TIKAPUR, KAILALI, Sept 2: When a reporter from Republica daily reached the house of Bhadra Bir Chaudhary, former vice-president of Durgauli VDC in Kailali district on Wednesday, his family asked a lot of questions before allowing a meeting. The meeting took place after he introduced himself as a media person.
Like Chaudhary, no one in the Tharu community wishes to talk to strangers these days, clearly indicating a growing feeling of alienation between the Tharu and hill communities.
Security personnel have been deployed in strength in Tikapur after its declaration by the government as a restricted zone. Following this, the locals fear that the police might give them unnecessary trouble.
"Everyone is living in fear," said Bhadra Bir, "That's the reason why people around here hesitate to speak openly."
Another Tharu village near Bhadra Bir's house on the bank of the Kaulariya River also seems very quiet. Only women and children could be seen in this village of around 25 households. Most of the local menfolk are out of the village.This was precisely where the clash between supporters of an undivided far-west on one hand and Tharuhat/Tharuwan on the other took place on August 21.
"Many locals are going through mental trauma after the clash between the two communities," informed Suman Chaudhary, a local teacher and an eyewitness to the incident. "My two-year-old daughter is facing the same problem."
Suman said his daughter mutters to herself about the terrifying incident time and again. She is afraid of strangers. "Not just my daughter, many other children in the village are behaving in the same way," he informed.
Another local, Sita Ram Tharu, said, "My seven-year-old daughter sustained injuries after being hit by a stone that was thrown at my house. I was away at the time and when I reached home, I found that everyone was terrified. None of my children has been able to get a good night's sleep since then." Local children have hardly come out of their houses following the incident.
The atmosphere of fear, however, seems to have spared other settlements in Kailali. According to Bhagi Ram Chaudhary, a local of Pathraiya-1, the effect of the incident has not been felt in his village.
"We have been living in a state of peace and harmony between the two communities despite the recent incidents," he said. "The bonhomie and mutual respect between us have not diminished."
Bhagi Ram stressed the need to restore the bonhomie in every village. However, former Durgauli VDC vice-chairman Bhadra Bir said that bonhomie alone will not solve the problem and narrow the gap between the two sides.
"The solution should be sought from the political level. Top level leaders should come to a mutual understanding and take decisions that satisfy everyone," said Bhadra Bir.
The increasing feeling of alienation between the two communities has also affected the local economy. "I have received not even a single customer since the incident of August 21," said Raj Kumar Chaudhary, a cottage lodge operator in Patharaiya-3. "Such incidents have not benefited anyone. Harmony should be restored once again."
Most people of Tharu community are hoping for the restoration of harmony with people of the hill regions. They said the sense of alienation would have been much less if a third party had taken some initiative.
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Tharu protest extended to September 17
Meanwhile, Tharuhat supporters have stated that their protest is going to be extended till 17 September. The protest which began on August 12 was supposed to end on September 2. Protesters from the United Tharuhat/Tharuwan Struggle Committee claim to feel the need to put more pressure on the government. A meeting on Tuesday attended by members of the struggle committee came to the decision after concluding that their cause was not being heeded, informed CA member and protest leader Rukmani Chaudhari. "So we have decided to protest at least till September 17," she said.
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