Once upon a time, the word “democracy” in Nepal did carry hope, promise, and the liberation. It meant freedom from the chains of autocracy and a pathway to dignity, equality, opportunity and freedom. It was not perfect, but at least it was ours. Today, that hope is diminishing in silence. As a youth who grew up believing in democratic ideals, whose dad actively fought for democracy his early adulthood, I now find myself standing in a dark lane, surrounded by the echoing calls for monarchy’s return and the stifling silence of the failure of democracy.
This is not just a political dilemma; this is a personal crisis where only confusions surround you. Do I stay and fight for a dream that refuses to materialize, or do I leave to preserve whatever ambition that I have left? I guess every youth now and then question themselves with this. Nepal is again dancing dangerously close to the nostalgia of authoritarianism. The resurgence of slogans like “Raja Aau, Desh Bachau” is not a joke or just a random slogan anymore; it’s a symbol of frustration, of demotivation.
And guess, who is leading this chorus?? The very people who once celebrated the fall of monarchy. The very people who once threw the monarchy. It’s not because they love the king, it’s because the so-called democratic leaders have failed them so thoroughly that even a return of a monarchy seems less painful to the very same people. Where are we heading? We are trapped between a failed democracy and a romanticized monarchy. The entire mass is a living proof that when democracy is not lived and felt in everyday life, people begin to question its value. And talking about the youth? We are the worst hit than any other population.
We have been told we are the pillars of the nation. We were and are also promised seats at the table. Instead, what exactly happens is that, we are bound to stand outside locked doors while corrupt, aging political elites rotate power among themselves as if it is a family business. Young people with talent, dreams, and energy are either rotting in unemployment, numbing themselves in despair, or desperately searching for an escape route to USA, Australia, Canada, or Europe.
Let me ask: how is this democracy serving us? Where is the accountability? Where is the vision? Where is the leadership that sees youth as more than just a campaign foot soldiers and crowd fillers? Let’s just look at the situation Over 800,000 young Nepalis left the country for foreign employment in the fiscal year 2022/23.
Yet this terrifies no one! Nepal ranks among the lowest in youth employment and political inclusion in South Asia. Mental health crises are rising. Depression and anxiety among youth have soared post-COVID, and the state still treats mental health like a side issue that can be dealt later. Corruption scandals; the recent fake refugee scam, cooperative fund misuse, have shattered the little trust that was left in us. And in all this, we are told to believe in democracy.
Which democracy are they talking about? The one where elections are decided by the 2Ms? The money and the manipulation? The one where social justice is talked about in papers, in podcasts, but never acted upon? Let me be clear with one thing, I do not support monarchy. I do not want to go back to a system where one family rules the entire population. But what we have right now is clearly a mockery of democracy.And this mockery is making monarchy look better to some people, simply because democracy has failed to deliver what they have dreamt of.
There are various examples of countries that have advanced by transitioning to democracy. Let’s take example of Estonia which emerged from Soviet occupation and embraced digital democracy. Today, it has become one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world, with transparent governance and public services that are technologically driven.
Similarly, Finland invests heavily in youth education, innovation, and political inclusion. Young leaders there are trusted and empowered. These countries understood one thing: democracy is not a trophy or a competition to win, it is a constant responsibility. It must evolve, it must include, it must deliver and the most important it must listen. Now let’s turn the mirror back to Nepal and it’s history. What have we done since we became a republic?
We formed a Constituent Assembly, but the first one failed and the second was prolonged. We promised federalism, but instead of decentralizing power, we just created more seats of corruption. We formed youth councils and task forces, but their voices rarely make it into policy. We have education systems that don’t match the job market, and yet real reform is never ever attempted.
And still, those in power dare to say that young people are “apathetic” or “disinterested in politics.” No, we are not apathetic. We are heartbroken. We are angry. We are tired of being ignored. As a young person, I find myself questioning whether my political ideology is just idealism. If I believe in democracy, yet democracy here refuses to evolve, am I naive?
If I believe in change, yet I see the same leaders with the same excuses, am I foolish? I want to stay in Nepal. I want to contribute. But the system is pushing me out. Is this what we built a republic for? Is this a democracy? Clearly not.
I ask to the state, Why is meritocracy still a myth? Why are your children studying abroad while you underfund public education here? Why are you obsessed with control, but very allergic to change and innovation? Why do you fear youth leadership? Why are you more focused on silencing than solving problems?
This article is not a plea neither a threat. It is a call to every policymaker, every leader, every bureaucrat who thinks they can keep recycling power while the nation and it’s people burn in silence. Give us a reason to stay, to believe. Give us a democracy we can feel proud of not just on paper, but in our lived realities. Because if you continue to fail us, Nepal will lose not just a generation of workers, but a generation of visionaries, reformers, and dreamers.
And one day, when we all look around, we will only find a country of emptiness and resignations!
