Kapilvastu, September 25:

“I would rather choose to die than live like a refugee,” said Ramananda Sharma, who was displaced and has been living at the Bindhabasini Barrack of the Armed Police Force at Chandrauta.

Thousands of civilians were displaced by the riots here on September 16 and are now living in camps at Chandrauta, Khururiya and Patthardeiya.

The government has provided them security but the displaced people are complaining of lack of food, clothing and health facilities. Recent rainfall has added to their woes. A woman in the camp, Kamala Neupane, said, “Sleeplessness and dirt have sickened most of us.”

The security personnel and International Red Cross have continued to deliver relief materials for the displaced persons in the camps.

“We need food but do not have it. The government should rather take us to our homes and deliver relief materials at our door step,” said Shanker Poudel. Hari Prasad Upadhyaya said he would prefer to return home.

Of the 5,000 displaced persons, 500 have returned home, the district administration said.

Activists of the eight parties and security personnel have been taking displaced people to their homes as normalcy was returning there. The curfew was in effect last evening and night at Krishnanagar, Chandrauta bazaar, while curfew was in place in Kapilvastu municipality only in the night. However, the traffic remained paralysed today as well. The transport entrepreneurs have alleged the government is slow to assess the damages for compensation.

The high-level judicial probe panel formed for Kapilvastu incident has not yet arrived in the district. The government had formed a high-level judicial probe panel led by judge at the Appellate Court Lokendra Mallik on September 20. Minister for Home Affairs KP Sitaula during his tour to Kapilvastu on September 21 had assured the local residents that the probe panel will come to the district the next day.