Nepal needs reforms to stem the rot

NEPAL, no stranger to political instability, is in turmoil again after violent anti-government protests forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. His exit came in the wake of a brutal police crackdown on protesters that left at least 19 dead. It was a controversial ban on social media sites that unleashed the fury of the youth-led Gen Z group, which has been campaigning against alleged corruption in the highest echelons of power. The young brigade had used popular online platforms to claim that children of ministers and other dignitaries owed their extravagant lifestyles to ill-gotten wealth. The alleged bid to suppress freedom of speech backfired badly. Stung by the backlash, the government did not take long to revoke the ban, but that did not help to cool frayed tempers.