Ten months ago, Nepal’s young anti-corruption protesters helped oust a prime minister and propelled a new political force to a landslide victory. The movement promised a decisive break from the old order. Yet barely 100 days into the new administration, many of the same young supporters are back on the streets, frustrated that the change they expected has not materialized.

Three months is too short to judge any government comprehensively. Structural reforms take time but expectations for a government elected on the promise of rapid transformation are naturally higher. That gap between expectation and delivery is becoming politically significant.

Last Sunday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Singha Durbar Plaza carrying placards reading “End atrocity against the poor” and “Respect human rights.” Their demands were directed not at the traditional political establishment but at Prime Minister Balen Shah’s government.

The immediate trigger was the death of 25-year-old gig worker Ganesh Nepali, who set himself on fire outside Kathmandu’s passport office on July 9 after what witnesses described as a dispute involving a wheel lock placed on his parked motorcycle by municipal police. He died the following day. Traffic police have since disputed claims that a fine or clamp directly caused the incident, stating that no citation was issued and an investigation into the circumstances are ongoing. Within days, two more individuals also attempted self-immolation, underscoring the depth of public anger.

The tragedy struck against the backdrop of an already contentious nationwide eviction campaign. Since April, authorities have been clearing settlements along riverbanks, displacing more than 2,600 families. The government argues that these settlements occupied public land and flood-prone areas that previous administrations lacked the political will to address. Many critics do not dispute the need to remove illegal encroachments. Their criticism is directed at the execution.

Families were displaced before adequate resettlement plans were in place, leaving many in temporary holding centers. When young activists visited one such facility in Kirtipur to inspect conditions, clashes with security personnel resulted in arrests and injuries. Days later, vehicles were mysteriously parked outside three major Kathmandu media houses, obstructing access in an incident now under investigation and being discussed in Parliament.

The episode also exposed a longstanding administrative flaw. Municipal police and national traffic police enforce separate laws for identical parking violations, creating overlapping authority and public confusion. Whether or not this directly caused Ganesh Nepali’s death, it highlighted the institutional dysfunction that citizens increasingly expect the new government to resolve.

The frustration extends beyond these incidents. Over recent months, several politicians arrested in corruption-related cases were quickly released through court proceedings, reinforcing public perceptions that accountability remains elusive despite promises of reform.

A hundred days cannot undo decades of institutional failures. Kathmandu’s policing issues, unresolved land disputes and informal settlements were inherited from previous governments — yet governments are judged on how they respond to the problems they inherit.

The objective of reclaiming public land was legitimate. The mistake was the sequence — eviction first, rehabilitation later, if at all. The government should pause further clearances until credible housing arrangements exist, clarify the jurisdictions of municipal and national enforcement agencies and ensure a transparent investigation into the obstruction of press freedom.

Nepal’s young activists did not mobilize merely to replace one government with another. They demanded a government willing to listen, correct mistakes and remain accountable. Their return to the streets is not proof that the democratic experiment has failed. It is a reminder that governments elected on promises of change face the highest expectations and must respond before frustration deepens into another tragedy.

Brabim Karki is a businessman and writer based in Nepal.