(भाग १/३) "मेरा छोराछोरीले आफ्नै जमिनमा उभिन पाऊन्"
मेरो जन्म यही गाउँमा भयो। मेरा बुबाआमा यहीँ बसे। मेरा हजुरबुबा–हजुरआमाले पनि यही माटोमा आफ्नो जीवन बिताउनुभयो। अहिले म आफ्ना छोराछोरी हुर्काइरहेकी छु। तर यति पुस्ता बितिसक्दा पनि यो जमिन हाम्रो हो भनेर भन्न सक्दिनँ।
म चार जना छोराछोरीकी आमा हुँ। हरेक बिहान उठ्दा मेरो पहिलो चिन्ता हुन्छ—आज के खुवाउने, कसरी कमाउने, र आफ्ना छोराछोरीको भविष्य कसरी जोगाउने। गरिब हुनु आफैंमा पीडा हो। तर आफ्नै नाममा एक धुर जमिन पनि नहुनु त्योभन्दा ठूलो पीडा हो। यो यस्तो डर हो, जुन कहिल्यै सकिँदैन।
हामीले बनाएको घर यहीँ छ। तर घरमुनिको जमिन हाम्रो होइन। हामी ऐलानी जमिनमा बसिरहेका छौँ। कहिले कसले आएर "यो ठाउँ छोड" भन्छ भन्ने डर हरेक दिन हाम्रो साथमा हुन्छ। आफ्ना छोराछोरीलाई यही डरको बीचमा हुर्काउनु कति पीडादायी हुन्छ, त्यो मैले मात्रै बुझेकी छु।
आजकल मेरा छोराछोरी पनि सबै बुझ्न थालेका छन्। उनीहरू सोध्छन्, "आमा, हामीलाई यहाँबाट निकाले भने कहाँ जाने?" मसँग उनीहरूलाई दिने उत्तर छैन। बाहिरबाट हाँस्छु, तर भित्रभित्रै डरले थरथर काँपिरहेकी हुन्छु। अरूसँग लालपुर्जा छ। त्यो कागजले उनीहरूलाई सुरक्षा दिएको छ। तर हामीसँग केही छैन। जहाँ गए पनि लालपुर्जा देखाउन भन्छन्। हामीसँग नभएपछि हामीलाई यताउता धपाइन्छ, अपमान गरिन्छ, यहाँ बस्न पाइँदैन भनिन्छ...( चिन्ता देवी माझि )
(Part 1/3) "I Only Want My Children to Stand on Their Own Land"
I was born in this village. My parents lived here before me, and my grandparents spent their entire lives on this land. Now I am raising my own children here. Yet after generations, I still cannot say that this land is ours.
I am a mother of four children. Every morning I wake up thinking about how I will feed them, how I will earn enough for the day, and how I can protect them from a future that feels uncertain. Poverty is difficult, but living without land is a different kind of pain. It is a fear that never leaves you. It follows you every day and every night.
Our house stands here, but the land beneath it does not belong to us. We live on unregistered public land, and at any moment someone can come and tell us to leave. Imagine raising your children knowing that the only home they have ever known could disappear overnight.
My children already understand this. They ask me, "Mother, if they make us leave, where will we go?" I have no answer that can comfort them. I smile because I have to, but inside I am terrified. People who own land carry a certificate that proves they belong somewhere. We have nothing to show. Wherever we go, they ask for a land ownership certificate. When we cannot produce one, we are treated as though we do not belong anywhere...(Chinta Devi Majhi)