Opinion

Evolution of democracies into studentocracies

Engineered unrest, paralysed institutions—can India avoid a slide into studentocracy?

September 17, 2025

Bangladesh to Nepal: A familiar playbook of revolt

South Asia is being targeted by many Western governments, intelligence agencies, and NGO’s for creating instability and chaos. The Nepal government’s decision on September 4 to ban 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and WeChat, after companies failed to register with the government, was quickly seized by Western intelligence agencies to spread shocking violence and mayhem. The Western media was quickly mobilized to spread a falsehood that young Nepalis were frustrated due to unemployment and lack of opportunities, as though Western nations do not have any such problems.

From Bangladesh’s violent fanatic frenzy in 2024 to Nepal’s mayhem in September 2025, there is a familiar pattern emerging. Titles were kept ready for the mayhem that would engulf Bangladesh and Nepal. The 2024 Bangladesh riots were referred to as the ‘July Revolution’, ‘July Mass Uprising’, or the ‘Student-People’s Uprising’. Nepal riots were dubbed a trendier ‘Gen Z revolt’. The fanatic barbarian killings specifically directed against the Hindus of Bangladesh were given a cosmetic gloss by terming them as a call for transparent governance, equal opportunities, and dignity. Where in the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East, fully backed by Western democracies, do they have transparency and dignity? Nepal’s savagery was given a catchy title of ‘Gen Z revolt’, and it was reasoned that it had been triggered by a social media ban, resulting in many young people across the region channeling their deep-seated frustrations over economic stagnation, corruption, lack of opportunities, and political exclusion.

Consider the case of Europe, which is grappling with interconnected domestic crises, including chronic economic challenges characterized by slow growth and high inflation. There is a declining trust in government, an energy crisis stoked by geopolitical events, an impending population crisis from demographic decline, and a security crisis driven by rising migration and internal political instability. This “polycrisis“, where multiple crises interact and reinforce each other, has not led to a Bangladesh or Nepal-style disintegration into chaos.

Consider the USA, which, as of 2025, faces a staggering national debt burden, soaring past $34 trillion and climbing steadily. The USA is entangled in a dangerous cycle of unsustainable borrowing and spending. Over the decades, federal tax policy has leaned in favour of the wealthy, with disproportionate tax cuts flowing to the top earners. In fact, the richest 20% of Americans benefit from about 65% of all federal tax cuts. These tax breaks may boost private wealth, but they do little to replenish public coffers.

Consider the pathetic health insurance sector. An estimated 26 million Americans, or 8 percent of the US population, lacked health insurance in 2023. Up to one-third of people with chronic conditions like heart failure and diabetes say they skip medication doses or don’t fill their prescriptions because of the cost.

In spite of all the above glaring inadequacies and shortcomings in every segment of the economy, neither the USA nor Europe has ever witnessed any July Revolution or Gen Z revolt.

Both Bangladesh and Nepal faced identical paralysis of State institutions – the Army, Police, Judiciary, Bureaucracy, and Political parties were simply reduced to zombies, despite their nations going into an orgy of violence and indiscriminate destruction of public property. Frenzied youth and elements masquerading as youth were busy burning parliament, beating political leaders and their families, butchering them, and setting buildings, houses, and public places on fire. A flippant generation addicted to social media and constantly watching asinine reels, stunts, and mockery cannot go into an orgy of violence. There were elements let loose to attack specific targets, and the irresponsible youth just joined in the mindless orgy. The youth seemed to have lost their power and sense of discrimination, and could not even fathom that they were destroying their own assets for which they had paid taxes.

Who’s next in South Asia? Will it be Bhutan, Sri Lanka, or the Maldives, before the real target, India, is pounced upon?

There is a grim lesson in the fires that are being lit in our neighbourhood. What happens if the Army and Police behave like docile domestic pets, the Judiciary gazing like astronomers, and the media thrilled like school children watching the fireworks erupting everywhere? India is on course to become $5 trillion economy by 2027, enabled by strong economic fundamentals and decisive leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is not to the liking of many external and internal forces. The big-ticket reforms underway in India mean internal realignment of economic and financial powers, an ideal environment for stoking mayhem and communal carnage. Law and order cannot be set apart as the sole domain of the state police and the state governments. Crises happening in our neighbourhood demand that there needs to be a National Command for Internal Security (NCIS), manned by central and state enforcement agencies, that should be able to function as a quick response team to quell any foreign-inspired mischief, in any part of the country.

The executive, judiciary, and bureaucracy need to put their heads together to ensure that educational campuses are kept free of politics; if not, everybody should prepare themselves to be manhandled, thrashed, and even burned by mobs claiming to be students. Is democracy evolving into lawless studentocracy? Will Europe and America permit such an arrangement in their countries? Let us not forget the old adage that if a fire is lit, none can command it to burn this and not that.

Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.

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