Panchthar, October 15:

Kin of the Maoist Peoples’ Liberation Army soldiers are waiting for arrival of their dear ones to celebrate Dashain.

Mandi Maya Lingden, 45, mother of two PLA soldiers , said: “All the youths who had gone abroad for jobs have returned days before the festival. And I am spending my days waiting and hoping that my sons will come home for the celebrations.”

Mandi Maya’s sons Sanjiv, 22, and Ait Bahadur, 18, are at the Chulachuli camp of the Maoist PLA’s first division. Over a year has passed since she saw them..

Mandi Maya’s husband Dal Prasad said, “The boys are grown-up. We often used to tell them we would arrange for them to get married. Finally, both went off and joined the Maoist army.”

Dal Prasad complained that Dashain was at hand and Phulpati was even nearer but there was no indication of their coming home. “Earlier, they used to phone us at least once a month. These days, they don’t do even that,” he said.

Like Mandi Maya, Phul Maya Mawo of Ekteen VDC-5 also is waiting for her son Rajendra to come home for Dashain. Talking to this daily, she said the Maoists killed her husband four years ago after accusing him of being a police informer. “The Maoists did not allow my son to perform his father’s last rites. Last year, they forced him into the PLA. A year has passed but I haven’t got even a phone-call from him. God knows whether he will come home for Dashain,” she lamented.

Amrit Lingden of the Ame VDC, who joined the Maoist PLA a year-and-a-half ago, is also yet to come home. His family has no clue of his whereabouts. Amrit’s father Buddhiman said, “The house looks empty after my only son left to join the PLA. While leaving, he had promised to send home money. But he hasn’t even phoned.”