In a stunning turn of events, Nepal’s political landscape was upended in early September 2025 by a youth-led uprising that toppled the government in just two days—an upheaval fueled and documented almost entirely by social media. What began as a protest against a social media ban quickly escalated into one of the fastest and most dramatic revolutions in modern times, with former Chief Justice Sushila Karki emerging as the country’s interim Prime Minister and the nation now facing an uncertain but hopeful path forward.
The chain of events that sparked this revolution was set in motion on September 5, 2025, when the government, led by Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, abruptly banned 26 social media platforms, including Instagram, Messenger, YouTube, X, and Reddit. According to Nepali Times, this move was widely seen as an authoritarian overreach, even within Oli’s own CPN-UML party. The ban not only stifled freedom of expression but also disrupted business, trade, and, crucially, the primary communication channels of Nepal’s Gen Z.
The government’s miscalculation was severe. As Nepali Times reported, social media had been serving as a safety valve, providing entertainment and a way for young people to vent their frustrations. Cutting off these channels only intensified public disillusionment with the country’s corrupt political parties, which was already at an all-time high. TikTok, notably, remained operational, and it quickly became the epicenter of dissent. There, users shared #NepoBaby clips—videos exposing the lavish lifestyles of politicians’ children, set to Nepali music and contrasted with the struggles of ordinary citizens forced to leave the country for work.
It didn’t take long for the outrage to move from digital spaces to the streets. On September 6, a new Instagram account, genz.nepal, was established. Its first post—a striking AI-generated poster featuring a raised fist—called for a national protest under the banner “Youth Against Corruption.” The account’s bio set the tone: “Fu*k this system!! Let’s slay and stay woke!!” Despite the ban, tech-savvy youth used VPNs and workarounds to spread the word. As one post declared, “Let it be clear, our fight is not against one party or another, it is against the system itself. We mean the government, the opposition, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, and every structure that has betrayed the people.”
Organizers urged for peaceful protests with no party flags, leaders, or property damage. However, the decentralized nature of the movement made it vulnerable to infiltration and chaos. On September 8, thousands gathered outside Parliament. The demonstration began peacefully, but it quickly descended into violence after police opened fire, killing 19 people—many of them students in college uniforms. The death toll would rise to 74 over the next two days.
The brutality was captured and broadcast live across social media, making government denial or censorship impossible. As Nepali Times observed, “Nepalis saw it all live on their phones, and the reaction was immediate.” Images and videos of police commandos kneeling to take aim at protesters, and of the dead and wounded, flooded Instagram stories and TikTok feeds. The anger against state violence was palpable, with posts showing Prime Minister Oli depicted as having “blood on his hands.”
By the morning of September 9, the situation had spiraled out of control. Protesters set fire to all three branches of government, chased politicians from their homes, and streamed the chaos in real time. Social media became not only a tool for organizing and documenting the uprising but also a space for mourning and reflection. Friends and relatives posted tributes to the dead, debated the future, and shared conspiracy theories about everything from Indian interference to a potential military-royalist coup.
In a twist that surprised even the protest organizers, the selection of the interim Prime Minister—former Chief Justice Sushila Karki—was shaped by discussions on Discord, a platform more commonly associated with gamers than with political revolutionaries. According to Nepali Times, the Discord server quickly swelled to nearly 150,000 members, all debating, memeing, and voting on the country’s future leadership in a chaotic but democratic fashion. The appointment of Karki and the dissolution of Parliament marked a decisive end to the old order, at least for now.
Yet, as The Kathmandu Post and Asia News Network pointed out, the revolution’s work is far from finished. The immediate goal—removing Oli and ending the endless cycle of corrupt, incompetent leadership—was achieved. But the deeper aspiration, to root out corruption and establish accountable governance, remains a work in progress. The new interim government, led by Karki, faces the daunting task of maintaining the momentum of reform while preparing for early elections scheduled for March 2026.
There is a clear mandate from the streets: “The interim government would axe its own foot if it forgets, even for a moment, that it was the youth who brought it to power,” wrote The Kathmandu Post. The youth of Nepal, long dismissed as politically apathetic, have shown themselves to be a force to be reckoned with—willing to lay down their lives for change and determined to hold their leaders accountable. The challenge now is to channel this energy into sustained political engagement, whether by joining the government, campaigning for reform, or simply remaining vigilant as citizens.
For Nepal’s traditional political parties—the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Centre)—the message is equally stark. If they fail to heed the demands for change and persist with the same old leadership, they risk being swept aside in the coming elections. As the Asia News Network put it, “It would be suicidal for these parties to go to the polls with their current leaderships intact.”
The digital revolution that propelled Gen Z to the forefront of Nepal’s politics is now reshaping the country’s electoral landscape. With early elections looming, campaigning will likely be more digital than ever before. Candidates with savvy online teams, meme campaigns, and AI-generated content will compete to shape public opinion—sometimes with the risk of spreading misinformation and hate speech, but also with the opportunity to engage citizens in new and creative ways. The influence of the Nepali diaspora, connected by global social media networks, will be stronger than ever.
As Nepal stands at this crossroads, the lessons of September 2025 are clear. Social media is no longer just a distraction or a tool for entertainment; it is a powerful force for political change, capable of toppling governments and reshaping societies almost overnight. The youth who led the revolution have given their country a rare second chance. Whether Nepal’s leaders—old and new—can seize this moment remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the days of ignoring the voices of young Nepalis are over.