MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
In less than 48 hours, protesters in Nepal have essentially overthrown the country's political system. Protesters and mobs on Tuesday burnt down most of the country's institutions, including the Parliament, the Supreme Court and even prisons. They also torched the homes of some politicians. The prime minister resigned and remains in hiding. To understand what's happening, we're going to go to NPR's Diaa Hadid, who's been following the events in Nepal from her base in Mumbai. Good morning, Diaa.
DIAA HADID, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So what's happening today?
HADID: Well, today in the capital Kathmandu, our producer, Prasun Sangroula (ph) says, It's very calm. The army is patrolling in some sensitive areas. There's a curfew, but the airport spokesman says it - the airport may reopen soon, which is good news. It was closed owing to smoke smoldering from nearby torched buildings. But some residents say they feel quite unsafe because hundreds of prisoners fled in jail breaks, and it seems some mobs looted weapons. And now the army is trying to get them back.
MARTIN: So is the army now effectively in charge?
HADID: The army appears in charge of security. Politically, it appears there's a vacuum. Most of the political class lost their legitimacy overnight. So the army chief has called on protest leaders to come forward for negotiations. But Karan Poudel, he's the editor of the Katmandu Journal, says there's a problem. The protest movement was leaderless, and he says that makes him worry that the army might be in charge for a while.
KARAN POUDEL: Some fear that the army could take de facto control of the country.
MARTIN: So how real is that fear?
POUDEL: It's a worst-case scenario. Analysts say they're hoping that an interim government can be formed until elections can be called. And one person Nepalis appear to be pinning their hopes on is a popular rapper turned mayor of Kathmandu, the capital. His name is Balendra Shah. And maybe he sniffed the changing political winds because last week he shared an old rap of his. Have a listen.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BALIDAN")
BALENDRA SHAH: (Singing in non-English language).
HADID: So the chorus goes something like, who will listen to the poor? But Ashish Pradhan of the International Crisis Group says any transition won't be easy.
ASHISH PRADHAN: They have to figure out what comes next but also managing the hopes and expectations of the people behind this movement that want a really big sea change.
MARTIN: A sea change. Diaa, just remind us, what sparked all this?
HADID: Michel, frustration was brewing for years in Nepal, where most people are deeply poor. Some students funnel that anger by sharing posts that were uploaded by the children of Nepali elites. They were showing off their poolside lifestyles and their swag, like the politician's son who posed near a Christmas tree made of Louis Vuitton boxes, and they hashtag it #nepokidsnepal. Then the government banned most social media platforms ostensibly because they refused to register with the government, but some Nepalis saw it as a ploy to stop their anti-corruption campaign. So on Monday, that - just two days ago, students rushed out to the streets to protest. Some tried to breach Parliament walls. Security forces opened fire and killed 19 people. Some were students in their uniforms.
MARTIN: And Diaa, what about the - what has happened to these people who've been killed? Do we know?
HADID: We spoke to one relative of a slain protester. It seems the bodies have not yet been returned to their families, and there's concern that once they are, that outpouring of grief and anger could trigger even more unrest.
MARTIN: That is NPR's Diaa Hadid. Diaa, thank you.
HADID: You're welcome, Michel.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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