Rise Of Resistance

Several protests escalated in Nepal over a few months this year. As dismayed Nepalis took to the streets, violence ensued on the part of the police and security services. In March 2025, pro-monarchy supporters rallied for the return of the king. What began as a peaceful rally turned into a fatal protest where, tragically, two lives were lost and numerous others were injured. Consequently, the government was heavily criticised for the reckless conduct of the Nepal police, whose retaliation caused uproar. Then there is the teacher’s protest, which is a recurring protest that has seen teachers in Nepali public schools calling for better educational bills and policies as well as job security for temporary and relief quota teachers. 

Protests aren’t new to Nepal. Looking at its history since the Rana and Panchayat regime, Nepal has seen numerous protests. Nepalis have upturned governments, regimes and even the monarchy so as to install a democratic government in the nation, largely through protests and strikes. And since becoming a democratic nation and then a republic, Nepal continues to see its citizens taking to the streets for a cause. 

Whether it is for a change in policy in a government sector or climate initiatives, protests serve a larger purpose. Throughout the world, history is witness to people who have taken to the streets to raise their voices against injustice. Currently, the Middle Eastern Israel-Hamas war has resulted in protests against humanitarian crimes taking place in Gaza. Prominent US colleges and universities have seen students rally in the streets demanding peace, only to face retribution from the Trump presidency, even though peace is a noble cause.

Along with pro-Palestine protests, there have also been widespread rallies in the US against the anti-immigrant policies and mass deportation that have rocked a nation that was commonly considered a melting pot. Unfortunately, now the United States has become quite unsympathetic to immigrants, as ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has ramped up its arrests and deportation of undocumented immigrants.  

Looking at nations that are mired in civil wars, terrorist activities, genocide, and so on, one can see a pattern of disintegration as the citizens are propelled below the poverty line, because their governments are corrupt and ruled by tyrants. In war-torn regions, humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate as their citizens have lost basic rights. Who will hear their side of the story? And who will stand up for them if they cannot stage protests for fear of retaliation from the government? 

This is where the world's citizens must come to support one another. The students in the US are thousands of miles away from war-inflicted zones such as Gaza, Russia, Ukraine, etc., and they aren’t directly affected by the wars abroad. Still, they are showing support for those who are directly and adversely impacted by wars. They are doing this to show solidarity with their fellow global citizens. Peace is always a grand cause, enough to stand up for, even if one is thousands of miles away from the war-afflicted zones. 

The world requires peace for progress, stability and prosperity. And peaceful protests are a part of a democratic society wherein citizens must be permitted to have their say without the fear of retribution.