Mandala Theatre Nepal, in collaboration with the National Network of Families of Disappeared and Missing Nepal (NEFAD), on Tuesday, organised an event to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, at the premises of Mandala Theatre, in the Capital. The annual event had various activities aimed to provide solidarity and empathy to the families of victims.

Today, there is a total of 2865 registered cases of disappearance in Commission of Enforced Disappearance in Nepal, and among them, 1,300 people were forcibly

disappeared during the decade-long Maoist insurgency.

According to the organisers, the second edition of the event not only commemorates those who disappeared, but also aims to raise voice to provide a space for public engagement and recognition for them.

Speaking to the Post about the event, Ram Bhandari, of the NEFAD, said: “We had been holding the events for the disappeared victims for almost a decade now, but our events used to be political; so there was very minimal engagement of civil society. But since last year, we have been working with Mandala Theatre

and this has proved to be more effective method to make people aware about this topic as well as to convey our message to a much wider

populace—to the activists, artists, authorities and the civil society.”

The event, poignantly titled Where Are They?, featured musical

performances, poetry recitation, photo stories, tree of solidarity, and drama staging.

“I had participated in other events for the families of disappeared but this one has been really interesting and motivating, said Sushma Chaudhary, the sister of Ramkali Chaudhary who disappeared at the year 2059. “After hearing the stories of other families at the event, I feel like we are all together in this and I am not the only one going through this. We also got a chance to work together with the artists and even guide them during the rehearsal for drama which was really a humbling experience.”

According to Som Nath Khanal, coordinator of the event, the event aimed to shed light through arts how disappearances continue to effects the lives of family members in more than a few ways. “We wanted to provide a platform for the families who live with unsettling memories of their loved one and to stand together with them,” Khanal said.

The event concluded with the staging of the drama, titled Aadha Satya, which is based on the stories shared by the families of disappeared, and revolves around the myriad plights the families of the disappeared have to go through.