KATHMANDU, Sept 21: Two months after a young man died following an attempt to set himself on fire outside the Department of Passports in Tripureshwar, another young man has set himself on fire at virtually the same location following a confrontation with traffic police.
The latest incident involving 25-year-old bus driver Dawa Lama has again brought into focus the frustration of ordinary citizens in their encounters with state agencies.
Lama allegedly set fire to the bus he was driving on Monday afternoon after an altercation with traffic police. A preliminary police investigation indicates that he deliberately started the fire while sitting inside the passenger-less bus.
A video of the confrontation circulating on social media shows Lama arguing with traffic police before the fire. In the footage, he is heard saying that he was ready to die but would not pay the fine. In another account of the incident, Lama is heard alleging that police had hit him and taken his vehicle keys, while insisting that he had not committed a fault.
Police have not established whether the confrontation directly prompted Lama to set himself and the bus on fire, saying the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
The incident is particularly significant because Tripureshwar witnessed a similar tragedy only a few months ago.
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On July 10, 25-year-old Ganesh Nepali of Mugu died while undergoing treatment after setting himself on fire outside the Department of Passports. His family and supporters later demanded that authorities take responsibility for his death. The incident followed a dispute involving a wheel lock placed on his motorcycle by Kathmandu Metropolitan City police.
The traffic police, however, denied at the time that their action had triggered Nepali’s self-immolation, saying claims linking the incident to a traffic fine were misleading and that the exact cause was being investigated.
The circumstances surrounding the two incidents are not identical. But their occurrence at the same location, involving young men who resorted to setting themselves on fire after encounters with state authorities, has prompted renewed questions about how citizens’ grievances are handled before they reach a point of desperation.
Gen Z activist Ravikiran Hamal said the recurrence of such incidents should serve as a warning to the state.
Hamal said he had learned that Lama was involved in a minor dispute with traffic police in the Thapathali area before the incident. He said the circumstances of the two cases might be different, but both raised a broader question about how citizens experience the state.
“The circumstances of the two incidents may be different, but they raise a broader question about how citizens experience the state,” Hamal said.
He said the state should not have to wait for citizens to take extreme measures before recognizing their distress.
According to Hamal, citizens’ grievances should be addressed through regular institutional mechanisms that listen to their concerns, understand their problems and seek solutions before frustration turns into despair.
Lama suffered burns to more than 90 percent of his body and is in critical condition at Kirtipur Cleft and Burn Hospital. Senior burn and plastic surgeon Dr Shankarman Rai said his chances of survival are extremely low.
“More than 90 percent of his body has been burned, and there is little possibility of successful treatment,” Rai said.
Police officers broke open the door of the bus to rescue Lama after it caught fire. The Armed Police Force, with the assistance of a fire engine, brought the blaze under control. There were no passengers on the bus.
The bus, operated by Riddhi Siddhi Yatayat and bearing registration number Ba 5 Kha 4274, was extensively damaged.
The incident has prompted separate investigations by the police and the government. The police committee is led by Ramesh Basnet, senior superintendent of police at the Kathmandu Valley Police Office, Ranipokhari, while a separate committee is led by the assistant chief district officer of Kathmandu.
The police investigation is expected to establish what transpired between Lama and the traffic police, whether any misconduct occurred, and what ultimately led him to set the bus on fire.
The incident also disrupted services at the Department of Passports, located directly opposite the site of the fire. The department said the fire disrupted its electricity and internet services, affecting passport printing and making distribution difficult.
The department said passport application collection would continue as usual and urged applicants who have already submitted their applications to remain patient until the technical problems are resolved. Passport distribution services will resume normally once the disrupted services are restored.
