Officials Get Rich While Citizens Suffer – Why I Helped in Ousting a Regime in 48 Hours

Activist holding anti-corruption sign
Tanuja Pandey holds up an anti-corruption slogan throughout the rallies

The nation's young activists brought down a regime in under 48 hours – though the victory involved a significant cost.

"There is pride, although there is also a combination of pain, sorrow and frustration," explains a key activist, one of the demonstration coordinators.

Violent Demonstrations and Widespread Loss

With scores dead, the earlier demonstrations proved to be the most fatal turmoil in the republic in a long time.

Official buildings, properties of political leaders and high-end accommodations including the a major hotel chain, recently launched in July 2024, were burned, vandalized and plundered.

The wife of a previous head of government is fighting for her life after their home was burned down.

The protests reflected a "total disavowal of the nation's present elite for decades of poor governance and misuse of state resources," according to a senior adviser.

But the destruction to public infrastructure could "rival the impact of the disaster which claimed almost nine thousand people."

The devastation isn't just limited to the city of Kathmandu – an estimated hundreds of local government facilities throughout the country have been affected.

Monetary costs could total 3 trillion Nepalese rupees, roughly 50% of the economy's GDP, as reported by local sources.

Protesters and slogans
Enraged by massive inequality, Gen Z citizens have been calling the offspring of officials "nepo babies"

'Nepo Babies' and Growing Fury

Two days ahead of the deadly demonstration on 8 September, the organizer, a youthful activist, shared a footage showing a mining site in a protected area.

Nepal's natural wealth should belong to the public, not "politicians' private limited companies," she stated, urging her fellows to "protest opposing misconduct and the misuse of our land's wealth."

In common with numerous grassroots campaigns in Asia, Nepal's young people protests were organic.

For months, resentment had been growing toward "nepo babies", the descendants of prominent politicians from all parties, who were alleged to showing off their unjustified wealth on digital channels.

A particular widely-shared picture showed a descendant of a government figure standing next to a holiday display featuring packages of high-end products such as Louis Vuitton, an expensive maker and Cartier.

In response, he stated it was "a biased misinterpretation" and that his father "gave back all earnings obtained via public service to the public."

The activist had viewed nearly every "privileged posts" footage, but one clip contrasting the wealthy existence of a elite household and an average citizen who had to seek employment in a Gulf country moved her.

"It is difficult to observe, particularly understanding that even educated the new generation are compelled to leave the homeland because income locally are inadequate for what one needs to support themselves," she noted.

A Developing Democracy Battling Instability

Nepal is a new state. It became a democratic nation in the late 2000s, subsequent to a prolonged, rebel struggle that killed more than 17,000 people.

But the anticipated order and economic growth did not come. In a generation, Nepal has had fourteen leaderships, and not a single prime minister has completed a full five-year term.

The nation's political landscape are like a game of rotation, with left-leaning groups and the centrist major party taking turns to rule.

Nepal's economic output stayed less than $1,500, placing it as the second most impoverished country in the region, behind only Afghanistan.

Roughly fourteen percent of the population are employed abroad, and many households receives money from abroad.

She comes from a average household in the country's east and her father is a former government teacher.

In the past, she was identified with a brain tumour, for which she is even now receiving treatment.

The medical bills almost pushed into debt her relatives, so her relative moved to a foreign country to help them.

Beginning as Calm Rally to National Violence

Before the actions, the organizer teamed up with fellow activists to establish guidelines highlighting calm engagement and dignity and urging protesters to stay watchful against "provocateurs".

On the morning of 8 September, she reached Maitighar Mandala in central Kathmandu with multiple of her companions.

Her estimate was many people would attend at most – but the crowds kept growing.

A participant, a 26-year-old protester, stated that the situation were at first peaceful and unified.

"Everyone was sitting, we were singing {old Nepali songs

Amy Jackson
Amy Jackson

A seasoned journalist with over a decade of experience in Czech media, specializing in political analysis and investigative reporting.