Due to lack of citizenship, most of the elderly people of the Chepang community in the district have been deprived of social security allowance. Among those who are suffering in this way is Phulmaya Chepang of Kailash Rural Municipality-7, Garling. She is now 71 years old. A mother of seven children and grandmother of 23 grandchildren, she still does not have citizenship.

She has visited the ward office in Tamlang, Kailash-7, twice for a recommendation to obtain citizenship. However, she could not get a recommendation. Her husband Somlal died four years ago without obtaining citizenship. Since her family also has no parents or siblings, she could not obtain citizenship as she could not obtain the necessary documents for a recommendation letter. ‘If I had citizenship, I would have been able to eat even the old-age allowance provided by the government,’ she said, ‘I didn’t get the allowance because I didn’t have citizenship.’ Even though she understands Nepali, she speaks in Chepang. Her three sons have already obtained citizenship. Her daughters are married and gone. She has not yet become a citizen.’

Phulmaya had shared her sorrow over not getting citizenship with the candidate who came to her house to campaign for the House of Representatives member election on Falgun 21. She now lives with her youngest son. Her son has also gone to Chitwan in search of work. She said that her daughter-in-law buys corn flour with the money she earns from working as a day laborer. Kailash-7 Ward Chairperson Udas Blon said that she could not give a recommendation as Phulmaya has no relatives or relatives on her side. ‘The sons have obtained citizenship on behalf of their previous father,’ he said, ‘Phulmaya has married Somlal for the second time, and they could not get the papers.’

About 30 percent of the Chepang community in remote areas of Kailash and Raksirang rural municipalities in the district are without citizenship. ‘Among those living in former Bharta, Kalikatar, Namtar, Dandakharka, and Gogane under Kailash rural municipality, 30 percent of the locals are without citizenship.’ Govindaram Chepang, president of the Nepal Chepang Association, said that 30 percent of the Chepang community in Raksirang and Kailash rural municipalities are without citizenship. According to him, people over the age of 50 are without citizenship. Due to lack of citizenship, most of the elderly Chepangs have been deprived of social security allowance. They are extremely poor, but they have not been able to receive the social security allowance provided by the state.