Lucknow

At a crowded bus stand in Lucknow, anxious faces wait for buses bound for the border. Nepalis who once came to India for work are now hurrying back, pulled home by unrest that has left their country reeling.

“We are returning to our motherland,” said Saroj Nevarbani, clutching his bag. “My parents are there—the situation is grave.” Others echoed him with quiet unease: “We know nothing, but people at home have asked us to come back.”

The trigger was sudden. After a ban on social media, protests erupted across Nepal. Thirty people died in clashes, parliament and politicians’ homes were …