Conflict-era injured still living with pain

PYUTHAN, Oct 9: A class one student Pinky BK along with few other classmates was returning home when a blast occurred. The next thing Pinky remembers is an excruciating pain all over her body. Only after a month of treatment did she come to know that she had been hit by shrapnel.



The incident dates back to April 9, 2001 at Budachowr of Khalanga VDC-9 of Puythan when the Maoist insurgency was at its height.[break]



Pinky, 23, now a ninth grader along with her six friends injured in the blast grew up with the shrapnel embedded in their bodies. “Sometimes I felt excruciating pain but we got used to growing up with pain,” said BK.



Twelve years after the incident, Pinky underwent treatment a month ago. The treatment was financed by an organization working for human rights. A total of 13 shrapnel fragments were removed from her body.



However, Pinky´s friends are still living with shrapnel embedded in their bodies. “Most of them have gone abroad to earn money,” added BK.

According to Kesab Bhusal, a rights activist, those injured during the conflict have not received any relief from the government.

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