The revolt in Nepal is a powerful case study in the politics of despair. When a large segment of the population, particularly the young, loses all hope for a viable future, the political landscape becomes dangerously unstable. The government’s actions did not create this despair, but they did provide it with a target, channeling economic hopelessness into political violence.
The wellspring of this despair was the dire economic situation, encapsulated by the 20% youth unemployment rate. This single statistic represents a generation of crushed dreams and a pervasive belief that hard work and ambition will lead nowhere. Such widespread hopelessness is a corrosive force that eats away at the foundations of social order.
This economic despair was compounded by a sense of political injustice. The public saw a corrupt elite thriving, which transformed their personal misery into a political grievance. Their suffering was no longer just bad luck; it was the result of a rigged system. This added a sharp, angry edge to their despair.
The social media ban was the act that weaponized this despair. It was a move of pure power against the powerless, confirming the people’s belief that the government was their enemy. For those with nothing left to hope for, and therefore nothing left to lose, violent protest became a rational, even attractive, option.