Kathmandu [Nepal], September 16 : The recent Gen-Z protests in Nepal have left a trail of grief and uncertainty, particularly for the families of victims who lost their lives in the violent clashes.
Bina Maharjan stands outside the mortuary of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu, holding a banner of condolence and a photo of her brother, a victim of the police's indiscriminate firing during the September 8 Gen-Z protest.
Although her brother, Binod Maharjan, was not technically a Gen Z member, he joined the protest to show support for the youth-led movement against rampant corruption. Bina fondly recalls the moment he left home that fateful day, a moment now etched in grief and loss.
"On that day, Mom had asked him to have the lunch and go but he convinced mother that he would come back in a while. An hour later, we got the news that a bullet in Baneshwor had struck him. We went to the hospital where he was taken, but we couldn't recognise him at first glance. He was completely drenched in blood; I couldn't even identify my own brother in that condition," Bina toldas she waited for her call to receive the body.
It has been over a week since violent protests shook the Himalayan nation, where police used excessive force, resulting in the deaths of dozens of demonstrators, many of them students, who had marched to the capital to demand accountability and an end to corruption.
On September 8 alone, 21 protesters, all under the age of 30, lost their lives. The following day, 39 more people died, including 15 from burns. A further 12 deaths were recorded over the next seven days as violence continued.
Postmortem reports of those killed in the Kathmandu Valley confirmed bullet wounds on the head and chest, despite standing protocols that police are only permitted to fire below the knee when controlling crowds.
"My brother had two bullet wounds; we came to know about it only after the postmortem. One bullet had pierced through his chest and another had struck his mouth; it only became clear following the postmortem report," Bina told ANI.
Having lost her brother, Bina is now concerned for her elderly mother, who has been inconsolable since the incident.
"For our mother, we have demanded of the government that she should be provided with expenses for her survival; I have been requesting the government for it," she said.
For the family of Sajan Rai, the situation is even more tragic. His two teenage daughters have now lost both parents.
At the mortuary, the orphaned girls quietly wiped the dust off their father's framed photo a haunting image of innocence facing an uncertain future.
"My cousin brother Sajan Rai doesn't have a wife and now leaves two daughters behind. These minors have now been orphaned; the government should look after them, and once they're adults, they should be given employment by the state itself," Gir Bahadur Rai told ANI.
The newly formed interim government, earlier this week, declared those killed in the recent "Gen-Z uprising" as 'martyrs', offering 1 million Nepali rupees in cash relief to their families.
Following the appointment of Sushila Karki as Prime Minister on September 12, the first Cabinet meeting endorsed an additional 500,000 Nepali rupees in aid for each family of the deceased.
The government also announced national honours for the funerals and declared September 17 a national day of mourning, with the national flag to be flown at half-mast.
At Kathmandu's Pashupatinath crematorium, state honours were given to four martyrs, where Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal and Energy Minister Kulman Ghising draped the bodies with the national flag, symbolising official recognition of their sacrifice.
Thousands joined the funeral procession, chanting slogans such as "Long live martyrs" and "We will fulfil your dream" as they carried out the last rites.
"Sister, I am a Gen-Z; who would raise their voice in support of the nation if I don't... Now you've left us all alone and gone... Salute Gen-Z!" a martyr family member shouted as she paid her last tribute to her fallen brother, which echoed across the Pashupatinath temple on Tuesday.
The September 8 protest has become the bloodiest day in Nepal's modern history, recording the highest death toll since the 2006 People's Movement, which led to the end of King Gyanendra's monarchy and the birth of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.
Triggered by corruption scandals and a controversial social media ban, the protest escalated quickly. Police responded with water cannons, tear gas, and live ammunition. At one point, security personnel reportedly fired from within the parliament building as protesters stormed the complex and set its entrance on fire.
Protests continue across Kathmandu and other major cities, with Gen-Z activists rallying in increasing numbers. Following the violence, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepped down and was succeeded by Sushila Karki.
With parliament dissolved and elections scheduled for March 2026, Nepal now faces a turbulent path toward political stability.
But for the families of the fallen, the future remains painfully unclear, filled with empty rooms, silent conversations, and a dark, uncertain horizon.
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