Shape Up Or Ship Out

With the Gen Z movement, the major political parties have faced a serious crisis of their policy, legitimacy and organisational base. The Gen Z movement dealt a significant blow to the ruling Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre which have been in the corridors of power for decades. The major and minor political parties have considered themselves as the only legitimate forces competent to govern the country. But the country endured their syndicate rule based on the politics of share and divide (bhag-banda). The bichauliya (middlemen) have allegedly remained a hidden yet decisive factor behind the making and breaking of governments. 

Despite a progressive constitution promulgated in 2015, there were no serious efforts to translate its vision into reality and bring transformative changes to the lives of people. Crony capitalism prevailed as the people continued to be buffeted by corruption, inflation, unemployment, poverty and inequality. The coalition government was formed based on their parochial interest, sometimes to avoid the possible legal action over alleged graft charges. The recent Gen Z movement took place against the backdrop of parties’ excessive indulgence in corruption scams. The ban on social networking sites acted as a last straw to trigger the spontaneous agitation that caused the death of around 74 people and injured hundreds of them.

Gen Zeers are the young people born in the internet and social media age. Connected through diverse social media platforms, they keep information at their fingertips, although they lack central leadership that can guide and discipline the youths during times of agitation. On September 8, they launched their protest under the banner of an anti-corruption drive, an agenda that hit the nail on the head, as the parties and their leaders have been embroiled in one corruption scandal after another. The Gen Z revolt not only exposed the corrupt conduct of the parties, but it also pushed them to the brink. The message to the parties is clear - shape up or ship out.

In order to function as credible agents of change, they must undergo drastic reforms. This involves the old guards handing over leadership to the young generation and democratising the entire party system from the centre to the grassroots. The parties are not the private entities of their leaders but they are public institutions that must reflect and address the broader concerns and interests of the masses. If they served as true public organisations, they would have skillfully addressed the needs of the youths, who are leaving their motherland in droves due to the dearth of quality education and gainful employment. 

The old political parties were born almost 80 years ago. Their modus operandi and ideology have failed to correspond to the evolving trends and new consciousness of society. They require getting connected to the people and channelling their inputs into policy formulation. Similarly, leadership selection should be guided by inclusiveness, transparency and accountability. Personality cult and the tendency to stick to loyalty to particular leaders preclude the growth of leadership in the lower-rung committees. The politicisation of state organs, including the constitutional bodies and judiciary, must come to an end, as this deprives the citizens of justice and fairness. It is high time the parties heeded the roaring call of Gen Z revolt and restructured themselves accordingly.