ICYMI#TheTribuneOpinion: How Gen Z’s deep despair against political parties set Nepal aflame

The turmoil in Nepal, the worst in the subcontinent, had everybody on tenterhooks. People were glued to TV news channels, online media and newspapers as to how the Gen Z, some of us even heard of this term for the first time, went on a rampage ruining national infrastructure. But more poignant is the tale that led to the mayhem when young protesters  were shot dead while being part of a peaceful protest (the death toll reached 51, including 21 protesters), and then Kathmandu was up in flames.

The disenchantment in Nepal that has manifested in this utter chaos has several causes, writes former Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae in his Edit article A home-grown uprising in Nepal. The younger generation, the so-called Gen Z, is in despair. They’ve lost hope. The reason is that no investigation is being carried out in scams, which, allegedly involve top leaders of political parties. The second key reason for the despair in Nepal is unemployment, he avers.

Power has rotated among the three major political parties because of the opportunistic alliances forged by them without any ideological affinity or programmatic consensus. They played musical chairs for sharing of the spoils of office, writes former Ambassador to Nepal Jayant Prasad in his Op-ed piece Nepal is facing a moment of reckoning.

If one takes stock of the range of institutions the young people of Nepal expressed their ire against, it is easy to understand how deep and pervasive their discontent against all parts of the establishment runs, writes Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Kumar Jha in his Op-ed piece Democracy without dissent is like a bonsai. The tree of democracy may retain the image of a tree, but it becomes a bonsai in essence — ornamental and controlled. True democracy requires respect for minority voices, for uncomfortable questions, for sharp criticism. To brand dissent as "anti-national" is to confuse obedience with patriotism. It is a dangerous lie that weakens the republic, he writes.

What is India’s response to the turbulence in its neighbourhood, be it Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka? The simple truth is that India must return to the “all boats must rise” maxim and connect with the neighbouring sovereign nations as equals, who have much to give as well as to get, writes Editor-in-Chief Jyoti Malhotra in her Edit piece Nepal upheaval has lessons for India. As far as Nepal is concerned, the India-Nepal glue is so tight that the relationship is still safe. But if the disinterest continues, as it sometimes threatens to, the danger is that some of the glue may start to come unstuck, she writes.

On his first visit to strife-torn Manipur after the ethnic clashes broke out in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stones for projects worth over ₹7,300 cr. Yet, durable peace in Manipur will require non-partisan, sustained and credible political commitment to provide a healing touch to the deep psychological wounds, writes Prof Kham Khan Suan Hausing in his Op-ed piece Ailing Manipur needs healing touch.

Besides the Nepal imbroglio, there was an interesting Edit piece on the open-book exam system approved by the CBSE for class IX from 2026-27. There is a need for a paradigm shift from rote learning and mechanised memorisation to creative articulation and critical thinking, writes sociologist Avijit Pathak in his Edit piece Open-book exams are worth a try.  The art of teaching is a perpetual process of learning and self-discovery. If we ask our students to write open-book exams, the teachers too must be willing to think creatively, he writes.