Are Nepal’s intellectuals selling out?

The blanket support of the government’s every action, just or unjust, will motivate it to veer into authoritarianism.

One month ago, a Kantipur op-ed article and its subsequent translation sparked a debate over whether the traditional intellectual community is perturbed by Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s unconventional leadership style, or whether a section of that community has shifted its allegiance toward the ruling faction. As of yet, several articles for and against this narrative have been published in Nepali print and online media. Since then, the so-called intellectual community seems to be divided on how to perceive the Gen Z movement and the government formed subsequently.