Who are Nepal’s ‘Npo Kids’ and why they generated protests

The criticism goes beyond ostentation and aims to inherited privileges and systemic corruption. For Time magazine, the “Npo Kids” have become shortcut for indignation with lack of perspectives, low wages and favors, even without formal proof of irregularities in all cases.

The feeling of injustice weighed more than legal evidence. The Hindustan Times notes that, in the midst of the economic crisis, the perception of privileges to feed the explosion of protests led by generation Z was enough.

Protests

The restriction on Facebook and Instagram in September was seen as censorship and lit the revolt. The government had required platforms officially registered before imposing the blockade. The measure coincided with the viralization of the “Npo Kids” and triggered protests in several cities, according to Reuters and AP.

The mobilization was led by young people aged 18 to 30, connected by the networks. Many claim not to feel represented by traditional parties and adopted the fight against “Npo Kids” as a way of denouncing inequality and nepotism. Hindustan Times describes the convergence between moral indignation, social networks and economic crisis.

Traditional political clans became a symbolic target. Families linked to KP Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” were associated with the term, although not all cases involve illegalities. Deccan Herald notes that the privilege narrative was enough to transform the “Npo Kids” into the central target of the revolt.