After the devastating April 25 earthquake rendered them homeless, the desperate Tamang community of Ichok VDC of Sindhupalchowk district, where very little relief has reached so far, have been resorting to devious means to receive relief materials. The locals wake up early in the morning and travel downwards for an hour to the graveled road section that links the northern VDCs of the districts to Melamchi, a slightly developed neighborhood bazaar, to waylay the trucks heading for nearby areas for relief distribution. The khukuri wielding Tamang locals request the donor trucks for relief. But if this doesn't work they even threaten the donor representatives. Chanaute Bridge that links Palchok, Baskharka, Baruwa, Helambu and Kiul VDCs of the districts across Melamchi River has become an ideal place for them to waylay relief trucks. As many as 100 locals appeared on the bridge out of nowhere and tried to obstruct the trucks carrying relief materials for Palchok VDC on Friday afternoon. But they fled at the sight of the police. "The donors have been distributing relief only in areas linked by road. Relief materials have not reached remote villages. We have been left with no choice other than to waylay the relief trucks," said Gothe Tamang of Ichok-9. A local police officer said the relief teams fear passing the area for fear that the local Tamangs would loot them. "I have been waiting at this place since early in the morning, but all donors have been taking relief materials to other villages skipping ours," said Babulal Tamang, from the same VDC. Some 12 Kilometer north of Melamchi municipality, the Tamang community in Ichok is backward and depends on subsistence. Sanjaman Lama from the same VDC said the government has provided them only 3-4 kg of rice in the two weeks after the earthquake. "How can we feed our family with so little relief for two weeks?" he argued. On Saturday, Gyan Bahadur and Singha Bahadur of Ghumthan VDC were seen along the Araniko Highway a few kilometers from Barahbise of Sindhupalchok. They had arrived there to ask donors to distribute relief goods in their village located across the Bhotekoshi River. "No government or non-government agency has bothered to cross the suspension bridge and distribute relief in our village," said Gyan Bahadur. The National Human Right Commission (NHRC), issuing a statement recently, said relief materials have only reached areas linked by roads, while people in the remote areas await relief even two weeks after the earthquake.