I was quite excited to go for my second hiking with my office colleagues . However, the route was the same which I had traveled to in my first hike i.e Shivapuri to Sundarijal. I had been to this place when I was in my 10th grade i.e. nearly a decade ago. Though we had plans to go for a night stay in some resorts, because of petrol crisis it was difficult for us to reserve a vehicle for an entire day. Thus, we planned a hiking program instead.
I would like to give a brief description about my experience. The hiking area was just some kilometers away from the place I was staying i.e. Kathmandu but the entire journey for me was as hard as conquering Everest. It was obvious that being a conservation area , there would be no shops, no roads, no transport. However, even after coming out from the area, the situation was same. There were houses high up in the hills, similar to what I used to draw during my childhood; the houses that fascinated me then, but I now know they have nothing inside them, not even the basic necessities( here I am referring to internet and other facilities people of city areas can’t live without) . Walking for nearly 6 hours had my feet swollen and I needed to walk 6 more hours to reach my destination. I couldn’t walk at all. A friend took my hands by his to support me throughout the way. I had another big stick to support me in another hand. But I still could hardly walk.
It was getting dark and some of my friends informed that they had already reached Sundarijal dam while we were still wandering in the jungle area of Shivapuri. We were 4 of us walking in the dark when we realised we had lost our way. We tried to contact our friends but there was no mobile network. We tried to take help of GPS but all in vain. We were extremely confident that the GPS would help us through out our way. I realised how dependent we were on our devices that without them we couldn’t do anything- just wander impatiently. Somehow after walking for sometime the mobile network appeared and we could communicate with our friends who had reached the dam and thus we found our way.
When we finally reached Sundarijal, just two hours from the main bus stop area, it was totally dark. There were no shops. The moon light was dim and not enough to show us our way. So,we opened our mobile lights to make our paths clear. The way was a steep downhill where we met a man, may be in his 50s carrying a huge pile of firewood in his back. My jaws dropped when I saw him walking so easily on such a difficult terrain. We asked him, how much more time would it take to reach us the main chowk. He clearly said- ” Baini, it actually takes us an hour but your speed will surely take you 3 hours!!” That moment I had a shame on my face, not because i couldn’t walk. Seeing the pile of firewoods double than his own weight made me realise, how people just few kilometers away from our main city were living. And they have been living in the same way throughout their life. They have been using firewood to cook their food throughout their lives. They have been always running and walking barefooted in those difficult terrain. They have never had access to transportation so easily. They do not have access to good medical services and supplies unless they come to the city area. They have to come to the city to buy their basic needs. They do not have good schools, good college, good hospitals and infrastructures. They do not have smartphones like we do, to guide them through their way. Their life was and has been the same. They have not been affected with economic blockade like we have just because they were always differentiated by the government because they do not live in Kathmandu. What surprised me more is that it was an area which was not even considered very remote- just wondering what would be the condition in a place like Accham and Bajura.
By mentioning the above I do not mean to prove that we can live even with economic blockade. It will be a nightmare for both the people living in cities as well as the rural areas. However, when we were in a position to develop our country, we never thought of people living in other parts of Nepal. The media only covers the difficulties of the people living in the city areas. Is it just because we the people living in city areas are used to see them that way?
We have been facing scarcities here in Kathmandu and I guess that is the only reason why I can see the difficulties the man with the heavy load had been facing. Else, I am sure I would not have even given a second glance to the man who walks such difficult terrain everyday to suffice his living. I would not have given a second thought to what would he do with collecting and carrying such a heavy pile of firewood every day.
It is only when the people in city areas are suffering, they are sending these trouble stories to the entire world. May be many of my concept and thoughts on this topic may not be convincing for all, but it is a true fact that more than 50% of Nepalese have been living this life ever since they have been born.
I remember laughing at my mom’s words (some years back) when she told me that some people in the rural parts of our hometown, Darchula haven’t seen a mirror their entire life . This was like a joke to me then. But I am slowly realizing, the day is not far that even I will be able to see things on internet but not in reality (If blockade continues) . It wasn’t a joke then! I was blindfolded and saw things only from my perception.
