At the heart of Nepal’s fiercest youth uprising in years stands Sudan Gurung, a 36-year-old activist whose name has become synonymous with the movement for digital freedom.
Gurung, president of the youth-driven NGO Hami Nepal, has mobilised thousands of students across the country in defiance of a controversial social media ban imposed last week.
It was Gurung who urged students to march in their school uniforms, carrying books as a symbol of peaceful resistance. His group reportedly mapped out protest routes and shared safety tips on social media until the Nepal government abruptly cut access on September 4, banning 26 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, and X.
The ban quickly ignited fury among Nepal’s digitally-native Gen Z, sparking protests that escalated into the bloodiest street violence in years.
On Monday, security forces fired live rounds outside Parliament in Kathmandu, killing at least 19 people and injuring more than 300. Hospitals were overwhelmed, with even emergency wards filling with tear gas.
The crackdown forced Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak to resign, while the army was deployed to secure the capital. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, blamed “unwanted elements” for hijacking the protests but insisted the intent was regulation, not censorship.
However, by Tuesday, facing mounting pressure at home and abroad, the Cabinet reversed the ban.
“The social media platforms have been opened, which was among the Gen Z’s demands,” Communication Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung has been cited by AFP, adding that the government was open to dialogue.
The unrest has, nevertheless, only deepened.
Defying curfews, demonstrators blocked roads with burning tyres, chanted “Don’t kill students” and “KP chor, desh chhod” (“KP is a thief, quit the country”), and vandalised homes of senior politicians, including former prime ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Rights groups have condemned the use of lethal force. Amnesty International has accused authorities of firing live ammunition at protesters, while the UN called for an impartial probe.
For many young Nepalis, Gurung now embodies their fight.
Once an event organiser, he turned to activism after personal tragedy, building Hami Nepal into a platform that channels frustration into structured, peaceful action. From leading transparency campaigns in Dharan to organising nationwide rallies, Gurung has become the voice of a restless generation.
As The Kathmandu Post noted, for Gen Z, “digital freedom is personal freedom.” And for thousands in the streets, Sudan Gurung is now the symbol of that fight.
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