Squatters at Kirtipur holding center face food shortages, dire conditions

The holding center at Radha Swami Satsang in Kirtipur, where squatters displaced from Singha Durbar are housed, is about five kilometers away. However, Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who seems to find time for leisure at Singha Durbar, appears indifferent to the dire conditions at the holding center.

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Kathmandu—A boy around 11-12 years old, wearing a white shirt and blue pants with a matching blue tie, stood outside the Radha Swami Satsang building in Kirtipur on Monday morning around 11:30, crying. His attire suggested he was a student at a government school.

Despite covering his eyes with his hands, he couldn’t stop his tears. What happened?

He was hungry.

Did he not eat?

There was no food.

Indeed, as the boy in school uniform said, the squatters at Radha Swami Satsang did not receive breakfast on Monday. Unable to bear the pain of hunger, the boy shed tears.

A student at Jan Vikas Secondary School in Balkhu, he explained that he couldn’t attend school because he hadn’t eaten. Like him, Rajan Rai and Shris Tamang, also in school uniforms, missed school for the same reason. They are in grades 5 and 6 at the same school.

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Yunisa (name changed), who is postpartum, was also at the holding center and remained hungry until noon. There was no certainty about what food would be available. “I’m hungry. No food has arrived,” she expressed from her hungry heart.

An organization brought beaten rice and lentil snacks around 11:30 a.m. for the squatters at the satsang. However, some refused to eat the food provided by the organization, preferring government-provided meals, leaving Yunisa without food. She wanted hot rice, not beaten rice. Upon hearing it was beaten rice, she remarked, “Oh, it’s beaten rice!” indicating her reluctance to eat it. “I have beaten rice sent by my sister,” she said, showing her disinterest.

Despite her reluctance, hunger persisted. Later, beaten rice, lentil snacks, and yogurt were distributed to the squatters, which she also received.

Our question was—won’t you eat hot rice? Is this enough?

She didn’t say much. “It’s okay. Dinner will come in the evening,” she replied.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a food issue at the holding center. Previously, there were similar problems. She is postpartum, but meat is not allowed at the satsang.

Since Jestha 10, Yunisa hasn’t received any afternoon snacks. After the satsang stopped providing food, Kathmandu Metropolitan City contracted an organization to supply meals from Jestha 10. The organization provides only two meals, morning and evening, but no snacks.

To curb her afternoon hunger, her sisters send her dry food (beaten rice, lentil snacks, etc.), which she has been surviving on.

She has faced numerous issues at the satsang.

She sleeps on a mat on the floor, fearing the cold seeping through the cement. Thankfully, her baby hasn’t been affected so far. “Sleeping on the floor causes dampness. We have to dry the bedding occasionally. Other children have fallen ill due to the cold,” she said. “Thankfully, my baby hasn’t been affected yet.”

If someone falls ill, the government doesn’t provide any medication or treatment. They come for check-ups and distribute some free medicines like paracetamol, but for other medicines, they are told to buy them outside.

But how can those without money buy medicine? she questions.

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Pramila Rai’s daughter suffers from a liver condition. Pramila also takes medication for blood pressure and has had leg surgery, making walking difficult for her.

After three months of treatment at Bir Hospital, her daughter is now at the holding center. Her treatment costs at least 10,000 rupees a month. Doctors have indicated that if medication doesn’t help, a liver transplant might be necessary.

However, Pramila lacks the funds for medication. “It costs 10,000 rupees a month. Where will I get that money from? They only give paracetamol here,” she said.

She complained that they come for check-ups, take photos, but don’t provide any treatment. Hoping to earn some money for her daughter’s treatment, she has been roasting corn on the roadside near the satsang for about 15 days.

The fear that her daughter might not receive treatment haunts her. “The government hasn’t even provided medicine. I might not survive, but I’m worried something might happen to my daughter due to lack of treatment,” she said, her eyes filled with tears.

She complained that the government has displaced them and isn’t even providing proper meals. When met on Monday morning at 11, she said she hadn’t eaten and had run out of water, yet couldn’t get any.

The holding center in Kirtipur is about five kilometers from Singha Durbar.

Yet, the plight of the hungry squatters seems unknown to Singha Durbar. Prime Minister Balendra Shah, leading from Singha Durbar, finds time for leisure on public holidays. His social media posts on such days reflect this leisure.

On Sunday, he shared a photo with Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamsal, jokingly referring to them as the trio building the nation. Such photos on public holidays indicate his leisure. On the same day, he made another statement on social media about his leisure on public holidays.

While he jokes with the public, the holding center housing squatters is a pressing concern for the Prime Minister, with its dire conditions.

On Monday morning, the squatters didn’t receive food. It’s been nearly a month since they started receiving only two meals a day. Since Jestha 10, when Radha Swami Satsang began providing meals, the squatters haven’t seen any government-provided snacks.

The holding center houses elderly and sick individuals who require high care. Yet, after bulldozing the squatter settlement, the Prime Minister is now joking with the public.

The management of the satsang is under Kathmandu Metropolitan City. During an inspection on Baisakh 16, Acting Mayor Sunita Dangol instructed proper management.

However, her instructions haven’t been implemented. On Jestha 21, a 36-year-old squatter, Bheshraj Darji, died during treatment at the satsang. He had complained to human rights officials about inadequate treatment.

Shortly after, he passed away. Many squatters believe that if Darji had received proper treatment, he might have survived. However, due to untimely treatment, he had to face death, according to some squatters.

Government Raising Hands

The responsibility for feeding and housing the 152 people from Thapathali and Gairigaun at Radha Swami Satsang has been given to Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Although the bulldozing of the settlement was directed by the federal government, led by Balendra Shah, the management of the squatters has been handed over to the local government.

However, the federal government lacks information on how the squatters are being managed. When Desh Sanchar sought information from the Ministry of Urban Development, which is responsible for managing the squatters, they couldn’t provide complete details.

Officials from the ministry stated that local governments are managing the squatters wherever they are residing, but the information was incomplete.

Local governments also face uncertainty about how long and in what manner they will manage the situation. When the bulldozing occurred, Balendra Shah’s secretariat spread rumors that management would be completed in 15 days.

However, even after two months, management hasn’t been achieved. On Jestha 17, the Prime Minister irresponsibly stated in Parliament that management would take as long as it takes.

For local governments, the management has become challenging.

This resulted in squatters at Radha Swami not receiving food on Monday. Children, the sick, and the elderly had to endure hunger and tears. They reluctantly settled for beaten rice as breakfast.

Attempts to contact Acting Chief Sunita Dangol of the metropolis for information on management were unsuccessful as she didn’t answer her phone. Spokesperson Navin Manandhar also cut the call.

Assistant Spokesperson Mahesh Kumar Kafle mentioned that they are facing significant challenges in management and are in a situation where they might have to give up.

He stated that there is no clear decision on how to spend money for management. The federal and provincial governments haven’t provided funds, and they lack money themselves.

Until now, they have been pleading with canteen operators to provide food, but due to management issues, they couldn’t provide food on Monday morning. He acknowledged the shortcoming and explained that the canteen operators didn’t receive payment and questioned how long they could continue providing food.

“We don’t have money. There was a shortcoming in providing food today. The federal government has been informed about this. Now, without money, it’s a challenge to manage,” said Assistant Spokesperson Kafle.

Attempts to contact the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the management of squatters were unsuccessful. Home Ministry Spokesperson Anand Kafle, Information Officer Rama Acharya, and Prime Minister’s Office Spokesperson Hemraj Aryal and Assistant Spokesperson Sirjana Sharma did not answer calls.