All the three major political parties namely UML, NC and Moists ruled Nepal since 1990 after revoking the monarchy but proved utterly failed to prove its worth to provide its citizens a good governance better than the monarchy. On the contrary, the party prejudices to promote party men, corruption, undermining of people’s interests etc. swayed their regimes during the period of twenty seven Prime Ministers who ruled Nepal finally ended in a very ugly shape, the Oli government, by the young youths by attacking the Parliament, Party offices, Municipal offices, Public houses, the Supreme Court, several other lower Courts, the Anti- Corruption Commission, ministerial residences, tax offices, district administration offices, provincial offices, private homes etc. and set most of them on fire. The rage was nationwide and the mob became unrelenting.
The proximate cause may be the banning of twenty six social media apprehending the exposure of their evil deeds and inappropriate decisions but the resentment of youthful fire was brewing for long due to various unconscientious decisions taken by the succeeding governments in power. The protest against corruption enraged the youths nationwide when 19 young youths were shot down by police bullets in a bid to calm them down. It causes a nationwide uprising among the masses. The army took over the country’s command and the former Justice of Supreme Court, Sushila Karki took oath as the Prime Minister by the way of online voting for election till the next legitimate government would come into power.
The signs of discontent were ubiquitous. Since 2020, the GDP growth has averaged under 5 percent- wholly inadequate for an economy with a per capita income below $1500 annually. Overall unemployment stood at 12.6 percent in 2022- 23 but 22.7 percent among those aged fifteen to twenty-four. While the per capita income of the poorest 20% grew from NPR 2,020 to NPR 61,335 between 1995- 96 and 2022-23, those of the richest 20 percent rose from NPR 19,325 to NPR 259,867 over the same period. Over three quarters of householders rely on remittances. Today, some 1,700 Nepalis leave the country every day in search of work.
Apart from economic distress, reports of widespread corruption has been one of the factors behind youths’ resentment. In 2025 alone, more than ten cases of gross corruption emerged involving former Prime Ministers, Ministers and Bureaucrats. With this ugly scene, the popular anger has been shimmering. A violent protest in March this year saw two dead and similar patterns of looting and arson.
Following the ban on twenty six social media unraveled the curtains under compulsion when an activist namely Sudan Gurung, founder of Hami Nepal, and NGO in 2015 post earthquake in Nepal. He inspired the young youths of the country through his social media network on Instagram to initiate “a movement of justice and come out with your family and friends with courage.” The next day Discord Channel expanded its communication network through “Youths Against Corruption” and led the protest.
The President of Nepal, Ram Chandra Poudel, though, officiated the sworn-in formality of Sushila Karki as the interim Prime Minister via extra constitutional means, the test of the time to have a full-fledged democratic regime in place in mere six months is still in-waiting.
Here the question may be raised: whether the rising of “youth leadership” will provide a stable government beyond corruption, unemployment and poverty in Nepal. The success of Democracy depends on the socio-economic awareness of the citizens and the moral leadership. It is not certainly possible in the next six months. Then what will happen? Is the fate of Nepalis again going to repeat the same message as it has already witnessed or the whole leadership is going to become handy either in the hands of the USA or China!
Avtk. A’nand Prabha’ A’c
