A moment of silence… in memory of all those who lost their lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of all those who lost their lives. Our prayers and best wishes to those recovering and healing.

Equally, our salute to all the men and women, doctors, medical professionals and many others who stepped up to help the wounded and deliver critical services.

Whether we were in the crowd or far away somewhere else in the world, as Nepalis, we are now all tied to this moment in history. We have all become custodians of the memory of our fallen young heroes and the lost innocence of youth. We cannot fail them.

Nepal will never be the same again. Nepal must never be allowed to be the same again. To that end, we must pledge for a better Nepal. Hope is our only option, resolve our only path.

To the future

By Wednesday evening, as I was writing this, calm seemed to be slowly returning to Kathmandu and the rest of the country. Army troops had moved in to take control of the street. A nationwide curfew was in place.

The fires burning in many parts of Kathmandu had not yet all died down. The black smoke rising against the orange hue of the sun setting over the hills of Kathmandu was a reminder of all that had happened.

It is hard not to be stunned by all that has happened. What will happen next remains unclear. A new government under the former Chief Justice is being explored, but what shape it will take is yet unknown. In these anxious moments, we must look to the future in hope even as we heal the wounds of the past.

The frustration and rage with which the crowd descended—a Gen Z movement that rapidly drew support from many others—wasn’t just a repudiation of the political system alone. Although politicians, along with the public and private symbols associated with them were targeted, this movement reflected a repudiation of an entire socio-economic order. The events were an explosive end to the slow and continuous erosion of the cultural, religious, social, economic and political belief systems.

Nepal is home to many religions that exist in harmony. Kathmandu and surrounding cities have hundreds of temples of all religions. Sounds of temple bells ringing, prayer wheels twirling and religious chants often hang over the city as densely as the dust and smog. Yet when it all mattered, there were no religious voices that pushed back against those deciding to shoot the protestors or to help pacify the rage as it spilt onto the streets.

Nepal has a rich cultural, literary and artistic heritage. Its messages, values and imprints fill our lives, walls, monuments, homes and daily rituals. The tapestry of our social fabric, the interconnected knots of shared values—all these eluded us.

The guardrails of our religious, cultural, social, economic and political belief systems have been steadily eroding over the last two decades. You could see it in the impunity with which the powerful wielded power. The brazenness of corruption. The socialisation and acceptance of corruption within our daily lives. All the while, inequality was rising. Agricultural income was falling, and fertile land was being left fallow. Employment opportunities were drying up. The only option was to find employment abroad even as the rich flooded social media with images of parties, opulence and wealth. Life became even harder for those for whom it was already difficult.

Our religious, cultural, social and economic systems failed to arrest the steady decline in values. This is in part because there were no civilian leaders left to lead. Temple bells are a bit useless unless there is someone to ring them and remind us of what the sounds mean. Cultural, social and economic values are meaningless abstract thoughts unless there is someone to show why corruption is wrong, and why being just and fair are important.

Civil society leaders from religious, cultural, social and economic spheres all defected to the allure of political power. Without the safeguards of civilian led religious, cultural, social and economic values, political power becomes—and became—a naked quest for power. In the absence of those safeguards, no constitution alone can keep the political system in check.

It would be incorrect to believe that political reforms alone can address the aspirations of Gen Z and all Nepalis. We need broader religious, cultural, social and economic reforms, along with strong civil society participation and leadership to keep the political system performing for the benefit of all people.

For now, the army may be keeping peace, maintaining law and order, and facilitating the political transition. But it is the Gen Z movement that has provided Nepal the opportunity to reset.

Broader religious, cultural, social and economic reforms require all of us to engage as civilians—as fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters; through our families, communities and as ordinary people—with a stronger set of values that can keep our political system in check. We must reject the lure of political power and recognise that civilian participation and leadership can be more powerful, and in the end, much more impactful.

We must find a way to heal. Nepal’s ongoing peace process, along with the truth and reconciliation model, has failed victims of the conflict era. Then there is the brutality of the order to shoot, kill and injure young Gen Z protestors. Justice must be served—it cannot be just a fleeting promise or yet another endless process.

But healing also requires much more than an-eye-for-an-eye approach and punitive measures to punish the culprits. This is where we need our religious, cultural, social and business leaders to rise, lead and show how we heal the wounds that torment us.

“Blue sky is visible from inside the rubble of Nepal’s Parliament,” the New York Times wrote on Wednesday, September 10, to describe the collapse of the building’s roof from the fire that the protestors had started.

That description of destruction was also a powerful symbol of hope—an expansive blue sky visible from parliament signified an opening for a bright new future from the very building that was meant to deliver that future in the first place.

This is Gen Z’s moment. By Wednesday, many of them were back on the street, with gloves and trash bags, cleaning up and helping to put things back in order. I hope they continue doing these acts as responsible citizens.

I hope members of Gen Z continue the work and rebuild the Parliament and Singha Durbar. These buildings can and should be rebuilt—not with Chinese, Indian or international money, but with funds raised from Nepalis themselves. I am certain that enough funds can be raised as every Nepali, rich or poor, will contribute whatever they can. Let this initiative not create a relic of Singha Durbar’s past glory, instead bring forth a vision of the future—Janata’s Durbar, built in the Gen Z’s image of Nepal to rebuild those buildings.

Seize the open blue sky, Gen Z, build the future you want. Nepal is with you.

Thapa is an energy sector professional.