RAJBIRAJ, Nov 27: Four days have passed since the death of Dilip Sah of Rajbiraj Municipality-1. But the Sah family is yet to receive his body for cremation.
All members of the large family, from the elderly to the children, are compelled to remain without food until the cremation is completed as per Hindu rites.
The dead man's widow has fainted repeatedly over the loss of her husband. Although party leaders and cadres thronged the family home to express their sympathy, they have no idea when the family will perform the last rites.
Last Sunday, Dilip was in his second floor apartment along with his five-year-old daughter, Muskan. When the daughter rushed onto the verandah to see the police firing outside, he had followed to pull her back. He then received bullet injuries in the head and breathed his last on the way to Dharan for treatment. Muskan sustained bullet injuries to the hand, according to the family.
She does not know that her father is no more and is still awaiting his return from the hospital.
Nepali Congress Saptari chapter claims that Dilip was a party member and has demanded action against those responsible for his death.
Shiv Shankar Das of Jamuni Madhesipura VDC-3 was also killed in Rajbiraj last Sunday.
Earlier on Saturday night, two other persons--Birendra Ram of Dadha VDC and Nageshwar Yadav of Chhapaki VDC--were killed in police firing along the East-West Highway at Bhardaha and Rupani respectively when local demonstrators tried to obstruct transportation.
The families of the deceased now face a situation similar to that of the Sahs.
The bodies of all four deceased remain stranded at Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences in Sunsari district.
The families have not yet taken the bodies because of the United Democratic Madhesi Front stance on proper compensation and declaration of the deceased as martyrs.
The agitating Madhesi parties have been demanding compensation and declaration of all four as martyrs. They also claim that Das was electrocuted at the fence of the District Administration Office, Saptari during the demonstrations.
UDMF coordinator Sunil Kumar Jha told Republica that an all-party meeting on Thursday with the new Chief District Officer Narayan Bhatta decided to recommend all four deceased for declaration as martyrs. It will take two more days for the recommendation process, according to Jha.