Ganesh Man Adhikari, a 39-year-old school teacher, was abducted by the rebels on 23 December and was found dead two weeks later. The reason for the abduction and murder was not disclosed. "We could not find the body in time and the last rites were delayed," says his wife. Adhikari's parents, 70-year-old Ram Bahadur and his wife Ram Kumari Adhikari, are grief-stricken. "His face keeps appearing in my mind," says his father. His mother whispers, "It is my time to die but my young son got killed."
The huge responsibility of rearing and educating three children now falls on Khineshwori's frail shoulders. Manoj, the youngest child, is ill. He slips in and out of consciousness and the family cannot afford to take him to a doctor. "I cannot imagine a way out of the mess my life has turned into," she says. She hopes the government will offer compensation, but fears for the security of her family. Nobody from the government has stepped forward to offer compensation or solace to the bereaved family except the chief district officer Hari Krishna Khatiwada, who paid them a condolence visit.
Adhikari was a teacher at Pathibhara Hedangna, north of Khadbari for the past decade. The family says he had been struggling for a transfer to a safer area after the insurgency flared in Sankhuwasabha district because he could not afford to leave his job. He was returning home after school when he got abducted along with two other teachers and a post office employee. According to his brother, Gopal Bahadur Adhikari, a group of 30-armed rebels overpowered them. The others were released unconditionally, but Ganesh Man was found dead two weeks later. He was shot twice and stabbed several times with khukuris. [After this article appeared, several donors stepped forward to help with the education of the Adhikari children. -Ed]
From l to r: Mandira, Mohan, Manoj and Khineshwori outside their home.
