Melamchi locals press demands with govt
Rajen
Manandhar Melamchi, January 13
A silent rage of dissatisfaction is taking Melamchi in its grip. The future of the $5000-million project is certain while the locals has come p with fresh demands and warned of protests. For 30 years, a tussle between the locals and the project management team has been on neither has the management tried to satisfy the locals' demands, nor are the lcals convinced by the management's promises.
The red flags, dharnas, gheraos, seizure of project vehicles and the list of demands have always surrounded the project. The project management officers, usually deter the protests with thick reports filled with promises. They show the amount of money they have spent on the locals' socials upliftment but the locals still find them selves duped.
Undoubtedly, the Melamchi valley villagers had next to nothing before the idea of the project moved them. As project officers, donors and international experts started frequenting the distant village, the locals saw some hope. They knew they had nothing to loss but could instead gain form it.
When the whole country is enjoying the practices of democracy, the villagers are also bound to feel its impact. The villagers know the river belongs to them and they must be the first to enjoy the benefits.
"We are poor and uneducated but we know that the river belongs to us. They come here as the rich sahibs and treat us like beggars. How can this go on ?" asked Shivaram Guragai, a local teacher at Kiul village of Melamchi.
A grand project offices has been constructed at the Melamchi Bazaar with "unnecessary" security system. The staff working at the luxurious office do not allow locals to even look in, they claim. "We are not untouchables. We don't want to create chaos everyday, but whenever we visit them, their reaction is such that we cannot hold our patience," he added.
Another site office is located at Kiul, some 13 km up the hill but, locals say, "The sahibs come here once in a couple of months to picnic with their city friends." Lately, the government has been emphasizing on the significance of inclusion. It's not just the government but even the political system has been changed. The Interim Constitution has wholeheartedly accepted the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the country but the notion of inclusion has not entered this project.
Most people who are affected by the project belong to the Sherpa and Hyalmo communities–most do not understand Nepali. The officials do not care about this and do not even try to speak to the locals in their mother tongue. "Our parents do not understand when the officials speak to them. We cannot always translate for them. It is as if we are being forcefully evacuated from our country," said Kaji Sherpa, a local at Timbu.
The result; Communities in the Helambu area have demanded that the project name be changed. "Welcome to Hyalmo Water supply Project"– a signboard stands at the Timbu bridge. Villagers said very few locals have been employed by the office except for those who gave away their properties for construction.
And the pressure from political leaders, nepotism and relation with the then Maoist rebels helped in more than just the construction of some 20 km of roads that links Melamchi Bazaar to Timbu, on the way to Helambu VDC. There are, however, many problems which need to be sorted out – the locals have a long list of demands and it will surely grow if not fulfilled in time.
Apart from petty demands, often provoked by someone's personal interest, the locals are asking for a levy – blanket compensation of money for supplying water to 14 VDCs affected by the project. "We need 10 percent of whatever the government or the foreign company will earn by supplying water from the Melamchi river, which is associated with our life," said Ram Bahadur Khadka, a local consumer leader, adding this would solve most of the problems in the locality.
He said the matter is not about "our water" or "your water". It is not a school or blacktopping of the road, we are asking for. Why can't the government take us as stakeholders? If the Seven Trent company can run the project at a profit so can Nepalis," he said. The locals of adjoining Kabhre district have also prepared their list of demands.
"We are going to hold protest programmes if we fail to draw the attention of the project officers," said Yognath Dotel, vice-chairman of the local Prabhabit Chhetra Mandan Upatyaka Bikas Samiti. He added the demands were genuine and the project should invest more on education, health and shelter for the local people and provide compensation to the locals for their land acquired by the project.
The government admits that the lack of trust is causing problems. "Coordination between the locals and the project management team is still lacking. It is a tough job for the project team to understand the locals. Likewise the locals too find it hard to understand the project team," said Suman Prasad Sharma, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and works.
"The locals have had time to think over their demands and what they have understood is that you will get what you ask for," he added.
A silent rage of dissatisfaction is taking Melamchi in its grip. The future of the $5000-million project is certain while the locals has come p with fresh demands and warned of protests. For 30 years, a tussle between the locals and the project management team has been on neither has the management tried to satisfy the locals' demands, nor are the lcals convinced by the management's promises.
The red flags, dharnas, gheraos, seizure of project vehicles and the list of demands have always surrounded the project. The project management officers, usually deter the protests with thick reports filled with promises. They show the amount of money they have spent on the locals' socials upliftment but the locals still find them selves duped.
Undoubtedly, the Melamchi valley villagers had next to nothing before the idea of the project moved them. As project officers, donors and international experts started frequenting the distant village, the locals saw some hope. They knew they had nothing to loss but could instead gain form it.
When the whole country is enjoying the practices of democracy, the villagers are also bound to feel its impact. The villagers know the river belongs to them and they must be the first to enjoy the benefits.
"We are poor and uneducated but we know that the river belongs to us. They come here as the rich sahibs and treat us like beggars. How can this go on ?" asked Shivaram Guragai, a local teacher at Kiul village of Melamchi.
A grand project offices has been constructed at the Melamchi Bazaar with "unnecessary" security system. The staff working at the luxurious office do not allow locals to even look in, they claim. "We are not untouchables. We don't want to create chaos everyday, but whenever we visit them, their reaction is such that we cannot hold our patience," he added.
Another site office is located at Kiul, some 13 km up the hill but, locals say, "The sahibs come here once in a couple of months to picnic with their city friends." Lately, the government has been emphasizing on the significance of inclusion. It's not just the government but even the political system has been changed. The Interim Constitution has wholeheartedly accepted the linguistic and ethnic diversity of the country but the notion of inclusion has not entered this project.
Most people who are affected by the project belong to the Sherpa and Hyalmo communities–most do not understand Nepali. The officials do not care about this and do not even try to speak to the locals in their mother tongue. "Our parents do not understand when the officials speak to them. We cannot always translate for them. It is as if we are being forcefully evacuated from our country," said Kaji Sherpa, a local at Timbu.
The result; Communities in the Helambu area have demanded that the project name be changed. "Welcome to Hyalmo Water supply Project"– a signboard stands at the Timbu bridge. Villagers said very few locals have been employed by the office except for those who gave away their properties for construction.
And the pressure from political leaders, nepotism and relation with the then Maoist rebels helped in more than just the construction of some 20 km of roads that links Melamchi Bazaar to Timbu, on the way to Helambu VDC. There are, however, many problems which need to be sorted out – the locals have a long list of demands and it will surely grow if not fulfilled in time.
Apart from petty demands, often provoked by someone's personal interest, the locals are asking for a levy – blanket compensation of money for supplying water to 14 VDCs affected by the project. "We need 10 percent of whatever the government or the foreign company will earn by supplying water from the Melamchi river, which is associated with our life," said Ram Bahadur Khadka, a local consumer leader, adding this would solve most of the problems in the locality.
He said the matter is not about "our water" or "your water". It is not a school or blacktopping of the road, we are asking for. Why can't the government take us as stakeholders? If the Seven Trent company can run the project at a profit so can Nepalis," he said. The locals of adjoining Kabhre district have also prepared their list of demands.
"We are going to hold protest programmes if we fail to draw the attention of the project officers," said Yognath Dotel, vice-chairman of the local Prabhabit Chhetra Mandan Upatyaka Bikas Samiti. He added the demands were genuine and the project should invest more on education, health and shelter for the local people and provide compensation to the locals for their land acquired by the project.
The government admits that the lack of trust is causing problems. "Coordination between the locals and the project management team is still lacking. It is a tough job for the project team to understand the locals. Likewise the locals too find it hard to understand the project team," said Suman Prasad Sharma, a joint secretary at the Ministry of Physical Planning and works.
"The locals have had time to think over their demands and what they have understood is that you will get what you ask for," he added.
Source: The Himalayan Times 14 January 2008.
