‘We want justice’: Nepal’s Gen Z count the cost of a revolution paid in blood

The marigold garlands wilted in the Kathmandu heat, draped over coffins that bore the weight of a nation’s grief. Inside one lay Mahesh Budhathoki, a young man who left home to protest corruption – and never returned.

The 22-year-old was one of dozens killed when police opened fire during mass anti-corruption protests led by Nepal’s Generation Z.

At least 73 people were killed in the demonstrations, which turned violent as protesters surged towards the parliament building in the nation’s capital. The death toll included three police officers and an Indian national, with more than 2,100 injured.

The unrest, Nepal’s deadliest in decades, toppled the government of ex-prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli and left a number of public and private buildings in ruins.

“For the past year, he had been caring for my mother after her cancer diagnosis,” recalled Umesh Budhathoki, Mahesh’s younger brother. “Just last month, he bought a scooter and was working as a Pathao [ride-hailing] driver.”