“I am upset that the work I do for my village has not been compensated with the wages I deserve” – Surendra Pal

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Surendra Pal

Sarkegaad 4, Humla

“I am upset that the work I do for my village has not been compensated with the wages I deserve. There are several factors that I have to deal with in my line of work. Firstly, it is not free of risks. The water sources are far away and in difficult terrain. I have to leave my family and risk my life to get to the source every time the water stopped running. The water mostly stops running if the source is blocked by a landslide or mud debris. And cleaning all that by myself is not easy either. I can only carry one or two tools with me given the difficulty to get there. And using my hands to clear the blockage is not that effective. Sometimes I have to leave at dawn and by the time I reach back home it is almost dark. 

I am also responsible to fix the damaged pipes and taps in the market across the river as the water from the source I visit also supplies the water there. For the work I do there has been an agreement that I get a remuneration. The first 3 years they did pay me but I have not received a single penny for the last two. Look, I have kids to raise and a family to feed and Humla is not a cheap place to live because of its remoteness. You can understand that when I have to spend a lot of time ensuring the steady supply of water, I am not able to work elsewhere to earn extra income. That means I have to rely on the wages that I am supposed to have received being the officially appointed plumber for the community. That is not happening so I have started to doubt the promises that have been made to me. They just continue telling me to wait and its been two years. How do they think I am supposed to sustain a family?

So the only option I have left is to quit this job and find something else that pays regularly on a monthly basis. I might also need to think about leaving to another country to find work. My children’s life depends on the money I can bring home. “

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सुरेन्द्र पाल 

सर्केगाड ४, हुम्ला 

“मैले गाउको लागि गरेको कामको उचित परिश्रमिक नपाएको हुदा म खुसि छैन। मैले काम गर्दा देखि कठिनाइहरु भोग्नु पर्छ।  काम जोखिम्पुर्ण छ। पानीको मुहानहरु टाडा र बिकट ठाउमा छन। पानि सुक्यो भने आफ्नो परिवारलाइ छाडेर जिवनको माया मारेर हिड्नु पर्छ।  पहिरो जादा र भल बग्दा पानि रोकिहाल्छ।  अनि एक्मैले गएर सबै सफा गर्नु पनि कह सजिलो छ र? एक दुइ ओटा औजार बाहेक अरु बोकेर जानु सम्भव छैन।  अनि सबै काम हातैले पुरा गर्न सकिदैन । कहिले काहि त घाम नलाग्दै निस्किनु पर्छ अनि काम सकयेर घर फर्किदा त रात नै पर्छ। 

पुल पारिको बजारमा पनि यदि पाइप फुट्यो र धाराहरु भचियो भने मैलेनै मर्मत गर्छु किन भने माथिको मुहानको पानि त्यता पनि लगिएको छ। मैले गरेको कामको मलाइ पारिश्रमिक दिने सम्झौता भएको थियो। पहिलो ३ वर्श मैले पारिश्रमिक पाए तर गएको २ बर्शको मैले एक सुका पनि पाएको छैन। मेरो पनि छोरा छोरी हरु छन, हुम्ला यति टाडा छ अनि सबै कुरा हरु महन्गो छ।  अब यो पानिको काम मात्रले मेरो सबै समय लिन्छ जस्ले गर्दा म अरु थप आम्दानि हु्ने केहि कामहरु गर्न पाउदिन। यहि कामबाट आउने तलबको भरमा म र मेरो परिवार बाच्नु पर्छ।  तर मैले आफ्न्प परिश्रमिक नपाएको धेरै भयो त्यस् कारण अब मलाइ  यो काम प्रति बिस्वास पनि रेहेन।  दिन्छु दिन्छु भन्छन तर २ बर्स बितिसक्यो । येस्तै हो भने मैले परिवार कसरि चलाउने?

अब त यो चौकिदारिको काम छाडेर अरु काम खोज्नु बाहेक केहि उपाय देख्दिन । बिदेस पनि जाने दिन नआउला भन्न सकिन्न। मेरो कामाइ नै मेरो परिवार को आधार हो ।”