Cruel reminders

The stray explosions show that a country can never fully recover from a bloody civil war.

President Ramchandra Paudel’s approval on August 29, 2024, of the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act was widely welcomed. Political leaders in particular expressed great pride in their part in concluding an important chapter in Nepal’s peace process. The same day, however, a grenade exploded in Phaelelung Rural Municipality-5 of Panchthar district, claiming the lives of two children and leaving one injured. It was later discovered that the grenade was a remnant of the Maoist war (1996-2006). It was a clear reminder that passage of the transitional law alone is not enough to put the violent past to rest.