Nepal Is Protesting, KIIT Is Hiding—What Really Happened to Prakriti?
Kazi Nasir | Feb 20, 2025, 11:59 IST
Prakriti Lamsal, a Nepali student of KIIT University, came to India with full dreams of securing a bright future. Tragically her story finished behind the locked doors of campus, turning her into a symbol of injustice. Reports indicate she was bullied, and emotionally blackmailed by her peers. It is a story that went unheard until it was too late. Her death was followed by multiple events massive protests, victim-blaming, and international pressures. Covering all those events this article also delves into deeper issues– how safe are students on campuses, and who will listen before another life is lost?
She came to study, she left as a hashtag– Prakriti Lamsal, a Nepali student who came to India with a dream of becoming an engineer. But her story finished inside a hostel room, behind a locked door. Who failed Prakriti? her university, the system, or that human-like animal her ex-lover?
Her pain is no longer just hers. It transfers into hashtags, slogans for justice, and a battle for truth in a world that buries it.
India is a country that is a destination for many international students. Prakriti Lamsal like any other student arrived from Nepal with a full of aspirations. She left her sweet home in the mountains, bidding farewell to her childhood friends, family, and her past life to pursue education in a foreign land.
The journey to an Indian university for a student like Prakriti is filled with enthusiasm a faint uncertainty. Although Nepal’s history, culture, and systems are somewhat similar to India but still it can sometimes feel unfamiliar. Like a regular person, she made a bunch of friends, studied late at night, and fell in love. But it is her love that haunted her, alienated in the midst of silence shattering her future dreams.
It is the story of the university that fails to protect its own students.
It is reported that Prakriti used to receive regular harassment, subjugation, and emotional blackmail from her ex-boyfriend which over time became extremely suffocating and unsustainable. These prior events suggest that Prakriti’s death is not somewhere isolated, most probably it was well known about the toxic environment surrounding her. Whether it is one person or the whole system that refused to listen to her helpless cries the truth remains the same she felt trapped.
University– a place known for its free havens, where young minds prosper but for her, it became a cage, where her mind crumbles under pressure. So much so that she saw no way out of the force that pushed her into a corner leaving no choice but ultimately taking her own life. Her death is not only the failure of the administration but our society itself, the institutions meant to protect her but they did not listen when she needed them the most. Instead, combinely the system and institution applied every means to suppress the incident.
It didn’t take much time as news broke about her passing to become a trending topic. Social media flooded with the hashtag #JusticeForPrakriti. Protests erupted on campus. Despite facing harsh misconduct and a range of racist taunts from faculties, the Nepalese students hold their ground tightly demanding answers. But what can be more tragic than when a student's life is reduced to a mere hashtag, it is perplexing to wonder if is justice a fact, or if it is all about a digital performance.
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) saw a massive student uprising, particularly among Nepalese students. Their voices echoed against the administration, seeking accountability. But what came next astonished the nation: a series of actions from the administration to suppress the accent—victim-blaming, threatening, and sidelining those who dared to question.
As student protests erupted, they were met with fierce hostility. Photographs and videos emerged on the screen of social media that bouncers and security personnel assaulting Nepalese students. It shocked the nation to know that more than 500 Nepalese students were forced to vacate the campus and for what fault, only to preserve their friend’s story, which the institute trying to fade into the midst of oblivion.
The cries of protestors transcended the Indian border, and a widespread protest took place in front of the Indian embassy in Nepal. The PM of Nepal himself had to intervene and address the concerns of the affected students. It was only then that the KIIT withdrew its decision. Senior officials apologized in front of the camera, and officials linked to the violent suppression were suspended. But the real question remains: If there hadn’t been any international pressure, how would the institution have acted?
The story of Prakriti is not a separate case. Throughout universities in India, international students–especially women–come across discrimination, harassment, and negligence of institutional support. The world unnoticed their silent battles until a tragic incident like Prakriti occurred that captured social attention. And even then, justice most of the time remains elusive.
Mental health is taboo and is still neglected in campus conversation. Counseling services exist only on paper but fail to be implemented. Harassment victims often hide their voices in fear of judgment and protection. Out of pride, most universities measure themselves on ranking, infrastructure, and academic excellence but often fail where it matters most: ensuring the safety of students.
This is not only about KIIT. Most campuses have ignored student safety, and probably every administration has prioritized reputation over responsibility.
The protests will fade, the hashtags will disappear, and the cycle of news will move on. But the situation inside the hostel rooms might still remain the same, there are voices that are unheard, stories that are untold, and fears that are never spoken. Now the question is-- Who will listen to those queries before it's too late?
Her pain is no longer just hers. It transfers into hashtags, slogans for justice, and a battle for truth in a world that buries it.
The Girl Who Crossed Borders for Knowledge
Prakriti arrived from Nepal with a full of aspirations
The journey to an Indian university for a student like Prakriti is filled with enthusiasm a faint uncertainty. Although Nepal’s history, culture, and systems are somewhat similar to India but still it can sometimes feel unfamiliar. Like a regular person, she made a bunch of friends, studied late at night, and fell in love. But it is her love that haunted her, alienated in the midst of silence shattering her future dreams.
It is the story of the university that fails to protect its own students.
The Silent Storm Before the Tragedy
Toxic Environment Surrounding Prakriti
University– a place known for its free havens, where young minds prosper but for her, it became a cage, where her mind crumbles under pressure. So much so that she saw no way out of the force that pushed her into a corner leaving no choice but ultimately taking her own life. Her death is not only the failure of the administration but our society itself, the institutions meant to protect her but they did not listen when she needed them the most. Instead, combinely the system and institution applied every means to suppress the incident.
Life Ends behind Close Door
The Outrage and the Aftermath
Massive Student Uprising Demanding For Justice
As student protests erupted, they were met with fierce hostility. Photographs and videos emerged on the screen of social media that bouncers and security personnel assaulting Nepalese students. It shocked the nation to know that more than 500 Nepalese students were forced to vacate the campus and for what fault, only to preserve their friend’s story, which the institute trying to fade into the midst of oblivion.
PM of Nepal Post
Beyond the Hashtag: The Larger Conversation
Harassment of Women in Campuses is Became a Norm
Mental health is taboo and is still neglected in campus conversation. Counseling services exist only on paper but fail to be implemented. Harassment victims often hide their voices in fear of judgment and protection. Out of pride, most universities measure themselves on ranking, infrastructure, and academic excellence but often fail where it matters most: ensuring the safety of students.
This is not only about KIIT. Most campuses have ignored student safety, and probably every administration has prioritized reputation over responsibility.
The protests will fade, the hashtags will disappear, and the cycle of news will move on. But the situation inside the hostel rooms might still remain the same, there are voices that are unheard, stories that are untold, and fears that are never spoken. Now the question is-- Who will listen to those queries before it's too late?