On Tuesday, grieving relatives held funerals at a revered Hindu site in Kathmandu, Nepal, for those who died during last week’s anti-corruption protests, which led to a governmental shift in the Himalayan nation.
In the turmoil, at least 72 individuals lost their lives, and over 2,100 were injured amid the chaos and destruction following “Gen Z” protests. Young people expressed frustration over limited opportunities and perceived governmental inaction.
Thousands gathered as smoke and ash enveloped the pyres of four individuals cremated near the sacred temple of Lord Pashupatinath in the capital, adhering to Hindu customs.
Each coffin bore a national flag, and police honored them with a ceremonial guard of respect.
“He will never return,” lamented Rachana Khatiwada, a grieving mother clutching a portrait of her 18-year-old son Rashik, who was killed in front of parliament.
“He promised not to join the protests, to observe from afar, and return home early,” she told Reuters.
Earlier, a truck solemnly carried six coffins through the city, while five more were transported on separate, flower-adorned vehicles after hospital officials returned the bodies to their families.
Two ministers from Nepal’s newly formed interim government accompanied the procession.
Helicopters transported the bodies of other protest victims to towns outside Kathmandu.
Bina Maharjan prayed for her brother Binod, 34, upon learning of the protest violence he attended, only to later receive news of his death from friends over the phone.
“We advised him against going,” Maharjan stated. “But he was determined and went, only to lose his life.”
A postmortem revealed Binod suffered a bullet wound that pierced his cheek and another lodged in his throat.
Binod, who chose not to marry, always aspired to “sacrifice and contribute” to his nation, she added. “He accomplished just that.”
Last week, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed as Nepal’s first female prime minister, with a mandate to organize national elections on March 5. She selected three reform-minded ministers for her interim cabinet.
