‘Every victim feels like family’: Nepali worker in Malaysia shares fears as protests rock his homeland
For Bishnu, the turmoil was deeply personal. Living in Malaysia, he can only watch from afar and pray that his homeland finds a way to heal.
WAN AHMAD ATARMIZI KOUSALYA SELVAM
SHAH ALAM - As Nepal grapples with violent anti-government protests that have left at least 22 people dead, a Nepali worker in Malaysia shares his fears, hopes and heartbreak from afar.
Bishnu Kumar, 49, who has been working as a security guard here for the past 30 years in Malaysia said he was relieved that his family members were safe despite the turmoil.
“My family members in Nepal are safe as my hometown is in a village far from the main hotspots. I also have cousins, relatives and friends living in the cities where the unrest took place and I am grateful that they are safe.
“Still, the overall situation is very worrying,” he told Sinar Daily.
The protests, which erupted after authorities banned 26 social media platforms, quickly turned into a nationwide uprising led largely by Generation Z activists frustrated with corruption, nepotism and economic inequality.
Demonstrators stormed and torched the Parliament, the Supreme Court, police stations and homes of senior officials, including that of former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal, whose wife, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar was tragically killed when protestors trapped her inside their house in the Dallu area of Kathmandu and set it ablaze.
Bishnu said he believed that the movement was a turning point for Nepal.
He said protests were largely driven by the younger generation who were demanding change in government.
"They felt the need to spark a revolution as corruption was deeply rooted within Nepal's leadership.
“The Parliament, Prime Minister and ministers have already fled and perhaps in the coming days, conditions will stabilise and the Nepalese people can form a new government,” he said.
Yet, reports of lives lost during the protests weighed heavily on him.
He said it broke his heart, as every victim felt like his family or friends and being far away in Malaysia for work only deepened his sense of helplessness.
“I wish I could help, but distance makes it impossible,” he said.
Bishnu’s grief was compounded by memories of the 2015 Kathmandu earthquake, a 7.8-magnitude disaster that killed nearly 9,000 people and left millions homeless.
Having lived through that tragedy, he now watched his homeland once again plunged into crisis.
Despite the pain, Bishnu urged his fellow countrymen to look beyond the protests.
“My message to the Nepalese people is this: We must look out for one another. Revolution is not the ultimate goal. I hope everyone realises this and finds a way to move forward together, without further suffering,” he said.
For Bishnu, the turmoil was deeply personal. Living in Malaysia, he can only watch from afar and pray that his homeland finds a way to heal.
The protests have already forced Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli to resign, while the army has been deployed in Kathmandu to enforce a nationwide curfew.
Airports reopened under tight security after a temporary shutdown, but anger continued to simmer across cities including Pokhara, Siraha and Rupandehi, where more government buildings were set ablaze.
Meanwhile, the United Nations and several foreign embassies condemned the excessive use of force by security forces, calling for an independent investigation.
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