 KANAK MANI DIXIT |
How are you doing these days?
Krishna Adhikari (survivor): Five years later, it looks like things are getting better.
Durga Maya Magar (survivor): Things look better now. I am having back pain. I always wear a chest belt. We're just going about our lives.
Why do people seem to forget the past?
Adhikari: It is natural for people who have been tortured, and for no apparent reason, not to forget about it.
How do you feel when you see or hear talk about the army and police?
Parbati Kandel (daughter killed by security forces): It's definitely not a good feeling. They remind us of our past, the pain, harassment and sleepless nights.
How do you feel when you hear about the Maoists?
Magar: It is painful. I get angry when I see them.
Can we move ahead if we always keep holding our grudges?
Buddhi Pandey (tortured by the security forces): Society has changed since then. At this stage, we have to think from a different level and move ahead.
Adhikari: Until and unless the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is formed to look into the atrocities from both sides and bring the perpetrators to justice, people won't easily forget what happened to them. It's not just the compensation that they care about.
Kandel: It was a nightmare. Once there is a new constitution in place and since the peace process has begun, we have to forget our past and live together.
Is it possible?
Magar: I don't think so. When I recall the incident, it feels like yesterday.
Pandey: It is not easy for those who were directly affected by the incident to forget it. The compensation cannot replace the loss they suffered. To ease their pain, the new constitution should be written and the country should prosper under it.
