Dhangadhi, September 5

At a time when the agitating parties and organisations have condemned the deployment of Nepal Army in the riot-hit zones, NA personnel in Tikapur are rebuilding trust among the agitating communities.

Earlier, in the wake of Intact Far-west and Tharuhat agitations, trust between the hilly and Tharu communities living here had suffered a severe setback. “We’ve been sent here for security purpose and we are committed to doing our duty, working closely with the locals,” said Bhuwanpurna Satyal, an NA colonel deployed in Tikapur, adding that his team was doing the needful to bridge the gap between the two communities and dispel false rumours against the army.

As an initiative, NA has started reconstruction of vegetable markets that were torched during demonstrations in Tikapur Bazaar. “We started rebuilding shelters as we realised that something needs to be done to normalise the situation,” Col Satyal informed, adding, “The reconstruction is being carried out in coordination with the local administration while the people of hilly origin have also been helping by providing bamboos and other necessary raw materials.”

“Ever since the Tikapur incident, the two communities have built mistrust toward each other while the deployment of army has added to our worries. However, with the NA personnel rebuilding our shelters and hilly people contributing, the fear is slowly dissipating,” said Asha Kumari Chaudhary, whose shelter at Kanchhi Bazaar was gutted in a fire ignited by the agitators during the Tikapur incident.

NA has also distributed pamphlets written both in Tharu and Nepali language in a bid to dispel the rumour among the locals that the army’s deployment could bring out a worse situation. The pamphlet says that army deployment is for security reasons and clarifies that there won’t be any use of force until anyone resorts to violence and defies curfew orders.

According to Col Satyal, NA has also been helping those who cannot reach health facilities due to the ongoing curfew. “We have been using our vehicles to ferry patients during cases of medical emergency,” he said.