Anarchy in Nepal: Braving national arson and personal risk

A first-person report and analysis on the turbulence in Nepal

Large-scale anti-corruption protests and demonstrations by Gen Z students and youth were all over Nepal from September 8, especially in the wake of a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Signal and Snapchat. They demanded appropriate management of public funds, good governance and political accountability

Onethe side, buildings were burning, while on the other thousands of people were protesting the ban on social media communications, a la Gen X revolution. That was the scene that greeted me when I was left stranded on the Kathmandu highway while on my way to the city of Phokran for a pilgrimage at Muktinath, considered one of the 108 Divya Deshams. This is the only one near the Himalayas.

Shelter amidst arson:

Four hours after, I and 27 fellow pilgrims, including my kin, noticed that the problem and tension were mounting. In that critical phase a good-natured family down the lane offered us shelter away from the madding crowd. We refreshed ourselves from the tea and biscuits that were available there. Our anguish increased as there was no way we could proceed further in the pitch darkness late into the evening.

Personnel from the Embassy, the central and governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana responded albeit by only giving us phone numbers about whom we could contact.

After some deliberations among ourselves, we moved into a nearby hotel, which lacked even basic facilities.

Large-scale anti-corruption protests and demonstrations by Gen Z students and youth were all over Nepal from September 8, especially in the wake of a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Signal and Snapchat. They demanded appropriate management of public funds, good governance and political accountability. For one who had witnessed the agitation for a separate Telangana state in 1969, and again until a new state was born in 2014, I was perplexed seeing the intensity of the protests in Nepal, while I was in a bus.

We heard that the parliament building was set on fire, headquarters of the UML and Nepali Congress vandalized, while security forces, including the Nepali army, facilitated the safe evacuation of politicians from the affected areas to Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), where we landed on September 9. The airport was closed and occupied by the Nepali army making it impossible to sneak out.

When a PM fled:

After Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli (he managed to flee to army barracks in Shivapuri at Budhanilkantha) and some ministers, resigned, there was a semblance of order on September 12 when Sushila Karki was sworn-in as interim Prime Minister.

Indian embassy people advised me ‘please do not move out of the place where you are located’. The situation was highly sensitive after the mayor’s house was set ablaze.

Those on the tourist bus were oblivious of the fact that the riots had claimed 19 lives. Connectivity was virtually cut off. International media gave contrasting reports about the unrest in the country. One headlined a report “Who are the organisers of Nepal’s massive Gen Z protest?”.

According to Kathmandu Post the demonstrations escalated when protesters attempted to enter the Federal Parliament, forcing security forces to respond with tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition that led to 19 deaths. We learnt that curfew was clamped in several major cities, including Kathmandu, Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Butwal, Pokhara, Itahari, and Damak. Even after the ban was removed, the protestors wanted dissolution of the parliament and fresh elections.

Sushila Karki took office on September 14 and immediately called for “calm and cooperation to rebuild” the nation.

Officials from the interim government assured ex gratia compensation to families whose members had died during the riots.

The protestors targeted several prominent locations in Kathmandu, including the residences of the prime minister and president.

September 10 resulted in a coup, but peace remained elusive. At the Pashupathi temple, we came to know that mobs were looting pilgrims. This increased our fears.

Early next morning, Nepali army forces were seen patrolling the critically vulnerable areas. They detained 27 protagonists for “destructive and anarchic activities”.

Meanwhile, police stated that as of September 10, more than 13,500 prisoners had escaped from prisons nationwide. Soldiers arrested 303 of them and handed them over to the police.

While we were planning to go to Pokhara, we were told that two bodies were found inside a burnt house at Nayabazar and Lakeside but we did not comprehend the seriousness. AP’s IT minister Nara Lokesh and Commissioner of AP Bhawan Srikanth were in touch with me and others. But nothing moved.

We started with a darshan of Jala Narayan in Kathmandu. I was exhausting the roaming facility on my phone.

Jail breaks and escape by prisoners became a regular feature. Gradually the curfew was relaxed for two hours from 6 am.

Officers from the Embassy and AP government asked me to move to India and assured us to take us to the airport. Most of the Indian families went to Vijayawada.

Despite the ordeal, it was a pleasure to go along with the sacred river Gandaki, one place where Salagrams are available. Eventually, we managed to have Muktinath darshan.

I remain indebted to the scores of people who ensured our safe travel, including Kandadai Parthasaradhy and his daughter. The tour was delayed by three days.

(The writer is a former CIC and Advisor, School of Law, Mahindra University, Hyderabad)