KAVRE: It was a memorable day for the parents of late Dinesh Shrestha, a Nepali Army soldier, on Sunday when Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), Rookmangud Katawal, turned up at their house to console them.

They had barely expected that the CoAS would come to them in person to their makeshift house in Chaukot of Panauti Municipality and share the grief.

Dinesh, 26, had lost his life while trying to rescue a drowning boy from a well in Dhalko in the Capital two weeks ago.

The boy too had suffocated to death.

Unluckily though, Dinesh’s father Mohankaji could not see what sort of person the CoAS was for he is a visually impaired. Neither his mother could hear the good words of the Army chief as she is hearing impaired.

When the CoAS embraced Mohankaji and urged him not to lose heart, he felt the warm and caring hug though he could not see the “man with good heart”.

However, he consoled himself when the CoAS Katawal said, “Your son has created a niche of bravery.”

On the occasion, Katawal handed over a cheque of Rs 310,550, received from the Army Welfare Fund, and Rs 150,150 in cash, collected by Dinesh’s colleagues in the NA, to the Shresthas. CoAS Katawal also provided Rs 25,000 to the bereaved parents as his personal succour.

“As the NA is loyal to people, it’s always committed to safeguard people’s life and protect human rights,” Katawal said while lauding Dinesh’s bravery.

“Each time Dinesh used

to visit the house, he used

to say that he would construct

a new house for us,” Mohankaji shared his son’s dream to the CoAS. “But who will look

after us?”

The CoAS assured the bereaved couple of helping Dinesh’s dream to materialise. “The NA and the government will help people like you,” he said, adding that he would urge the government to declare him a martyr and help the couple in their difficulties.

Of the two sons, Dinesh’s younger brother is in India for employment. Before the fatal incident, Dinesh had been working for the ranger force of Mahabir Battalion of the NA in Chauni for over seven years.