Indian tourist stranded in Nepal asks for help as 'mob torched hotel': Nepal Army orders curfew as 'unruly groups infiltrate protests'
A video of an Indian citizen in Pokara surfaced amid the the Gen Z protests in Nepal. In the video, the woman appeals to the Indian government, asking for help after the demonstrations against corruption turned violent.
Upasana Gill claimed that protesters had set fire to the hotel where she stayed. She also said that a mob chased her out of a spa and that she had to flee to get to safety. She had gone to Nepal to host a volleyball league.
In the video, she says, “My name is Upasana Gill, and I am sending this video to Praful Garg. I request the Indian embassy to please help us. All those who can help us, please help. I am stranded here in Pokhara, Nepal. I had come here to host a volleyball league, and currently, the hotel where I was staying has been burned down. All my luggage, all my belongings, were in my room, and the entire hotel was set on fire. I was in the spa, and people were running behind me with very large sticks, and I barely managed to escape with my life.”
She said that the fires were being set on roads everywhere, and the protesters do not care if a person was a tourist.
“They are setting fires everywhere without thinking, and the situation has become very, very bad here. We don't know how long we will stay in another hotel. But I just request the Indian embassy that please, this video, this message, should be delivered to them. With folded hands, I request all of you, please help us. There are many people with me here, and we are all stranded here,” said
As of now, the Nepali Army has ordered a nationwide curfew from Wednesday, citing threats to public security.
In a statement, the Army said that unruly groups had infiltrated protests and carried out vandalism, arson, looting, targeted attacks and even attempted sexual assaults, the Kathmandu Post reported from their X account after their servers were attacked during the protests.
The Nepali Army expressed gratitude to the public for their cooperation so far and conveyed condolences over the loss of life and property during the unrest. It urged citizens to support ongoing efforts to contain criminal activities during demonstrations.
Gen Z groups, including Hami Nepal, who had organised the initial protests, have denounced the violence and vandalism. An official statement online said that they were committed to peaceful civic engagement and distinguished themselves from the recent arson attacks and looting. Hami Nepal said, “This is not us. This is not our movement. We do not promote it, and we will never stand with it”
Essential services in the country will still be running. The Army cautioned that any protests involving vandalism, looting, arson or attacks would be treated as criminal acts and dealt with firmly by security personnel.
“The Nepali Army remains committed to the security and humanitarian rescue of all Nepalis under any circumstances,” the statement said.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory asking Indian citizens to postpone travel to Nepal till the situation is stable. The MEA advisory read ‘Indian citizens presently in Nepal are advised to shelter in their current places of residence, avoid going out to the street and exercise caution. They are also advised to follow local safety advisories from the Nepal authorities as well as the embassy in Kathmandu.
Army personnel were deployed at the India-Nepal Border as the situation in the country escalated.
The youth-led demonstrations in Nepal had been organised to protest against long-time government corruption and the political elite in Nepal. The protests were triggered by a recent ban on social media by the K P Sharma Oli-led government. Oli resigned from his post on the second day of the protests after about 19 people were killed by Nepal Police who tried to contain the protest using rubber bullets and tear gas.
India