Posted on 2009-07-06
DANG: During a recent visit to Sukauli of Bela VDC-3 in Dang district, Ajaya Sharma of Ghorahi tried to buy a biscuit from a local shop. But the shopkeeper, Bijaya BK, made him return the biscuit because Sharma did not pay in Indian currency.
“I was stunned when the shopkeeper initially refused to make the sale. Later, I came to know that in this part of Nepal, our currency has no any value,” says Sharma.
BK, on the other hand, has his own story to tell. “We have to go to India even to buy a matchbox. What’s the use of our currency when the Indian shopkeepers do not accept it?” BK says. “We are compelled to use Indian currency.”
The state of statelessness in the 22 villages bordering Dang district has caused serious problems, such as the currency one, for locals.
The Nepali state does not provide basic facilities, such as education, health, telephone services, and so on, to these villages, which are a two-day walk from district headquarters Ghorahi. “This village is Nepal’s only in name. We have to depend entirely on India to eke out our livings,” says Junsari Gharti of Rajpur-7.
“And Indian border security personnel, because they provide the security here, demand our chickens and goats,” she says.
And the Indian towns across the border are the only ones that the some 6,000 Nepalis here can turn to for medical facilities.
“We have to take our kids to India for regular vaccinations because we don’t have a health post,” says Laxmi Budha of Bela-3.
“Imagine, what our plight would be if we didn’t have Indian currency suppose somebody were to suddenly fall ill,” says Budha.
The locals seem little convinced with the government’s recent assurance that it would provide various facilities, including security.
They have been demanding that the Nepali government work with Indian authorities so that they can use Nepali currency in Indian border towns.
“Either the Nepal government should provide us with facilities here or take initiatives so that we can use Nepali currency in India without any hassles,” says a local at Koilabas-2.
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