What is the Gen Z campaign all about? Was it only about the ban on social media sites? Was it triggered by the frustration over alleged nepotism, or was it an outburst of the youth against corruption and misgovernance? Mint explains:
What was the immediate trigger for the Gen Z protests?
The Nepal government imposed a ban on 26 unregistered social media sites, with the communication and information technology minister announcing the decision on Thursday.
On 28 August, the ministry called on all domestic and international social media platforms to register within a stipulated time frame. The failure on the part of the platforms to do so led to the imposition of the ban on the social media sites.
Oli, while addressing the representatives of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), said apps must share revenue, pay tax in Nepal, and also work within the stipulated rules and guidelines necessary to protect Nepal’s national interest.
While the official statements justify the imposition of the ban, key questions remain: Was the ban an attempt to suppress and silence growing dissent and anger directed at the Oli government, corruption, and misgovernance across all political parties, and the monarchy?
What are the underlying factors that led to the Gen Z campaign?
While the immediate trigger was the imposition of the ban on 26 social media sites, the underlying factors, like growing anger over corruption, misgovernance, and lack of accountability on the part of Nepal’s ruling class, fuelled the campaign.
The statements coming across from young people who are part of the campaign clearly underline that the campaign is not for/or against any political party, nor is it in support of the monarchy, but is a campaign directed against corruption, nepotism and shrinking spaces for dissent.
The campaign comes amid the backdrop of the “nepo kids” campaign, which has created a buzz on Nepalese social media for quite some time. The hashtag “nepo kids” or “nepo babies” was used to highlight the luxurious lifestyle that children of the ruling class were enjoying on ordinary taxpayers’ money. Many videos surfaced online highlighting the contrast between privileged “nepo kids” and ordinary lives.
Are Gen Z protestors aligned to any political party or is movement for structural change only?
The campaigners have, through various announcements and social media posts, repeatedly emphasised that they are not aligned with any political party, nor for any political party or group. Many young voices see this as a campaign for structural reform and directed against corruption.
There is both anger and frustration among young people against the corrupt ruling class. Key issues that have caught the campaign spectrum include the 2017 Airbus deal in which Nepal Airlines bought two A330 wide-body jets.
The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), a watchdog appointed under the country’s constitution, highlighted that the deal resulted in a loss of $10.4 million to the exchequer.
Everyday issues and growing income disparities between the ruling class and ordinary citizens have also been a cause of growing discontentment. The ban on social media was not just seen as a case to stifle dissent but also an attack on the livelihood and income opportunities for many young people who earned a living by using social media for various purposes.
Is Nepal witnessing a South Asian pattern?
In the recent past, people-led movements have brought sweeping changes across political regimes in South Asia. Take the case of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. There are widespread patterns that cut across these movements, which are anger directed against corrupt regimes and systems of misgovernment.
In the case of Bangladesh, the movement was spearheaded by students, and the Aragalaya protests in Sri Lanka were led by thousands of protesters who took to streets over the economic crisis.
The movements cut across party lines, in both cases, and saw a widespread participation of young people. Similar patterns are discernible from Nepal, but it still remains too early to comment on definitive outcomes. For now, the ban has been revoked, which was the immediate purpose of the campaign.
How does all this concern India?
India is closely monitoring the protests, given that India and Nepal share a close border. Any large-scale movement has the potential to spill over on the other side of the border. Further, India will watch the consequences for the Oli-led government.
While the two nations share close historical ties, the recent past has seen a shifting stance vis-à-vis India by the Oli-led ruling coalition. For instance, when India and China agreed to open up the Lipulekh pass for trading, Nepal opted to protest.
In a show of solidarity during his recent visit to China to attend the SCO Summit, Oli attended the 80th Victory Day Military parade. As a close neighbour, India will be watchful of the developments in Nepal amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
Shweta Singh is associate professor at the South Asian University.
