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Nepal celebrations hollow for families mourning protesters

The homes of Chaulagains, a family that has lost a son in Nepal's worst civil unrest, are suffused with grief.

Ganesh Prsad Chaulagain (53), who lost his 18-year-old son Shreeyam in the political turmoil which ravaged the Himalayan country last month, said: "Dashain should be filled with joy, but this is the first year that I feel only sadness."

The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, was filled with music and the smell of festive feasts as he spoke in the echoing quiet of his family's home.

The student, a high schooler, was shot in the face on 8 September near Parliament after he participated in a peaceful protest against corruption that spiralled into two days of violence.

Nepal is slowly recovering from the violence that was sparked by so-called Gen Z protests, which were sparked by young people angry at perceived political indifference and lack of employment. 74 people died in these protests and they brought in a new interim administration.

It has been reported that "high velocity firearms" were used to fire "live bullets" at least 33 out of the 58 demonstrators who died in the anti-graft demonstrations.

The Chaulagains, like many others in the mountainous Nepal, lived off a meager monthly income. In their case, it was less than $200.

They made sure Shreeyam got an education and hoped he would find a job abroad, maybe in Germany, in order to reduce their financial burden.

Nepal's median age is 25 years. However, a lack in employment has caused nearly a third its youth to leave their homes in search of work that will ensure economic security.

Nepal's instabile politics has not made matters any easier, with 14 government changes in less than 20 years.

Sushila Karaki, 73, former chief justice of the Supreme Court was appointed interim prime minister after the protests to prepare for the elections scheduled for March 5. However experts warn that the task will be difficult.

The Chaulagains and relatives of those killed in the protests are now demanding that the government provide them with regular economic assistance, not just an one-time payment.

The father of Shreeyam, who died in a car accident, said that Dashain would never be the same. (Reporting and editing by Clarence Fernandez in KATHMANDU, Sahana Bajiracharya from KATHMANDU)

(source: Reuters)