The rebellion of the 'Gen-G' generation

In addition, the ruling party in all the state institutions of the country was the Awami League. The Hasina-led government built a new government model to maintain political and economic dominance in the name of Awami League. The columnist wrote a short comment on the Bangla government model (Dakshin panthi ghat on political system/2078 June 20) in this magazine three years ago.

In the short period of the movement which was completed a month ago, around 600 youth/students reached Sahadat. The jamaat of those protesting young students who came down to the streets ready to make sacrifices was not affiliated with any political party. Likewise, strong opponents were either imprisoned or exiled. However, the young student fought with his life against the uncertain and dark tunnel-like distant future that stood before him. This current generation that is fighting is called 'Gen-G'. Which will be discussed later.

Two years ago, in another neighboring country, Sri Lanka, the students themselves started the revolt. Then the masses took to the streets. That was called Sangharsh (Aragalaya in Sinhalese). This led to the end of the Rajapakse brothers' dynastic rule in 2022. In the same way, in February, the youth of Pakistan, who were coached in jail, got Imran Khan-backed candidates elected in a big way. That event itself was a coup.

Likewise, on June 25, 2024, hundreds of millions marched in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and forced the withdrawal of President William Ruto's tax hike bill. Senegal is still unstable (Vinaifour Naroji (August 29, 2024) A New Political Youth Quake, Project Syndicate). Not only in underdeveloped countries, but also in developed countries, there are countless such unorganized movements regarding issues of a serious nature. Be it the recent anti-immigrant movement in Britain or the anti-Macron protests in France, the new youths of today have covered the streets. The seeding of the

movement No one is agitating for a

desire. The story of the new movement begins in Tunisia, Africa. On December 17, 2010, a street vendor named Mohamed Vauwajizi, who was selling vegetables on the street, set himself on fire by sprinkling gasoline on himself on the open road due to corruption by the police administration, academic unemployment and financial difficulties in earning a living. The ritual of the sacrificial fire gradually spread throughout Tunisia and later expanded to the entire Arab world. Big dictators like Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Libya's Colonel Muhammar Gaddafi were overthrown. In fact, the incident seems very similar to the character of the rebellion of 'Zen-G' described today. However, those revolutionaries of that time were not called 'Zen-G'. Some of the key features of the Arab uprisings seem to be similar to 'Gen-G' -

(1) In the Arab Spring, most of the youth were involved in the movement. In which there were students, professional youths also joined. who did not belong to political parties. In fact, this movement came to stand on the foundation of increasing unemployment and corruption and restricting freedom.

(2) Like today, the agitators involved in the Arab movement used digital tools. Where to start the movement, where to go, what to do, they used to convey information to each other through social media (Facebook, mobile messages, Instagram and Twitter) and organized it. Through this medium, information flowed around the world.

(3) In fact, the root cause of this movement was the problem of livelihood or people's livelihood prevalent in the Arab world. In the second, the lack of political representation was judged, in the third, widespread social injustice and gross inequality (Arab Spring Causes and Consequences).

Today's 'Gen-G'

Today's new generation is also known as 'Gen-G'. The story of the origin of this generation is believed to have started in America. The economic recession of 2007/09, which started in the United States, became global. The hardest hit by the recession were America's poor blacks and the Hispanic immigrant community (recent arrivals from Latin America) and the poor of Asian descent. However, the government did not bail out the victims, but the banks and their CEOs.

As a result, the Occupy Wall Street Movement began in September 2011. During this movement, issues such as social and economic inequality, the greed of wealthy corporates and the work of influencing politics with money, and the government should stop feeding the rich, were raised. The protestors chose the slogan "We represent the 99 percent, the oppression of the one percent supported by the government will not be tolerated." "Occupy Wall Street" made extensive use of social media and communication media, similar to the Arab Spring, to promote their movement (James A. Anderson, November 15, 2021, Some Say Occupy Wall Street Did Nothing, It Changed Us More Than We Think, Time).

The group of teenagers and young adults born and raised in the period from 1990 to 2010 is called the 'Gen-G' generation (Wikipedia). This generation had to bear the combined pressure of social, economic, technological and environmental side effects. Compared to previous generations, food insecurity, housing insecurity, unemployment had to be borne more. Forced to take up risky jobs to earn a modest living. They have to face severe inequality in access to

standard education and health. However, with the changing times, this generation got connected with digital technology. That is, the market economy connected them to each other by placing mobile phones and social networks in their hands for information. That is why this generation is the new digital generation. The new generation is getting informed by watching, sharing and exchanging information with each other through social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok etc.) only through television, internet and smartphones.

Movement and neighborhood terror in Bangladesh

The now-growing Gen-G seems irritated by the competence, ability, attachment to position, greed, state exploitation (corruption) and the tendency to submit false information. They don't think the leadership of the older generation is visionary. He attacks against the trend of fooling the common man by presenting false facts. For example, Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina pretended to be a democrat on the one hand, while on the other hand she was moving towards authoritarian rule. His national and international admirers were hailing Bangladesh's economic growth as a miracle until a month before the agitation began.

In his last decade and a half-long tenure, he was describing a poverty reduction of about 20 percent. According to their statement, Bangladesh has focused on the garment industry. Garments account for 80 percent of the total exports and its share in the global market has reached 10 percent. The World Bank and the IMF were congratulating Bangladesh as millions of people crossed the poverty line and achieved prosperity. A World Bank report dated April 2, 2024 estimated Bangladesh's economic growth rate at 5.6 percent in the fiscal year 2024/25.

But the reality on the ground was different. Garment jobs were very low paying. The work place was not safe. Like the collapse of Rana Plaza, hundreds of lives were lost. Moreover, due to the corona epidemic, garment exports had decreased. Remittances from Arabia and Malaysia were blocked.

Due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the price increase in the energy sector (electricity and gas) was accelerated. Inflation reached 9.52 percent even in this recession. In other words, the price had gone up. On the other hand, in 2022, the unemployment rate for students with higher education was 12.2 percent. Similarly, graduation unemployment was 8.1 and basic education i.e. 12 passed 4.5 percent were unemployed. Overall, 15 percent of the youth workforce was suffering from unemployment.

According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), in 2022/23, per capita income decreased by one percent (2765 US dollars in 2022/23) compared to the previous year. The main reason for this was the 21 percent devaluation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar. Moreover, according to the World Bank, the price of food grains increased by 33 percent last year, making it unaffordable for the common people (The Daily Star (May 23, 2024). It was not unusual for the new generation of students to know the difference between statistics and falsehood For the last 3 years, elected rulers have been running the government in the name of parliamentary democracy. For 17 years after the 2062/63 people's movement, mainly three political parties, Congress, UML, and Maoists have been leading the government by turns It has been going on. After the restoration of democracy vs. democracy, the ratio of political representation of Dalits, tribals, Madhesi and women has increased since 2062/63. But economic democracy is shrinking. From primary schools to universities are turning into a kind of levelless ruin. Reading culture is on the verge of dying out. Hospitals are commercialized and are becoming out of reach of common man. Infrastructure (roads, irrigation, electricity, drinking water, communication and transport etc.) is inadequate or substandard. Infrastructural development is not environmentally friendly and due to inadequate planning for rural development, rapid migration is taking place from the entire hilly areas.

The neoliberal market has destroyed agriculture. The land that was available until a decade ago has now become vacant. Industrialization became infanticide. Along with the lack of industrialization, due to the lack of modernization and distribution of agriculture, Nepalese lower middle class family members, i.e. one-third of the total workforce, are forced to go for foreign employment. The disparity between the rich and the poor has risen to an all-time high of 49 percent. Inflation has increased by 6.05 percent in the last ten years.

The unemployment rate has been maintained at 12.6 percent over the five-year period, which is a 1.2 percent increase from the 2017/18 Nepal Labor Force Survey revealed. Mind you, unemployment growth in 1995/96 was only 4.9 percent. As in Bangladesh, Nepal has the highest unemployment rate among 15 to 24 year olds at 22.7 percent, up from 7.3 percent in 1995/96 (Nepal Fourth Living Standard Survey). At present, the pressure of price increase has increased, especially in essential food items and daily consumable items. Meritocracy counts for nothing in

country. Public organizations, political and constitutional institutions were destroyed by the activity of favoring the incompetent and incompetent over the competent and competent. From the federal parliament to the village councils, a tradition was created of winning elections with rupees and money. Cronyism, which has become institutionalized, has raised a question mark on the system itself. The leaders of the political parties and the three seem indifferent to find a long-term solution to all these problems. The apathy of the three is discouraging the new youth group. Such desperation shows the threat of mistrust of the current democratic politics and rebellion.

The classes and communities that control the state apparatus do not seem to be trying to move a single step towards the solution of economic and social problems. They seem to be trying to trivialize the future crisis and make it a matter of peace and security. Nepali economic and social problems are no longer just simple financial and monetary problems, they do not seem to be solved by simple reforms.

It seems that the ruling party and the opposition are underestimating the status of Nepali 'Gen-G' generation. "They are not organized, they are not educated and they do not go, there are no people in the village, who will protest against us?" Khelanchi seems to think. At that moment, it seems that full control is to be completely controlled by control over the state than to find a solution to the problem. But they understand, 'Jane-G', an unlimited notice that flows to rapidly rapidly. In Kathmandu Valley, 25 to 4 million people are temporarily inhabited (Arivar Groll Trands and Melting Hagdy Valley, 2016). Keep up the village and the city.

Democratic, the government that does not pay the financial restraint inside the Republican Management, the pastor and the rapped movement of generations are now ready. Because, it is difficult to find out which place and how long it will come with the place and how much power.