The houses of power smouldered in Kathmandu. The prime minister’s residence was torched, the President’s walls blackened, and ministers fled through alleys.
A hotel, the Hilton, owned by a party leader, was swallowed by flames. Nepal’s streets churned with a rage that began as whispers over a social media ban.
The crisis erupted after the Nepal government blocked 26 social media platforms on September 4, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, and X, citing non-compliance with new regulations. The ban lasted four days. It was enough.
By September 8, clashes between protesters and police turned violent. Security forces opened fire, killing 22 people and injuring over 200, including civilians and personnel.
The Oli-led cabinet held an emergency session, reversing the ban and restoring access to all platforms. Oli promised compensation for victims’ families, free medical care for the injured, and a 15-day inquiry panel to investigate the unrest.
Despite these measures, public anger intensified.
On September 9, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned after curfews failed to contain the swell of reported Gen Z protestors marching through Maitighar and Parliament Square, banners raised against corruption and poverty.
But the protests were more about corruption scandals, economic stagnation, and allegations of nepotism.
In one viral video, finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, 65, was seen sprinting through Kathmandu’s streets as scores chased him. A young protester leapt and kicked the minister, who crashed into a red wall.
Former Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, foreign minister Arzu Deuba, were also attacked by a mob during the protests and rushed to hospital.
Since abolishing its monarchy in 2008, Nepal has cycled through 14 governments. Reports now suggest that Oli is allegedly fleeing the country, heading to Dubai.
South Asia’s democracies are being jolted by a restless generation, and India sits at the centre of a neighbourhood where youth anger has already toppled leaders in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and now forces change in Nepal.
Bangladesh descended into chaos when student protests over a controversial quota system escalated into nationwide demonstrations. But the prime issues remained corruption and the young generation's frustration with the status quo.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had to flee the country in a helicopter. She was received in New Delhi.
Similar visuals of protesters looting items, breaking furniture, relaxing in bedrooms and taking a dip in the swimming pool were seen in both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
A crackdown left over 300 dead. The military stepped in, dissolved parliament, and freed longtime opposition leader Khaleda Zia, while appointing Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as interim chief adviser.
The country is set to go to polls in February 2026.
Sri Lanka still sifts through the ashes of its July 2022 collapse.
Hyperinflation, shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and a mismanaged economy drove masses to storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s palace.
Rajapaksa and others in ruling positions from the family had to quit.
The scenes were similar to what we saw in Bangladesh and Nepal. Thousands stormed the presidential palace.
Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on July 9, went to Singapore from there and spent a few months in Thailand on a diplomatic visa.
Elections in 2024 brought the left-wing National People’s Power coalition, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, to power, ushering in a record number of women and first-time MPs.
Pakistan remains politically volatile, though for different reasons.
Tensions peaked in August this year as police arrested more than 240 activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party during nationwide protests demanding the release of their jailed leader, Imran Khan, on the second anniversary of his imprisonment.
At least 122 were detained in Lahore, Punjab’s capital, for blocking roads and threatening law and order.
The government managed to stave off the unrest.
New Delhi has adopted a measured response to crises across the neighbourhood, combining humanitarian aid, border diplomacy, and security measures.
In Nepal, the external affairs ministry expressed sorrow over the loss of lives, issued travel advisories, and tightened vigilance along the open border.
Similar restraint marked India’s approach to Bangladesh’s upheaval. Sri Lanka received over four billion dollars in credit lines, currency swaps, and humanitarian assistance during its crisis.
Bangladesh’s youth dismantled dynasties. Sri Lanka’s forced an election. Nepal’s tore through a social media ban in days. Pakistan’s turmoil brews under military shadow.
As one South Asian government after another faces angry youth-led movements, many are beginning to ask: has the spirit of the Arab Spring crossed over to Asia?
The cascading unrest underscores how domestic grievances are intersecting with geopolitical rivalries, turning India’s neighbourhood into a theatre of instability.
