6 days ago
Nepal's Gen Z Protests Bring Unexpected Violent Political Change
Nepal had large Gen Z protests in September 2025.
The protests started because people were unhappy about corruption and government performance.
They became violent, which surprised former minister Pradeep Gyawali.
He said Nepal had previously made major political changes peacefully.
Police crackdowns and violence killed 76 people.
After elections, Balen Shah, who helped lead the protests, headed a new government.
Gyawali warned that using violence to change governments could be dangerous in the future.
He said Nepal should make decisions based on its own interests while maintaining balanced relations with India and China.
Former Nepalese Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali said the violence during the Gen Z protests was unexpected.
The September 2025 protests began as an anti-corruption movement but led to a change in government.
Police crackdowns and widespread violence during the protests left 76 people dead.
Balen Shah, a protest leader, became head of the new government after subsequent elections.
Gyawali urged Nepal to pursue a balanced, national-interest-driven foreign policy toward India and China.
- Who
- Nepalese Gen Z protesters, former Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali, and Balen Shah, who later headed the new government.
- What
- An anti-corruption protest movement became violent and was followed by a change in Nepal's government.
- Where
- Kathmandu, Nepal.
- When
- The protests took place in September 2025; Gyawali discussed them at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit.
- Why
- Protesters had grievances about corruption and the gap between public expectations and the government's ability to deliver.
Supporters of Protest Pressure
Concerns About Violent Change
Use of political force
Supporters of Protest Pressure
The protests expressed grievances over corruption and the gap between public expectations and government delivery.
Concerns About Violent Change
Gyawali said the violent form of political change was unprecedented and could be detrimental if repeated.
Nepal's foreign policy
Supporters of Protest Pressure
Maintaining equal distance from India and China can present Nepal as balanced between its two neighbors.
Concerns About Violent Change
Gyawali said foreign policy should primarily follow Nepal's constitutional framework and national interest, while using opportunities from both neighbors.
Key facts
- Protests
- The Gen Z protests began as an anti-corruption movement.
- Casualties
- 76 people died amid widespread violence and a police crackdown.
- Political outcome
- A new government came to power after elections that followed the protests.
- New leader
- Balen Shah, a protest leader, headed the new government.
- Gyawali's concern
- He warned that violent government change could become a harmful precedent.
- Foreign policy
- Gyawali said Nepal's foreign policy should be balanced and driven by national interest.
- Regional relations
- He highlighted opportunities from Nepal's relationships with India to the south and China to the north.
Quotes
Pradeep Gyawali
Former foreign minister of Nepal
“It is quite natural that in every emerging democracy there will be a gap between the delivery capacity of the government and the people's expectation. So there were some grievances... which were quite natural but the government never expected that the language of disappointment will be so destructive and the language of the political change will be the violence,”
NDTV
“Nepal has shown a very unique example how we can bring the change peacefully. We abolished the monarchy who run the country over 240 years with peaceful means. We bring the then rebels Maoist and settle that conflict with peaceful negotiation”
NDTV
Sources
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