Nepali Social Media Personality Dr. Sandesh Lamsal Voices Strong Opposition to Social Media Ban

By
Special Correspondent
-
28
1641

Kathmandu: The Nepali government’s recent decision to ban major social media platforms, including Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, and Instagram, has triggered widespread outrage across the country. Politicians, activists, and citizens alike have condemned the move as an attack on freedom of speech and digital rights. Among the most vocal critics is Dr. Sandesh Lamsal—a well-known doctor, social activist, and social media influencer—who has emerged as a leading voice against what many call Nepal’s “digital authoritarianism.”

In his posts on X, Facebook, and Threads, Dr. Lamsal minced no words: “Combating misuse is one thing; silencing an entire nation without alternatives is madness. Regulation is necessary, but never at the expense of citizens’ rights and livelihoods.” He further slammed policymakers for being detached from reality, adding, “Governance is about service, not suppression. Common sense should not be this rare.”

When Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa criticised the ban, Dr. Lamsal directly challenged him:
“Words aren’t enough. Your party is in power; we want action, not excuses. Don’t play partisan blame games. Both Congress and UML must share equal responsibility. Don’t act like a failed leader! #ShameOnYou.”

A Blow to Free Expression and Livelihoods

The government says the ban aims to enforce registration requirements, such as appointing local contacts. Critics, however, see it as another attempt to stifle dissent. According to Media Action Nepal’s 2025 report, there were already 32 documented incidents of violence, threats, or arrests of journalists this year. For many, this latest move confirms fears of a shrinking democratic space.

The ban’s impact has been immediate. Facebook’s monetisation program for Nepali creators had just started before being abruptly halted, leaving digital entrepreneurs, small businesses, and students stranded. Families separated by migration have also been cut off from vital communication tools. In his viral video Bolna De Sarkar (“Let Us Speak, Government”), Dr. Lamsal stressed, “This isn’t just about posts or likes. It’s about our voices, our dreams, our future.”

Resistance Against the Social Media Bill

Adding to the uproar is the controversial Social Media Bill, introduced earlier in 2025, which includes vague provisions against “malicious intent” and requirements for user data. Dr. Lamsal has been at the forefront of protests against the bill, mobilising thousands and insisting that governance must “listen, not control.”

A Democracy at Crossroads

For ordinary Nepalis, social media is more than a platform—it is a lifeline for commerce, education, and social connection. With international watchdogs now closely monitoring Nepal, the government faces growing pressure to roll back its decision.

As Dr. Lamsal puts it: “Governance should lift people, not shut them down.” His fearless, no-nonsense stance has made him a symbol of resistance, and for many, a beacon of hope that Nepal’s democratic voice will not be silenced.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

28 COMMENTS

  1. Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your site in internet explorer, would test this… IE still is the market leader and a big portion of people will miss your excellent writing because of this problem.

  2. Do you have a spam problem on this website; I also am a blogger, and I was wanting to know your situation; many of us have created some nice methods and we are looking to exchange methods with others, why not shoot me an e-mail if interested.

  5. Thank you for the sensible critique. Me and my neighbor were just preparing to do a little research on this. We got a grab a book from our area library but I think I learned more clear from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.

  15. With havin so much written content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright violation? My website has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either authored myself or outsourced but it looks like a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement. Do you know any solutions to help protect against content from being ripped off? I’d definitely appreciate it.

  18. Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch since I found it for him smile Therefore let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch! “Any man would be forsworn to gain a kingdom.” by Roger Zelazny.

  19. That is the appropriate blog for anyone who needs to search out out about this topic. You realize so much its virtually arduous to argue with you (not that I really would want…HaHa). You undoubtedly put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Nice stuff, just nice!

  21. Hey, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your website in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, very good blog!

  25. hello there and thanks for your info – I have certainly picked up something new from right here. I did on the other hand experience some technical points the use of this site, as I skilled to reload the website lots of instances previous to I may just get it to load correctly. I were puzzling over in case your web hosting is OK? Now not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading cases times will sometimes have an effect on your placement in google and can harm your high-quality rating if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I am adding this RSS to my e-mail and could look out for a lot more of your respective interesting content. Make sure you update this once more very soon..

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here