Opinion | Is Manufactured Outrage Targeting India’s Gen Z? |
In the last two decades, social media has transformed the nature of political mobilisation across the world. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp were instrumental in inciting, organising, and amplifying protests during the Arab Spring. What began as organic expressions of public anger in several West Asian countries soon revealed how quickly digital tools could be used to shape narratives, mobilise crowds, and even accelerate regime change. Since then, similar patterns have appeared in different parts of the world, including South Asia.
Recent developments in the region raise important questions. Sri Lanka witnessed a dramatic political upheaval driven by public anger over economic collapse, with young protesters playing a visible role. In Bangladesh, student-led movements have historically altered political trajectories, including the toppling of governments. Nepal, too, has seen Gen Z-driven political churn, with youth-led activism contributing to regime changes and prolonged instability. These examples show that young people, when mobilised effectively, can become a decisive political force — for better or worse.
Against this backdrop, the situation in India stands out. India today enjoys relative political........