15 years of “People’s War”

So yes, it’s been that long! Things haven’t gone any better! Promises remain unfulfilled. Villages are still in ruins, people still missing and wounds still unhealed. I don’t want to put any blames on anyone nor do I want to discuss the reasons. But just a reminder of all the people who lost their lives, their families and homes, reminder that war does no good and a reminder of the lesson learnt the hard way.  

In 2010, the government updated the figure of those killed during the conflict to 16,719 from a previous toll of just over 14,000. The Maoists launched a decade long war from 1996 to 2006 in Nepal, to establish a communist state.According to the report, 78,708 people were internally displaced by the insurgency. The statistics are based on the figures provided by district administration offices, peace committees and district-based all-party mechanisms.

            I also recently came across an article in Times Of India. An excerpt here:        “Sukmaya was 12 when she and her family were forced to join the underground Maoists. The rebels took shelter in their mud hut in Pakapani village in Myagdi district and the army stormed it, thinking Sukmaya's family were sympathisers, so they had no option but to join the guerrillas in the jungle. Now, seven years later, Sukmaya still weeps when she thinks how she and thousands of children like her were led astray with false promises.” 

Read more here:  http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Nepals-Peoples-War-turns-15-forgets-its-own-people-/articleshow/7487569.cms#ixzz1Dqa4VLXb