The alleged death by suicide of a Nepali student Prakriti Lamsal in India on February 16 prompted angry protests by Nepali students in India and Nepal.
Lamsal was studying at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in India’s eastern state of Odisha. According to police, Lamsal ended her life in her hostel room following a suspected strained relationship with a male student, Advik Srivastava. The latter had reportedly abused and threatened her. According to Lamsal’s friends, she had complained to KIIT authorities but no action was taken. In a press meet at Kathmandu, Lamsal’s friends claimed they saw injuries on her body and that she was poisoned.
Following Lamsal’s death, students, mainly of Nepali origin, took to the streets demanding Srivastava’s arrest for abusing the woman, leading to her suicide.
The KIIT management’s initial response was insensitive and heavy-handed. It ordered Nepali students to “vacate the university campus” immediately. Police, who were deployed “to restore law and order” inside the campus and outside, reportedly thrashed some protesting students. Adding fuel to the fire was a video clip of a woman staffer at the hostel mocking the Nepali students, saying that the KIIT’s budget was “equivalent to Nepal’s budget.”
The death of a Nepali student, the video clip, and the KIIT’s order to students to leave immediately captured the attention of Nepali social media and mainstream media. Street protests erupted in Nepal and questions were raised in Parliament, prompting the Nepali government to act swiftly.
“Our embassy in New Delhi has dispatched two officers to counsel Nepali students affected in Odisha. Additionally, arrangements have been made to ensure they have the option to either remain in their hostel or return home, based on their preference,” Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced.
Nepali embassy officials in New Delhi swiftly engaged with the KIIT administration and kept people informed about their efforts. Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba too updated the people on the developments.
On the Indian side too, there was swift and sensitive action at various levels. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of the Nepali student. We convey our heartfelt condolences,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, stressing that the Indian government “accords high priority [to the] safety, security and well being of all international students in the country.” The MEA was in “constant touch” with the Odisha government, the KIIT administration, as well as Nepali authorities, he said. In Nepal, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu swiftly notified the Nepali public about the incident in the Nepali language.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi acted with alacrity. He spoke to Nepali embassy officials, announced a “high-level fact-finding committee,” summoned KIIT founder Achyuta Samanta “over student unrest,” and urged the students to return to the campus.
Srivastava was arrested on Monday. The arrest, a key demand of the students, served to cool tempers and reduce the heat of their angry protests.
As for the KIIT management, following massive pressure from the public and authorities, it issued an apology and expelled two of its staff for mishandling the issue. It has also announced a scholarship program in Lamsal’s name. However, many students are reluctant to return to the university.
The alleged suicide by a Nepali student in India and the KIIT’s ham-fisted handling of the incident could have quickly escalated into yet another India-Nepal crisis. It could have contributed to a surge in anti-India sentiment in the Himalayan country. Timely and sensitive intervention on the part of governments in both countries prevented this from happening.