Nepal outrage rooted in social and economic problems that had been growing for years !!

The outrage was rooted in social and economic problems that had been growing for years, with jobs the central issue. 

A 'majority of Nepalis' work without officially reported jobs, mostly in farming. And unemployment is heavily concentrated among younger adults.

                                                           

Nepal was placed  under a nationwide curfew on Wednesday after two days of street clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces that killed at least 30 people.

Nepal continued to be tense and clueless on the journey forward.

Troops patrolled the capital, Kathmandu, and citizens’ groups cleared debris after protests forced out the Prime Minister Oli to reportedly leave the country.

Arson attacks left government buildings in ruins. Even the Supreme Court and Parliament buildings were ransacked and destroyed of their architecture beauty and files.

 

De facto leaders of the protest movement met with military officials and said they backed a former chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court to lead an interim government. But the next steps in forming a government were unclear after days of unrest. 

The protests, led by teenagers and young adults, were the most widespread in Nepal since it became a democratic republic in 2008.

The representatives of youth-led Gen Z, which spearheaded the anti-government protests, held meetings with the top military brass to finalise a transitional government, but the talks hit a roadblock on the issue of who will head it.

Some leaders of the Gen Z group organised a press meet in Kathmandu, where they said that Parliament must be dissolved and the Constitution should be amended to reflect the will of the people. They underlined the need to find a solution through dialogue and cooperation.

Former chief justice Sushila Karki, 

** Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, 

*** former CEO of Nepal Electricity Authority Kulman Ghising and 

@@ Mayor of Dharan Harka Sampang were among those being considered by the protesting Gen Z group to lead the government. 

Prionsers escape: Since the violence began on Monday, over 15,000 inmates have fled from more than 25 prisons, according to media reports.

Three inmates were killed and 13 others injured on Thursday during clashes with security personnel at the Ramechhap district prison in Madhesh province, officials said.

Protests began on Monday in Kathmandu and other parts of the country and grew rapidly. In the capital, protesters accused the police of opening fire on crowds of young demonstrators who had made their way toward the Parliament complex and blocked highways.

At least 34 protesters were killed after security forces opened fire on Monday, the Health Ministry said on Thursday. Three police officers also died, according to the police spokesman. More than 1,600 people were injured.

After a day of deadly clashes, the government repealed the social media ban on Tuesday, but that move did little to ease the unrest.

Online, Gen Z demonstrators had expressly urged one another to remain peaceful. But some people in the streets caused havoc when they rushed barricades, looted businesses and set fire to government offices, the Supreme Court and politicians’ homes. They burned Singha Durbar, the seat of the Nepali government, and damaged airports and hotels.

By Tuesday, the prime minister and four other ministers had resigned. That night, Gen. Ashok Raj Sigdel, the chief of the Nepali Army, appeared in a short video, urging calm in the streets.

His soldiers took control at 10 p.m., and the violent protests began to fizzle as army officers began talking to the leaders of the protest movement.

On Thursday afternoon, students representing the Nepali Congress Party defied the curfew to chant anti-army slogans and call for the president to appear.

“Make our president public,” they shouted. “We won’t accept a military coup.”

The Army ordered the public on Wednesday morning to hand over any arms and ammunition that may have been taken during the protests, and warned of action against anyone who did not. Some citizens’ groups organized to clean up debris on Wednesday from the arson attacks a day earlier.

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