Dashain adds agony to conflict victims

BY BENUPRAJ BHATTARAI AND LAVADEV DHUNGANA

EKTIN (PANCHTHAR), Oct 6 - People in the villages are upbeat with Vijaya Dashami, the greatest festival for Hindu communities, round the corner. Everyone in the neighborhood of Man Kumari Anbgo could be seen busy in painting, colouring and redecorating their houses and ...

Chirpy children in her neighbourhood are well-dressed in attractive and stylish clothes.  Man Kumari's less fortunate children sadly have no sufficient clothes even just to cover their bodies.

While her neighbours are full of excitement and happiness on the eve of Dashain, Man Kumari and her children are in agony. The reason is the absence of her husband Rajesh Angbo, who was the sole breadwinner in the family.

Every Dashain brings extra grief to Man Kumari and her children ever since the day four years ago that army personnel killed Rajesh on the charge of being a Maoist.

"The joy of Dashain was snatched from us on the same day when the sole breadwinner of our family was killed," she said. "There is no meaning any more in this festival even for my children.

Man Kumari, who owns just four ropani of land in the name of her property, has received no relief from the state. "People do not console me and my children, let alone the relief." Her plight would demonstrate that the family is really bereaved.

Man Kumari's family is a case in point. Not so less are the sufferings of a 13-member family in the same village. The Maoist activists had killed head of the family Dhan Bahadur Mabo accusing him of spying against the former rebels five years ago.

After the killing of Dhan Bahadur, even his little children left their home in search of work.

Some of them have been working as porters in Sikkim in India while the others are doing some sort of work at places nearer home to eke out a living. The family members separated by the conflict do not expect to be together even for the festival.

Dhan Bahadur was killed during the period of Dashain five years ago. "The festival becomes days of mourning instead of celebration to us," said his wife Phoolmaya Mabo.

There are several conflict-hit families living in this village situated in the northern part of Panchthar.

Families victimised by both the Maoists and the state forces feel bitterness especially at times of festive seasons, said Kamal Prasad Javegu of the village.