Homeless People Face Hardship After Eviction from Hotels

Kathmandu. Early Monday morning, there was a brief altercation between the hotel owner and the homeless at Kathmandu Hotel & Lodge in Gongabu. A situation of near physical altercation arose.

The government had issued an order for the homeless people staying in the hotel to leave at all costs.

The hotel owner insisted on letting them leave only after paying Rs 1,200 per person, which angered the homeless. There was a protest for some time.

The situation became more tense when homeless people staying in other hotels in Gongabu also came to surround Kathmandu Hotel & Lodge located at New Buspark. After an understanding between the Nepal Police, the homeless, and the hotel operators, they were allowed to leave. 'We were held hostage. Everyone was locked up,' said Kalpana Kumari Ghale, who had been taking shelter in the hotel. 'The lodge owner spoke abusively. She said she wouldn't let us go without paying.'

She also complained about being served stale food and being crammed 5 people into one room while staying at the hotel.

According to Kamala Ranpaheli, who was holding a baby, the owner woke up at 4 am and monitored them to see if they would run away. When it got light, she threatened the homeless to pay and leave.

'Abuse, abusive language, and threats were happening in the lodge before, but we had no choice but to endure it,' lamented Kalpana, who had been staying at the lodge for 72 days. She complained that the operator made them sign a bill for 6 people even when only 2 people ate.

The government had already posted a notice on Asar 19 for the homeless people housed in various hotels in Gongabu to vacate. After a few days' extension, the homeless people staying in the hotels were in distress. Early Monday morning, when employees of the Integrated Development Committee for Bagmati Civilization and Nepal Police reached the hotel and insisted that they must leave the hotel, they became helpless.

Some had not received the amount promised for resettlement, and some had not found rooms. When ordered to leave the hotel at all costs, the homeless became stressed. Those with relatives left, and some were forced to rent expensive rooms. Those with sick, disabled, elderly, and small children were left stranded. There was no certainty of food or shelter.

At 7 PM, it was raining heavily in Gongabu. Those stranded homeless people gathered at Tripura Sundari Hotel & Lodge Pvt. Ltd. The hotel owner, Ramsaran Pandey, was arranging accommodation for the stranded homeless. He provided shelter in his hotel to those who couldn't find rooms, the sick, disabled, and single women.

On Baishakh 12, 57 homeless people were housed in his hotel. He happily bid farewell to those who found rooms in the morning with garlands. Pandey said that he would provide food and shelter to those who couldn't find rooms, the children, disabled, sick, and stranded until they find rooms.

Pandey tore down the notice posted by the government for the homeless to leave the hotel. Seeing the miserable condition of those taking medication, the disabled, single women, and the elderly, he felt compassion. His family also supported his work. Pandey's son and wife were also helping with the arrangements for the homeless.

Pandey, who opened Tripura Sundari Hotel four years ago, said he is a social worker and provided food and shelter to the homeless out of humanity. 'Even if the state makes no arrangements for the homeless, I will keep them for free for one month,' said Pandey. Currently, 16 people are taking shelter in his hotel.

Bishal Rai, who had been forced to go hungry since Sunday at Kathmandu Hotel & Lodge, looked happy after receiving the support of Ramsaran of Tripura Sundari. 'Today, I truly felt homeless,' said Rai, who is physically disabled. 'Meeting kind people like Ramsaran has been a relief.'

Anita Shrestha, a patient of sugar, pressure, and asthma, lamented spending painful nights while staying at the lodge. While living in the Thapathali settlement, she had enrolled her children in Kupandole Pragati School. She seemed very worried about her children's future. She complained about living like a prisoner in the hotel and losing her daily wage work. She said that the amount given by the government was very difficult to manage.

70-year-old Naramaya Pariyar complained that she had not yet received the amount promised for resettlement. She said that they were made to open an account in Prabhu Bank, but the money has not been given yet.

After their homes and shelters were bulldozed on Baishakh 12, the homeless were housed in Guest House, Tripura Sundari Hotel & Lodge, Bigbull Hotel, Smarika Hotel, Kathmandu Hotel & Lodge, Jaykrishna Hotel, and Lumbini Hotel in Gongabu by us brothers.