LOGIN DASHBOARD
    The Record

    COVID19

    Features

    3 MIN READ

    A man returning home on foot dies in desperation instead

    The Record - April 17, 2020

    Nepal’s first Covid19 death was not caused by the coronavirus


    *WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGE THAT SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND DISTURBING*

    A migrant worker returning home on foot while trying to escape hunger and joblessness has died after falling off a bridge linking Dhading and Gorkha. Although not a death caused directly by the novel coronavirus that has otherwise killed hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, Wednesday’s death is the first induced by hunger and desperation caused by the government’s response to the pandemic.

    Thirty-eight year old Hom Bahadur Rana Magar, a resident of the rural municipality of Jwalamukhi in Dhading, was trying to cross the Budhigandaki River by crawling over the railing of a bridge that has been shut in order to prevent the cross-district movement of people.

    Hom Bahadur Rana Magar, 38/ Picture credit: Kamal Rana

    “Since the bridge was blocked from either side to prevent the flow of people, he tried to crawl through the railing and fell into the riverbed,” Binod Raj Timilsina, mayor of Jawalamukhi municipality, told the Record.

    The bridge connects Jwalamukhi with Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality of Gorkha district. Krishna Prasad Kapri, chairman of Ward No 5 Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality, said that Hom Bahadur waited until night to cross the bridge although he had arrived late afternoon on Wednesday.

    “We suspect that he waited until night due to the fear of getting caught and quarantined. It appears that his family may have misinformed him,” Kapri told the Record.

    Khem Bahadur Rana Magar, a relative of the deceased, said his family was on a phone conversation with him until his phone switched off around 9 pm on Wednesday.

    Hom Bahadur had been working as a carpenter in Madhapur, Chitwan, for the past few years where he lived with his wife, two daughters and a son. After hearing the news about a potential lockdown, he had sent his wife and children to Dhading a while ago.

    “He tried to come back to Dhading since he no longer had work and survival was becoming more difficult due to the lockdown,” Khem Bahadur told the Record.

    Kamal Rana, Hom Bahadur’s nephew, also said that the deceased had been worried about dying of starvation with food and money running out.

    “Just three days before his death, he told me that he was running out of food. He was also worried about his family’s safety after hearing rumours of a Covid19 outbreak in Dhading,” he said.

    Picture credit: Kamal Rana

    Every day, thousands of people, mainly students, migrants and stranded travellers, have been returning to their villages from big cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, fleeing joblessness, starvation and an uncertain future. The prolonged lockdown has especially hit daily wage labourers who rely on low-paying regular work to be able to afford food and rent. Some are taking up to 25 days to reach home.

    Over 2 million people have reportedly already left the Kathmandu Valley and many others are expected to leave as there are little signs that the lockdown, currently in its fourth week, will ease any time soon.

    Several leaders from across the political spectrum have been mounting pressure on the government to facilitate an easy return home for workers stuck in major cities.

    “It is easy to feel the plight of those who have already begun their journey home on foot. Let concerned local bodies contact them and make arrangements to take them home. Local bodies should also assist in their travel arrangements, and ensure they receive food and accommodation after proper quarantining,” Nepal Communist Party spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said on Twitter.

    The minister for women, children and senior citizens, Parbat Gurung, said that the government was in consultation with the provincial and local bodies to assist those returning homes.

    :::::::



    author bio photo

    The Record  We are an independent digital publication based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our stories examine politics, the economy, society, and culture. We look into events both current and past, offering depth, analysis, and perspective. Explore our features, explainers, long reads, multimedia stories, and podcasts. There’s something here for everyone.



    Become a Member !

    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    News

    The Wire

    4 min read

    The wrong side of the thin blue line

    Shradha Ghale - March 5, 2015

    In secular Nepal, non-Hindus regularly face police harassment

    Books

    5 min read

    Another country

    Pranaya Sjb Rana - December 8, 2020

    Niranjan Kunwar’s memoir of life as a gay man is the honest account that Nepal’s literary sphere and LGBTIQ community have long needed

    COVID19

    News

    3 min read

    Covid19 Roundup, 13 May: Cases rise to 243, including 3 in Kathmandu Valley

    The Record - May 13, 2020

    A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter

    The Wire

    News

    3 min read

    On the 100th day of Bangladeshi Photographer’s imprisonment, eminent figures appeal for his immediate release

    The Record - November 13, 2018

    The letter was addressed to Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina

    Books

    3 min read

    A story about the Gurkhas from a Gurkha writer

    Sanjay Sharma - December 13, 2020

    The Gurkhas: A True Story by Tim I Gurung disrupts existing narratives on Gurkha history and experiences that have been penned mostly by western writers

    News

    3 min read

    Gautam’s bid to become minister hits a snag

    The Record - September 23, 2020

    The Supreme Court steps in to put a stop to the NCP’s latest attempt to hoist also-rans to positions of power

    Features

    17 min read

    Capital question

    Sonam Lama - February 29, 2020

    The decision to build new headquarters inside Teghari Forest has divided politicians, locals and environmentalists in Sudurpashim

    COVID19

    7 min read

    State of incompetency

    Brabim Kumar - April 2, 2020

    The government is responding to this crisis with make-do solutions

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright 2020 the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy