Date: 16 October 2025

An interactive discussion was held by the Accountability Lab Nepal in collaboration with Kayapalat with 17 Gen-Z youths of Janakpur to understand their perspectives. The discussion session was the space for the youth to express their thoughts and understanding regarding the current political landscape following the Gen-Z protest.

The Gen-Z protest 

The information about the Gen-Z protest first gained attention through social media platforms especially Tiktok and Instagram. The main agenda of the protest that called out for the corruption in the nation was relatable to all and quickly gained momentum at Janakpur. Interestingly, many of the participants learned the meaning of “Gen-Z” only after this movement. 

The protest initially was calm and peaceful but the sudden violent reaction of the state towards the students at Kathmandu had shocked Janakpur as well. The reports of gunfire, conflicts, and deaths of students had greatly affected the youth at Janakpur as well. Youths in Janakpur, like the rest of the country, continuously tracked social media for updates despite the difficulty to witness what had happened. 

The second day was more like the response to what had happened on the day early. Participants recounted that after the initial protests, several government offices were vandalized, and Bhatbhateni Supermarket was looted. There were also the mentions of sexual harassment during the unrest, but such cases did not make it to the news or reports.

Dilemma following the protest and beyond

Social media during this time period were flooded with the videos and news covering the protest. While these platforms become the source for the unfiltered and raw footage of the protest it also became the hub for the dissemination of fear and misinformation. The participants shared their state of confusion heightened due to the misinformation shared in the social media around the major political changes such as appointment of Sushila Karki, the constitutional/unconstitutional debate.
In the lack of prior knowledge and trusted sources for the information it was difficult for the youth to  distinguish fact from rumor and to form an unbiased and critical opinion. 

This condition is still apparent as now the youth wings and the political parties representatives have started making the claims, circulating propaganda based information which goes unchecked and unchallenged. Their polarizing views have created more confusions and have also inflicted conflicts. 

Youth’s perspective on way forward

The youths expressed their skepticism on the interim government’s capability of conducting a fair and timely election. They are concerned whether the current government will deliver justice to the affected in the protest and if they could not let the sacrifice go in vain. Although they are clear about not having their trust on the major political parties, who, in their view, have neither acknowledged their mistakes nor showed any genuine support for the younger generation’s concerns, they fear that there’s a high chance of the same old faces returning in the mainstream politics.

They have started reflecting on the impact of the protest on diverse sectors such as economic and social development. In general, the business owners have lost confidence because of the instability, investments are declining, and many feel that the impacts of public property destruction are yet to unfold and might have probably taken the country back by decades.