A grassroots youth movement in Nepal has emerged as a powerful force after protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign in the country’s deadliest political crisis in decades. The demonstrations, organised by 36-year-old Sudan Gurung and his non-profit Hami Nepal, left at least 72 people dead and more than 1,300 injured.
Using Discord and Instagram, Gurung and his team mobilised tens of thousands of young people, often bypassing platform bans with VPNs. Their online calls to action were so influential they were cited on national television, and their leadership role has now extended to decisions on the country’s interim government.
The group persuaded Nepal’s president and army chief to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister, making her the country’s first woman to hold the post. Gurung pledged that the power would rest with the people and vowed to bring corrupt politicians to justice.
Hami Nepal leaders are now in discussions with Karki over cabinet changes, proposing the removal of officials from the previous administration. Members stressed that the process would prioritise skilled and capable youth in government roles.
The protests, driven largely by young adults, erupted after a government ban on multiple social media platforms. Clashes with authorities quickly escalated, with demonstrators calling out corruption and demanding accountability.
Although Gurung is older than most of the protest organisers, he has been clear that neither he nor his team seek political office. Instead, they want to remain voices of the movement, shaping Nepal’s political future without formally joining it.
Gurung first gained recognition by organising civic relief efforts during the 2015 earthquake, which killed more than 9,000 people, and later during the COVID-19 pandemic. His colleagues include cafe owner Ojaswi Raj Thapa and law graduate Rehan Raj Dangal, who manage Hami Nepal’s social media platforms.
Thapa, who has become a leading voice in the movement, emphasised the need for judicial independence and constitutional reforms while ruling out scrapping the current constitution. “We don’t want to dissolve the constitution,” he said, adding that reforms were necessary to strengthen democracy.
