Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah Targeted by Young Generation

Just a few months after taking power, Prime Minister Balen Shah has faced intense anger from Nepal's young generation (Gen G). The country's youth have been outraged by the recent slum clearance drive in Kathmandu and the suicide of a ride-sharing driver over a dispute over parking.

On Sunday (July 12), hundreds of people gathered outside the Singha Darbar Secretariat in the capital Kathmandu to protest against the Prime Minister's policies and decisions. The placards held by the protesters demanded an end to the oppression of the poor, protection of human rights, an end to illegal arrests, and shelter for the displaced.

However, in September last year, this 'Gen G' or young generation movement brought about a major change in Nepal's politics and forced the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. Then, on March 27, Balen Shah's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Party (RSP) came to power with almost a two-thirds majority in the representative assembly.

The youth chose Balen Shah as a symbol of change outside of traditional politics. But after just 100 days, that picture has completely changed.

The main reason for the current public discontent is seen as Balen Shah’s strict decision to evict illegal riverside slums. This eviction campaign has been one of his goals since he was the mayor of Kathmandu. About 3,500 landless families live in the riverside areas of the Kathmandu Valley. Although Nepalese law requires that landless people be rehabilitated before eviction, only 325 of the 2,600 evicted families have been given temporary shelter.

Furthermore, the situation became more complicated when the government ordered the rest to leave the shelters on July 2. The police arrested several youth rights activists for protesting the eviction, which further angered civil society. Civil society representatives condemned the government’s move as unconstitutional and a violation of civil liberties.

The fire of anger has been fueled by the suicide of a young man over a parking dispute. A 25-year-old 'pathao' driver named Ganesh Nepali poured petrol on himself and set himself on fire in front of the passport office in Kathmandu after an argument with the municipal police over a parking fine. He later died while undergoing treatment in the hospital. After the incident, a video of the seriously burned driver being taken to the hospital in a regular car instead of a stretcher spread on social media, creating intense anger among the youth.

Later, despite the administration's assurance of a nine-point agreement with the family of the deceased and the formation of an investigation committee, the dissatisfaction of the general public did not subside. The opposition parties have also strongly criticized the government over the incident.

Before the elections, the Balen Shah administration had made a big promise of 100 points of good governance and economic reforms in 100 days. But according to the general voters, no visible change has occurred even after 100 days. On the contrary, the government has been accused of taking hasty decisions in the name of corruption and eviction, bypassing the legal process.

At the same time, Balen Shah has been accused of not visiting his constituency after being elected and of avoiding parliament. The younger generation who saw Balen Shah as a symbol of new hope for Nepal, today they have taken to the streets against the dictatorial behavior of his administration.

Source: Firstpost.