Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have contrasted the lavish lifestyles of political families — involving designer clothes, foreign travel and luxury cars — with the harsh realities faced by young people, including unemployment and forced migration

Deadly protests in Nepal have so far claimed the lives of at least 19 protesters. What began as an outrage towards a government-imposed ban on at least 26 social media platforms has dragged the country towards a state of anarchy. 

On Sept. 29, 2024, the Nepali Supreme Court ordered all social-media platforms in Nepal to register before operating so that authorities could monitor undesirable content,” with the text of the court verdict made public in August 2025. While platforms such as TikTok had already registered, several other platforms ignored this order. When the deadline passed, the government banned many social media platforms including Meta’s Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. 

But while these platforms were being banned, a trend emerged on TikTok exposing lavish lifestyles of Nepokids. Nepali citizens took to platforms like TikTok and Reddit to post images and videos of the children of political leaders, including those of former Prime Ministers and ministers. The focus of these protests were to expose broader corruption. But what began as a peaceful protest escalated to an angry riot when the government deployed a heavy security presence in the protest area. 

Today, a state of anarchy prevails in a country that is otherwise yearning for change. But analysts opine that it had also become an opportune moment for monarchist groups to campaign for the return of the royal family, while some parties are making it an opportunity to release corrupt individuals who have already been imprisoned. 

Viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have contrasted the lavish lifestyles of political families — involving designer clothes, foreign travel and luxury cars — with the harsh realities faced by young people, including unemployment and forced migration. The slogans have become symbolic of a deeper frustration with inequality, as protesters compare the lives of the elite with those of everyday citizens. Similar protests were seen in Bangladesh in July 2024, which resulted in the ever-so-powerful Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country, abruptly ending a 15-year rule. 

This trend of exposing lifestyles of ‘Nepo kids’ is a lesson for all political families in South Asia. There was a time when nepo kids ruled Sri Lanka with the blessings of their kith and kin in powerful positions. One kid even tried to open the door of a plane during a flight! There were those who  engaged in drunk driving like a habit, and some who were caught but eventually bailed out for hit and run cases — to name a few. There are several other examples of how taxpayers’ money was wasted by nepo kids which compelled the majority of the populace to take to the streets during the aragalaya.

The prevailing disparity of wealth distribution has created a widening gap that makes the rich richer and the poor poorer. High cost of living and other social indicators aggravate this disparity further. Wealth is concentrated among higher rungs of society while it never trickles down to the working class. Endless cycles of debt, heavy expenses and no savings have encouraged those at the lower rungs of society to opt for various kinds of contract labour.

Today, people have become fed-up of Nepo kids and their antics. The age of going after popular political rhetoric seems to be fading away. With more awareness, it seems that the people, especially the youth or Gen Z are demanding for transparency, equality, accountability and justice. Perhaps the time is right for Sri Lanka to tread along this path and usher in a clean culture of politics.