Self-immolation, protests | Youth-backed Nepal government faces Gen-Z fire

Hundreds of people staged a demonstration in Nepal on Sunday protesting the government's move to evict landless squatters without providing an alternative resettlement arrangement. The protest organised by the Joint National Squatters Front took place at Maitighar Mandala in front of Singhdurbar Secretariat in Kathmandu. At the protest, protesters carried placards with slogans of 'end the atrocity against the poor people', 'respect human rights', 'stop illegal arrest', and 'provide shelter to the squatters'. Separately, a government holding centre in Kathmandu's Kirtipur, where around 150 squatters were living, was hit by floods on Friday night and its inhabitants had to be evacuated with the help of security personnel.

Youth-led Gen Z activists reached there on Saturday to take stock of the situation. They were, however, baton-charged and arrested by the police. One activist sustained injuries to his face and was admitted to a local hospital. Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa slammed the government for arresting the activists, objecting to the police action and demanded the immediate release of those arrested.

Meanwhile, police also arrested 26 people who staged a sit-in at the main gate of Morang District Police office in the Koshi province on Sunday as they protested the mistreatment of the Gen Z activists by the police. Earlier in April, the government evicted landless settlers from different parts of Kathmandu valley and also from across the country by dismantling their structures, affecting more than 15,000 people belonging to 2,600 families. Of them, 325 families were staying in temporary holding centres in different parts of Kathmandu. The government had on July 2 asked the landless squatters to vacate the holding centres by July 6. However, over 60 families continued to stay put even on Thursday.