https://icor.info/en/2025/en/2025/press-statement-3
नेपाल कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (मसाल)
Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)
केन्द्रीय कार्यालय Central Office
Email – ncpmashal@gmail.com
Press Statement
The meeting of the Nepal Communist Party (Mashal), held today, conducted a detailed and in-depth discussion on the current situation in the country. This statement has been issued to make public the conclusions of that meeting.
1. The meeting first of all paid tribute to the victims of the large-scale and unnecessary use of force during the Gen Z movement, which resulted in the killing of many young people, and expressed its heartfelt condolences to their bereaved families. Along with that, the meeting also conveyed best wishes for the speedy recovery of all protesters injured in that movement.
2. Our party has long opposed the authoritarian and arbitrary style of governance of K.P. Sharma Oli. That style of governance is responsible for the unusual situation that has arisen in the country. First, when the Supreme Court directed the government to regulate social media through legislation, social media was directly banned without enacting such a law. This caused widespread discontent and anger among the younger generation. Due to increasing misrule and corruption, unrest has spread throughout the country. In this situation, the youth took to the streets with demands related to social media and corruption. Their demands cannot be considered unjustified. But instead of resolving them in a just and balanced manner, the Oli government adopted a policy of strict repression. A large number of protesters died as a result, and more than 1,500 people were injured, many of them critically. The anger generated by such repression turned the second day of protests extremely violent, resulting in the destruction of national property, business establishments, private homes, and the offices of various political parties.
3. The demonstrations of the Gen Z generation have made it clear that there is great energy, power, and fighting spirit among the youth of the country. This shows that Nepal has a strong foundation for a bright future. However, if such youthful energy is not guided by the right principles and policies, it risks causing great harm to the country and the people. Their two-day movement has also indicated this danger. Evaluating the movement as a whole, it is clear that it was not guided by any policy, program, or leadership. As a result, serious disorder and chaos emerged. Incidents of vandalism and arson occurred across the country, including at the Supreme Court, Singha Durbar, Parliament House, and several ministries. The absence of leadership and a policy framework in the youth movement led to such outcomes. Overall, this shows that while youth have energy and power, in the absence of the right guidance, it is more likely to turn destructive than constructive.
4. Youth have high energy, but they lack ideological clarity and political maturity. As a result, they can be misused by destructive forces within the country or abroad. They cannot be held fully responsible for the large-scale destruction during their movement. It is clear that many harmful elements infiltrated under the guise of the movement, and the youth could not control them. Fires in the Supreme Court, Singha Durbar, and Parliament House; looting of businesses; and the release of thousands of prisoners from jails across the country are not ordinary events. Such acts are certain to cause long-term damage to the nation. No force responsible for the country’s development could engage in such destructive acts. The question remains: who is responsible?
5. Reports in the news media indicate that disputes over who would become Prime Minister in an interim government led to clashes among the Gen Z protesters. Such infighting shows their lack of political maturity and discipline. In this situation, their energy risks leading the country toward chaos and misery rather than progress and development. Therefore, special attention must be paid to guiding the new youth movement in the right direction and fostering maturity among them.
6. It cannot be denied that youth energy may be misused by reactionary forces within the country or by foreign imperialist powers for their vested interests. These threats can and must be prevented by fostering ideological clarity and political maturity among the youth. Only then will their strength serve the people and the nation.
7. Among the Gen Z generation, the idea that people become unfit for leadership after reaching a certain age has gained traction. However, age is not the main criterion for effective political leadership. The real requirements are ideological clarity, political maturity, service spirit, and honesty in dedication to the people and the nation. These qualities—not age—determine fitness for leadership. We see many young people involved in corruption and crime, while many elderly people around the world remain devoted to public welfare. Thus, age alone cannot be the criterion for leadership. Of course, age is an important factor, but leadership also requires human qualities, character, and ability. That is why, throughout history and across countries, leadership eligibility has never been determined solely by age.
8. We are of the opinion that an immediate solution to the current unusual situation must be sought within the framework of the existing constitution. While we disagree with the federalism it enshrines and believe it should be replaced with a unitary system based on democratic decentralization and local autonomy, we believe that the republic, secularism, multi-party system, and fundamental rights provided in the current constitution must be protected. Our party strongly opposes any process that would undermine them. At the same time, we clarify that we have theoretical and strategic differences with the republic and the multi-party system as they exist. However, given the present situation—where reactionary forces are attempting to abolish them—we emphasize the need to defend them.
9. The royalists have attempted to steer the Gen Z movement toward regression. Fortunately, their efforts failed. Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant, as they will likely continue exploiting the instability to push the country backward.
10. The deaths of many people during the Gen Z movement are the responsibility of the Oli government. However, the large-scale destruction of national, political, commercial, and private property is the result of an uncontrolled youth movement. While it is unlikely the Gen Z youth alone carried out such destructive acts, their failure to control or discipline the protests allowed destructive elements to infiltrate. Their political immaturity, lack of program, and lack of leadership made the movement appear spontaneous and chaotic. Consequently, destructive actions spread nationwide. The government must take responsibility for this situation. It must reconstruct damaged national property and also compensate individuals for their losses, since its failure to provide security caused this destruction.
11. The anger expressed by the youth is primarily a result of Oli’s government, but also stems from long-standing corruption, misrule, and betrayal of the people. It would be wrong to assume this anger is limited to the youth—it exists among the people as a whole. Successive governments since the advent of the republic and multi-party system have repeated similar mistakes. Monarchists are now exploiting this by promoting the idea that autocratic monarchy was better. But history shows that under royal autocracy there was greater corruption, misrule, and repression. Therefore, we must remain determined to resist all attempts to restore royal rule in any form.
12. Due to the crisis created by the Gen Z movement, the role of the army in politics has increased. This is not a good sign. We must ensure that such involvement does not undermine the republic and democracy, which the people achieved through long struggle and sacrifice.
13. There are ongoing discussions about forming an interim government and appointing a Prime Minister from outside Parliament. Our position is that any political solution must be pursued within constitutional provisions. Since no such appointment has yet been made, we will express our views only if and when such an action occurs.
14. Some parties are also raising the issue of dissolving Parliament. We do not consider this a correct idea, as it risks pushing the country toward regression. Whenever the issue of dissolution arises, we will oppose it. Some parties are also demanding a complete rewriting of the constitution. We do not agree with that either, although we acknowledge the need for certain amendments. Such amendments, however, must not undermine the republic, democracy, multi-party system, or fundamental rights.
15. The Gen Z movement created turmoil, but the disputes and bitterness among the youth clearly show they were not an organized force. It would be unwise to expect such an unorganized group to lead the country in the right direction.
16. Our party has consistently emphasized the serious threat of regression and the need for coordination with anti-regression forces. We will continue to pursue such coordination based on mutual consent while maintaining our differences and struggles with other parties on specific issues.
17. During the Gen Z movement, destructive acts occurred on a large scale. We believe such criminal acts were not part of the youth’s declared policies. We hope the youth will investigate and condemn them. We also stress the need for the government to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. Reports indicate that more than 14,000 prisoners escaped from jails during the protests. It is crucial to investigate how this occurred, who was responsible, and take action according to the law.
18. On the issue of forming an anti-corruption investigation committee, opinions differ. But it is undeniable that corruption has become a grave problem in Nepal. Development has stalled, agriculture and industry remain underdeveloped, and many young people are forced to migrate abroad. The root cause is corruption, rampant from the highest levels of politics and administration down to the grassroots. The Gen Z youth deserve credit for raising this demand. For this, we thank them and affirm our strong support for any genuine effort to investigate and prevent corruption. However, we emphasize that such investigations must be impartial, high-level, and free from prejudice or political bias.
12.09.25
Mohan Bikram Singh
Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)
