By Dr Upendra Gautam
The quiet streets of Kathmandu on 7 September 2025 witnessed something remarkable. A new generation—Gen Z—rose in an independent, peaceful, and disciplined protest. Their slogans were not born of hatred but of reform, inclusion, and a demand for a dignified present and future for Nepal. For a moment, it seemed the nation had discovered a fresh democratic pulse: calm, youthful, and transformative.
Security forces responded with brutal force. Early casualty reports varied; some outlets reported dozens killed in the first days of the unrest, while later tallies with the passing of the days put the toll far higher.
That calm turned to smoke and ash within twenty-four hours. On 8 September, many parts of Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal witnessed violent destruction: burning, looting, and arson erupted across the city. What had begun as a hopeful expression of civic responsibility suddenly spiraled into chaos. The speed of this transformation raises urgent questions: who sought to discredit Nepal’s youthful movement, why did violence spread so quickly, and how did that escalation result in so many deaths?
Unwanted Interference
The contrast between the two days was striking. The first day belonged to Nepal’s youth; the second bore signs of outside interference and opportunism. A section of pro-establishment media in India foregrounded images of flames and shattered windows, while giving much less attention to the peaceful dignity of the earlier demonstrations.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dalai Lama in India were quick to offer congratulations to Sushila Karki after her appointment as interim prime minister. Such prompt gestures—while often diplomatic courtesy—raise legitimate questions about timing and optics: Were these simply expressions of goodwill, or were they signals of political closeness with the ground situation? Modi also delivered a public message to the people of Nepal from Manipur; a north-eastern state itself consumed by instability and security crises.
The turbulence in Kathmandu cannot be separated from broader regional and global currents. At the time, China and India appeared recalibrating their relationship after decades of friction. Meanwhile, the United States under President Donald Trump had pursued aggressive tariff measures that are coercive toward China; these moves are imminently reshaping regional alignments and economic calculations. The intersection of great-power politics and serious, long standing domestic grievances made Nepal especially vulnerable to both prize and pressure.
This September
The second week of September is a dutiful season in China’s historical memory: the “9·18 Incident” of 1931, which marks the beginning of Japan’s invasion of Manchuria, is observed as a solemn anniversary that also shapes Beijing’s public diplomacy.
Nepal’s Gen Z protests became an arena where the “reshaping” of India–China relations, America’s self-oriented trade posture, and the failings of Nepal’s governance institutions—hollowed by corruption and injustice—all intersected. The young generation’s attempt to claim an independent, peaceful voice was compromised by forces that, in some cases, had far deadlier consequences for the nation’s independent development, security and dignity. May the Nepali Army—steadfast in its oath to Sada Aikmatyata ra Shaurya (Ever United and Brave)—fortify Nepal’s future governance, ensuring it stands resilient, competent and independent. Let it safeguard every citizen from the grip of domestic injustice and repel any intrusion from external forces, so that no Nepali shall ever again suffer at the hands of partisan oppressive elements.
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