Gen Z Activist Bhavana Raut Expresses Anger Over Rider's Self-Immolation

Kathmandu. Gen Z activist Bhavana Raut has expressed deep sorrow and strong anger over the incident of self-immolation by Pathao rider Ganesh Nepali due to unbearable abuse and insult by the metropolitan police.

She raised questions about the current government's hundred-day performance, stating that youth who hoped for change and good governance in the country are forced to resort to self-immolation due to state oppression and extreme despair. 

'We had great hopes that good governance would come, people would get relief, and youth would have an environment to stay in the country,' said activist Raut. 'But in the government's hundred days, a 25-year-old youth had to commit self-immolation on the street, unable to bear the state's oppression and despair.'

She called this the biggest failure of the government's hundred days. Raut stated that those who spoke highly in favor of citizens in the past and are now in power should seriously introspect on this incident.

Raut expressed dissatisfaction with the working style of the metropolitan police.

'A person is burning on the middle of the road, everyone can see petrol being poured and set on fire,' she said. 'But instead of showing humanity and rescuing, they were seen dragging the victim like a criminal. Is this the working style of the new system and police administration?' 

Raut warned that the oppressive behavior towards citizens in the name of local bodies or security mechanisms is unacceptable under any circumstances.

She objected to the government and concerned bodies trying to evade responsibility by saying it was not their negligence. She stated that those in government should take moral responsibility for such incidents. 'If a government cannot provide security to the people and only distributes despair instead of instilling hope in the youth, what is the justification for such a government?' Raut said.