The last twelve months have been marked by political revolutions across the globe, from France, where the Prime Minister lost a vote of confidence, to Syria’s longstanding Assad regime falling in December 2024. Another country recently joining this trend is Nepal. Led by Gen-Z protestors’ concerns about free speech crackdowns and widening economic gaps between the ruling class and the average Nepali families, the protests, which lasted two days, resulted in the appointment of the country’s first female Prime Minister. However, while many media pieces focused on the protests themselves and their turn toward violence, what happened in Nepal is a global turning point that may well come to define youth political movements in the 21st century. Nepal’s revolution is a harbinger of Gen-Z activism, the way young people think, and the tools they’ve learned to use, demonstrating the power the new generation has in achieving real political reform and ensuring their voices are heard.
Historical Context: Revolution to Constitution
Nepal does not have a longstanding democratic tradition; it has taken centuries of struggle and triumph in its path toward representative government. Nepal’s push toward democracy started with the 1950-51 revolution and the fall of the Rana Dynasty on February 18th, 1951, which is celebrated in Nepal as National Democracy Day.
This first attempt at democracy was quickly replaced by the Panchayat System, which outlawed political parties and divided the population into six government-sponsored classes: peasants, laborers, students, women, former military personnel, and college graduates. In 1990, with the fall of the Panchayat System through the 1990 People’s Movement (Jan Andolan I), multiparty democracy rose once again under a system of constitutional monarchy.
Following a brief period of political instability from 1996 to 2006, Nepal was engulfed in a Maoist insurgency fueled by poverty, inequality, and political failures. After mass pro-democracy protests (Jan Andolan II), a peace accord ended the war, and by 2008, the Nepalese monarchy gave way to a federal democratic republic. After much deliberation, various power struggles, and discussions that fell through, Nepal ratified its Constitution on September 20, 2015.
No Room for Nepo Babies: Cracks in Nepal’s Political Order
However, the ratification of Nepal’s Constitution did not resolve the younger generation’s anger toward the government. The unemployment rate for youths aged 15-24 in Nepal was 20.8% in 2024, a significantly higher figure than the global average of 13.6%. Nearly a third of Nepal’s GDP is comprised of remittances, demonstrating the economy’s reliance on funds sent back by Nepalis living abroad. Furthermore, the lack of economic opportunities isn’t only affecting the Nepali youth. According to the BBC, Nepal’s GDP per capita remained under $1,500, making it the second-poorest country in South Asia.
In the face of these economic struggles, anger towards the government was exacerbated by a growing social media trend in which the children of politicians flaunted their extravagant lifestyles. The realization of political corruption spread throughout the population, as Nepalis wondered how the children of politicians managed to accumulate such wealth. However, the Nepali government made a critical misstep when it attempted to ban social media.
On September 4th, Nepal suspended 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube, citing noncompliance with new registration rules under the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. However, many saw this ban as an attempt to suppress government criticism regarding the ‘Nepo Baby’ trend and to silence their free speech, leading to the first demonstrations on September 8th.
From Hashtags to Clashes: Inside Nepal’s 48-Hour Revolution
“In my opinion, the protests were fueled by years of pent-up frustration towards an ineffective and corrupt government. The Nepali people wanted change and a better future, not just for themselves but for the country as well. Although things did get out of hand, as unnecessary violence and aggression were used. Underneath all the burnt-down buildings, the protests were a step towards a more just future. When the youth were killed for expressing their rights, it caused an uproar throughout the country. People were filled with anger, which caused a lot of it to be misplaced. Amidst all of the uncertainty, people took advantage of the chaos to commit crimes and burn down important governmental institutions. But despite it all, Nepali citizens were able to come together, transcend distance, and fight for deserving change.”
– Tisa Chitrakar ’29
On September 8th, thousands of college protestors began their demonstrations near the Maitighar Mandala monument in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. While the protests began peacefully, police escalated the situation after protective barriers were breached, using tear gas, water cannons, and eventually live ammunition. Unrest quickly spread throughout the nation, as the stories of police firing on student demonstrators, coupled with the anger towards government corruption, led to a “wholesale rejection of Nepal’s current political class for decades of poor governance and exploitation of state resources,” according to the International Crisis Group.
Within 48 hours, Nepal’s Gen Z protestors were able to overthrow the government with the resignation of PM KP Sharma Oli. The protests ultimately culminated in the burning of the historic Singha Durbar Palace. However, this political victory for the country came at a heavy cost. According to Nepal’s Health Ministry, 72 people lost their lives in the protests, marking the deadliest political action within the country in decades. Furthermore, financial losses from the destruction of government buildings could amount to $21.3 billion. Gen Z protestors were quick to distance themselves from the destruction, saying their demonstrations had been “hijacked” by “opportunists.”
In the aftermath of Oli’s resignation and calls for his arrest, Nepal has been moving to rebuild its government. Using the chatroom Discord, an instrument that was used to organize relief, support, and logistics of the Nepali protests, the country elected former SC chief justice Sushila Karki, the first female Prime Minister. As Prime Minister Karki tries to strike a delicate balance between rebuilding the nation and appeasing protesters’ demands, a question looms large for Nepal:…
What Comes Next?
While the interim government led by the first female PM Sushila Karki has a clear mandate to conduct snap elections in March 2026, the coming six months will be decisive, not only for conducting a democratically fair and well-observed election but also for keeping opportunistic forces at bay. Nepal is also caught between the political power play of its two neighbors, India and China, vying to become the region’s prevailing superpower; yet, Nepal’s real struggle lies within its own borders. The next six months are crucial to secure political prosperity by upholding its age-old “non-aligned foreign policy.”
There have been questions among mainstream parties about the constitutionality of Prime Minister Karki’s appointment, with some even threatening legal proceedings. Additionally, despite cynicism towards the credibility of old political parties, their nationwide presence and entrenched patronage networks give them a realistic chance of returning to power in the upcoming election. As it stands, however, Nepal’s forty-eight-hour revolution might serve as a turning point for youth involvement in the country, and a chance for authentic, free democracy for the first time in the nation’s history.
