KATHMANDU: Parents send their children abroad with dreams of a better future. The family of Prisha Sah from Birgunj did the same, hoping that their bright and ambitious daughter would build a successful career in IT after studying in India.
Prisha, known for her academic excellence, had told her family she would return home soon for the holidays. Instead, they were devastated to hear that she had left this world. The shocking news has struck like a thunderbolt.
On Thursday last week, Prisha was found dead in the hostel of the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha, India.
The state government has initiated a formal investigation into the incident. According to the state’s Department of Fundamental and Public Relations, the local police were informed of the case at 8:10 PM.
In response, the Police Commissioner and the Revenue Divisional Commissioner were immediately deployed to begin an inquiry into the cause of death.
This tragedy comes just two months after another Nepali student, Prakriti Lamsal from Butwal, was also found dead in the college hostel on Falgun 4.
The heartbreaking deaths of Prisha and Prakriti have ignited a serious debate: Is it time to educate our children within our own arms to protect them from such tragedies?
Students protesting for justice in Prakriti’s case were threatened, evicted from their hostels, and forced to the streets.
They were even humiliated with the claim that the college’s infrastructure was worth more than Nepal’s entire national budget.
With support from Indian students, social workers, and journalists, some of the Nepali students managed to return home. Among them was Prisha.
How then did Prisha—the same student who stood up for justice—end up dead under mysterious circumstances? Did she die by suicide, or is there something more sinister at play? The truth remains unclear.
In the days after returning from India, students held a protest in Birgunj. And now, tragically, Prisha has met the same fate as Prakriti.
The question still haunts everyone: Did Prisha take her own life, or was there another cause?
Her family, originally from Malangwa in Sarlahi and currently residing in Birgunj-15, has traveled to Odisha in the wake of the news. Prisha was just in her first year of college, having arrived in India only a year ago.
She had promised to return on Jestha 4. But now, she will never come back. The striking similarities between Prakriti’s and Prisha’s deaths have shaken Nepali parents and students alike.
Concerns are now being raised on social media. Many have labeled KIIT College as unsafe and are urging others to bring their children back home.
Some argue that it is better to educate children within the country, close to family, than to risk their safety abroad.
When Nepal already offers courses in subjects like IT, and when Nepali students have gained global recognition for their talent, is it really necessary to study abroad for what can be learned here?
If we truly want to strengthen Nepal’s education system, perhaps the best way is to encourage our brightest minds to remain and study within the country.
The heartbreaking deaths of Prisha and Prakriti have ignited a serious debate: Is it time to educate our children within our own arms to protect them from such tragedies?
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