BAJURA: It has already been over one decade since the Maoist armed conflict in the country formally ended with the signing of historic Comprehensive Peace Accord. As per the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) Nepal's report, over 13,000 people were killed and 1,300 had gone missing during this period with 30 from Bajura of Province 7 alone.

As the Bajura folks said that the conflict had left bitter experiences among them, they were the ones who had suffered atrocities the most, from both the rebel and State sides.

The families affected by the conflict have lodged complaints with the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons with hope of finding the status of their missing members. Among the disappeared, 11 were force-disappeared by the then rebel sides, 16 by the state side. It is yet to be clear who were responsible — whether the then rebellious CPN-Maoist or the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) — for the disappearance of others remaining, according to local peace committee office chief, Karna Bahadur Budha.

Bajura's Assistant Chief District Officer Khagendra Bahadur Malla said only two families of the enforced disappeared persons have been provided compensation by the state. Families of Tekendra Bahadur Shahi of Swami Kartik Rural Municipality-3 and Junga Bahadur Rokaya of Himali Rural Municipality-3 received Rs one million each last fiscal year.

Likewise, the families of those Nepal Army personnel, Nepal Police and government employees killed during the insurgency have been provided monetary assistance. They received Rs 1.8 million each. The country was plagued by the armed conflict from February 13, 1996 to November 26, 2006.

Approximately Rs 37.3 million has been given in relief to 1,905 of 2,282 families displaced due to the Maoist insurgency in the fiscal year 2073\74 (Rs 25,000 each of the family), said the District Administration Office, Bajura. Additional Rs 9.1 million has been demanded for the remaining affected 377 families for their rehabilitation, said accountant at the DAO Lal Bahadur Bista.