Siraha. Shrawan 15
Fifteen-year-old Ganesh Yadav was killed on Thursday during protests that erupted in Siraha over the Sunsari incident. He died after being shot by police in Golbazar. Ganesh was a resident of Tulsipur-Motipur in Aurahi Rural Municipality-2.
His death has plunged his family into grief. His father, Rambriksh Yadav, says those responsible for killing his son must be identified and brought to justice.
Sitting at his home in Tulsipur-Motipur, Aurahi Rural Municipality-2, the grieving father repeatedly asks, “Where is my son? Who killed him?”
Forty-two-year-old Rambriksh has worked as a driver at a local brick kiln for the past eight years. He says he does not want financial assistance in exchange for his son’s life but only legal action against the person who pulled the trigger.
“We are poor people. I don’t want anything. I don’t want money. The person who shot my son should be identified, made public, and prosecuted according to the law. That is my only demand,” he said emotionally.
Rambriksh had previously spent four years working at a plastic factory in Malaysia. After falling ill, he returned to Nepal and has since supported his family by working as a driver in his village.
He has two sons and a daughter. His elder son, Kamlesh, and younger son, Ganesh, were both students at Mount Everest Secondary Boarding School in Golbazar. For the past two years, the brothers had been living in rented accommodation in Golbazar to attend school.
On the day of the incident, Ganesh called home. His mother repeatedly urged him not to go near the protests. He reassured her, saying, “I won’t join the protest, Mom. I’ll only go to watch.” But the teenager who went “just to watch” became a victim of gunfire.
Rambriksh said residents informed him that Home Minister Sudhan Gurung was expected to visit the family.
“I’ve heard the Home Minister is coming, and I’m waiting for him. I will ask him too: Where is my son? Who killed him? Where is the culprit? When will those responsible be brought before the law? When will we get justice? What harm had my son done to anyone?” he said.
The family’s youngest child, 11-year-old Manisha Kumari Yadav, is a fourth-grade student. Rambriksh, the family’s sole breadwinner, is now burdened not only with supporting his family but also with the unbearable grief of losing his son.
Residents Phooljhari Devi Yadav and Shanti Devi Mandal said the death of an innocent teenager has left the entire village in mourning. They have urged the government to conduct an impartial investigation, identify the person who fired the fatal shot, and make that information public.
They are also demanding legal action against those responsible, adequate compensation for the bereaved family, and employment for one member of the family.
The family says its anguish has been compounded by the lack of clear information about the condition of Ganesh’s body and the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
