NEPAL GOING B’DESH WAY?

In the summer of 2024, protests which began as peaceful demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs, finally saw how Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina had to flee to India.

Discontent was brewing for a long time in Bangladesh. Though the South Asian nation - which is home to 170 million people - was one of the fastest growing economies in the world, experts pointed out that growth had not translated into jobs for university graduates.

In a modest estimate around 18 million young Bangladeshis were looking for jobs and university graduates faced higher rates of unemployment than their less-educated peers.

Bangladesh had become a major hub of ready-towear clothing exports and the country sold around $40 billion worth of clothes to cater to the global market. The garment sector employed more than four million people, but factory jobs were not sufficient for the Gen Z.

And that’s partly why they wanted the quotas in government jobs to go - because that meant there would be more jobs for them.

Readers must be thinking that when my headline speaks of Nepal, what connection does it have with Bangladesh… read on… CUT II

On September 5, 2025 school and college students in Nepal poured onto the capital’s streets, waving national flags and chanting slogans such as “Stop the ban on social media” and “Shut down corruption, not social media.”

However, it may be noted that the protests were fuelling long before the ban. In the weeks leading up to the action, social media had been flooded with viral posts under hashtags like #NepoKids and #NepoBabies, contrasting the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children — luxury cars, designer clothes, foreign trips — with the hardships of ordinary citizens facing inflation, unemployment and failing services. The imagery turned abstract grievances about inequality into sharp, personal outrage that digital natives carried from phones to the streets.

About 90 percent of Nepali citizens use the internet and what essentially started as a protest against the ban changed into an anti-corruption protest. “We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here. We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal,” Yujan Rajbhandari, a 24-year-old student, said.

Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government. “We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she said.

Actor Hari Bansha Acharya voiced his support for the protests on Facebook, saying, “Today’s youth, however, do more than just think; they ask questions. Why did it collapse? How? Who is accountable? This is just one example of the issues this generation raises. The voice we hear today is not against the system itself, but against the actions of leaders and officials responsible for it.”

“The leaders’ children return from abroad with Gucci bags, the people’s children in coffins,” read a placard held by a youngster. The ‘coffin’ remark may allude to the return of deceased Nepali citizens to their homeland. Severe poverty and high youth unemployment, around 19.2% among those aged 15–29, drove many young Nepalis to work as mercenaries in the Ukraine-Russia war.

The ‘NepoKid’ and ‘NepoBaby’ campaign, inspired by global discussions on the same, trended on TikTok and Reddit over the weekend. Amid widespread economic hardship and corruption, Nepalis at home and abroad highlighted the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children in stark contrast to the struggles of ordinary citizens.

Viral TikTok videos contrasted images of elite kids flaunting designer clothes and foreign stays with the struggles of ordinary Nepalis, many of whom migrate for work. These migrant workers contribute to 33% of Nepal’s GDP via remittances. Nepal’s reliance on tourism, much of which is driven by social media visibility and promotion, means the ban will certainly hit a blow to its economy.

“Children of elite politicians know exactly where their parents’ money and luxury come from—taxpayers like you and me. While we struggle, they live in utter privilege. Start listing their social media accounts and archiving their content to hold them accountable and prevent them from erasing the evidence,” posted a person on Reddit’s Nepal subreddit.

Targets included the families of PM Oli, former PMs Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’. Isn’t it ironic that Prachanda’s family members are being branded nepo kids!!! It may be recalled that Prachanda, a Maoist, was at the forefront of an insurgency that led to the toppling of King Gyanandra Shah’s regime in 2008.

The protesters also accuse these nepo kids of benefiting from corrupt earnings. While Oli has defended the ban as a matter of “national dignity” and regulatory compliance, protesters see it as censorship to silence dissent, particularly campaigns exposing elite privilege. Reacting to the social media ban, X-user Princi Koirala said, “Government of Nepal is a classic case of toxic parenting”.

The Gen Z and digital natives of Nepal view the social media ban as an attempt to suppress their voices. Videos contrasting leaders’ children with ordinary citizens’ struggles have fuelled anger. “We are protesting against corruption institutionalised in Nepal,” said protester Yujan Rajbhandari. Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah and celebrities like Madan Krishna Shrestha and Hari Bansha Acharya have expressed support, with some donating to the cause. The leaderless movement, dubbed ‘The Final Revolution,’ demands transparency and accountability, while critics argue the ban protects corrupt elites.

Meanwhile, India has issued a preventive alert along the 1,751 km IndiaNepal border. The Sashastra Seema Bal is closely monitoring the situation, with strict checks and adequate deployment at border outposts. Coordination with local administration ensures smooth citizen movement while maintaining security, preventing potential spillover from Nepal’s unrest.

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Robin Roy, The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India