Pokhara Cooperative Victims Express Deep Distrust in Politicians Ahead of Elections

Pokhara. Prem Bahadur Rana, who runs a flower nursery business under the Seti River bridge at Prithvi Chowk in Pokhara, lost 3.3 million rupees in the Suryadarshan Cooperative. He opened the nursery after teaching tuition to students and deposited all his earnings from the nursery into the cooperative. For the last 5 years, he has not received a single rupee back from that cooperative. He realizes that leaders have embezzled the earnings from his 25 years of teaching and nursery business through the cooperative.

‘I feel cursed when I see leaders coming to ask for votes. It feels like they have only come to add more pain to our suffering,’ Rana says, ‘They will be sinful for how much our hearts have cried when the money we saved with so much difficulty is eaten up overnight.’ Rana doesn't even feel like voting this time. ‘I don't feel like voting this time; whoever wins, it seems our money won't come back,’ he said, ‘With a heart full of pain, who should I vote for?’ 

Gopi Dahal from Pokhara-13 Arba also says he will only vote if he finds someone who can get his lost money back. His savings of 6 lakh rupees, earned from a small business, are stuck in this Suryadarshan Cooperative. He hasn't received his money back for 6 years either. Although he started saving 9 years ago, he used to withdraw and deposit money as needed. The last deposit, made before the Covid period, he has not been able to retrieve yet. He also complains that his money is stuck due to the leaders.

‘We clearly have documents showing that the leaders took the money and squandered it. They say they didn't take it,’ he said, ‘If they can lie to us victims in broad daylight like this, what kind of country will they build?’ He doesn't trust the manifestos of the parties that promise the cooperative victims will get their money back. ‘Manifestos are just scraps of paper. When have they ever been fulfilled?’ he questioned, ‘No one has spoken in favor of the real cooperative victims so far. This time, our advice is not to vote for those who cheated the cooperative.’ 

Pramila Sharma from Mathepani, Pokhara-12, had been depositing money monthly into a child savings account. She had a small business that covered household expenses. She saved money for her child's future by cutting down on necessities, and that money is stuck not only in Suryadarshan but also in Pokhara Cooperative. She lost around 1 lakh in Suryadarshan, and more than 12.5 lakh in Pokhara Cooperative. Her business is not running now. School fee bills for her child are piling up because she cannot pay them. ‘My husband cannot work like before. My business isn't running either,’ she said, ‘Now I have started making and selling pickles at home. If the money from the cooperative comes, I could restart my old business.’

Sharma also complains that the parties' manifestos do not offer any assurance to the cooperative victims. ‘I don't have an iota of faith in what is written in the manifestos. After the election, they are all the same,’ she said, ‘I won't trust any leader until they show results through action. I will never vote for those who ate our money, and there are no reliable plans from others either.’ 

They have read the police investigation report detailing where their deposited money went. They went to court when the defendants were on trial. Rabi Lamichhane, the chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is also accused of embezzling funds from this cooperative. He was released on bail of 6.5 million rupees by the Kaski District Court last Poush. The cooperative victims complain that they have become more victimized because the parliamentary investigation committee gave an ambiguous report regarding the operators of Suryadarshan Cooperative.

‘The report was prepared saying that the cooperative funds were not taken by a specific person. If the money wasn't taken, why were checks for principal and interest issued? Why didn't that committee look into it?’ says Kiran Shrestha, coordinator of the struggle committee, ‘The money was definitely taken. We are the proof. Before the election, all leaders must publicly guarantee the return of our money. Only then will we participate in voting.’ 

They are ready to negotiate with the debtors before the election. Shrestha complains that previously, as soon as the police report came out, associates of those named as defendants arranged meetings, promising to facilitate the return of the money, but they haven't seen a path to repayment yet. ‘Those who arranged talks yesterday saying the money would be returned are candidates today. When questioned in the media, those same people issued statements saying no one is guilty,’ he said, ‘No matter who they are, we will not let them go. Now, the debtors will also be made defendants, and the case will move forward. Then, many who win or lose on Falgun 21 will face serious problems.’

A committee was also formed on Saturday to negotiate and follow up with the relevant bodies. On Friday, the victims submitted a memorandum to the Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa at a mass meeting held in Pokhara. On Friday itself, RSP Chairman Lamichhane demanded proof of the allegations against him from Thapa at a mass meeting in Chitwan. 

A case was filed alleging embezzlement of 1.51 billion rupees from Suryadarshan Cooperative. Although there were 18,700 depositors, only 1,157 people filed specific complaints. Their complaints show an embezzlement of 1.15 billion rupees. According to the government investigation, 33.7 million rupees were accounted for in Rabi Lamichhane's name as individual liability, and 55.9 million rupees were shown to have gone to Gorkha Media.

The victims stated that they are ready to withdraw the case against Lamichhane if he repays the amount corresponding to their liability.