This is my village Bosan. It's within the newly formed Dakshinkali Municipality, the suburban area of Kathmandu. Located on a hill, Bosan had approximately 300 houses. According to the latest statistics, 177 houses, mostly built with stone and clay, are completely destroyed. Only a dozen of houses could survive the great quake. The remaining houses are badly cracked. Each 'Home, Sweet Home' has been turned into either ugly debris or 'House, Dangerous House'.Keshar Bahadur Lama and his wife still live in their dangerous house. How do they gather courage, as a teenager says, that 'they deserve to be felicitated publicly'? "Two glasses of strong local wine will make you bold," he says. "What can I possibly do? Nobody cares for me. The Government is dead. Political leaders have disappeared. In the name of relief, we have received nothing. Not even a packet of noodles." He wonders on the fate of the people of remote areas. "We are only 12 kilometers away from the capital and our situation is bleak. You can just imagine the plight of the people of distant regions."
Near the tent, a blue truck is on the road. Kisme Yok Mu Nepal Turkey Foundation has brought some food items. People gather around the truck. Mamata Regmi of the Foundation briefs Devkrishna Thapamagar, a man in his late thirties, on the food stuff. Looking at her notebook, she describes the quantity. "Eighty five sacks of rice, each weighs 30 kg, five bags of pulse 30 kg each, 150 liters of mustard oil and 15 kg of dalmoth." She feels sorry for not being able to bring salt and beaten rice. "We tried our best to bring salt and chiura. But they were not available in the market. Stores are empty, you know."
Ever smiling man Devkrishna is trying to communicate with two Turkish volunteers about the quake aftermath. In his broken English, he explains them how their world was broken. "Everything finish," he says. He doesn't have to explain much to the Turkish volunteers. Their cameras and their eyes have already captured the havoc. His and his four brothers' homes are demolished. He has seen a very slim chance of owning a house again. "It takes a lifetime to build a house. I don't know how I am going to manage a roof for my kids."
He thanks Mamata and Nepal Turkey Foundation for the food items. Four persons, including him, representing four badly affected clusters of the village in the great quake receive the relief to deliver 170 needy families.
Purushottam Nagarkoti, 24, assures relief workers aid won't be misused. "Don't worry ma'm," he says to Mamata, "Everybody gets equal share. We are victims and victims don't cheat."
Manita Thapa is sitting under the shadow of a huge lapsi tree. Her six year old son in his childlike enthusiasm wants to know if the relief team has brought sweets. Manita hushes him.
Tents are the immediate need. "A tent is what we want now," says Rohit Tamang. "Even food is less important than a tent." Overwhelmed by locals' appeal, a Turkish volunteer says, "There's a scarcity of tents in the market." Mamata translates his words into Nepali and adds, "However, we will try our best." Bhimsen Khatri, Hira Magar, Arjun KC and many more locals fear the upcoming rainy season. "We survived the quake, but would the rain spare us?" Bhimsen Khatri, 67, is pessimistic. "What is left with us after the quake, the rain will take away," he says.
Mamata reenters the tent. She wants to take a photograph of children playing inside. Kids smile as they pose for her click. Their smile was really beautiful, in spite of everything, in spite of a trodden earth.
The author is associated with Shukrabar weekly
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