PM Karki: Nation Cannot Remain Peaceful by Ignoring Youth and Marginalized Communities

Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki has warned that a nation cannot remain peaceful by neglecting its youth or marginalized communities. Speaking at programs held in Tundikhel for National Democracy Day, she emphasized that democracy must go beyond procedures and reach the people whose lives it is meant to improve.

Addressing political challenges, PM Karki said repeated unrest in Nepal stems from the concentration of power, misuse of resources, and entrenched inequalities in state structures. She noted that historical gains, such as those of 2007 B.S were taken away in 2017 B.S forcing citizens to take to the streets again in 2036, 2046, 2062/63, and 2082 B.S.

“We have celebrated democracy with slogans and beautiful constitutional provisions, but we have not institutionalized democratic practices and values,” she said. “In principle, democracy exists, but in practice, discrimination is tolerated. Equality is written in the constitution, but structural inequalities are preserved.”

Highlighting social injustices, she added, “Where ordinary citizens are neglected, marginalized communities are humiliated, and elites enjoy luxurious lives at the expense of public resources, democracy’s spirit fades. A system cannot remain alive while injustice, discrimination, and exclusion persist against the most vulnerable.”

PM Karki also drew attention to families who send children abroad to work in the Gulf for survival. “Parents who spend years away from their children, sacrificing parental love just to make ends meet, cannot be touched by mere democratic ideals,” she said. She cited families unable to pay hospital bills or provide quality education due to financial constraints, questioning the real impact of governance systems that fail to reach them.

On youth, she stressed, “A nation cannot remain peaceful by ignoring young people. They carry energy, moral anger, and the desire for change, and will not tolerate nepotism, favoritism, or corruption. Suppressing their dissatisfaction will not advance the nation; it must be addressed constructively.” PM Karki also assured that the government is fully committed to holding the House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 in a fair, peaceful, and credible environment, calling it a gateway to a new era of accountable and result-oriented democracy.