Democracy falters 'in once upon a time' Himalayan Kingdom :::::: Oli-led regime collapses ::::: Nepal still tense as Gen Z protesters push for constitutional overhaul

Rewrite Constitution, probe loot of 3 decades: Demand of Nepal Gen Z protesters

Even after toppling PM KP Sharma Oli-led government, Nepal remained tense as Gen Z protesters pushed for constitutional overhaul and demanded a probe into the looted assets of the country.

"This movement is not for any party or individual but for the entire generation and the nation's future. Peace is essential, but it is possible only on the foundation of a new political system," a statement by the protesters read.

The group expressed hope that the President and the Nepali Army would positively implement their proposals.

KEY DEMANDS

Immediate dissolution of the current House of Representatives, which the protesters say has lost public trust

Amendment or complete rewriting of the Constitution with active participation from citizens, experts, and youth

Conducting new elections after the interim period, ensuring they are independent, fair, and based on direct public participation

Establishment of a directly elected executive leadership

Nepal's Gen Z protesters, who forced the ouster of Prime Minister KP Sharma-led government, have laid out a series of political and social demands, calling for sweeping reforms in governance and investigation into assets looted by politicians over the past three decades.

The movement has declared that all those who lost their lives during the protests will be officially recognised as martyrs, with their families receiving state honours, recognition, and relief. 

Organisers also pledged special programs to combat unemployment, curb migration, and address social injustice.  

In Nepal’s remittance-dependent economy, why the social media ban ended up having an outsized impact

The collapse of the domestic economy, the bristling anger over corruption, unemployment, and the fact that a lot of Nepalese politicians had become really rich and their children were posting snapshots of their lavish lives on social media – all these reasons could have played a part.   

Anti-corruption protests in Nepal were sparked by a ban on 26 social media apps, before spiralling into a wider anti-corruption movement that ended up toppling the government after the mostly leaderless protests spilled over into Kathmandu’s streets.

Social media may have been the immediate trigger for the unrest, but in Nepal, apps such as Facebook and Whatsapp played an increasingly outsized role for multiple reasons. It gave people, especially youngsters, a platform to vent anger against the moribund economic prospects and the general lack of opportunities. 

More importantly, these were vital communication channels for the Nepalese people to keep in touch with family members increasingly working abroad, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Malaysia, apart from India.

These were also a channel for routing some of the remittance money, a big source of Nepal’s national income. 

The collapse of the domestic economy, the bristling anger over corruption, unemployment, and the fact that a lot of Nepalese politicians had become really rich and their children were posting snapshots of their lavish lives on social media – all these reasons could have played a part. -- Indian Express notes

Young activists were picking these pictures and sharing them on social media, which led to these apps becoming even more relevant for young Nepalese. 

And finally, a rumour that the two largest parties are getting together to form a grand coalition because leaders of both the parties were under investigation for corruption by the previous government, stoked the simmering unrest. This also played out on social media. 

The ban was read as a signal to brush these under the carpet, triggering an uproar.