RAPID RESPONSE FUND: SIX TALES FROM NEPAL

1: CASTE BASED CONFLICT

June 2007, Gidikola Village, Jumla District. Lal Bahadur Kami, a Dalit (Untouchable), drank water from a communal tap used exclusively by higher caste villagers. The high-caste community sought to penalise him for polluting the water by paying compensation of NRS 2000 (£ 15) or by working on a field belonging to a high caste local. Lal Bahadur Kami declined, asserting he hadn’t committed any crime. He then called on the Dalit community to get even by fighting with the locals. KIRDARC’s peace workers brought the communities together and after two days of negotiation their differences were resolved.

2: SETTLING OLD SCORES

Iman Singh Tamang of Katunje Village in Kavre district was killed by local security forces back in 1998. But the manner in which he was taken and later killed by the security forces made the entire village wary and distrustful of the police and the army. Iman Singh was alleged to be a Maoist, dragged 200 metres away from his home and shot 18 times; his wife died of grief two months later. Last year after the peace settlement local police went back to Katunje to re-establish the police post. The villagers were outraged and didn’t want police back in the community. YAPE facilitated a number of meetings as confidence building measures between the community and senior police officers. The locals agreed for the police to come back to the community in August.

3: INTRODUCING MAITA BUDA

Maita Buda is a 25 year old woman from Dharaphori with a grudge against the Maoists – they’d beaten up her brother for promoting human rights in the region. After finding out about the Rapid Response Fund, she requested KIRDARC arrange a meeting with the Maoists where she demanded and received a public apology. KIRDARC gives training to key local women in far flung communities so that they can act as mediators when small conflicts crop up. Maita has now received this training and has already settled a dispute over firewood. As Maita herself says, “I have learned that a united community approach gives a positive result, and we do not need third party to intervene in our problems.”

4: ELECTION TENSION

September 2007. Fifteen armed police officers arrived in Raskot to observe the election campaign. When the Young Communist League (YCL) learnt that the police officers were carrying weapons a fight broke out. KIRDARC’s local peace group members were called upon to intervene. They convinced the police officers to return to their HQ and YCL cadres to leave the area. KIRDARC’s intervention gained wide public support.

5: KEEPING THE PEACE

March 2007. Gayla Village, Kalikot District. Seven local men were violently beaten by Maoist cadres alleging them to have conspired against the Maoist cause during the conflict. They were attacked with locally made knives, sticks and khukuris. Local KIRDARC peace group members chased the attackers away and secured medical help to the injured. The case is now being resolved through a public hearing put together by KIRDARC.

6: RADIO WAVES

KIRDARC operates Karnali FM. Their weekly radio program ‘Shanti Bahas’ (Peace Dialogue) brings conflict-affected people into the studio and airs their grievances, concurrently informing Karnali residents about the Rapid response Fund. Communities outside the target area of Rapid Response Fund have also started to appeal KIRDARC to implement RRF in their villages.

Nepal Rapid Response Fund homepage

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