Nepal Crisis: How A 11-Year-Old Girl's Death Fuelled Gen-Z Fire Against Oli Govt

Last Updated:September 10, 2025, 13:10 IST

At the heart of this unprecedented coup lies an incident involving an 11-year-old girl, an event that sparked outrage across Nepal and gave Gen-Z the rallying cry

By September 8 and 9, Nepal's youth, mobilised largely through underground networks, stormed the Parliament complex. (PTI Photo)

Nepal is witnessing its most turbulent political crisis in recent history, with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli forced to resign and go underground following a youth-led uprising that has shaken the country. The army has now assumed control, even as suspense continues over when a new government will be formed.

The fall of the Oli government, which many initially linked to the recent ban on social media platforms, has roots far deeper than a single policy decision. At the heart of this unprecedented coup lies an incident involving an 11-year-old girl, an event that sparked outrage across Nepal and gave Gen-Z the rallying cry it had long been waiting for.

The crisis traces back to an incident in Harisiddhi, Lalitpur district, in August this year. A provincial minister’s official car struck an 11-year-old girl as she stood at a pedestrian crossing. According to eyewitnesses, the car attempted to flee without stopping, leaving the child injured on the road. Locals, however, managed to intercept the vehicle and the driver was detained.

The girl survived with serious injuries, but the story took a sharp turn when the minister’s driver was released within just 24 hours. Public anger intensified when PM Oli dismissed the accident as a “minor incident". Photographs of the injured child went viral online, with hashtags such as #JusticeForTheGirl flooding social media platforms. The outrage revealed deep-seated frustrations among the youth over corruption, impunity, and lack of accountability.

For Nepal’s Gen-Z, already seething over unemployment and governance failures, this hit-and-run became the final trigger. What followed was a surge of online mobilisation that swiftly spilled onto the streets.

Instead of addressing the grievances, the Oli government made a fateful move on September 4, announcing a ban on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp. The attempt to stifle dissent proved disastrous. “Banning social media proved very costly for the Oli government," noted one political observer, adding that Oli had “no idea that his one decision would lead to the fall of the government".

By September 8 and 9, Nepal’s youth, mobilised largely through underground networks, stormed the Parliament complex, the President’s House, and even the Prime Minister’s Office. Government buildings were vandalised, and the administration collapsed under the pressure. Oli and several of his ministers fled, with their whereabouts currently unknown.

“What happened in Nepal is not just about social media," analysts argue, pointing instead to the pent-up frustrations of an entire generation. The army has stepped in to restore order, while discussions are underway to establish an interim government.

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