Dashain Brings No Joy for Banahara Camp Families

Kanchanpur– As the nation immerses itself in the festive spirit of Dashain, families in Banahara Camp, Shuklaphanta Municipality-11 of Kanchanpur, find little reason to celebrate. While households across the country are busy preparing for Tika, the residents of this settlement along the East-West Highway struggle daily just to secure food and shelter.
“We are landless. I’m growing older. Work isn’t always available, and I barely earn enough working one day a week to feed myself,” lamented 65-year-old Mathudevi Damai. “I dream of eating delicious food and wearing new clothes during Dashain. But dreams don’t fill stomachs. We will have to live and die like this.”
Banahara Camp is home mostly to elderly people, women, and children. Most of the youth have gone to India in search of work and have not returned, even during the biggest festival of the year. “They said they haven’t earned enough to come home this time. Maybe during Tihar. So for us, this Dashain won’t be a celebration,” Mathudevi added.
Medical care remains another pressing concern. With most men away and limited transportation, getting the sick to health posts or hospitals is often impossible.
Residents live in makeshift huts along the Banahara River, their shelters roofed with donor-provided tents. But the arrangements are far from safe or comfortable. “In the summer, the heat becomes unbearable, and we are forced to sleep under the nearby bridge,” said Ranjit Rawat. “Some of us sleep in the open on khatiyas (traditional cots) and sacks. Mosquitoes don’t let us rest.”
The community had shifted closer to the roadside two months ago, fearing floods. With waters receding, they have returned to their fragile shelters, but life remains unchanged. “Our struggles go on year after year,” said Dal Bahadur Bohara. “We’ve spent nights under the bridge for years. No one seems to care. We have asked the local government for mosquito nets, tents, and torches, but all we get are empty promises.”
For two decades, 28 families from Banahara Camp have been waiting for land and permanent shelter after applying through the Land Problem Settlement Commission. Yet their wait drags on, with no solution in sight.
While the rest of the country celebrates Mahashtami today with joy, feasts, and family gatherings, the residents of Banahara Camp face another Dashain marked by hunger, hardship, and neglect.