Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Thursday warned that failing to address youth discontent could trigger another rebellion.

Speaking on the 76th Democracy Day celebrations at the Nepali Army Pavilion in Kathmandu, she said democracy must deliver results, protect citizens’ rights, and ensure accountability.

“The Revolution of 1951 was not a mere change of regime. It was the promulgation of the self-esteem, rights and dignity of the Nepali people,” Karki said.

She criticised the gap between democratic ideals and practice, saying, “We embraced democracy in principle, yet in practice, we continued to foster discrimination. We wrote equality into the constitution; yet within our structures, we went on preserving inequality.” She added that monopoly over power and resources has eroded public trust, fuelling rebellion.

Referring to the Gen Z-led protests of the last year, Karki said, “That movement sought an end to corruption, nepotism and discrimination. It sought good governance and equitable justice. The state must respond to this not only with generosity, but also with humility and a deep sense of duty.”

Karki stressed that democracy cannot survive injustice or exclusion. “A strong democracy does not suppress discontent; it embraces it as an opportunity for reform. Cultivating such a culture is therefore the need of the hour,” she said.

She linked democracy to everyday realities, saying, “Lofty ideals of democracy mean little to parents who spend years working in the Gulf, separated from their children, simply to make ends meet. When one cannot pay the hospital bills during illness, cannot provide a good education due to lack of money, what use then is the system and what use are its slogans?”

On government priorities, Karki said her administration is working to implement good governance, transparency, equitable justice and accountability. “The foremost mandate of the government is to restore peace and public order and create a robust environment conducive to holding elections within a short span of time,” she said, noting that elections for the House of Representatives will be held as scheduled on March 5.

She also highlighted challenges such as corruption, concentration of resources and impunity, which she said are driving youth migration. “But no one should take comfort in the emigration of young people who raise their voices for accountability. Let every ruler be warned: they are ready to endure hardship, but they will not tolerate injustice, humiliation or contempt,” she said.

Karki concluded with a call for principled politics and social justice. “May this day inspire us to foster a culture of accountable governance and prosperity grounded in social justice. I appeal to everyone to join hands to realise the dream of a prosperous and just Nepal envisioned by all those brave heroes of various movements,” she said.