- PM Balen Shah urged Gen Z lawmakers to avoid imitating older politicians, achieve financial independence, and offer fresh perspectives to parliamentary processes.
- Shah warned against over-reliance on AI, emphasizing that true leadership maturity comes from diligent study and a deep understanding of policy issues.
- RSP lawmakers highlighted critical concerns including poor government coordination, fertilizer shortages, Madhesi discrimination, and the need for improved infrastructure.
- The Prime Minister stressed that youth representation is insufficient unless lawmakers actively challenge the old system with innovative ideas and hard work.
Kathmandu, Nepal: Prime Minister Balen Shah on Friday sat down with 11 Gen Z lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and asked them a simple question: How well has his government met their expectations?
“How much have I been able to meet your expectations? Have I been able to represent your generation?” Shah asked at the beginning of the meeting, according to lawmakers who took part in the discussion.
The meeting lasted about two and a half hours. Shah listened to the lawmakers one by one and responded to their concerns.
He told them not to copy the style of older politicians.
“You are from your own age group, so act like people of your generation,” participants quoted Shah as saying. “Don’t put pressure on yourselves to look like a 50-year-old lawmaker.”
He also told them to meet with people younger than themselves and understand what that generation wants.
Shah said that simply having more young people in Parliament does not mean politics has changed. The number of young lawmakers may have increased, he said, but the way Parliament is being run still resembles the old system.
He urged the Gen Z lawmakers to bring new ideas and push for changes in the way Parliament works.
Shah also referred to some young lawmakers from the CPN-UML, saying they had not been able to move away from the political style of the generation led by KP Sharma Oli.
Shah warns against depending on AI
At one point, the discussion turned to artificial intelligence.
Shah told the lawmakers that they could use AI as a tool, but should not depend on it for everything.
“Anyone can ask AI for an answer. But that alone does not make someone a mature leader,” participants quoted him as saying. “Maturity comes from work and study. You are policymakers, so prepare yourselves accordingly.”
He told them to study issues themselves and make the effort to understand them. If they needed help, he said, they could contact his secretariat.
Advice to build a life outside politics
Shah also encouraged the young lawmakers to think about their financial future.
He told them to consider starting businesses alongside their political careers and become financially independent.
“Start a side business. Find a way to become financially self-reliant. Otherwise, it will be difficult later,” he said, according to participants.
He also asked them to think about what they would do after their current political positions came to an end.
“You became lawmakers at 25. What will you do when you are 30? Shouldn’t you be preparing for that?” lawmakers quoted him as saying.
Shah urged them to try to do politics differently from the older generation.
Lawmakers put their concerns before the prime minister
The meeting was not only about Shah giving advice. Once he invited the lawmakers to speak, they raised a long list of complaints and concerns.
Several lawmakers said coordination between the government and Parliament was weak. They also said the government did not appear to be giving enough attention to communication with the media and other sectors.
Some lawmakers questioned the performance of government ministries.
RSP co-general secretary and lawmaker Purushottam Yadav asked why Madhesis were still being treated unfairly in some government appointments.
He also asked why people arrested during the Gen Z movement had not yet been released.
Yadav raised concerns about drug use among young people in the border areas of Madhesh, particularly along the Nepal-India border.
Lawmaker Shiva Yadav also spoke about discrimination against Madhesis in access to opportunities.
He brought up the shortage of anti-snake venom in hospitals and the problems faced by snakebite patients.
Fertilizer shortage and farmers’ problems
Bablु Gupta criticized the Ministry of Agriculture for failing to solve the fertilizer shortage even though the monsoon season was nearing its end.
Lawmaker Shraddha Kunwar said the government had come to power with strong support from young voters but had not yet been able to create enough hope and enthusiasm among young people.
She also said the government needed to pay more attention to farmers. Inflation and unemployment, she said, were adding to the problems faced by ordinary people.
Sports and problems around Chitwan National Park
Lawmaker Manish Khanal said the government should do more to connect young people with sports and entertainment.
He also talked about Nepal’s natural disasters and the support Nepal has received from the international sports community.
Khanal said that after disasters in Nepal, international sporting events have sometimes observed moments of silence, posted messages on social media and called for help. But Nepal has not been able to make better use of such opportunities through sports diplomacy, he said.
He also raised concerns about businesses operating around Chitwan National Park. People living in buffer-zone areas, he said, were facing increasing difficulties.
Prashant Upreti raised the issue of frequent disruptions on the Trishuli road. He said the closures were putting extra pressure on the Bhimphedi-Hetauda road and urged the government to prepare alternative routes.
He also said it was unfortunate that people still had to raise questions about basic services such as drinking water.
Khimā BK, Smriti Senchuri, Sulabh Kharel, KP Khanal and other lawmakers also raised various issues during the meeting.
Shah promises to consider their suggestions
At the end of the meeting, Shah said employment and related issues were among the government’s main priorities. But he also told the young lawmakers not to lose focus on their own responsibilities.
He said he had wanted to meet the young lawmakers earlier, but the meeting had been delayed for various reasons.
Shah said he would try to put as many of their suggestions into practice as possible.
For the young lawmakers, the meeting was an opportunity to speak directly to the prime minister about problems ranging from unemployment and fertilizer shortages to discrimination, healthcare, roads, drinking water and the performance of government ministries.
For Shah, it was also a chance to tell a new generation of lawmakers that being young in Parliament is not enough. He wants them to bring their own ideas, study the issues and avoid simply following the political habits of those who came before them.
