By P.K.Balachandran/Sunday Observer
Colombo, September 14 – Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, resigned on Tuesday after violent protests by youths over a blanket ban on social media outlets. At least 22 were killed in police firing and attacks on police officers in the violence that swept Nepal over two days. Mobs stormed government offices setting several of them on fire. Even the residence of Prime Minister Oli was not spared.
A report that Oli had fled the country could not be confirmed. The Army, which took charge of security later on Tuesday, also denied that President Ram Chandra Poudel had resigned.
Oli submitted his resignation letter to President Poudel, the Prime Minister’s office said on Tuesday, adding that the move was intended to allow a political solution to emerge. Both President Poudel and the army appealed for calm as well as talks to end the turmoil.
Familiar, Emerging Pattern
What happened in Oli’s case was not unfamiliar to South Asia watchers. Suddenly erupting popular movements have ousted strong and well-entrenched leaders in the region in the recent past. Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka and Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh were both well-entrenched and yet they quickly cracked under popular pressure.
However, in both cases, public resentment was gradually building up for some time, but had gone unnoticed by those ensconced in the seat of power In both cases, the telling blow came rather suddenly and the fall of the strong leader was unexpectedly swift. And for the first time in the history of their countries, they had to flee from the country at virtually no notice.
Gotabaya’s economic and COVID-mitigation policies were very unpopular rendering his stunning electoral victory useless. In the case of Hasina, her contribution to the economic recovery of Bangladesh and her consistent electoral triumphs, meant little when on some emotive issues, the masses got totally disillusioned with her.
So it was in the case of the Nepalese PM, K.P.Sharma Oli, a committed leftist, a staunch nationalist, and a four-time Prime Minister. His performance as Prime Minister and as a political leader since his last election victory not only fell far short of expectations, but his style of functioning invited the displeasure of the masses as well as the political class. He had, like Gotabaya and Hasina, become a victim of hubris.
On September 9, Oli was ousted by an Aragalaya or July 2024 tsunami of mass anger, indicating an emerging pattern in South Asia. It appears that a pattern of indigenously-generated regime change is emerging in the region, a pattern that political leaders here cannot afford to ignore.
Touchy Issue of Social Media
Last week, Oli’s government had banned several widely used social media networks including Facebook, X and YouTube on the ground that they had failed to comply with a new requirement to register with the government and submit to governmental oversight.
The government’s case was that while social media platforms, operating globally, generated for themselves billions of dollars in annual revenues, they paid little or no tax in the countries they operated because they did not have a physical presence there.
But the ban on Facebook, X and You Tube was seen by the youth of Nepal, who were major users of social media, as a brazen attempt by Prime Minister Oli to throttle freedom of speech. As for January 2025, social media had 14.3 million users in Nepal. The number of accounts covered nearly half of the total population of Nepal. And 72.8 % of adult Nepalese were using it.
On its part, the government feared that with nearly three-fourths of the voting population actively using social media, they could be used to spread “misinformation” or “subversive” content. The youth however considered the expression of such “fears” as a “sinister ploy to quell dissent.”
Therefore, the agitating Nepalese youth not only demanded the lifting of the ban on social media but also Oli’s ouster from office. As reasons for it, they cited the all-round failure of Oli to give Nepal a meaningful government and crushing dissent with a heavy hand.
Why was Oli Unpopular?
Once a popular and plucky Communist leader who refused to be cowed down by the economic blockade imposed by powerful India in 2015, Oli began to be seen as a non-performing Prime Minister and a dictator with scant regard for the needs, aspirations and sensitivities of people.
Nepalese commentator Achyut Wagle writes that Oli had rendered the Nepal a “dysfunctional, largely derailed democracy.”
It was not long ago that Oli enjoyed wide popular support for standing up against the blistering economic blockade by India in the aftermath of the promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution in 2015. However, Oli never elevated himself to be a statesman, Wagle says.
“Instead, he stuck to his pet traits of chicanery, machinations and brackish apolitical retorts. Lately, megalomania, hubris and a penchant for self-righteousness prevented him from listening to sane counsel essential for good governance. The goon-style politics which he promoted throughout his political life is perhaps his greatest weakness,” Wagle adds.
“There were conscious and persistent efforts to curtail media freedom, censure social media and limit individual freedom. Both, the federal facet of the constitution and the spirit of republicanism, were often trampled. The federal government by ominous designs expended a lot of energy to recentralise political and economic decision-making,” the commentator points out.
“Taking advantage of a comfortable majority in both houses of the federal Parliament, the government treated both lawmakers and Parliament as order carriers of the government. Not a single bill of national importance was properly discussed in the House,” Wagle points out.
Police Firing and Assaults on Police
Angered by Oli’s attitude, tens of thousands of people surrounded the Parliament building last Monday. “Stop the ban on social media. Stop corruption, not social media,” the crowds chanted, waving the Nepalese national flag.
A nervous police force opened fire on the demonstrators killing people. The Nepalese media said that the country had seen people’s movements in 1950, 1990 and 2006, but never before had the government killed 19 people in a single day.
The killing of youths led to Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak quitting the government. The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari also resigned. In his resignation letter, Adhikari said that instead of recognising the citizens’ natural right to question the rulers and stage peaceful protests, the Oli government responded with widespread suppression, killings, and use of force, moving the country towards authoritarianism rather than democracy.
But Oli justified his hardline by blaming unnamed “infiltrators” who, he said, could not be allowed to hold the nation to ransom.
Withdrawal of Ban Fails to Save Oli
However, on Tuesday Oli saw the writing on the wall and lifted the ban on social media. But it was too late. It did not stop political leaders and the agitating youth from continuing to call for his resignation.
Senior Nepali Congress leaders, including Shekhar Koirala, asked the party to quit the government. The main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) also issued a statement demanding Oli’s resignation.
Meanwhile, the youth stepped up their demands to include a ban on those leaders who had failed multiple times when voted to power. Such leaders should not be allowed to return to public office, the agitators said. The other demand was the establishment of an independent, transparent and impartial watchdog similar to an ombudsman, to hold officials accountable for corruption, abuse of power, and injustice.
Widespread Arson
On Tuesday, interestingly with the support of security forces, mobs took control of all key infrastructure facilities. Government offices, including those of the President, Prime Minister, Singha Durbar, the main administrative hub of the government, and houses of senior ministers, were torched or reduced to rubble.
Files and case documents from the Office of the Attorney General, the Special Court, and the Kathmandu District Court were taken out and set on fire. Witnesses reported that surrendering police personnel were dragged onto the street and assaulted. Kathmandu District Police confirmed the deaths of three officers stationed at the Koteshwor division.
President’s Plea
President Ramchandra Poudel urged all Gen-Z protestors and concerned political parties to engage in dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully. He said that grievances in a democracy can only be addressed through negotiations.
“With Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s resignation already accepted, I firmly believe that all sides, out of respect for the people, the nation, and democracy itself, will cooperate in seeking a solution,” the President said. He expressed confidence that dialogue with Gen-Z representatives and other stakeholders could pave the way toward a peaceful settlement.
Army Appeals of Peace and Dialogue
The Nepalese Army Headquarters said that protecting the nation’s historical, cultural, archaeological, and national assets is a shared responsibility of all citizens. “The Nepali Army, ever dedicated to the security and welfare of Nepal and its people, remains committed to protecting lives and property,” the army statement read.
“In these difficult times, it is our collective duty to safeguard the nation’s historical, cultural, and national heritage. Therefore, we earnestly urge the youth and the broader public to maintain restraint, uphold social harmony, and preserve national unity to prevent the situation from worsening,” it added.
Western Embassies’ Concern
Seven Kathmandu-based foreign embassies and the United Nations expressed serious concern over Monday’s killings of protesters by police.
“We are deeply saddened by the violence seen in Kathmandu and elsewhere in Nepal today, including the tragic loss of life and injury during demonstrations,” the embassies said in a joint statement on Monday night.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims, all those affected, and wish those injured a swift and full recovery, ” the statement issued on behalf of the embassies of Australia, Finland, France, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the US said.
“Our governments reaffirm our strong support for the universal rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalation, and ensure that these fundamental rights are protected,” the statement added.
Likewise, Hana Singer–Hamdy, the UN resident coordinator for Nepal expressed sorrow over the loss of life and injuries during Monday’s demonstrations. “Heartfelt condolences to the families affected. I urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and caution ensuring that citizens can safely and peacefully exercise their democratic rights”, she wrote in social media platform, X.
Nepal’s Chronic Instability
Nepal has been politically very unstable. With Oli’s going now, Nepal has seen 13 changes in the Prime Ministership in 17 years.
Unless the Nepalese political parties put their heads together and devise workable rules of mutual engagement, the country will see more instability. And till stability is established Nepal will continue to be an under-development country, and a happy hunting ground for international meddlers.
END
