On Sept. 9, Ashland University’s international students from Nepal gathered at the Quad to pray for their home country and for those killed in protests in Kathmandu.
Nepali students make up the largest international community on campus, with about 40 attending AU. Most are pursuing MBAs, with a few undergraduates. Many have family and friends in Kathmandu.
“One young man said he’s got family in the police, and he’s got family in the protesters,” said Jenni Wininger, director of International Student Services, during her prayer. “Another one said his friend got shot in the neck, and though he’s okay now, but Lord, this situation in Nepal is affecting them directly.”
AU’s executive leadership team members, Christian ministers, safety services officers and staff members attended the vigil.
“First, it’s always right to have vigil for innocent lives that are lost,” said President Jon Parrish Peede. “Second, I think it’s important for students to know that we look at Ashland as their home away from home, and we want to comfort each other at times of loss — just like family. It’s a moment where we’re all citizens together.”
The majority of Nepali students attended, bringing national flags, with some dressed in traditional clothes. Many did not sleep the night before, following the news closely. That afternoon, they gathered to light candles.
“We know that candles aren’t magical, they don’t do anything, but they can symbolize the lives that were lost yesterday, they can also symbolize the love that we have in our hearts for the people of Nepal,” Wininger said.
Prakash Banjara, an MBA student from Kathmandu, said his family is safe, but his peers are not, as young people are leading the protests.
“My friend’s cousin was killed yesterday. A friend of mine got shot in the neck,” Banjara said.
Despite the unrest, he views the protests as the beginning of change, hoping “someone to come and lead us in the right envisioned way to a better future.”
“A brand new day of hope will come tomorrow, and I hope Nepal will bounce back even better and stronger, like never before,” Banjara said.
The large-scale demonstrations, which organizers labeled as “Gen Z protests,” were fueled by the Nepal government’s decision to block several social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram after they failed to register with the government. The suppression of online freedom outraged the public.
The government rolled back the bill restricting social media Sept. 9, a day after police opened fire on the crowd, killing 19 in what began as a peaceful demonstration. The focus of the protest shifted from social media to the government.
As of Sept. 9, at least 22 people had died opposing the political corruption and nepotism. Nepal’s prime minister resigned, but demonstrators remained on the street, setting government buildings and leaders’ homes on fire, blocking roads and defying curfew.
Civil unrest is not new to Nepal, but for the first time since 2006, it has resulted in violence and deaths.
