Was
it all bizarre? Was it all because of the elegance of God? Was it all because I
had to experience that life menacing, breath holding and heartless incident to
understand what human life is? I recall the air firing that took place in a
political program prearranged by CPN Maoist in the year 2062 B.S. I feel cold
when I elicit those bloody scenes and the horrors of war.
 |
| Looking back 2062 |
I
used to hear about air firing, bombing, electric traps and bloodshed but that
day I beheld all the gory events. At that time the whole country was convoluted
in war. Many children were made parentless, numbers of women were made widowed
and thousands were made homeless. Fighter helicopters, night vision aircrafts
and bombs were all frightening things that I had heard about on those days. I
used to think myself as a refugee. Life was uncertain because no one could
forecast what would ensue the next day either in the farm or in the schools and
offices.
An
order to the villagers forced me as well to participate in the program. Maoists’
preparations and the crowd seemed carnivalesque. The program was given a
regional value where several high commanding leaders and other officials from
the party were supposed to be public from that day. The bulk of hundreds of
guns, bombs, bullets and other arms, basket full of garlands, well decorated
stage, and arrangement of systematic sound system were the attractions of the
program. The arms and weapons Maoists had
captured from Nepal Army on the month of Falgun 2062 near Panchkhal were also
kept in the display. Songs of Raktim group had made the whole surrounding
musical. The program was about to start when a plane appeared high in the sky. For
the common mass of local it was nothing new but the liberation army took their
position holding rifles and ran towards the jungle. People from various sectors:
student, teacher, farmer, doctor, journalist, foreigner, photographer etcetera had
gathered in a single ground. The troop of people liberation army started hiding
inside the houses as well. The plane disappeared after few minutes and again
the troop arose and scattered in the ground. We were unaware about the
happenings and those dramatic events. There was confusion for what to do and
how to act ahead.
The
place turned into a battle field when two fighting helicopters approached and
opened the air firing. It happened very surprisingly and immediately that
people had no idea what actually was happening. We were confused as to what to
do and where to go. People started running all four directions. The distance
between my house and the program staged place was about one kilometer. My mind
totally went blank and stopped working. We need to climb upwards for 5-10 minutes to
catch a way towards home but for me the way turned out to be extended. I held my uncle’s hand and started running. Because
of his heavy weight, I could feel his inability to move faster. We tried to
crawl upward witnessing the air firing, bombing, yelling, crying, and assassination.
We had a challenge to make ourselves safe, escaping the battlefield. We had only
just crossed half the way when my uncle stopped moving. He abruptly sat on the
muddy ground and started coughing. We saw two fighting helicopters just above
our head and also the army inside it. Just few meters away from us was a group of
liberation army eyeing the helicopters and shooting. We had no hope that we could escape the
death. For the reason that Nepal army might
have seen the liberation army hiding behind the pine trees and promptly they
could open the air firing. How could we be alive in that situation? It was for
sure that Nepal army would start the operation to kill the liberation army.
The only way we had left for us to save
ourselves was to be away from the place. Uncle was already tired and too weak to
move. Then we raised both our hands and gestured towards the helicopters. Perhaps
the army noticed us and the helicopter changed its way. After few minutes I held
my uncle and again we started moving. As soon as we reached the upper part, the
place was attacked by 85 MM
mortar and several liberation armies were killed. The atmosphere thundered with
bombs and we could see nothing because of dust and smoke. The environment
turned out to be horrific that made me numb. We had no options except reaching
home as soon as possible and make the family members feel tenable.
When
I reached home I did not find any of my family members. My house was congested
with people far away from Melamchi to Chautara. The air firing and bombing was in
its climax. I tried to search my mother in the crowd but I could not find her.
It was not safe for me to ramble outside the house. So, I entered my brother’s
house expecting to meet my mother and hid inside the house. I didn’t see her
there as well but later I knew that she was hiding inside my uncle’s
house. After half an hour the air firing
clogged and we came outside the house. That day I saw the horrors of war, the
brutality and its inhumanness. The injured and dead liberation army was carried
by the other liberation army. The battered shouted because of discomfort and
the other used to show guns to make silent. The yard in front my house was
covered with blood. The liberation army was carried in bed sheets and we could
see the dripping of blood continuously from their body.
The
people who were forcefully brought in the program seemed more alarmed and anxious.
They had no idea what might happen ahead and how they would return to their
home. At the same time I thought about the family members of those people who
were struggling to make them alive. They
had no way what to do next and how to return back. People were in a very shocking
and panicky state. Again after half an hour, later the helicopters appeared in
the sky. By this time hundreds of injured liberation armies were carried away by
their friends. The death number had also reached about hundred and it was sure
for the rate to increase because many of the other injured liberation armies were
in critical situation. The yard was covered with blood that plunged from the
injured and dead bodies carried in the bed sheets. The air firing again started
and we again hid inside. After an hour we heard the people that the army had landed
nearby. We all came out of the houses and started morning towards the bombarded
zone. This was the first time I saw the destruction of war and the ruined
buildings. School, hospital, shops, VDC’s office, co-operative’s building,
canteen, resource center, NGO’s buildings, hostel, teachers’ quarter and the
village houses were destructed and smashed.
People
had no words to speak. They just kept on spotting things. Some areas were
already under control of the Nepal Army. The inquiry had already begun. Plenty
of bags, foodstuff, artilleries, pamphlets, posters, books and many more were
found by the military. They looked very excited and triumphant. Meanwhile, I
remembered the liberation army and their situation. Nepal army started the
investigation and found about a dozen dead bodies buried in several places.
Some had no legs and many of them had no hands. Three of the dead bodies were beyond
recognition because the teeth were out and whole appearance was divided into
several parts. The scene was intolerable to observe and nauseating.
The
college where I had taken my morning class was completely destroyed. The
library, computer lab, meeting hall, administrative block all were smashed and
destroyed. The roof of the houses, the beams, pillars, trees, walls of the
buildings everywhere scars of bombs were clearly seen. One of the inhabitants of ward no. 6, Bom
Bahadur Karki was killed in the warfare. His both legs and hands had been apart
because of the bombs. Many livestock were killed because the liberation army
tried to hide themselves inside the cow shed during the air firing.
Next
day a group of journalists, human rights activists, health assistants,
officials reached the deserted place and interviewed the local people. Bhojraj Bhat,
correspondent of the Kantipur daily and a Japanese lady journalist described
all the events to the officials. I still recall that the Japanese lady
newscaster had equated the happenings with the bombarding of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Nepal army was busy whole day in the disposal of the bombs and
grenades scattered throughout the nearby jungle by the liberation army. The
military returned the district headquarter, Chautra completing the operation
late evening. Despite the counsels and the commitments of the officials and
security force local people were not able to have a sound sleep afterwards.
Maoists, in the name of finding the one who leaked the information about the
program continued kidnapping, threatening, and giving other physical
punishments to the local people. The existing secretary of Thokarpa VDC was
kidnapped and freed only after ninety-five days by the Maoists. The youth were tormented
and enforced to be the member of people liberation army (PLA).
It
was only after the succession of people movement II countrymen somehow got the
chance to respire restfully. Thousands of innocents were made the scapegoat by
the both sides: Nepal army and liberation army during the eleven years long
civil war. The country neither progressed nor did the people feel secure.
People were deprived of their human rights and smoked very violently and
inhumanely. I had the experience of that
pitiless and unforgiving trial of war. Now, while remaining far away from my
house and recalling those episodes I inquire myself about the intention of that
warfare. What actually people got? What actually those who had tangled and
conjured the war got?
Still
today I have not got the responses to my queries. I know this very well that no
one has the answers to my questions. Next, those who can offer answers have
been caged themselves. They are now into the same quarries they had mined and
no one knows when and how they will be capable enough of taking them out of the
depths!
