Structures of A Structureless Movement: A History of Disillusionment and The Emergence of Digitally Networked Gen Z Protest in Nepal

Abstract

Recent youth-led protests, termed the Gen Z protest, in Nepal have attracted considerable scholarly attention, particularly because of their reliance on digital platforms and divergence from earlier party- or organisation-led movements but also because of the swift fall of the government. While existing literature acknowledges youth frustration with chronic corruption, unemployment and socio-economic problems plaguing the country, less attention has been paid to how historical processes produced disillusionment with political parties and the electoral process and shaped the movement. This article examines the Gen Z protest in Nepal by situating it within the long trajectory of disappointment resulting in deepened disillusionment. It argues that the series of movements led by various parties and ideological organisations failed to produce the promised result leading to historically produced distrust of party politics and electoral institutions. Simultaneously, the growing use of digital platforms like TikTok among the younger generation has enabled them to coordinate collective action outside of formal structures of political parties or ideological organisations. Drawing on the theories of social movements and digital communication, particularly the works of Manuel Castells (2009, 2015), Tufekci (2017), W. Lance Bennett and Alexandra Segerberg (2012), and Freeman (2013) the article shows how the Gen Z protest was shaped by the intersection of two distinct phenomena—generational disillusionment and digitally networked communication. The article, therefore, extends arguments in the literature on networked protest by suggesting that the turn towards decentralised and leaderless forms of mobilisation may be shaped not only by the affordances of digital communication but also by historically produced distrust of formal political organisations.