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This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

The Gen Z protests – Inside Nepal’s ‘Discord revolution’

This Is Not A Drill with Gavin Esler

Podmasters

News, Society & Culture, Politics

4.81.6K Ratings

🗓️ 18 September 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

How did Nepal’s ‘Discord revolution’ spark so quickly and bring in a new national leader chosen by online poll? On the 8th of September, a group of young Nepali gathered in Kathmandu to protest a social media ban they saw as a heavy-handed crackdown against an anti-corruption movement. A week later, the government has fallen, more than 70 people lie dead after protests were infiltrated by violent groups and the government responded with lethal force, and Nepal has a new Prime Minister, herself nominated via social media. In the latest episode of This Is Not A Drill, Oz Katerji is joined from Kathmandu by journalist and academic Dinesh Kafle. • This episode of This Is Not A Drill is supported by Incogni the service that keeps your private information safe, protects you from identity theft and keeps your data from being sold. There’s a special offer for This Is Not A Drill listeners – go to https://incogni.com/notadrill  to get an exclusive 60% off your annual plan. • Support us on Patreon to keep This Is Not A Drill producing thought-provoking podcasts like this. Advertisers! Want to reach smart, engaged, influential people with money to spend? (Yes, they do exist). Some 3.5 MILLION people download and watch our podcasts every month – and they love our shows. Why not get YOUR brand in front of our influential listeners with podcast advertising? Contact [email protected] to find out more Written and presented by Oz Katerji. Produced by Robin Leeburn. Original theme music by Paul Hartnoll – https://www.orbitalofficial.com. Executive Producer Martin Bojtos. Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor Andrew Harrison. This Is Not A Drill is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Price tracking by Expedia. You were made to use your Do Not Disturb mode.

0:06.0

We were made to track flight prices to out of office.

0:11.0

Expedia made to travel. Available as a member benefit.

0:19.0

In early September, a group of young Napoli, by now known across the world as the Gen Z protesters,

0:30.3

gathered in Kathmandu to protest a social media ban they saw as a heavy-handed crackdown

0:36.0

against an online anti-corruption movement.

0:39.2

A week later, the government has fallen.

0:42.1

More than 70 people lie dead after the security forces responded with lethal force to the protests,

0:48.4

and Nepal has a new prime minister, herself, nominated via social media.

1:05.0

How did this discord revolution spark so quickly, catch fire with violence, and bring in a new national leader chosen by online poll? I'm Oz Katterjee, and this is Not a Drill. Welcome back to This Is Not A Drill. Welcome back to This Is Not a Drill,

1:30.7

joining us today from Kathmandu to unpick a complex series of events

1:35.2

and what lies ahead for Nepal and its young protesters

1:39.3

is Dinesh Kaffle, columnist at the Kathmandu Post

1:43.1

and assistant professor at Kathmandu University. Hello, Dinesh Kafflei, columnist at the Kathmandu Post and assistant professor at Kathmandu University.

1:46.9

Hello, Dinesh, thanks so much for joining us on This Is Not a Drill.

1:50.8

So look, a lot of our audience in the West are going to know very little about Nepal

1:55.2

and what has taken place within the last few weeks.

1:58.1

So where did it all start and how did we get to the point that we're at

2:02.4

today? Thank you, Oates. So it all started last Monday, which is the 8th of September. So that's when

2:09.3

the youngsters who call themselves JNG, they decided to come out on streets. So there's this place in

2:16.9

Kathandu called Maityghar Mandala, a crossroads where people come to protest.

2:23.1

So the government has dedicated a particular space where people can come and protest.

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