Rs 1 miilion received from government did little to improve situation of Rambhut family

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Image of the Rambhut family and his depilated house

By Gokarna Dayal, Baitadi, Jan.23: Even though Rambhut family received Rs. 1 million after the peace accord, but, it has not helped them a lot just like the saying goes, 'in the never-ending battle between order and chaos, clutter sides with chaos every time'.

The 14 members of the Rambhut family, three wives, six sons, and five daughters, are compelled to live in a depilated house and are crippled in a never-ending debt. The Rs 1 million that they received from the government was all spent to pay their debts.

According to Ajjamati Dhami, one of three wives of the Rambhut, aged 68,  the main bread earner of the family, Rambhut Dhami, was found dead amid kidnapping during the Maoist insurgency. Their two sons, who were studying in grade 7 and 8 in 2004, absconded leaving school after the death of father Rambhut, because of this, the Dhami family had to take out loans for mere survival. The Dhami family had to marry off their five daughters for which also they had taken out loans, that loan is piling up because of the compounding interests.

Of the six sons, the eldest son, Bir Singh Dhami, passed away during the Maoist insurgency in Rolpa, the other five sons left their studies in classes seven and eight and went to India to save their lives and had been working in India ever since.

The youngest wife of Rambhut Dhami, Kali Dhami, said that they did not receive any other benefits such as medical treatment, or scholarships, besides the Rs 1 million that they received from the government.

Sundar Singh Dahmi, niece of the Dhami family, said that the three wives are now elderlies, first wife is 75 years, second wife is 70 years, and third wife is 68 years. He said that the family gets scared when a stranger comes to inquiry about the situation. The aftermath of the situation can be seen in the mental health of the three wives.

Taken out from home at night, Rambhut was shot dead at nearby jungle

This is the incident of 2004, Rambhut and other 13 members of the family were sleeping. The government security personnel surrounded their house in the evening. The other family members were just starting to get up, while the torchlight was made to fall directly in the eyes of Rambhut. He was then shot dead in the forest, while, his eldest daughter who was about to get married was held, hostage. This is not a well-versed script but the very reality of the family during the Maoist insurgency in Sigar, Baitadi.

Sundar Singh Dhami said that he was well-known as 'Rambhut' a synonym for his personality of fierce and fearful. Born in 1944, Rambhut from Maunolaka, Sigas Rural Municipality-3, Baitadi, was 60 years old when he was martyred in 2004.  

While recalling the incident Singh said that Rambhut was unarmed at the time of the incident. His cousin, the eldest son of Rambhut, however, was shot dead a year before in Rolpa. After the death of their father just a year after their elder brother's death, the other five brothers flee to India for a sense of security. The government assistance for the martyrdom of the eldest son is still due.

Singh recalled that after the death of the eldest son, Maoist leader came to the village and consoled the family, and made Rambhut the head of the people's government of Sigas village.

His nephew Sundar Singh Dhami, an eyewitness of the incident, said that Rambhut had been walking for two hours uphill from his house and heard the sound of gunshots at night at a place called Dulain. Rambhut was found dead in the morning with bullet wounds all over his body. His body remained there for six days as his family could not pick up his deteriorating body.

 

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