Years of pent-up anger and frustration erupted as protesters took to the streets of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu this week. The government’s ban on major social media platforms a few days ago only fanned the flames of their anger. The protests by Nepal’s Gen Z were not just an expression of their various grievances, they were a response to their long-standing social deprivation.

These things were said in a report in The New York Times yesterday. The history of Nepal's transition from monarchy to democracy is not very long. During this period of transition, many social problems began to emerge. This created anger among the youth. Due to this, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and other ministers of his government were forced to resign on Tuesday due to protests. However, the matter does not end here. The reckoning has only begun.

Unemployment and inequality:

Nepal's biggest problem is unemployment. A large number of the country's young people are struggling with unemployment. They are looking for jobs. Finding a job is difficult in Nepal, a mountainous country with a population of 30 million people located between India and China. In 2024, the National Statistical Office of Nepal surveyed the country's standard of living. At that time, the unemployment rate in Nepal was 12.6 percent, which is more than 1 point higher than five years ago.

These figures highlight the severity of the problem. They only represent those participating in the formal economy, leaving out the majority of Nepalis. Those who work without formal jobs, mostly in agriculture, are largely unemployed. Unemployment is concentrated among young adults, who are looking for jobs.

Unable to find work in the country, hundreds of young people leave the country every day to work on long-term contracts in Malaysia and oil-rich countries in the Persian Gulf. In addition, many Nepalis go to India for work. They work there as migrant workers. Government data shows that more than 741,000 people left Nepal last year. They went to work in construction or agriculture in different countries.

How it started:

Nepal's KP Sharma Oli government announced a ban on social media including Facebook and YouTube on Thursday. The ban angered the public, especially the young generation, known as Gen Z. Thousands of Nepalis began protesting on Monday.

When the government cracked down on the protests, 19 people were killed in security forces' firing that day. More than 400 were injured. The death toll rose to 22 on Tuesday. A curfew was imposed in various cities, including the capital Kathmandu, to bring the situation under control. Students broke the curfew and began protesting early Tuesday morning.