सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Taplejung. The transport strike, which has been going on for a week in protest against the cable car under construction in Pathibhara, has affected the normal life of the far eastern hilly district. The agitating party has called for the transport strike after two people were shot in a clash between the ‘No Cable Car Group’ and the police on Magh 2.
The agitating party should immediately stop the construction of the cable car, release the arrested Pradeep Maden, Chandrasagar Limbu and Laxman Limbu, and according to Chief District Officer Netra Prasad Sharma, the armed forces and Nepal Police team in Kaflepati is holding talks and dialogues. ‘There will be talks and coordination through the provincial and federal governments. It is also being done from the district,’ he said, ‘We are working on maintaining peace and security in the district, rescuing stranded passengers, etc. Some pilgrims and tourists have entered the district today as well. We will provide them with security.’
Pathibhara Cable Car Nalibeli
A 2.7 km cable car is being constructed from Kaflepati to the temple in Phungling-10. The agitating party has been demanding that Pathibhara be kept intact as it is the ancestral home of the Mukkumlung Limbu community. After the road to Tokmedanda in Phungling, the headquarters of Taplejung, reached Phungling on 19 Poush 2044 to inaugurate it. During that time, Chhawang Tenzing Sherpa, a businessman from Olangchungola, had proposed that a cable car should be built in Pathibhara. Chhawang, Sonam Tenzing and Furbu Balung registered Kanchenjunga Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. in 2054.
Dhruv Narayan Shrestha, the Biratnagar Sub-metropolitan Mayor of 2043 BS, who had 92 ropanis of land in Kaflepati to build the lower station of the cable car, registered Pathibhara Devi Cable Car Darshan Pvt. Ltd. in 2072 BS. Before that, Subhash Sanghai of Sanghai Group had already registered Triveni Cable Car Company. Sanghai had taken recommendations from the chairmen of the six community forest user committees of Phungling Municipality, the then Furumbu, Fawakhola VDC and Pathibhara area to get permission from the government for the construction of the cable car.
The executive meeting of Phungling Municipality gave permission to Pathibhara Mata Darshan Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. for construction on 13 Jestha 2075 as per the Local Government Operation Act, 2074. Shrestha left after the Yeti Group took ownership of Dhruv Narayan Shrestha’s Pathibhara Devi Cable Car Darshan Pvt. Ltd. within a few years of getting the permission.
Yeti Group has now sold the company to IME Group. Chandra Dhakal, who is also the president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, has led it. He said that he was not aware of the previous controversies and that he was going to install a cable car in Pathibhara as well as his plan to build one cable car in each of the seven provinces. He said that there is a plan to invest three billion rupees for the construction of a 2.75 km long cable car. We have given priority to economic development and employment over trade. He said, ‘We need to solve the issue at the national level and create an investment environment.’
The beginning of the dispute
A team from the Department of Archaeology was called to prepare a master plan for Pathibhara. The employees who came to the team expressed that the placement of statues was a cultural encroachment and that it should be removed to keep Pathibhara in its natural form. After that statement, voices began to rise that it was originally named Mukkumlung and that it was encroached upon and named Pathibhara. Currently, there is a Mukkumlung Conservation Committee led by Mr. Limbu, and a Joint Struggle Committee to Abolish Pathibhara Cable Car under the leadership of Khagendra Fembu.
Since ‘Mukkumlung’ was encroached upon and made into ‘Pathibhara’, the agitating party has repeatedly submitted memorandums to the government to keep ‘Mukkumlung’. They claim that there has been cultural encroachment on Mukkumulung and that it is the Mundhumi site of the Limbu community. The only demand of the agitating group is that no major infrastructure should be built on the Mundhumi site under any circumstances. The ‘No Koshi’ movement is also involved in the dispute. Pro-identity leaders are now involved in the Mukkumulung conservation campaign.
The dispute has taken the form of a national issue after the shooting at Baludanda on Magh 12. Four people were injured in police firing during a protest by the Mukkumlung Bachau Sangharsh Samiti against the construction of a cable car in Baludanda, Phungling Municipality-11, last Saturday. Yama Bahadur Limbu, Sagun Lawati, Dharman Palungwa and Mangal Lawati were injured in the clash with the police. Yama Bahadur Limbu and Sagun Lawati were hit by bullets fired by the police. The protest has taken the form of a national issue after the police opened fire.
Cable car groups had blocked traffic on the Mechi Highway, Tamor Corridor, and the road leading to the district headquarters in Taplejung since last Tuesday. The agitating parties have also announced an additional nine-district Limbuwan bandh on Magh 20 and 21.
A district bandh has been announced in Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Tehrathum and Sankhuwasabha. It is said that an indefinite Limbuwan general strike will be declared from the 22nd if the demands of the agitating parties are not addressed by the 20th and 21st of this month.
Formation of a negotiation team
Meanwhile, the government has formed a negotiation team under the coordination of Prem Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, to hold talks with the relevant parties to resolve the dispute arising during the construction of a cable car in the Pathibhara (Mukkumlung) area.
In a statement issued late on Sunday, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that a negotiation team has been formed under the coordination of Joint Secretary Bhattarai, including representatives from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Urban Development, to resolve the problem through talks and dialogue.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has appealed to the agitating parties to withdraw their agitation programs and cooperate in resolving the problem through dialogue, said Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Ramchandra Tiwari. In a statement issued by the ministry, it is mentioned that Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has taken the necessary steps and initiated regular dialogue and problem resolution with members of the House of Representatives representing Taplejung and neighboring districts.
As per the Government’s Work Division Regulations, 2074, the matter of policies, laws and standards related to ropeways and cable cars is seen as related to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, the ministry has stated that coordination and facilitation has been carried out with all stakeholders, taking into account the issues and concerns raised locally regarding the construction of the cable car.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and General Administration has received a letter from the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration stating that it is appropriate to coordinate and facilitate with other stakeholders from the Ministry of Home Affairs itself, as the problem is of multi-faceted concern and peace and security management is required, the statement said.
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