India-Nepal: 'Roti-Beti' ties need a tech upgrade

Nepal has just experienced a short but extraordinary revolution led by digitally empowered youth calling themselves GenZ, demanding an immediate transformation of Nepal’s democracy-in-name to a genuine inclusive democracy where leaders would be accountable, sensitive to aspirations of the people, end corruption and nepotism, prioritize creation of employment opportunities for the youth and end its steady exodus from the country, improve the quality of governance, serve the people instead of just being greedy for power.

The situation is highly complex. The transition to a new Nepal, which can meet the minimum aspirations of Gen Z, is likely to face daunting challenges, and the roadmap for the future remains unclear. It is important not to romanticise the agitation. Some aspects will require careful analysis, in particular the brutally violent turn that the agitation took on the second day, which Gen Z distanced itself from. Yet one can sift the positives from the momentous upheaval the country has experienced. One thing that seems certain is that Nepal will never be the same again. An essential corollary to this is that India-Nepal relations, including economic ties, cannot go on as business as usual and need to be reimagined.

For Nepal, the major immediate challenge, apart from reconstruction and repair, is converting protest and disruption into sustained and markedly improved democratic governance, which can focus on wide-ranging reform, inclusive growth and an ambience free from corruption and nepotism.

Atul K Thakur

A good beginning is being made by the interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, a former chief justice of Nepal. The process will need the cooperation of Gen Z, who are energetic, digitally empowered but leaderless, and also not united on several key issues; and cooperation of younger generation leaders from the same political parties whose established veteran leaders were thoroughly discredited, who were attacked and humiliated during the agitation, but who (with the honourable exception of Dr Baburam Bhattarai at the time of writing) are reportedly reluctant to give way to younger leaders. The new PM has made no secret of the urgent need for India’s assistance, and PM Modi has duly assured her that this would be forthcoming in full measure. Holding the elections to a new Parliament in March 2026 is a specific area in which help has been requested.

K V Rajan

More than seventy lives have been lost, mainly of young students, and thousands have been injured. Nothing can compensate for some losses. Nepalese business houses and hotels, many of which were destroyed, will be restored by a business community which is showing resilience and understanding without bitterness, which could exacerbate the situation.

As per the estimate of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI), the Nepalese economy suffered losses of about INR 50 billion.

Much valuable public property was destroyed, including historic buildings. India will certainly go the extra mile in assisting in the restoration of infrastructure if required.

The Supreme Court is at the moment functioning out of tents, its records destroyed; the Parliament was also gutted in flames.

The economic growth forecasts for Nepal are dismal. India will do what it can to alleviate this. While the government will do what it can with development aid projects, our business chambers must rise to the occasion. There are core sectors like tourism, which are badly hit, but packages in niche sectors like youth and sports in picturesque locations where infrastructure is not a problem, senior citizens groups or religious tourism might offer immediate relief to the economy.

Startups and the MSME sector obviously must be a major focus in order to create job opportunities for the youth and stem, and where possible, reverse the exodus of youth out of Nepal, which is the crying need of the hour. Here again, our business chambers could come up with innovative approaches based on India's experience.

It also needs to be accepted that the roti-beti relationship does not find much resonance among today's youth. The technology centres in the South hold great fascination but have not been much utilised to strengthen ties between the younger generations. Exchange programmes, scholarships, and technology partnerships between premier training institutes in cities like Bangalore and universities in Nepal need to be multiplied. IIT Madras created ripples of excitement while negotiating the possibility of setting up a campus in Nepal, but the proposal did not make progress. Perhaps it could be reactivated.

The Gen Z uprising was notable for underlining the social media tech savviness of Nepal's youth.

● Hundreds of Gen Z protesters were able to use a gaming and chat platform, Discord, to connect with each other, mobilise in large numbers and even use it as a digital parliament to agree on who the interim prime minister should be.

● With spontaneous innovation, they used a platform for gamers to chat while playing online as a political tool amid social media bans.

● The political reorganisation in Nepal will now be shaped to a large extent by communication apps like Discord.

In the world order that is shaping up, young talent not only from Nepal but the whole of South Asia and the developing world will find it increasingly difficult to study, train and work abroad. Could India summon the will and imagination to become a hub for a new integrated technological ecosystem, making a beginning with Nepal's Gen Z? We need a new vision for a region or subregion which believes in technology advancement for furthering inclusive democracy, improved governance, development with respect for human rights and freedoms (a rejection of the Chinese model).

Think tank circuits everywhere seem to be abuzz with pessimistic prognostications as to what will happen next in this region. With new mindsets and futuristic development approaches, India and Nepal can provide a model trajectory for a better future.

(K V Rajan is a former secretary of the MEA and served as India’s ambassador to Nepal from 1995 to 2000. Atul K Thakur is a policy professional, columnist and writer with a special focus on South Asia. They recently co-authored Kathmandu Chronicle: Reclaiming India-Nepal Relations.)