'No Regrets': Wounded Nepalis Protesters Proud At Change
University student Aditya Rawal was outside Nepal's parliament with hundreds of other anti-corruption protesters when gunfire crackled and 14 people slumped down in front of him.
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- From: India News Bull
The death toll from Nepal's protests beginning September 8 has reached at least 72 people.
Nepal:
Aditya Rawal, a 22-year-old university student, stood among hundreds of anti-corruption demonstrators outside Nepal's parliament when gunfire erupted, causing 14 people to collapse before him.
When he rushed forward to assist his university friend, hands raised in surrender, bullets struck him as well.
"I had heard that raising both hands would prevent them from shooting," Rawal explained to AFP from his hospital bed in Kathmandu's Civil Service Hospital.
"But they were targeting me specifically."
The chaos that began on September 8 claimed at least 72 lives, as youth-led demonstrations under a loosely organized "Gen Z" movement protested against government restrictions on social media.
"Nepal has seen numerous protests by older generations, but in our 'Gen-Z' demonstrations, they resorted to firearms," Rawal remarked.
Protests intensified the following day, fueled by economic concerns and frustration over governmental corruption.
The long-serving prime minister resigned while parliament and key government buildings were torched before military forces restored order.
This marked Nepal's most severe unrest since the conclusion of the decade-long civil conflict and monarchy abolition in 2008.
On Friday, former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, took oath as interim prime minister with the responsibility of guiding Nepal toward elections within six months.
'Blood'
Usha Khanal, a 36-year-old nurse, described how her gloves became "drenched with blood" while treating wounded protesters, as tear gas deployed nearby infiltrated the hospital itself.
Civil Service Hospital admitted 458 injured demonstrators; six subsequently died, four under 30 years of age—highlighting the youth-driven character of the movement.
Rawal, with his heavily bandaged leg and bullet fragments embedded in his arm and abdomen, expressed his willingness to protest again.
"If nothing changes, we still have the determination to fight... We demand a transparent government, free from corruption and dictatorship."
According to World Bank data, one-fifth of Nepalis aged 15-24 are unemployed, with GDP per capita at merely $1,447 in the Himalayan nation of 30 million.
Puja Kunwar, Rawal's 20-year-old cousin, has remained continuously by his bedside.
"He acted for our nation," she stated. "It truly inspires me."
'Changes'
In the same ward, 19-year-old protester Subash Dhakal, shot in both knees, faces approximately six months of limited mobility.
He emphasized that the sacrifices made by the deceased and injured "must not be futile".
"This movement has overthrown the government and established a new one... we refuse to let the country revert to its previous condition," he declared.
His mother, Bhawani Dhakal, a 45-year-old government school teacher, provided money for him to travel by bus from their hometown 30 kilometers (19 miles) away to join the protests.
Dhakal mentioned participating in teacher protests against an education bill earlier in the year, which yielded no results.
"It's remarkable that they achieved change within just 24 hours," she observed. "Our sons removed all the corrupt leaders."
Subash Dhakal expressed pride in his participation.
"I have absolutely no regrets," he affirmed.
"I did this not only for myself. It was for everyone, from my family to all my brothers. This pain is temporary, but it will certainly bring about meaningful changes."