Kannadigas stranded in Nepal urge Karnataka government to rescue them

Hubballi: Six more Kannadigas, who are stuck in Kathmandu, have urged the state government to rescue them along with the 39 tourists stranded in Nepal’s capital city.

The six were part of a 36-member Manasarovar pilgrimage from Karnataka. They had to cut short their 14-day tour (September 1 to 14 ) following the death of N B Joshi, a 70-year-old resident of Hubballi on Monday (September 8). He suffered a heart attack after taking a holy dip in the sacred lake.

The family members had to face hardship while transporting the mortal remains of Joshi due to the turmoil in Nepal. Travelling with the body in an ambulance, the family members faced the wrath of the protestors at multiple locations.

“There is utter chaos across Nepal. On humanitarian grounds, the Chinese authorities allowed us to travel via road from their borders into Nepal. However, we faced hardship all through the 30 hours journey,” said Satish Kulkarni, relative of Joshi, from Kathmandu.

With flight services disturbed and uncertainty looming large in the Himalayan country, the family decided to perform the final rites of Joshi at Pashupathinath Temple on Tuesday night.

“Union Minister Pralhad Joshi (who represents Dharwad) and Indian Embassy in Nepal tried their best to ensure that body of Joshi was brought to India. However, with escalating protest and no authority in charge of administration in Nepal, help is hard to come by here,” he said.

The family is currently staying at a Kathmandu hotel and has sought the State government’s help.