Social Media ban sparks Gen Z uprising in Nepal
Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday in the face of massive anti-government protests, with the demonstrators attacking private residences of several top politicians, including President Ramchandra Paudel, and vandalising the parliament. Oli is expected to leave the country soon. Many leaders are also fleeing the country.
The student-led protests reflected the growing public anger with the political class over a range of issues, including a ban on social media and alleged corruption, with demonstrators gathering at the heart of Kathmandu and elsewhere despite curfews and heavy deployment of security forces.
Oli stepped down shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office shouting slogans demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during the protests on Monday, officials said.
In his resignation letter to President Paudel, Oli cited the “extraordinary circumstances” facing Nepal and said he is quitting to pave the way for a “constitutional and political” resolution of the current situation, they said. In view of the precarious security situation, the flight services at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu have been suspended, the officials said.
Though the Nepal government last night revoked its ban on social media websites following the protests led by ‘Gen Z‘ youths, the agitators continued their demonstration against corruption and demanded accountability for the deaths of 19 people. Hours before Oli’s resignation, the protesters set on fire the Nepalese leader’s private house in Balkot, and attacked the residences of former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Communication minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, and Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, among others.
The protesters also attacked the private residence of President Paudel. The agitators under the banner of Gen Z shouted slogans such as “KP Chor, Desh Chhod” (KP thief, leave the country) and “Take Action Against Corrupt Leaders”. Protesters also torched the residence of former home minister Ramesh Lekhak at Naikap in Kathmandu, just a day after he resigned from his post, according to officials.
Demonstrations were reported from Kalanki, Kalimati, Tahachal, and Baneshwor in Kathmandu, as well as Chyasal, Chapagau, and Thecho areas of Lalitpur district. Protesters, mostly students, chanted slogans such as “Don’t kill students”, defying the restrictions on public gatherings.
In Kalanki, demonstrators burnt tyres to block roads. The agitating youths also pelted stones at the residence of Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung in Sunakothi at Lalitpur district, eyewitnesses said. Gurung had ordered a ban on the social media sites. They also vandalised former PM Sher Bahadur Deuba’s house at Budhanilkantha in Kathmandu.
The Gen Z group, which has been campaigning against corruption for some time, has used social media platforms like Reddit and Instagram to expose what they called the “extravagant lifestyles of the children of ministers and other influential figures.” They have posted videos and images, questioning the sources of wealth that fund such opulence, purportedly derived from corrupt practices. The ban of social media sites was an attempt to suppress freedom of speech, the agitators said.
The Nepalese Government had ordered the ban of 26 social media sites, including Facebook and ‘X’, over their failure to register with the government. However, in a late-night development on Monday, the Government announced the restoration of access to social media platforms, in an apparent bid to ease public anger. The protesters main demands include the resignation of Prime Minister Oli, the formation of a national government, and strict action against corrupt politicians.
Numerous posts on social media have called for Oli’s resignation and the establishment of a new government.
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