KATHMANDU, Jan 20: Expressing concern over the death of Nepali nationals in Ukraine, the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives is set to hold discussion on the issue of Nepalis casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war.
The parliamentary committee has expressed concern over the issue saying that the issue of loss of lives of citizens of a country not involved in the war is a serious matter. Chairman of the committee, Ramhari Khatiwada, said that they are planning to discuss the matter by calling the relevant agencies of the government to the committee.
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A committee has been formed to delve into questions such as, "How do Nepalis get recruited in the Russian army to get directly involved in Russia-Ukraine war? Who is responsible for this? Can the bodies of the deceased be repatriated? What kinds of arrangements are made for the relief and compensation to the families of the deceased? What measures are in place to reintegrate the recruited individuals back into society? How is the government preparing to investigate and address issues related to their recruitment?
The government has so far confirmed the death of 11 Nepali nationals in the Russia-Ukraine war. It is said that the number of Nepalis, who joined the Russian army and died, is much higher. The bodies of 11 Nepalis, who died in the war, have not been repatriated despite request from Nepali side.
The deceased individuals have been identified as Sandeep Thapalia (Gorkha), Rupak Karki (Banganga-1 Kapilvastu), Dewan Rai (Kaski), Pritam Karki (Putalibazar-5, Syangja), Rajkumar Roka (Melung-6, Dolakha), Gangaraj Moktan (Ilam-5), 36-year-old Bharat Shah of Tikapur Municipality-1 in Kailali, Rajkumar Giri (Dhading), Hari Aryal (Syangja), Bharat Bahadur Shah (Kailali) and Kundan Singh Nagal (address not disclosed).
