A day after the death of a nine-year-old boy in Darchula district after being hit by a stone that flew in a blast carried out for the widening of the Tavaghat-Lipulek road by India across the Mahakali river, the Ministry of Home Affairs has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up the matter with New Delhi through diplomatic channels and ensure compensations for the victim’s family.

As the Indian authorities undertook the explosion without informing the Nepali side, Pawan Mahara of the Vyas Dumling, Vyas Rural Municipality-2, was killed on the spot on Friday while walking on the other side of the border in the Nepali territory.

Dhiren Singh Budhathoki, ward chairman of Vyas-2, confirmed the incident.

As per the international practice, while detonating an explosive device or performing other kinds of restrictive works, one side should inform the other and restrict the mobility of vehicles and people. Pawan was fatally hit in the head while his sister, Sarina, was injured and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital in Darchula, according to Dirgha Raj Upadhyay, chief district officer of Darchula.

“As soon as we were informed, I immediately took up the matter with Ashish Kumar Chauhan, the district magistrate of Pithoragargh,” Upadhyay told the Post over the phone from Darchula. “They expressed dismay at the incident and have committed to compensate the victim’s family.”

On Saturday, the victim’s family and local representatives held a meeting at the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Pithoragargh, with Indian officials and contractors responsible for the road-widening. India’s Garg and Garg, a construction company, is undertaking the project.

After the talks, the contractor is said to be ready to provide 1 million Indian rupees (Rs1.6 million) in compensation for the death and injury, Upadhyay told the Post. The Indian contractor also agreed to provide a job for one person from the deceased’s family and sponsor the education of Pawan’s siblings up to Grade 12.

The district administration also communicated to the Ministry of Home Affairs so that it could take up the matter with the Indian side through diplomatic channels. In the talks on Saturday morning, the victim’s family, representatives of the Vyas Rural Municipality, the contractor and local Indian authorities had reached an agreement on immediate compensation.

“We have also urged the Indian side to be extra careful while widening the road and inform the Nepali side in a timely manner,” said Upadhyay.

Back in Kathmandu, the child’s death became a pressing diplomatic issue for the Sher Bahadur Deuba government. Political leaders have asked the government to take it up with the Indian side.

It was an accident, said Phadindra Mani Pokhrel, the Home Ministry spokesperson.

According to ward chair Budhathoki, the Indian side had not given any prior information about the blast. Pawan was accompanied by his sister and his father Hikmat Mahara, according to the Deputy Superintendent of Police Tarkaraj Pandey. Pawan had sustained severe head injuries. His body was sent to the District Hospital Khalanga for postmortem on Friday evening. The Mahara family was headed towards the Thi village where they have a vegetable plantation.

"Earlier, a whistle used to be blown prior to a blast, and everyone stayed away from the road," said Budhathoki, the ward president. It was not heard this time.

During risky work near the international border, it is normal protocol for the two countries to coordinate in order to save lives and property. Upadhyay said the child had died because of the failure of the Indian side to share information beforehand.

The Nepal Army is also building a road along the Mahakali. “During construction, before detonating an explosive device, our side blows a whistle and relays information through a loudspeaker for effective warning,” Upadhyay said. “They [Indian contractor] didn’t take the precaution this time.”

The land on the Nepali side of the river where India is building the road is at lower elevation, adding to the risk for Nepalis during an explosion.

Last year, the Nepal Army had coordinated with the Indian side before starting the work on the Mahakali Lokmarga connecting Tinker.

India is building a strategically important road on its side of the border. Out of 87 km, 55 km of the proposed road runs along the Mahakali riverbanks and will link Tinker near the Nepal-China border.

Former prime minister and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has drawn the government’s attention to the incident. Oli has also asked Deuba not to remain silent.

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Pawan Mahara, a boy from Vyas Rural Municipality-2 in Darchula, when India was expanding the road along the Nepal-India border,” Oli wrote on Facebook on Saturday. “I request the government to look into the incident, bring out the truth, take action against the culprits, and compensate the victim's family immediately.”

Oli also reminded the Deuba government of an incident last year when a Nepali national had died while using an improvised cable crossing as Indian security personnel let it loose.

“How long will you remain silent, Prime Minister Deuba?” Oli questioned, referring to Nepal’s failure to take up the incident with India promptly.

On July 30 last year, Jaya Singh Dhami, 33, from Khangdang Mal of Byas Rural Municipality-2 in Darchula fell into the bordering Mahakali while crossing the river using a cable link locally known as tuin.

The home ministry had formed a team and communicated to the Indian side to compensate the Dhami family. After much criticism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote a diplomatic note to India in August last year, requesting New Delhi to launch a detailed investigation into the involvement of Indian security personnel in the incident. But India has failed to address the grievances of the Nepali side.

Following Friday’s incident, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take up Mahara’s death with India, according to Phadindra Mani Pokhrel, spokesperson for the ministry.

“We have raised the issue through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” said Pokhrel. “The Indian side should properly inform the Nepali side while building infrastructure on its side of the border.”

Observers stress that the foundation of Nepal-India relations is people-to-people contact and each country should be careful not to hurt the people on the other side with their activities.

Deep Kumar Upadhyay, former Nepali ambassador to India, said that the nine-year-old’s death, a year after the death of a Nepali in the same region, is indicative of extreme negligence of the Indian side.

“It would be good for the Indian side to immediately compensate the concerned family. Both sides should refrain from creating irritants and address any emerging issues promptly. We have an open border and public sentiments can be quickly inflamed,” said Upadhyay.

“The local administration on either side should be vigilant to avoid such incidents. Nepal-India relations are not limited to formal diplomacy but deep people-t0-people ties.”