Dolma Maya Gole, the Vice-Chairperson of Mahankal Rural Municipality in Lalitpur, has been busier than ever. Despite being part of a district connected to the federal capital, Mahankal Rural Municipality is still considered remote, often referred to as the ‘Karnali of Lalitpur.’
As Vice-Chairperson, Dolma Maya leads crucial committees such as the Judicial Committee, Monitoring Committee, and Revenue Advisory Committee. Her responsibilities take her from police stations to ward offices, road inspections, and agricultural markets.
At just 14 years old in 1998, Dolma Maya took up arms, driven by the desire for social change. She was the first female guerrilla from Lalitpur to go underground for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) during the armed conflict. However, within 42 days, she was captured by the police in Thuladurlung, Lalitpur.
The ordeal of capture and torture
On July 15, 1998, three of her comrades were killed in a police ambush, and she, along with three others, was arrested. It was the first time the police had arrested armed Maoist members in Kathmandu Valley.
Dolma Maya recalls the harrowing incident: “At around noon, while we were eating, Nepal Police suddenly surrounded the house and launched an attack. Two of my fellow fighters were martyred right before my eyes. The police threatened to burn us alive inside the house, so we surrendered.”
After their capture, the brutality continued. “Even when we were unconscious, the beatings didn’t stop. They used rifle butts and boots to attack us,” she says. She was subjected to severe torture and sexual violence throughout the night.
The next morning, she and her group were taken to Gotikhel Police Station. The incident gained national and international attention, with political parties, international NGOs, and human rights organisations condemning the severe human rights violations against female combatants.
Dolma Maya was held in illegal police detention for a month before being transferred to Lalitpur District Court, which ordered her imprisonment on charges of crimes against the state. She was sent to Dilli Bazaar Prison, where conditions were extremely poor.
“In the women’s rehabilitation center, everything was chaotic. We had to protest repeatedly to improve kitchen facilities, water supply, toilets, drainage, electricity, housing, food quality, healthcare, and education,” she recalls.
Sixty days after being jailed, she was moved to the women’s prison section. She staged a nine-day hunger strike at the main gate, demanding separate rooms for political prisoners, which was eventually granted.
Basic human rights were non-existent in the prison. The sewage system was blocked, there was no water in toilets, food was substandard, and there were no provisions for healthcare, vocational training, or education. Prisoners received only 700 grams of rice and Rs 10 per day.
Repeated protests and a 17-day hunger strike led to significant reforms, including the establishment of a school within the prison, increased allowances, improved sanitation, better housing, healthcare access, a library, and vocational training.
After the 2006 People’s Movement and subsequent political changes, many Maoist leaders and cadres were released. However, those imprisoned under state crimes were not immediately freed. It took another two years before Dolma Maya was released on June 22, 2006, following a Supreme Court ruling.
A political career rooted in struggle
After her release, Dolma Maya continued her political journey. She served as a member and office secretary of the Newa State Committee of the Maoist party from 2007 to 2014. She was also a central member of the Young Communist League (YCL) from 2007 to 2014 and held various positions in the party’s district and central committees.
In 2017, she was elected as a Provincial Assembly member from the Indigenous Quota under the Maoist Center. In 2022, she was elected Vice-Chairperson of Mahankal Rural Municipality.
Focusing on women and agriculture
Since assuming office, Dolma Maya has prioritised agriculture and women’s economic empowerment. “One of my first decisions was to provide free ambulance services for pregnant women and organise health camps for women’s health, particularly related to uterine issues,” she says.
She has also introduced skill-based training programs for homemakers, including pickle-making, bakery, and silage storage for cattle feed. Additionally, the municipality has distributed goats and buffaloes to economically disadvantaged women and established a technical school and hostel.
Other initiatives include setting up a hospital, establishing a farmer’s bank, increasing dairy subsidies, launching youth-focused self-employment programs, and ensuring health insurance for senior citizens and underprivileged individuals.
Leading disaster relief and women’s empowerment
During the October 2024 floods and landslides, Dolma Maya played a key role in relief and rehabilitation efforts, ensuring grants for reconstruction and temporary housing in Gotikhel and other affected areas.
She has also collaborated with various organisations to promote women’s leadership and personal development. “As Vice-Chairperson, I am focused on making women self-reliant by equipping them with necessary skills,” she states.
As the head of the Judicial Committee, she strives to resolve local disputes within the municipality to prevent unnecessary legal battles. “We try to mediate small conflicts at the local level rather than sending them to court,” she explains.
Despite her turbulent past, Dolma Maya Gole continues to dedicate herself to grassroots development, ensuring Mahankal’s progress while empowering its people, particularly women and farmers.
