Nepal’s Gen Z Protests: Revolution or Hijacked Rebellion? Calls for New Constitution Escalate Amid Violence and Unrest
Nepal’s Gen Z Protests: Revolution or Hijacked Rebellion? Calls for New Constitution Escalate Amid Violence and Unrest
Equally significant is the demand for a full-fledged investigation into alleged corruption and loot over the past three decades.
Kathmandu has become the epicenter of a youth-led movement as thousands of Gen Z protesters take to the streets in what is being called Nepal’s largest civic uprising in years. The war against corruption gained an international boost after ex-governement's controversial (now reversed) ban on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram.
At the heart of the protests is a bold call to rewrite or amend Nepal’s Constitution, which the youth say no longer reflects the aspirations of a new generation. Protesters argue that the current framework, adopted in 2015, has failed to ensure accountability, transparency, and political inclusion. According to demonstrators, the Constitution has allowed entrenched political elites to maintain disproportionate power while shielding themselves from scrutiny.
Equally significant is the demand for a full-fledged investigation into alleged corruption and loot over the past three decades. Protesters are insisting on an independent and transparent probe into the “looting of national resources” and unexplained wealth accumulation by politicians, bureaucrats, and their close associates since the early 2000s, a period that saw Nepal transition from monarchy to republic, but also one marred by scandals and opaque governance.
This new wave of activism is not aligned with any political party and is being mobilized largely through grassroots coordination, youth influencers, and digital platforms ironically, the very mediums the government initially tried to restrict. Protesters describe themselves as politically conscious, but not politically co-opted.
One of the placards seen at Maitighar Mandala, a key protest site in Kathmandu, read,
"Rewrite the Constitution. Reclaim the Nation. Recover the Stolen Years."
Despite attempts by authorities to contain the movement including curfews and internet throttling, the protests have only intensified. Key government offices, media outlets including Kantipur Daily's office, Parliament aka Singha Durbar, Nepal's biggest Mall franchise Bhatbhateni have been set on fire. The Nepal Army Chief has warned against Vandalism.
But the main question that arises is that: Is it really a Gen-Z uprising? or the fight against corruption has been hijacked?
