By News18,Vani Mehrotra

Copyright news18

A speech delivered by a Nepali student in March this year is now widely being shared on social media, as Gen Z protesters take to the streets in a wave of anti-corruption demonstrations sweeping the country.
The video, recorded during a campus gathering six months ago, shows the boy declaring, “Today, I stand here… stand here with a dream of building a new Nepal, with a fire of hope and passion burning within me, but my heart is heavy because this dream seems to be slipping away.”
In the clip, he continues, “I put myself before you this moment, to shed light within your consciousness by piercing the dark nimbus that circles above you. I am present here today to mortalise a monumental change in the course of history.”
“Nepal, our mother, this country that gave us birth, nurtured us, what did it ask for in return? Just our honesty, our hard work, our contribution. But what are we doing? We are bound by the chains of unemployment, we are trapped in the selfish games of political parties,” he said.
“Corruption has woven a web that is extinguishing the light of our futures. Youths, rise, we are the torchbearers of change. If we do not raise our voices, who will? We are the fire that will burn away the darkness, we are the storm that will sweep away injustice, and bring prosperity,” he added.
“Our ancestors shed their blood to give us this nation, we cannot sell it, we cannot lose it. We are the fire, we will burn every despair away. Now, we must decide, will we drown in the darkness of despair, or rise as the sun of hope?” the boy could be heard saying during the speech.
“Will we change the fate of this nation? Or will we let it remain in shackles?” he asked, adding, “All the youths, carry these words in your hearts. Nepal is ours, and its future is in our hands.”
As the protests across Nepal intensified in the past two days, a viral video showed the same student giving a speech on the streets of the country, amid loud cheering by the Gen-Z.
The protests began on September 8 in Kathmandu and other major cities, including Pokhara, Butwal, and Birgunj, after the government imposed a ban on major social media platforms, citing tax revenue and cybersecurity concerns.
Though the ban on social media platforms was rolled back, protesters demanded an end to institutionalised corruption and favouritism in governance.
They said they want the government to be more accountable and transparent in its decision-making processes.
As tensions mounted, the situation quickly escalated on the ground. At least 19 people were killed and 500 were injured in clashes with security forces.
A curfew was imposed in several cities, including Kathmandu, to control the situation.