On a crisp October morning in Kathmandu, the interim government of Nepal found itself grappling with a problem that’s become all too familiar in recent months: how to negotiate with a generation whose leaders can’t agree on who really speaks for them. The Gen Z movement, once hailed as a unified force for change, has splintered into competing factions—each claiming to represent the true voice of Nepal’s youth, and each demanding a seat at the table as the nation faces its greatest political upheaval in years.
The latest round of discord erupted on October 11, 2025, when President Ramchandra Paudel invited a group of Gen Z representatives, led by Sudan Gurung, to Sheetal Niwas for talks. Prime Minister Sushila Karki was also present, stepping in for the president, who was unwell. But as negotiations unfolded inside, another Gen Z group gathered outside in protest, denouncing Gurung’s delegation as "foreign agents" and "anti-national." The protesters claimed they—and not those inside—were the real leaders of the Gen Z uprising and demanded their own stake in the country’s future.
The government’s challenge is clear: how do you broker peace, or even meaningful dialogue, with a movement that can’t agree on who’s in charge? As reported by The Kathmandu Post, the divisions among Gen Z activists have only deepened since the mass protests of September 8-9, which left 76 people dead and sparked a political crisis unlike any Nepal has seen in decades.
Former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai, a vocal supporter of the Gen Z movement, captured the confusion in a pointed message on X (formerly Twitter): “The outcome of this uprising is still not clear. Even now, it remains unclear who truly represents the Gen Z movement, and what roles different individuals and groups have played in it. It is unfortunate that there still appears to be confusion on this matter.”
Inside the President’s Office, the mood was tense. Over four hours of heated exchanges, Gen Z representatives criticized the government for failing to deliver on the promises of the movement. They demanded justice for the families of those killed or injured during the September protests and pressed for action against those responsible for the violence. In a dramatic moment, one Gen Z leader called on Prime Minister Karki to resign and stormed out of the meeting, according to a prime ministerial aide.
Some activists accused Karki’s government of being a puppet of foreign interests—a charge she firmly denied. “My government was not formed by a foreign power, nor is it run by NGOs or INGOs,” Karki insisted, according to The Kathmandu Post. She argued that her administration was born out of the spirit of the September uprising and is committed to good governance and timely elections.
But outside, the protesters were unconvinced. They accused Gurung’s group of cozying up to the establishment and questioned why the selection process for Gen Z representatives seemed to favor those with ties to NGOs and the so-called “American Embassy Youth Council Nepal.” Even some provincial coordinators from Gurung’s own camp accused him of betrayal for not including them in the talks, further fueling the perception of a leaderless, divided movement.
Gurung himself seemed weary of the infighting. In a Facebook post after Saturday’s meetings, he wrote: “Instead of focusing on the bigger agenda, we’ve spent an entire month trying to unite different Gen Z groups and it’s still not happening. From now on, our focus will be limited to what benefits our country. We won’t go and beg anyone to unite anymore. We are not here to please any particular person or group.”
Amid the chaos, the demands of the Gen Z movement remain as urgent as ever. Activists called for a crackdown on corruption and for the arrest of former prime minister KP Sharma Oli and his home minister Ramesh Lekhak, whom they accuse of responsibility for the deaths of 19 youths on September 8. Finance Minister Rameshore Khanal tried to reassure the group, stating, “We are taking action based on the complaints received. There was some delay due to unforeseen events, but we are moving forward in line with the spirit of the movement.” He pledged a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, a promise that many young activists say they’ll believe only when they see results.
But the Gen Z movement isn’t just at odds over leadership—it’s also splintered over ideology. On Saturday, a faction known as the Gen Z Alliance for Monarchy issued a public appeal demanding the restoration of the monarchy and warning against attempts to hijack the movement for other political ends. “Those trying to hijack the Gen Z movement should not be given prominence,” said Sanatan Rijal, spokesperson for the group, in a statement addressed to the president, prime minister, media, and thought leaders.
Other Gen Z leaders, like Rakshya Bam, argued that the time for street protests has passed. In a statement after meeting with the prime minister, Bam urged all stakeholders to participate in the upcoming elections, scheduled for March 5, 2026. “What is needed now is not the impulse to revolt,” her appeal read. “Today’s need is the wisdom to institutionalise the truth of this uprising. History has placed the current political parties at a turning point. Either show the courage to regain people’s trust, or be ready to be consigned to history.”
As if the political turmoil weren’t enough, the aftermath of the Gen Z protests has left Nepal facing a security crisis of its own. According to The Tribune, more than 13,000 prisoners escaped from jails across Nepal during the second day of the protests on September 9. Among them are at least 5,000 Nepali citizens, 540 Indian nationals, and 108 prisoners of other nationalities who remain at large as of October 12, 2025. The government has issued nationwide alerts and called on absconding prisoners to return to their jails, but the scale of the jailbreak has left authorities scrambling. Ten prisoners died during clashes with security forces, while 7,735 inmates have either returned or been recaptured so far.
The jailbreak is a stark reminder of the chaos unleashed by the Gen Z protests—and the challenges that lie ahead for a government struggling to restore order while negotiating with a fractured youth movement. As Miraj Dhungana, a leading Gen Z campaigner, put it, “We have advised the prime minister to induct as ministers those who played a significant role in the movement’s success. A new force may emerge from the elections.”
For now, the road ahead remains uncertain. The interim government is caught between competing demands, a divided opposition, and a restless generation determined to reshape Nepal’s future on its own terms. Whether the country can find common ground—or whether the divisions will only deepen—remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Nepal’s Gen Z activists, fractured as they may be, have already changed the nation’s political landscape in ways that will be felt for years to come.