KATHMANDU: They were still in the womb or a crib when Narayanhiti Palace became a crime scene. On the night of June 1, 2001, gunfire echoed through the marble halls, leaving nearly the entire royal family, including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya, dead. Gyanendra Shah, the king no one expected, took the throne days later. But by 2008, amid a peace deal with Maoists and end of a decade-long civil war that left more than 17,000 dead, monarchy was abolished. For Nepal’s post- 2000 generation, the palace is more museum than memory.
And yet, the past is back. Not as nostalgia whispered in old homes, but as chants – ‘Raja aau, desh bachau’ – rising from TikTok and Facebook feeds, protest portals, and campuses. In private institutes, youngsters are asking hard questions of the republic. What has it delivered, besides a carousel of prime ministers and a nation in drift? Since becoming a republic in 2008, Nepal has had 13 different PMs, often through fragile coalitions. A school administrator said, “They’ve come of age amid rolling blackouts, political instability, and a broken job market. It’s not just the changing faces. It’s the lack of direction. Every few months, there’s a new education policy… a different entrance exam.”
In classrooms where teachers once prepped students for exams and jobs, conversations now veer into who should lead the country – elected politicians or a king – and whether their votes would matter at all. “We’re supposed to be teaching maths and science,” said Sagar Acharya, a principal in Chitwan. “But these days, it feels like we’re moderating parliament.” Smriti Acharya, a 20-year-old student, never imagined she’d attend a protest rally. “I didn’t live through the monarchy… But I’ve lived through this system – and it’s not working.” Her friend added, “When every year brings a new PM, what future are we supposed to plan for?”
The churn isn’t just political – it’s personal. Students watch classmates vanish abroad in search of something better. According to International Organisation for Migration, over 3,00,000 students have left the country for higher education in past five years. Nepal’s department of foreign employment said over 1,10,000 student visa recommendations were issued in 2022. Student absenteeism has spiked since the March 28 crackdown on protests. Even in schools that avoid overt political discussion, the tensions are palpable. “There’s a strange energy right now – a hunger to belong to something larger than themselves,” said a teacher. Sociologist Tara Rai said the protests are more than just a royalist revival. “This is a generation that has only known chaos. The generation’s activism is rooted in disillusionment, not nostalgia. For them, the king is less a figure than a symbol – of order, identity, something to rally around.”
For many, though, monarchy is not the solution. “Given the choice, I’d still opt for a democracy,” said another student. “It may be messy, but it gives us rights and a chance to participate. I just want a system that works.” Despite rising tensions, education ministry has issued no formal advisory. But insiders say informal instructions have been sent to “avoid sensitive political discussion” in classrooms. Still, it’s hard to silence what students are already debating online. Hashtags and remixed protest chants continue to spread across Instagram and TikTok. “That’s how students engage now,” said a digital media analyst.
