The economic roots of Nepal’s uprising—and what it means for the region

In Sri Lanka, foreign reserves dropped to near zero, leaving the state unable to pay for basic imports. In Sri Lanka, the Rajapaksa family had dominated politics since 2005, enriching themselves and their allies while hollowing out state institutions. When Oli attempted to muzzle criticism by banning social media, he miscalculated: instead of silencing dissent, the ban fueled it. In Sri Lanka, young activists transformed Colombo’s Galle Face Green into GotaGoGama, a protest commune complete with libraries, art exhibitions, and community kitchens. In Nepal, social media accounts for 80 percent of internet usage, with Instagram videos and hashtags bypassing government censorship, turning online outrage into street-level mobilization.