New Delhi : Nepal witnessed its deadliest youth uprising in years on Monday after the government banned as many as 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X, on September 4. At least 20 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the violent clashes between demonstrators and the police in Kathmandu.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli blamed infiltration by unwanted elements for the violence, though he insisted the government’s intent was not censorship but ‘regulation’. His government later walked back the ban, with Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung announcing that social media platforms would be restored after an emergency Cabinet meeting.
In a previous post on Instagram, Gurung confirmed his group formally applied to organise rallies and urged students to wear school uniforms and carry books, turning demonstrations into a symbol of peaceful resistance. Before the blackout, Hami Nepal used social media to circulate protest routes and safety instructions.
President of Hami Nepal, a youth NGO formed after the 2015 earthquake. Sudan lost his child during the earthquake, an event that changed the course of his life, according to The Annapurna Express. Once an event organiser, he shifted to disaster relief and civic work. Led Dharan’s “Ghopa camp” protest for transparency at BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Positioned himself as the organiser who channels digital-age frustration into structured, peaceful action.
Thousands of young protesters, many of them school students, poured into the streets of Kathmandu on Monday, staging a massive rally outside the Parliament and demanding the immediate lifting of the government ban on social media sites. The protests spiralled into violence when demonstrators breached the Parliament complex. Police fired water cannons, tear gas, and even live rounds to push back crowds. The unrest quickly spread beyond the capital to Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bharatpur, Itahari, and Damak.
Hospitals across Kathmandu, including the Civil Hospital and the Trauma Centre, reported being overwhelmed with injured protesters. Several facilities began referring patients to other centers, according to The Himalayan Times. Authorities responded with sweeping curfew orders in parts of Kathmandu and Lalitpur, as well as Pokhara, Butwal, and Itahari in Sunsarai district.
Adding to the momentum, a viral campaign called Nepo Kid gained traction online and spilled onto the streets. The movement, driven by young Nepalis, has accused the children of politicians and the powerful elite of enjoying privileges funded by corruption.
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