GULMI, Sept 4: Laxman Marasini of Resunga Municipality-9 of Gulmi, formerly known as Tamghas-6, had left home on January 26, 2001 to meet his brother in Butwal. He never returned home.
Nepal Army had reportedly arrested him on the same day. His whereabouts are still unknown to this day. Even after nearly 19 years, Marasini’s family is clueless regarding his condition. We haven’t received his body to declare him dead. We can neither say he did not die.
His wife Shanta is still hopeful of seeing him return home alive after all these years.
Complaints of the disappeared have themselves disappeared!
Shanta is not alone. Kavita Panthi of the same ward is also awaiting the return of her husband, who was taken under control by then Maoist rebels on September 18, 1999 from Bhimphedi Barracks.
“I know, 19 years without any news about his whereabouts is quite harrowing. But I’m still living to this day with hopes of seeing him return,” said Kavita. “I have lodged application at the District Administration Office, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP). But there is no information even to this day.”
She expressed her dissatisfaction toward the government’s lack of urgency to find the truth about the disappeared persons even after 12 years of peace process.
“The commissions have done nothing but register complaints,” Kavita expressed her frustration.
Reena Basnet of Dhurkot Rural Municipality-6, whose husband was also disappeared during the insurgency, said that the government owes families of the victims some information regarding their disappeared relatives.
Data maintained by the district chapter of TRC shows that over a dozen people from the district were victims of enforced disappearance.
