Nepal activists turn to social tech to choose new cabinet

A former DJ and his little-known non-profit started a Discord server discussion to discuss the fate of Nepal’s leadership after orchestrating mass protests through social media that forced Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign. 

After successfully walking former Chief Justice Sushila Karki into office, the activists could now use the platform known for gaming talks to influence cabinet appointments in the new interim government.

Sudan Gurung, a 36-year-old founder of Hami Nepal (We Are Nepal), mobilized tens of thousands of young people by using the messaging platform Discord and Instagram, according to over a dozen people who took part in the demonstrations. 

Nepal use Discord to suggest leaders in new government

Discord, originally built for video gaming communities, has large virtual spaces called servers where users can create several channels for communication. A server can host up to half a million members, with 250,000 active at any given moment.

The biggest server linked to Nepal’s unrest, Youth Against Corruption, had more than 130,000 members, according to data reviewed by India Today’s OSINT team, although there was no way to verify the exact locations of participants.

Nepal’s Gen Z population were angered by corruption scandals and what they coined “extravagant lifestyles” of political elites and their lineage. The hashtag #NepoBaby, popularized by naysayers of politicians’ children flaunting wealth, spread like wildfire on socials, which caused the youthful generation to burst out onto the streets in numbers for the protests.

Protesters bypassed restrictions imposed by the government on social media by using VPNs to access banned platforms and coordinate action. 

As reported by Cryptopolitan, members of Hami Nepal helped persuade both the country’s president and army chief to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the interim prime minister. The 73-year-old became Nepal’s first female leader after Oli’s resignation.

On Sunday, Hami Nepal leaders met with Karki to discuss possible cabinet members. The group said some officials appointed by the previous administration would be removed.

Voice of the youth, not politicians

Nepal citizens told Reuters that Hami Nepal is one of the facilitators of change for the post Oli government, and not a political party. The group stated on Instagram that the cabinet would consist of “skilled and capable youth” and its members had no intention of taking office.

“We don’t want to be politicians. Sudan Gurung was only helping the Gen Z group and we are only the voice of the nation and not interested in taking leadership positions,” said 26-year-old volunteer Ronesh Pradhan.

Gurung, who had a career as a DJ before founding Hami Nepal, organized relief operations after the 2015 earthquake that killed more than 9,000 people and coordinated assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Instagram account, run by a rotating team of volunteers, has amassed more than 160,000 followers. Posts are authored by Gurung and younger activists including 24-year-old café owner Ojaswi Raj Thapa and law graduate Rehan Raj Dangal.

In a recent interview, Thapa said judicial independence should be the top burning point for the interim administration. “We may need some changes to the constitution but we don’t want to dissolve the constitution,” he surmised.

The use of proxy names online has been common among Hami Nepal organizers, who cited security concerns. Several members requested anonymity when speaking about their involvement.

The government attempted to curb unrest by banning most social media platforms, including Facebook, X, WhatsApp and YouTube. Some Nepalis saw the ban as a violation of free speech, while others worried about the impact on communication with relatives working overseas. 

According to The Kathmandu Post, more than 741,000 Nepalis left the country in the fiscal year 2023-24 to seek employment abroad.

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