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True colors

Time to Read:

3 minutes

At the height of the nakabandhi, I was returning from work, in front of my home, I saw this man being dragged across the street. Bloodied, unable to move.

It was winter, maybe January i dont remember.

Naturally as people do. They gathered around. What followed next was hard to watch. Instead of helping the poor guy.

They started hurling abuse at him. Why? Because he was a “madhesi”. After a while everyone left, ofcourse they would, after all, it was winter. This man was left their, in the cold, bloodied, drunk, half conscious.

I couldnt do it. I couldn’t stand their and let this man die in the cold. So, i did what anyone would do.

I went to help. I was admittedly reluctant. The man was drunk. Had vommitted on himself and was bleeding profusely.

I was going to call the cops. Unfortunately my phone had no battery (thank you loadshedding). So i did the next best thing i helped him up and was going to take him to the nearest medical shop.

So there we are, 2 people swaying back and forth walking across the streets, not a single soul would come to help. Believe me “I asked”

We get to the first medical shop and i ask them for help. They decline!!! So fine i go to the next one, another 100m or so away.

They too decline!!! But this just isnt goong to work, he’s gonna bleed out. So i beg them to stop the bleeding.

They tell me the cut is deep. It wont stop without stitches. So i ask them to atleast clean the wound a little and give him a patch. They grudgingly ablige.

At this point I start panicking, the guy is drunk remember, and paranoid. He starts saying all this stuff that doesn’t make sense.

I have a hold of this man by the scruff of his jacket. I now attempt to take him to Bir Hospital. We make it 10 steps before, he freaks out. He’s had enough of this. He breaks free from me and bolts. He takes 3 steps before he collapses face first into the pavement. Splat i hear his face make contact, im sure he has broken somethig now. So is everyone else.

But No, he immediately( and i do mean immediately) gets up and makes a run for it. I run after him, but i cant catch him. I guess it is true what they say “i dont know about angels, but, its fear that gives men wings”.

Gone, he’s gone, lost in the bhotahiti crowd.

I dont know what happened to him that day and i wont know now.

It bothers me greatly, that this man, like any other man was shunned by our society. Just because he was born from a different part of this country, because he talked a bit different.

Where did the famous Nepali hospitality go then ? Where was the common decency ?

That day I realized, racism is well and truly alive in my beloved Nepal.

One response

  1. Steven T Avatar

    Great story and thanks for your effort to help the man.

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