Long before Spotify playlists and protest anthems blaring through the speakers in rallies, many countries already used music as a powerful tool of resistance. If we talk about the US, then its tradition of protest songs goes back to the time of revolutionary wars. One of the examples is “Yankee Doodle”, a tune used by British and American forces to mock each other. Later, when the British laid down their arms in Yorktown, the Marquis de Lafayette famously played “Yankee Doodle” as his final jab, repossessing the song with patriotic pride. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common to set new protest lyrics to the melodies of well-known songs. Instead of composing new tunes, writers would simply instruct people to sing their lyrics to familiar music, which made it easier for messages to spread. In the case of Nepal, we see that they are using music as a platform for social and political observation by protesting against issues like corruption, unemployment, poverty, and social injustice, with rap music emerging as a powerful tool to express their feelings. Utsaha Joshi, a hip-hop artist, believes that hip-hop is not just music; it’s a reflection of society. Where the media misses the deeper truths or avoids certain topics, hip-hop delves into the raw, unfiltered realities of people’s lives, filled with struggles, hopes, setbacks, and survival. More than that, hip-hop becomes a form of protest. It gives a voice to the voiceless or those who are often silenced or ignored. Some songs challenge the cruelty and corruption in society, calling out the system and the culture that allows such harm to happen.

The rise of protest music in Nepal found its turning point in the mid-1960s, when a group called Ralfa was making upsurges. This collective was made up of spirited young leftists like Raamesh, Raayan, and Parijat, who came together during a time of political domination. The Panchayat system, which was introduced in 1960, shattered Nepal’s early democratic hopes, and Ralfa used their music and art to push back. Some of its members later joined hands with what would eventually become the CPN (Marxist-Leninist) in eastern Nepal. But actually, protest music in Nepal didn’t come into sight with the rise of Ralfa. Back when the Nepali Congress was resisting the Rana regime, songs were already being used as tools of political expression. But sadly, those early songs have faded from public memory, unlike the later works that followed. The protest music movement became more organized and rooted in the lives of everyday people during the Panchayat era. Artists like JB Tuhure from the Sankalpa Giti Abhiyan gave voice to the struggles of the marginalised. One of his unforgettable lines asks, “Mothers and sisters, how long will you live as slaves, forever yearning for happiness?” his music, basically centered on the suffering of women and the injustices they face, struck a deep chord across generations and helped keep the spirit of resistance alive.

Fast forward to the modern times, where protest music continues to challenge power, though not without consequences. Recently, folk singer Pashupati Sharma grabbed attention with his satirical song “Lutnasake Lut, Kanchha” (which means loot if you can, brother), which sharply criticized the corruption in Nepal. But his bold message didn’t go unchallenged. The Youth Federation Nepal, the youth wing of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, ordered its members to protest against the song nationwide. Under pressure, Sharma temporarily deleted the video, explaining on Meta that some listeners were uncomfortable with certain lyrics. Despite this, he thanked the many people who supported his message against injustice and corruption. The song’s sarcastic tone, which appeared to encourage looting, was a reflection of public anger towards uncontrolled corruption and the feeling that those in power can get away with anything. From this incident, we can understand that while protest music in Nepal has evolved with time, from revolutionary ballads to satirical folk, it still carries the same fire- that is to speak, truth to power, give voice to the voiceless, and hold a mirror to society.

In early 2019, the Nepali government introduced a controversial bill that immediately raised red flags among citizens and human rights activists on February 20th. The proposed law aimed to punish people for posting anything that is considered improper or unacceptable on social media. The critics saw this as a threat to free speech. This is because under the new law, platforms like Meta, X, and YouTube can be blocked in Nepal unless they are officially registered with the government. Additionally, the authorities would gain the power to demand that certain power to demand that certain posts be taken down. If social media companies fail to do so, they could face three years in prison and fines of up to 30,000 Nepalese rupees (which is about USD 262). For individuals, the stakes were even higher, which means any post the government deemed defamatory or harmful to national sovereignty could land someone in jail for up to five years and cost them 1.5 million rupees (about USD 13,000). Although no deadline was set for passing the bill, journalists, civil society members, as well as human rights groups quickly responded. They feared it was a deliberate attempt to silence critics of the then ruling Communist government, which held a strong majority in the parliament. The Nepal Press Union openly condemned the draft law, calling it a product of a regressive mentality. They argued that the government was trying to undermine freedom of expression, especially in spaces like social media where people could speak most freely.

The Nepali government has faced severe criticism for trying to shut down opposing voices through new laws. One of these laws could send people to jail just for posting something on social media if the government thinks it is insulting or if it's to the country’s image. According to Raamesh, musicians truly earn their fame only when their work touches people’s lives by bringing happiness, spreading awareness, or by inspiring change. He admits that that kind of impact is becoming less common today, as he still finds the journey of music over the past 20 years fascinating. There are so many genres and subgenres; each one has something very unique, and each song tells a different story. In a country like Nepal, where music has long been the tool for change, perhaps the most powerful songs are still the ones that dare to speak out, stand up, and sing for the people.       

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