Loss of Innocence: The Nepal Civil War – Mr. Maheshor Bahadur K.C.

The Nepal Civil War, also known as the Sankat Kaal, was an armed conflict fought between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Government of Nepal from 13 February 1996 to 21 November 2006. The conflict began when the Maoists launched an armed insurgency, claiming that Nepal’s political system had failed to address widespread poverty, social inequality, and discrimination based on caste, ethnicity, and geography. Many rural communities, particularly those in western Nepal, experienced limited access to education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic opportunities. The Maoists argued that these long-standing inequalities required fundamental political and social change through revolution.

Over the next ten years, the conflict spread to almost every district of Nepal. Government security forces, including the Nepal Police, the Royal Nepal Army, and the Armed Police Force, fought against Maoist combatants in many parts of the country. Districts such as Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Kalikot and Jajarkot became some of the most heavily affected areas because they were among the earliest centres of Maoist activity.

The civil war had a profound impact on ordinary people. According to official estimates, more than 17,000 people lost their lives, thousands were injured or disappeared, and many families were displaced from their homes. Schools were frequently closed, public services were disrupted, and economic activities declined in many rural areas. Children and young people were especially affected. Many were unable to continue their education because schools were occupied, destroyed, or forced to close. Others left their villages due to insecurity, while some became separated from their families or experienced the constant fear of violence. Even those who were not directly involved in the fighting often grew up surrounded by uncertainty, loss, and psychological stress.

Kailash Gupta who sells corn on the roadside in Nepalganj is only six, his mother died in a Maoist landmine blast in which his sister Tara was injured.

Students from Krishna Secondary School in Lalitpur on being released in July 2004 by Maoists after three days of forced-marches and indoctrination.

The conflict officially ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on 21 November 2006. The peace process brought an end to large-scale armed violence and opened the way for political reforms, democratic elections, and the drafting of a new constitution. Although Nepal has made significant progress since then, many individuals and communities continue to carry the emotional and social memories of the conflict. Recording these personal experiences is important because they provide perspectives that cannot be fully understood through history books or official reports alone.

Prime Minister Girja Prasad Koirala Koirala and CPN Maoist Chairman Prachanda shake hands and exchange the papers after they put their signatures in the Comprehensive Peace Accord (2006).

This report presents the personal testimony of Mr. Maheshor Bahadur K.C., who experienced the Nepal Civil War as a young teenager. Unlike many stories that focus on political leaders or military operations, his experiences reflect the challenges faced by ordinary people and families living through the conflict. His recollections show the fear, loss, disruption of education, and difficulties experienced by communities during the war. His testimony also highlights how the effects of the conflict continued to influence people’s lives and memories long after the war ended, showing the importance of reconciliation, peace, and opportunities for future generations.

Interviewee’s Background

Mr. Maheshor Bahadur K.C. was born in Pyuthan Municipality, Ward No. 4, Pyuthan District, Nepal. He currently lives in Pyuthan with his wife and runs his own transportation van business. He has two children, an older daughter and a younger son, who are both currently studying abroad.

Mr. K.C. and his family were directly affected by the Nepal Civil War. His uncle was killed during the conflict, and his family experienced the fear and difficulties caused by the war. His own educational opportunities were also affected during this period. Because of these experiences, he understands the importance of education and strongly wants his children to have better educational opportunities and a better future.

Today, he continues to work and support his family in Pyuthan.

Interview

Q: What do you remember about life before the war?

Before the conflict, life in our village was peaceful. Most families depended on agriculture, children regularly attended school, and neighbors helped one another. However, there were also social inequalities. Women and people from lower-caste communities did not always have equal rights or opportunities, and many people felt they could not freely express their opinions. Even with these challenges, there was no armed violence, and people lived without fear. Everything changed when the civil war began.

Q: How did the conflict affect your education?

When the conflict began, many schools, colleges, and universities were closed because of the Maoist insurgency. As a result, I was unable to complete my studies, and my younger brother also lost the opportunity to receive a proper education. Many experienced teachers left our area, and the quality of education declined significantly. Even today, we continue to feel the effects because our limited education reduced our employment opportunities. During that time, many people from our village left Nepal to look for work in countries such as India because there were very few opportunities at home.

Q: How did the conflict affect festivals, celebrations, or other community activities?

During the conflict, festivals were not celebrated like before. People were afraid because there was insecurity in the village, so we could not gather and celebrate freely. Sometimes people stayed at home because they were worried about what might happen.

Q: How did the conflict affect your family?

The conflict had a devastating impact on my family. One of the most painful memories is that my uncle was killed by Maoist fighters during the war. His death brought great sorrow to our family and left a lasting emotional wound that we still remember today. We lived in constant fear, never knowing when violence might reach our home or who would be affected next. Like many other families, we worried about the safety of our loved ones every day. The conflict not only took the life of a family member but also destroyed our sense of security and peace.

Q: How did your family stay strong during such a difficult time?

It was very difficult for my family, but we had to stay strong because there was no other choice. We supported each other and tried to continue our lives despite the fear and uncertainty around us.

Q: Was there a particular moment during the conflict that you have never forgotten?

One moment I can never forget was when fighting between the Nepal Police and Maoist fighters happened near our home at night. My family was very frightened, so we hid under the bed for safety. From there, we could see only the red flashes of bullets in the darkness. I was very young at that time, and that experience of hearing the gunfire so close to our home is something I still remember clearly.

Q: How did the conflict affect your community?

The conflict completely changed our community. People became divided between those who supported the government and those who supported the Maoists, creating mistrust even among families, friends, and neighbors. Many young people left the village, schools and public services were disrupted, and people became afraid to travel freely. Even going from one village to another could be dangerous.

Q: What was life like for children and young people during the conflict?

Life was very difficult for children and young people. Children over the age of ten were especially vulnerable because they could be influenced or suspected by either side. Maoists and government forces sometimes suspected children of being informers. Young girls also faced the risk of sexual violence. Instead of going to school and enjoying their childhood, many children lived with fear and uncertainty. 

Q: Did the conflict change the way people thought about their future?

Yes. During the conflict, people were mainly thinking about safety and getting through each day. It was difficult to think about a better future when there was fear around us.

Q: How did you feel when the conflict ended?

I felt relieved and hopeful. We were happy that there would be no more gunfire and, most importantly, no more killing. We could finally live more freely and think about our future.

Q: Looking back, how has the conflict affected your family life today?

The conflict still affects my family today. During the war, my younger brother left for India because of the insecurity and lack of safety at home. Although the conflict has ended, he has not been able to return permanently. There are still very few employment opportunities in our area, and because his education was interrupted, it is difficult for him to find suitable work. In this way, the effects of the conflict have continued to influence our family even many years after the war ended.

Q: How do you feel when people talk about that conflict today?

When people talk about the conflict today, I remember the fear, loss, and difficulties that my family and community experienced. It is painful to remember the people we lost and the opportunities that were taken away from us, especially in education and freedom. The conflict affected our daily lives and made it difficult for many people to live normally or plan for their future. Even though many years have passed, those memories remain with me, and they remind me of how deeply the conflict affected ordinary people and their families.. 

Q: In what ways do you think your experiences at that time shaped you as you grew up?

The conflict taught me the true meaning of peace, harmony, and education. I also realized that education is very important for building a better future. These experiences have stayed with me as I have grown older, and I want my children to have the opportunities that I could not have.

Q: What do you think changed in Nepal after the conflict ended?

After the conflict ended, people gradually began to feel safer. There was no longer the same fear of gunfire and explosions, and people could return to their work and businesses. People also gained more opportunities to participate openly in politics and elections. For me, being able to live and move around without the same fear was an important change.

Q: What do you want young people to remember from your experience?

I want them to remember that war brings suffering to ordinary people. They should choose peace and harmony and use education to build a better future.

Q: What do you think people lose during a war besides their lives?

People lose many things, such as family, education, jobs, freedom, and peace of mind. Families can become separated, and people can lose trust in their neighbors. Children also lose their normal childhood because they grow up with fear.

Q: What is the most important message you want people outside Nepal to understand about the Nepal Civil War?

My message is that war does not bring lasting benefits to ordinary people. Nepal was able to end the conflict through peace talks and move toward a peaceful political process. I hope other countries facing conflict can also find peaceful ways to resolve their problems and protect their people.

Reflections

The Nepal Civil War affected ordinary people in ways that cannot be fully understood through numbers or political history alone. Families lost loved ones, children lost opportunities for education, and many young people had to leave their homes because of insecurity. Mr. Maheshor Bahadur K.C’s experience shows how these effects could continue long after the conflict ended.

What stayed with me most was the impact on education. Because schools were disrupted, Mr. K.C. could not complete his education, and his younger brother also lost important educational opportunities. His brother later went to India because of insecurity and the lack of opportunities at home and has still not been able to return permanently. This showed me that the effects of conflict can continue through people’s education, employment, and family lives even after peace has been restored.

The interview also changed the way I understand peace. Before this project, I mostly thought of peace as the end of fighting. After listening to Mr. K.C., I understand that real peace also means being able to study, work, travel safely, live with your family, and trust the people around you. His experiences taught me the importance of peace, harmony, and education, and why younger generations should learn from the past rather than repeat it.

References

Adhikari, Deepak. (2018, October 12). In Nepal, families of people who died or went missing during the civil war fight against forgetting. https://scroll.in/article/897373/in-nepal-families-of-those-who-died-or-went-missing-during-civil-war-fight-against-forgetting

Aljazeera News Agency. (2008, April 8). Timeline of Nepal’s civil war. Aljazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2008/4/8/timeline-of-nepals-civil-war-2

De Vries, L. (2005, December 16). Picturing war. Nepali Times. https://nepalitimes.com/picturing-war

IN-Depth Story. (2024, March 6). Nepal Civil War (Full Documentary) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/LhtCdSWFvpQ?si=h-9OMpDbjDohjDaSngam.org/taraki/articles/2006/11-22_Nepal.php?uid=2064

Norris, John. (2004, February 12). Don’t back a dirty war in Nepal. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/feb/12/nepal.comment

Norris, John. (2004). How not to wage a counter-insurgency: Nepal, the Maoists, and human rights.Human Rights Brief. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1354&context=hrbrief

Wagle, D. (2006, November 22). Nepal’s peace agreement signed.  sangam.org

Researcher

Hello everyone! My name is Bimal Khatri. I am 24 years old and a second-year student in the Department of Global Studies at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies in Japan. I am originally from Pyuthan, Nepal. I came to Japan to learn about Japanese language and culture and to broaden my understanding of global issues.

I am particularly interested in global peace, conflict, peacebuilding, education, and international relations. I believe that understanding the experiences of people affected by conflict is important for building a more peaceful world. Through my studies and community activities, I have become especially interested in how education and dialogue can contribute to peace and create better opportunities for future generations.

In my free time, I enjoy playing football and cricket, learning about different cultures, and meeting people from different backgrounds. I am very happy to have the opportunity to participate in this research, listen to different experiences, and share knowledge with others. Thank you very much for inviting me to be a part of this research.