Tikapur (kailali), Jan. 22 -- The Tharu community has been taking to the streets for a long time-from district headquarters to the national capital-demanding equal rights, dignity and proportional representation in state institutions. Time and again, they were met with assurances and written commitments. For many Tharus, the outcomes have fallen far short of their expectations.

As the House of Representatives elections approach again, internal rifts among leaders who rose to prominence by championing Tharu causes have left ordinary voters wondering whom to trust and what the future holds.

Som Bahadur Chaudhary, aged 34, of Tikapur Municipality in Kailali offers a telling snapshot of this disillusionment. On a recent Monday afternoon, he...