A Day to Remeber: Nepal GenZ protest

 

A Day to Remember

-BottleButea

Sep 12, 2025

I am an avid reader of history books, and I remember the way writers explained historic events with vivid detail. Americans recalling where they were when they heard about 9/11, Indians during the death of Nehru. And now, I knew that what was happening would be historic. All my family’s attention was fixed on the TV screen. Usually, when the TV is on, it’s more of a background than the main show. It’s not uncommon to use your phone while watching TV, but today was different.

Everywhere in Nepal, I am sure that for those who were aware, almost everyone was glued to the TV. After the September 8 protest, everyone was unsure what would happen next. Who would lead the interim government? Would the parliament dissolve?

The answer to all that was before me. There she was, Sushila Karki, sitting beside an empty seat. President Ram Chandra Poudel had not yet entered the room. 

Yesterday, after the ultimatum, I had predicted that peace would not remain, that the curfew would become stricter and some level of violence would again erupt in the streets. But I was wrong, and my father was right.

The first thing I learned after waking up was that Sushila Karki was certain to be the next prime Minister of Nepal. However, whether the parliament would be dissolved was still in question. Sudan Gurung, the leader of Hami Nepal, had been invited to the President's official residence for a meeting.

Police had now officially asked the public to share videos and photos of arson to help identify looters and thieves who had taken advantage of the protest. I saw general enthusiasm among people to do so, which made me feel that justice would indeed come for everyone. 

Similarly the big business houses (the Golchas, Chaudharu Group, Bhtabhateni, etc) had spoken out, congratulating the nation on a new beginning and committing themselves to coming out stronger after this chaos.Reports also suggested that the insurance claims from these protests would be among the highest in Nepali history. Due to the havoc, there was sympathy created towards these businesses (especially Bhatbhateni which saw 21 of its 28 stores damaged). I wondered: if they receive the insurance claims and with the new sympathy created among the public, would these protests end up being a net positive or negative for them.? 

By evening, the meeting still had not taken place, and it was still unclear whether the parliament would be dissolved. Parties had become more active, with rallies being conducted in different places, demanding that parliament not be dissolved and the constitution be protected. 

In the evening, we decided to stroll out for a bit. As I said, my father was right. The army was significantly more lenient. They were present in the street but they did not prohibit anyone from going anywhere, and although public transport was missing there was steady traffic of private vehicles. We decided it was safe to go till Bouddha today. 

My sister, my father, and I went to the Stupa, assessing the damages along the way. The burnt Bhatbhateni of Chuchepati was like a tourist spot, with swarms of people stopping by to look at the damage. It had been burnt to crisp, and some smoke was still rising.  I wondered if the insurance would truly cover all this loss, and how long it would take for them to recover? 

As I looked at the blackened building, I remembered my mother saying that burning Bhatbhateni was not just a monetary loss but also loss of living standards. She claimed that the service it provided was similar to that in the west. “When we stepped in, it felt like we were in a developed country”, she said. I agreed. Perhaps, having studied to a high level even during the king's reign, she had better understood the loss of such vandalism and violence in society.

The thought that most of the looters who took the opportunity to steal to their hearts’ content would probably never be caught left a distasteful taste in my mouth. Additionally, the loss of life during the protest which could never be recovered. I let out a sigh.

Perhaps noticing that, my father said, “Although the damage is huge, if the government truly becomes better, if the next government really works for the wellbeing of people, then at least the material loss would be worth it”. His sentiment was shared by those on the street. I could clearly make out the discussions of people as we walked towards the stupa. They centered around topics like "The politicians had it coming!” ,“We had been exploited far too long!” and other more saddened voices saying, “I hope no more lives are lost”.

We also saw burnt bikes on the side of the road. The Suzuki showroom was completely thrashed. The Bouddha police station was also burnt to a crisp. Interestingly, the Tibetan Hotel beside it was well intact and had no visible damages that I could spot (though we only looked briefly). My sister noticed that the part of the hotel that was attached to the police station, which rose above it, still had its lights on. 

At the stupa, there was no shortage of people. No matter when you visit,there is always a crowd. I remember as a child, there were very few people as I strolled around the stupa and was even allowed to climb to the highest floor. But now, with the increase in population and tourists, they no longer allowed us to climb beyond the first level. After taking 3 round of the stupa, we decided to head home.

As soon as we returned home, my mother broke the news to us: Sushila Karki was to be the Interim PM, and the parliament would be dissolved by her, new elections to be announced once she takes office. 

The president entered the room, and we watched together as the new PM took her oath.With that, we had our first lady Prime Minister. Social media started flooding with posts congratulating her, praising the revolution and the concrete first step that had finally been taken. There was also much praise for the army chief and president. I, too, found myself praising them for allowing the events to unfold in such a way. 

The army had without a doubt established itself as a neutral party in this turmoil, I had compared the control of the army with the sword of Damocles; however, it did not drop, and no coup took place. The president too (having come from the Nepali Congress) could have stalled things further, but his decision not to do so earned him huge praise online. 

However, at the ceremony, past prime ministers (Pushpa Kamal Dahal, She Bahadur Deuba, Khaada Prasad Oli, and Jhalnath Khanal) with the exception of Babhuram Bhattrai, were absent. It is certain that they are not satisfied with parliament dissolution and will challenge it later. It will be a huge challenge for Karki to ensure that peace is maintained, and the promised election is held.

The road ahead is not a smooth one. There is much to rebuild and even more to build. But the most important benefit of these events, I believe, is the psychological win that people are feeling. A victory over the old politicians and the system. Although they both still remain intact and have not changed for now, people have now started to buy into the idea of New Nepal . At the very least, I hope they will start tomorrow with greater enthusiasm.