Tigrapani Village in Baglung Remains Unmoved by Election Buzz Amidst Daily Struggles

Baglung. Even as the nation is consumed by election fervor, Tigrapani village in Baglung remains peaceful. The villagers are carrying on with their daily routines. The biting cold persists until the last week of Magh, making life difficult in the mornings and evenings.

As the month of Falgun approaches, locals are busy plowing fields, transporting manure, and planting potatoes. While the market areas of Baglung are heated by the election atmosphere, the citizens here show no interest.

Most residents are unaware of the exact date of the upcoming House of Representatives election, only having heard that one is taking place. Tigrapani, marginalized due to its geographical remoteness, is also far behind in terms of development. Although a motorable road has reached the village, vehicles do not run daily. There are no schools or health posts, forcing children to walk over an hour to school and requiring patients to be carried to the hospital.

This village, located in Nisikhola Rural Municipality-6, has around two hundred households. Since each family raises hundreds of livestock, they have little free time. Election discussions are not held in the village squares or tea shops as they are in the markets.

Leaders arrive only two or three days before the election to solicit votes, making their promises. The villagers then trust them and are compelled to vote. Despite lagging in development, the people here show little resentment, anger, or complaint. They are happy even with minor developments. Their demands are not grand: they wish to receive basic medical treatment in the village, for their children to study nearby, and for their livestock to receive vaccinations when sick.

Local resident Laxmi Gharti Magar, 56, stated that although she heard about the election on the radio, she does not know the exact date. She shared that in previous elections, they only realized an election was coming when leaders arrived to ask for votes.

Gharti Magar said, “The other day, I heard on the radio that elections are coming, but I don't know the exact date. If there is an election, leaders will probably come to ask for votes.”

She explained that having more vehicles run on the road reaching the village would provide convenience. She noted that the lack of vehicle operation causes problems in transporting goods. “Before the motorable road, we used to carry goods from the market, taking two to three hours. Now that the road for vehicles is built, we don't get a vehicle when needed. To bring one sack of rice, the whole village has to coordinate to call for a vehicle.”

Tigrapani village is located about 120 kilometers west of the district headquarters, Baglung Bazaar. The lifestyle of the locals in this village, far from urban hustle and bustle, is quite simple. Local resident Guman Singh Gharti Magar, 60, who depends on animal husbandry for livelihood, said that they expect minimal support from the state.

He said, “We are farmers. It would be good if the government could provide support for seeds and livestock treatment. Many animals die at once from time to time. If we received some assistance from the state, we wouldn't have to bear the losses.”

Gharti Magar mentioned that the leaders they voted for in the election brought minor development to the village. He says the current development has provided some convenience to the locals. Gharti Magar says, “This must be development; the motorable road has come. Water also comes through the taps. If they win again, they might bring more development.”

There is no health facility near the village. Local resident Dal Bahadur Gharti Magar, 57, shared the compulsion of having to walk three to four hours to the health post in Bhalkot when someone in the village falls ill, resulting in delayed treatment due to the lack of a nearby facility. He said, “There is no place for treatment here. We don't get a vehicle when needed. Even for a minor injury, we have to go to Bhalkot.”

He complained about the hardship children face because the school is far away. “It is so cold now; they leave early in the morning shivering and return in the evening shivering,” he said. “The problem is the same during the monsoon; they return drenched from the rain. If the school were nearby, the children wouldn't suffer so much.”

The residents complain that leaders make many promises during elections but never return to the village after winning. Although the people of Tigrapani have elected leaders to parliament many times, they have never found a leader who would raise their issues.