In a stunning display of political miscalculation, the government of Nepal single-handedly lit the fuse on a crisis that resulted in deadly violence and widespread instability. The decision to ban social media, intended as a show of strength, instead revealed a profound misunderstanding of the public mood and turned a collection of grievances into a unified and furious opposition.
The government failed to recognize that it was sitting on a powder keg of public discontent. The key ingredients of this explosive mix were well-known. First was the severe economic pain, with a youth unemployment rate of 20% creating a large and restive population. Second was the pervasive public anger at official corruption and nepotism, which had destroyed trust in public institutions.
Compounding these issues was the glaring inequality between the political class and ordinary citizens. This created a powerful “us versus them” narrative that was easy for dissent to coalesce around. The political atmosphere was already highly charged; any provocative act had the potential to trigger a disproportionate response.
The social media ban was that provocative act. It was authoritarian, it targeted the young and frustrated, and it was seen as a move to silence criticism rather than address problems. It was the perfect spark. The resulting explosion of unrest serves as a case study in how a government’s own actions can become the direct catalyst for its loss of control.