Civil war survivor succumbs to Kabul attack

Ex-policeman Chandra Bahadur had made a narrow escape during Maoist insurgency

Kavre, June 22, 2016: Monday, June 20, was a tragic day for 12 Nepalis working at a security agency in Afghanistan. A suicide bomb attack in a minibus in Afghan Capital Kabul claimed lives of 12 Nepali migrant workers. Among those deceased was Chandra Bahadur Rana Magar of Kavre district.

Rana Magar was a former Nepal Police constable. He made a narrow escape during the dual firing between Maoist and security force in Sindhupalchok in 2003 where eight of his friends died right before his eyes. Fearing the deadly event, Rana Magar decided to quit the police job and opted to become a migrant worker to feed his two families (from two marriages).

Rana Magar, who was working as a security guard at Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan, was recently in Nepal during his one-month holiday. He had returned to Afghanistan on June 29. This visit unfortunately became his last one.

“He had said that he will return to Nepal after one-and-half year and will never go back again,” Rana Magar’s brother Ganga told the Post. “Indeed, he went but never to return again.”

According to Ganga, Chandra Bahadur had taken a loan of Rs 3 million to purchase a one storey house in Bishalnagar. “I will repay the loan and make this home mine so that I won’t have to work abroad,” said grieving Ganga, remembering his brother’s words.”

Chandra Bahadur, 44, is survived by two wives—Chandramaya and Ganagamaya, and five children. Chandra’s eldest daughter Asmita, from his first wife is married and son Dev Raj is currently a grade 11 student. Likewise, 3 children from his second wife—Aastha, 15, is a grade 11 student, Aashmaya, 13, is studying in grade 10 and Anuraag, 8, is a grade two student.

After hearing news about the Afghanistan incident that reported that casualties were from a Canadian company, Chandra Bahadur’s kin had presumed that he might also be one of the victims. “My brother’s friend informed that the bus in which Chandra Bahadur was travelling had been bombed,” said Ganga, “Later on we found that my brother’s name was on top of the victim’s list.”

The Magar family is in grief and Chandra’s wife Gangamaya is in unconscious state following the incident. They remain troubled about raising the children and repayment of the loan.

By Nagendra Adhikari