Only 5 people over the age of 52 live permanently in Thudam village of Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-2 in Sankhuwasabha.
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Reaching Thudam village in Bhotkhola Rural Municipality-2, located in the lap of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,400 meters, is like an adventure. It is not easy for anyone except those who are used to it to reach the village.
Life here is difficult due to the cold weather of the Himalayan geography and the lack of minimum basic facilities. Sushil Sitaula, a polling officer who was deployed to conduct the election of members of the House of Representatives in the difficult geography, has returned with harsh memories.
Nayab Subba Sitaula of Makalu Barun National Park had reached Thudam as a polling officer to conduct the election on Falgun 21. He, along with other employees, who had walked from Khandbari carrying ballot boxes, reached Thudam polling station after four days of traveling through remote roads, mountainous weather and difficult journey. ‘We left Khandbari on Falgun 15,’ said Sitaula, ‘we finally reached Thudam on the 19th.’ He was accompanied by 16 employees and three Nepali soldiers on the journey. They crossed the Himalayan road carrying ballot boxes and necessary materials.
When they reached Thudam after a difficult journey, they saw a surprising sight. The voter list had 63 names in Thudam. However, only 13 people arrived at the center to cast their votes on the polling day. Of those who voted, 9 were men and 4 were women. The ballot box containing 13 votes was brought to Khandbari by an army helicopter only three days after the polling. ‘Many people are not aware that the election is going to be held,’ said Sitaula. ‘Some party agents had reached there.’ After the employees went around the village and informed the locals, only a few people came to vote. The police had only a satellite phone. Even the police communication set was not available .
According to the staff, there are only 22 houses in Thudam . The village is almost empty . Many locals are living in Khandbari and Kathmandu, the district headquarters, for education, health treatment or employment . According to Sitaula, only 5 people above the age of 52 live permanently in the village . ‘When we reached the village, we met only the elderly,’ he said . They cannot even speak Nepali well . They only speak Bhote language . The rest of the people have gone to the pastures to graze their cattle . They make a living there .
The main occupation of the locals of Thudam is cattle farming . They make a living from this . Each family has 20 to 30 cattle . In winter and summer, they live with their cattle in the pastures . That is why the village is deserted . Lamubhutik Bhote, 53, said that he used to go to the nearby Chhujung River to water his buffaloes. Locals also complained that snow leopards were harassing his buffaloes. There is almost no local production. Farming is not possible. The main food of the residents here is buffalo meat.
According to Sitaula, food is very expensive there. ‘We bought rice for 300 rupees per kilo there,’ he said. ‘Goat meat costs 2,000 rupees per kilo.’ He said that it is difficult to see green vegetables.’ He said that it is difficult to spend the day due to extreme cold, snowfall and remote geographical conditions. The locals are forced to spend day and night in the freezing cold all year round. The residents of Thudam also bring drinking water from the Chhujung River.
According to Sitaula, except for five villagers, they change their location according to the season. In the winter, they go down to the Terai to escape the cold. That is why not many people were in the village during the election. Another important source of income for the locals of Thudam is the trade in Himalayan herbs. They do business by collecting herbs found in the mountains. The income from that has sustained their lives. According to the locals, relatives and cattle herders bring them food from time to time. They survive on that throughout the year.
For Sitaula, the polling officer, the Thudam experience was not only about the responsibility of conducting elections. It was also an opportunity to understand the harsh reality of Himalayan life. "Although it is said that the practice of democracy in Nepal has reached the villages, the struggle of life in villages like Thudam is still bigger than democracy," he said. "For the residents here, the most important thing is to save their livelihood, stay away from the cold and manage their daily lives." Even in such difficult circumstances, some locals came to the center to vote. It was not just about casting their votes. Sitaula said that he understood it as a small but important sign of democracy in the Himalayan village.
