90 year vet becomes Mayor of Ghale Gaun
Ghale Gaun during snowfall
GHALE GAUN, SECOND TAMUWAN HANGATE
A 90 years old veteran of the Imperial War has embarked on a new career in politics after being elected as the Mayor of Ghale Gaun on Friday. This scenic town, which is around 12 km away from Ghan Pokhara, the capital of Second Tamuwan Hangate, lies at an altitude of 2,100 meters.
The new mayor Hari Bahadur Lhenge Kon says that he was inspired by Magarati students protesting against climate change and 'neo-Imperialist actions in Arvan, Charbagnia and Kachee'. "Those kids gave me hope that there are still many people in this country who want to change things."
Binita Tahanagi, a science teacher in Ghale Gaun Secondary School, says that the Imperial War veteran Lhenge Kon is a 'strong character whom everyone respects'.
The man himself however says that this is his chance to atone for his past and to 'make thing right'. At the age of 16, he was drafted into the Nine Gyarong Gun of Imperial Magarati Army. "The year was 1945 when I had just turned 16. The Miklanians, the Svalbardians, the Almoreans, the Noronicans and many other Free Powers had launched their Invasion of Central Argus just four or six months before that. San Montagnans, Tracerans, Domananians and various others in Magarati-occupied areas rebelled as well. Suddenly, every Magarati boy over 16 I knew was in the army. There were those whose parents lied about their son's age to prevent that. But I also remember some naive war-lovers as young as 13 who lied about their age to be enlisted. The situation was desperate. Even girls were being recruited; mostly into the air force and the navy."
"The next four years were awful. What was more awful was that the army recruited us based on the area. All of the boys and men in this town and pretty much entirety of Second Tamuwan Hangate were enlisted into the notorious Nine Gyarong Gun. This was the same Magarati division that had spearheaded invasions into Domanania, San Montagna, Brufali and other nations. The superiors were ruthless. What the foreign media had said about us using poison gas, which I like everyone else had refused to believe till then, turned out to be true. We were treated as expendables. Since entire division was from same geographical region, entire villages would lose their sons in a battle."
Mr Lhenge Kon says that the eruption of the 30th Parallel War and the Kyrazakhstani Revolution showed that "Magaratis still had not learned from their mistakes" mentioning his only son's death during the 30th Parallel War.
"I had moved to Myagdi Island (Tapu Sahar), like many others, to raise my son and to see my grandchildren grow there. But that dream of mine was shattered when my son died in another meaningless war. It was then that I decided to return back to my hometown and do something for it until my last breath. I was depressed at times thinking how quickly this country had forgotten its mistakes and seeing our involvement in these new wars and the rise of law-breaking Magarati companies furthered my anger. But as more and more youths started speaking out against the ills of this government, I started to grow hope again and decided to run for the mayor."