Nepal, Nov. 5 -- Masurpatti is a village at the edge of the map-and of the national discourse, both literally and figuratively. No one in the hamlet seems to remember how Musaharpatti-named after a land grant (patta) given to a Musahar who had helped the Gorkhalis in their war with the East India Company-became Masurpatti over time. Today, no descendant of the Musahar loyal to the Gorkhalis can be traced anywhere in the vicinity, nor can any Musahar family be found in the village to which they once held the title deed.

It was a settlement twinned with the larger Suga Bhavanipaati to the north in a single administrative unit; now, both villages are parts of the extended Jaleshwar Municipality. Surprisingly, the badly designed and poorly w...