Thawang folk want development projects to forget scars of war

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Thawang folk want development projects to forget scars of war

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KASHIRAM DANGI

THAWANG (ROLPA), JUN 28 -

Local residents in Thawang, the epicentre of the decade-long Maoist insurgency, have urged the government through Chief District Officer Luk Bahadur Chhetri to launch various development projects, including reconstruction of infrastructures ravaged by the insurgency and reconciliation and peace programmes in the village, so that they could forget the past. Chhetri was in the village to run an integrated mobile service camp some days ago.

Scores of people were killed and many others were disappeared and injured during the insurgency in the village that provided shelter to many senior leaders of the then CPN (Maoist), including Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. However, expressing their dissatisfaction with the government, people in the CPN-Maoist stronghold did not cast even a single vote in the second Constituent Assembly elections.

The villagers, during their interaction with CDO Chhetri, said the government has failed to make its presence, except few development projects such as managing drinking water and health services, in the area even after the peace process was initiated. They said the government did not even launch any reconciliation project in the area.

According to locals, the only mechanism in the area to reunite and coordinate among is the Peace Committee. However, Farka Bahadur Budhamagar, coordinator of the committee, said the mechanism is yet to provide satisfactory results due to the lack of adequate budget.

Referring to the then Royal Nepal Army’s alleged raids during the insurgency, former teacher Resham Kumar Shah said locals are skeptic of the government working for their prosperity. He said no political leadership has ever tried to understand the actual problems of the village.

“It seems that Thawang always remains as a village of dissidents. The state and political leaders have used the village only for their vested interests,” former lawmaker Baraman Buda said.

Many youths, who previously joined the insurgency, have left for higher education or foreign employment after the peace process began. Local youths said they lost their interest in politics due to prolonged instability and the changed scenario.

CDO Chhetri said people in the village are yet to feel a sense of security infrastructures damaged during the insurgency are yet to rebuilt. “I will apprise the government of the situation,” he said.

Major General Rajendra Bahadur Karki of the Nepal Army’s Mid-western Division, who also visited the area to inaugurate a mobile health camp, said many people were found to be living with various health problems.

He said villagers want job opportunities, education and health services, among others. Nepali Army officials said they will construct a drinking water project in the village.

Posted on: 2014-06-29 08:34

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