Ilam, Aug 15: After receiving complaints from victims of the decade-long Maoist insurgency, both the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEPD) are clueless how to move the cases forward.

TRC has received about 60,000 complaints related to different incidents that took place in course of the decade-long conflict, and the CIEPD about 28,000 complaints. However, both these bodies said they do not have the resources to study and investigate the cases. They have expressed serious dissatisfaction over lack of support from the government.

Officials say that they do not have the human resources, including specialists, and that the government has not released the required budgets.

“We have written to demand the hiring of some specialists,” said Surya Kiran Gurung, chairman of TRC. “We need a budget of Rs 550 to 600 million.

However, we are yet to receive any  response from the government,” he said.

Additionally, Gurung said the timeframe of six months for completing the task is not enough. “It is not possible to provide justice to the victims within such a short duration. If we really are to provide them justice, the current level of support from the government is woefully insufficient,” he further added.

According to Mahesh Sharma, secretary of the TRC, they have been organizing various programs in 60 districts despite their limited resources and manpower.

“When these bodies were formed to investigate the cases, the victims did not repose much faith in us. Yet, we eventually managed to win their trust,” said TRC chairman Gurung. “Now more and more of the victims are showing trust in us and believe we can deliver them justice. We should not let them down.”
 

 
• no govt support
 
• conflict-era cases
 
• truth and reconciliation commission
 
• commission of investigation of enforced disappeared persons