Baneshwor Massacre Gen-Z Protest
9th September 2025, Kathmandu
One hundred and seventy-nine years ago, the Kot Massacre in Kathmandu saw Jung Bahadur Rana and his brothers slaughter over 40 courtiers and soldiers in a single night.
Baneshwor Massacre Gen-Z Protest
It was a horrific event, a dark chapter in Nepalese history marked by a brutal power grab. The memory of that bloodshed resurfaced with chilling clarity on Monday, September 9, 2025, as Kathmandu witnessed a modern-day massacre, this time targeting the nation’s youth.
Following the government’s decision to ban social media and in the face of escalating protests against corruption, police, acting under direct government orders, opened fire on Gen-Z demonstrators.
The result was a tragedy of unimaginable proportions: 19 people killed in Kathmandu and Itahari, with dozens more injured. Among the critically wounded were two photojournalists, Dipendra Dhungana and Umesh Karki, whose commitment to capturing the truth cost them dearly.
This brutal repression, a horrifying act of state-sponsored violence, has earned its place in history as the Baneshwor Massacre.
A Modern-Day Kot Massacre
The sheer scale and speed of the Baneshwor Massacre are no less horrifying than Jung Bahadur Rana’s bloody power play. The death toll from Monday’s events surpasses even the lives lost in the Kot Massacre in a comparable timeframe.
The villains of 179 years ago were the Ranas. Today, the names responsible for this barbaric act are clear: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, and Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung.
They are the architects of this modern tragedy, the ones who gave the orders that led to the death of innocent young people.
Initial reports from hospitals across the Kathmandu Valley painted a grim picture. Civil Hospital reported being overwhelmed by the influx of gunshot victims, struggling to cope with the sheer number of casualties.
The situation was even more dire at the Trauma Center in Mahankal, where eight people were confirmed dead. Similar conditions prevailed in other hospitals, with new death tolls emerging every half an hour.
The scenes of chaos and tragedy in these medical facilities are a testament to the indiscriminate firing and the government’s utter disregard for human life.
This is not the Nepal of the monarchy or the Rana regime. The people have fought and bled for a democracy and a republic where such mass killings have no place.
Leaders who resort to such barbaric acts to cling to power have no right to remain in office. Despite the Congress–UML coalition’s parliamentary majority, the bloodshed on Monday has stripped Prime Minister Oli of any moral authority to govern. His leadership has proven to be a dangerous liability, one that costs the lives of his own citizens.
Shifting Blame, Losing Legitimacy
While Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak and Communications Minister Gurung share direct responsibility for the orders that led to the violence, the ultimate accountability lies with Prime Minister Oli, the head of the government.
In the aftermath of the massacre, Minister Gurung attempted to deflect blame by fabricating stories about “regressive forces” and “infiltrators.”
If the government was aware of these threats, why did it fail to prevent them? Why was the security cordon around Parliament deliberately weakened, allowing protesters to enter before the indiscriminate firing began?
The government’s claims are a flimsy attempt to conceal a far darker truth. The Gen-Z protesters were not seeking to restore the Rana or royal rule. Their demands were simple and just: the reopening of social media platforms and an end to rampant corruption.
No leader has the right to invent imaginary enemies and then gun down innocent citizens. The massacre in Baneshwor is not just a reminder of the Kot Massacre; it echoes the brutality seen in Gaza, where civilians are shot for demanding basic necessities.
In Nepal, citizens were forced onto the streets and then gunned down indiscriminately. The cruelty extended even to firing tear gas inside Civil Hospital, where the wounded were being treated.
The Roots of Rebellion
Prime Minister Oli’s arrogant and unilateral style of governance created the very environment for this rebellion. His administration has been embroiled in one corruption scandal after another, from the Giribandhu land scam to the Patanjali case and cooperative frauds.
The government has consistently protected its own while prosecuting its rivals, closing corruption files implicating its leaders and scapegoating junior ministers.
The fake refugee scam, widely believed to be the catalyst for the formation of the ruling coalition, is a stark example of this cronyism.
It is this pervasive corruption and irregularity that made Gen-Z’s anti-corruption slogans resonate with the entire country. The youth-led movement, though initially focused on social media, quickly became a reflection of the collective frustration of the entire nation.
Even within Oli’s own UML party, discontent was rising, and his decision to shut down social media was also aimed at silencing internal dissent ahead of the party’s convention.
The shutdown, justified on the pretext of “unregistered platforms,” was a revival of Rana-era practices, with one law for the rulers and another for the people.
A Call for Resignation
Prime Minister Oli’s actions on Sunday evening, where he mocked the Gen-Z movement as a “scam for eating,” only fueled the anger of the youth. His name became the loudest target of Monday’s slogans.
By forcing citizens onto the streets and then ordering their mass killing, he has lost all moral legitimacy to govern. The resignation of a CDO or a police chief will not suffice. The problem is at the very root, and that root is Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
The only way to prevent further violence and loss of life is the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister. Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, as a coalition partner, must also share responsibility and advise Oli to step down.
The public’s anger is spreading, and the stability of the nation hangs in the balance. The Baneshwor Massacre has stained Nepal’s democracy, and the only path to healing begins with the resignation of the leader responsible for this heinous act.
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