In a country still healing from the wounds of a decade-long armed conflict (1996–2006), reparations often evoke images of courtroom verdicts, international funding, or national commissions. But in Thakurbaba Municipality, nestled at the edge of Bardiya National Park, reparative justice is unfolding at the grassroots — with local government taking meaningful steps to meet the needs of conflict victims and survivors. Their example shows what is possible when political will, constitutional empowerment, and community engagement align.

Why Local Matters

Bardiya is among the districts most severely affected by Nepal’s conflict, with thousands of victims from both state and Maoist forces. Thakurbaba — the second most affected municipality in the district — has decided not to wait for Kathmandu to solve everything. Instead, Mayor Tilak Ram Lamsal and Deputy Mayor Bina Kumari Bhattarai have embraced their constitutional authority under Nepal’s 2015 Constitution to drive social development and prioritize conflict-affected populations.

Unlike short-term or one-off support schemes, Thakurbaba’s approach is structural. As the deputy mayor put it, “This is not just an individual-based project. The system and structure need to institutionalize the policy so it will remain — not just a one-time thing with temporary effect.”

This philosophy resonates deeply with Nepal’s constitutional framework. Under Schedules 8 and 9 of the 2015 Constitution, local governments have clear mandates over education, health, social welfare, and cultural promotion — all vital domains for reparative justice. Thakurbaba has used this authority boldly and creatively.

In Thakurbaba, we met with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to discuss local justice and reparation initiatives.

A Reparative Agenda Rooted in Social Development

What sets Thakurbaba apart is its integrated approach: reparative priorities are embedded within broader social development programs. This includes:

• Education: Within four months of taking office, the municipality declared secondary education free. A selection committee prioritizes conflict victims in allocating scholarships.
• Health: The local hospital has been upgraded to provide both physical and psychosocial health services. In partnership with the Centre for Mental Health and Counselling, supported by the Swiss government, free mental health counselling and shuttle transport are now available. While these services were initially intended for conflict victims, they have since been expanded to serve the general public, including but not limited to those affected by the conflict.
• Livelihood Support: Conflict victims are provided with access to skill training programs and included in broader agricultural and income-generating initiatives. They also receive special reservation or priority in these opportunities.
• Budget Commitment: An extraordinary 52% of the municipal budget is allocated to social development — a testament to political commitment.

Crucially, all these efforts are policy-driven and institutional, not merely ad hoc. Conflict victims — regardless of whether they suffered at the hands of the state or Maoist forces — are recognized as a unified group in the municipality’s planning and programming. This helps heal historic divisions and promotes social cohesion.

Psychosocial counsellors in Thakurbaba shared insights into their community-based mental health support.

Shared Responsibility: Local and Federal Roles

The municipality’s work does not eliminate the federal government’s responsibility — it redefines it. As outlined in Nepal’s Constitution, local governments have direct power over grassroots implementation, while the federal government is responsible for funding flows, national frameworks, and coordination.

Thakurbaba’s example shows the complementarity in this relationship. Local governments can tailor responses to the lived realities of victims — such as caste-based discrimination or trauma-induced poverty — while federal policies can standardize rights and allocate sufficient resources to ensure consistency across the country.

For example, the call for victim registration in Thakurbaba is not just about tracking numbers. It’s about building a local database that can feed into national reparations mechanisms, identify needs, and streamline benefits. Yet, without a clear federal reparation law or national registry, these efforts risk being under-supported or fragmented.

Political Will: The Human Factor

Much of Thakurbaba’s success stems from strong and sincere leadership. Both Mayor Lamsal and Deputy Mayor Bhattarai have deep experience in social development and an evident personal commitment. The mayor has gone so far as to donate his own government salary to establish a community fund for social development to help the underprivileged.

But what happens in municipalities where such leadership is absent?

This is where replication strategies matter. Strong local initiatives like Thakurbaba’s should be documented, publicized, and used to influence national frameworks. NGOs, donors, and federal authorities can play a key role in scaling these models, providing technical support, and incentivizing other municipalities to follow suit — even where political will is not as strong.

Reconciliation and Justice at the Local Level
Thakurbaba has shown that reconciliation need not be confined to courtrooms. Through its Judicial Committee, chaired by Deputy Mayor Bina Kumari Bhattarai, the municipality emphasizes local mediation and restorative justice. Although the committee lacks formal judicial authority, it plays an active role in resolving everyday disputes and promoting peaceful coexistence within the community. The committee includes representatives from each ward as well as members of victims’ families, who serve directly as local mediators—ensuring both inclusivity and trust in the process.

This grassroots justice mechanism complements national transitional justice institutions by offering a community-based model that is immediate, accessible, and culturally grounded.

Looking Forward: From Bardiya to Nepal

Thakurbaba’s story offers an important lesson: transitional justice is not the sole domain of national commissions or international tribunals. Local governments — empowered by the constitution and driven by moral clarity — can and should lead the charge.

To scale this model, three actions are essential:

1. Codify Best Practices: Develop a national framework for local reparations based on successful examples like Thakurbaba.
2. Coordinate Across Levels: Ensure that federal policies and funding mechanisms support and recognize local initiatives.
3. Empower Other Municipalities: Provide training, documentation, and peer exchange programs to encourage replication across Nepal’s 753 local governments.

As Nepal’s transitional justice process continues to stall at the national level, municipalities like Thakurbaba remind us that healing and dignity need not wait. When victim groups are mobilized, communities are empowered, reconciliation is not only possible — it is already happening.

Meeting with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor in Thakurbaba Municipality.