4.2 Chhali’s wish
Chhali Chaudhary’s heart raced faster the morning of 8 April 2002, when she realised that her house at Mojgaun, Manpur-3, was surrounded by soldiers. The security forces shouted, "Is this Raghupati's house?", and received the answer, "Yes sir, I am Raghupati.” "There is a complaint filed against you, we will release you after we have made some inquires.” With these words, the soldiers took Chhali’s husband away.

After that day visiting the local army barracks in Tulsipur to find out about her husband became a routine to Chhali. At the beginning the soldiers asked her to return after a week, then after a month, then next month, and like this they made her visit the barrack for more than one and half years. Chhali’s only wish was to get a glimpse of her husband, and in the hope of seeing him she used to set off to the barracks whenever the soldiers told her to. But the soldiers never kept their word; more than that every time they called her to the barrack promising to let her see her husband, they exploited her physically.

When Chhali’s belly grew with a baby, people in the village spread rumours about her character, but when the villagers knew the truth, they gave her sympathy. But the local people were never able to criticise the soldiers who took advantage of Chhali’s innocence and exploited her: the situation was too sensitive to speak out against them.

Chhali’s fatherless son is a three year old now and she has other two sons under the age of 12. Her only supports now are Raghupati’s elderly parents: Chhali's 70-year-old father-in-law Tulak Ram Chaudhari says, "They must have killed my son, otherwise there would have been some message or information. It is too painful to live remembering him all the time. Our grandchildren and daughter-in-law are the only means I have to survive.”

Memories of her husband trouble Chhali, but her priority is to ease the life of her family. To this end, she is engaged in various activities. The family doesn’t have any property except the house they live in. They cultivate a small parcel of government land and Chhali does domestic work in the village. Following the freeing of the Kamaiya, her eldest son began working as a ploughman while her second son goes to school. “At least one of my sons would be a big and clever man,” Chhali says.

When organisations, including SEED, advocated for her rights Chhali got some relief from her burden. SEED made efforts to provide for her from the relief fund allocated for conflict victims. However, as a result of not having citizenship and for having had a child after the death of her husband, the VDC secretary conjectured that she may have remarried and denied recommending her.

SEED then advocated for Chhali and succeeded in getting both the recommendation for her and her citizenship. Chhali says, "I never knew how important citizenship was: I got Rs 8,000 simply by submitting an application along with a photocopy of my citizenship to the District Development Committee.” With this, Chhali bought some clothes and a pig. With a smiling face she says, “The pig grew big and I slaughtered it and sold the meat; with the money I celebrated Dashain. Now, saving some more money I am planning to buy two baby pigs.”

Chhali's husband Raghupati Chaudhary was a carpenter. Once, a Maoist relative stayed in their residence for one night and the soldiers assumed that Raghu was also a Maoist and arrested him. “I have heard the government provides substantial compensation to the families of those killed by Maoists, but those of us victimised by the government have got nothing. I may get some support in future,” Chhali states her expectation.

Despite receiving no external support, Chhali is confident that she can fend for her family. "Comparable to me,” she says, “Thousands of women have been widowed by the conflict and have become heads of their families. We are the ones who have to look after our kin, if we lose hope, what would happen to them?” Although God has deceived Chhali, she is fighting with her fate for a better future.

NOTE: Her real name is presented here with her consent.

4.3 Meghi’s pursuit
The villagers of Phoolbari-4, Dang, were in the mood to celebrate Teej with great enthusiasm. The day before the festival a buffalo was slaughtered for a feast and the villagers were dividing its meat amongst them.

Meanwhile, a hullabaloo was heard in the village. A group of soldiers entered the village in an attack formation. They had received information that some Maoists were in the village. Leaving their share of meat many people fled, but those who remained became victims of the soldier’s bullets. In no time, the festival became the funeral of six villagers. The army presumed that list of those receiving a share of the meat was a list of Maoists: even Radio Nepal broadcast that six Maoists had been killed, but the truth was that they were innocent Dalits.

Meghi BK lost her husband in this incident three years ago. Three daughters and a son lost their father; Meghi was in great pain after the incomparable loss. The anvil next to her home always reminded her of her husband but lamentations and tears would not bring her husband back; therefore, she decided not to cry.

Meghi says, "The dead are gone forever, but my crying would hurt my children, so, I always try to smile and stay happy. I even make my children laugh before they go to bed every night.” Meghi’s son could not continue his father’s business, having no experience of it and was also unable to continue his education. With the support of SEED he was sent to the Technical Training Council, Sanothimi for press composing training. He is now trained, but still unemployed.

Ten kattha of land is not enough to sustain Meghi’s family and so her family must do daily waged labour. Two of her daughters, now in high school, work as labourers in their days off. SEED has supported expenses for their stationery, bags and uniforms and they have received a scholarship from the District Education Office: now Meghi has no worries about their education.

After the death of Meghi’s husband, some organisations approached her and invited her to join a feast with other upper castes - although she had been called untouchable in the past. As a result of the contact she had with organisations like SEED, Meghi has been reborn: “At last someone has tried to understand our plight,” she has said.

Be it a protest against untouchability or a group of single women, Meghi is now seen everywhere. She is a member of a single women’s organisation in Dang. While delivering speeches other women talk about their pains and shed tears, but Meghi is always smiling: her smile never fades even if she is talking about her past. She consoles her female friends saying that women without men in the family should take over male roles and do everything they can. It seems as if a smile and Meghi are synonymous.

She is a source of inspiration for other widows in the village. Some allege that she does it for money, but she ignores all these rumours and replies, “We women are relaxed because we don’t care about getting beyond ourselves.”

Meghi is also involved in the ‘equal work for equal pay’ campaign. Maoists pressurised them to quit the campaign, but Meghi consistently fought for their rights and the Maoists let the programme run. Meghi is fighting with all her spirit to provide women an equal wage for their labour.

SEED has written to the NHRC asking for compensation for the six families who lost their innocent loved ones during the incident, including for Meghi. No investigation of the incident has been made so far.

Another asset of Meghi is she can debate logically with anyone, including Maoists or security personnel. Without reservation she openly expresses her opinions even in public. Meghi, who can at least write her name after participating in a six-month long non-formal education class organised by SEED, says, "I am ecstatic when I sign my name in the register." There are few illiterate Dalit women in the country with so much of passion to transform society. People should learn from her optimism and be inspired by Meghi.

4.4 Binita’s plea
Binita Chaudhary, a resident of Urahari-3, Dang, was living a happy life with her husband Buddhi Ram Chaudhary. The couple had no worries about their livelihood as Buddhi Ram was earning enough to support the family.

He had started a business of buying and selling hens in the nearby markets, while most of the Tharu community is engaged in farming which is often a seasonal occupation. Unlike other families in the village the economic condition of the Chaudhari family was improving; their bad days were coming to its end.

On the evening of 23 November 2001, Buddhi Ram came back home from Nepalgunj, where he had gone for his business. The couple had been sharing the joys and pathos of life while drinking ‘Kho ya’, a local wine, when security personnel barged into their home and arrested Buddhi Ram alleging that he had taken part, along with others, in the murder of a Brahmin.

Binita begged for mercy. She pleaded with the soldiers that her husband was innocent. He was not in the village when the incident took place. Clinging to the army vehicles she wailed her heart out and asked them to arrest her along with her husband, but in vain. In no time, her husband was out of sight. She collapsed where she was standing as if someone had swiftly pulled the ground away from her. She kept on staring blankly at the dark road that had taken away a part of her life.

The next morning Binita set off to visit the security office. She recognised a soldier there as one who had taken her husband the previous night. He assured her that her husband would soon be released. “It is just a simple enquiry, he will be free after the formal procedure,” he said. The villagers arrested with Buddhi were released a week later but not Buddhi.

Binita rushed to the security office. Different soldiers had replaced the former officers. When she asked them about her husband, she was told that her husband had never been there. In anguish and betrayal, Binita returned home. It has now been more than four years since she heard anything about her husband. Although years have passed, her feelings remain full of anguish: she still has hope that her husband will return. “God may send him back to me one day," she murmurs time and again.

Despite receiving a hard blow with the disappearance of her husband, she has been struggling alone for survival. Now, Binita is a member of a women’s savings group in Urahari, supported by SEED. She is generating income through vegetable farming and pig rearing. The income generated has helped her sustain her family and send her two children to school. She aspires to do more than seasonal farming. “I want to do something through which I can earn money regularly to support my family," she says.

After all the hardship in her life, Binita is trying to understand her own capabilities and to find her own identity. She walks with dignity and a smiling face but never shows her feelings of being separated from her spouse. Besides the wish of having her husband back, she wishes for the restoration of real peace in the country, “I wish, there could be peace in the country. We would no long hear the news of death and disappearance.”

4.5 Sita’s struggle
When we reached the residence of Sita Basnet of Saruwa Dada, Goltakuri-9, she wasn’t there. She had gone to a nearby forest to feed her goats, but we found two of her daughters playing with dolls in the front yard. When we asked them about their mother they replied, “Mother has gone to the jungle, she will come back later in the evening.”

Sita’s daughters have to mind their home at an early age. In addition to the kitchen chores, Sita has to do everything that a male head of household must do. In 2002, her husband was killed by security forces in a community forest of Motipur, Urahari-6, allegedly because he was a Maoist.

When we asked the youngest daughter, a mere four years old, about her father, she replied, “Father has gone to God’s place. Police killed him and sent him there.”

Widowed Sita is now working as president of Pashupati Women’s Savings Group, formed by SEED. She has reared goats and with her savings she has managed the family’s expenses. The eight kattha of land held in the name of her husband yields rice that is barely enough for six months. For the rest of the year she has to do daily labour to fend for her family. In the event of emergency or sickness, she has to borrow money. SEED has admitted her daughters to a school and is covering all expenses for their education. “Despite all the troubles in life, it is a great relief to me,” she says.

Following the death of her husband Sita is without any support. In her journal she expresses her feelings: “I am not just a widow, but have been afflicted with mental problems throughout my life. Sometimes I have a headache, sometimes a stomach ache, sometimes fever, but when I go to the doctor I am told nothing is wrong. They have advised me to laugh at least once a day. But how can I laugh, when I am overwhelmed by sorrow?”

4.6 Sita Ram on the way to non-violence
When we hear the word Gandharba, the faces of those playing Sarangi, a traditional music instrument of Nepal similar to violin, come immediately into our mind. Probably because he is a Gandharba, an occupational caste specialised in music, Sita Ram was crazy about singing and dancing.

Songs like "Maachi Kaandai le, Maya Laudaima Chekyo Dadai le" can be heard on the radio all the time. It is Sita Ram, who sang the song. He was born at Bayal Dada-7, Salyan. His childhood was spent in forests instead of schools, since he was born into a Dalit family in a remote hill area. He spent most of his childhood in Rolpa, at his maternal uncle’s home, and was married there, before migrating to Naya Basti, Hapur-7, Dang.

Sita Ram won the hearts of many people in Dang with his singing, and became well known. He won the ‘Third National Dohari Competition’ in 1984, worth Rs 7,000. As the winner, he even had a chance to visit Canada, but being remote from the bureaucrats someone else was sent in his place. Sita Ram, disheartened by the incident left his home and abandoned his singing career to join the Police force, where he worked for 14 years from 1991 to 2005. Softhearted Sita Ram was in turmoil whenever he received orders from his superiors to kill people, but thanks God for never actually having to kill anyone. Benevolent Sita Ram left the service just two years before he became eligible for a pension.

After 14 years in the Police, Sit Ram was still unable to build a house for his family. His friends, who joined the police after him, built houses in towns, but he returned home with only his provident fund. With this money he built a small house at Sundarbasti, Tulsipur-3, where he lives with his wife, three sons and a daughter.

Sita Ram was no longer in his traditional occupation, but when he left his police job he was worried about fending for his family. But he did not give up. He started working as a daily waged labourer. He learned to build houses in a very short time, and now earns Rs 180 per day constructing houses, and this is enough to feed his family.
-
Sita Ram has 62 medals and certificates, awarded to him for his singing, kept safely at his home, but he says, “These things won’t feed me and my family now. People have to accept whatever comes in life.” Sita Ram’s greatest hope is to see stable peace in Nepal. He says all Nepalese should have enough to eat after their hard work, sleep happily and peacefully and live in safety. “Fighting between brothers will yield nothing to anyone.”

4.7. Sabitra’s loyalty
The husband of Sabitra KC was in the police force and during the time of the insurgency she always worried that something might happen to him. She never had a good night’s sleep thinking about her husband’s safety.

"We have enough farm land, leave your job,” she used to tell her husband all the time. In response to her appeals, her husband Tej Bahadur KC left his police job and was living happily with his family in Tarigaun, Dang. Sabitra and their three-year old daughter were very happy to have Tej Bahadur at home.

Tej Bahadur was living apart from his parents, and so there were no family tensions; they had a small and happy family. But the happiness did not last: Maoists murdered Tej Bahadur in broad daylight, on 25 June 2002 when he had gone to his neighbouring village, Bangaun. He could not escape death, despite leaving his job.

Sabitra was widowed, but made up her mind to work hard in life for their daughter. But even this little hope was threatened, when her mother-in-law began torturing her with claims that she caused Tej Bahadur’s death. She even started questioning Sabitra’s chastity and loyalty to her husband, but there was no one to speak for Sabitra in the village.

One afternoon, when Sabitra had gone to bathe, the mother-in-law broke into her house and took away everything she had, including the furniture. When Sabitra inquired about it, the mother-in-law only taunted her. Not able to bear it, Sabitra had to leave the home where she had spent happy days with her husband.

Now she is living with her parents in another village. Her husband’s eight kattha of land lies barren. She has not been able to return to her village to work the land. “What can you do when your own family becomes your enemy?” she asks.

5 Conclusion
Dang is one of the districts worst affected by the conflict. Its headquarters, Ghorahi, was brutally attacked by Maoists on 23 November 2001: three days later the government declared an emergency in the country, which in Dang lasted four years. The district remained consistently in the headlines of national newspapers because of the brutal incidents occurring there. Dang is considered one of the principle territories of the Tharu community and many Tharus were badly affected by the conflict. Dalits and other marginalised communities were also highly affected.

The simple people, who never knew the meaning of the emergency, became the targets of the guns of the security forces, at festivals or in forests and for no reason. Even those who were simply thatching their roofs were brutally murdered. These innocent people who were killed by the state, are still considered as Maoists by the government that has made no effort to investigate and find the truth. Even the 12 people from Sarki, identified as innocents by the NHRC and eligible for Rs 50,000 compensation, have received nothing to date.

After the deaths of the male heads of the family, who were the breadwinners, women with low economic status are having trouble to feed their children. Unable to bear the pain of their husbands’ deaths, some women like Radha Nepali have committed suicide. On the other hand, some widows like Meghi BK are leading social transformation. There are women who were physically abused by security personnel when looking for their missing husbands. Doctors have failed to identify the disease that has afflicted women like Sita Basnet, who have lost their beloveds. Doctors have advised them to laugh, but not having the medicines that could aid them to laugh, these women are living in a pool of tears. Women, whose husbands were killed by the Maoists, like that of Sabitra KC, are treated cruelly even by their own family. Although we see few women killed during the conflict, they are the ones who are most affected by it.

6 Recommendations
The government should provide interim relief as recommended by the NHRC as soon as possible to the families of the twelve persons, including Dev Bahadur Sharki of Kauwaghari village, who lost their innocent family members to the security forces.

The government should immediately conduct the necessary investigations and provide justice and compensation to the victims of mass killings, whether perpetrated by Maoists or security forces.

There should be a government provision for the education of conflict-affected children.

The government should arrange psychosocial counselling for women victims of the conflict.

The government should help families victimised by the conflict to manage.

NGOs should conduct reconciliation programmes to minimise the desire for vengeance that has engulfed society.

Civil society should create pressure at the local level to provide justice to victims.

Afterword: Following publication of the Nepali edition of “Sighs of the conflict”
After publication of the Nepali edition of this book, we saw the following changes.

1)Twelve families of victims in Kauwaghari village received Rs. 10,000 each from the Chief District Officer in August 2007 although National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) originally recommended that the CDO should provide Rs. 50,000 to each as compensation.

More coverage has been seen in local and national media of victims’ voice and of their situation, more articles published in the print media and conflict victims gaining a forum to share their experience.

2)All victims filed a petition at the District Administration Office and Human Rights Commission to demand compensation and justice.

3)The Nepal Bar Association has made a commitment to provide free legal aid to conflict victims.

4)More NGOs are supporting conflict victims.

5)SEED's programme coverage has increased:

When this book was published SEED had only one long-term and one short-term partner. We now have three major programmes: a women’s rights programme, a Quality Education programme for conflict affected children, and a right to primary education programme; all as a result of long term partnerships. Before we were limited to villages in five VDCs of Dang district but now the volume of our work will increase: we are now working in 11 VDCs and 1 municipality.

Before publication of “Sighs of the conflict” we were working only for women’s empowerment and income generation and other very short initiatives. Now our programme is focusing on organizing people, capacity building for right holders, education campaigning, research and publication, media advocacy, income generation, building construction, campaign for equal wage for equal labour, anti-discrimination campaign etc..

References:

Ganyari. Tharu Newspaper
Kantipur　Rastriya Dainik, 18 September 2006
Kantipur Rastriya Dainik, 29 September 2006Naya Yugbodh, 2006. National Daily


Central Bureau of Statistics. 2003. National Census 2001
Chaudhary. Mahesh. 1994. Telawa Monthly.
District Development Committee of Dang. 2006. District Profile Dang 2005/06
Gopal. Dahit. 2005. Short Introduction of Tharu Culture.
INSEC. 2003. Nepal Human Rights Year Book 2003.
INSEC. 2004. Nepal Human Rights Year Book 2004.
INSEC. 2005. Nepal Human Rights Year Book 2005.
INSEC. 2006. Official Profile.
Tharu Santram Dhar Katuwa. 2005. Chitkal Bawana.

紛争の爪あと－ダン郡での紛争の影響と生活再建の試み－

シュリラム・チョウダリ＆バギラム・チャウダリ著

目次

出版によせて
序文
著者まえがき

1. 記録プロジェクトの背景、目的、方法

2.　ダン郡の地形と歴史、紛争の影響
2-1.　地形と歴史
2-2.　紛争の影響
2-3.　紛争被害の実態
2-4.　ダン郡で起きた事件

3.　紛争解決に目覚めた青年たち
3-1.　SEEDの誕生
3-2.　活動内容
3-3.　活動の特徴：紛争被害者と共に働き、彼らから学ぶ
3-4.　紛争下での活動に伴う困難

4.　当事者が語る紛争の現実
4-1.　ミナたちの運命
4-2.　チャリの生きる希望
4-3.　メギの勇気
4-4.　ビニタの願い
4-5.　シタの苦闘
4-6.　殺し合いのない国に－シタラム
4-7.　サビットラに対する姑の裏切り

5.　おわりに

参考文献

出版によせて
「社会が変化し、発展するためには、紛争は避けられず、受け容れなければならない」。そんなことを紛争に巻きこまれた人たちの前で軽々しく言うことができるでしょうか。

この本は、ネパール西部のダン・デウクリ盆地で、殺し合いに巻き込まれ、傷を負った人たちの苦悩や苦闘を、シュリラム・チョウダリさんたちがまとめたものです。ここに登場する犠牲者の遺族は皆、紛争当事者 とは関係のない人たちです。電柱として使うための木を森に探しに行く途中で国軍 に殺害された12人のダリット（不可触カースト）の人々、収穫後の12月に米の脱穀を終えて家で貯蔵作業中に国軍に殺害された人々、祭りの日のごちそう用に水牛の肉を切り分けている時に国軍の誤射で亡くなったタルーなど先住民族の青年たちです。

夫を国軍に殺されたラダ・ネパリは、10歳の娘と4歳の息子を残して自殺しました。このような話を聞くと、心にガラスの破片が突き刺すような痛みを感じます。野蛮な者たちの戦いに、罪も無く巻きこまれ、打ちのめされた、無力な遺族たちのことを想像してみてください。家族の大黒柱を国軍によって奪われた後、生活の糧を失ってしまった遺族たちはどのように生きているのでしょうか。ダン・デウクリ盆地の遺族たちの苦しみや悲しみ、そして彼らの奮闘は全国の紛争被害者たちに共通するものです。

政府とマオイストの和平協定により、現在ネパールは停戦状態となっています。少なくとも武器を持つ者たちは、誰も殺したり、誘拐することができません。過去に国軍の横暴さが国民から非難された時、「軍隊の威信を落とすことは許されない」と言い訳した首相や政治家たちは今、政策や方針は変わったと自らに言い聞かせています。マオイスト党首のプラチャンダは、紛争は終わったと宣言しており、ネパールは新しい時代に入ったと言っています。政府側も、マオイスト側も、ネパールは今、世界の見本となる平等な社会を目指して新らたな政治を行い、スイスやシンガポールのような繁栄を達成して世界を驚かせることができる、と主張しています。紛争で両親を亡くし孤児となった子どもたちが、スイスやシンガポールの生活を夢見るかどうか定かではありませんが、政府は、彼らに冷えた体を温めるセーターを与え、空腹を満たし、病いを癒すことを最優先に行うべきです。それがこの本が訴えていることでもあります。

2006年11月
ネパール・キルティプール市
トリプヴァン大学社会人類学部　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
ダンバル・チェムジョン

序文
2001年11月23日、ダン郡の郡庁所在地ゴラヒにある国軍司令部をマオイストが攻撃しました[i]。事件から3日後、政府はネパール全土に非常事態を宣言し、外出禁止令を出しました。他地域で非常事態宣言が解除された後も、ダン郡では断続的に4年半もの間、夜間外出禁止令が出されていました。その間に起きた事件の記録から、この『紛争の爪あと』という本が生まれました。関係者のプライバシーに配慮して、事件と直接関係のある写真は掲載していませんが、私たちSEEDの活動地で起きた事件をもとに、紛争で混乱する市民たちの暮らしや思いをここに記録しています。11年前に始まった紛争は、2006年11月21日にマオイストと政府の間で和平協定が成立し、平和構築のために関係者による努力が続けられています。これは非常に喜ばしいことです。いつか再び非常事態宣言が出されることがないように祈りましょう。

紛争の苦しみを経験した子ども、青年や女性、そして彼らを支援する仕事をしてきた団体の職員たち、彼らすべての協力により生まれた本書は私にとっても特別な意味があります。本書はそのような人々でも本を書くことができること示し、彼らに自信を与えるでしょう。そして、また一般の方々にもSEEDの活動を理解していただく機会になると思います。本書の出版により、勇気を持って自らの苦悩を公にする紛争被害者が増えていくと私は信じています。

本書のための取材は、関係者にとって全く新しい仕事であり、初めての試みでもあったので、かなりの精神的重圧になったかと思われます。しかし、彼らの忍耐強い、命がけの仕事のおかげで、本書は出版されることになりました。取材班のリーダーであるシュリラム・チョウダリさん、メンバーのアムリタ・チョウダリさん、レカ・サハさん、プルナ・チョウダリさん、デベンドラ・チョウダリさん、アプサラ・パリヤルさん、マン・バハドゥル・チョウダリさん、サントス・チョウダリさんに感謝します。そして取材に応じて下さった方々にも感謝の気持ちでいっぱいです。彼らは自らの人生経験を公にすることに協力してくれました。

本書の出版を支援して下さった庭野平和財団、「平和のための市民による紛争の記録プロジェクト」のコーディネーター、田中雅子さんにお礼を申し上げます。出版費用だけでなく、取材に関する助言や、技術面でも支援もしていだきました。また、編集の段階で助言をくれた親友クリシュナ・サルバハリさんに心より感謝します。今後も皆様から支援、助言をいただければ幸いです。

ダン郡　トゥルシプル市
SEED会長バギラム・チョウダリ

[i] 2001年7月、政府とマオイストは停戦を宣言し、8月から和平交渉を行っていたが、11月23日のゴラヒ攻撃で、マオイストは停戦を破棄した。11月26日、政府は国家非常事態宣言を発令し、マオイスト掃討作戦として当時の王室ネパール軍を全面展開させた。