A Nepal Army personnel escorts the prisoners who escaped from prison in the aftermath of anti-government protests, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Credit: PTI Photo
Amid the ongoing unrest in Nepal, Nepalis living in Bengaluru feel helpless, unable to provide any assistance to family and friends stuck back home.
The past 48 hours have been tense, members of the Nepali community say. A postgraduate college student has been trying to find a way to get back home.
“I know the situation is bad right now, and my parents need me. We have a hotel business, and the protestors have burned it to the ground. We’ve lost everything, and my parents are unable to deal with the situation,” said 25-year-old Pragya Adhikari.
A 42-year-old domestic help, Lakshmi, was distraught, as she was unable to get in touch with her teen son studying in Kathmandu.
“Before last night, when I had spoken to him, he was furious at what was going on in the country and wanted to stand up against corruption. He had said he wanted to take part in the youth protests, and then I wasn’t able to get in touch with him. It was scary,” she said.
The current situation in Nepal was expected due to the growing corruption, shared Nikhil Agarwal, a Nepali citizen and owner of the Bamey’s chain of restaurants.
“I left Nepal in 2011 for the very same reasons. There has been so much corruption ever since the monarchy collapsed that it has been impossible for the common man to make a living. But although I decided to leave, my parents and brother decided to stay back. Our family has been living in Nepal for 150 years,” he elaborated.
Nikhil shared accounts of homes and businesses of friends and family being burned down during the protests.
“My sister-in-law’s home and cars were burned down. My friend’s store was vandalised. It’s a really sad situation. No one’s leaving their homes anymore because criminals and gangsters have made it out of the prisons and are now roaming free,” said the 32-year-old.
The protests have also targeted schools in the capital city. “My niece and nephew’s school was burned down yesterday. They’re burning down buildings 200 metres away from my sister’s house. This is no longer a Gen Z protest; the youth wouldn’t indulge in such vandalism. Various political outfits have taken over the protests, unfortunately,” shared Pratik Kothari, who moved to India in 2013, in search of better opportunities.
Most Nepalis said they were appalled by the misinformation about the ongoing situation in the Indian media.
“The media had us more worried due to the misinformation. But since social media is back, I have been able to get in touch with my relatives and know what’s happening on the ground. While there is uncertainty, the situation seems to be slowly getting better,” said Manish Thapa, a bar
manager.