Nepal has undergone a 'big surgery': Nepali economist Sujeev Shakya on Gen-Z uprising

Nainital, Nov 2 (PTI) Nepali writer and economist Sujeev Shakya has likened the social and political upheaval in his country to “a major surgery”, saying now the nation is in a phase of recovery.

Speaking at the 10th edition of the Himalayan Echoes literature and arts festival here on Saturday, Shakya said Nepal was in a period of deep transition following years of political stagnation and growing frustration among its youth.

"The analogy I use is that a big surgery has happened. So we have to survive that, we have to go through rehab. You might just get into ICU a couple of times more, but we are through," said Shakya, whose recent book "Nepal 2043: The Road to Prosperity" released just two weeks before the Gen-Z uprising in September.

Sushila Karki, 73, became Nepal’s first woman prime minister in September after the ouster of then PM K P Sharma Oli following the youth-led ‘Gen Z’ protests against the government over corruption and a ban on social media.

Shakya pointed to a widening generational disconnect at the heart of the unrest.

"In a nation where nearly half the population is under 25 and 42 per cent are between 18 and 40, were ruled by 3 per cent of men above 65. So there was a very big disconnect which I've been writing about, and in the book I talk about (it). But I didn't expect it to happen this way, but it was coming," he explained.

Looking ahead, he expressed optimism that the coming elections -- expected next year -- would usher in a new government committed to tackling corruption, strengthening governance, and ending impunity.

“These three issues have been Nepal’s biggest challenges over the past 15 years,” noted Shakya, who has also authored "Unleashing Nepal" in 2009.

Reflecting on Nepal’s relations with its neighbours, Shakya cited political analyst CK Lal’s analogy: “India is like the big brother we have to continuously live and fight with, while China is a distant cousin sister who brings nice gifts and you never have ills to talk about".

While he stressed that Nepal must make attempts to understand India’s transformation better as it is poised to become the "world’s second-largest economy by 2050", Shakya noted that India, too, should recognise Nepal’s rapid evolution.

He highlighted Nepal’s extensive diaspora, spread across 180 countries, and noted that its younger generation is embracing new cultural influences, shifting from traditional Bollywood to K-pop and showing growing interest in new cuisines such as Korean food.

“And what has changed in Nepal is that in 1980 the population was 15 million, and now it has grown to 30 million. Over 40 years, the population has doubled, with around 6,00,000 people entering the job market each year," he added.

Lastly, Shakya called for deeper engagement between the two neighbours, saying greater interaction would foster mutual understanding.

The two-day Himalayan Echoes, focused on both literature and nature, was attended by celebrated writer Stephen Alter, Booker-longlisted author Anuradha Roy, filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, environmentalist Vandana Shiva, and others.

The festival came to a close on Sunday. PTI MG SKY SKY