Dhanusha Musahar families living like sardines

By Laxmi Chaudhary,Janakpurdham, Mar. 26: Representatives from National Land Commission and National Human Rights Commission reached the Musahar settlement in Ward No. 3 of Mukhiyapatti Musaharniya Rural Municipality of Dhanusha district to inspect the living condition of the Musahars there.

The field visit was organised by Food First Information and Action Network (FIAN) to make the authorities aware of the struggles faced by the Musahar families in the district.

In an area of three-and-a-half katthas of land, 136 Musahar families have been living in 22 houses, mostly built with bamboo and clay. They lack toilets and drinking water facilities.

The community people have been living in the congested area for decades. However, none of them has a land ownership certificate yet.

During the inspection, the officials saw that a house in a dilapidated condition and three rooms shared by three different families with no less than seven members each.

When the commission officials questioned the families why they were living in such a congested manner without proper toilet and drinking water, a 50-year-old woman immediately replied, "We have neither a piece of land nor a house. Toilet and drinking water are something we think after we have a place to take shelter." The houses are so congested that when an individual takes a step outside his/her house, he/she will be reaching another house. 

The community people said that it was not their choice to live in such a congested manner, but a compulsion.

They also echoed that they had expected to get land ownership certificates, which would pave allow them to construct proper houses after the local government came into existence. However, they informed the inspectors that the local government had done nothing in the past six years.

After hearing the pleas of the community people, officials of the commissions urged the rural municipality chairman to ensure proper toilets and drinking water facilities to the people, saying they were their basic rights.

In response, chairman Jay Kumar Yadav said, "I plan to construct a model village for the community people. Each house in the village will have two rooms, a toilet and a hand pump for each family. However, it will take some time to complete the necessary procedures."

"I had also assured the community people to provide employment to at least one member of each family. Until now, seven individuals have been provided with employment. Process is also underway to provide land ownership certificates to them," said chairman Yadav.