Former Maoist commander returns home in coffin

Published On: January 29, 2023 09:15 AM NPT By: Golden Buda


JUMLA,  Jan 29: Litakot village of Tatopani rural municipality-3 in Jumla is in a grief-stricken mood after Tilak Bahadur Karki, who had gone abroad with the goal of earning money, returned back in a coffin.

Forty-year-old Karki, who was working in an iron factory in Saudi Arabia, was found dead in his sleep on January 12. His body was brought home on Thursday morning 15 days after his death.

Ramakrishna Neupane, a relative of the deceased, said, “He is taken away by God at the age of earning. The family is in turmoil. All this is the result of unemployment.”

Karki had called all the family members on the evening of January 10 and said that he had recovered from illness. His brother Bakhat Bahadur, who was also in Saudi Arabia  for work, informed his family members about Karki’s death. Tilak Bahadur Karki was a section commander of the then CPN-Maoist.

He had gone underground in 2004 and was shot near his house in a clash with the Nepalese Army in 2005. He was living with shrapnels of bullets in his body and had gone abroad with hope to earn money for his treatment.

“He wanted to earn money to remove the shrapnel from his body. He had come to Saudi Arabia also to earn money for his children,” said Bhakta Bahadur Rawal, a relative of Karki, adding, “Neither could he remove the shrapnels nor could he earn money for his family.”

Karki tried over and again to remove the shrapnels from his body but was not successful due to lack of money. He had time and again reached out to the Maoist leaders but his problem could not be solved. Even though the party led the government several times and the supreme commander of the 'People’s Liberation Army' became the prime minister, Tilak did not get any support.

The peaceful Tilakot village of Jumla has been plunged into grief due to the death of Karki. Provincial Assembly Member  of Jumla, Chhiring Lhamu Lama Tamang and others helped in bringing Karki's body to Nepal. Tamang has also requested the government to help the family of the deceased.


Leave A Comment