Youth Demand Live Broadcast of President–Military Crisis Talks Amid Voilent Nepal Protests

Kathmandu: As nationwide protests continue to shake Nepal, young demonstrators are now demanding that upcoming talks between President Ram Chandra Paudel and the Nepalese Army be broadcast live. The demand comes amid rising tensions, following violent clashes that have left at least 19 people dead and hundreds injured.

President Paudel is expected to meet with both Gen Z protest leaders and top military officials on Wednesday in a high-stakes effort to bring the situation under control through peaceful dialogue. The youth-led movement, which began on September 8, has quickly spread across major cities including Kathmandu, Pokhara, Butwal, and Birgunj.

Protesters are calling for transparency not only in governance but now in how the state handles the current crisis. "We want the public to see what is being discussed. This concerns the future of our generation," said one student protester at a rally outside the Federal Parliament.

The talks were announced late Tuesday after President Paudel accepted the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. In a statement quoted by The Himalayan Times, the President appealed for calm, saying, “In a democracy, the demands raised by citizens can be addressed through dialogue and negotiation.”

His call for peaceful resolution comes as violent demonstrations have escalated. Security forces reportedly opened fire on crowds, leading to mass injuries and widespread anger. A curfew has since been imposed in several cities in an attempt to restore order.

At the center of the unrest is the government's recent ban on 26 major social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. Officials claimed the move was to curb misinformation and enforce regulatory compliance, but protesters view it as a direct attack on free speech and an attempt to silence dissent.

Anger has also been fueled by a recent social media trend exposing the luxurious lifestyles of politicians' children widely known online as the “Nepo Babies.” This further highlighted the growing economic gap and ongoing issues of nepotism and corruption.

So far, four ministers have resigned, and public pressure is mounting. Youth activists are not only calling for the restoration of social media access but also for systemic reforms to address corruption, inequality, and unemployment. An estimated 5,000 young Nepalis are leaving the country each day in search of better job opportunities abroad.

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