The inside story of how Gen Z ousted Nepal’s leader and chose a new leader in contention

Rakshya bam has grown In Kailali, a lowland area in far western Nepal, where subtropical plains extend towards the Indian border. The area is famous for its dense Sal forests and fertile fields, but after years of neglect it has become one of the poorest areas in the country.

Nepal is one of the newest countries in South Asia, with Average age 25.3 years (US average age is 39.1 years). High fertility rates in previous decades have created a “youth bulge” – the largest in the region’s history. But many young people like Pam see no future in their home country. The country has effectively outsourced its labor market to Malaysia, South Korea, and the Gulf states, exporting its youth rather than creating opportunities at home. The minimum wage is not enough to sustain life within Nepal’s borders, leaving young Nepalese with a difficult choice: either leave to study abroad, or leave to work abroad.

Those who stay are forced to deal with a political system that does not suit them. Even with heavy taxes, basic services are in disarray. In the 1950s, the first democracy movement brought free elections, before the monarchy regained control. In the 1990s, citizens rose again and restored democracy, but mismanagement, civil war, and a royal coup in 2005, when King Gyanendra dismissed parliament, arrested political leaders, and imposed a media blackout, dashed that hope. Even after the fall of the monarchy and the end of the war, the structural problems that were behind the unrest in Nepal continued. The Maoists, who launched a decade-long “people’s war” in 1996 to demand the creation of a republic capable of addressing deep inequality among people, especially in rural Nepal, have been subsumed into the political mainstream. Their movement, once rooted in the frustrations of marginalized groups such as Dalits, indigenous communities, and poor farmers alienated from the elite in Kathmandu, helped establish Nepal as a federal democratic republic. But over time, the Maoists became part of the same institution they once fought to dismantle. Power continued to circulate among a familiar group of parties and leaders.

For Pam and her peers, the online world provided a place to express anger, build solidarity, and speak freely. She began posting about corruption and inequality on social media, sharing photos of herself at small gatherings, holding a megaphone or a hand-drawn booklet. Then, in early September 2025, a new trend began sweeping Nepali social media.