Currently neither Bechan possesses his job nor did his family sustain the happiness that his employment had showered on them. Ironically, the ongoing Madhes movement that claims to ensure rights of Madhesis like Bechan, ruined his life and robbed the Safi family of its happiness and right to lead a happy life.
Responding to the Madhesh based parties to participate in the agitation, Raghu Safi, 52, guardian of the family, participated in the political protests on the evening of November 21. That fateful night, Raghu was seriously injured after clashes broke out between the protestors and the agitators as the latter were trying to obstruct the East-West Highway at Bhardaha.
Though, he was taken to the Dharan based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) for treatment, doctor announced that he had lost his left eye from the injury. A month down the road, following the incident he left another eye also to the injury that he had sustained during the protests. He was treated by keeping in the intensive care unit, but the medics could not help in saving his eye sight.
To take care of his father, Bechan had no other options other than to take leave from his work and attend his bed-ridden father in Dharan. As the treatment prolonged, and he was not able to return to work, Bechan lost his job. Raghu's elder son Laxman, who had plans to leave for the state of Punjab in India for employment has also been not able to do so as he remains busy in taking care of the family at the home.
The protest of that evening overturned the dreams of the Safi family. With the loss of the family's guardian's eyesight, the Safi family has been left in bewilderment. "I lost my job since I came to take care of my father who got injured during protests," Bechan said adding that the protest only brought bad luck to the families like theirs.
He claimed that his family now once again lacks resources to fulfill the family's daily needs. "Along with the worries of making our daily needs meet, my father's unstable health has left us in worries. My father doesn't know where he is and or who we are? He has lost his memory and most of the time he does not about himself or his condition," he added.
Raghu was not a cadre of any political party, according to his elder son Laxman. He was a farmer who always engaged in agricultural works as it has been the main source of income for the family. "My father was compelled by the agitating parties to participate in the protests," Laxman said. And now with the father blind and ill, the family is not able to carry out even the farming activities. The family leased out others land with an agreement to share half of the harvest with the owners. Laxman said that his mother's condition is getting worse because of his father's plight while adding that the family is facing serious shortage of food and daily commodities. "Our family is starving," he said.
In midst of all these concerns and woes of many Madhesi people who were injured in the protests, most of these families have been spared medication charges by the BPKIHS. It has provided free treatment to the injured of Madhes movement. Families of those injured in the protests did not have to pay charges for treatment and checkups at the hospital. Despite the discount from the hospital, a poor family like that of Safi had to spend Rs 40,000 for purchasing medicine and nutritious food for Raghu.
Though Raghu along with other injured were not visited by any of the Madhes political party leaders, recently he was visited by Sadbhawana Party Chairperson Rajendra Mahato, when the latter was also admitted in the same hospital recently. On the occasion, Mahato, however, managed to ask the injured and their families about the difficulties they were facing in receiving treatment.
Raghu's family complains that the government has remained indifferent to the persons injured in the madhes protests. They informed that they were interviewed by some people who identified them as human rights activists and added they had even photographed them and Raghu but never saw them again.
Lack of support from the agitating parties or from the government has left families of those injured in the protests like that of Raghu in lurch. "We're helpless as neither the agitating parties nor the government has extended any support or compensation to us" Laxman said.
BOX Story
KOSHISH helping needy injured of Madhes Movement
Hundreds of people, like Raghu Safi, are seriously injured and became disabled during the ongoing five-months long protests launched by Madhes based parties. Dharan based BPKIHS has been providing free treatments to most of the injured protestors.
"Free treatment has been arranged at the BPKIHS so that no Nepali could be deprived of treatment just in lack of money," Deputy Director of BPKIHS Dr. Pashupati Chaudhary.
Although the injured during the protests are receiving free treatment at the BPKIHS, many of them are usually facing problems in purchasing medicine, food and accommodation, according to Dr. Chaudhary, who is also a bone and joints specialist.
However, KOSHISH, a group of doctors and staffers based at BPKIHS, have provided significant support to such poor families. "KOSHIS has supported the needy families by arranging medicines, food and accommodation," Chaudhary said.
Records at the BPKIHS claim that the hospital has treated 33 seriously injured protestors at the hospital. Of them around three are still receiving at the hospital. Some of these injured had sustained even sustained bullet injuries and other form of serious injuries.
Related story
Food crisis looms large as drought hits Madhesh districts
