Kathmandu’s tentative step towards normality amid political limbo
Residents of Kathmandu on Thursday surged into markets the moment the Nepali Army (NA) briefly lifted its curfew imposed to quell violent protests that toppled the government. Rice, vegetables and meat sold out within minutes, while others slipped into Hindu temples to pray.
All the while, armed soldiers stood guard, checking vehicles and offering assistance to those in need. Yet uncertainty lingered over who would next assume control of government as the search for an interim leader continued.
“I feel there should be an election soon and new leaders who can work for the country should be elected,” Sanu Bohara, a shop owner, told the Associated Press. “After all this, what we need is peace. I feel there should not have been so much destruction, but that has already happened.”
A retired government officer, Anup Keshar Thapa, said, “If the protests had gone in an organised way, it would be clear who was leading,” he said.
On Wednesday, representatives of the Gen Z protesters met military officials at the NA headquarters in Kathmandu to discuss a transitional leader, with some pushing for Sushila Karki, former chief justice. Rehan Raj Dangal, the protester’s delegate, confirmed that his group proposed Karki to head an interim government. However, rival protesters gathered outside the NA headquarters opposed her candidacy.
The demonstrations began on Monday with a short-lived government ban on social media platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, which the authorities said had failed to register and submit to oversight. What began peacefully spiralled into violence after police opened fire, and on Tuesday, protesters attacked government buildings.
They set fire to the Parliament building in New Baneshwor, Singha Durbar, the presidential residence, the central secretariat and the prime minister’s official residence. Smoke still rose from those landmarks on Wednesday, and Kantipur Publications, Nepal’s biggest media outlet, was also torched. Burnt-out vehicles and damaged car showrooms littered the streets.
Fuelled by rage over the deaths of protesters and wider frustration with “nepo kids” of political elites, many young people poured into the streets. With youth unemployment at about 20% last year, and an estimated 2,000 youths leaving daily to seek work abroad, the unrest reflected deeper grievances.
Late on Tuesday, the military— rarely mobilised in Nepal — emerged from its barracks, declaring its commitment to preserving law and order. That evening, the curfew was briefly lifted, prompting the morning rush for essentials.
By Wednesday, the Ministry of Health and Population had reported 30 dead and 1,033 injured, and Nepal Police announced that 13,572 prisoners had fled jails during the chaos. Soldiers restored order at the main jail, firing warning shots to stop an escape attempt and transferring inmates to other facilities with no injuries reported.
(Compiled)
