Journal of Resistance Studies logo

First 'Intergalactic' Resistance Studies Conference

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA

June 18-21, 2026 

Individual presentation
in person
in person

The Politico-Legality of Naming Resistance: Lessons from Nepal

Monisha Choudhary
The Politico-Legality of Naming Resistance: Lessons from Nepal In September 2025, Nepal experienced one of the quickest “revolutions”* in the history of the world, with the government toppled in less than forty-eight hours. This resistance against corruption was, all consequences considered, the first of its kind- one without a leader, one without specific demands, and one with no concrete plans of sustenance. This sporadic revolution was followed by an outcry for “one representative”, “one leader”, and a list of demands distilled from the ether of Discord conversations, TikTok reels, and Facebook and Instagram-based proclamations. Since its very conception, the events of September 2025 have compelled us to reconsider how to define resistance and negotiate its aftermath. Those part of the resistance have taken up many roles, trying to define and protect it from criminalisation. As the rest of the generations were catching up to September 2025 and attempting to understand the many frustrations and motivations of the Gen-Zs, a rather prominent challenge emerged- naming the events of September 2025. Politically and legally, resistance may be named and remembered as protest, riot, uprising, disobedience, demonstration, insurgency, conflict, and the like. However, the nomenclature of a resistance is barely limited to sensemaking and memorialisation- it also determines their legality and consequences. A barely twenty-five year old democracy, Nepal, has been home to many resistances- some gratified as movements, most dismissed as riots and protests. How are resistances defined? How are they named? Who names them? What is the role of the state in naming and treating resistances? How are the names of resistances remembered? This paper establishes a historical political framework we use to understand different types of resistances, furthers a politico-legal history of past resistances in Nepal, and contextualizes and speculates on the naming and remembrance of the Gen-Z undertaking of September 2025 Nepal- all from the perspective of a Gen-Z who took to the streets. * Here, resistance is used to refer to actions against injustice, an umbrella term that encompasses protests, riots, uprisings, disobediences, demonstrations, insurgencies, conflicts, etc.
Share on socials

Register for the Conference

Register to attend the Conference, online or in person, starting from only $10! 

You will get unlimited access to sessions like this, 1 year FREE Resistance Studies Hub membership, which includes Journal of Resistance Studies, Resistance Studies Network community platform, and future events and activites. You will have the chance to learn, share, network, connect with Resistance scholars and activists from all around the world!

Register

Login

Forgot your password, or haven’t set it up yet?

Click here to reset your password.

submit a presentation, panel or workshop proposal, or paper for the award

1
Get started
2
Last Page

Before we get started

Thanks for considering a submission to the 'Intergalactic' Conference on Resistance Studies! Before we get started, we just want to make sure that everything is ready.

The Call for Papers for the Conference is open to both academics and other people who implement resistance through activism, art, community, everyday efforts, and much more. All submissions, not matter your background, should:

  • Have a clear focus on 'resistance' and how resistance influences power relations
  • Contribute to our theoretical understanding of resistance; if you are not from an academic background, we still expect you to articulate coherently how your presentation or proposal contributes to our understanding and practice of resistance, for example, how you sharing your knowledge could help or enrich other activists or researchers

We are open to a wide diversity of worldviews and creative ways of presenting and engaging with resistance, whether drawing from literature, personal experience, cultural understandings or more.

For academic submission, it would be helpful for you to check out our policy statement.

If you have ready, we look forward to reading your submission. Let's go!

Title *
Submission type *
Where are you based?
This will help us connect you with resistance people around you
Correspondence email *
Enter the email you want to use for correspondence about the submission

Click on 'Add author' and add at least one author's name. This is a required field.

Authors *
ABSTRACT *
Describe your presentation, panel, workshop or paper. Min 100 characters
Would you like your paper to be considered for publication on the Journal of Resistance Studies?
Note: Full paper submissions will be required to be considered for publication. Deadline for full paper submission is May 1st, 2026.

Uploading your full text is optional, except if you are applying for the Award. For all other applicants, you will have the opportunity do upload a full paper later if you wish, by 1st May 2026.

Upload full draft
Maximum file size: 7 MB
Upload an editable Word document

Panel Proposals

Number of presenters

Tell us more details about your panel format (for example: individual presentations, discussion, roundtable, etc) and content (topic, title of presentations, whether the panel brings together researchers and activists, etc).

Panel description

We might suggest additional presenters to join your panel, who might be from academic or non academic backgrounds.

Do you expect the panel to be:

Workshop Proposals

Number of presenters

Tell us more details about your workshop format and content.

Workshop description
Do you expect the workshop to be:

What do you need for your workshop? Tell us what kind of room size and layout you need (or outdoor space), whether you need tables and chairs and in what disposition, whether you need any equipement such as screen, projector, whiteboard, sound systems, etc., or any additional information.

Room and infrastracture requirements

IMPORTANT: If after you submit you do not get to a success page or get an email, please send us your submission via email at [email protected], and let us know about the problem. Check that you have filled all the required fields, including author.

Send acceptance email to the author

Ask your institution to subscribe

Sign Up

Update status

Submit an abstract

Abstract Title
Name
Correspondence email
Enter the email you want to use for correspondence
Authors
ABSTRACT
Max 500 characters

Join the Resistance Studies Community

Are you a researcher or activist interested in nonviolent resistance?

We’re building a community of scholars, activists, and thinkers dedicated to understanding and advancing nonviolent resistance through research and action.

By subscribing to our mailing list, you will:

  • Stay updated on new research and articles that push the conversation forward.
  • Be notified of open calls for papers and get reminders about dates and deadlines.
  • Connect with a growing network of people who, like you, are committed to making a difference.

Our vision is to build a space for collaboration and collective growth. We are interested in hearing from you, learn about new perspectives, think about opportunities for more join initiatives and creative ideas to advance nonviolent resistance. All of this can be possible if we keep in touch with likeminded thinkers.

 Let’s build this movement together.

Sign Up to Our Email List

Name
Email *

Buy Issue

Email *
Amount *

Buy article

Email *

Sign Up

Please select form to show

Sign Up

Please select form to show

Apply for a custom subscription

What best describes you? *
Name *
Email *
Country

How can we help your members get access to our content? Do you need IP access? Tell us about your technical needs.

Your digital access needs

Finally, tell us a bit about yourself, how will access to the Journal benefit you, and why you need a fee price adjustment.

About you

Ask your institution to subscribe

1
2
3
4
Last Page
Full name *
Your email *
Institution *
The name of your University/ library/ institution

Please provide the email address of the contact person at your institution who is most likely to approve and bring forward your application. It could be a supervisor, librarian, head of department, depending on your institution's approval system.

Email of your institutional representative
Email of a contact person at your University or library
Role at your institution *
for example: student, lecturer, etc
ID Number at your institution
For example: student ID, library, etc

TIP: Tell you institution why you need this subscription. You may want to provide details about your research or studies, and why you believe this is a great journal to subscribe to.

Message

Once you submit, an email will be generated and sent to your institution.

Thank you so much, we hope you will be successful in your request, and that you will enjoy our journal. Finally, we hope you will be happy to join our community, stay in touch with us, and contribute to Resistance Studies.

Submit an article

1
Get started
2
3
Last Page

Before we get started

Thanks for considering a submission to the Journal of Resistance Studies! Before we get started, we just want to make sure that everything is ready. JRS receives more submissions than we can publish. As a journal for a relatively new academic field, it is important for us to publish texts that contribute to developing 'Resistance Studies' with theoretical ideas, high quality empirical material, interesting analysis, and/or cases from a wide spectra of societal contexts.

Does your article:

  • Have a clear focus on 'resistance' and how resistance influences power relations?
  • Contribute to our theoretical understanding of resistance, or is a better fit for the sociology of social movement field?
  • Include an abstract, citations, and a reference list?
  • Does it follow the guidelines in our policy statement?

If you have answered yes to these questions, we look forward to reading your submission. Let's go!

Type
Title
Correspondence email
Enter the email you want to use for correspondence about the submission
Authors
IS THIS SUBMISSION FOR AN UPCOMING SPECIAL ISSUE?
ABSTRACT
Min 500 characters
Upload full draft
Maximum file size: 7 MB
Upload an editable Word document

Anonymous version
Maximum file size: 7 MB
Upload an article that does not include authors' names and identification

Activate your Subscription

Select subscription *
Shipping Address
Add address if you select a print & digital plan
0.00

Sign Up

In order to create a subscription you need to create an account. You will need to verify your email address, and then you will be redirected to proceed with the payment. If you don’t find your email, please check your spam and promotion folder, and contact us if you need support.

If you already have an account, skip this step and login.

Name *
Email *

By creating an account, you consent to receiving email notifications and updates about the Resistance Studies journal and network. You can change your notification preference in the RSN site under 'account' settings.