The man who started mourning rituals in quarantine in Dharchula, India on Wednesday after his mother died just a few kilometers across the Mahakali river in Darchula could not return home even on Friday.
Indian officials have not allowed Basu Dev Bhatta, 35, of Shalyashikhar municipality 1 in Darchula to cross the border citing they have yet to receive permission from Delhi.
Chief District Officer (CDO) of Darchula Yadu Nath Paudel told Setopati that he had written to sub-district magistrate of Pithoragarh on Wednesday to release Bhatta. "He apparently was on leave on the day I wrote the letter. He forwarded it to the district magistrate the other day who sent it to the state capital Dehradun. Dehradun then sent to Delhi saying this is a matter of center," Paudel said. "I talked with the district magistrate earlier on the day. He said he has yet to hear from the Indian Home Ministry."
The initiative for return of Bhatta is done at the administrative level until now.
Nepali Ambassador to India Nilambar Acharya said he has yet to be told to facilitate Bhatta's return. "We have heard about his state after reading news reports. The Foreign Ministry has yet to tell us to facilitate," Acharya claimed.
CDO Paudel pointed that the district magistrate had sent the body of a Nepali who had died across the Mahakali river earlier during the lockdown. "They had easily allowed bringing of a Nepali body earlier but they have taken a long time now," he stated. "I will also write to the Foreign Ministry tomorrow."
Bhatta used to go to India to do menial jobs every year to make ends meet. He had left for home after his contractor came to him after India announced the lockdown on March 24 and told him there will be no works.
He somehow reached Dharchula but found that the border was already closed by the Nepal government. There were hundreds like him who had reached there from different parts of India demanding they be let in to go home just across the Mahakali river. Some even swam across the Mahakali river risking their life but were detained by the police.
But the government did not allow them in pointing this is not the time to act in emotion and ordered the police and local administration to strictly enforce the border and nationwide lockdown.
Bhatta and others started to stay in quarantine camps prepared by the Indian government.
He would talk with his family over the phone every day. His mother would always ask when he will be allowed in. He did not have any answer to the question but had this hope that he will be allowed in one fine day and he would get to meet his mother and the rest of his family.
All that hope turned misplaced when he received a phone call Tuesday evening informing that his 55-year-old mother died of heart-attack.
He and others being quarantined in Dharchula tried to help the oldest son go home just a few kilometers across the border for his mother's funeral but to no avail.
