Jajarkot earthquake: Disaster brings daughters’ deaths, dashes family’s dream

Karnali: Gorakh Singh and Shova Singh from Jiri of Barekot Rural Municipality-4 in Jajarkot are left in the gloom with the earthquake that claimed the lives of their two daughters.

Their daughters- Upasana and Urja- died in the midnight quake of November 3. It has been almost a week since the tragic incident, but the Singh couple is yet to return to normal- a runnel of tears continues.

Upasana was 21-year-old and Urja 18-year-old. They had been living in Nepalgunj, a city in the southern plain, in recent times, but were in the village for Dashain and Tihar festivals.

In the night of the disaster, both Upasana and Urja were staying at their auntie’s (mother’s sister) home. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake killed both of them along with their sister (auntie’s daughter), Merina RC, 25.

The eldest daughter Upasana was a fifth-semester student at Everest Engineering College of Lalitpur. She had a dream of further education abroad and returning to Nepal to serve the Karnali hamlets, where people are deprived of access to information technology. Not only did her dream get dashed, but herself crushed in the debris.

Similarly, my younger daughter Urja had completed Grade 12 at the Saint Thomas English Secondary School, Nepalgunj. She was also planning for medical education.

Urja was all set to fly to Australia in the last week of this December.

Although she made it through an entrance exam for higher study at a private medical college, she did not like to burden her parents. She had realized well that her parent could not afford the huge amount required for her medical study, so she opted for abroad.

On the other hand, the Singh couple was prepared to afford to realize the dreams of their daughters at any cost: One daughter an IT engineer and another doctor. They were collecting money to manage their higher study. “All things- hope and dream, life and luck- perished in the earthquake,” Singh couple was univocal, exuding utmost despair.

Those coming to Singh’s house to pay tribute and extend condolences are also shocked to see the bright images of Upasana and Urja placed at the gate, but sheer absence.

“Baba! The voice coming from a corner of the house resonates in my ears,” Father Gorakh wails.

Similarly, spouse Shova said, “Life turned listless. I see my daughters standing before me as I wake up in the night, but I can’t embrace them. Then, there is no option but to cry and mourn.” She wished none faced such tragedy in life.

The Singh couple also had the dream- daughters with higher education becoming able workforce for the country. The reality turned ugly that the disaster brought deaths, a callous moment in their lives.

The departed ones were honest and had a good understanding of the parent’s problems, the couple reminds.

Meanwhile, Merina was also a civil engineering graduate from the College of Engineering and Management, Nepalgunj. She was awarded a scholarship from Pokhara University.