Raksha victims stage sit-in outside Kanchanpur administration office

Kanchanpur: Raksha victims in Kanchanpur have launched a sit-in protest in front of the District Administration Office, demanding rehabilitation.

More than 200 families of Raksha victims, who arrived in Mahendranagar at around 11 p.m. on Sunday, have begun an indefinite sit-in by pitching tents outside the administration office. They were displaced after the community forest and local administration removed them from their temporary shelters in the Shankar Community Forest of Krishnapur Municipality.

The victims, who have endured hardship for over two decades following what they describe as false assurances of rehabilitation from the government, said they have been compelled to stage a sit-in demanding justice and resettlement. They have set up makeshift tents using tarpaulins and are living on the roadside in cold weather, surviving on minimal food and supplies.

Jai Bahadur Rokaya, chairman of the Reserve Victims’ Struggle Committee, said that despite repeated promises from successive governments, their problems remain unresolved. “Local leaders have lied to us time and again, claiming they would solve our problems. This time, we have set up our tents in front of the administration for a final struggle,” he said, urging the government to address their demands without delay.

The victims are demanding that they be resettled in the areas where they originally lived. Amrita Nepali, one of the displaced victims, said she has been struggling to cook and fetch water, while her three sons have gone to India for work. She accused the Nepal government of repeatedly neglecting their plight.

Another protester, Hans Ode, said he has been participating in sit-ins for 18 years, demanding resettlement. He lamented that the authorities have continued to ignore the poor, giving them only false promises instead of concrete solutions.

There are 2,473 displaced families in Kanchanpur district. Of them, more than 200 families have reached Mahendranagar to join the ongoing sit-in, while others remain scattered across areas such as Dhaka and Chandev, living in difficult conditions. The victims have warned of a more intense protest movement if the government fails to address their demands promptly.