Normalcy returns to Nepal's Bara after violent Gen-Z protests, security concerns remain

Bara [Nepal], November 22 (ANI): After two days of violent protest, Simara city in the Bara district of Nepal is returning to normalcy, with security seen as the major concern for locals ahead of the upcoming election.

Tension started to flare up in Simara Chowk of Bara district after CPN-UML cadres charged at the Gen-Z protestors who were staging a peaceful protest on Wednesday. Tension continued for the second day, with Gen-Z protestors alleging that police had let those inciting violence go free.

"On Wednesday and Thursday, the situation was quite tense here. The Gen-Z were on the street in large numbers and protesting. (District) Leaders of the CPN-UML had attacked the Gen-Z (District Coordinator) Samrat (Upadhyay), which flared up the tension, but since yesterday, the condition is returning to normalcy," Gopal Rijal, an auto rickshaw driver in Simara, told ANI.

The situation continued to simmer after the police arrested three individuals, who included two elected ward chairs from the CPN-UML -- Dhan Bahadur Shrestha and Kaimuddin Ansari. Shrestha is the chair of Ward 2, while Ansari is of Ward 6. Another accused, Arvind Sah, named as the main perpetrator and planner of the attack on the Gen-Z group, was arrested in Hetauda on Thursday night.

"The situation around here had started to fall back to normal since yesterday morning. There hasn't been any violence or clashes since yesterday. The Gen-Z groups had gone for talks with the authorities in Pathlaiya. The situation has continued to remain normal; there isn't an environment of fear till now," said Lokendra Prasad Baral, another resident of Simara, to ANI as he continued his business on Saturday morning.

The disgruntled Gen-Z protestors, on the late evening of Friday, reached a verbal agreement with the local authorities to address their demands. The two parties reached an agreement two days after the claimed attack on the Gen-Z youths by the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist) cadres on Wednesday in Simara Chowk.

As per the verbal agreement, the agitated group has given a three-day ultimatum to authorities to fulfil the demand; otherwise, they will again return to the streets.

With about three months left for the parliamentary elections, the violence and clashes in Simara have increased concerns for locals in the Bara district.

"Security has been a challenge now. There are numerous groups increasing the security challenges. This has increased the fear that it would hamper the conduct of the election, as the challenges have continued to pile up. There are many factions and sub-factions with their own interests, and there is a lack of unity and uniformity amongst the people themselves," Rijal said.

The two-day protest in one of the districts in the southern plains of the Himalayan nation left at least six peopleinjured in the clashes. The police also had to use tear gas and fire into the air to disperse the protestors on Thursday.

"After this incident, security has emerged to be a challenge for the government to conduct the election on March 5, 2026. The provocative statements given by the political leaders are irking the Gen-Z groups, for which the government should take some strict measures to maintain security," resident Baral told ANI.

The Gen-Z protestors have demanded action against District Police Chief Santosh Tamang and Deputy Superintendent of Police Bed Prakash Joshi, prosecution of UML supporters involved in the assault, examination of call records of detainee Arbind Sah, free treatment and compensation for the injured, adding two names of alleged assailants to the existing complaint, and security for Gen-Z youth. The committee accepted all the demands.

District Police Chief Tamang was on Friday night ordered to report back to the Police Headquarters in Kathmandu after the rising situation in Simara, which for now has been contained for a very brief time. (ANI)

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