LOGIN DASHBOARD

    COVID19

    News

    1 MIN READ

    The right to mourn

    Basudev Bhatta, April 18, 2020, Kathmandu

    The right to mourn

      Share this article

    Due to the closed border, a migrant worker is unable to fulfill his funeral duties upon his mother’s death

    (The Record)

    Basudev Bhatta, a migrant worker, shares his condition as he is forced to mourn the death of his mother in quarantine across the border. As told to Kiran Dhami.

    My name is Basudev Bhatta. I am a resident of Shailyashikhar rural municipality in the district of Darchula. For the last three months, I have been working in road construction at Ghatikhola in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand.

    On 27 March, we decided to return as we had no more work due to the coronavirus. We weren’t getting paid and it was becoming harder to survive. I arrived along with several others on 30 March at the border to find that it was already closed. We pleaded with security personnel to let us in but they didn’t listen. We were left stranded without food or water and Indian officials came forward to help only much later. We have been kept in quarantine ever since.

    Five days ago, my mother, Gautami Bhatta, died. She was 65 years old and passed away from a heart attack. Her health had been suffering and she was worried about me and my brother who still remains stranded in Bangalore. As soon as I found out about her death, I tried calling people up and requesting authorities to let me cross the border. So far, I have talked to our mayor and ward chairman back home and to many journalists. They said that I would be allowed to return, but I’m still here. I have even filed a complaint on the police helpline. No matter how many times I tried to call the chief district officer, he wouldn’t take my call.

    I am the oldest of five brothers. With two of us brothers still in India, only the youngest three are at home to do the final rites. My mother carried me in her womb for nine months and raised me. Today, look at my condition. I couldn’t even mourn my mother’s death properly. Is it not my right to mourn my mother’s death?

    I don’t know what to say to a government that doesn’t understand the plight of its citizens. I would like to thank the two-thirds government. Let them thrive and prosper as we suffer.

    ::::::::::: 



    author bio photo

    Basudev Bhatta  No bio.



    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    Previous Next

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    Features

    7 min read

    How the state continues to dispossess Chepangs

    Dewan Rai - July 28, 2020

    The forceful eviction of landless Chepangs from protected forest areas is a violation of their constitutional rights

    Longreads

    Culture

    15 min read

    The social construction of Balen Shah

    Pragyan Thapa Ghimire - June 20, 2022

    Shah, at least on paper, embodies many of the popular attributes people look for in a leader. But shrewd political branding does not equal efficient and effective political action.

    Features

    5 min read

    Forest dwelling women blend sustainability and indigenous handicrafts

    Aishwarya Baidar - July 27, 2021

    Women from the indigenous Sardar community have long been making mats and vases out of water hyacinth but now, they’re also learning sustainable dyeing methods.

    Features

    4 min read

    'Gay gene' search reveals not one but many – and no way to predict sexuality

    Brendan Zietsch - September 28, 2019

    The biology of same-sex attraction seems to involve a host of genes.

    Explainers

    8 min read

    Prachanda speaks – again; Nepal Army tries transparency; mosquitoes threaten govt

    The Record - September 15, 2019

    The week in politics: what happened, what does it mean, why does it matter

    COVID19

    Features

    7 min read

    Lockdown worsens fertiliser shortage

    The Record - September 8, 2020

    For many paddy farmers, using fertilisers this time of year is crucial

    Opinions

    9 min read

    From the ashes of People’s War

    Aditya Adhikari - April 4, 2019

    Despite its immense bravado, the radical Maoist group led by Biplab might find it difficult to achieve its aims

    Features

    7 min read

    After conquering K2, Gelje Sherpa wants to set a world record

    Shristi Kafle - March 2, 2021

    Gelje, one of the 10 men who summited K2 in the winter for the first time, is now aiming to set a record as the youngest to climb all 14 eight-thousanders.

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy