All four dead -- Ranju Jha, Jhagaru Das, Suresh Upadhyay and Bimal Sharan (Roy) -- were from very poor families. Three of them, except for Ranju, were the sole breadwinners of their families. [break]
As her husband Birendra was working in India, Ranju Jha -- a promising theatre artist of Janakpur, was solely responsible for looking after her two sons. Birendra is yet to arrive home. Ranju´s sons are yet to come to terms with the death of their mother.
On Tuesday, Ranju´s eldest son Ansu, a twelfth grader, joined a group of protestors seeking justice. But he could not utter a word. Ranju´s youngest son Gyanu has not come out of home since Monday.
Jhagaru Das, a resident of Janakpur-10, had been eking out a living pulling a rickshaw. After his death, Jhagaru´s wife, two sons and elderly parents have been forced to fend for themselves.
When Jhagaru was about to have lunch on Monday morning, cadres of Mithila State Struggle Committee (MSSC) whisked him away from his home for a sit-in at Ramananda Chowk of Janakpur. Jhagaru´s wife Pramila Devi, 40, asked him to go only after eating something. He said he would return soon. But he didn´t.
"My husband died hungry," said he. "He did not get to eat anything."
Suresh Upadhyay, a mobile phone shop owner in Janakpur, had a wife, physically disabled son, seven-year-old daughter and an elderly father to take care of. They have now lost their sole breadwinner.
Suresh -- who was also involved in social works -- had reached Ramananda Chowk to serve water to participants of the sit-in.
Like Suresh, Bimal Sharan was also taking rest after serving lemon water to the participants of the sit in when the blast ripped through the sit-in venue.
Always dressed like an ascetic, Bimal Sharan had been making a living for his family as a farmer.
Related story
Train with 53 bogies carrying blast arrives in Janakpur
