After finishing Grade 7, Dipesh Milan Sunuwar left his home in Sindhuli in search of a better life in Kathmandu. He had for the past few years been working with the cleaning department of Lalitpur Metropolitan City.

He was sustaining not just himself with his earnings but also sending money to his family back home where his parents, grandparents and his younger brother lived.

On September 8, the first day of the Gen Z uprising in Kathmandu, 19 protesters were killed in what has been widely condemned as a brutal government crackdown. Shocked and angered by the bloodshed, Sunuwar decided to join the protest the very next day.

He never returned.

Sunuwar was shot in the chest during the demonstration and rushed to Civil Service Hospital at New Baneshwar. From there, he was referred to the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, where doctors pronounced him dead. However, his family and co-workers remained unaware of his fate for days.

“His mother came to know about his whereabouts only on Monday evening,” said Sarita Maharjan, a colleague who had worked with Dipesh. Bhim Maya, his mother, had arrived in Kathmandu on September 10 after friends informed her that he was missing. Clinging to hope, she searched relentlessly, visiting hospitals across the Valley for nearly a week, believing her son might still be undergoing treatment.

Her hopes were shattered on Monday evening when she received a phone call from the TUTH forensic department confirming his death.

“She couldn’t believe it and fainted on the spot,” Maharjan added. “She is still finding it hard to realise her son is more.”

Dipesh died during the two-day Gen Z uprising, a youth movement that overthrew the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government in a matter of two days.

According to Nepal Police spokesperson Binod Ghimire, 73 people, including police officers, prison inmates, and civilians, died in the agitation. So far, 59 bodies have been handed over to their families.

Some bodies recovered from various shopping malls were charred beyond recognition. Dr Gopal Chaudhary, head of the department, said the bodies can be identified only after DNA tests.

Through its first Cabinet decision, the interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Monday announced that all victims would be declared martyrs. The government also pledged Rs 1.5 million in compensation to each bereaved family and confirmed that those killed would be cremated with state honors.

On Tuesday, 10 of the deceased, including Dipesh, were accordingly cremated.

A funeral procession was held in their memory, beginning at the Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj and moving towards Pashupati Aryaghat. After the ceremony, of the 10, six victims were flown to their hometowns in Sunsari, Udayapur, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, and Siraha. The remaining four, including Dipesh, were cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat.

The close ones of the victims had built pressure on the government to accord state honours. Even as around 30 families had already received the bodies and carried out their funeral rites, others presented recognition from the government as their bottom line to receive the bodies.

“It was only after our pressure that the government agreed to give due recognition. Our close ones sacrificed their lives for the country, so they deserve some honour,” said Rashik KC, maternal uncle to Rashik Khatiwada who was killed on September 8.

Newly appointed Minister of Energy Kulman Ghising and Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal were present at Aryaghat to bid the victims a final farewell. They draped the bodies in the national flag before the funeral rites.

In their brief addresses, the duo expressed deep condolences to the deceased and vowed to work as per the Gen Z’s spirit. Ending corruption, ensuring good governance and rule of law were the major demands the youths presented during the uprising.

Thousands of people from all walks of life gathered in the Pashupatinath area to pay their final tributes to those who sacrificed their lives seeking change in the country. Echoing through the air were chants of “May the dreams of the martyrs be fulfilled” and “Glory to the brave martyrs,” repeated for hours, until the flames consumed the bodies and the martyrs turned to ashes.

Along with Sunuwar and Khatiwada, Binod Maharjan and Gaurav Joshi were also cremated in Kathmandu. “My brother was killed due to the state’s brutal use of force. We want culprits to be booked,” said Bina, Binod’s sister. “We also hope that the new government works to fulfil the dreams of the martyrs.”