Nepal in Turmoil: Gen Z Uprising Rekindles Shadows of a Violent Political Past

What was begun as what seemed like any other protest in Nepal erupted into one of the bloodiest uprisings the Himalayan nation has seen in decades. What was triggered after the government shut down 26 social media platforms, Gen Z-organized protests spiraled out of control fast, leaving the world in shock.

Protesters, angry as much with the suppression of freedom of expression as with decades-long corruption, nepotism, and political instability, poured out en masse onto the streets in protest. Violence quickly spread from the capital and spread through the city. Ministries and the residences of former leaders were burned, the building housing the Parliament was burned, and even the offices of the Prime Minister and President were attacked.

Despite the resignation of the Home Minister, then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, and President Ram Chandra Poudel, the protests continue uninterrupted. Rather, Oli was forced to flee the country in a helicopter as protests gained momentum, comparing with Sri Lanka's 2022 impasse as well as Bangladesh's 2024 student uprising.

Echoes from South Asia's Recent Past

The developments in Nepal have some biting similarities with the political failings in South Asia. The economic collapse in Sri Lanka in 2022 forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into hiding and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's resignation in response to violent street uprisings. Anger-ridden mobs torched their assets.

In Bangladesh, the protest among students against measures of reservation in the month of August 2024 evolved into a full-blown rebellion. The Prime Minister's Office was attacked, Sheikh Hasina was forced out of the nation, and the Awami League administration fell.

Now, Nepal teeters on the brink of chaos. Protest signs and posters hint at more than outrage over social media censorship: they also betray irritation from long-brewing resentments: corruption, broken promises, and ongoing political instability.

A History of Violence Written

Nepal’s present turmoil cannot be understood without recalling its violent political history.

The Nepalese Civil War (1996–2006): Also called the People's War, this decade-long conflict between the Maoist rebels and the security forces of the government claimed more than 17,000 lives. Civilians were the most affected, with extrajudicial killings, torture, abduction, and rape. The conflict inflicted grave psychic trauma, with more cases of PTSD, depression, and suicide. The conflict only ended with the Comprehensive Peace Accord in the year 2006, with the monarchy being abolished in the following year and the formation of the federal democratic republic in the year 2008.

Cycles of violent upheaval: Nepal has experienced various revolutions—from the 1951 revolution that overthrew the autocratic Rana system, to the suppression of political parties during the Panchayat era (1960–1990), to the 2006 people's movement that forced King Gyanendra to restore parliament and abandon absolute monarchy.

Ethnic and regional conflict: The constitution of 2015 triggered violent reactions from the population of the Terai region-dominated Madhesis, who believed they were excluded from the new federal border. The conflict was accompanied with deadly clashes, blockades, and rising social division along ethnic lines.

Violence against Gender: Gender violence, founded upon patriarchy and domination of the castes, continued. During the period of the civil war, women were tortured, raped, and forced into militias. Domestic violence and witch-hunting, mostly among the women of the low castes, continue even to this day. Injustice unresolved: Transitional justice efforts in the post-2006 period have failed comprehensively. Truth and reconciliation commissions are accused of bias, and war-period perpetrators of violence—in many instances now occupying political offices—are accorded impunity. Since there is no accountability, there are continuing grievances, which maintain the vibrancy of the threat of armed conflict.

Democracy Under Stress

Even though the nation implemented democracy in the year 2008 and a secular, federal constitution in the year 2015, the government is weak. In only 17 years, the nation has experienced over 14 governments, and no one has completed the term. The citizens blame the politicians for making themselves wealthy at the expense of keeping the nation in the condition of economic stagnation.

Ignored young people, who are unable to find work and see no future, are emigrating in unprecedented numbers—over half a million in the past year alone. Remittances now contribute to nearly one-quarter of the GDP of Nepal. Democracy has, in many cases, become no delivery in itself, and there is actually some yearning among the population for the return of the monarchy.

The Flashpoint: The social media ban

The immediate trigger to the current crisis was the closure of the social networks, which the young Nepalis saw as assault upon freedom of expression and speech. The security forces responded with brutal force—in the murder of at least 19 demonstrators and the wounding of over 300. Rather than repress the movement, the crack-down engendered nation-wide anger.

Even the resignation of Oli was unable to calm the public. The families of former heads of states themselves have been targetted with gruesome incidents like the burning alive of ex–Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal's wife, the death of Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, when the house was torched.

A Leaderless Insurrection—or Something Else?

Unlike in the past, this uprising is more leaderless, with the protesters responding spontaneously. There is much speculation, though, that some kind of "third force" may be involved. The dramatic emergence of 35-year-old Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, or Balen, as the potential future prime ministerial material is what is motivating much speculation. His serial appearances on protest-rocked streets flanked by the army have gone viral, and they are a sign of new power brokerages.

A Nation at the Crossroads

Nepal's Gen-Z-led rebellion is more than complaints over social media censorship. It is the culmination of decades of broken promises, graft, and unresolved grudges that go back to the violent political past of the nation. Now that Oli is out, the monarchy debate back in the headlines, and teenage angst at all-time highs, Nepal is at the crossroads. Whether the discontent withers in reform or grows into another episode of political breakdown will maybe take the shape of the future of the Himalayan republic's democracy.

Also Read: Ex-PM Khanal’s Wife Killed in Arson Attack Amid Nepal’s Anti-Govt Uprising