Nepal’s Gen Z protesters, who recently toppled the government in the country, said they were proud of what they achieved and don’t want to go back to the old political setup.
Despite the losses, they said they had no regrets since the change was needed in the country. Besides, Nepal's regime changes also took place in neighbouring Bangladesh, where Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country by students earlier this year.
Approximately 72 people were killed during a period of chaos beginning on September 8. Youth protests under a loose "Gen Z" label rallied against a government ban on social media.
One of the protesters, while recounting the initial clashes, said, "There had been so many protests in Nepal by older people, but in our 'Gen-Z' protest, they used guns.”
The situation quickly escalated into nationwide protests, driven by the country’s poor economic health caused by government corruption. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, along with several ministers, resigned from the government after protesters set tens of government buildings ablaze in the country’s capital.
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The eyewitnesses who were part of the protest said they had never witnessed such “brutal” violence being “unleashed” by the government forces.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, was sworn in as interim prime minister, tasked with steering Nepal to elections within six months. "If there is no change, we still have time to fight... We want a transparent government, no corruption and no dictatorship,” said another protester.
According to World Bank stats released in 2024, one out of every five Nepalis aged between 15 and 24 is jobless, with GDP per capita under $1500 in the Himalayan nation of 30 million.
Also Read: Sushila Karki becomes Nepal's new interim PM
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