Nepal’s Gen Z leaders call for corruption-free future, seek closer ties with India

India Today - Now that Nepal’s youth-led protests that saw over 60 dead and hundreds injured are over, the Gen Z movement is pushing for a corruption-free political system and better opportunities for young citizens, according to core committee members Tanaka Dhami and Arjun Shahi.

“We want India and other countries to invest in Nepal,” the young leaders added, signalling openness to international collaboration for economic development.

“Our fight was against corruption. The common man had no basic amenities. We want to build a new economic system free of corruption,” Shahi said. Dhami highlighted the lack of local opportunities for study and employment, which often forces young Nepalese to migrate abroad.

The duo emphasised that the movement targets not just former Prime Minister KP Oli, who was forced to resign within two days of protests, but all leaders and bureaucrats whose misgovernance pushed Nepal to its current state.

The leaders also addressed recent calls of violence during protests on social media platform, Discord, asserting that Gen Z demonstrations were peaceful. “The onus of violence lies with political leaders. They murdered 22 of our members on September 9,” they said. Describing the protests as a “do-or-die situation,” they underscored the urgency of their mission and vowed to continue until their objectives were met.

Asked about their role now that Sushila Karki has taken over as interim Prime Minister, the GenZ leaders said their priority was not holding office but rebuilding Nepal’s governance system.

“We are rebuilding the nation with a new government. What happened through the GenZ revolution has never happened in history and cannot be repeated,” Shahi said. He clarified that they are not interested in deciding who should be in the government but will “review and reform the system” to ensure accountability.

The official GenZ committee, Shahi added, will monitor the efficiency of the government and work as a watchdog to keep it on track.