Nepal Cremates Gen Z Protest Victims With State Honours In Kathmandu
Funerals held at Pashupati Aryaghat as Nepal honours victims of Gen Z protests.
Cremations for victims of Nepal's deadly Gen Z protests unfolded with state honours at Pashupati Aryaghat along the Bagmati River on Tuesday, drawing thousands in a sombre tribute amid the Himalayan nation's recent political upheaval. The protests, led by Generation Z youth aged 13 to 28, erupted in early September against government corruption, nepotism, and a ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube, imposed on September 4 for non-compliance with registration rules.
What began as peaceful demonstrations against elite extravagance and economic inequality escalated into Nepal's worst unrest in decades, resulting in widespread arson, vandalism of government buildings, and clashes that claimed at least 72 lives—including 62 civilians, three police, and 10 prisoners—while injuring over 2,100 others.
Four bodies were cremated at Pashupatinath Temple with full state protocols, including wreaths from dignitaries, while six others were transported to hometowns for local rites, officials at the site reported. The processions originated from Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj, where postmortems were conducted, and culminated at the ghats amid chants and floral tributes.
Energy Minister Kulman Ghising and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal joined grieving families for the final rites, symbolising governmental acknowledgement of the tragedy that toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's administration on September 9. The remaining bodies had been released to kin on Sunday and Monday.
Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, a former chief justice appointed on September 12, declared the victims "martyrs" on Sunday, announcing NRs 1.5 million (about $11,200) in compensation per family—exceeding the legal maximum of NRs 1 million—and a national mourning holiday on Wednesday with flags at half-mast. The unrest, rooted in frustration over job scarcity and elite privilege in a nation of 30 million plagued by turbulent politics since its 2008 republican transition, prompted army deployments and curfews, with Gen Z leaders later disavowing violence as "hijacked" by opportunists.
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As funerals proceeded, several ministries initiated damage assessments, compiling data on torched vehicles, ruined equipment, and structural losses. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport formed a nine-member committee to evaluate impacts at its offices, where the Department of Roads' recently renovated Babarmal headquarters—rebuilt for NRs 15 million two years ago—suffered extensive fire damage alongside multiple vehicles. Despite the setbacks, road maintenance nationwide continued uninterrupted, underscoring resilience amid the recovery efforts.
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