Sherpa gets citizenship after 26-year struggle

By Our Correspondent,Dullu (Dailekh), Aug. 24: Chandra Bahadur Sherpa, a resident of Sishala Bhuwakhada village in Datikadh Rural Municipality-3 of the Dailekh district, recently received Nepali citizenship. 

Sherpa received his citizenship on Tuesday from District Administration Office of Dailekh, ending his 26-year-long struggle for citizenship.  

Sherpa said that the marriage of his parents could not be registered in the absence of his father's citizenship and that it posed an obstruction in his path to getting citizenship.

The struggle of the family to obtain citizenship has now gained a meaning with the opening of doors to receive citizenship, marriage registration and birth registration.  

Sherpa got married with Gagani BK 28 years ago, and they have three sons and three daughters. 

With his citizenship, all obstacles in the registration of birth and marriage of his 11 family members, including grandchildren, have now been cleared.  

Dusha BK, the third daughter of Sherpa, was happy that her birth will now be registered and that she will be able to enrol in the school.  

The lack of birth registration had kept her from enrolling in the school.  

Sherpa is now 54 years old and his wife Gagani is 44. After getting the citizenship, they hope to get social allowance along with the minimum service facilities, including the scholarship that Dalit and tribal children receive from the government. 

Chief District Officer Gogan Bahadur Hamal said that Sherpa family has now been freed from the compulsion to live like non-citizens. 

He informed that after obtaining the citizenship, the official way to get all service facilities, including birth and marriage registration, voting rights, recommendation and social security allowance, was opened.