The administration has imposed an indefinite curfew in the wake of the brutal attack and fear stalks the localies. On one hand, people fear the bullets that the security forces could fire to enforce the curfew. On the other, they worry about communal clashes in a place where Tharu and hill people had been living in fraternity for years.
The locals, who had watched the protests and face-offs over the last few weeks between supporters of an undivided Far Western Region and those championing Tharuhat, were forced to witness the brutality of August 24. They are still trying to come to terms with that traumatic experience.
Regular patrols by the Nepal Army, Armed Police Force and Nepal Police in the public squares and on the roads and village mud trails are a regular sight.
Lauti Chaudhary of Chilam Chauraha at Manuwa VDC laments that the curfew has barred her from meeting her neighbors for a chat. She becomes afraid whenever she sees security personnel or any strangers. "I feel fearful even when I am in my own house," she said.
Lauti and her husband Sadhuram, who runs a small tea shop, are representative of locals in the area. "We cannot come out of the house. We are unable to take care of our crops. People carrying arms move here and there on motor vehicles. My own house is becoming like a jail for me," said Sadhuram.
Chuni Lal Das of Okharpur says looking after his buffalo has becomed a major challenge. "If I do not collect fodder of it, the buffalo will keep groaning away. On the other hand, moving outside the house is hazardous for me," he said.
The District Administration Office has designated Tikapur and Bhajani Trishakti Municipalities as well as Durgauli, Manuwa, Patharaiya, Dhansinghpur, Narayanpur, Joshipur, Thapapur, Bauniya and Khailad VDCs a riot-hit area and imposed an indefinite curfew.
Rabina Dagaura Tharu, a 19 year-old girl, and her grandmother Phatahi Dagaura are also feeling the brunt of the curfew. Rabina, who has been living at Lamki Chuha Municipality, had to visit her parents at Katan in Tikapur, 30 km away. When Rabina ran into a group of journalists on Sunday, she was too frightened to talk. When the journalists told here who they were, she asked whether she was in for some trouble.
"I used to ride my bicycle even during bandas but I am now forced to walk and that too out of sight of the security personnel because of the curfew. I hope they won't do anything to us," she said.
Some locals complain that they cannot go to the market to buy daily essentials or take the sick to hospital. Dr Shuvesraj Kayastha at Seti Zonal Hospital says that because of the curfew people are coming to the hospital only after their suffering becomes unbearable.
The protests by different groups have affected life in Kailali since early August and the curfew has made things worse.
Why and for how long?
Locals hope that the situation would improve soon and urged the administration to end the curfew. "The top leaders are quarrelling and we ordinary people are suffering," said Gagan Biswakarma.
Likwise, Aananda Hamal, chairman of Tikapur Chamber of Commerce, opined that the curfew should be lifted. "Curfew was necessary at the time of the [lynching] incident but I think it should be lifted now. Curfew for an indefinite period will not resolve the real problem," he said.
However, Kailali Chief District Officer Mohan Chapagain said security threats still exist. "Imposing curfew is a compulsion for the administration," he said adding that there are still chances of communal riots and attacks. "We cannot lift the curfew until the District Security Committee feels that the situation in the area is under control," he added.
As the administration is unlikely to lift the curfew soon, locals in Kailali are sure to suffer even more . The locals hope that the big problems of the district will be solved through political dialogue instead of curfews for an indefinite period.
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