Are politicians like Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress or KPS Oli of the CPN(UML) or even Prachand who leads the Maoists, no longer relevant after the uprising of last year?
“They will try, to use the resources at their disposal to stay relevant. But I don’t think they have read the message of September 2025 very clearly. This is what happens with many leaders with authoritarian streaks … they have not brought in a culture of democracy within their own party.”
Sujeev Shakya, founder of the Kathmandu Economic Forum who runs his own NGO Beed in Nepal, was talking to The Gist about developments in his country since the GenZ uprising that ousted the government of KPS Oli.
Shakya acknowledges that they have authority and they have the resources. But can they stay relevant given what has happened is a big question.
In his view, Nepal has seen significant development over the last two decades, but the political class and the politics has not kept up with the economic transformation. So people’s expectations have increased.
“People are doing entrepreneurship. They want a more robust laws. They want the government to function efficiently. People have the money, they want to travel, they want to go and study outside. But there are roadblocks,” he pointed out.
“There are challenges when it comes to getting approvals, getting permits, getting, you know, people have the money to buy cars, but to get a driving license is a big headache.”
Add to that the money in the hands of the political class, especially the “nepo kids”, showing off flashy cars, foreign travel and so on, created enormous frustration among a people struggling to get jobs, being unable to buy a home in cities like Kathmandu
“I think people were just fed up of the rampant corruption and impunity that people, the leaders got, and that’s why they were targeted using the young people,” Shakya says.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Sujeev Shakya, CEO of the Kathmandu Economic Forum.
Thirty eight years in journalism, widely travelled, history buff with a preference for Old Monk Rum. Current interest/focus spans China, Technology and Trade. Recent reads: Steven Colls Directorate S and Alexander Frater's Chasing the Monsoon. Netflix/Prime video junkie. Loves animal videos on Facebook. Reluctant tweeter.
