Kathmandu, Sept. 14 -- The day before the Gen Z protest was supposed to take place, Nepal's beloved band Nepathya shared a clip of them performing the hit song, 'Gaun Gaun Bata Utha'. The next morning, when the hopeful youth gathered at Maitighar Mandala, the same song was being played through a loudspeaker. This created an energy that was seen and felt, as the youth marched forward demanding change.

However, this is not the first time this song has been used in a movement. Written and composed by Shyam Tamot during the Panchayat era, it was widely used in democratic movements and carried an anti-establishment image for nearly three decades (1960-1990). It is also popularly known as the 'Sankalpa song'. The Nepathya version of this track...