Table of Contents
- A Son Lost to a Foreign War
- Two Years of Hope and Heartbreak
- A Funeral During Festival of Lights
- Global Campaign for a Nepali Hostage
- The Human Cost of October 7
- Sources
A Son Lost to a Foreign War
In the quiet hills of Mahendranagar, far western Nepal, grief has replaced celebration. Bipin Joshi—once a hopeful 23-year-old student—returned home not with stories of study abroad, but in a coffin, after two years held captive by Hamas in Gaza.
Joshi had traveled to Israel in 2023 as part of an agricultural exchange program. Less than three weeks after his arrival, on October 7, 2023, he was abducted from a kibbutz in southern Israel during Hamas’s surprise attack. What followed was a relentless international campaign by his family to bring him home—alive.
Two Years of Hope and Heartbreak
Despite near-total silence about his condition, the Joshi family never gave up. They traveled to Israel and the United States, meeting diplomats, pleading with officials, and staging vigils to keep Bipin’s name in the public eye.
When news of the Israel-Hamas cease-fire broke in October 2025, hope surged once more. “We thanked God,” said Kishor Joshi, Bipin’s cousin. But that hope was short-lived. Days later, confirmation arrived: Bipin had died in captivity.
“After two years of sleepless nights and struggle for his release, all we receive today is his lifeless body,” Kishor said, his voice heavy with sorrow.
A Funeral During Festival of Lights
Bipin’s body arrived in Nepal on the eve of Tihar, the country’s five-day Festival of Lights—a time normally filled with joy, family gatherings, and illuminated homes. But in Mahendranagar, candles were dimmed, and tears flowed freely.
Dozens gathered outside the Joshi home as the coffin was carried through the village. Women wept openly; elders bowed their heads in silence. For this community, Tihar will forever be marked not by light, but by loss.
Global Campaign for a Nepali Hostage
Bipin Joshi was one of the few non-Israeli, non-Western hostages taken on October 7—a fact that made his case both unique and tragically overlooked in global media coverage.
His family’s advocacy, however, drew attention from human rights groups and Nepali diaspora communities worldwide. Petitions circulated online, embassies were lobbied, and Nepali officials repeatedly raised his case in diplomatic channels.
“He wasn’t a soldier. He wasn’t a politician. He was just a student chasing a better future,” said a local teacher who knew Bipin since childhood. “That’s what makes this so unbearable.”
The Human Cost of October 7
While much of the world focuses on geopolitical fallout or military strategy, stories like Bipin’s remind us of the deeply personal toll of conflict. Over 250 people were taken hostage on October 7, 2023. Many have been released; others, like Bipin, did not survive.
For Nepal—a nation with limited global influence—Bipin’s fate underscores the vulnerability of its citizens abroad. It also raises urgent questions about how countries protect their nationals in volatile regions.
Timeline: Bipin Joshi’s Ordeal
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 2023 | Bipin arrives in Israel for agricultural studies |
| Oct. 7, 2023 | Abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Be’eri |
| 2024 | Family campaigns in Israel and U.S. for his release |
| Oct. 2025 | Cease-fire announced; family hopes for return |
| Oct. 21, 2025 | Body repatriated to Nepal; funeral held during Tihar |
As Nepal buries one of its own, the world is reminded that war doesn’t just claim soldiers—it steals students, farmers, dreamers. And sometimes, it takes them far from home, never to return.
