Maharjan, 42, had sustained serious spinal injury during a police crackdown on demonstrators trying to break the curfew inside the Ring Road from Kalanki on April 20, 2006. He was declared dead by doctors at 5 p.m. He died of septicemia--spreading of infection through the bloodstream. [break]
Maharjan was in a coma since Friday after being hospitalized Tuesday night following a seizure while at his residence at Satungal. "We brought him to the hospital at night in an ambulance. Some saliva must have entered his respiratory tract as he struggled during the seizure. He then developed pneumonia and died of septicemia," Director of Kathmandu Model Hospital Dr Bharat Pradhan, who has been looking after Maharjan for the past few years, said.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Finance Minister Surendra Pandey visited the hospital at 3 p.m. Saturday even as his condition deteriorated to the point of no return. "While talking with the family he (PM) promised to declare Maharjan a martyr and provide expenses for the funeral rites," Jaya Ram Shrestha, Maharjan´s neighbor and friend, said.
The government has spent Rs 950,000 on his treatment to date and provided Rs 750,000 for the construction of a suitable house for him. It was about to provide the remaining Rs 450,000 incurred in the construction. Maharjan had also been receiving Rs 4,000 per month since the success of the April Uprising and this was increased to Rs 10,000 by the cabinet after Prime Minister Nepal visited him and another Janaandolan victim, Mukesh Kayastha, at their respective residences on October 5 last year.
Maharjan is survived by his wife Laxmi, two daughters and a son.
That fateful day
A CPN(UML) cadre and a former secretary of the UML Satungal committee, Maharjan was an active participant during Janaandolan II. He used to shut his small tailoring shop at Satungal, his only livelihood, and join other demonstrators.
"He was a courageous person and was usually at the forefront of the demonstrations," recalls his comrade Jaya Ram Shrestha. The movement had gathered momentum after completing two weeks and on April 20 Maharjan had reached Kalanki from Satungal.
The demonstrators had been trying to defy the ban on protests inside the Ring Road and had reached up to Teku from Kalanki a few days ago. On April 20 they were trying to break the curfew inside the Ring Road from different points even as the movement neared culmination.
"Police resorted to baton-charging after firing tear gas shells. He [Maharjan] was injured in the baton charge and was attacked again as he tried to escape," Shrestha recalls. "He then jumped off the road into the fields. He fell and was eventually crushed in the ensuing stampede," Shrestha added.
Following Maharjan´s injury people defied the curfew and came out onto the stresets in large numbers. Soon after that the king ceded power.
Three years of treatment
Maharjan was taken to the Kirtipur branch of Kathmandu Model Hospital which immediately referred him to the hospital at Bagbazar.
He was then taken to HAMS at Tripureshwar and brought back to Kathmandu Model a few days later after arrangements were made for a ventilator. He was kept at the hospital for almost 200 days and was released last year.
"Doctors would visit regularly thereafter, even at home," said Krishna Lal Maharjan, Bishnu Lal´s elder brother. A team including a Japanese doctor, an Indian engineer and senior neurologist Dr Basanta Panta had installed a pacemaker for Maharjan at Kathmandu Model Hospital a couple of months ago. "He could breathe then even without a pacemaker," Shrestha said.
He was normal thereafter until the seizure on Tuesday. "I have feelings of both sorrow and pride at his death. The country has lost a brave, good son," elder brother Krishna Lal said at the hospital.
Bishnu Lal´s eldest daughter is studying in seventh grade, his son in third and younger daughter in second grade at Bright Future School, Naikap on scholarships. The tailoring shop that used to support the family has shut down since his injury and the family has been living on governmental support.
Prime Minister Nepal has promised to provide a job to his SLC-passed wife Laxmi and the family wants assurances for higher studies for the children.
Laxmi was at the hospital with a blank look following the exertions of the last few days. While she was coming down the stairs Dr Pradhan asked her to show strength at this hour. She then hugged the doctor, who has almost become a family member over these years, and broke down, reducing the hardened medical professional also to tears.
Maharjan will get state respect but the family is worried that they will become forgotten over time. "We request media to pressure the government to ensure a bright future for his children," Krishna Lal urged.
premdhakal@myrepublica.com
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