September 10, 2025

South Asia’s political landscape has become a rollercoaster ride full of surprises! In just the past three years, one after another, countries have seen fiery protests and quick government falls. First, Afghanistan’s Taliban comeback in 2021 shocked everyone. Then Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in 2022 through a political no-confidence vote. Sri Lanka had a wild protest wave in 2022 forcing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee. And in 2024, Bangladesh’s millions of protesters made Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina run away! On Tuesday, Nepal joined this intense club. Nepal’s chaos started when Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli slapped a ban on big social media platforms like Facebook, X, and YouTube. The move was part of a law to make tech firms register locally but hit a raw nerve. Young people flooded Kathmandu’s streets, furious about losing their voices online and also fed up with deep corruption, growing inequality, and nearly 20% youth unemployment. They called out the rich political families, dubbing the politicians’ kids 'nepo kids' enjoying luxury while youth struggle. Protests turned wild with fires engulfing government buildings and even the top media outlet Kantipur. In the end, Oli reversed the ban but bowed to the pressure and resigned, though he stays as caretaker. This young power surge isn’t new to South Asia. Bangladesh saw a similar youth-led storm when students protested a job quota system favoring some groups unfairly. The fight got so fierce that over 300 people died by August 2024. Sheikh Hasina fled to India amid massive unrest, and the army stepped in to start an interim government. On the first anniversary of Hasina’s exit, interim leader Muhammad Yunus promised elections in February 2026. Before Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s streets exploded in July 2022. Months of economic chaos made angry crowds storm and occupy presidential and prime ministerial homes, even chilling on sofas and taking selfies! President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country, resigning only after protesters demanded it. Yet his slow exit and political games left people even madder, demanding a unity government to fix the economic mess. Pakistan’s drama is a bit different. In 2022, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government fell in parliament after clash with the military. His 2023 arrest on corruption charges sparked violent protests, but police crackdowns squeezed his party’s strength. Meanwhile, soaring inflation and bad India ties keep Pakistan on edge. Afghanistan’s tale is bloodier. The Taliban swept Kabul in 2021 after the U.S. exit, ousting President Ashraf Ghani. They now rule with harsh Islamic laws, banning women from schools and work, and crushing protests. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said, "It was obligatory to follow the leadership’s commands and directives." Despite internal splits, the Taliban hold tight, but many Afghan people suffer tough problems like climate change and lack of aid. What ties all these stories? Corruption, unequal chances, and huge youth anger! In countries bursting with young people, generations locked out of jobs and justice have risen up. Professor Paul Staniland of University of Chicago put it well: “A perception of ruling elites as being both corrupt and ineffective at delivering a plausible path forward has created the basis for major crises.” But here’s the catch - this fiery rage hasn’t brought steady reform yet. Instead, new temporary rulers, shaky governments, or military moves fill in the gaps. One big issue is missing strong leadership in protests. Nepal’s young crowd and Bangladesh’s students have clear demands — ending corruption, fairness, jobs — but no single leader or plan. This creates power vacuums often filled by unelected elites, making people lose hope. For India, watching this South Asian drama is no small thing. With open borders to Nepal, risks of more migrants or unrest are real. Bangladesh seems less stable as an ally, especially as some Islamist groups grow. Sri Lanka’s ports are battlegrounds between Indian and Chinese influence. Pakistan stays a hotspot of nuclear, economic, and security tension. Afghanistan’s hard fall worsens threats from terror and refugees. Since 2008, the region’s seen thirteen governments in Nepal alone, Rajapaksas ousted in Sri Lanka, Hasina on the run in Bangladesh, Khan ousted in Pakistan, and the Taliban’s rise in Afghanistan. With protests, regime falls, and deep unrest, India’s neighbors are on a fiery edge — and the heat is only rising.

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Tags: South asia, Protests, Regime change, Youth anger, Corruption, India,