'No Regrets': Wounded Nepali Gen Z Protesters Defiant After Bloody Crackdown

When 22-year-old university student Aditya Rawal stood outside Nepal's parliament last week, he believed his raised hands would shield him from bullets. Instead, he became one of hundreds caught in a deadly crackdown that has since transformed the country's political landscape.

Bullets in the Middle of Protest

Rawal had joined fellow students and young professionals rallying against a controversial social media ban when chaos broke out.

"I heard somewhere that if you raise both hands, they will not shoot you," Rawal, a digital marketer, told AFP from his hospital bed in Kathmandu. "But I was their target."

In front of him, 14 protesters collapsed after shots rang out. One of them was his university friend. As he rushed forward, bullets ripped through his leg, arm, and stomach.

Youth-Led Anger, Bloody Crackdown

The protests, loosely united under the banner of Nepal's“Gen Z,” erupted on September 8 and quickly spiraled. At least 72 people were killed, making it the deadliest unrest since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

"There had been so many protests in Nepal by older people, but in our 'Gen-Z' protest, they used guns," Rawal recalled.

What began as anger over censorship rapidly grew into a storm of frustration over corruption and economic stagnation. Within days, the veteran prime minister resigned, parliament was torched, and the army moved in to restore order.

'Drenched with Blood'

At Kathmandu's Civil Service Hospital, the human toll was staggering. Nurse Usha Khanal, 36, said her gloves were“drenched with blood” as she tended to the wounded, while tear gas seeped inside the wards.

The hospital admitted 458 protesters. Six of them later died, four under the age of 30 - stark proof of the youth-driven nature of the movement.

A New Interim Leadership

On Friday, former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, was sworn in as interim prime minister, tasked with steering Nepal towards elections within six months.

For many, the change came at immense cost. For Rawal, bandaged and weak, it was still worth it.

"If there is no change, we still have time to fight... We want a transparent government, no corruption and no dictatorship," he said.

His cousin, 20-year-old Puja Kunwar, has been by his side every day.“His actions were for our nation,” she said.“It really gives me courage.”

Families Standing Behind the Youth

In another ward, 19-year-old protester Subash Dhakal lay with his knees shattered by bullets. He faces six months bedridden but refuses to see himself as a victim.

The sacrifices of his peers“should not be in vain,” he insisted.“This has toppled the government and formed a new one... we don't want the country to return to its earlier state.”

Even his mother, 45-year-old teacher Bhawani Dhakal, supported his decision. She had given him money to travel 30 kilometres from their hometown to join the rallies.

“It's amazing that they brought change in just 24 hours,” she said.“Our sons threw out all the corrupt leaders.”

'This Pain is Ephemeral'

Despite his injuries, Dhakal refuses to dwell on the suffering.

"I have no regrets at all," he said firmly. "I have done it not only for me. It was for everyone, from my family to all brothers. This pain is ephemeral, but this will definitely bring about some changes."

For Nepal's youth, the wounds of September are still fresh. But their determination, carved into hospital wards and protest sites, signals a generational refusal to accept silence - no matter the cost.

(With inputs from AFP)

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