On November 15, 1979 AD, a woman died as a result of collective sexual assault by security personnel deployed by the then ruler, accused of supporting civil liberties and opposing the strict Panchayat system. On the same day, Shrimaya Rai, who was pregnant, died from severe haemorrhage during childbirth as a result of torture by a gun butt. That very day, under orders of the then government, security personnel opened fire, resulting in the death of Kesharam Rai, 14 at the Chihintang.
It has been 46 years since the Chhintang massacre on November 15, 1985 AD. However, the families of the victims of the Chhintang massacre have still not received justice. The Chhintang massacre of 1979 AD is one of the most talked-about events in Nepali political history. In 1979 AD, the then Panchayat government carried out the Chhintang massacre in Khoku, Chhintang, and Akhissalla, killing 16 local people.
At present, the former Khoku, Chhintang, and Akhissalla Village Development Committees have been merged into what is now Sahidbhoomi Rural Municipality. In Sahidbhoomi, the Wadangi (Papani) festival is celebrated with grandeur. During the joy of the new harvest, the six-day, six-night Wadangi festival begins on the first Tuesday after Kartik Purnima, with worship of local deities and Papani dance.
Since the Panchayat government killed 16 locals just as the Wadangi festival was about to begin in 1979 BS, every year, the arrival of the festival rekindles the wounds of 1979 in the hearts of Sahidbhoomi residents. When the old wounds start to hurt the locals, leaders of political parties who do not normally appear come to Chhintang and give speeches in the old style: “The people of Sahidbhoomi who never fear tyranny are great; rather, programs are arranged to honor them and their families, even if they were ready to face gunfire.”
Every year from November 9-15, at the Shaheed Park in Sahidbhoomi-3, Chhintang, the wounds of 1979 BS are remembered. Songs like “Khoku Chhintang dukha ki Arun susauda, man sabko runcha ki dukh bisauda” are played. Yet, the families of the martyrs complain that the state has failed to properly honour those who fought against the despotic Panchayat regime.
The families of the Chhintang massacre martyrs have repeatedly received assurances of relief and employment from the state. However, after 46 years, they are still waiting for those promises to be fulfilled. From the state’s perspective, Gopal Anand Rai, Bhairav Bahadur Khaling, Bal Bahadur Khatri, Chandra Bahadur Damai, Gambhirman Darji, Gangabahadur Rai, Tank Bahadur Bishwakarma, Dhanveer Damai, Lakhman Sadhu Rai, Kesharman Rai, Ganesh Bahadur Bishwakarma, Putraman Thulung, Shrimaya Rai (Sahili), Jhagendra Rai, Ramkumari Rai, and Randhwaj Puma Rai, who attained martyrdom in Chhintang, were declared martyrs only in December, 2017, 38 years after their deaths.
In Chhintang, Dhankuta, the then Panchayat government, using the pretext of controlling underground activities of the underground Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) at that time, killed 16 people from November 9-15, 1979 AD.
At that time, the military and police surrounded the village, creating widespread fear and terror among the locals. The Panchayat security forces who entered the village captured and killed ordinary people, leaving a lasting memory for many. Somvir Damai, son of martyr Dhanveer Damai, recounted that as many guns as were fired, there was an equal uproar and chaos. The armed groups targeted farmers, laborers, and housewives alike. In remembrance of this tragic history, Chhintang observes Martyrs’ Week every year from November 9-15, commemorating the sequence of killings.
During Martyrs’ Week, Somvir explained, the village recalls how blood soaked the land, gunpowder smoke filled the air, and ordinary citizens were terrorized by the roaring soldiers and police of that time. As the police started killing people daily, locals tried to save themselves by hiding in caves and forests, but 16 civilians were forced to sacrifice their lives. Those hiding in shelters were set on fire and tortured, leaving vivid memories in the minds of locals. Particularly, locals who had opposed the then ruler for years were deliberately targeted for their “different views.” Though the anti-Panchayat underground movement was spreading across the country like wildfire, the rulers strategically suppressed Khoku, Chhintang, and Akhissalla to control the nationwide underground movement.
Most of the widows, orphans, and helpless children of those killed in the massacre are still alive, but their lives have never fully healed from the trauma. The victims’ families have not been freed from their suffering, especially in the eyes of successive multiparty and democratic governments of Nepal. Those who led the leftist ideology were the primary targets of the Panchayat rulers. In addition to political persecution, ordinary citizens suffered from rape and looting. Shrimaya Rai (Hankhima Saini), a pregnant woman tortured with a gun butt, died from severe hemorrhage on November 15, 1979.
Ramkumari Rai, another local, had a similarly tragic story. She was also killed after being gang-raped by groups deployed by the then ruler on the same day. Similarly, 14-year-old Kesharman Rai was shot by the police on November 14 while studying in Grade 7 at Tapudevi Nima Vidhya. Dhanveer Damai, a farmer, was also killed on 27 Kartik. Martyr Gopal Anand Rai was arrested on November 13 by a police team led by former Eastern Region Police Chief DB Lama and shot at the Arun riverbank in Triveni. Dhanveer Darji, Tank Bahadur Bishwakarma, Gambhirman Darji, Lakhman Sadhu Rai, Randhwaj Puma Rai, Gangabahadur Tuprihang Rai, and Chandra Bahadur Darji were brought to Patale and Pumatol areas in Chhintang and shot together. Most of the victims were ordinary civilians, while a few were underground organizers opposing the ruler.
The operation was led by then Eastern Region Police Chief Lama, with participation from Nepali Army Brigadier Shatrudhan Prasad Sinha, Chief District Officer Veerbahadur Bhujel, and DSP Shyam Sharma Chapagain. During the massacre, Surya Bahadur Thapa was the Prime Minister of Dhankuta.
In recent times, political parties have used the Chhintang massacre as a vote bank in every election, especially leftist parties competing for the votes of martyr families and relatives. 38 years after the event, in December 2017, the government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba declared all 16 victims as national martyrs. Despite this, the families’ demands for relief, employment, technical and vocational jobs, identity cards, and proper recognition in the new constitution have not been addressed, as stated by Vishnu Rai, grandson of martyr Lakhman Sadhu Rai.
The state has still not properly honored the martyrs who fought against the despotic Panchayat regime, even under successive democratic governments. After the martyr declaration, the families have not received the promised compensation of 1 million rupees. Apart from receiving a shawl once a year, the families have gained little. Their grief has never been pacified. Political parties even use Martyrs’ Day as a political agenda, disturbing the memory of Chhintang martyrs.
In the past, separate programs were held during the UML-Maoist split. After unification, the UML and Maoists celebrated Martyrs’ Day separately. Dikbahadur Rai, son of martyr Gopal Anand, gathers people annually at Panchakanya Danda, delivers speeches about martyrs, and honors families with garlands, but has not shown interest in providing the promised compensation. A martyr memorial park was built at the center of the former Chhintang VDC, Panchakanya, where programs are held every year on the said dates. Former Prime Ministers Madhav Kumar Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal, KP Sharma Oli, and leaders like Ishwar Pokhrel have visited Chhintang, promising relief, education, and employment to martyrs’ children. However, the promised 1 million rupees compensation and support for education and jobs have yet to be fully delivered. Delegations, requests, and appeals have frustrated the families, as the state’s commitments remain unfulfilled, according to Ruplal Rai, chairman of the Shaheed Smriti Pratishthan. The first meeting of the provincial government also decided to build a martyr model settlement in Sahidbhoomi Rural Municipality, but this has not been implemented.
Although the federal government’s announced compensation has not been received, the Koshi Province government provided relief at Rs. 500,000 per family in February, 2020. Sadhibhoomi Rural Municipality Chairman Manoj Rai confirmed that the provincial government provided this relief to all 16 families. The municipality has tried to secure the federal compensation, but it has not been successful. After 46 years, the martyr families remain uncertain about whether they will ever receive justice.
Ishwor Thapa, Dhankuta