‘This government neither feeds us in Kathmandu nor lets us go out’

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Two container vehicles have been stopped just some metres away from the police test publish at Nagdhunga Pass, the western gateway to Kathmandu Valley. Around these vehicles are small crowds of individuals. It appears there’s a honest underway. But how can one host any honest when the complete nation is locked down to manage the coronavirus outbreak?

Most of the folks, it appears, are building labourers.

The employees later inform you they don’t have anything to eat and are penniless as they misplaced their jobs to the lockdown, which is why they need to return to their properties. Some say they’ve to achieve to Nepalgunj, some to Birgunj, another to Rautahat and Sarlahi. They have been standing there carrying baggage on their arms.

It is Friday (April 10) night time, the 18th day of the nationwide lockdown.

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The employees are pleading with the truck drivers to take them residence. But, the drivers have their very own hardship.

“Police make us cease the truck and hit us with their batons. They shout at us and pressure us to go away the travellers,” speaks one of many truck drivers.

“Then, the place else can we go besides our properties as now we have nothing to eat in Kathmandu?” a labourer assures, “We will request the police officers. We won’t let any bother come to you.”

Interrupting them, the truck driver once more speaks, “Try to grasp. We will likely be in bother. We need to journey this route usually and the police would possibly hassle us repeatedly.”

While the motive force is talking, one other employee says, “What type of authorities now we have? It neither can feed us in Kathmandu nor permits us to go to out.”

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A younger man from Bardiya of the identical crowd shares his story:

It had been solely 10 days that the 4 of us had arrived in Kathmandu and solely 5 days that we had began to work. We used to remain on the building website.

Then, the lockdown began. The contractor was Indian; he returned to his home earlier than the lockdown was imposed. And right here, we’re struggling on their own. We got here right here to earn cash, so we had not introduced any cash from residence. For some days, we managed some meals for ourselves asking for cash from the shut ones. But, it has already run out. We waited this lengthy for the top of the lockdown, however now it appears we’ll die ravenous. That is why now we have launched into our journey to our personal locations from Lokanthali (of Bhaktapur).

From Lokanthali till right here, many police personnel interrogated us. We shared our issues with them. Some of them allow us to proceed our journey providing some water to drink whereas some others hit us with their batons saying we violated the principles. But, we didn’t have another different than this.

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The employees got here right here within the capital with huge expectations of incomes cash and enhancing their high quality of life. Instead of assembly their hopes, they’re struggling right now.

The sufferings and tales of many of the labourers stranded at Nagadhunga are related. Everyone desires to go away Kathmandu and returns to their properties. Their baggage are stuffed with fried lentils and crushed rice. They are agency to achieve their properties even by strolling.

After witnessing all these sufferings and listening to their distress, it appears like Kathmandu and the central authorities are completely detached to and thoughtless about these labourers and their sufferings. Amidst this uncertainty, as an alternative of encouraging them to remain in Kathmandu managing them some each day necessities like meals, they’re charging batons on them.

As the employees and the truck drivers proceed their discuss, one other truck arrives there. After a short dialog, half of the employees get into it.

The different half remains to be stranded. Meanwhile, a driver assures that he would assist them go as much as Narayangadh; however he has a precondition for the passengers, “You need to take accountability for the police on the best way.”

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In just some minutes, greater than 100 folks crossed Nagdhunga on two vehicles. They have been saying like, “We will face no matter comes. If we get some automobile, we’ll go on it. Else we’ll stroll on foot.”

Photos: Bikas Shrestha/Chandra Bahadur Ale

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