Elected from Samdrup Jongkhar District in Bhutan, Regmi was forced out of the country stripping off his five-year tenure as Bhutan’s National Council member. He then took shelter in Nepal and started living here as a refugee.

“I am still called a council member. I fear this identity may remain with me all my life,” said 76-year-old Regmi clad in Dhaura suruwal.

Likewise, Santa Bir Ghale is another Bhutanese refugee who had a similar fate. Ghale was a ‘mandal’ (a leader of a particular village) of Lalai block at Gelephu in Bhutan. “We were elected representatives,” said Ghale with pride, adding that they were respected by many people then. “We are, however, forced to live a refugee life here.”

Ghale, who is living in Beldangi-2 camp in Jhapa, is appreciated by Bhutanese refugees and locals approach him for help as a guardian.

Dal Bahadur Bista, who back in the days worked as a helper of Ghale for 27 years, currently spends time weaving cradles. People still call him ‘karabari’ (helper of mandal), which he does not prefer. “I do not like being called karabari and I am living an unhappy life in a foreign country,” he said.

The refugee camps in Morang and Jhapa have many people who once were representatives of people and held powerful government positions in Bhutan, said Sabitra Wagle, under secretary of the camp management committee in Sanischare in Morang.

Regmi is among Bhutan’s five National Council members who were chased away then. Some of them passed away while others were resettled into other countries.

“I am insisting on going back to Bhutan. Some other mandals, karabaris and ‘dasoes’ (district administrator) also want to be repatriated back,” Regmi said.

Pancha Bahadur Limbu, another refugee, is of the view that regardless of the situation, locals have always respected their fellow Bhutanese refugees. “Our last representative is TR sir (Regmi). So we call him a member Saab,” he said.

Another Bhutanese refugee Mahesh Kumar Bishwa wishes to preserve their culture and traditions. “But since the camp management committee looks after camp activities, they will have to take up the issue themselves,” she said.

Sanchahang Subba, secretary of Beldangi camp for Bhutanese refugees, said that they approach mandals for help whenever they have community issues.