Recollecting her hardships fighting for truth: Purni Maya Tamang seeks justice

(Purni Maya Tamang widow of late Arjun Bahadur Lama)

KATHMANDU: Purni Maya Tamang widow of late Arjun Bahadur Lama spoke of the injustice that was meted out against her, also recollecting the hardships that she went through. “Four months remain for it to be 15 years since the Maoist took my husband away. I haven’t seen him since and neither his mortal remains.

He went for a school program on the 29th of April, 2005. Members of the Maoist Bhola Aryal, Yadav Poudel, and Shyam Gautam took him away from the school and he was untraceable since. That evening there was a heavy storm.

They had said that he would be returned to the school, but they never released him back. I spent the night sleepless. The next day they reached Rashikhola but from then on I could not find the whereabouts of my husband”.

“My husband was killed on the orders of Agni Saplkota,(the latter is the new Speaker-elect of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Nepal). In this job, Suryaman Dong is involved too. He became a Minister too. Bhola Aryal, Yadav Poudel, and Shyam Gautam took my husband from the school and he was untraceable since.

I had tried filing a case on the 5th of July 2007, at the District Police Office but they did not accept my request. I went to the Supreme Court and they gave the orders. On 11th August 2008, the Dhulikhel based Police filed a ‘Responsible for Murder’ case.

Although the case was filed they were never caught. I was turned back every time with the saying that we cannot do anything against a person of such stature. My husband was randomly killed and for this crime, there should be an investigation, a fair trial, and justice”.

“When the earthquake destroyed my house, I started living in a makeshift shanty. I think of him in times of festivals and other occasions and I feel like crying. I cannot stop my tears when I cross the school from where he was abducted. My husband was a helpful man and he had not committed any crime”.

“Although the court had passed judgment, the government failed to take action. They didn’t follow the Court order. This is why I have faced enormous difficulty. I have gone through various levels of organizations for the sake of justice but to no avail. I was misled repeatedly, and none could trace by husbands mortal remains”

“I saw Agni Sapkota at the Supreme Court once, I wanted to ask why he killed my husband, but his guard hurried him inside his vehicle. The government has time and again provided me with a compensation of 1 million Nepali rupees”.

“I have learned that the Supreme Court has rescheduled the date of hearing. 4 months ago the final hearing was to take place, but I hear they have postponed it again. I had come back to my village home on Sunday, and I learned that Agni Sapkota was being made the Speaker of the HoR. I couldn’t sleep that night as I was thinking as to why this person who has been unjust toward me is being put to such an important post, these thoughts kept playing in my mind”.

(Translated from Reporters Nepal, main source Nagarik Dainik)