Earlier this fall in the country of Nepal protesters forced the overthrow of the government. It is very disappointing to see my country’s potential being ruined by its own people. For months, young Nepalis sought to call attention to the citizens versus the wealthy elites by publicly shaming politicians and their children on social media. The citizens focused on Nepali elites vacationing in Europe, a contrast to the travels of most citizens who work abroad in low-paying jobs as porters, soldiers, and construction workers. This is a very sad reality for the vast majority of citizens. I’ve seen this in real time as my relatives back home work themselves to the bone just to barely earn a living. 

While the protest was peaceful until shots were fired, I believe that violence was not the answer and that if the protesters had not started being violent, there would have been fewer casualties. While I maintain my position that the protest was necessary to show resistance to the government, I think that both sides had their faults, but the government in particular bears responsibility for neglecting its citizens.

A 2020 report Equality for Prosperity showed that while the wealthiest 20% of Nepalis own 56.2% of wealth, the poor 20% of Nepalis own 4.1%. While I believe that the protesters went too far when they went on to release prisoners from prison amidst the chaos. The intentions of the protest were good, but the anger of the citizens was misdirected when it came to certain things such as burning down buildings and looting shops. Citizens who are trying to get by shouldn’t be getting attacked when it is their only source of income.