KATHMANDU, March 3 – Last September 8th, 23-year-old student Rashik Khatiwada joined hundreds of demonstrators outside Nepal’s parliament, protesting government corruption and joblessness with a sign declaring “FUCK THE SYSTEM!”
Two hours later, he was fatally shot.
Khatiwada became one of 77 casualties during two days of deadly demonstrations that ultimately toppled Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s government and transformed Nepal’s political landscape ahead of Thursday’s national elections.
The youth-driven protests have intensified calls for political reform throughout Nepal, particularly among families who lost relatives during the violence.
“What have past leaders done for this country over the last three decades? They accumulated wealth for themselves and placed their own people in positions of power to benefit from it,” Rashik’s mother, Rachana Khatiwada, questioned. “What did they truly do for the nation?”
This widespread frustration with established politicians has opened doors for newcomers like 35-year-old former rapper Balendra Shah, now a leading candidate for prime minister. Khatiwada has thrown her support behind his campaign.
The 46-year-old homemaker joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party as a proportional representation candidate after Shah became a member in January, despite having little previous political involvement.
Khatiwada explained her political engagement stems from wanting justice for her son and other protest victims’ families.
“We demanded accountability for those responsible for the deaths of so many children, and the interim government failed to deliver,” she stated.
A government-appointed investigative commission examining the protests, including authorities’ use of live rounds against young protesters, has received three deadline extensions. The commission’s conclusions won’t be published until after the election.
ARTIST WHO NEVER RETURNED
On September 8th morning, 34-year-old Binod Maharjan completed his usual routine of feeding pigeons on his family’s rooftop before suddenly departing, abandoning his breakfast of rice and lentils.
“My son said he would return home and eat the meal he had left behind,” recalled his 75-year-old mother, Lata Maya Maharjan. “He never came back.”
The family learned of Binod’s protest participation only after his older brother got a call from a childhood friend and rushed to Kathmandu’s Everest Hospital.
“My mind went completely silent,” Kaji Ratna Maharjan remembered, describing the bullet wound near his brother’s mouth and exit wound behind his head. “I still cannot put into words what I felt when I saw his lifeless body.”
Though Binod left school early, he devoted himself to artistic pursuits. His painted murals decorate virtually every surface of the family’s three-story brick home.
His bedroom featured a hand-drawn Nepal map and artwork depicting Shiva, his favored Hindu god, while he slept on yak hide with horns positioned near his pillow.
In his mother’s bedroom, Binod created a self-portrait showing his characteristic long dreadlocks and cigarette, surrounded by his nieces and nephews.
“We do not understand politics, but those who do and are actively involved in it must focus on ending corruption and creating jobs in this country,” said Kaji Ratna Maharjan, who plans to vote Thursday alongside his mother. “Only then can we prevent another protest like the September uprising in Nepal.”
WIDOW CAMPAIGNS FOR CHANGE
Each day before sunrise, Parbati Subedi begins work as a house cleaner before reporting to her primary job in a major Nepali corporation’s sanitation department.
Though exhausting, this demanding routine provides the 28-year-old widow with 30,000 Nepalese rupees ($206) monthly to support herself and her daughter following her husband’s death during September’s uprising.
Security officer Dev Kumar Subedi, 29, suffered a fatal stomach gunshot wound on September 9th while participating in the second day of anti-government demonstrations.
“I believe this protest happened because people wanted change in Nepal and change in our leaders,” Subedi said. “Those in power forgot about families like ours, for whom putting two meals on the table is a daily struggle.”
Subedi received 1.5 million rupees compensation from the interim government that replaced Oli’s administration, payment made to families of 42 among the 77 killed who were designated as martyrs.
However, additional commitments including job opportunities for relatives, ongoing medical assistance, and pension benefits remain unfulfilled, according to multiple families of the deceased, including Subedi.
Following her late husband’s political preferences, Subedi supports the RSP and Shah based on his mayoral performance in Kathmandu, even creating social media content encouraging voters to back their campaign.
“I believe they will genuinely work towards improving the country,” she said. “But if it’s any of the other parties, I have little hope that things will change.”
($1 = 145.5 Nepalese rupees)
