The ‘Youthquake

Nepal's Gen Z protesters brought down a government in under 48 hours. With their trust in the country's political system shattered, they chose the country's next leader in a manner unprecedented for any electoral democracy– through a virtual poll on Discord. Youth were at the centre of everything that transpired in the Himalayan country over the past two weeks. Here are a few voices that talk about the protests, the way forward and what it means to be a Gen Z living in Nepal

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"The Gen Z Protests Have Made Gen X Hopeful"

Pranika Koyu IS A WRITER AND HUMAN RIGHTS PROFESSIONAL WITH FOCUS ON IDENTITY POLITICS, WOMEN'S RIGHT AND DISABILITY RIGHTS

LIVING in a country with continuous discords expressed through campaigns, movements and unstable government created by the synergy of corrupt politicians with myopic vision gives one a continuous supply of adrenaline rush. Hence, Gen Z protests against corruption and calling out of the flashy, gaudy lifestyle of politicians and their children, triggered by a social media ban, were no surprise for many of us.

September 8 saw shooting of youngsters participating in the protest. I particularly went numb seeing the lifeless body of a young student. His blood was seeping into the hands and clothes of the person who was carrying his body. Heartbreak, anguish and rage is an understatement of what most of us felt that day. By September 14, the number of those killed had reached 72.

On September 9, triggered by the killing of youths, I came out to protest against the use of murderous force. It was disturbing to see that men on the streets were carrying bamboo sticks and stones and had already started the fire. The most disgusting was a young boy hurling stones at the riot police and asking others to do the same. When I told him that his behaviour was unacceptable, he attempted to tower over me, said nothing can be achieved without violence and walked away to continue hurling stones. Seeing the mob psyche that reeked of intimidating, toxic, masculine hyper energy, I returned home to a Gen Alpha with disability, who was left with the caregiver at home. While I was returning, I saw that the house of Energy Minister Deepak Khadka had been set on fire and an unruly crowd had gathered outside the homes of Foreign Minister Arzoo Deuba and ex-Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.