Youth Revolution
A powerful youth revolution has taken Nepal by storm. Many media outlets are terming it the Gen Z revolution due to the huge number of youth participants in it. The protests all over Nepal erupted after the government banned popular social media sites such as Instagram and Facebook.
What is understood here is that the Nepal government mandated all social media outlets to register themselves with Nepal’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MoCIT). However, failure to do so before the stipulated deadline meant that all the social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, got banned.
And that was it, as soon as the news of the social media ban broke the people of Nepal, especially the youths, came out in large numbers to protest in the streets of Kathmandu. It is worth noting that people are not only protesting against the social media ban but also against the rampant corruption that has swiped through Nepal.
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Military curfew
As per credible sources so far at least 22 people have lost their lives to these violent protests and many more have been injured in this unfortunate turn of events. The authorities have responded with force to these violent protests as popular anti protest measures such as tear gas, live ammunition have been deployed to silence these violent protests.
The Internet has been completely shut down in Nepal as one of the many measures against these protests. Apart from this a Military curfew has been imposed throughout Kathmandu with a view to reduce the intensity of these protests.
The Nepal Army has also been called to patrol the streets of Nepal. The protests have been so severe that PM KP Sharma Oli has been forced to resign. In another round of dramatic turn of events even the Agriculture and Home Minister of Nepal have also been forced to step down.
Hami Nepal Movement
Many geopolitical experts are of the view that the rampant corruption in Nepal has also played a pivotal role in intensifying the protests in Nepal. The youth in Nepal are of the view that the social media ban is not due to failure to comply with the mandate but because the government wants to silence the people.
People think that the government fears that social media will serve as a platform to discuss the rampant corruption of the present administration. So the government has banned social media so that people suffer in silence.
People saw this as an attempt to silent their voice and this has played a major role in intensifying these protests. The protests have been named as “Hami Nepal Movement” which literally means Movement for our Nepal. Nepal has been ruled by elites for decades and this movement aims to change not only how Nepal is governed but how the world perceives this beautiful mountainous nation.
Youth Revolution in Nepal
During the protests people are heard saying that they are not at all happy with the current administration as the economy has failed to generate the desired number of jobs. Unemployment is another major reason which has sparked such severe protests in Nepal. Since most of the protestors are relatively young this protest has been described as the Youth Revolution in Nepal.
The Oli government has also been accused of favoring nepotism when it comes to selecting the leaders. All these factors have come together in a haphazard manner and have led to such severe protests. The protests have been so severe that it has raised human right concerns in Nepal.
One of the most distinguishing elements of this protest is that many groups have come together in unison to make their voices heard in the protest. Emergency rule has been placed in Nepal as the nation continues to remain tense.