Backyard turmoil: Why Nepal’s Gen Z uprising wake-up call for New Delhi

Recent youth protests in Nepal, set off by a ban on social media and discontent at corruption and economic inequality brought drastic changes in Nepal's political landscapes.

- BRABIM KARKI

Protesters set the Parliament building on fire as the protest turned violent, in Kathmandu in September (ANI Video Grab)

The Gen Z movements led to the resignation of the KP Sharma Oli government and the dissolution of parliament. The two-day Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9 resulted in 76 deaths, many injuries, and thousands of prisoners escaping. Many politicians’ homes were vandalised, and government buildings and parliament were torched.

The events in Nepal definitely hit India and made it restles as Nepal isn’t just a neighbor, it is a family, tied by history, culture, and an open border. But after this Gen Z uprising, situations feel different, like the ground has shifted under our shared foundation.

The office of Nepal's president announced that the country would hold elections on March 5 following a week of deadly violence as an interim government headed by the country’s first female prime minister takes charge.

As India aspires to be a superpower, a stable neighbor is a backbone for its global aspirations. Such instability distracts India from its aspirations to be a superpower. So, India should be worried about situations in Nepal as there is still uncertainty in the country. Ignoring its neighbour and failing to show leadership only emboldens China. India and Nepal need to rethink their relationship in this new era.

The recent Gen Z movements exposed cracks in ties between two neighbours that have been widening for years. The two nations share strong economic, social, cultural, and political ties. Traditional bonds like cross-border marriages, Nepali students in Indian colleges, and Gorkha soldiers in the Indian army once kept both nations close. Now, with a new wave of leaders in Nepal, those old connections are fading fast.