Beyond Debunking: Lessons on Narrative Building From Nepal’s Gen Z Protests

Our report on the how narratives, as seen during Nepal's Gen Z protests, are built during crisis events, spiralling out of control to serve particular agenda.

(Source: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

When a single misleading post goes viral, fact-checkers can debunk it with evidence. But what happens when dozens of posts, new reports, memes, and videos all push a similar line of thought?

This is something we saw in the recent ‘Gen Z protests’ held in Nepal earlier this month. However, the pattern is not unique to these protests. This is how narrative building works.

It is the process by which seemingly disconnected and sometimes fake stories are framed and amplified in a way that serves a particular agenda. Unlike one-off fake news, narratives shape the lens through which people interpret all future events.

Coming back to the Nepal crisis, we observed posts on social media and some reports in traditional media channels attempting to create a narrative of religious unrest, anti-India sentiment, and instability.

For example: 

Temple vandalism claims: NDTV India and several social media users shared a video showing people scaling gates at Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple, claiming protesters had desecrated it. Fact-checks revealed it was festival footage from earlier years, not linked to the protests. 

The video predated Nepal's September 2025 protests.

(Source: The Quint)

False resignation reports: Viral posts claimed Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Poudel had resigned. He hadn’t.

Historical distortions: Former PM KP Oli was wrongly described as the only leader never to visit India — despite two official visits in 2016 and 2018. 

Communal twist: Posts suggested that the protests were about turning Nepal into a “Hindu Rashtra” or that demonstrators wanted a leader like Modi or Yogi. Neither reflected reality on the ground.

How narrative building works: 

1. From Emotional Hooks to Half Truths: The Role of Mainstream Media
Media organisations make the editorial decision of highlighting certain stories, headlining them in a sensational manner and deciding what holds prominence in their coverage. By using visuals of temples and invoking the idea of “Hindu Rashtra,” misinformation reframed a political protest about governance into a communal confrontation. This fits neatly into familiar South Asian frames of “religion under threat” — making it easier for Indian audiences to consume, believe, and share.

2. Repetition and Amplification Arc: The Role of Social Media
Social media users use memes, reels and unrelated viral hashtags that give the narratives an emotional punch. Social media platforms that run on algorithmic outrage make it easier for bad actors to push one-sided frames. The narratives are sometimes also amplified by an army of bots, which gives them the appearance of the majority opinion.

Fake claims about Oli “never visiting India” suggested that Nepal’s politics were inherently anti-India. This turned a domestic leadership tussle into a geopolitical rivalry, feeding nationalist sentiment on Indian social media.

3. Sowing the Seed of Doubt: Narrative vs Claim

Claims of presidential resignation, violent deaths, and widespread chaos exaggerated the scope of unrest.

While these false claims can be debunked, the narrative lingers and fuels distrust.

Why This Matters for Fact-Checking

The Nepal case illustrates why fact-checking can’t stop at verifying a single viral claim. We need to:

• Map the ecosystem: Who is pushing these stories? Why are mainstream outlets amplifying unverified visuals?
  
  

• Spot the patterns: When multiple false claims point to the same larger frame — such as “Nepal is in religious/political chaos, India looks stable by comparison” — we are no longer just dealing with misinformation, but with narrative warfare.
  
  

• Disrupt with context: Debunking the Temple video isn’t enough; audiences also need to understand why religious imagery is being weaponised.

VKK (Verify Kiya Kya?) Tips: Resisting Narrative Traps

Here’s how you can protect yourself:

1. Spot the Frame
Ask: What bigger story is this post trying to push? Is it connecting unrelated incidents?

2. Check the Balance
Check if only one side is consistently being highlighted. Narratives thrive on selective emphasis.

3. Diversify Your Sources
Don’t rely only on one channel, influencer, or group. Different viewpoints help break echo chambers.

4. Beware of Emotional Highs
If content makes you instantly angry, fearful, or triumphant — pause. That’s the first sign of narrative engineering.

5. Look for Data, Not Anecdotes
Narratives often adhere to the notion that “one story = entire truth.” Always check whether broader statistics back the claim.

6. Support Independent Checks
Share fact-checks with your networks. The faster verified information spreads, the weaker a manipulated narrative becomes.

(Not convinced of a post or information you came across online and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9540511818 , or e-mail it to us at [e-mail] and we'll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.)