Virtual Reality's Grip On Political Discourse - The Rising Nepal

This article by former Tribhuvan University political science reader Dahal explores how Nepal's Generation Z used digital networks to organize unprecedented nationwide protests that toppled the government in just two days, forcing Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign.

The analysis examines how the Information Revolution transformed political engagement in Nepal, enabling young people to bypass traditional party structures and coordinate massive demonstrations against social media restrictions and corruption. The protests, which began on September 8-9, resulted in 74 deaths and exposed institutional failures across Nepal's political establishment. Despite infiltration by "deep state agents" and old party saboteurs, Gen Z groups successfully negotiated government dissolution and the appointment of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as Prime Minister.

• Digital connectivity empowered Gen Z to organize horizontally, challenging traditional hierarchical party politics and creating new forms of civic engagement beyond conventional political structures
• The revolt succeeded faster than any previous democratic movement in Nepal's history, accomplishing in two days what took previous movements years or decades to achieve
• Old political parties failed to adapt to information-age politics, remaining disconnected from youth demands for transparency, accountability, and democratic reform within party structures
• The success depends on whether reformist elements can build organizational strength, create coherent transition programs, and maintain international legitimacy while countering potential counter-revolutionary forces