Is it the Beginning of a 'New' Nepal? | Newsreel Asia

Описание: The public discourse about the idea of building a “new” Nepal has emerged after the genZ protest followed by the resignation of KP Sharma Oli.
As Nepal has been making global headlines in recent weeks after a mass youth uprising overthrew the government, Newsreel Asia’s Harshita Rathore discusses the future of Nepal with Prashant Singh, a social activist from a non-partisan political movement in the country, Nagarik Pratham (Citizens First).

Rathore met Singh days after the protests had ended. Triggered by a controversial government-imposed social media ban, the demonstrations grew into a larger movement against corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli had resigned, and an interim government was in place to lead the country until elections in March 2026.

There was both anger and hope across Nepal.

Anger, because 19 young protesters from Gen Z were shot dead in police firing on September 8. The killings triggered an outpouring of grief and fury, with crowds flooding the streets of Kathmandu and other major cities. While the protests remained peaceful, some unidentified miscreants carried out acts of vandalism and violence targeting members of parliament and ministers the following day, on September 9.

Hope, because the public discourse had shifted toward the idea of building a “new” Nepal after Oli’s resignation that day. The country has seen three major revolutions before 2025, each of which brought down a ruling order but failed to deliver lasting reform. The first, in 1950, ended the Rana regime and introduced constitutional monarchy. The second, in 1990, followed the first Jana Andolan (people’s movement) and forced the royal palace to restore multiparty democracy after decades of absolute Panchayat rule. The third, in 2006, after the second Jana Andolan, brought an end to King Gyanendra’s direct rule and cleared the path for a federal democratic republic. With the fourth revolution in September 2025, hope had returned.

Nepal has, for the first time, appointed a woman as interim Prime Minister, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, known for her anti-corruption rulings and independent stance. Her appointment marks at least a temporary departure from the political status quo that has held for decades.

Eight ministers had been sworn in under the interim administration, including legal professionals, former bureaucrats and educators, as of September 27. No party affiliations, no career politicians, at least for now. The cabinet remains incomplete and the road ahead is uncertain, but it is clear that something different is being attempted.

Youth groups like Hami Nepal have stepped into the vacuum to push the idea of a new Nepal forward. They are organising citizen assemblies, proposing models for decentralised governance and demanding institutional reforms. The energy is grassroots, unfiltered and unafraid to break with old loyalties. Their slogans and speeches make no mention of legacy party ideologies, only of ethics, service and public trust.

Rathore spoke with Prashant Singh to understand what this moment means for Nepal’s political evolution. In the conversation, Singh explains what the movement stands for, how it succeeded without traditional leaders, and the kind of political imagination young Nepalis are bringing to the table.

The interview captures a country in transition, a people reclaiming their agency, and a generation prepared to rebuild from the ground up.