KATHMANDU, NEPAL — Former Defense Minister Minendra Rijal has spoken out after days of violent protests that killed 34 people and caused a major political upheaval. He said that the recent crisis was mostly caused by the complacency and poor management of Nepal’s conventional political parties. The ex-minister, who is a prominent member of the Nepali Congress, told media that his “heart goes out to the families” of those who perished. He also said he hopes for a road forward that meets the needs of the country’s young people.
The protests, which were mostly led by a new group of activists called “Gen Z,” started because the government banned 26 social media and communication apps. People saw the prohibition as an attempt to silence opposition, but it quickly became a rallying point for a larger campaign against rampant corruption, high unemployment, and the opulent lifestyles of political elites and their families. The protests ended with the burning of government buildings and the Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, being compelled to step down.
Dr. Rijal said that the administration had lost the trust of the people and stressed how important it was to listen to what the protesters had to say instead of punishing them. “I couldn’t get the government and the party I represent to agree. But the country also needs to go forward. He remarked, “We need to bring back law and order.”
Dr. Rijal said that legacy parties, including his own, should take a step back and let the Gen Z movement find a solution. He said that any settlement must respect Nepal’s constitution, which he called a hard-won document that shows the sufferings of four generations.
“We need to be part of the solution, but the solution has to respect the Constitution…” “We will watch as the Gen Z finds a way to agree on a leader and help him out,” Rijal said. He told the future leader to “preserve and protect the Constitution” since it is the foundation of a long-fought battle for democracy in Nepal.
Some experts have compared the protests, which turned from peaceful protests into violent skirmishes with police forces, to past upheavals led by young people in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The protests have shown that many young Nepalis are very unhappy with a political system they see as corrupt and only looking out for its own interests.