Kathmandu, September 8
Tuesday marks exactly one year since the Gen Z generation staged protests that brought about a major political upheaval. In the year since, the country has witnessed numerous political twists and changes.
Analysts say the movement was an eruption of long-standing frustration over corruption and bad governance. Following the movement, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) came to power after securing nearly a two-thirds majority in the subsequent election, while the traditional political parties were pushed out of government.
Even now, the struggle for power between the forces that emerged and those that were displaced following the movement appears to be intensifying. We spoke briefly with several celebrities who expressed their views or participated during the Gen Z movement about how events have unfolded since the movement and whether its original objectives have been fulfilled.
Actor Deepak Raj Giri has frequently expressed his views on contemporary political developments. He was also widely discussed on social media as someone who participated in the protests and openly expressed his solidarity with the movement. We asked Giri how he views the year since the Gen Z movement.
Giri said major political changes require some time for their agendas to become institutionalised. He said a struggle for power between the forces that emerged and those that were displaced after the movement is still evident, and that there is no alternative to these two forces working together if the country is to move toward development.
“These two forces appear to be in psychological conflict. If we want to develop the country, they must move forward together. Otherwise, the country will head towards conflict. The established and displaced forces now need to move forward together,” Giri said. He added that he still has hope in the current government and the forces currently in power.
Giri said the established forces currently appear unlikely to bring the displaced forces along with them, adding that both sides need to understand why the Gen Z movement took place. “The established forces need to understand that public frustration had reached a very high level and eventually erupted,” he said. “The old forces also failed to understand the Gen Z movement, instead interpreting it as an attempt to seize power by diverting the issue.”
He said even the achievements of the republic secured after the deaths of 17,000 people during the conflict took time to become institutionalised. “It took more than one Constituent Assembly election to establish the republic. We had to hold another election,” he said. “After a major movement, the developments that follow take a year or two to normalise. A person who comes out of a revolution also needs time to learn.”
Giri said the public has accumulated enormous expectations. “There is not going to be a miracle overnight. There are problems,” he said. Singer Pramod Kharel said he remains optimistic about the current government. “Looking at the current situation, one group is dissatisfied while another considers things to be going well. People have expectations. They want change and want the country to improve. The results will tell us. We are optimistic,” Kharel said.
Actress Reecha Sharma said the new government that emerged a year after the Gen Z movement has given her reason for hope. “This year brought out the frustration that had been suppressed for a long time. A government came in with an understanding of the sentiments of Gen Z. Someone whom Gen Z likes became prime minister,” Sharma said. “But I am not a supporter of any political party. I have not taken membership in any party either. I am a citizen of this country.”
She said that, as a citizen, she feels entitled to tell the government what it has done right and what it has done wrong. “We have been able to tell this government that openly,” Sharma said. “But we should not give it the benefit of the doubt on certain issues. For now, let us trust the government. After the Bhotekoshi disaster, issues such as child and human trafficking and mental health may also emerge. The government needs to deal with these potential challenges. So, for now, let us trust the government.”
Sharma said the current situation is also a test for the government led by Balen Shah. “They do not have complete freedom either. They have to work under all kinds of constraints. Let us remain hopeful and support the government,” she said. Actress Niti Shah expressed a similar view. She appeared satisfied with the current government. “The changes brought by the new government are positive. The government’s response to rescue and assistance following natural disasters has been good,” Shah said. “The way funds have been raised for the Prime Minister’s Fund makes me feel that the country can be built. It is a matter of trust.”
Shah herself has been actively involved in providing relief to people affected by the Bhotekoshi floods. She said she remains hopeful because the current government is led by young people. “Instead of questioning the current government, we should support it,” said Shah, who is also a former Miss Nepal International.
