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Flames poured from the Singha Durbar, the historic home of the Nepali government. All that Camilly Shrestha could do was stare at his phone, fearfully sifting through the coverage from local news outlets.
“I was devastated to see that,” said Shrestha, a computer science major at Springfield College. “Seeing that building burn was like…I [felt] like my heart was burning too, and I think every Nepali can feel the same pain.”
It started on Sept. 8, when crowds gathered in the capital city, Kathmandu, to protest against rampant corruption. Police opened fire in the streets outside of parliament, leaving 70 people dead.
Younger generations of Nepalese citizens led the way, wielding social media to highlight the stunning disparity between the wealthy elites and the working class, often best seen through online posts by the children of government officials.
A campaign was launched, using different versions of hashtags like #Nepokids, on posts that showed off the kind of designer products and luxurious European vacations that the majority of the country couldn’t even dream of.
According to The Transparency Project, a coalition that tracks corruption in 180 countries, Nepal ranked at 107 in 2024. Additionally, the Nepal Economic Forum examined the wealth disparity in Nepal this past year. It found that the richest 10% of Nepali have more than 26 times the wealth than the poorest 40%.
For as long as he could remember, Meraj Husen had seen his government use public money in order to line their own pockets.
He had begun to doubt the possibility of progress.
“I was not expecting this, because the number of times there was a big movement [that] happened…I was [always] pessimistic that something would change,” said Husen, a senior computer science and business management major.
7,500 miles away, both Husen and Shrestha could do little but watch, as the government banned any social media use in an attempt to thwart the anti-corruption activists. The distance is difficult, and only exacerbated during such extreme circumstances.
“I try to be very engaged in the political activities that’s happening in our country,” Shrestha said. “[Being far away] prohibits me from being there, and raising my voice against the government…not having that opportunity made me feel helpless.”
Husen recognized many people on the streets of Kathmandu, and desperately wanted to be there himself.
“I want to be the one of the leading men, and be involved in protests that work for changes,” Husen said.
Although he says the images upset him, he understood the necessity of such actions.
“Change needs sacrifice, and I think if they would not have burned the parliament, [nothing] changes,” Husen said. “It was a loss, but that loss is far, far less than what they are corrupting every month, every day, and every second.”
Notable in the coverage of the protests was the overwhelming number of younger people. It seems that this has become a common theme across South Asia, which has seen other revolts in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Spurred by the rising costs of living, long-standing regimes are starting to crumble under the economic pressures their citizens have had to bear. Shrestha, as a Gen Zer himself, believes his generation is uniquely positioned to push for reform.
“Younger people are more active on social media, and I [like to] think they know what’s wrong and right,” Shrestha said. “Seeing those posts showing off luxurious lifestyles, and on the other side, the amount of poor people in [our] country that can’t have their basic needs.”
By Sept. 12, the youth-led movement had successfully toppled the government, but that in itself presented risks. In the immediate aftermath, the country fell into a state of lawlessness, something that left Shresta with anxiety for the safety of family and friends.
‘It could’ve been anything, like a paramilitary group who can start fighting against each other,” Shrestha said. “It was really hard for me to just see it from here and absorb the pain.”
In times of crisis, Springfield is determined to be in support of its international students. The Director of the International Center, Heather St. Germaine knows that every situation calls for something different.
“It’s always challenging to be thousands of miles away from home in a crisis,” St. Germaine said. “We reach out to students to see if they are directly impacted, find out how they are doing, how we might be able to help and let them know we are here if they need us.”
The International Center partnered with the office of Spiritual Life, as well as the Nepali student community, to hold a candlelight vigil to honor the citizens who lost their lives during the protests.
Now, weeks later, the newly appointed Prime Minister Sushalia Karki faces her own challenges. Kakri was chosen because of her history for fighting against corruption, and her previous experience as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal.
The movement as a whole has expressed their support for Karki, but wants results soon. The protesters have called for the arrest of many of the ministers of the previous K.P Sharma Oli government, and then to deliver new elections within six months.
Shrestha and Husen say they believe a clear vision and strategy can set their home country on the right path.
“Unity can change everything, and I hope Nepal will keep progressing,” said Shrestha.
Photo courtesy of Camilly Shrestha