Nepal's leaderless Gen-Z revolution has changed the rules of power

"When Nepal's youth rose up without a leader, they broke a century-long cycle of betrayal, and showed where power really lies. In the 48 hours that Nepal's Gen-Z revolution unfolded, one question echoed across the country: Where is their Lenin? But perhaps that question missed the point. For decades, every Nepali revolution has been undone not by its enemies but by those who claimed to lead it. This time, the absence of a single figurehead was not a weakness; it was the movement's greatest strength."

"When the protests subsided, one name began to circulate: Sudan Gurung, head of the youth-led organisation Hami Nepal. But Gurung did not lead the uprising; he emerged only after it was over, more as a spokesperson than a commander. His late prominence was proof of what made this revolt different. By refusing to anoint a leader, Nepal's young protesters broke with a past where power was always concentrated in the hands of a few."

Nepal's young people rose without a single leader, breaking a century-long pattern of revolutions undone by those who claimed leadership and demonstrating power emerging from collective action. Sudan Gurung surfaced after the protests as a spokesperson rather than a commander, underscoring the movement's decentralized nature. The 48-hour upheaval caused severe human and institutional damage: at least 74 killed, about 2,113 injured, and three pillars of democracy—the parliament building, the Supreme Court and the Singha Durbar—torched. At least 300 local government offices were damaged and the Kantipur Media House was set ablaze. Economic losses are estimated up to three trillion rupees, with public infrastructure damage near one trillion. By September 10 the state machinery had collapsed and the prime minister had resigned.

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