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Reintegration after 10 years conflict: Nepal
an article by Prakash Khadka
Whole Dailekh: a remote district in western Nepal
trembled out of fear when a local police post was
attacked by Maoist, causing 28 police killed, 12
injured in April 2001. Later on in November 2004,
suddenly a group of Maoist highly decorated with
arms entered inside a home of Ms. Chanda Magar, 28
and commanded to prepare food for their battalion.
Family was backed up by villagers to protest
against but they were badly beaten. Very next day,
early morning, out of fear, she fled to Surkhet
with her 2 daughters; her husband was in Nepal
Army, rests of the family members headed towards
Dailekh headquarter. Other villagers also ran away
leaving their properties behind. Later on Maoist
combatants took their grains and cattle.
Chanda having a meeting in her shop
click on photo to enlarge
“It was unexpressed terror, there were no hope, no
option, neither there were any direction, and I just
thought to escape from the situation as soon as
possible”- She recalled.
Thus displaced people soon scattered in Dailekh,
Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Kathmandu and some in India;
became helpless and stateless within their own land.
After comprehensive peace accord signed between
Nepal Government and Maoist in 2006; thousands of
IDPs were resettled by several NGOs across Nepal
in early 2007, Chanda was one among them. People
were motivated and supported to form cooperatives
in villages. Concept of group farming, revolving
funds and seed money supports were provided for
their sustainable livelihood. Child clubs, youth
groups and mediation centers are formed for
empowering and brining communal reconciliation.
“When we came back home we had nothing, not even a
single seed. But all villagers came together, shared
among whatever we had to help each other.”
In the beginning, as a member of the group, she
was able to get revolving fund supports of Rs10,
000 ($100) and started a small cosmetic shop, now
she earns 300 to 400 rupees every day from her
shop. With the money she earns, she is been able
to manage all her households’ expenses. Her
children are now admitted a private English medium
school.
Chanda leaded one of the ward level groups in the
beginning, later she became treasure for a village
level cooperative under which mediation center,
child clubs, youth watch dogs and cluster based
peace groups operates. In her resourcefulness, she
has provided room for cooperative, mediation
center and youth group. Her group also lobbying to
get a free office room from VDC which is positive.
People who were divided in different political
fraction are now under same cooperative. Youth
group and mediation center solves minor disputes
in community and works for bringing communal
reconciliation by healing trauma, forgetting past
bitterness.
“Once the life was unsecured, and in deplorable
condition, we became asylum seeker inside own state,
after 7 years we are able to restart our livelihood
peacefully”- she expressed her happiness.
Through the regular interaction between IDPs and
Non-IDPs, people live happily and peacefully
regardless their political ideologies. Chanda is
just a sample case among thousands of IDPs who is
perfectly reintegrated back.
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Peacebuilding after peace accords, What are some good examples?
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Reintegration after 10 years conflict: Nepal
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