CPI(ML) Liberation on Nepal’s Gen Z Uprising
The Gen Z upsurge in Nepal has led to the collapse of the Nepal government led by PM K P Oli. Following the state violence on September 8, which caused several deaths and left many more protesters injured, Nepal was subsequently rocked by massive crowd violence and acts of arson, including the setting of the parliament building on fire and attacks targeting leaders and their families across party lines. Sections of protestors continue to insist that the movement is aimed at securing peaceful change, blaming 'external agitators' for the violence and appealing to the army to enforce curfews to maintain peace and protect public property.
While respecting the Nepali youth and people's right to fight against corruption and determine the future of Nepal, we are deeply concerned by the escalating violence and continuing loss of lives. We hope the people of Nepal succeed in restoring peace and work out a negotiated transition that does not undermine republican secular democracy in Nepal.
Nepal had succeeded in abolishing the monarchy and making a transition to parliamentary democracy largely under the leadership of communists, but ironically today communists seem to be the immediate target of the youth unrest against corruption, nepotism and autocracy. We hope the people of Nepal will guard against any attempt to restore the monarchy and undermine the sovereignty of this Himalayan republic and communists of Nepal will succeed in overcoming this juncture and renewing their role as the most credible force of democracy, progress and people's welfare.
CPI(ML) Liberation on protests and repression in Nepal
We are outraged and deeply saddened by the horrific killing of at least 19 young protesters and the brutal state repression in Nepal on September 8 during protests against the blanket ban on social media platforms. These killings mark one of the darkest days in Nepal’s recent democratic journey.
The government’s move to ban 26 social media sites including WhatsApp, YouTube, and X is an assault on the people’s fundamental right to free expression. The ban on social media, in the name of curbing fake news and misinformation, marks a deeply flawed path that only weakens democratic institutions instead of strengthening them. The youth of Nepal have also mobilised on the issue of corruption, which has corroded the country’s institutions and deepened public distrust.
Nepal has walked a long road from monarchy to republican democracy, but such repressive actions threaten the democratic spirit that brought down kings and autocrats. Respecting and expanding the democratic rights of the people is the only way to strengthen Nepal’s democracy and honour the sacrifices made in the country’s long struggle for democracy.
We stand with progressive and democratic forces across the region in rejecting all moves that erode democratic rights and civil liberties. We call for an immediate end to repression, and all necessary actions by the government to ensure justice for the victims and accountability for those responsible.
Ecosocialism 2025
