Nepal needs prevention systems before tragedy strikes

Nepal has witnessed several deeply disturbing incidents involving suicide and self-immolation in recent months. In July, the deaths of Ganesh Nepali and Ashwin Raut generated significant public attention, followed by the case of Suresh Chandra Shrestha. On September 21, another incident occurred in Tripureshwar involving 25-year-old bus driver Dawa Lama, who set fire to the bus he was driving while it was empty. Police said an investigation was underway into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

These cases are not identical. Their backgrounds, circumstances and personal histories differ. It would therefore be inappropriate to reduce them to a single explanation. However, their recurrence raises an important question: What happens when an individual tragedy becomes part of a broader social narrative, particularly when vulnerable people are repeatedly exposed to such incidents? For a country already struggling with limited access to mental-health services, this is a question that deserves serious public discussion.