The 'cockroach' in the machine: How Gen Z is rattling South Asia's elites
Gen Z-led protest movements in Nepal, Bangladesh, and India are challenging entrenched political elites and corruption. These uprisings, often sparked by specific grievances like job quotas or social media bans, reflect broader youth frustration with economic stagnation and inequality.
Why it matters
The rise of youth-led political activism in South Asia signals a potential shift in regional power dynamics and governance models.
Šumit Ganguly is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is a distinguished professor of political science emeritus at Indiana University, Bloomington.
In September 2025, Nepal's government banned 26 popular social media platforms, alleging the companies had failed to comply with new regulations aimed at curbing misinformation and online hate speech. Critics, however, viewed the move as an attempt to suppress viral videos showcasing the lavish lifestyles of politicians and their "nepo kids." Mass protests followed, and within days, Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned.
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