The Himalayan country, known as the home of the world’s largest mountain, is burning. Protests in Nepal have burned the parliament building and led to the deaths of several people, after GenZ’s of the country began an unprecedented outrage against the state. The protest led to the death of the ex-Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal’s wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar. On Tuesday, she was trapped inside her house by the Gen Z protestors and burnt to death while her house was burnt.
The protest began due to the social media ban by the Nepal government, but took a violent turn as the youth, furious due to corruption and nepotism, raised slogans against the Nepal government. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday, immediately after the protests, as his house was set on fire. Bishnu Prasad Paudel, the Finance Minister in the current government, was chased by the protestors; a video of the same is all over the internet.
Among the protestors, 19 have been killed in police encounters, which has worsened the situation and led to the burning of the parliament building. The social media ban was lifted by the authorities on Monday night, but the protest has already become violent till the moment. The airport has been shut, and army aeroplanes have been deployed to take the state ministers to safe places. Social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram were banned by the government over a lack of government oversight, but when the ban was lifted, the protestors were angry over the deaths of 19 people killed by the state police.
The major issue the young protestors are raising is about the unemployment in the country, while people from elite political backgrounds continue to enjoy luxurious lifestyles. India has advised its citizens to avoid visits to Nepal, while major airlines like Air India and Indigo have suspended flights to Nepal. The unstable situation in the neighbouring country is being closely tracked by India, and reflects the protest that took place in Bangladesh just a few months ago, when the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign.
