Nepal, reeling from five days of protests and unrest that left at least 50 people dead, is looking toward a period of calm following the appointment of Sushila Karki as the country’s first woman interim Prime Minister. Visuals from Birganj showed curfew being relaxed briefly, with shops and businesses reopening, giving residents a glimpse of normal life after days of disruption.
Speaking to India Today, several citizens expressed their demand for a corruption-free government and voiced hope that the new administration will deliver justice and stability.
Residents expressed hope that the new government would bring stability. One local told India Today, “We hope that everything will return to normal. We have a lot of hope from the new government. The Gen Z protesters have also now calmed down.”
When asked whether Karki’s appointment could address the protesters’ demand for a corruption-free political system, he added, “Everyone will be brought under control now. Everyone’s assets will be accounted for. This is the hope from the new government.”
The Gen Z, who were at the forefront of the protests, also voiced optimism. “Our biggest demand was a corruption-free Nepal. Sushila Karki’s appointment, we have faith, will bring new laws, amend the Constitution in a way that the assets of all the corrupt politicians will be accounted for. We have faith that all the money obtained illegally will be snatched from the corrupt politicians. Our future and the future of other young people will be bright,” a Gen Z protester said.
Another youth labelled former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli as “the mastermind of the corrupt”. “All the corrupt should be jailed immediately and the Parliament should be dissolved,” he said.
Normalcy has slowly started returning to Kathmandu and other parts of Nepal. India Today visited the capital city this morning and noticed vehicles moving normally, reflecting a gradual resumption of daily life.
Despite signs of normalcy in some areas, protests continue in other parts of Nepal. Local authorities in border districts are maintaining curfews, and at the Raxaul border on the Bihar-Nepal frontier, Indian security agencies are allowing entry only after verifying the identity of stranded Indian citizens.
A large number of Indians remain in Nepal, but with the support of the Indian embassy, they are being safely brought back to India via road and air transport.
– Ends
Tune In
