Spread the love

By Devendra Gautam

Is it a crime to be the citizen of a weak, unstable and corruption-afflicted Nepal in India? An unforgivable offence to be a young and bright individual with a dream to make it big in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)? 

Is it an unpardonable sin to be in a relationship, particularly with the son of a gun from the world’s most populous nation, the fifth largest economy in the world with a nominal GDP of $4.27 trillion and the fourth largest global military power? Does such a relationship give the dominant male the licence to abuse the girl, verbally or otherwise, over the phone or beyond?

The questions do not end here. In the world’s largest democracy with robust institutions that is projecting the image of a self-styled Vishwaguru (the teacher of the world), is it a crime beyond redemption to seek justice for a fellow student found dead in very, very suspicious circumstances in her very institution that was supposed to ensure the well-being of its students, alien or otherwise, while they prepare their very best for a world brimming with a population of 8.2 billion marked by cut-throat competition in every walk of life?

What gave the authorities at the said institution the licence to force hundreds of Nepali students protesting peacefully for justice for the victim to go home? Even if the institution wanted the students to leave the facility for security reasons, was there no better option than throwing them on the road, literally? This question is significant because several students told the media at the time of their eviction (by the way, is it a crime to protest peacefully for justice) that they had no money to return home.

The death of Prakriti Lamsal, a 20-year-old BTech (third year) Nepali student at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in suspicious circumstances at the institute itself has stirred Nepal whose powers that be have been ‘enjoying’ ages-old unjust and unequal relations with India with aspirations to “further strengthen the ties”, while creating ripples in the state parliament in Odisha, thanks mainly to the opposition Indian National Congress. The KITT seems to have taken token action against some of its officials and security guards involved in the excesses against the students, a meek apology has come from one of the verbal abusers and higher-ups, and the institute has called the Nepali students evicted en masse to come back and prepare for the soon-to-be-held exams, in the wake of relentless pressure from protests through social media and other fora.   

Initial reports from Nepal pointed that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Devraj Ghimire, turned down ‘repeated requests’ from a Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker, Sumana Shrestha, for discussions on the suspicious death a day after the incident, showing an unprecedented level of insensitivity. Who was the Speaker pandering to through this move, by the way? 

After the case came to light, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli took it up and the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi also dispatched two officers to counsel the affected Nepali students. The embassy also made arrangements to ensure that the affected students had the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference. 

The Indian establishment seems to be handling this serious issue very sensitively. 

Vice-chancellor of KIIT, Saranjit Singh, has apologised for the actions of the authorities toward the protesting students and reiterated the university’s commitment to all its students, regardless of nationality. 

Singh also called controversial remarks against Nepal coming from two university officials as “extremely irresponsible” and announced their dismissal. He has appealed to displaced Nepali students to return and resume their studies, announcing the establishment of a 24/7 support centre to assist them.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assured the Nepal Embassy that justice will be served on the “alleged suicide of a girl student from Nepal at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar”, urging the Nepali students, who had left Odisha after the incident, to return to the campus and resume their studies.

The Indian Embassy in Nepal has assured a thorough investigation into the alleged suicide and urged Nepali students of Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) to return to the campus.

Amid the din, a sobering voice has come from the aggrieved father, Sunil Lamsal. Talking to local media, he said, “I sent my daughter far from home for higher education, trusting the institution. I now rely on the Odisha government and police to ensure justice. My daughter is gone, but I hope no other Nepali student suffers the same fate.” 

In a fast-atrophying world brimming with around 8.2 billion people, stories get lost in a never-ending news cycle as new developments happen round the clock. The case came to light due to justice-seeking friends of the young student, who reached out to media outlets and shared her ordeal and her extreme step despite serious threats to their lives and well-being. Empathetic media in Nepal and India, through an impartial coverage, played a key role in unravelling the tragic loss of life, which could have been averted had the institute in particular taken her complaints lodged at the International Relations Office seriously.  Alas, the arrest of the main accused, Advik Srivastava (21), a BTech Mechanical (third year) student at KIIT, and rolling of some heads cannot bring a life back.

Now that another bright, young and courageous girl is gone, the tendency of blaming the victim may creep up and make headlines, once again. 

There is every chance that those standing for their friend and batchmate may be targeted and a fledgling state may care less and less and less, forgetting the case altogether like several other cases. 

A 20-year-old student with boundless potential is gone, but the onus is on all of us, the government in particular, to make sure that justice is served, at least partially, for no amount of ‘justice’ can bring a life back.