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JUSTICE DENIED: How the state and human rights group "cheated" Ganga Maya's quest for justice

KATHMANDU, Sept 10: "Now I have no reason to remain alive, better they let me die and not intervene anymore. I had merely asked for justice but both human rights activists and the government always kept tricking me."
Ganga Maya Adhikari
By Anjali Subedi

KATHMANDU, Sept 10: "Now I have no reason to remain alive, better they let me die and not intervene anymore. I had merely asked for justice but both human rights activists and the government always kept tricking me."


Barely able to move her feet, fragile Ganga Maya Adhikari was struggling to come out of her cabin in Bir Hospital on Sunday evening when she heard the news that the district court of Chitwan acquitted all the 12 defendants including Chhabilal Poudel in the murder case of her son Krishna Prasad Adhikari. This instantly robbed her of a normal temperament. After a pause, the 57-year-old told Republica that she is not going to talk to anyone or eat anything from Monday.


"I will be on a fast-unto-death from tomorrow. Both the state and those so-called human rights activists and lawyers only cheated me. This is a country where you cannot get justice," she declared.


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"I was not at all ready to break my fast-unto-death last time, but they gave me false assurances. Today I hear that they are giving a clean chit to all the guilty, for what should I live longer? I should not," added Ganga Maya.


Ganga Maya's son aged 18 was murdered by the then rebels on 6 June 2004 in Chitwan during the Maoist insurgency. Claiming that her son's murder was not related to the conflict, Ganga Maya and her late husband had been fighting relentlessly for justice since then. As a landmark achievement in the case, the main accused Chhabilal Poudel surrendered to the court on July 8 this year. Following this and assurances to book even other guilty in the case, Ganga Maya ended her hunger strike. Today, when she came in contact with this scribe at the cabin, she was expecting some positive development in the case.


"But now, I really see no reason to continue fighting. Do not take my further step as a fight for justice anymore. I understand that they are not capable of giving justice. I will also die miserably like my husband, let them rejoice their victory," she said.


Talking about the debt she still has to pay to some benevolent people who helped her during her struggle, she said that she has no faith even in the so-called human rights activists. "I have not opened my mouth so far. But deep inside, they also know what I feel. For them, my case is just a platform to earn name, fame and money, "she stated."Just early morning today, a few human rights activists had come here to see me. They did not give me a clue of this development. They might or might not have known it, but I can feel that I am a lucrative project for them," she fumed.


            


Ganga Maya looked extremely disturbed while stating 'everyone tricked her'. As a relief amount the government had deposited Rs 10 million in her account in July end. She said that she was however very unhappy that 'they tried to impress her with money'. "Does money make any sense to someone like me who has no worries about food and clothes? I demand that rather Prachanda go to jail if he wants to save others. That would be justice" said Ganga Maya, adding that no force should be used to end her hunger strike this time. "I have the right to die, if I don't want to live. Let no one come and trick me anymore," she warned.

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