A curfew had to be imposed after clashes broke out on Wednesday in front of the Simara Airport gate in Bara between CPN-UML cadres and Gen Z protestors.
The UML has accused Gen Z youths of trying to disrupt its event in Parwanipur, Bara. Gen Z representatives, however, claim they were beaten and mistreated by UML cadres.
So what actually happened?
How did UML cadres and Gen Z youths reach a point of confrontation? How did the clashes lead to a curfew order?
We talked to Gen Z representatives who were demonstrating at Simara Chowk in Bara. We also spoke with the National youths Federation Nepal, a sister organization of the UML, which organized the event in Parwanipur by inviting central-level leaders from Kathmandu.
We also asked the assistant chief district officer of Bara how the situation escalated to the point where a curfew had to be imposed.
The Gen Z protest at Simara Chowk on Wednesday was led by Samrat Upadhyaya, Bara district coordinator of the Gen Z Movement Alliance. He had called for a peaceful demonstration at Simara Chowk via social media a day earlier.
Upadhyaya says that by 9:45 a.m., 10–15 youths had already gathered at Simara Chowk for the demonstration scheduled for 10 a.m.
According to him, the protest was held to demand justice for those killed during the Gen Z movement on September 8 and 9. The protest was also against the failure to take action against those who fired on unarmed youths and those who ordered the shootings.
“There were 10–15 of us gathered at Simara Chowk discussing how to hold a peaceful demonstration,” Upadhyaya said. “Right then, UML cadres came and ordered us not to demonstrate. We said we would discuss it among ourselves.”
What had happened was that the National youths Federation Nepal had organized an event the same day in Parwanipur, Bara.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, politburo member Mahesh Basnet, and other leaders were flying in from Kathmandu to attend the event. Local UML cadres had set out toward the airport to receive their central leaders.
Upadhyaya says that after learning about the Gen Z demonstration at Simara Chowk, the UML cadres tried to stop it.
“When they said that, those of us gathered at Simara Chowk were discussing whether to hold the event on Wednesday afternoon, evening, or the next morning. In the meantime, some UML cadres came and suddenly raised their hands against me,” he said. “Since we were very few, when they started beating us, we ran away.”
He said that they were assaulted around 10:30 a.m.
According to Upadhyaya, those who had run away after being assaulted came back out on to the streets around 11 a.m. looking for the UML cadres who had attacked them.
“We made a video saying UML cadres beat Gen Z members and posted it on social media. We called on everyone to come support us in person,” he said. “After learning that Gen Z youths were assaulted, local people supported us. In no time, two to three hundred people gathered.”
Fueled by this anger, they marched to the airport gate shouting slogans to stop UML leader Mahesh Basnet from entering Bara, he said.
“We had no pre-planned agenda to stop UML leaders from entering Bara. We raised those slogans only we were beaten for no reason,” he said.
The airport is about one kilometer from Simara Chowk. It was nearly noon when Gen Z protestors reached the airport gate.
“We asked the airport police to bring the UML cadres outside. They refused. After that, the locals got angry and vandalized the airport gate. They pushed it open, but none of us entered inside,” Upadhyaya said.
After clashing with police, the Gen Z protestors dispersed again, and later tires were burned on the streets in protest against the incident, he said.
Tire-burning continued even after the administration imposed a curfew.
Meanwhile, Gen Z youths have filed a complaint with the police against seven UML cadres who beat them up.
“We have given them until tomorrow to arrest those seven,” Upadhyaya said. “If they are not arrested, we will take to the streets again.”
Superintendent of Police Santosh Tamang, chief of the District Police Chief, Bara, confirmed that a complaint has been registered against UML cadres.
“Gen Z youths have filed a complaint against 7-8 people accusing them of indecent behavior and assault. We have registered the complaint,” he said. “We are searching for those involved in the assault. They will be taken into custody soon.”
Madhesh province coordinator of the Council of Gen Z, Shiva Yadav, also said that they neither obstructed the UML event, nor had such intention.
“The Gen Z Bara committee did not obstruct the CPN-UML event in any way. In fact, Gen Z had its own event at Simara Chowk today,” he wrote on social media. “Groups of goons mobilized by the UML itself entered this event and beat up Bara coordinator Samrat Upadhyaya and other Gen Z friends.”
He further wrote: “The UML event was in Parwanipur. Yet, even though it is clear that UML goons came to Simara, insulted, mistreated, and beat Gen Z friends, some people have tried to spread false information. This is extremely misleading, biased, and a malicious attempt to defame the movement.”
We also asked Maharaj Gurung, acting chair of the National youths Federation, how the clashes at Simara Airport started.
He said there was a scuffle with the Gen Z group demonstrating at Simara Chowk while they were on their way to receive central leaders arriving from Kathmandu to attend the event in Parwanipur.
According to Gurung, they first tried to persuade the Gen Z group at Simara Chowk to stop the demonstration, but a scuffle broke out when the protestors started speaking against Saroj Kumar Yadav, the new chief minister of Madhesh.
“Our friends were heading to the airport to welcome guests arriving from Kathmandu. There was a Gen Z demonstration on the way. We tried to reason with them not to hold the event. But a scuffle broke out when they started speaking against the UML government formed in Madhesh,” Gurung said. “After the UML government was formed in Madhesh, seven parties are agitating against it. With that matter still not resolved, Gen Z groups also got involved, leading to today’s incident.”
“It was pushing and shoving rather than physical assault,” he said.
We asked Bara’s Assistant Chief District Officer Chhabi Raman Bhattarai how the clashes between the two sides led to a curfew.
He said that the curfew was imposed for the security of the airport after UML cadres and Gen Z protestors clashed right in front of the airport gate.
“The situation had turned tense after the clashes between the two sides. We imposed the curfew after it appeared that there was a risk of Simara Airport itself being surrounded and attacked,” he said.
Meanwhile, the National youths Federation Nepal held its awareness rally in Parwanipur. UML Madhesh in-charge Lilanath Shrestha, youths Federation in-charge Rajeev Pahari, youths Federation Chairman Kshitiz Thebe, Vice-chairman Maharaj Gurung, and others addressed the rally.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel, Politburo member Mahesh Basnet, and other leaders, however, could not attend the event. They were stuck in Kathmandu as Simara Airport was closed due to the clashes between UML cadres and Gen Z youths.
