To think that an incident can change the fate of a place like a temple, where gods reside and decide the fate of idol-worshipping Nepalese. But the night of December 14, 2005 did change the fate of the Kali Devi temple in Nagarkot. The temple now inspires fear, instead of devotion.
It has been three years since the fatal shoot-out. But the lives of the natives of Nagarkot’s Chihan Danda is a living memory of what happened that night, when soldier Basudev Thapa turned his gun at the innocent locals. 12 people were killed, including the assailant himself. The people still bear the disabilities left behind by the shooting-- on their bodies and in their mind.
Nepal Government and the then Royal Nepal Army (RNA) had promised relief packages to the families of those killed and wounded in the shooting. But neither has lived-up to their words.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
The residents of Chihan Danda village of Nagarkot, Bhaktapur District have become a source of “oral history” for researchers. They are the link to several other sources involved in this story. Human sources, consisting authorities and people involved in the subject, eye witnesses, officials and other physical sources such as records, documents, newspapers articles and online sources provide revelations to the “Nagarkot massacre”.
DESECRATION
The Kali Devi temple is located on the top of a hill called Chihan Danda. A literal translation of this Nepali term is the “cemetery hill”. The temple of the Goddess Kali is located at the head of this hill, which rises above the houses in Chihan Danda. Every year, on the night of full-moon in the month of Mangsir by Nepali Calendar, a carnival takes place at the Kali Devi temple. The temple has the idol of a goddess Kali, where dozens of animals would be sacrificed on this night. Local residents would feast, dance and the revelry would continue through out the night.
Since the night of December 14, 2005, the festival has taken on a new meaning. It is vaguely a festival of happiness when they offer sacrifices to the Goddess in exchange for her protection. It is now a ritual, performed in a hurry so the local residents can go home by
twilight and not remain at the temple in the dark.
70 year old Harkha Bahadur Magar, squints at me, as I take pictures of the temple. He lives 50 meters away from the temple and brings his goats to the grassland at the temple every morning to graze. His is the closest house to the temple. Every morning, it is him who sweeps
the premise clean. One of the bullets that went lose from soldier Basudev Thapa's gun had punctured his house, too.
The clay built walls of the house were repaired, shortly after the carnage. But the incident has left a permanent dent on their family’s psyche. A burden sits capitally on the aging face of Harkha Bahadur.
THE BARREL OF GUN
28 kilometers East of Kathmandu is the beautiful village of Nagarkot, known for its closeness to natural beauty. It is the best location for a full view of Himalayan range. The word "Nagarkot" had always evoked images of beautiful mountains and the emerging morning sun for Nepalese, until a particular incident added a sinister connotation to the place.
Nagarkot Hatya Kanda or the Nagarkot massacre has given the place new definitions.
The locals were in the middle of an annual festivity that night. The temple was filled with some three hundred locals, most of them from the nearby village of Chihan Danda.
Among the revelers were soldiers from the nearby barrack. It is a tradition in Nepal for the army personnel to mingle with the locals on such occasions, in villages where barracks are located. They are invited sometimes. At other times, they just gate-crash.
A group of soldiers had been merry-making with the locals. Soldier Basudev Thapa was among them. "He touched one of the girls while dancing, with his leg and our brothers got angry. That's how the fight began," says Ruku Nagarkoti. She holds tight her three year old daughter in her arms as she narrates the events. Ruku was among the worshippers at the temple when the firing took place. The bullets sprayed holes in her shawl. She was four months pregnant. Her brother Ram Kumar Nagarkoti almost died from wounds. Her son, who was five at the time, has lost his memory and ability to hear.
"One of the boys punched him. Then the fighting began. He fought them alone for a while, with his friends watching. Then he went off."
Basudev had earned a reputation in the village for making passes at girls. The village boys hated him and they had found their chance to get back at him. He left after some time of wrestling.
"I was walking toward the temple with my friends, when I met him. I'd gone back home for dinner after the rituals at the temple. The celebrations go on till late in the night, so I was going back to join them", says Arjun Nagarkoti.
"Enjoy the festival", was what Basudev Thapa said to Arjun and his friends when they crossed them below the temple. He was with three other friends.
In less than ten minutes, Basudev had returned with a gun and started firing at the unsuspecting locals. 40 year old Ram Lal Nagarkoti who was in the middle of the act of lighting the oil-lamp was among the first to go down. His 19 year old daughter fell next to him.
"At first, I couldn't tell what the noise was. Instinct guided me to duck and I was lying face down as most of the others did at that moment. After a while, the wailing and crying began and that's when I got up. I tripped over three bodies and finally got home", Arjun winces, as though he is gasping for breath and he can’t say another word for a long time.
THE SURVIVORS OF A CARNAGE
Arjun Nagarkoti was 16 and was soon to appear for his School Leaving Certificate exams. But he never left school; only dropped out. The gunshots still ring inside his head. The trauma gives him unbearable headaches. But he hasn’t enough money to pay for a doctor.
Once a good student, he now serves tea in a tea-stall in Kathmandu's Baneshwor.
Arjun's cousin Ram Kumar Nagarkoti struggles to be heard, “They put a pipe in my throat when they operated on me at the military hospital. His voice is but a whimper and he wears a scarf all the time to conceal his scars.
The government announced compensation for the victims of the shootout. Those who had lost their family members were promised Rs.100,000. Those who were wounded were promised Rs.600,000. Ram Kumar has so far received two installments of Rs. 150,000 each.
It has taken the survivors of the shoot-out a series of protests and requests to the government to acquire even half of the promised amounts. For the victims, it has been a continuous process of requesting the government to release the amount.
Krishna Kumari Nagarkoti who lost her husband and her teenage daughter has set up a mill in her house with the money provided by government. It is her only source of income and enables her to fend for her remaining three children and her husband's second wife.
"I've given up hope on the rest of the money promised by government. At least I'm feeding my children", her eyes are a drowning blankness.
COMMITTEES AND COMMENTS: ONE TOO MANY
The Nagarkot shootout led to several days of protests in the Bhaktapur district. The then Royal Nepal Army (RNA) made requests to the general public not to use the incident to tarnish its image.
On the morning after the massacre, an investigation committee formed by the Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON) conducted a spot inspection. The committee issued a report, which said RNA had destroyed evidences immediately after in an attempt to cover up. They demanded that the police and civilians be allowed to probe the massacre. The report also raised questions on how soldier Basudev Thapa was killed and how he was allowed to use a loaded gun while he was on not on duty.
Gauri Pradhan, the Spokesperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was one of those in the 11 member probe committee. “The temple was covered in blood, even though the RNA had tired to destroy the evidence and had sprinkled sand everywhere”, he recalls.
“The entire village was in mourning. Some families had lost two members, some had lost little children, some their wives. Most of those killed were young men.”
The HURON probe committee demanded a meeting with Colonel Hari Bahadur Basnet (now Brigadier General), who was the then Commander-in-Chief of the Nagarkot Barracks then. But he wasn’t available for comments on the situation. “We understood that the RNA was trying to avoid it. We had wanted to know how Basudev Thapa, who was off-duty at the time of the killing, had possibly had access to a loaded gun.”
The question continues to remain unanswered. However, explaining the position, Major Pankaj Pandey says, “In this case, Basudev Thapa ran away at midnight without taking permission, stole weapon from armoury.” The RNA however, never released an official statement on it.
When the HURON team arrived at the Bhaktapur Hospital, they were not allowed to see the bodies. The locals were agitated because the relatives of the deceased had not been allowed access to the bodies. Gauri Pradhan used his personal connections with the Zonal Office-incharge Gurung to examine the bodies.
HURON report raised serious objections on the RNA statement that Basudev Thapa had shot himself. His autopsy report said he had been shot on the chest and head. On the basis of the eye-witnesses account and the autopsy report HURON concluded that Thapa had not killed himself, but one of the other soldiers accompanying him had apparently shot him. “ It could be a conspiracy on their part to protect the army.” Pradhan concludes.
HURON had asked the government to form a Probe Commission following their own investigation. The government formed a commission, headed by Tope Bahadur Singh presented its findings:
- Soldier Basudev Thapa committed suicide by shooting himself and no evidence was found of involvement of any other person in the shooting
- Thapa had a history of lack of discipline and obstructing work
- Thapa who had left the barrack without permission was allowed in very easily and the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was not alert and awarded and even though the weapon was taken out
The committee recommended strong maintenance of discipline at barracks. Relief assistance to families of victims was also recommended.
The RNA also launched a probe. They concluded it was a case of a “heinous crime committed by a psychopath”. It suggested compensation to victims. Colonel Hari Bahadur Basnet was then the Commander-in-Chief of Nagarkot Barrack. His promotion was held for two years.
AUTHORITIES’ PROMISES BEHIND SCHEDULE
On the basis of suggestions made by different probe committees, the RNA under the leadership of Pyar Jung Thapa committed relief assistance to the victims’ families, education for their children, employment for families totally dependent on the deceased and compensation to the injured. However, the promises have not materialized.
Raj Kumar Gurung, carried a bullet in his shoulder for a year before he could be operated for its removal. Chihan Danda is a poor village of the so-called “lower caste” community. Ram’s family could not afford to pay for his operation. He lost a year of schooling, as he waited for the money to be released. The first ray of hope for the 20 year old was when the Military Hospital offered to conduct the surgery for free. He is now a student at the Khowpa college. He has lost the balance of an average student he used to have. But he hasn’t given up. He limps to college and back everyday and waits for some good news; at least free education.
Seven of those wounded in the shootout received the first installment of Rs.75, 000 released for the victims last year, a fraction of the Rs. 300,000 earlier promised by government. Raj Kumar and seven others recently formed a group called the Victims’ society. This, after the attempts of the Victims’ Struggle Committee seemed to have no effect on the authorities.
STRUGGLE COMMITTEE’S STRUGGLE
Following the difficulty faced by the victims to obtain the relief and other compensation promised by the Government, “Nagarkot Massacre Victims’ Struggle Committee” was formed. The committee comprises 16 members from the victims' family and others from Nagarkot.
Bil Bahadur Tamang and Badri Makaju who helped form this committee are hotel owners. They raised a fund of Rs.100, 000 from the hotels in Nagarkot soon after the massacre and distributed it among the affected families, Rs.5000 per family.
The victims’ committee has organized protest programs time and again to draw the attention of the authorities. A number of times, they have picketed outside the Singha Durbar, where the ministries are located.
The Central District Officer of Bhaktapur, Kamal Mani Kafle says he is not a in a position to distribute the compensation because the Home Ministry has not released the money. The Home Ministry throws the ball at the Defence Ministry saying the case had everything to do with the army.
The case seems to have lost its way in the changes of portfolios. Former Chief of the Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa has promised, not only monetary compensation, but also schooling for the victims in army schools and job in the army for those who were able. But with his retirement, the promises have also retired.
Under the new Chief of Army Staff Rukmangad Katuwal, the Nepal Army has other issues to focus on. And the government, with its continuing battle with instability, corruption and political debates, seems to consider the Nagarkot incident just another chapter in history.
A VILLAGE OF FEAR
None of this changes the reality for the locals of Chihan Danda, Nagarkot.
When you stand at the top of Chihan Danda in front of the Kali Devi temple, the Himalayas stretch before you in an endless spiral. But it’s the dread in the eyes of the residents of Chihan Danda that will catch your eye, before the mountains do.
Every face here seems to catch a distant look, as though they were left arrested in a certain moment of time and were only present physically now. Every mind knows the one question they should anticipate from visitors is “What happened on the night of December 14th 2005?” It’s a question they are tired of answering. The question is the start to every villager re-living the horror.
The survivors of Chihan Danda have become living history now. But history doesn’t feed them. Or relieve their torment.
It has been three years since the fatal shoot-out. But the lives of the natives of Nagarkot’s Chihan Danda is a living memory of what happened that night, when soldier Basudev Thapa turned his gun at the innocent locals. 12 people were killed, including the assailant himself. The people still bear the disabilities left behind by the shooting-- on their bodies and in their mind.
Nepal Government and the then Royal Nepal Army (RNA) had promised relief packages to the families of those killed and wounded in the shooting. But neither has lived-up to their words.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
The residents of Chihan Danda village of Nagarkot, Bhaktapur District have become a source of “oral history” for researchers. They are the link to several other sources involved in this story. Human sources, consisting authorities and people involved in the subject, eye witnesses, officials and other physical sources such as records, documents, newspapers articles and online sources provide revelations to the “Nagarkot massacre”.
DESECRATION
The Kali Devi temple is located on the top of a hill called Chihan Danda. A literal translation of this Nepali term is the “cemetery hill”. The temple of the Goddess Kali is located at the head of this hill, which rises above the houses in Chihan Danda. Every year, on the night of full-moon in the month of Mangsir by Nepali Calendar, a carnival takes place at the Kali Devi temple. The temple has the idol of a goddess Kali, where dozens of animals would be sacrificed on this night. Local residents would feast, dance and the revelry would continue through out the night.
Since the night of December 14, 2005, the festival has taken on a new meaning. It is vaguely a festival of happiness when they offer sacrifices to the Goddess in exchange for her protection. It is now a ritual, performed in a hurry so the local residents can go home by
twilight and not remain at the temple in the dark.
70 year old Harkha Bahadur Magar, squints at me, as I take pictures of the temple. He lives 50 meters away from the temple and brings his goats to the grassland at the temple every morning to graze. His is the closest house to the temple. Every morning, it is him who sweeps
the premise clean. One of the bullets that went lose from soldier Basudev Thapa's gun had punctured his house, too.
The clay built walls of the house were repaired, shortly after the carnage. But the incident has left a permanent dent on their family’s psyche. A burden sits capitally on the aging face of Harkha Bahadur.
THE BARREL OF GUN
28 kilometers East of Kathmandu is the beautiful village of Nagarkot, known for its closeness to natural beauty. It is the best location for a full view of Himalayan range. The word "Nagarkot" had always evoked images of beautiful mountains and the emerging morning sun for Nepalese, until a particular incident added a sinister connotation to the place.
Nagarkot Hatya Kanda or the Nagarkot massacre has given the place new definitions.
The locals were in the middle of an annual festivity that night. The temple was filled with some three hundred locals, most of them from the nearby village of Chihan Danda.
Among the revelers were soldiers from the nearby barrack. It is a tradition in Nepal for the army personnel to mingle with the locals on such occasions, in villages where barracks are located. They are invited sometimes. At other times, they just gate-crash.
A group of soldiers had been merry-making with the locals. Soldier Basudev Thapa was among them. "He touched one of the girls while dancing, with his leg and our brothers got angry. That's how the fight began," says Ruku Nagarkoti. She holds tight her three year old daughter in her arms as she narrates the events. Ruku was among the worshippers at the temple when the firing took place. The bullets sprayed holes in her shawl. She was four months pregnant. Her brother Ram Kumar Nagarkoti almost died from wounds. Her son, who was five at the time, has lost his memory and ability to hear.
"One of the boys punched him. Then the fighting began. He fought them alone for a while, with his friends watching. Then he went off."
Basudev had earned a reputation in the village for making passes at girls. The village boys hated him and they had found their chance to get back at him. He left after some time of wrestling.
"I was walking toward the temple with my friends, when I met him. I'd gone back home for dinner after the rituals at the temple. The celebrations go on till late in the night, so I was going back to join them", says Arjun Nagarkoti.
"Enjoy the festival", was what Basudev Thapa said to Arjun and his friends when they crossed them below the temple. He was with three other friends.
In less than ten minutes, Basudev had returned with a gun and started firing at the unsuspecting locals. 40 year old Ram Lal Nagarkoti who was in the middle of the act of lighting the oil-lamp was among the first to go down. His 19 year old daughter fell next to him.
"At first, I couldn't tell what the noise was. Instinct guided me to duck and I was lying face down as most of the others did at that moment. After a while, the wailing and crying began and that's when I got up. I tripped over three bodies and finally got home", Arjun winces, as though he is gasping for breath and he can’t say another word for a long time.
THE SURVIVORS OF A CARNAGE
Arjun Nagarkoti was 16 and was soon to appear for his School Leaving Certificate exams. But he never left school; only dropped out. The gunshots still ring inside his head. The trauma gives him unbearable headaches. But he hasn’t enough money to pay for a doctor.
Once a good student, he now serves tea in a tea-stall in Kathmandu's Baneshwor.
Arjun's cousin Ram Kumar Nagarkoti struggles to be heard, “They put a pipe in my throat when they operated on me at the military hospital. His voice is but a whimper and he wears a scarf all the time to conceal his scars.
The government announced compensation for the victims of the shootout. Those who had lost their family members were promised Rs.100,000. Those who were wounded were promised Rs.600,000. Ram Kumar has so far received two installments of Rs. 150,000 each.
It has taken the survivors of the shoot-out a series of protests and requests to the government to acquire even half of the promised amounts. For the victims, it has been a continuous process of requesting the government to release the amount.
Krishna Kumari Nagarkoti who lost her husband and her teenage daughter has set up a mill in her house with the money provided by government. It is her only source of income and enables her to fend for her remaining three children and her husband's second wife.
"I've given up hope on the rest of the money promised by government. At least I'm feeding my children", her eyes are a drowning blankness.
COMMITTEES AND COMMENTS: ONE TOO MANY
The Nagarkot shootout led to several days of protests in the Bhaktapur district. The then Royal Nepal Army (RNA) made requests to the general public not to use the incident to tarnish its image.
On the morning after the massacre, an investigation committee formed by the Human Rights Organization of Nepal (HURON) conducted a spot inspection. The committee issued a report, which said RNA had destroyed evidences immediately after in an attempt to cover up. They demanded that the police and civilians be allowed to probe the massacre. The report also raised questions on how soldier Basudev Thapa was killed and how he was allowed to use a loaded gun while he was on not on duty.
Gauri Pradhan, the Spokesperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was one of those in the 11 member probe committee. “The temple was covered in blood, even though the RNA had tired to destroy the evidence and had sprinkled sand everywhere”, he recalls.
“The entire village was in mourning. Some families had lost two members, some had lost little children, some their wives. Most of those killed were young men.”
The HURON probe committee demanded a meeting with Colonel Hari Bahadur Basnet (now Brigadier General), who was the then Commander-in-Chief of the Nagarkot Barracks then. But he wasn’t available for comments on the situation. “We understood that the RNA was trying to avoid it. We had wanted to know how Basudev Thapa, who was off-duty at the time of the killing, had possibly had access to a loaded gun.”
The question continues to remain unanswered. However, explaining the position, Major Pankaj Pandey says, “In this case, Basudev Thapa ran away at midnight without taking permission, stole weapon from armoury.” The RNA however, never released an official statement on it.
When the HURON team arrived at the Bhaktapur Hospital, they were not allowed to see the bodies. The locals were agitated because the relatives of the deceased had not been allowed access to the bodies. Gauri Pradhan used his personal connections with the Zonal Office-incharge Gurung to examine the bodies.
HURON report raised serious objections on the RNA statement that Basudev Thapa had shot himself. His autopsy report said he had been shot on the chest and head. On the basis of the eye-witnesses account and the autopsy report HURON concluded that Thapa had not killed himself, but one of the other soldiers accompanying him had apparently shot him. “ It could be a conspiracy on their part to protect the army.” Pradhan concludes.
HURON had asked the government to form a Probe Commission following their own investigation. The government formed a commission, headed by Tope Bahadur Singh presented its findings:
- Soldier Basudev Thapa committed suicide by shooting himself and no evidence was found of involvement of any other person in the shooting
- Thapa had a history of lack of discipline and obstructing work
- Thapa who had left the barrack without permission was allowed in very easily and the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) was not alert and awarded and even though the weapon was taken out
The committee recommended strong maintenance of discipline at barracks. Relief assistance to families of victims was also recommended.
The RNA also launched a probe. They concluded it was a case of a “heinous crime committed by a psychopath”. It suggested compensation to victims. Colonel Hari Bahadur Basnet was then the Commander-in-Chief of Nagarkot Barrack. His promotion was held for two years.
AUTHORITIES’ PROMISES BEHIND SCHEDULE
On the basis of suggestions made by different probe committees, the RNA under the leadership of Pyar Jung Thapa committed relief assistance to the victims’ families, education for their children, employment for families totally dependent on the deceased and compensation to the injured. However, the promises have not materialized.
Raj Kumar Gurung, carried a bullet in his shoulder for a year before he could be operated for its removal. Chihan Danda is a poor village of the so-called “lower caste” community. Ram’s family could not afford to pay for his operation. He lost a year of schooling, as he waited for the money to be released. The first ray of hope for the 20 year old was when the Military Hospital offered to conduct the surgery for free. He is now a student at the Khowpa college. He has lost the balance of an average student he used to have. But he hasn’t given up. He limps to college and back everyday and waits for some good news; at least free education.
Seven of those wounded in the shootout received the first installment of Rs.75, 000 released for the victims last year, a fraction of the Rs. 300,000 earlier promised by government. Raj Kumar and seven others recently formed a group called the Victims’ society. This, after the attempts of the Victims’ Struggle Committee seemed to have no effect on the authorities.
STRUGGLE COMMITTEE’S STRUGGLE
Following the difficulty faced by the victims to obtain the relief and other compensation promised by the Government, “Nagarkot Massacre Victims’ Struggle Committee” was formed. The committee comprises 16 members from the victims' family and others from Nagarkot.
Bil Bahadur Tamang and Badri Makaju who helped form this committee are hotel owners. They raised a fund of Rs.100, 000 from the hotels in Nagarkot soon after the massacre and distributed it among the affected families, Rs.5000 per family.
The victims’ committee has organized protest programs time and again to draw the attention of the authorities. A number of times, they have picketed outside the Singha Durbar, where the ministries are located.
The Central District Officer of Bhaktapur, Kamal Mani Kafle says he is not a in a position to distribute the compensation because the Home Ministry has not released the money. The Home Ministry throws the ball at the Defence Ministry saying the case had everything to do with the army.
The case seems to have lost its way in the changes of portfolios. Former Chief of the Army Staff Pyar Jung Thapa has promised, not only monetary compensation, but also schooling for the victims in army schools and job in the army for those who were able. But with his retirement, the promises have also retired.
Under the new Chief of Army Staff Rukmangad Katuwal, the Nepal Army has other issues to focus on. And the government, with its continuing battle with instability, corruption and political debates, seems to consider the Nagarkot incident just another chapter in history.
A VILLAGE OF FEAR
None of this changes the reality for the locals of Chihan Danda, Nagarkot.
When you stand at the top of Chihan Danda in front of the Kali Devi temple, the Himalayas stretch before you in an endless spiral. But it’s the dread in the eyes of the residents of Chihan Danda that will catch your eye, before the mountains do.
Every face here seems to catch a distant look, as though they were left arrested in a certain moment of time and were only present physically now. Every mind knows the one question they should anticipate from visitors is “What happened on the night of December 14th 2005?” It’s a question they are tired of answering. The question is the start to every villager re-living the horror.
The survivors of Chihan Danda have become living history now. But history doesn’t feed them. Or relieve their torment.
No comments:
Post a Comment