‘Police pointed guns at us, we ran for our lives,’ recounts Kerala native caught in Nepal protests

Mukkam, Kozhikode: A leisure trip turned into a nightmare for a group of 40 tourists from Kerala after they were caught in the ongoing violent protests in Nepal.

The protests against Nepal’s short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent on Tuesday as demonstrators set government buildings and politicians’ homes on fire and attacked some leaders. The prime minister resigned amid widening criticism of the country’s political elite.

Meanwhile, reports emerged that many Indians, especially Malayalis, are stranded in the country. 

“We were on the bus to Pokhara via Kathmandu when we got stuck amid the protesters. Even the police station we went to for help was attacked. Protesters burned tyres in the middle of the road and smashed the station gate and boards. The police, thinking we were protesters, pointed guns at us and told us to run. We ran for our lives. We are safe now in a lodge,” recalled Methal Bakkar, a trader from Mukkam, Kozhikode district in Kerala. 

The group, which included 15 women and a child, had left for Nepal last Sunday afternoon through a private travel agency in Kozhikode. They reached Nepal on Monday morning and visited the Nagarkot mountain region. On Tuesday, while heading to Pokhara by bus, they were caught in the unrest.

Bakkar told Mathrubhumi that the protesters treated them with respect, but were targeting government buildings and vehicles, setting them ablaze and smashing property.

“Nothing but two-wheelers can be seen on the roads. We don’t know when we can return home. Authorities have issued strict orders not to step outside,” Bakkar said.