Reviving Nepal’s Constitutional Promise

As a millennial, my childhood was filled with the stories of my parents’ generational struggle to bring democracy through the people’s movement of 1990, intertwined with my grandparents’ stories of hardships to overthrow the autocratic Rana regime in 1951. During my school days, I witnessed the terrors of the civil war and the royal massacre. Frequent strikes and revolutions overshadowed my SLC examinations and the subsequent university years. Every step toward my graduation was interrupted by political uncertainty. However, as I just started feeling everything fall back to its place, an earthquake struck, leaving the research area of my thesis for my master’s degree to turn into rubble. This made me realise how fragile our development is, with any single event possibly shattering my pathway. This is my story, which was a continuation of my parents’ and grandparents’ days of struggles, hopes, and disappointments.

As of now, Gen Z has again resorted to the streets with the same sense of injustice and continued loss of hopes and dreams. The seventh Constitution of Nepal, 2015, was believed to assure justice, equity, and dignity since it was issued by the people’s elected representatives for the first time. But it fell into the same trap with the power shuffle among the same major political powers, leaving most of the working population frustrated over time. Thus, the events since September 8 reveal the broken trust. 

The sudden outburst of frustration among Gen Z reveals the painful continuation of our generation’s hopes, sacrifices, and dreams. The immature democracy and unclear vision of our generation were passed on to the next generation, which resulted in September 8, 2025, being remembered as the black day in the history of Nepal. The disillusioned youth energy, engulfed with anger, toppled the entire nation on such a scale and at such a pace that our history has never imagined. The Constitution failed to remain as a dominant document, which at one point even risked its existence.

However, at this juncture, we must break the vicious cycle of turmoil by acting with intention, fierce determination, and vision so that Gen Alpha doesn’t inherit the trap of continued grief, struggle, and injustice. Gen Z holds the power to be the generation to pass on a peaceful and developed Nepal. The Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Y are keenly looking forward to the aftermath of the protest so that Alphas can peacefully live in Nepal with no fears and agonies. 

Thus, the provisions of the Constitution should be devised in such a direction that the vicious circle no longer operates and Nepal can move ahead with purpose rather than vengeance. The Constitution is our guiding light, which can guide us in fostering our consensus, ensuring every voice is paid due attention to. If we don’t pace up development with calmness, wisdom, and clarity, tomorrow the same fate will befall the coming generations. 

No doubt, the atrocity and mass killing on the very first day have no ground of justification. But violence always invites more destruction as it clouds reason, destroys dialogue, and engraves wounds. No grievance can justify the bloodshed, and no violence can construct a prosperous nation. Choosing non-violence requires courage now, as anger feels more natural. However, in a country where Buddha was born, we are responsible for building this as a culture. We must lean toward listening rather than shouting louder and contribute to building a consensus for a clear vision. Calmness brings clarity, which can assist in creating a better path. As history has always proved, violence can never be the means of change. The Maoist insurgency, the April uprising, and many other countless transitions we have had till today have caused us more loss and have crumbled quickly. Actual change demands building, not breaking. 

For this, we need leadership that could represent hopes on the ground of real demands, not on empty slogans. The need of today’s time is a leader with vision who can step ahead to unite us by listening to the public’s concerns without any form of domination. The politicians chased and beaten during this Gen Z revolution were also seen as leaders with anticipation in the previous revolutions. Even those revolutions ignited hopes that collapsed under the weight of power struggles and corruption. But now, we should seek a leader to walk alongside us and amplify our frustrations into a workable solution. The leader should commit to accountability, engage in civic process, reject apathy, and be vigilant towards corruption. The nation of broken systems and perpetual despair should never be the fate of upcoming Nepal. The newly formed government under Sushila Karki as prime minister and the commitments made so far indicate our hopes for the future. Still, the days ahead are definitely going to be tough with a changed national scenario and continuous scrutiny by the public. The digitally united Nepal is no longer easy to manipulate. So, huge authority and responsibility lie on those who dare to uphold the fragile situation. 

While moving ahead in this aftermath of the quickest revolution, we should remember that no revolution can last long if it doesn’t transform a nation economically. Nepal can no longer sustain itself with its young talent draining into foreign lands. Until and unless we can assure youth that this is the land of opportunity, youth are either going to settle abroad or those who remain in Nepal will resort to further violence in the future. Entrepreneurship should be nurtured by promoting innovation hubs, modernised agriculture, responsible tourism, and technology promotion. With vandalism to almost all bigger industries, we should now look for ways to encourage investments. Business ventures should be diversified, and education, health care, and other basic facilities should be promoted with equal access for the public. 

Nepal’s vision to graduate from Least Developed Country (LDC) by November 2026 is at stake. The current demolishment and unrest are definitely going to impact its vision. With repeated deferrals from graduating in 2015 and 2018, will Nepal reschedule the graduation again in 2026? Even the graver issue is whether Nepal can bear the added graduation responsibilities, such as higher tariffs on exports and ineligibility for grants and soft loans reserved for LDCs on this pretext?

We must strive to build a system that surpasses the government. The disciplined system should be backed up with skills, knowledge, anticipation, and dignity. The cost of unpreparedness has already been paid during an earthquake, which will surely come again someday. COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerabilities of our health system. So, we must be working to build a foundation that can still withstand the determination to serve people's welfare in any changes or consequences the future may bring.

We need a national visionary document not tied to any political ideology or an individual but to the nation itself. The Constitution of Nepal is not merely a political document; it is our national insurance for stability. We should act more vigorously with a well-coordinated and clearly documented vision. With the resources already constrained, we should develop the best strategies to lead us to our aspiration. Our landlocked nation should be land-linked with better diplomacy, stronger infrastructure, and transparent governance. We can no longer afford to build structures that collapse at the first sign of pressure. We must invest in a system that outlasts governments, disasters, and political trends. We must foster our democracy with decentralised power, inclusive policies, and fostered cohesion across ethnic, regional, and economic lines. And for all these, adherence to the constitutional provision is obligatory. 

We still have hope and strength for a better tomorrow. Countries across the globe have exemplified how some tragedies lifted the nation’s status. Japan rose as one of the strongest world economies within a generation after being poorly struck by the atomic bomb during World War II. Rwanda, which was once in a pool of blood due to genocide, is now one of Africa’s rapidly developing nations, as it chose reconciliation and vision. Once poorer than Nepal during the 1960s, South Korea transformed into today’s status through education, innovation, and good governance. So, the situation is not worrisome if we act resiliently, not just for survival but also for renewal. Being set back by multiple wars, disasters, and political transitions, we should recognise this present energy as a source of inspiration and run twice as fast so that the cycle of instability doesn’t haunt our children. 

Constitution Day will be celebrated this year among the burnt and demolished public offices. The crimson and blue of our flag will wave against the smoke-stained walls, and the national anthem will be echoed in the charred ruins of Singha Durbar. But as it’s said that the darker the night is, the brighter the day will befall, we again have to rise from the ashes – the ashes of our infrastructures and our young hearts. We have risen against all odds brought by earthquakes, political upheavals, or world pandemics, which have never weakened our social fabric. Our resilience has always won in these dire situations, but now, resilience without vision is enough for survival only, not for progress. We no longer require the ability to endure but the courage to build boldly and wisely. The path ahead is no longer easy with so much confusion, controversy, and suspicion rising. But let’s not forget the cries of those school- and college-going students who had readily sacrificed their lives for a better Nepal. Let the photos and reels of those innocent killings and vandalism refill the same spirit during those moments of chaos in future days. 

Let us rise—not with the broken debris of our past, but with a clear, inclusive, strategic vision as mentioned in the Constitution. Let non-violence be our means, inclusion be our ideology, accountability be our culture, and transformation be our goal. By doing so, we will not only rise from the ashes but also light the beacon of New Nepal—a Nepal where our children inherit not fears but freedom, not disappointment but dignity. And for this, rereading the Constitution is a must, and the solution lies somewhere between the lines of the Constitution. Let’s not forget how much money and time we have invested in making this constitution. We don’t have the privilege to rethink our future. We have to act now, as the time is already ticking. The future is watching each action of today. For this, we need to be logical and realistic, requiring awareness of the law that governs us. 

(The writer is a freelancer.)