skip to contentAdvertisement“Every revolution is chaotic. However, Gen Z took to the streets for their own future... There are no jobs, no good education or hospitals... (Oli) govt became tyrannical and that became the last nail in the coffin,” says ex-Nepal education minister Sumana ShresthaSeptember 11, 2025 03:56 PM IST First published on: Sep 11, 2025 at 03:56 PM ISTJoinShare ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookProtesters celebrate at the parliament building after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (AP Photo)With Gen Z protests in Nepal turning violent and toppling the K P Sharma Oli government, the country has plunged into an unprecedented crisis, forcing the army to step in.Speaking to The Indian Express, former Nepal education minister Sumana Shrestha calls the violence and storming of key buildings “unfortunate” but holds police “brutality” against protesters responsible for it. Underlining that the youth have revolted against corruption and lack of development, she hopes for improvement in the country’s situation under Karki, who, she adds, is respected both by political parties and Gen Z protesters. Excerpts from the interview:What are the reasons behind the current upheaval in Nepal? The social media ban might have been the tipping point, but is there more to it?The social media ban is not the main reason. It was just the last nail in the coffin. That my party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, became the fourth largest in Parliament, or Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah became the most popular leader, was not just like that. There is deep anger and inequality. Political establishments have not lived up to the promises they made for years. We are forced to migrate for jobs and education. Every establishment has been hijacked by parties that run like autocratic bodies. Prime Ministerial position has functioned like a game of musical chairs.Gen Z is our largest population segment and and feels it acutely. There are no jobs, no good education or hospitals. They ventilated it on social media for quite some time. The government became tyrannical and that became the last nail in the coffin.But there is a perception that with so much violence breaking out, Gen Z protests have resulted in chaos and mayhem. What is your take?Every revolution is chaotic. However, Gen Z took to the streets for their own future. They ran “Nepo Baby” and “End Corruption” campaigns. They are not typical politicians. They speak freely. They have no tolerance for long political speeches.You are an MP and ex-minister. Yet, you seem to have appreciation for the protesters and their anger.I have great appreciation for the youth who took to the streets. It is important, however, to recognise that there are vested interest groups using their anger, resulting in the attacks on businesses. Our former PM Oli tried to put an ultra-nationalist cover on Gen Z protest. There was huge police brutality till midnight when the crackdown on protesters happened. When we started seeing kids in school uniforms being shot, it was the turning point. Oli still went into a rant that the constitution is more important than any other thing. Many MPs, including myself, criticised the government. The anger that poured out the next day in response was unfortunate. We lost the historic Singha Durbar, our administrative hub. Perhaps Oli was misbriefed about the level of public anger.With Nepal descending into a spiral of violence, what kind of political future do you foresee for it?Gen Z has selected the former Chief Justice of Nepal (Sushila Karki) to be their representative before the President, the Chief of Army… Sushila Karki is respected by all parties in Parliament. She also carries the spirit of the young generation. So, I believe things will stabilise from here.Nepal abolished its long-standing monarchy in 2008 and became a republic, giving itself a secular constitution in 2015. Now there is talk about having a new constitution to replace the 10-year-old constitution. How do you view this?Gen Z just wants suspension of some articles of the constitution rather than rejection of it in toto. They don’t feel the current Parliament is representing people. It isn’t holding the government accountable. They want early elections and a citizen-led government in 6-12 months.How does Gen Z look at monarchy?Most ReadThey have not demanded restoration of monarchy. They want a directly elected PM for stability. However, let me add that I am not representing Gen Z and have read only their documents. From what I know, I can say this.Your Rastriya Swatantra Party is the fourth largest party in Parliament with 21 MPs. You had been a minister in the previous Prachanda-led government for four months till July 2024. Could you spell out the agenda of your party launched by Rabi Lamichhane in 2022?We raise questions about corruption. The reason we came to politics was to demand accountability. Most of us are first-timers. The Oli government was not able to ensure an accountable, corruption-free government. They were not ready to prosecute corrupt people in their party.AdvertisementAdvertisementYou May Like