Dil Kumari Khadka, 22, from Sindhuli Bhiman, applied for police recruitment last year but was unsuccessful. Having passed the 12th standard, she is preparing to apply again even though applications open in June for the Nepal Police or the Armed Forces.

She is the youngest daughter among her family, with a mother, 5 sisters and a brother. Her elder sister Srijana is working in the Nepal Police. Srijana and her family want her sister to also join the police. Currently, Dilkumari is undergoing basic training after being selected for the Election Police. She is preparing to be deployed with the police in the Pulchowk area from next week.

‘I have passed 12th, the financial condition of the family is not that good, I did not even feel like going abroad, when the recruitment for the police was opened, I applied in Sindhuli Dudhauli, but I could not succeed. If the application opens within 1 year, I am thinking of competing,’ said Dilkumari, who is undergoing training at the District Police Complex, Lalitpur. ‘The recruitment for the Election Police was opened, I had applied, I was selected, now I will fulfill my responsibility honestly by being deployed in the designated area.’

Chhotelal Chaudhary, 44, from Hasuria, Kailali, is an ex-serviceman. He voluntarily resigned from the army 7 years ago and retired. He lives with his wife and one son in Kirtipur Toudaha. 

He, who spent about 2 decades in the army, is preparing to join the election police and deploy in the Kirtipur area. ‘Even if you retire from the army after earning a pension, where will you retire from the military lifestyle?’ he said, who is in basic training. ‘I was thinking of staying with my family in the country and doing my own job. Recruitment for the election police opened, I applied, and my name came out.’ The government has already recruited about 150,000 election police officers, including Dilkumari and Chhotelal.

About 200,000 people applied for the applications opened from 25th December to 3rd January. 149,090 people aged 18 to 54 have been selected for the election police and are undergoing basic training since Sunday. There are 133,980 election police officers under the Nepal Police and 15,110 under the Armed Police.

190,000 human resources from the Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police and the National Investigation Department are being mobilized for election security. The election police deployed under them will be given basic service facilities, uniforms, rations, lunch and transportation expenses equivalent to those of a police constable by the government for a period of 40 days. 

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, each person for the election police will receive a lump sum of 34,776 rupees for 40 days at the rate of 869.40 rupees per person per day. They also receive clothing and daily ration allowance. The ration allowance varies according to the district in the Himalayas, Hills, Terai and Valley. On average, it can be up to 6,000 for 40 days. The ration and clothing allowance is 10,000 rupees per person. A lump sum of 1,200 rupees will also be provided for the 4 days before and after the election at the rate of 300 per person. Transportation expenses to and from the place of deployment will be provided to 846 rupees per person. 

This time, the maximum number of election police officers is being deployed in Madhesh. Keeping in mind the open border, unhealthy competition between candidates, and other security challenges, regular manpower and election police are being deployed more in Madhesh. The next largest number is in Koshi. 22,901 election police will be deployed in Koshi. Similarly, 21,667 in Lumbini, 15,808 in Bagmati, 13,502 in Sudurpaschim, 12,907 in Gandaki, 9,654 in Karnali, and 6,369 in the Valley (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur).

Sociologist Ganesh Gurung says that the election police should not be viewed only as periodic security personnel recruited for election security. He believes that it should be viewed from many perspectives, including economic income/employment, production of a disciplined army, national service, and social service. He says, ‘In the future, the election police can be utilized as a bridge between social crime prevention and control and the government machinery-civil level.’

Gurung believes that recruitment and service in the election police should be evaluated from many aspects. ‘First, this number can be viewed as a superficial indicator of the unemployed manpower in the country, secondly, it is an opportunity to get employment from the state, even if it is for a short time, thirdly, it is an opportunity to serve the country, fourthly, it is the development of disciplined manpower in the society, and fifthly, families of 150,000 manpower have got the opportunity to mobilize 8/10 billion rupees,’ he says. ‘When you get the opportunity to work as a security guard abroad, a certificate of having worked in the election police under the government has great recognition.’

Gurung says that the government can utilize them as social service ambassadors by providing ‘election police identity cards’ and that it is necessary to formulate a blueprint with a comprehensive ‘vision’ for that. "If the police are not aware of crimes in society, information can be obtained through the human resources who worked as election police. They can also be mobilized to prevent conflicts in society and to prevent and control crimes," he says. "Once the human resources have served the nation, their love for the country always forces them to think. This human resources can remain as a disciplined force. It can be put to good use by bringing a program with a vision."

Election police from tanneri to 'baje'

Tanka Prasad Dhungana of Mangalsen-5, Achham, was first recruited into the 'temporary' police in 2048 at the age of 18. Even after 34 years, he has been recruited into the election police. 'Temporary police recruited during elections were earlier called temporary police,' he said. 'Now they are called election police.' These are the words that he has seen change from multi-party to gen-ji.

When he went to be recruited for the first time, his parents used to say goodbye by applying dahi chamal tika. This time, when three grandchildren came home, they sent them a message saying, "Bring me sweets, Grandpa." "Even those who are currently undergoing training say so," he said. "Many of my sons and grandchildren have become friends in my field life." The family has a wife, two sons, and two daughters. The children request me to stay home during the election. The eldest son has also completed his studies and is at home. The youngest son is studying engineering. 

"I have three grandchildren from my two daughters," he said. "They also say that they do not have to become temporary police officers anymore." 

He said that this election will be the last recruitment of his "temporary police" journey. "Since the rules allow up to the age of 54, I did not miss the opportunity this time either. How many times have I risked my ballot and saved my ballot," he said. "How much does the country remember me? Time will tell."

Even now, Dhungana, who has become a "temporary police officer" 10 times, has witnessed the political events of three decades. Dhungana, who is deployed at polling stations for election security in every election, said that he closely observed the election activities. He became a temporary policeman for the first time in the elections held on 29 Baisakh 048. He said that he had a different experience while carrying out security responsibilities in the first general election after multi-party rule. ‘I was responsible for protecting the ballot boxes and polling stations,’ he said. ‘At that time, many people were able to exercise their right to vote for the first time, so there was excitement, fear, and anxiety about what would happen next.’

He first saw tension and instability during the mid-term elections of 051. He was deployed as a temporary policeman for the second time. According to him, there was pressure from his family not to become a temporary policeman, saying that political instability and rigging would make his life insecure. But he did not stop. ‘I saw the instability of the party and the tense atmosphere for the first time in that election,’ he said. ‘There was discord among the voters, if slogans were raised, it was very difficult to protect the polling stations.’

Local body elections were held in 054. He became a temporary policeman for the third time at that time. He says that he saw a different scene in the local body elections. ‘People from his own village and neighbourhood had become candidates,’ he said, ‘and they even requested him not to become a temporary policeman by urging him to campaign.’ He said that since then, the general public had started talking about the development of their village. ‘Candidates would seek votes with the agenda of roads, bridges, and drinking water,’ he said. 

The first Constituent Assembly member election in 2064 was historic for Dhungana. He became a temporary policeman for the fourth time after ten years. For the first time, the people voted for ‘Nepal without a king’. He saw excitement and fear in the first Constituent Assembly member election. ‘There was conflict and instability in the country. There was talk of risking his life if he went to vote,’ he said, ‘Even though my family tried to stop me from becoming a temporary policeman, I did not agree.’ 

At that time, the Achham Palace near his house was destroyed by the then rebel Maoists. Hundreds died in the Maoist attack. ‘Elections are dangerous, you are still young, you can work as you please,’ he recalled, ‘so I became a temporary policeman again because I had to go into election security in difficult times.’ 

The second Constituent Assembly election was held in 2070. He became a temporary policeman for the fifth time. ‘That election was important as the last attempt to draft the constitution,’ he said, ‘I stood at the polling station at that time and became a witness to history.’ He also became a temporary policeman in the local elections in 2074. He also played the role of a temporary policeman in the local, House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections in 2079. 

This time, he is taking on the responsibility of security for the tenth time for the House of Representatives elections to be held on 21 Falgun. ‘The name has changed to Election Police from this election, but the political instability I have seen since 2051 has remained the same,’ he said, ‘nothing has changed.’ He is currently busy with training at the District Police Complex. 

‘Happy with the opportunity’

Prem Patel, 40, of Chandrapur-6, Rautahat, struggles to eat a meal in the morning and evening. Patel, who runs his household as a daily wage earner, does not work for a day and the fire in the stove does not burn. After quitting his daily wage for a few days, Patel is now undergoing training as an election police officer. 

He was also a temporary police officer in the 2079 local elections. He has two sons and a daughter. Sometimes he earns a living by working as a daily wage earner at a construction site and sometimes by driving an e-rickshaw. He is undergoing training after being selected as an election police officer for the second time. ‘Even if it is a little, it is enough to provide relief, on days when there is no work, he has to sleep on a bed of rice,’ he said. ‘This has given him a basis for survival for a few days.’ Even if he has to work as a daily wage earner, he plans to educate his son to be an engineer. Patel said that due to poverty, his dream is unlikely to come true. He said that he earns between 3 and 500 rupees a day by driving an e-rickshaw. He says that he will use the money he receives for his service in the election police for his son's education and household expenses. 

Anil Sah of Chandrapur-8's story is similar to Patel's. Sah is happy after getting an opportunity in the election police while he was wandering around looking for employment. 'I was wandering around in search of work,' he said, 'I run my house with the money I earned for forty days.' He did not want to reveal his family background, but urged people to understand that he is poor. Earlier, he had become a temporary policeman during the local elections. 

A common scene is seen in the playgrounds of Gaur and Chandranigahpur, the headquarters of Rautahat. The scene of training of those who are going to work for election security looks truly poignant. Those who have not got the opportunity to work are also participating in it. Those who have been recruited for 40 days of short-term employment are not only connected with peace and security. It is also a picture of deep social, economic realities and unemployment. The district police has recruited 3,466 election police. A large portion of those recruited are young men and women from poor and middle-class families, and more are old. The lack of sufficient industry in the district and limited access to government jobs have forced even educated youth to take up jobs for a few weeks. Among those recruited in this way are also young men and women who are pursuing graduation. 

Mehmood Siddiqui, 29, of Gulariya Municipality-7, Bardiya, who has been recruited into the election police for the fourth time, is very happy at the moment. Siddiqui, who has been recruited into the election police, is undergoing training. 2,25 election police have been recruited in Bardiya with the aim of conducting the upcoming House of Representatives elections in a fearless environment. He first became an election police officer in the 2074 elections. 

This is his fourth time in the election police. There is no employment in his home country. He says that he has not been able to leave his homeland even though he had planned to go abroad. He said that despite having an inner desire to protect the country, he was not taken into consideration at that time and now his age has cut him off. ‘I want to help my family with the money I received from the election police,’ he said. ‘I have got the opportunity to serve the state while I am currently unemployed.’

Siddique has been an active youth in social service for the past 10 years. Whenever a patient undergoing treatment at Bardiya Hospital needs blood, his name comes to the fore. He saves the patient’s life by contacting a friend of the same group who needs blood and taking him to the hospital to donate blood on his own motorcycle. He always gets praise for his selfless deeds. Not only that, he is also known as a good cricket player. He claims to have played cricket at the district and regional levels. ‘Being a cricketer, there was no problem in joining the election police,’ he said. ‘Being a sportsperson, there was no problem in running, set-off and push-off.’

Indra, who became an election police officer, transformed grief into strength

The women of Salyan have been following the belief that they should not go far from home for 45 days after the death of their husbands. But Indra Kumari Budhathoki, 36, of Badakhola, Sharda Municipality-3, joined the Election Police less than a month after her husband's death. 

She said that she joined the Election Police after suppressing all kinds of pain in her heart when she was in pain because the family's financial situation was weak and it was difficult to pay off the loans she had incurred during foreign employment and health care in the past. Her husband Purna Bahadur died on 17 Poush after collapsing near their home at the age of 42. 

She had been working as a daily wage worker to support her family as her husband, who was always an alcoholic, did not take any interest in household expenses. On the 14th day after her husband's death, she applied for the Election Police. On the 18th day, she participated in the selection race.