PU alumna, Nepal foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba assaulted in Nepal protests

Bloodied, battered and visibly shaken — that is how Nepal’s

and Panjab University (PU) alumna Arzu Rana Deuba appeared in disturbing videos that went viral on Tuesday, leaving the Chandigarh academic community horrifiedThe clips, circulating widely across social media, show the 65-year-old being punched and kicked by enraged protesters who stormed her residence in Kathmandu. In one frame, she can be seen wiping blood from her face. Her husband, former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, was also injured in the attack before security forces intervened to rescue the couple.

The scenes unfolded against the backdrop of violent “Gen Z protests” that have shaken Nepal, sparked by anger over corruption and a government-imposed social media ban. Demonstrators set fire to Parliament, stormed Singha Durbar, and torched private institutions — including the school she had founded.

For many in Chandigarh, however, the violence felt painfully personal. Deuba is remembered on campus as a bright, determined student who went on to carve out an inspiring public life. She earned her MA in Psychology in 1984 and a PhD in Organisational Psychology in 1990 from PU’s Department of Psychology.

The PU alumni network was shaken when news of the assault surfaced. WhatsApp groups were flooded with frantic messages of disbelief and concern. “She studied right where we did. Seeing her being dragged and beaten like this is heartbreaking,” said one classmate. Another alumna, Rajni, recalled: “She was always bright and focused. I wish her safety in these dark times.”

Beyond academia, Dr Deuba’s work has been equally distinguished. She founded NGOs such as Saathi and the Rural Women’s Development and Unity Centre to champion women’s rights, and later established the Kathmandu College of Management, shaping generations of Nepali professionals. Rising through Nepal’s political ranks, she became the country’s Foreign Minister, a symbol of empowerment and progressive leadership.

Today, those achievements lie in sharp contrast with the brutal images from Kathmandu -- a respected PU scholar and leader, reduced to blood and bruises in her own home. For her peers in Chandigarh, the hurt is not distant. It feels like one of their own has been attacked.