Normalcy Returns to Nepal, Sushila Karki Sworn in as Interim Premier

India’s tiny northern neighbour has slowly returned to normalcy after two days of political unrest, where the young people hit the streets of Kathmandu and other important urban localities of Nepal with various demands, including accountability to the government. The Himalayan nation with over 30 million Nepali people remains under the control of the government armed forces, and the process for an interim regime got shaped last evening (l2 September 2025). Nepal’s first woman chief justice of the Supreme Court, Sushila Karki, was sworn in as the interim Prime Minister, where President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath in the presence of many dignitaries.

An alumna of Banaras Hindu University, Ms Sushila has the primary responsibility to conduct national elections within six months. Earlier, President Paudel and Nepali Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel appealed to the citizens to ignore all kinds of misleading and false information amid the turmoil. Announcing the acceptance of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation, the octogenarian head of state called on the agitators to come forward for talks to amicably resolve the emerging crisis.

Meanwhile, Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, wife of ex-premier Jhalanath Khanal, who was widely reported as burnt alive, currently recovers in the hospital. The media reports suggested that the protesters set their residence in Kathmandu on fire while she was inside. Rajyalaxmi was even reported to have succumbed to her burn injuries with no cross-checking by the media outlets (including some established Indian media houses). Speaking to this writer from Kathmandu, a source stated that she is now out of danger. The ousted premier Oli and legendary

Communist leader and former premier Puspa Kamal Dahal- Prachanda are inside Nepal, claimed the source. However, many ministers in the Oli government resigned and left the country, fearing the heat of angry agitators.
Nepal’s interior minister Ramesh Lekhak resigned on 8 September 2025, taking moral responsibility for 19 unarmed people, mostly youth agitators, killed in police firing. They came out against the government’s sweeping ban on a number of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter (x), etc. Initially peaceful in nature, the demonstration soon turned violent, following which the police resorted to a brutal crackdown, leaving over one hundred injured. The police actions flared up the situation, and the next day, thousands hit the streets of Kathmandu, along with Pokhara, Biratnagar, Bharatpur, Butwal, Birgunj, etc. Later, they added more demands to prevent corruption in high places and deliver better governance in Nepal.

The unprecedented crisis broke out on 9 September as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered in public places and started ransacking government buildings, including the Parliament, Supreme Court, ministers' & residences, as well as many political party offices. A section of protesters even helped break several jails as nearly 5,000 inmates escaped. Finally, the Army was deployed and brought the situation under control. However, the two-day violence snatched away the lives of over 50 people, leaving over a thousand others injured. The armed forces imposed nationwide restrictions on public movements, particularly during the night hours. Some unpleasant visuals surfaced from the birthplace of Lord Buddha, where it was seen that the angry dissenters physically abused several political personalities, including deputy premier  Bishnu Prasad Paudel, foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, former premier Sher Bahadur Deub, along with his wife, etc.

The aggressive protesters did not spare the media houses also, as many of them targeted mainstream media groups like Kantipur (which publishes The Kathmandu Post, Nepalese daily Kantipur and nurtures  Kantipur news channel) and  Annapurna Media Network. Moreover, Kantipur television scribe Shyam Shrestha, Naya Patrika photojournalist Dipendra Dhungana, Nepal Press photographer Umesh Karki, Desh Sanchar photojournalist Barsha Shaha and independent media worker  Shambhu Dangal were injured while covering the turmoil on 8 September. Two visiting  Indian journalists also faced intimidation during the turmoil while reporting from the ground.

Septuagenarian Oli, who led the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) government (with support from the Nepali Congress Party), came to power for the fourth time and upholds his proximity to Beijing while very often making anti-India statements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern over turmoil in the northern neighbour. Terming the violence in Nepal as heart-rending, he condoled the demise of many young people in the conflict. The external affairs ministry also issued a safety advisory for Indian citizens in Nepal, urging them to remain indoors, avoid venturing onto the streets, and exercise heightened caution. It also recommended that Indian nationals defer any travel to Nepal until the situation is normalised.

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