Ho jaate hain jin pe andaaze khudai paida
Humne dekhe hain woh but tod diye jaate hain
In our neighborhood, such figures are being dismantled one by one. In 2022, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left the country amid a severe economic crisis. Another former president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, along with five former ministers, received prison sentences. Several leaders' homes were set ablaze. A similar revolt took place in Bangladesh about a year ago, forcing Sheikh Hasina to flee during violent protests in Dhaka, where she was granted asylum by India. Her residence was also torched. Elections were planned within 90 days, but Muhammad Yunus remains in power without contest, causing renewed unrest. Pakistan, Maldives, Myanmar, and Afghanistan are already unstable, and now Nepal has experienced a near-revolution. Some normalcy has returned, with Sushila Karki becoming Prime Minister through military intervention. The parliament has been dissolved, with elections promised within six months. However, former ambassador Ranjit Rai warns that Nepal's situation is even more perilous than Bangladesh's. Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli was compelled to resign. Nearly 70 people died due to military or police shootings. Dinesh Kafle from Kathmandu University described this as 'Oli's obscene brutality.' Following these deaths, several ministers' homes were set on fire. Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Douba and his wife were publicly assaulted. Another former Prime Minister, Jhalanath Khanal, was also attacked, and his wife was set on fire, along with their home. Several ministers and former ministers, including Oli, were evacuated by helicopters. More gravely, the Parliament building, the Prime Minister's residence, the Supreme Court, and the Presidential Palace were set ablaze. A similar event occurred in Pakistan when Imran Khan's supporters attacked military sites. Many in Pakistan blame the military for the country's woes. Nepal's youth, known as 'Gen Z' (aged 18 to 25), believe the entire political class is corrupt and responsible for their hardships. The attempts to burn down the Parliament and the Supreme Court show that the youth have lost faith in the democratic system. Not only was the Oli government targeted, but symbols of political and administrative power were destroyed. They feel the same discredited leaders keep returning to power through elections. Nothing changes, and the social media ban has intensified their anger, leading to chaos.
In Nepal, power has been in the hands of a triumvirate: former Prime Minister Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Douba, and Maoist leader Prachanda. Like musical chairs, these three have alternated in power over the past 15 years. It's a very friendly club! All three looked out for each other, suppressing the public's voice, which has now exploded. The government has changed 14 times in 17 years because it's easy to buy the loyalties of public representatives. The economy is utterly hollow. Gen Z faces a bleak future. Eight percent of Nepal's population works abroad, mostly in India, with which Nepal shares a 1,700-kilometer open border. The rest are in countries like the UAE and Malaysia, where they mostly work as laborers. Very few are professionals. According to the World Bank, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15-25 is a staggering 20.8%. 33.1% of Nepal's GDP is remittances sent home by Nepalis from abroad. People would have tolerated this if the system were more sensitive and accountable. One incident reveals how ruthless the system is.
On September 7th, around 7 a.m., 11-year-old Usha Sunuwar was on her way to school when a jeep carrying Minister Ram Bahadur Magar hit her. The girl was seriously injured, and all of Nepal witnessed how the insensitive minister's convoy sped away without stopping. This sparked a massive backlash in Nepal. The situation might have been contained, but Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli's comment that it was a "normal accident" and his mere promise that the government would cover the girl's hospital expenses further enraged the public. In a way, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. According to Professor Yog Raj Lamichhane of Pokhara University, “The callousness displayed at that moment shattered any remaining trust. If a minister's vehicle can hit a schoolgirl and the Prime Minister can call it normal, what message does this send to all of us?” Mira Thapa, a student at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, echoed the sentiment of all Nepali youth: “He not only ignored the pain of a child, he showed us all what our worth is in his eyes.” Youth were already frustrated and disillusioned by corruption, nepotism, and unemployment. The cabinet and embassies are filled with what are called “nepo kids,” meaning children of the elite. According to Sushil Pyakurel, a former official with the National Human Rights Organization, “ordinary people are struggling for scraps.” The extravagant lifestyles of those known as the elite further fueled anger among the youth. Economic policies increasingly enriched a certain elite. Democracy is said to produce public servants, but we see in our own country that they become rulers, and that's where arrogance sets in. In Nepal, the monarchy was abolished in 2008, but people later discovered that a new king had taken over. As one Nepali journalist wrote, "This isn't just about corruption, nepotism, or a social media ban. This is a struggle to preserve our democratic rights and our humanity."
What effect will Nepal's events have on India? Some people believe or even hope that nothing will happen in India. India is a vast and diverse nation; a government cannot be altered by a single narrative, nor is such a situation present. India's swiftly expanding economy offers hope for a brighter future. We don't hold the same expectations for our youth as we do in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, or Nepal, but we must remain vigilant, as events in neighboring countries can have an impact. We also face unemployment and a restless Gen Z population. Inequality is becoming a significant issue here. The concentration of economic resources in the hands of a few powerful individuals will create tension. Efforts to steer the country in a single direction can also lead to crises. There should be no attempt to enforce a single ideology. Concepts like 'One Nation, One Election,' which contradict our diversity, should be discarded.
People are satisfied with the current constitutional situation. We do not want any major disruption. The tampering during the SIR in Bihar backfired, forcing the Election Commission to take several steps back. While India Today's "Mood of the Nation" survey shows that Prime Minister Modi's popularity remains intact, it also reveals that people are concerned about democratic institutions. 48% said democracy is in danger, while only 39% said democracy is not in danger. This is not a satisfactory situation. The Supreme Court is also unhappy with the way the Governor's office has been used to pressure state governments. Why should a Governor try to indefinitely delay state government decisions? The role of what is called the "godi media" is condemnable; if matters are suppressed or hidden, it leads to an explosion. Nepal has informed us and left.
The two countries share a great deal of common ground. Sushma Swaraj called it a "bread-and-daughter relationship." Nepal's Gen-Z leaders say they are inspired by Gandhi and Bhagat Singh. Nepal is very important to us, even in light of global politics. This is a buffer state between China and India. Political stability here is crucial for us. Relations have been strained at times in the past, but this time the Indian government is taking very cautious steps. We should fully support Nepal, as we have done with Sri Lanka and the Maldives. We cannot leave Nepal to its own devices, but it is even more important to learn appropriate lessons from the events there. Bibek Adhikari, a history graduate in Kathmandu, says, "We grew up reading stories of democracy, but we are living in a monarchy of ministers." We haven't gone that way.