‘Changing governments is not enough to end South Asia’s youth unrest’
Summary
Harsh Mander says South Asia’s youth unrest is rooted in deep structural problems such as paper leaks, weak public education, unemployment, and inequality—not just in changes of government. He argues that anger over the Modi government’s repression, communal politics, and failure to deliver opportunity has fueled protests across India and the region.
Key Points
- Harsh Mander says youth protests in India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka reflect long-term structural frustration rather than isolated events.
- He links India’s unrest to paper leaks, the weakening of public education, unemployment, and the neoliberal economic model.
- Mander argues that repression, hate politics and identity polarization under Narendra Modi have intensified public anger.
- He says recent protests broke a psychological barrier and showed that young people can challenge entrenched power non-violently.
