New York: Krishna Kumar Rai, 31, from Nashville city of Tennessee State committed suicide by hanging in a closet rod on March 17 at around 2.30 PM. A temporary inhabitant of Goldhap Refugee Camp, Sector B/3 Hut No 23 in eastern Nepal, Mr Rai was resettled in Tennessee in September 2008 along with his parents.
The deceased had just started his job a day before in a laundry at Shared Hospital Services at the night shift where he had to work many hours. It is learnt that his pay scale was very low and the work site was at a far distance. As his family was going to be assisted not more than a month by Catholic Charities, the receiving agency, there was a pressure on him to take the job as there was no one else readily employable in his family. The Rai family was the first Hindu-turned- Christian one in the state. All the funeral expenses were borne by the Christ Church where the Rai family was baptized three month back.
Although the cause of his suicide is not yet known, it is suspected that his low income job may be the reason behind it. Kazi Gautam/Bhutan News Service
March 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
This is the most bad news. I would like to pray for his departed soul to rest in peace in heaven.
March 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Just today,nearly after a month I could have access to the net at Dhangadhi. I was really sad to know that one of the friends from Goldhap passed away by committing suicide.
It is the saddest part for we people and the regime has certainly chanted a few slogans of happiness regarding this news.
I am not fully convienced why our seniors and friends who have better knowledge regarding life style in the US don’t attempt to teach the innocent fellow countrymen.
Remaining silent means we are discuraging those who are on the pipeline to fly to the US from TIA, Kath or even those who have just applied for TCR or waiting to see the responses from their relatives and friends.
Lets be little serious.
March 24th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
“I am not fully convienced why our seniors and friends who have better knowledge regarding life style in the US don’t attempt to teach the innocent fellow countrymen.”
Perhaps your indirectly laying the blame of these suicides on those who have been in the US for a while longer is a little misplaced. It is sad and all of us feel horrible about the family’s situation, but there is little one can do when someone is intent on ending his/her life even if the time and resources were available.
In this specific case, the family seems to have had community cupport, spiritual guidance with the recent conversion etc. Did things move a little too fast from being in camps to the US, from being what they were before to being Christians, from dependence on relief organizations in the camps to fending for oneself, from having a sense of entitlement to being reponsible for oneself and the family? Without understanding the actual intricacies of each case, it might be better to not go about apportioning blame. Not yet.
The reality is that no one in the US has the time and the resources to be on fulltime alert about what the new arrivals are up to, leave alone being able to teach them about the new lifestyles. Teachings, if available, would pretty much say the same things that the orientation packet at IOM says.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Very very sad news indeed. I feel we should take up such matters with the concerned authority so as to make sure that such incidents do not happen in future in any countries of settlement.
March 25th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
It’s really a sad story, we are missing our friends one after another. I have also seen many people being depressed due unemployment, difference of religion, culture, traditon, language barier and lack of skill. I feel this situation will house the Bhutanese Refugees as most of the resettlement do not have vision to prepare these idle people for future. Unless these new arrivals are prepared for
future this story is not going to end. Resettlement agencies should increase the resource towards management and interpersonal skills. All concerned individuals should take new arrivals as oppertunity not as threat and they should try making them independent, self dependent, create oppertunity to make some income rather than trying to protect their personsl positions. Finding them job within three months from their arrival, supporting them acquiring their benifits like social security, disability and medical benifits. Perparing for future looking for alternatives and conveniences on above said matter will only help overcome this tragedy if not Bhotagay die as Bhotagay in Bhutan, Refugee camp in Nepal and USA the land of oppertunity.
Prabashi
March 25th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Very sad news to see this. Sewa International USA has been helping our Bhutanese friends to resettle in many cities in the USA. Although we help everyone regardless of religion, we have found that the Hindu newcomers need help in connecting with local Hindu temples to receive spiritual guidance. We help connect them with the Hindu community in each US city and help in other ways as much as possible. Please go to our website for more information.
March 28th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
It is bad to hear such story. This might have occured due to multiple reason like stress related to lack of income, unemployment, language barrier, religious and cultural differences and credit. I hope this crisis will be over if we
1. Prepare Bhutanese new arrivals for job oppertunity as soon as possible within the easy accessible distance.
2. If we provide with some vocational skills so that they will be confident to work in related field.
3. If they have oppertunity to live in near by Indian or Hindu or Buddhist community or atleast metoiring activities are carried out.
4. If they could get employment before three months which helps them gain confidence living without fear of bad credit and thrown into road.
5. If sufficiently taken care unless they are able to sustain themselves through differnt alternatives.
6. More people commit suicide, loose hope of living, if visioned organisations, bodies or individuals keep on blaming the economic condition of the country, counting selfish days for collecting salary, credit and absence of proper, descent and logical answers to any questions raised by clients.
- All social workers should take this issue as an urgent as most of the things are taken casual and i am quite unsure if any precautionary measures are adopted by fellow human beings to combat this happening in future.
Thanks,
Krishna
March 28th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
So… sad news for all the Bhutanese…
March 30th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
It’s a sad news to all bhutnese refugee who are real refugee.But it’s doesn’t mean that all people have same opinion,feelings and same kind of weekest thought. Am a one who is going to face same kind of problem which become the death of krishna, anyway i just want pray hte god for his soul wiil be in rest and peace in heaven and in another words to all bhutnese who are in USA zero isbetter number start a new life rather than to beg for breathe wish you all the best to all bhutnese family who are still in refugge camp.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 am
oh very unbelievable sad news of such a strong man.hope his soul may rest in peace in heaven.