A new term 'Nepo Baby' has become famous among the Nepali youth community in the context of social media being inactive in the past few days. The English word 'nepotism' which refers to nepotism and the tendency to give unnecessary benefits to one's own people is the basis of the 'Nepo Baby' campaign.

Alleging that the children of political leaders and influential people get various benefits, opportunities and appointments, and their parents live a luxurious life with the wealth earned through corruption, the movement against 'Nepo Kid' and 'Nepo Baby' has been manifested in different forms in different countries . This movement is particularly opposed to social inequality, lack of opportunity and the special benefits that family access gives to individuals .

The young generation has been leading this movement, even now the Gen-G generation is against it . In South-East Asian countries where family legacy is strong in politics, awareness has increased through the 'Nepo Baby' campaign, while its influence is spreading to other countries .

America

The term 'nepotism baby' was popular here since 2010. This topic became widespread after New York magazine published a special issue announcing 2022 as the 'Year of the Napo Baby'. Along with politics in the US, this movement is especially targeted towards people in the film and entertainment industry . Maude Apatow, daughter of filmmaker Judd Apatow and actress Leslie Mann, Dakota Johnson, daughter of actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson (Rock) and Melanie Griffith, Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of actor Johnny Depp and Vanessa Pardis, have been called 'Nepo Baby'.

They are criticized for getting opportunities not because of their hard work or ability but because of the influence of their parents . George Bush's son George W. Bush, Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter Chelsea, Joe Biden's son Hunter, Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka have also come under criticism. Some of those who have been accused of this have accepted by wearing a t-shirt with 'Nepo Baby' written on it, while some others have been holding the view that although relationships open the door to opportunities, they need skills to survive.

Indonesia

In Indonesia, the 'Nepo Baby' movement has been started since October 2023 . At that time, a controversy arose after President Joko Widodo's son, Gibran Rakhabuming, was made a candidate for the post of Vice President. His candidacy was criticized as an example of abuse of power and nepotism, saying Gibran lacked sufficient political experience. Gradually, the lifestyle of other leaders' children also started to be made public on social media, demonstrations were held in universities. Although Gibran won the election, it sparked a debate about patrimonialism and democracy in Indonesia, and legal challenges to his legitimacy remain.

Last August, there was a voice against 'Nepo Baby' again in Indonesia . The youth became angry after the house there decided to give housing allowance equal to 3,000 US dollars per month to the MP. After this amount was determined to be 10 times more than the minimum wage, the youth staged a sit-in in front of the Parliament Building in Jakarta. At the same time, the movement turned violent after a delivery boy (motorcycle driver) named Affan Kurniawan died after being hit by a police vehicle.

The protester criticized the government saying 'MPs live a luxurious life, we die on the streets'. President Prabowo Subianto announced on August 31 that MPs' allowances would be abolished . 7 police officers were investigated, a policeman named Kasmus Kaju Gei was dismissed for indiscipline.

Philippines

Here too, the 'Nepo Kid' movement is targeted against the political family. In particular, former President Ferdinand Marcos' son Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and other members of the Marcos family are accused of receiving political benefits due to nepotism. In particular, the effect of the 'Nepo Baby' campaign in Indonesia was also seen in the Philippines.

Photos of expensive cars, foreign trips, and branded goods posted by the leader's children have been made public on social media. Only last August, when it was revealed that the funds allocated for flood control were misused by the leaders and contractors in collusion, it brought the movement to the people's level . The movement that started on social media reached the streets. The youth demonstrated in front of Parliament House and other places.

Thailand

Since the beginning of 2024, the debate and movement about 'Nepo Baby' has started here. A new course called 'Mini NDC' launched by the National Defense College in February last year was criticized for giving priority to leaders, social media influencers and members of business houses. At that time, Peitongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, became the Prime Minister. Soon after, Tita Sangli's news in The Diplomat started a trend of 'hash tag Napo Baby Thailand' on TikTok, Reddit and Twitter (X).

India

After the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020, 'nepotism' (nepotism) became a very big issue in Bollywood. It created a wide debate about the benefits enjoyed by children of established artists or stars . Bollywood stars like director Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Alia Bhatt and actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh's son Ranbir Kapoor, Chunky Pandey's daughter Ananya have been accused of nepotism. After actress Kangana Ranaut said to producer Karan Johar, 'You are the main leader of nepotism', the debate raged. A social media user quipped saying 'We want talent, not lineage' (We want talent, not lineage).

Similarly, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, both the Congress and the BJP were accused of preferring familyist candidates. According to the analysis of Hindustan Times, no party is free from 'Nepo Baby'. The names of leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, Supriya Sule, Jyotiraditya Scindia have been mentioned. "Political Napo Baby" trended on Twitter and YouTube.

Bangladesh

The trend of speaking out against 'Nepo Baby' here was seen in the middle of 2024 . After the ouster of Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister, questions were raised about the effects of hereditary democracy and nepotism. Sheikh Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh. The Awami League party led by him ruled for a long time . She has held the position continuously since 2009 .

Even before that, she became the first woman Prime Minister from 1996 to 2001 after the restoration of democratic rule in Bangladesh. Commenting on his long reign, the youth opined that hereditary leadership suppresses competence and competition in democracy. Questions were raised about the lifestyle, position and decision-making ability of the leader's children.

Cambodia

According to the news titled 'Nepo Baby Hun Manet to Rule Cambodia' published in Jijiro Media, famous for global political risk analysis, Manet got the prime ministership due to the legacy of his father Hun Sen. It is emphasized that this position was due to his dynasty rather than his own merit. After the Cambodian People's Party won all 125 seats in the July 2023 parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Hun Sen resigned and announced that his son would become Prime Minister. Father Sen ruled for 40 years . Opposition parties were banned in the elections.

Canada

The 'Nepo Baby' movement in Canada has been seen as a deep debate in politics, media and social media. As in other countries, there was no demonstration against this. In April 2023, then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was satirically depicted as "Canada's Paris Hilton" or "Nepo Baby" in the UCL Diplomacy Review at University College London. Paris, the granddaughter of the famous Hilton Hotel founder Conrad Hilton, daughter of businessman Richard Hilton and actress Kathy Hilton, is considered by many to be the 'original Napo baby'. It is alleged that he got the opportunity based on the name and wealth of the Hilton family.

Nepal

The 'Nepo Baby' campaign has started here recently. The movement has raised questions about political nepotism, misuse of taxes and the luxurious lifestyle of the children of leaders. This movement started on social media. Now the youth who will reach the streets have announced . The impact of the movement in Indonesia and the Philippines has reached here. The videos showing the luxurious life of the leader's children are posted on Tiktok, Discord, Reddit, and Instagram.

Meanwhile, after the government decided to close 26 social media platforms, the anger of the youth has boiled over. It is suspected that the government is trying to suppress this campaign by deactivating platforms used by Gen-G generation like Reddit and Discord. The youth has called for a demonstration in front of the parliament building and Maitighar in New Baneshwar on Monday.

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After people started talking about 'Nepo Baby' on social media, the pressure on filmmakers, directors and companies in America, India and other countries has increased . This has inspired them to find new talent and give them opportunities . Some 'Nepo Babies', such as American model Hailey Bieber, daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, have themselves endorsed the campaign and acknowledged the role of their parents in the opportunities they have had. Some have responded that they too have worked hard and that this accusation is wrong .

In a roundtable interview in 2020, after Ananya Pandey talked about her hard struggle, Siddharth Chaturvedi, who was in the same interview, satirized her and said, 'Where our dreams come true, there her struggle begins.' The campaign against 'Nepo Kid' has raised the awareness of the people about the dynasticism going on within the political parties as well as increasing the habit of questioning issues such as irregularities, corruption, abuse of taxes.