Badi folks in Kailali reeling under problems galore

A hut in Badi settlement in Balchaur of Kailali 

KAILALI 15 september 2015- Bibhed birudh abhiyan: The ‘model’ bridge over Karnali River in Chisapani, at Kailali-Bardiya border, is a well known landmark for domestic tourists. Many people from across the nation visit the area to get a taste of fish from the Karnali River, and take their photographs with the single tower, single-tower bridge in the background.

They, however, rarely know the pain and hardship of people living just 14 kilometres away from this place.

Meet members of homeless Badi families living in Balchaur of Kailali.

They feel that they are discriminated by the state even though Nepal has undergone a number of “political transformations”.

Around 200 families, comprising around 900 people, are living in Balchaur for last eight years after the state failed to provide them with permanent settlement options.

Now, they fear that police personnel come to their settlement some day soon and chase them away for “capturing the public land.”

“We have resorted to protest many times,” says Rama Badi, a local woman leader, “But, we end up with getting false promises from political leaders and government officials.”

“They forget their commitments before the ink dries and our pains persist ever,” she adds.

Badi women share their problems at a community meeting, in Balchaur of Kailali

Rama informs that most people of Balchaur have not yet registered their names as landless squatters also as they do not have citizenship certificate.

In this backward Dalit community, most male members go to India for employment once they get into the youth. Most women, on the other hand, work at crusher industries in and around Chisapani.

For want of transportation fare, most of them walk on foot to Chisapani. As the government has strictly regulated crusher industries for conservation of the Chure region, they say, they have fewer options for living these days.

Badi women were practicing flesh trade as their traditional occupation till few years back. Most women have already withdrawn from that, thanks to increasing level of awareness. Women complain that many people outside the community, however, perceive them as sex workers even today.

Badi women were known for their dance skills. “But, increasing use of technology has put this profession also at stake,” says Parbati Badi, another woman.

Some non-government organisations have reached them to run various development programmes of late, according to Parbati.

News & picture credit to Himalayan times