Nepal festivities ring hollow for families mourning dead protesters

A family member of Binod Maharjan, who died during the protest against anti-corruption triggered by a social media ban, which was later lifted, mourns during the cremation ritual at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 16, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

KATHMANDU (Reuters) -Amid the lights, kite-flying and gatherings to celebrate Nepal's 15-day festival of Dashain this year, the homes of families such as the Chaulagains are shrouded in grief for their son, killed in the country's worst civil unrest in recent memory.

"Dashain is supposed to be filled with happiness, but this year I only feel sadness," said 53-year-old Ganesh Prasad Chaulagain, who lost his son, Shreeyam, 18, in the political turmoil that convulsed the Himalayan nation last month.