From war to cart: Ex-Maoist combatant turns to vegetable vending

Sabitri Khadka, formerly known as Rekha during her time as a Maoist combatant, reflects on her journey from fighting in Nepal’s armed insurgency to selling vegetables from a cart in Kathmandu. Once a trusted member of the People's Liberation Army, she spent 11 years in the movement, enduring battles, injuries, and loss. Disillusioned with the war and its unfulfilled promises, she left the Maoist party in 2013 to rebuild her life. Sabitri’s story highlights the unaddressed struggles of thousands of former fighters and the societal shift from revolutionary fervor to economic survival.