Rautahat, Jan. 8 -- Possibly for the first time in nearly two decades, a glimmer of hope is visible on the face of Tribhuvan Sah, aged 50, of ward 8 of Baudhimai Municipality in Rautahat district. Sah was among those seriously injured in the violent clash that shook Gaur on March 21, 2007-one of the deadliest political confrontations in the post-insurgency era in the Tarai. For 19 long years, he has knocked on the doors of the district administration, police headquarters and Kathmandu's power corridors, demanding justice for the victims.

Now, following a landmark order from the Supreme Court directing police to investigate the case, Sah believes justice may finally be within reach. "I watched my friends collapse right in front of my eyes...