Though candidates and other political leaders prefer explaining the locals about the features of the new constitution, the federal model they want to adopt and the programs for economic transformation, villagers say they are not interested in the political agendas. [break]
“What will you do to protect our lives and properties from the rivers during monsoon” is a question that the candidates have been facing from the locals.
Nepali Congress (NC) candidate from Kanchanpur-4, Ramesh Lekhak, said that erosion caused by rivers like Mahakali is a major problem facing the locals in Kanchanpur. Some of the most affected areas such as Dodhara Chandani fall in his constituency.
Dodhara, Chandani, Bhimdutta municipality, Shankarpur, Dekhatbhuli and some other areas that are hard hit by big rivers such as Mahakali, Jogbudha, Doda and Syali. Certain areas of the municipality remain flooded throughout the year while the destruction caused by floods in the Chure range is another cause of concern.
“River management is the issue raised by a majority of voters,” Lekhak told Republica.
According to candidates and other leaders, the issues concerning new constitution, federal system and economic model are discussed during interactions, especially with educated people from urban areas. However, lower class people from the villages are not interested in political issues.
Gagan Bahadur Singh, UCPN (Maoist)´s election publicity coordinator in Kanchanpur, opined the debates should have focused on political agendas but it has deviated to development and other local issues.
He, however, said that the voters´ concerns should be taken naturally. “For those who live near the rivers, their lives and properties are more important than constitution and other political issues,” he said.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party candidate Dharmaraj Joshi, who visited Dodhara Chandani areas, said the voters´ major concern is flood control. “Other demands are related to electricity, road, bridges, hospitals and employment,” he said.
Dil Bahadur Singh of NC´s youth wing Tarun Dal said voters in 90 percent of the households he visited requested them to find a permanent solution to the flooding caused by Mahakali and other rivers.
Health concerns
People from Kanchanpur district are compelled to visit towns bordering India for medical treatment. They have no options as even government-run Mahakali and Seti Zonal hospitals don´t provide reliable services.
“There has been no doctor in the 11 VDCs of this area for a long time,” said Ramesh Gautam (Thuldai) of bordering Belauri village.
The capital city Kathmandu, which is called as "Nepal" in local dialect, is too distant than some Indian towns Delhi (325 km), Lucknow (300 km), Dehradun (300 km) and Kanpur (380 km). One has to travel over 750 km to reach Kathmandu from Mahendranagar.
Flood victims, landless squatters
In Kanchanpur, there are many settlements where flood victims, landless squatters and those displaced after the expansion of Shuklaphanta Wildlife Conservation Area. The displaced have made up their minds to vote any candidate who promises to solve their problems.
After being displaced by Syali River, one Bhajora Ranatharu has been living in a hut inside Bhorkunda settlement of Pipaladi VDC-3. He said 17 households in the settlements are undecided about whom to vote for. “We have reached an understanding to vote for the candidate who promises to solve our problem,” he said.
The people displaced by the conservation area have similar demands. Twenty-six commissions have been formed since they were displaced but their problems still remain unsolved. Singh of UCPN (Maoist) said that there is a sizeable number of "such neutral bloc votes" in Kanchanpur.
Highhandedness of SSB
Those living in the border areas have to travel around 60 kilometers to reach market areas in Mahendranagar and Dhangadhi while bordering Indian markets are just around two to three kilometers south of the Nepali villages.
Nepalis routinely visit Indian markets to buy consumer items. However, they are unnecessarily troubled by Indian security personnel from Seema Surakshya Bal deployed on the border. This is a major concern of voters in the border areas. “We visit the Indian markets for daily needs but we face a lot of difficulties. Therefore, we have raised this issue with candidates seriously,” said Nele Tamang from bordering village Kalika VDC-8.
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