KATHMANDU, JANUARY 24
A 36-year-old tried to self-immolate in front of the Parliament in New Baneshwor today.
According to police, a man named Prem Prasad Acharya 'Santosh' set himself ablaze at around 3:00pm in New Baneshwor.
Superintendent of Police Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson for District Police Office, Kathmandu, said that he had been taken to Nepal Cleft & Burn Centre, Kirtipur, for treatment.
It was found that the youth who attempted self-immolation in front of the Parliament building in New Baneshwor had written a long status on Facebook before the incident. Thirty-sixyear-old Prem Prasad Acharya 'Santosh' of Kerabari, Ward No 11 of Suryodaya, Ilam, poured petrol on his body before setting it on fire.
Through his 6,553-word long Facebook post, Acharya expressed disappointment with the country's corrupt system and blamed it for his decision to commit suicide.
He has also explained his unsuccessful business career, foreign employment and the torture given by various financial institutions, banks, and people he had taken loan from.
In his suicide note, he also revealed that he had tried to commit suicide several times - once by jumping into the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, India, and later by causing an accident of his own vehicle.
He also vented anger against politicians and other businessmen for not supporting youths like him in his difficult time through his Facebook post.
Acharya has called for solidarity with his demands saying that he has launched a campaign to create a beautiful country. He has put forth a 25-point demand to the Government of Nepal.
He has also mentioned the names of DPM Rabi Lamichhane, DPM Rajendra Lingden, Gyanendra Shahi, Sobita Gautam, Gagan Thapa, Vishwaprakash Sharma, Yogesh Bhattarai, and Toshima Karki, and urged them not to focus only on forming the government or becoming minister. He has asked them to identify the real issues/problems of the people and address them.
According to police, Acharya, who is being treated at the burn centre in Kirtipur, is able to speak. Police rescued Acharyaat 3:05pm today, and took him to the hospital within 20 minutes.
He lives alone in Shantinagar.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 25, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
