KATHMANDU: Lying on bed number 549 in the National Trauma Center, 22-year-old Bijay Adhikari of Rukum struggles to come to terms with the six bullets lodged in his right leg.
“It would have been easier to die than to survive with six bullets like this,” he said, his words leaving visiting journalists momentarily speechless.
Adhikari, the youngest of three brothers and a recent-plus-two (PCL) graduate preparing to go to Japan, was shot in the right leg during the Gen-Z protests on September 8. He says he was struck by the first bullet on the first day of unrest. So far he has undergone emergency care and is receiving free treatment at the center.
Adhikari said he did not join the protests out of anger or vengeance, but out of frustration driven by rampant corruption at home and the lack of job opportunities that pushed many youths to seek work abroad. “Who will speak up if we don’t? I couldn’t stay silent while others suffered. I went to protest because my conscience wouldn’t let me stay away,” he said.
Initial media reports wrongly declared Adhikari dead, causing his mother to faint. Friends later informed her that he was alive and receiving treatment, a moment that brought her back to consciousness, but also to anguish.
“My mother cried, saying I would never give her peace,” Adhikari said. The family had hoped he would bring them comfort in old age; the shooting struck the same leg that had previously been fractured in an earlier accident, making the blow particularly painful for his parents.
Adhikari has already endured significant medical costs from past injuries; he now faces a long recovery. The trauma center has pledged to provide all treatment and medicines free of charge. He noted, however, that not all protesters receive full free care, while those directly linked to the Gen-Z movement get complete support, others reportedly receive partial assistance.
Because of the three-day curfew imposed by authorities after the unrest, his parents were initially unable to come to Kathmandu. They are now planning to travel to the capital both to see their son and to seek treatment themselves; in the meantime, a maternal uncle and friends are providing day-to-day care at the hospital.
Despite his injuries, Adhikari remains defiant. He views the toppling of the government as a key achievement of the protests. “If the new government can curb corruption within the bureaucracy, the country can be saved. It’s the officials who ruin things, not the leaders. Until civil servants reform, no amount of protest will eradicate corruption,” he said.
Adhikari insisted that the core Gen-Z movement is not affiliated with any political party. “We were not seeking revenge against anyone. The name ‘Gen-Z’ was co-opted by infiltrators. We reached the parliament building, but we did not intend to set fires, others did that.” He described the protest as largely peaceful, with activists protecting trees and picking up litter, and volunteers distributing water.
He also accused security forces of disproportionate force.
“The police suddenly started firing tear gas and then live rounds. Why shoot unarmed protesters? Many were students in uniforms with books and pens,” he said. Vijay demanded impartial investigations and stern punishment for those who ordered the shootings. “If those responsible are protected, we will return to the streets. We will not accept a cover-up.”
Adhikari warned that without accountability, protests could recur and intensify. He appealed for an unbiased inquiry.
“Let the investigation be fearless and transparent. We must see those who ordered the firing punished.”
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