Technofeudalists Capture Nepal

Pete Pattisson, ‘This is our revolution. It’s our turn now’: Nepal’s ‘gen Z protesters’ speak out against corruption

Young Nepalis led a mass protest in Kathmandu on Monday and have paid for it with bullet wounds or their lives

The whiteboard listing the names of patients at a hospital in central Kathmandu tells the story of a protest gone badly wrong. Beside each name is written their age: 18, 22, 20, 18, 23. The list goes on.

By Wednesday morning there were still scores of Nepal’s young being treated for gunshot wounds and injuries sustained when police opened fire on protesters in Kathmandu on Monday.

These are the so-called gen Z protesters, a generation of young Nepalis who led a mass protest against government corruption, nepotism and a ban on social media sites, and paid for it with bullet wounds and in some cases their lives. Hundreds were injured and at least 22 are believed to have died.

From his hospital bed, Saurav*, an 18-year-old college student, said he had been excited to join the protest. “When it comes to the nation, there is no need for motivation. The politicians are just selling our country for their own greed. That’s not supposed to happen,” he said.

The violence that broke out before the police opened fire on the huge crowds that had gathered outside the parliament building in Kathmandu on Monday was, insists Saurav, instigated by groups outside their anti-corruption movement.

As the shooting started, a protester standing in front of Saurav was shot in the chest and died on the spot, he said. Pellets from the shot hit his hand. “I was screaming in pain and my friends carried me to this hospital … It was totally unnecessary. Killing people, I don’t think that’s humanity. That’s just disgusting,” he said.

By Tuesday afternoon the prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, had resigned and thousands of Nepalis had taken to the streets to spontaneously celebrate his downfall and express their anger.

The mood initially was one of jubilation at what many saw as the end of widespread government corruption, and bitter resentment at the killing of the protesters the day before.

For the past 10 years, Nepal has been ruled by the same three elderly leaders – Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal – who have effectively taken up the post of prime minister on a rotating basis. Between them, they have led the country on 12 separate occasions. While yesterday’s protests may have been triggered by the government’s ban on dozens of social media sites last week, it was built on years of frustration and anger at politicians who are widely viewed as corrupt and self-serving.

By 4pm the main roads into the heart of the city were packed with protesters, many on motorbikes, chanting, shouting and waving the Nepali flag, in defiance of a government curfew. Many more lined the streets, filming the moment and taking selfies, sensing that history was being made.

Much of the anger was directed at Oli, with handwritten signs scrawled on walls and T-shirts calling for him to be killed. “He killed our youth. He should be dead,” said one.

The focus of the crowds was Singha Durbar, the complex of government ministries, which was then breached and much of it set on fire. One group drove a police van out of the main gate, carrying dozens of triumphant protesters on its roof. Three young men scaled the ornate entrance gate to wave the national flag. On the ground below, a group belted out the national anthem. A small number of soldiers stood by but did little to intervene. There was no sign of the police.

As thick, acrid smoke belched out across the streets and over the city, some protesters emerged from the burning buildings carrying reams of paper, office chairs and computer monitors.

“This is a revolution. This is the end of the corruption. It’s our turn now,” said Sujan Dahal, a young Nepali celebrating the downfall of the prime minister in Kathmandu on Tuesday. “The government was so corrupt. They used that money to improve their own lives, but there has been no change in the lives of normal people.”

By the end of the day, the scale of destruction had shocked many Nepalis, amid a sense that the movement has been sabotaged by groups seemingly bent on retribution and violence.

“I’m feeling bad. This is not good for us,” said a young man, who did not want to give his name. Along with government ministries and residences, dozens of other properties have been set on fire across the city, including a luxury hotel and a prestigious private school.

Throughout the day, groups of protesters had formed human chains around some sites to protect them, including the entrance to an army camp. “We are protecting the army. We are not against the army. We are against the government. The corruption. They are trying to shut our voices by stopping social media. Today we won. It is our victory. Oli has resigned,” said Sajad Ansari, 20.

By Wednesday morning, the administrative heart of Kathmandu looked like the aftermath of a missile attack. Burnt-out buildings stood smouldering in the light rain. The charred shells of cars and motorbikes lay strewn across the streets. Plumes of dark smoke still rose over the city.

The city is now in a state of almost complete lockdown, with soldiers stationed at major junctions enforcing a strict curfew. It is unclear what shape a future government might take.

It is a sentiment shared by Saurav even as he recovers from his injuries but, like many, he remains optimistic. “If the power is in the right hands, of course Nepal will develop,” he said. “Our young generation are very capable. We don’t seek for our own greed. We think about the good of the nation.”

*Name has been changed