Nepal’s Gen Z want a Hindu nation. Or do they?

Days after the unrest in Nepal, mainly led by Gen Z, over a social media ban and alleged corruption and nepotism among political elites, front-page stories of Hindi newspapers reported what had unfolded from various angles. 

Dainik Bhaskar’s headline was “Gen Z is choosing their PM online”, Hindustan’s headline was “Indians stuck in Nepal will be safely evacuated”, Jansatta’s headline was “Army deployed in the streets, faith in Sushila Karki”, while Amar Ujala’s headline was “Normalcy returns in Nepal after Army steps onto the streets, protesters get busy in forming interim government”.   

However, the page-one headline in the most-read Hindi newspaper, Dainik Jagran, read, “Army handles situation in Nepal, Gen Z wants a Hindu rashtra”.

While Nepal has seen repeated pro-monarch protests over the years, with demands for the reversal of the country’s secular status and reinstatement of the Hindu state, the present protests have so far not indicated such demands. Instead, the Gen Z protests were aimed to highlight the wealth gap in Nepal that forces nearly one in 10 Nepalis to work abroad, rampant nepotism where politicians’ children live lavishly while most struggle with poverty, and a migration crisis driven by a lack of opportunities at home. 

One of the crucial groups part of the Gen Z protest is Hami Nepal, a non-profit dedicated to supporting communities and individuals in need. According to Nepal Times, “the group played a central role in guiding the demonstrations, using its Instagram and Discord platforms to circulate protest information and share guidelines. Other GenZ groups used their own WhatsApp groups and other fora”.

Dainik Jagran wasn’t the only one peddling the ‘Hindu state’ narrative. A few anchors also mentioned such outlandish claims, such as the involvement of a deep state behind the protests. Read more about it here. 

As of Thursday, the army is resuming talks with the Gen Z protesters to decide on a new interim leader after violent protests that killed 30 people and forced the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Protesters have nominated former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the preferred interim prime minister, and the military is working to stabilise the situation amid curfews and heightened security in Kathmandu. The situation remains tense, with ongoing negotiations between the army and protest leaders.

Small teams can do great things. All it takes is a subscription. Subscribe now and power Newslaundry’s work.