On 4 September 2025, in an ill-considered move, the Nepalese government blocked access to 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X. It was alleged that these platforms had failed to comply with a deadline to register with the government. This draconian ban on social media triggered off widespread protests for which there were more fundamental underlying reasons.
A corrupt, authoritarian, and unaccountable political establishment, and social media depictions of the luxurious lifestyles of the so-called “Nepo Babies”, or “Nepo Kids”, had enraged the disaffected young people of Nepal, the victims of high unemployment and poor career prospects- which have forced millions to seek jobs in India, the Middle East, Malaysia, and elsewhere. Nepal’s predominantly agrarian economy currently requires to be propped up by remittances from Nepalese people working abroad, by the revenues from tourism, and by foreign aid. The Nepo campaign highlighted the ostentatious and hedonistic lifestyles of the children of political elites seemingly untouched by their country’s economic difficulties. The protesters were soon joined by monarchists, nostalgic for, and seeking restoration of Nepal’s 239-year-old monarchy, which was abolished in 2008. Some Gen Z protesters later claimed that their protests had been hijacked by outsiders who were intent on violence.
Demonstrations began peacefully, but heavy-handed police tactics, involving the use of batons, tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets only made matters worse. In the capital city of Kathmandu, the Singha Durbar palace complex (an administrative hub which houses the government secretariat and several ministries), the International Convention Centre (temporary home of the Pratinidi Sabha-the House of Representatives), the Supreme Court of Nepal, the Presidential Palace (Rashtrapati Bhawan), the offices of political parties, the building housing Nepal’s largest media house (Kantipur Publications), a luxury hotel (Hilton Kathmandu), and the homes of politicians, were among the buildings that were attacked and set ablaze. Private businesses, including shopping malls, were also vandalised. At least 72 people have lost their lives, and the numbers are expected to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble. Prisoners have taken advantage of the chaos to escape from their jails, and thousands are still on the run.
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, serving out his fourth term as Prime Minister, handed in his resignation to 80-year-old President Ram Chandra Paudel on 9 September. At the time he stepped down, his party held just 78 out of the 275 seats in the lower house of parliament. That evening, a curfew was imposed by the Nepali army in Kathmandu and surrounding areas to restore order, effective from 22:00 local time. Sushila Karki, chief justice of the Supreme Court between 2016 and 2017, took over on 12 September as interim Prime Minister. The 73-year-old preferred candidate of the Gen Z protesters, as determined by voting on the group-chat app platform Discord, Nepal’s de facto parliament, thus became the first female leader of the nation. Her anti-corruption track record, and her condemnation of police brutalities during the current demonstrations, made her the first choice of candidate for the protesters. On the day of her selection, President Paudel dissolved the parliament on Karki’s recommendation, fulfilling Gen Z demands, although this move has since been challenged as being unconstitutional by the leaders of Nepal’s eight major political parties. Either way, elections are due to take place on 5 March 2026. The curfew and prohibitory orders were lifted on 13 September, a day after Karki took charge. A clean-up operation is now underway. The damage to bureaucratic, business, and tourism infrastructure will, without doubt, prove costly to remedy.
Simmering discontent among Nepal’s young adults has exploded in the face of the government’s recent attacks on digital freedom, following on last years’ temporary ban on TikTok. Despite their many drawbacks, social media platforms have provided Nepal’s Gen Z people and many marginalised and disadvantaged groups much-needed channels of communication through which they can share their thoughts, feelings, knowledge, and opinions. In the immediate aftermath of the overthrow of Nepal’s ruling political elites, the absence of a functioning government and the lack of a credible opposition will inevitably pose many short-term challenges for the impoverished yet youthful Himalayan nation, where 56% of the 29.6 million population are under 30 years in age. As usual in these circumstances, one fervently hopes that some good will finally come out as a result of the latest round of demonstrations in Nepal.
Ashis Banerjee