DEEPER PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA OF CONFLICT INDUCED DISPLACEMENT
By Dilli Ram Dhakal

July 28, 2004 - (Weekly Telegraph) The Nepali people were jubilant when they succeeded in restoring democracy in 1990 after almost 30 years of consistent and assertive struggle against the Panchayat system. that followed 1996 The change in the system in 1990 was an outcome of the agreement reached between the people’s representatives, the agitating political parties and the king. The changes brought by the 1990’s popular movement were positive and encouraging at all fronts. The suppressed, unexpressed needs and silent desires of the people could take shape once the democracy was restored. The newly gained democracy remained instrumental in bringing forward peoples desperate wish for a thriving democracy supported by all round prosperity. When the process of changes were in motion, many unwanted, unsanctioned and anti-democratic forces tried to de-stabilize the hard own democratic polity and the progressive institutions. The parties and several of their top leaders at the helm of power ignoring the ideals, mission and the responsibility towards the people failed to deliver the expected services. At various fronts they even misled and mis ruled the nation. The much required needs of the poorest, oppressed and disadvantaged people of the country was hardly attended. The country misruled for about 30 years had been trapped with all the contributing factors of under-development such as, illiteracy, poverty, inequality was much victimized by the corruption, nepotism and unaccountable service delivery mechanism. Thus it was certain that the re-born democracy had to fight all the social, economic, cultural and political malaise and to transform it into a vibrant entity. But the governments in the post 1991 couldn’t understand this very fact so the resentment among the disadvantaged community did rise. Against this backdrop, he CPN Maoist, that had been opposing the monarchy all along could garner support. The Maoists, with strong reservations to the parliamentary system and within their ideological parameters also participated to the general elections and won nine seats in the parliament, but simultaneously there was a group that remained active in arms struggle should the situation demands so. It culminated to the submission of a 40 point demand to the government and when there was no response to their demand, finally, in Feb 1996, the Maoists with sheer frustration, opted arms rebellion. The rebellion started within the first six years of the promulgation of the constitution of 1991. It was observed that at the initial 2-3 years, of Maoists movement better known as people’s war grew in geometrical proportion, but in the later years it failed to muster same level of support because of several detractions and unimagined level of violent actions. The people residing in the remote villages and far flung areas, who were undergoing through numerous hardships, were further victimized by the prolonged conflict between the state and the Maoist.

The worst effects of the conflict on lives and the properties has been one of the major reporting issues for Nepali media. The human and physical damages of the conflict abound; over 10,000 of known deaths and 15-20,000 injuries, pathetic condition of hundreds of orphaned & abandoned children, closure of schools, hundreds of thousands of population rendered homeless and displaced and the mounting pressure on women due to displacement are some major consequences. The civilian population in scores of districts in Nepal have been shaken, frustrated and traumatized because of the conflict. A large number of civilian population and the existing public facilities are compelled to be displaced due to fear, threat and unbearable pressure on them. The pace of displacement has been in the rise.

The humanitarian side of the damages caused by the conflict has become grave. It would be unfair to blame one warring side for forcing out people from their homes/villages. It’s the conflict and its expanded consequences to be blamed for. In theory, the civilian population shouldn’t have been affected in such a manner, but it in practice civilian population have suffering much than other parties involved in the conflict. Thounds of families are broken, thousands more are missing or feared killed. There is absence of able bodied persons to till the farm and to look after the children, aged and terminally sick people. reduced/worsened situation of job opportunities to work and earn in the villages, closure of most schools, and deterioration in the quality of education, people are threatened, killed, abducted, forced to obey the orders and not only the remaining family members, the displaced persons in their new places are also frightened all the time and there is nil safety and security for their lives. Most displaced population are either illiterate or less educated. They only can sell out their labor provided they are physically able. If they fall sick, the closets friend is the "death" itself, since there is no facilitites and programs that assist the IDPs. Both the displaced persons and their remaining families have been under going through turbulent psychological pressure. Once the persons are out of the villages, generally they don’t feel safe to return without any positive developments or agreement between the two conflicting parties. The displaced population’s psychological trauma is much bigger than the physical damages occurring day by day.

Once the conflict is over the physical side of the damages can be repaired and improved. In regard to the recovery of physical side of the damages, several donor agencies and international community will offer their support. This will help rebuild the physical structure and launch developmental programs, but itwouldn’t be able to replenish the mental trauma of the suffering people. To rebuild the community, neighborhood companionship and to re-establish a peace loving, trusting, caring, cooperating and mutually supportivtive society after the end of conflict will be much harder task. Thus it would be in the benefit of both warring sides and the general population, if all concerned respect the freedom, liberty and human dignity in its fuller sense and the civilian population is not affected and traumatized. The depression, anxiety and the wide spread fear among a larger segment of the population is not in anybody’s favor.

From: http://www.nepalnews.com.np/contents/englishweekly/telegraph/2004/jul/jul28/views.htm