Observing the bustling life of North Gorkha

It is said that even though the destination is the same, the goals and dreams of the journey are different for everyone. Among the travelers we met on this journey, some wanted to reach the peak of Manaslu, while others wanted to get lost on the surface of Budhi Gandaki. Some wanted to break the peace that had been there for years, while others set out to calm the same broken mind.

Our group of 30 people, including law professors and students who set out from Kathmandu School of Law, also had a slightly different goal for this journey compared to other travelers, but it was the same – ‘Ensuring social justice in Gorkha’.Each of us was moving forward with the same goal in unison. The scenes seen on the Manaslu trekking route, which took about 15 days and started at 141 meters and spread to a distance of 5,106 meters, were some heartbreaking and some heartbreaking. While measuring the height of the mountain, when I saw Manaslu approaching, I wondered if this bridge connecting us to the peak had collapsed or had never been built?

In simple terms, social justice means equal access to wealth, opportunities and facilities in society. In addition, social justice also ensures the attainment and use of birthright rights.Gorkha is geographically very large. By limiting the social justice of such a large area to imagination, the journey towards social justice of the nation is impossible.

During the journey, it was clear how geography itself is becoming both a blessing and a curse for northern Gorkha. On one side, there is a steep cliff above, on the other, the Budhi Gandaki flowing down. What remains is the state of the road in the middle. That road is also blocked by landslides during the rainy season and covered with snow for months in the winter, making life difficult.

Most of the beautiful aspects of Gorkha are also geographically structured. The mountain ranges, rivers, high mountains, biological and natural diversity here are rare. It is clear that this geographical structure has interfered with the social justice of Gorkha. But the fundamental question is whether this is a matter of no choice or injustice done without seeking an alternative. This question remained unanswered throughout the journey from the Rana regime and the Panchayat period to democracy.