Laxmi Gautam

Phidim, March 10:

The families of the two youths from Panchthar district, who had gone to work in Malaysia last December, are still in a state of shock after learning of their gruesome deaths. Twenty-year-old Kumar Kattel from Phidim-5 Saranta, and Shyam Bishwokarma also from Phidim’s Lumphabung VDC ward 1 had left for Malaysia after paying Rs 125,000 each to the Glory Manpower employment agency in Nepal to work in the Hume Future Industries in Sembilan, Malaysia. The luckless youths were hacked to death by some Indonesians. Talking to this correspondent, Kattel’s wife Dilli Maya rocked her 18-month-old baby in her lap and mourned aloud. Kattel’s mother is yet to come out of her unconscious state. Kattel’s father, Chandra, said four days had elapsed since the news of his son’s death reached home. “I am confused, bereved and I don’t know why my son was killed in this manner,” he said.

Bishwokarma’s family is labouring under similar circumstances. Kattel’s neighbour, Narendra Ghimire, said Kattel’s family is a large one — parents, wife, son, a brother and three sisters. The Kattels have only 5 ropanis of land. This land is barren, Chandra said. So, he had to borrow Rs 75,000 from the Rastra Sewak Sahakari, Rs 20,000 from Deurali Multipurpose Cooperative and Rs 40,000 from others in the village to muster the Rs 1,25,000 for sending his son to Malaysia. The slain son was the main breadwinner for the family. Chandra lamented that he was a humble DDC peon finding it so hard to rustle up the needful for his family. Hence, he had had to send his son abroad. Ever since news trickled in on Monday of the the youths’ murder, their kith and kin are grieving nonstop, said Tara Shrestha, Kattel’s neighbour.

After reaching Malaysia, Kattel had written a letter, saying he would make a phone-call at his uncle’s house located in Phidim-2 on March 6. In the letter, he had asked both his mother and wife to be present there. When no phone call came, his father called up the company the next day and it was then that he learnt that his son had been killed. The bereaved families have urged the government to make arrangements for bringing the youths’ bodies back to Nepal and also arrange for compensation. Five days have elapsed, but there is no action yet on this front. In keeping with Hindu traditions, the last rites can be conducted only after the deceased’s bodies are handed over to their kin.