KATHMANDU: Lalitman Lama, 42, from Kakani, Nuwakot, has spent over a week at the National Trauma Center recovering from a gunshot wound to his right leg.
Unlike many injured during the Gen-Z protests, Lama was not hurt while demonstrating. He was shot while rushing to the hospital to donate blood for others who had been wounded.
Bed number 545 at the Trauma Center has become his temporary home. Using a walking stick for support, Lama recounts the day of the shooting.
On September 8, he visited New Baneshwor to observe the youth-led protests. “I wanted to see how a leaderless movement operates and what the youth are trying to achieve,” he said.
When reports reached him of injured protesters in need of blood, Lama ran toward the hospital. “I couldn’t just stay away. People were suffering right in front of me,” he said. But near Balaju Chowki, in the chaos, a bullet struck his leg.
Lama, a father of two, now runs a hotel in Kathmandu. Both of his children are part of the Gen-Z generation. He says his wife was concerned about his presence near the protests, but he went quietly, focused on helping others.
Reflecting on the movement, Lama said he sees the upcoming elections on March 5, 2026, as a key measure of its impact. “The first step has been taken. Whether the movement succeeds depends on whether voters make independent choices rather than following traditional party lines,” he said.
Lama said the people injured or killed during the protests should not be forgotten. “Leaders’ houses were burned, but the main test will be the elections,” he said.
For Lama, the experience was less about politics than being in the right place at the right time to help. “I went to donate blood. That’s how I got hurt,” he said, noting that his treatment at the Trauma Center has been free and satisfactory.
Comment