> At a Glance
> – 76 people died and 2,300+ were injured during September protests that toppled Nepal’s government
> – 22-year-old Mukesh Awasti abandoned his Australia study plans, joined the revolt, and lost his leg to police gunfire
> – Interim PM Sushila Karki vows March 5 elections, yet zero top officials face corruption charges
> – Why it matters: Protesters who risked everything say the new government has failed to deliver on its core promise to end graft
Nepal’s youth-led uprising began on a sunny September 8 when tens of thousands surged into Kathmandu after a social-media ban. Within four days the unrest forced Sushila Karki-a retired Supreme Court judge-into office as the country’s first female prime minister, pledging a March 5 poll. Today, demonstrators like Mukesh Awasti-his right leg now amputated-say the sacrifice was for nothing.
The Price of Protest
Awasti, 22, had packed for an Australian civil-engineering course but joined friends in the streets instead. Police gunfire shattered his plans and his limb.
> Mukesh Awasti said from his trauma-center bed:
> > “I regret my decision… there have been zero achievements; corruption hasn’t ended and no one who opened fire has been arrested.”
The crackdown spread: protesters torched the Singha Durbar admin complex, parliament, and politicians’ homes; leaders fled by army helicopter. When the smoke cleared, 76 were dead and 2,300+ injured.
Promised Accountability Fades
Karki’s interim mandate was simple-hold elections-leaving her little power to chase graft. Results so far:
- Only one mid-level corruption case filed; no top figures charged
- Politicians named by protesters are campaigning for March seats
- No legal action against officials who ordered September shootings
Fresh rallies outside the prime minister’s office underline the anger.
> Injured protester Suman Bohara, on crutches, said:
> > “We’re back because the government has done nothing for the dead and wounded.”
Election Doubts Grow as Demands Splinter
Nepal’s constitution never envisioned an interim government, analysts note, blurring what Karki can actually deliver. Youth groups now clash over goals:
| Faction Demand | Status |
|---|---|
| Direct PM elections | Not on ballot |
| Scrap constitution | No legal pathway |
| Jail all “old” politicians | No charges filed |
> Abeeral Thapa, journalism college principal:
> > “They went deer hunting but killed a tiger; the movement outgrew its own plans.”
With no alternative to polls, the March 5 vote hangs in the balance-yet many who sparked the revolt now reject it as hollow.
Key Takeaways
- 76 dead, 2,300+ injured four months ago; zero justice so far
- Interim PM Karki’s legal authority limited to elections, not anti-graft drives
- Protesters split: some boycott March vote, others seek new faces in parliament
- Nepal’s constitution offers no roadmap for the power vacuum
As crutches replace banners on Kathmandu’s streets, Nepal’s Gen-Z is learning that toppling a government is easier than building the change they fought for.
