epal erupts What happened in Nepal can happen to us, too
Nepal is unique among South Asian nations. Alongside Tiny Bhutan, landlocked Nepal was never fully colonised by the British, and its distinguished Gurkha soldiers were first hired by the British military as far back as 1815. Though poor (Per capita income USD 1,447) Nepal has room (147, 181 sq. km) for its 29.6 million people. Despite the poverty, the country looks blessed — Nagarkot, a popular tourist spot in Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, offers a stunning view of the Himalayas.
Nepal has known violence in its recent history – its royal family was almost wiped out, shot by a family member, in 2001, and the country has waged war against Maoist guerrillas (the rebellion ended in 2006). The monarchy was officially abolished in 2008, and the country is now a ‘federal democratic republic,’ the federal part reflecting the country’s different ethnicities. Nepal has been spared the lengthy separatist insurgencies (the Maoist insurgency was relatively short) and the ethno-religious hate-fuelled violence of its bigger neighbours, being spared of both Hindu and Muslim extremism. The country is a magnet for tourists, with its tourism sector recovering from Covid to register 1, 147,567 tourist arrivals in 2024, a 13% growth over the previous year. Many tourists visit the country for a glimpse of the Himalayas.
But the country’s young are not in a mood to enjoy the view. Violence erupted on September 9 with ‘Gen Z’ youngsters taking to the streets in Kathmandu, clashing violently with the police. The reason was seen as a ban by the government on several popular social media platforms including Instagram and Face Book. Public buildings including the prime minister’s residence were set on fire, and the army fired on protesters, killing at least 19 people.
Nepali Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli resigned, and the government lifted the ban on social media, but that didn’t stop the protests because this wasn’t just about social media. Like in the rest of South Asia, the young (Gen Z or older) see themselves as people without a future, victims of political corruption and seemingly unchangeable ‘karmic’ ways of oppression that keep them forever in the bondage of poverty. It could be relatively more or less here and there – better for some people in Mumbai than in Bihar, or better in Karachchi than in Sherani (Baluchistan), better in Dhaka than in Madaripur district, or better in Colombo than in Bibile.
Sri Lanka has known several rebellions against poverty since independence. Even the LTTE’s war, dubbed a separarist war, can be interpreted as action by the poor against the hegemony of ruling classes, both Sinhalese and Tamil. The two southern rebellions were waged mainly by the poor, and even the middle class finally rose up in rebellion (albeit peacefully, in March-April 2022). The youth of Bangladesh finally rose against corrupt governance in June 2024, led by Students Against Discrimination after the Bangladesh Supreme Court invalidated a 2018 circular regarding job quotas in the public sector.
We can see a pattern in these recent protests across the Indian sub continent (India hasn’t seen this because, though there is a lot of inequality and youth frustration, its economy is big enough to provide jobs high or low for many , though India’s youth unemployment rate was given at 10.2% in 2023/24 compared to Nepal’s youth unemployment rate reaching 22.7% in 2022/23. But statistics don’t tell the whole story. An estimated 3.5 to 6 million Nepalis are working abroad. In 2023/24, over 741,000 Nepalis left the country seeking jobs abroad, with a majority obtaining new labour permits. The remittances these lucky ones are sending home are spent on priorities such as food, lodging, medical expenses, education of family members etc. According to the Nepal national Population and Housing Census 2021, only 3.1% of Nepali households own a car. The majority own motorcycles, scooters or bicycles. Just as in Sri Lanka after the crash, it must be hard for a young Nepalese to buy even a two-wheeler now.
Compare this to the lavish lifestyles of rich Nepalis. Social media platforms have been flooded with images of their lavish lifestyles, homes, holidays and cars. Nepal is a largely agricultural land, with a service sector coming second, and there is little wealth based on industries and hi-tech as in India or China, Nepal’s giant neighbours. The politically privileged classes are an embedded part of this wealthy minority and, Nepal’s bright young men and women can’t help comparing themselves to how the children of the rich and privileged live, their clothes, their cars, their freedom to choose their holiday destinations at will. When the gaps are so great, friction is inevitable.
There is a lesson for us, too, here. Youth unrest is held in check for the moment with various political promises. It doesn’t matter if the children of today’s Lankan ruling class do not enjoy lavish lifestyles. Youth is short and the young know it. They can’t wait for another election, another five-year-round. They expect results sooner rather than later, or what happens in Nepal now will happen in Sri Lanka, too.
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