Kathmandu reels as Gen Z-led uprising leaves 34 dead and state institutions in ruins

Kathmandu is struggling to return to normalcy after a week of violent, youth-led protests that left 34 people dead, gutted state institutions, and plunged Nepal into its worst political crisis in years. The Supreme Court and major banks in the capital will reopen in phases after suffering heavy damage, while a strict military-enforced curfew continues to keep public transport off the roads.

The protests, spearheaded by Nepal’s so-called Gen Z movement, erupted after a controversial social media ban but quickly swelled into a wider rebellion against corruption, inequality, and political stagnation. Demonstrators torched government buildings, party offices, and the homes of former prime ministers, forcing the collapse of the K P Sharma Oli government.

Amid the chaos, 54 inmates escaped from Bharatpur Jail in Chitwan, though jail officials said many have begun surrendering voluntarily after appeals from their families.

At the heart of the crisis is a fierce battle over interim leadership. Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel persuaded former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to accept the role of interim Prime Minister, but President Ram Chandra Poudel and major parties insist the solution must stay within the constitutional framework—which bars retired judges from political office. The divide has left protesters torn between backing Karki and rallying behind former electricity authority chief Kulman Ghising as a potential leader.

Gen Z activists, meanwhile, remain steadfast in their demands: dissolve Parliament, amend the Constitution to reflect current needs, and form a non-partisan caretaker government with youth representation. “We don’t intend to scrap the Constitution, but it needs revision,” Sudan Gurung of Hami Nepal said. “This bloodshed is the doing of old leaders. We want accountability, not violence.”

With Parliament dominated by Oli’s alliance, the possibility of his political comeback looms large, further heightening tensions. Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has openly sided with protesters, calling for Parliament’s dissolution—a move that has deepened Nepal’s political fault lines.

India, too, has been drawn into the crisis. A Delhi–Kathmandu bus remains stranded, while Odisha’s chief minister confirmed that 23 Odias trapped in Nepal were safely repatriated.

For Nepal’s disillusioned youth, the movement has become more than a political standoff—it is a generational revolt against a leadership they see as corrupt, unaccountable, and unwilling to change.