Home Minister Sudan Gurung described September 8, 2025, as “the day the country died”, referring to the day of Nepal’s Gen Z uprising.

Speaking at an event in Kathmandu to mark Gen Z Martyrs’ Memorial Day, Gurung said young people who took to the streets were killed by state forces.

Gurung said force had been used against young people who had taken a stand for good governance.

“We all came together as young people to stand for good governance. But our peaceful movement was brutally suppressed, and brothers and sisters who were protesting alongside us were shot,” Gurung said. “Even now, we see people shamelessly being trained to say that September 9 was the day the country burned. September 8 was the day the country died.”

He said September 8 was also the day young people who had come forward with hopes of bringing change to the country were killed. Their dreams, he said, were killed that day as well.

Gurung pledged to do everything in his power to fulfil the demands of the younger generation.

He said the government must ensure that the hopes of the Gen Z generation do not die, adding that he wanted to live up to the trust placed in him by Prime Minister Balendra Shah and ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party chairperson Rabi Lamichhane.

Gurung said he was making every effort to deliver on his responsibilities and that all ministers in the government were working continuously to fulfil their commitments.

He said the Gen Z uprising was now part of history and warned against attempts to distort or discredit it.