In the Indian capital of New Delhi, experiences of upheaval have also been felt in neighboring countries. The heartbeats of change were drummed by the rattle of metallic gateways as masses charged forward. Once monoliths of authority, the hallways of the national leader’s abode now echoed with the tumult of defiance, as youths ravaged the panorama of power once untouchable to most. This wasn’t an isolated event; Nepal was echoed by Sri Lanka’s protests in 2022 and Bangladesh’s fierce demonstrations in 2024.
The young generation of Nepal, numbered at around 30 million and nestled between two giants, India and China, are now drafting their future with a fervor not bound by traditional notions of democracy. Youth-led insurrections have been toppling regimes across South Asia. This has provoked a larger inquiry: Could the densely-populated region be the epicenter of a Generation Z revolution?
Dr. Paul Staniland, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, notes the striking surge of a fresh political instability. Nepal witnessed an unparalleled political shift when 10,000 youths, including those from the diaspora, selected an interim prime minister through a Discord poll. The protests, ignited by corruption and nepotism, led to the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, displaying a pattern of young people commandeering power to correct mismanagement by disconnected political systems.
This is a seismic shift for South Asia, traditionally the stage for significant political protests without the overthrow of regimes. The rage fueling these movements is rooted in unfulfilled promises and glaring socioeconomic disparities. The frustration is palpable among youths who have experienced two economic downturns and constitute a generation isolated physically yet networked digitally.
The movements have found kinship with each other, learning from successes and tactics, as seen in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The common thread through these uprisings is the demand for economic justice and political accountability. Dr. Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch remarks on the deep chasm between political elders and youth, marked also by substantially different life experiences.
These movements are adept in the tools of their time, using digital platforms for community and self-expression, unlike their predecessors. The capacity to imagine a different future and the digital savviness of these youths have given them an edge over traditional political structures.
As the question lingers on where these protests may ignite next, it’s clear the echoes of Nepal’s turmoil resonate beyond its borders, spelling out the rising Gen Z challenge to the status quo across South Asia.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/9/16/sri-lanka-bangladesh-nepal-is-south-asia-fertile-for-gen-z-revolutions?traffic_source=rss
