In five days last September, Nepal’s government collapsed, more than 70 people were killed and a new prime minister was selected through an online vote on Discord. Mahesh Raj Pandit, president of the Nepalese Student Association at Southeastern, recently explained the events that occurred in his country.

According to Pandit, the immediate trigger for the protests was an incident involving Ram Bahadur Magar, the Koshi minister of Nepal, who struck an 11-year-old girl with his car and left the scene without offering assistance.

“This was the main thing that every Nepalese person was upset about, because we elected those ministers and they are running away after they hit someone,” Pandit said.

However, Pandit identified deeper causes underlying the unrest. According to his account, repeated corruption has characterized the Nepalese political system over a 15-year period. People from the same upper-class social circle reportedly filled every ministry position, regardless of their political party affiliation.

Pandit referred to these policies as “nepotism.” He explained the ruling class in Nepal grew increasingly isolated and disconnected from the citizens for 15 years. Additionally, widespread corruption led to the bribery of political leaders to repeatedly elect the same ministers.

While Nepal’s GDP remains strong, Pandit noted the country’s infrastructure and government departments, including education and rural development, have developed very slowly. 

Nepal has a decentralized government, broken up into federal, provincial and local systems. According to Pandit, the federal government’s allocation of funds to the provinces did not effectively contribute to their development. 

Pandit explained how it was common for politicians to outsource government funds to their own companies for construction projects. This practice, known as a conflict of interest scheme, slows construction to funnel funds into politicians’ pockets. 

“These were the main things that made every youth, every teenager, come into the street and protest,” Pandit said.

International media coverage also cited a social media ban as a reason for the initial demonstrations, though Pandit emphasized that the minister’s hit-and-run was the primary catalyst.

The protests unfold

The most significant violence occurred on Sept. 8 and 9. According to Pandit, the national security forces opened fire on citizens gathered peacefully in front of parliament, including children aged 13 and 14.

“They were not only shooting at those who were at the protest, but they were also finding people who posted on social media and going to their houses to shoot them as well,” Pandit said.

According to his account, 19 students were killed on Sept. 8. Pandit described a specific incident in which police shot a student who was returning from school and not participating in the protest. The student was 12 or 13 years old. 

He said, “I will not call them youth. They were actual students who came directly from their school to fight for their nation.”

The killings sparked national outrage. “[On] Sept. 9, every youth was on the ground.” Protests spread across the nation in response to the reported deaths. The shootings continued, according to Pandit, but only in the capital. Nepal’s officials were posting on social media trying to calm their electors, while Pandit noted, “But when all those shootings were happening, they were hiding somewhere else.”

Pandit went on to clarify the protesters had no intention of resorting to violence. But after their friends were killed and their nation failed, the Nepali people could no longer bear their government’s tyranny. “We don’t want a government that is not holding back the forces who are killing people, who are killing youth, who are killing students,” said Pandit.

 According to Pandit, the Nepali people rose up, and by the end of the day, the prime minister resigned and the former government had collapsed. More than 70 people were killed.

Nepal’s Supreme Court caught fire on Sept. 9, and the youth were blamed for the fire. However, amid the chaos, other political parties and affiliates also burned documents that criminalized them for corruption and greed, adding to the flames. Some political parties also used this time to release political prisoners.

Rebuilding, a new prime minister

After the collapse of the government, young people in Nepal stayed active, working to stabilize their country and prevent outside interference. “We still were fighting for our nation, because we don’t want any other country to take over our nation…Because in history…whenever you don’t have a good government, good leadership, another country always tries to take control of your country.”

Eventually, the Nepalese army regrouped and began monitoring for foreign threats. The Nepali people then began rebuilding.

On the night of Sept.10, the group Hami Nepal, created a Discord group where youth voted on the next prime minister. 

On Sept. 12, Sushila Karki was appointed as Nepal’s first female prime minister.. “She was a former justice speaker…She is well-educated because she knows a lot about laws and constitutions…She is doing a great job. Since then, she has appointed new ministers who are really educated, and who deserve that position in that ministry.” 

What comes next 

The March 2026 election will mark Nepal’s first major test since the regime change, determining the direction of the nation’s democracy.