4-3.　メギの勇気
フルバリ村の村人たちはティージ（ネパールの祭のひとつ）を祝うことに夢中になっていました。ティージの前日で、水牛を切って肉を分配していたのです。その時、村は突然喧騒に包まれました。軍が、村にマオイストが入ったという情報を得て、攻撃体勢に入ったのです。村人たちは肉の分配をやめて逃げました。しかし何人かは国軍の発砲の犠牲となりました。犠牲となったのは村人6人でした。肉の配分のために作られたリストを、国軍はマオイストのリストと決めつけたのです。ラジオのニュースは軍がマオイストを殺害したと伝えましたが、死亡者はすべて罪のないダリット（不可触カースト）の人々だったのです。

これは3年前の事件です。メギ・ビカの夫もその事件で亡くなりました。彼女は寡婦となりました。娘3人と息子1人は父親の愛情を奪われました。メギは何ヶ月かの間、夫を亡くした悲しみに沈んでいました。家のそばの鍛冶小屋が彼女に夫を思い出させました。しかし夫を思い出し、泣いて過ごしても夫が帰ってくることはありませんでした。メギは決心しました。「もう私は泣かない。泣いて暮らして私の悲しみは消えない」

メギは言います。「死んでしまった者は戻ってきません。私が泣けば子どもたちも悲しみます。だから私はいつも笑っているよう努力します。夜、寝る時も子どもたちに話をしながら、笑わせて寝かせます」。メギの息子は父親の鍛冶屋の仕事を続けることができません。父親は息子に鍛冶屋の仕事を教えていなかったからです。SEEDは、学校に行けず家にいたメギの息子に、バクタプル郡サノティミにある職業訓練所で植字工の訓練を受けられるように協力しました。しかし訓練は受けたものの、まだ職を得ることはできていません。

家を含めた10カッタ[i]の土地だけでは、メギの家族は食べていけません。彼女の家族は日雇い労働をしています。高校に入った二人の娘も土曜の休日に働いています。彼女たちの文具、鞄、制服などはSEEDが支給しました。郡教育事務所からも奨学金を受けています。そのため、娘たちの教育費の心配はありません。

夫が殺された後、いくつかの援助団体がメギの家族について調査し、食事会に招待しました。招待の連絡を受けた時、メギは新しい生活が始まったように思えました。彼女は言います。「ようやく、何人かの人たちが私たちの悲しみを理解する努力をしてくれたのです」
　
ダリットや寡婦の集会があると、メギ・ビカはいつでも参加します。彼女はダンの寡婦グループのメンバーでもあります。他の女性は演説をしながら、悲しみや苦しみに涙を流します。しかし、メギは演説でも笑いながら話します。男性の役割を私たち女性がやっていかなければと自分と同じ境遇の女性たちに言い聞かせます。彼女のいるところにはいつも笑いがあるかのようです。

夫を殺された他の女性たちにも彼女は笑いを届けます。そんな彼女を中傷する人もいます。どうせどこからか金をもらっているんだろう、特別な援助を受けているんだろう、あちこち遊びまわっている・・・。しかし、メギはこのような話を片方の耳からもう一方の耳に聞き流します。彼女は笑いながら言います。「私たち女性は家の中にだけいて世間から取り残されています。私まで家の中にじっとしていたら、他の女性たちは私が話しているようなことをいつになったら聞けると言うの？」

女性の権利を守るため「同一職種、同一賃金」の運動にもメギは参加しています。マオイストが行事を妨害し、女性の活動代表者に仕事を辞めさせようとしました。メギはそれに反論しました。「これは私たち女性にとって大切な活動よ。マオイストが女性の活動をやめさせるなら、女性もマオイストの活動を応援しないわ。それでもいいの」

メギ・ビカのもうひとつの特徴と言えば、彼女の議論のスタイルです。村にくるマオイストたちにも心を開き、自分の話をすることができます。国軍とも目を合わせながら話をすることができます。SEEDによる6ケ月の識字教室で名前が書けるようになったメギは言います。「出席帳にサインすることができて私は自分で驚いています」。村のダリット社会では、メギのように普通に読み書きができ、社会の再建について話しながら村を歩く女性はごくわずかです。メギ・ビカの前向きに考えながら生きる人生を、みんなが学ばなければいけません。
　
SEEDは、メギ・ビカの夫を含む殺害された無実の村人6名の家族から、国家人権委員会宛に、補償金請求の手紙を出しましたが、皮肉にもこの事件の調査はまだ行われていません。

[i] 1カッタは約337平方メートル

4-4.　ビニタの願い
ウラハリ村のビニタ・チョウダリはとても喜んでいました。なぜなら夫が現金収入を毎日持って帰るからです。タルーの伝統的な生業である農業では利益が上がらないので、夫のブッディラム・チョウダリは鶏を売買する商売を始めました。タルーの村ではふつう農業以外の仕事はほとんどしません。そのため農閑期は仕事がなく、収入がない状態になります。しかし、夫が鶏の商売を始めると、ビニタの家計は良くなっていきました。彼女は私たちにも幸せな日々がやって来たと思うようになりました。

ある日の夕方、夫ブッディラムはダン郡で鶏を買いネパールガンジで売って帰ってきました。夫婦は地酒を飲みながら苦楽を語り合っていました。2001年11月26日に国家非常事態宣言が出されてから、何日も経っていませんでした。その時事件が起きたのです。

彼女の村のあるバフンの地主をマオイストが暴行したようでした。その事件を調べるために村にやってきた国軍は、他の村人たちと一緒にブッディラムを逮捕しました。ビニタは「私の夫は無罪です。事件のあった時、村にいませんでした」、といって泣き叫びました。「捕まえるなら私も連れて行って」と言いながら、彼女は国軍が夫を乗せたジープにぶら下がりました。しかし彼女は放り出されました。

夫が捕まった翌日、ビニタは国軍事務所に行きました。夫を捕まえた軍人は「君の夫が無罪なら釈放するから、心配する必要はない」と言い、彼女を送り出しました。そして数週間後、捕まっていた他の村人はすべて解放されました。しかし、ブッディラムは解放されませんでした。

ビニタは再び国軍のオフィスに行きました。しかし彼女が知っていた兵士は転勤してそこにはおらず、別の兵士が言いました。「君の夫はここにはいないよ」

ビニタの夫が捕まえられてから4年以上が経ちました。しかし彼女の夫への愛情は消えていません。彼女はふぅーとため息をつきます。「いつか戻ってくる時が来るかもしれない」。ビニタはSEEDが支援するウラハリ村の女性グループのメンバーでもあります。彼女は収入を得るために畑仕事をし、豚を飼っています。そこから二人の息子と娘を学校に行かせています。ビニタは自分の望みを語ります。「野菜の栽培は季節によって波がある仕事です。いつでも収入のある仕事を身につけることができればいいのに」

夫が行方不明になってもビニタは自分で自分を励ましています。いったん家の外に出れば、彼女は笑顔を忘れません。女性グループの会議でも彼女は活発です。「私の夫を行方不明にさせた神様が、今度は返してくれるかもしれません」。これが彼女の希望です。ビニタは続けて祈ります。「国にいつも平和が訪れますように。すべての人の命が簡単に奪われませんように」

4-5.　シタの苦闘
私たちがゴルタクリ村サルワダンダのシタ・バスネットの家を探していた頃、彼女は子ヤギを連れて森に行っていました。家の前の空き地で、彼女の二人の娘が遊んでいました。「お母さんはどこ？」と聞くと、8歳の長女は言いました。「お母さんは森に行っているの。夕方帰ってくるよ」

シタの娘たちはまだ幼いのにもかかわらず、家で留守番しなければならないのです。朝夕の食事の支度のほか、シタは男性がするすべての仕事をせざるを得ない状況にあります。2002年、国軍は彼女の夫ビジヤ・バスネットをマオイストと疑って捕まえ、ウラハリ村のモティプルの森で銃殺したのです。シタの4歳の末娘に聞きました。「君のお父さんはどこにいるの？」彼女はすぐに答えました。「私たちのお父さんは神様の家に行ったの。警察が殺してそこに送ったの」

寡婦となったシタは現在、SEEDによって設立されたパシュパティ女性救済グループの代表として働いています。そこで貯めたお金でシタはヤギを飼い、家族の生活費を補っています。夫名義の8カッタの土地で米を作っています。しかし、そこからの収穫だけでは家族の半年分の米にしかならないので、足りない分をまかなうため、日雇い労働をして稼がなければなりません。病気になった時は借金をして薬を買い、治療をしなければいけません。SEEDが娘たちを学校に入学させるための費用をすべて用意し、その後も勉強を続けるための支援してくれたので、シタは道が開けたと言います。「でも、SEEDがいつまでも援助してくれるわけではないでしょう？」彼女は寄るべのない表情で言います。
　
夫を殺された後、シタの人生は空回りしていました。自分の苦しみを彼女はある日の日記にこう書いています。「私は夫を失っただけではない。精神的な病にもなってしまった。ある時は熱が出る。ある時は頭が痛む。またある時はお腹が痛くなるという幻覚に陥ってしまう。医者に見せても何も起きていないのにだ。一日に一、二回は笑いなさいと言われるだけ。でも、心の中にある苦痛を抱え、私はどうやったら笑うことができるというの？」

4-6.　殺し合いのない国に－シタラム
ガンダルバといえばサランギ（ネパールの伝統的な弦楽器）を弾きながら、唄い歩く人々の顔が思い浮かびます。ガンダルバのカースト出身だからでしょうか、シタラムは踊りや歌といえば、小さい頃から夢中になっていました。『マチ　カンダイレ　マヤ　ラウンダイマ　チェキョ　ダンダレ』、このような映画の歌がラジオから流れてきます。この歌を唄っている人こそ、シタラム・ガンダルバです。

彼の生まれはサルヤン郡のワヤルダンダ村です。丘陵地帯のダリット居住地に生まれ、子どもの頃は学校へ行く年齢になっても、薪を切ったり草を刈ったりして過ごしていました。人生の大部分をロルパ郡の母の兄弟の家で過ごしました。そこで彼は結婚もしました。その後、ダン郡ハプル村のナヤバスティ地区に引っ越しました。
　
ガンダルバはダン郡に来てからも自分の歌声で多くの人々の心をつかみました。ここで彼は短期間のうちにとても有名になりました。1984年の第3回ドホリ・ギト[i]大会で、彼は優勝し金メダルと7千ルピーの賞金を勝ち取りました。優勝したのでカナダに行くこともできるはずでした。しかしコンテストの主催者との面識がなかったため、そのチャンスは失われました。カナダには主催者の知り合いが送られたのでした。

その出来事以来、シタラムは憂鬱になり、家を出ました。歌手をやめ、警察の仕事を得ました。彼は1991年から2005年まで14年間働きました。温順な性格のシタラムは、紛争の最中に上司から人を殺すよう命令されると途方に暮れました。彼は神様に祈りました。人を殺すような罪深い仕事は彼にはできなかったからです。どんな生き物でも殺すことをしない慈悲深い心のシタラムは、年金を受け取る資格を得るまでの2年間を残して仕事をやめ、家に帰りました。

職を失った彼は、14年間働いた仕事をした後でも自分の住む家を作ることはできませんでした。自分より後に警察に入った友人は町に家を建てています。しかし、彼はといえば仕事をやめて、年金積立金を少し持ち帰っただけでした。一生懸命稼いだお金で、彼はトゥルシプル市第6区、スンダルバスティ地区のパトゥコラというところに5ドゥル[ii]の土地を買い、小さな小屋を建てました。現在その小屋に妻と息子3人、娘1人と一緒に暮らしています。

自分の好きな、そして先祖代々受け継がれてきた歌手という職業を失ったシタラムは、仕事を辞めた後、どうやって家族を養っていくか不安になりました。でも彼は落胆しませんでした。職は失ったけれど、それがどうしたのだ、ジャングルはなくなっていないじゃないか。彼は日雇い労働を始めました。短期間で大工仕事も学びました。そして、現在は家を建てる職人として仕事をし、一日に180ルピー稼いでいます。何とか自分の家族を養うことができています。

自分の人生経験のページをめくりながらシタラムは言い聞かせます。「私には歌の大会で優勝した62個のメダルと賞状があります。でもそれで食べていくことはできません。どうしましょう。人は、人生で起きたことをそのまま背負っていかなければいけないのです」

シタラムの希望は、国に永久の平和が訪れることです。「すべてのネパール人が仕事をしてお腹いっぱいごはんを食べられなければいけません。すべての人が幸せな眠りにつけるよう、安全で幸福に生きるようにならなければいけません。殺し合いは誰にも利益をもたらしません」

4-7.　サビットラに対する姑の裏切り
サビットラ・ケーシーの夫は警察官でした。紛争のせいで、彼女はいつでも夫の安否を心配していました。そのせいで昼も夜も眠れませんでした。「私たちには畑があるじゃない。だから警察の仕事は辞めて」。サビットラの度重なる願いを聞いて、夫テジ・バハドゥル・ケーシーは警察を辞めました。仕事を辞めた彼は家族と一緒にダン郡タリガウン村ラジェナの家で暮らしました。3歳の娘も父親と一緒に暮らせるようになったのを喜びました。それ以上にサビットラは、何年かぶりに夫といっしょに暮らすことができ、世界が明るくなり始めていました。

テジ・バハドゥルは父母と離れて暮らしていました。そのためサビットラは嫁姑の確執に耐える必要はありませんでした。小さな家族、幸せな家族でした。テジ・バハドゥルも村の生活を楽しんでいました。しかしサビットラの幸せは、そう長くは続きませんでした。2002年6月25日昼、近所の村、バンガウンに仕事に行っていたテジ・バハドゥルをマオイストが殺害しました。警察をすでに辞めていたにもかかわらず、死を避けることはできませんでした[iii]。

サビットラは寡婦になりました。一人娘を支えに生きようと、彼女は悲しみを忘れるための努力もしました。しかし彼女にさらなる悲しみが襲ったのです。サビットラの姑が「私の息子が殺されたのはお前のせいだ！」と、毎日彼女を非難し始めたのです。サビットラの側に立って姑に話をしてくれる人は誰もいませんでした。彼女は誠実だった夫の親が非難の言葉を浴びせてくるのを受け止めるより他に方法がありませんでした。

そんなある日、サビットラが水浴びに行っている隙に、姑はドアを壊してサビットラたちの住む家に入り込み、家具、服から食器まで持って行きました。姑に荷物のありかを尋ねると、ひどい言葉で罵られました。食事を作る道具もすべて失うと、彼女は娘を連れて実家に帰りました。

現在もサビットラは実家で暮らしているので、夫が遺した8～9カッタの土地も耕作できません。誰かに小作してもらおうにも、村に行くことができません。彼女は言います。「家族が敵になったら、どうしたらいいのですか？」

[i] ドホリは、日本でいう歌垣のように掛け合いで唄う歌。
[ii] 1ドゥルは約17平方メートル
[iii] ここに説明はないが、マオイストは、国軍、警察関係者やその家族を標的としていた。

5.　おわりに
ダン郡は紛争の被害が大きかった地域のひとつです。2001年11月23日マオイストはダンの郡庁所在地ゴラヒを攻撃し、その3日後、国家非常事態宣言が出ました。その後、夜間外出禁止令は4年半も続きました。紛争中、ダンの事件はいつもニュースで取り上げられました。タルーの発祥の地とも言われるダンで、紛争により甚大な影響を受けた社会を彼ら自身が見てきました。ダリットや他の少数民族の人々も紛争から多くの影響を受けました。

非常事態宣言の意味を理解できない、真面目でおとなしい村人が祭りを祝っている時、また電柱の木を切りに森へ行っていた時、軍隊の銃の標的になりました。家の屋根を作っていた一般の村人を収容所に連れて行き殺害しました。国軍側から殺害されたダンの多くの無実の市民は未だにマオイストと呼ばれています。彼らについてどんな調査も行われていません。マオイストの疑いで殺害され、調査により無実と認められたダンのカウワガリの12人のサルキの遺族に、国家人権委員会は1人5万ルピーの補償金を出すという書状を出しましたが、現在まで支払われていません。
　
一家の稼ぎ手を亡くし、経済的な困難に陥った女性にとって、家族の扶養は大きな負担です。ラダ・ネパリのように、国軍から夫を殺害された苦しみに苛まれ、自殺に追い込まれた人がいる一方で、国軍によって夫を亡くしたメギ・ビカのように、他の人々に生きる勇気を与え、自分たちの社会のために行動を起こし、他の人を励ましている女性もいます。行方不明の夫を捜索する中で、偽りの慰めの言葉をかける国軍兵士から性的暴行を受けた女性もいます。夫を亡くした精神的苦痛が原因でシタ・バスネットを襲った病を、医者は正しく診断できていません。彼女に笑うことを心がけなさいという助言をしていますが。笑うための薬はなく、多くの女性は心の苦痛に耐えながら生きています。警察官の夫をマオイストに殺害されたサビトッラ・ケーシーに、彼女の家族は無関心です。紛争で亡くなった人に占める女性の割合は少なくても、その影響をより強く受けているのは彼女たちなのです。

SEEDは、次の勧告をします。
･ゴルタクリ村カウワガリのデブバハドゥル・サルキを含む、12人の犠牲者の遺族に、国家人権委
　員会が出した書状に基づき、国は直ちに救済金を用意すべきである。
・ダン郡で起きた、この本に記述されているすべての事件の調査をし、救済金と罪を正当に審判す
　る準備を国が迅速に行うべきである。
・政府は紛争犠牲者遺族の子どもたちに教育の機会を提供しなければいけない。
・国は遺族女性に心のケアをしなければいけない。
・国は犠牲者遺族の生活を支援しなければいけない。
・NGOは犠牲者の怨恨感情によって社会が分断されないよう、和解のために一致団結して活動を
　行わなければいけない。
・市民社会は、国が紛争犠牲者遺族を公平に扱い、彼らの権利を保障するよう、国に圧力をかけて
　いかなければいけない。

＜参考文献＞
新聞
Ganyari. Tharu Newspaper
Kantipur　Rastriya Dainik, 18 September 2006
Kantipur Rastriya Dainik, 29 September 2006Naya Yugbodh, 2006. National Daily
書籍
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.

翻訳：吾妻佳代子、協力：定松栄一、監訳・訳注・編集：田中雅子

Children in search of peace

Original Nepali version by Shanti Thapa Magar and Krishna Sarbahari
English translation by Shanti Thapa
Edited by Marty Logan

Table of contents

Foreword

Acknowledgement

1 Background
1.1 Orphaned children
1.2 Displaced children
1.3 Abducted children
1.4 Physical and sexual abuse of children
1.5 School closures
1.6 Conflict-affected children in Kathmandu

2 Children’s stories

2.1 Orphan Kishor’s life

2.2 Khagendra wants to be a teacher

2.3 Satan – Humla to Kathmandu
2.4 Reincarnation of Jaya
2.5 Prativa dreams of becoming a doctor
2.6 Raman’s memory of Mugu
2.7 City has touched Mukul and Shivaraj

3 Conclusion

Shanti Sewa Griha
Shanti Sewa School
Teaching methodology
Opinions of former students

Afterword: Following publication of the original Nepali version, “Shanti ko Khoji ma Bal Balika”

Foreword
This book is one of the products of the People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal, launched by a group of individuals living in Nepal with the aim of documenting ordinary people’s lives from a variety of perspectives – from different genders, ages, classes, ethnicities/castes, religions and regions – in order to offer diverse views and to avoid domination of the perceptions of particular groups. In Nepal, very few stories and messages are documented by ordinary people, making it difficult to learn lessons from history through their perspectives. This project aims to empower the people by involving them in a documentation process, and to utilize the collected material to provide lessons for future generations. Participants choose the topics themselves, and can document them using any medium, including by writing essays, diaries and poems; drawing; and photography.

Shanti Thapa Magar, one of the co-authors of this book, is an ex-employee of Shanti Sewa School, a primary school which is run by an NGO called Shanti Sewa Griha (SSG). SSG was established to provide services to people affected by leprosy as well as to handicapped people. In March 2005, Shanti left the school for some months and when she returned at the end of the year, she was surprised to see many more students at the school who had been affected by the decade-long conflict between State security forces and Maoist rebels.

In the past, Shanti, like many other residents of the capital Kathmandu, paid little attention to the conflict because she believed that it only affected the remote areas of Nepal. However, after meeting with the conflict affected students and interviewing some of them, she could not ignore it anymore – the conflict became her own concern.

Yet Shanti faced difficulties interacting with the children, who were deeply traumatized after fearful experiences in their villages. She was often confused about how to conduct interviews and then how to use the information she had collected; it was painful for her to continue listening to the children’s stories knowing she had no plans for the information. Still, she used several methods to encourage the children to express themselves creatively, such as via drawing and writing poems.

By June 2006, when the group for this project was re-assembled in order to compile the collected information, Shanti understood well that documentation is important both for victims of conflict and for others who are unaware of it.

This book describes the lives of children who escaped the conflict in their villages, mostly in Mid-Western and Western Nepal. Shanti asked them to write about their experiences and conducted interviews to verify the information. Afterward, she selected seven stories that are typical about migration from villages during the conflict, such as losing a guardian to death by crossfire, abduction, displacement, sexual exploitation and the closure of schools. I hope that after reading the children’s experiences, readers will better understand how they suffered due to the conflict; how they are coping with their new environment in Kathmandu and how we can support them as neighbors, friends and citizens living in Kathmandu.

This modest work is a joint effort of the authors and children at Shanti Sewa School. Mr. Krishna Sarbahari worked very efficiently as an editor cum author. The sponsorship of the Niwano Peace Foundation, Japan, has permitted us to publish this book and to continue the documentation process. Last but not least, the patience of the management and children of Shanti Sewa School should be highly acknowledged.

Masako Tanaka
Coordinator
People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal
September 2006

Acknowledgement
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work as a teacher at Shanti Sewa School from May 2001 to March 2005. I was able to share my knowledge and skills with my dear students and myself received valuable coaching and training from some extremely talented colleagues from different parts of the world. When at the end of March 2005 I had to leave Nepal for my personal work, I reluctantly left behind my adoring students and precious companions.

Although far from Nepal, I thought often about my students, friends, leprosy patients and all those people linked to Shanti Sewa. The children were especially very close to my heart; I felt that I had established a spiritual connection to them. I returned to Nepal at the end of October 2005 and during this new phase an honorable person in my life, Masako Tanaka sister, always encouraged my will and strength. She showed me how to always walk on a pathway of illumination. She also suggested that I write a diary, which I began to do.

One day after I returned, I went to Shanti Sewa School to meet my ex-students and friends and found that the numbers of students had increased. My colleagues told me that these students had been displaced from rural areas by the conflict. Masako sister and I discussed these children, and decided that we would keep records about them.

Although both of us were unsure how we would use this material, I started collecting information about these conflict-affected children and interviewing some of them. Whenever I heard a child’s dreadful life story I wanted to help them immensely, but unfortunately I was only able to share their sorrows. Although I was unable to help them economically, I think that they felt relief when they shared their hidden sorrows with me.

At the same time, Masako sister urged me to take photography training, which I did, thanks to her support. During this time, I encountered a group of boys who had become street children because of the conflict.

Masako sister and I had planned to visit Humla and Jumla districts to interview conflict victims, including children. But we realized it would be more effective if the people themselves wrote their stories. So, we began encouraging both adults and children to document their lives. We also taught children how to use a camera and encouraged them to take photos in order to further share their experiences with the world.

Because of my involvement in the People’s Documentation Project for Peace in Nepal, I got the chance to visit Dang and Surkhet districts with Masako sister, where we met conflict victims. During our discussion programs, we talked with children, women and youth. Most of the participants were very keen to cooperate in the peace-building project.

That visit to Dang and Surkhet gave me spirit and courage to complete the Project, and when I returned to Kathmandu I redoubled my efforts. While writing this book I learnt many things about my country, its places and the lives of its people; I had never seen Nepal’s map so clearly. Also, I used to think that because the place where I was living was safe, the rest of the country must be so too. I learned that the reality was different. The more I discovered about my country, the more curious I became and the stronger became the bond that holds me to it. Nowadays, if I hear any bad news about Nepal I feel pain in my heart.

There is a saying: “Today’s children are tomorrow’s future.” If Nepal’s children have seen their brothers, sisters and parents fighting and killing one another, what kind of future can we expect? What effect will this have on their innocent hearts and minds? We can only imagine. Thousands of Nepalese children continue suffering because of the conflict.

The lucky children get a chance to study at Shanti Sewa School. It is our duty to show them the path of light with lots of love and admiration, so they can start new lives. We must also help them realize their rights, including the right to an education.

This book is our contribution to creating peace in Nepal. In that vein, I would like to request that all readers begin to see children and schools as “zones of peace”[i]. Of course, it’s also our responsibility to speak up on behalf of those children who are displaced and deprived of education and proper care. As individuals we should all do what we can to create peace.

Finally, I would like to heartily thank the SSG family for allowing me to write about the School. I am especially thankful to Masako Tanaka sister for involving me in this project, to Krishna Sarbahari for editing my writings and to Prem Prakash Chaudhary for his help with typing.

Shanti Thapa Magar
Boudhanath, Kathmandu

September 2006

[i] Children as Zones of Peace (CZOP) is a campaign by Child Rights Organisations.

1 Background
The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), or CPN (M), launched its “people’s war” (Jana Yudya) in 1996. In the beginning the party made great strides by helping ordinary people in the rural areas, but soon the situation in the countryside became unpredictable and frightening for villagers.

From the start, voices were raised to solve the conflict peacefully. Maoist and government leaders held peace talks but without positive results. In 2001, the Maoists broke peace talks by attacking the army barracks in Dang district without warning. The government led by the then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba declared a state of emergency with effect from 26 November 2001, labeling CPN (M) a “terrorist” organization.

King Gyanendra seized power on 1 February 2005 blaming successive governments for failing to end the insurgency, but on 24 April 2006 the “people’s movement” forced him to return power to the legislature. Since then, the Maoists have emerged from underground and joined mainstream politics but many people continue to live in precarious circumstances. According to reports, CPN (M) continued to recruit minors after it and the government declared ceasefires in 2006.

1.1 Orphaned children
No happiness results from conflict. In the past decade, thousands of Nepalese were killed. According to a report by a local NGO, Informal Service Sector (INSEC), from 13 February 1996 to 31 December 2006, government forces were responsible for the deaths of 8,377 people and the Maoists for 4,979 deaths[i]. At the same time, according to another NGO, CWIN, 8,000 children became orphans after their parents were killed in fighting between Maoist and government soldiers[ii]. Other children were as good as orphaned when they had to leave their village homes to escape the risks posed by the Maoists and government security forces which included disruption to schools. Of the children whose parents were killed, most seem physically and mentally distressed today, many after having eye-witnessed the killings. During the 11 years of conflict, 485 children lost their lives – including 134 girls – and 545 children were physically disabled (among them 152 girls), according to CWIN[iii].

Put simply: one year of conflict has repercussions for an entire decade while a decade-long conflict affects an entire epoch. For example, Japan is still experiencing the effects of the Second World War, which ended in 1945. Those Nepalese who were directly touched by the conflict will feel its effects till the ends of their lives.

1.2 Displaced children
According to CWIN’s survey, 40,000 children were displaced during the conflict. For most, that spelled an end to their studies. Many families migrated to cities to escape risks in their villages. Others thought that they were sending their children out of harm’s way but after arriving in cities in Nepal and India, the children were forced to work as laborers.

After the Maoists put pressure on children to become whole timers for the party, their parents started to send them to the capital with people they knew. These people offered to send the children to good schools in Kathmandu, and parents paid them Rs[iv] 10,000 to 20,000 per child, thinking it would be a better to send them away for a good cause than to let them remain unsafe in the villages.

A study was done in Humla district by the Women’s Law & Development Forum, with the help of UNICEF, from 29 December 2004 to 1 January 2005. According to one person involved, many children were sent from the district as orphans although their parents remained alive. The Chief District Officer did nothing to stop the practice, which further encouraged it. The fates of the hundreds of children who were lured to the city under false pretenses remain unknown.

1.3 Abducted children
Many people were forced to leave their villages and settle in cities during the conflict because of fear of abduction. Government forces took people who they alleged of being Maoists while the rebels seized those they accused of spying on them. According to INSEC, 63,985 people had been abducted by one group or another from 16th February 1996 to 15th September 2006. Many of those abducted were tortured severely.

According to CWIN, 31,087 students and their teachers were forcibly taken to attend Maoist programs of “people’s education” during the 11-year insurgency. The NGO reported that 254 were arrested by government forces.

International law prohibits the use of children under the age of 18 in any kind of war-related activity. While the Nepal Army does not recruit children, the Maoists have been accused of doing so. During the conflict, many people fled their homes because of the Maoist policy of “one house, one recruit”. From August 2005 to July 2006, 1,057 children went missing – 533 boys and 524 girls.

1.4 Physical and sexual abuse of children
On the one hand, the Maoists forced children to participate in their programs, while on the other, police tortured children for their involvement in Maoist activities. Usually police arrested children to try to get information, and then tortured them both mentally and physically. From January to August 2006 police arrested 19 children, according to records[v]. One girl committed suicide after she was tortured and raped in police custody.

Uma Chaudhary[vi] of Tikapur in Kailali district was arrested five years ago when she was 15. For five years, she worked as a domestic helper in the home of Colonel Ajaya Singh Thakuri in the capital Kathmandu. In a statement Uma gave after she was released, she said, “Some army personnel blindfolded me and took me to the Teghari ground in Kailali. They made me alone. At night they tried to remove my clothes and touch my body. At a time like that, I had no choice but to scream, and they gagged my mouth with their hands every time I screamed.”

There were many other cases of sexual harassment of young children like Uma during the conflict.

1.5 School closures
According to government statistics, there are 35,000 schools across the country, both government and private-run, where about 500,000[vii] students are studying. During the conflict, many schools were disrupted and nearly 200 private schools were forced to close by the Maoist-affiliated student union, which accused private schools of turning education into a business.

The primary victims of such closures were children. Schools should open a minimum of 185 days every year, according to the government’s work schedule, but in Nepal in the last five years, they have run barely 150 days annually. After the success of the second “people’s movement” in April 2006, the number of strikes has actually increased.

According to CWIN, 3,735 schools countrywide were closed from time to time for a period of 18 months in 2005 and 2006. Similarly, 3,838 schools were directly affected by the conflict.

Although it is generally accepted that children as well as schools are zones of peace, both the Maoists and the government acted otherwise. It’s reported that by August 2006, Maoists had built bunkers at 56 schools while the army had erected security posts in eight schools. Despite the political changes in the country, security posts have still not been removed from these schools.

Many students were affected by the clashes between the Maoists and security forces which took place at three schools. On 13th October 2003, Sharda Higher Secondary School in Mudvara of Doti was attacked by government forces while the Maoists were organizing a program there. Four students died and nine were injured, in what is considered the deadliest incident in a school during the fighting. Also, six Maoists were killed in by the security forces in the same incident.

The concept of “Education for All[viii]” by 2015 has been introduced in Nepal. But according to government statistics, given in the August 2006 edition of Prachi bimonthly, 20% children who have reached school-going age are still unable to attend school. The school drop-out rate is also very high because the conflict.

The Millennium Development Goals report mentions that by 2015, 50% of the children admitted to Class 1 will have reached Class 5. At the moment, 63% of Nepalese children leave school without completing primary education.

The study shows that military activities conducted by both the State and Maoist rebels in the school premises have traumatized the students. At a time when the Maoists have laid down their arms and participated in the peace process, the students in heavily affected areas like the Mid- and Far-West have experienced serious problems, such as trembling, being constantly frightened and unable to concentrate on studies, which are some indications of such trauma.

1.6 Conflict-affected children in Kathmandu
Most victims of the conflict, including children, were from remote parts of Nepal but Kathmandu was not untouched. On 18 September 2006, the Maoist affiliated student union forced children to take part in their national conference. Many of these children were too young to understand the politics involved. During the day, all schools in the Kathmandu Valley were forced to close and the union forced local buses and some from private schools to carry children. Because the buses were too few in number, they carried children on their roofs. The slogan of the event was: “Janatako chhora chhori sabai akhil krantikari”. (“All ordinary people’s children are Maoists.”)

Not only that, these children were asked to head bands bearing the red star logo[ix] and chant slogans. Maoists in other parts of Nepal also used young children in their programs. The party created a children’s union that included students from Class 1 to Class 10. As such activities affect children mentally as well as interrupt their studies, education officers and human rights representatives asked the Maoists to stop the practices, but they were not taken seriously.

There are many examples of the Maoists vandalizing and setting fire to schools in Kathmandu. By 15 September 2006, security forces had set up posts on the roofs of half a dozen schools in the capital.

Because of the conflict, thousands of families migrated to Katmandu, in many cases to live in a single cold dark room. In such places, without fresh air and in dim light, it’s very hard for children to study. They get sick for lack of a healthy environment.

Conflict-affected children, as well as those associated with armed forces and armed groups, must be reunified with their families as soon as possible. The commitments expressed by the government and responsible political parties in relation to the protection and development of these children, must be implemented as soon as possible.

[i] INSEC 2007. Human Rights Yearbook 2006. p 10.
[ii] Source could not be found
[iii] Source could not be found
[iv] Rs (or NRs) is short for rupees, the national currency of Nepal. 1 USD is around 77 NRs. Live rates are available at www.xe.com.
[v] Source of records not specified
[vi] Real name changed
[vii] This figure is quoted from the original Nepali text. The given number of students is too small. It should be 5,000,000.
[viii] Education for All (EFA), http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46881&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
[ix] Red star symbolizes the Maoist party

2 Children’s stories

During the course of this study, we came across children who had their own stories of misery and suffering. After being forced by the Maoists to cook for them, pay donations and to join their party, many parents fled their villages and took their children with them. It was also found that many parents sent their children to Kathmandu with people they knew because their education would be at risk if they remained in the village. At first, we wanted to include eight of their stories, but because the reasons for their displacement seemed similar, we decided to include only seven stories in the end. These children have faced various problems. For instance, they have been orphaned as a result of atrocities by the Maoists or security forces; they have been caught in crossfire; they have been displaced because of the conflict; they have been subjected to the ill-practice of untouchability. In order to protect the children’s identities, their real names have been changed in the following stories.

2.1 Orphan Kishor’s life
Kishor was only 7 years of age when his mother died from lack of treatment and medicine for her cancer, depriving the young boy of his mother’s love and cozy lap. Kishor and his elder brother Suresh lived with his father Motiram Nepali, a woodcutter, in their home on government land in Chitwan. The family was very poor.

A few months after his wife’s death, Motiram was cutting wood in the jungle one day when suddenly some soldiers came and arrested him. They accused him of being a Maoist and kept him in prison for two years. Kishor and Suresh appealed to many people for the release of their father but no one heard them. When they went to police stations seeking help to free their father, they were called “a Maoist’s sons” and sent away.

Because the brothers are from a lower caste, their neighbors and the larger society hated them. Without a father and mother, Kishor forgot how to smile. Suresh, who was then 20, struggled to provide the brothers with two meals a day.

After two long years, Motiram was released from prison. Meeting him again was the happiest moment of Kishor’s life; both brothers cried to see their father again. Quickly, Motiram resumed making a living for his family – cutting wood in the jungle to sell in the city. However, one day he was again arrested by the Army, but unfortunately this time they did not imprison Motiram; they shot him on the spot after accusing him of being a Maoist.

Kishor and his brother had to face another tragedy. After the funeral ceremony, the brothers realized that they couldn’t stay in the same place: most people hated them because of their caste and they were scared that the soldiers would also label them Maoists.

The brothers left their hut in Chitwan and came to Sundarijal in Kathmandu. Suresh got work as a laborer and soon after heard about SSG. He went there for help and got a job and a room where the brothers could live. SSG gave Suresh work on their land in Sundarijal, and Kishor was admitted to the Shanti Sewa School in Budhanilkantha.

In Chitwan, Kishor had studied till Class 1 but no further because of his family’s poor economic condition. Now 10 years old, he is studying in Class 2. When he was younger, he had an accident that damaged his left eye. Again for lack of money, it was not treated and today his eye is damaged. He says, “When I was in my village most of the people used to humiliate me and insult and hate me because of our poverty, low caste and my physical appearance. But now in Shanti Sewa no one laughs at me. Instead, everyone loves and cares for each other. I feel very happy to be here.”

Kishor says he feels like he is living a new life in SSS. Sometimes Suresh comes to meet him at the school. According to Kishor’s class teacher, Rabina Shahi, the boy’s behavior towards his friends is very good and he is very polite but sometimes he seems upset. He is good in all subjects except English. Kishor hasn’t forgotten his mother’s death by cancer and wants to be a doctor so he can serve sick and poor patients. May his dreams come true.