KATHMANDU, Dec 12: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel has stressed the need to put youths at the center in every national discourse, saying that any dialogue or initiative that excludes the Gen Z movement will remain incomplete.
Speaking at a program titled “Social Accountability: Media and Youth Dialogue” organized by the National Youth Council on Wednesday, Minister Kharel said the Gen Z protests of September 8–9 have already been recognized as a people’s movement under the agreement reached between the government and Gen Z representatives. Therefore, he said, the movement “cannot be ignored by anyone.”
“Time—past, present, and future—belongs to the youth. The Gen Z uprising shattered the belief that youths cannot drive change,” the government spokesperson said. “They showed they are willing to sacrifice for transformation. They proved that if the youth decide, the country can change in just 27 hours. Yet this time, Gen Z did not seek to take power. That is why this was a selfless movement. They did not ask for authority—only good governance and jobs.”
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Arguing that any dialogue without the Gen Z voice would be incomplete, Kharel emphasized the urgency of bringing youth into leadership roles. He said a new era is emerging in Nepali politics where young people will inevitably gain influence, and “no one can stop that momentum.”
“Every political party must now prepare to hand over leadership to the youth. The future of Nepali politics is bright for young people,” he said.
Pointing to the upcoming party conventions and the February 21 national elections, the minister said the number of young candidates will reveal how youth-friendly each political party truly is. He urged young people to break free from ideological captivity and step forward to claim their rights and lead the nation-building process.
He added that the media must also embrace this dimension and expressed the government’s commitment to supporting the path of national transformation.
