are living at district headquarters of Dailekh, Banke and Surkhet. Their condition too is very miserable in the wake of winter.
While returning home, we could see people queuing up at army check posts with their citizenship or other forms of I-Ds. They were fleeing their villages to neighboring districts or all the way to India.
We did not see security posts north of Bangesimal of Surkhet district. Here, Maoists writ runs large. Local villagers showed us `permissions’ issued by the Maoists, which also had dates for returns. The rebels had set up their own check posts at various places and made people return home if they did not have `permit’ issued by them. People needed to show the permit (to the rebels) to visit district headquarters or nearby districts as well as upon their return.
Sources said Maoists were worried to see that a huge number of their youth cadres had left the group during the time of cease fire early this year.
The businessmen said they were under pressure from both the warring sides. Their business had declined significantly and they were worried about their own safety and that of their families. A number of businessmen had also fled closing down their shops.
What we noticed is lack of hope and trust among the people. No more folk songs, ‘dohari’, community activities and religious ceremonies are seen in this part of Nepal. People don’t think about next year, they are worried about their survival the next day.
As Kathmandu sits hundreds of miles away sitting pretty with bustling markets and new group of power brokers, people in the mid-and far-west told this reporter, “We feel as if we are refugees in our own country.”
(A Nepalgunj-based journalist, KC recently toured half a dozen districts in mid-and far-western region for nearly a month along with other colleagues. Dispatches based on his journey were also broadcast by BBC Nepali Service.—Ed.)