GEN Z REVOLUTIONS IN SOUTH ASIA: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF YOUTH MOBILISATION AND DEMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY

Abstract

South Asia has entered a new political era in which youth-led mobilizations are directly reshaping state power. From Sri Lanka’s Aragalaya in July 2022 that forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee, to Pakistan where Imran Khan was removed on 10 April 2022 through a no-confidence motion that brought the PDM coalition to power, to Bangladesh where Sheikh Hasina resigned on 5 August 2024 after student-led uprisings, and most recently Nepal where Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepped down on 9 September 2025 following Gen Z-driven demonstrations, the region has witnessed successive upheavals. These episodes reveal not only widespread disillusionment with entrenched elites and stagnant democratic structures, but also a generational demand for more accountable, responsive, and inclusive governance.

Theoretically, this study draws on social movement theory and political opportunity structures, demonstrating how youthful demographics, digital literacy, and corruption-driven grievances create openings for disruptive collective action. Critical Discourse Analysis is employed to examine the slogans, metaphors, and digital narratives of fairness, anti-nepotism, and future justice that circulated across platforms, showing how protest language itself constructed solidarity and legitimacy. From a political science perspective, these movements represent a departure from older coup-driven crises toward decentralised, networked forms of activism where legitimacy is increasingly contested through public discourse and digital mobilisation rather than through parliaments alone.

The significance of this research lies in capturing a historical turning point: the transition from elite-controlled democracies to generationally contested democracies. Times have changed, and so must governance systems. Listening to youth voices and ensuring their representation is no longer optional but necessary. Yet this paper stresses that not all youth actors embody the competence required for democratic renewal. Representation must privilege serious, pragmatic, and visionary young leaders rather than superficial forms of celebrity activism driven by TikTok videos or Instagram performances.

This study is unique in two respects. First, it positions Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal within a comparative framework that treats these movements not as isolated crises but as interconnected examples of a regional Gen Z political wave. Second, it integrates political science with CDA, highlighting how discourse and digital communication are not merely tools of protest but transformative forces that redefine what governance, legitimacy, and democratic participation mean in the twenty-first century. By doing so, it offers both an analytical lens and a normative call for governance models that recognise the generational shift now underway in South Asia.